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Rise Vision Comin
Haki R. Madhubuti/Nation Afrikan Liberation Art Ensemble

Album Info: Label: Nationhouse Positive Action Center Purchased for $3.00 on 1/26/08

Liner Notes:

Rise, Vision, Comin
The music and poetry will speak for itself. However, a few words should be said about the participants and the production of the record. Haki Madhubuti (Don L. Lee) first came in contact with Agyei Akoto, Kehembe, Tuck, Ron Anderson and Aideo Mamadi in 1971 while working at Howard University. Haki was teaching a course entitled Worldview: Toward a New Consciousness which attracted many brothers and sisters from the Washington, D.C. community. From the initial meeting friendships were quickly formed and the productive sharing of ideas and work began.

Agyei, Kehembe, Ron, and others formed the nuculeus of Nationhouse Positive Action Center, an independent Black Educational Institute in Washington, D.C. Haki, as one of the founders and at present director of the Institute of Positive Education in Chicago, immediately saw a new seriousness in these brothers and sisters of Nationhouse. In less than four years they developed and ran an educational program for pre-schoolers, a food co-op, a farming complex, adult education classes and have just acquired additional land for farming and living in nearby Virginia. Nationhouse and Insitute of Positive Education, in many ways, were developing along the same lines.

Haki did not find out until much later that many of these same brothers and sisters were accomplished musicians, artists, dancers and composers. They had organized themselves into the African Liberation Art Ensemble and due to their superb productions had gained quite a following in the Washington-Baltimore area. They were seen as not only superior musicians but as concious brothers and sisters who incorporated in their productions a total Black Arts Concept: visual, dance and sound.

The idea for a recording of poetry and music came about in 1973. Due to Haki's travel schedule and the poor economic condition of all concerned the actual practicing didn't start until early 1974. They worked together for the first time publicaly at the Mid-West Regional Conference of the Congress of Afrikan people in March, 1974, in Chicago. In June of the same year they did a weekend recording date at the East in Brooklyn. Both sessions were well received and highly stimulating for the group. Special thanks go out to the brothers and sisters of the East for their cooperation and encouragement. As a last resort the master tape for this recording, however, was recorded in a Washington area Studio.

The Afrikan Liberation Arts Ensemble and brother Haki worked well together and the feeling is that this was due not only to the positive nature of the music, poetry and art work, but to the agreement and understanding of the Black Struggle. The group saw the production of Rise, Vision, Comin as their continued contribution to their people's fight for Liberation. Therefore the record is in no way a commercial venture. The returns, after cost, will go to Nationhouse and the Institute of Positive Education. Monies will also be put aside for other productions.

We dedicate this work of love to you, the people of the summer's sun.

Side 1:
1. We Are a Nation (1:13)
2. Talking Stick (7:46)
3. The Family (1:37)
4. Black Woman (9:33)
5. Walk the Way of the New World (6:17)

Side 2:
1. Collectively ( :38)
2. Rise, Vision, Comin (12:23)
3. Black Man (9:22)
4. We Wound Each Other (1:16)

Agyel Akoto—Music Director, Composer, Saxophones, Flutes
Kehembe—Vocals
Reed Tuckson—Drums
Aiedo Mamadi—Percussion
Wallace Roney—Trumpet
Byron Harrison—Guitar
Clarence Seay—Bass
Rufus Wright—Piano
Stephanie Fox—Dancer
Gary Anderson—Technical Engineer
Ron Anderson—Film-maker and Cover Design
Haki R. Madhubuti—Poetry, Voice