By
Laura Paige
On Tuesday, February 24th, the Scott Joplin House in downtown St. Louis was full of love and unity, when members of
Gitana
Productions, an African American Arts Production Company invited members of the
St. Louis Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) to a Soul Food Dinner. The purpose of the evening was to bring together the two groups to share in greater cultural understanding of one another as they embark on a great partnership.
 
The Shanghai Song and
Dance Ensemble
The unique collaboration between Gitana and OCA will culminate in the presentation of the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble to St. Louis on August 14-15, 2004 at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center, as part of the 1904 Centennial Celebration (details TBA). To share equally in production between two such diverse organizations will be a premier event for St. Louis and everyone involved is excited about the possibilities!!! But this is not their first meeting. Cecilia Nadal, founder of Gitana first approached Thomas Wong, then president of OCA in 2000, when seeking Asian American network support for the National Orchestra of China concert at Powell Hall. That event was a monumental success, where for the first time ever in St. Louis, an equal number of African Americans, Asian Americans and Caucasians sat together for a performance at Powell Hall! Forward to 2003, this time it was Matthew Yu, of OCA who approached Gitana to partake in the amazing adventure of bringing the Shanghai Ensemble to perform in St. Louis.
The logistical planning for the August 2004 Shanghai Ensemble event shares in equal measure with the spiritual and cultural journey between the African American and Asian American communities in this unparalleled partnership. Therefore, the idea of "breaking bread" together came to pass so as to learn more about one another and understand the importance of this union. After members of Gitana had shared in the tasty, Chinese delicacies at Mandarin House, for the OCA annual banquet in January, it was decided that indeed a Soul Food dinner, complete with African American culinary treats would be in order. So on Tuesday, February 24th, in celebration of Black History Month, Gitana and OCA joined together at the Scott Joplin House for an evening of wonderful food, great conversation, traditional music and shared experiences.
Scott Joplin, as you may know, was a native son of St. Louis, who's ragtime music was punctuated with remarkable works such as the Maple Leaf Rag and the Entertainer (known from the movie, the Sting). The setting of the Scott Joplin House for the Soul Food dinner was an important one for it not only emphasized rich African American heritage but it also brought musical inspiration that touched the lives of many. In much the same way, we hope the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble will reach the hearts of St. Louisians.
The Soul Food Dinner was chock-full of delicious tastes, including fried and grilled chicken, mustard greens, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese, pig's ear (don't forget the hot sauce!), cornbread and melt-in your mouth sweet potato pies, all provided by Michael's Catering. Homemade pig's feet were also contributed by Lenny Wang's mother. After dinner, Gitana members fondly shared their memories of soul food Sunday dinner traditions. The richness of Soul Food derives from the days of slavery when scraps of unwanted foods were thrown out by the slave owners and slave families had to make best of that food. The notion of "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" comes to mind for the traditional soul food meals of many African Americans today are full of such mouthwatering seasoned delicacies as were provided at the Gitana Soul Food Dinner.
Gitana and OCA also participated in a learning circle after the dinner, where everyone had a chance to speak about themselves, their culture, their faith, and their childhood neighborhoods. Some even brought culturally significant pieces to share with the group. Some of the objects shared included a Brazilian carnivale mask, a Chinese calligraphy set, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, an African drum and smaller percussion instruments, and family pictures . The symbiotic highlight of the evening came from Gitana Board member, Armon Craword, who presented the Ghanan Adinkra symbol of "Afuntunmireku-denkyemmireku", the mythological two-headed crocodile that shared a common stomach. The legend and moral of this tale is a warning against internal struggle when sharing a common destiny. Mr. Crawford explains that "this symbol represents Gitana and OCA's partnership, that there is unity in diversity and that we share a oneness of humanity despite our cultural differences". OCA's current President, Jason Tang also contributed a symbol, that of a Chinese character that represents harmony. Thus, two different cultures share in the idea of uniting together harmoniously for a common goal.
It was a wonderful evening of sharing childhood memories and talking about strong family bonds and seeing how much of our lives and experiences are interwoven. It was also an evening of joy and warmth. Many thanks to Gitana Board members, Lori Reed and Ailce Duarte-Fletcher for coordinating the event! Comments from many of the attendees focused on the sharing of stories and family values and cultural oneness including:
"A great evening, unprecendented...coming together for the same calling....
THIS is what it is all about. We are setting an example for the rest of the world."
- Gitana Board member, Armon Crawford
"The gathering at the Scott Joplin House made me feel a strong sense of bonding with
our African-American friends, like a harmonious family....I found that we had
more similarities than differences."
- OCA Board member, Cody Ding
"A good opportunity to learn so much from one another on a personal and social level, as opposed to all business. Our guests, receptive and humble, were very appreciative and sampled all the soul food, without reservation. This evening showed how we were similar, this was not about race but a shared experience of struggle and achievement."
- Gitana Board Member, Karla Bagsby
Creating such bonds can endure a lifetime and help strengthen our community. Therefore, Gitana and OCA look forward to an enduring relationship in St. Louis by bringing culturally rich and diverse performances to the area.
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