Message to the Grass Roots: The Flying Souls

An episode of Message to the Grass Roots, a cable access talk show produced & hosted by Michael Zinzun from 1988-1998 at Pasadena Community Access Corporation, which is now Pasadena Media (http://www.pasadenamedia.org). This program is devoted to the Compton based trapeze group, The Flying Souls.

00:00Copy video clip URL Color bars. 

1:27Copy video clip URL “Message to the Grass Roots with Michael Zinzun: The Flying Souls” Guests:”Darnell Gardner, Kevin McGee, Saquro Law, Ifeanaayi Kali, Omar Kali.”  Zinzun introduces the show about the world’s first black trapeze artists. They talk about the presence of black people in circuses. Omar Kali speaks about how he started their group. He speaks about what it was like to train young black people. Each member of the group discusses how they became apart of the group. Zinzun asks them to speak about how trapeze fits into the world of sports and arts. Omar Kali speaks about the sport, and how it helps a young person. They speak about fear in the sport.

19:00Copy video clip URL Zinzun asks how more kids can get involved. Zinzun plays a clip from their trapeze training. 

28:30Copy video clip URL Back on the show, Zinzun asks what they think about when they are training or performing. 

30:55Copy video clip URL Commercial break. Break includes a PSA from Zinzun about Urban Hidden Literature and their urban arts fundraiser. 

37:15Copy video clip URL Back on the show, they continue to talk about what they think about while performing. They talk about the equipment they use and the expenses of being a traveling show. They roll another clip of the group performing, and the guests give commentary over the video. They speak about getting trapeze into the school systems. Each performer gives a closing remark about how they feel about the Flying Souls. 

58:00Copy video clip URL Credits.

59:22Copy video clip URL Tape ends.