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Bibliotheque

December 2011 ... World Aids Day 01.12.11.   Lets start with the Astrology.... www.planetwaves.net

"Your rational ideas may be coming into conflict with things that you take for granted or on faith. If you're in any conflict, I suggest you check where these two seemingly different levels of reality are trying to establish the truth of something, or vying for supremacy. This kind of tension can be uncomfortable, particularly if you find yourself questioning cherished beliefs that you don't want to let go of. It would be worth your time, however, asking yourself why you believe what you believe. It would be just as worthwhile to inquire whether your ideas about life stand up to the available facts, and for that matter, a few other facts that you are currently digging out. The good news is that baseless beliefs don't really provide you with any comfort, and the even better news is that facts don't always add up to the truth."

"Many factors have been pushing you to change your mind. I don't mean make a new decision about something, but rather understand your way of thinking and then revise key elements of your thought process. You do have a way of getting split down the middle; different points of view can have the same apparent value, when really that's not true. Over the next few weeks, you're likely to have experiences that point out this fact specifically: there was something you were missing, and you're going to get a good look at what that was. This comes with a clue. An issue you were stuck over, which seemed to be on the level of your mind, turns out to be about an emotional hang-up. By that I mean an attachment to the past of some kind, which was obscuring your view of the present. Once you get your emotions out of the way and can assess the situation from a mental or analytical point of view, you will suddenly see a distinction much more clearly, and understand the ways your attachments to how things were was blocking your perception of how things are. In short, the time has arrived for you to participate in a larger world, on adult terms, rather than a small world following the rules of a child. Look around and notice how many of your peers still live by the rules of the schoolyard, a condition you can no longer abide."

As always Eric Francis articulates the current manifestations of the shifting tectonic plates of consciousness, both in harmony and discord with our evolution. On a soul level, it is the food that we all need! Let me also recommend Judith Gale, who writes the "Political Waves" column at Planet Waves. The link button is scattered around Musicman 1. Her take on American Politics, social malaise, and the imminent need for community transformation is right on the button. She hits the target every time! As the Chinese reclaim their position as world economy number one, after 3-400 hundred years, Judith comments with unerring accuracy about just how far the American experience has fallen; and what it is going to take to get on up!!

The year has flown...the last month has seen the turbulence in our daily lives ratchet up and off of the scale...! Our lives are changing rapidly....and we are dealing with 21st century issues that are truly global. The famine in East Africa has started again ... although it has never truly gone away. The mismanagement of our economies in Europe is mirrored by the continuing unrest in N. America! The service of our communities is poor! The lack of investment in our futures over many years has finally caught up with us. The fleecing of world resources by small, greed motivated individuals and misguided politicians continues! Truth is a very powerful motivator! Death comes to us all! We all need one good fresh meal per day; access to fresh water; a reasonable housing program, and education for all! This exclusivity that is being built into the new world order is doomed to failure. Transparently, the people will not end up living in an age of refugee camps. We are challenged collectively to bring new energy and new ways of using resources to provide for the global family. When I see the manifestations of greed around West Africa ... learned so cruelly from colonial masters ... it is obvious that a lack of intelligence, a complete lack of understanding about what  life's purpose is,  and the emotional maturity of a bullied child,  are dominating factors at the heart of current difficulties. These are now surfacing in Europe and America! The chickens have well and truly come home to roost! We need to travel from "arrested development"... to arresting the decline ... and implementing "global development." Had Africa been manufacturing, producing, and playing a full role in global economic trade, this nonsense would not be occurring! People in public office should not be allowed to access the distribution of resources, or indeed have any influence on the judiciary. The heart of Democracy must and will survive; a clear distinction between the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature! The blurring of these lines, in favour of Marketing, Branding and Impact has caused the serious problems that we face today! It is going to be a long march to put right!

Now for the music. Tamikrest, seriously influenced by Tinariwen, are featured this month! Mali is, and has been the heart of Sub-Sahara African trading for  many centuries! The young pretenders have come of age.

They are featured at Video Views ... and are now in the Malian Archive ... Video Archive

The MP3 free download for those who can see clearly now...check it out Here ..

Have yourselves a wonderful celebration ... as we approach 2012. Thankyou for all your e-mails. We shall continue to reply as always. If I miss one, send it again. Thankyou ...  to all who have got involved with us, your community, and of course with the music!

