#Tribe Tour 2002 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

new-idaho-falls · 1 year

Text

Carpet Cleaning Idaho Falls ID

All Shine Cleaning Service offers carpet cleaning Idaho Falls ID residents count on. One of the methods they use is hot water extraction, which is the only method classified as “deep cleaning.” It is also called “steam cleaning” due to the high heat of the water used to extract dirt from your carpet. Hot water extraction rejuvenates carpet fibers, bringing them back to life. Nearly all carpet manufacturers and fiber producers recommend hot water extraction to clean carpets. Aside from residential and commercial carpet cleaning, the company also provides pet urine restoration, upholstery cleaning, and rug cleaning services. Moreover, you can call on them for tile and grout cleaning, power washing, dryer vent cleaning, and gutter cleaning.

Idaho Falls Carpet Cleaning Company

Professional carpet cleaning can remove dust, dirt, and allergens from deep within the carpet fibers, improving the indoor air quality of your home or workplace. It can help extend your carpet's life by removing dirt and debris that can cause wear and tear on the fibers. All Shine Cleaning Service offers Idaho Falls carpet cleaning services that you can count on. They have the equipment and expertise to effectively remove tough stains, such as pet urine, red wine, and coffee, which can be difficult to remove with household cleaning products. Call them and they will help to keep your home or workplace looking and smelling fresh and clean.

The History of Idaho Falls, ID

The area around Idaho Falls has been inhabited for thousands of years by various Native American tribes, including the Shoshone, Bannock, and Blackfoot. The first European settlers arrived in the area in the 1860s, attracted by the fertile land and abundant water supply. The city was founded in 1864 as a small farming community, originally known as Taylor's Crossing. The name was later changed to Idaho Falls in reference to the rapids on the Snake River located near the region. In the early years, Idaho Falls was primarily a farming and ranching community, with the construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad in the late 1800s providing an economic boost to the area. Today, Idaho Falls is a thriving city with a population of over 60,000 people.

Art Museum Of Eastern Idaho

The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho is a non-profit art museum that was founded in 2002 with the mission of providing the community with access to high-quality art exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events. It has five galleries, an interactive art learning area for kids, a space for art classes and workshops, and a unique gift shop. In addition to its exhibits, the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho offers a variety of educational programs for visitors of all ages, including workshops, classes, and tours. These programs aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of art and provide opportunities for hands-on learning and creativity.

Idaho Falls Students Feted in C-SPAN Video Documentary Competition

C-SPAN holds an annual video documentary competition for middle school and high school students in the United States. It challenges students to create short documentaries on a specific theme related to current events and public policy and provides an opportunity for them to engage with these issues, develop research and media skills, and express their ideas and perspectives in a creative way. Winning videos are often featured on C-SPAN's website and television programs, providing a national platform for student filmmakers. Click here to read more about Compass Academy seniors Petra Christensen and Addison Willis bagging honorable mention prizes in C-SPAN’s national 2023 StudentCam competition.

Link to maps

Art Museum Of Eastern Idaho 300 S Capital Ave, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, United States Take W Broadway St to US-26 E/Yellowstone Ave 2 min (0.4 mi) Turn left at the 3rd cross street onto US-26 E/Yellowstone Ave 8 min (3.5 mi) Continue on E Iona Rd. Drive to E Larson Dr 4 min (1.5 mi) All Shine Cleaning Service 3266 E Larson Dr, Idaho Falls, ID 83401, United States

0 notes

tribeworldarchive · 1 year

Photo

CHECK OUT THE LATEST TRIBE VOTE

Here are the results in percentages of previous Tribe Votes, with most recent votes at the top!

VOTE - 29th January 2003 - 5th Febraury 2003 "Who do you want Jay to be with in Tribe 5?" - RESULTS:

Amber: 8% Ebony: 47% Trudy: 37% Salene: 1% Ruby: 1% May: 1% Another character: 5%

VOTE - 22nd January 2003 - 29th January 2003 "Who would you like for the next cast chat?" - RESULTS:

Caleb Ross : 10% Meryl Cassie: 26% James Napier: 12% Beth Allen: 16% Victoria Spence: 2 % Laura Wilson: 2% Michael Wesley Smith: 32%

VOTE - 15th January 2003 - 22nd January 2003 "Have you played the Sims?" - RESULTS:

Yes, I like it: 70% Yes, I didn't like it: 4% No, I've never heard of it: 14% No, I didn't like the look of it: 11%

VOTE - 8th January 2003 - 15th January 2003 "Which Tribal guy would you like to come on tour?" - RESULTS:

James: 11% Caleb: 14% Michael: 39% Tom: 31% Danny: 4% Lucas: 0% Matt : 0% Calen : 1%

VOTE - 11th December 2002 - 20th December 2002 "Who's your favourite baddy?" - RESULTS:

Tophat: 2% Guardian: 4% Ram: 31% Zoot: 14% Moz: 3% Billy Boy: 1% Lex : 45%

VOTE - 29th November 2002 - 11th December 2002 "Which location in Tribeworld do you like the best?" - RESULTS:

The Eco Camp: 5% The Mall: 45% The Techno's Hotel: 44% The City's Streets: 1% Eagle Mountain: 5% The Railyards: 1%

VOTE - 20th November 2002 - 29th November 2002 "Which old Tribe would you like to return?" - RESULTS:

Demon Dogs: 5% The Nomads: 4% The Chosen: 13% Tribe Circus: 8% The Mosquitoes: 18% The Locos: 49% The Jackals: 3%

VOTE - 13th November 2002 - 20th November 2002 "Who is your favourite Tribe guy?" - RESULTS:

Lex : 9% Jack : 20 % Jay : 21% Ved : 9% Ram: 3% Bray: 24% Pride: 8% Zoot : 3% Ryan : 2% Guardian : 1%

VOTE - 6th November 2002 - 13th November 2002 "Who is your favourite Tribe girl?" - RESULTS:

Amber : 8% Ebony : 80% Salene :1% Ellie : 2% Trudy: 1% Taisan: 1% May: 1% Java : 4% Siva : 1% Mouse : 1%

VOTE - 30th October 2002 - 6th November 2002 "Who do you think Ruby (a new character in Tribe 5) will hook up with? " - RESULTS:

Lex : 20% Jay : 5% Ram :6% Slade : 13% Jack : 17% Pride : 5% Mega : 8% Sammy : 26%

VOTE - 23rd October 2002 - 30th October 2002 "Do you think the new character SLADE in series 5 will be?" - RESULTS:

A good guy : 40% A bad guy : 11% A good guy who turns bad :10% A bad guy who turns good : 39%

VOTE - 16th October 2002 - 23rdOctober 2002 "Which Tribe girl's costume do you like best in Series 4? " - RESULTS:

Trudy: 8% Amber: 27 % Dee:1% Salene: 3% Ellie:5% Java/Siva: 5% Mouse:2% May: 3% Ebony: 46%

VOTE - 9th October 2002 - 16th October 2002 "Which Tribe guy is the most romantic? " - RESULTS:

Ram: 1% Jay: 61% Lex:2% Ryan: 2% Bray:10% Sasha: 1% Jack:11% Pride: 9% Ved: 3%

VOTE - 2nd October 2002 - 9thOctober 2002 "Who do you think should have the next baby in The Tribe? " - RESULTS:

Ebony: 40% Salene: 27% May: 5% Taisan: 17% Dee: 3% Siva: 3% Java: 5%

VOTE - 18th September 2002 - 2nd October 2002 "Who do you think is the most well known character around the city? " - RESULTS:

Amber: 19% The Guardian: 3% Ram: 2% Bray: 24% Lex: 7% Zoot: 21% Ebony: 24%

VOTE - 11th September 2002 - 18th September 2002 "Where would you go if the virus hit? " - RESULTS:

Into the countryside: 28% Into the wilderness (bush/forest): 17% Stay at your family home: 17% Into the inner city: 38%

VOTE - 4th September 2002 - 11th September 2002 "Is it time for Trudy to start a new relationship - if so with who? " - RESULTS:

Mega: 6% A new character: 50% Jay: 3% Lex: 6% Hawk: 12% Pride: 18% Ram: 5%

VOTE - 28th August 2002 - 4th September 2002 "When Zoot appeared at the end of Tribe 4 - do you think he was:?" - RESULTS:

A hullucination in Ebony's mind: 14% Back for real: 38% An image created by Virtual Reality: 35% Someone pretending to be Zoot:13%

VOTE - 21st August 2002 - 28th August 2002 "What is the most important thing you would look for in a partner?" - RESULTS:

Money: 2% Good looks: 6% Intelligence: 4% Kindness:15% Sense of humour: 12% All of the above: 61%

VOTE - 14th August 2002 - 21st August 2002 "Who should be City Leader?" - RESULTS:

Amber: 49% Jay: 10% Ebony: 20% Ram: 1% Zoot: 4% Mega: 1% Lex: 7% Pride: 2% Taisan: 6%

VOTE - 7th August 2002 - 14th August 2002 "Which Tribe character would you like to see return in Tribe 5?" - RESULTS:

Guardian: 32% Alice: 6% Ryan: 13% Bray: 12% Zandra: 2% KC: 1% Luke: 33% Danni: 1%

VOTE - 1st August 2002 - 7th August 2002 "Which Tribe guy has the best fashion?" - RESULTS:

Bray

27%

Lex

12%

Jay

Ved

16%

Ram

Jack

13%

Dal

Pride

Patch

15%

VOTE - 24th July 2002 - 1st August 2002 "Who would you hate to have as an enemy?" - RESULTS:

Zoot

13%

Ebony

44%

Ram

14%

Lex

Ned

The Guardian

18%

VOTE - 17th July 2002 - 24th July 2002 "Who is the best partner for Ebony?" - RESULTS:

Bray

11%

Jay

50%

Ved

Ram

Lex

16%

Zoot

13%

Mega

VOTE - 9thJuly 2002 - 17th July 2002 "Who is the best partner for Amber?" - RESULTS:

Bray

70%

Jay

Pride

Ved

Ryan

Lex

25%

Hawk

VOTE - 3rd July 2002 - 9thJuly 2002 "Who will be the second mystery reappearance at the end of Tribe 4?" - RESULTS:

Bray

37%

An adult

Danni

Ryan

Luke

Ebony's brother

12%

Zoot

37%

The Guardian

VOTE - 26th June 2002 - 3rd July 2002 "What will happen at the end Tribe 4?" - RESULTS:

The Chosen return

Ram wins and the Mallrats are defeated

Zoot returns

17%

Bray returns and marries Amber

60%

The Technos are defeated

11%

Amber runs off with Jay

12%

VOTE - 19th June 2002 - 26th June 2002 "Who will Jay end up with?" - RESULTS:

Trudy

11%

Amber

27%

Taisan

Ebony

54%

VOTE - 12th June 2002 - 19th June 2002 "Who do you think will be the first "mystery reappearance" in Tribe 4?" - RESULTS:

Zandra

Ryan

Luke

Taisan

76%

Bray

10%

Danni

VOTE - 5th June 2002 - 12th June 2002 "What do you think of the new Tribe Bulletin Board?" - RESULTS:

It's fantastic - I love it!

