Dixwell Makes Good Company At Neighborhood Festival

The area outside the Q House on Dixwell was full of colorful clothing, gleaming jewelry, and the rumbling of drums Saturday afternoon. Children laughed as they adorned canvases with painted flowers. Adults donned their sunglasses, thankful for a day that was comfortable but not too hot. Over at one end of the space, people were setting up a stage and running sound checks. Dixwell was ready for its neighborhood festival, now also part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas.

Diane X Brown, Stetson LIbrary branch manager and coordinator for Saturday’s Dixwell neighborhood festival, had been preparing the event since the fall. She reached out to local artists and vendors through fairs and Facebook, inviting them to participate. For Brown, the festival was a place for Dixwell to showcase its talent and celebrate its culture. 

“It’s all about community,” she said. ​“I had this when I was a kid. Now I’m doing it for the younger generation.”

Sha McAllister, A&I community impact manager, stressed the importance of giving each separate community within New Haven the chance to show off who they are. 

“We’re not all on the Green. We’re all over the place,” she said. Each neighborhood festival, from Fair Haven to the Hill to Dixwell, highlights the identity of its people and gives them an opportunity to express themselves and what makes them special. ​“There’s beauty and talent in all of the neighborhoods,” said McAllister.

That sentiment was on display in the many brightly-colored stalls for Dixwell’s celebration. One of those stalls housed Queen Malika Sharif and her boutique, Dare to be Different. Sharif was vending at the festival for the first time. She was enthusiastic about the opportunity to promote her business and encourage new customers. 

“It’s like a new world to see all the vendors come together in one place,” she said, gesturing out at the mass of tents before her. ​“When we’re unified like this, it’s better.”

A rollicking drumbeat started up from the ground beneath the stage, rapidly drawing an audience. Drummer Michael Mills struck up an insistent rhythm on the djembe and the talking drum, accompanied by Brian Jarawa Gray on the talking drum, Alex Torres on the djembe, and Paul McGuire playing the djembe and chiming in with a haunting flute. Mills sang in Swahili as he beat out a song that seemed to draw in onlookers, summoning them closer to the circle. ​“We’re here to bring people together from all over the world,” Mills announced. ​“We’re one people.”

Bring people together he did, as the audience began to clap and sway. Mills beckoned to Diamond Tree, a hula hoop artist and performer, with his drum beats, and she danced over to him, swinging her hula hoop around in seemingly never-ending loops. Slowly but surely, more of the audience began to dance along, the community united under the dedicated pounding of the drums.

Manny James was next to perform, and he kept the emphasis on community in full swing. James has been working with young people to form Creative Hearts, an organization where he teaches children about singing and song production. Several of his students performed songs, including 10-year-old Patricia Gardner. Her soulful rendition of ​“Stand Up,” by Cynthia Erivo, had the audience on their feet, singing along to lyrics like ​“I’m gonna stand up / Take my people with me / Together we are going / To a brand new home.”

Manny James also performed a set of his own, featuring both covers and originals. With Terrance Smokey Ivory on drums, Corey Claiborn on bass, and Jeremiah Cherry on keyboard, James made the community center rock with a heartfelt delivery of Marvin Gaye’s ​“What’s Going On.” He also performed his own upbeat song, ​“Good Company,” an ode to companionship. 

“I never want you to go away from me,” he sang, and the lyrics felt reflective of the spirit of unity that enveloped Dixwell. As the set finished, the audience lined up to participate in a synchronized line dance, moving in harmony as ​“The Cupid Shuffle” played over the loudspeakers. It was yet another chance for the community to express its pride and love, and all that it has to offer.