Cleveland’s Mourning [A] BLKstar marks a decade of creation and collective power

Mourning [A] BLKstar has spent the last decade creating music that blends soul, hip-hop, jazz and punk with a powerful message of justice.

The seven-piece collective’s sound has reached audiences around the world, from local venues to Washington, D.C., Germany, the Netherlands and beyond.

The band describes its sound as “Afrofuturist” and prides itself on its diverse lineup and electrifying lyrics that reflect the current times.

It all began with Cleveland artist RA Washington, who envisioned an orchestra of different voices and sounds.

He invited singers LaToya Kent and James Longs to the studio one day and handed them lyric sheets, encouraging the artists to record without hearing the songs.

This was around the time Kent was preparing to record another solo project. She said in that room she felt as though the musicians all shared a common thread and shared experiences.

“When we're in a room together, it's magical,” Kent said. “It feels so organic. It's like a portal, like a little creative, magical chamber. I feel like you can see it in the air.”

Those spontaneous sessions became “Blaq Music,” the group’s first album, and Mourning [A] BLKstar was born.

Emanuel Wallace

Over the years, the project evolved into a full collective of musicians, each with a strong voice and distinct creative identity.

Dante Foley joined in 2017 after Washington initially invited him to bring a drum to a show at the Grog Shop. Foley never left the band after that day.

“We're all big personalities, really tuned to our own craft,” Foley said. “But we put that aside to create something together. Every performance, we check in with each other on stage, and that connection has sustained us more than anything else.”

That connection is the heart of the group, both on stage and off.

“Every show we get together and we have a huddle,” Kent said. “We connect, we hold hands or we make a circle ... So, when we get on stage, it's not just performative.”

Kent said audiences get to witness the players’ connection with each other, and the experience feels like the artists are playing for one another, not just a crowded room.

Hitting milestones and writing new music

Over the past 10 years, Mourning [A] BLKstar has reached new milestones, performing at the Kennedy Center twice, appearing on the cover of The Wire magazine and winning the Cleveland Arts Prize.

Kent said their goals used to be playing venues like Now That’s Class or the Beachland Ballroom.

“And then now, we went to play Australia and all these places like that you would never thought you would even go,” Kent said.

Their most recent European tour — their fifth — reminded them how far their music has traveled.

“One guy was like, ‘I have all the albums,’” Kent said. “I'm like, ‘What?’ He's like, ‘Yeah I buy all the albums.’ So, they appreciate music in a different way.”

Known for weaving social commentary and racial justice into their work, Mourning [A] BLKstar continues that focus on its latest project, “Flowers for the Living.”

Inspired by member and trumpeter Theresa May’s habit of sending flowers to people she cares about, the record is both a celebration and a call to action.

“We were thinking about what it means to honor each other while we're here,” Kent said.

Foley said the opening track, “Stop Lion 2,” faces hard truths head on.

“The boot is stomping down on Black and brown people currently,” Foley said.

He said the group has always touched on these themes, particularly the lack of action taken to address this oppression.

“Us being artists of discipline and artists of honesty, we're sick of folks lying and saying that we can merit our ways out of this oppressive system,” Foley said. “We have to both stop lying to ourselves and people in power have to stop lying to us.”

The passion of this lyrical content is expressed sonically through unified, boisterous vocals and waves of sound that swell as the tension builds.

The album closes with “Choir Alight,” a message of hope and perseverance.

“So many of us have been in like a state of sadness,” Kent said. “Like, we're waiting for the next crushing thing to happen in our country. It's so easy to give up — what is it like for somebody to tell you four times, ‘don't give up’?”

After 10 years together, the group shows no sign of slowing down.

Kent said they’re taking time to rest and reflect after a whirlwind tour, but the creative current never really stops.

“Usually by the time we have a record coming out, we already have one that we are working on,” Kent said.

Other members include Jah Nada on bass and production and Pete Saudek on guitar and keys.