Teli Shabu releases TASUMA

I’ve been wanting to be this bold for the past 20 years. Releasing an album has taken so long because I’m always thinking my music is not ready, not perfect enough, not finished. I woke up this morning realizing that my music does no one any good sitting on my hard drive. I want my music to heal people of whatever ails them. Music is vibration. Spirit is vibration. Music is a conduit though which the body can connect and absorb universal healing energy. Music is not words; it’s not signs; it’s the language of the soul; it’s another way of communicating.

Teli Shabu on Kora

Enjoy, share…and stay tuned for:

The Healing Power of Music Series– talks, testimonials, information, and healing concert.

New E.P. Release from Teli Shabu- TASUMA – Kora music feat. the beautiful and amazing Mabinti Shabu on Balafon.
TASUMA is available on Itunes, Spotify, Amazonmusic, Googleplay, Tidal, and Youtube.

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October 6-Week Talking Drum Workshop

Last Saturday (9/12/15) Shabutaso was invited by BUMP: The Triangle to participate in a 2-hour family workshop entitled Talking Drums: Telling Our Stories. Shabutaso’s high energy performance ensemble opened with Balankora their dynamic duo performance of acoustic griot instruments: balan and kora. After a brief welcome by Executive Director of BUMP, Dr. Georgiary Bledsoe,  Shabutaso’s versatile musicians Teli and Mabinti Shabu picked up talking drums and began chatting with one another in drum language. After several pitched exchanges, the conversation was directed to the audience. Wide-eyed children and adults listened but were unable to understand and respond at first. Over and over again the talking drums tapped out the same phrases. Finally, one brave soul put her hands together and clapped out a response. And she was right! Soon the entire audience was clapping their hands, locked into a “call and response” pattern with the talking drums. The audience was hooked by the interaction and now a growing curiosity. Unfortunately exposure is the extent of most African diasporic community music experiences. But because of the strong collaboration between BUMP and Shabutaso, Teli and Aya Shabu took workshop participants deeper on a talking drum journey to discover the drum’s construction and how the talking drum learned to speak. There were several hands-on demonstrations illustrating the stretching of goat hide and weaving of rope to make a drum. Families made their own BUMP model talking drums and also took home an original story written by author Valine Zeigler. The day ended with a fiery Magic of African Rhythms performance again by Shabutaso singers, dancers, and musicians. Carter Cue, Standford L. Warren Librarian, joined the artists on stage during the audience participation segment. No one could dare say they were still hungry at the end of such a full day, as vegan soul food was made available by Vegan Flava Cafe.

“Talking Drums: Telling Our Stories” provided a sneak preview of BUMP’s 6-week youth workshop starting Oct 3. Families who attended this event received a discount on the 6-week youth workshop. More info on the Oct youth workshop is available at BUMP: The Triangle.

The goal of BUMP Community Workshops is to affirm the cultural assets of youth in an environment of engaged community, and to celebrate African Diasporic musical heritage. Through activities designed for ALL ages, participants will learn from scholars, educators, performers and each other. Come. Learn. Share.

Children’s Theatre of Charlotte Welcomes Us Back

OUR SUMMER TRAVELS have taken the Shabus all along the East Coast: Cambridge (MA), Manhattan and D.C. We loved the Boston Salsa Festival, the ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty to Governor’s Island, and Woodlands serving up the best vegan food outside of Durham. However, the Smithsonian National Museum of History captured our attention for TWO full days. We were fascinated by aquatic animals that produce light in order to make their bodies “disappear”, the evolution of the Arctic polar bear from a forest brown bear, and the Human Origins exhibit (mind-blowing and a little scary). I am reminded of how many cool museum treasures North Carolina has. Durham’s Museum of Life and Science is right in our backyard and is our favorite; it is ever expanding. I’m looking forward to “losing” myself in the newly constructed HideAway Woods. While I can easily become a young child again bounding between exhibits, what must it be like to really be a kid again with so much information and fun at their finger tips.

Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is another one of those places teeming with childhood wonder. Every so often, I am bowled over by the realization that as professional artists we get be a part of creating childhood magic. 2009 was our first CTC performance and we returned a few years later to the welcoming “whoops” and “hollers” of  Mecklenburg County school children. This January 2016, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte welcomes us back to the stage for a exciting week of school shows and TWO public evening-length performances featuring new fiery choreography making it’s world premiere. We are so excited to work with new material, new artists, and long-time beloved musician-friends returning for just such an occasion.

I wonder, who will be having the most fun this time, the audience or the magicians on the stage?

 

The Best Kwanzaa Yet

Teli runs kids’ drum circle at KwanzaaFest 2014

“This was the best Kwanzaa season yet!” my husband Teli beamed after returning home from an evening at Holton Resource and Career Center. I too felt the totality of the holiday. The Magic of African Rhythm wore many hats during the week-long celebration.

Since moving to NC in 2003, the Hayti Heritage Center has remained my foundation of black culture in Durham, given its history.  I can’t imagine Kwanzaa without an event at the Hayti. It was an honor to step up as the organizer of their annual Hayti Heritage Kwanzaa celebration but mainly to serve my community and see the joy on their faces.

Known in the community as “Baba Teli”,  led the drummers and the procession of elders guided by Baba Chuck Davis at Holton’s Kwanzaa celebration. Unlike last year where both Teli and I performed while sick with the flu last Kwanzaa season, it was pure joy to watch Teli on stage this year. As the duo Balankora, Teli played kora and his sister Mabinti Shabu played  balaphon, both traditional griot instruments. Griots are the name for oral historians in Francophone Africa. But the highlight was when jazz trumpeter and arranger Al Strong invited Teli on stage, calling him “one of the baddest drummers I know”.

Teli putting head on a djembe

Every year, the seven-day Kwanzaa celebration culminates at the Durham Armory with KwanzaaFest hosted again by Baba Chuck Davis and The African American Dance Ensemble. Ezibu Muntu, a Virginia-based dance and drum ensemble, raised the roof off the armory this year. Their ranks have swelled with new hungry young drummers powering the dancers’ feet. Teli and I were in our glory. This time not as organizers or performers, but as a vendors. Teli had just released Balankora’s first album, not quite an EP, just three songs, but potent enough to call it “One Dose”. Our son Delacey was invaluable help that final day arranging our business cards, cds and a listening station. The Magic of African Rhythm also had an assortment of different shaped and sized mbiras for sale. Mbiras are commonly known as thumb pianos. Teli hand-makes these music boxes and has even customized them for child-sized hands as well because anyone can make these instruments sing.

My friends’ mother from California has been celebrating Kwanzaa for over 30 years. She shared with us the first traditions of families coming over to one another’s homes and sharing a feast (karamu). Our cohort of seven or so families have been honoring this part of Kwanzaa’s tradition for the past five years. Each family hosts a night and it’s accompanying Nguzo Saba, or Kwanzaa Principle. Ujima [Collective Works and Responsibility] was our night. We crowded around the kinara lit with flaming candles as we sang “Oh, oh oh. Joy has come to the earth today. Let’s celebrate. Our heritage. Our togetherness.”

Mabinti practicing balaphon for Kwanzaa

“This was the best Kwanzaa season yet!” I agreed  with Teli and thought about the fullness of our lives this past year. As a family we had completed a 10 week no- sugar candida diet. As a couple we had fasted during the Winter Solstice. My yoga practice has been disciplined and I have more peace in my life as a result. And Teli was still riding the high from his 2013-2014 Emerging Artist Grant Award. We closed out 2014 with a lot to be thankful for.

Hayti Heritage Kwanzaa 2014

Bridging the Divide

Hayti Heritage Center’s Annual Kwanzaa

Friday, December 26th, 2014

Kwanzaa 2014 Hayti Heritage Center

 

The Hayti Heritage Center hosts its annual *Kwanzaa Celebration. Umoja is Swahili for Unity, the focus of this year’s event. Zayd Malik Shakur will lead dynamic Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Evening performances and activities include African diasporic music and dance from B Shak Rhythm & Soul, Collage Dance Company, The Magic of African Rhythm, and BUMP The Triangle. Interactive workshops for children, families, and seniors beginning at 5pm. Food, clothing, jewelry, and art available at the Marketplace. Suggested donation $1 kids/seniors, $3 adults; no one will be turned away.

