the candidate, this mexico for defending fee for the women's world comp champions. the united states have qualified for the new account stage, but only just put you go hit the post and at a time and the goal is to hold the faith would have eliminated the us. i thanks any seconds in the group behind the lens would be vietnam 7 know portugal with alumini says european champions, england finished top of the a group off the something china $61.00 vehicles that because when the edelmans will come, england will meet nigeria in the last 16 and denmark beat hygiene to know, to finish as run this up in the groups downsized. co hosts a straight. yeah. the, this is all just here and these are the top stores, the south for me. you as president old trump has been and does it again. he faces

full accounts, including conspiracy to, to full the united states and obstructing official proceedings. but his attempts to over to him the results of the 2020 presidential election. the attack on our nation's capital. on january 6th, 2021. was an unprecedented assault. the seat of american democracy, described in the indictment, was fueled by lies, lies by the defended, targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the us government. and nations process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election. trump has cooled the latest and diamond election into fair and send the statements. he questioned its timing and said the charges with persecutions, reminiscence of nancy. germany and other auth, or a terry and dick tutorial. right, james. so france has begun to evacuating european nationals from new ship following last week's crew. the operation began after a tax on the french embassy and the capital in the army,

and the closure of the she has bought as well, the deposed government and the she had told l g 0. it would support the military intervention by a code was to reinstates the president in the protocol of the echo us they is that a possibility of using violence against the in the pile of that data that trying to use when as to these, at the power in in critical us county, a chinese president chasing painting is demanding a service search for people missing and trans 5 floods in the countries north. at least 20 people have been killed in beijing in the surrounding province. a powerful typhoon has made land full on the japanese islands of a canal causing of power to a suit of residents. there are warnings of strong winds and waves of up to 12 maces . because of the headlines, the news continues here on al jazeera. after the stream coming up next,

the african narratives from african perspectives, whatever has been done before can be done even better as long as a human being is doing it. you can shoot document reese from an african filmmakers from mozambie and came here from my app on the, on the ice okey team in east and central giant middle choppers and came yeah, i like africa direct on. i'll just 0, the on the,

the to the music, all flash shot up in my bones with its compose, attends blanche hard on trumpet and baritone will live. and then what you saw just that, that is music or history. that's all for history. for the 1st time in a 138 is the metropolitan opera is producing adoption by an african american composite. this is why we're over here on today's episode. we're looking at the contributions of african americans of black people around the world to the form of opera. let's move out gas highlights harris. hello, kevin. hello michaels. i get to have you here on the stream service introduce yourself, so i will, i will audience. well, my name is terrance bryan said, i'm a jazz musician by trade from new orleans, louisiana. and now apparently, i'm an opera composer out a so i was so happy about that. i know i read the introduce yourself.

hello, my name is karen slack. i'm a soprano and i, and i originally originated the role of billy in the original production of fire stuff in my bones and st. louis. uh so i get to have in highlighting out loud like a welcome to the street. please introduce yourself. try audience around the welsh. hi, i'm michael mohammed. i am a director and an educator based in san francisco, california. all right, auto stilted for us. thoughts about flash shot up in my thought is what does it mean to you? michael chiron, habits michael, you saw i think the importance of it is representation representation audits. deepest level of what happens when we actually get to see the black stories, black bodies on stage, and in one of the largest platforms possible for opera. and how does that walk them

in a new set of people? how does that actually make space at the table for new stories and for stories that are contemporary and stories, that means something to the, to the bodies that are in the seats and who's getting to experience what that story town. i knew the fire was an incredible piece of history. when i read the libretto for the 1st time, i went and to and i already knew parents as music by singing the opera champion, which was the parents is 1st opera. and i knew it was that of the special answers to see such a prolific story told by such an incredible musician, it welcomes what opera, what we say be more often to be in the 21st century to have the full culture as we say, for the culture on the stage of a place that is so white, i've been on that stage. you know, i've been in the company, but to have it on the largest oper, rabbit platform in the world to have our story. so for this big by parents and

casey and charles is incredible for our parental, think that they even understand how free it's the moment parents, somebody else a lot. i think for me, you know what this means is we get a chance to see our culture. you know, i met karen and because of karen, i had this conversation with the cast here. we talked about it a while ago. i can't remember this when we were in my home and it was when we were doing a champion. we talked about how so many african american are pursuing is go up in a church in groups and rhythm and blues and some of them, even groups, thing and jazz. but when they enter into the operatic world, they're told to throw all of that and put it aside. and what i wanted people to do in this production is to bring all of that back to this format, you know, and allowed them give them space to,