Abaraka!!

November 2011 ... It is truly beginning. The 99% of the World Population surge of consciousness-raising that Uranus-Pluto aspects have brought to every century for which we have records!  It is the Pen, the Internet, and the right to say "No...enough is enough" that will bring success. No guns, no weapons, and no wars. One phrase springs to mind that I have heard over and over again these last few months. "Killing another human being really is a non-human act!" We have to re-programme our sensual mechanisms to reverse the de-humanisation of the human race that the last 2000 plus years of genocide have brought. The last quarter Pluto-Uranus square in 1932-33 was the time of Hitler's insertion into the seat of power in Germany. The 1960's Pluto-Uranus conjunction can rightly be seen as the end of that era. Completion...! A New Era Begins! The  conjunction brought out that "hippie" vibe. In Virgo, electric impulsiveness and transformation  found their way into everything from flowers in your hair to the genesis of the "Green" movement!  Let us share out the wealth. Let us re-distribute the resources on the basis of "I need"... instead of "I want." This first quarter square is akin to a rather tragic school report. How have we implemented the ideas that were born of the conjunction era? I have to say that Neptune moving outside, and then back inside Pluto's orbit for most of the last 40 years has created an illusion of immortality for the rich 1% of the Plutocracy. The 3 Billion planetary people of 1960 is now 7 Billion. We need a plan that begins with food. A baby dies in Africa ... every 7 seconds ... because of a lack of fresh water.

Youssou N'Dour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqCpjFMvz-k 

The reality check that is now occurring at the time of the Pluto-Uranus first quarter square will ... and must ... lead to the road to Socialism We are...to parrot phrase Herman Cain ... and his Whistle-blowing Pizza Party..."Back On Message!"  The gradual ... and compulsive ... shift to the right in America is slowly descending into farce, as the Zionists, in the form of Rahm Emmanuel,  have orchestrated the rise of Barak Obama in Chicago! Left or Right...we don't need to enlarge the world's biggest killing machine, the world's most inadequate defence organisation, or the world's worst financial disaster that industrial demographics has ever seen. Let me draw your attention to an article in the Bibliotheque called "The Left, The Right ... and The Wrong!" I am currently collating a series of articles on the relationship between Zionism and Social Revolutions. History can teach us plenty. Watch this space!

This months Astrology from www.planetwaves.net 

"This month, Mars enters Virgo, where it will be for about nine months. This involves Mars retrograde, which is a long process -- but this is especially long for Mars to stay in one sign. This is an extended opportunity to rethink three things: one is your idea of work. Next is your idea of your health. Last is your idea of well being. You may be filled with the inspiration to start fixing your life, and embarking on every conceivable self-improvement plan. I suggest you start with evaluating how you evaluate things. Your mind tends to be impetuous and you have a way of snapping to judgments, then sorting out whether you were right or wrong the next day or the next week. Even then, you're trying to apply some logic, and the time has arrived to figure out just what that logic is. By that I mean, what is your concept of 'better'? What is your idea of 'fair'? How do you discern whether you're coming from your mind or your emotions when you make a decision? Mars retrograde is going to put you in a position to review many, many facts of your life, and many past decisions you've made -- and how they impact you. I suggest you begin this process well in advance. But while you're doing that, notice how you size up those decisions. This is a process of becoming conscious even as you observe how conscious you were when you decided certain things."

We are featuring Fatoumata Diawara this month. She swings with a Guinean swing, fuses style with Malian panache, and is blessed with an awesome array of musical talent in her Band. Enjoy!

Let me draw your attention to this event 11.11.11

http://www.tomorrowbokra.org

And finally...as we draw near to the Scorpio-Taurus Full Moon ... it is the end of the 3 day festival of Tabaski ... Eid al-Adha ... around the Muslim World. 

Here is Youssou N'Dour again ... this time singing Tabaski

http://youtu.be/trOC5Z7KAug

"Loxoy kajoor dafay weesaloo"

October 2011 ...  It is fitting that this month we feature Sona Jobarteh ... whose grandfather is from The Gambia...but who embraces Malian and Senegalese influences in her playing. She is also a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London. There is a sentient, bootylicious vibe to her work. The future of World Music! Without doubt! Check out the Video Views and The Gambian Artist page.

This month's Astrology is from www.cainer.com

'Why should you feel hopeful? Haven't you been disappointed many times in the past? What's the point in feeling enthusiasm? You will only look foolish if you put your faith in something that lets you down.' This, more or less, is the speech that one part of your mind now keeps making to the rest of you. It is beginning to get monotonous. And it is wrong. The cosmic climate is really changing. You have every reason to be excited about the changes you are starting to see. Nothing has to remain as it was - unless, of course, that's really what you want.'

As the Scales of justice move all around us...bring this to you and your near neighbour!

September 2011 ...  Ramadan has passed. The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr is in full throw as the 42 years of the despot come to an end in Libya. Poetic justice is not really a fitting description for the relatives of victims of atrocities! Different religions make different senses of human suffering. Perhaps we should deal with that in the Bibliotheque! I have to say that I have been immensely moved by the thousands of stories of ordinary people who have conjoined to bring this historic achievement to fruition! And then they simply return to the day job. This fits absolutely with the simple modest strength that I have witnessed in West Africa. The Muslim faith has an absolute indefatigueable omnipotent archetype which must give Libyans and many other countries a chance of achieving great things!

This month we must pay homage to Miriam Makeba! She became Mama Africa as Mandela forged ahead with his program of redemption and reconciliation! She is an honorary member and featured in the Eclectic American Archive and on this months Video Views. How her beauty aged and matured with her! A spirit that everybody from Hugh Masakela to Harry Belafonte embraced! 

 This months Astrology from www.planetwaves.net

"You live closer to the dreamtime than many people -- indeed, nearly everyone. By this I mean that you stand with one foot in the unseen world, and the 'real world' often looks misty and strange to you. This moment in your life is about going as far beyond the veil as you can, into that other world, and then taking that insight and grounding it in tangible form in the physical plane. One of the gifts you have is the ability to sense the transient, delicate quality of the existence that we share. You may feel like you're straddling two worlds, one that everyone agrees exists and another that few people believe is real. Remember, that doesn't make it or your experience any less real. But as someone tapping into an alternate realm of knowledge, you may feel moments of isolation or exclusion. Part of how you're working through that is by keeping at least one foot and part of your mind in the local world of experience, no matter how st range it seems. There is deep wisdom in exploring that quality of standing apart. I suggest you not rush through it. In order to feel your deeper connection to this world, it's sometimes necessary to feel your sense of separation from it. This will give you perspective. With that perspective you will be able to sense where you are coming from -- I mean that literally -- and in the same gesture, have an unusually clear vision of where you are going."

August 2011 ...  Time is really piling up....the weeks are flying past us....... Firstly let us all pray for the resilience....courage .... and circumspect vision of the people of Norway. The siege mentality ... circle the wagons .... close ranks ... and alienate the world ... has just not taken hold. Let Democracy grow ever more strong ... and let each of those departed be a reason for cherishing the freedom that we have. Our time on earth is fleeting ... and that is even more reason for us to take on board what is happening in East Africa! Perhaps the wrangling over the size  of the American Trillionaire debt is a stark reminder...that if 2 fleas arguing over who owns the dog is the best that we can do...then Africa will indeed end up showing the American people how to grow food ... find water ... and survive!!

This month we add Coumba Gawlo Seck to the Archive. A Senegalese Diva ... she has that same strong courage that Rokia Traore embodies in her music. Coumba sings Mbalax... and also a hybrid 1950/60s Ska /Bluebeat  derivative swing. It is absolutely gorgeous. Complete with a conservatoire-trained band ... talking drums ... traditional Fula instruments ... and the full benefit of modern French recording studios! She mixes tradition with  pop culture in a very sexy way!

We shall update the Bibliotheque with lots more current debate from West Africa. A word-up about the lack of political will in the refugee camps on the Kenyan border.  The idea that it is easier to let people die speaks volumes about our current 21st century humanity. A Kenyan son ... Barack Obama ... is currently being castrated in the American Senate. The time has come to make sure that all public servants have no ties to industrial planning or corporate investment! Transparency in financial dealings is a necessary part of public service.

