It was an emotional day at the 22^nd Annual Fall Festival hosted by the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (JGH BID) as a special tribute was paid to Tracey Towers resident and longtime board member of the BID, Sallie Caldwell, who died earlier this year, as reported.

 

According to the BID team, Caldwell had been a trusted and regular presence at the Fall Festival each year, and her legacy is now set to continue as the team announced that the Sallie Caldwell Lifetime Leadership Award will be presented annually to those who follow her example of uplifting the neighborhood and harnessing the best of community spirit.

 

The inaugural award was presented to Caldwell’s family on the day. During her remarks, Daniela Beasley, executive director of the BID, said Caldwell always had her finger on the pulse of everything. “If I ever wanted to know what was going on in the neighborhood, what our small businesses needed, she knew,” Beasley said.

She continued, “She [knew] everything that [was] going on, and so when we did lose her this year, it was a huge loss to the BID and to the community. To her neighbors, to every single person who Sallie touched, and she touched absolutely everyone in the north Bronx, I would like to give the lifetime leadership award, to recognize Sallie Caldwell, to her family and just say how much we loved her.”

 

Caldwell’s grandson, who is a musician, Julian Michael Caldwell, accepted the award on behalf of his family. “Can we make some noise from my grandmother, Sallie Caldwell?” he asked the crowd, later explaining that he knew her as “Grandma Sassy.”

 

Caldwell continued, “That’s a story from when I was really young but yeah, my grandmother, she obviously loves her family. We were her blood family but she was all about her community, this area. She lived in Tracy Towers for decades, longer than I’ve been on this earth. Whether it was about the health and the safety of this community, she went all in. Whether it was about just having fun and celebrating this very festival right here, she was all about it, so it’s amazing!”

Her grandson added that the longtime BID board member, who had been honored with several accolades throughout her lifetime for her dedication to her community, would have gotten a kick out of the latest acknowledgement. “I didn’t know that for years to come [the award] was going to be named after her,” he said. “That’s amazing, that not just this year but every year we could recognize and remember her.”

 

Local health & nutrition-based business, “Snatch Back Nutrition,” were presented with the Community Service Award. “They have been absolutely amazing,” Beasley said of the store before presenting the award. “They are a newer business on Gun Hill Road and we did a spring event series this year, and they showed up every single time and we can always count on them, so they were very deserving of this community service award.”

 

Owner, Asha Finch, said she was not expecting the honor. “What can I say?” she said. “This journey for me has been very difficult. Three years ago…my life…I shouldn’t be talking to you guys, but the universe and I had different plans and then within that journey, I took that, and I opened up this location for the community because I’m so family orientated. I’m so community orientated, and I just wanted to be able to give back to you guys.”

She described her business as a safe space. “You’re never alone,” Finch added. “You don’t walk alone. We are here with you. We have programs, we have meals, we have refreshers. We are one big family. We’re located at 336 East Hill Road and you don’t only get me, you get my family!”

 

The Public Service Award was presented to David Lowe from the BID’s clean team. “I couldn’t think of anybody more deserving than our clean team and David Lowe [and the clean team],” Beasley said. “When you walk through the streets, the reason you’re not seeing as much litter and garbage everywhere is because David and his coworkers’ hard work every single day, so the BID thanks you!”

 

She continued, “We thank the team, and [to] the whole neighborhood, if you see them out, stop and say thank you because they’re the reason that our streets stay clean.”

 

Accepting his award, the softly spoken Lowe said, “I was not expecting this. It’s not really necessary as that’s what I do but I appreciate you all for recognizing me. Thank you and everybody have a blessed day.”

 

The festival featured performances ranging from a Puerto Rican folklore group to various Hip Hop artists, and of course, there were also vendors like Montefiore Einstein who were distributing health-related information, pumpkin picking, apple picking, and face painting. Local resident, Mark, attended the festival with his 8-year-old son, Jacob. Asked how he was enjoying the day, he replied, “It’s all right. It’s my first time.”

Dance troupe, “Danza Fiesta,” had everyone on their feet at one point with their lively and colorful performance. Director Gilda Rivera Pantojas said, “It’s a beautiful group and we love what we do!”

 

The smell from the sausage stand had many people walking up to the truck. The sausage sandwiches were going for $20. Some walked away, while others paid the $20. One man commented that he remembered when they were $6.

 

Norwood News also spoke with some of the Hip Hop performers at the event. We asked Tydre what inspired his music. He said, “I guess the things that I see. I like to take what I see and turn it into an art form. I try to be the voice of the voiceless, for those that don’t know how to do it in a creative way, you know? My artistic way of showing that before used to be visual art, and I transitioned into music, and it’s been the best way for me to express everything that I feel.”

Asked if he had learned his craft in a formal, structured way, Tydre replied, “It started off with me freestyling in school and from there, I just started actually trying to write it down. My father told me, ‘Hey, take it seriously,’ and then I started to try to write it down and then from there, I started making songs, and I’ve been nonstop since, and just learning trial and error.”

