Dom Jones: A Driving Creative
“I meet myself again and again at different points in my journey.”
Another member of the 2020 BdA Artist Fellowship cohort is Oakland’s own Dom Jones. Jones is an award-winning singer, songwriter, emcee, producer, and creative entrepreneur. Jones’ work allows for the inextricable linking of the depth of soul, a contemporary sound, and the social issues of the day. Jones took out time from creating work exploring the 2020 BdA theme of “Mi Soon Come” to give us a chance to get to know a little more about her.
Who are your people?
My mama, my sisters, extended family, and chosen/built family.
When did you know yourself?
I meet myself again and again at different points in my journey. In this latest one, I went to Afropunk in 2017 and a new realization of the ability to be anyone I wanted to be and exactly who I wanted to be emerged. It changed the way I engaged with the world, but more importantly the way I engaged with myself.
If there were no restrictions on how you move, how would you move?
I would spend half of my time traveling and the other half creating. I believe life experiences inform art, and so I would want to travel to experience different cultures, lands, foods, art, people, practices, ways of being, and bring those experiences into my work.
What memory/ies have informed how you traverse/navigate the world?
When I was five years old, my dad took me down a big hill in Oakland on his Harley Davidson motorcycle. That memory teaches me about feeling protected and free, having something/someone to hold onto, even if the ride of life is wild. As an adult, performing and dancing the music and choreography of Missy Elliott in front of her for my graduation concert taught me that my body is able if my mind is fearless.
What makes your particular approach to your work stand out?
Relentless honesty, directed at myself first. I may critique the world in my music, but I also critique myself first. I may love people, but I love myself first. The ability to have a high level of self awareness is crucial in the relatability of my work and in encouraging buy-in from the listener.
What social issues does your art/creative work address?
Racism, classism, fatphobia, ageism, sexism, toxic masculinity, womanism, etc.
Tell us about your favorite/preferred mode of transporting yourself around.
My favorite mode of transporting myself is by car. I enjoy driving and I absolutely LOVE being driven (if the person is a safe driver). There’s so much to see out on the open road, and I think the reason that I love traveling by car is because my parents took me on many road trips as a child. I was able to look out of the window and see different cities and states.
Don’t wait til BdA to check out Jones’ work.
Dom Jones is one of the core artists of Bakanal de Afrique, the premier global festival of Pan-African Urban culture, community and creatives; see their new work premiering Nov 6- Nov 30, 2020, exclusively on www.BakanalDeAfrique.com.