We watch as the world’s fate is decided at Glasgow. Will we find a pathway to a survivable future?
I claim no special expertise in these matters. I know enough science to trust scientists in general, and enough about data to tell the difference between an honest and a misleading graph. I’m a musician, not a climatologist.
Are you following the Conference? Perhaps the endless minutiae of policy negotiations and the deadly consequences of a few decimal points here or there are wearing you down.
Allow me to offer you a place of repose.
Register at Music4ClimateJustice to get a little balm for your soul, while reminding yourself of the things that make our dear beloved stupid human species worth saving in the first place.
Let’s think about what we want to save.
What we need to save if we are to think of ourselves as worth saving at all.
Music 4 Climate Justice is offering almost five hours of music every day between now and the end of COP-26, streaming pre-recorded music videos from Glasgow. There is music from all over, in hundreds of different styles, countless countries and languages.
I’ve been working on assembling this extraordinary musical menu for...well, for years.
Every musician in our program has words for the policy-makers, for the politicians, for the world: Climate Change Is Real, It’s Dangerous, Action Is Long Past Due.
Take 90 seconds to get a taste of what’s coming in the next 8 days.
Here is today’s musical program (all times are GMT — make adjustments for your own time zone):
Day Two — November 6, 2021
Segment 1: 7 - 7:30 PM GMT
Duangpon “Pui” Pongphasuk —
A singer from Bangkok who combines traditional Thai repertoire with jazz and rock touches, singing in an exquisitely pure soprano.
Maria Ferrante —
This superb Western classical singer from Massachusetts performs Amy Beach’s “I Send My Heart Up To Thee,” with text by Robert Browning.
Jennifer Greer —
Singer-songwriter from Oakland, California, presenting her song “Woodsy.”
Zion Dyson —
Fine young jazz singer from San Diego, presenting her original, “B-E-N-N-Y.”
Segment 2: 7:30-7:45 PM GMT
“Curt Newton — (b. 1963) coaxes whispers from drumsets and swing from stacks of rattly stuff, weaving varied musical traditions together in the spirit of serious playfulness. Over the past three decades he's performed across the U.S., Canada and Europe and recorded over 30 CDs with some of contemporary music's leading figures including Ken Vandermark, Joe Morris, Nate McBride, Pandelis Karayorgis, Jorrit Dijkstra, Eric Hofbauer, Charlie Kohlhase, Steve Norton, and Dave Bryant. Curt studied privately with Bob Gullotti and has a Master's degree in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory.
Curt is also a climate change community builder and activist.”
Ko Omura —
This fine Japanese jazz drummer leads a trio, who present their elegant piece, “Ebb and Flow.”
Segment 3: 7:45 - 8:00 GMT
Songs and music by, for, and with children:
Jeremy Shanok
Segment 4: 8:00 - 8:30 GMT
Roomful of Teeth —
“Grammy-winning vocal band dedicated to reimagining the expressive potential of the human voice. By engaging collaboratively with artists, thinkers, and community leaders from around the world, we seek to uplift and amplify voices old and new while creating and performing meaningful and adventurous music.”
Aparna Sindhoor —
“Collaboratively created by Sindhoor and Natyaveda, Navarasa’s choreography is grounded in traditional Indian dance, but reaches outward. They incorporate modern dance, Indian martial arts, aerial dance, Bollywood’s pop influences — all with an eye for originality and a skillful use of space,sending dancers into eye-catching floor patterns. Embedded are compelling dances: an acrobatic solo up and down a roughly 10-foot-tall wooden column,a sensuous, serpentine duet, a fighting dance with the clash of wooden canes. The most engaging dances are the rhythmic group dances, slaps,and claps complementing the stomps of ultra-flexed feet and high kicks that smack against outstretched hands.” — Boston Globe, Sep, 2010 —
Vinita Agarwal —
“Author of four books of poetry - Two Full Moons, Silk of Hunger , The Longest Pleasure and Words Not Spoken, Vinita is an award winning poet and editor. In 2020, she edited an anthology on climate change titled Open Your Eyes (Hawakal).”
Rebecca Sacks — “..is a Boston-based composer. Her compositions have been performed throughout the United States, France and Spain. Rebecca's solo piano piece for Thomas Stumpf is included on his 2017 CD with Albany Records entitled "Reflections on Time and Mortality." Fanfare Magazine describes this work as “almost a single line that weaves over a wide range, and suggests a dream of jazz.” Rebecca received an MFA in composition and theory from Brandeis University, and she graduated from Tufts University with a BA in Music.”
