g’beda is a sound bender who uses vocals, percussion, strings, meditative and traditional African diasporic instruments to create freedom in sound. g’beda trained as a sound therapist after over 20 years of performance in gospel, folk, blues, and study in traditional West African, Afro-cuban and Afro-Haitian music and dance traditions. g’beda birthed Soul Note Series, Infinite Rhythm and Open Mic Circles for advanced musicians, Freedom in Sound Concerts, and SistaDrums, a traditional drum corps. g’beda curates live experiential improvisational sound concerts both as a solo artist and in collaborations with orchestras, poets, dancers, and actors.
Photo Credit: Katrina Simpson
Trainspotting
For g’beda, trains are a cellular memory of a matriarchal great-great grandfather who had been sold at 4 years old. As a young man, he became a railroad man on North and Southbound trains. The tracks are always a reminder that he could have traveled this way, on these very tracks. On the patriarchal side, the train tracks divided the black and white sides of Smithville, Tx, where great-grandmothers, aunts and uncles crossed for domestic work. The train whistle kept the time of day and always pulled a person back to the present moment. Trainspotting and photography has become an integral part of road traveling and the coexistence of the present with the past. The photos, video, vocalizations and sounds are the crossroads of familial history, traditional african instruments, musical artistry, and cellular memory.
Photo credit: g’beda.
Featured instruments: udu, kalimba, mbira, ago-go bells, shaker, kinkini drum and vocals
Recorded at All Hues Music Tameika Hannah
Re-mastered by Mickey Delp
Project Sponsor: COTFG