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By the tender age of 16, Abdul "The Champ" Chestnut had 12 obituaries — all of friends whose lives were cut short by a bullet — up on his bedroom wall in the Southwark housing project. Every month, there was another funeral to attend, he recalls.
Now 29, Abdul more than survived life at Fifth and Washington, as did his father, Al, and uncle, Ty, both in their 50s. He thrived, attending college in Georgia and going on to head his own record label.
None of the Chestnuts is ashamed of his roots, despite what they say was an atmosphere that included drugs, violence and broken homes. As Ty puts it, "You can be in it, not of it."
Ultimately, it was an experience that would positively impact the lives and music of two generations of Chestnuts.
Ty and Al make up the talented Chestnut Brothers — a singing, songwriting and production duo whose message can be summed up in one word: peace.
Signed to Abdul’s record label, Abdul 215 Entertainment, with offices in Philadelphia and Norcross, Ga., the brothers have performed all over the world, including the Middle East. They have recorded with the likes of Grover Washington Jr., Luther Vandross and Najee.
Among the group’s long list of U.S. performances are the inaugural Marian Anderson Humanitarian Award Gala, honoring Harry Belafonte, in Philadelphia; the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the opening of the Hard Rock Caf� in Philly.
On June 17, The Chestnut Brothers released Peace Suite, a CD that already has enjoyed a warm reception in the United Kingdom, Europe, China and Japan.
The brothers describe Peace Suite as inspirational R&B;/contemporary gospel. The songs promote world peace, love and unity.
"Our music is rich in spirituality," notes Al. "The Creator chose us. The songs write themselves. We’re just the channels."
The group also performs straight R&B;, jazz, pop, hip-hop and rap.
The siblings have been involved with a world peace campaign for quite some time — hence the name of their new CD. Along with other musicians, the duo is embarking on a "Stop the Violence" tour.
The tour is named after the lead track on The Chestnut Brothers’ eight-song recording. Stop the Violence, released last year as a single, also happens to be the theme song for Operation Safe Streets, the city’s effort to fight drug activity through an increased police presence.
The Chestnut Brothers’ songs also have been adopted by such organizations as Men United for a Better Philadelphia; Ex-Offenders and Philadelphia Making a Difference Against Guns, Drugs and Violence; Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Union for the Homeless.
With their positive, hope-filled message promoting peace over violence, The Chestnut Brothers consider themselves "beacons of light," Al notes.
"We believe that timing is critical with all the negative things that are unfolding before us in these times," adds Abdul. "There are so many negative things that are being fed to our children right now; we are just trying to give them alternative ways of thinking. We want to teach them conflict-resolution skills.
"Through our music, we are making a conscious effort to help heal the world."
The Chestnut Brothers were born in Columbia, S.C., but moved to South Philly in the 1950s. The two brothers, along with sister Patricia, lived with their parents, Alexander and Hazel, on the 2300 block of Ellsworth Street before moving to Southwark Homes. Hazel Chestnut still lives in South Philly. The brothers say if you close your eyes when you listen to Hazel sing, you might swear it’s Aretha Franklin.
Alexander Chestnut’s spirit lives on through the duo’s saxophone player, Karl Dean, who plays their father’s tenor sax. The brothers dedicated Peace Suite to their father, whom they call "the ultimate prince of peace." The Chestnuts say they grew up in a loving, nurturing home where music was soul food.
"Both our parents were huge humanitarians who taught us the value of giving," Al adds.
Al and Ty are graduates of Bok Vocational School, while Abdul is a "Southern" man — quite literally. After graduating South Philadelphia High School, Abdul spent seven years in Georgia, attending college and working in the entertainment industry.
When Abdul lived down South, he spent many Thanksgivings feeding the homeless. Today, he and his father and uncle are still actively involved with homeless causes.
The siblings have been making music together since they were pre-teens, and have enjoyed a local following since the 1960s.
But according to Al, success is long overdue. Of the international attention they are receiving now, he says with a laugh, "Finally! And you can put five asterisks before and after that!"
The Chestnuts feel the climate is simply right for them and their message.
"Since 9-11, people have been more interested in peace and change," says Abdul. "People are dying. The world is going crazy. People are looking for something else to digest [other than all the bad news]. They are waiting for the healing process to begin."
For whatever reason, The Chestnut Brothers’ music has had a healing effect on those who hear it, Al adds.
But with so much violence in the world, the duo acknowledges they have their work cut out for them.
"We’ll stay on the front lines with this movement," Al says.
"We’re not going to stop until we die," adds Ty. spr
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For more information or to purchase Peace Suite, visit www.cdbaby.com/chestnutbrothers or write to chestnutbrothers@netscape.net
Upcoming performances
Saturday:
Kingsessing Recreation Center, 50th Street and Chester Avenue
June 29:
Sunoco Welcome America! event at Mann Music Center, 2 p.m.
July 4:
Penn’s Landing concert, 1:30 p.m.
July 12:
Clef Club concert, Broad and Fitzwater streets, 7:30 p.m.
July 16:
Church at 26th and Wharton, 7:30 p.m.
