ERIE TIMES-NEWS
Is there a better way to celebrate the last month of Erie's red-hot summer than at the always-cool Blues & Jazz Festival at Frontier Park?
The Erie Art Museum's annual extravaganza starts at noon on Saturday and keeps going until after dusk Sunday evening, with the Holly Hofmann/Mike Wofford Quartet scheduled to take the stage at 8 p.m.
There's a new twist this year, too, with Saturday's opening performance, "Old Songs New Opportunities" showcasing music and dance by women who are former refugees and their children.
This is an excellent way to broaden Erie's cultural boundaries. The stirring performance by these women will also communicate a message that music has the power to heal, and serve as a reminder that our ancestors enriched our community in past decades by preserving and sharing their music and traditional dances.
It's easy to get swept up into the animated spirit of such performances, whether they take place at Erie's Russian, Greek, Italian, Polish, Slavic and Irish festivals. Now large numbers of Erie residents will get to sample musical artistry by former refugees who have been displaced from Sudan, Congo, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Bhutan, Somalia and Eritrea. They have fled from unimaginable hardships in their native countries, determined to salvage their dignity and to save the lives of their families. Would you be able to sing a joyous song after suffering through famine, war and genocide?
Yet music has become key to their new lives in Erie. Kelly Armor, director of education and folk art for the Erie Art Museum, trains the women to work at day-care centers, where they share songs, dances and games from their native cultures.
" ... Day cares were desperately wanting to have a workforce that loved to sing with their kids. Former refugees coming in had to be self-supporting in a matter of months," Armor says. "It transformed the kids at the day cares, being surrounded by women who are singing and dancing all the time. And it transformed the women, too, because who doesn't want a job that honors what you're good at?"
Of course, all of the musicians at the Blues & Jazz Festival are good at their jobs, too, and whatever strain of blues and jazz is their forte, they'll blow their horns, bang their drums, pound the keyboards and strike the strings with ferocious joy and enthusiasm. Their music tells an American story of love, heartbreak and resilience, and the performers include familiar Erie bands as well as national headliners.
Erie Art Museum Director John Vanco likes to showcase underappreciated and lesser-known artists. As always, we appreciate Vanco's energy in organizing the Blues & Jazz Festival, which began in 1988. Admission is free, but remember to show your appreciation for this free fest and make a donation to the roving bands of canvassers.
