Community Connectors #288

Mark Curdo:

For me, when I was early, when I was young, in my earlier years, I was exposed to such a variety of music at a very young age that I think for me, that kept my mind open and kept an appreciation for music that I'll always maintain.

David Thete:

We are tomorrow's generation. We have ideas to offer to the world, to grow and just to make this world a better place. There's a lot of bad things going on and kids don't really have a good platform to express themselves and say, no, these are the things that I want to change. Usually it's adults who are in charge of these groups who are giving the rules. Okay, we're doing this today and Gesha Watts is a place where kids can just okay, I had this idea. How can we make it come to reality? Geshawazo is the youth's imagination meeting reality. That's how I would describe it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to Love Maine radio show number 288, Community Connectors, airing for the first time on Sunday, March 26, 2017. Within our community, we are fortunate to have people who are particularly good at making and maintaining connections with others. Today we speak with Mark Curto, who has hosted a yearly Markathon to benefit the center for grieving children since 2008. We also speak with musician Isaiah Taylor and David Tetay, founder of Kesha Wazu. Thank you for joining us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is my great pleasure to have with me in the studio today Mark Curdo, Our Mark Curto has been hosting Markathon, his annual week long radio show fundraiser for the center for grieving children since 2008. He now runs creative branding and promotions for Shipyard Brewing company and hosted his ninth Markathon this past December. Thanks for coming in.

Mark Curdo:

Thanks for having me. Thanks.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And thanks for having a name that really lends itself to a Thon. Like I think about Lisa Thon. It doesn't have the same thing.

Mark Curdo:

Truth be told. I never would have, I didn't come up with that name. I never would have, you know, that's not like me to.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're too humble for that.

Mark Curdo:

Yeah. And I don't know if it's, it's right to say that, you know, something you did was a humble move. It's not humble to say you did something I don't. Right. It's. I. Yeah, someone else came up with that name.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's okay. Yeah, it's all right.

Mark Curdo:

I mean, just the idea of what it was all about. And someone said, hey, how about like Markapalooza or Markathon?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But you're into branding, so now you can understand why it's an important thing.

Mark Curdo:

That's it. And you know, if it ain't me, it ain't happening, I guess. You know, it's tough to have a

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Markathon without the mark of the Thon.

Mark Curdo:

Yeah, that's kind of kept me locked in a little bit too, you know.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, tell me about the center for Grieving Children. Why did that become important to you?

Mark Curdo:

Well, putting the benefit together at first, you know, my thought was, you know, working in radio at the time full time, using the power, the gift that radio has to reach people, to be so impactful, to really use it for, for good. There's charity things that radio media does, but it just seems sometimes like it's, it's ho hum and it's just kind of by the book and it's Just two hours, you know, on a Saturday afternoon at the American Red Cross. That's great, but it just seems like it's just kind of going, you know, by the book. I wanted to do something that was kind of big and really stop the town, you know, literally. So we came up kind of the idea of what it would be. I pitched, you know, just kind of like in studio, lock myself in type of thing. And after about a year of back and forth with my boss, we locked it down. And then the thought was, okay, so now who's this going to benefit? And I mean, there's just so many great causes around here, you know, there's so, so many great charities, benefits, you know, my thought was this would be best to maybe help an organization that needs a little bit of that extra push that people sort of know, but not really on a massive level. And it was suggested to me by Herbiv, who's my boss over at the radio station. Have you heard of the center for Grieving Children and the name I'd heard, but I didn't know much about it, so I looked into it, did some investigation on it, and instantly I was like, this has got. This has got to be it. You know, for me, the connection was instantly was that I've been fortunate to have my family growing up not losing. It's just myself and my folks, but having my parents still to this day, I don't. I couldn't understand what these people were going through. Losing a child, losing a parent, brother, sister, grandparent. So for me, this is my way of showing how appreciative I was to have my family intact and to be able to grow and live with them and support these people that when they have a loss like this, they don't know what to do or which way to move.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And.

Mark Curdo:

And that's really the basic gist of it. It's just, I guess, more appreciation rather than really understanding what they're going through.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I understand that for years I've donated to the Maine Children's Cancer Program, the Center for Grieving Children, other organizations that I have never really needed and feel grateful that I don't need them. And I'm not kind of knocking on would, you know, virtually, because I think it's the idea that there's just a pain that I have no access to. And I'm so glad that thus far I haven't. So tell me about the Marcathon itself. So you lock yourself in a studio.

Mark Curdo:

