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Y O U N G A U D I E N C E P R O G R A M

LES NUBIANS

Concert Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 at 11am Florence Gould Hall

School groups only Grade 1 9

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Who are Les Nubians?....3

2. Meaning and origin of their name.........4

3. Their aesthetics.....5

4. Focus on their musical influences.......6

5. What are the themes of their songs? .....12

6. Interview with Les Nubians .15

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Who are Les Nubians?

Les Nubians is an Afropean, urban, R&B Grammy-

nominated duo composed of two sisters, Hlne and Clia

Faussart, from Paris, France. Les Nubians had its genesis in

a small town in the southwest region of France where the

Paris-born sisters lived as teenagers after returning from

several years residence with their parents in the African

country of Chad. With a French father and a Cameroonian

mother, Hlne and Clia experienced cultural dissonance

in the rural Bordeaux region.

After their fathers death, Clia joined her sister in

Bordeaux and they helped found a cultural collective, les

Nouveaux Griots, a griot being a traditional African

Storyteller and historian, all with the goal of increasing awareness of African and urban cultures. A

chance meeting with jazz legend Abbey Lincoln, who encouraged the sisters to sing, led to the formation

of Les Nubians.

In the beginning they sang a capella due to their difficulty finding musicians who would back them.

Their unique sound led musicians to a recording deal with Virgin Records and in 1988 their debut album,

Princesses Nubiennes was released in Europe, where initially it enjoyed only modest sales. But the

albums innovative mix of hip hop, neo soul and African music found an audience in America and

Makeda the first single from Princesses Nubiennes became an urban radio hit. The video for

Makeda garnered heavy rotation on BET and VH1 Soul while a DJ Spinna re-mix generated strong club

play. Characterized by a marriage between Sade and Erykah Badu, Makeda was the right sound at the

right time.

Massive media attention, successful tours, and a Grammy nomination followed as well as nominations

for two NAACP Image Awards and two Soul Train Awards; one of which Les Nubians took home as

1999s winner for Best New Artist Group or Duo. In 2003, Les Nubians released their second album One

Step Forward, a conscious evolution of their style. They sang more in English on this album, largely as a

result of their American experiences which made them far more fluent in English. Restlessly creative the

sisters graced 2005 not with a new Les Nubians album but with a spoken word project Echos (Nubiatik

LLC/LicenceArtemis--Triloka Records), that brought together talented spoken word artists under the Les

Nubians umbrella.

To date Les Nubians have made Brooklyn their home base. They continue to tour the US and

worldwide, performing at festivals, art centers and clubs. Their most recent release is the n revolution

album (2011Nubiatik/Shanachie). Their pan-African vision remains as vibrant and clear as ever, as

expressed on Africa for the Future from this same new album. 2016 will be their 20th career

anniversary as Les Nubians. To celebrate this special time, they are preparing a Best of and will be

touring in the US/Africa/Europe in 2016.

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The meaning and origin of their name

The term Nubian describes an ethnic group that originated in

modern-day Sudan and Egypt. The Nubians have a distinct ethnic

and cultural identity, they speak their own language with its own

script, and they have a history dating back to dynastic Egypt.

Ancient Nubians were famous for their skill and precision with the

bow.

At times in their history, the Nubians have followed the Pharaonic

religions, had an indigenous Christian culture, and now follow Islam.

Modern Nubians are divided into three main groups the Danaqla

around the Dongola Reach, the Mahas from the Third Cataract to

south of Wadi Halfa, and the Sikurta around Aswan. Each group

speaks a slightly different dialect of the Nubian tongue. In Sudan,

the groups also practice facial scarring. Mahas men and women

often display three wide scars on each cheek. With the Danaqla, the

same scars are found around the temple. Scarification, however, is

becoming less and less popular with younger generations.

The Nubians have developed an identity which has been celebrated

in poetry, novels, music and storytelling.

