EmmoLei Sankofa: Morse code and Living Creatively
12/02/23 • 83 min
Like all my podcast episodes, you can watch the video on my YouTube and the transcript is linked here as well: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/emmolei-sankofa
EmmoLei Sankofa https://www.e-sankofa.com/ is a an American composer, producer, musician, and artist whose work spans music, visual media, and fine art. Detailed show notes below with timestamps!
You can sign up for my weekly newsletter https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletterto get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests on my website https://www.leahroseman.com/about where you can explore past episodes and support the show through my Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
My socials are in my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman
In this episode we focused on EmmoLei's original music for Hulu's The Other Black Girl, the film score for Three Ways and her project Geometry, and we talked about her unique use of Morse code in her compositions, and the benefits of limitations in creative work. I asked her about her experiences in HBCU marching band culture, at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and being part of a positive community of mentors and peers through the Composers Diversity Collective. With her background as a percussionist and her use of Morse code, I was interested to hear about her creative process, and also about some of her visual art projects and collaborative installations. EmmoLei’s discography encompasses many albums and singles, and often integrates soul, jazz, classical, and rhythm and blues. Her single, Don’t Fight, was included on Adult Swim’s OPUS compilation album. EmmoLei has collaborated with many award-winning filmmakers, and through her creative audio company, Bèl Son, has worked with brands like Nike, Buzzfeed and Kamala Harris for the People. At the beginning of this episode, we dig into EmmoLei’s unique score for The Other Black Girl, which I watched and recommend. It’s based on a best-selling novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, and the show is an edgy thriller that’s a social commentary with humourous twists, and shines a light on the expeirence of Black women in corporate America, specifically in the publishing industry.
Here's the link to the official Triangles Video (which is excerpted in the episode) https://youtu.be/5YGSMD547VE?si=1LS-y6EoFKP-SqGA
Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(03:01) The Other Black Girl(11:49) using Morse code in EmmoLei’s compositions(17:10) marching band culture HBCU(20:52) SCAD Sound Design Masters(23:25) please help support this independant podcast!(24:04) Mentors and mentoring, the Composers Diversity Collective(33:37) African diaspora, Sankofa(36:33) Emmolei’s instruments and creative process(44:44) visual art, trip to South Africa(56:26) Geometry, filmmaking, producing(01:00:49) Three Ways(01:04:13) The Other Black Girl, Tonality vocal group, graphic scores(01:12:23) In Pursuit of Silence(01:17:30) EmmoLei’s well-rounded musical background
Like all my podcast episodes, you can watch the video on my YouTube and the transcript is linked here as well: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/emmolei-sankofa
EmmoLei Sankofa https://www.e-sankofa.com/ is a an American composer, producer, musician, and artist whose work spans music, visual media, and fine art. Detailed show notes below with timestamps!
You can sign up for my weekly newsletter https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletterto get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests on my website https://www.leahroseman.com/about where you can explore past episodes and support the show through my Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
My socials are in my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman
In this episode we focused on EmmoLei's original music for Hulu's The Other Black Girl, the film score for Three Ways and her project Geometry, and we talked about her unique use of Morse code in her compositions, and the benefits of limitations in creative work. I asked her about her experiences in HBCU marching band culture, at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and being part of a positive community of mentors and peers through the Composers Diversity Collective. With her background as a percussionist and her use of Morse code, I was interested to hear about her creative process, and also about some of her visual art projects and collaborative installations. EmmoLei’s discography encompasses many albums and singles, and often integrates soul, jazz, classical, and rhythm and blues. Her single, Don’t Fight, was included on Adult Swim’s OPUS compilation album. EmmoLei has collaborated with many award-winning filmmakers, and through her creative audio company, Bèl Son, has worked with brands like Nike, Buzzfeed and Kamala Harris for the People. At the beginning of this episode, we dig into EmmoLei’s unique score for The Other Black Girl, which I watched and recommend. It’s based on a best-selling novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, and the show is an edgy thriller that’s a social commentary with humourous twists, and shines a light on the expeirence of Black women in corporate America, specifically in the publishing industry.
