Charlotte Hill O’Neal aka Mama C aka Iya Osotunde Fasuyi

Charlotte Hill O’Neal aka Mama C aka Iya Osotunde Fasuyi

Charlotte Hill O’Neal aka Mama C aka Iya Osotunde Fasuyi is a musician, visual artist, poet, filmmaker, lifelong teacher and peace builder through her Art and her Life Example!

Mama C is a veteran Black Panther from the Kansas City Chapter which she joined straight out of high school in 1969 at the age of 18. She married Pete O’Neal, the founder and chairman of the Kansas City Chapter that same year.

After Pete O’Neal was targeted by COINTELPRO they escaped America in 1970 and lived and worked in Algeria for two years at the International Section of the Black Panther Party before relocating to Tanzania where they became pioneers, farmers, and homesteaders before founding the United African Alliance Community Center UAACC where they continue to offer free classes in many subjects for Tanzanian youth.

She has lived in Tanzania with her husband Pete O’Neal, since 1972 and is an intricate part of the Arusha community where she lives in the foothills of Mt Meru in Imbaseni Village, home of the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) of which she is co-founder.

Mama C, who was born in 1951 in Kansas City, Kansas carries the DNA of jazz, blues, and African Spirituality in the rhythm of all that she does!

In addition to being a vocalist and composer, Mama C also plays instruments from west Africa, including the twelve string kamalen ngoni and djembe as well as nyatiti, obokano and percussions from east Africa.

Mama C has three poetry books, the last of which is titled HOMAGE published by AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES based in South Africa and can be found on amazon.com

Her latest videos include WAREJEAJI: THOSE WHO HAVE RETURNED and NYATITI MEDICINE.

Mama C fervently believes in the power of music to heal and bring joy and elevation into our lives!

*“Muziki ni dawa yangu kweli” Mama C always says.

*Muziki ni dawa yangu kweli is Kiswahili for Music is truly my medicine!

Category:
Biographie