Resuming in late August, Santa Fe Soul Festival lit up a weekend with African art and textiles, African inspired fashions, and a Gospel Concert. Be sure to watch for SFSF next year.
Textiles, Art, and Fashion
The Santa Fe Soul Festival resumed it post pandemic activities with a panel discussion on Saturday, August 27, 2022, in Pope Hall at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe. Featured above speaking at the panel is Madeleine Wright, FPC church member and Chair of Santa Fe Soul Festival. Seated next to her are Gregory Ghent, Brenda Winstead, and Patricia Millender.
Gregory Ghent, an ethnic art expert and a board member of SFSF, spoke about the African Art esthetic. He explained that African textiles are characterized by a break in the design pattern and showed several examples, even wrapping a model in a ceremonial hand-dyed cloth.
Brenda Winstead of The Damali Collection discussed her evolution from wearing hand-dyed African clothing to a custom design company, which has the fabric dyed in West Africa and sewn in the United States creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Gospel Concert
On Sunday, August 28, the Festival sponsored a Gospel Concert at the St. Francis Auditorium featuring Toni Morgan and Just Us and Opera singer Joseph Parrish.
Toni Morgan moved to New Mexico in 2013 from Fort Collins, CO. She is a former background singer for the Empress of Soul, Mrs. Gladys Knight. Since her time here, Toni has had the opportunity to sing with many New Mexico artists. For this concert, the group chose classic gospel songs such as “How I Got Over” and “I Need You to Survive” and uplifting hymns such as “This Day” and “Total Praise,” along with others.
Bass-Baritone Joseph Parrish, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, is a master’s student in Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School. Mr. Parrish has sung with the Asheville Lyric Opera and developed the role of Ensemble #4 in the premier of Davenport Richards’/Cote’s Blind Injustice with the Cincinnati Opera. This past year Mr. Parrish gave a solo recital at the St. Boniface Church in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently a Santa Fe Opera Apprentice and appears in four of the five operas this season. He performed the classic gospel song “Deep River” and others.
Santa Fe Soul Festival Day
Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber proclaimed August 28, 2022, Santa Fe Soul Festival Day.