Owen 'Alik Shahadah
Encyclopedia
Owen 'Alik Shahadah (Arabic: اليك شحادة) is a director
, African
writer
, and scholar. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace. Born in Hanover
, Germany
and educated in both England
and the Caribbean
, Shahadah is of a new generation of African Diaspora
filmmakers inspired by the likes of Malcolm X
and Kwame Ture. He produces work that articulates a multidimensional African world perspective. Testimony to this is 500 Years Later
and Motherland (film)
. As a cultural writer he is a leading critic of the terms black people
and Sub-Saharan Africa
, he states they are products of racism to undermine African history and cultural contributions. He argues for African agency and economic ownership of African culture by Africans.
and zoology
(Bsc) at the University of the West Indies
. Despite a science background his writings focus on revisiting academic racism and African history within an African framework. Notable he is author of arabslavetrade.com, a leading website on the Arab slave trade
in Africa.
He spent his teenage years growing up in Brooklyn
New York
. He also professes to a keen interest in anthropology
, natural history
, linguistics
and is a qualified PADI
divemaster
(scuba diver).
His former father-in-law
was socialist St Lucian politician George Odlum
. Odlum's daughter, now Shahadah's ex-wife, was also lead singer for Ocacia
.
.
Shahadah maintains that progressive African history keeps Africans as the primary agents of African history within an African cultural paradigm while at the same time meeting the highest threshold of good scholarship. He asserts that the tradition of "tarzan" or the hunter writing the history of Africa is an ongoing colonial threat to self-determination and justice. Alik Shahadah however states that "History and culture are far too dynamic to exclusively be articulated through the narrow window of race and color." He has written audio productions such as Torn land: Palestine, African Holocaust: Dark Voyages and co-written Afrikan Kingdoms. He has written a paper titled Linguistics for a new African reality which was adapted by the African Code. The paper identifies how sociolinguistic apply to self-determination
. He is a critic of the terms black people
and Sub-Saharan Africa
, he states they are products of racism to undermine African history and cultural contributions. He also writes on slavery in Africa, Arabia and the Americas. He lobbies for free movement
in Africa and an economic empowerment of African people globally and especially in places where they are the majority in the population.
, an influential film that explores the psycho-cultural effects of slavery and colonialism in the African Diaspora
. The film won 5 international awards including: Breaking Chains Award 2007, UNESCO
(presented at ZIFF
film festival in Zanzibar, Best Documentary at the Pan African (Los Angeles) and Bridgetown (Barbados
) Film Festivals; Best Film at the International Black Cinema (Berlin) Film Festival; and Best International Documentary at the Harlem (New York) International Film Festival. It was nominated for 'Best of the Best' at FESPACO. In October 2005, 500 Years Later was screened at the Millions More Movement
. Philadelphia Weekly wrote, "When participants gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Millions More Movement rally last month, they also became one of the largest film audiences in history." He has also directed The Idea
with (Tunde Jegede
), a black comedy, as well as the political documentary Our Story Our Voice
(2007) which was selected for Best Documentary at the Pan-African Film Festival
. In 2004 he began working on the multi-award winning documentary Motherland (film)
2010. Motherland is one of the first Pan-African documentaries on the continent of Africa.
filmmakers, who draws from the masters of African cinema
. Shahadah believes that Africans must develop an authentic African aesthetic and bring this into film culture. He also stresses that all art in the traditional African senses is socially functional. As a filmmaker he is noted for emphasizing music to film synchronization. He stresses that African film, like African music (both of the continent and the Diaspora
), has a rhythm which is the fundamental inner harmony that sets up a unique African sensibility. His documentaries never use narration and are driven my music, strong flashing images set to music and spoken word and rich color. Unique in documentary Shahadah uses heavy dramatic film scores, typical of epic movies. He says his films are a four part harmony of information produced by images, music, text and dialog. For the Motherland (film)
Shahadah claims he created a new way of mixing music in Dolby 5.1 called split positioning.
He approaches cinema from a jazz paradigm and states: "If you want to understand the concept of a paradigm shift go and study jazz, it is the most perfect example of an African aesthetic. Because it has agency it can absorbs worldly influences but still expresses an African sensibility. Like a language jazz is grammatically Africa while its lexicon is varied."