This months astrology ... www.planetwaves.net

" If you have the impulse to help someone, make sure your resulting gesture is actually going to be helpful -- in advance. Perhaps go one step deeper and question your motives, and your perception that anyone in particular needs your assistance. If those checks tell you to proceed, I suggest you then call the person up and ask if there is some way you can help, rather than just taking it upon yourself to do so. Meanwhile the focus of your life really needs to be you right now. You're entering a phase ideal for inner questioning, and seem to be seeking the resolution and completion of certain stories that have gone on seemingly forever. Your first impulse to cut yourself off from the past may be followed by the recognition that you have yet to do precisely that, but remember what you're seeking is not 'cutting off' but rather emotional closure."

and here is a link to an inside view of the American financial debacle from a Planet Waves debate; you can  read the assessment here

It has been a very difficult month for so many!  We are into the rainy season; the fire sign of Leo; and Ramadan!

Sume Andangee Weltaree ..... Ma Lekum S'Allah ... Korateh!

July 2011   We tackled the very difficult subject of Female Genital Mutilation in the Bibliotheque in June. So I hope those of you who read good English around the world will check out the 6 articles that we have published. It is one of the last great taboos in Western and Eastern Africa, and has to be stopped! There can be no more of this barbaric repression in the name of Religion or Government or Tribal tradition!  The psychological scars that are inflicted are immense; the bravery of those who have been subject to it is a testament to the strength and courage of the women of Africa! 

A very interesting month was June.... Jonfolo and I travelled to The Nederlands ...to Echt ....to meet a couple of people who sponsored her schooling in Africa for a good few years! You can never repay an act of pure spiritual generosity such as that. But we spent an excellent few days sharing our time and exchanging gifts. It is no surprise to me that Frans Knoben is a published author of N.L.P. training techniques. You can find his visionary work at www.coachforchange.nl  His "Feedback...Food for Champions" is an excellent guide when taking on the role of mentor. Loes Knoben is a Sculptor who works in Bronze...and whose work is powerful... and passionate... and the emotional issues that women are facing right now are at the heart of her vision!! You can view her work at www.loesknoben.exto.nl 

While staying with Frans and Loes we watched some DVDs of the work of Duncan Bridgeman & Jamie Catto. 1 Giant Leap is a collection of recordings that these guys made as they travelled around the world. Well worth viewing....... http://youtu.be/Rr8ZkAON2qU and while watching the journey ...we then discovered Rokia Traore. She is simply awesome...... and is now featured in Video Views and the Archive

Rokia Traore has that enigmatic eclectic mix of Western and African musical tradition wrapped up in a woman who produces great Art. There are many more examples of her work in the Mali Archive and in this months Video Views!

This months Astrology from www.planetwaves.net 

"The July 1 eclipse is about tying together many loose ends, and reminding you that despite the many stories these threads represent, your life has one theme. We tend to think of existence in categories: self-development, work, relationships, home life and so on. This is a glitch in consciousness that veils the fact that we are each one person living one life. Indeed, thinking in boxes does something more detrimental -- it creates the notion that we are separate people within ourselves, dividing our character between worker, parent, individual who grows, person who aspires and so on. Many who have attempted can report on the challenge of seeing yourself as something beyond all of these concepts, and indeed recognizing yourself as something other than a concept. Yet I am intimately aware of the sense of a divided self that afflicts many humans, and which can be especially tricky and tiresome for those born under your sign or with Cancer rising. If you start to feel an inner division, I suggest you turn it into a dialog. Get the aspects of yourself conversing, and consider the viewpoints of both of them, or however many there are. You may be aware of how testy this dialog can get, and thus might want to avoid knowing too much about it. However, you're on the verge of a major self-discovery that could go a long way toward resolving your differences with yourself. You will then discover that your differences with others were a kind of shadow."

Exhilarating news for the month of July! 

June 2011

"Those who told didn't know, and those who knew, didn't tell. Can't you hear the spirits calling your name? Don't you know that you can leave all of your mistakes behind, the day that you really make up your mind. Don't give up!"

