Intersection hosts composer Hannibal Lokumbe for a series of events in February 2019.
In the early part of Black History Month, from Feb. 1-9, contemporary music ensemble Intersection welcomed outstanding trumpeter, bandleader and composer Hannibal Lokumbe for a residency whose multiple events included lectures and performances. Lokumbe's lifetime commitment to cultural diversity and racial justice parallels that of Intersection, leading to numerous stirring moments throughout his stay.
While it might take a feature film to properly document all of the happenings, Intersection has compiled some highlights in a new video. It includes excerpts of Lokumbe speaking to incarcerated men as well as segments from a discussion at Vanderbilt’s Black Cultural Center called “Mass Incarceration and Restorative Arts: A Conversation With Composer Hannibal Lokumbe and Dr. Rosevelt Noble,” the latter of whom is a criminal justice scholar.
There's also footage of the final night performance at Fisk University's Memorial Chapel of a requiem Lokumbe composed in 2017 for jazz ensemble, chorus, narrators and vocalists titled Crucifixion Resurrection: Nine Souls a-Traveling. There are also moving sequences and comments from the Walk of Life ceremony that preceded the concert. Lokumbe's prowess as a soloist is spotlighted, plus his reflections on earlier days in New York as an artist where he played with musical heroes like Roy Haynes and Elvin Jones.
Watch it above, and visit intersectionmusic.org to learn more about the ensemble and its upcoming events. Its next one is Spectrum, a program in May at Oz Arts Nashville featuring the world premiere of “Those Moments,” a composition by TJ Cole commissioned by Intersection and the Nashville in Harmony chorus.
