Dr. Samuel Waymon set for UCSC residency and October concert

Dr. Samuel Waymon will spend a week in residence at UC Santa Cruz this October, capped by a performance with the Magic Man Band on Oct. 24. The visit brings music, film and classroom events to campus and will raise support for Africa-focused courses and programs.

Why it matters: - Dr. Samuel Waymon’s visit brings a major Black arts and civil rights figure to UC Santa Cruz for campus programming tied to music, film and student learning. - The Oct. 24 concert will support the continuance of Africa-focused courses and programs at UC Santa Cruz.

What happened: - UC Santa Cruz said Dr. Samuel Waymon will be on campus for a week in October for a residence program. - Waymon will perform with the Magic Man Band on Saturday evening, Oct. 24. - The residency will include lectures, film screenings and a master class for upper-division music students.

The details: - Waymon is a composer, actor and performer best known for work in music, film and theater. - His screen credits include Rev. Luther Williams in the 1973 film Ganja & Hess, which he also scored, along with Personal Problems, Weeds and Philadelphia. - His songs include “It’s In Your Eyes,” “Down on Me,” “Saratoga,” “Standing on the Coastline” and “It Be’s That Way Sometime.” - Waymon co-wrote several of those works with LeRonald Walker and Bill Gunn. - “It Be’s That Way Sometime” appeared on Nina Simone’s 1967 album Silk and Soul. - Waymon was born in Tryon, North Carolina, and will turn 82 on Aug. 16. - He marched and was arrested in Philadelphia with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights era. - Waymon spent more than 25 years working with his sister, Eunice Kathleen Waymon, known as Nina Simone, as an organist, composer, producer and manager. - The siblings performed for the King of Morocco, the President of France and at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral. - Waymon’s New York social circle included Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz, Lorraine Hansberry, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Cicely Tyson, Roberta Flack, Bill Cosby and Donny Hathaway. - Aretha Franklin asked Waymon for help refining her breathing technique. - Ganja & Hess was named one of the ten best American films of the decade during Critic’s Week at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. - Spike Lee’s 2014 remake, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, was inspired by Waymon’s song “You Gotta Learn, To Let It Go.” - Waymon’s recent projects include the album Purpose, “Baltimore (In Four Movements)” recorded live in North Carolina at Tryon International, and two songs for the upcoming Tumbao Experience album. - The Tumbao Experience album is produced by Berlin-based duo The Berman Brothers, and its arrangements were created by Demetrio Muñiz.

Between the lines: - UCSC is using the residency to connect performance history, civil rights memory and undergraduate instruction in one campus event. - The program also underscores how Waymon’s work extends beyond his sister Nina Simone’s legacy into film scoring, composition and live performance.

What’s next: - UCSC will host the residency events in October. - The Oct. 24 concert will be the public centerpiece of the visit and the fundraiser tied to Africa-focused academic programming. - Waymon’s upcoming album contributions and live projects will continue alongside the residency.