Music is important in Nubian culture. Unlike Arabic music its based on the pentatonic scale, and so is

more immediately accessible to Western ears. Traditional music features a kisir (five-stringed lyre) and a

tar (drum). Nubian pop music is highly synthesized and often introduces horns to weave further

melodies into a heady jazz mix. Whichever style is played, the themes remain the same call-and-

response chants, love songs and songs in praise of the land. The last have become increasingly popular

in the last 40 years with the flooding of Nubias heartland and the urban drift of Nubians to Khartoum

and Cairo.

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Their aesthetics

Inspired by the conscious rap of Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Arrested Development as well as the

smoother but no less exhilarating sounds of Soul II Soul and Desree, Les Nubians are a new breed of

Afropean-styled hip-hop.

Les Nubians debut album, Princesses Nubiennes, is an amalgam of everything they had soaked up in

their life travels, including African roots (the girls lived for several years in Chad) with a jazzy feel, funky

rhythms, a hint of British soul, and a dash of French cool. Other French rappers such as MC Solaar and

Mel Groove have indeed forged a blueprint upon which Les Nubians build their sound, equally

influenced by classic soul, contemporary R&B and the inspiration of such African world music icons as

Miriam Makeba, Ray Lema and Youssou NDour.

Their N Revolution album, a mix of R & B, hip-hop, African music and other world elements, may be the

most impressive representation of Les Nubians Afropean Soul to date. Featuring special guests

ranging from African music legend Manu Dibango, with South African pop stars Freshly Ground,

Ghanian-American MC Blitz The Ambassador and Polish MC John Banza along for the ride. Somehow,

Les Nubians manage to make the blend of so many diverse elements seem logical and organic, it flows

quite naturally from their multicultural lives.

This album (Princesses Nubiennes) is a kind of travelogue, a kind of journey through all the different kinds of music of the African Diaspora. We begin with the roots -- African chants, griot chants -- and then after that traditional soul, and after that gospel, blues, jazz reggae, funk and on to more modern styles. This was our idea of travel, to offer a tribute to different black music, but still to have a modern touch. Because soon it will be the 21st century, and so we wanted to do something modern. On time. Helene Faussart

The main difference between this album and the others, is that N Revolution is more uptempo. This album is a celebration of life! We wanted to bring and spread this energy, this joy in a time of uncertainty. Helene Faussart

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Focus on their musical influences

The sisters cite a long and varied list of musical inspirations for this distinctive sound. The origins of their

music are visible in the following family tree:

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AFRICAN MUSIC

Given the vastness of the continent, the traditional music of Africa is historically ancient, rich, and

diverse, with the different regions and nations of Africa having distinct musical traditions. However,

traditional music is passed down orally, without being written, in much of the continent.

The music of the African diaspora, formed to varying degrees on African musical traditions, includes

American music and many Caribbean genres, such as Soca, Calypso and Zouk. Latin American music

genres such as the Samba, Rumba, Salsa, Tango, Mambo, Merengue, Milonga, Son, Guaracha, and other

clave-based genres, were also founded on the music of enslaved Africans, and have in turn influenced

African popular music.

All sub-Saharan traditions emphasize singing, because song is used as an avenue of communication.

Because many African languages are "tone languages," in which pitch level determines meaning, the

melodies and rhythms of songs generally follow the intonation contour and rhythms of the song texts.

Songs generally are in call-and-response form.

Besides vocalization, a wide array of musical instruments are used. African musical instruments include a

wide range of drums, slit gongs, rattles and double bells, different types of harps, and harp-like

instruments such as the kora as well as fiddles, many kinds of xylophone and lamellophone such as the

mbira. Drums used in African traditional music include talking drums, bougarabou and djembe in West

Africa, water drums in Central and West Africa, and the different types of ngoma drums (or engoma) in

Central and Southern Africa. Other percussion instruments include many rattles and shakers, such as the

kashaka, rain stick, bells and wood sticks.

Among wind instruments are flutes made of bamboo, millet, reed, or the tips of animal horns and

gourds; ocarinas; panpipes; horns (made from elephant tusks or animal horns) and trumpets (made of

wood, sections of gourd, or metal tubes). Additionally, string instruments are also used and include

musical bows, zithers, bowed and plucked lutes, and the kora. Body percussion is also exploited, the

most common being handclapping and foot stamping.

