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Crosscurrents

'Harpist from the Hood' follows path of musical Destiny

Courtesty of Destiny Muhammad
Destiny Muhammad

When she was a child, Stephanie Louis developed a strong connection to the harp after watching a performance on I Love Lucy. But it took decades for her to change her career, city, and even her name to fulfill her passion: music. Today, audiences know her as Destiny Muhammad, the 'Harpist from the Hood'.

"You gotta set the vision so high that it scares you."

Her new album, Sonic Legacy, is a tribute to the legendary jazz harpist Alice Coltrane. Destiny talks about her journey from Compton to composer.

Destiny’s Storytime Concert is this Sunday at the Malonga Casquelord Center for the Arts in Oakland.

Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.