| Something I Said - Mankwe Ndosi | | | | I'm not sure. I've been less involved in the spoken |
| Dwight Hobbes - Twin Cities Daily Planet | | | | word community and more with musicians. I did a |
| Mankwe Ndosi is a one-woman clearinghouse of | | | | lot of spoken word. Was in a group Arkology with |
| accomplished artistry. For going on a second | | | | e. g. bailey. I'd been singing, but I've started doing |
| decade, after establishing herself at a young age | | | | more [of it]. Douglas heard some of the |
| on Penumbra's stage in Keith Glover's masterpiece | | | | experiments I was doing and started bringing me |
| Coming of the Hurricane, Ndosi steadily has built a | | | | to Chicago about ten years ago. I've kind of had |
| flourishing, multi-faceted career, never letting | | | | two very different performance communities. As |
| renown at one artform pigeonhole her into limited | | | | the Rhythm Changes is at the intersection. |
| horizons. | | | | Where'd It come from? |
| For instance, she's long been heralded as a fixture | | | | I started mulling around in my head, to look at, |
| in Twin Cities spoken word—one who, around | | | | okay, what is the crux of change, what makes us |
| 2000, segued into singing and musical | | | | change, when is change real. There are different |
| improvisation. For the full lowdown, her press bio | | | | rhythms, different lengths, like musical phrases. |
| reads, "Mankwe Monika Nkatuati Ndosi, vocalist, | | | | Starting and stopping to some of it. Sometimes, |
| producer and multidisciplinary performer, has been | | | | like, look at Haiti. New Orleans. There's no going |
| working for over a decade in the mediums of | | | | back. Having a child, there is no going back. You're |
| theater, dance, music, spoken word, and | | | | never going to be the same. I try to talk about |
| improvisation." She is a part of Douglas R. Ewart | | | | these things without getting didactic, too preachy. |
| & Orchestra Inventions (an improvisational | | | | I started to do some residencies around the |
| group rooted in creative black music and based in | | | | issues, to talk to people and think deeply about |
| Chicago), is on the board of Speak-Out Sisters, | | | | how do you start a conversation. Ultimately, in |
| and works with the group "in the belly" on | | | | performance or not, just in terms of relationships, |
| creative workshops for youth and incarcerated | | | | it feels like stories are are what help us see each |
| populations. She orchestrates a "freestyle | | | | other. Even across differences, across paths. We |
| playroom for all creative disciplines," the Friday | | | | see each other in very small windows. We make |
| Front Porch, from 4-7 p.m. at Bedlam Theatre on | | | | judgments based on those windows. Our stories |
| Minneapolis's West Bank every other Friday | | | | allows us to link up with each other. |
| through June 18th. This week, you can catch her | | | | You started with residencies? |
| performing with Aimee K. Bryant, Sarah Greer, | | | | I figured [they] involved too many people. So, I |
| Libby Turner-Opanga, and Kenna Sarge in As the | | | | began doing interviews with people in the Twin |
| Rhythm Changes: songs, improv, and movement | | | | Cities. A little bit in suburbs. I have a relationship |
| devised by Ndosi featuring instruments by Ewart. | | | | with a community in Wykoff, a farming |
| For this work she curates conversation and | | | | community. There's a woman, Eva Barr, a theatre |
| concepts to examine and illuminate aspects of the | | | | artist. She and her husband run an organic farm, |
| one constant in our lives that never stays the | | | | Dream Acres. In the summertime, they have a |
| same, change. A daughter of Minneapolis—she'll | | | | creative camp for kids, an artists camp. I came |
| pipe right up and spiritedly tell you, "I was born at | | | | out and did performance with the [children] for a |
| the University of Minnesota"—she met me right | | | | couple of summers. It's called Flourish. Now it's for |
| after shuttling in from her other base of creative | | | | adults as well. |
| operations, the Windy City. Last week, gearing up | | | | How'd go about bringing in artists to do As the |
| for the premiere of As the Rhythm Changes, she | | | | Rhythm Changes? |
| met with me at Mapps Cafe on the West Bank | | | | I gathered together women who I really enjoy |
| and chatted over tea and coffee. | | | | singing and performing with. Who I've also done |
| You called from the airport. Where were you on | | | | improvisational work with. I love to harmonize |
| your way in from? | | | | with Aimee. She's an amazing performer. |
| Chicago. I had a gig out there. I've been going | | | | What's next? |
| back and forth about ten years. Doing [work with] | | | | I've working on a second CD [following Do |
| the creative music community there, at places like | | | | Gooder Blues] with Medium Zach of Big Quarters. |
| the Velvet Lounge. Actually, Douglas Ewart is | | | | I just came from doing some work with Nicole |
| collaborating with me on As the Rhythm Changes, | | | | Mitchell at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I'll |
| letting me use some of his instruments. | | | | be doing some work in Chcago. |
| Is the group Poetree still goin' on in Chicago? | | | | |