Yeah. So, I mean, it's a great opportunity for me to be able to just not leave the radio station for five days and be able to play all kinds of music. Music. So there's, there's a selfish angle to it too. Just loving music. So basically I'm in the radio station for five days straight. I'm in the studio for 102 hours. I'm on the air 21 hours a day live. And people can call in and request anything they want to hear. So the format for the radio station WCY is out the window that week. So you can request Neil Diamond, Chuck Berry, Metallica, Beethoven, whatever it is. But as long as you make a donation to the center, so pay to play essentially that week, it's legal. But aside from the music, it's also five days that people get to hear about the center and its services because they really serve a host of different concerns and cares for families going through loss. They have a widow widowers group. They have their multicultural program helping folks coming to the country who are leaving war torn countries and situations that we can't even think of coming here and having to live and deal with their situation here. So they deal with a whole different variety of things. That week is not only fundraising is hugely important, but it's getting the word out about what these services can do for folks. The services are free for as long as people need them and for whenever they need them because people grieve in different ways and at different times. So some people have a loss, they might not really start their grieving process for five years, 10 years. So the center is there to assist them when that time is there and without cost and without concern of having to pay another bill. So we do that and we have families come in and speak a little bit about their experience there. I pre record a whole bank of interviews ahead of time to run throughout the week because it's a long week and it's the only thing that's on the air. It's just the music that these people are choosing when they donate and these conversations and businesses that come in as well too to support the cause. So it's a long week, but it's been an amazing nine years so far, especially to hear each year hearing from people that have been listening to it along the way and who have come to need the services of the center. I hear from someone I've been listening to for years. Last year we needed to go to the center. We lost my child, we lost our mother or whatever, our brother, sister, and we needed the services of the center. I hadn't listened for years. I might not have known about this place. So, yeah, I mean, it's with me for good at this point. I hear about it from people all the time, and that's a good thing. You know, it's good to know that it's made impact in all kinds of ways.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It sounds like it requires some advanced planning if you're doing interviews ahead of time and bringing people into the studio.

Mark Curdo:

Yeah, I spent probably about a good two months of solid prep for the week, for the one week. And I'd be. I'd be. I should say it's even more than that. I mean, leading into it. A couple years ago, we came up with a auction component t add to it. So we have a website where people can bid on items, autographed items, experiences, tickets, all kinds of things, gift certificates, and the money goes to the center. So it's kind of like an online auction that plays throughout the week. So a couple, three years ago, I started pulling items together for that, and that's become a major part of it. You know, this last year alone, the webpage for the auction raised, I think, over $12,000 just on those items alone. So that kind of puts me in another place every year of having to get as much of that as possible to get these items and these things that people will find enjoyable to bid on to support the center. So that. And yeah, interviewing the families, setting up guests, you know, everything you hear on the air throughout the week. I, you know, I produce and I orchestrate and do all the work in the radio station. So it's. But, you know, the time flies, like when you love doing something, you know, so those two months fly and next thing you know, the week is over, you know, but it's enjoyable. It's enjoyable.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How much have you managed to raise

Mark Curdo:

as of this past. Past year? Last year was our biggest year yet. Each year, luckily, it's increased. And that's the one thing. Being this close to doing this kind of charity work, something that continues year after year. The one thing I've noticed is that, you know, you monitor how it comes along year after year, which I kind of want to stay away from. I just. Because all I can do is what I do, you know, and. And the results are sometimes out of my. Out of my grips and I can only just do my work. But as it goes on, you have to. You kind of. You follow the numbers. And each year for me, it's. It's like, can we at least beat last year? That's just the one thing, you know. So this past December the ninth year we did just around 67,000. So that's brought the total to, I think it's somewhere around just over 350,000 in nine years. So that's pretty neat.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Mean that this is going to be your decade celebration. Do you have anything special planned for this year?

Mark Curdo:

Well, I mean, I guess I'd be revealing by answering this question that we are going to do a 10th year. But, you know, it would just be awful and awkward to stop at nine, wouldn't it just. All right, that's it. So, yeah, I mean, the plan right now is to go Forward to do 10 to make it a decade, which is great timing because the center turns 30 this year. It's the 30th anniversary for the center. So to, you know, be there, you know, third of those years. It's. It's special. So a couple ideas. I already have my theme, I think lined up, which is something close to me and special to me. A couple things I probably won't share at this moment. But yeah, I mean, you know, 10th year, you got to do something, some extra fun stuff. So yeah, we'll do that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've asked you to be a part of our upcoming Maine Live, which is, it's a big deal for us here at 75 Market street Maine Magazine love Maine radio because we only ask people that we feel very strongly have an important story to share. It's been a commitment for you though, hasn't.

Mark Curdo:

Has, you know, and I mean, it's just, I guess just in who I am. I guess I immediately say, well, you know, why me? And I mean, is this something I should be a part of or really me, like why me? And, and so, you know, it's been, it's been experience just kind of, kind of self evaluating a little bit and realizing what I could offer and why I should be involved, I suppose. But you know, I think for me being on the radio and people hearing my voice and hearing from me every day for, you know, just started my 13th year. I mean, I'm not there full time now, but you know, and, and I've written in publications in town and been part stuff with you guys. And so I, you know, I feel like maybe people have heard enough from me or you know, and maybe there's not as much special to talk about. I've shared enough with people over the years, although I never really get personal on the radio. It's just not. That was never my style, but just feel like people maybe have had enough of me, they heard my voice enough. So it's dealing with a little bit of that and realizing, well, no, this. There's maybe still something that I can talk about here. Maybe there's an angle here that, you know, hasn't been presented on the radio or in print. And I suppose that's probably just getting a little more personal about me and about growing up and, you know, who I am now and how I've become to be how I am and whatever I am. And I think in that, that's something I'm interested to share with people because I think for me, it's not a crazy or wild special story, but I just. I think I had good upbringing and I think learned great lessons and I learned great values growing up that,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

you

Mark Curdo:

know, maybe at this time, this day and age, this world could be worth sharing with people again or, you know, exposing again and having people kind of maybe bring things back to some basics in life right now. I think maybe. Maybe I can help pass along some of that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire?

