Praise House Artist Bios
SALAH ANANSE
The creator the Rite-to-Freedom, the anthem song of the Praise House along with Malesha Jessie Taylor as We Are Djeli
With over 20 years as a producer and DJ on the Atlanta music scene, Salah Ananse’s talent as a DJ has put him on bills with notable DJ's such as Vikter Duplaix, DJ Kemit (Kemeticjust), Rich Medina, DJ Spinna, ?uestlove and Kai Alce. He has also held opening DJ spots for artists such as Jay-Z, Dave Chappelle, India Arie, Joi, Res, Fertile Ground, Dwele, Les Nubians, Musiq, The Roots, Donnie and Raphael Saadiq. Not only does Ananse rock crowds for some of the Southeast’s most popular party series such as One Music Fest, House In The Park and his own Afrique Electrique & Sunday School, he travels the world bringing his unique mix of soul, house & hip hop. He's held a recurring stint in Brazil and performed in Ethiopia, Argentina, England and many more countries.
Over his career Salah Ananse has expanded his brand to include signature events. His Afrique Electrique party, which started in 2009 has become one of the most popular events for soulful house at Miami’s WMC. His LOVESEXY party, which is dedicate to the work of Prince expanded to Chicago in 2015. His Sunday School parties remain a summer staple in Atlanta. He recently joined forces with former collaborator DJ Kemit to do The Late Night Ritual party series. He also joined forces with the other 3 DJs from House In The Park to create & produce The Atlanta Weekender which celebrated 5 years in 2016.
KEMI BENNINGS
Producer
Kemi is a producer, interdisciplinary artist and creative professional with 20 years of experience in designing, producing, directing and promoting live entertainment, curated events and cultural programming that integrates art, music and civic engagement in an effort to build community, impact and inspire social change. As poet/soul singer, Kemi combines new age conscious poetry and music to inspire a generation of artistic change. Her thought-provoking, new age conscious poetry challenges and inspires the audience. In her live performance, Kemi shape shifts, transforms and evokes change. She has had the opportunity to share the stage with Sonia Sanchez, Oscar Brown, Jr., Jenifer Lewis, The Last Poets, Nancy Wilson, to name a few. Kemi is the visionary of notable projects including Ministers Of Sound, Cultivating Collective Thoughts, Soul Sista’s Juke Joint, A Great Day In Atlanta and most recently Música Soul, a live music event that bridges expat and local communities. Her niche in theater is producing musical theatrical productions showcasing independent artists. Kemi is an evolutionary force who uses her gifts to uplift, inspire, and empower. She is a native of Augusta, Georgia.
TONI BLACKMAN
Guest Artist-in-Residence from Senegal, West Africa, sponsored by the City of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, The Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative (AGREC) and Villa Albertine through the French Consulate
The first official U.S. Hip Hop ambassador, Toni Blackman, has not only traveled to 50 countries around the world but rocked Summerstage events, performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater, 9:30 Club in DC, the Roxy in L.A., the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, BRIC, and Lincoln Center. Toni was featured in the Urban Voices tour in South Africa, DODGE Poetry Festival, the largest in North America, and festivals in Brazil, Norway, Germany and beyond. She has shared stages with everyone from Erykah Badu, Youssou Ndour and the Temptations to Meshell Ndegeocello, Rickie Lee Jones and Sheryl Crow. Toni is featured on projects for Universal Records France, BMG Novus, Big Dada Recordings, Radio Nova Recordings and others. Creator of Rhyme like a Girl and The Freestyle Union, Toni recently worked as the Spoken Word/Rap Coach for Kwame Alexander’s new Disney series, The Crossover. When she’s not performing she’s leading workshops and speaking. Author of Innercourse (Villard/Random House), her new book, Wisdom of the Cypher, released fall 2022. Toni has been an Echoing Green Fellow, a Soros/OSI Fellow, and recently received a New York State Arts grant to complete her Hip Hop Meditation music project. A Howard University graduate, Toni is a bi-continental woman living between Brooklyn, NY and Dakar, Senegal.
Amari Carpenter
Amari Carptenter is a well-rounded sophomore at Morehouse college currently studying civil engineering. He has been playing the harp for nine years through the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble. His talents range from classical to gospel, modern to pop and he continues to inspire audiences through music and his love for the harp.
Afiya Cave
Afiya Cave is a versatile harpist. Her musical interests range from traditional and classical to today’s pop and contemporary music. In her performance, Afiya shares a diverse array of music, in addition to intermixing her own flavor of freestyles and cultures. Her talent and determination has led her to entrepreneurship and starting her own business. She has played for various occasions and organizations.
EDELIEGBA SENIOR DANCE ENSEMBLE
The Edeliegba Senior Dance Ensemble is comprised of talented and passionate senior citizen dancers based in Atlanta, Georgia. The name is from a northern Nigerian dialect and means “the elders have gathered with completion”. Through their dynamic and uplifting performances, they aim to inspire and engage the senior population of Atlanta, promoting the benefits of movement and positive conversation about aging. Founded on the belief that dance has the power to bring people together and improve physical and mental health, the Edeliegba Senior Dance Ensemble is dedicated to sharing the joy and art of dance with seniors in the community. From ballet and modern dance to tap and hip hop, the ensemble's diverse repertoire showcases the versatility and creativity of their members. In addition to their performance schedule, the Edeliegba Senior Dance Ensemble also offers dance classes and workshops for seniors, providing a fun and welcoming environment for people of all ages and abilities to learn and grow. Join the Edeliegba Senior Dance Ensemble in celebrating the beauty and vitality of aging through the power of dance.As founder of Evolve! Artists Live, she has been amongst the taste makers in the Atlanta arts community since 1995.
