Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfonso D’Niscio Brooks.
Alfonso D’Niscio, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been told to use my voice to articulate a trans-national framework and to engage with social transformations. I cross racial and ethnic divides, providing the world with a vision of what it could be; one in which we are all better off. I also recognize how we need to move beyond multiculturalism to transculturalism – the ability to see oneself in the other, an extension through all human culture.
Since 1998, we have produced national and international events. Our market research over the past five years demonstrates the need to shift our focus from traditional mainstream multicultural events, to a cost effective yet first-rate social, cultural, and economic movement. The creation of AFRIKIN marks the greatest cultural shift in the history of the world, a turn towards the human. AFRIKIN reveals the constructive achievements and narratives of various grassroots organizations that contribute to the internal transformation of class and economy in the world.
My attitude towards intellectual work and social relations has always been one of consistency, courtesy, forthrightness, reliability and professionalism. I have proven myself as one willing to always go the extra mile to master the various approaches and responsibilities with which I am charged. I am here to help AFRIKIN improve lives and make the world a better place.
As a humanitarian, curator, artist and creative leader, I have been enriching the lives of people and breathing life into businesses for over 25 years. I create strategies that promote an inclusive culture across all business ventures, and I work to cultivate an environment that keeps equity at the forefront. I am a cultural concierge and curator.
I am a creative agency for change. My business ventures Rockers Movement, AFRIKIN and Brooks Creative Agency offer a range of services to suit people’s needs. Rockers Movement are people focused on producing and presenting creative work, AFRIKIN celebrates the ingenuity and promise of our people across the African diaspora, while Brooks Creative Agency focuses on marketing by creating a unique road map to take your business to the next level of value creation and profitability.
My services have transformed the lives of hundreds of people both personally and professionally in various business niches. Through my actions and collaborations, people experience love and freedom. Live a life that exudes these qualities. Let me show you how to cultivate curiosity and channel it in the direction of your heart. Only then can your soul sing.
I have been told that I take the pain out of making the right decision and ensure that the wrong one is never made. Find out why hundreds of satisfied clients keep reconnecting with me year after year. My heart is humbled and I am eternally grateful for their presence, their stories and their words. In my world clients can become true friends.
I do business with heart, whilst consistently remaining steps ahead. Success means different things to different people. My goal is keeping profit and positive results at the forefront. As Jay so humbly said I am not a businessman, I am a business man!
I speak business fluently, eloquently, creatively and persuasively in a multitude of voices with all target audiences. I admit, freely that I’m guilty of fiercely-held ideas that often go against the grain. I see the heart of the crisis in business communication as simply too much announcement and too little narrative. Web content, as an example, is public-facing content for the world. Yet it is consumed/experienced one reader at a time. We need to converse with clients, not yell at them. And it’s essential for it to be visually welcoming, easily digestible and with all the dots connected, however big the ideas.
Copywriting is a strength. It either captures the essence of the subject, engages, resonates, inspires and sells, or is regrettable, formulaic, or a dry-as-dirt yawner. As a cultural strategist, I can help you change the culture of your workplace, your home or even yourself for the better. My approach to business is blended with and tempered by philanthropic values and objectives.
In over a decade, I have produced several music festivals with philanthropic initiatives. I create unique events in diverse markets both nationally and internationally. I bring quality artists from the respective communities together on a global stage.
I first started as a DJ when I was just a kid. I continue to tour with diverse artists and play at a plethora of private events around Miami, New York, Europe and Japan. Music fuels my ultimate passion. My multicultural background has afforded me a perspective that is globally inclusive. Growing up in a low-socio economic community, I understand the value of money and materials. As a result, I strive to use creativity and a flexible approach to problem solve tight budgetary restraints and to minimize waste. My upbringing has grounded me and has also given me an understanding of the fragility of human life. I appreciate the potential of each human life to make value contributions regardless of race, gender, religion and sexual preference.
BACKGROUND
My life can be categorized as a juxtaposition; a rebel youth storming my own path against the shackles of society’s norms, while forging revolutionary pathways as a humanitarian, cultural strategist, artist, and lifestyle designer. I dabbled in many industries and walked alongside of many people. Despite my many interests and love affairs, it is the arts that holds the key to my heart.