23%

I haven't used the new one yet

37%

I don't like it

40%

VOTE - 29th May 2002 - 5th June 2002 "What has been the most dramatic moment in The Tribe?" - RESULTS:

Amber and Zandra's death

64%

Discovery of the Antidote

The Chosen's emergence

Amber coming back

17%

The Techno's invasion

13%

VOTE - 22nd May 2002 - 29th May 2002 "If you had to be in a Tribe in Tribeworld which one would it be?" - RESULTS:

The Mallrats

44%

The Locos

The Technos

39%

The Mozzies

The Chosen

The Eco-Tribe

The Demon Dogs

VOTE - 15th May 2002 - 22nd May 2002 "Who would be your ideal date in Tribe 4?" - RESULTS:

Ved

32%

Jay

41%

Ram

Lex

13%

Patch

Pride

10%

VOTE - 8th May 2002 - 15th May 2002 "If Jay leaves the Techno's - what will he do?" - RESULTS:

Leave the city to start a new life

Ram will track him down and delete him

Join the Mallrats

74%

Ved will persuade him to go back to the Techno's

12%

VOTE - 1st May 2002 - 8th May 2002 "What is going to happen between Ebony and Jay?" - RESULTS:

They decide to stay friends but don't rekindle their love

They get back together

63%

Ebony and Ram stay happily married

16%

Jay falls in love with Java

15%

TRIBE AWARD RESULTS

"Which Tribal song should win the Tribe Award for Best Tribe Song?

The top five are:

The Dream Must Stay Alive

35%

Banging the Drum

33%

Abe Messiah

10%

This is the Place

Tribe Spirit

"Who should win the Tribe Award for best costume in Series 3?

The top five are:

Luke

17%

Ellie

17%

Jack

14%

Ebony

14%

Taisan

"Who should win the Tribe Award for best costume in Series 2?

The top five are:

Lex

42%

Ebony

14%

Jack

Tai San

May

"Who should win the Tribe Award for best costume in Series 1?

The top five are:

Bray

38%

Amber

37%

Ebony

Zandra

Zoot

"Who should win the Tribe Award for Best Actress?

The top five are:

Alice

38%

Amber

25%

Ebony

21%

Cloe

Trudy

"Who should win the Tribe Award for Best Actor?

The top five are:

Bray

40%

Lex

26%

Jack

20%

Jay

Ved

0 notes

sevenkittensinatrenchcoat · 3 years

Text

Misto Categories 2: Meta History

So, we most likely started with Munk’s Assistant Misto. OLC had Misto sing Gumbie Cat, along with a lot of other exposition that was later given to Munkustrap. Munk and Misto appeared to pass the leadership role back and forth.

Problem: Misto is such a prominent figure in the tribe that no one should be surprised by his powers. He uses them to be the center of attention all the time.

Munk’s Assistant evolves into Showman Misto. When OBC Misto carries a musical number, it’s either him showing off or him putting on a show. Munkustrap gets the important exposition. Misto isn’t a high-ranking member of the group and is generally strange, so some of the tribe might only know him as a sort of stage persona.

Problem: Okay, his magical skill is still a bit too obvious. After bringing those puppets to life, the idea that he could teleport Old Deut back to the tribe isn’t that much of a stretch. Also, when Misto describes himself as “vague and aloof” while showing off with everything he’s got, it gets a bit too ridiculous.

Showman Misto evolves into Vague and Aloof Misto. This starts in Vienna. They take a character that had been doing a lot of singing and make him completely mute. They use a similar character design to what was used on Broadway, giving him a strange appearance. When he’s completely silent and cryptid-looking, he comes across as genuinely mysterious.

Now, for the next few years, this is what we’ve got. London Misto is Munk’s Assistant, Broadway Misto is Showman, and Vienna Misto is Vague and Aloof. Even as the casts of different productions begin to change, the characterization has been decided on. The prominence of the Broadway show means that Showman Misto is quite popular internationally. US Tours sometimes used it and Japan fully embraced it. On the continent of Europe, outside of the UK, productions based on Vienna begin to pop up, and they start out with Vague and Aloof Misto. But then, something weird happens.

I could go on a long tangent about the Coming of Age Arcs of Cats, but I’ll keep it to brief notes here:

Victoria was the original Coming of Age cat, going through puberty. She has a solo dance where she begins to explore her own body. Later, at the Jellicle Ball, she has a sort of sexual experience with a tom around her age. Which tom it is literally does not matter because this scene is about her. The reason why London eventually went with Admetus is because the Admetus actor also played Macavity, and therefore had to be ripped and able to lift equally-ripped Munkustrap, so lifting little Victoria would be easy for him.

When the show moved to Broadway, they decided that the boy in the dance should have an arc to parallel the girl, because a physical coming of age arc focused entirely on a girl happened so rarely that no one knew how to react. They took the character of Bill Bailey, one of the Two Tom Kittens of the show, and rewrote him as Tumblebrutus, a boy with an arc about wanting to appear tough to impress his friends and the adults. Because he isn’t played by the same actor who plays Macavity, he can participate in the Macavity fight, coming of age that way.

The Vienna production did the same thing the Broadway Production did, as did most productions made between 1982 and 2002.

But, in 1989, the Paris production shifted the coming of age arc from Tumblebrutus to Mistoffelees. Misto had his own song. He was already a prominent character. This takes us even further away from the point that, in the mating dance, the tom doesn’t actually matter. But, the Macavity Fight came right before Misto’s number, so they couldn’t just give him the Tumblebrutus arc. Instead, his number becomes the moment when he comes of age.

So, this change is made, but Misto is still somewhat Vienna based and mute. He’s now being played a bit younger and less secure to match the coming of age arc. He might actually come across as shy, or at least a bit awkward, if you combine this immaturity with the fact that he never speaks. When you age down Vague and Aloof Misto, you get Shy Misto.

Technically, Shy Misto is a form of Character Arc Misto, because he has a character arc, but the Mistos I consider Shy feel different from the ones I’ve called Character Arc. Shy Misto is either Vague and Aloof aged down or Character Arc but mute.

Now, Shy Misto moves from Paris to Zurich and Amsterdam. More Vienna-based productions. Actors who played Misto in these productions went on to play the same role in non-Vienna-based productions. This included Broadway. This led to Shy Misto and Showman Misto being combined. Misto sings, though not as much as before, and he has that flashy Showman energy, but he still has Shy Misto’s character arc and younger age. This creates Character Arc Misto.

The 1998 VHS uses Character Arc Misto and it’s the most accessible version. A generation of future Mistos will base their own characterizations on this one.

Then something happened with the Broadway Revival and Misto lost his arc. The actors playing Misto and Tugger played up their dynamic to compensate, but with only their dynamic making Misto stand out, this is how we get Tugger’s BF Misto.

So, people built off of each other’s ideas to create new characters, providing several options on how to portray Mistoffelees. The changes mainly occurred between 1981 and 1996.

Now, to give credit where credit is due, here’s who I believe to be the first actors to perform each Misto type:

Munk’s Assistant: Wayne Sleep, 1981

Showman: Timothy Scott, 1982

Vague and Aloof: Valentin Baraian, 1983

Shy: Tibor Kovats, 1989 (He was the first Paris Misto and the first Zurich Misto. The actors to take the role after him in both productions were Shy Mistos, so it probably began with him. The oldest known recording of a show with Shy Misto was from Paris in 1990, when the role was played by Guy-Paul de St. Germain)

Character Arc: Jacob Brent, 1996 (This actually could’ve been Lindsay Chambers shifting from a Zurich Shy Misto to something that matched what was already being done on Broadway, but I’m not sure of that, having only seen Chambers in a Zurich bootleg. Character Arc Misto was definitely inspired by him though.)

Tugger’s BF Misto: Ricky Ubeda, 2016

#mr mistoffelees #cats 1981 #cats obc #cats vienna #cats paris #cats zurich #cats 1998 #cats 2016 #wayne sleep #timothy scott #valentin baraian #tibor kovats #guy-paul de st germain #lindsay chambers #jacob brent #ricky ubeda

87 notes · View notes

blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years

Photo

Treat Your S(h)elf

The Places In Between by Rory Stewart

“I offered Asad money but he was horrified. It seemed a six-hour round trip through a freezing storm and chest deep snow was the least he could do for a guest. I did not want to insult him but I was keen to repay him in some way. I insisted, feeling foolish. He refused five times but finally accepted out of politeness and gave the money to his companion.Then he wished me luck and turned up the hill into the face of the snowstorm."

- Rory Stewart

Just weeks after the fall of the Taliban in January of 2002 Scotsman Rory Stewart began a walk across central Afghanistan in the footsteps of 15th Century Moghul conqueror Emperor Babur and along parts of the legendary Silk Road, from Herat to Kabul. He'd find himself in the course of twenty-one months encountering Sunni Kurds, Shia Hazala, Punjabi Christians, Sikhs, Kedarnath Brahmins, Garhwal Dalits, and Newari Buddhists. He said he wanted to explore the "place in between the deserts and the Himalayas, between Persian, Hellenic, and Hindu culture, between Islam and Buddhism, between mystical and militant Islam." He described Afghanistan as "a society that was an unpredictable composite of etiquette, humour, and extreme brutality."

The Places in Between is Stewart's account of walking across Afghanistan from Herat to Kabul in January 2002. The book was the winner of the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Award and the Spirit of Scotland Award and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize and the Scottish Book of the Year Prize.

I first read the book as a teenager a few years after it came out when I was spending a few months doing voluntary work for an Afghan children’s charity in Peshawar, Pakistan with my older sister who was a junior doctor at the time.

I read it on the rocky bus ride from Peshawar, Pakistan and into Afghanistan from Jalalabad to Kabul with my sister and her colleagues. I avidly read the book because I already knew the author through my oldest brother but from a distance because of our respective ages. Little did I realise then that I would be back in Afghanistan a few years later but this time in uniform doing my tour in Afghanistan flying combat helicopters against the Taliban.

I had the book with me (but a newer copy) and it took on a greater prescience precisely because as soldiers, even from the most senior officers on down, we privately questioned what the hell were we really accomplishing in a country ravaged by war since the Soviet invasion in 1979 (and that’s being generous given how history has buried empires into the graveyard of Afghanistan as a testament to their hubris).

Maybe it was hubris or perhaps it was that adventurous strain that needs to be scratched that led Rory Stewart to undertake his madcap journey. Stewart did the entire journey on foot, refusing any other form of transportation (and at one point going back and redoing a section of the walk when he couldn't turn down a vehicle ride). He took an uncommon route straight through the centre of the country and the heart of the mountains, instead of the more common route through the south that bypasses the dangerous mountain passes. This choice was partly because it was shorter, partly because the south was still partially controlled by the Taliban, and partly I suspect (though he doesn't say this explicitly) because it's the less-discussed and less-known route, even today.

This is, therefore, a sort of travel book, describing places that 99.99% of readers in the Western world are very unlikely to ever go. It's also unavoidably political, since Afghanistan is unavoidably political. However, unlike many travel books and many books with political overtones, it's carefully observational, documentary, and quietly understated in a way that gives the reader room to analyse and consider. Stewart focuses on his specific journey and concise, detailed descriptions of what he encountered and lets any broader implications of what he saw emerge from the reader's evaluation. He describes how he reacts to the remarkable natural beauty and almost-forgotten ruins that he encounters, giving the reader a frame and a sense of the emotional impact, but he's not an overbearing presence in the book. The story is clearly personal, but he doesn't dominate it. This is a very difficult line to walk, and I don't recall the last time I've seen it walked as deftly.

Instead there is a real sense that the author has gotten over the novelty of travelling and is more focused on the fundamental circumstances he encounters. The book overall is a fascinating read and there is much to be learned about the epistemologies driving the Afghan people and how different interpretations of Muslim teachings (and likewise, any teachings) can create small, but significant differences between neighbours. He has a gift for vividly describing the people and the landscape without injecting himself too much into the scene.

I suspect every reader will take different things from The Places in Between.

For some readers unaccustomed to the culture of Afghanistan, they would find it distressing to read how dogs are treated in Afghanistan. It's said Prophet Muhammad once cut off part of his own garment rather than disturb a sleeping cat. Unfortunately, he didn't feel equal affection for dogs, and they're "religiously polluting." They're not pets, and they're never petted. A quarter of the way in his journey Stewart has a toothless mastiff pressed upon him by a villager and he named him Babur. The evidence of past abuse could be seen in missing ears and tail, and someone told Stewart the dog was missing teeth because they'd been knocked out by a boy with rocks. Stewart found the dog a faithful companion and said he'd call him "beautiful, wise, and friendly" but that an Afghan, though he might use such terms to describe a horse or hawk would never use it to describe a dog.

