Ancestral Crown Day - Ta Malonga Casquelourd

 👑ANCESTRAL CROWN DAY REMEMBRANCE: 

TA MALONGA CASQUELOURD

November 5, 1947 - June 15, 2003

#givepraisetolife

nzoCALIFA-- At Berkeley High School, we had a phenomenal African American Studies Department and African Dance Program then lead by Dunham luminary and San Francisco City College Dance Teacher Paula McCullum [iba'e]. She taught us Dunham, Afro Haitian, Jazz Dance, Ballet, Samba, and Congolese Dance, all masterfully. Then, it was Bay heyday to easily take a class by any native of these aforementioned traditions as many had migrated to the region erecting a Pan African Dance Diaspora portal like no other in the country. 
       There were many to trailblaze the field yet to my lineage were the likes of Ruth Beckford & Professor Nontsizi Cayou *give praise to life* to Dance Pioneer Dr. Halifu Osumare, yet the Dance wind beneath my wings was indeed Paula. 

She was like a Dance guardian to continue my life choreo, literally birthed by my Mother -- And my Mama Pat was and IS a Dancer. 

NAJUMA in concert; feat. Tribute Malonga Casquelourd, March 1982 *Berkeley Highschool*
<<photo to appear courtesy of @nzoCALIFA Dance Works archives copy by permission only, thank you>>

AND PAULA introduced me to "the Congo Man", ONSTAGE at the Berkeley Highschool Dance Department Performance concert in the Little Theater in 1982 -- no choreo, no cues, just keep up and "HIT IT HARD LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL!" *that's what he'd say* And that I did!

Matondo Ta Malonga, there'll never be another like you, yet so many of US are imprinted by your fantastic legacy of Visionary Artistic excellence and powerful leadership and movement of activism on and off the stage. Matondo Mamingui and BLESS YOU for invoking my Kongo aka 

FUA DIA CONGO!

love light and sweet ascension,

~"mosquito muerta"

courtesy of Fua Dia Congo

photo cr: Ric Rocamora

Ancestral remembrance exhibit and Installation: #nzoCALIFAncestry & @KongoSQwest

________________

R. Califa Calloway

Nzo Califa Dance Works

@nzoCALIFA :: IG

#nzoCALIFAncestry