9 questions for Yarah Bravo

Humboldt's own DJ Danny dropped a line the other day regarding a return visit from "international hip hop producer extraordinaire" DJ Vadim . The Russian-born DJ is coming to the Jambalaya Saturday with multi-culti MC Yarah Bravo. Max Ulis from the Lighta! crew out of Vancouver BC and local DJ Zanapod open.

Who are you?

I'm Yarah Bravo aka Little Miss B aka Lil Tornado aka GLUE aka The Mothergrain... among other things.

Where are you from?

I'm originally from Brazil. and my mother is from Chile, but i grew up in Sweden and as soon as i was old enough to travel by myself i left for London, UK. and since then i been traveling the world. i became a hip hop nomad! and today i see myself as a child of the world.

What do you do?

I breath ! i live ! i laugh! i cry...
But i also make music. i write and i write a lot. some say i'm an mc, some say i'm a poet, some say i'm a singer.
i am a thought deliverer. A lover of rhythm and words, and patterns.
yo i'm just a young girl trying to capture the world and bottle it up in a song.

Why do you do what you do?

cause if i didn't do it i would go crazy. it's my therapy, my best friend as well as my lover.

What are you working on?

My solo album!!! which i'm so excited about i think i will naturally combust. and electrocute myself on exposed wires. and i'm also doing collabs, to expand my mind. twinkling on the production side of things.

What’s next?

A westcoast tour is what's next!! my absolute favorite place to rock, except for France!. Cali inspires me! so february will be spent traveling up and down the westcoast.

When will you be here?

2nd of February. with DJ Vadim and my mother, if you don't know DJ Vadim...well, god bless Wikipedia then ....y'all know what to do ; )

Website? MySpace?

www.yarahbravo.com
www.myspace.com/yarahbravo

Anything else you want to add?

Eat more vegetables, listen to more reggae, be generous towards your fellow man ... support the 3rd renaissance of hip hop, go to my myspace add me, add my crew. let's connect.
lets grow. I-FLY

8 questions for David Daniell

Who are you?

My name is David Daniell. I'm a guitarist. I've been playing with a guitar/guitar/drums trio called San Agustin for the last 10+ years, with releases on Family Vineyard and Table of the Elements. The last few years I've been focusing on solo electric guitar.

Where are you from?

I grew up in a small town called Vidalia, in south Georgia. It's about halfway between Macon and Savannah. There was a huge onion field across the road from my house for much of my childhood. In 1991 I moved to Atlanta, where I played heavy post/math-rock in a band called Barrel for a number of years. In 1996 or so, the bassist from Barrel (Andrew Burnes) and I started San Agustin, with myself and Andrew on guitars and Bryan Fielden on drums. Andrew and Bryan still live in Atlanta; I moved to NYC in 2000, then to Chicago in mid-2006.

What do you do?

Lots of different things. My solo guitar work is lately focusing on layers of textures and drones with references to the blues and the legacy of guitarists such as Sandy Bull, John Fahey, Sonny Sharrock... My live music is almost entirely improvised (though I've also written large ensemble pieces for acoustic instruments, minimalist work in the Terry Riley sense of the word); my solo recordings are through-composed, but using improvised elements as building blocks.

Since moving to Chicago I've been playing in a duo with Doug McCombs (of Tortoise, Brokeback, Eleventh Dream Day). I've also spent the last couple of years working with composer Rhys Chatham and with drummer Jonathan Kane (the original drummer of The Swans).

Also, in 2002 James Elliott (a.k.a. Table of the Elements artist "Ateleia") and I started a record label, Antiopic. Our most recent releases are a 3" CD of the guitar trio of Tetuzi Akiyama, Oren Ambarchi and Alan Licht; and a double CD release of the work of Alvin Lucier, performed by bass clarinetist Anthony Burr and cellist Charles Curtis.

Why do you do what you do?

That's a tough one, I really don't know if I can give a very insightful answer. I enjoy art that plays with the perception of time - and I think music is the very best way to do this. The passing of time is the big undeniable fact of living, after all. So, working with long-form music, repetition, drones, etc, as well as with references to styles and sounds which may be naggingly familiar but unplaceable, all these are tools for screwing around with an audience's (and my own) experiential sense of here-and-now vs. the moments passing by.
What are you working on?

