By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com
Go-Go Awareness Week kicked off Nov. 17 with a press conference held at the Go-Go Museum & Café in Southeast Washington, D.C.
And while legends, including Rare Essence, E.U., Trouble Funk and “the godfather of go-go,” Chuck Brown, were essential in the evolution of the regional music style into a worldwide phenomenon, the emphasis has now shifted to developing younger musicians – the next generation of artists.
Ronald Moten, the museum’s founder and CEO, joined by city officials, longtime supporters of the unique musical genre, and artists who continue to promote the distinctive sound and culture of the music, announced several new initiatives that will soon take place as Washingtonians prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of go-go in 2026.
Moten was particularly excited about how youth will be showcased during a two-day competition that will feature four bands composed of school-aged children who will take to the stage on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.
“We’re encouraged by the efforts of Mayor Bowser and councilmembers like Kenyon McDuffie, who are making it possible for us to bring music education and classes back into the D.C. public school system,” Moten said. “Today, we have five bands in local schools – something which didn’t even exist 15 years ago. These children are learning how to play instruments and perform which may eventually lead to sources of income for them if they chose to take it further. But musical instruction also helps improve their math skills, requires discipline and forces them to focus on maintaining good grades.”
As part of the museum’s new projects for young people, the “Make Go-Go 4EVA Youth Go-Go Band Showcase” will engage youth in shaping the genre’s future and allow them to follow in the footsteps of those who created the go-go sound and have since become cultural icons.
Young musicians will take the stage to perform and compete this weekend with legendary figures from the go-go community judging and mentoring the bands. Winners will be afforded the opportunity to perform alongside the Chuck Brown Band at Go-Go Santa on Dec. 6 at Sycamore and Oak.
The Sounds of the Youth Band and The Soul of SEED Band perform on Nov. 21, from 8:30-10 p.m. On Nov. 22, Pock3t and The Panther Funk Go-Go Band will perform from 6-8 p.m.
Darrin “X” Frazier, an accomplished musician and technician, best known for being a keyboardist for the band Rare Essence in the 1990s and manager of the band TCB, said in many ways, go-go saved his life.
“I’m a native Washingtonian and when I was a teenager, we started our own go-go band – it was a positive way of being creative and it kept me from traveling down negative roads,” said Frazier, who now works as a broadcast technician for Monumental Sports, helps book bands for the Wizards’ post-game go-go concert, and is involved with the Go-Go Museum and other projects aimed at preserving go-go history.
“If we could do it, so can youth today. That’s why we need to get more kids acclimated into go-go and get music back into the schools. They need something positive that will inspire them as they continue their education,” he added.
Moten said investing in youth today will provide real benefits in the future.
“We often complain about our young people and criticize them for getting into trouble,” he said. “But if we don’t support more positive activities, then we will continue to see them act out like we did recently at Navy Yard. I was talking with a teacher recently who mentioned the challenge he faces to get more instruments into his school. I don’t understand that.
“When I was growing up we had music in school and trade instruction so kids could learn to be musicians or carpenters or plumbers or auto mechanics,” he added. “That’s what we need to provide again throughout the D.C. public school system.”
Eduardo Perdomo, director of the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, said it’s important to realize how music, including go-go, connects people of color whose ancestors trace their roots to various locations throughout the African Diaspora.
“Since 2022, under the mayor’s guidance, our office has worked with Ron (Moten) and the Go-Go Museum to host an Afro Latino Festival,” he said. “Now, we’re working on an album – a collaboration with musicians from D.C. and the diaspora, representing multiple continents and multiple cultures.
“For many years, we have been purposely torn apart. But we are really closer than we may think we are.”
For more information, visit https://www.gogomuseumcafe.com/. Follow Go-Go Museum & Café on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