 

African-style Marketplace

Early browsing is encouraged at the African-style Marketplace showcasing original artwork by local artists, black books, clothing, jewelry, and so much more!

Food Court

Dinner plates from a variety of local food vendors catering to an array of dietary preferences will be sold in the “food court”.

Workshops

Intergenerational Workshop designed to connect community across generations

Ages: Preteens to Seniors 5 – 6pm

African Diasporic Music Education Workshop with BUMP: The Triangle

Children 5 and up unless accompanied by an adult 5 – 6pm

DOORS OPEN 5PM

FOOD COURT 5PM UNTIL

MARKETPLACE 5PM-9:30PM

CEREMONIES AND PERFORMANCES 7PM-8PM

SUGGESTED DONATION $1.00 CHILDREN;  $3.00 ADULTS  

No one is turned away!!!!!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!

PLEASE CONTACT: Aya Shabu: aya@themagicofafricanrhythm.com                       Hayti Heritage Center: 919-683-1709 OR info@hayti.org
*Kwanzaa is a  7-day celebration of family, community, and culture observed from December 26 through January 1. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” which translates in Swahili as “first fruits”. Started in 1969 by Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is centered around seven basic African values, The Nguzo Sabua, which in Swahili translates to The Seven Principles.  For more information on Kwanzaa please visit the Official Kwanzaa Website: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

 

Chapel Hill Public Library Performance

Teli Shabu with his kora surrounded by singing friends.

Monday July 28th, 2014 TMOAR performs The Magic Calabash at Chapel Hill Public Library as part of the library’s summer series. The Magic Calabash is a performance of melodic gourd instruments and their cousins. This musical journey of percussion, melody and song is an introduction to traditional storytelling instruments: kora and balaphon. Gourds are just one of the many similarities between West Africa and North Carolina. Whether a bowl, an instrument or memory, the gourd is also a bridge.

Celebrate and Educate: Black History Month with PBS and TMOAR

Top: Alice Walker at London Premiere of “Beauty in Truth”; Credit: Brenda Lawley. Bottom: Credit: Eunique Jones Gibson for the Because of Them, We Can™

PBS CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH NEW PROGRAMS AND A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN THAT UNITES MORE THAN A CENTURY OF HISTORY AND CULTURE

PBS Black Culture Connection Website Partners with Eunique Jones Gibson to Showcase the Making of the Because of Them, We Can™ Campaign

ARLINGTON, VA – January 16, 2014 – In commemoration of Black History Month and as part of its year-round commitment to provide diverse programming and resources for all Americans, PBS today announced new shows and online content celebrating the African American experience past, present and future. From an AMERICAN MASTERS profile of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, to an INDEPENDENT LENS documentary about the secret spy agency created to maintain segregation in 1950’s Mississippi, Black History Month on PBS will provide programs that educate, inform and inspire viewers to learn more about the rich culture of our nation.

The lineup begins on February 3 at 10:00 p.m. with “American Promise,” a powerful coming-of-age documentary from POV that follows the journey of two young African-American males from kindergarten through high school graduation as they attend a prestigious Manhattan private school. Confronting challenges from typical childhood growing pains to cultural identification within a predominantly white environment, the young men and their parents push toward success and discover their own individuality in the process.

Also airing in February are two programs that celebrate the contributions of artists such as Bobby McFerrin and Terence Blanchard in JAZZ AND THE PHILHARMONIC, and Bill T. Jones and Brian Stokes Mitchell in BECOMING AN ARTIST.

“PBS is committed to providing programming for diverse audiences all through the year, and Black History Month provides a special opportunity to shine a spotlight on the contributions of African Americans to our culture and history,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming for PBS. “We are proud to celebrate these contributions with an array of exceptional programming, during Black History Month and all year long.”

