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Playlist: Mark Lomax II, inspirations for 400: An Afrikan Epic

Mark Lomax II

Jan 10, 2019

Studio shot of drummer, composer, educator, and activist Mark Lomax II at his drums

Mark Lomax's 12-album cycle 400: An Afrikan Epic represents nearly three years of work and encompasses over eight hours of music. And many more hours of music and reading went into its creation. In the lead-up to 400 dropping digitally on January 23 and the January 26 concert featuring selections from the cycle at the Lincoln Theatre, Lomax shares a list of the sources he looked to for inspiration. Below, you'll find a Spotify playlist with hours of incredible music from artists such as Charles Mingus, Nina Simone, Rokia Traore, and Public Enemy. It's followed by links to additional music available elsewhere and a reading list of great books and writers.

More music: 

David S. Ware, Planetary Unknown
Hamza El Din, Escalay
Pharaoh Sanders, Black Unity
Public Enemy, Nothing is Quick in the Desert
KRS-One, The World is Mind
Kidd Jordan, On Fire
Anthony Davis, X: The Life and Times of Malcom X
Cecil Taylor, The Great Paris Concert

Cover art for the book White Fragility: Why it's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, part of list of inspiration sources for Mark Lomax II's 400: An Afrikan Epic