to experience and express themselves. you know, andrew, blue, she took it very seriously while everybody has been. angel was the 1st to approach me. and she said, you know, do you mind if i take some liberties and i'm like please, and angels, one of your off history is one of the characters in, in, in this production. if i shut off in my bags, right? yes, he's one of the principal. she plays 3 cards, she pays loneliness, bethany and granite, the animal charles date. but she's changed as our peculiar grace, which is about charles. and you can hear her bringing in her background as um, especially based performer. you know, you have here and, and then she marries that with her training as an opera, singer. and for me and create something very unique but distinctly our own. you know, and the other thing about it too, is that because we have an all black task which was something we didn't set out to do with, just want of happening to be that way. is that the world gets a chance to see this level of talent that has existed in our community because,

you know, i did one interview and a journalist asked me, he said, man, do you think your offer is going to inspire people sing up or in a black community, i'm like, dude, they've been him. all right. all right, 6 terrence and karen and michael, i am gonna share you with that international audience. if you want to right now, your on youtube, jump into the comment section. a conversation today is black altis, flipping the libretto, see what i did there in opera. comment section is key. please join our discussion to see sort going and points for that happened before. we're really compelled by one demographic which doors and stories to me. we also have sort of stories that are managed to trash funny,

sad way for me to the concert stage, to this beautiful media for the production of buyers and my phone says our stories should be newer and more because we have to say really i have to ask you a page and i have to ask you when you are playing really, which is the mom? if i show up in my boat and did that, did it feel different from other productions that you were in? you, you won't experience the product you if what the logos did it feel different? absolutely. first of all, parents knew my voice very well because i had some of his 1st. all right, so he crafted a piece for my instrument particularly, but i didn't have to get into the skin. i was playing my aunt's, i mean, my, my mom, my, my cousins, women that i saw in my church in the, you know,

it. and there's something about getting into the task of trying to, to turn yourself into and you know, the 18th century italian operates the panel. you know what i mean? that's one thing to sing something like billy to, to live her. and i were, i know who i represented on that stage. it was important for women who look like me to is to see themselves when i walked out the, even before i opened my mouth, that comment michael came from the, from shown a, a composer. oh, he's a composer conductor, and he talked about that being relate to full stories. is this a time now where operate is realizing that you have to encompass the diversity of the community? you caught josby eurocentric i think from last summer with the reckoning, as i keep calling it from the reckoning of last summer as realizing that our institutions have to reflect the the, the bodies. but people who, who,

who are around it. i think of. and i think because as, as oper is an institution that is old and it's, it's slow to change. so i think that we as the current living people trying to live and work and create and this media. and i think that we're seeing that more and more it's gotta open up and we've got to be hospitable to people who want to explore this as, as a story telling media. and because i think i, as you said in the video that there is lots theater story telling it's a narrative. but one of the things i want to add to what michael is talking about is do you know what's the definition of insanity doing the same thing and expecting a different result, right? so that's what the article has been doing when it's trying to sell this art form. and people have gotten to the point, you know, wherever we start to realize, no, that has to change. and i think with joe and floyd was,

was murdered on on television. i'd video was sent around the world. it opened up a lot of people's as to what we would have been complaining about in this country for generations. and people have sought to make a difference and it gives you to give them all the credit for, for saying that we need to not only do stories that are related to our generation, but we need to do. ready like this to let people know that there are other voices out there that needs to be heard. and here's the thing that's most important. it's the universal story. it's not a start is just unique to the african american community, but it's a story that's told through our lands. and by being told through our lands, you know, there, so many people can come and relate one journalist. this is the most diverse audience he's seen at the man, and here's 20 some years of covering the man. so i want to tell people who don't know, the sy fy shut up in my phones. it is based on the memo of child was blo, who was a really well known new york times quoting this and

a right to it is an extraordinary story. but it's also a story about an african american man. and you're hearing how one of my cool and carrots, talking about stories being relates people and stories from our community. what would that look like? for instance, in rehearsal practice session. i know these videos, this is a movement excise with flies shut up in white, but it's how i look. i challenge you not the adults, the

live and so many people around the world are now going to go see. all right, that's what our present value. i'm going to bring in another voice buttons always say this is juliana historian, who, who reading gets to the match of why it has been challenging for african americans, the people of color to be involved in opera. patients. i think the same was black, composes contributions to a brush is not necessarily that they are treated spencer was, but they always treated as somehow different. this is not just oprah but black.

