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| {{short description|American musician, poet and writer}} | |||
| {{refimprove}} | |||
| {{pp-semi-indef}} | |||
| {{Infobox musical artist | {{Infobox musical artist | ||
| |name = Marcel Diallo | |name = Marcel Diallo | ||
| |image = |
|image = | ||
| |caption = |
|caption = | ||
| |background = |
|background = solo_singer | ||
| |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|10|09|mf=y}} | |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|10|09|mf=y}} | ||
| |birth_place = ], ] | |||
| |death_date = | |death_date = | ||
| |death_place = | |||
| |occupation = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>] | |occupation = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>] | ||
| |years_active = | |years_active =1997-present | ||
| |instrument = ]<br/>] | |instrument = ]<br/>] | ||
| |label = | |label = | ||
| |associated_acts = | |associated_acts = | ||
| |website = | |website = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Marcel Diallo''' is an American musician, poet, artist and community builder, known for his founding of the Black Dot Artists Collective, The Black New World and his revitalization efforts in ]'s historic, predominantly ] Prescott neighborhood aka the Lower Bottoms. | '''Marcel Diallo''' is an American musician, poet, artist and community builder, known for his founding of the Black Dot Artists Collective (later Black Dot Artists, Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cca.edu/search/google/Marcel%20Diallo?query=Marcel%20Diallo&cx=014760550920755569959%3Ax3enlyeq0ha&cof=FORID%3A11&sitesearch=|title=Crafting a Vision for Art, Equity and Civic Engagement|publisher=Center for Art and Public Life}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>), The Black New World and his revitalization efforts in ]'s historic, predominantly ] Prescott neighborhood aka the ]. | ||
| == Biography == | == Biography == | ||
| Diallo was born and raised in ], the eldest of four children. After graduating from ], San Luis Obispo with a B.A. in philosophy, Diallo moved back to the Bay Area, settling in Oakland while earning a |
Diallo was born and raised in ], the eldest of four children, in a poor neighborhood.<ref name=cnn>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/07/30/bia.village.bottoms.cnn?iref=allsearch|last=O'Brien|first=Soledad|title=Rebirth of 'Village Bottoms'|date=July 30, 2009}}</ref> After graduating from ], ] with a B.A. in ], Diallo moved back to the Bay Area, settling in Oakland while earning a ] at ] in Consciousness Studies. In ] he became involved in Oakland's ] poetry scene. He opened a poetry venue, The Black Dot Cafe in 1998. | ||
| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| Diallo began as an open mic poet/emcee. He founded the Black Dot Artists' Collective in 1996 with poet Robert Jamal Jackson and percussionist Kele Nitoto. The three artists began an open mic called Rhyme Ritual at The Java House in Oakland that attracted artists involved in the Bay Area's spoken word and poetry scene. | Diallo began as an ] poet/]. He founded the Black Dot Artists' Collective in 1996 with poet Robert Jamal Jackson and ] Kele Nitoto. The three artists began an ] called "Rhyme Ritual" at The Java House in ] that attracted artists involved in the Bay Area's spoken word and poetry scene. | ||
| In 1997, Diallo released his first album, ''The Shaman and The Nigga God'', on ], a Bay Area independent hip-hop label | In 1997, Diallo released his first album, ''The Shaman and The Nigga God'', on ], a Bay Area ] label. | ||
| In 1998, Marcel Diallo opened the Ritual Space and Black Dot Cafe in East Oakland. Some well |
In 1998, Marcel Diallo opened the Ritual Space and Black Dot Cafe<ref name=cnn/> in ]. Some well-known artists featured were Boots Riley from ], ], ], ], ], ], The Grouch and Bicasso from ], and ]. The space also featured an ] night called The Word and a youth workshop called Beats, Flows & Videos. Esoterism was a strong theme at both venues where ], meditation, ] workshops and other spiritual services were offered alongside traditional hip-hop concerts.<ref>Punk Planet #40, November/December 2000: ''Marcel Diallo-Black Dot Cafe'' by Aaron Shuman</ref> | ||
| When Black Dot artists collective got evicted from their East Oakland location, they relocated to West Oakland. Though the artists collective had previously done arts-activism work such as the No on ] campaign, it would become concentrated in one neighborhood with their new location in 2000. Coined the Village Bottoms by Diallo, the artists collective focused on community and economic development, as well as affordable housing and anti-gentrification education in West Oakland. The area, which currently involves mostly Pine and Wood streets is being revitalized by a community of active volunteers into a Black cultural district, similar to that of Leimert Park in Los Angeles and Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in Newark, New Jersey. The area, which has been a multi-ethnic community, but remained primarily African-American after World War |
