Jay Fluellen
Jay Fluellen is a Philadelphia born musician known as a composer, college professor, accompanist, pianist, singer, educator, and organist/choir director. He has a doctorate in music composition from Temple University. Dr. Fluellen is sought after as a choir director, pianist and composer. Dr. Fluellen is currently a teacher with the School District of Philadelphia at Parkway West High School.
| Valerie V. Gay
Soprano Valerie V. Gay's performing repertoire includes opera, solo concert and recital performances across the Philadelphia region as well as nationally and internationally. Ms. Gay is hailed as a soprano whose voice is capable of a wide variety of styles and genres. Ms. Gay holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.
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Mogauwane Mahloele
Mogauwane Mahloele was born in Storomo and raised in Mamelodi ya Tshwane, South Africa. He is accomplished in both the making and playing of Dikonokono drums, Dundun, Stolotolo (mouth harps), Dipela (Kalimba), flutes, Kora, Doussin Gouni, Birimbau, Balafone, Algaita (traditional trumpet). Mr. Mahloele has received grants from the PEW Fellowship in the Arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and has worked with Folklore Projects in Arts education residencies, “Philly Dance Africa”, and “Folk Arts of Social Change”.
| Brent White
Brent White is well on his way to becoming a legend in his own right, having studied trombone with some of the best in jazz such as Slide Hampton and Al Grey and played with the likes of John Legend and Chubby Checker and receiving accolades from legendary jazz great Mickey Roker who says White makes music that “feels good”. White is able to accomplish this through original music composition and trombone playing that has yet to fail the listening ear in search of good music.
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Hannibal Lokumbe
Hannibal Lokumbe’s journey has taken him from the cotton fields of Elgin, Texas – where he was first inspired by the spirituals and hymns of his grandparents – to the stages of Carnegie Hall and much of the world.
At age thirteen he was given a trumpet by his mother. A year later his band The Soul Masters was backing up icons such as Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Etta James, Lightning Hopkins and T. Bone Walker. Lokumbe is the recipient of numerous awards: the Bessie’s, the NEA, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He has composed works for The Kronos String Quartet, as well as the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit and Houston Symphonies. His groundbreaking opera African Portraits was performed and recorded by The Chicago Symphony under the direction of Daniel Barenboim and has been performed nearly two hundred times since its November 11, 1990 Carnegie Hall debut. His oratorio Dear Mrs. Parks was commissioned, performed and recorded by The Detroit Symphony Orchestra in March 2009 for a November 2009 release on Naxos Records. His composition A Shepherd Among Us by The Art Sanctuary was recorded and is currently being aired on channel WHYY television’s On Canvas series. | Dialect ChoirThe Dialect Choir is comprised of Liberian nationals from the Faith Worship Center at Immanuel Lutheran Church where Rev. Moses Dennis serves as pastor. The nine member choir members joined the church and formed the choir in order to worship in their native tongue. The nine women, who have been in the United States for 16 years, fled Liberia during the civil war. Since their inception they have lent their amazing voices to several benefits including the St. Patrick’s Episcopal Square fundraiser for refugee families from Liberia and the South East Pennsylvania Synod Martin Luther King benefit.
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