The festival kicks off September 25 with a street parade beginning in Marion Square
As a founding member of the internationally acclaimed band Ranky Tanky—as well as a trumpeter, vocalist, and composer who has performed alongside some of the industry’s most respected artists—Charlton Singleton is accustomed to being in the spotlight. But in his third year as MOJA Arts Festival’s artistic director, the Awendaw native can be found behind the scenes, calling on his network of artist colleagues to curate the 11-day festival that celebrates African American and Caribbean contributions to culture through music, visual art, theater, dance, and storytelling. MOJA, which means “one” in Swahili, kicks off its 41st season on September 25 with a street parade that starts in Marion Square. Here, Singleton shares his excitement for the festival.
CM: What’s your vision for MOJA?
CS: The vision is always to grow it. You want to keep things as exciting, fresh, and new as possible and to introduce the Lowcountry and everyone else that attends to new artists. Charleston, and South Carolina in general, have an impressive lineage of famous artists and musicians; I always say you never know who you’re standing next to here. We take pride in having a platform for them; MOJA is a festival where they can showcase their talents.
CM: What are your most memorable moments so far?
CS: The first time former Mayor John Tecklenburg and members of the City Council announced me as the artistic director, I remembered when I graduated from college in 1994 and I participated in my first MOJA festival as a side man. And then last year, celebrating the 40th anniversary, we had Lalah Hathaway, daughter of the great Donny Hathaway. She returned to the festival and had a fantastic show at the Charleston Music Hall. The first time I performed at MOJA under my own name, I was her opening act when she was headlining. It was one of those weird, full-circle moments: now, I’m bringing her to the festival. I’ve had a few of those. My first cousin, Robert Washington, was one of the pioneers of the festival when it was known as the Charleston Black Arts Festival; he created all the official posters and visual arts displays. Growing up and coming to events, then participating as a side person, then performing or headlining, and now being the artistic director, it’s been a crazy ride.
CM: Any performances you’re especially excited about this year?
CS: Every year, it’s a renewed energy. MOJA has been around for 40-plus years now, which says something. A lot of festivals can’t boast that record. I’m excited about all the world-class talents who have applied and want in. For example, Adam Hawley, a young musician based in Los Angeles who is one of the most in-demand smooth jazz guitarists in the world, is coming. Artists are reaching out because they’re hearing about how great the city is, the hospitality, and the energy at the festival.
CM: Do you get to enjoy MOJA once the planning is done?
CS: It’s hard because I’m on the clock. However, one of the things we’ve been trying to do is maintain a festival presence throughout the year, not just during the 11 days in September and October. Over the last couple of years, we’ve had MOJA on King and MOJA on Ann Street, and they’ve been really successful. We’ve also had a Juneteenth celebration under the MOJA umbrella. I get to be more of a spectator at those events. Even if I announce the performers, I get to sit in the crowd and say “wow” like everybody else.
CM: Do you remember the first time you heard jazz?
CS: Oh, yes. I was in the sixth grade and had just started playing the trumpet. One day after school, my father opened the door to my room and told me to put on something nice; we were going downtown. He took me to the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium. It was a 2,000-seat auditorium, but there were maybe 500 people. A man came out and played the saxophone, and everyone clapped, and my father leaned over and said he knew him. Fifteen minutes later, another man comes on; he’s got on a funny-looking hat, a weird horn in his hand. He starts playing, and I can’t understand anything he’s doing. The crowd is really into it, but it’s way over my head. The first musician was Lonnie Hamilton III, who is still a mentor to me, and the second was Dizzy Gillespie. My parents aren’t musicians; they just believed in exposing their children to stuff, so they made sure we went out and got involved.
CM: What’s next?
CS: I’m working on the release of the next Ranky Tanky album, as well as some solo material. I’m writing music for a few classical music groups, including our symphony orchestra, and a piece for the Kronos Quartet.
