Music Of The AfricAn DiAspora festivaL
AMP Voice Faculty Recital
February 23, 2024 7:00pm
AMP Center for Performance & Education
Atlanta Music Project Board of Directors
Philip M. Juravel, CPA, Chair
Jennifer Dorian, Vice Chair
Byron Gibbs, Treasurer
Racheal Woods, Secretary
Sarah Griesenauer Barros, Ben Cherian, Anne Cross, Deva Hirsch,
Valerie L. Holmes, James F. Lock III, Aaron C. Mitchell, Ceasar C. Mitchell Jr.,
Aisha Moody, Shawn Pacely, Andy D. Pittman, Dantes Rameau, John Sparrow, Lee Sheehan Templin
Atlanta Music Project Staff
Durand Bailey, Senior Director of Operations
D’Laney Bowry, Development & Grants Associate
Michael Crawford, Facilities Manager
Isaiah Cuffey, Preparatory School Program Manager
Lydia Falcon, After-School Programs Associate
Erin Fender, Marketing & Social Media Manager
Dennis Freeman, Van Driver
Miriam Huppert, Director of College & Career Services
Breanna Johnson, Director of Choral Programs
Jessica McCrary, Program Operations Associate
Liesl McWhorter, Interim Youth Orchestras Program Associate
Aisha Moody, Co-Founder & Chief Program Officer
Jose Morales, Interim Marketing & Development Assoicate
Ron Pace, Finance Manager
Nassareen Rahman, Van Driver
Dantes Rameau, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Amber Smith, Associate Director of AMP Academy
Lauren Spence, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
Jack W. Wagner, Associate Director of Grants
Atlanta Music Project program sponsors
The Atlanta Music Project is grateful for the support of our major institutional donors
Funding provided in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Department of Community Development.
Major funding for these organizations are provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. These programs are supported by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
The Next Gen Fund | Anonymous Donation
history of the african diaspora
The history of the African Diaspora and its profound influence on the world’s music is a captivating narrative that spans centuries and continents. Originating in the vibrant and diverse musical traditions of Africa, the journey begins with rhythms and melodies that would later transcend geographical boundaries.
The brutal era of the transatlantic slave trade witnessed the forced displacement of millions, yet within the harsh conditions of enslavement, African captives preserved their cultural identity through music. Spirituals and work songs emerged, laying the groundwork for the rich tapestry of musical expressions that would follow.
In the Caribbean and South America, the rhythmic beats of the Diaspora became intrinsic to the development of musical genres such as reggae, salsa, and samba. Enslaved Africans played a pivotal role, infusing their cultural heritage into the music of these regions. The fusion of African rhythms with indigenous and European influences in Latin America gave birth to unique genres like Afro-Cuban jazz and bossa nova, reflecting a harmonious blending of diverse musical elements.
In North America, the African Diaspora played a pivotal role in shaping iconic musical genres. The soulful strains of blues, the improvisational spirit of jazz, and the uplifting sounds of gospel music were all born out of the African American experience. The struggles for civil rights and the urban experience found expression in the revolutionary rise of hip-hop and rap, marking a cultural turning point that resonates globally.
In the contemporary era, the influence of the African Diaspora on music remains vibrant. Artists continue to blend traditions, pushing the boundaries of genres and embracing innovation. The global fusion of styles reflects the interconnectedness of cultures, showcasing the enduring impact of the diaspora on the ever-evolving world of music.
Celebrating the diversity and unity forged through this musical journey is essential. The African Diaspora’s legacy is not merely a historical artifact but a living, breathing force that shapes the cultural landscape. As we immerse ourselves in the melodies and rhythms born from the diaspora, we honor resilient and creative people whose contributions echo through the corridors of time.
The history of the African Diaspora and music is a testament to the power of cultural exchange, the strength of the human spirit, and the ability of music to bridge gaps and unite hearts across the globe.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
IBUKUN BABALOLA, soprano
Ibukun Babalola is a Nigerian-American soprano, educator, and production artist currently based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ibukun is an alumna of The University of Alabama where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree and was a principal performer with The University of Alabama Opera Theatre. She also holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and frequently appeared on stages throughout the state of Mississippi, including performances with Mississippi Opera, Natchez Festival of Music, FestivalSouth, and Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company.
Ibukun is a dynamic and versatile performer, and she shines in light lyric opera roles such as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and in art song literature, especially modern, contemporary, and new works. In 2019, she made her hometown debut with Capitol City Opera and has since performed the role of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, covered the role of Juliette in Roméo et Juliette, and has been featured several concert productions, most notably in the title roles in concert productions of La fille du régiment and Treemonisha.
