Modern Griots: Cauleen Smith

Several months ago, I saw a few of Cauleen Smith‘s short films, including “The Changing Same” and “Green Dress,” at the Studio Museum of Harlem. Smith is an experimental film director with an Afrofuturistic focus, dealing with issues about identity and black women. Her alter ego’s name is Kelly Gabron, a character that allows her to […]

Modern Griots: Coltrane Curtis

“Coltrane Curtis, most recently known as the managing partner of New York-based media company Epiphany, is the latest to be chronicled in R+I Creative’s The Pursuit of (Cool) series. This latest video focuses on Coltrane’s fashion influences from the world of jazz. He speaks about why people like Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and Mos Def […]

Modern Griots: Valerie June

Valerie June feat. John Forte- Give Me Water Valerie June is an music artist that caught my attention months ago. The “Organic Moonshine Roots” (a term she came up with) singer mixes together aspects from roots music, including the spirituals, blues, folk music, soul, and Appalachian music, and puts it into a modern 21st century […]

Modern Griots: Gerald Watson, DJ 2-tone Jones and Shaolin Jazz

Yesterday, I wrote about the Festival of the Nw Black Imagination and one of the speakers was DJ 2-tone Jones. The idea for Jones and Watson’s project started with the graphic designer Logan Walters‘ project called, Wu-Note, in which he redesigned Wu-Tang Clan album covers as if they were original jazz Blue Note Records albums. […]

Modern Griot Reviews: Sanabria and Camero, Drum Virtuosos

I call it the Pew Problem: the feeling of wanting to move around but you cannot because you are constricted by the rows of seats around you. That is how I felt Saturday night at the Afro-Cuban Bobby Sanabria Band’s performance at York College with special guest, legendary percussionist Candido Camero. But that is a […]

Modern Griots: Gregory Porter

The Grammy-nominated Jazz singer, Gregory Porter has a voice that speaks back to the Jazz, Soul, Blues and Gospel singers of the past. He cites Nat King Cole, Joe Williams and Donny Hathaway as three singers who have inspired him in his career. For his CD, “Water,” he worked with legendary alto sax player, James […]

Modern Griots: Blk Jks

This will be a new segment in my blog where I highlight artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc. who blend together influences from the past and present to create new, even futuristic, stories. The first post is of the South African rock band, Blk Jks (pronounced Black Jacks). Besides performing with Alicia Keys at the 2010 World […]