Diversity is celebrated during An Evening of Song for the College of New Caledonia's Black History Month Saturday night at the First Baptist Church.
"Music is this great connector and it has a way of sneaking up behind our rational minds and striking our hearts and in a sense everyone responds to music," said Cliff Raphael, performer and main organizer of the event.
"Music is a means of connecting across the diverse community we have in Prince George. It's a means of making that connection and a way of saying music is a gift that we have and we want to share it with you folks. We want to invite you into the experience. It works to bring people together and we forget for a moment that we come from all these different places and if we could forget that forever, that would be good."
The theme for the Evening of Song is Out of Africa.
"We're really trying to trace the musical roots that have had a Black influence and so the program reflects that a bit and it also reflects that music is not limited to the Black experience so I'm excited about that," said Raphael, a College of New Caledonia instructor of geography and leadership since 1989.
Some of the focus will be on music from present-day Africa with melodies and drumming.
"One of the acts is Navaz, with Persian lead singer Neda Jalali, and they'll be tapping into the blues jazz strand of the music," Raphael said, who sings gospel, Christian contemporary, and Black spirituals. "We also have Ben Brown and Exit Glow who will feature some originals and touch on the gospel theme a bit and then the Transfiguration Good News Band will pick up some elements of the Black spirituals. They were on the program last year and they did an excellent job. Bob Hanson is a bit of a hidden gem. He'll do his originals and gospel music."
Then Raphael will close the show himself.
"I will wander down the Caribbean road a little bit doing some of the folk songs like Down the Way, Where the Nights are Gay [Kingston Town by Harry Belafonte] and then some of my own stuff and I will also do a mix of jazz and close the show with Amazing Grace."
Take in the songs on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 483 Gillett Street. Tickets are $10 for adults, children 12 and under free. Available at Books and Company, CNC Bookstore and at the door.
