As a singer/songwriter, guitarist and storyteller, I proudly honor our ancestors and preserve the history of the African American Spirituals and oral history of the enslaved Africans first arriving in 1619 to the New World. I travel the back roads of America in search of the music and stories passed down in families of the enslaved Africans, in hopes of finding their oral history so it can be preserved for future generations The very fact that the true essence of a human spirit and the dignity of one’s soul is revealed in the first utterance of a spiritual, speaks volumes about the character and phenomenal beauty, strength and integrity of our ancestors who created a music like no other in the world.
My own passion for the history of the African American spirituals has led me on a personal journey to find the core essence and true intention of a music born in the cotton fields of the Old South. In my own efforts to preserve the spirituals, I was successful in 2007 in submitting twin resolutions to the United States Congress recognizing the African American Spirituals as a National Treasure. The Twin Resolutions passed by unanimous vote in February 2007 in both the House & Senate.
Along the way I discovered much more than music. I would like to share my journey with you through my music and storytelling. I know most enslaved Africans are not even remembered by their names or their families legacy, but they left us the spirituals to tell their story. It is time to tell their story. Find out more at one of my concert/lectures or read my blog.