Sekou Bunch is a contestant from Survivor: Cook Islands.
Despite voluntarily stepping into the leadership position on the Manihiki tribe, Sekou failed to live up to this role, as he often took long breaks and didn't contribute to his tribe's efforts. This resulted in his elimination at the season's first Tribal Council in a 3-2 vote.
Profile[]
Retrieved from CBS.com
Born and raised in New York, Sekou Bunch began pursuing his creative talents at an early age. One of his first paintings was put on display at the Museum of Art in New York when he was just seven years old. At this time, Bunch also began dancing in local talent shows, often taking first prize. He later became one of the original break dancers in the Bronx, where he often attended the famed "DJ Kool Herc" parties. At age 15, Bunch picked up a bass guitar and, with the help of his Uncle Ralph, found his true passion. Three years later, Bunch recorded his first professional record, Funkin' for Jamaica, an LP that eventually went gold. While honing his skills, he completed two years of college at St. Francis College and Glendale Community College.
Currently a professional jazz musician, Bunch continues to tour, record and act. He plays electric bass, double bass, clarinet, guitar and piano. He has recorded and performed with Will Downing, Lalah Hathaway, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Coolio, Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Luther Vandross, Roger Daltry, Paul Anka, Anita Baker, Wayne Shorter, Ray Charles and Ice Cube, among others. He co-wrote the Tom Browne single, "Thighs High." He appeared in the feature films "Coming to America," "Wild Orchid" and "Byrd." He has also played on numerous commercials and soundtracks, having most recently recorded the bass for the feature film "The Fast and the Furious 3." He can also be seen in the upcoming feature film "Dreamgirls." In addition, Bunch will release a new CD of his own entitled The Next Level in December 2006.
Bunch enjoys gardening, painting, drawing, reading and writing. He also enjoys basketball, racquetball and lifting weights. He is most proud of obtaining his first Gold Record Award when he was just 19 years old.
Bunch currently resides in Los Angeles. He has three children, Brandis, Brooke, Shalonda, a step daughter Kai, a fiancée, Toi, and is a proud grandfather to Carlos and Shelby. His birth date is September 9, 1960.[1]
Survivor[]
Sekou started off Survivor: Cook Islands on the Manihiki tribe, the tribe of African-Americans. Sekou immediately wanted to go to work and made himself the leader. However, he frequently got exhausted and took breaks, much to the women's annoyance. After losing the first Immunity Challenge, despite Jeff Probst asking Manihiki as a tribe to send someone to Exile Island, Sekou and Nate Gonzalez made the decision to send Jonathan Penner on their own without consulting the women. Back at camp, Sekou tried to convince Stephannie Favor to vote out Sundra Oakley by citing how close she and Rebecca Borman have become. That pair targeted Sekou due to his poor work ethic. At Tribal Council, though the tribe lamented losing anybody due to their collective spirit, the three Manihiki women agreed to vote out Sekou, making him the first person voted out.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manihiki | Lock, Load and Light | Reward/Immunity | No | Lost |
| Voted Out, Day 3 | |||||
| Episode | Sekou's Votes |
Voted Against Sekou |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sundra | Rebecca, Stephannie, Sundra |
| Voted Out, Day 3 | ||
Post-Survivor[]
- On January 9, 2010, Sekou attended Survivor's 10-year anniversary party.
- In September 2016, Sekou was involved in a car accident.[2]
Trivia[]
- Sekou is the oldest contestant to compete on Cook Islands.
- Sekou is the first contestant in their forties to be the oldest contestant of a season.
- Sekou is the first Black contestant to be the oldest contestant of their season.
- Sekou is the first person to be voted out in 20th place.
- Sekou is the only contestant from Cook Islands to never be a member of either Rarotonga or Aitutaki.
- Sekou is the first African-American contestant to be the first person eliminated from a season.
- Jolanda Jones was the first contestant to be voted out in Palau, but she was not the first eliminated due to the Schoolyard Pick twist where Wanda Shirk and Jonathan Libby were eliminated.
- At the Cook Islands Reunion Show, Sekou performed a song he wrote about Survivor.
References[]
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