Emmenez-moi a bout de la terre.… Take me away to the end of the Earth
Embedded above – a video edited by yours truly with a song by Charles Aznavour which for some weird reason became like my earworm this entire month – to the point I patched together the above.
It’s the last day of this historically eventful year, so filled with significant and often tumultuous events, that one would’ve had to write an entry every single day to keep up with its happenings…and a date change on the Gregorian calendar won’t suddenly magically make facts or problems disappear.
As well, a reminder that if humans were kinder to animals zoonotic diseases would never have occurred in the first place…. as I’d outlined in depth in my last post in 2019, before Covid-19 took over the world, plundered entire economies, industries, livelihoods, lifestyles and caused close to 85 million cases and two million deaths worldwide in just one year.
Snark alert: You know…..if the world had listened to animal rights activists for eons, and not been so barbarically cruel to animals, zoonotic diseases through poor cramped, tortured “beasts” wouldn’t have occurred in the first place? Over and over again? But, by all means, please go ahead and mock the truth-tellers & the animal-lovers like myself, as you worry about your own and your children’s futures.
I hope that those who have the empathy-connection working in their brains and are not hypocrites, realize that perhaps a good start would be to choose Kindness over Cruelty, Empathy over Apathy and Evolving over Devolving.
December 31, 2018. New York, New York. So here’s something to end the year with…and ring in the New Year. (I’ll spare explanations of why I’ve been tardy in posting regularly in this space….but in a nutshell – Life and Procrastination. And travel. Lots of it…..to Zurich, Bombay, Baroda, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Toulouse, Bordeaux in that order just in the past three months alone. And earlier in the year, time spent in New York, short stints near Chicago and briefly Montreal and Toronto.)
In early fall, before the mid-term elections, I was proud to give a speech for women’s rights and a call to political unity among liberals at Union Square, NYC, as the gathered throngs chanted in unison against the political and environmental degradation in this country, as we marched from Union Square to Times Square; And earlier in spring I joined many, many of my fellow women architects (including many older women architects I’ve long admired as inspiring icons) at the annual AIA meeting in New York to make the voices of women architects heard and to demand equity, visibility and due credit for our work in our very sexist profession. If anything at all, it is always cathartic to speak up…to speak up FACTS, that is.
Many of my stronger opinions and political views were shared with friends on my personal Facebook page (which is why, perhaps, I am guilty of not posting here), even as I continue to maintain another page on this link (this one is public and not related to my personal FB page) – https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrumpShutUp/ – can you believe it will be 9 years since I started it?!! It was the first of its kind on social media, before pages like that sprung up aplenty in 2017. However, I can say with certainty that early-a**hole-personality-detection runs in my DNA. My maternal forefather – a leader in European politics – had written a book, a scathing critique against fascism – years before the Holocaust foretelling that Hitler was a grave danger – at the time when people thought he was good for the economy.
End rant.
On to reflection.
As every year ends, as we grow another year older, and often another year sadder or wiser, or for some – especially for those whose neurotransmitters+receptors (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins) are working in a balanced and healthy way – another year happier – we get into that time when we reflect on what we’ve gained and what we’ve lost, the past that cannot be changed and the future that is yet to unfold, the conundrum of the choices we’ve made or are to make, unsure at times if they are the right ones……..even as we try to keep Hope and Optimism alive as we always do when we step into something new – like a new year; in this case, the last of the teens of this century, before the start of a new decade (2020).
So to end this year, and ring it in with some New York jazz from New York – the city where I live and which is closest to my heart – here’re two videos that I edited for a very dear person and his jazz trio. If you like their music, give their official facebook page a “like” to keep up with their upcoming concert dates – https://www.facebook.com/alexskolnick/
The name of the album is Conundrum. Regarding its name and content, says Skolnick:
“It represents the sense of confusion many of us are feeling in the midst of the strangest sociopolitical upheavals of our lifetimes….This album captures many styles in an effort to channel that angst into art and inspire others to do likewise.”
The album, released in September went on to No.2 on i-tunes jazz charts on the very week of its release, preceded by Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) at no. 1 and followed by John Coltrane (the Best of Coltrane) at no. 3. Not bad company! ;-) Of course, the greats who always are at the top 10 soon took over their original positions but the exhilaration to see its rise upon its release was nice. If you want to support independent artists, please buy their albums – don’t stream on youtube, unless it’s a promo video – such as these ones :-) (Links to purchase are found underneath the videos on youtube and on the fb page, but as a repeat here they are as shortlinks: https://amzn.to/2Qjk1Qz and https://apple.co/2Napfw7 )
Enjoy, expand to full screen and turn the volume up! The first is of the complete album excerpts; the second of possibly the liveliest tune of the album. (Videos edited, along with additional videography, photography, album design etc. by yours truly – Maddy, the Gipsy Geek.)
Here’s saying goodbye to 2018….and reflecting on the conundrum in the year that was and the year(s) to come…..and, in the process, using music as therapy.
The 2nd video is the full performance of a lively song “Culture Shock” which has received thousands of views and is one of the album’s favorites…the music combines eastern (you can hear the Oriental and Middle-eastern melody) and western (jazz and Americana) styles, along with a dash of southern bluegrass and blends them into a harmonious whole. The title of the track also loosely references Herbie Hancock’s “Future Shock.” The guitars used are a semi-hollowbody-acoustic & a vintage telecaster.
“Planetary Coalition.” In our current times, we need this even more.
So happy to be a part of this massive project since its inception & create its album artwork and much more. With nearly 30 musicians from 5 continents.
11/11 marks another anniversary of the release which Guitar World listed as one of the top 10 albums of 2014 & Bluenote/Artistshare selected it for the Grammys. Where USA, Canada, Argentina, Turkey, Greece, India, China, Japan, Israel, Palestine, Mexico, Cuba, Mali & other parts of Africa, France, Spain, Albania, Macedonia, Poland…the Balkans & the Baltic…& many other countries came together in the spirit of jazz/gypsy/klezmer/ragas/sufi/flamenco & so many other styles. And the Liberty Science Center & some universities arranged live lecture/performances.
Also, it’s not everyday that a musical piece (“Sleeping Gypsy,” the project’s signature tune which got Union Square dancing) has been written/composed for yours truly.
I’ve decided to repost this in light of Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman)being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature today. While in terms of pure “literature” there are many deserving writers and authors, one has to admit that this man sure is a modern day bard, and his lyrical songs are sheer poetry. Here’s why.
July 2, 2011. Here I go a-wandering somewhere in Montreal or Quebec City or Toronto and the roads and towns in between southern Ontario’s wine country. Through streets and crowds, familiar smells, ancient whispers, new sounds, the beats of the Jazz Festival in Montreal, the cheers on Canada Day in Toronto, and a song that for some reason always stirs that old wanderlust inside my gipsy heart. And reignites that vagabond whimsy buried inside: subdued through months of practiced stoicism and yet, stirring once in a while amidst summer heat and long amaranthine warm night skies, forgotten lyrics and the sheer abandon of tumbling, intoxicating melodies.
And here I go a-wandering though poignant Paris, the labyrinthine streets of Venice, the merchants’ markets in exotic, overwhelming India and through the dazzling colors of Burano, the snow-capped mountains of Salzburg, the inexhaustible energy of New York City and pensive train rides along the ocean of the…
Exactly one year ago on 11/11 we released Planetary Coalition’s debut CD, and what an unexpected and exhilarating journey it has been! A huge thank-you to all who supported, encouraged and participated in this project and appreciated the music we offered and continue to do so.
We are honored and humbled by the reception we’ve received from the public, press and peers. Concerts at Union Square New York, at NAMM venues in California, invitations and sold-out lecture/presentations/audio-visual performances at the Liberty Science Center, NJ, at the ArtsVille series at the University of Dayton, OH, glowing reviews in many local, national and international publications, recognition by Guitar World magazine as one of the top 50 releases of 2014, Acoustic Nation’s pick as the top 10 acoustic guitar albums of 2014, and submitted by our ArtistShare/Bluenote record label in several categories for the upcoming 58th Grammy awards.
Since an invaluable amount of sweat, blood, creativity. effort and expenses went into this mammoth project, please support the work of independent artists and musicians and not online illegal uploads or ripped CDs.
This series of excerpts begins with a composition with Cuban influences – with the great Grammy award-winning Cuban percussionist Horacio “el Negro” Hernandez and his daughter Jennifer who co-wrote the piece with Skolnick. The photos of Cuba (except three) are ones I had taken during a 2006 trip to that country.
Following this, both countries of the Holy Land – Israel and Palestine are featured – with renowned Palestinian oud player Adnan Joubran ofLe Trio Joubran co-composing a track with Skolnick (a piece with surprises in its full version where the melody takes a rather unexpected turn) followed by a duet with famed Israeli percussionist Gadi Seri(a frequent accompanist in the group of Israeli singing sensation Noa) in a piece inspired by travelling through the Negev desert. Initially both Seri and Joubran were to feature on the same track but, due to different rhythm styles, decided to have two separate pieces.
The fourth excerpt is the first guitar-pipa duet ever performed of a popular Chinese melody – with Skolnick and pipa virtuoso Yihan Chen playing on a variation of Wang Huiran’s tune Dance of the Yi People as “Return of the Yi People” and the colorful landscapes featured in the video are indeed from the region of South China where the Yi people reside. There is a previous postin this blog on the pipa – an ancient Chinese instrument more than 2000 years old.
And finally, an excerpt of the popular signature tune of the project – the first track which Skolnick had composed in 2012 when he conceived of the Planetary Coalition series: Sleeping Gypsy,which I feel both happy and shy to mention was composed for your nomadic neighborhood artist and blogger – the Gypsy Geek :)
Here goes:
On Saturday November 29, 2014, about seven of the twenty seven musicians of Planetary Coalition will play at the Liberty Science Center coinciding with an event on the history and development of the acoustic and electric guitar. We also have a Planetary Coalitionwebsitewhere more details are available on the project.
I’ve said it here before, and I’ll say it again once more: Support independent authentic musicians, artists and Art! Make Music, Not War! :)
A short video with glimpses of the first four tracks of the album, including two time Juno-award winning North Indian ghazal/folk style as well as classically trained Indo-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia; also Turkish kanun player Tamer Pinarbasi along with other members of New York Gypsy All Stars; members of the group Raza Truncka from the small agricultural community of Salto playing Argentine indigenous drums; and members of the Brooklyn-based world music group House of Waters. Stay tuned till the end of the video.Artwork and editing by moihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87ncMQRiX44
The first track is of course for Planet Earth and includes a small homage to Carl Sagan, whose wisdom, philosophy and Science communication skills have been one of the greatest influences in my life since childhood.
Last night was the album release party in New York City at The Meridian 23 with performances by nearly a dozen of the 27 musicians of the project. We are so grateful to all who attended despite the chilly temperatures in the city. The project was also featured in an article in yesterday’s Village Voice newspaper.
First of a short series of audio-visual album previews and track excerpts, including scenes from the recording studio, compiled by yours truly.
These excerpts include famed guitar duo Ridrigo y Gabriela – who, among many sold-out concerts and tours – have played for President Obama himself and are two-time guests on the David Letterman Show. In fact this recording with Skolnick was made a day before their Letterman appearance. As teenagers, they were inspired by Skolnick’s playing before becoming professional musicians themselves.
The video also includes glimpses of other great world musicians like Argentine bass player Pablo Aslan and pianist Dario Boente, African kora player and singer Yacouba Sissoko (who has played with Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte et al among others), members of the New York Gypsy All Stars (Vasko Dukovski, Panagiotis Andreou, Engin Kaan Gunaydin), accordian maestro Raif Hyseni, Max ZT who learned his craft from pre-eminent Indian santoor maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma; and violinist Rachel Golub who is also the world record holder in open cold water swimming and has performed with artists ranging from Sting, Elton John and Lady Gaga to Jay-Z, Andrea Bocelli et al and in shows like Saturday Night Live among others; also New York based versatile Japanese bassist Moto Fukushima (a summa cum laude graduate alumni of the prestigious Berklee College of Music) and drummer-percussionist Luke Notary who has previously worked with Cirque du Soleil.
All compositions and arrangement by Alex Skolnick, except Alla La K’e – which is a take on a traditional Malinese song – and this is the first time it has been performed as a guitar-kora duet.
I have been deeply involved artistically with this project since 2012, as artist, consultant and documentarain, and theprevious postcarries my album artwork.
New York, New York, 11/11/2014. “Planetary Coalition” – a world music album I feel very happy to be part of officially released today! This date also marks thecentenary celebration of the end of World War I.
As I often say here – Make Music, Not War.
Planetary Coalition’s musicians represent over two dozen countries and five continents and numerous ethnicities.
From its inception in Union Square on summer solstice day, June 21st, 2012 – Planetary Coalition has now grown into a truly global music project.
A collective of diverse musicians from all over the world, Planetary Coalition is driven by the acoustic guitar of Alex Skolnick, whose work spans jazz (Alex Skolnick Trio), metal (Testament), and world music (Rodrigo y Gabriela).
In the virtuoso’s own words from the upcoming album’s notes:
“It started with a lone, handwritten sentence on a notepad, describing a musical vision: “An ethnically flavored collective of musicians from all over the world, driven by acoustic guitar and bringing together inspirational melodies, in-depth improvisation and the passion of the musical styles of Gypsy, Middle Eastern, Indian, Latin, East Asian, Mediterranean, Balkan/Eastern European, African and other indigenous lands.”
The reality: coordinating over two-dozen musicians from five continents.
Yet despite the numerous logistical challenges, Planetary Coalition has been guided by a single hope: that by weaving the threads that connect musical expressions with regional identities, we can bridge the gap between diverse cultures and people, and increase awareness of the ecological and social issues facing the planet, our island in the sky. And I must confess that with respect to all prior musical collaborations, this is the album I feel most proud of. It’s hoped that in the future, these pieces can be performed not just in concert venues but as audio-visual presentations in galleries, museums and classrooms.”
“I am grateful to all the incredible artists who eagerly took part, some from across the world, others a few subway stops away; some eluded by mainstream recognition, others who worked on their parts in between sold-out concerts and national television appearances; a few from regions that have long been politically at odds yet refusing to let politics or ideology dictate art, music and humanity; and all of whom are the type of musicians I’m most inspired by – master players for whom technical virtuosity exists, but never at the expense of artistic expression, emotion and collaboration……”
We are grateful to all who have contributed, supported and appreciated this project. Please support the Arts by getting your copy of the album today and/or spreading the word to your friends and families. Here’s a sneak peak into some pages from the album. All artwork, designs, documentaries by yours truly. Enjoy!
New York, August 31, 2014. Continuing from Part Iand Part II, this is the third segment of the project Planetary Coalition’s musicians’ series that I’ve showcased here. This video features two-time Juno award winning Indo-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia rehearsing with Alex Skolnick on a new tune, along with acclaimed tabla virtuoso Nitin Mitta, who, among many other projects, is also a part of American jazz pianist Vijay Iyer’s trio “Tirtha”. This tune developed by Alex is termed “Passage to Pranayama.” (For geeks, here’s an article on Pranayama – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama , and on Patanjali – the founder of the Yogasutras: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patanjali)
If you are curious to get a glimpse of how a tune develops, behind the final 5 minutes of audio that you hear on a finished CD, then this video gives a pretty good idea.
August has been one of the most depressing months in recent times, as far as news events were concerned around the world. The savage killings by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, more conflict in Israel and Palestine, an ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine, racial conflict, riots and shootings in the southern US state of Missouri, the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa, and, as a final unfunny joke – one of the most beloved comedians and genius actors of our time – the effervescent Robin Williams – killing himself due to depression: sad news even in the usually escapist world of entertainment.
Here’s to the end of an angsty August, and hoping for a more serene September.
New York, August 5, 2014. In my previous blog post (here) I explained the premise behind melding my work life, creative endeavors and blog life all together due to a shortage of time. Last week’s blog featured a video with Mali’s world-renowned Kora player Yacouba Sissoko.
Today’s blog post features a rehearsal for the project “Planetary Coalition” with eminent Chinese Pipa player Yihan Chen. See for yourself!
This was during the very first meeting between guitarist Alex Skolnick and Ms. Chen. The music had a feeling of water, just as the African one from last week had a more earthy vibe. The final track with Yihan has already been recorded in the studio. Did you know that the Chinese Pipa is an instrument more than 2000 years old? For fact geeks like me, here’s a history of the Pipa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa
As mentioned earlier, these videos are very exclusive and have not been released yet to a larger audience as we are waiting to do so after the release of the CD. But since I made them, I am showcasing it in a very limited platform through this blog, as a glimpse of what is taking shape.
And more importantly, it is about documenting the dynamic and dialogue between the artists during the process of melody-creation or “feeling out” the music, of creating “conversations” between the instruments and exploring possibilities.
As another prosaic and tumultuously violent week in world events passed us by, once again – how much better the world would have been or would be if we created art, found common ground and made music instead of war.
New York, July 27, 2014. Luckily, like most of us – I never had to experience any war zone or heinous crime directly – but the last two weeks probably there were some of the most depressing and horrific events featured in the news one after another, with no end in sight….and all of those caused by the barbarism, territoriality and deliberate cruelty of humans. Large number of pedophiles working in children’s amusement parks, the never-ending Middle East conflict, more murder/kidnappings in Mexico, child rape in India, the new horrors in Ukraine – and then as the finale – the horrendous Malaysian airline shooting due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
If some universal force or system of justice existed (and it does not – no matter how much some self-soothe through the placebo effect of a non-existent entity) then instead of peaceful citizens, innocent children on the beach, the AIDS researchers on the plane, and the countless individual and collective innocent victims who died of murder, war, missiles and rapes, it’s the murderers, kidnappers, pedophiles. fanatics, violence-provoking fundamentalists and cold blooded killers who should have died instead.
No man/woman is perfect (and even our so-called “great leaders” or “saints” have had appalling personal failures and hypocrisies especially when it came to their sex-life hypocrisies or messiah-complex ruthless narcissism) but in the last few days that saying by Mohandas Gandhi (who alas, also had some lapses in his public preaching vs. hisprivate weaknesses) keeps running in my head: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
And then that inner Seinfeld/Monty Python part of me thinks – well, logically if that quote’s taken literally- if it’s “an” eye, that will just leave tons of one-eyed people – with eye patches, and they won’t quite look or feel like Sir Stuffington (see link here)…….. and then I find myself looking at the faces of puppies, kittens, baby animals and baby humans, and flowers – to remember there is still such innocence and beauty in the world……..which, for petty reasons, the miserable destroyers of peace and life wish to take away…
A gentle little bunny reaches out on my lap at an animal farm in Wisconsin.
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Make music, not war.
And so, it is with a heartening sense of relief that I find myself (since the summer of 2012) being heavily involved in a wonderful world music project started by jazz/metal/world/any-style guitarist Alex Skolnick.
What had begun as an idealistic, optimistic and genuinely concerned project about environmental and social issues and bridging the gap between different countries, cultures and topographies through music – and which was first showcased in Union Square in NYC on June 21,2012, in the annual Make Music festival on summer solstice day – has now grown into an exciting saga, with nearly 30 diverse musicians from all over the world joining in and contributing to musical tracks with traditional instruments and rhythms which Alex has incorporated in his compositions.
I have been both elated and exhausted documenting the project, discussing musical ideas and line-ups, designing the upcoming album cover, sitting in the recording sessions and editing process and very excited at how this project has grown into something truly global in line with its initial goal.
This summer in Union Square, as there was another performance with a limited set of musicians, the crowds went wild and there was joyous dancing to the melodies. We now have stellar and multi-award winning musicians (including a legendary drummer from Cuba, a renowned Palestinian oud player, an eminent Israeli percussionist, a Grammy winner who played along side Yo Yo Ma and a two-time Indo-Canadian Juno award winner who is renowned for her vocal chops, as well as a dynamic guitar duo who have played for President Obama himself) among the many musical artists ranging from countries such as Argentina, India, Turkey, China, Mexico, Mali, Israel, Palestine, Cuba and the Balkan region who will feature in the project.
Good music is truly healing and brings unity in diversity like no other tool. Why can’t we all make music, not war? Why can’t we celebrate our musical diversities and soak in its beauty and creativity instead of the digging deeper of discord and disparities which lead to so much violence and destruction?
In the coming weeks and months a lot of my focus will be on this project, besides the time and energy that goes in my day job as an architectural/interior/landscape planner and designer. So I will have to meld my projects into this blog and will feature some of the videos from the project Planetary Coalition. There is still time to support the project through our ArtistShare website http://www.artistshare.com/v4/projects/experience/325/439/1/6or directly contact Alex or me if you’d like to help us out. Or at most, even get the word around.
The following video features a rehearsal with renowned Kora player Yacouba Sissoko of Mali who has played with stalwarts like Paul Simon, and Harry Belafonte among others. The final recording (not featured here, where he also sings) is one of my favorite tracks from our upcoming CD.
These videos are very exclusive and have not been released yet to a larger audience as we are waiting to do so after the release of the CD. But since I made them, I am showcasing it in a very limited platform through this blog, as a glimpse of what is taking shape.
More importantly – these are about documenting how musical melodies take place, the dynamic between the artists and the process that goes into the making of a finished product, from rehearsals to recordings. It’s more the behind-the-scenes look at the process of music-making rather than the smooth, CGI-effect “final product” of a music video. And there will be others featured in the coming weeks with other artists. Spread the word about the project and the upcoming CD, and as mentioned above with the link – there is still time to support the arts!
December 31, 2018. New York, New York. So here’s something to end the year with…and ring in the New Year. (I’ll spare explanations of why I’ve been tardy in posting regularly in this space….but in a nutshell – Life and Procrastination. And travel. Lots of it…..to Zurich, Bombay, Baroda, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Toulouse, Bordeaux in that order just in the past three months alone. And earlier in the year, time spent in New York, short stints near Chicago and briefly Montreal and Toronto.)
The Gipsy Geek 