Described by the Huffington Post as “an evolutionary force in contemporary Middle Eastern music”, Niyaz first stepped onto the world stage in 2005 with their infectious self-titled debut album appearing at #1 on iTunes. Critics declared the album to be one of the most ground breaking of its time. A worldwide tour followed and quickly established Niyaz as a stand out ensemble in a very crowded world music field. By seamlessly blending medieval Sufi poetry and folk songs from their native Iran and its surrounding countries in the Persian and Arabian Gulf, with rich acoustic instrumentation and modern electronics, Niyaz has created a 21st century global trance tradition and proven to be a group with a distinctive voice of their own, amply deserving of the success they have garnered worldwide.
Today with three best selling and critically acclaimed albums released on Six Degrees Records, all of which have debuted at #1 on iTunes and garnered the band an incredible amount of media attention including features on BBC, NPR and PRI, Niyaz continues to tour internationally and build on its impressive and loyal fan base. Since 2005 Niyaz has performed in the United States, Canada, France, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, India, Dubai, Mexico, Slovenia, Italy, Portugal, UK, Croatia, Tunisia, and Austria. Their music has also been featured in several major film and television scores, which include, True Blood, Nip Tuck and Crossing Over.
Founded in 2004 by Montreal based Iranian vocalist /composer Azam Ali, whose unmistakable voice has graced numerous recordings and major film scores, Montreal based Iranian multi-instrumentalist/ composer Loga Ramin Torkian, and two time Grammy nominee American producer/ re-mixer Carmen Rizzo, Niyaz which means “yearning”, was established as a platform to create social and political awareness through music rooted in, yet not limited by tradition. Music which does not just cross cultural and stylistic boundaries, but the centuries as well. With each album, Niyaz continues to explore the music of regions around Azam and Loga’s native Iran, to shed light onto the plight of immigrants as well as minority ethnic and religious groups who struggle to maintain their identities. The music and message of Niyaz takes the listener on a philosophical quest into the human depths. It is a journey filled with a message of hope against injustice and oppression, a universal tribute to beauty, cultural and spiritual diversity, freedom and dignity for all.
Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and one of the most respected voices in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality. She is the author or coauthor of twelve books, including the classics The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her latest fiction book is City of Refuge, the long-awaited sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her most recent nonfiction publication is The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups.
Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism.
Her works have been translated into Spanish, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Greek, Japanese, and Burmese. Her essays are reprinted across the world, and have been included in numerous anthologies. Starhawk’s writing is influential and has been quoted by hundreds of other authors, turning up in magazines, trade and academic press, and even inspirational calendars. Her books are often found in college curriculums. The Spiral Dance has been continuously in-print for thirty years and revised twice; in 1999 HarperSanFrancisco published the Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery won the Media Alliance Meritorious Achievement Award for nonfiction in 1988. Starhawk’s first novel, The Fifth Sacred Thing, won the Lambda award for best Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction in 1994. Many of Starhawk’s best political essays—credited with helping the global justice movement find and define itself—were collected into her book Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising. At the Book Expo America, Webs of Power won a 2003 Nautilus Award from the trade association NAPRA. Her first picture book for children, The Last Wild Witch, won a silver Nautilus from NAPRA in 2010.
Starhawk is perhaps best known as an articulate pioneer in the revival of earth-based spirituality and Goddess religion. She is a cofounder of Reclaiming, an activist branch of modern Pagan religion, and continues to work closely with the Reclaiming community (www.reclaiming.org). Her archives are maintained at the Graduate Theological Union library in Berkeley, California.
In the late ’80s she consulted on and co-wrote the popular trio of films known as the Women’s Spiritualityseries, directed by Donna Read for the National Film Board of Canada: Goddess Remembered, The Burning Times, and Full Circle. The trilogy was in the top ten of sales and rentals for the Film Board for over a decade. Starhawk and Donna Read formed their own film company, Belili Productions (http://belili.org), to make documentaries on women and the earth. Their first release is Signs Out of Time (2004), a documentary on the life of archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, the scholar who made major discoveries about the Goddess cultures of Old Europe. Starhawk and Donna’s second documentary, Permaculture: The Growing Edge, came out in 2010. Starhawk has also made several short documentaries which can be found on YouTube: “The Spiral Dance Ritual,” “Reclaiming’s Spiral Dance: Three Decades of Magic,” “Permaculture in the City,” and “Permaculture Principles at Work.”
