By Elizabeth Howard

Episode Notes

In this episode, Kwame Daniels—creative director, DJ, broadcaster, and cultural producer—joins Short Fuse guest host Jessica Khan to discuss his immersive live musical performance North Star. The work is inspired by Frederick Douglass’s historic 1845 speech in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Their conversation reflects on how Douglass might have responded to recent unrest in Northern Ireland that centered on a Sudanese immigrant, alongside a broader range of contemporary social issues. North Star brings together history, music, and storytelling, demonstrating how performance can animate the past, spark conversations about identity and belonging, and foster meaningful cultural connections. The American premiere was held at the Irish Arts Center in New York City and was co-commissioned by Irish Arts Center and Lyric Theatre, Belfast.

Kwame Daniels is a creative director, DJ, broadcaster, and founder of Bounce Culture. He has built his career on using music and creativity to connect people and create opportunities. He also founded Solab, an initiative that connects artists and producers across Africa and the diaspora through collaboration and innovation.

A scene from a performance of North Star. Photo: courtesy of the artist

North Star is a live music and spoken-word performance inspired by the speeches that abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave during his 1845 visit to Belfast. Conceived and developed by Daniels, the show draws on an eclectic range of musical influences, drawing on hip-hop, jazz, gospel, electronic, and classical, as well as poetry. The piece also incorporates commissioned writings from young people from Belfast and New York. The goal was to create a dynamic collaboration, rooted in Black cultural expression,  inspired by Douglass’s story, philosophy, and enduring connection to Belfast.

The music featured in this podcast, along with the poem performed, is drawn directly from North Star.

Naziha Tarannum, 5th grader: Poem titled “New York Is Home, Home, and Home!”

The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that “artists are here to disturb the peace.”  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015), and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016). @elizh24 on Instagram.

Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, he is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing to full-scale production.

Jessica Khan is a Bronx native and a rising senior at the University of Richmond, where she is double majoring in journalism and political science with a minor in leadership studies. As the current music director of one of the university’s a cappella groups, Jessica pursues her passion for singing while developing her skills as a journalist. She is driven by a commitment to uncovering the truth and telling stories that often go untold, using storytelling to bridge divides, spark conversation, and bring overlooked voices into the spotlight.

Evelyn Rosenthal copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine.

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