Luca Family Singers
Encyclopedia
The Luca Family Singers were an African American singing group, originally from New Haven, Connecticut
, in the 19th century, the most famous such singing family modeled after the popular Hutchinson Family Singers
. Like the Hutchinsons, the Lucas were active in abolitionism
, and began performing in 1850 at abolitionist meetings.
The Luca Family consisted of Alexander C. Luca Sr. (born 1805), a Congregationalist choir director, and his sons, Alexander C. Luca Jr. (second tenor), Simeon G. Luca (first tenor), John W. Luca (bass or baritone) and Cleveland O. Luca (soprano). In addition to singing as a quartet, they were also instrumentalists. Alexander Sr.'s wife, Lisette Luca, and his sister Diane Luca also performed with the group on some occasions.
Cleveland Luca was a well-known pianist who left the family after being hired by Liberia
to teach music there.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, in the 19th century, the most famous such singing family modeled after the popular Hutchinson Family Singers
Hutchinson Family Singers
The Hutchinson Family Singers were a 19th-century American family singing group who became the most popular American entertainers of the 1840s. The group sang in four-part harmony a repertoire of political, social, comic, sentimental and dramatic works, and are considered by many to be the first...
. Like the Hutchinsons, the Lucas were active in abolitionism
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
, and began performing in 1850 at abolitionist meetings.
The Luca Family consisted of Alexander C. Luca Sr. (born 1805), a Congregationalist choir director, and his sons, Alexander C. Luca Jr. (second tenor), Simeon G. Luca (first tenor), John W. Luca (bass or baritone) and Cleveland O. Luca (soprano). In addition to singing as a quartet, they were also instrumentalists. Alexander Sr.'s wife, Lisette Luca, and his sister Diane Luca also performed with the group on some occasions.
Cleveland Luca was a well-known pianist who left the family after being hired by Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
to teach music there.