SpokenHeard with Baba Israel and Susan Dobbe Chase

Baba Israel began his career as an arts educator in Australia and has gone on to be a leading educator and consultant working with organisations such as Urban Word, BAM, and the University of Madison. He has also worked as a cultural ambassador with the State Department delivering workshops and performances across South East Asia, the south Pacific, and in Gambia and Turkey.

As a muscian he has released a number of albums and collaboratiions with artists such as DJ Logic, Ming and FS, Zion I, Invincible, DJ Kiva, P-Money and long time collaborator Yako 440.

He is co-founder and Artistic Director of Playback NYC Theatre Company who bring theatre to hospitals, prisons, homeless shelters, as well as theatres and festivals. The company is currently developing projects to support immigrant communities in Long Island in a series of performances and workshops funded by the Hagedorn Foundation.

As a theatre and Hip Hop artist He has toured across the US, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia, performing with artists such as Outkast, Philip Glass, Rahzel, Lester Bowie, KRS ONE, ans Vernon Reid.

His debut solo show Boom Bap Meditations was supported by the Ford Foundation and The Hip Hop Theatre Festival which toured the US and Europe. He has worked on sound design for theatre and dance projects with Renita Martin’s It is the Seeing and Rha Goddess’s Meditations with the Goddess. He was aslo a featured performer in Full Circle's Soular Powered at the New Victory Theatre. 

Now back in New York he is currently embarking on a journey to create a piece inspired by his late father Steve Ben Israel in collaboration with Leo Kay (Unfinished Business) and Yako 440.