“Our Black History Month lineup delves deep into the stories of notable people and historical topics in a way that’s uniquely PBS,” says Donald Thoms, Vice President, Programming and Talent Management.  “We feature the work of diverse and independent producers, which remains a staple of our content offerings year round, and I think our viewers will enjoy and even find a little inspiration from our content this year.”

In addition to on-air programs, the PBS Black Culture Connection (BCC), an extension of PBS.org featuring black films, stories and discussion across PBS, announces a digital partnership with the Because of Them, We Can™ campaign, which aims to educate and connect a new generation to heroes who paved the way. In an original blog series called “Behind the Lens,” hosted on PBS.org/bcc, PBS will go behind the camera of cultural architect and campaign photographer Eunique Jones Gibson, and her powerful images, to tell the rich story and history of African-American icons through the eyes of our nation’s youth. During the month of February, the BCC will feature images from the Because of Them, We Can™ campaign including portraits of children inspired by Harriet Tubman, James Brown, Muhammad Ali and the Freedom Riders, along with a blog post by the photographer giving details of the subject, the shoot and the child/children who are pictured. “Behind the Lens” will be hosted on both the PBS Black Culture Connection and on becauseofthemwecan.com.

“Eunique has created a special link to our past through a campaign that’s inspired and powered by our youth, our future,” said Nicole Eley-Carr, editor, PBS Black Culture Connection. “In many ways, she’s contemporizing Black History, and PBS is excited to be a space for this evolving dialogue that empowers young people by honoring achievers of yesterday and today.”

“I am excited and honored to share a glimpse into the making of the Because of Them, We Can™ campaign with the PBS audience,” said Eunique Jones Gibson. “Through the ‘Behind the Lens’ blog series I hope to further the campaign’s mission of building the esteem of both children and adults, while helping them reflect on a living legacy of greatness.”

“Behind the Lens” will debut during Black History Month on PBS.org/bcc, alongside more than 30 films that will be available for streaming online throughout the month of February. The full Black History Month programming lineup is listed below (check local listings) and will also be available for online streaming on the BCC after premiere:

POV “American Promise”
Monday, February 3, 2014, 10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. ET
“American Promise” spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, middle-class African-American parents in Brooklyn, New York, turn their cameras on their son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, who make their way through Manhattan’s Dalton School, one of the most prestigious private schools in the country. Chronicling the boys’ divergent paths from kindergarten through high school graduation, this provocative, intimate documentary presents complicated truths about America’s struggle to come of age on issues of race, class and opportunity. Winner, U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award, 2013 Sundance Film Festival

AMERICAN MASTERS “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth”
Friday, February 7, 2014, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET 
Most famous for her seminal novel The Color Purple, writer/activist Alice Walker celebrates her 70th birthday. Born February 9, 1944, into a family of sharecroppers in rural Georgia, she came of age during the violent racism and seismic social changes of mid-20th-century America. Her mother, poverty and participation in the Civil Rights Movement were the formative influences on her consciousness, becoming the inherent themes in her writing. The first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Walker continues to shine a light on global human rights issues. Her dramatic life is told with poetry and lyricism, and includes interviews with Steven Spielberg, Danny Glover, Quincy Jones, Howard Zinn, Gloria Steinem, Sapphire, and Walker herself.

INDEPENDENT LENS “Spies of Mississippi”
Monday, February 10, 2014, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET
View the story of a secret spy agency formed during the 1950s and 60s by the state of Mississippi to preserve segregation and maintain white supremacy. Over a decade, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission employed a network of investigators and informants, including African Americans, to help infiltrate the NAACP, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). They were granted broad powers to investigate private citizens and organizations, keep secret files, make arrests and compel testimony. The program tracks the commission’s hidden role in important chapters of the Civil Rights Movement, including the integration of the University of Mississippi, the trial of Medgar Evers and the KKK murders of three civil rights workers in 1964.

