Donor Stories
Ngala Memorial Fund
In memory of Ngala Mfalme and his love of music, a fund was established to help assist musicians with medical care.
Corrales musician Ngala Mfalme, formerly known as Keith Harris, recently died from pancreatic cancer. He was self-employed as a computer technician while building a solid reputation as a versatile drummer and competent recording engineer. Many friends and collaborators gathered for his memorial service. One friend, Hakim Bellamy later said, "I was in a pew at the Catholic Mass in Corrales, and that was my most memorable moment of 2010. Not the gorgeous gospel/liturgical mass fusion that was being sung quite well there, but the presence of what seemed like the entire Albuquerque music scene on a weekday/workday afternoon. The made me feel part of something bigger, part of a family of artists..."
In Ngala’s honor, his family of artists gathered together for several performances. Donations were given to his parents, Joe & Jean Harris, also Corrales residents. Inspired by their awareness that many musicians cannot afford medical insurance, they chose to use the donations to establish a fund in Ngala’s name to assist musicians with medical problems. For information on contributing to the fund, contact the Foundation at 505.883.6240.
