In this episode, I sit down with musician, bandleader, professor, and historian Mausiki Scales. We talk about his growing-up years in Gary, Indiana, where he was raised in a household that promoted education and black excellence. He shares what it was like for him, as a teenager, to meet the likes of James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and Gwendolyn Brooks and the profound effect that had on him later in his life. He went on to meet deep-thinking, impactful professors at Tuskegee University; it was there that he experienced a cultural awakening, and in graduate school at Clark-Atlanta where his love for travel, and especially his time in West Africa, helped him see the world in a different way. We discuss the influence on him of African writer Fu-Kiau, as well as Mausiki's approach to African spirituality and bringing balance to the community. Lastly, we take a deep dive into his musical career and the influence of Fela Kuti and Parliament Funkadelic.
https://www.mausikiscalescommonground.com