# @oberlincollege on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DCsL9puouCg
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/26215559-oberlincollege-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/923194a889.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-11-22T22:28:40.000+00:00

## Caption

The Oberlin choral ensembles are hard at work preparing to bring Omar's story to life on stage for our upcoming performances on December 6 and 8.

Musical Union was fortunate to have Dr. Courtney-Savali Andrews ’04 and Dr. Talawa Presto join a recent rehearsal. They presented an engaging talk on the historical context of the opera Omar, co-written by Rhiannon Giddens ’00.

Their presentation focused on the life of Omar Ibn Said, a learned Islamic scholar from Senegal who was enslaved in the United States in the early 1800s. Omar's autobiography, written in Arabic, challenges longstanding misconceptions about the illiteracy and lack of culture among enslaved Africans.

Dr. Andrews and Dr. Talawa Presto—Professor of African American and African Diasporic Musics, and Visiting Assistant Professor in Dance in Africana Studies—illuminated how Omar's writings serve as a vital counter-narrative to racist assumptions that Africans arrived in America without education or sophistication. His story underscores the rich intellectual and spiritual traditions that enslaved Africans brought with them and how they maintained their identities despite immense adversity.

The presentation also explored the connections between West African musical traditions and American music genres, demonstrating the similarities between the Islamic call to prayer and elements of field hollers, which later evolved into blues music. They ended their discussion on the linguistic heritage preserved by enslaved Africans, which ultimately contributed to the development of African American Vernacular English. Despite the obstacles faced in America, the cultural and linguistic retention of enslaved Africans has shaped our culture to this day.

The upcoming Omar performances in Oberlin and Cleveland highlight often-overlooked aspects of American history. While the Finney Chapel show is sold out, a live broadcast will be available at Oberlin's Apollo Theater. A free performance will also be held at Cleveland's Maltz Center on December 8. Oberlin has organized a series of events to complement the opera, featuring lectures, discussions, and exhibitions. To learn more, visit the link in our bio.

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## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| oberlincollege | @oberlincollege | https://gondola.cc/oberlincollege | University |
| Dae Williams | @daeqwill | https://gondola.cc/daeqwill | Photographer |
| Dae Williams | @daeqwill | https://gondola.cc/daeqwill | Social Media Strategist |

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