The big focus for me lately has been developing and expanding my live performance set. After the current short tour of the west coast, I head to Europe for a month.

I've also been working on a recording project with Jeremy Lemos (of White/Light - http://www.jeremylemos.com ) and making plans to record the duo with Doug McCombs. A new solo album is in the works as well.

What’s next?

After the west coast dates (San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Arcata, Portland, Seattle) I go back to Chicago for a couple of weeks. During that time there are two San Agustin shows in Chicago (first time this band has played in Chicago) and I have a solo show in Milwaukee. Then like I wrote above, I'm gone to Europe for the month of February - Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Switzerland. By the time that's over, the worst of the Chicago winter should be nearly gone...


When will you be here?

January 14th at Jambalaya. Starving Weirdos are on the bill (and they put together the show - many thanks) as is Michael Fles' project "Sahaja".

Website? MySpace?
main website: www.daviddaniell.com
myspace: /davidwdaniell

also you can find me at Front Porch Productions

and here's Antiopic, the record label I run: http://www.antiopic.com

Anything else you want to add?

Nothing I can think of. Thanks again.

- david daniell

a few questions for Akimbo

Two members of Akimbo answered the assorted questions. You should be able to figure out who is who.

Who are you?
My name is Nat Damm. I play in Akimbo.
I'm Jon and I play bass and do vocals in Akimbo. I have also been known as The Gateekeeper, and if you have any information leading to the whereabouts of the Keymaster I would appreciate any help you can lend.

Where are you from?

I'm from Seattle, I live there now.
I'm from Seattle. Yes, I've heard of Nirvana. No, I didn't know Kurt Cobain. Yeah, we have the space needle. Yes, it rains a lot. And yeah, everyone here drinks coffee all the time.
What do you do?

I spend 30% of the year playing rock and going on tour, and the rest of the time I get paid to play videogames.
I play drums in Akimbo. For a living I am a freelance designer. I mainly design concert posters. I do a little t-shirt design here and there, record artwork and layout. I am also the booking agent for an all ages venue near Seattle called The Old Fire House.

What are you working on?

A bowl of chili and a cold beer.
Akimbo just came home from a US tour. We stopped in louisville KY for three weeks to record two albums. One will be released on Alternative Tentacles August 21st, its called Navigating the Bronze. The other album is called Jersey Shores and will be released on another label sometime in 2008. As far as today goes, I'm going to work on album art for a band called The Fucking Wrath and then making a few posters for a venue in Las Vegas. Then I'll have some beers and watch TV.

What's next?

I'm gonna watch Lost in bed with my woman and my cat.
What's next is an amazing tour with DMBQ! we'll take it easy after this short west coast tour and then hopefully do either a big US tour or Europe in the fall. then we'll grow beards and wait out the winter.

When will you be here?

May 17th, with DMBQ. You also probably wanted to ask where, and that would be The Alibi.

Who's DMBQ?

DMBQ is the most insane live band that has ever lived. We are going to have to resort to all kinds of ridiculous shenanigans to make up for our comparatively lackluster snore fest of a show.
just go and see them, they will blow your mind.


Website?

www.livetocrush.com

MySpace?

www.myspace.com/akimbo

Anything else you want to add?

The new album NAVIGATING THE BRONZE is out August 2007, available from us and Alternative Tentacles. Good beer drinking music, excellent tunes to have an arm punching contest to, a great soundtrack for a pillow fight.

9 questions for Aidan 'Shiwa' Wing

Who are you?

1) My name is Aidan Shiwa. The name Aidan came to my parents simultaneously in a dream, it is a very old Irish word for "Fire" or "The Firey One". The name Shiwa was given to me when I was a baby by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trumpa Rinpoche. When asked the meaning of my first name, he chose the name 'Shiwa', witch meant "Peace" in order to keep the fire peaceful.

Where are you from?

2) I am from La Honda, a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains that is most famous for being the town where Ken Kesey lived and hosted his Acid Tests.

What do you do?

