ReCap of Vamos a Panama: Fundraiser for Service Learning to Panama! By Ivy Ogbonnaya

The air seemed particularly enticing on the evening of Thursday May 24th. Next to an army of boys in burgundy who swarmed to Comerica park to cheer on their U of D brethren, stood a still and quiet church, Central, where clusters of talent filtered in. The repose of the outside was quickly broken by the bold, jazzy melodies of Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and others. Smiles and laughter permeated the atmosphere and practically masked that there was a pretty small crowd.

The event, simply called Vamos A Panama, it was a fund raiser to help attain money to send Aisha Ruiz, Ber-Henda Williams and Jayden Marburry to Panama, where they would help rebuild schools. The trip is through AFS (American Foreign Service) and is donation based. The team is apart of a group of 10 others who are also going on the trip. Some of the sponsors include SV Mix Radio, Holla If You Hear Me Blog and One Single Rose.

The event, although having a relatively small turnout and a bit of a slow start, turned out to be a highlight of my week. The energy of the performers was amazing and inspiring. Powerful poetry was read by Ber-Henda, Natalie, who performed her pieces, "Girl In The 3rd Row, 7th Seat" and "The Reasons Why". Then there was Tonaya, who performed her pieces "We Just Don't Care" and "Poetrymusiclove" and a collaboration with Natalie on the piece "High School In Three Minutes".
They graced the audience with a smooth selection of hand crafted poems which were deep and resonating, giving chills to those who were lucky enough to hear. Poems that commanded respect, as they serenaded the audience, invoking memory and provoking thought at the same time.

Following the poems was a performance by the headliners: OTIS (Out There In Space), whose music styles range from hip-hop to house. Filling everyone with spirit as they covered classic songs and performed their own pieces, OTIS certainly had a memorable performance that the crowd undoubtably enjoyed. It's that type of dedication to one's craft that draws support. The fact that they performed as if they were in front of a crowd of 2000+ proved their passion for their craft and is very much respected.

Some of the high points of the event were the performances, the energy, and the camaraderie. Please join our blog so thaty you can witnes the enormous talent that Detroit and the youth have to offer.