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This Summer, Listen To
Afro Storybook, where collective wisdom and revelations from Africa and her diaspora come to life. We will take a transformative journey of discovery, connection, and self-reflection. In this seven-part series, we delve into the rich tapestry of African identity, exploring the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Join us as we explore the depths of our connected identity, celebrating the vibrant cultures that unite us across continents and waters. Hosted by Aya Iworiosa
Part 1: Welcome Family
Part 2: Culture, Identity, and Racial Awareness
Part 3: People, Relationships, Family, & Community
Part 4: Self Expression, Ancestry, Spirituality, and Religion
Part 5: Nourishment: Food, Music, Land
Part 6: The Challenges
Part 7: Hopes, Inspirations, & Projects To Create A Better World
More on the Artists
Baba Wagué Diakité was born in Bamako, Mali in West Africa. Wagué grew up drawing-first for his own pleasure, then for schoolwork and finally for part-time jobs. He first learned claywork however, after meeting American artist Ronna Neuenschwander, and moving to Portland, Oregon in the US in 1985. There, he began using clay as his canvas. Wagué and his wife, artist Ronna Neuenschwander, have collaborated artistically on a number of projects, including an animated film by Jim Blashfield entitled "My Dinner With the Devil Snake", an award-winning documentary film by William Donker of their lives entitled "Don't Paint Lizards on my Wall", and a number of public art projects. They recently completed a large tile floor mosaic for the Serengeti Plaza at the Oregon Zoo. They continue to return to Mali with their two daughters bi-annually for extended stays. Wagué is founder and director of the Ko-Falen Cultural Center in Bamako, Mali, which enables artists and travelers from other countries to live, meet, study and collaborate with artists of Mali. The Ko-Falen Cultural Center encourages cross-cultural exchanges through art, dance, music and ceremony to promote a greater understanding and respect between people.
https://www.facebook.com/baba.wague.5
Alex comes from Ghana, West Africa and was traditionally trained. Much of his youth was spent in Ghana where he was involved in drumming performances at his church before moving to Portland, Oregon when he was 15. Since he joined Homowo African Arts & Cultures/Obo Addy Legacy Project in 1992, his infectious energy has been an asset to the organization’s Educational Programs.
Alex teaches the five hand techniques of Ghanaian drumming and believes in students working together to create a strong communal rhythm, yet embrace the confidence to use one’s voice in a solo. Alex comes from a long line of drummers in the Addy family and is son of Obo Addy. He has been teaching at Lewis & Clark College, Open Meadow Alternative Schools, The Higher Stages Program, Right Brain Initiative, Young Audiences, Saturday Academy and the Sun School programs throughout the city.
Roman Norfleet (1988 n. American born) is an interdisciplinary cultural producer, healer and mystic that uses visual art, music composition, performance and social organizing as instruments in exploring his committed interest in spiritual and social development.
Originally hailing from Lockport, Illinois, Roman’s formative years were spent immersed in the vernacular traditions of the Baptist Church where his parents Mose Ella and Rev. Robert Norfleet attended and provided Roman the foundation to seek spiritual enlightenment on his own. His development journey led him to Los Angeles where he lived in an Gaudiya Vaishnava Ashram and studied Hindu/ Vedic Philosophies of Swamini Turiyasangitanada (Alice Coltrane) with her students. These years of deep immersion into his spiritual practices greatly influenced the way Norfleet approaches music and provided expansive insight into the sacred power of sound.
Norfleet has been surrounded by and involved in music and the arts since a child in his hometown, but has been further artistically cultivated by the visual art and music scenes of Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, the DMV area and Portland, OR.
As Founder and creative director of “Be Present Art Group” Norfleet believes deeply in the power perception and persistence has on elevating one's consciousness. He is currently devising a curriculum workbook that translates these teachings into practical applications and has recently released an album with BPAG as bandleader.
Norfleet has released a range of expressive projects that address his ever evolving approaches to honoring the divinity of creation. He seeks to continue that artistic, expressive expansion by continuing to incorporate visual and performance art elements that challenges the status quo, encourages spiritual expansion and calls for audiences to be present in the now.
moment.https://www.facebook.com/romannorfleetart
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX3H87Ya-2ShdgrS2rKBPKw
Oracle, Intuitive Guide, Initiated Spiritual Guide, Certified Love Attraction CoachTM
Aya Iworiosa is the founder of Moon Garden Temple, a place for: cycle breakers, healers rebalancing themselves, those who know that there is something more for them in this life, those who are here to fulfill the desires of their hearts, and the Spiritually curious. The offerings of this temple intend to rebalance the tremendous turmoil and chaos of our current existence by raising up women who wish to answer this mighty call: remember who we really are as divine beings on this planet, restore our roots as carriers of cardinal wisdom for humanity, and reclaim our power to create upon our dreams, resulting in a better experience for ourselves and all those that experience us. It is our time to live in our fullest expression as free beings, joyful and nourished.
Aya maintains a lifetime practice of cultivating intuitive and the divining gifts of her bloodline, recognized and initiated through her Spiritual Family in the temples of West Africa. Though she is a guide and teacher in various creative and spiritual focuses for over 20 years, she is committed to being a forever student.
Aya Iworiosa and Moon Garden Temple can be found at:
We produce award-winning documentaries and music videos, provide youth-education and host community events to inspire the next generation of visionaries.
Our mission is to offer an emergent narrative that inspires the next generation of visionaries, highlighting the stories that bring us back in relationship with one another and the greater community.
OUR VISION
We envision a joyful world. One that celebrates our ‘Oneness’ and recognizes our interdependence with each other and mother earth. A world in which investments in relationships and communities are valued above material resources.
OUR MISSION
Catalyze a Climate movement rooted in Ubuntu values dedicated to the Commons, restorative economies and lifestyles. Through the cultural reweaving of traditional, ancestral, and innovative African and pan-indigenous communal world views, values, and practices.
WHO WE ARE
We are a U.S. based, global network of African and Pan Indigenous creatives, community leaders and organizations, academics, and all allies working to rebuild our relationships with each other and nature to mitigate and adapt to climate change by advancing eco–centered vs. ego-centered cultures, knowledge, policies, and practices.
We are reclaiming our Afro-descendent and Pan-indigenous practices and knowledge, we believe our greatest act of love and contribution is to steward Mother Earth’s regeneration, heal our communities, re-story our current consumer-based, ego-centered world-view to the story that understands and celebrates interdependence, cooperation and interspecies harmony.
We are a mycelial network of leadership, talent, knowledge and community.
We have been here for a long time.
We are ready
Moon Garden Temple intends to rebalance the tremendous turmoil and chaos of our current existence by raising up women who wish to answer a mighty call: to walk the path of living in your fullest expression as a joyful, nourished, and free being. Now is the time to remember who you really are as a divine being on this planet, restore your roots as carriers of cardinal wisdom for humanity & reclaim your power to create upon our dreams.
Vision
To foster growth within our communities through music opportunities and mentorship
Mission
To offer culturally-responsive, arts-integrated, and trauma-informed programming to support youth in their personal and professional development. By focusing on youth, we strive to foster community and cultural healing, disrupt recidivism cycles, poverty, and intergenerational trauma.