Three Mo’ Harpists by Radha Botofasina

Radha Botofasina, Brandee Young & Destiny Muhammad

Cosmic Harp: A Tribute to Alice Coltrane

Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The world of harp is a small community. When it comes to harpists of color from the Afro-American diaspora, the numbers are infinitesimal. In 2016, only three percent of the ten million harpists in the United States were of African descent. The earnings of professional harpists in the United States is between $60K and $100k a year. How much comes from multiple revenue streams is not readily available.

Little statistical data is found on the number of professional African Americans harpists who do not need to have multiple side jobs. The number ranges between 20 to 50, in United States. Even more rare and historical are public concerts with multiple AfricanAmerican harpists on one stage, celebrating the music of one of the most iconic and ambient harpists in the last 50 years. Known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda, Alice Coltrane, was unmatched in her expression on harp. Her style of playing had never been heard before, since she could make the harp swing. Her deep expression was never lost in a clutter of notes. Alice played from the heart for the love of God, rather than to impress her peers.

A new generation of listeners was born, listening to masterpieces recorded by Alice on several albums for Impulse. Subsequent generations continued to listen, and some imitated her sound on harp. Three of these harpists paid homage to Alice Coltrane’s spirit in an historic concert in Los Angeles. In 2011, KPFK radio host Carlos Niño, co-founder of Dublab, invited Radha Botofasina to perform Alice Coltrane’s harp compositions.

It seemed like a perfect time to gather three diverse harpists from the African American diaspora with completely different journeys to becoming harpists. Brandee Younger was classically trained. Destiny Muhammad was self-taught and a serious bootstraps harpist, and Radha Botofasina spent decades on piano, keyboards, and voice. In her thirties, Radha began a journey of spirit and trust into the sonic space of harp inspired by Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. These two Detroit pioneers brought the harp back to everyday people. What fearless gifts Alice and Dorothy left in their recordings to inspire generations to come!