Sound engineering was one of the first strings on my guitar as a profession. My experience as a sound engineer enabled me to work with a range of artists in a variety of genres while paving the way for this young boy from a tiny island in the Caribbean with big dreams to explore the world. I owe so much to my friend and brother Tony ‘Rasta’ Thewet for always taking the time to show me the path the music can lead me to. He shared his gift with me generously as with many others. His contributions and support of my journey is one I will never forget. I carry his spirit with me continuously, his trumpet echoes in every song I spin for his love was as close as kin.
I created music in diverse genres from reggae, world beat, R&B, hip-hop, to soca, calypso, zouk, and latin. I worked for diverse record labels and production houses. I toured with various big name artists in numerous places from the family studio to the far corners of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and back to the Caribbean again. Since I was young, I relished with random abandon – and later with gratitude – tour life on the road.
LIFESTYLE
At the forefront of all of my work is an innate need to help others. I live consciously, with consideration for the earth and humanity. This is reflected in my work, a vegan diet, and my Zen lifestyle. This is what others often refer to as the ‘Brooks’ factor’. I am an evolving being and I contribute my growth to keeping an open mind, therefore knowing a lesson can be learned from anyone and anywhere. I challenge myself continuously and even S.W.O.T. analyze outcomes to aid in my progress. Brand development and marketing became the inevitable second string on my guitar.
Living with awareness is my top priority because when awareness and action align, change occurs. Check out some results from my philanthropic initiatives here.
My first initiative, Reggae Carifest, is a cultural festival that exposed the best of Caribbean fashion, music and dance to the United States. This venture was a resounding success and it allowed myself and my company Rockers Movement and Brooks Creative Agency – a more global platform. With the goal of raising consciousness, awareness and youth empowerment; my entrepreneurial success in multicultural markets allowed me to expand my vision and creativity to millions around the world, in ways I never thought possible. Now, festivals much like Reggae Carifest are popping up in almost every major city.
The Miami Reggae Festival, for instance, captured the global impact of reggae on the world. Reggae resonates as a voice of the people and doesn’t recognize geographical boundaries or language barriers. However, an equally important objective of the festival was to raise awareness for people who live in extreme poverty.
In fact, attendees were asked to bring non-perishable food items to contribute to a food drive. As a result of this initiative, more than 8 tons of can goods and food items were collected, which helped over 1200 people to live independently.
Adding a moral mission has enabled the festival team and the festival-goers to enjoy a more collaborative journey, solving problems to create positive change. We believe with such strong voices advocating for this important social issue, we can achieve our goal of eradicating poverty in our community.
As both a Humanitarian and Cultural Strategist, my dream is to use the arts as a tool to transcend geographical borders, language, emotional boundaries and socio economical blockades. The Arts have the ability to relieve the world of mistrust, jealousy, hate and other pervasive global problems. I strongly believe in the goodness of humanity and in the power of the arts as a catalyst for change and empowerment. If the arts transformed the life of a young, shy, marginalized youth on a small Caribbean island, imagine what it can do for you. Currently, you will find me passionately nation building through artistic brilliance and informative diversity through AFRIKIN®, a platform to advance the ingenuity and promise of people of color through the arts and culture.
WHO AM I?
All of this explains what I do and ‘how’ I do it. But it doesn’t tell you who I am.
In order to understand where I am heading, you must first know where I have come from.
My story is not the same old tale of drugs, violence or a lengthy prison sentence. In fact, my story is not any way reminiscent of a tale resembling the life of a young boy growing up in the ghetto. In fact it is quite the opposite. This is my story. But it is also your story.
I didn’t finish high school, yet I am an educator.
I don’t believe in religion, yet I am a spiritual being.
I shouldn’t be here, yet here I am.
Irony resides comfortably in my life. I wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I was predictable. I chose the safe option. I did this for almost 17 years. Until I decided to change.
In 1998, I plunged from the calm Caribbean ocean, where people told me I was a big fish in a small pond, to the giant pond of New York City where I refuse to be a small fish. Funny enough with my big dreams I was now told that my shoes were too big for my feet. In the big smoke, I occasionally look over my shoulder. But I never look back.
Rewind the clock some years. I’m eight years old. My mother and father give me a gift.
MUSIC…
“More precious than gold” my father says.
Music surrounds my home and envelops me. It is more than something I hear occasionally on the radio or in clubs. My heart beats music. The melodies, rhythms and vibrations flow through my windows and swivel their way into my soul. My mother is a devoted music lover who transforms our living room into a rehearsal space for my brother and I – encouraging experimentation. My father is a singer in a band and owns a recording studio. It is here, in this place, a small town called St. Maarten, a thousand miles from where I am, that I begin to discover my skills as a sound engineer.
Behind the dark pools of my eyes are big dreams that I intend to chase. These naive yet determined eyes see beyond the lush palm trees, warm sunshine and pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea. Music summons solitude. The only escape from regularity and bittersweet boredom is to do the unimaginable.
The incomprehensible. The thing that no one said I would do. Leave…
Knowledge and music are my two companions. I become a fugitive on a journey to do right in this world. Music is my constant. Music is my number one fan. And the catalyst for how I live and where I am today. Music is my sanctuary.
I arrive in New York City toe-tapping a tune all my own.
HOPE + POSSIBILITY + OPPORTUNITY
Here, the only option is success.
Failure is never an option as the need to survive motivates me to meet challenges head on. But success is the product of many mistakes. Too many times in the terrain of my twenties I strayed from the path. I was on a one way street to self destruction. I broke hearts, I challenged the law and I questioned why a society I was trying to love was trying to break my spirit. Somehow my angels kept careful watch over me to steer me back to safe territory.
Success – like love – is in the eye of the beholder. And again like love it is transient.
But I haven’t always been this positive. Eventually, the burden of looking without seeing, listening without hearing, doing without believing and being without loving takes its toll. The addition of living in one of the world’s greatest yet heaviest cities etches a cynicism in me I’ve not known before.
In my troubled times of dejection, mistrust and jealousy clasp their ugly hands around my throat, for a while the music stops. I crave connection, yet I surrender to silence. Darkness suffocates. These images are woven into the fabric of my being.
When I am at my lowest lull in life, the universe gives me the same gift my mother and father gave me as a child. When I am at my absolute worst, it is ,‘music’ that sweet-talks my soul and convinces me to sway in a different direction to where I was heading. Rhythm reminds me that I have walked this walk before and I don’t want to talk this talk anymore. I end the cycle because I have to.
The spiral of despair jolts to a standstill. Noise. I escape my own despondency. Again…I am free in the spirit of music. At my weakest point, I learn to recognize my strength. All of those who walk the path of this life with me know that I look adversity in the eye and offer it a hug.
Nowadays, I am an agent of change. I make things happen. Beats. Events. Life. I articulate honesty and honestly. I see the big picture. I am like you. I seek truth. My openness and vulnerability echoes in the lives of those I meet. Together, our energy invents people. Let this moment be your year to discover your ‘limitless’. Plunge into possibility. Breathe in beauty. Desire discovery. Live. Now.
JOURNEY
My life’s journey and purpose go far beyond the walls of a tiny studio space as a sound engineer. I believe that the world is a stage and that each day brings an opportunity to define or redefine the roles we play in our own lives. A rebel, a revolutionary and some would say a recluse. I am all of these. And none of these. I am many things to many people.
I am a father, a son, a lover, a day-dream-believer and a doer. In my dream world I seem more awake than most. With an immense amount of drive, determination and a simple, yet grand vision to leave the world better than when I came into it, I concentrated most of my life’s work on implementing strategies to foster and expand the African and the African Diaspora Arts and Cultural Movement to the United States.
I know what I do. I like to think I know ‘how’ I do it. And most times I know ‘why’ I do what I do. But rarely do I know the answer to the big question. The one question we all want to know the answer to.
“Who am I?”
Yes, today, I can honestly say there are times when I still don’t know who I am. Sri Nisargardatta Maharaj said something that has remained with me for life. He said, “If you can see it or speak on it, it is not you. All of those things point to what you are not.”
It’s easy to rattle off to friends and clients what you do, how you do it and why you do it but revealing ‘who’ you are is not so simple.
They say we are a reflection of who we are, who we seek to find, and parts of ourselves we still need closure on within ourselves. So, we are a unique brew of who we used to be, who we are and who we want to become. I am not certain. But uncertainty equates to evolution in my world.
