PODCASTS
New podcasts - Updated Friday, March 5, 2010
Click here to subscribe to “Podcasts from RezaRitesRites.com” on iTunes
FARMERS MARKETS IN RI
Produced for and originally aired on WRNI on August 6, 2009
Originally posted to RezaRitesRi.com on Aug 9, 2009
To learn more about farmers markets in RI, click on the photo or click here to listen to an audio podcast of a story I produced for WRNI, RI Public Radio, in August 2009.
PROVIDENCE, RI - In you didn’t hear it last summer, RI Public Radio (WRNI) aired a story conceived and produced by me, Reza Rites. All about the growth of Farmers Markets in RI, the people who make it happen, and the various visitors who frequent them, the piece aired during Morning Edition, one of the station’s main-stay programs. How do you hear it if you missed the original broadcast? Visit WRNI’s website to read about and hear the story or click here to download the audio podcast.
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Reza Rites and WGBH Bid Final Farewells to Writer and Activist Dana Wright
A Video Report and Tribute
February 9, 2010
Before she passed away on December 27, 2009, Dana Wright was spreading the word about a children’s book she had written called Rolling with Nia. Click on the image of the book cover or here to watch a video to see and learn more about Wright and her book. I, Reza Rites, produced the film for “Black Perspectives Now,” an online initiative of the public media organization, WGBH, and the program “Basic Black.”
by Reza Corinne Clifton
PROVIDENCE, RI - On Sunday, December 27, 2009, a friend, mentor, and colleague of mine passed away, leaving me shocked and saddened. From her activism in the community and online, to her work as a storyteller and published author, Dana Wright inspired me professionally and personally, and for these reasons and more, I will never forget her.
Before her untimely death I had a chance to talk to Wright, about a project she had recently completed, and about the impact she was on having on youth and families. And I wasn’t the only one interested in her story.
Up in Boston, Massachusetts, series producer Valerie Linson had just launched a new online initiative, which was to be tied to “Basic Black,” a television show she runs out of WGBH. Basic Black was created in 1968 - “during the turmoil of the civil rights movement as a response to the demand for public television programs reflecting the concerns of African Americans.” But Linson saw a more contemporary need for “Black Perspectives Now,” and for “stories, events, people and voices of black New England.” Dana Wright’s was one of them.
Learn more about my interview with Wright and see other stories from Black Perspectives Now by clicking here. To learn more about Basic Black, visit www.wgbh.org/basicblack.
And Rest in Peace, Dana.
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Venus Sings in Spain
The Podcast Edition
February 7, 2010
Available online now, for the first time ever, hear part of the special “Venus Sings in Spain” radio episode - the Podcast Edition; click here or right on the photo above. Pictured here is jazz artist, Esperanza Spalding, in action at the Plaza de la Trinidad in 2009 at Jazzaldia in San Sebastian, Spain.
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN - From July 22, 2009 to July 26, I had the pleasure of attending Jazzaldia, a jazz festival held annually in San Sebastian, Spain – a city seven hours north of the capital, Madrid. There on an exclusive press pass, I was in the city taking in jazz music and chatting up artists as part of a special Venus Sings in Spain multimedia series I was doing. Coverage of the event included photos, written pieces, and a special edition of Voices of Women/Venus Sings Radio produced and hosted by me on August 8, 2009 on WRIU, 90.3 FM.
Available online now, for the first time ever, hear part of that special radio episode and the conversations and melodies from San Sebastian with “Venus Sings in Spain – the Podcast Edition.” Whether it’s the popular overseas artist Eva Cortes talking about her introduction to Spain’s music scene, or jazz darling Esperanza Spalding discussing technology and music, the women of “44 Heneiken Jazzaldia” had more than rhythms to share, and I was there to accept their gifts. Now I extend them (again) to you.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
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Venus Sings Radio is part of Voices of Women, a weekly program that airs on WRIU, 90.3 FM every Saturday morning from 9-11 AM. Four hosts bring Voices of Women while Venus Sings Radio is hosted by me (Reza Rites / Venus Sings / DJ Reza Wreckage). With Venus Sings Radio, the focus is on music, women and community through song, interviews, announcements and tidbits. For more information, visit www.VenusSings.com or www.WRIU.org.
