Fourth annual CFAC gala ‘Souljourn’ to be held April 3

“Souljourn: A Celebration of Art, Music and Culture,” the fourth annual gala to benefit the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC), will be held April 3 from 6-11 p.m.in the Tiffany Ballroom at the Genesee Grande Hotel, 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.

The staff at the Genesee Grande will prepare a gourmet dinner, while five-time SAMMY Award winner Ronnie Leigh and area DJ Jah Roots entertain guests. CFAC will also hold a raffle, and guests will be able to bid on a work by nationally recognized artist Tom Huff. In addition, there will be a dramatic showcase from the Creative Arts Academy (CAA) and the presentation of the Augusta Savage Spirit Award.

Individual Tickets are $60. Tables are available for $1,500, $750 or $550. The deadline for reservations is March 29.

Leigh has been impressing audiences for years from Syracuse to Seattle, and from New York City to Istanbul, giving the bands he has performed with leadership and a distinctive flare. He has recorded with Cabo Frio on Zebra/MCA records and with Larry Arlotta on Spirit Jazz. Though primarily a jazz interpreter, he has a variety of musical interests and recently released a debut album on Eiffel Records with his own band, Prime Time Funk.

As a frequent performer in resorts, jazz clubs and concert halls throughout the United States and Canada, and at the Syracuse Jazz Festival, Leigh has shared the stage with The Drifters, Pat Metheny, The Yellowjackets, David Benoit, Special EFX, Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, Etta Jones and Jon Hendricks, as well as the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2004, Asomgyee Pamoja, also known as Jah Roots, has been spinning his eclectic tunes throughout greater Syracuse. As the owner-operator of Roots Audio Soundstation Digital Hi-Fi, Jah Roots DJs at a wide range of occasions and venues, from local clubs, art galleries and birthday parties to weddings.

For more information, contact Rosalyn Trotman at (315) 442-2230.