This original song is inspired by the story of Oluale Kossola (Cudjo Lewis), known as the last survivor of the transatlantic slave trade, whose personal narrative was collected by Zora Neale Hurston and published as the book Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo."

Brandi Waller-Pace (they/she) is an artist, educator, and scholar based in Fort Worth, Texas. They studied music at Howard University where they earned a Bachelor and Master of Music in Jazz Studies. A singer and multi instrumentalist, Brandi performs jazz, neo-soul, old time, roots music, and genre-crossing originals. They are the Founder/Executive Director of the nonprofit Decolonizing the Music Room, under which they created and organize the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival. They are also the Program Manager for the Oakland Public Conservatory’s Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellowship.

Brandi has written, arranged, and performed with a range of artists for various projects. They penned the song “You Are” that is featured on Nicholas Ryan Gant’s Promises and Introducing Nicholas Ryan Gant, lent backing vocals to “Once There Was No Sun” on Jake Blount’s The New Faith, and shared the stage with Blount, New Dangerfield, Gangstagrass, and singer/songwriter Kaia Kater, with whom they formed the duo Sable Sisters. They have co-produced and curated artist lineups for events with Bluegrass Pride, The Bluegrass Situation, and PineCone- the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music.

During their 12-year tenure as a public school music educator, Brandi served as a mentor teacher and wrote district music curriculum. In 2019 and 2020, she served on the Texas African American Studies Course Curriculum Advisory Team, which helped to formulate curriculum standards for Texas’ first state-approved African American Studies course. They also work as a consultant, presenter, and speaker nationally and internationally. Brandi’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Bluegrass Situation, The Orff Echo, The Illinois Music Educator Journal, Music Education Journal, and The Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education. They also sit on the board of directors of Folk Alliance International.

Learn More: https://www.brandipacemusic.com/

A special thank you to the Oak Cliff Cultural Center and Dallas Arts & Culture for sponsoring Brandi’s participation, adding to our celebration of Zora in a very special way.