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A Look Back at Jan 9 on Venus Sings Radio and Funda Fest 12
A Podcast (or two or three)
January 22, 2010
KINGSTON, RI - On January 9, 2010, I had the pleasure of hosting not one, but TWO guests on Venus Sings Radio, my show that airs on WRIU as part of the weekly Voices of Women program. Voices of Women airs every Saturday morning from 9-11 AM and Venus Sings Radio, hosted by me, Reza Rites/ Venus Sings / DJ Reza Wreckage, happens twice a month. But January 9 was special and exciting.
Talking about her album was the artist, Bmor 7, who released a new album called Magma Musik right before the new year, on December 31, 2009. The CD is full of collaborations with producers, singers, poets, and other hip hop emcees who helped give B-mor and Magma Musik a rollercoaster ride of sounds, themes, and emotions. For more information about the album and how to purchase it, visit www.B-Mor7.com.
Later in the program I was also joined by Valerie Tutson, a world-traveling storyteller and the Executive Directore of the Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS). Tutson joined me in the studio to tell listeners and friends of WRIU about Funda Fest, an annual storytelling festival organized by RIBS. During the live, on-air interview, Tutson explained that Funda Fest was in its 12th year and talked about much much more. Hear what she had to say about the critically acclaimed festival, which has been happening all week long, in the first exclusive Venus Sings Radio and VenusSings.com podcast and podcast series.
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Part 1
On part I of this special Venus Sings Radio podcast series, world-traveling storyteller, Valerie Tutson, talks about the opening event and family performance that happened January 17 in Westerly, RI. It was an example of the challenges she faced this year in relation to location-changes and the economic recession; she overcame them, she says, with support from community members and organizations from all quarters of the state. She also talks about the event coming up tonight, Friday, January 22: “Love Stories and Spoken Word.” At this evening’s event, guests can expect an intimate and at at times “red light district” feel, says Tutson, thanks to invited poets and performers who’ll be talking about the ups and downs of loving one another. Click here to listen to the episode.
Part 2
On part II of this special Venus Sings Radio podcast series, world-traveling storyteller, Valerie Tutson, talks about some of the special guests visiting RI just for the festival. They’ll be coming from Indianapolis, Indiana, Milawaukee, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC and they include spoken word poets, storytellers, educators and a Grammy-nominated artist who’ll be traveling to the award ceremonies right after Funda Fest. Christylez, who Tutson calls a progressive hip hop artist, is a musician from the nation’s capital who collaborated on an album called “From the Banjo to Beatbox,” which is being considered for the prestigious award. Tutson also talks about the links between storytelling, music, and African traditions, and outlines events and workshops happening throughout the state - on Saturday and Sunday January 23 and 24 and in partnership with a number of cultural organizations from across the state. Click here to listen to the episode.
Part 3
On part III of this special Venus Sings Radio podcast series, I open up by talking about several community events happening in and around RI before turning my attentions back to Tutson and Funda Fest 12. She reminds listeners of the website where details are being kept up to date - www.ribsfest.org - and she illustrates how available this year’s conference is, from the variation in the events being offered (workshops, concerts, school visits), to the variation in locations across the state. Click here to listen to the episode.
Full Episode
Click here to listen to the 2o minute podcast in full.
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The Rhode 2 Africa Video
Celebrate it One More Time
March 4, 2009
Did you experience Rhode to Africa? The music, the conversations, the community? From the Interview Series to the Cape Verdean Jazz Reception, celebrate it all one more time: The Rhode 2 Africa Video by Executive Producers Reza Clifton and Corey Taylor.
PROVIDENCE, RI - Rhode to Africa was a Concert Series and Interview Series about Africans in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The project was produced by RezaRitesRi.com and Mount Hope Neighborhood Association Inc., with the generosity and support of The Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, The Van Leesten Group, Beatbox Studio, WRIU, Firehouse number 13, and hundreds of others. For more info, visit the Rhode 2 Africa page of RezaRitesRi.com.
