Ancestors Reign is a collaboration between some of Chicago’s premier established and up-and-coming artists, celebrating the power of music and dance, paying tribute to those that have gone on before us. The group gives thanks and honors the ancestors, asking for continued blessings and guidance as together we take a journey through their original compositions. The aim of Ancestors Reign is to bring joy, spread peace, love and the gathering of community to support one another during these tumultuous times.
In addition to Dee Alexander’s remarkable vocals, Ancestors Reign features the extraordinary dancer (and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow) Nejla Yatkin as well as several instrumentalists: bassists Emma Dayhuff and Carmani Edwards, violinist Zara Zaharieva, percussionist Dr. Jovia Armstrong, and Dee’s longtime musical collaborator, legendary Chicago guitarist John McLean.
