CELEBRATING MUJASI
This Is A War Cry.
The warriors are prepared. They have come ready to give out of sacrifice. They come ready to give life-bearing fruit. Too, the warriors are armed. They are armed with their finances. They are armed with their prayers. They are armed with their God-given talents, skilled abilities and creative acumen. They are armed with their dedication. But most of all, they are armed with love. They are equipped for battle. But this battle is different. This battle is not for the faint of heart, the ballerina types. This battle is for the strong and courageous of heart, the dancers that drop beads of sweat that are gritty and free-style.
Sunset scorches the harvest sky a fiery salmon that streaks south before succumbing to the night’s outer darkness to the east. A full moon hangs suspended in animated glory. Its illumination provides a guiding light for the traveling troops.
The sleeping dust nesting beneath the warrior’s feet awakens and scurries into the nocturnal air at the incoming uproar. The warrior’s feet march in sync into battle. Their syncopated stomps are so harmonious it morphs into a life-giving heartbeat of drums thumping on rhythmic four counts. The thumps grow louder and louder until a life-pulsating heartbeat sounds throughout the land. The healing heartbeat of restoration guides the warrior’s feet to dance. When their feet dance, a seismic force of life-birthing tremors shakes the earth. The dancers become a ramose of sporadic interpretations woven through the tapestry of mobile expressions. Even rhythm-challenged white girls get down, dancing like injured robots in need of dance lessons, as experienced house dancers stomp holes into the ground, and gays J-set, drop to the ground-like it’s hot-and spring up again in a split second. Every heart is in on the action. Even the ministers of music deliver nothing short of sensational sermons; DJ 1derful of Sunday School lays down Reel People’s featuring Tony Momrelle, “Golden Lady”(Louie Vega Roots Mix), DJ Lynee Denise of Chitlin’ Circuit guides the dancers to an oasis of afro and deep house paradise, DJ Stanzeff of Tambor fame leads the parishioners to “The Bright Forest,” Ramon Rawsoul, Founding Father of The Gathering, takes the people all around the world, DJ Salah Ananse of Sunday School has the dancers “Body Drummin’” as DJ Yusef of Free Ur Soul serves a heartfelt reminder that “Life Starts Today.” Every heart dances as if to call down rain from the sky. It’s a time of celebration. It’s a time of life. It’s a time of healing. For this is Mujasi’s healing.
Who is this Mujasi that commands the hearts of the known and the unknown to give unconditionally through finances, prayer and dance? Who is this Mujasi that causes six ministers of music, from various deep and soulful house music soirees around the city, to set aside their petty differences, uphold their common mantle, deep house music, and come together to support a benevolent cause?
It takes a community….It takes a village.
His name translates courageous warrior. He is but only four years of age and yet a young man of many years. Mujasi, the lad with a heart of steel and a heart of gold, was recently diagnosed with LCH-Unifocal (Langerhans cell histiocytosis, unifocal) a rare auto-immune disease that effects eight out of one million children. The much-needed treatments for this rare disease are aggressive and expensive. The treatments are so astronomically expensive that health care only covers a minute fraction of the costs. Enter the city’s house music community and the city’s music community at large to assist with financial support and generous efforts.
Mujais’s prayer sings in the air, “There is no affliction in me.” Although, not physically present on the battlefield his spirit dances with his mother’s heart that serves a faithful reminder when five years earlier, Mom danced with Son in womb at various house music functions across the city.
Mujasi’s mother, Theresa McGhee leads the warriors to battle. Mother Theresa, the host of the Sunday evening gathering titled Sunday Dinner, fights for nothing less than the best. Mother Theresa is not for show, but possesses a treasured heart of humility. She diligently works hard “in the game” to support her son and to keep him happy. She gives her all. Her dance of triumph emanates from her heart. She gracefully dances onto the battle field. She adorns the battlegrounds. Two dimples, worth a million dollars, dot about to and fro. Her smile is awe-inspiring. Although petite in frame, her spirit structures the battlefield’s strategic movements. Every eye gazes stunned. Her life-giving joy touches every soul she encounters. A close stare in those bright as the moon, two-doe eyes aglow in hazel, reveals no hint of sorrow as her vibrant visage, besieged with two cheekbones that are perched as high as mountaintops, reveals no trace of doom or gloom.
She rallies the troops with a valiant heart-felt proclamation. She is animated. She is emotional. She talks in cant, a sing-song pattern that practically eludes a poetess historic of spoken word. She sways onstage and she bends over at the outpouring of generosity and support and most of all love from her brothers and sisters. She tells of the many telephone calls that she has received, even from former-school peers that she no longer recalls. She cries. The troops cry. She speaks of not only her son’s healing but the healing of the warriors through their giving. The troops respond with valiant shouts of agreement that materialize in the warm air.
Back on the battlefield, the dancers know something. Yes, they carry a secret. Lend them your ear. The secret whispers, “Already the battle is won. Mother and Son have the victory.” So, the warriors dance in victory. Death will not show its face tonight, the next night or any other night thereafter. Not even, a hint of death’s venom in slave- induced sickness will be felt. Even the universe bares witness with a miraculous message of majestic proportions.
Look up in the night’s sky. Yes, up in the air. See, the harvest moon illuminated in its entire splendor. There is something different about this moon. The lunar creation shimmers with a blue magnetic ring that shivers around its spherical form. The moon speaks. It speaks truth. Hear the words, “This is not the courageous warrior’s end but the courageous warrior’s beginning. We celebrate you, Mujasi.”
To donate and for more information:
Healing Mujasi by Theresa McGee
Words & photography by AJ Dance/Except flyer
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Tags: Atlanta Georgia, deep house music, DJ 1derful, DJ Salah Ananse, DJ Stanzeff, DJ Yusef, Lynee Denise, Mujasi, Ramon Rawsoul