Ibukun also has extensive experience in production, direction, and management, beginning as a production assistant, then as an assistant director and apprentice to several nationally acclaimed opera stage directors. Her solo directing work is intimate and engaging, and has been featured by The University of Alabama Opera Theatre and Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. In May 2023, Ibukun co-produced Wants & Wishes, a recital in collaboration with pianist and co-producer Jack W. Wagner featuring works by Benjamin Britten, Libby Larsen, B.E. Boykin, and William Grant Still.
As a voice teacher and performance coach, Ibukun is known for her holistic pedagogical approach that integrates historical classical technique with contemporary and culturally relevant performance practice. She is currently on faculty at the Atlanta Music Project Academy.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
Chanell Childers, contralto
A Philadelphia native, Chanell Childers is a singer, teacher, musician, and a mentor. At a very young age, she was exposed to music of all genres by her parents. At six, Chanell started studying classical piano followed by three years of acting at Freedom Theater in Philadelphia, PA. While at Freedom Theater she discovered that she also had the gift of singing. She was told by many of her teachers that her voice was simply beyond her time. With this newfound talent, Chanell’s parents decided to have her study voice. While attending The Philadelphia High School for Girls, Chanell was the first student in school history to receive a standing ovation and an encore at the age of 14. With this confirmation from her peers, she decided from that day on that she would share her God-given talents with the world through music.
Chanell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music (Voice) from Clark Atlanta University. At CAU she had the opportunity to study jazz with James Patterson, Director of the Clark Atlanta University Jazz Orchestra. Chanell’s experience with the CAU Jazz Orchestra gave her the chance to interact and perform with and open for legends like Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Kirk Whalum, Roberta Flack, Ramsey Lewis, Jon Faddis, James Moody, Ernestine Anderson, Nancy Wilson, Roy Hargrove, Lalah Hathaway, Take 6, Nnenna Freelon.
Chanell is the lead vocalist of the Clark Atlanta University Alumni Jazz Orchestra. She has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Montreux, Switzerland), Umbria Jazz Festival (Umbria, Italy), North Sea Jazz Festival (Den Haag, Netherlands), and the Jazz Vienne Festival (Vienne, France). She also has received a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from The University of Miami. Chanell currently gigs around town and is also an Elementary Music Teacher with the DeKalb County School District. She also teaches private voice and piano lessons. This is Chanell’s tenth year teaching for Atlanta Music Project as the Choral Conductor of the Preparatory Chorus. Chanell believes that educating young people, both musicians and non-musicians, has propelled her advocacy for social change through their growth and development.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
PAMELA DILLARD, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-Soprano, Pamela Dillard, a native Atlantan, performs frequently on concert stages, recitals, oratorio, and operas in Atlanta, Augusta, and Florida. Pamela was a featured artist on the concert “Sisters in Song” performing with Atlanta’s leading female song stylists, celebrating America’s Jazz Divas. She is a Professor of Voice at Spelman College, a board member of Capitol City Opera Company of Atlanta, and a member of National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. where she serves as a national board member. Pamela made her debut with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, returning the following year to sing the title role in Bizet’s Carmen.
She has appeared on the stages of several American opera companies and orchestras including, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera and Boston, Saint Louis, Colorado, New Haven, and Cobb Symphony Orchestras and The Brooklyn Philharmonic among others. Pamela performed internationally with L’Opéra-Comique of Paris, France as Lily Holmes in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in Paris, Normandi, Luxembourg, and Spain. She has sung under the baton of many of the world’s greatest conductors, some of which are Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles, Keith Lockhart, Yoel Levi, John Williams, Wayne Marshall, and David Morrow.
Earning her B.F.A. from Newcomb College of Tulane University, Pamela was a recipient of the M.L. King Graduate Fellowship at Boston University where she received a Master of Music. Her recordings include, Watch and Pray, Spirituals and Art Songs by African American Women Composers and Grant Still’s Highway One both for Videmus. She is the featured artist on the Grammy nominated soundtrack to Stephen Spielberg’s Amistad.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
Keeyen MArtin, tenor
Keeyen Martin, a native of Charlotte,NC is a musical force to reckon with. When it comes to creating music, Keeyen has the winning combination. His music ability to blend R&B, POP & SOUL is in a league of his own. Over the years, his music has allowed him to travel across the nation delivering performances that entertain and captivate audiences of all ages.
