Today's DailyOM Offerings...
May 2, 2008
Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years 1965-1975
Hugh Masekela
2005
Having scored with his 1968 instrumental, "Grazing in the Grass," and his blazing number at the Monterey Pop festival, Hugh Masekela was an in-demand producer who too often found himself turning out watered-down versions of the steamy Afro-fusion he longed to create. Chisa Records was Masekela's own small label, his chance to break out on his own, to create and market the spirited African-pop sound that would one day fall into the catch-all category of World Beat music. Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years, then, is a collection of unreleased tracks and B-sides from the label's heyday, and the stuff on display here ranges from rock-steady proto-acid jazz to buoyant African-pop, the wellspring from which would one day come Paul Simon's Graceland, and so many others.
The most energetic band here is the amazing Baranta, which rocks a steady Afro-pop vibe with a twin guitar effect-one doing a low-end wah-wah and the other in full fuzz mode. Vocalist Miatta Fahinbulleh belts out high-end African lyrics, soaring over a waterfall cascade chorus on the manic "Tepo," and there's an incredible fuzz freak-out guitar solo in the middle of "A Cheeka Laka Laka." During this last song, Fahinbulleh sings out in English for celebration of the unity between Africans and countercultural northerners: "The blackbird is calling for justice / The white bird is calling for peace." A muscle-heavy backing-vocal harmony mixes with chugging, spacey guitar to fuse the two spirits even more closely together.
The most instantly funky and irresistible track here, though, will likely be "Afro-Beat Blues," which features Masekela on horns and a nonstop, percolating soul-funk groove. The singing is low and half-spoken over crunchy guitar, drums, and a low and in-no-hurry heavy, throbbing bass that's so tight and sanctified no amount of police or rioting could stop it. Masekela's Chisa record imprint eventually folded up shop, but not before the 10-year run celebrated in high style on this worthy album. It's a must for students of the global beat, fans of Masekela, and any intrepid explorer looking to shake those "Afro-Beat Blues."
May 2, 2008
Initiating Your Happiness
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may be eager for social contact today and want to gather with loved ones. If you wait for others to take the lead in planning social activities, however, you may be disappointed. You can satisfy your needs by letting your desire to have a good time motivate you to organize an entertaining outing or get-together. If you’re unused to planning social activities, start small and invite a few people into your home for a meal. Once you see that you can make plans without waiting for others to take the lead, you may feel confident enough to organize larger, more involved activities. Taking the initiative in this area of your life today can inspire you to be more proactive in other areas.
Taking initiative can help you craft a life you love. Situations may arise in your personal or professional spheres when you want something that others are not prepared or equipped to give you. By taking the initiative, you give yourself what you want. When you do this, you are no longer bound by the constraints or mind-sets of others. You take responsibility for your satisfaction and can fulfill yourself without waiting for someone to do it for you. Taking the initiative reinforces your ability to make events and situations happen. By taking the initiative in your social life today, you’ll give yourself the kind of experiences you crave.
May 2, 2008
If Only
Locating The Underlying Cause
Often, when we’re unhappy, we fall into the habit of thinking that, if only one or two particular things in our life would change, everything would be fine. We might focus on the fact that we need a new car, or a raise, or a change in our living situation. We dwell on this one thing and strategize, or complain, or daydream about what it would be like to have it. Meanwhile, underneath the surface, the real reason for our unhappiness sits unrecognized and unaddressed. And yet, if we are able to locate and explore the underlying cause of our discontent, all the surface concerns have a way of working themselves out in the light of our realization.
Maybe we really do just need a new car, and maybe moving to another city would improve our life situation. However, it can only help to take some time to explore what’s going on at a deeper level. Sometimes, when we take a moment and stop focusing on external concerns, we get to the heart of the matter. We might realize that all our lives we’ve been dissatisfied, grasping at one thing after another, only to be dissatisfied about something else once we get what we want. Or perhaps we’ll notice a pattern of running away from a place, or a relationship, when things get too hard. We might then wonder why this keeps happening, and how we might work through the difficulty rather than just escaping it. The point is, slowing down and turning our attention within can save us a lot of energy in the long run, because it is very often the case that there is no external change that will make us happy.