, who have performed at numerous international jazz festivals, including the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival
in 2000. The band has also played at many of the key London Jazz venues including Ronnie Scotts and WKD. As a composer, Shahadah has written over 400 songs including the hit Tear for the World and If I… (co-written by Sona Jobarteh). Shahadah also wrote the opening theme for 500 Years Later
with African percussionist Mamedi Kamara.
Shahadah is involved in Pan-African and development and in the early to late 90’s trained and invested in renowned Tanzanian music producer Joachim Kimaryo of MJ Records. Shahadah and Kimaryo continued to exchange and develop what has today has blossomed into the largest urban music industry in Tanzania.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, African
African people
African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and scholar. He is best known for authoring works, which deal with African history, social justice, environmental issues, education and world peace. Born in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and educated in both England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Shahadah is of a new generation of African Diaspora
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
filmmakers inspired by the likes of Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
and Kwame Ture. He produces work that articulates a multidimensional African world perspective. Testimony to this is 500 Years Later
500 Years Later
500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
and Motherland (film)
Motherland (film)
Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
. As a cultural writer he is a leading critic of the terms black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
and Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, he states they are products of racism to undermine African history and cultural contributions. He argues for African agency and economic ownership of African culture by Africans.
Education & Personal
Shahadah studied Aeronautical Engineering (BEng) in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
(Bsc) at the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
. Despite a science background his writings focus on revisiting academic racism and African history within an African framework. Notable he is author of arabslavetrade.com, a leading website on the Arab slave trade
Arab slave trade
The Arab slave trade was the practice of slavery in the Arab World, mainly Western Asia, North Africa, East Africa and certain parts of Europe during their period of domination by Arab leaders. The trade was focused on the slave markets of the Middle East and North Africa...
in Africa.
He spent his teenage years growing up in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He also professes to a keen interest in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and is a qualified PADI
Padi
Padi or PADI may refer to:* Padi, Chennai, India* Padi , a musical group* Paddy field, a type of cultivated land * Professional Association of Diving Instructors, a scuba organization...
divemaster
Divemaster
A Divemaster is a diving qualification used throughout most of the world in scuba diving for a diver who has overall responsibility for a group of divers...
(scuba diver).
His former father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
was socialist St Lucian politician George Odlum
George Odlum
George William Odlum was a Saint Lucian left-wing politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Born in Castries, Odlum studied at Bristol University and Oxford University in the United Kingdom before returning to Saint Lucia as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Trade...
. Odlum's daughter, now Shahadah's ex-wife, was also lead singer for Ocacia
Ocacia
Ocacia is an international smooth jazz studio and performance group. Ocacia is known for their socially conscious lyrics. The music is characterized by some as "escapist" in the usage of space, chords and ethnic overtones. The chord structure has an absences of "thirds" and is similar to other...
.
Published work
Shahadah publishes articles in a variety of African journals such as African Executive, AllAfrica, African Holocaust and Pambazuka, Zimbabwe Herald and AllAfrica.comAllAfrica.com
AllAfrica.com is a website that aggregates news produced primarily on the African continent about all areas of African life, politics, issues and culture. It is available in both English and French and produced by AllAfrica Global Media, which has offices in Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia,...
.
Shahadah maintains that progressive African history keeps Africans as the primary agents of African history within an African cultural paradigm while at the same time meeting the highest threshold of good scholarship. He asserts that the tradition of "tarzan" or the hunter writing the history of Africa is an ongoing colonial threat to self-determination and justice. Alik Shahadah however states that "History and culture are far too dynamic to exclusively be articulated through the narrow window of race and color." He has written audio productions such as Torn land: Palestine, African Holocaust: Dark Voyages and co-written Afrikan Kingdoms. He has written a paper titled Linguistics for a new African reality which was adapted by the African Code. The paper identifies how sociolinguistic apply to self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
. He is a critic of the terms black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
and Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, he states they are products of racism to undermine African history and cultural contributions. He also writes on slavery in Africa, Arabia and the Americas. He lobbies for free movement
Free movement
Free movement may refer to:*Freedom of movement between states*The Free Movement, an R&B group...
in Africa and an economic empowerment of African people globally and especially in places where they are the majority in the population.
