PHOTO CREDIT: TOSIN GBADAMOSI
GROUNDBREAKING TRIBUTE TO ESTEEMED WOMEN OF COLOR PRODUCED BY AWARD-WINNING MUSIC PRODUCER EBONIE SMITH
FEATURES 12 POEMS PERFORMED BY SUCH ICONIC ARTISTS AND CULTURE BEARERS AS ROBERTA FLACK, DR. ANGELA Y. DAVIS, GENESIS BE, VALERIE SIMPSON, DAWN RICHARD, US REPRESENTATIVE MAXINE WATERS, DANYEL SMITH, LORI LIGHTFOOT, FLYANA BOSS, VALERIE JUNE,
AND OTHERS
ACCOMPANIED BY ONE-OF-A-KIND DANCE PIECE FILMED IN COLLABORATION WITH DAWN RICHARD + AILEY II ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FRANCESCA HARPER
Produced by award-winning music producer, audio engineer, and singer-songwriter Ebonie Smith, On Imagination features poignant poetry by luminaries like June Jordan, Gwendolyn Bennett, Phillis Wheatley, Georgia Douglas Johnson, and more brought to life by some of today’s most influential artists and cultural figures. With 12 recorded pieces performed by such iconic Black women as Roberta Flack, Valerie Simpson, Dawn Richard, US Representative Maxine Waters, Danyel Smith, Lori Lightfoot, Flyana Boss, Valerie June, and others, the project stands as a celebration of life through modern African American poetry and lyrical art. On Imagination harnesses art’s transformative ability to turn grief into joy and resilience, honoring the tradition of music as a life-giving, affirmative revolutionary force while shining a light on language as a pathway to healing within the Black community. A stand out track on the album, “Fantasy,” written by Gwendolyn Bennett and performed by Dawn Richard serves as a powerful testament to this sentiment, as it is joined by an emotionally salient dance piece choreographed by Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper and shot in collaboration with Dawn Richard, Ailey II alumni Maya Finman-Palmer, Brena K. Thomas, Maggy van den Heuvel, as well as Raven Joseph, a former student of The Ailey School, at AILEY’s home— the Joan Weill Center for Dance, available now on YouTube.
“19 years later I get to step through the doors of AILEY on my own terms,” says Dawn Richard. “The last time I danced in AILEY’s theater was in Making the Band. To be back here and recreate a world of regality and beauty through femininity and empowerment makes this moment so special. It speaks to the power of womanhood and perseverance. You can shape your own dreams, tell the story you wish to tell, and dare to imagine the possibilities you wish to create.”
“It was an absolute pleasure working with Dawn Richard, creating movement, and collaborating with her on an anthem celebrating the resilience and power of women of color from the African diaspora,” shares Francesca Harper. “As AILEY stands on the shoulders of our founder Alvin Ailey who saw the importance of using dance as a vehicle for change, we are honored to partner with Atlantic Records on this milestone project serving as a testament to the power of art in our lives.”
On Imagination was first unveiled in commemoration of Juneteenth with a very special performance of June Jordan’s landmark 1982 poem, “Moving Towards Home,” read by noted political activist, educator, and author Dr. Angela Y. Davis. An official lyric visual is streaming now via YouTube HERE. “Dare To Dream,” written and read by renowned public speaker, performer, artist, and activist Genesis Be followed, arriving alongside an official content piece HERE.
“The poems on this album are restorative,” says Ebonie Smith. “They helped me heal and recenter after Covid. The language is challenging, requiring the listener to work for a deeper understanding, but those who make the effort will find the words of these poets truly powerful and transformative. In the wake of Takeoff’s passing (of Migos), I turned to these poems to help me heal and make sense of the deaths occurring in and around hip-hop culture. The language on this album helped me find strength during that time.”
ABOUT EBONIE SMITH:
Ebonie Smith is an award-winning music producer, audio engineer, and singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA and Memphis, TN. Smith is also the founder and president of Gender Amplified, Inc., an organization that celebrates and supports women and girls in music production and audio engineering. Smith received her first GRAMMY® Award certificate and RIAA-certified Platinum plaque for work as an assistant engineer on Atlantic Records’ historic Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), followed by a second GRAMMY® Award certificate for work as an assistant engineer on Sturgill Simpson’s 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Smith also engineered on the GRAMMY®-nominated album Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe and the GRAMMY® Award-winning album Invasion of Privacy by Cardi B. She currently works as an in-house engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. She is also a former elected governor of the New York Chapter of The Recording Academy and is the current Co-Chair of the Producers & Engineers Wing.
Smith holds a master’s degree in Music Technology from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University. While in college, Smith received training at Columbia University’s Computer Music Center and studied abroad in the West African nation of Cameroon. During her five-month stay there, she performed with bands, worked in studios, and produced local artists.
For more, please visit www.eboniesmith.com.