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R2A Interview Update
Episode 4 Available, All Episodes Easy to See
December 7, 2008
The fourth and final episode of Rhode to Africa is available. It features the Mayor of East Providence, RI, Dr. Isadore Ramos; Donald King of The Providence Black Repertory Company and Brown University; and several members of the band Afrika Rainbow – a group specializing in African and Caribbean Rhythms. Music on the episode was provided by Riders Against the Storm. Click here to listen to it.
The Rhode to Africa Interview Series is a 4-part program produced by RezaRitesRi.com, Beatbox Studio, and Mount Hope Neighborhood Association. It’s made possible thanks to the generosity and support of RI Foundation, RI Council for the Humanities, The Van Leesten Group, The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Firehouse no. 13, WRIU, and numerous other RI businesses and organizations.
To hear and subscribe to Rhode to Africa via iTunes, click here. To browse only the Rhode to Africa podcasts and descriptions, click here to access the “R2A Podcasts - LINKS ONLY” page.
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R2A Interview Update
Episodes 2 & 3 Available as Podcasts
November 1, 2008
Photographed here are Mary Smith and Harold Omisore, Executive Director and President, respectively, of Oasis International in Providence, RI. Smith and Omisore are among the participants featured in Episode 2 of the Rhode to Africa Interview Series.
PROVIDENCE, RI - Listen from home or work; take it with you anywhere: Episodes 2 & 3 of the Rhode to Africa Interview Series are up. In episode two, we hear from Mary Smith and Harold Omisore of Oasis International; Jean Phillipe Barros a City Council Candidate in Pawtucket; and Olivier Varela – aka Mr. Loverman from WRIU 90.3 FM’s Cape Verdean Afro-beat show. The third episode features singer songwriter, Michelle Cruz; musician and DJ Aarin Clemons, aka Abstract Soul; and Brown University alumnus and Founding President of Heritage Revival Projects, M. Lamin Sarr.
Click here to play and download episode two, and here for episode 3. To hear them or subscribe via iTunes, click here.
The Rhode to Africa Interview Series is a 4-part program produced by RezaRitesRi.com, Beatbox Studio, and Mount Hope Neighborhood Association. It’s made possible thanks to the generosity and support of RI Foundation, RI Council for the Humanities, The Van Leesten Group, The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Firehouse no. 13, WRIU, and numerous other RI businesses and organizations.
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R2A Interview Series: First Podcast Posted
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The first official Rhode to Africa podcast is up!! If you didn’t hear the first episode on WRIU 90.3 FM - or if you did but want to hear it again - download the podcast here or get it on iTunes by clicking here! The first episode features Sata Jallah, aka Lady DUBB, Jonathan Mahone, aka J-Bro, and Emmanuel Paulus of the Liberian Community Association of RI.
Rhode to Africa episodes and replays are airing in October every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12:30 PM on WRIU - 90.3 FM or wriu.org. Tune in or stay tuned for news about the podcasts.
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Music, Video & Voter Advocacy in Rhode Island
September 29, 2008
Check out this youtube video. It features RI Young Professionals 2007 and 2008 President, Raymond Watson - and his group, Big Dude Crew - and it is done by RI director and filmmaker Nuala Cabral. It’s a debate and reminder about voting, and it features young, men of color. She and many of her friends, says Cabral, have “joined thousands of inspired, creative young people from across the country in a grassroots effort to encourage young people to get out and VOTE on Nov 4.”
Cabral also recently filmed a video recently in Brooklyn, NY. It was for an artist named Honey Rochelle, and it was for a tune called “Obama Song.”
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Sneak Peek: Rhode to Africa Audio Promo
September 24, 2008
I just finished posting a 3-minute audio promo for the Rhode to Africa Interview Series. Three minutes long, also available on iTunes, how can you resist a listen? Click here to listen, visit my myspace RezaRitesRi music page at www.myspace.com/RezaRitesRi, or download it on iTunes.
The R2A Interview Series starts this Thursday, October 2. You can hear the first episode at 12:30 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM or during real (station) time at www.wriu.org. You can also hear it as a podcast on iTunes and right here on RezaRitesRi.com.
