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Ms. Gail Farngalo, President- Georgia Chapter

Gail Farngalo grew up loving drama, music and dance and often being told by relatives that she was a reincarnation of an old Zoe, a traditional leader in her native Liberia regarded to be highly skilled especially in dance, storytelling and culture. That’s why it’s no surprise that she’s emerged as official songstress of the B.W. Harris School Alumni Association USA. During the recent Convention 2010 in Atlanta, Spartans danced to Farngalo’s latest production The Allegiance Song. It’s the sequel to the Spartan Song she penned five years ago — the official anthem the last time that convention came to Atlanta. “They were very receptive to the new one as well, but the original (song) is still their favorite,” Farngalo added.

What both songs have in common is Farngalo’s adoration for B.W. Harris High School, which she attended four years through 1980 when she graduated as salutatorian of her class. “My love for Sparta is very special and my love for Sparta will live forever,” goes one recurring verse in The Allegiance Song.
Farngalo also shows that love through her service to the alumni association. She’s serving her third term as president of the Georgia chapter and has held other leadership roles.

Farngalo got an early exposure to music in a household with a mother who loved music of all genres and appreciated culture. “I was always in plays, signing, and variety shows and continued performing arts through college,” Farngalo added.

Her undergraduate degree in political science is from The American University in Cairo, Egypt, and master’s degree in public administration from Boston’s Northeastern University.
Farngalo’s Facebook photos include one with her dressed in a burgundy top and busting Mariachi moves during a 1983 performance of “Los Mexicas” at The American University. Her dad the late Gabriel G. Farngalo served as ambassador to Egypt and the first superintendent of Liberia’s Nimba County.

Before arriving at B.W. Harris in 1976, Farngalo attended school in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where her mother worked at the sub-regional economic organization Mano River Union.
The Farngalos were Catholics and upon returning to live in Liberia had sought to enroll their children at schools such as St. Teresa’s Convent and St. Patrick’s. But difficulty getting accepted in the middle of the school year led them to B.W. Harris. The family nixed plans to transfer their children later after Farngalo’s siblings fell in love with the Spartan spirit and the camaraderie that everyone shared. “That’s a testament to that magnetism B.W. Harris has that attracts people,” she said. In those days, the family’s home became a gathering spot for classmates and other students. “My mother just embraced all of our friends and was a Spartan mother,” said Farngalo, whose fondest memories of her school days include joining others to cheer on B.W. Harris athletic teams during games.

Years later, Farngalo would weave together the songs and chants students sang during basketball games into the Spartan Song for convention 2005 in Atlanta. “I wanted something that would rev up everybody, add a little pizzazz and oomph to the convention, something memorable,” she said about the song with a catchy chorus that starts with “So, so Spartan Children.”

With convention coming again to Atlanta this past summer, Farngalo got many requests for another song. “I went back to trying to get something that was appropriate and would be just as motivating,” she said of The Allegiance Song that debut at this year’s convention along with a remix of the Spartan Song. The Allegiance Song refers to B.W. Harris as the glue that binds and sticks, taunts other schools and contains an ode to former physical education teacher Mrs. Leona Tay. “I pledge allegiance to the Blue and White,” goes the chorus, a reference to the school’s colors. Bosca Banks, a Sierra Leonean afro-pop artist who helped arranged and produced of the Spartan Song, also joins Farngalo by singing as well on The Allegiance Song. A dozen copies of a CD that includes The Allegiance Song, Spartan Song and a version of the B.W. Harris school ode were sold during the Liberian Independence Day Celebration held at the Liberian embassy in Washington, D.C. Saturday, July 24.

Farngalo likes overall direction the association has taken under the Diggs administration, whose tenure ends next year at convention in Providence, R.I. “We have good momentum right now and I just hope that will continue,” Farngalo added.

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