During the time when I was born many African Americans realized that it was important to remember our African heritage. Therefore, I was named with an African name.
Thembi is the abbreviation of Nomathemba, which is an African Xhosa name, meaning hope, faith and love. I am my parents hope, faith and love. Below is the jazz album I am named after and the poem about Thembi.
PRO/CREATION (for Pharoah Sanders)
Music, as language, looking in to the world with the spirit of a people, identifies itself more precisely than label. And is there, always, coming from every place Pharoah has been - Africa, Asia, & out long memory in America