Karaoke Night brings fun, laughter to Community Folk Arts Center

Syracuse University students and community members joined together at Karaoke Night at the Community Folk Art Center to sing songs by iconic Black artists on Thursday night. 

The event was a part of a long list of Black History Month events hosted through SU. 

“We usually do it during the heritage months, and it’s just a great way for SU students and community members to come together in a third space, like a free space, to sing and celebrate with their friends and new people,” Alexia Carr, marketing outreach coordinator for the Community Folk Art Center, said.

Attendees were invited to sign up and perform songs of their choice, or could choose from a list of celebrated Black artists. Performers were encouraged to sing their hearts out on stage in a joyous and fun-filled fashion.

It brought together a diverse audience of community members and Syracuse residents who did not know each other.

“I feel like sometimes when I go to events, because I’ll go to events at school, you see, the same few people all the time,” computer science and creative writing senior Timasco Thongchanh, said. “This is good. It’s a different group of people.”

Karaoke uplifted community members, especially those anxious about performing like Frantzine Tingue, a Le Moyne College psychology freshman. Tingue said she recently started coming to the Community Folk Art Center and wanted to try something new. 

“I definitely am glad to have done so, and I felt nervous like I said but I overcame it,” she said.

Tingue sang Killing Me Softly With His Song by Fugees and Lauryn Hill. She said it was personal to her because growing up it was her and her sister’s favorite song.

“We grew up scared with a lot of problems living in the city, and Killing Me Softly was, like, our only go to to really think of our older brother, who carried the family,” she said.

Tingue also said she values what the Community Folk and Art Center has given her and wants more people to know about places like it.

“There are so many different centers and different places of engagement for people to do together, and that is good, it keeps people afloat,” Tingue said. “Especially for me, with my issues growing up it makes me very happy to have places like these to go.”

Singing also forged kinship among attendees. Thongchanh said she hopes people take away how meaningful it is to relate to others at cultural events.

“I think it’s good to build community and share different arts and different music,” Thongchanh said. “It’s a nice way to feel connected. I feel like building a community, feeling connected, especially through art and culture is really important. That’s how you have empathy. It’s just what makes you human, you know?”