Starhawk is a veteran of progressive movements, from anti-war to anti-nukes, and is deeply committed to bringing the techniques and creative power of spirituality to political activism.
She is a founder of Earth Activist Trainings (EAT): intensive seminars that combine permaculture design, political organizing, and earth-based spirituality (www.earthactivisttraining.org). Together with Penny Livingston-Stark, Erik Ohlsen, and others, she co-teaches EAT courses in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. With over ten years of experience in permaculture design and teaching, she has pioneered the application of permaculture principles to social organizations, policy and strategy. Since its first course in May of 2001, Earth Activist Trainings has graduated over 600 students who now shepherd projects that range from community power-down strategies in Iowa City to water catchment programs in Bolivia, from inner city gardens in San Francisco to women’s programs in the West Bank of Palestine. Starhawk’s own expertise is in the communication of ecological systems thinking through images, writing, and innovative teaching techniques.
Starhawk has recorded several tapes and CDs; most recently “Wicca for Beginners” (2002), “Wiccan Rituals and Blessings” (2003), and a four-CD set “Earth Magic” (2006), all produced by Sounds True. A songwriter on occasion, quite a few of her songs and chants turn up in rituals across the globe; they are included in songbooks and hymnals, covered by other artists, and recorded by the Reclaiming musical community.
She holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from U.C.L.A. In 1973, as a graduate student in Film at U.C.L.A, Starhawk won the prestigous Samuel Goldwyn Creative Writing Award. She received an M.A. in psychology with a concentration in feminist therapy from Antioch University West in 1982. She has taught in several Bay Area colleges and universities, including John F. Kennedy University, Antioch West, the Institute of Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names College, and Wisdom University. She is presently adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Starhawk travels internationally teaching magic, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism. She lives part-time San Francisco, in a collective house with her partner and friends, and part-time in a little hut in the woods in western Sonoma County, California, where she practices permaculture in her extensive gardens, and writes.
Starhawk was born on June 17, 1951.
For a list of her books and events please see www.Starhawk.org
Charles Neville “Horn Man” of the Legendary Neville Brothers and Youssoupha Sidibe, West African Kora Master, join together bridging Senegalese and New Orleans’ sound to make something that has never been heard before!
Brenda McMorrow and John de Kadt create a powerful and ecstatic Kirtan experience of song and sound, featuring Brenda’s exquisite voice and folk-inspired guitar and John’s mesmerizing percussion and spoken word. Their music and mystic poetry, along with the sublime steel Hang (pronounced “hung”), take us on a stirring, nourishing and heart opening journey into the world of sacred sound.
Brenda McMorrow
Devotional Chant Artist Brenda McMorrow travels worldwide sharing her deep devotion to the celebration of our true beings through the joyous practice of Kirtan. She has accompanied Grammy Award winning cellist David Darling and Kirtan musicians such as Jai Uttal, Wah!, David Newman and Dave Stringer and has been invited to Bhakti Yoga Festivals and events across North America, Europe and Asia as part of her most recent touring schedule. When not on the Bhakti road, Brenda calls beautiful Guelph, Ontario, Canada home.www.brendamcmorrow.com
Brenda’s Sri Ma Video with David Darling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMciImScvoo
John de Kadt
John de Kadt is a percussionist, storyteller and poet from the United States. He has studied and played ethnic hand percussive instruments for over 30 years, studied with percussion masters around the world, and has performed on PBS and NBC. John tours internationally and plays at Yoga festivals, retreats and events across the globe. He is a founding member of the Hanumen and has released 4 CD’s and is highly sought after for his unique blending of drums,mystic poetry and myth.www.johndekadt.com.
