On Sept. 7, South Orange hosted its third annual “24 Hours of Music Jamboree” in support of the South Orange Rescue Squad, which provides medical services for the residents.
The jamboree was held throughout the South Orange Village. For 24 hours, each location included live music spanning all genres of music. Performers were encouraged to perform other artforms, such as spoken word and dance routines.
Gregory Burrus, a member of the South Orange Village Center Alliance and music coordinator for the jamboree, said that this event is about community. The event was to help residents become exposed to the community.
Several bands performed in various locations throughout South Orange from Sept. 7 to 8. Performers played various genres of music.
“I want the event to form a sense of community as people will be coming into town or going on their afternoon jog and be able to see talented musicians from South Orange and be able to connect to them,” Burrus said.
Several Seton Hall students attended the event. Ishita Rana, a freshman biology major, recounted her experience of watching a 13-year-old performer. After singing an old jazz tune, the young girl received a standing ovation, Rana said.
“She was really talented for being such a young age and brave for putting herself out there,” Rana said.
Hardeep Kaur, a freshman biology major, talked about her time at the jamboree. “It was a nice sense of community and it made me feel like I was home,” she said.
Lee Boswell-Mae, a South Orange resident, attended the jamboree. After her husband’s death, she continued to carry out the tradition of attending the event. She has another connection with the event as her mother helped start the South Orange Rescue Squad in 1952.
Her mother, Elizabeth Boswell, decided to start the rescue squad after seeing a sick neighbor being poorly transported in a filthy ambulance. “She researched other rescue squads in other cities and used the resources of her used taxi and limo service to start the rescue squad in South Orange.” Boswell-Mae said, Lee said she believes her mother wanted all the residents of South Orange to have proper medical care.
Andrew Byrd can be reached at andrew.byrd@student.shu.edu.
