Greetings and welcome to the website of the
Kuumba Singers of Harvard College!
Hello and welcome to the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College’s home on the Web!!!
Kuumba is more than just an organization, it’s a family. Every year,
these words leave the lips of members of the choir. Founded in 1970,
the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College is an organization that prides itself
not only in the current music and work we do, but in the legacy created by our
past predecessors. This family, this community, prides itself on the bonds
that it creates. Whether you are a prospective member, an alum, or an avid
supporter, we greatly appreciate you visiting our site and supporting our work.
The word “Kuumba” is a Swahili verb
which means “to create”. This word embodies our mission: To
proudly and unapologetically express the creativity and spirituality
of black people. We come to take this to mean doing what we can,
with what we have, in order to leave a space
better than when we inherited it. This is the vision and in a sense,
the essence of the Kuumba Singers.
This past year has been an amazing year for Kuumba.
Kuumba has had the privilege of not only having an
international tour to Bermuda but was able to perform
in order to raise funds for the Harlem Village Academy
alongside acts such as John Legend and other musical greats
as well as having the opportunity to sing with the amazingly
talented Angelique Kidjoe for a PBS special broadcast
(Click here to view the broadcast).
This upcoming year, we hope to expand Kuumba’s presence and
influence even more.
On December 2nd and 3rd of this year, we will be holding
41st Annual Dr. S Allen Counter Christmas Concert in Memorial
Church. This upcoming spring we will also be presenting the
14th Annual Dr. Walter J Leonard Black Arts Festival; an extraordinary
celebration of art from the African diaspora. Following this
celebration, we will be heading off to our spring tour in
March to spread Kuumba’s vision and mission.
Finally in mid-April, we will be holding the 42nd Annual
Archie C Epps Spring concert. Yet these are only a few of
the opportunities to see Kuumba perform this upcoming year.
The list of accomplishments that the Kuumba Singers have
been able to achieve over its 41 years of existence , is
extensive . Kuumba has served not only as a safe space for a
number of students in both the Harvard and greater Cambridge-Boston
community, it has also served as a space for spiritual exploration
as well as cultural understanding. Kuumba continues to maintain
its stance as a cultural institution ready and able to inspire lives
and touch individuals through our musical ministry.
As previous presidents have said, Kuumba is not something
you simply explain; rather it is something that one must personally
experience”. We encourage you take on this challenge by not
only exploring our website, and our music, but in person as well.
We hope that you will come back to explore our musical efforts
and our creative efforts to expand our own Kuumba community
as well as influence the community around us.
Sincerely yours,
Linda Ugbah, President
President@kuumbasingers.org
