NAVAJO FUSION
DDAT performs and educates at a variety of venues year-round, including the Sunflower Theater in Cortez, Colo. (shown at left).
THEIR MUSICAL EXPERTISE AND GIFTS ARE NOT GOING UNNOTICED. DEF-I WAS RECENTLY SELECTED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL MUSICAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, AN INITIATIVE OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. NEXT LEVEL BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND ENCOURAGES GREATER UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE UNIVERSALITY OF MUSIC AS A FORM OF CREATIVE SELF-EXPRESSION. IT ALSO BUILDS ON THE HISTORIC LEGACY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S JAZZ AMBASSADORS, WHO FIRST TRAVELED THE WORLD IN THE 1950S.
14 AMERICAN INDIAN WINTER 2018
a really unique product. [We] relate to the younger crowd, who love hip hop. Who come from contemporary music. It also relates to a lot of the seniors who love the whole jazz as- pect. We get comments like, ‘I never thought I would like hip hop.’ Or, some of the younger ones say, ‘I never thought I could find jazz that amusing.’ It’s really neat!” Lucero echoes that point: “I’m able to im-
provise and move around and solo, which is unique for the hip hop genre. But, it speaks to our influences from the jazz and jam styles of music.” Their musical expertise and gifts are not
going unnoticed. Def-i was recently selected for the Next Level Musical Ambassador Pro- gram, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Next Level brings people together and encourages greater understanding through the universality of music as a form of creative self- expression. It also builds on the historic legacy of the Department of State’s Jazz Ambassa- dors, who first traveled the world in the 1950s. After traveling to Washington, D.C., for
a two-day orientation, Def-i excitedly pro- claims, “I am headed out soon to teach, learn
and share with the youth of Nigeria as a U.S. Hip-Hop ambassador for beat making/music production. Love and light to all of the fam that truly believe in me. Your support truly means a lot! I was super-humbled and em- powered by all of the artists that helped share, build, encourage and inspire me (and, each other) over these last few days of orientation.” Def-i had a previous connection to the
program in the form of fellow artist, Junious Brickhouse. The two met years ago while Brickhouse was traveling through Shiprock, N.M. Def-i retells, “After his service as an artist-educator, he became a co-director of the program and encouraged me to go through the application process. I was very impressed by the program and also highly respect the practitioners I knew that have participated in the program in previous years.” This is the fifth cycle of the program, with seven other countries participating in partnership. The Next Level program selects one artist-educator per hip hop element per country, so there will be 28 in total. The young rapper was grateful for the op-
portunity to share not only his artistry, but his culture. “As a Diné MC, I have a unique
PHOTO BY RORY PFOTENHAUER
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