Ghetto Birds In The Sky! (2024)

My first fully produced song “Ghetto Birds In The Sky!” was made for my first self-choreographed solo “12” which premiered in the FSU School of Dance’s Spring 2024 Days of Dance show. This solo is an interaction, or altercation, between the Black body in America and the police state. “Ghetto Bird” is slang for a police helicopter, specifically in the context of the hyper surveillance over black and brown neighborhoods in America. These communities are subjected to environmental and systemic racism and oppression, especially via law enforcement.

“12” is slang for “police”, also shortened police code “10-12”, meaning backup is needed.

The sound score of the solo additionally features CamdenMusique’s (Camden Bonsu-Stewart) original track “Alone” with an overlay of an interview of Angela Davis in the California State Prison in 1972. Davis’ words are chopped up and edited by me, creating a second rhythmic overlay on top of Bonsu-Stewart’s melodic piano.