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Powers crowd enjoys African Children’s Choir
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Nevaeh Clark, 8, Oasis Fredrick, 3, and Aleigha Mitchell, 5, bounced in their seats at Edward W. Powers Auditorium, moving to the songs and dances of the African Children’s Choir.
“I liked it,” said Nevaeh, a third-grader at C.H. Campbell Elementary School in Canfield. “I liked the drums and when they danced in their tutus.”
Her guardian, Alicia McKinney of Canfield, who is the other girls’ aunt, brought them to the performance.
Aleigha and Nevaeh are members of Harambee of Youngstown, an African dance group. The group’s leader gave them the tickets.
“We wanted them to get some exposure, to see a different culture,” McKinney said. “We thought it would be a good experience for them.”
Some of the moves executed by the choir members are similar to what the girls do in Harambee.
The performance was a hit with the three girls.
“I liked their tutus,” Oasis said.
“I liked their tutus when they shook them,” added Aleigha, who is in kindergarten at Youngstown Community School.
The concert was presented by the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, better known as ACTION.
The 18 choir members range in age from 8 to 11, said Carrie Lyman, tour leader. All are from Uganda. Some have seen their parents die from disease, war or famine.
“They perform in churches and venues like this, raising awareness of Africa,” Lyman said.
The tours offer the opportunity for the children to earn sponsors for their education, she said.
Each child’s time with the choir lasts one tour, during which their schooling is provided by a professional teacher that travels with the group. The tour started in August and will run through April.
Kayla Johnson of Youngstown brought her son, Christian, 6, a kindergartner at Martin Luther King Elementary School, to the performance.
“He was dancing along,” she said.