#haf2014

#HAF2014 Spotlight Elle Winston

Singer/songwriter Elle Winston shares her start in music, influences, and goals for her budding career.

#HAF2014 Spotlight: Toni Blackman

Toni Blackman shares her thoughts on the special place Hip Hop holds in her life, its ability to bridge all musical genres, transcend cultural boundaries, and Harlem's significance within that relationship.

#HAF2014 Spotlight: Alice Mizrachi

Visual artist Alice Mizrachi shares her passion for creating public art. Her socially engaging work is empowering and rooted in both arts education and community activism. 

#HAF2014 Spotlight: Zest Collective

We talked to founder/artistic director Gentry Isaiah George of Zest Collective. He shared his ambition to create space for dancers in a competitive industry and its transformative possibilities for dancers and audiences.

(Co-founders Neal Ludevig, JJ. El-Far, and Chelsea Goding thank gala attendees. Credit: Waseem Ghattas)

By Tania L. Balan-Gaubert

The HAF 2014 Fundraising Gala was a huge success! We had such an amazing time at MIST this year and many thanks to them for helping us to make the gala happen. We were graciously featured in both The Morningsider and Meet Me Uptown. In addition to their recaps, we thought it would be nice to share ours here on the blog.

Reception, Silent Auction & Performances

Nearly a hundred attendees made it out to the gala this year! In addition to HAF artists, family and friends, attendees included New York Council woman Inez Dickens, former Councilman Robert Jackson, Diane Collier from Community Board 11, Harlem Arts Alliance Chair Voza Rivers, and art consultant Baraka Sele.

Furthermore, our Silent Auction got a lot of love, we went photo booth crazy thanks to the beautiful folks at WhosEvent, we danced A LOT, and we previewed amazing performances by Kinan Azmeh, Zest Collective, and Kennedy.

Here are some of the night’s highlights:

For those who swear up and down that my tour life is so lavish. HA! I don't even know where to begin. This day was a trying day for me. But I will say this. My team communicated with the stage manager about my travel and sound-check taking place on the day of the performance at the Harlem Arts Festival. 

I for one have never taken the bus to NYC on a SUNDAY! Um..never again. (Oh. Someone ripped the frost off the bathroom window. So yes, WE WERE MOONING FOLKS ON THE TURNPIKE!)There was so much traffic from DC to NYC on June 29th AKA PRIDE! Really, I didn't know it was Pride until I got to NYC 2 hours later than scheduled. Don't laugh. It's not funny. Do understand how rude people are in NYC?! And on top of that it's Pride. 

Anyhow, my sound-check was scheduled for 7PM. My set was from 7:30PM. I am busting my A$$ to get to this Festival on-time. There is no time to be on the phone when you are:

Carrying an electric guitar on you back and you are a 5 footer.

Have this huge rolling bag on a small dolly, containing a cajon, foot pedal, my clothes, and the rest of your life. 

Then the wind is playing games with your skirt...because you didn't have enough time to put your shorts on under after getting off the bus.

I arrive at the festival at about 7:12PM with all my gear. They are tearing down the stage.The stage manager says, who are you. (Breathe Chaquis, Breathe) First of all why don't you know who the artists are for your stage, Mr. Stage Manager? (I'm writing this, and thinking...maybe I should have done a video recap lol) I explain what I went through to get her for the amount of change they were paying me...and that I am performing. They said, that they had to get the director first. I said, "Well, set up the sound, while someone else gets the director, because it makes no sense to WAIT, just for the director to okay the scheduled performance. Waste time, sitting, while I could already be set up."  They stood by their nonsense. And yes, you know the stage managers were both MEN! 

So, finally the director is found and is leaning on what the stage managers told him. "There was no answer from when they called. You were the last act on the second stage. So, we directed everyone to the main stage." Really an hour before my set... <enter the photo of the baby sitting at the computer with the perfect expression here>

So finally at 7:30 we are SETTING UP! The festival is over at 8PM! And some crew member walks over to take the sign down off the stage. Really #$%^! And yes, I said what you think I said and she let go of the signage. Finally it's show time. There is this snapple struck sitting in the middle of the area blocking people from even knowing I'm up on the stage, because they are breaking down their booth. Some awesome festival stragglers got to catch me perform and stuck around for my 4 song set. I made sure I greeted everyone and told them what happened on my way to come and perform for them and where I traveled from...and they were ELATED that I still came to do what I promised to do. 

While I was performing there was a man that was laid out on a couple of chairs...right in front of me...shortly after, her rolled on to the ground. The medics came and everything all while I was performing. Yes, right in front of me. (Footage Below) 

People were buying CD's while I was performing, some even scrapped up change to make sure they supported me! I could not find my square for my credit card purchases, but Ohene let me borrow is square! The director allowed me to keep 100% of my CD Sales. I am only mentioning that part, because it was then...when I realized that I went through all of this to receive that blessing. I had absolutely no cash on me. So, recognize all of your blessings and know that the uncontrollable circumstances in your life create the balance for your blessing. Remember that. 

  Thank you for keeping up with my Acoustic Adventures and 1 Woman Band Journey! Next entry will be about my show at the Potomac Waterfront! 

- Chaquis Maliq 07.15.14

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