Mark Curdo:

Yes. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you said it's changed a lot since.

Mark Curdo:

It's grown. Grown quite a bit. It's, you know, in good ways. And I mean, this. I mean, the strip mall situation is insane. It's so much business going on there, but it's right. Right across the border. So, you know, you get people coming up from Massachusetts shopping tax free. And so I think that's always been a pull for Nashua for years. But Nashua is. Yeah, it's a growing city. You know, it always almost felt a little bit more like Massachusetts, a little bit busier than a New Hampshire city, just because there's always been so much going on there and such a huge population. And obviously being right there on the borderline, you cut into Massachusetts and you draw from a lot of those folks that come in and work in New Hampshire as well, too, and vice versa. But no regrets. I didn't have much of a say because I was younger, but no regrets. I. It was great growing up there. I think it was a good city and good time for me. And then when it was time to get up and out and I started making moves and exploring different parts of the Northeast, we'd always had ties to Maine with my family. My mom, her side. Her aunt and uncle owned a bed and breakfast in Kennebunkport for years. And so my mom and her sisters. My mom's one at nine, so her and her sisters would come up and they'd be chambermaids and work there throughout the summer. So she's Always had ties to Kennebunk area with her aunt, aunt and uncle living up there. And then, you know, in the early 80s we started to vacation and in kind of the Agunquit Wells kind of area. And my family's had a, had a place there for some years, so. And then I ended up going to college at St. Joseph's College, you know, in the early 90s. So yeah, I've kind of, I feel like I've been, you know, very kind of Maine based, I'd say, you know, for a good part of the past 25 years plus I suppose, you know, a little bit of time away. Took this little, little sidestep to New Jersey for a minute, work in music. But yeah, that ran its course quick. It wasn't. It was nice to be down there for a minute and to be around the craziness and to be a part of things that I would never be a part of up here. But it was, it was nice to get back to New England, especially northern New England. I'm. I'm kind of more close to that Massachusetts seacoast, New Hampshire, Maine kind of kind of scene. Some reason it's more New Englandy to me, you know, being close to the water. I enjoy that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tell me about your musical tastes. It seems like music has been very important to you over the years and you just, you mentioned a variety of different types of music that go on during the marcathon, possibly given other people's tastes. What about yours?

Mark Curdo:

I mean, it may sound cliche to say, but you know, I'm kind of across the board like a lot of people, you know, And I think as you grow along, come along in life, you get open to music and you have people that bring music into your life and you get used to and you grow into and life kind of plays along with the soundtrack. But for me, when I was early, when I was young, in my earlier years, I was exposed to such a variety of music at a very young age that I think for me that kept my mind open and kept an appreciation for music that I'll always maintain. I had big band swing music with my grandparents when I was younger. So, you know, Glenn Miller and Count Basie and a lot of the singers too. Mel Torme and Tony Bennett, Sinatra. My mom loved a lot of 50s early rock and roll, so Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison. She liked a lot of the singers too. Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and stuff. So I listened to a lot of that when I was younger. My dad always loved a lot of bands with horns because he was kind of a drum and bugle guy, so. Earth, Wind and Fire, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, all that stuff, you know, Wings, too, and just, you know, big, big bands of great songs, a lot. When I was younger, one of my cousins was into new wave and disco and kind of post punk stuff. So the Knack, Blondie, you know, Devo, all this stuff. I had another cousin who was into classic rock and the corporate rock thing. Journey, Cheap Trick, Boston Sticks, all that stuff. So I heard a lot of big rock when I was younger. So, you know, pretty wide range by the time you're like seven years old, right? And then as you get older and you get into school and you're in more social settings with other friends. My friends that are into heavy metal and my friends that I started to break dance with in 1983, 84. And the one thing I'm proud of is I never, even at a younger age, I never worried about my musical interests. If I liked something, I liked it, and I didn't make any excuses for it. And I think a lot of people, when they're younger, they're embarrassed to say they like something. And I never felt that way. And I encourage people to try and live that way. Even as they get older, they might feel embarrassed that they're listening to something cheesy. I think you embrace it. If you love music, shout about it, talk about it. Don't hold back the things that you like. And you gotta roll the window up and sing along to this Sheena Easton song or Laura Brannigan song. No, let it out. You know, I think, you know, that's part of the. The enjoyment of music is you're singing along, you're letting something out, you're showing that emotion, that spirit. Don't bottle it up, you know, and chances are the other person might like that stuff, too, and they're not saying anything about it. So we've always kind of. Kind of. I think maybe people kind of held their cheesy music close to them and not shared it with people. I think you got to share it, you know? But everything. I collect music, so I'm all over. All over the place. Except, you know, once again, maybe I'm not. I'm not the only one in this. But New country, that's it. That's it. I mean, for almost every genre of music, they just have one. I think that's not bad. I just. New country, I just can't. I can't do it. And I see the success of it. I'm blown away. It's unbelievable. There's amazing musicians in it. Pretty much everybody in country music looks good. I mean, everything. The guys are handsome, the girls are beautiful. They put on great shows. They're stealing the rock show from the rest of the world. They're putting on fireworks and they get the big stages. You go up to Darling's waterfront up there and. And they're doing like. All the sellouts are usually country shows. I just. I can't. I can't do it. There's just something missing in the music for me. I don't. I don't feel it's. There's something. There's something soulful, there's something. There's an honesty. There's something real that I think is lacking for me in that. In new country, old country, classic country, of course, we love Merle Haggard, George Jones, you know, obviously Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, all that stuff, but that's it. Other than that, jazz, metal, reggae, soul, Motown. I love. I love oldies, 80s. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems that it used to be that music divided people generationally because of. Maybe because of the technology, I guess I know that what I remember of my parents likings Simon and Garfunkel and I guess the Beatles, and. And I think of listening to hey Jude on the turntable. But now it's as if when I talk to my own children, they will like things and I'll be like, oh, I like that too. That's so interesting. And I will bring up the name of someone and I'll say, have you ever heard of this person? They're like, oh, of course. Even though the person is, you know, 30 years old, which I love, because it also. It's this interesting new way to connect with people. You know, the generational divide isn't as kind of stark, I think, as it once was. Sure.

