Hopkins Got Talent shows off students' skills

By: Husain Danish

Posted: 5/1/08

Last Wednesday an audience of enthused students was dazzled and entertained by "War On Mind: Hopkins Got Talent." The American Idol-esque show, organized by the student group Vision XChange, brought together some of the top performance groups at Hopkins to raise money for UNICEF. Despite the controversy behind the event, Vision XChange successfully pulled the show off and attracted almost 200 students - quite the accomplishment for an event held in the middle of the week.

Renowned comedian Maysoon Zayid served as mistress of ceremonies. You know you have someone special when she introduces herself as "a Palestinian, virgin Muslim with cerebral palsy." She delighted audiences with hilarious anecdotes about her less-than-perfect journeys to the Newark Airport, her father who looks like Saddam Hussein and the customs of Muslims and Arabs. I was bawling in my seat - mostly because I knew exactly what she was talking about.

Maysoon's humor appealed to the general audience and not solely the Muslims and Arabs. Her witty and humorous comments struck a chord with the entire audience. Her humor complemented the evening rather than detracting from the humanitarian theme, bringing greater awareness to the cause.

Twelve different groups performed, each with their own energy and vitality that enhanced the show. Despite the great differences between each individual performance, the common thread between all of them was the energy and excitement they projected onto the audience. The audience swayed to the soothing melodies, clapped their hands to the beat and tapped their feet to the rhythm. Audiences were not silent observers but actively engaged in the performances, bringing vitality to show.

Bits and Pieces began the show with the song "My Pain," an original rock piece composed by band leader Haris Ali. The song was a nice mix of classic rock and jazz fusion, a combination that was, in a way, soothing. There were issues, however, with balance: At times the lyrics could barely be heard, and at others the drums would drown out the bass or the bass would drown out the guitar. Overall, however, it seemed the crowd was not fazed by this matter.

Jaywalk, the first dance group to perform, put on a spectacular performance. A fusion of ballet and modern dance, seemingly awkward combination of dance styles flowed perfectly together. Though at times the dancers appeared slow, their movements lacking fluidity, the fast tempos they maintained were amazing, and they dazzled the audience with their skills.

What at first seemed to the be the most out-of-place performance of the evening, instead, fit quite nicely with rest of the program. Jocelyn Wagman's performance of Bach Suite No. 2 in G minor: prelude on cello provided a nice break from the energy acts of before. The music was poignant, yet, at the same time, it did not lull you to sleep. Despite the occasional out-of-tune note, the piece gave the audience a chance to take a breath and relax. In a way, the piece was haunting. It was neither loud overpowering nor soft and peaceful. The sounds of the chords lingered in the air, creating an almost evocative atmosphere.

The African Students Association quickly increased the energy in the audience with their dance performance. The performers danced to modern African music, an amalgamation of hip-hop, reggae, jazz and traditional African music. The performance was extremely lively: Audience members were dancing in their seats and cheering the performers on. Despite not understanding a single word from the music, I could feel the power and energy coming from the dancers. The audience and I simply became enthralled in the performance.

Listening to Vivaz's performance was like going to the stereotypical jazz or poetry club in France. The performance was a wonderful combination of music, dance, poetry and singing. The balance was wonderful: The singing was not overbearing, and the chorus did not overwhelm the singers. The beat box and sound effects were even humorous at times, lightening not only the tone of the performance but the tone of the entire program.

The band Fortunate Son put on a spectacular performance. Their playing was excellent and their rendition of Jimmy Hendrix's "Fire" stayed true to the original. The saxophone solo which at first seemed completely out of place, was a very nice touch to the performance. Energy was emanating from the band. Simply put, it was awesome.

"Stop! Look at Me," simply put, is the king of introductions. As the song "Thriller" began, the performers, dressed as the living dead, rose from the audience. One performer even jumped out of his seat, flew across several chairs and landed on the stage. However, this energy quickly dissipated as technical problems caused the music to stop to play. It took several tries before the issue was resolved and, by then, the shock from the beginning had dissipated and turned into frustration. Despite these problems, the dance group put on a wonderful show, paying homage to the pop king Michael Jackson.

Technical problems throughout the program took away from much of the excitement at times. Music skipped, started late or started early; the microphones would make loud, painful sounds during performances and in between acts. While these small problems did not destroy the show, they were nuisances that built over time.

Time also became a factor. The show started 40 minutes late and did not end until after 11 p.m. Yes, the show was entertaining, but it went on for too long.

Though the event's goal was to raise funds for UNICEF and Palestinian refugee children, Vision XChange chose to put their guest speaker at the very end, when most people decided to leave. The presentation by Amy Weir struck a deep chord with the audience. It is a shame that more weren't there to hear her message.