Reebee Garofalo, recipient of a citation for his 80th birthday, at the December 12 City Council meeting with Councilors Wilfred N. Mbah and Ben Ewen-Campen. — Photo courtesy of the City of Somerville

By Harry Kane

Musician and activist Reebee Garofalo was given a citation for his 80^th birthday and commended for his community involvement by the Somerville City Council at the December 12 meeting. 

Garofalo spent years organizing and performing in progressive street festivals, benefit concerts and cultural events. He was born on November 18, 1944.

“He is somebody who has dedicated his entire life to building community and promoting social justice,” said Councilor-At-Large Wilfred N. Mbah.

Councilor Mbah said that Garofalo is a legend in the area. Garofalo serves on the organizing committee for the annual HONK! Festival of activist street bands, and plays drums in the Good Trouble Brass Band. He is a Professor Emeritus at UMASS Boston, where he taught music history for some 33 years.

“If you have ever heard one of the HONK! bands, the Good Trouble Brass Band, chances are you have seen Reebee playing drums,” said Councilor President Ben Ewen-Campen.

Councilor Ewen-Campen said that Garofalo is a “treasure,” and echoed an appreciation for the musician’s community activism that can be traced back to the Freedom Summer in the American civil rights movement.

The citation reads: “Reebee has dedicated his life to fostering cultural understanding, community building and the promotion of social justice through his work as an educator, author and an advocate.”

“There’s something that feels special about being recognized by the people who know you best,” Garofalo said after receiving the citation.

The HONK! Festival has been part of Garofalo’s life for the past 19 years. The 20th anniversary is coming up, and plans for something special are in the works, he said.

“Music has always been that kind of a powerful tool,” said Garofalo. “Brass bands are a particularly useful tool for the kinds of demonstrations we’ve been witnessing.”

Brass bands are large, acoustic and mobile. They can play anywhere and can follow a parade or a demonstration.

“When people are involved in things like chanting, the brass band can lend a significant amount of support,” said Garofalo.

During demonstrations, when the chant leaders of a particular group want to go into a “chanting mode,” the Good Trouble Brass Band will begin performing a tune from their repertoire and then will drop out the melody instruments, leaving the percussion section and the low brass as a rhythm that the group can chant over.

“The chanting then becomes part of the performance of the song,” he says. “It enhances the demonstration, it makes everything louder and when the chant is finished, we just pick back up where we left off in the song, so that the whole chanting and song together becomes part of a single performance.”

In the coming months, Garofalo says more demonstrations will occur to promote social justice and bring awareness to important issues.

“I think it’s important for people who are looking for a just society to get out in the street and make their voices heard,” Garofalo said. “As a member of the Good Trouble Brass Band, I feel proud to be part of something that can help amplify that message.”