On Monday, Feb. 24, Villanova welcomed soular rock band Amari Rebel and the Movement into the Black Box in Garey Hall for a performance as part of the Black History Month Event Series. People came to celebrate with Amari Rebel, enjoying its music and message along with food and community. The concert, while intimate, had a palpable energy brought by both the band and the audience.
This event was coordinated by Autumn Coard, president of the Association of Black Communications Students (ABCS). There to introduce Amari Rebel and the Movement was University of Pennsylvania Africana Studies professor Dr. Grace Sanders Johnson. Johnson, who is also married to lead singer Amari Rebel, explained to the audience that soular rock is both a music genre and a destination, encouraging students to let themselves feel the songs and the message without worrying about knowing the words or what they looked like while listening. She also let the audience in on the fact that the film b-roll being shown on a loop in the background of the band had been shot by the members themselves, some in collaboration with Villanova’s own Social Justice Documentary class.
After that incredible introduction, the show began. The first song made the at first self-conscious crowd begin to move, with Johnson leading the way at the very front cheering the band on. After the first song concluded, Amari took to the mic to introduce the band members individually and explain a bit about its mission in his own words.
“Welcome to a Black history celebration,” Amari said to the audience.
He emphasized that soular rock is about celebration and community, again prompting the audience to engage fully in their performance.
The next few songs were covers, altered into the band’s own soular rock style, but songs that the audience was a bit more familiar with allowed people to sing along and loosen up. The next break in music came with a brief speech from Amari about the teachings of Malcolm X and the importance, especially now, of community support and recognition that fear should not control us or prevent group organization.
The final two songs were originals, the first one being a tribute to two of Amari’s biggest musical influences, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, as well as his children. The last song of the show gave each band member a chance to show off their individual roles.
Once the concert had come to an end, Johnson took the stage once more to present what she called a “teaching moment.”
“Did you all see me over there?” she asked the crowd. “That was me extending an invitation to be free.”
Johnson closed the event by reminding the audience not only to be grateful for events like this with bands like Amari Rebel and the Movement, but also to appreciate their time in college and to not be stiff in their youth.
Amari Rebel and the Movement is currently participating in a Tiny Desk competition, which Johnson encouraged the audience to look up and vote for. The organizers of this event at Villanova ended by introducing a forum for communication students to discuss current federal regulations, ensuring that any discussions started at the event could continue on and build a community willing to discuss these pressing topics.
