delta dandi explores the life of a Black blues woman musician traveling with a jazz band in the 1940’s at the height of the birth of modern jazz….

Thanks to The Center for African and African American Studies, UT Austin (CAAAS) I was Blessed with the opportunity to present a reading of my new piece delta dandi in-progress:
November 30, 2007 8:00 PM
Winship Drama Building (WIN), Room 2.180 | University of Texas, Austin
The joint was PACKED!!!! Due to the vision and ongoing hard work of the current directors of CAAAS - there were artists, athletes, activists (my peoples from Alma de Mujer and Resistencia Bookstore were in da house!), community members, professors, and students from all walks. I conducted the audience in a choral reading of some of the text/with me as the lead reader. The audience was amazing!After the reading CAAAS gave me some beautiful presents/then we had a great talk back sessionand loads of wonderful snacks.

Here is what Desire Taylor, an undergraduate heading towards med. school had to say about her experience

Hi Sharon,I did not get a chance to talk to you after your reading, but I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated hearing a portion of “Delta Dandi”. I was truly enamoured with your use of language and the distinct qualities associated with each character.It was extremely insightful to hear someone talk about the beginnings of a journey that they intend to embark on.I also wanted tell how cool I think it is that you would share a work in progress and allow yourself to be open and yet so vulnerable. In a culture where meaning is only assigned to the finish product, it was refreshing to be reminded of how important the process and the journey is.I wish you the best of luck with the creation of this piece. I am sure it will be an amazing growing experience!
best,
Desire

I’ll soon post more about delta dandi but for now I want to thank: all the folks that came out to support the in-process experience; Sheree L. Ross who is the consciousness patron of the arts to this piece; and of course CAAAS.CAAAS supported the development of delta dandi with a research grant which funded my trip to Nigeria in 2006. During the reading I projected photos from that trip. Since the trip I have been asking myself: What are my Ancestor’s stories? What is my relationship to Africa? How do African rituals and performance inform my artistic aesthetic (jazz)? These questions/this story will come alive as a living orchestration: a choir; a blues singer; jazz musicians; photos and film projections; the text; me conducting… In other words we gonn Be bop’n…Mo soonsoon…Peace!