Gil Scott-Heron has passed! In his honour...we have added his music to the American Eclectic Archive, for that he surely was! Apart from being a very powerful influence upon my own creative life and musical output, he has been one of the most iconic and developmental forces in the Creative Arts for 40 years! I was in South Devon in 1973, working with The South Devon Jazz Orchestra, where I learned that there could be total freedom of expression in music! A complete stranger approached me and offered this thought! " Hey man...! You play just like Gil Scott-Heron's Bass player!" I accepted this missive from the grail with humility and grace! Then I immediately set out to listen to every last scrap of  his music that I could find. "The revolution will not be televised" is still a favourite. His demeanour, attitude, and approach to the cult of the personality, have all kept me safe from the corruptive influence of public behaviour for all of these years. He is an outstanding role model for the youth. Do your thing! Do it  the best you can. The world is a richer place today Gil Scott-Heron. Even the guys in Rikers were lucky to meet with you. Big Love!

And so to the beautiful game! Messi... Xavi... and Iniesta! If that were a Jazz trio... or a loud Funky Metal band....."Oh ...look out!"  Watching Barcelona on Saturday night in the Champions League Final was as near as damn it the perfect game...the beautiful game. Manchester United played their part! But then along comes Kenny...soon to be Sir Kenny...Dalglish! Somehow I sense that it will be Liverpool who will earn the right to take the mantle from Barcelona!! I will enjoy every last minute! Every kick! Every whistle! Bring it on!

This month we are also adding Sekou Bembeya Diabate from Guinea.... and Adama Yalomba from Mali to the Video Archive. There is a link to a definitive in-depth interview with Sekou Diabate, which goes right back to his childhood where he had to choose between Koranic lessons and the guitar! Fascinating stuff!

This months Astrology from www.planetwaves.net

Follow us on Twitter where I will post a tune of the day! Have a great month! And remember...!  "I'm New Here...!"

May 2011

There are only two things that I know....Music....and Football. I have hesitated for 4 months but today I must mention the hallowed word....Dalglish. The City of Liverpool....and all of us who love the life that our birthright has brought us......owe this man a debt of gratitude that is matched only by his grace and humility. Not only did he bring a new level of dignity to the city after the Hillsboro tragedy in 1989, but he has returned to the Football Club these last four months to bring us back to where we belong! John Henry and the Fenway Group from Boston Mass. USA. have wrestled the club from the clutches of the disaster that was Gillet and Hicks, and then let the Maestro get to work. The Phoenix is rising! There truly is unfinished business!

As for the music...yesterdays Royal Wedding featured an original work by Welshman Paul Maelor......

Paul Maelor - Ubi Caritas et Amor

Transcendent...Inspirational...Serene...and just so beautifully Moving!

Talking of which, we are today adding Kouyate Sory Kandia to the Guinea Archive and this months' Video Views. His genius is not forgotten. He died in 1977 already having recorded most of the traditional classic Mandinke repertoire. You can hear the strength of a voice that influenced Salif Keita. The Kora and Balafon are up there with the best. There is also a belated addition to the American Eclectic Archive....everybody's favourite musical transport...BMW. Lively up yourself!!

This months Astrology www.cainer.com

"I am often asked if all the planets ever align in the same place at once. It's extremely rare. This month, though, the beginning of May does bring an alignment of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus. That's six planets in the sign of Aries. It's not a very 'visible' event because the participants are so close to the Sun. They are up when the Sun is up, down when it's down.... and thus, sunlight drowns them out. But it remains deeply symbolic. If you've been praying for change, here it comes! Powerful people carry a burden of responsibility. They have to watch for the consequences of their every deed. Only the helpless and the hopeless can enjoy the luxury of acting entirely on impulse. You are neither helpless nor hopeless. Your current sense of exasperation is a gift. It is providing you with the motivation you need to tackle a tricky task. It's making you wish that you had more power. The irony is, you do. The moment you stop grasping at straws and start making bold plans, you'll see this. A vast improvement is attainable in May. All it needs is a small change of attitude."

Factor in the Goddess of Chaos Eris, also in Aries, and it really is time to demand that your voice be heard. Establish the strength of your self, your reality, and your environment as the arena in which your life is lived!

April 2011 

It has been a long time coming but we have finally added Stevie Wonder to the American Eclectic Archive. As promised ... Oumou Sangare is featured in the Video Views section this month........look out for some remarkable performances.....with Ali Farke Toure........and Alicia Keys.......who in the spirit of music as transcendant medium famously remarked...  " Oumou sings in a language that I do not understand.....and yet I understand every word that she sings!" 

