August 21, 2022
This weekend, Harlem was the destination of choice for thousands of fun loving New Yorkers staying in town. The annual celebration known as Harlem Week has become a highlight of the City’s Summer calendar ever since the tradition began almost fifty years ago.
Musicians, artists, chefs, craftspeople and many others contributed to the positive vibe the event has become well known for. The Gazette popped in yesterday evening to experience some of that energy ourselves. Two of the first people we ran into were Wm Michael Reid of NYC*Live Fashion shows and Doctor Bob Lee, the legendary WBLS disc jockey. Reid produces and directs amazing fashion week shows several times a year that typically feature designers from all corners of NYC and the World, many of whose lines you may never have seen before. Lee often MCs those shows, and both of them sounded pretty pumped about next month’s show downtown at the Mezzanine on the 14th. We’re looking fwd to that one too.
Right after that, Freddie Jackson took the stage and got the crowd moving and grooving to some of his greatest hits. He was in great form, and in between songs he shared personal memories of growing up right around the corner from where we all stood listening to this Harlem legend.
Next thing we knew, Mayor Adams and a glamorous young lady were standing right next to us snapping selfies! A moment later the Mayor was up onstage with Freddie imploring the crowd to “rise up New York” after a dark year of Covid-19, to set an example for the rest of America, and show them that together we can overcome every challenge. Rise Up New York also happens to be the name of the concert series here that Saturday’s show was part of.
There’s a vacant lot across from the Three Two that’s usually filled with cars, but yesterday it was lined with pop up crafts and fashion displays. All the way in back we found some of the most amazing leather art we’ve ever seen as well as the man who created it all. Marvin Sin has been creating his art in leather for more than fifty years, and his skill and creativity are of the highest level. In addition to having incredible leather goods for sale, Marvin also had the best story. It turns out that he was one of the people who came up with the idea for Harlem Week many decades ago. At the time, he explained, the Harlem Chamber of Commerce was primarily composed of 125th Street merchants who, for the most part, didn’t live in the community. Over a period of several years, he helped with a makeover that better reflected the people of Harlem. With the support of then Boro President Percy Sutton, the reimagined Chamber was able to temporarily close off 125th Street and reroute the buses for the initial Harlem Day event.
It poured rain that first day and it looked like the event would flop, Marvin recalled. But sure enough, half an hour before they were set to call it off, the sky cleared and the Sun came out. And it’s been going strong ever since. Sin explained that before Harlem Week, there were a lot of community organizations up here doing their thing, but it was Harlem Week that lit a fire and brought all of the people together with a focus on positivity. It was transformative, in his view.
Meanwhile, back onstage at the western end of the festival, EPMD was heating things up with a vintage rap set. These guys pioneered the sound that’s become practically a Universal language for a generation. Needless to say, the crowd loved it. Afterwards, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith posed for photos and gave a TV interview backstage. We dragged the shutter just for fun and came up with this funky frame:
While we were winding our way back through the crowd we ran into an old friend, Laurianne, from Edgecombe Avenue. She was hauling around a big cooler on wheels that was full of homemade Mango Margaritas that she said were selling like mad. Cheers, luv!
Back on Saint Nick, a kid who couldn’t be much more than ten or so flagged down the guys from EPMD to audition her rap. Her name is Lil Essence and she kicked out a jam that easily blew the several minds that heard it. If this kid catches a lucky break she just might become a household name. Because from what we can see, she’s got the talent to open, if not headline, a real show that people would pay to attend.
Back onstage, Wycliffe Jean, was working his way through a set that was driving the audience wild. When we first caught sight of him he was actually offstage and standing under a tree in the middle of the crowd.
After plunging into, and moving around among, the audience while singing Guantanamera, Jean retook the stage and segued into a serious note directed at the kids at the concert. “Reading is cool. Math is cool.” He went on to explain that he’s been very successful and now he’s very rich, which he attributed to the fact that he never gave away his music and they (the kids) shouldn’t give away their work either. It was good advice for kids anywhere and anytime, but it seemed to really resonate even more when a big star said it from the heart in front of a crowd that adores him.