Mark Curdo:

You know, I like to hope that it's a lot for younger people going back and being adventurous and looking for that older stuff. You know, as you get older, when you hear something about it or you hear somebody mention about it or you hear a clip, you start to go back and you research and you find those artists. So I like to think it's that. I think that a lot of people, a lot of music is revived, but I think you have current artists that may, you know, their sound maybe harks back to people that they were influenced by, and it brings it forward in a new way. And so if you're, you know, if you're listening to, you know, you know, pull up something, you're listening To Jeff Buckley, you know, recent years, you know, and he has elements of 60s and folk and Led Zeppelin and Nick Drake and, you know, maybe Simon of Garfunkel and all those things. You know, you kind of take that trip back where you investigate their influences and what's made them become what they are. So I think that's something that happens. And so I think that, you know, there's. There's a nostalgic thing and there's a throwback love that we have these days that it's kind of cool to go back to look to things that instantly younger people might think is kind of silly and hokey, but then when they kind of uncover, they go, whoa, this is actually pretty freaking cool, right? This stuff sounds great. And, you know, I think that's a good thing because I. I am, you know, I'm seeing myself as we go forward with technology and devices and gadgets, and I have. I have the stuff. I have players and pods and pads and phones or whatever, and I play along with a lot of the. The current wave of stuff, but I find myself trying to constantly hold on to things, too. That kind of connects me to what was before and what was maybe a little bit more real. And I think, you know, you see more record shops opening up, places that sell old video games and old comic books and things like that. I think those things are going to grow as we go forward. I think that people still like to somehow have their hand on the opportunity to still say, live in the past, but still, you know, enjoy those things that we enjoyed before. I think we're a lot of this technology comes with this kind of swipe and erase mentality of, like, what's next? Nope, that's done in a way with. Nope, you can't have that anymore. No way. You know, I can live with having a million songs on my phone for convenience, but if I'm sitting at home or from. With some friends, I kind of want to put on that record that's going to sound better.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I'm really intrigued to hear what you're going to talk about at Maine Live, which is coming up very soon. For people who are interested, we will make available links to your to the center for Grieving Children and the Markathon information. Of course, that'll be next December, but we're all going to be waiting with, you know, bated breath to see what happens on the 10th anniversary. I really appreciate this conversation. The time you've taken to Come in. The time you've taken to do Maine Live with us. Because it's very important and I think there's something about just the story that people put so much effort into. So anyone who's listening, who wants to hear more about you, Mark Curdo, can come to Maine Live. I've been speaking with Mark Hurdo, who's been hosting the markathon, his annual week long radio show fundraiser for the center for grieving children since 2008. Thanks a lot.

Mark Curdo:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

pleasure to have with me David Tete, who was born in the Congo and graduated from Chevers High School. He has taken classes at the University of Southern Maine and is the founder of Keishowazo, a youth art collective in Portland. Keishowazo means tomorrow's ideas in Swahili. And with David, I have Isaiah Taylor, who is a Portland based musician. Thanks so much for coming in.

David Thete:

Thank you for having me.

Mark Curdo:

Thanks.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you're doing good things here in Portland, both of you.

David Thete:

Yeah, you could say that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah.

David Thete:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, you come highly recommended from Adam Burke and other members of the community and obviously the work you're doing with Keisha Wazu. Am I pronouncing that correct?

David Thete:

Yeah, you're pronouncing it correctly.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Okay. All right.

David Thete:

Adam is a. He's a good mentor of mine. He works with like teen TED talks. Actually. He reached out to me after the visual we had and he took me, we had coffee and we kind of talked about like just my life and like my high school and how I started Geisha Wazo. And he's really surrounded me with like the right people like this. Like, he really, he connected me with Paul and he's given me a lot of opportunity. So. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So why is art so important? Why do something like what you've done with Keisha Wazo?

David Thete:

Well, art wasn't always, like, important to me. Like, it Wasn't always like my first priority in high school was mainly focused on basketball. And I didn't really like see myself in the arts. But although arts was in my family, like my mom is a fashion designer, her dad was a painter, and art is in my family. But I saw myself doing other things. And because basketball wasn't really like the path I wanted to go down and just seeing that I like fashion, I like clothes, and I wanted to bring something that kids can come and be creative, not just with art, but with themselves. And art was something that I found I could express myself with. So I was like, all right, I want to, I want to do this, I want to make this platform for everybody to come do everything that they want to do. And I feel like art here especially, we have a culture. We have, we have the right culture to do it. We have a diverse culture. There's a lot of kids that are multi talented and stuff like that. And so why not the arts?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Isaiah, is that how you know David?