JAZZ AND THE PHILHARMONIC
Friday, February 28, 2014, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET
JAZZ AND THE PHILHARMONIC is a unique, generational and wholly American concert experience that highlights two of the greatest musical art forms the world has ever seen, classical and jazz. With performances by artists such as Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Terence Blanchard and Elizabeth Joy Roe, this special emphasizes the works of legendary past composers such as Bach and Mozart with these contemporary artists. Songs are performed with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra from the University of Miami Frost School of Music and National YoungArts Foundation alumni.

BECOMING AN ARTIST
Friday, February 28, 2014, 10:30-11:00 p.m. ET
Enjoy an inspiring tribute to the power of mentoring and the vital role it plays in passing on our artistic cultural heritage from one generation to the next. The documentary features acclaimed artists across the disciplines, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Robert Redford, Rosie Perez, Bill T. Jones, Frank Gehry, Brian Stokes Mitchell, John Guare and Kathleen Turner working with some of the nation’s most talented students selected by the National YoungArts Foundation. BECOMING AN ARTIST is a celebration of our cultural vitality and the need to ensure its continuance.

The following is a sample of the more than 30 programs available for online streaming on the BCC in February:

•    The African Americans:  Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
•    The March
•    Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
•    Independent Lens – Daisy Bates, Black Power Mixtape, Soul Food Junkies
•    Memories of the March
•    Bill T. Jones: A Good Man (American Masters)
•    Cab Calloway: Sketches (American Masters)
•    Dreams of Obama (Frontline)
•    Endgame: AIDS in Black America (Frontline)
•    Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
•    Freedom Riders (American Experience)
•    Interrupters (Frontline)
•    Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A-Comin’ (American Masters)
•    Jesse Owens (American Experience)
•    “Roots” Special on Miniseries (Pioneers of TV)
•    Not in Our Town: Class Actions
•    Slavery by Another Name
•    Too Important to Fail (Tavis Smiley)
•    Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
•    Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll (American Masters)
•    James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (American Masters)
•    POV – Black Male Achievement documentary special series: Teaching Fatherhood, The Jazz Ticket, The Algebra Ceiling

Other series that routinely offer programming to commemorate Black History Month include FRONTLINE, GREAT PERFORMANCES, PBS NEWSHOUR, TAVIS SMILEYand WASHINGTON WEEK WITH GWEN IFILL.

Find more information and high-resolution images from these programs on PBS PressRoom.

About PBS Black Culture Connection
The PBS Black Culture Connection, featuring video from films, award-winning documentaries and popular series like AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, links the diverse national content found on PBS with local programs, interviews and discussions from PBS member stations and from around the web. In addition to aggregating more than 100 digital resources about black history and culture in one place within PBS.org, the PBS Black Culture Connection features thematic film collections, biographies and profiles, original productions made just for the web and local station spotlights. After exploring the site, users are encouraged to connect with others through online discussion and to challenge themselves with a suite of quizzes. The PBS Black Culture Connection is made available through partnerships with member stations, including WNET and WGBH, and public media partners like the National Black Programming Consortium. It will also feature the works of producers like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Stanley Nelson and Tavis Smiley.

About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website,pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available atwww.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by followingPBS Pressroom on Twitter.

– PBS –

CONTACT:
Michaé Godwin, PBS, 703-739-8483; mmgodwin@pbs.org
Nicole Wells Foster, PBS, 703-739-5351; njwells@pbs.org

Thanksgiving with Jack and Jill of America

Baba Igbo, TMOAR alum, makes and plays these beautiful instruments.

Thank you so much for being part of our Thanksgiving Dinner program. We loved The Magic Calabash. Everyone is still raving about how fun, engaging and interactive your performance was. What a beautiful sight to see the kids dancing along with you. Having you there made our evening even more special.

Kelly Lyons- Jack and Jill of America- Raleigh Wake Chapter

Choreographer Aya Shabu in the Mix Again

I Love My Hair on Good Days Then Again When It’s Defiant and Impressive is B-A-A-C-K! Aya Shabu joins cast and crew of last year’s sold out performance about hair, race, class, identity, and relationships for a spectacular re-mounting and run.

