One of seven children, Calvin recalls his father’s move from Louisiana to work in the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. There has been a continuous presence of Calvin’s family in the house that his father bought, and which Calvin eventually took over as a homeowner. Calvin emphasizes how, at one time, the Bayview (District 10 of San Francisco) had the highest rate of home ownership in the city, showing the economic vitality of the largely African American community in earlier decades. Calvin’s entry into the arts began with conga drums, playing for the oldest Black dance company in the West, Dimensions Dance Theater. He eventually became a batá drummer, introduced to Afro-Cuban traditions. Recalling a memory of Bayview-Hunters Point, Calvin describes the joys of walking everywhere with his parents and six siblings, who could not afford public transportation costs. Those walks brought a closeness to them which to this day he says is irreplaceable. Calvin Holmes also drummed with Omnira Institute’s Awon Ohun Omnira Choir during the Sounds of California: Bayview concert.

Recorded on May 12, 2018. Filmed by Tumani Onabiyi. Interview by Tumani Onabiyi and Lily Kharrazi.