Sekou Sundiata

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Sekou Sundiata
Birth name Robert Franklin Feaster
Born August 22, 1948(1948-08-22)
Harlem, New York
Died July 18, 2007 (aged 58)
Valhalla, New York
Occupation(s) Writing Professor at New School University
Instrument(s) Spoken Word

Sekou Sundiata was an African-American poet and performer, as well as a teacher at New York City's New School. Famous students include musicians Ani DiFranco and Mike Doughty. His plays include The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop, The Mystery of Love, Udu, and The 51st Dream State. He also released several albums, including Longstoryshort and The Blue Oneness of Dreams.[1] The Blue Oneness of Dreams was nominated for a Grammy Award. [2]

His subjects included Jimi Hendrix, Nelson Mandela, and reparations for slavery.

Mr. Sundiata was a Sundance Institute Screenwriting Fellow, a Columbia University Revson Fellow, a Master Artist-in-Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, the first Writer-in-Residence at the New School University in New York, and a professor at Eugene Lang College.

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[edit] Early life and education

Sekou Sundiata was born Robert Franklin Feaster in Harlem but changed his name in the late 1960s to honor his African heritage. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from the City College of New York in 1972 before successfully undertaking a master's degree in creative writing from the City University of New York. [3]

[edit] Performances

Sundiata's works combined poetry, music and drama. His musical influences included jazz, blues, funk and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. He worked closely with Craig Harris on works such as Udu about slavery in modern Mauritania and The Circle Unbroken is a Hard Bop about African Americans reaching adulthood in the 1960s. [4]

Sundiata based his one man show Blessing the Boats on experiences of heroin addiction (back in the 60s), a car crash and a kidney transplant from a friend. He toured the show around the United States and internationally.[5] The impact of the show inspired members of the audience to volunteer to become organ donors.[6]

His last work, the 51st (dream) state, featured music, dance, video and poetry about the responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks.[7] After a performance at the Melbourne Festival,[8] the show was performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November 2006. [9]

[edit] Recorded works

Sundiata recorded a number of works. His first recording The Blue Oneness of Dreams was nominated for a Grammy. He toured with Ani DiFranco on her Rhythm and News tour in 2001 and his longstoryshort album was released on DiFranco's Righteous Babe label. [10]

Sundiata's work was featured on HBO's "Def Poetry" series and PBS's "The Language of Life". [11]

[edit] Teaching career

Sundiata taught writing at New School in New York City . DiFranco was one of his students and claimed at the time of his death that Sundiata "taught me everything I know about poetry."[12]

Mike Doughty also studied under Sundiata in DiFranco's class. He wrote "Screenwriter's Blues" which was a minor hit for his band Soul Coughing in the 1990s, while studying in Sundiata's class. [13]

[edit] Death

Sekou Sundiata died of heart failure at a hospital in Valhalla, New York on July 18, 2007. He had struggled with many life-threatening conditions throughout his life, including cancer, kidney failure, a kidney transplant, pneumonia, and a broken neck sustained in an auto accident. [14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  2. ^ AP via Topix.net "Poet, Performer Sekou Sundiata Dies" July 20, 2007
  3. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  4. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  5. ^ The Australian "Poets passing a profound loss" July 20, 2007 accessed through the Australia New Zealand Reference Centre
  6. ^ The Melbourne Age "Vale inspiring poet/activist" 20 July 2007 accessed through Ebbsco's Australia New Zealand Reference Centre
  7. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  8. ^ The Melbourne Age "Vale inspiring poet/activist" 20 July 2007 accessed through Ebbsco's Australia New Zealand Reference Centre
  9. ^ AP via Topix.net "Poet, Performer Sekou Sundiata Dies" July 20, 2007
  10. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  11. ^ New York Times, "Sekou Sundiata Dies at 58; Performer of Text and Sound" July 20, 2007
  12. ^ AP via Topix.net "Poet, Performer Sekou Sundiata Dies" July 20, 2007
  13. ^ Mike Doughty blog
  14. ^ The Australian "Poets passing a profound loss" July 20, 2007

[edit] External links