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Freedom, Community, and Reparations in RI: A New RezaRitesRi Podcast
August 28, 2008
by Reza Corinne Clifton
(Risa Gilpin of RI Council for the Humanities, left, and Michael Van Leesten of Mount Hope Neighborhood Association and Providence Black Repertory Company, right, listen intently to performing artist, entrepreneur, and community activist Charles “Chachi” Carvalho. Photos courtesy of “Jaws,” City Beat TV, and RI Council for the Humanities. Click here to see more photos.)
PROVIDENCE, RI - If you were granted three wishes to benefit Blacks in Rhode Island what would they be? Where would you look? What issues would you focus on? This is one way of looking at the conversation recorded on the new RezaRitesRi.com podcast.
Back in the real world, there is no genie or magic bottle. But there is On the Road to Freedom, an initiative of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities designed to celebrate and support African American heritage in RI.
On Monday August 19, with a September 1 grants deadline approaching and organizations already lining up, I asked Risa Gilpin from the Council for the Humanities to join me and several other RI community members to discuss On the Road to Freedom and to discuss Blacks in RI in general. Click here to follow and download a link to hear how that conversation sounded. Click here to access it on iTunes.
(Sound Engineer and Beatbox Studio Co-owner, “Vertygo,” stops to give recording and production assistance to the podcast participants. Click on the photo or here to listen to the conversation. Click here to access it on iTunes. )
The interview was recorded in Beat Box Studio in Pawtucket, RI and produced by me, Reza Rites, with help from Beatbox co-owner and sound engineer, Vertygo. Music on the podcast was provided by three RI-based artists: Spoken Word Poet and Hip Hop Emcee Kalyana Champlain; Spoken Word Poet Yunus Quddus; and Hip Hop Emcee Chachi Carvalho. Special thanks also to Tony Bass, “Jaws,” and City Beat TV for their work visually documenting the conversation.
Now here is a question for you - what would your three wishes be?
For more information about RI Council for the Humanities, visit www.rihumanities.org. Visit www.myspace.com/beatboxstudio for more information about Beatbox Studio. For music samples by or more information about Kalyana Champlain, Yunus Quddus, or Chachi Carvalho, visit www.myspace.com/kalyanachamplain, www.myspace.com/spittinimages or www.myspace.com/bigchach.
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The Summer Edition of She Shines: Read It, Hear It, Download It
by Reza Corinne Clifton
June 16, 2008
Pictured here is the cover to the current issue of She Shines - the Summer Edition. I, Reza Rites, served as the Guest Editor for it. The topic is “Minority Health: Prevention and Wellness for the Soul.” To hear a podcast on the topic, click on the image above or here. To read the current issue, visit www.sheshines.org.
PROVIDENCE, RI - On Sunday April 20, 2008, I showed up as a guest on 95.5 WBRU, a radio station which broadcasts out of Providence. The station’s Sunday programming is well-known locally as the 360 Degree Black Experience in Sound. It was added to the rock station in the 1970’s, but since its inception, it’s been just as known for its music as it is its attention to community issues.
Check out the exchange about minority health between me, Reza Rites and recent Brown University graduates and former WBRU DJ’s Eleby Washington, aka Darkness, and Evan Hendon, aka 816. At the time of the interview, I was working as Guest Editor on the recently completed issue of She Shines Magazine. The theme was Minority Health: Prevention and Wellness for the Soul.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
You’ll notice that I mixed some reggae music into it; special thanks to reggae singers Mark Messam, Turbulence, and Lady Dubb and Stereophonic Productions for providing the worldly tunes. To read the current issue of She Shines, visit www.sheshines.org or click here to download the entire issue. For more information about the music, visit www.stereophonicworldmusic.com and www.myspace.com/ladydubb80. For more information about health issues in RI, visit www.health.ri.gov.