Chandana Bala Kalyan —
“Chandana is among the few Indian artists to re-interpret classic Jazz through Carnatic vocals. Her interpretation of the cover of “Take Five” is trending at 2 million plus views on Facebook. Her improvisation on Donna Lee, My Funny Valentine and the experimentation of “the blues led by the circle of fifths” fetched her appreciation and accolades from all over the world.”
Segment 5: 8:30 - 9:00 GMT
Jaanika Peerna — "Jaanika Peerna is an Estonian-born artist and educator living and working in New York since 1998. Her work encompasses drawing, installation, and performance, often dealing with the theme of transitions in light, air, water and other natural phenomena. For her performances she often involves the audience in participatory reflection on the current climate meltdown. Her art practice stems from the corporeal experience of our existence and reaches towards enhanced awareness of the fragility, interconnectedness and wonder of all life.”
Segment 6: 9:00 - 9:30 GMT
Henry Kaiser —
is a guitarist, record producer, ethnomusicologist, composer...and a research diver in Antarctica. In this segment he plays his own music to accompany astonishingly beautiful video from UNDER THE ANTARCTIC ICE. Don’t miss this.
Segment 7: 9:30 - 10:00 GMT
Terje Isungset — An interview with music. Isungset is a brilliant percussionist and composer who makes his musical instruments from ice. Did you know that human-made ice doesn’t ring, but glacial ice does? This is seriously amazing and exquisite music.
Segment 8: 10:00 - 10:30 GMT
Drums, percussion, drums, drums, and more drums.
This segment showcases a variety of Ghanaian drumming styles, a Shona mbira ensemble, a Carnatic mridangam virtuoso, several tabla players, some drumset mastery, and a taste of snare drum. For all rhythm fans!
Kopeiya Brothers (Ghana)
Dzapasi Mbira Group (Zimbabwe)
Stephen Kwashi Azewude (Ghana)
Segment 9: 10:30 - 10:45 GMT
Lahab Assaf Al-Jundi — “
San-Antonio based poet Lahab Assef al-Jundi is the son of acclaimed Syrian poet Ali al-Jundi. The younger Al-Jundi writes poetry, mainly in English, that transcends ethnic themes to address issues of universal significance. Both political and personal, his richly evocative poems reveal a refined consciousness, a keen perceptiveness, and a serious engagement with humane concerns. While widely published, Al-Jundi’s Arab- American presence was particularly voiced through the ground-breaking anthology “Inclined to Speak,” edited by Hayan Charara (2008).”
Antonio Celso Ribeiro —
“Antonio Celso Ribeiro was born in Pouso Alegre, MG. Since 2013 he is living in Vitória, ES, where he is Adjunct Professor – Chair of Composition at Music Department of Federal University of Espírito Santo – UFES. Ribeiro obtained his B.M. in Composition at the Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Music in 1993. Later he pursued his Master Degree in Linguistics at Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí – Pouso Alegre – MG and after he completed his Ph.D in Composition at Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Music.”
This innovative Brazilian composer gives us a remarkable meditation with his piece, “Regret.”
Segment 10: 10:45 - 11:00 GMT
Sandra Theodorou —
“Sandy (Matoula) Theodorou is a vocalist, accordion, and laouto player who specializes in traditional Greek regional music and Greek urban rebetika. She is a core member of the bands REVMA (traditional, regional Greek music), REBETOPAREA (Rebetika: Greek urban blues), and OINOS (laika of the 50s and 60s and the compositions of Makis Emmanoulides). She performed with the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon and served as chairperson of their Traditional Greek Music Department. She was born in Pireas, and musically inspired by her family roots in Epiros and Kefalonia.”
Anupam Shobhakar —
“Anupam Shobhakar, is an Indian musician, composer, instrumentalist, record producer, and classically trained sarodist currently living in Brooklyn, New York. He has released three World Fusion albums, and one classical Indian music album.“ In this program, he plays electric guitar in an Indian classical style, rendering Megh, the rain raga.
Segment 11: 11:00 - 11:45 GMT
Excerpts from “The Storm King”
Please join us.
You can stream the music all day today, starting whenever you like; the full program is almost five hours.
Register at M4CJ to connect and learn more.
Music won’t save the world by itself...but we won’t save the world without it.
Peace Out,
WarrenS