Updates are coming, we promise!
June 6th, 2007 1:03 AM
Picture and audio updates are on their way, we promise. Keep checking back. We found a faster way to do the pictures, so once everything is worked out, they should be up on the weekends like clockwork.
June 29, 2007
10:00 pm Ð 2:00 am
Dance & Spoken Word
It's another endeavor that isn't conventional- StraightNoChaser (www.one-az.com) and NORAZ Poets ( www.noraz.org) are coming together to support each other, to continue to build community in new ways and with the intent to promote interactions between communities with the purpose of encouraging positive change.
This Friday night dance and spoken word will be at SNC's weekly event ONE (One People, One Soul, One Love), located at Homme Lounge in Phoenix where at this gathering, Joe DiPadova, brings together people of all color and sexual orientation through a common spool of thread - expression through dance and love of music.
ONE's dance community will be exposed to NORAZ Poets' Executive Director, Chris Lane, to learn more about the positive change both Lane and NORAZ Poets contribute to the community at large. SNC believes strongly in the principle of aiding and improving community. It is SNC's intent to bring local positive organizations and charities to ONE's Friday events to facilitate interactions in new ways, in creative ways, to promote the concept of acceptance and togetherness. Learn more about NORAZ's mission statement and programming in addition to the symposium of dance.
Interested in being the local organization or charity to work with SNC's ONE, please contact Arrian Wissel at arrian@one-az.com
This Is Not A Story About Cindy Sheehan
by Sunsara Taylor
This is not a story about a woman who raised four children, sent one off to war, and collapsed one day in a fit of screaming at the news that he was dead.
This is not a piece to describe how that woman tried to stay awake for the next three days so as not to have to scream like that again after waking and then remembering that news.
There will be no attempt in this piece to comprehend the maddening indecency of the overgrown frat-boy president who sent her son to kill and die for lies and still had the gall to call her ÒMomÓ and sits day after day-- to this day --as the self-appointed, unrestrained king of the world.
This is not a piece about a woman who exposed her grief and her rawest nerves, who sacrificed a twenty-nine year marriage and time with her remaining children, to a country calloused to the daily loss of life and succeeded in stirring many to their feet, into the streets, and to the tops of their lungs.
This is not a piece about how this woman parked herself in the dusty heat of a ditch in Texas and said yes to enough speaking engagements and phone calls from soldiers and late nights with grieving parents to send her own life teetering near its edge because she couldnÕt live with herself if she didnÕt give everything she could to prevent another mother from having to experience the loss that she knew.
This piece is not even about how her loss and her grief were not confined to her son, but extended each day further, to include the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, and further yet, to those cast in the impoverished margins of our planet--including the thousands of children dying each day from starvation--as the U.S. obscenely spends hundreds of billions on constructing and deploying the machinery of mass death.
Nor is this about the millions who learned this womanÕs name, whose hearts broke with hers, but whose spirits were lifted and consciences were challenged by the way she seized the moral high ground and much of the spotlight from the worldÕs biggest liars and most pitiless killers because she was right and she was fearless--to hell with the odds.
This piece isnÕt even simply about a culture that demonizes and attacks such a person, that makes their every word or slightest gesture grist for the dishonest mill of the small-minded bloggers, the jones for cruelty of the war-planners, and fascist propagandizing of the major media mouthpieces.
Nor is this about a society that props up mothers as Òkeepers of the flame,Ó a counter-balance meant to excuse the war-makers, only to turn on them and call them Òwhores,Ó should they dare to do more than weep silently.
This is not merely about this womanÕs refusal to be corralled into ÒrealisticÓ and empire-bound strategies like timetables or phased-redeployment, about her righteous refusal to excuse the funding of the war, about her simple and righteous insistence that the slaughter and torture of human beings stop right now.
And, no, this is not mainly about the many questions that she herself ran up against and has put straight up in front of the movement and that all too many donÕt want to speak to. Like why the Democrats wonÕt bend to the will of the people, or what kind of system only allows for two sides of the pro-war position, or what to do about an American people who are well on their way to becoming Good Germans. Those questions are crucial and agonizing and there are answers to them that can be found or forged. And there is a need for a movement that encourages the debate to rage around these questions and insists on honestly and unsparingly confronting reality. A movement that insists on getting to, and telling the people, the truth.
No, throwing up your hands is never the right response. But to be perfectly honest, this piece is not about what Cindy Sheehan should be doing. Not when really there are 300 million other people in this country who each morning wake up with profound choices to make--and who make them every day, whether they know it or not.
So, no, this article is not about Cindy Sheehan.
This article is about you.
Reading on your computer screen. Smudging black ink off the newsprint in your hands. Breathing in and out, your chest rising even as the chests of other human beings who happen to have been born atop huge reservoirs of oil fall still, as their breath is stolen, as their land is ravaged, as their girls learn to fear their budding breasts and widening hips under the leer of the occupierÕs eye, as their fathers lose their minds trying to comprehend the life-danger theyÕve become to their own children for being of a different religion than their mother, as the psyche and politics and view of what kind of world is possible, as a whole country and region is forever marked by the apparent indifference of way too many Americans to their sustained destructionÉ as millions who are also heart-sick flirt with the devastating and impermissible comfort of throwing up their own hands and looking away from the war zone...
This article is about you--because frankly, there is not enough space and not enough time and not enough ink and not enough trees to make enough paper to hold all the ways that the roadblocks hit by a woman like Cindy are a sign of failure. Not of the failure of the possibility for change, nor the failure of those who put everything on the line to make all this stop, but the failure of a society that does not cherish and have room for a woman like her. And the failure of continuing on a course that does not fundamentally challenge the killing confines of the choices this system puts before us.
So, again, this is about you--whether you will hide behind and resign yourself because of the faltering of another or whether you will step into the breech.
This article is about what you think about and do when you wake up each morning. About whose lives you value and prioritize. About whether it is sufficient to register disapproval or whether you are responsible for stretching your limits, risking friendships and family if you must, confronting discomforting truths about this political system, and whether you will dare to inspire and challenge and set an example of living for and impacting something bigger than yourself.
This is about whether you know enough and have seen enough of other peopleÕs sons and daughters dying in the service of empire to say without equivocation that all this must halt. This is about whether you will plunge into and confront the dead-ends that have led so many to disorientation--whether you will look deeper, consider radical solutions, even ones you might once have dismissed.
And, yes, it can seem at times like we are hurling our soft bodies and our embattled dreams up against cold rock, and like the forces aligned against us are made of impenetrable marble. But marble has fissures and faultlines and cracks deep beneath the surface and these can be located and the marble itself can be pried apart by the determined action of millions who dare. So I am struck again with the truth and the enormity of our choices captured in the final words of the World CanÕt Wait Call: ÒHistory is full of examples where people who had right on their side fought against tremendous odds and were victorious. And it is also full of examples of people passively hoping to wait it out, only to get swallowed up by a horror beyond what they ever imagined. The future is unwritten. WHICH ONE WE GET IS UP TO US.Ó
The war is still wrong.
What are you going to do?
Sunsara Taylor writes for Revolution Newspaper, sits on the Advisory Board of The World Can't Wait - Drive Out the Bush Regime, has appeared on The Rational Response Squad, and is a friend of the show.
years ago, one of the illest djs in the world told me he was sick and tired of spinning and sometimes wished he could quit. he was tired of what some djs call "dancefloor pressure". being a 15 year veteran, he wanted to create an experience that allowed him to play great music without the worries of an empty dancefloor. he likened people to zombies - conditioned to enjoy what has been deemed acceptable, while rejecting the unknown.
definition of a dj...
personally - disc jockey, not a jukebox. the dj has a responsibility to break new ideas and push music forward without alienating the audience. that means using creative thought to generate balance. there was a time when the dj was one of the most powerful and important characters in the media. their personalities, charisma, and musical opinions were the driving force behind many breakout trends and genres becoming popular...or not.
unfortunately, most professional djs have been relegated by radio and clubs to goofy robots that come a dime a dozen who take orders, are overly obnoxious on the air, and play the forgetable top 10 at clubs and on radio...skills not mandatory. with the exception of a few talented mix show djs like the Beat Junkies in LA, i'm baffled at how low standards have gotten in programming, mixing, and presentation on urban radio. and it's pretty much the same story at the so-called hottest clubs.
these wannabe djs are media slaves who along with corporate execs that have no interest in music and its relationship and effect on humanity, propagate a ruling class agenda that is hell bent on creating a whole race of zombies.
music is the weapon...
the above heading is the title of a profound documentary from the early 80s that gave the world a glimpse into the Kalakuta Republic and exposed how Fela Kuti's Afrobeat music became a powerful change agent against corrupt, oppresive government.
in a similar fashion, the tables have been turned on the people by government and corporate interests thanks to mega media like Viacom through the likes of MTV to promote disposable music that for the most part carries a mixed bag of negative messages about social behavior.
