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Hi folks,
Oh dear, time rushes by. I see I haven't written to you, my global friends and family, with my news for over 5 months. I've been having an absolutely wonderful time and my happiness level has been rising and rising. I've been playing finer and finer music and I really believe that being in tune with these subtle vibrations is deeply connected with my personal satisfaction and good fortune.
I'm writing to you now from Kyoto, Japan, where I've been since August 21. I'll be touring around Japan until November 3. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Since writing last I've been involved with a number of interesting collaborations, and the quality of musicians I'm getting the chance to work with is really coming up! Highlights have included playing with Zimbabwean mbira master (and Tasmania resident) Fabio Chivhanda, performing the Rubaiyat of Omar Khaiyyam with a group of Persian musicians (we'll be playing at this year's Woodford Festival) and the collection of musicians that came to my Forest Wednesday sessions. That last group has led to the formation of Jaadu, a very laid back Indo-world-jazz group with pianist Robert Welsh, guitarist Ravi Welsh and Sudanese bard Asim Gorashi. It's early days for this project but there's so much potential, I hope we manage to get a CD together in the next year or so.
Speaking of CDs, I've been working a lot with Tibet2Timbuk2 this year. This is one of the best world music projects I've ever been involved in, bringing together Tibetan singer Tenzin Choegyal with singer-guitarist Marcello Milani, my own tabla, and various guest artists. As well as a number of high profile performances including Brisbane City Hall and "Time for Tibet" at The Zoo (a major live music venue in Brisbane, not an animal zoo), we also won the QSong World Music Award for best world music song in Queensland this year! We'll have a 10 track, 1 hour CD released in November and will have a 2 night CD launch at the Brisbane Powerhouse on November 15 and 16. I'm really excited about this CD - it's going to be great. Of course I'll let you know as soon as it's properly released and you'll be able to download or order it from our website and/or iTunes. Many thanks to Perfect Potion who have sponsored the recording and launch.
Teaching tabla has become a really major part of my life and before I left for this Japan tour I had 12 kids and 4 adult students! The Brisbane Indian community is welcoming me more and more and I visit 5 or 6 homes each week to teach their kids. I really love that warm Indian family atmosphere, and of course being fed home-cooked Indian food is just the best. Last month we had the Inaugural Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert (lovely photos on this link) featuring the 12 kids plus my own tabla solo. It was a beautiful night with an atmosphere thick with love and devotion. All the students did really well and all the parents were very happy. I'm so proud of them, and really excited to think what they might achieve over the coming years. As a result, I'm likely to be taking fewer and shorter overseas trips from now on.
COMING UP:
As I mentioned, I'll be in Japan til November 3. I've posted some snaps of recent concerts with Yasuhiro Minamizawa (sitar) in Ayabe and Mari Komuro (santoor) in Osaka, both brilliant musicians each with about 30 years experience in Indian classical music. The ICM community here in Japan is very broad and I get the chance to play with different people almost every day. I have my only Kyoto concert this Saturday, after which I'll be in Osaka, Kobe, Gifu (for the yearly all-night Sangeet Mela), Nagoya, Tokyo and hopefully Kyushu.
Once back in Australia, the Tibet2Timbuk2 CD launch will be a major event, followed by Woodford Folk Festival after Christmas. This year I'll be visiting Perth for Christmas and it will be the first time in 7 years that I'll see my niece and nephew, who normally live in Kuala Lumpur, so I'm very excited about that.
Oh dear, time rushes by. I see I haven't written to you, my global friends and family, with my news for over 5 months. I've been having an absolutely wonderful time and my happiness level has been rising and rising. I've been playing finer and finer music and I really believe that being in tune with these subtle vibrations is deeply connected with my personal satisfaction and good fortune.
I'm writing to you now from Kyoto, Japan, where I've been since August 21. I'll be touring around Japan until November 3. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Since writing last I've been involved with a number of interesting collaborations, and the quality of musicians I'm getting the chance to work with is really coming up! Highlights have included playing with Zimbabwean mbira master (and Tasmania resident) Fabio Chivhanda, performing the Rubaiyat of Omar Khaiyyam with a group of Persian musicians (we'll be playing at this year's Woodford Festival) and the collection of musicians that came to my Forest Wednesday sessions. That last group has led to the formation of Jaadu, a very laid back Indo-world-jazz group with pianist Robert Welsh, guitarist Ravi Welsh and Sudanese bard Asim Gorashi. It's early days for this project but there's so much potential, I hope we manage to get a CD together in the next year or so.
