ACT I I was born and raised ‘Black’, then ‘African-American’ in Chicago, IL and Valparaiso, IN. To say I’m a ‘Gumbo Kid’ qualifies as an ‘understatement’; being born and raised on Jazz & Blues w/sprinklings of Floyd, Hendrix, Zappa & Zeppelin.. Later translating to Hip-Hop & House.. Each year my parents would attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans, bringing back Beads, T-shirts, Jambalaya and Gumbo.; and, to this day, my Dad cooks a HUGE pot each holiday.. However, I never KNEW the VAST significance of my Créole upbringing until I was nearly 30… ACT II Having recently represented biracial artists in my consulting business was the beginning of my ‘Métis Awakening’: One day, not long after those consultations, I awakened with the most awkward of feelings; for before that day I’d never felt anything other than BLACK. Emotions of bewilderment, transfused with Anger, began to creep through boiling blood. Bubbling, burning sensations began to overwhelm me.. I did not smile nor feel happiness for over three months; As I began the long, arduous journey toward self-discovery: 1st I’m ‘Puerto Rican’, then ‘Scots-Irish’, then German, etc.. The linkages would then only intensify.. ACT III Traversing genealogies of North America NOW became my ALL-CONSUMING PASSION; Transcending ‘The Borders’ (mentally and physically), Dusting off long-forgotten mental fixtures, and “riding” with the various Clans of our day.. Read More »