PISA, Italy- The Darby Military Community honored the African-American Heritage Month celebrations Feb. 21 with a food-tasting event at the Darby Community Club and a Gospel music concert by the Livorno Jubilation Gospel Choir.
During his opening remarks at the African-American Heritage celebration, DMC Chaplain (Capt.) Regino Hernandez, read a famous line written by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."
"Nowhere is this more apparent than in Camp Darby," said Hernandez. "No matter where we've come from, we all have so much in common, and today we celebrate a day of unity."
DMC Airmen and Soldiers cooked and served food as a symbol of unity and fraternity.
"The food was great as usual," said Senior Airman Victor Sanchez, 731st Munitions. "I also think the choir was a great way to top it all off."
The food-tasting event was followed by a free concert by the Livorno Jubilation Gospel Choir.
"It is a great honor for us to be here to celebrate this event with the American community," said Luca Del Tongo, the choir's founder and artistic director. "For us it is an homage to the American culture and music that we feel so close to us."
The chorus was established in 1998, when Del Tongo, after singing for three years with the American Church in Florence, decided to establish the first Gospel choir in Livorno. Since then, the close collaboration and cultural exchange with the American community never ended.
"We performed at Camp Darby for the first time probably 10 years ago," said Del Tongo. "It is always challenging for our choir to be judged by such an expert audience, those who grew up with a strong tradition of Gospel."
Gospel music has its origins in the Christian African-American churches of the United States, with the aim of expressing the community's faith in God and spreading the Gospel's message.
The concert went very well, and the audience was soon singing along and experiencing the deep feeling of a mystic, growing emotion.
"The great food, the superior music and dance just helped filling body and souls," said community member Cynthia Davis.
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