Mtali Shaka Banda is a Philosopher, Teacher, Storyteller, and Musician!! He is a son of a Malawian refugee father and an African-American mother, he uses his music which exists outside of codified genres, balancing invention and tradition. The ingredients span jazz, funk, soul, folk, r&b, and hip hop, but also a travelogue, memoir, and family history.n These elements have combined for his exploration of personal history and the Black experience in America.
In this episode of Own Every Moment, Mtali talks about:
-How he started to make music and the mission of his songs.
-We talk about his father and grandfather growing up in Malawi and their long history of activism.
-He shares how his Mom gets kicked out of Malawi and how his Dad gets sneaked out to meet her in the US.
-We talk about George Floyd's effect on him and how he discovered that his voice was still important and the work is not done.
-He gets honest about how we achieve unity.
-Owning Every Moment and the Mamba Mentality (Kobe Bryant)
-He talks about his relationship with his Dad and the work to forgive and learn. 'I've had moments with my day that most men would kill for."
-He talks about how we all need to tell our stories and how they will help us heal.
-He dives into the story that is Blackboy Fairytales, which he will perform with a full band Friday, December 3rd, at Hawks and Reed in Greenfield, MA.