Music unites people.
It is essential in bringing groups of people together by experiencing emotions through the lyrics and melodies of this art.
On the 19th of October, many people from the community joined together at Hook Church, Surbiton for a wonderful evening of Jazz performed by The Roots Of Jazz.
This special group was formed by Sarah Ellen Hughes, Paul Jordanous, Reiss Ellis Beckles, Jonathan Fashole-Luke, Philip Wain and Jon Herring.
Each member, provided a magical touch of their enthusiasm and talent to the melodic music we heard.
Overall, it was a fantastic night where everyone joined together to listen to the wonderful music.
All different ages attend, from children to elders, however, the music gifted to us united us closely and created a strong atmosphere of togetherness.
From the stage, to around the room everyone was enjoying the talented artists.
We were all touched by their dedication in raising awareness of slavery in both history and modern slavery.
The myriads of heads nodding up and down and swaying from side to side created a cheerful environment that will be remembered.
Not only was our evening filled with extraordinary talent, it also had a strong meaning behind the true origins of Jazz.
It explored how the history of jazz and its roots is directly intertwined with ‘His Story’, the biblical story which also shares a common theme of slavery.
Between each song, a member of the group, Jon Herring gave the audience added information on how jazz has developed over many years.
We got to learn that it has a strong emotional story that everyone should become more aware of.
All donations from this night went to a charity called Tamar which works to regain hope and help those who have been affected by sexual exploitation, modern slavery or human trafficking.
Anyone can donate on the “Tamar” website to be among those who have played a part in helping those who are struggling.
Lastly, not only did I enjoy this night very much, I was able to gain an understanding of something new, making me more aware of the origins of jazz music.
“This was a night to remember”.