Keeyen was awarded the Michael Jackson Scholarship to Morehouse College and earned his BA in Music and Spanish. Since graduating, Keeyen has shared the stage with some of the industry’s most accomplished talent such as: Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Monica, Fantasia, Teyana Taylor, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Keyshia Cole, Tweet, Michelle Williams, Mya, Keri Hilson, RaheemDevaughn, Peabo Bryson, KeKe Wyatt, PJ Morton, Common, Lalah Hathaway and BeBe & CeCe Winans, and several more.
With an array of performances under his belt, Keeyen has performed on various platforms. He most recently completed a sold out Rnb Tour and a 25 city International Tour in The UK, Italy, and other cities in Europe. Hes further performed on various platforms such as: Rnb Music Tours/ Red Bull Music Fest / Vh1 Save the Music / BET Music Matters, Sofar Sounds Tour/ Grammy Week’s MTV & Mastercard stages / TV One Trumpet Awards / The Emoji Art Tour/ Delta Airlines / Billboard Atlanta / TuneCore’s JamCore / Coca-Cola & Six Flags Independence Day Festival / Love & Hip-Hop Labor Day Festival & many more!
When Keeyen is not performing he dedicates his time to working with The Atlanta Music Project and Inspire The Fire. Within these Performing Arts Organizations, he has worked with over 1000+ youth. Facilitating Voice lessons, performance coaching, music instruction and training. Keeyen has much experience training soloists, ensembles, and choirs for the stage; ages ranging from childhood to seasoned adults.
Keeyen’s current hit singles “You Should Know” and “Girl I’m on the Way ‘’ premiered on the iTunes Top 100 Charts with his Debut EP “Neutral” garnering over a Million streams and counting. His music has been featured on The Real Housewives Of Atlanta, BET/FOX, and a few Nation Films. With numerous successful sold out tour shows to a growing fan base, the world awaits Keeyen. Get ready for new music and more coming spring 2024.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
JoSÉ MontAÑez, tenor
Born and raised in Mexico City, Jose studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Singing at the National Conservatory of Music and is about to finish a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance at Georgia State University in Atlanta, USA, under Alejandra Sandoval, soprano.
Jose has devoted almost all his career to singing opera, lied, french song, mexican music and lieder. He has sung in countries like Mexico (with the Marine Philharmonic Orchestra, among others), Spain (National Ballet), Turkey and The USA.
In 2022, Jose sang the title role in the opera “Dido and Aeneas” (Purcell) with the GSU strings, and in 2023 as George Gibbs in “Our Town” (Ned Rorem) with the GSU Orchestra, both in Atlanta. Other opera roles include Nadir (Les pêcheurs de perles - Bizet), Felipe (Aura), and Remendado in an upcoming production of Carmen (Bizet).
Currently, Jose is part of the Atlanta Opera Chorus, with two productions so far (Rigoletto and Boheme), he has been a Voice Teaching Artist at Atlanta Music Project - AMP since September 2023; and his closest commitment is singing the First Sailor from Dido and Aeneas with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra in February 2024.
Atlanta Music Project voice faculty
Laura english-robinson, mezzo-soprano
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Laura English-Robinson received her B.A. degree from Spelman College and the M.M. degree from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. She was a scholarship recipient and vocal fellow at the Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood), the Brevard Music Center, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the AIMS summer study program in Graz, Austria. She has toured France, Spain, Italy, the United States, and South America performing in chamber, solo, orchestra, and opera performances. She has won Italy’s Golden Puccini Vocal Competition and was the recipient of the Sullivan Foundation Award, Mayor’s Fellowship in the Arts (City of Atlanta) and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Artistic Achievement Award.
Mrs. English-Robinson has performed on numerous occasions with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano. She made her New York debut at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall and later returned for performances at Alice Tully Hall. She has performed in recitals throughout the United States, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Piccolo Festival in Charleston, SC, and as soloist with the Chattanooga, National Symphony, Montgomery, Lexington, Dekalb, and Albany Symphonies and Orchestra Atlanta. Equally at home with opera as with recitals, oratorio, and chamber music, she has performed operatic roles from standard to contemporary operas, including the title role in the world premiere of the opera Zabette by composer Curtis Bryant and librettist Mary Bullard. Mrs. English-Robinson completed a sixweek summer performance tour of Porgy and Bess in Paris (France), Granada (Spain), Caen (Normandy) and Luxembourg with The Atlanta Opera.
Mrs. English-Robinson currently serves as Adjunct Voice Instructor at Spelman College after a thirty-three-year tenure as Voice Professor at Spelman College. She recently joined the AMP Artists Voice Faculty - Spring 2023. She can be heard on three solo recordings: Let It Shine!, a recording of traditional and contemporary settings of Negro spirituals, Great Day! and Christmas Chestnuts.