Coming from the mossy forests of the Northern Lands on the west coast of Elven Country, Kaminanda’s ever evolving sound is a playground of original deep Midtempo grooves, tribal rhythms, creative trip hop,complex Dub and lush downtempo textures. Playing live sets with guitar, keyboards, flutes, melodica, and vocals,Kaminanda’s music is designed to take the listener/dancer on a journey traversing diverse landscapes reflecting the evolution of our collective consciousness….Having shared his creations at electronic music festivals such as Entheos, Shambhala, Symbiosis,Beloved,Rootwire,LIB,Burning Man and Earthdance,as well as international festivals Envision,Boom and Eclipse Australia. Kaminanda’s ever evolving sound is a kaleidoscope of warm melodies and twisting ,winding compositions. With a freshly released sophomore album Kaminanda showcases the evolution of his ideas and style… You can Listen and Buy that album here http://kaminanda.bandcamp.com/ . He has shared the stage with Bluetech,Gaudi,Tipper,Ott,Bird of Prey and Kalya Scintilla. ,Kaminanda is excited to share this adventure with you…
“It’s as if Freddie Mercury, David Byrne, an early David Bowie, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Cure’s Robert Smith had gotten together and had a baby. He (Morgan Sorne) is an enigma, chanting like an ancient tribesman, stomping like he’s dancing for rain, and whirling like a helicopter, while his voice scales the ranges of the mesmerizing and hypnotic, to almost unnaturally Edith Piaf high notes.” -Stephen Macmillan Moser of Austin Chronicle
SORNE sounds of the future gawking at you with a gaping mouth, fearlessly and enveloped in mysticism. They will make you lose your mind. – Red River Noise
A wonderful brand of twisted, deeply textured abstract pop. Sonically and conceptually it reaches beyond genre definition. – Bowlegs Music
Nonconformist in nature, brilliant in execution. This is absolutely phenomenal in every sense of the word. Music cannot get more unique and authentic as this.– Sputnik Music
A conceptual, wide screen epic that unfolds in shivering awe. – Doug Freeman of the Austin Chronicle
Echoes of Tv on the Radio’s ghostly pop. – San Francisco’s Bold Italic
Sounds like Anthony and the Johnsons inhabiting the more esoteric realms of the Mars Volta. – Austin Powell of the Austin Chronicle
Somewhere in the same realm as Yeasayer’s psychedelic pop. – Austin 360
I definitely recommend going to the show and witnessing the otherworldly artistic performance for yourself. – OVRLD
Theatrical creativity at its finest. This one deserves your complete attention. – Austin Music Weekly
Jamie Janover is recognized as a true innovator. His considerable creative output includes: being a master of the ancient percussion stringed instrument called the hammered dulcimer, inventing and performing on an instrument he calls the “mini-kit” (a miniature amplified drum kit), playing pyrocussion (fire drums) and creating the RealmsMobile (a recumbent tricycle with the mini-kit attached, enabling him to ride and play drums simultaneously).
By combining recent innovations in modern technology with the wisdom of ancient instruments, Janover achieves a balance between the electronic and the acoustic to create a unified field: music reflective of the nature of modern times.
For many years Janover has maintained a rigorous international touring schedule with several acts including: PRAANG (w/ EOTO & Steve Kimock), ZILLA (w/ Michael Travis from SCI and VibeSquaD), LYNX & Janover and the Everyone Orchestra (w/ a revolving lineup). Jamie is also a veteran of hundreds of collaborations and guest appearances, having performed on stage with artists including Phish, Bela Fleck, The String Cheese Incident, G. Love & Special Sauce, Umphrey’s McGee, Keller Williams, Beats Antique, Stanley Jordan and many others.
In the past 2 years alone Janover has performed at over 50 festivals in countries as diverse as Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Australia, Indonesia, Canada & the USA and is currently touring solo, performing electroacoustic live PA set style shows using his unique live rig which includes hammered dulcimer, laptop computer, mini-kit, sampler, sitar, electric kalimba, midi controllers and percussion.
When not playing music, you can find Janover connecting dots around the world in his extensive travels and collaborations in multiple creative realms including creating stunning images as a professional photographer and making sculpture works using natural found objects. Janover’s life-long interest in the true nature of reality and the universe brought him to become an official emissary for scientist Nassim Haramein of the Resonance Project, delivering fascinating presentations on the physics of unified field theory.
Grammy award winner Chris Berry is an eclectic singer and songwriter, multi-instrumentalist virtuoso, and high-energy performer and teacher. From his humble beginning during Robert Mugabe’s regime in Zimbabwe, he has blasted his powerful Afro-infused sound around the World for over twenty years; rocking audiences from NYC’s Irving Plaza to sold out stadiums in South Africa and Sydney Australia’s famous Opera House. He has released over a dozen albums; scored the soundtrack for three films; and has been collaborating and performing with some of the World’s best performers like Eminem, Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Senegalese Afro-Pop sensation Yousoou N’dour, Cuban Legends Los Munequitos de Mantanzas, Jazz artist Paul Winter, Jamaican rhythm and production duo Sly (Dunbar) and Robbie (Shakespeare), Fugee’s producer Handel Tucker, and many more.
