Welcome to our audio altar. Plug in. Relax yourself. Listen deeply.
Speech Sounds is a 5-part audio-series showcasing sound artists, griots, and poets while engaging in a conversation around memory and culture for those within the African diaspora.
The series, in collaboration with ROOM Magazine and Writing While Black, centres the power and tradition of oral storytelling in the past, present, and future for Black communities. Themes include Black sound origins, queerness in sound, Black aesthetic, Black joy, ancestry, and eldership as well as artistic process.
Episode 1 | The Art of Listening
In “The Art of Listening” we talk about how listening and being listened to is critical for Black thought, counterculture, revolution, and myth-making.
Featuring Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet and Michie Mee
Episode 2 | Queer Gifted & Black
Featuring NASRA, Nicole Shawan Junior, with special appearances by Yvvana Yeboah Duku, Onyka Gairey, Dianah Smith and others
In our second episode, we follow the dark, beautiful, incomprehensible spectrum of queerness among Black sound makers.
Episode 3 | Honouring Our Aunties’ Audio
In “Honouring Our Aunties’ Audio” we listen to the wise storytellers within our families, friend circles, and communities, bridging multiple diasporas with the commonality of archiving the everyday.
Featuring Myrtle Henry Sodhi, Felene Cayetano, Miss Rose and Aunt June
Episode 4 | Our Aesthetics: Celebrating Black Sounds
Episode 3 is an entirely FUBU call to the heavens, forever out of reach from the white gaze. This episode does a deep dive to unpack, understand, express, and celebrate the nuanced texture of sound-makers that are committed to Black collective aesthetics.
Featuring tUkU matthews, Edythe Rodriguez, Tata Henieriette and jamilah malika abu-bakare
Episode 5 | Artistic Process: How to Make a Sonic Story
This final episode recaps the series’ previous themes while meditating on ‘process’ for individual Black sound makers and other curious creatives building up their own repertoire around sonic storytelling.
Featuring jamilah malika abu-bakare, Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet, NASRA, Myrtle Henry Sodhi, tUkU matthews, Alannah Johnson and Whitney French
Speech Sounds is a 5-part audio-series showcasing sound artists, griots and poets working while engaging in a conversation around memory and culture for those within the African diaspora.
The series, in collaboration with ROOM Magazine and Writing While Black, centres the power and tradition of oral storytelling in the past, present and future for Black communities. Themes include Black sound origins, queerness in sound, Black aesthetic, Black joy, ancestry and eldership as well as artistic process.
Speech Sounds features sonic offerings from Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet, Michie Mee, NASRA, Nicole Shawan Junior, Myrtle Henry Sodhi, Felene Cayeteno, Aunt Junie, Miss Rose, tUkU matthews, Edythe Rodriguez and jamilah malika abu-bakare. Available on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts.
What is Speech Sounds?
Our Inspiration & Future Visions
Honing in on Hush Harbour’s definition and concept of a “sonic story”, each episode is written, recorded, and produced by Black artists. Co-curators Whitney French and Lue Palmer shaped the series as a whole, commissioning sound artists per episode. Additionally, Black writers from the Writing While Black community collective with curators and artists develop each episode script. Speech sounds also weaves in a mentorship component, inviting researchers and mentees who actively participate in crafting Speech Sounds. The mentorship component is in partnership with OCADU. The research component is in collaboration with ArQuives.
The vision of Speech Sounds is to celebrate incredible Black sound artists, introduce communities to the concept of “sonic storytelling”, and encourage future sonic storytellers to submit their own work to Hush Harbour press.
Who is behind Speech Sounds?
Creator and Co-curator: Whitney French
Co-curator and Host: Lue Palmer
Project Manager: Jedidiah Mugarura
Sound Artists and Storytellers: Mahlikah the Moonrise Poet, Michie Mee, NASRA, Nicole Shawan Junior, Myrtle Henry Sodhi, Felene Cayeteno, Aunt June, Miss Rose, tUkU matthews, Edythe Rodriguez, and jamilah malika abu-bakare
Special Guests: Yvvana Yeboah Duku, Whitney French, Onyka Gairey, Alannah Johnson, and Dianah Smith
Writers: Jo Güstin, Michelle Joseph, TK Matunda
Producer: Xeynamay Gebreyohannes
Audio Design Support: Ayrah Taerb from Kundalini Kurrency Music
Graphic Design: Kianna Mkhonza
Research Support: Blessing Nwodo, Adesina Brown
Web Design: Kara Designs
Speech Sounds is funded by the Canada Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. Speech Sound has received financial and in-kind support from OCAD University, Writing While Black collective, ROOM Magazine as well as our donors. Thank you to everyone who believes in our project.