ATlanta music project voice faculty recital
Laura english-robinson, soprano
Jack W. WagNer, Collaborative Pianist
“Song For The People”.............................................................................Rosephanye Powell from “Miss Wheatley’s Garden”
“Ain’t a dat Good News”...........................................................................arr. Uzee Brown, Jr.
Pamela Dillard, mezzo-soprano
Eli Manos, Collaborative Pianist
Giancarlo Ortiz, Cello
“I Want Jesus to Walk With Me”.............................................................................Traditional
“Meditation: Only God Knows”........................................................................Sharon J. Willis from “Sing, Marian, Sing”
JoSÉ MontAÑez, tenor
Jack W. WagNer, Collaborative Pianist
“Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child”..................................................arr. H. T. Burleigh
“A Change Is Gonna Come”...................................................................................Sam Cooke
ATlanta music project voice faculty recital
Ibukun Babalola, soprano
jack W. wagNer, Collaborative Pianist
“Six Yoruba Folk Songs”...............................................................................................Akin Euba
III. Mo já ‘wé gbégbé
IV. Ọmọ jọ̀wọ́
V. Agbe
“Moments in Sonder”.................................................................................................B.E. Boykin
Passing Time
A Conceit In a Time
Remembering
The Lesson
Sounds Like Pearls
Refusal
Keeyen MArtin, tenor
Tammy harper, Collaborative Pianist, Alek Gayton, Drums
“There Are Angels Hov’rin ‘Round’”.......................................................................Uzee Brown, Jr.
“Love Is You”.....................................................................Chrisette Payne, John Roger Stephens
“Mercy Mercy Me/What’s Going On”..........................Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson
Chanell Childers, contralto eli manos, Collaborative Pianist
Alek Gayton, Drums
DESHAUN HARPER, Bass
“Liwa Wechi”.......................................................................................................Miriam Makeba
“Come Sunday”.....................................................................................................Duke Ellington
“Strange Fruit”..........................................................................................................Lewis Allen
“Afro Blue”.....................................................................................................Mongo Santamaria
the atlanta music project mission and history
Founded in 2010, the Atlanta Music Project (AMP) provides world-class music training and performance opportunities supporting youth growth and development. Operating in under-resourced communities, AMP’s mission is to empower youth to realize their possibilities through music. AMP serves 700 young musicians annually through: beginner-level choir, band and orchestra through the AMP Preparatory School; the intermediate and advanced AMP Youth Orchestras & Choirs; private instrumental and vocal lessons through the AMP Academy; and the annual month-long AMP Summer Series. Additionally, AMP runs a college and career program, supporting AMP high school students and AMP alumni. Since 2021, AMP has awarded 50 college scholarships to its alumni, totaling $231,374.
AMP music ensembles perform more than 60 concerts annually, performing in venues all across Atlanta, from community centers to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. AMP music ensembles have performed alongside international stars such as cellist Sterling Elliott, rapper Lecrae, operatic baritone Edward Parks, R&B singer Monica, The Piano Guys, the Harlem Quartet, electric violinist Lindsey Stirling, pianist Terrence Wilson, and the Imani Winds. AMP musicians can be seen performing with rapper T.I. on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. AMP’s young musicians have successfully auditioned for Georgia All-State ensembles, performed with the Atlanta Opera and the Atlanta Ballet, and have concertized as far away as Los Angeles, Aspen, Mexico City, and Scotland.
AMP is the recipient of several prestigious awards: 2015 Local Community Service Award (Spelman College), 2016 Neighborhood Builder (Bank of America), 2016 & 2017 Top 50 Youth Arts Program (USA President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities), 2018 MLK Jr. Community Service Award (Emory University), 2019 Luminary Award for Arts Education (ArtsATL), and 2021 Infusion Award (Lewis Prize for Music).
AMP’s existence is a direct result of the 2009 TED Prize, which was awarded to Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of Venezuela’s El Sistema. AMP’s co-founders were members of the Sistema Fellows Program at the New England Conservatory in Boston. AMP is a member of “El Sistema USA,” the National Alliance of El Sistema Inspired Programs.
In 2024, AMP became the recipient of five Steinway pianos and was awareded the prestigous honor of being a Steinway Select School, making AMP one of eight schools in the country with this distinction.
The Atlanta Music Project believes the pursuit of musical excellence leads to the development of confidence, creativity and ambition, bringing together youth, family and community for the greater good.
