Meet the Artists!
The Mahoganee Xperience is a multi-disciplinary destination of indigenous Gullah Geechee afro-futurism storytelling through music, photography, mixed media, poetry, songwriting and performance. The focus is to educate on conservation and sustainability through entertainment in order to have a lasting positive effect on our environment.
Mahoganee is a Gullah/Geechee lowcountry creative of South Carolina, who is a renowned vocalist, recording artist, songwriter, poet, mixed-media visualist and music cultural preservationist who believes in arts advocacy through strategic partnerships. In her work she explores "time travel" “portals” and Afrofuturism.
Her unique style of Indigenous Soul Music is a blend of multiple genres such as Southern Soul, Funk, Jazz, Blues, Hip-hop with African, Native Indian and Caribbean influence. This music that ignites the senses and lyrics that spark the soul is created by Mahoganee and her husband, music producer André Amigér and they call it Funky Organik Soul. With over 30 years of experience in her field and national credits to her name, Mahoganee’s artistic persona is constantly evolving. Her sultry and earthy vocals, commanding acapella stage presence, and a range spanning more than four octaves has earned her a loyal following by an ever-growing fan base and thus given the name “Sea Island Songbird”. She has performed before dignitaries and 21st century icons and for audiences of 20,000+ at festivals and other corporate, private, civic and community events – including Historical Penn Center's Heritage Festival, the Annual Black Family Reunion for the National Council of Negro Women in Washington, DC, and the Black Heritage Festival in Savannah, GA.
Mahoganee has shared the stage with artists such as Tony Terry, SOS Band, and Daniel Winans, and has been a featured performer with South Carolina’s ambassadors of Tourism Dr. Marlena Smalls & The Hallelujah Singers. Mahoganee was an Artist-in-Residence in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and in 2019 Cuba and Belize, She’s been featured on SoulTrain.com for both her artistry and activism. She has also been a teaching artist at the prestigious Historical Penn Center and is a member of the (Grammys) Recording Academy, a GrammyU Mentor and an Official South Carolina Arts Commission Arts in Education Approved Certified Teaching Artist in the Field of Music Since 2014. Mahoganee was commissioned to write the college Alma mater for TCL Technical College of the Lowcountry in 2019. Mahoganee has most recently been a featured artist of TEDx Charleston 2023 and named the 2023 recipient of the Leo Twiggs Arts Leadership Award by South Carolina Arts Commission and Riley Diversity Scholarship by The Riley Institute Furman University.
Mahoganee has most recently released her 4th record (album) entitled “Textures of a Southern Soul (a GullahGeechee Soul)”. Stay connected with Mahoganee via her website www.mahoganee.com and https://linktr.ee/mahoganeeamiger
As a native of Louisville, Kentucky, Marcus grew up with aspirations of becoming a pro football player, but his goals changed after having committed over 13 years of his young life to the U.S. Navy honorably. During this time, his love for jazz grew by listening and learning from the late Grover Washington, Jr., David Sanborn and Kirk Whalum, to name a few. Marcus says on one account,” I became truly inspired by a phone call from the late saxophonist, George Howard, a conversation I’ll never forget.” Surprisingly, Marcus would find himself with Rebbie Jackson (sister of Jacksons; Janet Jackson) during her show in Las Vegas. He knew his life was being routed towards a musical journey.
During Marcus’s musical journey, he has received encouragement from famed percussionist, Sheila E. and fellow saxophonists: Nelson Rangell, Najee, his sax mentors: Joe Yorio (Toured with Peabo Bryson), Mel Holder (Grammy & Stellar Award Nominee).
In 2019, Marcus won the AMG’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award. Also, he has released music singles that have climbed the charts. Notably, his single, “Brand New Day”, was produced by International Recording Artist, Jonathan Fritzen. It debuted #1 for the most spins (1st week in rotation) for Billboard Smooth Jazz radio stations. Also, “Together We Stand” charted on SmoothJazz.com Top 50 list and is currently spinning on Sirus XM Radio’s Watercolors and the Music Choice Network.
Marcus is set to release his new self-titled CD “Brand New Day”, this coming May 12, 2023. Stay connected with Marcus via his website and please subscribe/follow him on his Social Media Platforms.
In 2005, Dom Flemons created the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson. The group honored the legacy of their mentor, Joe Thompson, and the traditional string band music of North Carolina. In 2010, they won a GRAMMY for their album Genuine Negro Jig and then received a 2012 GRAMMY nomination for their album Leaving Eden. Flemons toured with the group from 2005 to 2013 and officially left the band to pursue his solo career in 2014. In 2016, the Carolina Chocolate Drops were inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The CCDs are featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and at the National Museum of African American Music.
Dr. Flemons, now based in the Chicago area, is famously known as The American Songster® since his repertoire covers over one hundred years of American roots music. Flemons is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music scholar, actor, slam poet, and the creator, host, and producer of American Songster Radio Show on 650 AM WSM in Nashville, TN. He is an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife and rhythm bones.
As a solo artist, he has toured over a million miles all across America and throughout Canada, Ireland, the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, and Malaysia. Flemons has performed at historic venues throughout the U.S. including the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman, the Kennedy Center, Abraham Lincoln’s Cottage, Appomattox Courthouse, National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the opening ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Dr. Longineu Parsons II has performed in over thirty countries in North, South and Central America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, appearing before such dignitaries as the King of Morocco, the President of Gabon, the Royal Family of the Netherlands, the President of Austria, the U.S. Ambassador to France, The Royal Family of Monaco and for UNESCO.
He holds a BS degree in Music from Florida A&M University, a Master of Music in Classical trumpet from the University of Florida and a Doctorate in Classical Composition from the University of Florida. He has also had supplementary jazz studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and has been featured as a guest artist at Universities worldwide.
John Capouya is a retired professor of journalism and nonfiction writing at the University of Tampa. Before his teaching career he worked at Sport, Newsweek and SmartMoney magazines and newspapers including Newsday and The New York Times.
He is the author of three nonfiction books. His biography Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture has twice been optioned for feature films. Capouya’s most recent book, Florida Soul, reveals that state’s rich history in 20 profiles. Florida Soul won the Charlton Tebeau Award from the Florida Historical Society and The Wall Street Journal called the book compelling, saying Mr. Capouya is to be commended.