Blog Posts

198 Namory Keita

8/19/2018

Namory has a dream to open a cultural center in his home region called Hamana Arts Center where children can learn the art of traditional village drumming. This is an art form that is threatened by electronic media today. He learned by listening and watching his world-famous uncle, a skill passed down through the family from many generations before them.
Namory hopes to also write a book about his experiences that took him from a life of subsistence farming to becoming a world traveler and American citizen. In it he hopes to pass along the lessons drumming has taught him.
This coming January 2019 he is leading a trip to Guinea: a time for culture, dancing, drumming and vacation.
In the meantime, if you want to hear him play or dance to his rhythms you have some good options:
Sept 8 at Henryfest
Sept 9 Special Workshop
Tuesday evenings in Portland and
Thursday evenings in Kittery.
FMI: www.namorydrum.com and Embodytherhythm.com
To hear his previous interview on New Mainers Speak click here.

Music: Salif Keita. *Due to technical error you cannot hear Namory playing along on his djembe in the studio at the end of the program. My apologies--KTM.

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188 Toni Bazia and El-Fadel Arbab

8/12/2018

El-Fadel and Bazia were both raised in Sudan (Darfur and what is now South Sudan). Under the umbrella of Project Bazia they are collaborating on outreach efforts called Africa United with the goal of raising awareness around genocide and mass atrocities while cultivating a new generation of compassionate leaders. They speak to students throughout New England and can be engaged to speak to your audiences through www.projectbazia.org.
El-Fadel arrived in Maine in 2004 and works with Amnesty International and other organizations such as STAND to spread information and awareness. He can be reached at elfadelfcr@gmail.com.
Bazia came to the US first in 1999 and again to live in 1999, in Philadelphia and then in Maine. He has been on this show annually and you can hear much more about his organizing efforts by listening to former shows (028, 077,127,149).

Music: Emmanuel Kembe

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187 Mateo Hodo

7/29/2018

Mateo Hodo came to Maine from Albania with his family as a teenager. His first NMS interview was in April 2017. To learn about his life and their business called Coffee ME Up click here (NMS 135).
On this program Mateo talks about staying awake and focused on living a loving and connected life. He spreads his joy to all those he meets in both small and substantial ways. He is motivated to make the world a more loving place as he and his wife welcome their first child this fall.
Mateo is working on a plan (still in the making) to bring connection and unity to this community and hopefully beyond, over time. He believes that love changes everything and uses his life force to make that happen, to the best of his abilities.

Music: Alvaro Soler sings "La Cintura"

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186 James McClay

7/22/2018

James was a child from a "mixed marriage" because his father was Protestant and his mother was Catholic. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland and raised in Donegal, Ireland. His family's lives strattled both of the countries, a mere four miles between the two towns.
James is entering his second year of his Master's degree in Social Work from University of New England and also works in social services in Southern Maine. He has been a youth worker for most of his adult life, as well as many other jobs.
Additionally, he and his wife have a side business called Maine Inflatable Pubs, renting out a 20x40' inflatable pub around the state, sharing some Irish fun.
In this interview James also refers to historical information about Ireland's famine (FMI: click here).

Music: Aslan sings "Crazy World"

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185 Ayman Nijim

7/15/2018

Ayman Nijim was born in Gaza, Palestine, attended university in Baghdad, Iraq and came to the US in 2012. He has gotten his Master's degree in Intercultural Service and applies his knowledge of organizational management and trauma recovery professionally. Ayman is also a human rights activist and has spoken at numerous universities around this country raising awareness about the political situation in his home in Gaza.
FMI: Contact Ayman at aymanijim@gmail.com.
Music: Fairouz sings "Ya Tayr"

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184 Claude Rwaganje

7/8/2018

Claude is the Executive Director of ProsperityME (formerly Community Financial Literacy) now located in Portland and Lewiston offices. They offer an array of services to the refugee and immigrant community including, but not limited to, classes on basic finances in the USA, workforce development, access to education, and small business support.
While Claude has been in Maine for 22 years, he has never forgotten what it is like to try to get started in a new country. In previous interviews he has shared about his life story NMS 015 and his organization that helps newcomers NMS 140.

Music: Mike Kalambay sings "Belela" (This musician is from DRC and will be on tour in Maine later this month).

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183 Sofia Aldinio

6/17/2018

Sofia and Emily Wedick have spent the last year and a half interviewing and photographing Maine immigrants and the objects that they Carried From Home (also the name of their show). Sofia recognized that objects brought humanity to the stories she was hearing and imagery to the storytelling they were seeking to portray in these portraits. Their show opens on Wed, June 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 at Venn + Maker at 65 Washington Ave, Portland. There will be music by Pihcintu and African Dundada as well as food from Babylon Restaurant. During the opening the people featured in the pictures will be sharing their stories and some will even have the very objects they carried from home.
Home is an illusive concept that seems to be defined by each person individually. If you wish to hear more about Sofia's original home in Buenos Aires, Argentina from last year's interview (NMS 143) click here.
You can also see her art and photography on her webpage: SofiaAldinio.com.

Music: Xavier Rudd sings "Follow the Sun."

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182 Mak Francisco

6/3/2018

Makumbundo Francisco was born in Angola, raised in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Maine in 2013.
Was trained as a painter at the Institute des Beaux-Arts and has painted internationally. His favorite style is surrealism but he is accomplished in many other forms. To see more of is art visit his facebook site (makfranciscoart).

Music: "Above All" is sung by Michael W. Smith.

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181 Christian Muhunde

5/27/2018

Christian Muhunde was born and raised in Kigali, Rwanda. His teacher noticed his art talent, as a boy, and he has been drawing and painting ever since.
Christian has lived in Portland since 2014. He studied English at Portland Adult Education before attending SMCC. This fall he will continue his education at USM. His hope is to be a full time artist.
You can soon reach him at his new website: www.christianmuhunde.com. (or on Instagram)

Music: Justin Timberlake sings "What Comes Around."

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180 Imad Durra

5/20/2018

Imad was born in Beirut, Lebanon and raised during three decades of violence and tumult. At times, his family of five went about their lives; learning, educating, and conducting usual business. Yet, these times were punctuated by random episodic violence that would send citizens into local bomb shelters.
Imad and his wife met in medical school and came to the US to complete their training. They served in rural Maine as a step in their path to citizenship. Today Imad works at Central Maine Medical Center as an infectious disease specialist and lives with his wife and two sons in Cumberland, ME.

Music: Lena Chamamyan sings "Ya Msafira"