PEOPLE OF GOODWILL

Music of the Afrikan Diaspora

In homage to Afrika, the music of People of Goodwill is based around the drum and always reflects a deep respect for the power of rhythm. The music of People of Goodwill freely uses the wide variety of popular music styles, including Jazz, Funk, Rock, Reggae, Rhythm & Blues, Latin, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban that have evolved as a result of the Afrikan Diaspora - the movement over the past 500 years of people of Afrikan origin to all parts of the Americas and the other continents of the world. The peoples and cultures of Afrika, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas commingle today in these musical styles, and People of Goodwill takes special pride in being a band that reflects this unique blend of styles and cultures in both its music and its membership. Through its Music of the Afrikan Diaspora, People of Goodwill seeks to communicate and share a positive message with all of humanity.

In its performances, People of Goodwill presents a combination of its own original compositions and its arrangements of select compositions by some of the most outstanding songwriters and musicians of our time. People of Goodwill has performed at a variety of venues. The band has opened for internationally acclaimed artists such as Ray Charles, saxophonist George Howard, and percussionist Sheila E. People of Goodwill recently was featured at the First Night Hartford Celebration, theJuneteenth Festival at the Wadsworth Atheneum museum in Hartford, CT and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT. On several occasions Academy Award winning actor Paul Newman has invited the band to play for his annual gala fundraiser at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT.