Laughing the Sacred

Since 1995, when Jamie told me about his father’s experience sitting with a friend on Marine Drive in the early ‘70s “watching the Golden Gate Bridge dance all night,” I knew peyote would be in my life. His father, Jamie also revealed, mentioned that while most drugs expand your mind, peyote is your mind.

In 1999 I had my first opportunity to taste the sacred button, revered by Native American and Mexican cultures for centuries, and one of the few “illegal” substances considered sacrament available for legal possession and consumption in this country. Dax and I were in Amsterdam and the golf ball-sized bluish and orange discs sat within inches of my curious fingers. Given we were in a country we had never been to, and not in the presence of a Peyotero to help guide the experience, we opted for the more familiar psilocybin-producing “magic” mushrooms.

Needless to say, when I was informed of an opportunity to partake in this ceremony under certified guidance in New Paltz, I knew the time had arrived. The entire weekend was to include numerous rituals, including a pipe ceremony and sweat lodge, culminating in the consumption of peyote. The weekend was to be powerful for me in numerous ways, most immediately the burning of a certain object in the fire we would sweat with, one holding many memories I needed to rid myself of. Nostalgia, as Albert Einstein ingeniously noted, is fine unless we have the chance of returning to it. Like many of us, pieces of my past haunt the possibilities of future, and I allow this nostalgic bravado to govern my choices instead of stepping fearlessly ahead. This sweat, and my ingestion of sacrament, was to be one courageous footfall forward.

To read the rest of this essay click here.

Game Theory

The other morning I was working out on the elliptical machine at Equinox. Like most modern gyms, it's rather difficult to avoid one of the dozens of TV screens facing every direction possible; at this point, I'm just thankful they don't have them inside the yoga studio when I teach. While I try to focus on the sounds emerging from my iPod, I did have the chance to notice something rather startling during my workout.

On the screen to my right MTV was playing their usual blend of really diverse artists - the series I took note of began with Danity Kane, Diddy's newest project, and then moved into the Pussycat Dolls featuring Big Snoop Dogg. What was amazing, since the videos were, to my eyes, being accompanied the Roots record, Game Theory, blasting in my ears, I thought it was the same video before realizing it was, in fact, two different acts (I was especially enjoying Snoop's new moniker). Beyonce, who could very well have started the Pussycat Dolls (what was the name of that devised group she was in to begin with? Oh well, doesn't matter, there's another dozen of them), was showing off her own strut. That one was special, with her jumping up and down on the bed screaming about something - I mean, what the hell could she possibly be pissed about? She's on the cover of half the major magazines this month, what's wrong girl? Pissed the other half didn't give you play? And the last, to get diversity in, was Justin Timberlake. "Don't Feel Right" blared in my iBuds, Black Thought proclaiming "If you ain’t speakin’ your life, your rhymes adopted. If you don’t feel right then stop it."

I was catching glimpses of that screen, for there was something on the left that seemed, strange as it sounds, a bit more important: clips of Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke. While the Pussycats got jiggy with Big Snoop, images of tear-filled mothers and broken dolls lying on top of cars lying on top of houses supported by fallen trees kept my attention. As the camera panned inside the homes - well, houses, a home is conceptual and these certainly no longer qualified - couches were still soaked, water stains coloring fallen archways, articles of the outside world now inside while televisions and sinks rested in the front yard. And as my eye caught a killer shot of Beyonce's thick ass Black Thought kept rapping it don't feel right, it just dont' feel right.

I am a huge fan of entertainment, and technology. Seeing the paradox of existence in such bright, alarming colors as this, I can only wonder what progress means. As someone that works in many facets of the entertainment industry, I know how cheaply things like videos can be created with a bit of ingenuity. Yet we still have musicians creating million dollar videos in which Times Square is recreated in a studio using billions of watts of lighting so their mascara looks pretty, and those thighs shine with redolent splendor. I'm in no way against entertainment, but when we call escapism such - what else would the material recreation of a utopia that never existed be called? - the result is simply disturbing. We create the illusion we live inside, and then become trapped by our own creation. Religious folllowers have done this for centuries in the name of god, thinking their translation the one tried and true Truth, and today we continue the process by believing that in order to be the best we need to waste resources other people can really benefit from. Belief is nothing but a lack of experience. When we have the experience, there is no need of belief. If we believe, then we haven't lived through it, and then beliefs become dangerous things.

