To prepare for Ashé! The Power of the Voice, visiting artist Zarouhie Abdalian and creative collaborator Joseph Rosenzweig hosted studio recording sessions free to Sumter County residents. Abdalian and Rosenzweig provided a series of prompts to encourage responses related to the purpose and theme of the event. Five artists generously shared songs, rhymes, and poetry. Participants included poet and songstress Yawah Awolowo, vocalist Catherine Shelton, singer-songwriter Tammy Shaw, MC Ta’Breian Shaw aka Phaat, and poet Brunell Smith. Rosenzweig, in his professional role as recording engineer, edited, mixed, and mastered the recordings, providing each participant with a copy of their performance.
Planning and preparation complete, Ashé! The Power of the Voice festival took place on May 19, 2018, transforming a vacant lot at the corner of Highway 17 and 3rd Street into a lively gathering space. Fittingly the festival was scheduled on Malcolm X’s birthday. The freedom fighter was an extraordinary orator whose historic speeches have inspired and continue to inspire oppressed people around the world to organize and fight for their liberation.
Local dj Tee-Foot (Enoch Harrison) opened Ashé with deep cuts from his collection of jazz, R&B, and blues. While the music played, Gilder lead some atendees through “Found and Bound,” a book-making activity, while others relaxed, enjoying Tee Eva’s pralines from New Orleans and BBQ from York’s own T-N-T’s BBQ. Following Tee-Foot’s set, Awolowo, Smith, and Shaw’s recordings were featured and Phaat and Shelton performed live to enthuiastic applause. During an open-mic portion of the festival, poet and rapper Zeus Patterson shared several works.
Of the festival Abdalian states:
“Ashé! The Power of the Voice celebrates the power of the voice to move, communicate, challenge, and make change. We feel the power of the voice through our bodies — when a song hits us in the gut, or tugs at our heart, or sends goosebumps down our arms. We know the power of the voice when words make us think, challenge us, or move us to action. The voice comforts as well as it commands.”
Abdalian and Rosenzweig wish to thank all those who contributed to the festival, especially Enoch “Tee-Foot” Harrison, Yawah Awolowo, Catherine Shelton, Tammy Shaw, Ta’Breian Shaw, Brunell Smith, Zeus Patterson, Lovell “Skeeter” Johnson, Walter Brown, Boo Gilder, Jackie Clay, the City of York, It’s All In The Past, and the staff at UWA’s Land Hall.