Samite Concert

Irene A. Bisgrove Community Theatre

This evening attended the Samite Mulondo Concert on the Auburn Campus of Cayuga Community College. The program began promptly at 7:30 PM. The crowd was diverse ranging from pre-school children to those in their 80s.

The first performers were the CCC Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Michael Cortese. The first two selections (Partido Alto & The Girl from Ipanema) featured vocals by Mario Paiva, a student from Rio de Janeiro. Samite joined the group for the one of his pieces titled Mutoto. The ensemble with vocalist, Rebecca Keeler, covered the Ruby & the Romantics hit, Our Day Will Come.

 

Next was Vocal Jazz Ensemble directed by Amy Bellamy and accompanied by Will Tobin. Their covers of Ain't Misbehavin' and Beyond the Sea were well received by the audience.

The College Chorus directed by Amy Bellamy and accompanied by Sally Bailey then took over center stage. The set got off to a rousing start with an arrangement by Roger Emerson titled Forever Doo-wop. The Chorus then progressed through The Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody to The Jamies' Summertime, Summertime on to Eddie Holman's Hey There, Lonely Girl and concluded with the Foundations' Build Me Up Buttercup which featured Soprano Erika Green and Baritone Michael Rickerson. Samite joined the group for his composition Webake.

 

The concert was turned over to Samite. Samite brought out his special guests, percussionist Jeff Haynes and bassist and guitarist, Charlie Shew, on stage.

Samite used the call and response to arouse the crowd. The auditorium took on the atmosphere of a tent revival with the participants dancing in the aisles as well as forming a conga line.

An entertaining evening by a music veteran and veterans to be.