ARCHIVED 2011 Music Lineup

Etran Finatawa

At the 2004 edition of the Festival in the Desert (Essakane, Mali), two of the invited groups, Etran N’Guefan (“stars of the dunes”), and Finatawa (“tradition”), both of Niger, jammed together onstage in what turned out to be a ground-breaking performance. Ground-breaking because it brought these two violent rival groups together in performance with such success that they are now touring worldwide as Etran Finatawa to critical acclaim.

The Tuareg, known for their love of poetry and music, and the Woodabe, known for their beauty, polyphonic singing, and dances, unveil a program that fascinates and intrigues audiences worldwide. Together these artists paint a musical portrait of the Sahel and Sahara, landscapes that these people have inhabited for thousands of years. They sing about their nomadic lifestyle, liberty, love, and festivities that mark the passage of time in this stark yet intriguing corner of our world.

EtranFinatawa.com | Play Video

Random Rab

Emerging from his own distinct corner of the West Coast electronic music scene, Random Rab offers a powerful and unique contribution to sonic exploration. Often referred to as “The Master of Emotion” his music is patently beautiful and melodic.

With diverse influences ranging from trip‐hop, classical and Arabic to bass driven compositions, his songs are considered anthemic and timeless. As a multi‐ instrumentalist and singer, his tracks are organic, uplifting and stand on their own as a distinct genre. Listeners of all types of music can find something they can relate to in his sound.

There is no doubt that Rab understands a multitude of musical styles. He has been the front man of a heavy metal band, toured as a classical trumpet player, played bass in a country music band, was a scratch DJ for a jazz fusion project, was the singer for a rock band in Mexico and has collaborated with countless musicians of all styles. From acoustic performances in the Himalayas to rocking packed clubs in New York, Random Rab has found a way to connect with people of all kinds.

His current popularity can often be traced to his breakout album, The Elucidation of Sorrow.. This album firmly established him as a recognizable force in the electronic music scene. His latest and 4th album aRose, catapulted him into the state of momentum that is now taking hold internationally. Sometimes performing solo and at other times featuring collaborative musicians, the live experience is focused on a high quality translation of sound that is simultaneously sexy and psychedelic.

Rigzin

Rigzin's foremost pursuit is in the meditation practices of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism. She has studied and practiced now for almost 30 years. Completing a traditional three year retreat, and many other retreats over the years. Music was never considered, meditation was the focus: this is the story.

Rigzins' life changed dramatically, upon meeting her root teacher. Their connection was very strong and she immediately went into retreat. Later she married his son, and gave birth to her son, a recognized reincarnation. They traveled to many holy sites and monestaries.At 32, Rigzin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Recieving experimentally high dosages of chemotherapy, she barely survived. In the recovering, was a deep process of rebirth, regrowth, restructuring. No longer able to live as "a lamas' wife" she retreated, to the pristine rural land on the isolated coast of Northern California. There all the practices, her lifes work, integrated, everything was different, she was becoming herself.

By an interesting twist of karmic fate she revisited her roots as an artist, falling in with "El Circo", an avant guard artist collective of the west coast underground. Bridging worlds, she would invite her friends to come visit. Hearing her prayers in the early morning hours, they were inspired by the peace and beauty invoked, and arranged for her to record. Random Rab created the first track from this original recording, producing a piece that merged the ancient blessing of the Tibetan Lineage, with modern electronic beats, the response was a compelling indication of things to come.

rigzin.net

Baye Kouyate

The Malian Empire, at its height in the middle of the fourteenth century, was founded by Sundiata Keita, whose exploits remain celebrated in Mali even today. In the Epic of Sundiata, King Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is thus considered the first griot and the founder of the Kouyaté line of griots that exists to this day.

Talking drum and calabash player Baye Kouyaté is a direct descendant of that lineage. He is one of those old souls: wise and blessed with a culturally diverse perspective, bubbling over with natural enthusiasm and creative energies that strongly suggest he's been this way before; someone deeply in touch with the spiritual essences. His performances are a journey through a world of highly complex polyrhythms fusing traditional sounds of Mali with influences such as jazz, reggae, and Latin grooves, all delivered by a high spirited crew of musicians. Talking drum, calabash, kora, balafon, percussion, guitar, bass, drums.