3)I am a musician, a poet, a producer and a singer, I have been since age 11. I grew up listening to a wide variety of musical styles, and the music I play now reflects many of those influences. The music that has struck a chord deepest within me is Reggae. When I was a kid I wore the grooves down on all of my parents reggae albums, and would do chores in order to save enough money to bike down to the record store a by new ones. My whole philosophy on music and life is "balance". This world is globalizing fast, and of all the blessings and downfalls of that one of the aspects that process is exposure into many cultures and music. At this time and in this place we are redefining culture, out of many we are one. Many of the reggae artists from California sing in Jamaican accents over Jamaican riddims. I only sing in my own voice, the one that was given to me at birth and has grown with me all my life. Many of my songs are rooted in reggae, yet influences of Soul, Rock, Hip-Hop, Latin and World can be heard within the grooves.

Why do you do what you do?

4) I am a musician because that is what I am. I have had no choice in the matter. I did not choose music, music chose me. I believe music is the universal language. I have traveled all over the world and never had trouble communicating. The lyrics I write have a purpose. Unification is my goal through music. Music can connect our hearts, and our minds. The earth and all its creatures are in turbulent times. The need to connect is more critical then ever. Musicians are the messengers of the people, our cultures ambassadors, the peoples voice. We know that the mic is more powerful then the sword or gun.

What are you working on?

5) Right now we are busy working on our album "Peaceful Fire". This long awaited debut CD is due for release on June 1rst.

What's next?

6) The album is our whole focus right now, we are in the studio constantly. When the album is released, we will be playing heavily up and down the West Coast.

When will you be here?

7) The show will be Friday April 27th at show begins at 8:00. (arrive early because it only goes 'till midnight). It is at the Six Rivers Brewery in McKinlyville. $10.

With who?

8) I am coming up with the We-A-Dem band. We all played originally in a group called Pacific Vibrations. With Pacific Vibrations we played many festivals such as Reggae in the Park, Whole Earth and Monterrey Reggae Fest, and toured the West Coast. We also released an album "Eastern Sun". After Pacific Vibrations some of the musicians went on to form We-A-Dem, which has is currently one of the hottest back up bands in the Bay Area, backing up such artists as Army, Abja, and Norris Man. D.J. Mountains Lion Sounds will be opening and closing the show.

Website? MySpace?

9) My website is www.myspace.com/aidanshiwa also check out www.myspace.com/weadem

Peace, Aidan Shiwa

10 questions for Adeem from Glue

Who are you?

-My name is Adeem and I'm the last person you would expect to make as much noise as i do. I'm also the voice for the newest hip hop soul sensation, Glue. By the way, who are you? (I'm Bob, the questioner.)

Where are you from?

I'm from Keene, New Hampshire. In the middle of nowhere but also in the heart of everything. I grew up there listening to hip hop and then eventually making hip hop music. Now i live in a smaller town called Peterborough. 7000 people, no major chain stores, it's almost like heaven, but more boring i would assume.

What do you do?

-Sometimes i don't do much and other times I'm doing too much. I rap for a living, try to sing for a living, substitute teach when i need to be doing something else for a living, and I also make a mean rice and tempe curry dish.

Why do you do what you do?

-The passion i have for music is like nothing else i experience (besides love). It's all i want to do and it's the only thing i want to make a career out of. I also make music for people who still believe they have power to change things for the better. My music is about the life i live and it's for whoever can relate.

What are you working on?

-I'm working on some good breathing exercises so i can get better at yoga and I'm also working on 3 new albums. A new glue record, a solo record, and my second record with New Hampshire/Santa Cruz native DJ MF Shalem (www.myspace.com/shalem).

What's next?

-Tomorrow, i hope. Glue is currently on our first headlining tour and we're trying to spread the word as much as possible. Give people great shows and a night full of memories. This is our second nationwide tour in support of our latest record on Fatbeats records "Catch as Catch can" and we hope this tour will push us past the 1 million album point! Respect that.

When will you be here? With who?

-We will be playing in Eureka at the Red Fox Tavern on April 13th. I will rocking your face off with the other members of Glue, djdq and Maker.

Who's that?

-Thanks for asking. Maker is the best producer you've never heard of and has better records than you do. He has been the foundation for Glue's sound since we started playing together in 2001. dq is a member of the 2006 usa dmc champion turntable champion crew, the animal crackers. He is a self professed folk-tablist and is a genius with one turntable (in my humble opinion).

Website? MySpace?

