By Jaida Dent
Students filled the basement of the Student Center in anticipation of the night’s coming performances as the Haitian American Student Association (HASA) combined forces with the African Student Union (ASU) to present “Talent Showcase” on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The night featured an array of performances from the BC student body, including singing, dancing, beatboxing, opera, and even live jazz music.
“Each and every single performance shocked me and opened my eyes [to the fact] that we have future superstars in our proximity,” said Yerema Keita, president of ASU.
The talent amongst the performers illustrated the creativity that exists on campus. The night featured singing from Michelle Sowa, Matthew Romulus, Helena Nogveira, and Johee Park, who performed an opera piece. The Blaze Dance Team took the audience around the world with a performance across several dance styles such as hip hop, majorette, and bachata. The night ended with a slam poetry performance from special guest Mandy Wagnac, a graduate of Columbia University.
Paolo Lembo, a senior at Brooklyn College, gathered the crowd’s attention through beatboxing. Lembo has been beatboxing since high school and now participates in competitions in and out of New York State.
“I was super excited to see all these people. Not many people know what modern beatboxing sounds like today, so there’s that shock factor that I’m super into […] So it’s always great to have any opportunity to perform,” said Lembo.
Another performance was a live jazz piece from students Kayla McCoy, playing the double bass, and Tyler Cohen, on the African drums and steel pans.
McCoy commented on her performance saying, “I’m an advanced beginner but that didn’t stop me from performing and wanting to show my abilities […] Music has always been a part of me and I’ve always felt like a connection to the bass, so that’s how I ended up here.”
The idea for the event was conceived through the two clubs looking to expand their efforts into a collaboration.
“This event was inspired by its attempt in having one last semester, and in the spirit of HASA and ASU now sharing a club room, it’s only right that we collaborate. You will definitely be seeing more collaborations between us and I know we will put on another amazing show,” said Keita.
While the event brought
about entertainment and community for the students of BC as the end of the semester approaches, it also produced a space for creative expression. The showcase addressed a need for students to be able to be open and bold, while also having fun in sharing their love for music and dancing.
“It was important and necessary to highlight the skill and creative vision these students brought and unapologetically give their all on stage and share with everyone present. It was truly a special and captivating experience,” said Fabiola Saintelien, the president of HASA.
The goal of the event, according to organizers, was to allow the talent of Brooklyn College to be placed on center stage. For the performers and the supportive audience members, it was an opportunity to come together to create a vibrant and welcoming space for everyone.
“Brooklyn College is a multicultural and diverse institute encapsulating artistic and expressive individuals,” said Saintelien. “I was grateful and honored for this one night of showcasing what has been hidden that we all got to discover.”
For information about HASA and ASU, as well as upcoming events, follow them on Instagram @bc.hasa and @brooklyncollege_asu.