Jazz fans “Harambe”

Cultural event brings students and faculty together

Lindsay Ropiak for The Maine Campus

The Tom Snow Trio is shown here during the Sept. 5 Jazz Festival, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Programs at the University of Maine.

By Laila Sholtz-Ames

Posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009, 1:51 am

This past Saturday, students, faculty members and Orono-area residents came together for the University of Maine’s first annual Harambe Jazz festival. “Harambe” comes from a Swahili word meaning “coming together as one,” which also describes the goal for putting together a jazz festival on UMaine’s campus.

With the sun shining and music playing, people came together as one, and there was something for everyone. Often Maine residents and students complain there is a lack of culture and ethnicity within the university and Maine, but the Harambe festival proved there is a diverse culture and a host of talented musicians from Kittery to Fort Kent.

Festival-goers, including Dean Angel Loreda, were treated to an eclectic mix of Maine jazz musicians. Unlike the American Folk Festival, which attracts musicians from around the world, all performers in the jazz festival were Maine natives. One young attendee turned to her mother and asked: “Why would we have jazz in the State of Maine?” And while jazz, which originated in Chicago back in the 19th century, is a mixture of West African music, blues, Cuban flair and some hip-hop, it’s not hard to add a New England flavor to the package and create a musical treat for all ages.

Because the event was free, it was easy for festival-goers to stroll in and out for most of the afternoon. Situated in the Dunn Hall parking lot, the event attracted a diverse crowd, from jazz lovers to newcomers, including senior Liz Knue, a Resident Assistant who came with friends.

“My friend decided to come, so I thought I’d come along too,” Knue said. “I like the music. It’s really relaxing.”

Other student leaders were in attendance, including senior Forrest Dantzler, who works closely with the Office of Multicultural Programs.

“We’ve been working to put this together over the summer and we’re really excited it’s finally here,” Forrest said.

The Office of Multicultural Programs, which co-hosted the event with the Student Heritage Alliance Coalition has put on other cultural events, including Black Student Month and Culturefest. By cleverly using music to bridge cultural and ethnic misconceptions, the festival spread the light on some lesser-known Maine artists including the Lidral Duo, the Paavo Carey Quartet and The Tom Snow Trio, among others. In addition to great music, jazz fans were treated to tasty food and beverages from the China Garden restaurant and a diverse collection of hand-made jewelry from across the state.

For more music, check the annual Festival Day on Mill Street next Saturday in downtown Orono, featuring music, crafts, games for children, road races and food vendors.