When Black Dot artists collective got evicted from their ] location, they relocated to ]. Though the artists collective had previously done arts-activism work such as the "No on ]" campaign, it would become concentrated in one neighborhood with their new location in 2000. Coined the Village Bottoms by Diallo, the artists collective focused on community and economic development, as well as ] and anti-gentrification education in West Oakland. The area, which currently involves mostly Pine and Wood streets is being revitalized by a community of active volunteers into a Black cultural district, similar to that of Leimert Park in ] and Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in ]. The area, which has been a multi-ethnic community, but remained primarily African-American after World War II, saw its economic infrastructure change drastically upon the building of the ] station, ], and the post office. Over the years, the area grew one of the worst reputations in Oakland as the Lower Bottoms. Project of Diallo's organization the ''Village Bottoms Community Building and Development Corporation'', have been an urban farm,<ref name=cnn/> cultural arts businesses, performance venues, cooperative/collective grocery services, ], and public arts parades and programs. | ||
| ⚫ | In 2000, Diallo was selected to exhibit a visual arts installation titled, ''Scrapyard Ghosts'', at ] in Old Oakland. He has since opened various galleries in Oakland's Prescott neighborhood. He exhibited and taught at the ] in San Francisco in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://center.cca.edu/academics/asb|title=Alternative Spring Break: Projects|publisher=Center for Art and Public Life, California College of the Arts|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209152633/http://center.cca.edu/academics/asb|archive-date=2014-12-09}}</ref> Diallo has curated at places like ] and created art for exhibits at Bay Area galleries. His curatorial exhibits have featured some of the Bay Area's renown artists such as former Black Panther ], West Oakland sculptor ], Eesuu Orundide, Keba Konte, Githinji Wa Mbire, Kevin Slagle, Don Fortescue and others.<ref></ref> He has also worked with artists ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | In 2000, Diallo was featured in '']'''s Dreaming Americans series.<ref>Dreaming Americans: Marcel Diallo by Eric K. Arnold, ''The Source'' magazine, October 2000</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ⚫ | He is also co-founder of Eastside Arts Alliance, a multicultural organization in the Lower San Antonio District and currently works with Ecocity Builders. The concept of a cultural district has been labelled by some residents as exclusionary. Diallo and his non-black supporters have been quoted in the mainstream media stating that the revitalization of Oakland's oldest Black neighborhood is for the benefit of all residents of ], regardless of race, color or creed.<ref name=AG>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/21/CMG93N6V7B1.DTL|title=Against Gentrification: Marcel Diallo sees a black cultural district where Oakland's the Bottoms neighborhood now stands|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=January 27, 2007}}</ref><ref name="wiretapmag.org"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007185333/http://www.wiretapmag.org/stories/43420/ |date=October 7, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Nation: The Fine Art of Rebuilding West Oakland by Richard Gonzales, Morning Edition, February 16, 2007 - NPR</ref><ref name="eastbayexpress.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/artsculture/the_odd_couple/Content?oid=816005|title=The Odd Couple: How developer Rick Holliday reached out to community activist Marcel Diallo to pave the way for Central Station| first=Rachel|last=Swan|date=August 27, 2008|publisher=East Bay Express}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite news|title=Hipster Invasion: Downtown Oakland's fledgling art scene is booming — and some artists and residents aren't terribly happy about it|author=David Downs|date=August 30, 2006|work=East Bay Express}}</ref> He was quoted in the ''San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine'' in January 2007 saying, " It's not just for blacks... Everybody needs a black cultural district. Just like everybody needs a Chinatown."<ref name=AG/><ref name="wiretapmag.org"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="eastbayexpress.com"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/> | ||