Once you’ve taken the time to inquire within, you can begin to make changes that address the deeper issue. This can be hard at first, especially if you’ve grown used to grasping for outside sources in order to quell your discontent, but in the end, you will be solving the problem at a deeper level, and it will be much less likely to recur.
May 2, 2008
Aromatherapy Body Patches, Mother's Blessing, Van Gogh Blues
Gift of the Week
Aromatherapy Body Patches - These Aromatherapy Body Patches bring you the benefits of ancient botanical healing traditions discreetly and conveniently. Easy to use, with no oily residue, essential oil patches create a personal aromatherapy experience. Take hold of your health, open your mind to fragrance, and restore balance every day.
View Aromatherapy Patches
Mother's Blessing (CD) - Snatam Kaur is a singer and violinist in the tradition of Sikh kirtan music and as her path is one devoted to love, what could be a better mother's day present than "Mother's Blessing," which she recorded with her mom, Prabhu Nam Kaur? A renowned teacher and musician of the ancient Sikh tradition, Prabhu Nam taught her daughter the ancient Sikh language Gurmukhi (and its musical language Gurbani) as a child, and growing up in a spiritual musical tradition has clearly had some positive results. The gentle, heartfelt music of "Mother's Blessing" expresses not only of the bonds between mother and daughter, but between past and future, the emerging and the receding, a cel! ebration of the eternal and unbreakable bond of love, one that lies beyond all duality and forms.
Listen to Sound Clips
The Van Gogh Blues (book) - The source of the creative person's depression is embedded in the creative process itself. Creative people often get depressed when they are unable to create or when their creative efforts fall short of their hopes. Even when they create successfully, they can get depressed due to a lingering sense that their work only temporarily disguises life's apparent meaninglessness. In order to counter this kind of depression, Maisel says creators must become meaning experts. They must engage in conversation with themselves about what is meaningful - and then work a plan to create that meaning. The Van Gogh Blues contains all of the information one needs to have this conversat! ion and create a personalized meaning plan and how to manage the anxieties of the creative process. Using examples from both the lives of famous creators and from the author's own creativity coaching practice, the author presents a step-by-step plan to help creative people handle their special type of depression and rediscover the reasons they are driven to create in the first place.
Read Excerpt
For more information visit DailyOM Gift Shop
Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years 1965-1975
Hugh Masekela
2005
Having scored with his 1968 instrumental, "Grazing in the Grass," and his blazing number at the Monterey Pop festival, Hugh Masekela was an in-demand producer who too often found himself turning out watered-down versions of the steamy Afro-fusion he longed to create. Chisa Records was Masekela's own small label, his chance to break out on his own, to create and market the spirited African-pop sound that would one day fall into the catch-all category of World Beat music. Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years, then, is a collection of unreleased tracks and B-sides from the label's heyday, and the stuff on display here ranges from rock-steady proto-acid jazz to buoyant African-pop, the wellspring from which would one day come Paul Simon's Graceland, and so many others.
The most energetic band here is the amazing Baranta, which rocks a steady Afro-pop vibe with a twin guitar effect-one doing a low-end wah-wah and the other in full fuzz mode. Vocalist Miatta Fahinbulleh belts out high-end African lyrics, soaring over a waterfall cascade chorus on the manic "Tepo," and there's an incredible fuzz freak-out guitar solo in the middle of "A Cheeka Laka Laka." During this last song, Fahinbulleh sings out in English for celebration of the unity between Africans and countercultural northerners: "The blackbird is calling for justice / The white bird is calling for peace." A muscle-heavy backing-vocal harmony mixes with chugging, spacey guitar to fuse the two spirits even more closely together.
The most instantly funky and irresistible track here, though, will likely be "Afro-Beat Blues," which features Masekela on horns and a nonstop, percolating soul-funk groove. The singing is low and half-spoken over crunchy guitar, drums, and a low and in-no-hurry heavy, throbbing bass that's so tight and sanctified no amount of police or rioting could stop it. Masekela's Chisa record imprint eventually folded up shop, but not before the 10-year run celebrated in high style on this worthy album. It's a must for students of the global beat, fans of Masekela, and any intrepid explorer looking to shake those "Afro-Beat Blues."