ever since the US government experienced the 60s and realized what was capable when combinations of music, creativity, and education stimulated thought that drove dialogue amongst the youth, they've spent billions upon billions in a sorcerous attempt to ensure nothing like that can ever happen again.
once music was identified as a powerful tool that could incite emotion, desire, and intelligent thought about current events, like the Vietnam war, the man was just not having it. rather than music that helps nurture thinkers, revolutionaries, problem solvers, agents of social and political change, they needed music that would nurture the opposite. along with help from institutions like the all american dysfunctional family, the fledgling public education system, and fear, the ruling class set in motion a musical landscape that changed the once prevalent "we" mentality into a "me" mentality within the span of 30 some odd years.
most artists today are nothing more than poster children for lifestyle marketing; poorly paid, under-educated behavioral science teachers that fuel the insatiable appetites of a self centered society.
gangster rap...
by 1990 gangster rap was a world wide phenomenon. isn't it peculiar that more prisons were built between 1990 and 2000 than in all the 1900s combined? i invite you to research Angela Davis' "Prison Industrial Complex" theory and peep it for yourself.
conditioning...
this has to do with formulaic approaches to pushing products that are derivative of something from the past that is already proven to be acceptable for consumption. musically, this is why the same ideas continue to be repeated. the ideas become gimmicks that act as tiny boxes that music genres eventually cannot escape from until everything sounds the same. otherwise, there would be many more introductions of new ideas via mass media. thankfully, on occasion, something becomes so popular through support of the people that the industry has to take notice. such is the case with artists like Jill Scott, or Gnarles Barkley, or an entire genre like hip hop, which according to media experts and record execs was a trend that was not meant to last more than a decade.
ready, aim...
as with products like cigarettes, candy, soda, toys, video games, to name a few, the music industry's dominant target market are young people between the ages of 5 and 18. your demographic worth lessens greatly after age 18. reason being is once you're an adult, there isn't much more conditioning that can be done. they either have you by then, or not.
when we review the most popular recording artists, with album sales that pay the bills and pay off the stock holders of recording labels and media conglomerates, we see marketing and promotional campaigns that traditionally attack to attract the youth time and time again. this ties into the theory of conditioning. if one is introduced to certain types of music at a tender age and grows up in an environment that never offers or introduces healthy options, chances are great that the child turned adult will rely on what they've been acclimated to without much thought as to what else is out there.
in retrospect, i'm not sure my path would be what it is today had a friend not introduced me to kcrw in the early 90s. i had no idea what existed outside terrestrial media, and the media would rather that be the case all my life.
technology and the class issue...
impoverished people, mainly black, latino, and white youth who cannot afford to invest in products like laptop computers and ipods, are the ones who suffer the gimmicks of commercial radio the most and have little if any access to other types of music. the lack of accessibility coupled with the theory of conditioning and trickery like urban radio personalities and artists promoting the "rep your hood" mentality, nurtures the attitude of acceptance of negativity and the exploitation of pride that accompanies ignorance.
the message of acceptance is a bandaid of sorts to make people feel better on the surface while not offering a glimpse of solution for real problems. instead, the media uses the music to mentally massage a mindset that doesn't reject a condition like poverty, all the while promoting products through music and advertising that tend to keep communities sick, drunk, broke, and enslaved. for example, i recall some recent hit song on urban radio with a message that being a baby momma was ok. f--k that. that was some real live neo-slave-ism at work to penetrate the minds of these young, ignorant girls. baby girl, it is not ok, not cool, not sexy, not anything to be anybody's baby momma.
zombies...
in general, there are various methods of conditioning employed by the media for all age groups and nationalities. the aforementioned theories of conditioning focused on urban music in impoverished communities are just a small slice of the stank pie. people are being conditioned from birth to conform into willing participants in a culture of consumerism that fuels a fantasy. the culture appeals to the most basic and animal of human senses and blankets our troubles, fears, and insecurities like any drug.
when one has become unconscious to the point of giving up the right to choose because they're unaware of the choice or even worse, don't care about the choice, one is a zombie.
there are countless stories and films that explore the concept - think about "The Matrix" and how clear the metaphor is in that film about the human condition against the backdrop of capitalism. "THX 1138" was George Lucas' first full length film out of USC film school and stars a young Robert Duvall yearning to get free from a grim, futuristic new world order type society in which the inhabitants of an underground city are completely controlled by government administered substances.
my favorite personal metaphor for zombie making is featured in Disney's "Pinocchio". the wooden boy represents the innocence of human kind in its rawest form. the fox represents those forces in the world that seek to capture that innocence and manipulate human emotion for purposes of capital gain. once the boy starts lying, skipping school, and running with a bad crowd, he finds himself at Pleasure Island and it's off the hook! but after the fun is over with, he's unknowingly become a jack ass, a mule, fit for the slave trade.