With urbanization and the impact of Western culture, traditional music and dance, although still

practiced, have decreased. New idioms have emerged, however, that combine African and Western

elements; they include West African highlife (showing certain Caribbean traits), Congolese popular

music (reflecting Latin American influence), and in southern Africa, sabasaba and kwella (both akin to

U.S. swing and jive music). Evidence suggests that the needs of the church and other transplanted

institutions may stimulate a new type of music. Traditional music and dance face serious threat of

decline. Because of their political and cultural importance, however, their preservation is given special

attention in many countries.

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Wood Djembe

Bougarabou

Rain stick

Bamboo flute Kashaka

Ngoma

Ivory trumpet

Kora Mbira

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BLUES

Blues is a genre and musical form that originated in African-American communities in the "Deep South"

of the United States around the end of the 19th century. The genre is a fusion of traditional African

music and European folk music, spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed

simple narrative ballads. The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll, is

characterized by the call-and-response pattern, the blues scale and specific chord progressions, of which

the twelve-bar blues is the most common. The blue notes are also an important part of the sound. A

blue note is a note that is sung or played at a slightly different pitch than standard, for expressive

purposes. Blues shuffles or walking bass reinforce the trance-like rhythm and form a repetitive effect

called a groove.

Blues as a genre possesses other characteristics such as lyrics, bass lines, and instruments. The lyrics of

early traditional blues verses consisted of a single line repeated four times. It was only in the first

decades of the 20th century that the most common current structure became standard: the so-called

AAB pattern, consisting of a line sung over the four first bars, its repetition over the next four, and then

a longer concluding line over the last bars. Early blues frequently took the form of a loose narrative,

often relating troubles experienced within African American society.

Many blues elements, such as the call-and-response format and the use of blue notes, can be traced

back to the music of Africa. The origins of the blues are also closely related to the religious music of the

Afro-American community, the spirituals. The first appearance of the blues is often dated to after

emancipation and, later, the development of juke joints. It is associated with the newly acquired

freedom of the former slaves. Chroniclers began to report about blues music at the dawn of the 20th

century. The first publication of blues sheet music was in 1908. Blues has since evolved from

unaccompanied vocal music and oral traditions of slaves into a wide variety of styles and subgenres.

Blues subgenres include country blues as well as urban blues styles. World War II marked the transition

from acoustic to electric blues and the progressive opening of blues music to a wider audience,

especially white listeners. In the 1960s and 1970s, a hybrid form called blues rock evolved.

SOUL AND NEO SOUL

Soul is a popular music genre that originated in the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s. It

combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz. Soul music became

popular for dancing and listening in the United States; where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic,

and Stax were influential in the civil rights era. Soul also became popular around the world, directly

influencing rock music and the music of Africa.

Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of

soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an

especially tense vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and

auxiliary sounds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_musichttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_notehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_(music)

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Soul music dominated the U.S. R&B chart in the 1960s, and many recordings crossed over into the pop

charts in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere. By 1968, the soul music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul

artists developed funk music, while other singers developed slicker, more sophisticated, and in some

cases more politically conscious varieties. By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by

psychedelic rock and other genres. The United States saw the development of neo soul around 1994.

***

Neo soul is a genre of popular music. The term was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar

Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and

contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound

than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from jazz, funk, and hip

hop to pop, fusion, and African music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B

influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.

Neo soul developed during the 1980s and early 1990s, in the United States and United Kingdom, as a

soul revival movement. It earned mainstream success during the 1990s, with the commercial and critical

breakthroughs of several artists, including D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. Their music

was marketed as an alternative to the producer-driven, digitally approached R&B of the time.

Since its initial mainstream popularity and impact on the sound of contemporary R&B, neo soul has

been expanded and diversified musically through the works of both African-American and international

artists. Its mainstream presence declined during the 2000s, although newer artists emerged through

more independent means of marketing their music.

