Drum
Language
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