i can't help but see most of our wayward youth on Pinocchio's path. and one day, they'll realize they've been hoodwinked and bamboozled into becoming jack asses fit for the new world slave trade, utterly dependent and stripped of their ability to make a living without the products and services forced upon them by the ruling class.
musically, my like-minded peers and i are likened to freedom fighters that crawl on the underbelly of pop culture to plant seeds of dissent and hope to inspire those that have a fighting chance to avoid musical zombie-ism. i am ever grateful and don't ever take for granted the role i play in the lives of many.
i wrote this in hopes it would inspire others to contribute their own discerned thoughts on these matters. the lack of dialog doesn't do any community any good. so please, say somethin'.
HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE HUSTLE!
May 1st, 2007 8:48 AM
This Party Is Word Of Mouth ONLY - No ADS, No FLYERS.
We Need Your Help To Spread The Word
They Won't Know Unless You Tell Them!
You know how we say our guests are "a big deal" constantly? Well, that's because THEY ARE. This week we're honored to host the man many consider to be the Gilles Peterson of the United States. With 10 years on KCRW in LA and counting, Garth Trinidad heads not only one of the most listened to shows in LA, but around the world on kcrw.com with accurately millions of listeners. As an award winning, world traveling DJ and unique hustler of culture, Garth is considered THE foremost curator of urban alternative music, with top-ranking career highlights that span music programming and supervision for film & TV, advertising, online & in-flight entertainment, studio music and live event production, and music journalism. As a voting member of NARAS, Garth sits on the Grammy Awards R&B Board in support of the new Ôbest urban alternative performanceÕ category, created as a direct result of his continued approach to music programming.
Holy Sh^t, kids--it's ANOTHER BIG DEAL!!!
Past guests on Garth's show have included (guests who are a big deal in BOLD): Osunlade, J-Rocc, King Britt, DJ Dusk, Eothen 'Egon' Alapatt (Stone's Throw Records), Raphael Saadiq, Carl Craig, DJ Jazzy Jay, Theo Parrish, 45 King, Afrika Bambaataa, Les Nubians, Marques Wyatt, DJ Daz, Julie Dexter, Crazy Legs (Rocksteady Crew), Donnie, Goapele, Bugz in the Attic, Funk Brothers (Motown), Spacek, ?uestlove, Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious, Cooly's Hot Box, Peven Everett, Ron Trent, Jody Watley, Ursula Rucker, and many, many, many more.
Join the most open minded community in Phoenix for an evening with one of the most in-demand DJs in the World - jojoflores
The challenge of never knowing what to expect from a crowd is what drives jojoflores to consistently provide a solid groove. DJing for over 24 years, he has established honorary residencies in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Hawaii, France, Athens. His accolades include: Voted ÒBest International DJÓ 4 years in a row [2002 Ð 05] by NYCÕs Undaground Archives, and MontrealÕs ÒBest Club DJÓ by Sounds of Blackness. His client list comprises; Roots, MAC, Montreal Toronto Intl. Film Fest., Apple, Cadillac, SAAB, Hugo Boss, Vanity Fair, Puma, Details Magazine, Banana Republic, and The Delano Hotel. HeÕs toured North America with Osunlade (Yoruba Records), headlined events with Wyclef Jean, Jody Watley, K-OS, Jazzy Jeff, and even designers D Squared.
jojoflores also finds time to lend his services to charities; Big Brother Big Sister, Fashion Cares, NextAid, Kids For Kids, and Free Tibet. Add CEO/AR of Gotsoul records/merchandise, founder of award winning Therapy [7 year old soiree], and you see why jojoflores is truly one of CanadaÕs leading ambassadors for Global Soul.
jojoflores keeps the vibe alive with determination, passion, and the upstanding mission to touch the heart of the ones who love music as much as he does. In times of war, disarray and disillusion, jojoflores provides solace and, from the four corners of the globe, re-ignites our purpose and our reason. His sound is now.
DJ Offbeat has been making some serious waves all over the US in the last few years. Along with our own Joe DiPadova, Offbeat (named for his musical selections, not mixing ability) has been labeled one of the rising stars of the Global Soul movement nationally. With a wildly successful monthly party in Dallas called "Soul Funktion" and an ever expanding tour schedule, DJ Offbeat has for some time taken a no-holds-barred approach to the music--which is exactly what is required to succeed.