JAZZ

Jazz is a genre of music that originated in African American communities in the United States in the late

19th and early 20th century. It emerged in the form of independent popular musical styles, all linked by

the common bonds of African American and European American musical parentage with a performance

orientation. Jazz spans a period of over a hundred years, encompassing a range of music from ragtime to

that of the present day, and has proved to be very difficult to define. Jazz makes heavy use of

improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note, as well as aspects of European harmony,

American popular music, the brass band tradition, and African musical elements such as blue notes and

ragtime. The birth of jazz in the multicultural society of America has led intellectuals from around the

world to hail jazz as "one of America's original art forms."

As jazz spread around the world, it drew on different national, regional, and local musical cultures,

giving rise to many distinctive styles. New Orleans jazz began in the early 1910s, combining earlier brass

band marches, French quadrilles, biguine, ragtime and blues with collective polyphonic improvisation. In

the 1930s, heavily arranged dance-oriented swing big bands, Kansas City jazz, a hard-swinging, bluesy,

improvisational style and Gypsy jazz (a style that emphasized musette waltzes) were the prominent

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styles. Bebop emerged in the 1940s, shifting jazz from danceable popular music towards a more

challenging "musician's music" which was played at faster tempos and used more chord-based

improvisation. Cool jazz developed in the end of the 1940s, introducing calmer, smoother sounds and

long, linear melodic lines.

The 1950s saw the emergence of free jazz, which explored playing without regular meter, beat and

formal structures, and in the mid-1950s, hard bop, which introduced influences from rhythm and blues,

gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. Modal jazz developed in the late

1950s, using the mode, or musical scale, as the basis of musical structure and improvisation. Jazz-rock

fusion appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s, combining jazz improvisation with rock rhythms,

electric instruments and the highly amplified stage sound of rock. In the early 1980s, a commercial form

of jazz fusion called smooth jazz became successful, garnering significant radio airplay. Other styles and

genres abound today, such as Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban jazz.

HIP HOP

Hip hop is a cultural movement that formed during the late 1960s among African American youths

residing in the South Bronx in New York City. It is characterized by four distinct elements, all of which

represent the different manifestations of the culture: rap music (oral), turntablism or "DJing" (aural), b-

boying (physical) and graffiti art (visual). Even while it continues to develop globally in myriad styles,

these four foundational elements provide coherence to hip hop culture.

The origin of the hip hop culture stems from the block parties of the Ghetto Brothers, when they

plugged the amps for their instruments and speakers into the lampposts on 163rd Street and Prospect

Avenue and used music to break down racial barriers, and from DJ Kool Herc at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue,

where Herc mixed samples of existing records with his own shouts to the crowd and dancers. Kool Herc

is credited as the "father" of hip hop. DJ Afrika Bambaataa of the hip hop collective Zulu Nation outlined

the pillars of hip hop culture, to which he coined the terms: MCing or "Emceein," DJing or "Deejayin," B-

boying and graffiti writing or "Aerosol Writin."

Since its evolution throughout the South Bronx, hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban

communities throughout the world. Hip hop music first emerged with Kool Herc and contemporary disc

jockeys and imitators creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks (small portions of songs emphasizing a

percussive pattern) on two turntables. This was later accompanied by "rap", a rhythmic style of chanting

or poetry often presented in 16-bar measures or time frames, and beatboxing, a vocal technique mainly

used to provide percussive elements of music and various technical effects of hip hop DJs. An original

form of dancing and particular styles of dress arose among fans of this new music. These elements were

adapted and developed considerably over the history of the culture.

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What are the themes of their songs?

AFRICAN IDENTITY

A common theme that runs through each of their albums is a sense of pride in their African heritage.

The track Afrodance from their N Revolution Album, expresses this reality by celebrating hairstyles as

an expression of personal style and cultural identity.

The sisters embrace the essential idea of representing the African diaspora as one entity in the 21st

century. Their songs reflect the African diaspora that technically speaking expands from Europe to Latin

America, the Caribbean and the United States.

Other songs, such as "Saravah" and "Immortel Cheikh Anta Diop" talk about African heritage and

embracing African myths, in the hopes that they will stay alive.