Film/Video List
- Motherland (film)Motherland (film)Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
(2010) - Still My Home (2008)
- Our Story Our VoiceOur Story Our VoiceOur Story Our Voice is a 2007 independent political documentary which looks at the social tension in the world today. The film offers a dialogue with the marginalized voices that are rarely heard in mainstream media...
(2007) - The IdeaThe IdeaThe Idea is a short 2006 black comedy film, a satire of modern societies. The film focuses on the inability to listen beyond the sound of our own voice and ego...
(2006) - 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
(2005) - No Difference (Music VideoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
) (2005) - Tear for the World (Music VideoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
) (2005) - Like water running off my back (Music VideoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
) (2004)
Films
Shahadah is best known for directing the documentary 500 Years Later500 Years Later
500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
, an influential film that explores the psycho-cultural effects of slavery and colonialism in the African Diaspora
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
. The film won 5 international awards including: Breaking Chains Award 2007, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(presented at ZIFF
Ziff
Ziff is an unknown metal mentioned in the Book of Mormon .In Hebrew, this term means brightness, i.e. metallic brightness.Near the end of the article at this link http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=8&num=2&id=222 a Hebrew term thought to relate to ziff is mentioned....
film festival in Zanzibar, Best Documentary at the Pan African (Los Angeles) and Bridgetown (Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
) Film Festivals; Best Film at the International Black Cinema (Berlin) Film Festival; and Best International Documentary at the Harlem (New York) International Film Festival. It was nominated for 'Best of the Best' at FESPACO. In October 2005, 500 Years Later was screened at the Millions More Movement
Millions More Movement
The Millions More Movement was launched by a broad coalition of African American leaders to mark the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Million Man March. A mass march on Washington, DC, was held on October 15, 2005, to galvanize public support for the movement's goals...
. Philadelphia Weekly wrote, "When participants gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Millions More Movement rally last month, they also became one of the largest film audiences in history." He has also directed The Idea
The Idea
The Idea is a short 2006 black comedy film, a satire of modern societies. The film focuses on the inability to listen beyond the sound of our own voice and ego...
with (Tunde Jegede
Tunde Jegede
Tunde Jegede is a composer and multi-instrumentalist who is uniquely placed between the worlds of Contemporary Classical, African and Pop music. He is a prolific Producer/Song writer and has worked across several genres both as a performer and producer...
), a black comedy, as well as the political documentary Our Story Our Voice
Our Story Our Voice
Our Story Our Voice is a 2007 independent political documentary which looks at the social tension in the world today. The film offers a dialogue with the marginalized voices that are rarely heard in mainstream media...
(2007) which was selected for Best Documentary at the Pan-African Film Festival
Pan-African Film Festival
Established in 1992, The Pan African Film Festival is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression....
. In 2004 he began working on the multi-award winning documentary Motherland (film)
Motherland (film)
Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
2010. Motherland is one of the first Pan-African documentaries on the continent of Africa.
Technique & African Aesthetic
Shahadah is seen as one of the next generation of African DiasporaAfrican diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
filmmakers, who draws from the masters of African cinema
African cinema
The term African cinema refers to the film production in Africa, following formal independence. Some of the countries in North Africa developed a national film industry much earlier and are related to West Asian cinema...
. Shahadah believes that Africans must develop an authentic African aesthetic and bring this into film culture. He also stresses that all art in the traditional African senses is socially functional. As a filmmaker he is noted for emphasizing music to film synchronization. He stresses that African film, like African music (both of the continent and the Diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
), has a rhythm which is the fundamental inner harmony that sets up a unique African sensibility. His documentaries never use narration and are driven my music, strong flashing images set to music and spoken word and rich color. Unique in documentary Shahadah uses heavy dramatic film scores, typical of epic movies. He says his films are a four part harmony of information produced by images, music, text and dialog. For the Motherland (film)
Motherland (film)
Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
Shahadah claims he created a new way of mixing music in Dolby 5.1 called split positioning.