Africa seems to be feeling the heat as the turmoil shows no sign of abating. It has never been more true that power corrupts.... and has done so to the real detriment of the African people. Surely the world has now seen enough. Let us start to really consider how a shared resource based system can benefit so many! 400 people in the USA have the same amount of wealth as half of the population. Is that the dream? My bank asked me if I wanted to "upgrade" my account. No thanks...I would like you as financial institutions to start acting with responsibility to the people whose money you are using. 

Enough of this profit for the few! I think that the days when you will all be held accountable to your citizens are not that far away. The absurdity of the culture of personality and celebrity. Turn off your televisions.......and let us pray for the deliverance of Africa....from these very dark days!! 

This months astrology sees a New Moon in Aries. The Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus are all sitting comfortably at dinner! Mercury is getting a bit fractious....backwards and forwards....retro... diurnal... and stationing... while trying to get Eris to wreak even more structural havoc with your self esteem! The Dark Moon Lilith is in there adding to the surprise. Saturn is playing ringmaster in Libra......Order...Order ..... while Pluto is engendering the drive to change and transformation in Capricorn....a hard square aspect indeed! Get out and enjoy the electricity..... the Spring ....the expansive energy... let go of your world-shatteringly crisis-laden problems... they are actually tiny moments in time.... just going a bit faster........  surf the wave..... ride this one-time monstrous beauty that hits the beach every few hundred years. It will all settle down a bit in 3-4 weeks........ leaving you (as John Winston O'Boogey Lennon put it) a little bit older..... and a little bit wiser.

Here he is singing "Working Class Hero".... 

"keep you doped with religion and sex and TV... and you think you're so clever and classless and free..."

www.planetwaves.net  for April

"I suggest you politely sidestep any dramas that arise in your personal life, particularly if they don't directly involve you. Someone close to you appears to be going through some rapid changes, and instead of becoming overly invested in whatever is happening the whole situation would be better supported if you did something like keep hot food on the stove. That said, there may be something deeply personally relevant, such as a new meeting or a current relationship taking a kind of quantum leap. You may discover how you really feel about someone, which of course you already knew, but now seem like you might act on suddenly -- or that you might respond to in light of someone else making their feelings known to you. I suggest you put the whole situation in slow mode. By slow I don't mean years, I mean weeks or maybe a month. You're going to learn a lot about the people in your life in the coming season. You're getting this informatio n so that you may use it and benefit from it. I suggest you really, truly listen to what people say to you. They might say things that they don't notice but which you really need to hear. That will clue you into the level beneath appearances. Listen to what people say about their plans and their intentions. Look at the choices they make. Then once you have all the data, make your own decisions."

It is time for all of us to follow the Mahatma Ghandi way of peacefully objecting to the continued subjugation of World Resources....for the profit and the benefit of the few....... it was Ghandi.....who famously observed........ " western civilisation is a contradiction in terms ".............. the music will help you to choose.....!!

March 2011

Here is a another truly remarkable voice. Oumou Sangare from Mali singing Seya. We shall add her work to the Archive next month.

This month, we have added Issa Bagayogo and Alif (Attack Liberate of the Infantry Feministe) to the Malian and Senegalese archives. Issa has become something of a favourite with his remixes................... and although Alif have now split.......... their work has pushed the women's Hip-Hop movement in West Africa to a new frontier. Check out the collective now known as AURA, featuring artists from many West African countries.

The Astrology this month reflects Uranus move into Aries; its all Fire...Fire...Fire. 

From www.planetwaves.net

"This month it looks like you discover something about yourself that you knew all along and figured out on at least 100 other occasions but somehow it is suddenly real and makes perfect sense. The sensation is something akin to suddenly discovering who you are, which was the person you knew you were all along, and are somehow now miraculously remembering. Let's not let anyone try to convince us that human consciousness is something that more resembles what we think of as a trance than the mind standing at attention. For many, the trance is like a movie, which has this odd script where every other line is, 'I'm confused'. Confusion is often a method of denial; it literally means "mix or mingle things so as to render the elements indistinguishable." Now the time has arrived to unconfuse yourself, which means to see yourself for who you are. You are bigger than your fears. You have more courage and perseverance than you thought you did. And your craving to be free is real. The restlessness you're feeling is not something you want to medicate away, talk yourself out of, or pretend does not exist. It's not merely spring fever, though that's a good way to describe your whole life. Rather, what you're feeling is your soul calling you to wake up to your beauty and the beauty of life, no matter how weird things currently are on the planet -- and no matter how scared anyone else may be."

