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Celebrate Black History Month with performer Kijana Wiseman
The Clinton Community College (CCC) Student Senate is proud to bring Kijana to campus to celebrate Black History Month. Her performance is educational, exhilarating and fun. Scheduled for Wednesday February 8 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the CCC Auditorium, the performance is open to the public.
A lyric coloratura with a 3.5 octave range, Kijana Wiseman, M. Ed., has lived and performed on the American, African and European continents. As "The Griot", she astonishes–shifting genres as easily as her slides and on-stage costume changes. Inviting her multi-cultural audience to join her on a time trip to the dawn of music, she first makes them one people--again ("just with many paint jobs!"), then teaches them a South African "click" song for a wedding they'll be attending.
The story progresses as she becomes a slave, gospel choir director, toddler, striptease artist, opera and jazz singer--demonstrating how music unifies mankind. Audiences participate as her "Griot Chorus" and learn much more than music. High points of the show occur also when Kijana does a blues version of "Summertime" or struts her stuff while performing vaudeville's "I Can't Do Without My Kitchen Man." She uses "You Got the Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole" to encourage lifetime commitments then gives away money near the end while singing "God Bless the Child."
Kijana lived in West Africa for 6 years where she was a former Peace Corps volunteer. While there, she hosted "Under the Palm Tree," an entertainment TV show, was assistant director of the National Liberian Cultural Troupe; drama coach of the American School and sang background vocals for Hugh Masakela and Mariam Makeba. She has performed with the Conrad Johnson Big Band, The Drifters, the Houston Symphony Chorus, Houston Masterworks Chorus, Orquetra Filarmonica de la Universidad Nationale in Mexico City, and SssteaMoga in West Africa.
Kijana’s performance will be opened with Erica Young:
Erica Young grew up as the daughter and sister of preachers, but while Young’s inspiration comes from the likes of Beyonce, Jill Scott, and Eyrkah Badu, she embraces the soul-freeing sounds of Bad Company, Steely Dan, Pink, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kim Burrell, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, and The Black Eyed Peas.
Mizz Young’s debut single "Got Da Sweets" is a candied confection of a contagious chant and club-ready bassline. In November of 2010, Mizz Young won 1st place honors at the I AM LEGEND TALENT COMPETITION sponsored by Exclusive Taste and Black Angel of Storm Magazine. She can currently be seen as one of the contestants from Houston on this season's American Idol.
For more information, contact Mardell Mommsen at 563-244-7006.
Check out Mizz Young’s music at www.MizzYoung.com