FACES OF LOVE 2003 - East Meets West

By Olivia O. Ly-Pieknik

	It was hard for the audience to tell when exactly during the performance that east meets west because the music was skillfully entwined.  Yet, every hearts and souls were captured and held together by the sound of the African drum (performed by percussionist Mike Nelson), the delightful piano music (performed by master pianist Vince Evans), the richly textured and heartfelt voice of St. Louis renowned jazz singer Denise Thimes, the playful zest dance performance by Vivian Watt Dance Ensemble, the grand and lively overture performed by bass player Jeff Anderson or perhaps the smiles that accompanied the music, both delightful yet powerful by the artist who is the headliner, the acclaimed Japanese contemporary violinist and composer Aska Kaneko.  The Tokyo-born Kaneko made her St. Louis debut and performed many new songs from her recent released albums.  She began playing violin when she was only four years old.  Her music was lively, attractive, at time evoke the sea, calm and stormy, in the song, Beyond the Storm; at other time, sharing her own overpowering emotion in another song entitled Mother.

	My favorite moment was when Kaneko performed a song which was an explosion of drama and excitement "Birth" which she composed while being pregnant. Vivian Watt Dance Ensemble accompanied the song with a powerful dance which the audience could envision the child in the womb being loved and protected by the mother, the mother's pains when the child moves inside her body, the joy the child felt from the mother's caress as she spoke softly to it.  Finally, the inevitable moment of birth while the child tearing away from the womb to be free and the mother, full of exuberance and joy of creating life and physically exhausted.  The music and the expressive dance movements continued as the mother's letting go, enable the child to grow and the child's painful separation from the mother.  The audience was captured by the dancers and the music as if they also moved towards a vision of being born.


	"I never saw such a diverse group of people together enjoying music", commented Dr. Robert Edmonds of Chesterfield.  Dr. Edmonds attended the performance with his wife, Naomi, daughter, Kristin, grandchildren, Emily and Wesley and Kristin's husband, Dr. Kendall Itoku, past-president of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) St. Louis Chapter.  Dr. Edmonds shared the story of another daughter who visited Germany and was able to perform with a local music group.  "She did not speak German and other musicians did not speak English.  However, music was the universal language and appreciated by all cultures," Dr. Edmonds commented. 

	The event draws many community organizations together and that made the performance so successful.  The music formed the core of the souls and touched the audience through song, dance and a layering of jazz.  "Music is the universal voice of the soul," commented Cecilia A. Nadal, President of Gitana Productions and executive producer of the event.

	Gitana Productions is a non-profit arts and education organization.  Nadal describes its mission as "bringing a global vision of music, dance and drama to the citizens of Missouri."  In 1996, Nadal brought together an initial group of eight individuals to conceive and created the first "Faces of Love" show.  Since then, artists from Indian Reservations, the Festival d'ete'de Quebec in Canada, Africa, China, Brazil, Japan and local talents have performed together in the annual Faces of Love.  

	Gloria Overton, and her husband, supported Gitana beyond attending the annual performance.  Ms. Overton is serving on Gitana's Board of Directors.  "We hope event like this will bring the community together and to bridge the gap across racial lines," commented Overton.    

	In 2000, Cecilia Nadal brought the world-renowned 80-member China National Orchestra to St. Louis.  The orchestra performed authentic Chinese folk music using traditional wind and string instruments, some hundreds, even thousands of years old.  "As African Americans, we have an interest in the rest of the world, as everyone else," commented Nadal.  Her father, a black Puerto Rican who thrived in the military, emphasized the critical link between service and community.  "My father was my central mentor and he understood the fight to overcome social barriers and to bring the diverse communities together," Nadal proudly shared her strong ties with her father.  

	After intermission, the 5th annual Extraordinary/Ordinary person was presented to Ms. Jessica Hentoff, Artistic and Executive Director of the Circus Day Foundation. Circus Day Foundation, through teaching and performance of circus skills, helps build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds.  Since 1999, an individual was identified to receive the annual award for their extraordinary contributions to the community and to others beyond races or nationalities.  Together with this award, a financial contribution is also awarded to a local non-profit organization. Circus Flora, part of the Circus Arts Foundations of Missouri, is also the 2003 local non-profit organization that will receive a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales in the amount of $1,000 to further its mission.  "We are committed to demonstrating the vital connection between the arts and the critical humanitarian needs of our times, " commented Nadal.

	The St. Louis performance on Friday, August 15th was hosted by the Sheldon Concert Hall with a VIP reception "Taste of Japan" before the show.  Attendees also enjoyed current exhibits, one hour before concerts and during intermission, at the Sheldon Art Galleries.  The current exhibits include the Bellwether Gallery of St. Louis Artists, Gallery of Photography, History of Jazz Gallery, Southwestern Bell Gallery of Children's Art, Bernoudy Gallery of Architecture and Founders' Gallery.  The next two productions were the following days in Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri.