Speech Sounds: Five Sonic Stories

Episode 5: How to Make a Sonic Story

This final episode recaps the series’ previous themes while meditating on ‘process’ for individual Black sound makers. Unlike other episodes that collage around a central theme, “How to Write a Sonic Story” features interviews by long-time storytellers, the episode offers insight to those interested in building up their own repertoire around sonic storytelling. Featuring jamilah malika abu-bakare,  Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet, NASRA, Myrtle Henry Sodhi, tUkU matthews, Alannah Johnson, and Whitney French

Episode 2: Queer, Gifted and Black

This episode follows the dark, beautiful, incomprehensible spectrum of queerness among Black sound makers. Celebrating Black, queer femmes in particular—our sound, adornment, celebration, and resistance. By unpacking how Black femininity, in particular, has been demonized historically, particularly at the intersection of queerness and spirituality—prayers and meditations will elevate the legacy of the Black queer cosmology. We explore the spectrum of bad bitchery and shy/awkwardness all while celebrating our expansive gifts, talents, and how we use them to celebrate and adorn each other. Featuring NASRA, Nicole Shawan Junior with special appearances by Yvvana Yeboah Duku, Onyka Gairey, and Dianah Smith

Episode 4: Our Aesthetic: Celebrating Black Sound

In this episode, we are guided by SOSA (aka The Sauce), a soft-spoken sound and music art therapist, who welcomes a new patient for a session. Although the patient arrives full of doubts and anxiety, SOSA uses the power of Black aesthetic sound to offer solace and healing. An entirely FUBU call to the heavens, forever out of reach from the white gaze, this episode does a deep dive to unpack, understand, express, and celebrate the nuanced texture of sound-makers that are committed to Black collective aesthetics. Featuring tUkU matthews [https://www.instagram.com/tukuismusic], Edythe Rodriguez [https://www.edytherodriguez.com/], Tata Henieriette and jamilah malika abu-bakare [https://www.jamilahmalikaabubakare.ca/]

Episode 3: Honouring Our Aunties Audio

Our aunties are the bridge between parent and child. They are wise storytellers within our families, friend circles, and communities and hold the riches of oral traditions that are too often undocumented and underappreciated. Whether it is gossiping at the kitchen table, teaching us how to be independent or sharing historic memory of a country’s independence, this episode seeks to bridge multiple diasporas with the commonality of archiving the everyday. Featuring Myrtle Henry Sodhi [https://www.myrtlehenrysodhi.ca/], Felene Cayeteno [https://linktr.ee/felene], Aunt June and Miss Rose

Episode 1: The Art of Listening

Spoken word is an ancient form, a Black form, with origins from our ancestral storytellers—spoken word emerged from Black jazz poets, using African riffs, rhythmics, and beats to accompany the core of the stories being told. In “The Art of Listening”, we talk about how listening and being listened to is critical for Black thought, counterculture, revolution, and myth-making. Drawing on its predecessors dub, jazz, toasting, beat, hip hop, protest, and more, this episode is a sonic adventure in honour of the everyday poet. Featuring Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet [https://www.instagram.com/mahlikah_moonrise/] and Michie Mee [https://michiemee.ca/] See hushharbour.com/speechsounds for more details