Bios

C. Brian Williams

C. Brian Williams is a graduate of Howard University and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Beta Chapter. After living in Africa, he began to research stepping, exploring the many sides of the exciting, yet under-recognized American art form. He founded the dance company Step Afrika! in 1994. 

Williams has performed, lectured, and taught in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean, and throughout the United States. He is a founder of the historic Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Under his leadership, stepping has evolved into one of America’s newest cultural exports and his company has earned recognition as Washington, D.C.’s official cultural ambassador.

Williams has been cited as a “Civic/Community Visionary” by NV Magazine and “Nation Builder” by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. He is featured in Soulstepping, the first book to document the history of stepping, and several documentaries about the art form. 

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Washington, D.C., Mayor’s Award for Innovation in the Arts and the Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance.

Go to Step Afrika! to learn more.

Michael Mwenso

Michael Mwenso was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, but moved to London as a child. He spent his teen years hanging out at the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, where he was exposed to musicians such as Benny Carter, Elvin Jones, Ray Brown, and Billy Higgins.

He had already started honing his talents as a trombonist, singer, and performer, playing in jump bands, reggae and Afrobeat horn sections, and at hard-bop sessions. Mwenso’s talent as a performer caught the attention of many, which lead him to meet James Brown. The funk legend became a mentor and allotted space for him to sing and dance at his London shows.

In 2012, friend and jazz musician Wynton Marsalis brought Mwenso to New York City to serve as curator and programming associate at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he also booked nightly sets at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Over the next few years, Mwenso booked and performed with the likes of Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Sullivan Fortner, and Jamison Ross.

Through the performances, at Dizzy’s, Mwenso began to collaborate with a variety of Juilliard-trained musicians, a collective that soon became known as The Shakes. This unique group of global artists present music that merges entertainment and artistry with a formidable timeline of jazz and blues through African and Afro-American music. The group has toured extensively through the United States and has received high praise from the debut release Emergence.

Visit Mwenso and the Shakes to learn more.