Um Boom Boom Bap
“Um Boom Boom Bap” is an onomatopoeia for one of the rhythms in the cello percussion for this song. While the name itself has no other meaning, the song’s origin story is a special one. Upon being invited to participate in the Fall 2020 Dead Artists Lounge festival by originator Nicollette Emanuelle, I was paired with Nicole Mermeans and Fareedah, accomplished Aerieal Artists in the Atlanta area to create new work that celebrated any deceased artist from any medium or genre. After an initial planning conversation the three of us landed on creating work to celebrate artist Emma Amos, who died earlier that year in May of 2020. The piece that inspired their new work was Amos’ painting Twined Flowers, which artistically illustrated Amos’ biraciality and the intersectionality and harmony of identity she experienced.
These are the Days
“These Are The Days” is a new Afro-Cuban home for the theme to All in the Family, returning the West African major pentatonic scale to its musical and cultural roots. In addition to this new affirming melody and lyric, listen to the introduction of the old melody on the cello towards the end in its new home, happy and repurposed.
Elder Roots and Tree
Elder Roots and Tree” was commissioned by the Freedom Park Conservancy and the National Black Arts Festival to accompany a public art piece——a felled tree fused with casts of gesturing hands ——created by Masud Olufani. The work lived temporarily in Freedom Park in Old Fourth Ward Atlanta. This piece contains a quoted melody from Paul Robeson’s song “Trees,” which I selected with the help of feedback from alumni of the original David T. Howard school.