Chris was born and raised in California where he began his apprenticeship with Master Drummer Titos Sompa (one of the founders of the African drum and dance scene on the West Cost of the U.S.) as a fifteen year old boy. This relationship led him into a ten year journey to Africa. Eight of these years were spent in Zimbabwe during the Mugabe Regime. During this tumultuous political period, Chris found himself living in the ghettos and villages of Zimbabwe where he sought to study the music of the Shona people, adding to his growing repertoire of Traditional African Music. He became initiated by the village elders into their heritage, mastered the Mbira, and learned to speak their language fluently. Immersed in the culture of all-night Mbira Ceremonies, Chris found his voice singing among the polyrhythmic harmonies commonly found throughout Zimbabwe and most of South Africa. It was soon after that his musical career took off. Encouraged by his teachers to create his own compositions, he formed the band Panjea which fused Funk with elements of Hip-Hop, Afro-Pop, and traditional African music. The band quickly had No. 1 hits on the radio, toured all over Africa, and reached Platinum Record Sales on an album they recorded with Zimbabwean-based Gramma Records. As Chris Berry and Panjea’s popularity rapidly grew, Chris was warned to leave Zimbabwe due to his lyrical opposition to the oppressing government, and instructions from his teachers to take his music out to the world, but it wasn’t until four of Panjea’s band members succumbed to AIDS and attempts were made on his own life that Chris left Zimbabwe.
From there, Chris has toured extensively around the globe including North and Central America, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Asia, and Africa as a frontman and bandleader. He performed the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia; co-wrote for Paul Winter’s Grammy Award Winning 2009 “Winter Solstice” album; taught music and culture as a guest faculty member at Oberlin and Berklee Colleges of Music, University of Colorado Boulder, Williams College and Stanford University and his own Panjea Foundation for Cultural Education; and has headlined in major Music Festivals around the World.
In the last few years Chris has collaborated with Steve Kimock, members of the Brazilian Girls, Baaba Maal, Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mutukudzi, Manu Dibango, Xavier Rudd, String Cheese Incident and spent six months working and recording with the Central African Republic Pygmies to score the soundtrack for the film “Oka!”
Based out of Brooklyn, NY and Hawaii, he is now collaborating with Maverick label Kanaga System Krush with whom he is releasing his newest album, “King Of Me”. On this latest project, Chris breaks through to a whole new level expanding the Mbira’s tonal range and electrifying the instrument through a special bass and guitar rig; singing and simultaneously playing bass, rhythm and melodies over Ivorian powerhouse, Abou Diarrassouba on drum set.
Drawing on varying influences both musical and spiritual, Incus stands beyond simple definition in its musicality and style.
During the last many years, Incus toured countless miles, making music at various festivals including Envision Festival, Burning Man, Unifier Festival, DiscJam, PermaJam, Zen Awakening, Devotionfest, Gratifly Festival, Boston Green Fest, 3DL, Firedance, and at various venues in the US and in Central America.
An Incus performance is a gathering of people who come together to live and breathe the fullness of being alive. With the ability to get crowds sweating in their dance and singing from their hearts, the band is equally at home onstage, plugged in or acoustic, in cathedrals with choirs, or at festivals around the country. They have gained appreciative followings from these diverse settings.
Jason Cohen, the visionary force of the band, has been producing powerful healing and expressive arts gatherings with a focus on reverence for nature, and inspiring people through creativity, for many years. He is a big part of an exciting Land project in Massachusetts, is the Director of a 501c3 “The HeARTbeat Collective”, and curates New England’s premier Summer Solstice event, Unifier Festival. Jason is also known for his work producing 34 Forestdance gatherings, which have taken place in 7 US states and 12 times in Costa Rica.
Incus has 3 studio albums and 1 live album recorded at Alex Grey’s COSM. Their latest full length release is entitled “Reconciliation”.
Incus weaves together and honors Land, Ceremony, Culture Creation, Ecstatic Experience, Creativity and Community, and acts as an inspiring carrier of the wisdom and song of this work.
Jason Cohen: vocals and keys Debo Ray: vocals & percussion Esperanza Yennie: vocals & percussion Brian Wolverton: Surbarhar Thomas Matherly: Bass Jed Blume: tablas and percussion
ENCHANTED takes you to a dream dimension filled with otherworldly creatures, weaving spectacles through fire and light. This Brooklyn-based crew mesmerizes with their fusion of intricate prop choreography and dance. This year at Unifier, Enchanted will be fire dancing alongside the musical acts at night, as well as stiltwalking as various characters during the day!
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