All posts by Dawoud Kringle

Recently, on Planet Dawoud

It’s been an interesting few weeks.

 

Last weekend I attended the Black Rock Coalition’s Jimi Hendrix Tribute concert; a two day event held on the 45th anniversary of Hendrix’ passing (and, during the month of the BRC’s 30th anniversary). The concert was great! And I had the opportunity to meet percussion master Juma Sultan (who, as you may know, was in Hendrix’ band).

Yesterday, the Brooklyn Raga Massive held a John Coltrane Tribute concert on the master’s 89th birthday. It was, in a word, epic. I had the honor of performing with them; I was a featured soloist on “India.” Performing with these astonishing musicians is a wonderful experience. The BRM is accomplishing some great things; the sense of community and unity in a musical vision is quite amazing.

Today is Eid ul Adha. I was very tired, because I’d had no sleep for a long time.

I’m preparing for the next God’s Unruly Friends gigs. We’re in the Bronx at the University of the Streets next month (October 11th). We have BAM in November, and I’m planning some things as far ahead as March.

Life is interesting!

 

 

The Perils of Musical Technology

I have a confession.

Well, not really a confession, but something I should share. A few days ago (as I write this) I was doing a Music Meditation at Namaste. About 15 or 20 minutes into it, one of my electronic devices I use in this and other musical applications died. Well, I had to think fast. I bypassed it, and continued.

The quality of the performance was not affected in any way. Frankly, I’d be a pitiful excuse for a musician if I let it be affected.

It reminded me of some years ago when I played at the Apollo in NYC. I was doing a solo sitar performance with laptop accompaniment. As the first of my allotted three songs ended, my laptop froze up. So, I improvised my way around it. Later, I mentioned this to a friend in the audience. She said she wasn’t aware that I was having technical problems. I siad “You weren’t meant to.”

If I use a single acoustic instrument, or an arsenal of instruments and electronic devices, it all exists to derve the same purpose. Each one is but a tool. You either use it, or not.

In the end, the music, and its effects in the hearts of the audience are all that matter. All else are details.

A Good Gig!

Every musician knows the feeling of doing a gig that’s absolutely AMAZING. Tonight was one of them. I played with the Brooklyn Raga Massive All-Star Orchestra at the Rubin Museum Auditorium tonight. It was off the hook. There were countless times during the performance where something happened that would make us all go “Damn! How did we pull that off?”
I was given a few solos. They were good. But it was the ensemble improvisations that were really extraordinary.Things happened that we never rehearsed, and could never have planned for.


All the heavyweights of the New York City Indian music scene were there, including Krishna Bhatt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Bhatt), who later congratulated me on my performance. 

What was really funny was after soundcheck, we were hanging out drinking coffee and eating pizza, and one of the guys sat down at the piano they had back stage, and started playing jazz standards. Then the Indian guys picked up their instruments and started playing along! Did you ever hear “Someday My Prince Will Come” played on a bansurai or “Giant Steps’ played on a sarod?? Of course I got in on it too. Sameer Gupta (one of the tabla players, and BRM co-counder) picked up an upright bass and started a blues in F! I had no idea he played bass!! He was good.

“In C” Performance with the Brooklyn Raga Massive

Once again, I will have the honor of performing with the Brooklyn Raga Massive! We’re performing Terry Riley’s iconic composition “In C.”

Brooklyn Raga Massive is a collective of like-minded, forward thinking musicians rooted in Indian classical music. They’ve hosted a weekly Indian Classical Music Jam Session for two and a half years, with a goal of bringing together the community of Raga music listeners and practitioners.

Under the inspiration of BRN member / co-founder Neel Murghai, the BRM made history last year by performing Terry Riley’s “In C” by using almost exclusively Indian instruments for the performance. This had never been done before, and was given the stamp of approval by the composer himself.

This is happening at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 west 17th street, NYC) on Friday, August 28th, at 7PM.