Sometimes, knowledge is ‘almost knowledge’ and this I call ‘intuition’. Knowledge that has not yet been tested. My intuition has led me many places. I am naturally perceptive and my curiosity lets me wander into crevices others don’t dare to deal in. I ask the questions that need to be known. I seek clarity and comfort in this realm and the next, if that even exists.
You too, can live life with clarity and a sense of calm.
So, to answer your question, “Who am I?”
I can only tell you who I am not.
I am myself. I am a man of confidence and consciousness and I am proud of the opportunities that have been afforded to me. I live life both humbly and fiercely.
THIS IS ME
Take me as I am.
What I have learned in my wanderings since leaving a 37 square mile island to make a splash on the world is this:
It’s not ‘what’ you do; it’s not even ‘how’ you do it that counts. It is ‘who’ you are that transcends all else. All that you do and all that you accomplish will not make you feel happy and valued. Value is in the eye of the beholder. We all value different things. Life is not about what we can get but what we can give.
If I believed in an instruction book for life, I would gift this leaf from it to you:
DREAM + DO + BE
If you can accomplish one of these in your days in this world you are doing well, two you are amazing, and all three you yourself, are a legacy.
Some days, I am still that fragile boy from the Caribbean trying to change my world day by day. I give more to those I meet for the greater good. My upbringing and community has afforded me the opportunity to ‘explore’ and ‘discover’. Now I help thousands discover. There is a great power that lies in discovery somewhere between fear and joy. This is where magic happens. I don’t even know if I believe in magic but I know this is real.
Join me on my journey…
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As Buju so profoundly said. It is not an easy road! However, I have learned that it is all perspective. When you are future focused and an artist you understand that you must create your reality. Get a piece of paper and a real pencil and write those dreams down, do the work and speak to them daily and watch them come to life. Sometimes it takes the rest of the world some time to catch up, don’t despair it’s on the way. One of the greatest challenges I have encountered has been securing the support of the necessary agencies and/or companies in time to see the vision of what we are doing in the world and bringing to the respective market places. We have been pushing cultural diversity and excellence in Miami for almost decade with no city or county support or involvement with our major festivals or small pop ups. Our work and efforts continue to go unnoticed and it can at times get tiring when you’re the only one carrying the bag. It would be great to secure the necessary funding for some of the projects we bring to the market so we can grow and help the marketplace to grow more globally. Look at what Ultra Music Festival has become, these guys were just party promoters on the beach. We also wish there was more togetherness in the market. We see so many organizations doing similar presentations now in the market and we don’t realize that working together instead of against each other will help to grow the demand of the market place which in turns allows the major corporations reason to focus on our market place. There is strength in unity. By showing community unity we will do better to the corporations or foundations. So we can bring our good will to the people collectively.
Please tell us about AFRIKIN.
AFRIKIN is a programming platform that brings multiple demographics together in one model comprised of ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Millennials’. This intergenerational and multicultural audience includes influencers and innovators actively seeking cultural programming and creative perceptual experiences. AFRIKIN is modular, scalable and utilizes resources in an insightful and responsible way.
AFRIKIN presents desirable content for this multiple demographic totaling over 2.3 billion people from the four corners of the earth. We transmit the current culture recognized by our target demographics through art, fashion, food, innovation, performance, and talks – providing room for our branding partners to receive a positive response to their corporate presence.
We have created a new narrative – a discourse that redefines the Black aesthetic, recognizing the transformative effect of creatives on societal progress as a key feature and motivating factor towards advancing the ingenuity and promise of our people.
Team AFRIKIN is a dedicated and accomplished group of fine arts, entertainment, international relations, marketing, media and production professionals who together pool their expertise to create cultural events unlike any other. As a leading provider of live entertainment in the U.S., our services range from event management and programming to booking first-rate performing artists and developing effective campaigns. Our team’s unparalleled skill in creating new experiences with a social impact, demonstrates how creative people use their efforts to solve problems.
MISSION
The mission of AFRIKIN is to present creative programming and positive media based on transcultural exchange (relating to or involving more than one culture).
The AFRIKIN experience promotes connectivity, culture, oneness, racial and social justice as expressed through the arts. We believe that art speaks louder than words and arts and culture transcend language and race.
