Baltimore theater ensemble pays tribute to the Motown experience

Rosalyn Gaines is doing just that. She is the artistic director and founder of The Kuumba Ensemble, a group of Baltimore talents gifted in the area of dance and theater. The group, consisting of 32 members, has been in existence for 21 years and recently appeared in a show entitled The Motown Journey: Lies, Legends and Letdowns.

 

The Motown Journey is Gaines' conceptualization of capturing an era that is considered a golden era and might not occur again. Motown, one of the greatest musical empires developed by Berry Gordy, will probably not be seen again in this century.

 

The sponsor of the show is the History & Culture Ministry of St. Bernadines' Roman Catholic Church  with Yvette Belt & Denise Stanley as co=chairs.

 

According to Gaines, not a lot is put into developing the whole singer these days. They come out, shine and fade away. Motown had longevity and now young people are beginning to tap into what Motown was. At Motown, people worked all night long to create music that has lasted over the years. The concept of Motown dealt with more than music; it included entrepreneurship, as well as the charisma that deals with showmanship. Motown was about elegance, showmanship, and reputation. It was not coming up with a gimmick, this was pure song and showmanship.

 

With assistance from her musical director, Ronnie Lockhart, it took her about a month to identify the songs, the vocalists and the aura they wanted to produce on the stage.

 

The show is a compilation of various Motown hits and constructs conversations that may have occurred between Gordy and his artists. The show combines both research and creative writing to tell the story of a phenomenal period in musical history. Artists include: Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Marvalettes, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, to name just a few.

 

As with the manifestation of any dream or goal, there were some challenges.
Gaines cited the challenge of trying to emulate the sound of the Funk Brothers, the musicians behind the Motown sound. They used a lot of strings and different instruments which are a challenge to the bands of today. The Funk Brothers had a studio essence that is hard to emulate as concisely as theirs was.

We can duplicate, but to emulate is actually a different story, says Gaines.

 

Another challenge was, as the writer, identifying the angst that the artists had,  with some artists being given lead over some of the other artists, i.e. Diana Ross. This caused a lot of tension that played itself out in many ways, such as separation or bitterness and resulted in a lot of people's records being left on the shelves.
What we see from the glamour of Motown is not necessarily what was going on behind closed doors.

 

The Kuumba Ensemble specializes in original productions, the kind that you would not see in other theaters. The focus is upon ways to tell the African American experience from a point of originality. The group takes a look at social challenges and activism. The members are involved in a huge genre from musical to dance and comedy.

 

The next project for the ensemble  is the launching of a brand new production entitled, Gone Too Soon: The Life Story of Sam Cooke.

 

The Kuumba Ensemble meets Tuesdays and Thursdays for rehearsals at 7PM at the New Covenant Worship Center, 700 Wildwood Pkwy in Baltimore's Edmondson Village.

 

In addition to the original productions, the group also has a performing arts academy for youth and adults in which they teach vocal arts, mime, hip hop dance, praise and modern dance and drama.

 

Gaines' involvement in the arts first started when she lost a close friend. Another friend recommended she take her grief to the stage as a way of expression. Gaines found she was able to relieve all types of stress and thus began the journey.

 

She feels it is important for people to support community theater; it is a lifeline to looking at the mirror that represents who we are, where we come from and what we need to be doing.
In community theater, according to Gaines, there is the chance to capture and showcase the African American struggle as well as solutions that will make us a better people. It's about education, healing and finding joy in places you normally would not think to look. Experiences teach you how to find a better tomorrow.
 
So to The Kuumba Ensemble, for taking us back down memory lane to relive those songs of yesteryear while helping to release endorphins, and get our sing on,  we salute you with a toast to a bigger, better and brighter tomorrow as well as longevity in the arts.

 

The Kuumba Ensemble can be reached at 1021 Hartmont Rd, Ste 755, Catonsville, MD 21228 or 443-413-1470. Their website address is www.kuumbaensemble.org