This consolidation of music is an invitation to find fuel with me.
In 2017, my most refueling hobby while living in the Pacific Northwest was writing music, during that time I picked up my guitar and wrote the prelude to an neo-soul album I didn’t even know existed, a project destined for release March 2023.
The chords continued to carry Amani (meaning peace in Swahili): When her then boyfriend broke up with her on her birthday, she wrote Settle Down; when she couldn’t find the words to stay in draining relationships, she wrote What to Do. More recently after being gifted a new guitar with her move back to Detroit, as frustrations boiled over, she wrote Wind Blown. In her commitment to the social justice movement, stretched with witnessing the ongoing slaughter of Black life by state police, she wrote Take; and when healthy romance found her in the eyes of her now husband, she wrote Mine.
In 2009, my father flew me to Baltimore, MD to record a series of tracks including Right and Wrong, Boys Like You and Don’t Hate each of which have been revamped for this collection. My father played a huge roll in this production with his purchase of the guitar you’ll hear throughout the album along with his contribution on the piano in What To Do as well as vocally in Right Or Wrong. My younger sister Lateefah also contributed to the album with her playing viola featured in Zhidai Zongse – Paper Bag Brown. This is truly a family production, recorded in Daddy’s in-home studio with manually played chords from my acoustic guitar layered with raw vocals that’ll be sure to surprise listeners with it’s lyrical and spiritual depth, all tracks are originals composed entirely independantly.
Nothing could keep me from writing music, but A LOT kept me from sharing my music including ongoing advocacy work being prioritized. Catering to incarcerated people with limited resources requires a heart that’s willing to dip into its own reserves. My yoga instructor reminded me this evening that hard work is happening, but rest is required. Writing lyrics and chords on my guitar have constantly fueled me in those moments and I’m sure that my music can fuel others and hope that you take the time to listen.
With the urge to publish music growing, I expressed my desire to put out an album “one day” with a friend who pushed me to set that date in stone soon, “Your music can fuel the moves you’re already making” he told me while running for office in Michigan’s state legislature. Taking that to heart I announced the production of the Finding Fuel album in the New Year issue of the Right2Vote Report and already several incarcerated readers have expressed their intent to purchase the album as soon as it’s available.
I’m grateful to my readers on the inside that I’m committed to contributing 70% of the earnings from this album towards to continued production of SawariMedia’s prisoner newsletters. If you’ve been looking for a new way to support abolition, here it is. In addition to financially fueling the printing and distribution of critical news for people in prison, the intention of this production is to fuel the hearts and minds of listeners; especially those incarcerated listeners confined to desperate and dangerous conditions throughout the US. As we find fuel towards obtaining peace in our persistent battle against PISC we rest in the fact that we are destined to overcome.
Stay tuned for song lyrics, lyric videos and music videos coming soon.
Pre-order your copy with shipping included here!
Supporters can also join here to be a monthly contributor of Amani’s ongoing productions.
