the power of the leopard

In this episode, Tiffani and Kenjus chop it up with Kiazi Malonga, student/teacher of Congolese drumming and culture bearer. Kiazi walks us through the spiritual and communal powers of the Ngoma drum, as vessels of cultural preservation and healing. He shares his journey from the Bay Area, particularly East Palo Alto, to stages around the world.

We explore the impact of his father’s legacy, the late Malonga Casquelourd, the craftsmanship of Congolese drums, the sacred art of drum-making, and how each drum carries the stories of our ancestors.

As Tiffani and Kenjus engage with Kiazi, they explore the historical and ongoing power of resistance and meaning-making across the diaspora through drumming—how these cadences have been both suppressed and celebrated as tools of remembering and sacred connection. Listen as they unpack the layers of meaning each strike of the drum holds, and how these sounds build bridges back to lands and legacies (re)membered.

Join us for a vulnerable discussion on the enduring power of the drum, its role in shaping identities, and its power to heal and unify communities.

In this episode, we also honor and acknowledge our ancestor, Malonga Casquelourd. Thank you for your life and your love. Thank you for continuing to guide us.

Stay connected: www.apocalypticeducation.org
Hosts: Tiffani Marie & Kenjus Watson
Music By: Redtone Records
Production by: Jesse Strauss, Paxtone Records
Sponsored By: The Institute for Regenerative Futures

Note: All episodes this season explore themes of death, transition, and capture, with an emphasis on spiritual and ancestral grounding.


Black and BIPOC Care Resources and Contacts

Call BlackLine
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BlackLine provides a space for peer support, counseling, witnessing and affirming then lived experiences to folxs who are most impacted by systematic oppression with an LGBTQ+ Black femme lens.

Lines for Life Racial Equity Support Line

Call (503)-575-3764
Available Monday through Friday from 10AM-7PM PST.
This line is led by people with lived experience of racism and offers support for those who are experiencing the emotional impacts of racist violence and microaggressions.

BEAM-Black Emotional and Mental Wellness Collective

https://beam.community/wellness-tools/
The BEAM toolkit has outstanding resources to support your emotional wellness journey. Explore the BEAM website for grief resources and a local directory of Black wellness practitioners.