| ⚫ | ==Continuing creative efforts== | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| He has also worked with artists ], ], ]{{Disambiguation needed|date=June 2011}}, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| In 2009, Diallo was featured prominently on CNN's "Reclaiming The Dream" because of his legendary efforts in helping to revitalize West Oakland's historic predominantly African-American "Lower Bottoms" neighborhood. In the piece Diallo is quoted as saying that while he understands that gentrification is happening, and that West Oakland is moving towards being "one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the Bay Area", that he just wants to make sure that the longtime black working-class inhabitants are able to participate in the neighborhood's newfound wealth.<ref name=CNN>{{cite news | |||
| ⚫ | In 2000, Diallo was featured in ]'s Dreaming Americans series.<ref>Dreaming Americans: Marcel Diallo by Eric K. Arnold, The Source |
||
| |title=Rebirth of The Village Bottoms | |||
| |publisher=Soledad O'Brien | |||
| |work=CNN | |||
| |url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/07/30/bia.village.bottoms.cnn}}</ref> | |||
| The CNN coverage shared Diallo's vision of a Black Cultural District with millions of viewers internationally, causing hundreds of people across the country to visit the District. Diallo answered the cause, by giving frequent tours of the District to people of all backgrounds on a weekly basis.<ref name="The Daily Kos">{{cite news | |||
| ⚫ | He has self-published one book of poetry. His forthcoming book ''Black New World Manifesto'', featuring prose and poems with a |
||
| |title=EcoJustice: Getting a taste of what it means to be Black | |||
| |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/02/799561/-EcoJustice-Getting-a-taste-of-what-it-means-to-be-Black | |||
| |author=Sven Eberlein | |||
| |publisher=The Daily Kos | |||
| |date=Nov 2, 2009}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ==Continuing creative efforts== | ||
| ⚫ | He has self-published one book of poetry. His forthcoming book ''Black New World Manifesto'', featuring prose and poems with a foreword by ] was due for release by Black Dot Cafe Press in 2009. | ||
| == Discography == | == Discography == | ||
| Line 81: | Line 96: | ||
| BAN5/ The Black New World Recipe Book One: Sanctified Gumbo, Yerba Buena Center for The Arts, 2008 (guest curator & artist) | BAN5/ The Black New World Recipe Book One: Sanctified Gumbo, Yerba Buena Center for The Arts, 2008 (guest curator & artist) | ||
| ⚫ | == References == | ||
| ⚫ | {{reflist}} | ||
| == Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
| ⚫ | ''Black Artists in Oakland'' by Jerry Thompson, Duane Deterville, 2007, Arcadia Publishing, {{ISBN|0-7385-4725-5}} | ||
| ⚫ | ''Maximum Rocknroll,'' published by Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, 2006 | ||
| ⚫ | Black Artists in Oakland by Jerry Thompson, Duane Deterville, 2007, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN |
||
| ⚫ | ''Z'' magazine, Institute for Social and Cultural Communications, 2000 | ||
| ⚫ | Maximum Rocknroll, |
||
| ⚫ | == References == | ||
| ⚫ | Z magazine |
||
| ⚫ | {{reflist}} | ||
| == External links == | |||
| Building Arts, Building Community? Informal Arts Districts and Neighborhood Change In Oakland, California, by the Center for Community Innovation University of California, Berkeley, 2008. | |||
| * | |||
| {{authority control}} | |||
| {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. --> | |||
| | NAME = Diallo | |||
| ⚫ | {{DEFAULTSORT:Diallo, Marcel}} | ||
| | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | |||
| | DATE OF BIRTH = October 9, 1972 | |||
| | PLACE OF BIRTH = | |||
| | DATE OF DEATH = | |||
| | PLACE OF DEATH = | |||
| }} | |||
| ⚫ | {{DEFAULTSORT:Diallo}} | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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Latest revision as of 00:10, 1 August 2023
American musician, poet and writer
| Marcel Diallo | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1972-10-09) October 9, 1972 (age 52) California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Poet Musician Artist Philosopher Social Entrepreneur Activist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals MPC60II |
| Years active | 1997-present |
| Website | Official Site |
Marcel Diallo is an American musician, poet, artist and community builder, known for his founding of the Black Dot Artists Collective (later Black Dot Artists, Inc.), The Black New World and his revitalization efforts in West Oakland's historic, predominantly African-American Prescott neighborhood aka the Lower Bottoms.
