Basie Center Community Juneteenth Celebration 2024 - EVENT PROGRAM

PROGRAM

Land Acknowledgment

Robin Klein, Count Basie Center Board of Trustees

Opening Remarks

Gilda Rogers

Blessing

Pastor Mcghee

Gwen Moten Leads Audience

Lift Every Voice

Count Basie Center Gospel Choir

original sacred choral music

composed and arranged by African Americans

- INTERMISSION -

Neptune High School Acapella Group

Scarlet Sound

Bad Blood

Stand Up

Better is One Day

Audrey Davis-Dunning

African Dancer

Juneteenth at the Count Basie Center

The Emancipation Proclamation video & reading

Gilda Rogers

The Marel Hidalgo Trio

Thank You and Acknowledgments

PERFORMERS

GILDA ROGERS (HOST):

A pillar of the Red Bank Community Gilda Rogers is the Executive Director - T. Thomas Fortune Foundation & Cultural Center, an Adjunct History Professor at Brookdale Community College and the Community Relations Manager at Two River Theatre. She is a Journalist, Author & Playwright, Producer, Director, Historian, and Educator with a genuine passion for community building.

REVEREND DR. KENNETH MCGHEE:

Rev. Dr. Kenneth McGhee, Jr. is the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Red Bank, N.J. With a rich history dating back to 1895, The Calvary Baptist Church is one of the first African-American churches established in the Red Bank, NJ area. It is a church that honors our Baptist traditions, but also has a 21st Century progressive contemporary style of radical worship.

COUNT BASIE CENTER GOSPEL CHOIR:

The Count Basie Center Gospel Choir is headed by Music Director Gwen Moten and assistant music director Dr. B Dexter Allgood, designed as a community initiative open to interested performers in New Jersey and surrounding areas. Moten, whose resume includes international presentations and appointments in Newark, the United Nations, the White House and more, goes above and beyond to make the Basie Center Gospel Choir an engaging cultural and artistic offering, designed to develop a holistic and cultural ecology throughout the Basie Center community and beyond. For this year’s Juneteenth Celebration, Gwen Moten and Dr. Allgood looked to put together a special piece, using ‘original sacred choral music composed and arranged by African Americans’.

PERFORMERS

SCARLET SOUND:

Scarlet Sound is Neptune High School’s premier vocal ensemble. Scarlet Sound has been accepted as a competitor in the International Competition of High School A Cappella for 7 years in a row and has earned a spot in the semi-finals for 4 years in a row. Additionally, the group has been nominated to the NJ State Teen Arts Festival 6 times, each time garnering a “Distinguished” rating. Scarlet Sound has been a featured performer at the NATO Parade of Nations, and has twice been chosen to perform in Disney World. The Scarlet Sound’s mission is to challenge the young students of NHS to achieve the highest level of musicianship that they can, and along the way, make a few amazing memories too.

Erin Radvanski

Director of Choral Music

Zackary Closius

Emma Dispigna

Elizabeth Podlaski

Jones, Jaelyn

Marbella Morrell

Evan Pelissier

Marie-Anne Jean

Members

Jha’nae LeGrande

Taylor, Emani

Kaitlyn Corpuz

Luke Estaura

Lila dispigna

gianna fleurjuste

Molly McGovern

Hailey Clyburn

FOOD PROVIDED BY:

Clifton Boyd Pianist

Mora, Jayden

Ellington, Lana

Anna Barbella

Gianna Fernandez

Maddie Oliphant

Grace Voorhees

Elizabeth Wisner

jamagrillefood.com - Family-owned business with two locations, Neptune City and Perth Amboy. JamaGrill’s owner and Chef Camall Wright is committed to bringing quality food to his community. Celebrating the richness of his culture and sharing the joy of soul food is his priority. With an everevolving business structure, one thing remains, JamaGrill’s quality of food and service!

jamesonsoutherncooking.com - Jameson’s Southern Cooking is a Veteran-Owned Business, established 1994. With historical significance, consistency and quality of the food, Jameson’s has catered for different celebrities, such as blues musician BB King and his band, Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin, when they would perform at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Jameson’s restaurant has had an impact on it’s neighborhood in sharing his legacy and culture through his southern cuisine. In the process he has earned support and recognition.

PERFORMERS

AUDREY DAVIS-DUNNING (AFRICAN DANCER):

A powerhouse innovator on a mission to empower women worldwide. Founder of Get Your Goddess, a dynamic platform where women discover their inner strength through a fusion of African dance and personal development. A college professor and academic advisor with a Masters from Cornell University. She is a mom-preneur, educator, performer, author and motivational speaker, dedicating her life to uplifting others and sparking transformation through African dance and movement. West African Dancer Audrey DavisDunning & Master Percussionist Victor Marshall will help us usher in the celebratory mood of Juneteenth as they share music and dance from Mali & Guinea West Africa. This evening they will share Wolosodun, Lamba & KouKou.

MAREL HIDALGO:

Marel Hidalgo is a fifteen-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Neptune, New Jersey. At the age of six, he formed his first band, “Marel Hidalgo & Friends,” and quickly gained attention with a debut performance at a jam-packed local venue. This success led to performances at major festivals and venues, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Denver Day of Rock. Marel’s eclectic mix of genres, from classic rock to Latin jazz, has captivated audiences across the Tri-State Area. He has been recognized with the 2015 “Tito Puente Award” and featured in numerous media outlets, solidifying his place in the music scene. The Marel Hidalgo Trio will be playing songs that were either composed or popularized by African-American musicians from the swing era of jazz such as Count Basie, to bebop musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Denzil Best, and Sonny Rollins. Marel will be joined by bassist Joe Peterson and drummer Joe Brown Jr.

VISUAL ARTISTS:

We have about 8 art pieces displayed in the lobby, all created by students of Neptune High School. Andrea Paguio, Moriah Laine, and Chesnika Eugene produced beautiful pictures of African American women and Black artists.