Derf Reklaw was a jazz musician who played several different instruments and once gave drum lessons for $5 at the World Stage in Leimert Park. The World Stage will host the third annual Derf Reklaw Experience Nov. 16, an event staged by his two daughters.
Courtesy photo
By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LEIMERT PARK — The historic World Stage, 4321 Degnan Blvd., will offer live music, dance and a cultural celebration when Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage presents its third annual Derf Reklaw Experience at noon Nov. 16.
The event honors individuals and organizations dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage and Black creative expression in the arts.
The Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage nonprofit organization, named after the late jazz musician and educator, is committed to supporting the next generation of artists and musicians.
The organization was founded in 2022 by Reklaw’s daughter, Monilade Walker, who is also the nonprofit’s president. His other daughter, Amani Walker-Jackson, is on the board of directors.
“The celebration is about giving the flowers and honoring cultural preservationists,” said Walker-Jackson, who grew up in Hawthorne. “We wanted to honor people while they are here.”
Walker-Jackson said her father, who used to teach drumming at the World Stage for $5, received his flowers before he died in 2022.
“I think he did,” she said. “He passed away a month after his 75th birthday. We did a video before his death, and people talked about him. I think he got an inkling. He was twice honored by the city. He was about to go on tour when he passed. He was very humble.”
Walker-Jackson, who is also a screenwriter (“Behind Abducted Off the Street: The Carlesha Gaither Story”), said that, through educational programs, resources, and professional development opportunities, the organization empowers aspiring performers to reach their full potential.
The Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage organization has already made a significant impact on the community, providing financial support to young artists and preserving Reklaw’s cultural legacy. Through events like the Derf Reklaw Experience, they’re ensuring the continuation of artistic traditions and inspiring the next generation of artists.
“Last year we helped a drummer,” Walker-Jackson said. “We offered financial support. We want to support professional development for young students seeking the arts. We support the performing arts.”
The Derf Reklaw Experience also contributes to the ongoing preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of Black creative expression in Los Angeles.
“The Experience creates an awareness,” said Walker-Jackson, who said the organization is planning a gala in the spring. “Leimert Park is one of the last cultural hubs of art for Black people. That’s why we do it there. We are creating an awareness that your work is not going unnoticed. It brings out people who live in the community.”
Walker-Jackson said Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage is small, but mighty. She said ultimately they would like to have a brick-and-mortar location to offer classes full-time, including drumming, dancing, and writing workshops.
“My father appeared on about 100 albums during his career,” Walker-Jackson said. “We’d like to have an interactive experience where people can come and hear the music. They can’t check it out of the cultural center, but we would offer a library of music where they can listen to it.”
Walker-Jackson said it is essential for Derf Reklaw Arts & Heritage to create an appreciation.
“The performers don’t charge us anything because they see that what we’re doing comes from the heart,” she said. “We don’t want to take it out of the community. My father was the fabric of the Leimert Park music scene.”
Walker-Jackson, a married mother of two teenagers, said she and her sister want everyone to come out and celebrate.
“Come, enjoy, and pay what you can,” she said. “It’s free for everyone under 12. We used to charge $20. We then realized that nobody should be turned down. This celebration is very cultural. Dwight Trible lets us use the space. He’s been wonderful.”
When it comes to the role the Derf Reklaw Experience plays in shaping the future of the community, Walker-Jackson said it is “important to know our history.”
“If we don’t keep it, we will lose it,” she said. “If we don’t know the truth, then what do we pass on to the future generation. We have to connect to our roots, or we will be lost. We have to hold on to these things. We have to pay attention. The soul of Crenshaw is being wiped out one block at a time.”
Emceed by Albert Lord, a well-known community activist, the event will honor five individuals who have dedicated their lives to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the African diaspora.
“The idea of being associated with an incredible musician like Derf is incredible,” Lord said. “I never met him personally, but for the family to consider me to be appropriate to present this work, I’m honored and humbled to be in the presence of the divine.”
The 2025 honorees, selected by Walker-Jackson and Walker, are being recognized for their dedication to cultural preservation across music, dance and entrepreneurship and are a testament to the enduring spirit of Leimert Park’s vibrant arts community.
They include Mekala Session, drummer and director of the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, who carries forward the legacy of Horace Tapscott, blending innovation with tradition; Sonia D. Hubert Harper, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist with the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, who is known for bringing dynamic energy to the stage; Pat Taylor, choreographer and founder of JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, who preserves and advances the rich legacy of jazz dance.
“My dad was the lead instrumentalist for the Santa Monica College Dance Department and was an instrumentalist for the World Department of Dance at UCLA,” Walker-Jackson said. “He used to play for Katherine Dunham’s dance class. He was steeped in the dance world for decades.”
Other honorees include Harold Lott, master drummer and craftsman, who creates soulful performances and hand-crafted drums that honor African diasporic rhythms; and Aminah Muhammad, owner of Queen Aminah boutique, who celebrates African heritage through fashion, art and design.
With performances by members of the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and special guests, the event is designed to preserve and honor the cultural legacies that shape the community.
A Chicago native, Derf Reklaw (born Frederick George Walker) was a composer, vocalist, and inventor and an original member of The Pharaohs, a 70s jazz-funk band.
He played with countless artists, including Donny Hathaway, Barry White, Freda Payne, Jerry Butler, Della Reese, The Chi-Lites, Natalie Cole, Lionel Hampton and the Ohio Players.
“Growing up, I was too young to understand who he was,” Walker-Jackson said. “I just remember musicians were always at the house. When I got older, I remember him playing at The Mint on Pico. That’s when I got the scope of who he was.”
Walker-Jackson said this year’s event reflects the organization’s mission and values.
“It’s basically keeping in step with what we do,” she said. “When it comes to who we’re going to honor, we choose business owners, musicians and this year, a choreographer. Sometimes it’s people my father worked with. The way we figure it, if you hold the community together, you should be acknowledged. It’s called community building.”
Walker-Jackson encourages everyone to come out to the experience.
“You are supporting budding musicians and the culture of preservation,” she said. “You are not only building community, but you will also enjoy the music. Your hearts will be full.”
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
