Black Artist Collective hosts Fête Noir, showcasing Black talent, community
Jaden Chen | Assistant Photo Editor
Performances of the night included spoken poetry from Vanessa Johnson along with a chant and dance routine from Amarachi Attamah.
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Carley Robinson moved to the Syracuse area in August. With loosening COVID-19 restrictions, Robinson wanted to start exploring new spaces in the city and find a strong sense of Black community in Syracuse, which is what drew her to the Community Folk Art Center.
“I’ve been looking for some Black community, and this event looks really fun … I was excited to come and check out the space,” Robinson said. “I have not really been able to find community in the COVID times and things like that, so as more in-person events are happening, I’m trying to get out a little bit.”
The Black Artist Collective, in association with the Community Folk Art Center, hosted its second annual Black History Month Showcase on Saturday. This year’s event, which ran from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., had the theme “Fête Noir,” which translates to Black party.
This year’s theme was a party to celebrate Black joy and talent. Guests were invited to wear gala attire and masquerade masks to honor the inspiration for the event: Mardi Gras and Carnival. With guests dressed in their finest, Fête Noir began with an hour of light refreshments and live music before the main event began, which was live streamed on Facebook and Zoom.
Around 7:15 p.m., the performance started with a singing of the Black national anthem by the show’s performers, and audience members were invited to sing along. Following the performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the show’s host, Jaleel Campbell, remained on stage to introduce the theme of the night and interact with the audience.
Campbell, who is a co-founder of the BAC, acknowledged the purple, green and gold decorations adorning the CFAC’s stage, which he said were an upgrade from last year’s event. After energizing the audience, Campbell gave the stage to Vanessa Johnson, who performed poetry by Harlem Renaissance artists to live jazz music, played by Bernie Williford.
Following Johnson and Williford, Amarachi Attamah came onto the stage. Attamah, a chant performer and poet, addressed the audience in Igbo and English. As she danced and chanted, Attamah wore a smile on her face that elicited enthusiastic reactions from the audience.
“I felt so happy. I perform for people that will connect to the energy — the language, the expressions — and I chose some lines that really meant something,” Attamah said. “I got the feedback that I wanted as a performer.”
Another highlight performance of the night came from Syracuse-based drag queen Sparkle Royale, who Campbell introduced as a main Black drag queen in the Syracuse area.
Royale entered the room in complete darkness before dancing to a medley of songs between rows of audience members. Once Royale made it to the stage, the music stopped and gave way to Royale lip-syncing to Porsha O.’s slam poem, “Angry Black Woman.” The audience snapped, cheered and clapped during Royale’s recitation.
Throughout the night, Campbell would check in on Jessica McGhee, a fine artist who was live painting on a wood panel during the show. McGhee’s painting, which was inspired by the colors and tranquility of the natural world by including blues to reflect the ocean and browns to reflect the earth, was something she aimed to finish during the show and auction off afterward.
The grand finale of Fête Noir came in the form of a ballet performance. Twins Nataniel and Niemah Taylor performed a ballet duet to “Giggling Rapids,” the third part of “The River Suite,” composed by Duke Ellington. The pair received a standing ovation from the audience for their performance, and each received a bouquet of flowers. Campbell came back onto the stage following the ballet to have the performers bow and perform a final synchronized dance, which concluded the night.
Qiana Williams, one of the lead organizers for Fête Noir and a co-founder of the BAC, was pleased with the outcome of the event. Williams was happy to provide an event like Fête Noir to the Syracuse community, especially to close out Black History Month. She noted the emphasis the event placed on Black joy, and joy for attendees in general.
“We wanted to put a little bit of light in our community,” Williams said. “I hope that everybody at home watching and everyone in the audience had a good time and enjoyed themselves — enjoyed the variety of artists in our area, the messages that they were representing. I hope everyone was able to connect with something and just feel that joy.”
Published on February 27, 2022 at 10:46 pm
