By Tom Kapple
The Wave of Change Arts Festival, presented Oct. 8–10 by the college’s Social and Economic Institute, featured concerts, film screenings and art exhibits across campus. The events included a concert by Kotoko Brass and guitarist Keb Hutchings-McMahon, along with the “Fighting the Good Fight” Film Festival. The festival highlighted the “Young Filmmakers Showcase” and included screenings of “Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy,” “Viva Verdi!” and “Do the Right Thing.”
All photos by Tom Kapple
Moderator Isabella Cantillano-Sanchez, center, leads a panel discussion with filmmakers Tamora Israel, left, and Isabelle Caplan as part of the “Young Filmmakers Showcase.” Cantillano-Sanchez is co-managing editor of The MainSheet. Israel is co-founder of Communi-Ti Productions, a media company that highlights BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ stories. Caplan, a video producer and environmentalist, presented her short film “Learn How to Stop Making Trash in Your Bathroom in 1 Minute (ish).“
Erin Trahan, left, and Jeff Schmidt co-directed Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy, a short film about former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Trahan is a reporter, critic and educator at Emerson College, where she teaches film and TV journalism. Schmidt is a producer and editor at Pulse Media in Watertown and an organizer for the Salem Film Festival.
A reception was held before the Kotoko Brass concert in the Tilden Arts Center lobby. Attendees sampled appetizers and desserts while viewing artwork from the “Echoes in the Tide” marine debris exhibition.
Guitarist Keb Hutchings-McMahon opened for Kotoko Brass, performing a mix of covers and an original song. A seasoned musician, he is a former member of the First Encounter Jazz Ensemble at Nauset Regional High School.
Kotoko Brass blends the percussion traditions of central Ghana with New Orleans jazz and Caribbean rhythms. From left, the band features Yusaku Yoshimura on keyboard, Dillon Zahner on guitar, Andy Bergman on saxophone, Brian Paulding on trombone, Ben Paulding on drums and M’Talewa Thomas on bass. Guest artists Ryan Loud and Nii Boye filled in for percussionists Kwame Ofori and Attah Poku.
Brothers Ben and Brian Paulding first discussed forming a band years before Kotoko Brass officially came together. Ben booked the group’s first gig before the lineup even existed, organizing the percussion while Brian assembled the rhythm and brass. Ben’s background in Ghanaian percussion and Brian’s experience with Caribbean rhythm combine to create the band’s signature sound.
Founding members Andy Bergman, left, and Dillon Zahner perform in Kotoko Brass. Bergman, an accomplished saxophonist and clarinetist, has toured Europe and North Africa with singer and poet Iyeoka Okoawo. Zahner, a guitarist and percussionist, is a Berklee College of Music graduate.
Founding bassist M’Talewa Thomas is also owner and audio engineer of Hear I Recording Studios in Mattapan. He toured the Caribbean with legendary calypsonian King Short Shirt before moving to the United States in the 1990s.
Keyboardist Yusaku Yoshimura, known as “The Maestro” and “Kwaakwaadabi” (“crow” in Twi), is a founding member of Kotoko Brass. He has performed internationally and shared stages with Patti LaBelle, Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway.
Guest percussionist Nii Boye is a renowned Asante drummer from Ghana and former lead drummer for the Centre for National Cultural Folkloric Troupe. Described by trombonist Brian Paulding as one of the greatest atumpan players of his generation, Boye now lives in New York City, where he leads the Ahenema Cultural Group.
Guest artist Ryan Loud is a Massachusetts-based percussionist and composer. He founded World Percussion, a New England program teaching West African and Afro-Cuban drumming. Loud has collaborated with pianist Paul Nagel, former sideman to Bobby McFerrin and Boz Scaggs, producing several original jazz recordings available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Trombonist Brian Paulding co-founded Kotoko Brass with his brother Ben. He has performed in Turkey, Tunisia, Georgia, Germany, Trinidad and Canada, and teaches brass and leads the youth Latin ensemble at Zumix, a nonprofit music organization in East Boston. In high school, he and his brother played in the Cape Cod Community College Jazz Band.
Drummer Ben Paulding co-founded Kotoko Brass and was the driving force behind its creation. He lived in Kumasi, Ghana, for several years, performing with the Centre for National Culture and the Nsuase Kete Group. He holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from Tufts University and teaches at Brandeis University, Inspire Arts and Music, and Zumix.
