Mamadi Nayasuma (http://www.myspace.com/2kblack)
I first met Mamdi in the late 90's with his group 2000 black. Mamadi was a gifted percussionist and a skillfull artist in general. He was very committed to celebrating culture and protecting the legacy of african traditions. In 2001 Mamadi joined Fertile Ground's first tour to japan. That tour was (even to this day) one of the bands's most memorable. I can stil hear mamadi saying "Come on now!" encouraging me anytime I would talk about culture, history or music. I'm gonna miss seeing that brother's face.. RIP Mamadi
Mamadi's obituary...
Mamadi Kamess Nyasuma was born the late Rosa and Jesse Fitzgerald on July 28, 1954 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mamadi came to Washington, D.C. with his mother and his cousin when he was a young child. Attending public schools in the District of Columbia, he graduated from Anacostia Senior High School. He received his call to Afrikan consciousness in high school which he would later answer in college.
After completing his high school education, Mamadi pursued a degree in early childhood education at the University of the District of the Columbia. His interests in health and healthy eating led him to change his major to nutrition. While in college, Mamadi began to study, independently, various aspects of Afrikan history and culture. His relentless quest to uncover the truth led him to Kemetic philosophy which he unapologetically embraced, even when it was considered paganism by everyone else. As such, he founded the Kemetic Life Center and the Temple of Ma'at. Serving as a Minister for these spiritual organizations, Mamadi officiated weddings and naming ceremonies and provided counseling services.
After acquiring a vast knowledge of Afrikan cultural traditions, Mamadi was called on by a host of community-based and governmental agencies to lecture and present at conferences on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, African spirituality, wholistic health, relationships and marriage and a wide range of other topics. In addition, he implemented culturally-specific rites of passage programs for many non-profit agencies dedicated to youth development.
Mamadi held positions in the human service, education, and government sectors. He served as a head teacher at Watoto Shule, counselor for the Boys and Girls Club Group Home, and an educator for the Shiloh Early Childhood Center. Most recently, he was employed as an electronic technician by the Smithsonian Institute.
In the early 80's, he founded Teaching Righteous Understanding Through Heritage (T.R.U.T.H), which specialized in recovering, preserving and presenting information about Afrikan-American and Afrikan people in the Diaspora. Born out of T.R.U.T.H. was 2000 BLACK. 2000 BLACK is first and foremost a plan that focuses on the movement of Afrikan people toward complete freedom. In addition, it is an independent cooperative economic musical project which has produced 2 compilation CD's.
Although Mamadi enjoyed all of his professional experience, performing was his first love. While he discovered his musical inclinations in middle school, it was under the tutelage of Master Drummer Baba Ngoma that Mamadi honed his skills as a master drummer. He formed the New World Percussion Ensemble and was a member of Collaboration. Mamadi also enjoyed an illustrious career as a percussionist opening up Roy Ayers, Norman Conyers, Third World, Pharaoh Sanders, and Erykah Badu. He also played with Earth Wind & Fire, Fertile Ground, Debbie Kirkland, Maysa, LTD, Lonnie Liston Smith, Arrested Development, and Sun Ra.
Mamadi understood that in the Afrikan tradition, the drummer is responsible for signaling the community and bringing information. And, in all of his endeavors, Mamadi was an endless drummer. Whenever we encountered him, he was blessing us with knowledge, information, culture and love.
He leaves to continue his legacy, his daughters Nilajah, Naimbi, and Afrika; his spiritual family Yvette Benjamin, James Edwards, Ayanna Gregory, Salif Latif, Frank Lloyd, Malik Lloyd, Siatara Maabka, Ignatius Mason, James McKinney, Baba Ngoma, Kamaria Olubayo, Artie Palmer, Kokayi Patterson, Maurice Taylor, Rasafik Weusi, , Jawad Williams, , and and a host of other family and friends.
Mamadi Kamess Nyasuma was born the late Rosa and Jesse Fitzgerald on July 28, 1954 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mamadi came to Washington, D.C. with his mother and his cousin when he was a young child. Attending public schools in the District of Columbia, he graduated from Anacostia Senior High School. He received his call to Afrikan consciousness in high school which he would later answer in college.
After completing his high school education, Mamadi pursued a degree in early childhood education at the University of the District of the Columbia. While in college, Mamadi began to study, independently, various aspects of Afrikan history and culture. His relentless quest to uncover the truth led him to Kemetic philosophy which he unapologetically embraced, even when it was considered paganism by everyone else. As such, he founded the Kemetic Life Center and the Temple of Ma'at. Serving as a Minister for these spiritual organizations, Mamadi officiated weddings and naming ceremonies and provided counseling services.
After acquiring a vast knowledge of Afrikan cultural traditions, Mamadi was called on by a host of community-based and governmental agencies to lecture and present at conferences on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, African spirituality, wholistic health, relationships and marriage and a wide range of other topics. In addition, he implemented culturally-specific rites of passage programs for many non-profit agencies dedicated to youth development.
Mamadi held positions in the human service, education, and government sectors. He served as a head teacher at Watoto Shule, counselor for the Boys and Girls Club Group Home, and an educator for the Shiloh Early Childhood Center. Most recently, he was employed as an electronic technician by the Smithsonian Institute.
In the early 80's, he founded Teaching Righteous Understanding Through Heritage (T.R.U.T.H), which specialized in recovering, preserving and presenting information about Afrikan-American and Afrikan people in the Diaspora. Born out of T.R.U.T.H. was 2000 BLACK. 2000 BLACK is first and foremost a plan that focuses on the movement of Afrikan people toward complete freedom. In addition, it is an independent cooperative economic musical project which has produced 2 compilation CD's.
Although Mamadi enjoyed all of his professional experience, performing was his first love. While he discovered his musical inclinations in middle school, it was under the tutelage of Master Drummer Baba Ngoma that Mamadi honed his skills as a master drummer. He formed the New World Percussion Ensemble and was a member of Collaboration. Mamadi also enjoyed an illustrious career as a percussionist opening up Roy Ayers, Norman Conyers, Third World, Pharaoh Sanders, and Erykah Badu. He also played with Earth Wind & Fire, Fertile Ground, Debbie Kirkland, Maysa, LTD, Lonnie Liston Smith, Arrested Development, and Sun Ra.
Mamadi understood that in the Afrikan tradition, the drummer is responsible for signaling the community and bringing information. And, in all of his endeavors, Mamadi was an endless drummer. Whenever we encountered him, he was blessing us with knowledge, information, culture and love.
He leaves to continue his legacy, his daughters Nilajah, Naimbi, and Afrika; his spiritual family Yvette Benjamin, James Edwards, Ayanna Gregory, Salif Latif, Frank Lloyd, Malik Lloyd, Siatara Maabka, Ignatius Mason, James McKinney, Baba Ngoma, Kamaria Olubayo, Artie Palmer, Kokayi Patterson, Maurice Taylor, Rasafik Weusi , Jawad Williams, , and and a host of other family and friends.