Isaiah Taylor:

I actually knew him through basketball.

David Thete:

Yeah.

Isaiah Taylor:

And after like three or four years, once I saw him start getting involved, it was just kind of natural. He just did. He was doing everything by himself.

David Thete:

And there's actually a funny story behind that. He's not gonna tell it, but. So we grew. When I was growing up in high school, like he, he was a senior when I was a freshman and I used to hang out with him and his friends. Like, I was kind of like the youngest one. Like I was the youngest one and, and like they all used to like pick on me. But he was like, kind of like my big brother. Like he would like mentor me. Like, alright, like, do this, do that. But over the, like after he graduated, we kind of, we didn't really lose contact, but we stopped seeing each other. He was kind of like in New York and stuff like that. But after the visual we had in July this summer, I had a visual and there was a. The paper came out, Poland Press Herald. And I was on the COVID And the first person to call me in the morning was Isaiah. And he was like, oh, he called me. He's like, yo, I missed, I missed his call. Like, I didn't pick up his call and then he called me. He's like, oh, like, so you answering now? You think you, you think you, you think you Hollywood now or something? I was like, nah, I just, I didn't answer. I couldn't, I couldn't answer. And like after that we met up and he's just like, I see what you're doing. And, like, I want to. I want to help you. I want to mentor you. So, like, that's. I feel like that's the story behind it.

Isaiah Taylor:

Yeah. Better told by him.

David Thete:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well. And from what I understand from David, you are a superstar.

David Thete:

Yeah.

Isaiah Taylor:

Trying to get there. Working my way there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tell me about your music.

Isaiah Taylor:

I've been rapping for probably, like, five, six years. Started in high school. It's always been kind of natural. I've been just surrounded by music my whole life. My mom was a singer, but, yeah, I was kind of. When I was in high school, I was kind of the only one doing my own music independently, recording myself, singing, rapping, whatever it was, making beats or whatever. So it's kind of like my position within this whole thing with Keisha Wazo. Even. Even though I'm not. I try to stay away from decision making. I try to let him make most of the decisions. But when it comes to music, I have, like, I just add a certain touch because I've been traveling for a little while in Boston, New York or Florida and things like that, doing shows. So I have other experiences that I feel like I can bring back to Portland and show and then kind of educate the youth about and about how. Because music is art at the end of the day, so it's all about perception. And we have different perceptions on art and music, even though they're kind of similar in the same type of thing, so.

David Thete:

And when I think of music in Portland, I think of my first person that comes to mind is. Is him. Because in high school, I remember all my friends being like, oh, like, did you hear Isaiah's new song?

Mark Curdo:

Blah, blah.

David Thete:

I'm like, yo, I heard it like, 30 days before you. Like, I already heard it before you. And just in terms of, like, Kesho Wazo. Kesho Wazo is. It's. It's everything in the sense that it's everything that influence that's influential. Music right now is probably the most influential thing for young people. You know what I mean? And I want. We want to change how music is viewed how. Particularly how black men are viewed through music. You know what I mean? We have a different story to tell, and we want to tell that story about Portland through our music. And it's really hard. I feel like we're isolated in a way, because people look at Maine like, oh, like, there's not really many artists from Maine. There's not many really, like, people that do rhythm and poetry from Maine. Rap, like, rap in Maine. You know what I mean? They're kind of outcasted. Like, even locally, people will be like, well, like, they wouldn't particularly listen to a local artist. You know what I mean? And so that's where his mentorship is, helping me express. He's helping me grow with my music, but also helping the whole community, helping other people understand that we're not just local artists. You know, we're not just local musicians. We have a story to tell. We want to tell the story about men.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what is your story?

David Thete:

It's crazy. That's a deep question. Depends on where you want to start. Where do you want to start with that?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You can take it however you want to.

David Thete:

My story is, so I immigrated to this country when I was two years old with my mother and my two sisters. And growing up, I never really had a father figure in my life, and I was kind of that outcast, weird kid who was always doing what he wasn't supposed to do. Like, kids were playing basketball and I was doing taekwondo. Kids were playing soccer, and I was skateboarding with my white friends. You know what I mean? I was always a misfit, kind of. And I feel like that it developed my mind to, like, I really feel like I'm an individual. Like, I think for myself, I won't. Like, peer pressure is not something that I had to, like, deal with. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like people were mostly peer pressured into, like, doing things that I wanted to do. You know what I mean? Like, my friends were always trying to do what I wanted to do and that. I didn't really understand that up until, like, high school. Understand that, hey, you can be influential in a way that's positive. Like, I don't want to be popular for picking on people. I don't want to be popular for that. I want to be. I want to use what I have to, like, tell the story. And my story right now is developing in a way that I can help other people's story be told through Kesha Wazo. Growing up was really hard for me without. Without having that outlet of a male figure. But my mom really was strong, and she, like, without her, I wouldn't be where I am right now. I kind of went off topic with that question, so that's crazy. I'm gonna stop right there. But, yeah, I guess my story is just. I'm a young indigo trying to. I'm searching for. I'm searching for energy to give energy and just spread peaceful vibes, I guess.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what do you think is the view of young black men in Music. You referenced that.