-Our website is www.gluemakemusic.com and we also have built a huge party of friends at www.myspace.com/glue (everyone of those friends are real people and in no way are just robots sending spam). Respect.
We would love to just get everyone on myspace onto our website instead of having to deal with the nonsense of myspace, but that's not how it works (right now).

Anything else you want to add?

-Thanks again for asking these questions and we'll see you at the show. Please come out and support this show, we promise it will be a damn good time. Also check out www.gluemakesmusic.com and pick up our new album. Let's love each other.

12 Questions for San Pablo Project

Who are you?

We are San Pablo Project, a band influenced by music from all parts of the world. But most specifically influenced by our forefathers of funk from the bay area Tof P, Sly, etc.,

Where are from?

Most of us are born and raised in the bay, but some at sometime in life have lived elsewhere, Missouri, New Orleans, Boston...

Is that San Pablo as in Route 123?

San Pablo , as in San Pablo Ave.... We rehearse there and the original members all met there.

What do you do?

Most of us have day jobs to pay the bills. engineer, piano technician, caterer. But some do nothing else but play and teach music.

Why do you do what you do?

I'm sure we all play music out of the love of playing and creating it. It is definately the creative outlet we all need to remain sane...

What are you working on?

We're working on constantly bettering ourselves as musicians. We're working on helping our songs and set grow as we do. Keeping the material interesting for us and the audience, and most of all FUNKY...

What's next?

More touring, spreading our musical groovus infection to the masses...a new cd...

What is the sate of funk in the Bay A. at this time?

In the bay there is definately an afro-beat thing infecting the masses, but also a lot of that good ole, down home finger licking funk like Booker T, Meters, etc., We prefer to mix it up with a set that throws down a few afro-cuban grooves, and dalop of reggae, pinch of afro-beat, and of course a healthy dose of, as you described, "a fine hunk of chunky funk,..."

When will you be here? With who?

We'll be up there at:
The Six Rivers Brewery on March 22nd in McKinleyville.
And,
The Pearl Lounge in Eureka on the 23rd of March, and April 21st. (almost earth day)
Most likely playing by ourselves....

Website?

Just the myspace. We get WAY more traffic from the myspace page then the website ever gave us and its has all the info most clubs need to book....

MySpace? www.myspace.com/sanpabloproject

Anything else you want to add?

We just love creating music, whether on the spot or thru composed. And our reward isn't the money, ha, like theres any.... Its the incredibly positive response from audiences. The first time we saw our grooves infect people and they started dancing along with us, we knew that we had to keep this up and spread the "positive vibrations."

Questions for Benjamin Franklin Freeman

Who are you?

Benjamin Franklin Freeman

Where are from?

I live in the Mecca of Indie rock, on the east side of Portland,Or.
I noticed that you ask “Where are from?” At first I thought it was a
mistake. I thought you meant to say ”Where are YOU from? , but then I
noticed that it was on the website “whoareyouwhatdoyoudo.blogspot.com/”
over and over again. But now I understand this bit of broken english is
paying homage to the Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski and his
questions?

What do you do?

I sing in a state of the artificial, four piece, gourmet, rock band.


Why do you do what you do?

I’m required to perform. In my contract with Satan, it specifically states
“Any breach of these implied terms, within one human lifetime, will result
in the termination of this agreement.”

What are you working on?

I’m leaving soon on a tour the west coast. Bringing tidings of joy and
presents to all the little boys and girls. We have an new album called
“killyourselfishness” and are in the process of making another to be
released on “Love Harder Records” in the spring.

What’s next?

Electric, flying, vibrating, pleasure, tour buses, that clean the air and
feed the hungry. Everyone gets one free and and they all come equipped
with Benjamin Franklin Freeman music.

When will you be here? With who?

2.03.07 @ The Alibi. I’m not sure what other performers will be gracing
the stage.

Website? MySpace?
benjaminfranklinfreeman.com
myspace.com/benjaminfranklinfreeman
myspace.com/loveharder

Anything else you want to add?

Check out some other music our members are making.
cdbaby.com/domer
It’s my bass players solo album
cdbaby.com/jesusburger
I play a variety of instruments in this sonic explosion.

Thank you very much for the interview, Bob. I hope it will build
excitement for all of us.

Red and Black forever,
Ben Freeman