Search - Sekou Sundiata :: Long Story Short

With its dedication to Amadou Diallo and its poems covering subjects like reparations, slavery, and Mary J. Blige, Sekou Sundiata sets out to make "poems that are African American as bean pies and be-attitudes." There's a righteous anger that permeates this disc, but its expression comes off more as a burning coal than a blowtorch--that is, instead of using the staccato rhythms and the relatively harsh vocals of the rappers, Sundiata's approach is more down-tempo, almost elegiac, and his voice is mellifluous, intimate, and warm. Not a huge voice like, say, James Earl Jones; rather, he uses a slow, seductive, clearly enunciated delivery to draw you into his words. His interest is to write popular verse that functions both as dance music and serious spoken poetry. To him, it's not an either/or, you can do both-you can "dance and be still." While most people won't be dancing to this disc, the music-mostly keyboards, bass, and drum-is coolly competent, and his efforts to make poetry accessible are more than commendable. --Wally Shoup