Biography
Diallo was born and raised in California, the eldest of four children, in a poor neighborhood. After graduating from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a B.A. in philosophy, Diallo moved back to the Bay Area, settling in Oakland while earning a master's degree at John F. Kennedy University in Consciousness Studies. In Oakland he became involved in Oakland's café poetry scene. He opened a poetry venue, The Black Dot Cafe in 1998.
Career
Diallo began as an open mic poet/emcee. He founded the Black Dot Artists' Collective in 1996 with poet Robert Jamal Jackson and percussionist Kele Nitoto. The three artists began an open mic called "Rhyme Ritual" at The Java House in Oakland that attracted artists involved in the Bay Area's spoken word and poetry scene.
In 1997, Diallo released his first album, The Shaman and The Nigga God, on Akashic Records, a Bay Area independent hip-hop label.
In 1998, Marcel Diallo opened the Ritual Space and Black Dot Cafe in East Oakland. Some well-known artists featured were Boots Riley from The Coup, Eddie Gale, Amiri Baraka, The Last Poets, Kahil El Zabar, Marvin X, The Grouch and Bicasso from Living Legends, and Piri Thomas. The space also featured an open mic night called The Word and a youth workshop called Beats, Flows & Videos. Esoterism was a strong theme at both venues where yoga, meditation, vegan lifestyle workshops and other spiritual services were offered alongside traditional hip-hop concerts.
When Black Dot artists collective got evicted from their East Oakland location, they relocated to West Oakland. Though the artists collective had previously done arts-activism work such as the "No on Prop 21" campaign, it would become concentrated in one neighborhood with their new location in 2000. Coined the Village Bottoms by Diallo, the artists collective focused on community and economic development, as well as affordable housing and anti-gentrification education in West Oakland. The area, which currently involves mostly Pine and Wood streets is being revitalized by a community of active volunteers into a Black cultural district, similar to that of Leimert Park in Los Angeles and Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in Newark, New Jersey. The area, which has been a multi-ethnic community, but remained primarily African-American after World War II, saw its economic infrastructure change drastically upon the building of the BART station, Cypress Freeway, and the post office. Over the years, the area grew one of the worst reputations in Oakland as the Lower Bottoms. Project of Diallo's organization the Village Bottoms Community Building and Development Corporation, have been an urban farm, cultural arts businesses, performance venues, cooperative/collective grocery services, affordable housing, and public arts parades and programs.
In 2000, Diallo was selected to exhibit a visual arts installation titled, Scrapyard Ghosts, at ProArts Gallery in Old Oakland. He has since opened various galleries in Oakland's Prescott neighborhood. He exhibited and taught at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco in 2006. Diallo has curated at places like Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and created art for exhibits at Bay Area galleries. His curatorial exhibits have featured some of the Bay Area's renown artists such as former Black Panther Emory Douglas, West Oakland sculptor Bruce Beasley, Eesuu Orundide, Keba Konte, Githinji Wa Mbire, Kevin Slagle, Don Fortescue and others. He has also worked with artists Amiri Baraka, The Last Poets, David Murray, Kahil El Zabar, Sonia Sanchez, Kamau Da'oud, Marvin X, Piri Thomas, Micheal McClure, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, and Don Cheadle.
In 2000, Diallo was featured in Source Magazine's Dreaming Americans series.
He is also co-founder of Eastside Arts Alliance, a multicultural organization in the Lower San Antonio District and currently works with Ecocity Builders. The concept of a cultural district has been labelled by some residents as exclusionary. Diallo and his non-black supporters have been quoted in the mainstream media stating that the revitalization of Oakland's oldest Black neighborhood is for the benefit of all residents of Oakland, regardless of race, color or creed. He was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine in January 2007 saying, " It's not just for blacks... Everybody needs a black cultural district. Just like everybody needs a Chinatown."
In 2009, Diallo was featured prominently on CNN's "Reclaiming The Dream" because of his legendary efforts in helping to revitalize West Oakland's historic predominantly African-American "Lower Bottoms" neighborhood. In the piece Diallo is quoted as saying that while he understands that gentrification is happening, and that West Oakland is moving towards being "one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the Bay Area", that he just wants to make sure that the longtime black working-class inhabitants are able to participate in the neighborhood's newfound wealth.
