Americans' voices become part of poet Sundiata's 'dream state'

In the aftermath of 9/11, poet Sekou Sundiata traveled across the country on a two-year excursion in search of a way to express the myriad ways Americans were struggling to make sense of a turbulent world suddenly at their doorstep.

(Photo by Julieta Cervantes)

On that indelible September morning in 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and the fatal crash in Pennsylvania transformed the dreams and ideals of Americans into a collective state of anxiety and fear.

In the tradition of Walt Whitman, Sundiata has integrated voices of Americans into his personal narrative. The result is "the 51st (dream) state," which reviewers call a compelling mosaic of poetry, music, dance and taped interviews from his travels.

Sundiata will perform the work 8 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Power Center for the Performing Arts. The concert is presented by the University Musical Society (UMS). He last appeared at UMS in 2003.

Sundiata and his musical ensemble take audiences on a search for national identity through his highly poetic and personal "State of the American Soul" address. The piece is filled with a spectrum of opinions, beliefs, anxieties and passions explored during his residencies in Ann Arbor and with university communities throughout the country.

Large screens on stage depict still and moving images as audiences hear interviews, including an Indian-American's description of a chilling confrontation on a Boston subway after 9/11 because of his dark looks.

In the end, "the 51st (dream) state" offers a meditation on what Sundiata believes is the paradox raging in the heart of America, challenging audiences to come to terms with what it means to be a citizen in a pluralistic society. And perhaps, what it means to be morally responsible at time of war.

"Maybe the 51st state is a dream state," Sundiata told The New York Times in November before the New York premiere of the work. "I discovered an active discourse in academic circles about the 51st state. Maybe the 51st state is a state of war. (Former Secretary of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld has said the 21st century will be a time of constant war. You need dream language to get at it."

For tickets to "the 51st (dream) state" go to www.ums.org or call 764-2538.