Karen Ponzio Photos
Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band
Sunday afternoon offered a few hints of another city summer on the horizon: a short burst of rain followed by a sunny break in the sky, the sound of music blasting from open car windows, and two International Festival of Arts and Ideas programs coming together to celebrate.
Nekita Waller and Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band performed their music for the Arts and Ideas Fellows — attendees of the festival’s High School Fellowship program — at Beecher Park in Westville. The program, a collaboration with Gateway Community College that runs from January to June, has been meeting once a week online with a focus on arts administration, social justice issues, and developing community. On Sunday co-Fellow instructor Julius Stone said, “our goal was to have a live performance as a group … this is our first time meeting in person.”
Both Waller and Caribbean Vibe are participating in the Festival’s Arts On Call Program, in which, each weekend during the festival, several local and regional artists including musicians, storytellers, dancers and actors are available for hire to come to any given location in a 15-mile radius of downtown New Haven and give an outdoor performance.
Yesterday’s show began with Caribbean Vibe Steel Drum Band’s percussionist Duane Huff walking out toward the audience whistling and clapping and encouraging them to clap along. As Donald Thompson began to play the steel drum, the party vibe immediately thrived. After the first song was over, Huff introduced himself as well as Thompson, who he said was from Trinidad.
“I hope you enjoy the sound from the islands,” Huff said. Then he asked the audience if any of them were from the islands. “How about New York? Long Island? How about the island of CT?” he asked, and got laughs from a few. The duo also got a few clapping and grooving along to their covers of Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September” as well as Arrow’s “Hot, Hot, Hot.” They got a little more mellow with covers of “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers as well as “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley, and even dug into “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, each time creating an abundance of joyful sounds that made it feel as if we were already in the midst of summer, with pool parties and beachside bashes, and although everyone was still maintaining social distances, it still felt like an intimate and collective experience.
Nekita Waller — current CT state troubadour — brought her own style and sense of community to the proceedings. She began by thanking the Fellows “from the bottom of my heart.”
Nekita Waller
“We’ve been dying to perform,” she added, as she began with an original song about Connecticut with the chorus “you can love it or leave it, but it’s a state that I believe in. I’m proud to say I’m Connecticut born and Connecticut raised.” She had the audience singing along with her by the end.
For her second song and the remainder of the set, Waller left her microphone behind and stepped closer to the audience, creating an even more intimate vibe. She offered more powerful originals, including “Won’t Stop Loving You,” that she dedicated to her parents. She made a point to shout out and dance along with a toddler (from afar), which brought many smiles to the crowd.
Waller also added a few covers she easily made her own, including “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Long Train Runnin’” by The Doobie Brothers, and “Best of My Love” by The Emotions, shouting to the audience beforehand “is anyone here old school?” This reporter waved her hand high and wild. Waller brought both her powerhouse voice and a party atmosphere to all of her songs. How fun it was to be back out singing and swaying along with others.
Shelly Quiala, executive director of the Festival, was also present and fully enjoying the proceedings, taking time after the show was over to acknowledge not only Caribbean Vibe and Waller but also the Fellows. “Great to see you all,” she said, thanking them and Stone for their work.
As the group chatted and got to hang out a bit in person, the sky clouded over and offered another burst of rain showers. Not unlike the music and the coming together of community, it was refreshing.
The International Festival of Arts and Ideas runs now through June 27. Arts On Call artists can be booked through the Arts and Ideas website. For more information on the Fellows program visit its website.
