Burlington Concert Band Celebrates Black Music with Roots, Rhythm, and Resilience

By: Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca

 

The Burlington Concert Band filled the Holiday Inn Burlington with the sounds of soul, steel pan, and spirituals on Sunday afternoon, presenting “Roots, Rhythm, and Resilience: A Tribute to Black Music.” The February 15 concert welcomed the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) Steel Band and Parang Ensemble as special guests for an afternoon that celebrated Black musicians.

 

Founded in 1908, the Burlington Concert Band continues to bring audiences a distinctive blend of musicianship, enthusiasm, and community spirit. Made up of local volunteer musicians, the band performs a wide range of styles throughout the year, and this concert marked its first full program dedicated to highlighting Black composers and musical influences.

 

The inspiration behind the tribute began close to home for Burlington Concert Band president Steven Hewis. “My wife is mixed Black and Indigenous,” Hewis shared. “As our concerts have been going along, you know, February is always Black History Month. She said, ‘Why don’t you guys do a concert that features and highlights Black musicians and Black composers?’ Because there’s a lot of Black music beyond what you hear on the radio. There are Black composers going back to the 16th century.”

 

Hewis said the idea resonated immediately, and planning for the program began nearly a year ago. The result was a curated lineup that reflected both historical influence and contemporary impact. The Burlington Concert Band performed selections including The Genius of Ray Charles, A Celebration of Spirituals, Mississippi River, The Entertainer, a Motown revue, a Jamaican folk suite, and a closing tribute under the theme of Duke Ellington. Director of Music Joanne Romanow and Assistant Conductor Lizuarte DeSousa helped lead the band through the stylistically rich repertoire.

 

CCAH steel pan teachers and experienced players Denise Als and Richard Cornelius performed “Last Train” by Mical Teja and Michael “Tano” Montano, alongside “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, “La La” by Square One, “Abatina” by Calypso Rose, and a medley of “Pump Me Up” and “Ducking.” The Parang Ensemble further introduced audiences to a style of Caribbean music not often heard on local concert stages.

 

    

    CCAH also offers steel pan classes.

 

The afternoon was emceed by Ashleigh Wint and Kiya Busby from CCAH, who guided guests through the program and helped contextualize the performances. The concert closed on a high note when the Burlington Concert Band and CCAH musicians joined together for spirited renditions of “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” and “Hot Hot Hot,” bringing the audience into the celebration.

 

Promotion for the concert leaned on the band’s established following while also introducing new audiences to the afternoon performance. “We have a lot of our regulars,” Hewis explained. “It was cross-promotion between us and the CCAH. The idea is that our usual concertgoers will come out and see there’s a lot more music out there than what you hear on the radio.” He described the approach as “edutainment — education and entertaining.”

 

Although this was the first time the Burlington Concert Band dedicated an entire concert to celebrating Black music, Hewis hopes it won’t be the last, and that future programming may extend beyond a single month. “It’s been a really good experiment, and the CCAH has been wonderful to work with,” he said. 

 

For Hewis, one of the most meaningful takeaways was creating opportunities for new cultural experiences. “Very few people outside of the Caribbean community have heard a steel pan live or know what a Parang group is,” he said. “So that would be a new experience for people. I hope that they really like that.”

 

With nearly 120 years of history behind it, the Burlington Concert Band continues to evolve while staying rooted in community. On Sunday afternoon, Roots, Rhythm, and Resilience demonstrated how music can both honour history and broaden understanding — all while bringing Burlington audiences together in celebration.