The cover of the May issue of the South Side Drive featured blues guitarist Michael Damani Strautmanis aka Michael Damani aka Damani. Although the Mississippi Delta is known as the birthplace of the Blues, Michael Damani is re-birthing the Blues and Chicago is its new birthplace. He’s called the next generation blues artist and is often compared to guitarist Jimi Hendrix for his unique style. Whether he’s performing at the Quarry Entertainment Center, the Lemon, Buddy Guy’s Legends, or abroad in Australia or Paris France, Damani keeps a busy schedule, spreading the Blues throughout the world.
You might say he takes after his father, Michael Strautmanis Sr., who was advisor to President Barack Obama for almost two decades, and served in the Obama White House for four of those years as the Chief of Staff of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the President’s Senior Advisor, Valerie Jarrett. After a stint at Disney Corporation, he returned to Chicago where he is currently Executive Vice President for Public Engagement at the Obama Foundation.
For this, our annual Father’s Day issue, we sat down with this father and son to talk about fatherhood, its challenges and rewards.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE:
What do you think is unique about your relationship?
DAMANI:
We like each other. (Laughter).
MICHAEL:
I think our relationship is one where we have a lot of mutual respect and admiration for each other. We have found what we share and value, whether it’s our storytelling, or basketball or funny reels on Instagram, He’s not really following in my footsteps, but I think we share the same values.
DAMANI:
Absolutely. There’s a lot of overlap between what we do, so there’s a lot of spaces for us to come together, not just as father and son, but as colleagues. It wasn’t always like that. We had to kind of rediscover each other in that respect because for a while I was doing my own thing, and once that became built out to the point where I was starting to establish myself, next thing you know we’re in the same room talking to the same people about different but similar things. One example is an organization called City of Big Dreams. Dad has been talking with them through the Obama Foundation for a long time, and then they actually hired me to headline their showcase last year.
MICHAEL:
And they said, “Wait. You’re Michael Damani’s dad? The person who ran the organizations knew Damani and hired him and literally could not believe that he was my son.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE
So, you didn’t have to use your influence to get him the job?
MICHAEL:
That’s one of the things that I admire about Damani. He’s very much like me in that he’s independent. Now we find ourselves in these same spaces and each of us feels like we got to those places on our own. I hear from people all the time that Damani is kind and respectful, does what he says he’s going to do, has the qualities that I know will give people the opportunity to have a great life. And hearing that fills me with pride, but I think more than pride –admiration.
DAMANI:
Mutual.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE
Michael, when Damani was younger, did you ever want him to follow in your footsteps?
MICHAEL:
I never thought about him following in my footsteps as far as being a lawyer or going into politics. I did want him to care about the world around him and to see that he had a role to play that was beyond tending his own garden. And, I’m a little embarrassed to say this because I went to college as a theater major, but as he started to get involved in the arts I got a little worried about his academic path. So, he invited us to dinner and was like “I don’t want your money, I’m wasting my time in college, I need to be a musician. I need to do my own thing.” And that was that. And the choice I had at that time was is my relationship with my son more important than my vision for the life path I want him to take? Luckily, thank God, I chose the relationship.
DAMANI:
I remember that time. I had a job that paid enough to pay the bills and just continue to live life and meet my basic needs. About a year and a half after that conversation I met the Original Chicago Blues All Stars, and they really took me under their wings and launched the start of my career, and took me all over the world. It was really an incredible experience. Then my Dad and I had another conversation. And he acknowledged all the growth he had seen in me. My parents jumped right on board. They would come to see us play all the time. They’re still there to come and support most of the performances that I have that are local. It’s really beautiful to experience that love and support. Now we’re able to celebrate a lot of really cool victories. Last year was a big year for me. I played the DNC media party at the Navy Pier Ballroom.
MICHAEL:
I know all these people in the DNC, but when Michael told me he was playing their media party, I didn’t even know when it was. I almost missed his performance. All these circles that we are traveling together are ones that he walked into on his own.
DAMANI:
Right. The company who sponsored the DNC media party last year is called Choose Chicago. Dad knows a lot of their people, but I actually met them through the Chicago Blues All-Stars. They sponsored us to go to Toronto and France back in 2018. This year I’m playing the Chicago Blues Fest in Millennium Park. Another example is D-CASE. They do all of the summer programming at the JB Pritzker Pavilion — Blues Fest, Jazz Fest, Gospel Fest. I walked into their office and said, “Hi, I’m Michael Damani. This is what I do. I would like you to keep me in mind for future events.” And they hit me up two years later. I’m probably reminding my dad of a younger version of himself right now.
MICHAEL:
Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. That’s how I ended up getting a chance to meet Michelle Obama. I was going to law school and I was a bike messenger, and I went to this big law firm and said, I want to work there next summer. And I ended up calling that person every month for thirteen months. They gave me a job there the next summer, and that was the law firm where Michelle and Barack worked.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE
Was there a time when you were especially proud of Damani?
MICHAEL:
Yes, it gives me incredible joy to watch him be a great musician, but one of the most beautiful experiences of my life was when he told me that he was going to teach music in schools and communities on the south side of Chicago. So, even though he didn’t go down the path that I went down, he has all the qualities I wanted and I’m so proud of him.
SOUTH SIDE DRIVE
Damani, did you feel that same kind of pride growing up with your Dad in the White House?
DAMANI:
Oh, it was crazy—I was so proud. I remember showing my classmates a photo of me with Barack, and everyone was like, “That’s Photoshop! That’s not real!” But it was real. I even remember when he came to one of my history classes in high school and spoke to the students. That was such a special moment. I had the chance to visit the White House many times—for events, and sometimes just to hang out. It was definitely a major point of pride for my family.
The pride this father and son have in each other—the love they share—is what makes stories like this so powerful. It’s what makes Father’s Day truly special.