He approaches cinema from a jazz paradigm and states: "If you want to understand the concept of a paradigm shift go and study jazz, it is the most perfect example of an African aesthetic. Because it has agency it can absorbs worldly influences but still expresses an African sensibility. Like a language jazz is grammatically Africa while its lexicon is varied."
Awards and nominations
- 2011 Motherland (film)Motherland (film)Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
| Nominated Best Diaspora Documentary African Movie Academy AwardAfrican Movie Academy AwardThe African Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA Awards, are presented annually to recognize excellence of professionals in the African film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The awards are aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well...
(2011) - 2010 Motherland (film)Motherland (film)Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
| Best Documentary Zanzibar International Film FestivalZanzibar International Film FestivalThe Zanzibar International Film Festival , also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has been described as the largest cultural event in East Africa. During the festival, films are shown in Stone Town in Zanzibar City, as well as rural...
(2010) - 2010 Motherland (film)Motherland (film)Motherland is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah. Motherland is the sequel to the multiaward winning film 500 Years Later.- Synopsis:...
| Best Board of directors award for Documentary Pan-African Film FestivalPan-African Film FestivalEstablished in 1992, The Pan African Film Festival is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression....
(2010) - 2007 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Winner, UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
/Zanzibar International Film FestivalZanzibar International Film FestivalThe Zanzibar International Film Festival , also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has been described as the largest cultural event in East Africa. During the festival, films are shown in Stone Town in Zanzibar City, as well as rural...
, "Breaking the Chains" award - 2007 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Nominated, FESPACO, Paul Robeson award "Best of the Diaspora" - 2007 Our Story Our VoiceOur Story Our VoiceOur Story Our Voice is a 2007 independent political documentary which looks at the social tension in the world today. The film offers a dialogue with the marginalized voices that are rarely heard in mainstream media...
| Nominated, PAFF, Best Documentary - 2005 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Winner, Pan-African Film Festival, Best Documentary PAFF - 2005 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Winner, Bridgetown Film Festival, Best Documentary - 2005 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Winner, Berlin Black Film Festival, Best Film - 2005 500 Years Later500 Years Later500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
| Winner, Harlem International Film Festival, Best International Documentary
Views on African Cinema
Shahadah sees film as an instrument of mass persuasion, which has been traditionally used to foster a negative image of African people globally, he therefore believes film is one of the most potent weapons to re-image African and solidify a Pan-African identity. Owen Shahadah is a critic of Nollywood and popular “African American cinema” which he believes cheapens the perception of African culture; “it re-emphasizes, by imitation, a culturally shallow notion of African people, it serves more for the entertainment of Europeans than anything else.” But he praised Nollywood for its economic impact and for offering an alternative African selection. "Economically Nollywood is a blessing but it must learn to be loyal to the art of the film industry and not capitalism."Music career
Producers and pianist in the Jazz-Fusion band OcaciaOcacia
Ocacia is an international smooth jazz studio and performance group. Ocacia is known for their socially conscious lyrics. The music is characterized by some as "escapist" in the usage of space, chords and ethnic overtones. The chord structure has an absences of "thirds" and is similar to other...
, who have performed at numerous international jazz festivals, including the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival
Saint Lucia Jazz Festival
The St. Lucia Jazz Festival is an annual internationally-known event which takes place on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The event brings together international as well as local musicians...
in 2000. The band has also played at many of the key London Jazz venues including Ronnie Scotts and WKD. As a composer, Shahadah has written over 400 songs including the hit Tear for the World and If I… (co-written by Sona Jobarteh). Shahadah also wrote the opening theme for 500 Years Later
500 Years Later
500 Years Later is the title of an independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah, written by M. K. Asante, Jr. released in 2005. It won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary...
with African percussionist Mamedi Kamara.
Shahadah is involved in Pan-African and development and in the early to late 90’s trained and invested in renowned Tanzanian music producer Joachim Kimaryo of MJ Records. Shahadah and Kimaryo continued to exchange and develop what has today has blossomed into the largest urban music industry in Tanzania.
Interviews
- BBC radio Debate "Racism against Africa"
- Rice N Peas Interview
- SABC Morning Show
- Deconstructing the hurt