A Griot or Jeli is a West African Poet, praise singer, and wandering musician, considered a repository of oral tradition. The role of the griot in Mande society was as a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer, and storyteller. Essentially, these musicians were walking history books, preserving their ancient stories and traditions through song. Their inherited tradition was passed down through generations. Their name, "Jeli", means "Blood" in the Manika language. They were said to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers.

bayekouyate.com | Play Video

Jai Uttal

Jai Uttal is a pioneer in the world music community. His eclectic east meets-west sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement. Jai Uttal’s musical roots embrace a rich variety of cultures and traditions that span the globe and the centuries. From the hillbilly music of the Appalachian Mountains to the passionate strains of Bengali street singers, from the haunting rhythms and melodies of ancient India to contemporary electric rock sounds, Jai’s music distills the essence of diverse musical forms.

At the age of 19, Jai moved to California to become a student of Ali Akbar Khan. for traditional voice training and to learn the sarod, a 25-stringed Indian instrument. Later he traveled to India where he was deeply inspired by the Bauls, the wandering street musicians of Bengal. Jai settled among them, communicating only through music, which ultimately helped establish his unique style.

During these early visits to India, Jai also met his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, and spent time with many great beings of both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. He became deeply absorbed in the practice of kirtan, the ancient yoga of chanting, or singing to God. This form of prayer became the core of his musical and spiritual life.

jaiuttal.com | Play Video

Jayme Stone

Jayme Stone keeps an ear to the ground. His curiosity and unlikely set of reference points started early with the quirky physics of the banjo, led to a mysterious librarian who stocked his local public library with a vast trove of banjo recordings, and landed him long-lasting lessons with a series of maestros, from Tony Trischka to Bill Frisell. Influenced by Japanese poetry and Brazilian literature and featuring what he calls a “tiny symphony that takes place inside an imaginary light bulb”, Stone’s album, The Utmost, won the 2008 Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.

Stone went to Mali knowing what’s still news to most: that the hide-covered instrument with an “extra” drone string we call the banjo actually comes from West Africa and found himself sitting in with Toumani Diabate and the Symmetric Orchestra in downtown Bamako, lost in circles of Wassoulou polyrhythms and in a rural Dogon village with no electricity where he inadvertently discovered a banjo predecessor unheard of in the West. The resulting album, Africa to Appalachia, is a boundary-crossing musical collaboration with singer and kora maestro Mansa Sissoko. The recording won the 2009 Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year.

Inspired by folk dances from around the world, Stone’s brand new album, Room of Wonders, includes music from Norway, Sweden, Brazil, Bulgaria, Italy and North America.

Play Video | jaymestone.com

The Total Experience Gospel Choir

The Total Experience Gospel Choir was organized in September 1973 at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Seattle. The core group represented members of the “Black Experience Gospel Choir” of Roosevelt High School and the Franklin High School Gospel Choir of Seattle. United, the choir became known as “Total Experience Gospel Choir”. When the choirs merged, the community’s children were also invited to participate. And, participate – they did! The choir’s numbers grew to 108 within the first two months, with the youngest person being 8 years old. Today the choir’s ages range from 10 to 65. Since their inception, MUCH history has taken place. The choir has become known nationally and internationally. Their travels have taken them to 36 contiguous states as well as Hawaii and Alaska – for a total of 38 states. They have performed on 5 continents and in 28 countries.

Choir Leader Pastor Patrinell “Pat” Wright was born in Carthage, Texas to a Baptist preacher dad and a school teacher mom. She is one of seven siblings. Being introduced to music early, she sang her first solo at the age of 3. By the time of her 14th birthday, she had taught herself to play the piano and was directing two choirs in her father’s church.

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David Starfire Ensemble

David Starfire is a producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ based in Los Angeles and San Francisco. His production style is eclectic, fusing world music with dance, hip hop and everything in between. He’s developed quite a following and his unique sound is catching the ears of music fans across the globe.

David is signed with the internationally known label Six Degrees Records, home to artists such as The Orb, Bebel Gilberto, Cheb i Sabbah, Karsh Kale, Midival Punditz,Michael Franti, Natacha Atlas, DJ Spooky and many others. He’s released 2 records, “Bollyhood Bass” in 2010 and “Bombay Beatz” in 2007. His tunes have been played on BBC, NPR, National Geographic, XM radio and various stations around the world.

His signature sound landed him several DJ gigs at large scale international festivals all over the world such as Winter Music Conference, Coachella, Love Parade, the Forum, Musikmesse, Electric Picnic, Shambhala, Harmony, Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, Lovevolution and Earthdance. He’s performed at private parties and events for Lucas films, ILM, Virgin Galactic, Roland, Digg, MacWorld, Flaunt Magazine, CAA and others. He’s had DJ tours in the US, India, Canada and Europe with rave reviews. He also sets himself apart from other DJ’s by playing bass guitar and electronic hand drums during his set and for special festival shows incorporates a live 10 piece band.