But I knew all this growing in Pakistan and India as a small girl. Friends would look perplexed that we Brits - or any Westerners - have dogs or cats as pets and even see them as part of the family.

For me though two big themes stuck out when I first read the book.

One of the things that struck me most memorably is the spider’s web of personal loyalties, personal animosities, different tribes and history, and complexity of Afghan politics that Stewart walks through. Afghanistan is not coherent or cohered in the way that those of us living in long-settled western countries assume when thinking about countries. While there are regions with different ethnicities or dominant tribes, it doesn't even break down into simple tribal areas or regions divided by religion. The central mountain areas Stewart walked through are very isolated and have a long history and a complex web of rivalries, differing reactions to various central governments, and different connections. Stewart meets people who have never traveled more than a few miles from their village, and people who can't go as far as his next day's stop because they'd be killed by the people in the next village. It becomes clear over the course of his journey why creating a cohesive western-style country with unified national rule is far less likely and more difficult than is usually portrayed in the Western news media. The reader slowly begins to realise that this may not be what the Afghans themselves want, and some of the reasons why not.

A large part of that recent history is violent, and here is where Stewart's ability to describe and characterise the people he meets along the way shines. It is a tenet of both Islam and the local culture to give hospitality to travellers, which is the only thing that makes this sort of trip possible. Stewart is generally treated exceptionally well, particularly given the poverty of the people (meat is extremely rare, and most meals are bread at best), but violence and fighting fills the minds and experiences of most people he meets. He memorably observes at one point that one of his temporary companions describes the landscape in terms of violent events. Here, he shot four soldiers. There, two people were killed. Over there is where they ambushed a squad of Russians. It's striking how, after decades of fighting either for or against first the Russians and then the Taliban shapes and marks their mental map of the world. It's likely that few of the people Stewart meets are entirely truthful with him, but even that is an intriguing angle on what they care to lie about, what they think will impress him, and how the Afghan people he encounters display status or react to the unusual.

The second big theme that stuck out for me on a personal note was how Stewart respectfully weaves the wonder of history with the sad lament of the destructive loss heritage on his travels. In the book, Stewart followed roughly the same path as Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, did in 1504 at roughly the same time of year. He quotes occasionally from the Baburama, Babur's autobiography, which adds a depth of history to the places Stewart passes through. The Minaret of Jam in the mountains of western Afghanistan is one of the (unfortunately rare) black and white pictures in the centre of this book, and Stewart describes the legendary Turquoise Mountain, the lost capital of a mountain kingdom destroyed by the son of Genghis Kahn in the 1220s, of which the minaret may be the last surviving recognisable remnant. He describes the former Buddhist monasteries at Bamyan in Hazarajat (the region of central Afghanistan populated by the Hazara) and the huge empty alcoves where giant statues of the Buddha had stood for sixteen centuries until destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. This book then is full of history of which is described with a discerning eye for necessary detail.

How Afghanistan's precious historical and cultural legacy was being destroyed even back in 2002 is heart breaking to read. I think many Westerners certainly know about how the Taliban dynamited the giant Bamiyan Buddha statues over a millennium old because they considered them "idols." Just as profound a loss is discovered by Stewart in his travels. There is a legendary lost city, the "Turquoise Mountain" of the pre-Moghul Ghorid Empire. Archeologists couldn't find it - but when passing through the area, Stewart had found villagers who had, and were looting artefacts with no care for the archeological context or the damage they were doing to the site, selling the priceless wares for the equivalent of a couple of dollars on the black market. This is what he tells us about his discussion with the villagers about the lost city:

"It was destroyed twice," Bushire added, "once by hailstones and once by Genghis." "Three times," I said. You're destroying what remained." They all laughed.

Even as I write this I can’t help but think this episode eerily echoes the madness gripping us in Britain, Europe, and the US (albeit for different reasons) in defacing and pulling down historical statues in wanton in acts of extreme ideological vandalism.

Overall I enjoyed the ‘peace’ of this book as there is a constant tone of a simple purpose. There are some moments along the way that are quite confronting and even frustrating, but so many that are warm and celebratory of the Afghan belief in hospitality.

Perhaps others will differ but I didn’t find too many irritating passages that wax-poetic on the evolution of the traveller. Stewart’s writing style is clinical; completely void of sentimentality, he never allows his own initial or personal meditations on these places overtake his observations, written with much hindsight. Whether being harassed by local soldiers or struggling through snowdrifts Stewart does not bridge a gap with the reader to really get a sense of who he his, as if his own story would detract from the crucial timing of his recordings of this landscape and its people.

His own biography is something out of John Buchan. The son of Scottish colonial civil servant who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the Far East (and subsequently the second most senior official in the British secret intelligence) before being packed off back to England to Dragon School, Eton and onto Balliol, Oxford to study PPE. A short stint with the Black Watch regiment (as his father and uncle before him) before joining the British Foreign Office and work in some hot spots of the world, including a stint as deputy governor in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after 2003. He went on to work at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard before returning to the UK to successfully run as a Conservative MP in his native Scotland. Served as a minister in different ministries under Prime Minister Theresa May’s government and improbably came close to upsetting the coronation of Boris Johnson as the next leader of the Conservative party. He resigned from the party rather than be purged and made an unsuccessful bid to run as an independent candidate for London Mayor. He continues to writer and author travel books and front documentaries. He has a storied background but he wears it very lightly.

Of course there is a conceit to the book which in a sense all travel books of this kind that largely goes unquestioned. I don’t think it’s wrong to question a certain kind of entitlement that pervades these kind of books, no matter how much I enjoy reading them especially about countries you have traveled to and know a little bit about. Stewart after all embarks on a journey ‘planning’ to rely on the proverbial kindness of strangers because that is an Islamic cultural and religious value. Try planning a trip anywhere in Western Europe or the USA and Canada. I cannot imagine anyone walking across America, or England and Scotland for that matter, who would believe that he was entitled to expect food, shelter and assistance because he asked for it.

And he does it - as have countless travellers before and after him. Because Stewart succeeds in his journey, he is evidence of an astonishing degree of Afghan Muslim hospitality and generosity. As a back packer who has done it rough not just in Afghanistan but also neighbouring Central Asia as well as Pakistan, India, and China I can see why it might rub some up the wrong way. But I also think it’s not cultural or some sort of colonial arrogance on Stewart’s part. It’s hard to articulate but it’s really a kind of cultured sensitivity of people and lands you already are familiar with or know well from childhood.

Certainly for Rory Stewart - and myself - didn’t exclusively grow up in England and Scotland but in the Eastern post-colonial countries of the ex-British Empire that afforded a privileged childhood (privileged as in a real cultural engagement and immersion) that left a deep appreciation and respect for those countries cultures and traditions. I believe for the vast majority of Western back packers who take adventurous treks across these lands they do so partly out of genuine respect and understanding of different cultures.

For instance, the legacy of this book has been that Rory Stewart has spear headed a long term project called Turquoise Mountain. Alongside his partners, they have been re-creating the "downtown" river district in Kabul and restoring it to it's former glory. They have opened schools for people to re-learn the ancient arts of carving, weaving, architecture, etc. They have supported efforts to restoring city blocks that have been covered in a mountain of trash, and restoring homes where families have lived for centuries. And all for free. The Afghan have never been sure why someone would be doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, but that the poignant irony is that the goodness began with them through their hospitality of the stranger.

The kindness to strangers is a real thing in this part of the world. Kindness to strangers has it roots in fear that the strangers might be gods or their messengers alongside the pragmatic need that strangers in a strange land might need assistance. I sometimes wonder how is it we cannot show the same unabashed kindness to strangers to our homes?

However you slice it, you have to admire Stewart for his mostly un-aided walk across Afghanistan. It does take a certain kind of ballsiness to do it. He carried just his clothes and a sleeping bag (and money), trusting that the villagers along the way would put him up for the night and feed him. He got very sick (diarrhoea and dysentery), was at constant risk of freezing to death in the mountains, and had some very unpleasant encounters with Afghan soldiers in the last few days, after rejecting very strong advice not to walk through this section.

Strangely though nothing about this book is breathtaking of ‘Oriental exoticism’ beloved of Western imagination. Indeed nothing in this book is romanticised and nothing is placed on a pedestal. Stewart writes openly and honestly of all the people he met, those friendly, and those that would've preferred to rob him and leave him dead in a ditch. He's truthful and humorous, and I found myself walking alongside him, a sort of ghost following his rugged trail through mountains, valleys, and Buddhist monasteries.

Re-reading this book when I was doing my tour in Afghanistan with time to kill between missions, I wished George W. Bush and Tony Blair - and all the other Western leaders since these two - could have taken that walk with Stewart and learned the lessons he did. Stewart gives you a sense of the complexity and diversity of the culture and of Islam - and just how ludicrous and ignorant were the assumptions and goals imposed on the country by the invading Westerners. Indeed at the very end of his walk, Stewart reaches Kabul, the heart of the western intervention in Afghanistan and the place where all the political theorists and idealists came to try to shape the country. He describes the impact of seeing draft plans for a national government, which look ridiculous in the light of the country that he just traveled through.

It's a rare bit of political fire in the narrative that's all the more effective since it's one of the few bits of political commentary in the book. Indeed it’s all the more rich and relevant given its emergent commentary and background for the current war being fought there. Stewart necessarily tells only part of the story of Afghanistan, but he tells far more of the story than most will know prior to reading it. It should be mandatory reading for anyone making decisions about how to proceed in that region.

I would recommend anyone take a walk with Rory Stewart.

#books #reading #bookgasm #rory stewart #places in between #travel #afghanistan #trek #adventure #author #walking #treat your s(h)elf #personal #bio #army

38 notes · View notes

randomositycat · 5 years

Text

Black bi/lesbian women

Day 1 - Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939)

Ma Rainey was the first Vaudeville entertainer to incorporate the blues into her performances, which led to her to – perhaps justifiably – become known as the “Mother of the Blues.” Although she was married, Rainey was known to take women as lovers, and her song “Prove It on Me Blues” directly references her preference for male attire and female companionship. Rainey often found herself in trouble with the police for her lesbian behavior, including an incident in 1925 when she was arrested for taking part in an orgy at home involving women in her chorus. Bessie Smith bailed her out of jail.

Day 2 - Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)

Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the Harlem Renaissance. During her lifetime, she published four novels and more than 50 short stories, plays and essays. She is perhaps best known for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. Today, nearly every black woman writer of significance – including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker – acknowledges Hurston as a key influence. Although she was never public about her sexuality, the book Wrapped in Rainbows, the first biography of Zora Neale Hurston in more than 25 years, explores her deep friendships with luminaries such as Langston Hughes, her sexuality and short-lived marriages, and her mysterious relationship with vodou.

Day 3 - Bessie Smith (1894-1937)

Widely referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith is considered one of the most popular female blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s and is credited, along with Louis Armstrong, as a major influence on jazz vocalists to this day. Bessie Smith began her professional career in 1912 by singing with Ma Rainey and subsequently performed in various touring minstrel shows and cabarets. As a solo artist, Smith was an integral part of Columbia’s Race Records, and her albums each sold 20,000 copies or more. Although married to a man named Jack Gee, Smith had an ongoing affair with a chorus girl named Lillian Simpson.