In The Labryinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz writes "the modern masses are agglomerations of solitary individuals." He points out during American rituals, the few times we do meet on common ground (Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, etc), we do not form a "living community." Instead we become simply a collection of individuals or small groups being led to a destination because it is, essentially, the "thing to do." Because we do not form this community - he uses the instance of the Mexican Day of the Dead as an example, one which, while plagued with its own inconsistencies, does represent something living and vibrant - we don't really know how to interact with each other. When Reality smacks us in the face, as it did in Lee's documentary, we either feel guilty or, even easier, turn our attention to the screen on the right. It's easier to forget, anwyay, and damn if Danity don't got some fine ass legs on them. Justin's in some soulful pain, Beyonce's still pissed, and Big Snoop looks kinda high (at least some things don't change). Meanwhile a child's two-wheeler floats down Main St. and Black Thought sings on, it don't feel right, it just don't feel right...

The Future of Flamenco

Click here to see why Ojos de Brujo is one of the best bands on the planet...

Africa to the ATL

ANTHONY DAVID
The Red Clay Chronicles (Brash)

An early friendship between two Atlantians inspired the musical careers of both India.Arie and Anthony David. Indeed, India sounds magnificent on the duet “Words” here on David’s sophomore outing. But it’s his soulful guitar strumming and reliance on a dusky, woodsy R&B-inflected voice proving his true calling card. Turning up production on tasteful beats and proving his place as modern troubadour with penetrating lyrics, his fervent slides on “Smoke One” and the funky “Sho Nuff” will make these records as memorable as any by Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers: “Everything is Everything” has that intimate, lean on him sort of soul.

CAMILLE
Le Fil (Narada)

Cutting her teeth with unique Parisian band Nouvelle Vague (whose last album featured bossa nova covers of ‘80s songs by the likes of Joy Division), Camille’s second solo outing has already won accolades on her home continent. A predominantly a cappella record, backed by light, yet effective, instrumentation, Le Fil plays like a diary of inner terrain: secrets, emotions, victories, defeat. It is a passionate attempt at showing the integrity the voice, and many voices, can accomplish. The tasteful arrangements on the quiet “Pour Que L'amour Me Quitte” and “Vertige” are reflective and soft. Yet when she puts it into second gear, as on the Rahzel-inspired “Ta Douleur,” the groove is unavoidable. Throughout the entire record a continual hum underlies each song, and the album closes with nearly 39 minutes of nothing but Camille’s a cappella drone. Given the quality of the entire album, it is not the only thing buzzing.

SALIF KEITA
M’Bemba (Decca)

The “Golden Voice of Mali” shines brighter as Salif Keita evolves from his previous brilliance on Moffou. The guitarist/vocalist is simply on fire. Since his days in the late ‘70s with Les Ambassadeurs, Keita has not only become one of Africa’s most important musical figures, he’s done it with a cultural taboo encoded by birthright. Turning an old superstition on its head – that of being albino – he recently began funneling 10% of all royalties to a new foundation for albino children. With records like M’Bemba, that money should prove mighty; few acoustic musicians of his continent prove as diverse and open-minded. This becomes apparent in the hyper strains of “Ladji,” a tour de force featuring a beautiful call-and-response hook interspersed by flourishes of Celtic and Bollywood accents, as well as dancehall great Buju Banton bouncing patois English off his Bambara lyrics. On “Lambo” he returns to the ‘80s feel that made him infamous, reminiscent of fellow pioneers Orchestra Baobob and Bembeya Jazz, in which blazing guitars and tight percussion set fire to the dance floor. The production is outstanding throughout, capturing the upbeat guitars and precise cadence of “Laban” and “Calculer,” lying seamlessly beside the more reflective “Dery” and “Moriba.” On that last number, also the album’s closer, Keita takes an approach in the vain of Baaba Maal: haunting, sober guitars and a bone-chilling poetry nearly screamed through an impassioned entrancement. You can almost envision the musicians’ inducement during recording sessions. There’s too much magic to believe they were not tapping into something primal, earthy and, to the world outside, sonically astounding.

ETRAN FINATAWA
Introducing Etran Finatawa (Introducing/World Music Network)

One of the obvious benefits of global technologies is taking a peek into sights and sounds that would otherwise have remained fable or hearsay, or, possibly, never heard at all. Given the generous influx of African music piped into American stereos year after year, we are continually educating ourselves about this diverse continent through a range of cultures. Thanks to Tuareg rock/blues/roots band Tinariwen the West was introduced to a unique desert-folk-meets-blues soundscape. Taking cue, Etran Finatawa is next in that queue, although with a much rootsier, grittier and overall more hypnotic sound. A blending of 10 musician from two tribes of Niger, their debut is a fantastical voyage through deep, heavy-handed percussion with luminous earth tone bass lines (thanks to producer Chris Birkett, who recorded the band in one room in France). The lush textures of the azakalabo (water-flooding calabash), akayaure (metal rings on a metal plate, worn on legs) and the occasional lilt of the odiliri, a traditional flute, mesh with call-and-response vocals, both ceremonial and informational in content. The six-string guitar playing is excellent, weaving and ducking into handclaps and the calabash. The vocals truly drive this project, accentuated by leader Ghalitane Khamidoune. Much like the Gnawa of Morocco (Birkett’s bass also adds a sintir feel), these songs are healing: “Ronde,” which almost mimics the overnight lila ceremony of the Gnawa, and “Maleele,” about a beautiful girl that comes to dance in call to spirits. The most trance-inducing number, however, is certainly the closing “Heeme.” A song honoring the culture’s camel races, it is too short at just over four minutes. Again like Gnawa, or possibly the Qawwals of Pakistan, it has that special gravity in which 24 minutes would be more appropriate.

