Project Details
Saltwata Vibes: Sankofa Seeds from Geechee Roots
IN PRODUCTION – SPRING 2023 RELEASE
Saltwata chronicles sister and brother Sara Makeba and Simeon Daise – children of Ron and Natalie Daise, from popular 1990s Nickelodeon TV show “Gullah Gullah Island”– as they redefine the Gullah Geechee identity they inherited, a tangled fusion of tourist novelty and television images that has historicized and marginalized the totality of their culture. They embark on a global journey from South Carolina to Sierra Leone to explore the complexities of redefining a narrative and how the making of music can modernize a culture.
Saltwata Vibes is a palimpsest. It is a brother and sister story about crafting a generationally relevant cultural identity that is guided by, but seperate from the past. An identity has been both separate from, but also determined by, the US as a nation-state — or, an identity crafted within a colonized space — that this generation is breaking free from. We are so proud to finally be in production on this marvelous story and cannot wait to share it with the world.
Executive Producer: Sara Makeba Daise, Simeon Daise, Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall
Director/Producer: Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall
Associate Producer: Ron & Natalie Daise
Research Team:
- Doug Peach – ethnomusicologist, PhD candidate (folk & gullah music historian)
- Dr. Tracey Weldon-Stewart – linguist (gullah/African-American dialects)
- Dr. Jessica Berry – communication (gullah languages)
- Dr. Christine Ofulue – linguist (Nigeria)
- Dr. Birgitta Johnson – ethnomusicologist (West African/African American modern music)
Fiscal Sponsor:
Funded By:
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Sherard’s the ‘Get It Done Guy.’ He knows everyone and he knows where to get any piece of equipment imaginable. We really picked up on our pace when he joined the team. Plus, he sincerely identifies with our cast, so his passion is infectious.
