This week, Features contributor Josset Yarbrough speaks with Nicole Mitchell about her newest collaboration, Bamako​*​Chicago Sound System and how it materialized as if a dream came true, the collision of musical languages that represent Chicago, and their shared love of the flute.

"We think of the flute as being pretty, flowery, sweet, [..] optimistic, joyful - which is funny because I guess my personality is kind of like that too. My range as a vocalist is pretty much the same range as the flute - I can go really high. So I started incorporating my voice with the flute. This also gave me the feeling of leaving evidence that a woman was here." - Nicole Mitchell 

Nicole Mitchell is a groundbreaking improvisational jazz flutist, composer, poet, author, and educator. Her vast musical career started with Samana, which was the first all female ensemble from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. She also founded the group's Black Earth Ensemble, Black Earth Strings, Black Earth Sway, Sonic Projections, and Ice Crystal. 

Produced by DJ Ninja.

Photo Credit: Mário J. Negrão