May 2, 2008
Initiating Your Happiness
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may be eager for social contact today and want to gather with loved ones. If you wait for others to take the lead in planning social activities, however, you may be disappointed. You can satisfy your needs by letting your desire to have a good time motivate you to organize an entertaining outing or get-together. If you’re unused to planning social activities, start small and invite a few people into your home for a meal. Once you see that you can make plans without waiting for others to take the lead, you may feel confident enough to organize larger, more involved activities. Taking the initiative in this area of your life today can inspire you to be more proactive in other areas.
Taking initiative can help you craft a life you love. Situations may arise in your personal or professional spheres when you want something that others are not prepared or equipped to give you. By taking the initiative, you give yourself what you want. When you do this, you are no longer bound by the constraints or mind-sets of others. You take responsibility for your satisfaction and can fulfill yourself without waiting for someone to do it for you. Taking the initiative reinforces your ability to make events and situations happen. By taking the initiative in your social life today, you’ll give yourself the kind of experiences you crave.
May 2, 2008
If Only
Locating The Underlying Cause
Often, when we’re unhappy, we fall into the habit of thinking that, if only one or two particular things in our life would change, everything would be fine. We might focus on the fact that we need a new car, or a raise, or a change in our living situation. We dwell on this one thing and strategize, or complain, or daydream about what it would be like to have it. Meanwhile, underneath the surface, the real reason for our unhappiness sits unrecognized and unaddressed. And yet, if we are able to locate and explore the underlying cause of our discontent, all the surface concerns have a way of working themselves out in the light of our realization.
Maybe we really do just need a new car, and maybe moving to another city would improve our life situation. However, it can only help to take some time to explore what’s going on at a deeper level. Sometimes, when we take a moment and stop focusing on external concerns, we get to the heart of the matter. We might realize that all our lives we’ve been dissatisfied, grasping at one thing after another, only to be dissatisfied about something else once we get what we want. Or perhaps we’ll notice a pattern of running away from a place, or a relationship, when things get too hard. We might then wonder why this keeps happening, and how we might work through the difficulty rather than just escaping it. The point is, slowing down and turning our attention within can save us a lot of energy in the long run, because it is very often the case that there is no external change that will make us happy.
Once you’ve taken the time to inquire within, you can begin to make changes that address the deeper issue. This can be hard at first, especially if you’ve grown used to grasping for outside sources in order to quell your discontent, but in the end, you will be solving the problem at a deeper level, and it will be much less likely to recur.
May 2, 2008
Aromatherapy Body Patches, Mother's Blessing, Van Gogh Blues
Gift of the Week
Aromatherapy Body Patches - These Aromatherapy Body Patches bring you the benefits of ancient botanical healing traditions discreetly and conveniently. Easy to use, with no oily residue, essential oil patches create a personal aromatherapy experience. Take hold of your health, open your mind to fragrance, and restore balance every day.
View Aromatherapy Patches
Mother's Blessing (CD) - Snatam Kaur is a singer and violinist in the tradition of Sikh kirtan music and as her path is one devoted to love, what could be a better mother's day present than "Mother's Blessing," which she recorded with her mom, Prabhu Nam Kaur? A renowned teacher and musician of the ancient Sikh tradition, Prabhu Nam taught her daughter the ancient Sikh language Gurmukhi (and its musical language Gurbani) as a child, and growing up in a spiritual musical tradition has clearly had some positive results. The gentle, heartfelt music of "Mother's Blessing" expresses not only of the bonds between mother and daughter, but between past and future, the emerging and the receding, a cel! ebration of the eternal and unbreakable bond of love, one that lies beyond all duality and forms.
Listen to Sound Clips
The Van Gogh Blues (book) - The source of the creative person's depression is embedded in the creative process itself. Creative people often get depressed when they are unable to create or when their creative efforts fall short of their hopes. Even when they create successfully, they can get depressed due to a lingering sense that their work only temporarily disguises life's apparent meaninglessness. In order to counter this kind of depression, Maisel says creators must become meaning experts. They must engage in conversation with themselves about what is meaningful - and then work a plan to create that meaning. The Van Gogh Blues contains all of the information one needs to have this conversat! ion and create a personalized meaning plan and how to manage the anxieties of the creative process. Using examples from both the lives of famous creators and from the author's own creativity coaching practice, the author presents a step-by-step plan to help creative people handle their special type of depression and rediscover the reasons they are driven to create in the first place.
Read Excerpt
For more information visit DailyOM Gift Shop