Ekundayo affirms art is healing

Ekundayo
Artist

What keeps you inspired?
I am inspired by everything I go through, by all my experiences good or bad.

How did you determine your career path?
I came up playing African drums and going to dance rehearsal with my mother for as far back as I can remember. Seeing my mother perform and getting a taste of the limelight myself at an early age sparked my love for art and artistic expression.

How would you describe your art form?
The art of collaboration. Working with others and understanding how to work with others. Is an art in itself. Could be the difference of success or failure.

Are there any misconceptions that you’d like to dispel about your craft?
Yes, I feel a very big misconception is that art is the easy, slacker route and it can’t hold a candle to academia. I feel they are both essential for human progression. “The output is as important as the input.” Working hard is the way to dispel that misconception.

Identify roles models in your industry. 
Too many to name, the people in the forefront of this “ATL” music scene as well as music scenes from around the world. The progressive forward thinkers are my peers. Reggae and jazz artists (Bob Marley, Miles Davis etc.). I use as examples because of their passion and appreciation for their art forms. Fela Kuti Anikulapo and Paramhansa Yogananda

Which authors or books inspire you?
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Third Eye and The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus The

How do you utilize technology?
Technology makes things a bit easier from audio to visual, I use computers to record music and manipulate images captured by my camera.

… The iPhone has made quite a huge difference in my method of networking, I can do almost everything from almost anywhere.

Describe your personal brand.

My personal brand is a reminder to smile, a reminder that life is not supposed to be full of sufferation and pain. EKUNDAYO means sorrow becomes happiness.

Favorite vacation spot?
The West Indies, it’s paradise!

What does it mean to be an icon?
To be iconic one must know and believe in oneself. See the playing field from an alternate view than the average person and stay on their path regardless of the opinion or movements of others.

Peter Tosh is iconic, Malcolm X is iconic, Afrika Bambatta is iconic George Clinton is iconic. Not for nothing, Fahamu Pecou is iconic.