oprah invision is oprah. oh, fun cobra. in yes, the other name. so if i use to describe the score provisions, so not because as well, a waste comes with a qualifier which implies that it somehow fools offsite to know that it's not normal. because of this, i don't think it is treated on an equal footing no time you are looking for your thoughts fast and then michael's to me yeah. how do you start? well, i also think it is a lack of education with the administrators and a lack of courage with those who get to make decisions. you know, people, we hear a lot about gate keeping because of the time that we were in with the racial, racial reckoning. but it is the administrators, the general directors, the intern dots who get to dictate what culture is for the community to come to the, the come to the opera. and we can change that. this is not 1935.

it's 2021. and i think every art organization has a responsibility to their community to show them the brightness of what's available . yeah, and i also think it even begins even beyond that with them. the pipeline in and who it's, it's, it's a reaching forward and are reaching back and we're reaching forward. we're moving things forward, but we're also reaching back to bring people along with us. and i think that's a, a part of the gate keeping. and how do we break open the gates? how do we disrupt any of the systems that have that have kept what the ideas are normal and not normal? and who gets to be part of the conversation? and who doesn't? i think the more we can disrupt and break those doors open and bring people along. and that's the part and the,

the and t sort of colonial mindset of hopper. and that we're really trying to room to, to widen the conversation, democratize the space so that most more people get a chance to, to be in the space. and to talk about the how the story is beautiful. i have questions for you from you to i'm going to fire them at you come back was instant office so we can get in as many as possible time. so i'm going to get this one thing. this is the only thing he wanted to know about the met upfront and closing doors. it start donovan here it's racist history. making a black culprit is big, but it's a had a sat but it took this long to do this. a 138. yes. that's me adding that on the residence. donovan directs instant out. well, well here's the thing. you know about this, you know, wow, i'm very proud of my heritage. i'm very proud of everybody gets in this production we've made up or, you know, we're not trying to be separate just, you know, i and i think that's really important. karen is my sister and we know we've had

a lot of conversations and one of the things that we have never talked about is her being a blacks the problem. we talked about her being in amazing soprano. it just so happens that she's african american, just so happens the story is told through the lens of the african american community. but you know, there are other communities that agent can be there, but all people walk different walks of life. we have stores in town and i think that's where i think we stopped falls short. you know, one guy asked me, did it, did i think that why people hold on a calm and listen to this offer? and i told him, i said your question implies that we shouldn't go to the opera bench done by verity opportunity. you know, i think, you know, at the end of the day we are trying to be the most accomplished artist that we can be. we're trying to bring all of our communities, our background, our upbringing, our experiences, to the stage. and if we're really trying to be artist,

dot business, people are politicians. if we're trying to be an artist, then everybody should be welcome. everybody should have a form to tell stories. i'm going to get back to the chief in a moment because there's some really good questions on the issue for you guys. but 1st, we take a pause to bring in the gorgeous voice of tyran slack. he's thinking he administered so outputs, but options dad's my book and based on the book of the same name, his miss the . 2 the a good time and i want to see if it okay, want me to call you can you,

can you because i've been watching your key conversations and you all have a have a look here on my laptop carrying those excuse me, having during, during locked down during the pandemic, she's, she has been bringing the output community together. he's she is. this is my favorite one with soprano angela brown. and there was a moment where angela told a story, and he will read eco's cuz you had told a story about how she didn't get a role because the dress wasn't big the right size. but then she went to see the production and the woman playing the part one of the pot was exactly the same size of angela brown. so, fast this sense of unfairness in new york for a while. or what point does the fact that this impact your ability to play and sing a fictional tied to often times oh my goodness. yeah. yeah. the questionnaire for you. yeah, exactly. that was the conversation before black before color. yeah. about size,

you know that deborah void is one of the most um, political germanic sopranos of our time. and she had had this gigantic career because she couldn't. so to address a couple of bar that they wanted to have a smaller woman, she was hired. and so the know the comments and i'm the or that we don't get rules in best buy, i guess they, they are the, the lansing price rules. ideally, if you are not just send you the bad, beautiful cheney as if, you know, black people can't see german music or french music. you know, i mean, it doesn't matter in this, in it, but again, it goes back to the people who get to decide who gets to have a crew, doesn't what rules, what offers get shown produce. we have to change the people who make this decision . we have to make that more inclusive, you know, because again, we want people to come to the theater to see themselves in every, every oper, every role we present, you know, not just been, people make love, not just thing people fall in love, not just white people, you know,

