Amiri Baraka Celebrates Abby Lincoln at Eastside Arts

Amiri Baraka Celebrates Abby Lincoln and Max Roach at Oakland’s Eastside Arts

Amiri Baraka celebrated his relationship with fellow artists, now deceased, Abby Lincoln and Max Roach at Eastside Arts theatre tonight. He was accompanied by the Muziki Roberson band. Marvin X opened the set with a reading of his Parable of the Woman in the Box., from his book Mythology of Pussy and Dick, toward Healthy Psychosocial Sexuality.

His parable was warmly received. Marvin X told the audience this coming weekend Eastside Arts will present his first play Flowers for the Trashman (1965, San Francisco State University Drama Department production) along with Opal Palmer Adisa’s Bathroom Graffiti Queen, produced, directed and performed by Ayodele Nzingha.

Amiri Baraka’s performance was great as usual although we expected his wife, Amina, to accompany him as vocalist, performing the work of Abby Lincoln, a close friend of the Barakas. Baraka told of her funeral and the repast that lasted until 5am in the morning at a New York jazz club.

Baraka told of his relationship with Abby and legendary drummer Max Roach, and how they were not only artists but would become lovers and husband and wife. He said this was a 60s marriage of power, along with Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, and we must add Amiri and Amina Baraka, Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott, Elijah and Clara Muhammad. Baraka told how these marriages helped solidify the liberation movement. They were, after all, symbols and examples of unity, male/female unity utterly lacking in today’s liberation movement. Baraka said he was shocked when Abby and Max separated.

He recited poetry dedicated to the couple, poems he’d read at both their funerals. The band was with him at every point, accenting his poetic message that included a plethora of his classic poems, backed with the music of Max, Monk, and other jazz legends.

This was a concert of spoken word and music at its highest level, performed by the godfather of the Black Arts Movement, our greatest living revolutionary artist. Those hip hop artists need to stop ego tripping and sit at the feet of the masters. When we produced the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness Concert at San Francisco State University, we recall how Dr. Cornell West sat patiently for five hours before Marvin X called him to the mike. Cornell then declared, "I don't know if I'm a king or queen because there is so much darkness in my soul...but I'm thankful to be here among so many of the maladjusted to injustice." The maladjusted to injustice included: Drs. Nathan and Julia Hare, Mrs. and Mr. Amina and Amiri Baraka, Askia Toure, Ishmael Reed, Rev. Cecil Williams, Tarika Lewis, Destiny Muhammad, Rudi Mwongozi, Eddie Gale, Phavia Khujuchagulia, Tureeda Mikell, Kalamu ya Salaam, Elliott Bey, Marvin X, et al.

--Marvin X

11/13/10

Coming Next Weekend to Eastside Arts

Opal Palmer Adisa's Bathroom Graffiti Queen

and

Marvin X's Flowers for the Trashman

playwrights
Marvin X
Opal Palmer Adisa

Ayodele
Nzingha,
producer,
director,
actress

Two Black Plays at Eastside Arts Alliance

We are happy to announce two black plays will be performed at Eastside Arts Alliance: Opal Palmer Adisa's Bathroom Graffiti Queen and Marvin X's classic Flowers for the Trashman. The plays are produced and directed by Ayodele Nzingha, founder of the Lower Bottom Playaz of West Oakland. Ayodele portrays the Queen in this one-woman production that stole the show at the recent San Francisco Theatre Festival at Yerba Buena Center.

Flowers for the Trashman is Marvin X's first play, produced in 1965 by the drama department at San Francisco State University while he was an undergrad. It is a timeless story of the father-son relationship. It is a classic of the Black Arts Movement and was published in Black Fire, the anthology of BAM, edited by Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka, 1968.

These two plays will provide an evening of powerful theatre by two of the Bay Area's greatest writers, Opal Palmer and Marvin X. Ayodele's role will give the audience a chance to see a great actress deliver a high quality performance. The young brothers in Trashman are equally skilled after performing the play for some time. It is refreshing to see young men doing something positive.

The Eastside Arts Alliance is located at 23rd and International Blvd., Oakland. Dates: November 19.20,21, donation $5.00. 8pm.