Oh, and BTW, we made the Wall Street Journal:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/indian-raga-group-takes-minimalism-to-the-max-1440717707

 

More info and tickets here: http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/brooklyn-raga-massive-all-stars-08-28-2015

Catching Up

It’s Been a While!

Yes, we need to catch up.

First of all, thanks to all of you who attended the Harmolodic Raga Cycle performance at Music Inn, NYC! It was a marvelous concert (here’s some video).

Now, let’s look ahead!

On Friday, August 28th, I will be joining the Brooklyn Raga Massive All Stars for the next performance of Terry Reily’s “In C.” The performance will start at 7pm, and will be held at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 west 17th street, NYC). Tickets are available. Check us out on facebook.

September will be a landmark for me. On Tuesday, September 1st, 7pm, Openings Collective will be presenting an exhibit titled “On the Inner and Outer Self.” This is happening at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle (405 west 59th st. at Columbus Ave. NYC). I bring this up because I am one of the artists whose work will be featured. This will be my first exhibit. The exhibit will run between 9/1/15 – 10/22/15, and is open to the public.

The next Music Meditation Session will be at the Namaste Healing Center (80 5th avenue, suite 1104, NYC) on Thursday, September 17th, 7pm. The exchange is a mere $15.

The next God’s Unruly Friends performance will be at the University of the Streets on Sunday, October 11th, 7pm. This will be GUF’s FIRST performance in the Bronx!

There will be a Music Meditation Session on Wednesday, October 28th, 6pm at Jivamukti Yoga Center (841 Broadway, NYC). My first Session at Jivamukti!

And don’t forget that God’s Unruly Friends will present a big show at BAM Cafe (30 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY) on Friday, November 13th. More info to come!

Permit me a little nepotism. September 10th, 11th, & 12th, my wife Kosi will present “Ghosts Appearing Through the Sound: Kosi’s Tribute to Abbey Lincoln” This is happening at the WoW Cafe Theater (61 east 4th st, 4th floor, buzzer 6, NYC) More info here.

Well! That’s a lot of information! Thanks for reading all of this. I look forward to sharing beautiful and unique music with all of you!
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New Actions!

Well, as of this writing, Ramadan is almost over. Many things are in the works.

Jimmy Lopez and I will be at Silvana (300 west 116th st. NYC) on Tuesday, July 21st 8pm. The music of the Renegade Sufi ensemble as well as other exotic and beautiful music will be presented.

On Thursday, July 23rd 7-9pm I will be at at Jungle Cafe (996 Manhattan Ave. Brooklyn NY). At this point, I’m not sure if this will be a solo or duet performance. I’ll let you all know. 

 

After a hiatus, I have returned to offering the Music Meditation Sessions! The next one is at Namaste Bookshop (2 west 14th st. NYC) on Tuesday, July 31st, 8PM. The exchange will be $15. 

On Wednesday, August 5th, 6-9pm, I will perform at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 west 14th st. NYC). I will be joined by Jimmy Lopez on percussion. This is a free concert in a family friendly venue.  

Join me for the World Premier of the Harmolodic Raga Cycle. This is a series of compositions / improvisational templates that bridge the concepts of harmolodics with the primordial essence of Indian Raga. This will be a solo performance (with possible special guest TBA) at Music Inn (169 west 4th street NYC) on Saturday, August 8th, 9PM. The exchange is $10. 

Looking further ahead, God’s Unruly Friends is planning some more performances, including a date at BAM Cafe in November. We are also in the beginning stages of work on a recording. More details to come.

More news of interest. Leilah Publications has scheduled the 2nd edition of  my novel “A Quantum Hijra,” and the release of my collection of short stories “A Mansion with Many Rooms” soon. I will keep you informed.

There are more wonderful things happening. I’ll keep you all informed.

I need a favor

Yes, I’m in a position where I must ask a favor; something I intensely dislike doing. But it’s not for myself.
 
Kosi (my wife), is producing a concert of her own. It’s a tribute to the great Abbey Lincoln. The details are in this link (kosi-sings.com/fund).
 
