We’re joined in the Ashé Cafe this week by Black Queer/Non-Binary Vocalist, Freedom Flutist, Songwriter, Sound Sermonist, and Music Therapist kei slaughter!

kei slaughter [pronouns: they/them/kei/key] is a Soul-Folk Sonic Storyteller conjuring bokou magik from deep New Orleans roots. Queering their roots in the Southern (U.S.) Black Church, kei activates music as a medium for healing, liberation, and sustainable joy.

Musically speaking, they perform as a solo artist and collaborate with various interdisciplinary performance projects, including Spirit & Sparrow and Last Call NOLA. kei is the Founder/Chief Musical Officiant of S O U L F O L K Sounds, a radical community music production and sound healing practice centering LGBTQ+ Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC).

As an artist and creative scholar, kei has received numerous awards and recognition for their songwriting and social justice advocacy. For over a decade, kei has also worked as a music therapist / wellness practitioner in the behavioral/mental health field with a focus on traumatized and systems-impacted youth, young adults, and LGBTQ+ folx. Additionally, kei teaches at Loyola University-New Orleans where they also serve as the Clinical Coordinator for Music Therapy.

Their debut, self-published album Dark Fire was released in 2017; they are currently working on a new EP with a release date to be announced this Fall (2021). To learn more about their work, please visit: keislaughter.com and/or linktr.ee/kei_slaughter.