I have been fortunate since early childhood to sit among the

conversations and at the feet of Master Teachers

close and far

sometimes divided by time as well as space

and I was a channel then

often in spaces where the word and drum clung fiercely to their reconnection

I channel still

DrumLanguage was a journey, a radio trance-mission

an intergenerational multilingual conservation of what matter(s/ed) most

my contribution to a long tradition

DrumLanguage happened through me when words were no longer enough

inspired by

Kamau Brathwaite

Don Cornelius

Richard Steele, Salim Muwakkil & Cliff Kelley

Frankie Crocker & Bob Law

Nikki Giovanni & Mumia Abu Jamal

Georges Collinet & Don Cornelius

Felipé Luciano & Dahoud André

Jared Ball & Glen Ford

Amy Goodman & Juan Gonzales

Jace Rupture & Din Clarke

but also

iBomba, Sonic Diaspora, Africa HiFi, Manjinga, Libation, J Period, Boolumaster, DJ Spinna, Haitian AllStarz, Dance Mania, Yoruba Soul, Ocha Records.

As for the music itself, Fela, Nina, Sweet Honey, Steel Pulse, Makeba, Masekela, Boukman and Sparrow were the types of artists played in my parents’ house, so a lot of times, the music was the news

If you don't feel like dancing at some point, it's not working