Dahlak Leon

[dahlak]

Tour Journal, Day...Way Over: "On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand/ when a brother transform, from anonymous man" I been meaning to write this post for weeks now. It always takes me a while to recover from traveling and this tour proves the rule. Mostly, I just want to thank everybody who helped make the 2017 "Spiritrials" tour a successful and fulfilling adventure. Thank you to Asia Freeman of @bunnellarts, Ruth Wikler-Luker of @boomartspdx, and @sharonnyreewilliams and Suryanka Kalra of Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas for supporting this work, some of you sight unseen. Thank you so much to @jkosato for guiding, backing, and supporting me through this. Special shoutout to my partner-in-trial on stage @diondecibels. Much love to the tour crew Melvign Badiola, Brittany White, and Edgar Miranda, always making sure I got what I need. My director, @campo_santo_fam, your voice is still in my head on stage! Big shoutout to my big brother and director @lookitmbj getting ready to rock Peh-LO-tah at @kennedycenter this week. Thank you to everyone who bought a CD and signed the mailing list! Please stay in touch. I'll be using this summer to build the 2018 "Spiritrials" tour, as well as working with @hiartsnyc and @calartscnp to transform this solo piece into an ensemble play. More soon. Stay tuned. Much love!

[dahlak]

Seattle! Tonight! #spiritrials #tour #PacificNorthWestTour #Seattle #SEA #HipHop #Theatre #HipHopTheatre #SpokenWord #Poetry #TagAFriend (at Seattle, Washington)

[dahlak]

Tour Journal, Day 24: "Now let me take a trip down memory lane..." It would make sense to write about Seattle right now; I'm in the mood for looking back though. In the spirit of looking back, I say...thank you Portland. Thank you for rejuvenating me. Thank you for making me feel that small things matter. Thank you for the sincerity in your eyes when you greeted me after the show. Thank you for making me apart of your community, for working your charms, for undoing the spell of despair that have been plaguing me over the last few months. In the spirit of looking back, I recognize that this hall I'm performing at this week use to be a synagogue, where in the beginning there was the word. I recognize that it is now named after the great poet Langston Hughes, a man of words. I recognize the legends that have rose from this great city Seattle. I look back, I recognize, and I go forward. I go forward and honor the synagogue in my play's search for a living ritual that is capable of sustaining me in these days, in these times, through despair - ESPECIALLY through despair. I go forward and honor Langston with the poetry of my generation, knowing that it takes a community of nameless ones to birth the next named ones, the next Langston, the next Baldwin, the next Maya. May I be apart this generation, that community, be I named or nameless. And I go forward and honor Seattle by being being a fuckin' rock star. Shoutout to Jimi. 'Nuff said. #spiritrials #tour #tourjournal #seattle #pacificnorthwesttour (at Seattle, Washington)

[dahlak]

I feel I’ve started to settle into being unsettled. I am settling into tour life. Maybe it has something to do with being in Portland for over week. I’ve started to meet people and make connections. On Sunday, I watched Roger Guenveur Smith (left) do his final performance of his solo show “Rodney King”. After the performance, he said he asks permission to perform this piece every night. I understood that: the responsibility the storyteller has to the story. Usually when I ask permission to perform my work, I vaguely ask the victims of injustice throughout history in this country. Last night, though, the day after I visited two young adult correctional facilities here in Oregon, I asked permission from the young men that I worked with that day. The young men were open, searching for hope and light. I told them my story that day and I hope I gave them permission to tell theirs. After the last visit, one young brother excitedly asked for my autograph for “when I make it big”. Of all the people who have ever said that to me – friends, lovers, fans – I never before had such a clear reason for why I had to “make it big” and prove him right. I want them to know that I’m out here repping for them. I want them to know that what they felt in our meeting was truly as special as it seemed – so special that the whole world recognized it. And maybe with that bit of magic, that bit of validated magic, they can go forth and get as free as they allowed me last night. Thank you. #spiritrials #tour #tourjournal #portland (at Portland, Oregon)