EPiC Community Choir
Founded by Reginald Degraffenreaidt, EPiC (Empathetic Praise Inspirational Choir) is an Atlanta-based Christian community choir with a mission to serve Jesus Christ through song, service, and fellowship. At the center of our praise is love, a family of worshippers, and a mind to tell everyone about HIS goodness. We aim to provide the most inspirational and spirit-filled music possible as our God deserves an EPiC praise!
Okorie “OkCello” Johnson
Okorie Johnson is an American cellist-songwriter whose artistry integrates cello performance, live-sound-looping, improvisation, and storytelling - all culminating in original compositions that collide classical with jazz, EDM, reggae, and funk.
His music is inspired by the exploration of African Diasporic melodies and narratives and their intersection with people’s perceptions and assumptions about the classical and European nature of the cello. As well, his work with improvisation attempts to embody the phenomenon of wordless prayer.
GIWAYEN MATA
The seed for the ensemble was planted in 1991 when Ramatu Afegbua Mahmud Sabbatt organized sistahs for jam sessions in city parks of Atlanta. This was done in the spirit of the principles of Kuumba and Kujichagulia (Kiswahili words for creativity and self-determination). This experience allowed many of the participating women to hone their respective talents either individually or with performing companies.
In 1993, GIWAYEN MATA was formed in response to a call to Gail Vernon Zuri Sami Ra Maati Jordan from Amirah Wazir, the coordinator for Celebration ’93, an annual fundraising fashion show and Mother’s Day celebration sponsored by the women of the Atlanta Mas-jid Al Islam. Amirah was seeking an all-female entertainment group. At Zuri’s request, Omelika Kuumba brought together eight of the other women from the jam sessions: Osunlade Fatunmise, Sarahn Henderson, Ife Hendricks, Sauda Jackson-Bey, Shalewa Mackall, Andrea Richards, Ramatu Sabbatt, and Ama Tyus.
Currently under the vision and artistic direction of Tambra Omiyale Harris who succeeds her mentor and Artistic Director Emerita Omelika Kuumba, Giwayen Mata produces performance works and classes that highlight the African Diaspora and the hidden treasures of Black womanhood.
Dr. Emorja Roberson
Soloist
Faculty, Oxford College of Emory University
Assistant Professor of Music and African American Studies
Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded with the 2021 Academic Freedom Award from the Department of Africana Studies and is the recipient of the 2022 Sr. Jean Lenz Award for his leadership that promotes a more diverse, inclusive campus community for all students.
In April 2022, he premiered his oratorio, BE-SPOKEN, which highlights the experiences of the Black experience through jazz, hip-hop, and gospel. The premiere included artists, such as, Anthony Walker, King Chav, HarRell D. Young, Donishisa Ballard, and Grammy-Award winner, Ledisi. Making history once again, on June 30, 2022, Roberson became the first African-American to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Notre Dame.
Roberson is a 2022 recipient of the Future of Music Faculty Fellowship with Cleveland Institute of Music and the Assistant Professor of Music and African American Studies at Oxford College of Emory University.
MAUSIKI SCALES AND COMMON GROUND COLLECTIVE
Mausiki Scales has been a force in the Atlanta indie music scene for almost two decades as a sought after keyboardist and founder/musical director of the critically acclaimed ensemble, the Common Ground
Collective. Recently honored with the Georgia Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities, Mausiki is also a folklorist and historian who translates his knowledge into musical arrangements that leave his audiences moved and moving…literally.
Whether performing as a trio or a full 10-piece ensemble, Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective are known for taking fans on a fearless exploration of the pulsating rhythms of the African Diaspora, seamlessly connecting the dots between afrobeat, funk, hip hop, soul and New Orleans jazz…in a single performance.
They have performed in numerous celebrations, concerts, and special events throughout Africa and the Americas, including Ghana's Golden Anniversary Celebration, the National Black Arts Festival, Funk Jazz Café, and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. They have also collaborated with artists such as Roy Ayers, Babatunde Olatunji, Stevie Wonder, The Last Poets and Third World.
Together, Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective have released four albums, the most recent, Passages: The Water Brought Us, and they were recently featured on the Roy Ayers Fela-fied afrobeat version of Everybody Loves the Sunshine. In 2017, Mausiki released a new project, Drums and Shadows, featuring the juke joint-invoking single, No Tables, No Chairs which has inspired an annual parade and party along the Atlanta BeltLine, along with other popular tracks like Freedom Flight, Summer Solstice and One2Gether.
REV. DR. AVIS WILLIAMS
Opening Prayer and Address / Benediction
Rev. Dr. Avis Williams served as Pastor of Community Transformation for Lake Oconee Community Church from 2007 to 2018, organizing its Youth Alliance, a collaborative partnership between the Greensboro Housing Authority, the Greene County Schools, and PCCSS. In this role, she helped organize cultural, historical, and educational enrichment for the students with a four-week summer program and regular semester activities for students, parents, church, and community volunteers. Before that, from 1996 to 2010, she owned Envirohazard Consultants of Covington, Ga., an environmental, health, and safety consulting company that provided training environmental assessments for governmental agencies and local businesses. Avis has served on the boards of numerous community organizations, including the Saint Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital, Life Source Food Distribution in Eatonton, Georgia, and serves on The Plaza Arts Center board Central Georgia Technical College's board representing Putnam County. Presently, Avis is the Community Liaison for the Putnam County Charter School System. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry, a master of divinity degree in theology, and a doctorate of ministry in theology from Emory University. She was Oxford Commencement speaker in 2022 and served on Emory’s Twin Memorial committee, now the Selection committee.