Lots of very topical articles to read in the Bibliotheque....and we shall add a new free download track this month.... so grab the offer of Kanute's Laah Jaay while it is still available for a couple more weeks.

February 2011

I remember setting off for France in 1985, travelling overland by rail....ferry....and bus.....and motivated by the purely delicate sensation of  "une desire d'amour."  By the time that I arrived, the woman in question had already taken a Frenchman to her "boudoire."  Unrequited love was the only "cordon bleu" that I tasted on that particular visit. Mademoiselle did however arrange for about 8 of us to travel to Auxerre, to see a band of brothers called Toure Kunda. The site of eight or ten Africans across the stage, playing such an ecstatically rhythmic "tour de force," was enough to set me free of any earthly emotional conflict, and elevate the lovely Charlotte to honorary sister with immediate effect! Over the years, Toure Kunda's music has always reached that very core that connects you to the divine, as has that of Salif Keita. The fact that the brothers started out in Ziguinchor, a handful of kilometres from Abene and Kafountine in Southern Senegal (aka Casamance), where I gigged with Tata Dinding, only adds to the honour and humility that this level of musical genius brings!

We have added Toure Kunda to the Video Views  and Archive at the Senegal page...enjoy this "crie de coeur" for Africa has surely heard, and responded to these astonishingly gifted brothers! 

Also this month Guinean musician Lama Sidibe has been touring. We have added his profile to the Guinea Archive. We must acknowledge the input of Jonfolo Jallow, who has brought her extensive knowledge of West African music to our site. She particularly likes the Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Gambian Kora based dance music, which swings across 3/4 and 4/4 time effortlessly. Bravo!

Gambia's International Roots Festival ....  from 4th-10th .... February ....  has again brought people together from all over the world. Check it out  Here  'Where the mystic never ends!'

Jupiter has taken up residence in Aries, joining Eris. The Goddess of discord and identity crisis, joined to the planet of expansion, may well account for some of the disturbing reorientation of governance we are beginning to see around the world. With Saturn oppositely place in Libra, square Pluto in Capricorn, I'd say that this is just the starter. Once Uranus brings 7000 volts of lightning and light to the table later this year, the people will have a voice that surely brings a fairer, more rewarding world closer. Let those who are more equal, give a little space to those who are less. Equality of choice, quality of life, and peaceful development of green energy and our global resources is a simple and effective request!

This months' Astrology; www.planetwaves.net

"In the midst of many other truly positive developments and activities this month, certain factors may provoke your deepest insecurities, your fear of abandonment or difficulty with endings. You may be inclined to stuff this feeling back where it came from; initially that will be easy enough, because you will have so much else to distract you. I don't, however, suggest that you succumb to that particular temptation. Tapping into your deepest emotions, no matter how shadowy, will go a long way toward releasing pent-up emotions and give you energy and strength to pursue your most vital dreams. I propose that you view this as an emotional healing process, which has the goal not merely of removing something toxic but also creating something beautiful for yourself. You are tapping into some deep waters that reach back into your ancestral past -- quite literally processing the delusions and negative emotions of previous generations. If you can get clear about this, you will see that purging yourself of their fears will allow you greater access to your own dreams, desires and the subtlety of your surroundings. On this note, now is an excellent time to remove aggravating factors from your environment, be they emotional or physical. This gesture would be more than symbolic: these ancestral ghosts I'm talking about take the form of toxins and disruptions that you would in truth be a lot happier without. And you will develop a skill that will come in handy -- moving on from what does not serve you."

Dont forget to e-mail us for a free music download...they make great ringtones for the phone....."oh.... that will be Kanuteh calling!!"

There is plenty to read in the Bibliotheque. Feminism, lots of African writers....and I have now posted an article on the historical development of the Kora  in '800 years of World Music.' Thanks for all of your e-mails. We will answer every one.