Day 4 - Mabel Hampton (1902–1989)

Mabel Hampton was a dancer during the Harlem Renaissance and later became an LGBT historian, philanthropist and activist. She met her partner, Lillian Foster, in 1932 and the two stayed together until Foster’s death in 1978. Hampton marched in the first National Gay and Lesbian March on Washington, and she appeared in the films Silent Pioneers and Before Stonewall. In 1984, Hampton spoke at New York City’s Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade. Hampton’s collection of memorabilia, ephemera, letters and other records documenting her history are housed at the Lesbian Herstory Archives and provide a window into the lives of black women and lesbians during the Harlem Renaissance.

Day 5 - Josephine Baker (1906–1975)

Josephine Baker was the 20th century’s “first black sex symbol.” An American dancer, singer and actress, Baker renounced her American citizenship in 1937 to become French. Despite the fact she was based in Europe, she participated in the American Civil Rights Movement in her own way. She adopted adopting 12 multi-ethnic orphans (long before Angelina Jolie) whom she called the “Rainbow Tribe,” she refused to perform for segregated audiences (which helped to force the integration of performance venues in the United States) and she was the only woman invited to speak at the March on Washington with Martin Luther King, Jr. Although she was married four times, her biographers have since confirmed her multiple affairs with women, including Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Day 6 - Gladys Bentley (1907-1960)

Gladys Bentley was an imposing figure. She was a 250-pound, masculine, dark-skinned, deep-voiced jazz singer who performed all night long at Harlem’s notorious gay speakeasies during the Harlem Renaissance while wearing a white tuxedo and top hat. Bentley was notorious for inventing obscene lyrics to popular songs, performing with a chorus line of drag queens behind her piano, and flirting with women in her audience from the stage. Unlike many in her day, she lived her life openly as a lesbian and claimed to have married a white woman in Atlantic City. An article in Ebony magazine quoted her as saying, “It seems I was born different. At least, I always thought so …. From the time I can remember anything, even as I was toddling, I never wanted a man to touch me.”

Day 7 - Lorraine Hansberry (1930–1965)

Lorraine Hansberry was an African-American playwright and author. Her best known work, A Raisin in the Sun, was inspired by her family’s own battle against racial bias in Chicago. Hansberry explored controversial themes in her writings in addition to racism in America, including abortion, discrimination, and the politics of Africa. In 1957 she joined the lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis and contributed letters to their magazine, The Ladder, that addressed feminism and homophobia. While she addressed her lesbian identity in the articles she wrote for the magazine, she wrote under the initials L.H. for fear of being discovered as a black lesbian.

Day 8 - Audre Lorde (1934–1992)

In her own words, Audre Lorde was a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” Lorde began writing poetry at age 12 and published her first poem in Seventeen magazine at age 15. She helped found Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, the world’s first publisher run by women of color, in 1980. Her poetry was published regularly throughout her life and she served as the State Poet of New York from 1991 to 1992. Lorde explored issues of class, race, age, gender and – after a series of cancer diagnoses — health, as being fundamental to the female experience. She died of liver cancer in 1992.

Day 9 - Barbara Jordan (1936–1996)

Representative Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) was the first African-American woman elected to Congress from a southern state. In 1976, she delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, marking the first time an African-American woman had ever done so. Her speech has since been ranked as one of the top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century and is considered by some historians to be among the best convention keynote speeches in modern history. Although Jordan never publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation, her Houston Chronicle obituary mentioned her longtime companion of more than 20 years, Nancy Earl. Her legacy inspired the Jordan Rustin Coalition, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBT people and families.

Day 10 - June Jordan (1936-2002)

June Jordan was one of the most widely-published and highly-acclaimed African-American writers of her generation. A poet, playwright, speaker, teacher, journalist and essayist Jordan was also known for her fierce commitment to human rights political activism. Jordan said of her bisexuality, “bisexuality means I am free and I am as likely to want to love a woman as I am likely to want to love a man, and what about that? Isn’t that what freedom implies?” Her influential voice defined the cutting edge of both American poetry and politics during the Civil Rights Movement. She published 27 before her death from breast cancer in 2002 at the age of 65. Three more of her books have been published posthumously.

#black history month #black history #femslash february #black lesbian

7K notes · View notes

mxbitters · 4 years

Text

i have a few dream lineups okay bear with me here:

- tribe 8 (a reunion show <3), against me!, local musicians :) <3

- the menzingers, tiny moving parts, free throw, proper., hot mulligan

- jack’s mannequin (reunion? do i call it that?), straylight run, idk who else maybe TWO local bands if it’s a tour

- GREEN DAY AND PANSY DIVISION AGAIN >:((( THIS IS NOT A POLITE REQUEST

- OR OR OR green day pansy division AND tribe 8 bc yeah babeyyy idk green day and queercore specifically

- uhhhhhhhhhhhhh my chemical romance (especially if we snatch em up bill and ted style somewhere between 2002 and 2005) taking back sunday senses fail saves the day maybe say anything and thursday if this can be a near-full-day affair everyone would hit me from a different direction and it would be BEAUTIFUL just give me my emo nostalgia :(

- motionless in white.. get scared.. ghost town.. oh and that band from ny, one last shot, that screamo one whose singer was such a gerard way kinnie but it’s ok bc i love him. idk that lineup feels right together. i’d say motionless in white and black veil brides but i don’t think i’d make it out of that shit alive

- polar bear club (reunion <3) modern baseball (reunion!! <3), the world is a beautiful place and i am no longer afraid to die, la dispute, slaughter beach, dog (if they have the energy after mobo kadfskksadlj) and the cardboard swords because this is most definitely a full day affair <3

- the wonder years. i don’t care who else i just really like the wonder years

#i'll put more links to sites and songs later ;)

4 notes · View notes

blackkudos · 4 years

Text

Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group career, he has also produced songs for such artists as Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend.

He and D'Angelo were occasional members of The Ummah, a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and J Dilla of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. He is a co-founder of independent video game developer IllFonic, which developed Friday the 13th: The Game.

Saadiq's critically acclaimed album The Way I See It, released on September 16, 2008, featuring artists Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone, and Jay-Z, received three Grammy Award nominations. His fourth studio album, Stone Rollin', was released on March 25, 2011. For the album, Saadiq worked with steel guitarist Robert Randolph; former Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn; Swedish-Japanese indie rock singer Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon fame); funk artist Larry Graham (on the bonus song "Perfect Storm") and Taura 'Aura Jackson' Stinson.

Music critic Robert Christgau has called Saadiq the "preeminent R&B artist of the '90s".

Early life

Saadiq was born in Oakland, California, the second-youngest of 14 siblings. His early life was marked by tragedy; he experienced the deaths of several of his siblings as a young child. When Saadiq was seven years old, one brother was murdered. One of his brothers overdosed on heroin and another committed suicide because he was unable to deal with his addiction to the drug. His sister died as a result of a car crash during a police chase in a residential neighborhood. Saadiq states that he does not want his music to be reflective of the tragedies he experienced, saying that "And through all of that I was makin' records, but it wasn't comin' out in the music. I did it to kinda show people you can have some real tough things happen in your life, but you don't have to wear it on your sleeve."

He has been playing the bass guitar since the age of six, and first began singing at age nine in a local gospel group. At the age of 12, he joined a group called "The Gospel Humminbirds". In 1984, shortly before his 18th birthday, Saadiq heard about tryouts in San Francisco for Sheila E.'s backing band on Prince's Parade Tour. At the audition, he chose the name "Raphael", and had difficulty remembering to respond to the name when he heard that he got the part to play bass in the band. He says of the experience, "Next thing I was in Tokyo, in a stadium, singin' Erotic City. We were in huge venues with the biggest sound systems in the world; all these roadies throwin' me basses, and a bunch of models hangin' round Prince to party. For almost two years. That was my university."

Career

1987–1999: Tony! Toni! Toné! and The Ummah

After returning to Oakland from touring with Prince, Saadiq began his professional career as the lead vocalist and bassist in the rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné! He used the name Raphael Wiggins while in Tony! Toni! Toné!, along with his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. In the mid-1990s, he adopted the last name Saadiq, which means "man of his word" in Arabic. His change of surname led many to speculate that he had converted to Islam at that point; in reality, Saadiq is not a Muslim, but rather just liked the way "Saadiq" sounded and changed his last name simply to distinguish himself from and avoid potential confusion with his brother, Dwayne Wiggins. As he confirmed by telling noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning 'Blues & Soul' in May 2009, "I just wanted to have my own identity!"

In 1995, Saadiq had his biggest solo hit to date, when "Ask of You", featured on the Higher Learning Soundtrack peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart. In 1995, Saadiq produced and performed on Otis & Shug's debut album, We Can Do Whatever.

Tony! Toni! Toné! would become major R&B superstars throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. However, after the 1996 album entitled House of Music failed to duplicate the group's previous success, Tony! Toni! Toné! went their separate ways in 1997.

1999–2004: Lucy Pearl and first string of solo albums

In 1999, Saadiq's next big project became the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl. He recorded the self-titled album with Dawn Robinson (En Vogue) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest). The group only lasted for one album.

Also in 1999, he collaborated with rapper Q-Tip on the single "Get Involved", from the animated television series The PJs. It samples The Intruders' 1973 song "I'll Always Love My Mama" and charted at number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

His 2000 song collaboration "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" won D'Angelo a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance; it was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. The song was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone's "End of Year Critics & Readers Poll" of the top singles of 2000. D'Angelo's album Voodoo won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

In 2002, Saadiq founded his own record label, Pookie Entertainment. Among the artists on the label are Joi and Truth Hurts. In 2002, he released his first solo album Instant Vintage, which earned him three Grammy Award nominations in addition to another two Grammy nominations for his writing work on “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” the following year. He released a two-disc live album All the Hits at the House of Blues in 2003, and his second studio album Ray Ray in 2004, both on Pookie Entertainment.

2004–2010: Expanded output and second string of albums

In 2004, Saadiq produced a remix of the song "Crooked Nigga Too" by Tupac Shakur which is featured on the album Loyal to the Game. Other artists he has collaborated with include Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, The Isley Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Teedra Moses, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Macy Gray, Angie Stone, Snoop Dogg, Mac Dre, Devin the Dude, DJ Quik, Kelis, Q-Tip, Lil' Skeeter, Ludacris, The Bee Gees, Musiq Soulchild, Jaguar Wright, Chanté Moore, Lionel Richie, Marcus Miller, Noel Gourdin, Nappy Roots, Calvin Richardson, T-Boz from TLC, Jody Watley, Floetry, Leela James, Amp Fiddler, John Legend, Joss Stone, Young Bellz, Anthony Hamilton, Babyface, Ledisi, Goapele, Ghostface Killah, —Ginuwine, The Grouch Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bilal, Chali 2na, Larry Graham, Luniz as well as many others. In 2007, Saadiq produced Introducing Joss Stone, the third album of British soul singer Joss Stone. According to J. Gabriel Boylan of The New York Observer, "he's produced artists including Macy Gray, the Roots, D'Angelo, John Legend, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, and more. With all of them he's pushed a classic aesthetic, heavy on organic sounds and light on studio magic, deeply indebted to the past and distrustful of easy formulas."

Saadiq's third solo album, The Way I See It, released on Columbia Records on September 16, 2008, available in a collector's edition box set of 7" 45 rpm singles as well as on traditional CD, was critically well-received, made several critics' 2008 best albums lists, and garnered three Grammy nominations including Best R&B Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocals (for "Never Give You Up", featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton); Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (for "Love That Girl") and Best R&B Album for The Way I See It. Music from The Way I See It was featured in the following motion pictures: Madea Goes To Jail, Bride Wars, Cadillac Records, Secret Life of Bees, In Fighting (Rogue), and It's Complicated.

