Moja is here: Theatre, art exhibits, Reggae and jazz highlight eleven-day celebration

The Moja Arts Festival, running through Oct. 4, is a celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of the African American and Caribbean cultures.

The performing and visual arts festival has been a way to bring together people of all backgrounds in mutual appreciation since 1984. In that vein, it could be said that Moja was in the making long before its founding. It could be said that it represents what the city as a whole has always been.

"The beauty of the Lowcountry is its cultural diversity," said Ellen Dressler Moryl, director of the city of Charleston's Office of Cultural Affairs.

"Moja, it's protecting a gift. Really something that is so important is the human connection. People recognize each other by their human qualities. Everyone has their own distinct backgrounds and the beauty of each background is uniquely beautiful. All together, the connections and the recognition that everybody has of each person's human qualities is based on these beautiful cultural traditions, all of which add up to something that exceeds the sum of its parts in a major way."

The Moja Arts Festival is dedicated to recognizing all of those parts in Charleston. While based in the appreciation of the African American and Caribbean cultures, today it celebrates as many ethnicities as are represented in the city. It has performers as diverse as the headliner Dis-N-Dat Caribbean Band Reggae block dance on Friday night at the Custom House to Queen Quet who will be telling Gullah/Geechee stories. It reaches out to youths at Burke High School with discussion panels and gives mini Gospel concerts to seniors.

"I guess it's the spirit of Moja that is so inclusive," said Elease Amos-Goodwin, program coordinator for the Moja Arts Festival. "Moja is Swahili; it means 'one'. When the young lady who is one of the coordinators came up with the name, Moja, she saw it as the number one festival. I think any entity or event that brings people together can only enhance everybody's life. And I think that's what Moja does; it enhances the quality of life."

Another aspect of the festival and community that has helped shape the physical and ethical landscape of Charleston is the diversities of churches and faiths. Both for spiritual reasons and for social reasons, the churches have always served as a gathering place of cultures.

In a practical sense for Moja, churches serve as concert venues for performers. They have the best acoustics and Charleston has plenty of them. But in the historical sense, the cultures that Moja celebrates were fostered in those same sacred buildings.

"Back in the period of when there were enslaved Africans in this community, the church is where you went, and in some of these churches, African Americans were only allowed to sit in certain places in church," Amos-Goodwin explained.

"And then they finally said, 'No, we need our own church.' So they would break out and start their own churches. A lot of our history is in the churches. So we have designated quite a few churches because when you read the history of African Americas, a lot of it, the basis of it, is in the churches."

Each year, Moja singles out a church or other special site that has been important in the development and history of Charleston cultures. This year's historic Moja site is the Centenary Methodist Church.

"One of the things that we are adamant about is to designate historic sites in the city. When we're talking about the accomplishment and contributions of African Americans, there not a lot of tour guides that have all of these different sites that show African Americans contributed in this way or that way," continued Amos-Goodwin.

The cultural contributions of many cultures can be found everywhere within the city and every day of Moja.

"Elease talked about the importance of churches and absolutely; Charleston is the Holy City," said Moryl. "And it's the Holy City not just because it's a Christian community by and large; it's Muslim, it's Jewish. It all adds up to a great spiritual presence that those churches bring. And those churches celebrate the culture in important ways."

Culture and spirituality are intertwined in a very unique way in the city and that weaving together gives a distinctive quality to Charleston and the Moja Arts Festival.

"I mean what does culture mean? It's how people behave, basically, in routine ways and ritual ways. And so culture and religious tradition are really part of a bigger picture," said Moryl.

"And hopefully people will learn from their religious traditions that inclusivity is all important and recognizing people that are different is to recognize the beauty of their cultural traditions and their religious choices.

"But it all has to do with how you treat other people and how you interact with them. These festivals bring people together, create an awareness, an appreciation of these differences and celebrate them and hopefully everyone as a result will be nice to each other.

"That is what community is all about. It's unifying the humanity that lives there."

