Musical traces journey on Underground Railway
Freedom Singer, a Project: Humanity theatrical production, comes to Windsor’s Capitol Theatre on Friday.
Combining musical performance, storytelling and multimedia, the show describes the Underground Railroad journey of a woman named Kizzy — an ancestor of the show’s star singer, Khari Wendell McClelland.
We chatted with McClelland about the concert.
Q How did you find out that your great-great-great-grandmother was a runaway slave?
A I found out through my family stories. It’s one of the touchstones of our family, in terms of how we understand ourselves and how we communicate our history.
Q The production portrays Kizzy’s travels through songs she may have heard at the time. Was it difficult finding authentic music of that era?
A There are definitely huge challenges. One, it’s largely an oral tradition. Two, these songs were sung so long ago. Three, it’s pretty niche, archival stuff. It was rare for me to find full songs, with melodies and chord progressions. Sometimes I’d find incredible lyrics, but the melodies did not feel aligned with the lyrical content. A lot of times, it was about interpreting the songs.
Q So people who attend the show shouldn’t expect historical documents or museum pieces?
A It’s more like a living museum — representing then and now simultaneously. I think that’s part of what I discovered through the historical context of these songs. Some of these issues that seem to be really old and forgotten are with us still.
Q What specific musical influences would you say the show has?
A I’m part of a gospel trio called The Sojourners. It’s with two African-American elders, and we sing a lot of gospel songs and interpretations of folk music ... I grew up learning to play trumpet, so there are also jazz and R&B influences. I’ll be with another singer, Tanika Charles, and Noah Walker, who’s on guitar. He’ll be triggering archival sound cues. We’ll also have a drummer, Adam Warner. We’re going to go through a range of emotions and feelings.