Come meet Durham choreographer Aya Shabu along with ILMH’s director, cast, and design team for food, music, and advance tickets this Saturday.

I Love My Hair – Special Insider Event

• Did you miss I LOVE MY HAIR last year because the tickets were sold out?
• Did you have to stand in a long line on the day of the show hoping to purchase a ticket?
• Did you want to bring someone but couldn’t because the show was full?Well make sure that doesn’t happen again — Beat the crowd and get your tickets EARLY!
Join us for a special night:I LOVE MY HAIR INSIDER EVENT – FREE OPEN HOUSE
Hosted by FORTY / AM
WHEN: Saturday, October 26, 2013 – Between 6:00-9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Manbites Dog Theater, 703 Foster St., Durham, NC
WHAT: A free, open-house event — Drop in anytime!
• Meet the director and members of the cast
• Enjoy live music
• Have some good food (while it lasts!)
Provided by Chef Ricky from The Saltbox Seafood Joint.And while you’re here, buy special advance tickets for I Love My Hair, running January 16 – February 1, 2014. Official ticket sales don’t begin until November 11, but on October 26 ONLY you can buy in person at Manbites Dog from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. with cash, check, or credit card. (Can’t make it to Manbites? Advance tickets will also be available online at manbitesdogtheater.org by credit card all day on October 26.) Sorry, no phone orders on October 26.

Find out more here about show dates, times, and ticket prices.

LET US KNOW YOU ARE ATTENDING OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS:
RSVP to ilovemyhairtheplay@gmail.com.

Mama and Baba Shabu Write for Liberian Online Newspaper

Tags

Attention, Communication, Drum, Legislature of Liberia, Liberia, Master drummer, Skill, Talking drum

Listening Like the Drummer

The Talking Drum is placed in the midst of the community it will serve. By listening, it absorbs the language. But the drum cannot communicate without the drummer – except in special cases.

A Talking drummer’s grandfather gave his own personal Talking Drum to his grandson. It was done because the young drummer had become very skilled and it was time for the venerable old drummer to sit down. When the old man died, the drum spoke from inside the drum closet and the grandson, lying on his bed, knew.

In most cases, however, the drummer must be very skillful and an excellent listener for the drum to communicate through him or her. We believe there are “Levels of Listening” and the drummer must master them. In fact, for effective communication, we all should learn and practice them. To learn the first Level of Listening, you must practice full Attention to the message. And being Quiet is the only way to do that. Just imagine. You’re in a classroom where one hundred students are all quiet, giving full attention! That’s the first step to a true learning environment. So, the first level is being quiet to listen.

The next level follows the old school of drum instruction: Hear and Repeat – perfectly. Have you ever asked a child or an employee, “Did you hear what was said? Repeat what was said.” And the person couldn’t repeat it. It’s not easy because the message must be repeated in the same words and tones, the same speed, and the exact inflections – just as it was spoken. Otherwise, you didn’t hear it. Hear and repeat perfectly is Listening Level Two. Many quarrels and confusion – as in the Liberian legislature – could be avoided, time and money saved, if all concerned mastered Levels One and Two.

Mastery of Level Three makes you equivalent to a good drummer or communicator. Level Three consists of Retaining the message. It requires Focus. It means you can remember and repeat your message even in the midst of other distracting messages. If there are drummers all around you playing rhythms different from yours, you must maintain your rhythm, your message, just as it was given to you. Or, if your message is, “We don’t lie, steal or cheat,” and you are surrounded by corruption, you must retain your righteous message with strength and vigor as it was given to you.

Communicating or Sharing your message is Listening Level Four. What if you are sharing your message with a special person or audience like children or elders? What if you must share your message in another language? These situations require Creativity. You must understand your message so well that you can communicate the message at a very high level of clarity no matter what! Now you are like the master drummer or the master communicator.

 Study the “Art of Listening.” Let’s start communicating for Unity in Liberia.