It is the art of living right? That is what is important. Most of my life is 
also spent doing creative things alone, I relate to that too. Any performance 
is the tip of the iceberg of our creative lives. 

Yes, I  understand the issues you have with the word "art" over the last 2,245 
posts where you have made this point. We seem to see the word differently, have 
you noticed this? I'm good. You?
 

---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote :

 Very nice story about moving people Curtis, that's a rare talent not many have 
and I admire you for that. Doing creative stuff is about moving others, one way 
or the other. Personally I'm more happy if people just go some where else and 
let me do my creative thingies alone, I'll invite them in when later. 
 I never had any doubts about your communicative skills, it's when you claim 
it's "art" you tend to exaggerate.

 

---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <curtisdeltablues@...> wrote :

 --In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote :
 
 "Selling your musical taste as more than that isn't gunna get any traction 
from my fans here."
 So, you have fans here now ?  We know this place is populated by some pretty 
weird souls but who would have guessed they are your fans !
 

 M: Here in the world where people book my show which was the original context 
before you clipped it out to do your internet troll thing.
 

 I've been indulgent of your reaching out and being shitty to a stranger on the 
internet because it has given me a chance to reflect on my career. You are 
showing up as you and I am showing up as me here.
 

 Last night at my show I put percussion instruments into people's hands,many of 
whom had never played instruments, and certainly never at a public show. I set 
up a rhythm for them from Cameroon, straight  8s, sort of fast like they do in 
the villages there. Some people played claves, (African and Cuban), one played 
an amazing instrument from the Gnowa people called a krakeb which are huge 
metal castanets meant to symbolize how these people were brought as slaves from 
other parts of Africa to Morocco in slave's chains. Some played traditional 
bones which they were trying to figure out as they played,clicking to the 
simple accessible rhythm. One played the Agogo metal bell from a place in 
Africa where such a simple instrument can choreograph the movements of hundreds 
of people at a time, cutting through even the drums in syncopated messages for 
their feet and hips.  

 

 I played a number of instruments over this community of rhythm.One was a Mvet 
from Cameroon, a 4 stringed lute favored by pigmies as well as the story-teller 
shamans in Guinea, a beautiful odd instrument amplified by large gourds on a 4 
foot stick of bamboo. I played an African gourd banjo in the style of one of 
the last traditional black banjo players in Virgina and sang his song 
Roustabout. For a moment, in that urban wine bar, the barriers between audience 
and performer fell away as they always do in all traditional African 
performances. People who felt they had no rhythm or musical talent discovered 
that they had just had a string of shitty music teacher who had put up a wall 
between them and their human birthright. Strangers who would not give each 
other eye contact on the Metro were checking with each other without words, to 
make sure they were rhythmically in synch. 

 

 Picking up a Brazilian berimbau, one of our planets most primitive but 
compelling instruments, derived from hunting bows played around the campfire of 
hunters and gatherers in our distant past, I sang the song I felt fit best, 
John Lee Hooker's "I'm in the Mood."
 

 When the audience left last night some people came up and hugged me. I could 
see in their eyes that this was as a special night for them as it was for me. 
They had experienced their musical selves, without judgement, and it made them 
feel wonderful.
 

 So please continue, Nabbie, what was it you wanted to say.







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