Parrotbeetie

In this episode, Raafeke comes with the long awaited end of the Nation Series, which has been ongoing since episode 6 of the podcast. After a year of creating content with a few pauses, Raafeke reflects on what this project has done for him as a writer and a West Indian person.

In this episode, Raafeke announces that the draft for Parrotbeetie as a collection of short stories is now complete, and he will be looking into publishing the collection in the coming year as he continues on the podcast.

If you are enjoying listening to his podcast, be sure to like and subscribe. Also, follow Raafeke and Parrotbeetie on Instagram and Twitter.

Important Links:

- https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/lesterre-862/interview-may-fortune-about-banda-call-me-o

- https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/lesterre-862/banda-call-me-o

- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/quashi#:~:text=or%20Quashie%20(%CB%88kw%C9%91%CB%90%CA%83%C9%AA%20),Quashi%20that%20anyone%20can%20fool

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwasi

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banda_people

In this episode, Raafeke talks about his Halloween experience in NYC before diving into into the last song of the Moko Collection. A recording of the Big Drum Dance song "Hou Mwen Ba File" is shared and broken down before Raafeke's affiliated short story, "A Farmer's Sword" is narrated.

If you are a enjoying the content on this podcast, please share and subscribe! Also, follow Raafeke and Parrotbeetie on Instagram and Twitter.

Important Sources:

- https://intracen.org/news-and-events/news/strengthening-the-caribbean-coconut-value-chain-next-stop-grenada#:~:text=Today%2C%20Grenada%20is%20attempting%20to,plans%20on%20leveraging%20this%20tradition

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRRX8qXAku8&list=PLzqUuihqA9R4wuXfFjTNxAMaprwSd-mWR&index=75

- https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/lesterre-862/interview-may-fortune-about-cest-mwe-nani-moko

In this episode, Raafeke talks about the importance of textual sources in research before introducing Carriacou's Moko Nation, preserved via it's Big Drum Dance Tradition. He also discusses the history of the Moko Jumbie in the Caribbean before sharing a recording of the Big Drum Dance song "Se Mwen Nani Moko" and narrating the story he wrote that was inspired by it.

Important Souces:

- https://www.amazon.com/Big-Drum-Ritual-Carriacou-Praisesongs/dp/081301607X

- https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/lesterre-862/cest-mwe-nani-moko

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moko_jumbie

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns with a strong reminder to stay properly informed about the Palestinian genocide before starting and concluding the brief Hausa Collection. This is done with an introduction of Hausa people, the breakdown of "Hausa Wele", the Hausa nation song in Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, and the narration of Raafkee's story "Scream Hausa Scream".

Please be sure to share, subscribe, and leave a review on this podcast. Also, follow Raafeke on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on his work, new and old!

Important Info:

Hausa Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausa_people

Hausa Wele Recording: https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/lesterre-862/hausa-wele

After nearly 3 months away from Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns with another episode to bring the Kongo Collection to a close. In this episode, Raafeke also gives a recap on his life, reflecting on his writing journey after recently turning 23, discussing how the work of others influences his own creations, and sharing another song from Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, known as the "Free Ring". This is punctuated by the narration of his story, "Carriacou Dikenga".

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Important Links:

Dikenga Infomation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongo_cosmogram

"Free Ring" Performance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmbF_hHc-NQ&list=PLzqUuihqA9R4wuXfFjTNxAMaprwSd-mWR&index=12

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns and shares an important call to action for listeners to become aware of growing tensions in West Africa, specifically between Nigeria and Niger. The podcast then resumes its usual trajectory with an introduction into the Kongo Nation and history behind the Kingdom of Kongo, before sharing how these groups of people have survived in the diaspora. This is followed by a recording of the Big Drum Dance song, "Koro Koro", which is then broken down and concluded by an narration of Raafeke's story, "Kongo Storm".

If you are enjoying the show, do not hesitate to subscribe and follow Raafeke and Parrotbeetie on Twitter (X), Instagram, Medium, and Threads!

Important sources:

Kongo Religion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongo_religion#Derivatives

Kingdom of Kongo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kongo

Koro Koro Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozWH-kCg9uw&list=PLzqUuihqA9R4wuXfFjTNxAMaprwSd-mWR&index=18

Nigeria - Niger Conflict: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/09/world/africa/niger-coup-nigeria-military.html

In this episode on Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns solo, starting off with a recap on the importance of drawing connections from media to inform our understanding of ourselves, even if things seem unrelated. He talks about the importance of queer shows, suchas Heartstopper and Sex Education, before sharing his thoughts on his current read; Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde. Raafeke then goes on to conclude the Arada collection, sharing insight into the Fon and Ewe groups of West African, the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, and the infamous religion, Vodun. A recording of the Big Drum Dance song, "Djerika-o!" is shared and deconstructed, and the episode is concluded with a narration of Raafeke's story, "Queen Djerika".

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Important Sources:

Queen Nanny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanny_of_the_Maroons

"Djerika-o" Recording: https://youtu.be/EVxsIRrXaLw

"Vagabonds!" by Eloghosa Osunde: https://www.amazon.com/Vagabonds-Novel-Eloghosa-Osunde/dp/0593330021

In this episode, Raafeke is joined by Deanna Lyncook, host of The History Hotline podcast. Together, the two of them discuss the importance of Caribbean studies, the preservation of Caribbean culture (as well as its commodification by the West), and how Caribbean migrants have preserved their culture in the US and UK.

If you are enjoying the show, please take time to subscribe and follow us on Instagram and Twitter! Be sure to check out the History Hotline podcast as well to learn more about Caribbean history, and follow Deanna on social media to stay up to date on her stuff.

History Hotline: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-history-hotline/id1528852665

Deanna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehistoryhotline/?hl=en

Radiance Lost Novel: https://www.amazon.com/Radiance-Lost-Raafeke/dp/152558524X

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke kicks off the Arada Collection, but not before discussing NYC pride, the recent Supreme Court Ruling around LGBT rights, and his thoughts around the book "All About Love" by bell hooks. As he transitions to the meat of the episode, Raafeke shares historical context on who the Arada nation of Carriacou is, and how they exist not only on the small island, but in Haiti as well. Raafeke then shares a recording of the Big Drum Dance Song, "Arada Dore Mi De" and breaks it down before narrating his short story "Arada Anaconda".

Please be sure to subscribe and share this podcast, and follow Raafeke and Parrotbeetie on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

Important Links:

Fon People: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fon_people

Haitian Vodou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou

Damballa Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damballa

Recent Supreme Court Ruling: https://www.voanews.com/a/recent-us-supreme-court-rulings-what-you-need-to-know-/7162909.html

Arada Dore Mi De Dance: https://youtu.be/_hz21kzaFIc

Raafeke returns with another episode on Parrotbeetie to discuss the importance of black art and representation in the media, highlighted by his recent experiences with "The Lion King" on Broadway and the film, "Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse". The episode then segways to a discussion around the last songs of the Igbo nation in Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, titled "E-o Igbo Lele Lele” and “Igbo Mauvais Nation". Raafeke brings the Igbo collection of short stories to a close with the conclusionary narration of the his short story, "Bad Mind Makes Stink Mout'!".

Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast and follow Raafeke and Parrotbeetie on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Thank you for listening!