Drumming Up Something For the Fathers

In 2003, renowned drummer and college professor Malonga Casquelourd was tragically killed in a car accident in Oakland on Fathers Day. The Congolese artist, community activist and father of four was memorialized by the City of Oakland, as the city-run Alice Arts Center was officially renamed the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts.

Two decades later, his son Kiazi Malonga is a 42-year-old culture bearer; a master drummer who offers weekly classes at the Malonga Center; and an active recording artist. (Last month, he released the collaboration with Likala Moto, “Biloko Ya Mboka.”)

Kiazi also the father of a four-year-old girl named Siama. And this weekend, he’s merging his identities as parent and musician to serve his community, just as his father would.

On Sunday, Feb. 9, music will be played, food will be served and resources for dads will be distributed at The Beats & Bonding Fatherhood Event, a three-and-a-half-hour exercise in community building at Calabash in Oakland.

The event, tailor-made for Black and Brown fathers and children, will center on three prongs geared towards health, “and not necessarily ‘health and wellness,'” says Kiazi, but a deeper state of well-being.

The first priority is nutrition, as Calabash’s Chef Nigel Jones will serve up hot plates of Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican cuisine.

The second element will be a music workshop on “the healing rhythms and components of history,” says Kiazi, who will demonstrate traditional methods of Congolese drumming.

As he discusses the origins of the instrument he plays, he pronounces the country’s name with a hard “K” sound, speaking to the historical Kingdom of Kongo, as the land was known well before the current regional conflicts.

“It’s called the Ngoma drum,” Kiazi says during a phone call. “It’s played all throughout Bantu-speaking Africa; geographically speaking, Sub-Sahara Africa.”

In addition to drum instruction, Kiazi will also demonstrate shakers and bells during an interactive workshop for people of all ages.

The third pillar of the event is conversation, as award-winning lyricist and educator Karega Bailey will lead the audience through a panel discussion with local artists and fathers, including multiple Grammy-Award winning blues musician Fantastic Negrito, R&B artist Dr. Cameron “Cash Campain” Parker and more.

With support from First 5 Alameda, the Oakland Roots and Kingmakers of Oakland, there will also be barbers offering free haircuts — and a broadcast of the Super Bowl for folks who stay after the event concludes.

In organizing this gathering, Kiazi reflects on his personal experience as a father and says, “Sometimes it feels lonely, brother; just trying to figure it out.”

After a failed marriage, Kiazi recognized that his responsibilities as a dad were just beginning. But he was having trouble finding resources. “For whatever reason,” says Kiazi, “at the time, they weren’t on my radar.”

Through organizing this event, he’s since become aware of initiatives out there for fathers. With community support, in addition to inspiration from the legacy of his own father, Kiazi now finds himself in position more beneficial for him, his family and his community.

“This event is 100% birthed out of my journey,” Kiazi says, adding that the ultimate goal of Sunday’s meet-up is to “provide a safe haven, a place for us to get together to share resources and to share stories.”

Tickets for the Beats & Bonding Event are $25 to cover the cost of food, but Kiazi urges people to come no matter what.

“If you’re a father, bring your kids,” he says. “If you’re not a father but you’re planning on being a father, you’re welcomed as well.”

The Beats & Bonding Event takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Calabash in Oakland. Details here.