By JULIA COX
Staff writer
Galena hosted the 8th Annual Yukon Jamboree in the Sidney C. Huntington School gym in early October featuring potlatches and live music to support sobriety.
Students and citizens of Galena were filling up the dance floor in sheer excitement and celebration of music. “This years Jamboree was Excellent, we had more musicians than ever,” said the jamboree committee president Kim Wolfe., “I’ve been in Galena for 8 years and this is the best turnout we’ve ever had.”
GILA student Justin Arrow was especially enthusiastic about Jamboree. “The potlatch was good. There was a lot of good native food. I liked the speeches and the fiddle dance was awesome. The GILA band was pretty awesome. I really liked the songs Stand by Me, I Love Rock and Roll, and Old Time Rock and Roll that they played. I lost count of how many times I danced. It was too many times. I danced to like every song.”
Anthony Jones, another GILA student said, “I had a great time, I enjoyed it to the fullest. I think the GILA band was great and performed well. I danced like four or five time with like three or four different girls.”
One of the GILA band drummers, Marcus Rodriguez said, “Jamboree was fun. I only danced once with you. People said I played the drums well. It was fun but I was nervous. I think the two step is dumb, it was fun though.”
GILA band Guitarist Kaleb Sanford thought performing at the Jamboree made for a fun-filled weekend. “It was cool to see everybody dance to the music I was playing and enjoy it. I know that we did well and I wasn’t nervous at all. I knew Marcus was but I was confident he would make it through his song. I know there was a few places I messed up but no one could notice.”
The musicians were definitely thriving, coming up from various areas of Alaska to share their love of music with Galena and support sobriety.
This years musicians included Galena’s very own GILA band - Kaleb Sanford, Warren Wilson, Julia Cox, Marcus Rodriguez, Gabby Strange, Kaylin Kopp, Curtis Richardson, Conrad Jones, Matt Goodwin, Tyler Martin, Karrie Pavish Anderson, Ted Roach, and Ryan Stadt.
Other musicians performing from Galena were Curtis Carlo, Louis Demoski, Tim Kalke, Logan Marshall, and Jenny Pelkola. Musicians who came from other areas of Alaska were Wes Alexander of Nenana, Stu Carnegie of Talkeetna, Franklin “Kaki” Dayton Sr. of Koyukuk, Bill Derendoff of Huslia, Gordon Druck of Fort Yukon, Billy Demoski of North Pole, Roy Folger of Tanana, Paul Hatfield of Talkeetna, Josephine Malemute of Fairbanks, Tony Sam Sr. of Huslia, Hudson and Selena Sam of Huslia, Tyler Simon of Stevens Village, Alex Solomon of Kaltag, Virgil Titus of Minto, and Jerry Trout of North Pole.