David Thete:

Yeah, well, because he's an artist, I want, because I'm an artist too, but I want to hear, I want to hear what you have to say. And then I'm a second that because

Isaiah Taylor:

the views of young black men.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I'm just. I think what David was saying is that there's a perception. Yeah, so what is the perception that you're working with?

Isaiah Taylor:

For me, what I noticed is it's kind of black or white, not color, but it's kind of. You're either here or here. It's like you're representing negative, I don't know, negative actions and sort of things that we're trying to get away from. Or you have to be completely all the way conscious and all the way. Maybe even pop type music. Like things that everybody's trying to forget about this stuff. So you have to make music that is completely opposite of that. So it's like you either have to be kind of talking about it and bringing attention to it or just kind of dismissing it altogether. Besides that, it's just kind of in our community as well. It's not only like in the outside community, in our own community, it's kind of just like we have these certain expectations that it has to be. You have to fit into one type of box. So that's why me and him coming together is better. Because I'm more on. On like an artist side or not? Well, a musician side. And he's like more on like a creative fashion type of thing. But that is not really, not, not accepted. But it's not really normal in this side of music. You know what I mean? So that's why it's kind of like even just me and him collaborating and connecting and sharing our ideas and talking through conversation and energy and whatever. We're making each other better. So it's like me as an artist, I'm being able to lean more in the middle now. Like I'm actually getting pieces from this side. Pieces from this side. I understand how these people live and I understand how these people live and why they think these people live wrong. And it's like. So I'm trying to bridge the gap myself and he's helping me do that. So it's like, I don't know, we're just trying to break down the barriers kind of.

David Thete:

I see that. To me, I feel like as a young black, we said rapper, right? Like as a rapper they want. Not they want you, but it's not alright. So for me, I haven't released any of My music. Like, he's. He hasn't. Not. He hasn't let me. But it's not the right time for me to release music right now because it's too much for people. People would be like, well, why are you trying to do everything? Well, they wouldn't understand, like, what I'm saying, you know, not even what I'm saying, but it would just be, like, too much. Oh, like, he's trying to rap now, too. Like, I'm doing art. I'm doing, like, fashion, all this stuff. It's. People are gonna be like, well, he's trying to be. Like, he's trying to be Kanye West. They're not gonna understand. They're not gonna listen to the words that I'm saying, you know what I mean? Especially because I'm not. I'm not swearing, I'm not using. I'm not like, your typical, you know what I mean? I'm not talking about stuff that I don't do. I'm saying real life stuff. Like, I'm saying stuff that I truly believe is real. And if you're not playing to people's ear, sometimes you're gonna be outcasted, you know what I mean? Like, my voice is not going to be held to that standard. Like, they're going to be like, well, he's kind of not playing the role that we expected him to, so we're not going to. You know, it's not the time for him to release music. And that's something that I really want to change because I feel like it has nothing to do with the people who can. I mean, it has everything to do with the people before me. I respect all the artists that came before me, but they made it hard for me to do what I have to do. They made it hard for me to bring up that platform of my music, you know what I mean? And it's even hard around my friends bringing up that I make music because they're like, man, like, what else? Like, again, like, something new, you know what I mean? But it's like, nah, music has always been a part of me. I remember, like, from kindergarten on up, I was the drum. I've always played the drums. And, like, kind of how I got into music. I always. I always like freestyling. Like, I was always the one. Like, when the beat would come on, I'd like freestyle, blah, blah, blah. And then it's crazy when the first time he picked me up after the vigil, I was like, I was really, really excited to show him that, like, I can sing. I can make music. I was like, listen. Like, I played a beat for him, and I remember I sang the whole thing. Like, I rapped it for him. He's like, wow, like, you have a lot of potential. Blah, blah, blah. And, like, that's not something you hear off the rip, like, from people. People will be like, well, it's mostly negative first. And it was just positive. And I feel like that's what it has to be like, that it has to be positive. It has to be positive feedback first.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me about Keisha Owazo. It means tomorrow's ideas on Swahili.

David Thete:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what are you thinking? What are tomorrow's ideas? And are they things that you have yourself, or they have things that you're gathering from the people who are involved?

David Thete:

Well, Kesha Wazu developed around this time last year when I was a senior in high school. Like, I said, I want basketball, I thought would be my passion, thought be, like, the area that I pursue. And that didn't really work out because of, like, playing time and certain situations that just didn't follow my way. And I was kind of. I was going through a rough time, you know, just figuring out, like, what was I. What. What can I do with my life? Like, I literally thought I was going to the NBA and hitting that reality. Like, that hit me. Like, I could literally end up on the news, be another stat. You know what I mean? Like, how can I make my life positive? And I kind of developed in my mind. Well, I like being with my friends. I like being with a collective group of people. But how can I create a platform for kids to do positive things? And I asked my mom how to say tomorrow's ideas in Swahili, and she was just like. And I was like, wow. Like, I can run with that. Like, I really. I can go with that. So Keshel Wazo. It first developed as kind of like a high school. A high school thing. I asked a couple kids in my school who were. I kind of felt like, were outcasts, too, were kind of misfits. Like, not a lot of people understand them. And we made a poster symbolizing Black History Month. It was. I wanted the poster to be black to symbolize Black History Month, but I wanted to put different facts about the whole world on it, you know, like, black. Like, it's a month to just educate yourself, not just about a certain particular race. You should educate yourself on everything, all the stuff that's happening. So that's the first project we worked on. But Keshawazo It's a group of, like, 25 kids that. It's an art collective. I call it a group of superheroes. Kids that we are tomorrow's generation. We have ideas to offer to the world to grow and to just to make this world a better place. There's a lot of bad things going on, and kids don't really have a good platform to express themselves and say, no, these are the things that I want to change. Usually it's adults who are in charge of these groups who are giving the rules. Okay, we're doing this today. And Geshawasu is a place where kids can just be like, okay, I have this idea. How can we make it come to reality? Geshawazo is the youth's imagination meeting reality. That's how I would describe it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What do you think, Isaiah? What do you think about all of this? Does it seem like there's a lot of energy and a lot of creativity going into something that's still kind of in its early stages of being formed?

