After a late performance @ Suny University, and few minutes of sleep, we take off to go to Charlotte, North Carolina. 2003 was the first and last time i was there. we were invited by Jean Pierre Bekolo, the talented cameroonian film director, to prepare and work the parts of his next movie LES SAIGNANTES. We were casted to play the 2 main characters ( and finally couldn't do it for planning reasons and delays). We worked our ass off for more than 6 weeks, acting training and hard physical training, as we were supposed to play action scenes, and fights ..... Capoeira 5 times a week ( thanks to Lua and Maestre Caixas), and private physical training with one of the best sport coach of Duke University, Mike Huff. We had the chance to meet amazing people living in the area, Pr Valentine Mudimbe, Jim Lee, Bouna Ndiaye, amazing radio host of the show Bonjour Africa on WNCU 90.7 FM... North carolina is a beautiful place to be, and i fell in love with the land, the colors of the trees in the fall, red, orange, yellow. the warmth, the humidity of the air, the kindness of the inhabitants.
Here we are back, to perform this time. We are invited by the LEAF festival of Asheville and the Arts and Cultural center of Carborro. We are participating to one program of the LEAF festival that works with social services, to meet and sing for the womens of the Black Mountain Women Detention Center. When we arrive, the inmates are sitted in the front yard if the building, smoking a cigarette, chating. they have with them pets they can adopt and keep with them.
We meet in the reunion room. I present our band, and we begin by singing Saravah. they sing along as we invite them, being shy at first. Some of them danced on J'veux D'La Musique. they are waving on Tabou and they shaked the Makeda like crazy at the end. Even the elders were dancing.We shared our hopes and prayers with them on demain. Bahanamous Bowie, our keyboard player were playing with us for this private acoustic session. After the reunion, we meet the inmates and share hugs and thoughts, signing and kissing, holding hands. Some tell us cheerfully their release date, some of the yougest stay around us, to feel for a few minutes like in a free girlfriends meeting...Mothers, daughters, sisters, we could be at the same place, locked up somewhere for something we might regret, and waiting for the time to pass to recover from our inner wounds.
we finish the day on the stage of the LEAF Festival. People came from all over the country to hear music from all around the world, 116 artists performed during the 3 days of the Festival. We reach the stage after the blessing of Michael Franti's show. It's our very first live performance in Nort Carolina and the audience is just amazing. The show is off the hook, we enjoyed so much ourselves, the band kicked it, thanks to Adam Mason, Bahanamous Bowie, Andy Stack and Steve Anthony Belvilus for the great music on stage. Thanks aslo to Angela Bailey for keeping everything together and tight.
Next day, we drive 5 hours to Durham. We recognized the roads, the Gym we used to sweat in 3 hours a day... Thanks to Tess from the Arts Center for inviting us to perform in Carborro. The RDU based band MASADI Music opened for us: great music, brilliant mix, somewhere in between T.Love, Sha-Key aka Hanifah Walidah, at the edge of the AfroPunk movement that i feel so close with.We performed 2 sets, the show was great too. Thanks NC for your warm welcome and the gifts, tee-shirts by DRC Clothing Co - www.drc144k.com ( I rocked my yellow tank top the next day...with the sunrays, I looked fine ...). We finished our night in a nice and inspired bar/restaurant FUSED. the menu is delectable, you want to try everything, vegetable dumplings and sweet potatoes fries, succulent BEBIM BOP, and every one appreciated the 2.50$ beer, NYC we ate your 10 bucks drink policy. ET PARIS MEME CHOSE. Next stop is NYC and Detroit. Motor City.MOTOWN. Next chapter.
Thanks to NC for this beautiful stay.
Helene