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Hearing Harlym: The Full Conversation with Poet Jamele Adams
by Reza Corinne Clifton
May 30, 2008
PROVIDENCE, RI - When the next Langston Hughes comes along, will the world be ready? I asked this question and others during an interview I did recently with the nationally acclaimed award-winning poet and activist Jamele Adams, aka Harlym 125. You see Harlym 125 is a choreographer and performer of the multi-part dance that is spoken word poetry. He is also an author, educator and community leader. As Jamele Adams, he is an associate dean at Brandeis University. But as both Adams and Harlym 125, he is a regular presenter for youth, battered women, and the incarcerated and the person behind books like “My First Black Cherry Popped” and “Body Language Metamorphosis.”
Thanks to Anne Edmonds Clanton and ‘aec productions,’ Adams brought his art, intellect and advocacy to Providence on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - with a “concert” at Tazza Caffe. But maybe you missed the show,; maybe you want to hear what Harlym 125 is about; maybe you want to know what kind of themes appear in his work; or maybe you want to hear what a revolutionary poet sounds like. Click here to link to the new home for Podcasts from RezaRitesRi.com to hear the full, nearly 30 minute version of the interview or click here to find and access it on iTunes. To hear the five minute excerpt, click here .
Both podcasts were produced by me, Reza Rites, but special thanks go to Harlym 125 and ‘aec productions’ for the live and recorded spoken word samples.
EDITOR’S NOTE (print and audio): Jamele Adams is Associate Dean for Student Life at Brandeis University.
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Defining New Technology: A Podcast, Film Clip, and Comedy skit
by Reza Corinne Clifton
May 29, 2008
PROVIDENCE, RI - What’s the difference between a podcast, film clip, and comedy skit? Sometimes nothing. Check out this short video of a sketch from In House Freestyle (IHF), a RI-based collective of socially conscious artists ranging from the ages of 16-27 that are committed to expressing life from the perspective of urban communities of color. It comes from their DVD, “Sketching Reality.”
In House Freestyle’s “Microwave-ed Cake” clip from their full-length film. For more information about IHF or to purchase a DVD, visit www.inhousefreestyle.com.
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Soul Searching with Daphne S. Valerius
A conversation with the filmmaker behind the documentary, “The Souls of Black Girls”
February 26, 2008
Interviewed by RezaRitesRi.com Guest Correspondent, Camila Crews. Music by Zawadi, Iyeoka, and Riders Against the Storm. Produced by Reza Corinne Clifton.
(From left to right, Filmmaker Daphne Valerius finds a moment to smile during a February 24 post-screening discussion with special guest, Chuck D (from seminal hip hop group, Public Enemy); Valerius poses with Chuck D. after presenting him with a special gift of framed stills from the movie. Click on the photo or here to listen to an audio podcast of Valerius talking about her documentary. )
PROVIDENCE, RI - The Souls of Black Girls is a provocative news documentary that raises the question of whether or not women of color may be suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of trying to attain the standards of beauty celebrated in images of the mass media. The documentary features candid interviews with young women discussing their self-image and social commentary from Rapper Chuck D, Actresses Regina King and Jada Pinkett Smith, Washington Week Moderator (PBS) Gwen Ifill and Cultural Critic Michaela Angela Davis, among others.
Busy booking and screening showings nationally and internationally, Varlerius stopped back in one place that she calls home, Rhode Island, for screenings at the Providence Black Repertory Company and the University of Rhode Island. She also made time for dinner at the Providence restaurant, Cuban Revolution, and a word with RezaRitesRi.com guest correspondent, Camila Crews. As informative, intelligent, and stimulating as the Byron Hurts documentary, “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” is, Valerius’s movie is a must-see. Click on the photo above or here to hear what the scholar, filmmaker, and beautiful aspiring actress had to say about intra-racial color tensions, working with celebrities, and redefining beauty.
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Black History Month should not only Celebrate the Past
A conversation with Queen Ifrica Part 2
February 20, 2008
Music by Queen Ifrica provided by Flames Production. Podcast produced by Reza Corinne Clifton. Scroll down or click here to hear Part 1
(Queen Ifrica stops to consider a note, melody, harmony, accompaniment, rhythm…during a rehearsal in Boston the night before her July 17, 2007 headlining performance at Sound Session, the annual, “genre-defying” Pan-African music festival that takes place in “downcity” Providence. The event is a collaboration between the Providence Black Repertory Company, the City of Providence and the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, and many other corporate, community, and media participants. Click on the photo or here to listen to an audio podcast of some thoughts Queen Ifrica shared with RezaRitesRi.com.)
