Jamil Ragland Photo
Damien Escobar plays at the Little Black Dress Gala
Annual Little Black Dress Gala
Infinity Hall
Hartford
Nov. 2, 2024
A friend told me that Damien Escobar, the world-renowned violinist, was performing at a gala called Little Black Dress to celebrate and benefit the Legacy Foundation of Hartford.
So I was prepared for some great violin playing, but I didn’t know I would also discover a great organization in my own back yard.
The Legacy Foundation, now in its 12th year, organizes its activities around a simple mantra: “Talent is universal; opportunity is not.” The foundation, which has worked with over 700 students since its founding, seeks to provide opportunities to Black and brown children in Hartford.
“The foundation focuses on addressing disparities in education and health,” said Greg Jones, the foundation’s founder and executive director. “And we do that with a couple pathways. We have academic pathways and experiential pathways. We believe that education is really the foundation for kids’ success. They’re able to navigate the world if they are better prepared educationally.”
The program operates a Saturday school that runs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., focused on math, language arts, social justice, and science. The aim is to prepare students to take more rigorous courses in high school that will lead to college success.
“Social justice wraps it all together. You really can’t learn math, English, or science without understanding the impact social justice has, not just on those subject matters, but the impact it has overall. So we believe that you use education as a way to navigate the world, but you have to do that through the lens of social justice.”
One of the best examples of the work the foundation does are the Chapman sisters. Katie, Lori and Olivia have been with the program for years, and represent the future of Hartford that Legacy is trying to pour into.
CREC's Ana Grace Academy student musicians perform "Gangster's Paradise."
As great as the foundation’s work is, we were all there for Damien Escobar.
Opening for him were the children violinist from the CREC Ana Grace Academy, who played a cool rendition of the Coolio classic “Gangster’s Paradise.”
Then it was time for the main event. Escobar’s band built up the anticipation slowly, with Champ on keyboard and DJ on drums, playing him out for an agonizing amount of time. But when he hit the stage, he exploded with energy and passion.
Damien Escobar performs "For the Love of You" by the Isley Brothers.
One of the first songs that Escobar played is an all time favorite of mine, “For the Love of You” by the Isley Brothers. When the accompaniment came on, I could hear the words forming in my head in Ron Isley’s voice. Escobar’s violin cut through, singing in its own voice as Escobar danced around the stage. It was far removed from the typical image of bow ties and coat tails as violin players sit stoically in their chairs. In no time he had the audience up and dancing with him.
Damien Escobar plays "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson.
Escobar covered other classics such as Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” another personal favorite of mine. His best song was an original called “Taboo”. Escobar’s virtuosic skill was on full display, as he let his fingers ripple across the strings of the violin and his bow stretch each sound until its supple breaking point before moving on to the next.
It’s fun to see a performer put their own spin on your favorites. It’s even better to hear how far they can go when they produce music to their own tastes.
All in all, it was an amazing evening that introduced me to an awesome new artist and an incredible organization right here in Hartford.