Speaking of CDs, I've been working a lot with Tibet2Timbuk2 this year. This is one of the best world music projects I've ever been involved in, bringing together Tibetan singer Tenzin Choegyal with singer-guitarist Marcello Milani, my own tabla, and various guest artists. As well as a number of high profile performances including Brisbane City Hall and "Time for Tibet" at The Zoo (a major live music venue in Brisbane, not an animal zoo), we also won the QSong World Music Award for best world music song in Queensland this year! We'll have a 10 track, 1 hour CD released in November and will have a 2 night CD launch at the Brisbane Powerhouse on November 15 and 16. I'm really excited about this CD - it's going to be great. Of course I'll let you know as soon as it's properly released and you'll be able to download or order it from our website and/or iTunes. Many thanks to Perfect Potion who have sponsored the recording and launch.
Teaching tabla has become a really major part of my life and before I left for this Japan tour I had 12 kids and 4 adult students! The Brisbane Indian community is welcoming me more and more and I visit 5 or 6 homes each week to teach their kids. I really love that warm Indian family atmosphere, and of course being fed home-cooked Indian food is just the best. Last month we had the Inaugural Ashu Babu Memorial Tabla School Concert (lovely photos on this link) featuring the 12 kids plus my own tabla solo. It was a beautiful night with an atmosphere thick with love and devotion. All the students did really well and all the parents were very happy. I'm so proud of them, and really excited to think what they might achieve over the coming years. As a result, I'm likely to be taking fewer and shorter overseas trips from now on.
COMING UP:
As I mentioned, I'll be in Japan til November 3. I've posted some snaps of recent concerts with Yasuhiro Minamizawa (sitar) in Ayabe and Mari Komuro (santoor) in Osaka, both brilliant musicians each with about 30 years experience in Indian classical music. The ICM community here in Japan is very broad and I get the chance to play with different people almost every day. I have my only Kyoto concert this Saturday, after which I'll be in Osaka, Kobe, Gifu (for the yearly all-night Sangeet Mela), Nagoya, Tokyo and hopefully Kyushu.
Once back in Australia, the Tibet2Timbuk2 CD launch will be a major event, followed by Woodford Folk Festival after Christmas. This year I'll be visiting Perth for Christmas and it will be the first time in 7 years that I'll see my niece and nephew, who normally live in Kuala Lumpur, so I'm very excited about that.
Love to all
Shen
aum mani padme hum
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SHEN'S RECENT BLOGS - visit shenflindell.blogspot.com to skim through the whole blog
SHEN'S BEST OF THE WEB- visit shenweb.blogspot.com to skim through the whole blog
- Raka Mukherjee on Youtube
- New Debapriya-Samanwaya CD
- Homeland Security
- CD: The Sabri Family - 5 Ragas (sarangi)
- I Love Tibet Loop Collection
- Save the Frogs
- CD: Tanya Tagaq (Inuit throat singing + Bjork)
- CD: Rough Guide to the Music of Romanian Gypsies
- CD: Introducing Hanggai (Mongolia)
- CD: Baaba Maal - On the Road (acoustic)
- Tibet2Timbuk2 are Q Song finalists!
- Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music
- CD: Rough Guide to the Music of Japan
- CD: Mali Rough Guide
- Cultures at the far edge of the world
- Tribute to Pt Kishan Maharaj
- News from Indo-Japanese Music Exchange Association...
- CD: Shastriya Syndicate (Purbayan Chatterjee)
- CD: The Teak Project (Indo-Jazz)
- Namgyal Lhamo's Free Tibet tattoo
- Mbira
- CD: Toumani Diabate - Mande Variations
Shen
Aum Mani Padme Hum
email: shen@...
home page: www.ethnosuperlounge.com
personal blog: shenflindell.blogspot.com
best of the web: shenweb.blogspot.com
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