Here's the link to the official Triangles Video (which is excerpted in the episode) https://youtu.be/5YGSMD547VE?si=1LS-y6EoFKP-SqGA
Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(03:01) The Other Black Girl(11:49) using Morse code in EmmoLei’s compositions(17:10) marching band culture HBCU(20:52) SCAD Sound Design Masters(23:25) please help support this independant podcast!(24:04) Mentors and mentoring, the Composers Diversity Collective(33:37) African diaspora, Sankofa(36:33) Emmolei’s instruments and creative process(44:44) visual art, trip to South Africa(56:26) Geometry, filmmaking, producing(01:00:49) Three Ways(01:04:13) The Other Black Girl, Tonality vocal group, graphic scores(01:12:23) In Pursuit of Silence(01:17:30) EmmoLei’s well-rounded musical background
Previous Episode
Kirsten Agresta Copely: multi-style Harpist, Composer, Arranger
Welcome to Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman: This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, or as a video on my YouTube. This week’s episode is with the award-winning GRAMMY-nominated harpist and composer Kirsten Agresta Copely. The video and transcript are linked on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/kirsten-agresta-copely Kirsten has had a really diverse career, starting with rigorous classical training as a young child, an illustrious career as an internationally touring solo harpist, and then a contrasting career performing with pop and rap icons such as Beyonce, JayZ, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and so many more famous artists, lots of studio work, and as a composer and arranger. In this wide-ranging conversation we talked about dealing with grief, ways of dealing with stress and anxiety, and many insights from Kirsten’s unique path through the music industry, including as an educator and mentor. Very shortly after we recorded this episode, Aquamarine was nominated for a GRAMMY award for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album. Kirsten has shared several tracks from Aquamarine and some of her other projects that are excerpted in this podcast, and if this music draws you in, please click on the link to her website: https://www.kirstencopelymusic.com/
Could you support this independant podcast with a tip? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
Follow the podcast on social media, all those links are on the top of my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman
photo: Joseph Cartright
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(01:57) clip from I Am Water
(03:15) the creation of Aquamarine, Kirsten’s mother
(06:41) Kirsten’s musical education
(09:32) intro to Naids
(10:12) clip from Naids
(11:06) production of Aquamarine
(13:12) Kirsten’s development as a harpist, career choices
(19:57) please support the podcast!
(20:35) the isolation of being a harpist, career advice
(24:44) clip from Aquamarine
(26:58) high school in Michigan, Star Age piano music
(29:28) clip from Threads Star Age piano music
(30:46) Nashville scene, move to Brooklyn
(34:44) Suzanne McDonald
(36:41) intro to Into the Mist
(37:50) Into the Mist
(41:46) dealing with stress, movivation for creating New Age music, Kirsten’s mother’s death
(46:30) Tanzania trip witnessing the Great Migration
(48:27) the Sphere Las Vegas
(52:16) performing with Beyoncé for President Obama
(54:12) Live 8, playing pop arrangements
(57:47)how a pedal harp works
(01:04:01) different aspects to Kirsten’s career: soloist, different albums, arrangements
(01:06:40) clip from Kirsten’s arrangement of Radiohead’s Creep
(01:08:10) arranging for harp
(01:10:00) mentoring younger musicians, career advice
Next Episode
Ceara Conway: Roots and Wings
Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary vocalist and visual artist, and this episode features music from her album CAOIN as well as excerpts from some of her other projects. I find Ceara’s curiosity about so many important topics around arts and culture really inspiring and this conversation circled around to her explorations of different languages and cultures as well as her rootedness as an Irish speaker. She has had many interesting commissions dealing with history, illness, grief, and the natural world. She uses traditional and contemporary song, performance and visual art to explore social issues such as the ecological crisis, migration and feminist concerns. She also spoke to me about some of her roles working with the Clare Arts office with artists with disabilities, and how she started her career as a glassblower in Rome and how her upbringing has helped her navigate the world as a freelance artist. Like all my episodes, this is also a video and the transcript is also linked to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ceara-conway
Can you support the podcast with a virtual coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much! I need the support of my listeners to keep this going.
https://www.cearaconway.ie/about photo: Julia Dunin photography
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Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(02:36) Ceara’s background, the album CAOIN
(17:03) Anach Cuain
(18:10) more about CAOIN An Caoinea
dh
(20:52) singing in different languages, Oumou Sangaré
(23:56) Ceara’s childhood
(27:56) support this independant podcast!
(28:35) glassblowing, start in art and music, Matthew Noonan
(33:03) books
(35:28) Veriditas project
(41:23) Plant Chant
(43:01) Clare Arts Office Embrace arts and disability program
(49:18) CAOIN, intro to Seoith í n Seothó
(51:59) Seoithín Seothó
(56:00) Georgian song, choirs
(1:01:40) Dochas
(1:06:17) Hanna Tuulikki, corncrake
(1:09:05) Time to Say Goodbye
(1:13:14) Irish language
(1:16:50) new projects
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