Mix N Master a platform to highlight independent music and the independent music contractor working throughout the African Diaspora. Mix N Master features music, interviews, information, artist exclusives and the ABCs of becoming an independent music professional.
Bomani Darel Armah, aka D’mite, aka The Hip-Hop Levar Burton, aka Mr. Read a Book, aka The Watermelon Man, aka Darius Lovehall, aka The Black Colin Powell, has even more artistic skills than aliases. As a poet he takes his cues from his favorite writers like Langston Hughes, Yusef Komonyakaa and E. Ethelbert Miller. As a lyricist and songwriter he strives to live up to the legacy of his favorites like Bob Marley, George Clinton, Fela and Frankie Beverly and Maze. Raised in DC and Maryland on the music of gospel greats like Richard Smallwood and John P Kee, as well as local go-go legends like Chuck Brown, Rare Essence and Backyard, Bomani learned about musics intrinsic spiritual power to move people. While discovering his voice he developed his tagline “I’m not a rapper, I’m a poet with a hip-hop style”. An apt description for an emcee who took pride in being able to move any crowd, from prisons to pulpits to concert halls, with a full band or simply a cappella
Born in Kingston Jamaica, raised in Toronto, Canada, educated in the United States of America, Kwasi Bonsu’s world view has been shaped by his Jamaican roots and by Ethiopia, the spiritual motherland for his faith, Ras Tafari. Since 1998 Kwasi Bonsu has worked within the Ras Tafari community to spread and advance the teachings of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen with the aim of improving the standard of living for people of the Ras Tafari faith. As an artist Kwasi Bonsu began performing and recording in the early 90s and his music has evolved to reflect his world view. Kwasi Bonsu received his J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 2003. Since then he has worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. In 2012 Kwasi Bonsu, along with attorney Julian Haffner launched the publishing company Mighty Mizizi Music Company in Kingston Jamaica. In 2013, Kwasi Bonsu was a critical part of the team that started the Jamaica Music Conference, an annual music conference located in Kingston Jamaica. In 2015 Kwasi made the decision to focus exclusively on Entertainment law. Kwasi currently represents clients from filmmakers to independent artists and serves on the board of three internationally active non profits.
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In this episode Kwasi brings back Dutty Bookman to discuss the movement he has helped dub as the Reggae Revival after a panel at SXSW 2027. He also speaks to Koro Fyah of the Bevel Rock camp about his ABC’s at SXSW as well. Bomani interviews the founder of the Uganda’s Bavubuka Foundation, Babaluku, and their chief archivist Gilbert Daniels about Hip-Hop in Uganda and the Lugaflow movement. Bomani and Kwasi also discuss spirituality in independent music, and how the community discusses things like sin. A must listen!
Check out this great interview with story seller and director of Story Tapestries Arianna Ross. For two decades Arianna has brought the art of story telling to children throughout the country, and has become even more influential in arts education through her wonderful organizations that employs several artist to bring their artforms into the classrooms. Find out more about Arianna Ross here 
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