have happily ever after work, you know, for using a death, whatever that is, you know, an offer, but, you know, just talk me with that being walking on the theater full on, on youtube. well, what i think is a really nice increasing question. mike, i'm going to get this one to you. what do you do? you know if you want to be much more diverse, but the funding comes from white donors who that's the rich questionnaire really? yeah, it's really all right. so question because of, you know, and then funding in the united states as so not tied to the government, it's not if it's, it's untethered to any sort of real system of support. so it does rely on donors. so there's always this, this balancing act between what do you expect the donors to want to

support and what do you expect audiences, because audiences is reliant, you know, companies relying on tickets fails. so it's a, it's a delicate dance that companies have to do. yeah, i am. sorry, i'm sorry. go ahead. well, no, i think i think there's a, there's misconception about that too. you know, it just like anything else cuz what i was very, very proud of with the production of fire shut up in my bones. but was that down, walker is an african american mazda ford foundation, was a big supporter of this production. sheila johnson, who's also african american and a lot of classical music, was also a big supporter of this production. so we made history in that regard as well. and i think, you know, we, we have people in our community who have money, you know, who have been raising dollars and they need to understand that they can have a say so. and what go. ready is on the stage at these performance theaters,

you know, and i think daren walker and sheila johnson have set a precedent by doing so. at the minute i've tennis, i want to pick up on a point that you made earlier about the university ality of opera and, and stories that they can be for people around the world. so for this last comment, i'm going to keep town to adult for students who is a soprano, and she talks about university ality of, of, for it's not just a white people issue. ok, so this is a repeating of phone bags. the stories that have been told in result has been quite universal, which is why we find different. i've got patients office stories done all over the world relating to the contract experiences of those areas. for instance, there was lots of production of the bills down here. and in this production, many of and died because of i checked in

a thing just to see the and you do also get all the oprah companies who go even further to even also the old construction where it's not, you know, model of orchestra visual gets in the deed of houses. mm hm. so parents, so i'm just looking at a pit to him on my laptop and i, i love this picture so much. i'm just going to do this down here. never saw this calvin. all i know so much when i was a kid, i used to go to the little upper house and covent garden in london. i used to place the on the black person, if there was another black mass. and i would like to know, can we have uh glasses on? i will be looking out of the yeah, i know what all 3 of you doing at the community of lot performance, i think because i think that gave us what you have a black person is going to be less rewarding. now that they're going to be so many that it will no longer be a gay time it's closing thoughts. go ahead. well,

i think it's a shame when i listen to the young lady taught to think that in order to have a black task, we need to do a retake on to ged. and i love watching. i loved level one was one of my favorite offers, but i'm so proud of the fact that we're doing stuff back and ready to people's lives today. and hopefully that will open the door for that young lady. and now the people just like her to tell their stories, the way they see fit, because i know with work that's the level of success we've had with fire shut up in my bones at the man lives. and it's, it's been a reckoning for people to understand that they are people who will come to opera if they will see themselves on the cell like it is. is this a perfect segue into the closing video? i'm going to show you is the famous step. thoughts from fire shot up in my bones. michael. karen parents. thank you so much. i will leave you with 5 shut off my bones. the step down, spencer watching everybody the

the calling attention to this quality, pollution and extra judicial feelings in kenny is low income communities. silent brother was killed by police. they don't fit the voices,

but the one task to do one day and organize that or on the record. tell old police keep awfully begun. so for me, it's in buffalo and it has been put on the bus that april gorbinko who brought in generation change. can you change is coming is no doubt about it on a just in a world where the news never ends. understanding what's behind the headlines is more important than ever. it takes listening to the people behind the news and to the journalist for reporting their stories. it's that intimacy that makes every international story local at heart. i'm only can be the host of the take a daily news podcast powered by the global reporting of al jazeera, find us where ever you get your broadcast. basically out of the un fits the purpose was like many critics sites, just pump solution doesn't get anywhere near enough done to the amount of money

that is put into a hard hitting into abuse. do you think that to the lives of washington enough for money to go on its own and build it's on thoughts providing on for centuries, people have been taken care of are. so i have every confidence that future generations will do it as well via the story on told to how does era the phone with us president donald trump is criminally charged for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. was fueled by lice wise by the defendant targeted and obstructing a bedrock function of the us government. the.