BY ALEXANDRA SIMON | Haitian songstress Emeline Michel will perform a few of her classic hits at Carnegie Hall on Dec. 16 in a special program geared to young children.
The singer is performing at “My City, My Song,” a family-oriented show that is part of Carnegie’s Musical Explorers program — an in-class musical education segment in several city schools. It is one of the few opportunities youngsters get to learn about other cultures through music and performances by singers and musicians from around the world, said Michel.
“Introducing children to cultures through the music is wonderful — because we introduce them to something very different from what they might hear on the radio or on television,” she said.
Michel is set to perform her hit song “A.K.I.K.O,” which students in select city kindergarten to second grade classes learn to begin exploring sound and melodies. She said the well-loved song is a must-play anywhere she performs because of how popular it is across cultural lines, and the song’s catchiness makes it a perfect kid-friendly song.
“Every time I travel or tour — whether it’s in Haiti or other countries — for some reason there’s something in that song’s composition that people love,” Michel said. “And I know that song would resonate with children because the melody is very catchy and it’s a fun song.”
She will be performing with Georgian singer Ilusha Tsinadze, who will sing traditional folks songs from his European homeland as well as his own compositions, and American singer Imani Uzuri, who will offer up songs from the civil rights era plus protest anthems she has written. Each singer will perform a separate segment, accompanied by a variety of string, piano, accordion, and percussion musicians, and then the three will conclude with a mash-up, according to Michel.
Every year Carnegie Hall, in collaboration with artists from all over the world, launches its Musical Explorers program into schools to connect children with global music. In class, the youth learn about melodies, harmonies, and the lyrics of the artists in the program. It is a very important subject for school-aged children because it teaches them beneficial people-skills they need, Michel explained.
“The program is necessary because it teaches children that you can come from a different culture, place, or background and still be accepting and more understanding of that,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you can’t respect each other, and this program nails that through at such an early age and opens their eyes.”
“My City, My Song” is performed on Sat., Dec. 16 at noon and 3 p.m. at Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Ave., between W. 56th and W. 57th Sts. For more information and tickets at $10, visit carnegiehall.org or call 212-247-7800.