PROVIDENCE, RI - It is February 20, 2008 - 7 months after I first had the chance to talk for an extended period with the talented, refreshing and inspiring recording artist, Ventrice Morgan, a.k.a. Queen Ifrica. She was in Providence last summer at Sound Session 07, during a stop which sat wedged in-between reggae festivals happening in Canada, Africa, and home - Jamaica for her. Like the show in Providence perfectly demonstrates, The Flames Production artist has seen success that comes in many shades: performances all over the world, consecutive weeks as number one on Jamaican music charts, and collaborations with other popular reggae artists like contemporary singer Tarrus Riley. But Queen Ifrica has a lot on her mind aside from music. Click here to listen to the audio podcast of this prolific singer talking about violence in music, uplifting youth, and performing for love not money.
(Queen Ifrica, pictured here fifth in from the left in a white dress and black head-wrap, poses alongside members of the boston-based band, Zili Misik. During Sound Session 07, Queen Ifrica performed at the Providence Black Repertory Company as the headlining act alongside the Boston-based band, Zilik Misik, a multicultural, all-female, powerhouse group, that plays pan-Caribbean and international melodies and rhythms. The night of their performance, Queen Ifrica shared some thoughts with her permanent and temporary bandmates and with RezaRitesRi.com. Click here or on the photo to listen to the podcast.)
To learn more about Queen Ifrica, click here to read my October 2007 article entitled Love for Humanity and Self-Awareness Takes Female Reggae Artist to the Top or visit www.myspace.com/queenifrica. To learn more about Zili Misik, visit www.myspace.com/zilimisik. Click here to read Providence Music Festival Also Serves as a Model , an article about Sound Session from the RezaRitesRi.com archives.
Heard some RezaRitesRi voices lately?
February 14, 2008
(orignally posted January 28, 2008)
(No, I’m not on NPR…yet; it’s just a cool picture I have from an April 2007 visit and tour of the building.)
90.3 FM, WRIU – “Voices of Women”
Every Saturday from 9 AM – 11 AM, WRIU, a service of the University of RI, broadcasts a show called Voices of Women – an eclectic mix of folk, jazz, pop and rock featuring women artists. Organized by a team of 3, I have just become the fourth and alternate co-host and co-producer. I will be posting updates on the days that I go up to the studio for anyone interested in my mix; imagine Jill Scott, Aaliyah, Bjork, Sade, Billie Holiday, Ivy Queen, and Rita Marley. For more info, visit www.wriu.org/voicesofwomen/index.html.
90.3 FM, WRIU – “Blade Connex Radio”
Every Saturday from 11 AM – 2:15 PM, WRIU broadcasts a reggae show called Blade Connex Radio with DJ Blademon. Specializing in Caribbean music and catering to those interested in Island culture, the show also features a weekly community calendar, contests for listeners, and regular visits by local and international artists, promoters, and community leaders. For more info, visit www.wriu.org/world/index.html or visit www.myspace.com/blademon.
93.3 FM, WSNE – “Minority Monitor with George Castro”
Every Sunday at 6 AM, WSNE broadcasts Minority Monitor with George Castro, a staple program for New England’s communities of color. This past Sunday, January 20, I was a featured guest on Minority Monitor, talking mostly about RIYP’s Winter Soiree coming up on January 26. Visit www.rezaritesri.com/audio/RezaRites%20on%20Min%20Monitor.mp3 to listen to the portion of Minority Monitor featuring Mr. Castro’s conversation with me.
1290 AM WRNI - “The Cultural Roundtable”
I’m not the only one making appearances in the media lately. Click on this link - www.wrni.org/wrninews/archive/080117-culture.asp - to hear Black Rep Artistic Director Don King during his January 17 appearance on RI Public Radio – on WRNI’s Cultural Roundtable. He talks about supporting art in Providence and the evolution of The Providence Black Repertory Company.