Our music is rooted in Africa and we believe it is a way to link generations and pass skills, knowledge, history, and a sense of lineage. Were not coming from nowhere we have our roots here. It is very important to write down and pass along our stories for the preservation of our history.

Our group name is Les Nubians and its deeply rooted in African pride. We link to the Diaspora and show that it and the Continent are one. When you know more about who you are and you carry it with pride and openness, you know where youre going and can interact with other communities without prejudice. Les Nubians

Les Nubians, about their album N Revolution Your hair is a statement of who you are and how you live with your true nature. Thats why since the first album we insisted on bringing back natural Black hair by using traditional braids and hair-dos and dreadlocks, because we need to embrace ourselves to the fullest. Our mother always said natural is beautiful but its not easy to cope with everyday! And, yes, it is a political statement saying who we are and that we will not compromise. This message has been used the same way during the 70s as a symbol of liberation, destruction of the old establishment, and affirmation of identity. Clia Faussart

Les Nubians, about their album N Revolution

Africa is our past, present and future. The song Africa For The Future is about accepting and rejoicing through our body and mind that Africa is vibrant and 10,000,000 times ALIVE! Africa FOR the future also to say that we have to prepare the future of the continent. Its in the NOW that we create the future. ACTION time is NOW!!! Les Nubians

Les Nubians, about their album N Revolution

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WORLD CITIZENSHIP

Although they cherish their African heritage, Les Nubians also value the idea of being a citizen of the

world. In broad usage, the term world citizenship typically defines people who place their identity

with a global community above their identity as a citizen of a particular nation or place. The idea is that

ones identity transcends geography or political borders and that the planetary human community is

interdependent and whole; humankind is essentially one.

Les Nubians album N Revolution embodies, both through music and lyrics, a true sense of this concept.

Rather than promote nationality, the Faussart sisters indeed advocate being a "citizen of the Earth."

They best express this on the song Voyager, when they sing, "Je me dclare citoyenne universelle" (I

am a universal citizen), and "Je m'offre le passeport de Terrien" (I carry an "Earth" passport).

They want to communicate the message that as world citizens we have a responsibility for others, and a

need to treat everyone equitably irrespective of sex, skin color, or race.

Les Nubians, by promoting cross-cultural collaboration and alternating between singing in English,

Spanish and French, as well as in a Cameroonian dialect, completely disregard the boundaries of culture

and language, skipping from English to French within the same sentence. The blending of the languages

brings home the theme of universality of their songs.

N Revolution: N for New Universe, this new world as World Citizens that we are. In Revolution, in motion. In the word Revolution, there is Rve which in French means Dreams. The Evolution of the Dream, of our Dream for a better world, a better Self. Les Nubians, about their album N Revolution

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Voyager Lyrics

Voyager Sous un soleil entt NDjamna-la-Belle est rveille Le muezzin interpelle les fidles de sa voix de miel Remerciant le Trs-Haut de sa bont. Jemporte dans ma mmoire Les saveurs de ces heures, Les chants et les voix, les douleurs et les pleurs L-bas, jai vu la guerre et lesprance mais, Ailleurs, on fait mieux la diffrence. Partir loin et dcouvrir Quel air lhumanit respire Comment nos contemporains vivent Sous dautres lumires. Voyager Voyager, rien ne mest plus essentiel Plier bagages, en qute dautres images plus relles Que celles des vitrines actuelles, Miroirs dignorance et de suffisances extrmes. Je me dclare citoyenne universelle Je moffre le passeport de Terrienne, Dcide que toute terre sera mienne. Rio, Yaound, Paris cest la mme. Chacun son karma, le mien dtre nubienne. Partir loin et dcouvrir Quel air lhumanit respire Comment nos contemporains vivent Sous dautres lumires. Loin d'ici Voyager. Aller loin, aller toujours plus loin.

