Soundcheck

Sekou Sundiata (Photos by Monique Delatour)

Mixed Blessings

Monday, March 21, 2005

Diagnosed with Kidney disease in 1995, Sekou lived a story familiar to thousands of people and their families. He transforms his experience into a one man show Blessing the Boats, which will be part of Gift of Life, a one night gathering of artists at Harlem’s Apollo theater, organized to raise public awareness about this life threatening illness. He’ll be on Soundcheck to talk about his experience with kidney failure and how it’s influenced his work. Next we’ll be joined by Dierdre Dubois who, as a member of Ekova, gained recognition for her imaginative, wordless east-meets-west vocal stylings. She’ll talk with us about why, after 10 years, she’s split with the group and how working on her first solo album, has allowed her to collaborate with other artists, explore other forms of music, and has even led her back to her musical roots.

• Listen to the whole show