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SPEAK THE TRUTH: A Message from Just A Step Productions
Wednesday 16 Jan 2008
PROVIDENCE, RI - In December, RAS, RI’s top rap duo, were given free passes to preview THE GREAT DEBATERS - a film about the achievements and struggles of an all-black debate team during the 1930’s. Going undefeated for 10-straight years, the Wiley College debate team was one of the first in the country to debate against white opponents. The film stars Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and some extremely talented, up-and-coming young actors. Inspired by the performances and overall theme of the film, RAS put together a song entitled ‘SPEAK THE TRUTH’ in honor of the songs that go unsung, the heroes that go unappreciated, the stories that go untold and the struggle that continues…
If you like this song/video, please… SPREAD THE WORD! And to read a 2005 review of their CD from the RezaRitesRi archives, scroll down or click here to read “ABOUT RAS: From the RezaRitesRi Archives.”
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Katrina is Not Just a Memory
They were not done by official RRR contributors, but take a look at the videos below which open up the truth about the impact that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - and federal negligence - had on women in New Orleans. Make sure to take note not only of the strong women on the ground demanding change, but those on the periphery who are also making sure the pieces get put back together - like Melanie L. Campbell, Executive Director and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and the filmmaker herself, Diana Nikkah, to name just two.
The first video was shown in August at the National Association of Black Journalists’ 32nd Annual Convention and Career Fair. It was part of Campbell’s presentation at a workshop called “Two Years Since Katrina - Who’s Still at Work.” Other organizations present on the panel were Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and the NAACP.
In the second video, Nikkah looks at Sara Gould, the President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, who “discusses the barriers to economic security and mobility that women in New Orleans face as they try to rebuild their lives and their city.”
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Top Female Reggae Artist Talks Race, Rastas, and Revolutions
A conversation with Queen Ifrica Part 1
October 2, 2007
Music by Queen Ifrica provided by Flames Production. Podcast produced by Reza Corinne Clifton. Scroll down or click here to hear Part 2.
Jamaican Reggae singer and “dj” Ventrice Morgan, aka Queen Ifrica, is the daughter of a well-known Jamaican musician and a Rastafarian who lives “in the deep hills in Jamaica.” These influences are clear in Ifrica’s music; yet her voice and her essence are distinctly hers. And these are qualities that have been well-received lately.
Queen Ifrica has been touring for months now, to hungry and appreciative crowds internationally - from Holland to Chicago; Canada to France; Jamaica to Rhode Island. Another sign of her talent and success was her feat making it to number one last month on various Jamaican charts for her song, “Below the Waist,” a tune speaking to overcoming the hardships in marriages and relationships.
Reggae singer Queen Ifrica “is the number 1 female artist in Jamaica” right now, the second female artist this year to reach number one on various charts on the island. Her song “Below The Waist” has spent many weeks as number one in Jamaica, with the song currently “taking over the dances, sessions, parties, and radio.” However, she has two more songs starting to “mash up” the place too - “‘Mi Nah Rub” about skin bleaching and “Daddy dont touch me there” about incest and child abuse. Others may recall another song, “Burn some herbs,” which had a recent rotation on a variety of local radio shows.
I had a chance to talk with this immensely talented yet refreshingly humble star over the summer, during a stop she made in Providence in between attending reggae festivals in Canada, in Montreal (The Montreal Reggae Festival) and in Toronto (Caribana). During Sound Session 07, Queen Ifrica performed at the Providence Black Repertory Company as the headlining act alongside the boston-based band, Zilik Misik, a multicultural, all-female, powerhouse group, that plays pan-Caribbean and international melodies and rhythms. Click on any the photos above or here to listen to an audio podcast of the first in a series of excerpts from our conversations, dealing with topics from Rastas to revolutions, from performances to politics, and from violence to vegetarianism.