January 2011

A very serious welcome to this year of great change...!!

5 years ago...I gave an interview to GRTS television. It was the Saturday before The Kanilai International Music Festival. On the Sunday the Gambian Football team were playing. On the Wednesday evening Liverpool were playing in what turned out to be the greatest Champions League comeback of all time. Indeed the President interrupted his dinner at the opening of the festival to check-out those amazing second half scenes!!

I remember...in part....saying  "I am from Liverpool...and I know only two things!!  Music....and Football...!! Maybe the Scorpions can win tomorrow.... maybe Liverpool can win on Wednesday!!....... and maybe....just maybe...we can go to Kanilai...!!"

There are lots of relevant articles to read in the new Bibliotheque area . The Kanilai Festival is presented as a mode for the development of Cultural Diplomacy.

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There are new MP3 Players at 

City Walls Music....

and on Artist pages...

Check Out The Mania Brothers

http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/9fb3535a6d4f8...

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This month....and the foreseeable future......we shall continue looking at specific West African instruments and their development in the Chronicle of West African History....

West Africa..........800 Years of World Music 

The Multi Modal Mersey Gate will be updated in March and April....bringing the last 5 years of my work in Africa and at Musicman 1 up to the present day!

The Multi Modal Mersey Gate

Look out for more Videos from West African Women....at  Video Views 2011  ....we have just uploaded the music of Kine Lam to the Senegal Video Archive.

Kine Lam

The Astrology; we are in-between a Full Moon eclipse on the winter solstice (Dec.21st) in the very last degree of Sagittarius and the New Moon eclipse at 13.39 degrees  Capricorn on January 4th at a few minutes after 9 am.  UK time.... and also UT  (formerly known as GMT). With Pluto...the North Node...and Mars all in Capricorn square Saturn in Libra awaiting Uranus arrival in Aries to herald the mother of all  T Squares.... I forsee more of the shaking of the tree of Governance.....more of the right to publish .......more free speech...... and the integrity of personal identity...... all becoming top priorities. This may yet lead to a watershed victory for common sense as we watch the new world order realising how far out of line with human development it really is. At least Ecowas and the International Community are starting to play fair in Cote D'Ivoire. Watch this space....!!

Let me once again recommend Eric Francis at  www.planetwaves.net  

This link http://planetwaves.net/astrologynews/1376710919.html  is his news letter for 31.12 2010....where you can read all about the Astrology of the coming year. If you can....sign up and support his work!

The following text is from his January Sagittarius writing. 

"While most descriptions of your sign cast you as freewheeling and a bit over the top, you know how deeply you adhere to certain core principles that have always served you well. Now those principles are changing as fast as the times in which we live. This is not to say you're going to fly off the rails, but rather that you don't need to cling to concepts that have worked for you in the past, and that you are now abundantly ready to let go of.

Just as any tradition must change in order to be alive, one's personal ethical principles go through an evolutionary process, if we are actually feeling and thinking. For many this means growing more conservative as they get older, which typically means frightened and disgusted. You seem to be growing in precisely the opposite direction -- refusing to let fear run your life, and embracing the human condition in total. It's a great gift that you are big enough a person to do so. In the process you will gain authentic independence from mainstream views that, in truth, seem to serve very few of the people who adhere to them.

Chiron entering Pisces suggests that you are gaining profound sensitivity to your environment. This is true on every level -- be it your home environment, the ecology of the planet, or the emotional weather in any situation that surrounds you. Your enhanced sensitivity is likely to have two distinct effects: one is to shift your relationship to your family, in any form that concept takes. Certain things that were bearable will no longer be acceptable. Certain things that are toxic will actually feel that way. And you will seek emotional grounding to a depth that is unusual and in fact may be unprecedented in your life. If you find yourself in an emotional crisis of any kind, remember that. Getting in or even near water will help, be it a bathtub or Lake Tahoe.

This year, take another step toward a highly specific mission. In Western terms we usually call this a career. That's not necessarily the right word. What I am describing is bigger and more important; it's a quest that combines your most 'extreme' and unusual skills with the single-minded determination that is the hallmark of your sign. What I am describing is not a role and it's not a job -- it's the thing you came here to do."

Lets make this another year to remember......!!!

Bibliotheque

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