Touring with a nine piece band, Saadiq hit the 2009 summer music festival circuit with performances at Bonnaroo, Hollywood Bowl, Outside Lands, Pori Jazz, Stockholm Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Essence Music Festival, Summer Spirit Festival, and Nice Jazz Festival, Bumbershoot Music Festival and Austin City Limits. Saadiq has been touring Europe extensively, and held a five-night residency at the House of Blues in Tokyo, Japan, in June 2009. In 2008, Saadiq formed a new label called Velma Records, a place where he promises "people can express themselves like I did with The Way I See It... where they can dream something up and just go with it".

He produced songs for LeToya Luckett's forthcoming second album Lady Love, released August 2009. In 2009, Saadiq produced "Please Stay" and "Love Never Changes" for Ledisi's August 2009 release "Turn Me Loose". Saadiq also was the executive producer for an emerging group called Tha Boogie. Tha Boogie's first EP was released on iTunes and is titled Love Tha Boogie, Vol. 1 (Steal This Sh*t).

In 2009, Saadiq announced his video game development company called IllFonic. The first video game in development by IllFonic is titled Ghetto Golf, with an expected release late in 2010. In 2009, Saadiq teamed up Bentley Kyle Evans, Jeff Franklin, Martin Lawrence, and Trenten Gumbs to create a new sitcom called Love That Girl! starring Tatyana Ali. Raphael is an executive producer and composer for Love That Girl!. The show airs on TV One and debuted on January 19, 2010. That same year, Saadiq performed The Spinners hit "It's A Shame" in a legendary Levi's commercial and sang as part of the chorus in the 2010 remake of "We Are the World" for Haiti.

2011–present: Stone Rollin'

In 2011, Saadiq was the guitarist/bandleader for the group backing Mick Jagger for Jagger's tribute performance of the Solomon Burke R&B classic, "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and on CBS. The band that accompanied the performance was Saadiq's touring band called Stone Rollin. In 2011 he and his band performed as the ESPY's house band for the night, where he performed his latest compositions.

Saadiq's 2011 album Stone Rollin' was released to great critical acclaim. "He's always had a boyish enthusiasm for performing, and a flexible, naturally joyous voice that suggests a young Stevie Wonder," wrote Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, "but with his latest album, Saadiq finds a new gear. The album and his current tour demonstrate that there's a big difference between retro and classic, and the artist consistently finds himself on the right side of that divide." Kot ranked the album number seven in his year-end list, in which he dubbed it Saadiq's "finest achievement" and stated, "He's always written songs steeped in soul and R&B, but now he gives them a progressive edge with roaming bass lines and haunted keyboard textures. He's no longer a retro stylist – he's writing new classics." Critic Jim Derogatis called it "a stone cold gas of a party disc."

In fall 2011, he performed on the fourth results show of Dancing with the Stars season 13. In December 2011, he performed a cover compilation of several Neil Diamond songs at the Kennedy Center Honors award ceremony.

In 2012 he signed a deal with Toyota to do a TV commercial for the Toyota Prius. In 2013 Raphael partnered with Bay Area/ Atlanta Production company EL Seven Entertainment/ Republic Records and new R&B Superstar Adrian Marcel and released his 1st promotional mixtape "Raphael Saadiq Presents Adrian Marcel 7 Days of Weak".

Saadiq is a featured bass guitar player on Elton John's 2013 album, The Diving Board.

In 2016 he executive produced Solange Knowles album, A Seat At The Table which debuted at #1 on music charts in the United States. He also guest starred in Luke Cage, where he performs his songs "Good Man" and "Angel" at Harlem's Paradise.

In 2017 he appeared in the award-winning documentary film The American Epic Sessions, directed by Bernard MacMahon, where he recorded the Memphis Jug Band’s 1928 song “Stealin’ Stealin’” live on the restored first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s. Of recording on the system he said, “it’s amazing to just look at how it’s built, you know just look at the machine itself. It just has this like magical sound the way that it’s built. It’s true. It’s just the truest sound you could ever get.”

In 2017, Saadiq collaborated with Mary J. Blige as a songwriter for the movie Mudbound (2017), for which they both received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

In 2018, he produced the John Legend holiday themed album, A Legendary Christmas.

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic he released a song on his website called Rony! Roni! Roné!”

Discography

Studio albums

Instant Vintage (2002)

Ray Ray (2004)

The Way I See It (2008)

Stone Rollin' (2011)

Jimmy Lee (2019)

with Tony! Toni! Toné!

Who? (1988)

The Revival (1990)

Sons of Soul (1993)

House of Music (1996)

with Lucy Pearl

Lucy Pearl (2000)

#05/14

5 notes · View notes

go2harsha-blog · 5 years

Text

Krishna on the Beach

Harsha Prabhu wanders on a beach in Goa and stumbles upon the God of Love

Arambol, Goa, August 2019

The Photoshoot

It was the weekend of the global protest against the destruction and burning of the forests in the Amazon basin, aided and abetted by the Brazilian government.

A few of us decided to hold a pop up demonstration at Arambol beach against this act of environmental vandalism that threatened the livelihood of the indigenous people of Brazil - and 20% of the world’s oxygen supply. The demo would be in the form of a photo shoot, with people holding placards that spelt: SOS Amazon! We needed a quorum of 12 people to hold the placards. Seemed easy enough.

But it wasn’t. It took us a full hour of hustling on the beach to get the magic 12. Many we asked begged off for one reason or another: they did not understand what I said (Russian tourists); they were waiting for someone; they had to be somewhere else; they had to discuss it with their group before agreeing to participate. Some of these procrastinators were clearly entitled, middle class Indian tourists from major metros, visiting Goa as part of a package tour, sporting t-shirts with the tour logo. Somehow, we managed to find 12 souls willing and able to be a part of the the visual petition against the Amazon destruction.

After the photoshoot I wandered along the beach. Then I heard the sound of bells. Turning, I saw a group of men striding down the beach. One of them was carrying something on his head; the others were playing zills and chanting “Radhe Krishna ki jai!” (Hail Radha and Krishna).

The man who was carrying an idol of Krishna - Bal Krishna, Krishna as a child - placed it on the beach. His companions dug holes in the sand and placed incense sticks, to light which they borrowed my lighter. Slowly, people gathered around the idol; bits of camphor were burnt as offerings; prayers offered.

There was a large group of young boys who were playing in the sand nearby. Ever the opportunist for a photo grab, I went up to them and, addressing the biggest boy, asked: “Have you heard of the burning of the forests in the Amazon in Brazil?” “Yes” , he replied “ I saw it on the news.” “Would you like to help us stop it?” I asked him. “How?” he asked. “Simple. Just join with your friends in holding these placards,” I replied, “ I’ll take a photo and send it to the Brazilian government.”

“Yes, yes,” he shouted and turned to explain to the rest of his friends what was proposed. Before I could say ‘Krishna’ I had 12 eager and willing young participants in the photoshoot. In an attempt to get them all in the frame I almost stumbled onto the Bal Krishna image on the sand.

Krishna Lila

It was only then that I realised the young boys where part of a group that had come to participate in the Krishna ritual on the beach. In my mind’s eye, I saw them as the gopas (cow-herders) of Vrindavan, Krishna’s accomplices in his childish pranks, which, to the devotee, is an expression of the God’s ‘Lila,’, life as play.

And play they did, that evening on the beach, first the young boys, then the older youth and some men joining in. Games of tag, of skill and strength and guile. Then they attempted to smash the ‘Dahi Hundi’, the pot of yogurt - an object of mischievous fascination for Bal Krishna, called ‘Maakhan chor’, the butter-thief - held tantalizingly out of reach by a man wielding a rope and pully. Both groups of young boys and older youth managed to smash the Hundi, splattering themselves and those nearby with yogurt.

Where were the gopis (milk-maids) in all this play? Some stood by watching, like the ladies from Rajasthan, looking, with their aquiline features, nose rings and veils, like they had stepped out of a Kishangarh miniature, the 18th-century school of painting from Rājasthan, celebrating Krishna as a lover. Other gopis, possibly tourists from interstate or overseas, cavorted in the sea, holding hands in the water, playing their water games, framed by the setting sun.

Then it was time for more prayers and - as the sun set and the horizon turned maroon - time for the ‘Visarjan,’ the ritual immersion of the Krishna idols - the Bal Krishna being joined by a Krishna playing the flute - in the sea.

Who is Krishna?

Yesterday was Gokulashtami , the birthday of Krishna. Today is Visarjan. Who is Krishna, this God who was born yesterday and is committed to the waters the very next day?

Who is Krishna? This question bedevilled Arjun, the hero of the Mahabharata war, contemplating the field of battle. Is he my charioteer? My devoted friend and wise councillor? Or is he a God whose true face I dare not see?

There are many Krishnas; you can pick and choose.

There’s the culture hero of the Ahir, a tribe of pastoralists found in north and western India. The Ahirs are mentioned in the Mahabharata and some Ahir claim descent from the Yadava clan of Krishna.

There’s Bal Krishna, the baby Krishna, whose exploits form the material of songs mother’s sing to their children, whose devotion parallels the cult of baby Jesus.

There’s Krishna the lover, flirting shamelessly with the gopis of Vrindavan, all the while knowing his heart is with Radha, another man’s wife, in an erotic wheel-within-wheel of transgression, celebrated in much Indian song, dance and art.

There’s the Krishna of the Bhagvad Gita, Arjun’s initiator into the terrifying mysteries of cosmic time, including the need to do one’s caste-defined, destiny-propelled duty, regardless of the consequences (nishkamakarma).

This was the Krishna that troubled M K Gandhi, possibly the greatest Vaishnav (Krishna devotee) of them all in recent times. The arguments in the Geeta rationalising violence, no doubt the work of Brahmins versed in the arts of sophistry in defence of the status quo, stuck in Gandhi’s throat. Gandhi would have agreed with D D Kosambi, polymath and Marxist historian, who said: ‘This slippery opportunism characterizes the whole book. Naturally, it is not surprising to find so many Gita lovers imbued therewith. Once it is admitted that material reality is gross illusion, the rest follows quite simply; the world of "doublethink" is the only one that matters.’

Bhakti

There’s the Krishna of the Bhakti saints, the social movement that was anti-caste, that talked up love for one’s fellow human as the highest goal.

The Bhakti saints came from all castes. Nammalvar was a peasant. Namdev was a tailor. Gora was a potter. Cokha Mela was Dalit. So was Ravidas, guru of Mirabai and contemporary of Guru Nanak. Jyaneshwar, who introduced the Gita to Marathi-speakers, committed ritual suicide. Tukaram, the greatest Marathi Bhakti poet of them all, was a peasant, who ran afoul of Brahmins, and is supposed to have drowned himself in the river Tungabhadra. There’s more than a hint that he was murdered by caste Hindus. Luckily, his abhangas (poems) survived…

What made Bhakti so radical?

Here is Chandidas, the 15th century Bengali poet:

"Shobar upor manush shotto tahar upore nai,” (“Above all is humanity, none else”).

Or Kabir, possibly the greatest of India’s many poet-saints, also from the 15th century, and a Muslim to boot, though not a practicing one by the looks of it. He wrote in the vernacular and, even to this day, his poems explode in the face, like existential firecrackers.

Saints I see the world is mad.

 If I tell the truth they rush to beat me,

 if I lie they trust me. �� Kabir, Shabad 4, Translated by Linda Hess and Shukdeo Singh

Or this:

Saints I've seen both ways. 

Hindus and Muslims don't want discipline, they want tasty food. 

The Hindu keeps the eleventh-day fast, eating chestnuts and milk. 

He curbs his grain but not his brain, and breaks his fast with meat. 

The Turk [Muslim] prays daily, fasts once a year, and crows "God!, God!" like a cock. 

What heaven is reserved for people who kill chickens in the dark?… 

— Kabir, Śabda 10, Translated by Linda Hess and Shukdeo Singh

Or this one:

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

 If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage, then who is there to know what happens without?… 

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore and Evelyn Underhill

Interestingly, Kabir ran afoul of both Muslims and Hindus during his lifetime. It is said that, upon his death, both sets of believers fought over his corpse. When they lifted his shroud, all they found were flowers.

Knowing the pain of others

Here is Narsi Mehta, the 15th century Gujarat poet-saint, with a song that was a favourite of M K Gandhi:

Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je/ Peed paraayi jaane re /Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye /Man abhimaan na aane re

Only he is a true Vaishnav Who knows the pain of others Does good to others without letting pride enter his mind.

Indian PM Modi also claims to love ‘Vaishnava jan to.’ He launched a version of the song in October 2018, sung by artists from 40 different countries, as the start of the year-long celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi.

Does Modi know the pain of others?

This was his reply to a Reuters journalist in 2013, when asked what he felt about the communal carnage in Gujarat that lead to over a thousand deaths, mainly, but not only, Muslims, and the displacement of many more while he was CM in 2002: “If someone else is driving a car and we’re sitting behind, even then if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course it is.”

Does Modi know the pain his policies, including demonetisation and high GST rates, have caused his people? The pain of all those who have lost their jobs due to an economy in shambles, largely due to the wreaking-ball of his government’s own policies? Does he know the pain of the farmers who commit suicide due to failing crops, drought and the inability to pay back loans? Or the pain of all the human rights defenders and tribals who languish in jail on trumped up charges? And what about the pain of the Kashmiri people?

What about the pain of Gandhians? The fact is that M K Gandhi himself was assassinated by a Hindu ring wing terrorist, a member of the Hindu Mahasabha, an off-shoot of the RSS, the very organisation that Modi belongs to.

What about the pain of all those people - mostly Muslim, Dalit or Christians - who have been lynched in India by mobs yelling “Jai Shree Ram”?

In July this year, eminent writers, filmmakers and intellectuals wrote an open letter to PM Modi, beseeching him to act, saying: "It is shocking that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion! These are not the Middle Ages! The name of Ram is sacred to many in the majority community of India. As the highest Executive of this country, you must put a stop to the name of Ram being defiled in this manner.”

Modi has yet to respond to the letter.

Clearly, when it comes to knowing the pain of others, Modi has a lot of catching up to do.

Krishna the Redeemer

The Krishna story should make all tyrants everywhere worried.

For Krishna is also the redeemer. He comes to deliver the people of Dwarka from the rule of the evil tyrant Kamsa. Indeed, all tyrants dream of everlasting rule, but Kamsa himself hears a voice that tells him his end is near. This sets into play the whole Krishna myth, of the child abandoned by the palace, like Moses was among the bullrushes, a foundling fostered by another family, who grows up to avenge wrongs and claim his rightful throne.

According to Joseph Campbell: ‘The work of the incarnation is to refute by his presence the pretentious of the tyrant ogre.’

Further, Krishna, as the God of Love, refuses to allow himself to be weaponised by the armies of the Hindu Right, as opposed to the fate of poor Ram, where “Jai Shree Ram” has become a rallying cry of the lynch mobs.

Ironically, the actual form of greeting in parts of North India is “Jai Sia-Ram”; ‘Sia’ being a short form for ‘Sita’. But there’s no use for Sita, the Goddess of the Earth and Ram’s wife, in the hyper masculine world of Hindutva politics. The Goddess - and women - are the first casualties in Hindutva’s Raas Lila (sacred dance, dedicated to Radha-Krishna), where rape is a political tool to terrorise and subjugate people, sanctioned by V D Savarkar, the father of Hindutva ideology.

For Krishna devotees, Krishna is nothing without Radha; therefore it’s always “Jai Radhe-Krishna.” Behind Krishna stands the Mother Goddess. Vrindavan, the scene of the Krishna idyll, is the sacred grove (vana) of the Goddess Vrinda, another name for the Tulasi (holy basil) tree. To this day, the marriage of Krishna to Tulasi is celebrated every year in Vrindavan as Tulasi Vivaha. And even in Goa, for my landlord, Pritesh, was married to three Tulasi trees before he got a wife. Thus does the Great Mother break through Hinduism’s patriarchal bonds.

And it’s not just Hindus who worship Krishna.

According to literary critic Kuldeep Kumar, writing in The Hindu: ‘Many Muslim poets, the most notable among them being Raskhan, wrote devotional poetry to celebrate the Krishna legend and to rejoice in his bhakti. Abdur Rahim Khan-e-Khana, who is known in Hindi literature simply as Rahim, wrote many Barwais, Dohas and Sorthas in praise of Krishna. For example, this couplet is worth reading.

Jihi Rahim man aapno keenho chandra chakor Nisi baasar laago rahai Krishna chandra kee or (The way chakor always looks at the moon, similarly my face is always towards Krishna’s face that is as beautiful as the moon is). ‘ Chakor is a kind of partridge.

Passion Play

The passion play I witnessed on the beach was part of an ancient story, of the birth and sacrifice of a God. Like the Greek hero, Achilles, Krishna dies when an arrow pierces his heel, betraying his tribal, pagan origins. The culture hero dies, but the energies of an archetype never die, but live on, forever green in the hearts of men and women.

Surely Krishna - the hero with a hundred faces - will come to the aide of his people, wherever they may be, on a beach, in a temple, in the factories, on the land, in the forest, the vana, his favourite playground - or at the next political or environmental protest.

In a time of human-induced climate chaos and species extinction, driven by corporate fascism’s dystopian republic of greed, ruled by the global police state, the Radha- Krishna myth - of the world as a garden of plenty, as a playground for the divine erotic impulse to manifest, of love as the highest form of worship - is a very compelling counter-image.

Another world is possible. Krishna tells us it is.

While lovers of radical equality and seekers of bliss rejoice, tyrants everywhere better beware. Even as we speak, Krishna is on his way to Dwarka…

Pics: Harsha Prabhu

A note on the photoshoot:

Amazon photoshoot, Arambol, Sat 24 Aug 2019

SOS AMAZON! SOS CLIMATE EMERGENCY! Arambol, Goa, India Sat 24 August 2019

Members of Extinction Rebellion Goa staged a pop up demonstration at Arambol beach in solidarity with the native people of Brazil’s Amazon basin, whose forests are being burnt by the Brazilian government to facilitate development projects, including roads and big dams, in an ecologically sensitive bio region.

The burning forests of the Amazon are also a matter of grave concern as they supply 20% of the world’s oxygen. These forests are characterised as the lungs of the planet, taking in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen.

In addition, this wanton destruction feeds into the cycle of human-induced climate change. With the accelerated melting of the Greenland ice field via global warming predicted to raise sea levels by a frightening 25 feet, coastal communities like Goa are at special risk of being inundated by such irresponsible actions.

Activists also pointed out that India’s environmental record too was a scandal, with the continued destruction of forests, especially in the Western Ghats, leading to flooding in several states, including Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. In Mumbai, the Aarey Forest in the centre of the city, also earmarked for development, and coastal mangrove destruction, are causing environmental stress on one of the world’s mega cities, also subject to periodic flooding.

India ranks among the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index for 2018, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities and the World Economic Forum. India also has the dubious distinction of overtaking China and Russia as the world’s top sulpha dioxide polluter, according to a Greenpeace report released on 19 August 2019. Sulpha dioxide is a by-product of coal-based electricity generation. Fossil fuels are also the key culprits in the global warming feedback loop and the proliferation of plastic pollution world-wide, including on Goa’s beaches.

With extreme weather events - like drought followed by floods in India - the norm, activists worldwide are calling upon governments to address the climate emergency, stop the reliance on fossil fuels and rapidly move towards adopting sustainable solutions to meet world energy needs.

The Brazil solidarity action - which included Arambol youth and local and international visitors - was part of a global weekend of similar demonstrations to put pressure on world governments to act now before it’s too late!

Pic: Harsha Prabhu, Design:Camelia Oberoi

#SOSAmazonia #SaveOurForests #ClimateEmergency #extinctionrebellion #extinctionrebellionindia #extinctionrebelliongoa #arambol #goa #DeclareClimateEmergency #SaveAareyForest #SaveWesternGhats

#sosamazon #krishna #radharani #lila #gokulashtami #gopi #gopa #bhakti #photography #goa #arambol #climate emergency #species extinction #extinctionrebellion

4 notes · View notes

thefreshfinds · 5 years

Photo

RaneRaps:

We all are one & the same.

One that goes through a series of different situations or outcomes yet it ties back to us.

In light of this, RaneRaps seems to just get it.

With a pocket full of sunshine he's able to take the world by storm.

Besides using upliftment as a mean of connecting with his audience, RaneRaps also digs deep into himself & relays his own experiences through an expansive vocal range.

Notably his sound has an influx of gospel melodies, soul & funk.

He fills your plate with a food for thought & hypersonic flows that gnaw at your ear-chords.

For this reason, RaneRap's music will go to great lengths for an all around positive change.

Etching his truth so that others can see the bigger picture, RaneRaps uses imagery & vocal tones to deliver the raw & real "without completely surrounding the listener in desolation or despair." As a teen, RaneRaps spent hours playing MMORPGs (Final Fantasy XI) online & so one day as he grew impatient with the process of starting the game, Thus, RaneRaps wanted to make a story for a name & added "Rane" as the first part of his stage name because it really captured his skill level. "With the combination of 1) the hype surrounding FFXI & 2) AOL dial-up taking more than a full day to download all the updates I needed to play," RaneRaps says "Naturally, I chose the first name to come to mind. I didn't end up as Lil' Inkjet, AOL Boi 2002, DAREfailedUS or any other name that just wouldn't have my type of pizzaz. And with that, I brought my URL self into the IRL realm of rap, keeping Rane & adding Raps."

Though he says that music is life , RaneRaps creates it for himself (first), cathartic purposes & the world at-large. "I'm all about positivity, love & sobering truth - even if my truth comes at the cost of a song NOT being upbeat or extremely light-hearted. That being said, I think my secret sauce is finding ways to speak on the worst evils of my life." he adds.

He'd like for authenticity to become normalized again in the current era of hip-hop because there are more people who can relate to life & not the street life. He finds it better to speak on being flawed than whatever the template heroic tale seems to be these days. "I'm a middle class Black male who grew up in a household with both parents and have two siblings. Fortunately, I didn't have to struggle much growing up and as a result of my parent's preparedness for my future - I was able to realize opportunities that some of my peers could not." he goes on to say "I've never been afraid to acknowledge my privilege, make songs about the life I live, lived & what I know. I hope that those like me understand you don't have to become a created player built on a fake thug life to gain a fanbase, nor do you need to brand yourself as a saint. It's an easy fact to get - just be yourself & you'll be fine but there's a lot of willful ignorance perpetuating stereotypes & smoke in mirrors. It can only be a net positive when everyone tells their story."

Similarly he's moved by artist who are fearless in doing so (& even when his first introduction to hip-hop was Will Smith's album Big Willie Style it helped RaneRaps learn how to make music that's designed to celebrate life & get people moving.) According to the star, A Tribe Called Quest got him hooked more into hip-hop. "I woke up in the wee-hours of the morning to their Scenario (Remix) playing on MTV. I couldn't remember the name of the song for the life of me but I searched Busta Rhymes "the charcoal chicken" & went deep into the rabbit hole of New York rap," RaneRaps proclaims "To this day, I still have the mix CD of ATCQ, Gang Starr, Eric B., Rakim & even Drake's So Far Gone." Rane says that these MC's helped him to understand different cadences & styles of rap. Yet he couldn't envision RaneRaps until he discovered Outkast. "I absorbed all of their country funk twist. The messages in their songs, the vocal inflections, the atypical beats an song structure spoke to me & I felt validated in wanting to be myself, whatever that may be."

Nowadays (as in 2014 to now), RaneRaps finds inspiration from artists who carry their own energy & are openly themselves. He says that he's written gospel songs after bingeing Robb Banks' 2phoneshawty mixtape, wrote one of his favorite songs, "Broken Window Theory" after singing along to Lil Peep, & he's still learning how to create narratives from his realities from the likes of Maxo Kream, Dave East, Nipsey Hussle & Anderson.Paak but out of everyone he's ever heard, RaneRaps would love to work with Duckwrth! "Our sounds & aesthetic are very similar & to be from LA with this sort of musical direction has proven quite rare in the year that I've moved back." RaneRaps adds. "Duckwrth's message fits my brand - truth-seeking & positive. So, a collaboration would be highly beneficial for us both, even with a difference in the size of our fan bases. Honestly, I've always wanted to open for the guy & set up his show with my wild stage performance. I think we would make one hell of a duo on the concert circuit!"

Overall expect RaneRaps to make his mark in the next 5 years. He's going to brand "RapSoulFunk" as his signature sound, release a 2 full-length albums with my producer, Hirsh, a mixtape of soulful jams from before & after discovering his "sound", tour with a live-band that supports him & use his earnings to invest in other income streams & environmental education programs for inner-city youth.

After all, It's always intentional that he's out to be the best.

Rane Raps: "For any upcoming artist out there sign up for a monthly subscription to Indepreneur.io & start collecting the data to run your career. Everyone says "You don't need a label these days." but then what? Drop that hit song & you're set right? Not at all. The Facebook pixel has changed my life & I can wake up any day of the week & know 1) how to gain new fans of my music at the push of a button, 2) sell tickets to shows from my own website without handing away percentages to other platforms / venues, 3) run sales promotions that can generate LARGE profits, etc. The music business is AT LEAST 70% of where your time will go as an indie, so if you learn it, you just need decent at best music & you can get the ball rolling for yourself. Getting ahead of the competition is MUCH easier than you think!"

By: Natalee Gilbert

Fun Facts:

A word of advice that stuck with him was "Don't Suck." Through this advice, RaneRaps was able to develop an unapologetic quality control for himself & became obsessed with chasing the feeling of "YES, THIS IS THE ONE!". One he felt could replicate that. After that he started to release music regularly & stood firmly in his art.

Link(s):

1. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/raneraps

2. Instagram: @raneraps

3. YouTube + Spotify: Search "RaneRaps"

2 notes · View notes

adventuredelight · 2 years

Text

Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour

Tourism in India has shown a phenomenal growth in the past decade. The major reason behind its popularity is the promotion by Ministry of Tourism. The project Incredible India attracted a great influx of tourists for holiday in India from all across the globe. The rich culture, heritage, picturesque landscapes, foggy hill stations, captivating beaches, golden deserts, serene backwaters, rich wildlife and colorful festivals have irresistibly attracted domestic as well as foreign tourists. Moreover, the diversity in the culture, religion, lifestyle and traditions will make your experience truly memorable.

The presence of top-notch hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities and skilled medical professionals make India a preferred destination for medical tourism. The ministry of tourism has implemented rural tourism schemes in 2002-03 to highlight the rural life, art, culture, and heritage of India. Conscious efforts are made to protect the fragile Himalayan eco-system.

Bespoke tour packages of tourism are the third largest foreign exchange earner after gems, jewelry and garments. India has been ranked at the 16th most visited country in the world. It offers beautiful geographical diversity, 7517 kilometer coastline with attractive beaches, 30 unique world heritage sites and 25 bio-geographic zones. The country has a diverse portfolio including adventure, medical, abandoned islands, sports, eco-tourism, film, and religious tours. The domestic tourism contributes to three fourth of the tourist economy. Delhi Ayodhya Prayagraj tour, Best tour agency for Taj Mahal, Best Andaman travel agency, Leh Ladakh tour and travel company, Best Agra Jaipur travel agency, Best Char Dham tour package. Visit our website:- https://www.adventuredelight.com

This adventure offers numerous attractions for visitors. It is the beautiful sight of the swaying of coconut trees under the strong sea breeze. The feel of the soft sand under the bare feet while strolling on the secluded beaches. Scuba diving, snorkeling, and Island camping are also popular here. The sight of seagulls flying in the backdrop of clear blue sky and turquoise blue waters of the sea is impressive. With its dense tropical forests and an abundance of flora and 83 species of reptiles, it attracts visitors from all over the globe. It also presents the chance to witness an endless variety of underwater marine life, coral reef, and mangrove swamps on water edges. It is home to pre-historic aboriginal tribes. It is also a bird watcher’s paradise as numerous varieties of birds are found here. Andaman Tour is a perfect destination for a completely immersive experience of Mother Nature.

Destination Weddings: The newest concept in the wedding business is the concept of destination weddings, generally the whole hotel is bought out for such events and all the arrangements starting from decoration of the venue, meals, entertainment, etc. are taken care by the travel agent who is managing the wedding. Other ancillary services such as foreign exchange, Insurance, etc. are also managed by the travel agents.One of the leading travel agents / tour operators in Delhi providing above services is Adventuredelights, based out of Cannaught Place in New Delhi, India.

Know more about: Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour

#Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour

0 notes

tribeworldarchive · 2 years

Photo

Tribe Trivia 20: Tribe Tour Trivia

The cast (Caleb, Meryl, Michael and Victoria) were away for a little over 3 weeks travelling through Germany and England.

In this time:

They were flying in aeroplanes for 51 hours

They drove 1700 kilometres through Germany

During the three weeks they spent around 12 hours doing photoshoots for magazines, papers etc.

The most interviews they did in one day was at Cannelot Studios where they had 12 interviews one after another

The cast made a special live appearance in Birmingham plus they met lots of other fans around Germany etc - they signed around 6,300 autographs!!

Michael loves juice and we were told he drank around 5 glasses for breakfast and some more during the day! We worked out that Michael drank around 176 glasses of juice during the three week trip! That's 44 litres.

Meryl loves fruit and she ate around 3 plates of fruit a day - that's 66 plates of fruit in 3 weeks!

Tori loves watching movies and she always watched the movies on the plane. She watched around 10 movies in the 51 hours they were flying.

30 hours were spent listening to music on the bus while travelling around Germany.

#The Tribe #Trivia #Tribe Tour 2002

1 note · View note

sevenkittensinatrenchcoat · 3 years

Text

Cats Historical Hypothesis

So, who wants to hear about the potential history of a few seconds of the 1998 version?

Too bad. This is my channel and I can do what I want.

So, I’m gonna talk about a brief moment that occurs in the 1998 version, as well as a few others and guess about its origins. Why do some productions have it and some don’t? Where did it come from? This is speculation based on comparing 14 different versions (Broadway Revival, Buenos Aires, 1998, German Tent Tour, Hamburg, London circa 2002, Madrid, Mexico 1991, Moscow, Paris, UK Tour 2013, US Tour V, Vienna, and Zurich), and whatever historical trivia I can find on the wiki. This is called a hypothesis for a reason. It’s not proven fact. It’s an educated guess.

Anyway, here’s a screenshot of the thing this essay/tangent will be about:

I’m too lazy to get a version I didn’t type on.

I’m adding a cut for people who don’t care to more easily scroll by this thing.

So, some productions have a joke at the beginning of Gumbie Cat where Misto strikes a pose or otherwise attracts attention to himself, assuming that Munk will sing about him before anyone else, only to quickly realize that that isn’t the case and react accordingly. The exact way this plays out varies between production.

Out of the 14 productions I’ve compared, this gag appears in: Buenos Aires, 1998, Paris, US Tour V, Vienna, and Zurich (where it’s actually more sad than funny).

The fact that all three Vienna-based productions I have access to used it makes it highly likely that it originated there. If it came from Broadway, more of the other Broadway-based, but not Vienna-based productions would have it. But, Buenos Aires and US Tour V are Broadway-based. Where did they get it from? And what about 1998, which is primarily London-based?

So, if you’re looking for something, it helps to look at where it’s not. Buenos Aires was mainly based of the 1991 Mexican Tour, which didn’t include this gag. Hamburg is based on the 1985 Sydney production, which was Broadway-based, and also didn’t include this gag. The London version didn’t include the gag on its closing night (from what I can tell. The bootleg isn’t good quality.)

So, this gag probably originated into Vienna and was then inherited by Paris and Zurich. Zurich, Zurich’s Misto in particular, has a connection to Broadway. Most likely, the Broadway production didn’t include this gag at first, but when Lindsay Chambers, a Zurich Misto, moved on to play the role on Broadway, he brought the gag with him.

This would explain who Buenos Aires includes the gag when Mexico doesn’t. In 1991, Chambers hadn’t yet been cast as Mistoffelees anywhere. But, by 1993, when the Buenos Aires production started, Chambers was playing Misto on Broadway. Though Buenos Aires was mainly following Mexico, changing Broadway trends might’ve led to some changes being made to Misto’s character to match. Buenos Aires Misto does seem to be played a bit younger than his Mexican counterpart, which was another Zurich element Chambers probably brought to Broadway.

As for 1998, Jacob Brent, who played Misto there, was Chambers’ understudy and his version of the character is similar to Chambers’ because of that. Brent probably brought the gag to 1998, and since the gag works well on film, where Misto’s facial expressions can be in close-up, the team decided to add that in.

Then there’s the US Tour. US Tour V started after the Broadway version ended and mostly stuck to whatever the Broadway production was like when it closed. The Chambers/Brent version of Misto was probably kept to the end of that production, and the tour kept that characterization. It was basically the Official Broadway Misto Characterization by that point. And the gag in Gumbie Cat was part of that.

No purely London-based show used this gag. Brent played Misto in London after 1998, but there’s no surviving footage of this. If that gag ever was included in London, it most likely didn’t stick. Even if I’m wrong in my interpretation of the 2002 footage, later London-based productions (UK Tour, German Tent Tour, Moscow) don’t use this gag. Misto’s role in Gumbie Cat is a bit different in those productions and the gag doesn’t fit there.

So, how did all of this happen in the first place? Where did Vienna get this from?

Well, Vienna was in many ways a compromise between London and Broadway, which were both very early in their runs. Vienna’s Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer put the Broadway melody into London’s context, for example. In London, at first, Misto sang lead in Gumbie Cat. This wasn’t changed until over a decade later. On Broadway, that singing role was given to Munkustrap. Vienna went in this direction, but a gag about Misto being the center of attention at the beginning of the number might’ve been a nod to the London version. Vienna was the third replica production, which means that before they came in, the number of replicas where Misto sang Gumbie cat and replicas where Munk sang it was a 50/50 split. It took a minute for Munk and Misto to figure out which one of the them would be singing this time.

Another factor is that Vienna Misto is completely mute. Up until this point, both London and Broadway had large singing roles for Misto, so this was a major change. One of the things that changed was how Misto was introduced to the audience. Singing Mistos usually sing The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball. This calls attention to Misto. He’ll be important later, so we want the audience to pay attention to him. This also served as an Establishing Character Moment. In London, it showed that Misto and Munk were both the narrators. Each one took half of the number. On Broadway, this was Misto being theatrical and putting himself in the spotlight, because he’s Like That.

But, Mute Misto needs a different Establishing Character Moment. In Vienna, this gag showed that, though he didn’t sing, Misto lived for the spotlight just like earlier versions did. When Paris aged the character down, it became more about Misto wanting to prove himself or trying to help, though different versions imply different motivations.

Singing has something to do with this. When Misto is mute, he has fewer opportunities to blatantly attract the spotlight. This element of his character has to be downplayed. It often seems like the Mute Mistos of Paris and Zurich want to be Singing Mistos but can’t. They try to get into the spotlight, but have no idea what to do when they get there.

From the way Zurich Misto responds to realizing that Munk isn’t singing about him, he seems like he just got confused. Though he didn’t sing the Invitation, he still danced with Victoria and was part of this opening act. He helped Munkustrap and now he’s right by his side, looking for acknowledgement. It’s not his turn, so he doesn’t get that acknowledgement. He thought this would go differently and his response is confusion rather than embarrassment. Instead of living for the spotlight, Zurich Misto wants to help and he wants the important people in the tribe to acknowledge him.

1998 Misto sings the Invitation. He’s been established as enjoying the spotlight. So, at the beginning of Gumbie Cat, he tries to stay in the spotlight. While Zurich Misto assumed Munk would acknowledge him for being a helper, 1998 Misto, according to Jacob Brent, who has described this bit in detail, assumed that because he’s a magical prodigy, it was only natural that he’d become the center of attention immediately.

Basically:

Mute Misto + Gumbie Gag= “Didn’t I do a good job? Why are you ignoring me?”

Singing Misto + Gumbie Gag= “Bitch I’m fabulous! Now you’re gonna sing about how great I am, right?”

So, though the gag was made as an Establishing Character Moment for Mute Misto, a Singing Misto version was created. The implication is that Mute Misto has low self-esteem and seeks validation, while Singing Misto aware of how special he is, proud of it, and wants others to acknowledge it.

So, there’s a lot to be said about a few seconds of content.

#mr mistoffelees #special magic boy #cats buenos aires #cats 1998 #cats london #cats paris 1990 #cats us tour 5 #cats vienna #cats zurich #lindsay chambers #jacob brent

34 notes · View notes

kuciradio · 6 years

Text

Smokin’ Grooves 2018

Heading back to its roots, Smokin’ Grooves returned on June 16 after a long awaited revival with the last one being held 16 years ago.

Originally starting in 1996, the tour comprised of hip-hop, R&B, and soul acts including Ziggy Marley, Cypress Hill, and A Tribe Called Quest. This was a direct response to other huge festivals like Lollapalooza, which was mostly filled with rock artists. Complications with gangsta rap made it hard for artists to get booked, so to try and help bring other artists in different genres, like hip-hop or R&B, to a bigger stage Smokin’ Grooves tour was the type of platform to help do so. Continuing for three years and then making a small come back in 2002, Smokin’ Grooves tour took some time off.

Now, making a return in full force, the 2018 music festival was held in Long Beach, Calif. right alongside the historic Queen Mary. What made this festival one of the most anticipated for the summer was the lineup that was being provided, some of the artists including Madlib, Miguel, and Erykah Badu. Everyone who performed at Smokin’ Grooves brought the energy that was to be expected at a festival like this, one of peacefulness and friendliness.

When first arriving, you have the choice of choosing between three stages: Smokin’ stage, Groovin’ stage, or the Free Your Mind (main) stage, each having their own lineups. The Smokin’ and Groovin’ stages were right next to each other, with the Free Your Mind stage being a small walk from the others, but there was enough time to walk back and forth between performances to catch your favorite artists.

Yasiin Bey f.k.a Mos Def brought out a crowd to the Free Your Mind stage, bringing an uptempo feeling getting people in the audience to groove out to his music. Singer H.E.R. followed up right after, soothing everyone who came out for the singer listening to her voice and instantly grabbing people’s attention with the track “Best Part.”

Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge duo NxWorries went on next and brought the upbeat energy back again and performed songs from their album Yes Lawd! Up next were The Roots and they kept the energy going bringing out surprise guest Busta Rhymes.

Back at the Smokin’ stage, the crowd waited anxiously for Smino to hit the stage and as soon as he did everyone became ecstatic as the artist from Missouri began to perform. Following Smino, R&B singer Xavier Omär continued the crowd’s feverish energy performing “Blind Man” with Khalid and DJ SOSUPERSAM both dancing away to the performance.

Over at the Groovin’ Stage, Thundercat had an enormous turnout jamming out with his band and alongside surprise guest Mac DeMarco. At the main stage, Jhené Aiko had people in awe as her voice comforted everyone, right before Miguel. As soon as Miguel went on it was high energy throughout his set with most screaming with each song he started, performing songs like “Do You...” and “Skywalker.” To close out the night, one of the most seasoned headliners, Erykah Badu instilled everyone with her knowledge of music and performance creating a theatrical set with her mysterious persona.

Becoming one of the most successful nights in music festivals, there is sure to be more Smokin’ Grooves in the future.

-Brandon Chang of A Contrast in Semantics

#kucinews

2 notes · View notes

livesets-dj-mixes-edm-podcasts · 3 years

Photo

Download Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) for free now!

Artist: Markus Schulz Show: Markus Schulz �� Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) Quality: 320 Kbps 48000 Khz Genre: Trance Source: RSS

Every Thursday Markus Schulz brings his legendary dark melodic Trance sound with a 2-hour weekly edition of his famous “Global DJ Broadcast” radio show! Since 2002, Markus Schulz has delivered a slice of his trademark sound through his weekly radio show, Global DJ Broadcast. Today, it remains one of the most respected and critically acclaimed radio shows across all of dance music, accumulating over 20 FM and online syndication partners in the process. The show features Markus each week alongside some of the world’s biggest and best DJs. Guests within the past year have included Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Andy Moor, Gareth Emery, Cosmic Gate, Marco V and Max Graham. Tune in to Markus Schulz – Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) now!

Discover more Markus Schulz live sets & radioshows HERE | Listen or download more Global DJ Broadcast episodes HERE

Markus Schulz – Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) Tracklist

The World Tour returns to Global DJ Broadcast this week, and features Markus performing a special rabbithole themed set live from The Midway’s Outdoor Dining Experience in San Francisco, California. The show also features a bonus studio set with recent favorites. Next week, the special run of shows continues, with Markus presenting an Escape Deluxe release special – celebrating the expanded release of his Escape aritst album, with new originals, remixes and more.

01. Arkham KNights – Lost in Space (Markus Schulz Afterdark Reconstruction)

02. Dave Sinner & Pleasurekraft – Alien Body Double

03. Markus Schulz & JES – Second Day (NOMADsignal Remix)

04. Victor Ruiz & Thomas Schumacher vs. Markus Schulz & HALIENE – A Tidal Wave of Wonder (Markus Schulz Mashup)

05. Markus Schulz & Jam El Mar – The Lotus

06. Hilight Tribe – Free Tibet (Markus Schulz vs. Arkham Knights Remix)

07. Tiesto vs. Traversable Wormhole – Lethal Traversing (Markus Schulz Mashup)

08. Dandi, Ugo & Matt Mus vs. Gareth Emery & Christina Novelli – Concrete Angel Strings (Markus Schulz Mashup)

09. Push vs. Sasha Carassi – Universal Hypercombo (Markus Schulz Mashup)

10. Slam featuring Mr. V – Take You There

11. Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Markus Schulz Afterdark Remix)

12. Lazar vs. Guru Josh & Jerome Isma-Ae – Face to Infinity (Markus Schulz Mashup)

13. Christian Smith vs. Gaia – Just Close Your Euporie (Markus Schulz Mashup)

14. Wippenberg – Pong (NOMADsignal Remix)

15. NOMADsignal – Exclusion Zone

16. Markus Schulz & London Thor & Valentino Alessandrini – Feel Alive (NOMADsignal Remix)

17. Slusnik Luna & Genix vs. Lifelike & Kris Menace & MEDUZA – Discopolis Sun (Markus Schulz Mashup)

18. Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 the Future Dub)

19. Sam Wolfe – The Gorge (Marksu Schulz Afterdark Reconstruction)

20. Daxson – While We Wait

21. Duderstadt & Davey Asprey vs. Markus Schulz & Nikki Flores – We Are the Light of Muhanjala (Markus Schulz Mashup)

22. Markus Schulz featuring Delacey – Destiny (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)

Bonus Studio Set

01. Markus Schulz – Sunday Chords (Somna Remix)

02. Cold Blue – Painting Skies (Sunny Lax Remix)

03. Davey Asprey – An Ocean of Stars

04. Airwave & Ozgur Can – Mice (2020 Re-Invented Mix)

05. Andy Moor – Safe on Both Sides

06. Mr. Pit vs. Fisherman & Hawkins – Doppelbanger (Daxson Remix)

07. Markus Schulz & Daimy Lotus – Are You with Me (Danny Cullen Remix)

08. GXD & Sarah de Warren – Hell & High Water

09. Markus Schulz – Circles Around Me (Markus Schulz Escape Mix)

The podcast Markus Schulz – Global DJ Broadcast is embedded on this page from an open RSS feed. All files, descriptions, artwork and other metadata from the RSS-feed is the property of the podcast owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by EDMliveset.com.

#Global DJ Broadcast #Podcasts &amp; Radio Shows

0 notes

edmlivesets4u-blog · 3 years

Photo

Listen or download Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) for free now!

Artist: Markus Schulz Show: Markus Schulz – Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) Quality: 320 Kbps 48000 Khz Genre: Trance Source: RSS

Discover more Markus Schulz live sets & radioshows HERE | Listen or download more Global DJ Broadcast episodes HERE

Markus Schulz – Global DJ Broadcast: Markus Schulz World Tour San Francisco (May 13 2021) Tracklist

01. Arkham KNights – Lost in Space (Markus Schulz Afterdark Reconstruction)

02. Dave Sinner & Pleasurekraft – Alien Body Double

03. Markus Schulz & JES – Second Day (NOMADsignal Remix)

04. Victor Ruiz & Thomas Schumacher vs. Markus Schulz & HALIENE – A Tidal Wave of Wonder (Markus Schulz Mashup)

05. Markus Schulz & Jam El Mar – The Lotus

06. Hilight Tribe – Free Tibet (Markus Schulz vs. Arkham Knights Remix)

07. Tiesto vs. Traversable Wormhole – Lethal Traversing (Markus Schulz Mashup)

08. Dandi, Ugo & Matt Mus vs. Gareth Emery & Christina Novelli – Concrete Angel Strings (Markus Schulz Mashup)

09. Push vs. Sasha Carassi – Universal Hypercombo (Markus Schulz Mashup)

10. Slam featuring Mr. V – Take You There

11. Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Markus Schulz Afterdark Remix)

12. Lazar vs. Guru Josh & Jerome Isma-Ae – Face to Infinity (Markus Schulz Mashup)

13. Christian Smith vs. Gaia – Just Close Your Euporie (Markus Schulz Mashup)

14. Wippenberg – Pong (NOMADsignal Remix)

15. NOMADsignal – Exclusion Zone

16. Markus Schulz & London Thor & Valentino Alessandrini – Feel Alive (NOMADsignal Remix)

17. Slusnik Luna & Genix vs. Lifelike & Kris Menace & MEDUZA – Discopolis Sun (Markus Schulz Mashup)

18. Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 the Future Dub)

19. Sam Wolfe – The Gorge (Marksu Schulz Afterdark Reconstruction)

20. Daxson – While We Wait

21. Duderstadt & Davey Asprey vs. Markus Schulz & Nikki Flores – We Are the Light of Muhanjala (Markus Schulz Mashup)

22. Markus Schulz featuring Delacey – Destiny (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)

Bonus Studio Set

01. Markus Schulz – Sunday Chords (Somna Remix)

02. Cold Blue – Painting Skies (Sunny Lax Remix)

03. Davey Asprey – An Ocean of Stars

04. Airwave & Ozgur Can – Mice (2020 Re-Invented Mix)

05. Andy Moor – Safe on Both Sides

06. Mr. Pit vs. Fisherman & Hawkins – Doppelbanger (Daxson Remix)

07. Markus Schulz & Daimy Lotus – Are You with Me (Danny Cullen Remix)

08. GXD & Sarah de Warren – Hell & High Water

09. Markus Schulz – Circles Around Me (Markus Schulz Escape Mix)

#Global DJ Broadcast #Podcasts &amp; Radio Shows

0 notes