People shuffled in slowly; Children of Nebula set the atmosphere with their artistic beats as audience members admired the artwork displayed across the walls of the room. Carlton Mackey and baby were the DJs for the night.
The pieces were as diverse as the contenders who submitted them for the contest, using a variety of materials. Whether it was thumbtacks, fabrics, or good ol’ fashioned paint, artists had worked on whatever canvas their art desired. The usual suspects were all in attendance, but there were also fresh faces, filled with excitement for a night of performances.
Mariangela Jordan turned in into MC MJ, tapping into her funny bone as she taught the audience the right way to react to the acts she was about to introduce. After we were all educated in the art of applause, Daniel Weingarten opened the show. He closed his set with “Virgin Swag” reminding all of us in the crowd to embrace our quirkiness, so we can walk proud of our virgin swag.
Another frequent presence in Emory’s artistic community, Ariel Wolpe, performed two original songs. Listen Daughters, inspired by Wolpe’s interest in women studies, and Waters of Zion.
The next artist, Anirudh ‘Eka’ Dhullipalla, was introduced by Skyy Walker as one of the “humblest peacocks around”. A theme he reflected in his spoken-word piece, “Graffiti Artist”. He captured the humility behind the anonymity of a graffiti artist, admiring their ability to separate creation from gratification. He asked of the poets in the audience, “would you write your poems the same way if you had to perform them anonymously in front of a mute crowd.” Explaining that, “this is what graffiti artists do naturally, they turn walls into sacrificial altars, leaving passion on concrete canvases without ever wanting the praise of a crowd.”
Like every open mic night at Emory, the night featured a fair-share of cultural performances. Senior Shreyas Sreenath blasted his harmonica for his last performance as an undergraduate at Emory as part of what MC MJ affectionately dubbed “the Indian ensemble”. There were Bollywood songs and Tibetan prayers, reflecting the diverse assortment of art that exists on this campus. Another standout artist was singer Iman Folayan, who spit some sick rhymes over beats that had the audience on their feet.
Children of Nebula closed the show, showcasing the fantastic music that had been the soundtrack for the night. The traditional spontaneous cypher tradition that ends every Ethics Café continued as the Ajibade twins,Joshua Watkins,
and Children of Nebula began to rap over the bands’ banging beats. The cypher also featured Carlton Mackey who used his time on the mic to introduce the winner of the Visual Arts Competition. Grace Chin won for her piece “Vases”.
The third annual Free Speech Ethics and Arts Café showed that the artistic pulse at Emory is as strong as ever. Even as volunteers packed up tables performers and audience member continued to play their instruments, inspiring multiple jam sessions during cleanup. The night was a success; giving the growing artistic community a venue to express themselves openly, showcasing who they are through their art.
Reported by Simran Khosla.
Photos by Munir Meghjani
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