FutureHistoryOfHouse/Soul Funktion has hosted some of the top global soul DJs in the world. Guests in the past year have included Osunlade, jojoflores, Bobby & Steve, Julius Papp, Frankie Feliciano, Mr V, Alix Alvarez, Julius the Mad Thinker, Lars Behrenroth, Jihad Muhammad, Eddie Matos, Antonio Ocasio, Carlos Mena, Joe DiPadova, Adam Gibbons, Jaymz Nylon, Rodney Hunter, Demarkus Lewis, Boo Williams, Sir Piers, and Big Bang, as well as top level local DJs.
In the last year, DJ Offbeat has played Soulgasm @ Sin Sin NYC w/ Jovonn & Brian Coxx, CityDeep party @ WMC Miami w/ Halo, Ian Friday, Jamie Thinnes, David Harness, Aaron Ross, Kenny Carvajal & jojoflores, Vinyl Cincinnati w/ Rainer Truby & John Beltran, and upcoming dates: April 27th @ Brooklyn Mecca, NYC w/ Sabine, April 28th @ Afroblu, Denver w/ Kemit, May 25th @ FLY, St Louis w/ Luan, July 11th @ Mercury Lounge, Ottawa w/ Andrew Carter, August 10th @ Seed In The City, Boston w/ Bradford James.
THANK YOU to everyone who came out for such an inspiring event this past Friday. Check one-az.com for Carnaval photos, a live recording of the ENTIRE night (will post monday or tuesday), and even video--you can watch the first (and not remotely the best) on the home page right now.
From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank Porangui & Grupo Liberdade, as well as E-House for turnin' it out properly last week. Because of you, we collectively raised over $800.00 to help Grupo Liberdade establish themselves and purchase new instruments. Expect them back, as we'll most certainly do this again--and next time will be even better.
To all of our Brothers & Sisters who have recently joined our list, WELCOME! We deeply look forward to your energy as part of the family. A special thanks goes out to the Arizona Deep House Meetup Group--we look forward to seeing you all every week!
Remember, y'all--this week we do it all over again. We're pushin it every Friday--read below for details.
Joe has worked all day to get these photos up for y'all. We've added to 12/1 & 12/8, and have uploaded 1/12, 1/25, 2/2 & 2/23 (this past Friday). Enjoy!
p.s. - The live recording from Friday should be up Monday/Tuesday-ish.
Last week we wrote, "Joe's Last Prime Time Set Until MAY"
Joe DiPadova is NOT LEAVING! We're sorry for this miscommunication -- we've had many people ask us if this was the case...we assure you it's not!
Last week was just Joe's last late night performance for a while because we have SO MANY guest djs flying in to play. Joe will still be at ONE (except for March 23rd, April 13th & July 13th, when he'll be touring). Even so, ONE will still be the best party in town on those nights--remember, the vibe is created by YOU! The djs just facilitate. Sorry for any confusion, y'all.
In fact, from here on out, we're bringing out the people on everyone's tongue around the world just about every week, and this week is no exception. People, Ian Friday is one of the hottest producers in the music right now, and has built a reputation around the country as one of the most talented touring DJs on the circuit. This is a guy who regularly gets invited to play ROOTS in NYC (Louie Vega & Kevin Hedge of Blaze's party), DEEP in LA (Marques Wyatt's party), UTOPIA in BOSTON (Bruno's party) & SOUL REVIVAL in BOSTON (Adam Gibbon's party), aka the finest parties in the COUNTRY.
This cat is no joke, ya'll.
Now many of you don't know the names we bring out to play at ONE. This isn't because they're not popular, or they're less-than the cats you have heard of. No, it's because they're the cats on the cutting edge, making it happen RIGHT NOW, not just 10 years ago. Our music isn't afforded the luxury of mainstream media support around the US right now the way it is in Japan, South Africa, Greece, Portugal (all over Europe), etc. However, in the countries where media support is given, these same people you see playing in what could very well be described as a 'pretty big living room' at ONE are playing for crowds that range from 2000 at the low end to 15 or 16,000 at the top. Hell, one of the guys we've had at the party recently headlined a party in Portugal with (not under) SANTANA for 15,000 people. And you were close enough to touch him! What the f^ck?
This is where it comes on the line. I need ya'll to trust me, and to trust my taste. Our calendar is booked out for almost the next 6 months with some of the best talent on the face of the planet, and I make more connections and sew more holes every single day. I do this for you, and would never (could never) do anything else. Come experience why with me, and bring your friends -- I promise you're all going to be blown away.
Oh, and check out the new Java this month. They're running a cool article you may enjoy. =]