 

We asked Tydre if he enjoyed performing on the day. He said, “Oh, amazing! Yes, definitely! I mean, when the Jerome BID told me that they wanted me to curate the Hip Hop 50 set, I just wanted to make sure that I did it correctly, and that we did it properly. So, I’m very happy to be at the Fall Festival.”

 

As reported, Hip Hop officially came home to 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx with a special free block party and concert, marking its 50th anniversary at its birthplace on Saturday, Aug. 12. Performers included KRS One, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, The Sugar Hill Gang, Slick Rick, Talib Kweli of Black Starr, the Cold Crush Brothers, Chuck D, C.L. Smooth, Hakim Green, Wise Intelligent, Peter Gunz, and many more.

The previous evening, on the official 50^th anniversary of the now-famous inaugural party held on Aug. 11, 1973, on Sedgwick, saw a star-studded line-up of Hip Hop artists perform at nearby Yankee Stadium, including a surprise appearance by ex-Fugee, Ms. Lauryn Hill, to the ecstasy of the packed crowd.

 

As also reported, Bedford Park’s Lehman Center for the Performing Arts was the chosen Bronx venue for an earlier 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 6, when the Hip Hop Fever 2023 concert was held in conjunction with Sal Abbatiello of Fever Records.

 

Later, we asked Adissa Kamagate how she enjoyed performing at the Fall Festival. She said it was her first time performing in the rain. “I really feel like a superstar because, you know, that’s what all the greats do and yeah, I felt really good to be here in The Bronx! This is where I’m from, this is where Hip Hop was born, so just being able to share that with the audience was great.”

Paying tribute to the “motherland,” Kamagate mentioned during her set that her family hailed from West Africa. “I’m supposed to be going this summer,” she said. “I haven’t been to Côte d’Ivoire since I turned three years old, so I’m long overdue for a trip!” she said. “But yes, every time I share my music, I like to add those little parts because that’s just a part of who I am, my dad being from Côte d’Ivoire, my mom being from here; I kind of have the best of both worlds!”

 

Asked if she had learned French from her dad, given it’s one of many languages spoken in Côte d’Ivoire, Kamagate smiled and said she blamed her parents for never teaching her the language when she was growing up. “I have no idea why,” she said, adding, “But I’m trying to do Duolingo. I don’t know. I need something. Somebody’s telling me to just watch French shows to get better.” [We suggested maybe Wyclef Jean also, since he raps in both English and French.]

 

Asked who were her influences, Kamagate said, “Oh my gosh! The list is long! Let’s start off with Foxy Brown. Jay-Z, Jada Kidd, Lauryn Hill. It’s just so many older influences, and I have to thank my parents and my family for always surrounding me with music, so every time I come up, I just have that old school Hip Hop influence inside of me.”

We also later asked AQ THE GOD, who was born and raised in The Bronx, who were his inspirations growing up. “So, I get inspired by a lot of people, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I got three top people that inspire me, which is J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake,” he said in part. ‘Those are, like, my three inspirations, but I definitely get inspired by anything, whether it’s like movies, life, literally like anything.”

 

Asked what appealed to him about those three, in particular, he said, “Besides being talented, I just liked the versatility. J Cole was number one. I would say with him, it just stood out. When you’re 16 years old, and you’re going through real life situations and then you hear somebody that you can relate to, it’s different than like hearing all the other mainstream music.”

 

We asked if he felt the New York City did a good job in marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop. “Besides me not being in Madison Square Garden, right now? Absolutely, they did!” AQ said. “I heard it all over. I think they’ve been honoring this since last year, low key. I don’t know if people were confused on what the 50th year was, but I remember performing at a 50th year festival last August so, they’ve been honoring…”

AQ continued, “Shout out to Hip Hop! Keep it going…it’s so fun. It’s more than music; it’s a whole culture. It’s beautiful!” Getting a little serious, he then added, “It could be detrimental sometimes. Like, be mindful. For the creators, be mindful what you put out. For the consumers, be mindful what you listen to and take in.”

 

Wrapping up, he said, “The day is beautiful. We in The Bronx. It’s beautiful. Keep the culture going. There’s many ways of keeping the culture going, you know? So, be a creator, be you, and that’s the culture!”

 

AQ’s comments were echoed by Caldwell. Thanking the BID for honoring his grandmother, and adding that October was her birth month, he wrapped up by saying the fact that it coincided with the Fall Festival would ensure there would be a continuous celebration of her birthday every year. “[We/you] got something incredible here, all the people out here, even in the rain, and couldn’t stop the celebration,” he said. “So, we’re honoring my Grandma Sassy. Thank you so much. Let’s celebrate and have a beautiful time!”

 

Follow Tydre on Instagram under tydre, Adissa Kamagate under Didiami_ and AQ THE GOD under aqthegod.

 

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story misquoted Ty Dre for AQ THE GOD. We apologize for this error.