Isaiah Taylor:

Yeah, definitely one of the main focuses. We're just trying to find ways to stay busy. In Portland, he's been doing way more art walks than he'll give himself credit for. Fashion shows and releasing different clothes. Like, making these clothes and then releasing them with his logo on them or from scratch with his mom's help. So it's like those things are getting people interested and getting the community to start being involved. And he. He's starting to have real influence in the community. And whenever he, like, he threw a party. Yeah, it was a New Year's party, and it was like. Or like 600 people, like 200 people lined up outside, and it was just like. But they all came for Keisha Wazo, like, to come to the Keisha Wazo event. So it's like people know what Quazo stands for. They know it means tomorrow's ideas, and they know the history of it and they know the background. I mean, like, our. Our peers, like, they know what it's really about. It's just kind of getting them to stand on the front lines engaged. Yeah. So it's like.

David Thete:

It's hard because it's a mindset, you know what I mean? And it's like it changes every day. It develops every day. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't understand what type of influence I had up until that party. Like, I remember. So we're driving up to the party. The party started at 10, and I get there, like, at 9, 30 something, and there's a Line, like, going around the corner, and I look at him and I'm like. I was just like, what is going on? I didn't understand. Like, I didn't think that people would come. You know what I mean? And that made me realize, like, there's a need for this in this city. Like, this city in particular, not anywhere else. Like, this city is so diverse and has so much culture to it. And this mindset, Keshawazo, is needed for kids to understand that even if you're not in Keshel Wazo, you still are tomorrow's idea. Because you. You are young and you have ideas. You can do anything you want. And that's what I want kids to understand is, like, even if you're not affiliated with us, you're not with this. That, like, just because you don't have a platform, you can create your own. You know, in the mission statement, it says, if you don't, like the books, the clothes and the sports you have, like, create your own, you can do anything you want. And that's not what they're telling us at school. There's not many teachers that told me my potential. Like the article that came out in Portland Press Herald, I failed four classes, my friend. My first year at Chevris, four classes. I couldn't play basketball anymore. And I failed many more after that, too. But, like, by the grace of God, I'm here having this interview, talking about something that, like, this is my. My dreams are coming true right now, you know? Like, this is that I'm enjoying life right now, you know? And I want every kid to feel this. I want every kid to feel like they're not isolated, they're not in that box. And that's. That's Geshawazo. It's. It's really. It's. It's hard to. It's hard for me at times because I don't realize, like, what I have, what resources I have, you know? And. And that's where, like, this relationship helps me so much. Because it'll be like, no, because he's older and he's lived. He's lived longer than me, and he's an artist in himself, so he knows how to deal with certain situations. And it's like, well, you can't. You can't go to this part. You can't go to this party and hang out with your friends on a Friday night, because you have to. You have to work on this event coming up. You know what I mean? And that's things that I wasn't used to you know what I mean? Like now it's like, okay, like not like I said, I have a calendar, I have a schedule. I have to do certain things to get, to get to where I want to be. Because I feel like we haven't, we're just getting started.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is it, is it interesting to try to figure out your own life versus being at Chevreuse or really any school where somebody says you do this and then you do this, then you do this and now you're in a situation like Isaiah you've been in for the past four years where if you're an artist, you have to be self motivated to create and to promote and to organize. What's that? What is that transition like? I guess either one of you can answer that question relatively.

David Thete:

Yeah, I guess I'll start so honestly. That's something that, that was the biggest change. Having so much control on my day to day life and the people I surround myself with in organizing and promoting that is, It's a lot, it's a lot of, it's a lot of power that you have inside and you just have to find it. Like you said the self motivation part, that's really hard to be self motivated. And it's. I. The thing that keeps me grounded is just remember the vision. Remember that like sometimes I'll get really depressed. I'll be like, wow, like these kids aren't seeing what I'm trying to do and like the group is not listening, blah, blah, blah. But it's like, well, it's gonna take time. And the vision, not everyone understands the vision. Like when it's out that, when it's like right there in their face, it's gonna, maybe it's gonna take me to go like go away from maybe. You know what I mean? It's gonna take time for people to understand and just managing myself at like. I was 17 when all this started, you know what I mean? I had no idea how to answer emails and like PR team and like tweet and all that stuff. It's all stuff that I had to learn and I feel like that's, that's good. It was awesome. You know what I mean? I went to USM for the first semester and like I feel like I'm getting in just these past like six months, I've gotten so much experience that it's gonna help me down the line forever. You know what I mean? One of the best, one of the, one of my favorite things that I've ever worked on was I got to collab with this artist from Detroit, who. He goes by the name of yourself and his pa, he. We worked on a project on gentrification in Portland because there's a huge, like, housing gentrification crisis. And I live on Munjoy Hill. And so we collabed, I took some photos of areas that are being gentrified, and we made a visual installation at Space Gallery. And that, to me, is. When I saw that, I was like, wow. Like, I'm not even in art school. Like, I'm not even. Like, there's kids right across the street at Mecca who, like, would go their whole lives for this. And I have this opportunity, opportunity to do this. Like, that's when I realized, like, I gotta stop playing around. Like, this is. I gotta. We gotta go harder from here. Like, I have to be on top of emails, I have to be on top of every message. And just learning that, it's really hard. But I'm lucky I have the right people around me to help me and keep me motivated. Yeah, guess that's it.