To read more about Queen Ifrica, visit the front page or click here to see my full article, “Love for Humanity and Self-Awareness Takes Female Reggae Artist to the Top.” To link to the photos page to see pictures from the July 17 performance at Black Rep and from the Queen Ifrica-Zili Misik rehearsal night, click here. Click here to link to a page showing search results for other RezaRitesRi articles about Sound Session.
Additional never-before heard interview clips will be aired on Blade Connex Radio, a program playing “Reggae Classics and Dancehall Vibez” Saturdays from 11-2 on WRIU 90.3 FM out of the University of RI or streaming live on www.WRIU.org.
For more about the Montreal Reggae Festival, visit www.montrealreggaefestival.com, and for more about Caribana, visit www.caribana.com. To link Queen Ifrica or Zili Misik on myspace, type www.myspace.com/queenifrica or www.myspace.com/zilimisik.
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From the 2007 National Urban League Annual Conference in St. Louis, July 2007
Produced by Reza Corinne Clifton
This past July, the National Urban League held its annual conference in St. Louis Missouri, the original site of the historic and revelatory 19th century legal case, Dred Scott v. Sandford. Dred Scott was a Black man born a slave who later in life filed a lawsuit to obtain his freedom after being transferred between owners and after living on and off in states that had outlawed slavery. After appeals brought by both sides sent the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the final ruling issued in 1857 followed the majority views and economic practices of the day: the court ruled against Scott, insisting, among other reasons, that according to the U.S. Constitution, “any person descended from black Africans, whether slave or free, is not a citizen of the United States.”
One hundred fifty years later, a Black man and a White woman are making history through their leadership in the National Democratic party, a fact not lost on the civil rights organization hosting the conference. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton joined two other Democratic presidential contenders - Senator John Edwards and Congressman Dennis Kucinich - at a packed forum to hear from the candidates while other national presenters and guests included, among others, Reverend Jesse Jackson, BET’s “Cousin Jeff” Johnson, and Essence Magazine’s Susan Taylor.
(Click on the photo above or here to listen to audio from activist, Reverend, and past presidential candidate, Al Sharpton, who discusses matters from healthcare reform and racial disparities, to missed opportunities by the Republican presidential candidates.)
Reverend Al Sharpton, pictured here in the middle of the stage, sits among from left to right, Paul Braithwaite, Executive Director for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC); Shannon Reeves, Director of State and Local Development of the Republican National Committee; Tara Wall, former Republican National Committee (RNC) Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF); and the partially-visible Reverend Joe Watkins, a regular political analyst on The Fox News Channel, CNN, and MSNBC. These individuals along with USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham served as speakers on a panel this past July at the NUL’s conference in St. Louis. The session was entitled “Will the Black Vote and Our Issues Be Taken for Granted in the 2008 Presidential Election?” Click on the photo or click here to hear what the fiery leader said after the discussion on matters from healthcare reform and racial disparities, to missed opportunities by the Republican presidential candidates.
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From the 2007 National Urban League Annual Conference in St. Louis, July 2007
Produced by Reza Corinne Clifton
(Click on the photo above or here to listen to reactions to the democratic presidential contenders that participated in a forum at the NUL conference in St. Louis - Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards, Hilary Clinton, and Barack Obama. The interview is with National Urban League Young Professionals member, Ronald Douglas.
Ronald Douglas, who is pictured here in the front row all the way to the left, sits among others from the National Urban League Young Professionals. Douglas is the immediate past president of the Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee (Nashville). NULYP members photographed here also represented chapters located in Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; and Providence, RI. Douglas is an aspiring lawmaker who hopes to one day represent the state of Tennessee. While in attendance at NUL’s annual conference, he moved closer to this aspiration after meeting former presidential candidate and Democratic National Commitee Chairman, Howard Dean. Click here to hear Douglas’s summary and analysis of the forum with Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama and Congressman Kucinich.
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A Taste of Strange Fruit
PROVIDENCE, RI - On February 2, 2007 Marco McWilliams of RezaRitesRi.com visited URI’s Feinstein Providence Campus to experience their Strange Fruit Lynching exhibit. There he met exhibit producer and curator Lisa McLeod who took us on a journey via image and word that leads you to a place where change is inevitable. For more information about the exhibit, click here.
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