Corporations exist by servicing the needs of the market and the market exists by the will of the people. Goodwill extended to the people grows the market. A growing transcultural audience awaits our goodwill.
THE OPPORTUNITY
AFRIKIN provides benefits for artists, audiences, patrons and sponsors through the creation of progressive programming and the combining of multiple demographics to yield research data that can be directed into productive outlets.
We have access to an emerging generation of bold creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators and thinkers who are producing cottage industry wealth. The AFRIKIN platform uses extraordinary talent in art, culture and entertainment to attract these individuals who know what they want and are aware of their ability to exercise their choice in the marketplace.
With our resources, we have the unique ability to connect integral aspects of grassroots and street culture with blended audience groups and patrons. Our tastemakers and trendsetters anticipate and recognize cultural shifts, allowing for strategic placement in the marketplace.
AFRIKIN gives sponsors an opportunity to cumulatively analyze qualitative data on the interests and preferences of our participants, your customers.
THE ANSWER
Fortune 500 companies and other advertisers have allocated significant resources to harness the ever-growing buying power of the expanding base of cross-cultural consumers within the multi-billion dollar business of art and culture. The attention of these consumers and influencers is “the most valuable resource in the world” to these advertisers.
AFRIKIN focuses its audience’s attention on arts programming, positive media and content that brings sponsoring advertisers into the public’s consciousness. AFRIKIN includes opportunities for sponsors to interact with these combined groups of millennials to baby boomers and receive audience feedback, whilst cumulatively analyzing qualitative data on the interests and preferences of our participants.
A NEW STANDARD
AFRIKIN is designed to inform, empower, and share human and capital resources with event patrons who represent or are interested in the following topics: anthropology, arts, business, culture, education, gender equality, health, media, poverty in underserved populations, promotion of economic self- sufficiency, science, technology, and more.
What sets AFRIKIN apart from other traditional and mainstream arts and culture gatherings is the emphasis placed on the essential components that humans need for their well being – positive, thought provoking content that educates and informs, while motivating, comforting and promoting peace in our ever changing world.
Our goal is to empower artists and participants for the growth and circulation of community wealth. This is achieved through cultural exchange, educational discourse and concentrated content designed to enhance and inform its audience. Our standard of excellence and exclusivity in curation speaks to those who consistently search for the latest cultural statements – a status sought globally in the information age.
Art
AFRIKIN Art is multicultural – from all continents and presented from a world-view and intercultural aesthetic. AFRIKIN provides a platform for both emerging and established artists through curated exhibitions that include digital art, fine art, multimedia, photography and works on paper.
Fashion
AFRIKIN Fashion explores new frontiers of style, substance and quality through couture, street fashion and photography – all from a new platform for artists and designers whose works reflect trending global styles. This module focuses on the point where fashion becomes wearable art, the self-expression born from everyday living, moods, and societal influence.
Food
The AFRIKIN culinary experience offers more than food for sustenance. We curate some of the finest in handcrafted world cuisines by notable chefs for the enjoyment of event attendees and patrons. Our open bar features sponsored pairings and wine tastings tickling the palate and transporting guests to locations unseen yet somehow familiar.
Performance
The AFRIKIN Performance experience features singers, players of instruments, and dancers from various parts of the earth to provide a perspective on how different cultures occupying the same space and time, converge. This expansive approach allows for the growth and progression of our music as a universal language, producer of joy, and instrument of peace – our movement illustrating the ways body language speak to our souls.
Talks
AFRIKIN Talks is designed to inform, empower, and share human and capital resources. Discovering the next levels of art and identifying important aspects of our world’s cultures; understanding our connections to science and technology; raising awareness of societal issues and examining history, are features of conversations, discussions, keynotes and symposiums.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Spend more time appreciating and loving those closest to me. Instead of focusing so much on the career. Spend more time focusing on LOVE!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6815 Biscayne Blvd
#103365
Miami, FL 33138 - Website: www.afrikin.org
- Phone: 305-900-5523
- Email: info@afrikin.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/afrikinmovement
- Facebook: facebook.com/afrikinmovement
- Twitter: twitter.com/afrikinmovement
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/afrikin-miami?osq=afrikin
Image Credit:
AFRIKIN
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