The CNN coverage shared Diallo's vision of a Black Cultural District with millions of viewers internationally, causing hundreds of people across the country to visit the District. Diallo answered the cause, by giving frequent tours of the District to people of all backgrounds on a weekly basis.
Continuing creative efforts
He has self-published one book of poetry. His forthcoming book Black New World Manifesto, featuring prose and poems with a foreword by Amiri Baraka was due for release by Black Dot Cafe Press in 2009.
Discography
Album/EPs
The Shaman & The Nigga God (1997)
SPACE: Rhyme Ritual Trio (1998)
Live @ The CyberCafe (1998)
Shadows & Moonlight (1998)
Overdue Babies (2003)
Honey Suga Love (2009)
Bibliography
"The Shaman & Chapter Book", 1997
The Last Will And Testament of Shitworker Jainkins: Prosessays & Bastard Literature, 1998
Exhibitions
West Oakland Today/Scrapyard Ghosts, ProArts Gallery, 1998 (artist)
Reparations!, Asian Resource Gallery, Oakland Chinatown, 1999 (artist)
Sampling Oakland/ Eastside Story, YBCA, 2006 (guest curator & artist)
OSHUN, Cornelia Bell's Black Bottom Gallery, Oakland, 2007 (artist)
Decolonization! An installation of Self-Rule, Cornelia Bell's Black Bottoms Gallery, Oakland, 2007 (curator & artist)
Betcha Bottom Dollar: An Underground Currency Game, Cornelia Bell's Black Bottom Gallery, Oakland, 2007 (curator & artist)
Black Panther: The Cultural Ministry of Emory Douglas, ART@THE CANNERY, Oakland, 2008 (curator & artist)
West Oakland at The Moment, ART@THE CANNERY, Oakland, 2008 (curator & artist)
Ekpu & The Fattening House: The Art of Inyang Ntofon, ART@THE CANNERY (curator)
BAN5/ The Black New World Recipe Book One: Sanctified Gumbo, Yerba Buena Center for The Arts, 2008 (guest curator & artist)
Further reading
Black Artists in Oakland by Jerry Thompson, Duane Deterville, 2007, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 0-7385-4725-5
Maximum Rocknroll, published by Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, 2006
Z magazine, Institute for Social and Cultural Communications, 2000
References
- "Crafting a Vision for Art, Equity and Civic Engagement". Center for Art and Public Life.
- ^ O'Brien, Soledad (July 30, 2009). "Rebirth of 'Village Bottoms'".
- Punk Planet #40, November/December 2000: Marcel Diallo-Black Dot Cafe by Aaron Shuman
- "Alternative Spring Break: Projects". Center for Art and Public Life, California College of the Arts. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09.
- Scrap yard debris to resurface as historical black art by Rona Marech, Chronicle Staff Writer, Sunday, February 17, 2002
- Dreaming Americans: Marcel Diallo by Eric K. Arnold, The Source magazine, October 2000
- ^ "Against Gentrification: Marcel Diallo sees a black cultural district where Oakland's the Bottoms neighborhood now stands". San Francisco Chronicle. January 27, 2007.
- ^ Roots For The Future: West Oakland, California's Black New World club forges a fresh artistic community in the shadows of a once-thriving district. By Jamilah King, February 20, 2008, Wiretap Magazine Archived October 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Nation: The Fine Art of Rebuilding West Oakland by Richard Gonzales, Morning Edition, February 16, 2007 - NPR
- ^ Swan, Rachel (August 27, 2008). "The Odd Couple: How developer Rick Holliday reached out to community activist Marcel Diallo to pave the way for Central Station". East Bay Express.
- ^ David Downs (August 30, 2006). "Hipster Invasion: Downtown Oakland's fledgling art scene is booming — and some artists and residents aren't terribly happy about it". East Bay Express.
- "Rebirth of The Village Bottoms". CNN. Soledad O'Brien.
- Sven Eberlein (Nov 2, 2009). "EcoJustice: Getting a taste of what it means to be Black". The Daily Kos.
External links
Categories:- American male poets
- Living people
- 1972 births
- Musicians from Richmond, California
- John F. Kennedy University alumni
- Writers from Oakland, California
- Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area
- Musicians from Oakland, California
- Artists from Oakland, California
- 21st-century American poets
- 21st-century American male writers