30 Practice: Sing for Freedom with Resistance Revival Chorus' Abena Koomson Davis

Join Resistance Revival Chorus Musical Director Abena Koomson Davis in a meditative singing and listening practice you can do alone or in a group. Get ready to hear her beautiful voice and join in!

Download the corresponding conversation (30 Joy as an Act of Resistance) to hear performances of protest songs new and old from Resistance Revival Chorus, as well as their thoughts on song and sisterhood,  intersectionality, singing at the Grammy’s with Kesha for #TimesUp & the #MeToo movement, parenthood, and self care.

This is the fourth episode we have created about music as collective healing on this podcast - for more inspiration, music, and activities you can use to empower activism in your group through singing, check out our conversations with IfNotNow in practice 16, Flobots in episode 19, and Peace Poets in episode 23.

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Resistance Revival Chorus is a collective of more than 60 self-identified women who come together to sing protest songs in the spirit of collective joy & resistance. They honor the long tradition of Music and protest songs in civil rights movements, and honor that tradition by uplifting historical songs as well as creating new ones for our current moment. They are calling for a resistance revival of our spirits, of our commitment to the movement, of our joy and of our power.

Abena Koomson-Davis is a performer, educator and wordsmith. Abena’s musical credits include: lead vocalist for Van Davis funk rock band, and original cast member of the hit Broadway musical FELA! which earned 3 TONY awards. She recently became musical director of the Resistance Revival Chorus. Abena serves as Ethics Chair of the middle school division at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City.

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Song credit: Woke Up This Morning

Reverend Osby of Aurora, Illinois is credited with this song as an adaptation from a gospel song he wrote when spending time in Hinds County jail during the freedom rides.

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THANK YOU to all our production volunteers:

Mixing and production by Zach Meyer at the COALROOM
Intro and Closing music gifted by Danny O’Brien
All visuals contributed by Josiah Werning
Photo for this episode image by Ginny Suss