Ulali + GRWC

Bill decided to stay home while Shelley and I went to a really cool event... the Grand Rapids Women's Chorus had gotten a grant from the Nokomis Foundation and put together a program that featured two local groups of Native American women singers and drummers, performed two pieces themselves, and then highlighted a performance by the vocal trio, Ulali. They had a vending area featuring local Native American crafts people, and 3 speakers before the concert. Apparently, there had also been a choral workshop earlier in the day. The GRWC had clearly done its homework doing outreach to Native American communities in the area, because they were well represented in the audience.

One of the speakers talked about her efforts to revive and teach the Odawa language to others... it reminded me of recent efforts to revive Yiddish... although a big difference is that there is TONS of written Yiddish... books and plays and songs and newspapers, etc. The Odawa language is not written down, so its rescue is even more delicate and urgent. It is also spoken by fewer living people... so her teaching project is really important.

So the first pic is the Snowbird Singers from Mt. Pleasant, MI, which is pretty much due east of Big Rapids... and apparently they have a cool museum there re: the history of Native Americans indigenous to this area. The GRWC is next. And then Ulali...phenomenal vocal harmonies... so closely woven and expertly performed!

I got a particular kick out of the introduction made by the woman on the far right... who when introducing her tribal heritages, said that on her father's side she is of the Ashkenazi Nation... which cracked me up, but I think I might have been one of very few in the audience who got it.

Anyway... a few other things of note...

first... this even was in the same concert hall where the Sistersingers Network Festival happened about 7 years ago... when my singing group, SheWho, had just formed... and we essentially debuted at that festival. So it was really nice to be back in that hall, and to be recognized and welcomed by members of GRWC.

AND... there is a member of the choir who lives in Big Rapids, so I'm hoping to get in touch with her soon to hang out and talk choir stuff and get a different perspective on this town than what I get from Boyland.