[dahlak]

Tour Journal, Day 4: "Searching.....searching...searching" My mind wants to be everywhere I'm not right now. This tends to happen when I travel. I romanticize home. I make plans. I think about my future. I've been searching. For purpose. For inspiration. For understanding. Today it got to a point where I realized that no decisions will be made on the matter today. I decided to enjoy every moment - to follow my mom's advice and "make roses everyday". Get lost in music, in the word, in conversation, in all the beauty. Then maybe...maybe something might hit me when I'm not looking for it. The inquiry has been sent. The universe will get back to you at its earliest convenience. (at Homer, Alaska)

[dahlak]

Tour Journal, Day 2: "Sometimes the path I took to reach my petty goals was so extreme". A little rest will do wonders for you. Yesterday, I had a lot of questions about my journey and what has led me to a small town in Alaska so seemingly far from home. Despite all it's beauty, yesterday was a testament of how I can be grateful regardless of how great the blessing; that the greatness of the blessing cannot compare to my perspective of it. A tired mind can play tricks on me. This morning, I woke up to the scenery in this picture outside my window. I felt ashamed that I was not able to feel proud and grateful that my words and my art has brought me here. So I got into my rituals, I ate right, I enjoyed every moment. I performed for elementary school students, I performed at a local open mic. I fought the demons nagging me about more pay and bigger crowds and dues being already paid. I had the strength. At least, felt a glimmer of it. And this view...this view...well, it helped with perspective. But can I change my view when the view ain't so great? I say yes. Just rest. Give what you can. And thank god. Today, I did all of the above. #spiritrials #tour #pacificnorthwesttour #alaska #homer #journal #tourjournal (at Bunnell Street Arts Center)

[dahlak]

Today, we start tour. Homer, Alaska - April 14th-16th Portland, Oregon - April 21st-22nd, April 27th-30th Seattle, Washington - May 5th-6th Follow me to keep up! Snapchat: dahlak_leon Twitter: @dahlak #spiritrials #pacificnorthwesttour

[dahlak]

I married my brother @drzzl to his "Lovely" wife yesterday with all of @ill_literacy in attendance...much love to you both!

[dahlak]

A teaser for my solo play #Spiritrials going up at @calartsredcat in Downtown Los Angeles next week! Link in my bio. Please share! (at REDCAT - Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)

[dahlak]

#Spiritrials - the soundtrack that became the play. At REDCAT (inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall Complex). Downtown Los Angeles. February 9th-11th. Hope to see you! (at REDCAT - Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)

[dahlak]

Saying #byeobama, I think of the time I went to the White House, half shook the President's hand twice, and was quoted in @pitchfork about his relationship to hip-hop #onceinalifetimeexperience #neveragain #bestwhitehouseever #obamafarewell #sxsl #thankyou #holdingmybreathforthenextfouryears (at The Obama White House)

[dahlak]

Next month, I'm finally performing #Spiritrials in #LA!! If you are in the LA area, please come through. If you know someone in the LA, please tag and invite them. @calartsredcat is inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in Downtown LA. It's an amazing venue and I'm so honored to perform there. Hope to see you :) Artwork by @misterbouncer (at REDCAT - Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)

[dahlak]

Gearing up for my show #Spiritrials in Austin, TX this week! Photo Credit: Andy Hart (at Austin, Texas)

[dahlak]

Black on Both Sides. #tribe #ThanksGod🙏🏽

[dahlak]

It was good performing with these fellas this morning @ill_literacy - and the students? The STUDENTS? Yeah they was LIT too ☺️ #BerkeleyGO (at UC Berkeley, Zellerbach Playhouse)

[dahlak]

Tomorrow afternoon at 12:30pm, we're showing how we transformed #Spiritrials from one-man show into a full cast production during our 2 week residency through @calartscnp. What a crazy photo. More tomorrow ✌🏽️ (at California Institute of the Arts)

[dahlak]

Working. (at California Institute of the Arts)