KAL
Kal (Asphalt Tango)

During a recent interview with Kal founder Dragan Ristic, the outspoken frontman lashed out against the term “gypsy,” pointing toward its inherent bias to Rom culture. He referred to various organizations and committees dedicated to preserving and – as his band is doing – evolving the flexible nature of Roma people. Snippets of bhangra, tango, blues, flamenco, Arabian rhythms and hip-hop burrow inside Kal’s dozen tracks. Showing the adaptability of Romani culture is not only a musical realization for this crew, but a social mission. Just as the Rom traveled from India and re-rooted themselves in numerous lands, picking up and transforming various folk music along the way, the Serbian Ristic uses jet planes to transport his style to the planet. Light use of electronics, guitar and fiddle virtuosity fuel this animated fire. The opening “Duj Duj” is prime for dance floors, featuring blaring, shiny guitars, Turkish percussion and the crucial horn lines reminiscent of Balkan brass. “Dvojka” continues an upbeat escalade with a drum ‘n bass backdrop laden with stellar violin strains. But Ristic does not keep it hyped: “Lili” and “Djelem, Djelem” represent the restive states of Romani song. The marching band sound on “Boro Boro” adds a large feel to the record; the epic clarinet and female vocals add an intense charm. The finger-picking violin/accordion play on “Mozzarella” – complete with the necessary good-time whistling – brings the record back to the Hungarian tanchez vibe. Ristic goes to tremendous lengths at including all his influences on Kal. No matter which direction you turn, he’s there with a bottle of vodka and a smile, waiting for you to join the dance.

Musica Fresca Launches

Haven't been posting in a while due to this project. I was brought on to the Musica Fresca tour to work with Yahoo!Telemundo and Kurfirst/Blackwell Entertainment via GlobeSonic Entertainment as Content Creator for the website. Below is info on this tour; when it kicks in I'll be posting regular redirects here to keep this blog updated to that one...here's the info on this amazing tour....

MUSICA FRESCA celebrates the innovative spirit of modern Latin fusion with an amazing array of musical acts. Banda hip-hoppers AKWID, reggaeton sensation VOLTIO and Latin funk collective YERBA BUENA team up on this forward-thinking tour. A production of famed music figures Gary Kurfirst and Chris Blackwell, with acclaimed producer Andres Levin as Music Director And Yahoo! Telemundo as a presenting sponsor, MUSICA FRESCA is destined to become the defining name in modern Latin music.

As America celebrates Latin culture with Hispanic Heritage Month this September, the MUSICA FRESCA (Fresh Music) tour will showcase bands on the leading edge of modern Latin fusion. The co-headliners, Mexican-American urban-regional pioneers AKWID, electrifying reggaeton lyricist VOLTIO and Levin’s celebrated Latin-funk collective YERBA BUENA, represent a dizzying spectrum of progressive sounds. These three critically praised headliners showcase the unique sonic culture occurring across Latin music in Los Angeles, New York and Puerto Rico. By combining their applied skills MUSICA FRESCA promises to be the most inventive, talked about tour of the year.

Audiences will experience distinctive combinations where hip-hop meets the brass sound of traditional Mexican banda and norteno, the MC skills of rap collide with tropical Latin tempos and dancehall and bilingual, propulsive dance rhythms are created from a Afro-Cuban-Gypsy fusion. In addition, MUSICA FRESCA will introduce U.S. audiences to RADIO MUNDIAL, a fast-rising New York-based Latin rock band that has already written for/performed with Carlos Santana.

Besides presenting the hippest Latin fusions around, MUSICA FRESCA is designed to showcase the hottest up-and-coming acts. The best of local music will be presented in every city as Yahoo! Telemundo presents a Battle of the Bands showcase prior to each performance. Never before has regional Latin-focused bands been given the opportunity to share the stage with such a unique roster of artists. The battle adds a whole new dimension to Latin music in America today. With stops in numerous major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, and across Texas, the future of Latin music has arrived. Check back often to this site for updates, video podcasts, exclusive interviews and photos and much, much more.