I Self Devine - Rituals of Resilience

https://new.artsmia.org/stories/radical-collaboration-how-the-sonic-landscape-of-rituals-of-resilience-came-together

I Self Devine delivers his best work to date in the form of an audio-visual experience with “Rituals of Resilience” - his official follow up to his 2nd solo album, “The Sound of Low Class Amerika”.

The Twin Cities-based musician, artist, and community organizer co-curated a gallery at the Minneapolis Institute of Art to create a dialog between works by Black visual artists from the United States, Africa, the greater African Diaspora, and this new album. Artworks by Kevin Beasley, Bisa Butler, Jordan Casteel, Deborah Roberts, Cinga Samson, Billie Zangewa, and others explore themes of identity, culture, spirituality, and power through the embodiment of Black lived experience. The accompanying album grew from in-depth research on the work of each artist, and approaches their individual visual practice as a means to access and articulate a collective Black consciousness that transcends time and space.

I Self explains, “‘Rituals of Resilience’ is about the act of survival under intense pressure and heat. A place to hide when being in your body isn’t safe. A reimagining of new worlds and possibilities. The creative culture of Indigenous and diasporic ethnic groups of African descent surviving and dismantling 400 hundred years of white supremacy …through a visceral fabric of repetitious intentional movements, vibrations, gatherings, acts, symbols, and codes.”

Rituals of Resilience is co-curated Chaka Mkali (I Self) & Gabriel Ritter, Mia’s Curator and Head of Contemporary Art. The album is executive produced by Orko Eloheim, Medium Zach, and I Self Devine, with features from The Lioness, SoloStar, Tish Jones, Izell Pyramid, Muja Messiah, Greg Grease, I-BE, and others.

Produced By Orko Eloheim

Recorded, Arranged, Mixed & Mastered By Medium Zach

Executive Produced By Orko Eloheim, Medium Zach, & I Self Devine

Cover Illustrated By Johnalynn Holland

Layout By Andrés Guzmán

Written & Performed By I Self Devine (C. Mkali) - Emperor And Assassin (BMI)

Produced By Orko Eloheim (D. Bullard) - Mark of the Beats (ASCAP)

Engineering, Additional Production, Arrangement, Synth (1, 4), & Vocals (11) by Medium Zach (Z. Bagaason) - Real Proper Like (ASCAP)

Musicians:

Jalyn Spencer - Bass Guitar: 1, 2, 3, 10, 14, 15
Kavyesh Kaviraj - Rhodes & Piano: 2, 8, 12, 13
Arit Harvanko - Electric & Sitar Guitar: 6, 14, 16
Miguel Hurtado - Additional Drums & Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16

Vocalists:

SoloStar (N. White) - Feature & Additional Vocals: 2, 8, 9, 11, 12
Izell Pyramid (M. Jamison) - Additional Vocals: 1, 2, 9, 14
Muja Messiah (R. Hedges) - Feature: 5
The Lioness (S. Adams) - Feature: 10
I-BE (I. Oduniyi) - Chorus Vocals: 11, 12
Greg Grease (R. Johnson) - Feature: 11
Tish Jones - Feature: 13

Album Recorded, Mixed, & Mastered at Woodgrain (Minneapolis, MN)