Sekou Sundiata is a poet who writes for print, performance, music and theater. He has been a Sundance Institute Screenwriting Fellow, a Columbia University Revson Fellow, a Master Artist-in-Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (Florida), the first Writer-in-Residence at the New School University, and he is currently a Lambent Fellowship in the Arts Fellow. He was featured in the Bill Moyers' PBS series on poetry, The Language of Life, and as part of Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on HBO. Sundiata is currently a professor at Eugene Lang College in New York City.
Read Complete Bio at: MultiArts Projects & Productions (MAPP)

Long Story Short
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Audio CD (February 8, 2000)
Original Release Date: February 8, 2000
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Righteous Babe
ASIN: B000040JCV

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Before there was Run-D.M.C., before Grandmaster Flash, before Afrika Bambaataa, rap's true infancy existed with a few black radicals like the Watts Prophets and Gil Scott Heron. For artists such as these, flow, beats, or danceability didn't matter as much as the message did. They were political poets who were more effective with a musical background. Sekou Sundiata picks up this torch and carries it on, years after rap has gone the way of MTV, dance clubs, and innocuous million sellers. The latest prodigy of Ani Dofasco's Righteous Babe label, longstoryshort is "rhythm 'n' news." Tracks like "Droppin' Revolution" expose the lack of political activism in pop music: "People be droppin' 'revolution' like it was a pick up line/You wouldn't use that word if you knew what it meant." And for all of the naming names and biting liberal commentary, there is a hell of a musical backdrop: Loungy organs, funkified guitars, agile bass, and impeccable drumming create an aura worthy of any blaxploitation film. While the mood is sweet enough to lose the lyricism, Sundiata's brilliantly urgent message will make sure that you listen and think hard about his point of view. No small feat. Jaime Vazquez (All Music Guide)
 

The Blue Oneness of Dreams
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Audio CD (February 25, 1997)
Original Release Date: February 25, 1997
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Polygram Records
ASIN: B000001ER3

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The sophomore album of poetry from Sekou Sundiata, English professor and New York aesthetic collector. The basic form is a collection of contemporary soul and jazz accompaniment to powerfully delivered spoken poems from Sundiata. The sound is more Afro-American-centric than Afro-centric, but there's a bit of a hearkening to more purely African sounds as the Senegalese drums are called out for "Philosophy of the Cool" at the end of the album. Sundiata shows off an outstanding range of vocal ability, working within the limited structure of the spoken word. He can give a sermon fit for an NAACP conference, or a string of stories somewhere between a stream of consciousness and a coherent story, all at a breakneck speed that makes Bobby McFerrin sound lazy. The atmosphere laid out by Sundiata's backing band and the occasional vocalists lend an ambience to the poetry that doesn't usually stand out so well on the majority of spoken word albums. There's some Malcolm X in here, some KRS-One, and some En Vogue, but at its core, there are only the original thoughts of an outstanding poet. This album doesn't ask to be listened to, it demands it.  Adam Greenberg (All Music Guide)

Related Links

Obituary: Gifted Poet Sekou Sundiata

An official statement from the family:
At 5:47 AM on Wednesday, July 18, 2007, my beloved Sekou Sundiata passed away. On behalf of Sekou and his family, thank you all for your expressions of love and support and for your prayers. Cards can be sent to 296 Stuyvesant Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11221 
—Maurine (Kazi) Knighton

Sekou Sundiata Biography at: MultiArts Projects & Productions (MAPP)
http://www.multiartsprojects.com/artist_index.php?artistid=11&sectionid=108

Sacred Circle/Spoken Word A Three-Day Festival of the Spoken Word October 29-31 1999
http://events.aalbc.com/particip.htm

 

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