On Jan. 20, the “ASHE: A Celebration of Voices” event took place at the Debartolo Performing Arts Center in Notre Dame. This two-hour-long performance took place in order to uplift and celebrate the acts of Martin Luther King Jr., along with intermittently bringing some of South Bend’s issues to light.
Ashe, or Aṣẹ, pronounced ah-shay, is a term derived from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria that means to manifest or to speak into existence. The direct translation of Ashe is “so it will be,” similar to the meaning of the term “amen” in religions such as Christianity and Judaism. Here, this term is used to speak good fortune over the works of Martin Luther King Jr. and other activists who were celebrated during this event.
As an attendee, I was able to watch every organization perform for me and hundreds of other people. The complete list of performers includes members from nine choirs across the Michiana area, UZIMA!’s choir, band, drummers, and dancers, members of the Pokagon Band Ribbon Town dancers, along with 220 other performers and dancers.
Every dance and act was captivating. Each one was bursting with color on top of having amazing singers and dancers perform alongside each other. The performance opened with the “I Have a Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King Jr. Soon after this, The Pokagon Band Ribbon Town performed, entertaining the audience with drumming and dancing, which was my personal favorite performance of the entire event. Three members set up one traditional Pokagon drum and began striking the drum while singing. After a few minutes, a small group of dancers decorated in traditional Pokagon costumes began to dance on stage alongside the singing. The experience was very immersive and exciting, providing an insight into their culture and background.
Religion was a large theme throughout the performances, mainly Christianity. Many of the performances were also heavily motivational and uplifting. Another one of my personal favorites was the performance by Zachary Gillis, a member of the South Bend City Church, performing “If You’re Out There” by John Legend. Gillis sang exceptionally well and seemed to light up the room with his attitude and voice. His performance was one of the few that got a standing ovation.
Between many of the 15 performances that took place, clips of a video interviewing members of the South Bend community were played. The director of the Ashe event, Kelly Burgét, and other members of the event asked individuals across South Bend about their experience with South Bend and how the community can better itself in order to shine as a staple city for the nation. Personally, these clips provided inspiration and insight into other people’s lives and experiences and encouraged not only me but many others to create a more favorable environment for the surrounding community.
The event ended with the “Joy, Joy, Joy” finale, a section where every member who performed danced and sang alongside everyone. At the end of this performance, Burgét spoke to the audience about her personal experience with Ashe and how we as a community can use this to create the community we have dreamt of.
While exiting the performance, every spectator had the option to write what they wanted to see happen in their community on a wooden cut-out leaf and hang it on a wooden cut-out tree. If you put a leaf on the tree, you were permitted to select a random person’s leaf and speak words of Ashe over the leaf in the hope that whatever was written on the leaf may be manifested into existence. I personally did not do this. However, the atmosphere and experience were excellent. I would definitely recommend anyone attend this event if it is held in the future.
For more information on Ashe and the performance as a whole, visit this link.