Traveling Under a blazing sun NDjamena-la-Belle is woken The muezzin calls to the faithful with his sweet voice Thanking the Almighty for His kindness. I hold in my memory The essence of these hours, The songs and voices, the sorrows and tears There, I saw war and hope but, Elsewhere, its easier to tell the difference. Traveling far and wide and discovering What sort of air humanity breathes How our contemporaries live Under other lights. Traveling Traveling, nothing is more important to me Packing my bags, in search of other, realer images Than those of the present shop windows, Mirrors of ignorance and extreme smugnesses. I declare myself a universal citizen I give myself a Woman of the World's passport, Decide that all the world will be mine. Rio, Yaounde, Paris, theyre all the same. Everyone has a destiny, mine is to be Nubian. Traveling far and wide and discovering What sort of air humanity breathes How our contemporaries live Under other lights. Far from here Traveling Go far, always go further.

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Interview with Les Nubians

Artist to artist: Les Nubians Revolutionary sisters of soul

Soultrain.com - june 14, 2011

SOULTRAIN.COM: Your music defies genre, because each of

your songs contain so many diverse elements. How did you

create this hybrid signature sound?

HLNE: Its really the musicthe way we hear it, feel it, and sing

it. It comes from our musical heritage, growing up between

Europe and Africa. And we grew up listening to so many different

kinds of music. Our music expresses that blend; we do it quite

naturally.

CLIA: For us its very important to create music freely, to create

music that comes through our heart and soul. It can be reggae, bassa nova, and vocal improvisation. We

listen to so many kinds of music and we want people to experience the diversity of our identity as Black

people. We like to work with other artists, to bring other artists into genres theyre not used to and also

challenge ourselves to do the same. Its an adventure.

SOULTRAIN.COM: Your native language is French, and on each of your albums you sing in English as

well. Your debut single Makeda (Princesses Nubiennes) is entirely in French. When you first began

performing before American English-speaking audiences, did you sense any disconnect because of the

language barriers?

HLNE: No, because when we recorded the first album we wanted to do it in Frenchits the language

of the heart. We now have more confidence singing in English because of the amazing relationship

weve developed with English-speaking audiences over all these years. Its easy to sing a different

language and hide behind those words, but you have to feel it. What is in English [on our albums] came

naturally in English, and what came in French came naturally in French.

CLIA: We have a beautiful relationship with our American audience, who doesnt necessarily

understand everything we say. And it doesnt seem to bother them. We do the sameif you hear us

singing a Michael Jackson song you will laugh, because were picking out syllables and it doesnt always

make sense. Music is its own language.

SOULTRAIN.COM: Tell us about some of your musical influences. What kinds of music did you grow up

listening to?

HLNE: We listened to artists like Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Louis

Armstrong. From our cousins and younger relatives, we got into Prince, James Brown, Kool and the

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Gang. We grew up listening to a lot of African American music that came through Europe. From our

fathers French side we got Edith Piaf, and also Celia Cruz and different kinds of Caribbean music. Our

mother used to sing African spiritual music to us.

SOULTRAIN.COM: On One Step Forward, you collaborated with Talib Kweli for the song Temperature

Rising. On N Revolution youve added an impressive arsenal of guest artists, including Eric

Roberson, as well as artists who may not be as familiar to American audiences like Freshly Ground

(from South Africa) and MC Blitz (who is Ghanaian-American). How did these creative partnerships

come to be?

HLNE: They come from chance encounters, a natural magnet effect. We listened to Eric Roberson a

lot and love his song writing and his voice and his independent career. We connected with him in Paris,

and we were able to work together. We met Blitz the Ambassador in NYChes from Ghana but based

in Brooklynand he represents this revival of hip-hop. Hes got an amazing flow, and his message is

similar to what we stand for.

SOULTRAIN.COM: A common theme that runs through each of your albums is this undeniable sense of

pride in your African heritage. Is this something you intentionally set out to do with your music?

HLNE: Yes! Our music is rooted in Africa and we believe it is a way to link generations and pass skills,

knowledge, history, and a sense of lineage. Were not coming from nowherewe have our roots here.

It is very important to write down and pass along our stories for the preservation of our history.

CLIA: Our group name is Les Nubians and its deeply rooted in African pride. We link to the Diaspora

and show that it and the Continent are one. When you know more about who you are and you carry it

with pride and openness, you know where youre going and can interact with other communities

without prejudice.