SOUL SUMMIT IS BACK! THIS SUNDAY FORT GREENE PARK!

(Photo from 2011 Soul Summit)

Soul Summit, the dance party made of love peace and of course, soul, will return to Fort Greene Park's top hill this Sunday and if the past is any indication you will not want to miss it.

Dj's on hand will be mixing Rare Grooves, House and Dance Classics. Adding to the soundscape will be an untold number of drummers and percussionists who are likely to show and then their hands to the rhythm.

If that's not enough the Soul Summit a festive tradition that began in the early 2000's, is a free gathering, customarily filled with dancers of all ages, united in gracefully soul speaking motion.


But don't take my words for it, here's photos from previous years.






Beside the dancing crowds, the nearby hill side usually becomes an family affair of spread blankets and spread plates of home cooked meals, children rollicking and tumbling and older folks laying back and enjoying the summer fun.



And here's a clip of video (a little shaky sorry) from the last Soul Summit of 2009 when in the middle of the set a light but persistent rain began to fall. How the crowd responded is part of why this event is so spiritual for many, it basically became a baptism.

The Soul Summit has been a hard to find event for years now, because the times the group producing the event has been given to hold the event has been altered nearly every year since it began the City.

Originally the dance party was held at the same Cuyler Gore Park on Fulton. It moved and expanded to Fort Greene where it was a weekly Sunday event.

However one year the part was shut early by the park's department and it was called off for that summer. Ever since the even has occurred and on occasion had it's permits revoked seemingly without reason. Some years there have been no events at all. So I was happy to hear last week there will be at least one this Sunday. Hopefully there will be more this summer.

Nothing has been as good as that magical day in the summer of 2011 when The Fort Greene Music Fest, a full on free music festival was put on in Fort Greene Park, which had local food vendors at booths semi-encircling the soccer field, a stage with emerging artist and world famous musicians, among others Game Rebellion, and headliner Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def).
Despite that being a peaceable day, attended by thousands, where profits were made and no entry charged (run-on alert) that ended on time (sunset) and didn't destroy the park, new home owners in the area complained and a similar event hasn't been held since.

So with the track record of the past, I really suggest if you're a dancer or lover or music, or just want to take the kids out and enjoy good energy, you come out to the Soul Summit this sunday, who knows how long it will go on, so like summer, enjoy it while's here.

Read about previous years' Soul Summit's here:
http://umbrooklynborn.blogspot.com/2010/07/soul-summit-today-fort-greene-park.html
http://umbrooklynborn.blogspot.com/2011/08/ft-greene-park-summer-2011-dsc0316.html

Photo Wednesday 08/17/11: Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 Edition

I don't want to alarm you, but summer is more than half over.
Like so many summers before this, too much is going on, all the time, even with rain-delays, for my one man operation to live it, record it and present it. The idea of doing a summer review in September came to mind, and then I realized the problem with that; nothing worse than looking back on a summer you can be part of, especially with the Fall chill creeping in. SO my suggestion to you and all is to take note of the days we have left, think of the sun and fun to come, and go get some (or some more) before it runs out.

One particularly summery place this year in Brooklyn has been Fort Greene Park, often over shadowed by it's bigger cousin Prospect, Ft. Greene Park has been a constant source of music, community and more a few times, really good eats. Below are pics from the Soul Summit and a few from the Fort Greene Fest held back in July.

The Soul Summit, a non-denominational church revival-slash- family reunion disguised as a House Music dance party (aren't they all though?) was a major event every Sunday from July to August for one brief Summer back round 2003 or so. But neighborhood grumblings pruned it down year after year until now it's nearly as easy to miss as Haley's Comet or some other fast moving celestial phenomenon. That being the case I went out and what essentially looks very much the same and different every year. In a word, it's "Family".


Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0316, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

this photo came from the dance circle and the young brotha in the photo had been moving through the circle punctuated by drums and some rhythms only felt. The moment captured in the shot was that last step at the end of his motions.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0306, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Here is one of those cool brothas, a house head and dancer extraordinaire. I've seen him at various spots across the city and across the years, always accompanied by house music and i dont even know his name. Good shot though, lotta twisting and turning frozen in time.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0216, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

to the beat of the drum(djimbe)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0212, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Soaking it in at the Soul Summit

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0210, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Drummers and percussionists all.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0195, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

I missed the better shot when dad came down to meet him, but still happy i caught part of the moment.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0180, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

rhythm and hues

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0162, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

DJ Ian Friday working the decks

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0139, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Church by any other name...

And for good measure I've added a few more photos that help describe the Fort Greene Fest held in mid-July

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0762, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Crowd shot looking back from the stage (Food tents cooking in the background, there were over 15 tents from local eateries selling food at the event)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0744, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

From way back up on the hill watching the stage at the 3rd Annual Fort Greene Fest in Bklyn (of course)

Get up, get out and get sum summer.

Soul Summit Today!! Fort Greene Park! (updated)

So yesterday's news was a deadly downer, but today is a dancing delight! (yeh I'm corny, I grew up reading the Daily News, much luv NYDN!)

(Update: The Soul Summit, which has been getting short-changed by the city for years, shrinking from a summer long event to recent years when there have only been three days of soul glow, was cut further this year. The same edition of the soul summit I referred to in this pos turned out unexpectedly to be the last. It was during the DJ crew's spoken thanks to the crowd of dancers an supporters in general that we heard the MC say "this is the last Soul Summit if the year" Meaning this year's soul summit lasted only two separate days. Local officials tried to express the reduction as a result of compromise with other neighborhood elements, personally I think Fort Greene Park having hosted a separate concert earlier in the summer somehow cut into te number of park events local residents were willing to accept. In any event it's a fine example of the old broken and dangerous park being good enough for locals and the new refined realigned park being too good for us. Yeah that motivates improvement...)

Today is Fort Greene Park is another edition of the hilltop House party known as the Soul Summit and it's wonderful. Families, old friends, dancers, artisans all moving to the steady beat of rare grooves and deep house music.


It's going to be fun, it's free to come, and there will be good memories made.



I love coming out here, seeing the beautiful people of all shapes, sizes, colors and cultures. United in rhythm.

 It's from 3pm to 8pm so the music won't stop when the sun drops...



The Soul Summit party has been a tradition since at least 2002 in 2003 it moved to Fort Greene Park where its been ever since For more details:http://soulsummitmusic.com/

And if you are into social dance (an umbrella term for many forms of dance including House) theres also the Coney Island Dancers who get down on the Coney Island Boardwalk (natch) weekends all summer along.