Addy, Odadaa! participate in 'A Celebration of America'

"A Celebration of America" by Jazz at Lincoln Center, a special event to observe Martin Luther King Day and the inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th president of the United States, took place Monday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Skidmore's own Yacub Addy and his percussion and vocal group Odadaa! were among the performers who participated in the program, which was led by Wynton Marsalis and the Hon. Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court justice (ret.). Other artists included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Bela Fleck; Cassandra Wilson; Chorale Le Chateau of New York City, conducted by Damien Sneed; Dave Brubeck; Dianne Reeves; Don Vappie; Dr. Michael White; Foxborough (Mass.) High School Jazz Ensemble; Francesco Cafiso; Freddy Cole; Giovanni Hidalgo; Grace Kelly; Herlin Riley; Jared Grimes; Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; Jessye Norman; Jonathan Batiste; Lucian Barberin; Marcus Gilmore; Mark O?Connor; Paquito D?Rivera with Diego Urcola; Alex Brown; Oscar Stagnaro; Mark Walker; Roy Haynes; and Shannon Powell.

"A Celebration of America" was inspired by an impromptu conversation about jazz and democracy that took place between Marsalis and O'Connor a recent dinner. They believe that the basic tenets of American democracy and America's music are one and the same, and that there is no better way to celebrate this than through what Dr. King himself called America's 'triumphant music', jazz.

The program was made possible through the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation.