PROCESSES of CREATION
ci-dessous en français
Some of my most ecstatic moments are the ones in which IT all clicks, things fall in to place… a bass line and text a groove. Been working on new songs for an album perso… Blues is heavy in the mix. Something that reaches to me from generations past and seems to move me into some kinda futuristic sound-scapish.
Thinking I might take the risk and share the process…. even some of my own unfinished raw brickolage… Its a risk, mostly because process involves imperfections. But the imperfections are sometimes the most beautiful parts of creation.
909090
Certains de mes moments les plus extatiques sont celles dans lesquelles elle tous les clics, les choses tombent dans la place … une ligne de basse et le texte d’une GROOVE. Travaille sur de nouvelles chansons pour un album perso … Blues est HEAVY dans le mélange. Quelque chose qui va me des générations passées et me semble aller dans quelque peu futuriste sonore scapish.
Pensant que je pourrais prendre le risque et de partager le processus …. même une partie de mon propre cru brickolage inachevée … C’est un risque, principalement parce que le processus implique imperfections. Mais les imperfections sont parfois les plus belles parties de la création.
ON THE ROAD WITH APOLLINAIRE……où est la clé de la camionnette
Even though I know I don’t always catch the nuances of his verse, there are some turn of phrase that catch me and tickle my alter-consciousness synapses.
Being on the road, you do exist in a kind of alter dimension, creating a mini autonomous zones as you move along.
We are nine in the van.. The van being the hub… A kin to a moving home base. In some ways everything centers around the van…
Charge la camion…. Décharge la camion….où est la clé de la camion…
We cross many borders together, visible and invisible. We smoke, eat, laugh discuss music and other such ness. We learn to corner off into our own head spaces as we rock under the hypnotic rhythm of motor and wheel on the road.
Maybe soon should be the time to write some french verse about the experience.
In the meantime, next time I will take Rimbaud with me.
(en français au dessous)
I think the pictures speak for themselves.
This is one of my best times on the island, aside from 5 years ago when I was on tour there with the Bowdel band (see tumbler page to find out more about that history here)
:-) from New York, Texas, la tour with ZZ in La REUNION was one of the best times this year! (thanks to loverly “guide” and friend julie :-)
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Je pense que les photos parlent d’elles-mêmes.
C’est l’un de mes meilleurs moments sur l’île, à part il ya 5 ans quand j’étais en tournée là-bas avec la bande Bowdel (voir page tumbler pour en savoir plus sur cette histoire ici)
:-) À partir de New York, au Texas, la tournée avec ZZ à La Réunion a été l’un des meilleurs moments de cette année! (grâce à loverly “guide” et ami :-) julie
NPOEM(check video here)...(french version below)…Another highlight of the year the making of the Npoem video, with conspirators Yinka, and Ele, pictured below, and Pras (the mysterious man of many talents). It was shot in London town, the music recorded at chez Nico in Angers, France, rough mix by myself, with some help from Ragy man:-). It also includes footage from one of my first short films “Intro to Cultural -Skitzo- frenia” (check it here), from which the lyrics originate. It is short film about folks who feel/felt ill at ease in both “white” and “black” communities because of racial and/cultural mix and/or sexuality or gender bending lifestylePlay Npoem here
NPOEM (check vidéo ici) …… Un autre fait marquant de l’année de la réalisation de la vidéo Npoem, avec conspirateurs,Yinka et Ele, illustré ci-dessous, et Pras (l’homme mystérieux aux multiples talents). Il a été abattu dans la ville de Londres, la musique enregistrée chez Nico à Angers, en France, rough mix par moi-même, avec l’aide de Ragy man :-). Il comprend également des images d’un de mes premiers courts métrages “Intro à la culture-Skitzo-frenia” (check ici), d’où proviennent les paroles. Il est court-métrage sur les gens qui se sentent / se sentait mal à l’aise dans les deux «blancs» et «noirs» parce que les communautés de mélange racial et / culturelles et / ou sexualité ou son gender bending lifestyle. Jouer Npoem ici
(en français au-dessous )
Berlin Textures, (check videos of projects here and here), was another great moment this year. Again i worked with a wonderful set of people in one of my FAVOURITE cites Berlin, (including native berliners and artists from south africa and senegal) see (tumbler page).
The photo on the right was taken by Zara, was cropped to protect one of the participants in the intervention I video taped. Here we changed the names of signs that celebrated brutal african colonisers with names of afro-german activists and artists. check it here the experimental documentation “Berlin Heros; Under Urban Skin” here
The photo on the left is a clip from Alien Seen/(Unseen), in which i filmed great young artist/thinker Senethemba doing his thing. Check it here.
Rare to work and collaborate with such great creative/activistic spirits!
en français
Berlin Textures a été un autre grand moment de cette année. Encore une fois, j’ai travaillé avec un ensemble de gens merveilleux dans un de mes FAVORI cite Berlin, (y compris les artistes berlinois Afrique du Sud et Sénégal), voir tumbler page “Berlin Textures”.
La photo de droite a été prise par Zara, a été recadrée pour protéger l’un des participants à l’intervention, j’ai filmé. Ici, nous avons changé les noms des signes qui ont célébré brutales colonisateurs africains avec les noms des afro-allemand activistes et artistes. le vérifier ici la documentation expérimentale “Berlin Heros, Sous la peau urbaine” ici
La photo de gauche est un extrait de Alien vu / (invisible), dans laquelle j’ai filmé une grande jeune artiste / penseur Senethemba fait son truc. Check ici.
Rare à travailler et collaborer avec ces grands esprits créatifs / activiste!
IN THE SEAMS (watch video here)
(french version below)
This spring i was privileged to work with great artists/thinkers to realize a the project In The Seams, in Johannesburg SA.. I was a part of a team who developed the concept for this 3 day event (workshops, interventions, installations) as a kind of part two to what we did the year before in Capetown (see Imbuzi-watch documentary here). I also was the director of the experimental documentary, which tried to relay the feeling/process of the in the Seams project, watch the video here.
Ce printemps je etais privilégié de travailler avec de grands artistes / penseurs de réaliser un projet IN The Seams, à Johannesburg SA .. Je faisais partie d’une équipe qui a développé le concept de cet événement 3 jour (ateliers, interventions, installations) comme une sorte de deuxième partie de ce que nous avons fait l’année précédente au Cap (voir Imbuzi-documentaire regarder ici). J’ai également été le réalisateur du documentaire expérimental, qui a tenté de relayer le sentiment / processus dans le projet In the Seams regardez la vidéo ici.
(en en français en dessous de ce poste)
AS we get to the YEARS END i feel like i want to begin recap some cool moments The first one (not necessarily in order of preference or time:-) is ZZ in Amerika (SWSX Austin Texas & New york). (i cheat a bit.. if all goes well i will be putting up photos and quips from moments btw oct/nov 2011 and nov/dec 2012. It was a pleasure to play there, and i had some very good times with boyz in the band… and the folks in my ‘native’ land. Click here for video in NEWYORK.
Comment nous arrivons à la fin à des années, je me sens comme si je voulais commencer à récapituler quelques moments COOL… La première (pas nécessairement dans l’ordre de préférence ou de temps :-) est ZZ in Amerika (SWSX Austin Texas et New York). (i tricher un peu .. si tout va bien je vais mettre des photos et des plaisanteries de moments btw oct / nov 2011 et nov / dec 2012. C’était un plaisir de jouer là-bas, et j’ai eu quelques très bons moments avec les boyz en le groupe … et les gens de ma «natif» des terres. Cliquez ici pour la vidéo en NEWYORK.
I want to talk about Billie for a minute. Often she is painted with the tragic story brush stroke…. as if she was a victim of violence and addictions and this was the sum total of her life.
Billie, I believe, was a master improvisor who loved life, and loved to experience every sensation. I think the hard times she endured in her early life molded a woman who took no mess from anyone, who had the confidence to make her own path, no matter what anybody thought of her choices. She got high, and kept getting high. She had a tendency towards ‘self-destruction’ but I think she was probably also bored with restrictions racism and sexism enforced in her daily life—Boring with a capital b— her addictions (including abusive lovers), where self-destructive, and sad, no doubt… but I think we must also remember that she was also one who thrived off of living on the edge (not to be romanticized just realized).
Billie was a street tough chick. She could and did beat down any man. She once rearranged a guys face with her cocktail glass, after he whispered some senseless racist remark about her song Strange Fruit.
Strange fruit became her signature song.
Her protest song.
She first performed Strange Fruit to mixed audiences, in a time when having a public of both ‘blacks’ and ‘whites’ was practically unheard of…
Perhaps for both “white” and “black” in different ways this song was also somehow cathartic.
However, it also contributes to her post card image, of poor sad Billie Holiday, whose plight it was to suffer in such an unforgiving time where photos of lynchings where sold at local press agents.
I was asked to write a lyrical response to billie holidays strange friut, which is published to day in here and here I also took up the challenge to compose a sonic piece to go with the lyrics, a work in progress which you can catch here…
THE FLYING TRAINS OPEN SUNDAY FOR INITIAL KANGAROO GROOVE
Jamika -voice,fx,samples, nico- drums, percussion, paka -guitars
check out one of the songs the NPOEM
check out more about the flying trains and other musical formations here (we have jammed before under different guises :-)
check out Initial Kangaroo groove
WHY? BECAUSE WE LIKE TO PLAY:-)
Jamika -voice,fx,samples, nico- drums, percussion, paka -guitars
In the small windows of time not spent on the road with ZZ (and even smaller windows btween both paka and nicos super busy musical schedules) we have been preparing a small set of new soundz slams songs rhythmics and noise … why ? because we like to play and its cool to support friends … come check us out!
check out one of the songs the NPOEM
check out more about the flying trains and other musical formations here (we have jammed before under different guises :-)
check out Initial Kangaroo groove
“I HAVE ALWAYS MADE MY LIVING BLOWING MUSIC”
see video and some words about TINY DAVIS in the post below…
