World Refugee Day 2021

Today was a beautiful celebration of resilience and culture at CAPI’s Twin Cities World Refugee Day, held virtually this year. I was honored to be able to perform several pieces for the celebration, marking my fourth year participating in this special festival. This was the first recurring event that I was invited to perform at upon moving to Minnesota and I am always energized by the people that come together to celebrate on this day.

The first track on my forthcoming album, Libandzuwa, speaks about immigrants, refugees, and other travelers. “Fly” speaks to the fact that we are all migratory creatures, who for various reasons travel to different places over our lifetimes. In these modern times, we may call these travelers “immigrants,” “refugees,” and “displaced people,” but what I believe to be true is that there is a calling for all travelers, whether their ancestors came against their will as slaves, or if they came by choice to conquer the land. Our roots call us to the lands of our ancestors so that our souls can rest in peace, fertilizing opportunity for future generations.

Listen to a sample of the song “Fly” on my HearNow page, or see where you can download or stream it.

(Nyttu Chongo – Mbira Dzava Dzimu, Vocals // Lucas Trigueiro – Kora // Fabian – Saxophone)

by NyttuChongo