“Feel the Spirit Moving: A Special evening of Spirituals, Stories and Strength with The Charles Lane Ensemble”
Video Coming Soon
By Dr. Lo Sprague
Music heals the soul. It’s that simple. That’s why The Guibord Center committed to creating an evening of music. An offering of healing and strength to those across all faiths, pushing back against the cruelty of today.
We began looking for a producer. Someone who knew the songs that enable ordinary people to find strength and hope in the darkest of times. Our goal was to provide a live concert that attendees could enjoy and a way to record it for those who couldn’t attend.
Guibord Center Board Member and California National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Brenda Threatt found Charles Lane. We saw his work. Shared our vision. An intense collaboration began when he put out a call to some of the city’s best musicians. The Charles Lane Ensemble was being formed.
Then, just over a week before the concert was scheduled, an unforeseen blow almost stopped us. A beloved leader in the struggle, a young father, mentor, and friend, Umar Hakim Dey, died unexpectedly, and a pall of grief lay over many throughout the city.
Yet, even as I thought about postponing the concert, I knew in my heart that Umar would have insisted people needed it now more than ever.
And as always, he would have been right.
The Concert Goes On
The Charles Lane Ensemble entered as a river of joy, singing the familiar Funga Alafia, the West African song of welcome and blessing, swaying to the drums as they moved through the crowd. Their entrance swept away any thoughts of the day.
Our full attention was right there, right in the center of their high-energy circle, and with an exceptional young dancer, Ashish Kumar, whose fluidity defied both bones and gravity.
At first glance, one wondered how such a large group of singers could be woven together, yet the genius of Charles Lane and the extraordinary talent of the performers did just that. Poetically. Powerfully.
From the depths of despair in the ensemble’s haunting rendition of “I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray” and the exquisite and excruciating recognition of our stolen Hispanic brothers and sisters in the compelling “Gracias a la Vida” (Delia Rios solo and Alberto La Torre on guitar) to the many songs of hope and spiritual depth, including a rendition of “Blowin’ in the Wind” like you’ve never heard before, the program blended heartbreak and hope into a remarkable evening of strength and spiritual solidarity.
The evening was full of hope. Healing.
As the long struggle for humanity and compassion continues, we must do more to heal and restore ourselves and one another.
We need more music!
And we need your help to make that possible.
Please support The Guibord Center with your donation at any level. Thank you.