Isaiah Taylor:

I just think I was always a believer that education never stopped once you leave the classroom. So it's like, I made a conscious decision to not go to college when I graduated because I knew I had been studying music and pursuing music for, like, two years before that. So my mom eventually understood that I could really just like, if I'm in this field of music, rapping, engineering, music producing music and things like that, it's experience. It's not going and sitting down and having somebody, even in a classroom with a professor that studies music. Because I've been in certain studios and certain places where people will sit me down and be like, yeah, like, I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't think you should go to school for that. Like, people have literally told me, like, don't. I went to American. I think it's AI. I forget what's the actual name of it, but it's like a college for music. And I went to visit there and was thinking about a scholarship and things like that, but I just realized I'm never gonna really make progress until I learn how to do it on my own. Like, school will help you how to test your own limits and teach you what you yourself can handle. That after school is just kind of like, you already know these things. You already know yourself. You're already comfortable in your own skin or whatever it is. So, like, it just takes time to develop, like, actual schedule and actual, like, workload that you're gonna attack at a certain time. And things like that, you have to be. Stay on schedule, stay. Make sure. If you're, if you're not, if you don't have a system behind you and making sure you do these things, like make sure you have monthly goals, six month goals, three month goals, like daily goals, like, things like that. So it's like, things like that help me to just stay busy and to just stay productive, I think.

David Thete:

And one of the biggest things that I feel like has helped me is networking. Just like, really putting yourself out there. A lot of people are, like, when they're in opportunity, say, like they're at an art event or something, like, they'll just sit and like, look at art. If I don't meet at least 10 people or get at least like some business cards or something, or tell people, hey, listen, this is Keshel Wazu. Like, this is what I'm doing, then I feel like there's. There's no point of me going to the event. If you're not sharing, like, what you are. That's how you. That's how most opportunities come. You know what I mean? That's how. That's how I met Aaron. That's how this, like, she came to an event that we had and was like, hey, like, I want to work on a project, project on gentrification in Portland. Like, this is what I'm doing. Like, can we do that? And then it developed into like a documentary that she's filming of Kesha Waza for one year. And like, that would have never happened if I was like, sheltered. Like, oh, well, nah. Like, I make, I don't make. I try to really, like, articulate and talk to people as much as I can. Even if, like, it's uncomfortable for me, I feel like that's the only way I can grow. And it's really hard sometimes because like, like nowadays I used to be able to go on skate down Congress street and just like, no one, like no one knows me. I'm not saying I'm like a celebrity or anything, but, like, it's like, it's hard to go places now and like, have to talk to everybody when I'm like trying to say I'm trying to just be with my friends and like, eat something. Like, people will try to talk and like, do whatnot. And it's like, man, like, I was not used to that. That's the hardest thing to get used to. Just always being ready and like, like respectful to people, but enjoy it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you're talking about Erin. Aaron's been in the Studio. Yeah, she's been filming.

David Thete:

She's a professor at Colby College and she's done lots of films herself. And like, I think through this film I've grown too. I just seeing how the people, just how we got to the point where someone is documenting this because I always like, well, like the future's gonna be. The future's gonna be televised. But now it's. This is literally is being televised. Like, so I know we're going, we're on the right track. If once Aaron came along, I'm like, all right, we're good. We got this.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So for people who are interested in watching this documentary someday, Aaron's last name is Aaron Murphy.

David Thete:

Aaron Murphy. And I think we're gonna. We're really close. We work closely with Space Gallery, so the film will probably be shown there or whatever Aaron wants to do. It's up to Aaron. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I appreciate the time that I've had to spend with both of you. I've been speaking with David Tete, who is the founder of Keisha Wazoo, and also with Isaiah Taylor, who is a Portland based musician. Although I'm kind of thinking you're probably going to go beyond the Portland Portland based someday. Bigger. I think bigger things are in store for both of you. I really appreciate your taking time to come in.

David Thete:

Thank you so much for giving this opportunity. Thank you for Maine Magazine and thank you. Thank you for this opportunity. I'm really thankful for it.

Isaiah Taylor:

Appreciate it.

David Thete:

Definitely.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to Lovemain radio show number 288, Community Connectors. Our guests have included Mark Curto, Isaiah Taylor and David Tete. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our e newsletter and like our LoveMain Radio Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter as DRLISA and see our LoveMain Radio photos on Instagram. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of Love Maine Radio. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring Love Maine Radio to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. I hope that you have enjoyed our Community Connectors show. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.