Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor is a multi-award-winning singer, musician, composer, storyteller, and spoken word artist whose performances blend soul, jazz, blues, and the rich oral traditions of his Afro-Caribbean and Native American heritage. A Mashpee Wampanoag elder, Mwalim is a founding member and band director of the multi-Grammy-nominated soul-funk band, The GroovaLottos, and a powerful voice in contemporary Indigenous and Black arts.

Backed by a live jazz trio and armed with his guitar, he brings a magnetic mix of music and storytelling to the Jazz Poetry Jam. His critically acclaimed album, THUNDERCHILD, earned top nominations in the 2025 Native American Music Awards and has taken him on tour across the East Coast and Canada since May 2024. He is also the author of the 2020 novel LAND of the BLACK SQUIRRELS.

 A true modern griot, Mwalim’s work is a vibrant fusion of rhythm, memory, and cultural resistance.

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