joined on 03/18/06
last updated 05/22/09
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about me
I am a visual artist and a musician. I am a college art teacher with about 30 years experience teaching on the college level. I am a fairly well known painter and I am also a percussionist that plays for Middle-Eastern dancers and I also play lead djembe for a West African dance company (I teach percussion at the dance academy also). Those are both my day jobs, so I am certainly not wealthy (financially that is).
!!~MYSTIC HIPS GOTHIC BELLY DANCERS,
(*)(*),
**Tribe Marrakech & Elevation BD Fest**,
*Aveyanda Skye-Tribal Fusion Bellydance*,
*~* Bellydance Video Enthusiasts *~*,
*☆ Sonia the Beautiful ☆*,
Ak-Ana,
Alchemy Performance,
Ansuya,
Arabic Musicians,
Archery without hunting,
Ariellah Dark Goddess,
Armor and Garb,
Asharah,
Ask Wildcat,
Ass Lover,
Awalim Dance Co & TRIBALCON!,
Baraka Mundi,Mezmer Society & Tribo,
Barbary Coast Shakedown,
Belladonna,
...
I think that there are just too many of us on-line posting way too much about our daily mundane lives. Facebook is acting as wanky as tribe does. Nice to know that tribe has company in the insanity.
Come on lil' tribe, pull ahead, you can do it.
Thu, September 10, 2009 - 1:47 PM
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4 comments
I really loved this place, but something has happened. It seems to have had a meltdown. I still love the format the best, but a lot of the people have gotten frustrated with the constant "downtime" and lost posts and all-in-all screwy server, and they've gone elsewhere. I now keep in touch with a lot of those folks on facebook. It's an okay site, but it isn't the same format as tribe.
This is a true shame. I hope this place can rise up.............. but who knows...........
Mon, June 1, 2009 - 2:50 PM
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9 comments
Last night was the performance of "Brooklyn Hafla" at Alia Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I've taken over the organizing of this venue to give Shahrazad a chance to "chill out" a little bit and I am relatively even tempered (har har) and can handle stressful situations. Everything was in place, the talent was booked and contacted and knew when to be there, my friend Zorikh was w`orking the door, Joe and crew from Alia were very helpful in setting things up, we got there early en...
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Okay, so by now you've probably noticed that I only post things in my blog that are positive in nature, well, get ready, here comes another one:
After our last show in Brooklyn and the sale of Sultana and the horrible way in which we were treated by the new owners, we weren't sure if we could land on our feet with a new venue............... well, we really really did!
Shahrazad's Showcase has a new home. It's Alia Restaurant on North 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. It is beaut...
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Sultana has been the home of the monthly Shahtazad's Showcase ahows for the past year, but that has come to an end. Ayman who owned Sultana in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his partner Coco, sold Sultana to a new owner and it is just not the same venue. We had our last show scheduled for June 21st (last week) and had an elaborate functioned planned (it was Shahrazad's annual birthday show) and when we got there to set up the stage at 7 pm we were informed by the new owner that she decided to b...
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Re: Issam Houshan signeture Riqq
(in Middle Eastern Percussion)
It looks like a very good design. They seemed to take the principle of the tunable riqqs that have been around for a while and honed them and then outfitted them with superb hardware. They don't really patent these ideas in the Middle-East, so we ...
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discussion post on Fri, November 6, 2009 - 3:31 PM
Re: Sphynxshop/Egyptcart...
(in Middle Eastern Percussion)
Try the Nile Shop (it's the same exact people).
www.nileshop.net/store/front.aspThis is their oldest on-line store. They started the other two sites so that they could give the appearance of "price wars".
discussion post on Mon, November 2, 2009 - 5:33 PM
Re: Lexicon commentary
(in Middle Eastern Percussion)
Thank you David,
Please, this is a very benign thing. The last thing that I intend is to hurt anyones feelings or to be argumentative. We are all about sharing ideas here and appreciate all contributions and the information that you give is most ...
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discussion post on Tue, October 20, 2009 - 3:54 AM
Re: Lexicon commentary
(in Middle Eastern Percussion)
You see Todd, I don't think that there should be a RUMPUS at all (maybe a Rompi Rompi) but not a Rumpus :)
We are talking at cross purposes. I think that what Mark is advocating is equally valid and should be done. I do believe that there is a ne...
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discussion post on Mon, October 19, 2009 - 8:05 PM
Re: Lexicon commentary
(in Middle Eastern Percussion)
"For instance, no offense to Jeffrey, but I personally have no plans to ever play at an SCA event, I don't do drum circles, etc."
No offense taken because I seldom play at SCA events anymore and I haven't for a few years. I have nothing against t...
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discussion post on Mon, October 19, 2009 - 7:01 PM
"They act like good friends, not just merchants"
"A good spource for buying percussion instruments"
May 23, 2008
I am so fortunate to have Jeff to work with. He is filled with energy and creativity, you can tell he loves what he does. He is my personal drummer at the Kemia bar, also at Sultana our monthly shows and any other time I can get to work with him. He is so on point, and he really makes my students feel at ease. We connected immediately as friends and it took off from there. He is a pleasure to work with, I am so lucky to have the opportunity to have him as a friend and to be able to work with him as much as I do. If you have not had the opportunity to work with him it is a must.
February 13, 2008
In addition to being a warm and jovial person- with a big heart and creative mind- Jeff is also a very communicative, in tune with dancing drummer! His beats all come from the heart and eye! Usually I stay very far away from drum solos- but Jeff has a knack and a half for drumming with me instead of just for me. He really knows his beats and chooses a perfect fit each time. I look forward to dancing with him each and every time. It's like our bodies are having a conversation- more than just reacting to a dum tek. I love it!
September 25, 2006
What can I say of this wonderful human being? He is, at once, extremely humorous, confident, creative, kind....oh yes, and an unbelievable genius on a drum. Any drum. Particularly on darbek, darbuka, djembe...anything African and North African. This most likely is the result of 30+ years of experience with them. If you are looking to work with the master(s) then his East Winds Tribal Company is it. They (he and Casey Bond) know the rythms, know how to work them, know how to work a crowd, know how to work with dancers.
Away from that arena, he is a fabulous visual artist, theater person, and a genuine human being with great heart for other people. I am so blessed to know this man on a professional and personal level, and I suspect you will feel the same when you meet him, too :)
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