The theme for the night was simple, yet profound: "music for building the connection with people," as one of the producers for the Fugees expressed after the Wyclef Jean concert last night at Leede Arena.
Attended by a standing room crowd of undergraduates, the evening began with a two hour concert with Dartmouth's own The Groovemerchant, featuring the mellow sounds of Tony Jurado '98 on alto saxophone and a special appearance by "free-styling" Saadiah Fowlkes '96.
As usual, they amazed the crowd with their diverse musical forms which spanned styles of funk, reggae, rock and hip hop.
Soon after this concert, a long line formed as students patiently waited to enter Leede for the free concert sponsored by the Programming Board.
Most students were aware that The Fugees were scheduled to perform in a concert last year but had to cancel due to exhaustion from their hectic touring schedule.
However, what most students didn't know is that Wyclef Jean and the Refugee All-Stars are only scheduled to perform at one college - and Dartmouth College was selected.
Wyclef's debut album, "The Carnival" was featured in the concert, in addition to some pleasant surprises.
The two opening acts, Destiny's Child and Fatbag, did a fine job at getting the audience anxious for the star performance. Despite the fact that many audience members were dissatisfied that both groups performed as many songs as they did, both accomplished groups displayed their skills and took the "heat" that most opening acts receive.
Once Wyclef and the Refugee All-Stars took center stage, the audience never stopped moving. Many Haitian students stood proudly near the stage with the flag of their country in hand, and at one point, Wyclef, actually took one of the flags as a symbol of his Haitian heritage.
He quickly corrected the recently spread rumors that his group was racist and said his music is for everyone to enjoy. The audience certainly appreciated this public dismissal of such negative press.
Some of the most memorable events to occur during the concert was Wyclef's request for silence in the memory of the recently deceased Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur; Wyclef's request for "the real men" to take off their shirts and wave them in the air; and the four Dartmouth students who took the stage to exhibit their freestyling" capablities.
During a exclusive interview after the concert, Wyclef was very personable and answered many questions not only about his album but about his life, his influences, and his music.
"Bubblegoose," a song featured in the concert was a "true story," according to Wyclef. He explained that someone in New York threatened his life simply to get his "bubblegoose" coat.
"Sang Fezi," a song not featured in the concert because of the absence of all-star and recent mother, Lauryn Hill, is also about crime in urban areas. The song completely sung in Creole, the language of Haitians which is a combination of French and English. Wyclef actually speaks fluently in Creole, French, Spanish and English because of the various areas in which he lived while growing up.
The general theme for both of these songs, in addition to another track titled, "Gunpowder," is his strong concern for the state of society today. He mused about this state where there is 'too much usuage of "gun and rifle firearms" but not enough usuage of "brains and intellectual" firearms.
His personal message to the Dartmouth community is to use the time during our four years here to prepare for the business world by planning ahead now.
He explained that since jobs are becoming harder to find, and despite the fact that we will be Dartmouth graduates of various racial backgrounds, it will be just as difficult to secure a future for ourselves if we do not take the time to seriously think about it. He stressed to take the steps to get as many experiences to help in our preparation for the "real world."
The theme of "people connected through music" was consistent througout the evening. From The Groovemerchant to Wyclef Jean and the Refugee All-Stars, the diverse audience members were living proof that music truly is a form of connection throughout humankind.
