The Historic Eureka School recently hosted its Alkebulan Music Philosophy Event, where it showcased various instruments and sounds from the extensive history of African music. Alkebulan, the original name for Africa before colonization, served as the backdrop for the event, which featured the music group AMP, led by Casey Lawerence of Hollywood, Fla.
During his opening speech, Lawerence provided the crowd with a summary of AMP’s focus, emphasizing their specialization in combining traditional African instruments and melodies with modern instruments. This fusion of sounds became evident through the diverse lineup of instruments used by AMP.
The ensemble included two different drums, a balaphone, a tenor saxophone, and an alto saxophone. Three Djembe drums, hand drums used to set the tempo and rhythm, were featured with three different sound ranges, including an open tone, a bass tone, and a close tone. The second drum type was the Dunun, part of the bass family, often played simultaneously with a bell. The bylaphone, like the xylophone, was played with two wooden sticks, producing a bubbling, hollow, and clear sound for the ensemble.
The recent event was just one of the few that the Eureka School and 6th Street Historic District presented for Black History month and for the rest of the year. Vanessa Molden, the operation and education manager for the 6th Street Historic District emphasized the importances of African-Americans knowing their history.
“African Americans and the arts have such a vibrant and rich history,” Molden stated. “During our Black History Month programs, we wanted to incorporate something from the history of Africa.”
Molden also highlighted the educational significance of events like the Alkebulan Music Philosophy for young African Americans. And she noted that such events enable young African-Americans to connect deeper with their African roots, beyond just the American context.
Molden also expressed that programs like the Alkebulan Music Philosophy Event help shift the focus of African-American history from being slavery-dominated to highlighting the more positive aspects of African history.
“Today it was very positive, it was very uplifting,” she said. “We danced and listened to music. And there was a lot of positive energy in the room.”