New Africa

[Tamam Tracy Moncur]

 Grachan Moncur III received an award at the 50th Anniversary of the Marcus Garvey foundation

                      for his innovative contributions as a composer/trombonist to jazz.

 

New Africa is the place in our minds

That floats free through wide open spaces

Then runs along the river Nile

Stops and plays awhile with lions and kings

And then sits at feet of Shaka Zulu learning all about who we are

Never straying far from the love of our people

 New Africa is the motherland of our past

Invaded by ships with masts and sails billowing in the wind

With pale men on board

That came disguised as friends

Yet in the end steal our past

Our present

And our future

 New Africa is the blues 7th

Riding the slave waves to America

Then sold

Beaten

Knocked down

Kicked around in the cotton fields

To produce a new blue sound

 New Africa is the field holler

The blues

Spiritual

Looking afar to the North Star

On the slim hopes of reaching the Promised Land

 New Africa is jazz standing on a mountain top

Improvising on dreams of freedom through out a land

Where black music reigns supreme

Soothing the souls of the inhabitants