She’s financing it through crowd funding. The crowd funding campaign ends this Thursday. If you could find it in your heart to help her, you would be doing a truly noble thing for supporting independent arts and artists.
 
And I can promise you the concert itself will be the work of an up and coming master of jazz vocals. You will not be sorry (or walk away empty handed).
 
Again, the campaign ends this Thursday. Thanks!
 
Dawoud

Another new gig, and something else.

Permit me to announce the World Premier of the Harmolodic Raga Cycle. This is a series of compositions / improvisational templates that bridge the concepts of harmolodics with the primordial essence of Indian Raga. This will be a solo performance (with possible special guest TBA) at Music Inn (169 west 4th street NYC) on Saturday, August 8th, 9PM. The exchange is $10.

If all goes according to plan, the concert will be recorded, and the recording will be released digitally and on CD.

If you’ll permit me, there is one last thing I wish to share.

My wife, master jazz singer Kosi, is presenting a tribute to Abby Lincoln. This unprecedented project includes an upcoming CD release, and the show “Ghosts Appearing Through the Sound”; a three day theatrical run at Wow Cafe Theater (59-61 east 4th street, 4th floor, NYC) on September 10th, 11th, & 12th. Her Rockethub campaign is in the final days. Please check it out; you will not want to miss this.

See you soon! Onward and upward!

Another gig!

 

I booked a gig today!

(Oh, OK: maybe it wasn’t such a spectacular thing. Still,,,)

On Thursday, July 23rd 7-9pm I will be at at Jungle Cafe (996 Manhattan Ave. Brooklyn NY). At this point, I’m not sure if this will be a solo or duet performance. I’ll let you all know.

Don’t forget we’ll be at Silvana (300 west 116th st. NYC) on Tuesday, July 21st 8pm, and at the Rubin Museum of Art (150 west 17th street NYC) on Wednesday, August 5th from 6-9pm. Now, these will doubtless be duet gigs! And not only are the free, the Rubin gig is in a family friendly venue!

You also don’t want to forget that I will be offering the next Music Meditation Session at Namaste Bookshop’s Healing Center (80 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1104 (11th Floor) on Tuesday, July 31st (the exchange will be $15.).

So, I have much work to do for you, and you have many things to chose from!

Onward and upward!.



More about Racial Tensions

Lupe Fiasco put it best. There’s nothing “supreme” about white people, and nothing inferior either. We’re like everyone else; we have our good traits and some impressive accomplishments, and we have our bad traits and shameful deeds. Just like everyone else.

The thing I liked about Mr. Fiasco’s statement is that while he acknowledges the failings of my tribe, he does not revile them. In other words, there is no threat in his words. No pointed finger of accusation supported with a curse of “I’m better than you” or a declaration of war. It is simply an observation, and an offer of a simple, practical, and very workable solution on how to fix the problem that is, in the end, an asset to everyone and a liability to none.

And I am not alone among my people in how I feel about this situation. Many simply don’t know how to articulate this. 

We are all still afraid. Like animals in an unfamiliar environment. Some of us – no color implications here – are afraid. And the worst part is that we have been conditioned to love and savor that fear. 

This fear will destroy us all.

My wife recently commented that one of the things she admires about me is that I’m comfortable with myself as a white man, and I have nothing to prove. Those who adopt racist / white supremacist ideals are not truly at peace with the fact that they’re white. They have an inner conflict of some kind or another, and have to bring others down in order to bring themselves up. Their hypocrisy and self deception would be pathetic if it didn’t drive many of them to acts of shocking violence.

There is an old Sufi meditation technique called muraqaba. It means one who observes, and involves looking at oneself from a perspective outside the self. One learns that one is not one’s body, tribe, nation, career, country, race, or even mind. We have these things, but we are not them. This would be useful in solving a great many social ills, and individual psychological-spiritual crisis.

http://thesource.com/…/lupe-fiasco-posts-dear-white-suprem…/