Photos courtesy of Michael Silverman and Stanford Lively Arts.

The Chicago Collective was the amazing opening act for Angelique Kidjo’s concert this past Saturday night. If you know the Chicago Collective at all, then you know that their performance was satiated in soul. The theme of their performance was Reaching Water. As I watched Tyler Brooks, Jessica Anderson, and Kadesia Woods perform, I was moved by the flawless interweaving of spoken word, African drumming, singing, and movement. It was as if I was reliving the development of the afro-musical form myself. The passionate performance resonated deep within me when the Collective finished the piece by singing the evolution of afro-fusion music. It’s no surprise their piece Continue Reading