. Some moments in Black History are indelibly imprinted on our National consciousness, Rosa Parks, "I Have A Dream", Barack Obama's election. And even, though it is harder to grasp, Mahatma Gandhi's passive resistance, and one of the greatest moments of them all, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethopia's speech to the League Of Nations in 1936.
The Emperor was requesting aid to help Ethiopia fight the Italians, who had attacked the country. Selassie said: "It is my duty to inform the Governments assembled in Geneva, responsible as they are for the lives of millions of men, women and children, of the deadly peril which threatens them, by describing to them the fate which has been suffered by Ethiopia. It is not only upon warriors that the Italian Government has made war. It has above all attacked populations far removed from hostilities, in order to terrorize and exterminate them."
Tomas Doncker, on the eve of his presenting his Musical Theater production, "The Power Of The Trilogy", at Central Park Summerstage, points to this moment in history as having great significance for Black people. "Before Malcolm X, before Dr. King, before Gandhi, a Black man stood before the world." And this is the point of Doncker's spiritually uplifting, vigorous and musically challenging masterwork.
Tomas began his career as an 18 year old, playing guitar with James Chance and for his friend mentor Joe Bowie. Joe was Lester Bowie, the legendry trumpet players, kid brother, and Tomas spent all the day with Lester and Joe (Joe would form the great Defunkt), "A gofer, do anything that was asked of me. Running out for cigarettes…"
The lessons were well learnt and Tomas has spent his life playing, producing and working with names you'd recognize: Yoko Ono, Bonnie Raitt, Bootsy Collins and mentor, bassist Bill Laswell.
It was through Bill that Tomas became interested in East African music. "West African soul is better known because of Fela. East African has more of a Middle Eastern flavor", Tomas explains. "In the 1970s, which I consider Black music's greatest moment. I mean, James Brown? Who can deny that. And the Commodores, something similar was happening in East Africa, down to the clothes they wore."
Tomas, wanted to follow in Laswell's footsteps, and also wanted the opportunity to work with the man who had influenced Tomas' own career. What would be his second release on Doncker's own label (a third album is already in the wings) True Groove (distributed by Sony's Red label) was beginning to form.
But then three other things occurred.
1. Tomas went to see Stew's Tony winning Broadway musical "Passing Strange", a huge influence on "The Power Of Trinity"
2. He went to see "Fela", the West African version of what how he perceives the East African "The Power Of Trinity"
3. A friend contacted him about the possibility of scoring the late Roland Wolf's play about Haile at the League Of Nations.
"It wasn't easy to write because I had to write songs that I could play with my band, that could stand on their own, but also that fit into the play."
Tomas did a terrific job. The album is a must hear. Especially "Peace is Not fiction" -which features both Bill and his big Eastern African influence, Selam Woldermariam. A terrific song and only one of many. The album is a without precedent mix of styles. "Even reggae, those white kids in college dorms, smoking pot and listening to Bob Marley, many of them have no idea what the Emperor did." Members of Steel Pulse are also on the album.
Or like your humble writer, they know Ethiopia is a poverty stricken third world country and Haili a delusional fascist who thought he was God. Not all of that is true. "First, the story takes place before the Rasta's proclaimed the Emperor God on earth, so I didn't have to deal with it. And, he never said he was God. Never claimed he was God. Just like Jesus, Jesus never claimed to be God either". Suffice to say, Tomas is not a Rasta and also suffice to say, since researching the story, Tomas has discovered that the real man and the legend don't always coincide. "Anybody could have done what I do, anybody could have done the research. it is out there".
Tomas has performed the songs as part of his set at Detroit's Sumemrstage and the crowd went crazy. The show was performed on Friday, and will be performed for three nights in succession at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, Marcus Garvey park in Harlem August 3rd thru 5th. "You're right, these are showcases for "The Power Of Trinity" and the plan is to move it to Broadway and tour behind it".
There is no doubt about the music here, it took a little while to sink in but it is masterful, powerful and beautiful music which should gain added resonance (But not power: it already has that) through transmogrification. As for the show, I will definitely be there and if you can't make it take the "A" Train is my advise.
In an effort to get this interview up today I had to shorten our conversation. I hope to request another interview with Mr. Doncker and take that opportunity to really write about his astounding career.