At BAMS Festival, the full spectrum of Black culture takes the stage

Boston Globe

15 hours ago

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In the 'Beat Feet' dance tent, Stiggity Stackz offered breakdancing workshops, Boston Rhythm Riders demonstrated how to line dance to this year's Southern soul cookout staple 'Boots on the Ground,' and Chanel 'Ms.5678' Thompson taught guests how to move to Jamaican dancehall and Cape Verdean music.
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Speaking after her session, Thompson said she aimed for an uplifting mix of music 'so that people felt joy, ultimate joy, that might be missing in these times that we're in.'
It was also common to hear such sentiments from audience members.
'It's important for there to be hypervisibility of Black joy, because right now, I believe that a lot of politicians and even the media are profiting off of Black pain by sharing the worst of what we're going through right now,' said Melanie Wilkerson, 32, who was visiting from Brooklyn when her friends told her about the festival. 'We're going to liberate ourselves and find our joy in the process.'
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Such a need especially exists in Boston, opined Ashé Brooks-Cook. The 42-year-old from Roxbury was at his fourth BAMS Festival.
'You look around, you see us, and there aren't many spaces and places where you see people that look like you, especially in mainstream Boston,' he said. 'So I love just being around my people, the atmosphere, the positivity, the music, the culture.'
Hannah Betit (center) dances with others in front of the BAMS Festival stage.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
The festival offered inspiration from as far away as Africa — courtesy of a workshop by Afrobeats Dance Boston — and as nearby as the blocks surrounding Franklin Park. At the KidChella family stage, 21-year-old spoken word artist Val Lapree, who grew up in the neighborhood, read a piece called 'Wishful Thinking' that she wrote in the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd murder. The poem was a sharp, critical look at the concept of 'Boston Strong.'
Many of the local artists took advantage of their main stage performances to put together special presentations.
Solari Blue into a high-energy revue. Likewise, Boston rap legend
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Titi Ngwenya holds a carnation she bought at BAMS Festival while she listens to live music.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
R&B chanteuse Kasia Lavon had performed at a prior BAMS Festival as a background vocalist for rapper Red Shaydez. This year, she got to lead her own ensemble and highlight her powerful songwriting skills. Speaking after her set, Lavon said her band and singers had spent months planning and rehearsing every element of the set — including her bold red and pink outfit.
'It was important for us because this is home, and because so many people pour their hearts into this festival to honor Black culture,' said Lavon.
Other local performers ranged from the dynamic precision of the recently formed dance crew The Peacekeepers. to the ultra-versatile Boston producer and artist Haasan Barclay, who leaned into his pop and hip-hop sides before strapping on his electric guitar for a blast of punk rock.
Watching the crowds stream in after early afternoon sprinkles let up, BAMS Festival board chair
While its Franklin Park presence shrank from two days to one this year, the festival expanded its reach with
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. Jeffrey Kelly can be reached at [e-mail].