Flatbush

Caton Market hosts Black History Children’s Day

March 21, 2014 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
b_Black_history_Twins Samien (bass) and Sebastian (drums getting ready to do Ain't No Mountain High Enough.jpg
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Brooklyn youth recently relived more than a century of African-American musical history as part of a Black History Month fun facts scavenger hunt at the Flatbush/Caton Market. 

The event, co-sponsored by Maa Sa Akhi Performing Art Academy, included a full range of pop, hip hop and classical music and dance performances by young Brooklyn artists-in-training, Caribbean and African American youngsters ages 5 to 17.

With snow piling up outside, local nine-year-old rapper Amor Lilman heated things up with his latest hit, “Stop the Violence” (you might remember former borough president Markowitz famously singing the hook to Lilman’s “Pull Your Pants Up” on the steps of City Hall). 

His performance was followed by Bach’s Cello Suite in G for cello, performed by Maa Sa Akhi and Julliard student Frederic Renaud. 

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After some solo piano pieces, the Maa Sa Akhi “Wee Rock Band” closed the music part of the program with the Ashdord and Simpson hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”  The band’s instrumentalists are all under the age of ten, solo performers in their own right, and ready to take Brooklyn by storm.

To close the event, Ballet Folklorica of Panama delighted the audience with traditional Panamanian dances that included shouts of “Hiya!” and rhythmic hand-clappin’ and boot- stompin’.  To bring the significance of the event and the scavenger hunt into focus, Caton Park Manager Anna Walker concluded:  “This Black History Children’s Day was a great opportunity for the children to see our market, which is in their own community, and to have wonderful fun learning their outstanding history.”

The mission of Maa Sa Akhi is to offer free lessons to children in Flatbush and the surrounding community so children have direct access to music instruction after school. The Flatbush/Caton Market is managed by the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI).


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