Podcast

For decades, outsiders have lumped Africa’s jeliw, gewel, onye akwa, and countless other culture keepers under one imported label—“griot.” The word traces to Portuguese criado (“servant”) and 18th-century French colonial records, yet it still dominates textbooks and music syllabi across the continent. When we swap living, indigenous names for a foreign catch-all, we flatten rich, distinct roles—praise-singer, historian, drummer, spiritual adviser—into a single colonial shorthand. True decolonization starts with language: retiring “griot” and restoring the authentic terms rooted in each community’s tongue.

Gratitude fills my heart for your willingness to engage with my music and for the steadfast support you’ve shown. I warmly encourage you to immerse yourself in the melodies and messages of this song, to ponder its themes, and to extend its reach by sharing it with those dear to you. Let’s spread the word, inspire reflection, and foster a community of listeners who are moved not just by sound, but by the profound messages we navigate together.

Discover how faith can guide us through life’s toughest trials in our latest blog post, “Not Funny, Lord: Trusting Through Trials.” Explore personal stories of resilience, the biblical tale of Job, and the unshakeable trust that sustains us during hardships. Learn how to find strength and purpose through unwavering faith. Join us as we delve into the profound lessons of suffering, trust, and divine humor.

Vocal coaching is an important factor in taking the voice from a raw, undeveloped form into a seasoned and technically sound shape. The coach is familiar with all shades of vocal faults as well as appropriate diagnosis and exercises for solving them. The expertise of a coach is needed in detecting bad vocal habits that are disguised as good singing but in the long run tend to lead to over exertion or premature careers. The importance of a good coach cannot be overemphasized, which underscores the need to research extensively and carefully when choosing one.

Different cultures have different ways and ideologies around the concept of beauty, hence using the Atilogwu dance genre, it is obvious that the so called non-literate cultures of the world possess a concept of beauty which is today known as aesthetic among scholars

On Wednesday October 30th, 2019, at the Drinkward Recital Hall, Harvey Mudd College, Paul Livingstone presented an Indian music concert as part of the Ken Stevens ’62 Founding Class Concert series. Livingstone presented an evening Raga, which he performed on the Sitar, in collaboration with Abhijit Banerjee on the Tabla. The atmosphere at this concert could be described as serene and meditative, it could be likened to a feeling of being transported out of the physical realm.