MOJO HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH SUNDAY

Today

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit, 2009 MOJA Juried Art Exhibition. Open to the public, this event showcases works in all media by South Carolina and regional artists. Avery Research Center, 125 Bull St.; Admission: Free

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit: Jonathan Green and Protégés: City Gallery at Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St.; Admission: Free

6-8 p.m.: Reception for Opening of MOJA Arts Festival: Meet the 2009 MOJA Poster Artist, Doyle Cloyd. Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St.; Admission: Free

8-10 p.m.: Theatre, 'One Monkey Don't Stop No Show,' Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St.; Admission: $15-$20

Friday

9-10 a.m.: Native Son Gullah Tours, Gullah talks and stories. See and hear how enslaved Africans helped shape Charleston into the rich unique culture it is today. Marion Square, downtown. Admission: $16

10-4 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit, 2009 MOJA Juried Art Exhibition. Avery Research Center, 125 Bull St.; Admission: Free

10-5 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit: Ancestry and Innovation. Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St.; Admission: $5-$9

10-5 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit, 'I, Too, America – The Souls of Black Folk/Facets.' This year's visual arts invitational exhibit is a group show featuring five dynamic women who offer their inspired visual interpretations of Langston Hughes' 1925 poem entitled 'I, Too.' Gaillard Auditorium, 77 Calhoun St.; Admission: Free

10-5 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit, Addelle Sanders Invitational Exhibition. New Perspectives Gallery, 180 Meeting St., second floor.; Admission: Free

5: 30 p.m.-6:15 p.m.: Caribbean Street Parade: Come celebrate with the featured bands and youth groups from Charleston County Schools: Baptist Hill, North Charleston, St. John's and Burke High Schools; Haut Gap, Military Magnet and Schroeder Middle Schools; Frasier, Memminger, Mitchell, Murray-LaSaine Elementary Schools. Marchers will also include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Jack and Jill of America, RMB African Dancers in festive Caribbean and African costumes; African drummers, dancers and others. Marion Square, down King St., ending behind U.S. Custom House; Admission: Free

6: 30-11 p.m.: Reggae Block Dance: Live music from De Lions of Jah Reggae Band, and the evening's headliner Dis-N-Dat Caribbean Band featuring Tosh I, African drummers and dancers, ethnic foods and international crafts. Approx. 18,000 residents and tourists take part in the festivities. Behind the U.S. Custom House, Concord & Market Sts.; Admission: Free

Saturday

10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.: Celebrate the Family Expo at Heritage Day: The fourth annual festival features Family Tree displays focusing on individual families, faith-based families, businesses and community service organizations, and groups that contributed to the development of our youth. Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Blvd; Admission: Free

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Health & Wellness Fair at Heritage Day: Charleston Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, host this health and wellness fair for men, women, and youth to help them jump-start a commitment to their health. Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Blvd.; Admission: Free

noon-1 p.m.: Native Son Gullah Tours, Gullah talks and stories, Marion Square, King & Calhoun Sts.; Admission: $16

noon-2 p.m.: Youth on View at Heritage Day. Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Blvd; Admission: Free

7:30-11 p.m.: An Evening of Jazz Under the Stars With Lalah Hathaway: jazz sound under the stars in a cabaret setting at the Cistern on the Campus of the historic College of Charleston. Opening the night's concert is violinist Daniel D followed by The Charlton Singleton Group as they take the stage to set the mood for the evening. College of Charleston, Cistern Yard, 66 George St.; Admission: $20-$25

SUNDAY

9-10 a.m.: Native Son Gullah Tours, Gullah talks and stories. See and hear how enslaved Africans helped shape Charleston into the rich unique culture it is today. Marion Square, downtown. Admission: $16

9 a.m.: Harold Smith Adult Tennis Tournament, St. Andrew's Parks and Playground, 195 Playground Rd.; Admission: TBA

noon-5 p.m..: Visual Arts Exhibit: Jonathan Green and Protégés. City Gallery at Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St.; Admission: Free

10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Visual Arts Exhibit, Ancestry and Innovation, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St.; Admission: $5-$9

2-3 p.m.: Classical Encounter. Duo recital by cellist, Kenneth Law, Professor of Cello at Converse College, Spartanburg, SC and pianist Stephen Buck performing works by Faure, Piazzolla and Rubinstein, classical composers. City Gallery at Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St.; Admission: $10

7-9 p.m.: Theatre, 'One Monkey Don't Stop No Show,' Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St.; Admission: $15-$20

8-9 p.m.: Native Son Gullah Tours, Gullah talks and stories. See and hear how enslaved Africans helped shape Charleston into the rich unique culture it is today. Marion Square, downtown. Admission: $16

8-9:30 p.m.: Gospel Concert – A Back Home Gospel Hour. Back by popular demand, MOJA presents Gospel Divas, Lynn-Marie Boone, Joy Pryor and Gwendolyn Gilliard Rodgers and the Men of Gospel, Anthony Burke, Minister Mario Desaussure and Rev. Randolph Miller in an old fashioned Back Home Gospel Hour. Joining the ensemble is Javetta Campbell with a special appearance by Minister Herbert Beard. Enjoy a dynamic afternoon of foot-stomping, hand-clapping gospel music at its best. Trinity United Methodist Church, 273 Meeting St.; Admission: $5.25-$10