E23 Antonio Michael Downing

In this episode of Afro Soul Stories , I sit down with author and musician Antonio Michael Downing, also known as John Orpheus, to explore the story behind his book Black Cherokee . We dive into themes of identity, migration, and what it means to live between Trinidad and Canada—navigating multiple cultures while forming a sense of self.

Antonio reflects on how storytelling becomes a way of understanding belonging, memory, and history. We also explore his work as a musician, and how creativity flows between writing and sound, shaping a dual artistic practice that spans both literature and music.

At its core, this conversation is about heritage, voice, and the spaces we occupy between worlds.