SPECTRAL Performance [Video]

Photo Courtesy of Bakari Kamau, 2023.

I had an absolutely lovely time at Rhizome DC’s SPECTRAL Performance Art Festival on October 21st. I ended up calling my show, “Airiations,” the title of my last tune, an improvisation on the joy of breathing on an instrument I haven’t picked up in a while—the Irish whistle. I started playing the whistle as part of a Celtic ensemble in college. I love it’s high, birdlike quality, it’s wildness and my inability to tame it. Like a fox, it is a free spirit. The intimate outdoor setting was just perfect, reminding me of all the concerts my father and I did on his boat. The playful wind ended up being my duet partner, adding ambience and humor to my set. A beautiful time I will never have again. Check out the video clips below, recorded by Rhizome.

Star Maps:

The second movement of my improvised piece featuring the Irish whistle, “Ariations: A Meditation on the Joy of Breathing":