David is constantly touring and his “Live Ensemble” shows feature master world musicians, incredible vocalists and top-notch bellydancers.

davidstarfire.com | Play Video

Shimshai

Whether singing the ancient Sanskrit mantras of India, the traditional folklore songs of South America, or performing his original works of divine inspiration, Shimshai’s music invokes a sentiment of ancestral devotion and a dedication to higher consciousness. Described by many as possessing the voice of an angel, Shimshai is gifted with the innate ability to deliver his message flawlessly in several languages; most profoundly the universal language of Love and Oneness.

Surrounded by music from birth and formally trained on piano in his native state of Washington, today Shimshai performs effortlessly on guitar, sitar, flute, and a variety of woodwinds. His most recent release, "Alianza" (2008), is a versatile world fusion studio CD that features multiple languages and ethnicities. He continues to offer his talents to various studio projects, including current collaborations with traditional healers and several undertakings with indigenous communities throughout south and Latin America. Shimshai’s live performances throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Europe, Australia, Mexico and The Americas have helped to create a devoted and ever-growing global fan base.

Shimshai's unique blend of reggae, jazz, kirtan, and folk, infused with a worldbeat influence, provides a diverse palette of musical expression and attracts a wide range of listeners. He has had the honor of opening for and sharing the stage with Michael Franti, David Grisman, Mickey Hart, Jai Uttal, Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Bhagavan Das, Dezarie, and many other gifted musicians and visionaries.

shimshai.com

Fanna Fi Allah Sufi Qawwali

As the torch-bearers of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan lineage, Tahir Qawwal and Amena Qawwal are infinitely blessed to be the foremost disciples of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the greatest Qawwali master of Pakistan and only nephew-successor of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and of Dildar Hussein, the world renowned tabla master of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan party.

Fanna Fi Allah masterfully and ecstatically sing the verses of the Sufi mystics in Urdu, Farsi, Hindi & Punjabi. Each song embodies the mood of the poetry through sophisticated ragas combined with passionate spontaneity. Their youthful mastery has been granted through devoted study with extraordinary teachers.

The booming Pakistani tablas, six voices, tampuras & harmoniums of Fanna Fi Allah have left audiences up and down the west coast and Pakistan, Bali and Hawaii in tears or ecstacy, or both. Fanna Fi Allah has recently returned from their fifth pilgrammage to study with their teachers in Pakistan.

Play Video | fanna-fi-allah.com

The Everyone Orchestra

Conductor/founder Matt Butler has taken EO participants, both on stage and off, on improvisational journeys with the most diverse of lineups at festivals, theaters and philanthropic events both nationally and internationally. A laundry list of hundreds of musicians, dancers, singers, guest conductors and community organizations have embraced the experience of EO in single shots of musical adrenaline to the soul. Tuning in to his energy, the band and audience utilize The Conductor as their pivot to the set mood of each passing jam as he communicates with the musicians using hand signs, whiteboard and assorted mime suggestions.

The list of Everyone Orchestra participants is an increasingly wide and intercontinental group including members of The Grateful Dead, Phish, moe., String Cheese Incident, The Flecktones, Club d'Elf, ALO, Tea Leaf Green and Adrian Belew, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Tuvan throat singers, live painters, dancers, chanters, choirs, hula hoopers, firespinners, jugglers, stiltwalkers, storytellers, a presidential candidate and hundreds of others among a growing legion of other performers.

Marching clearly into uncharted territory, The Everyone Orchestra balances the challenges of live group improvisation with, triumphant tension and release conduits of music which head deep into the soul. This unique collaborative triumph of performance deeply encourages and requires audience interaction ' its edge of your seat enthusiasm for what is next is the forte behind the continuous musical experiment of The Everyone Orchestra.

everyoneorchestra.com

Zili Misik

Reconnecting Haitian mizik rasin, Jamaican roots reggae, Afro-Brazilian samba, Afro-Cuban son, and African American spirituals, blues, jazz and neo soul, Zili Misik honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own: New World Soul! Powerful Haitian, Brazilian and West African rhythms infuse Zili's original creations and traditional folksongs. Zili retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through diasporic rhythm and song; their captivating sounds evoke the African continent. The women of this group trace their roots to 5 countries and 3 continents, and have been bridging cultures, generations, and continents for 11 years.

ALL FEMALE, "Zili" is named for Haitian spiritual entity, "Ezili" who is envisaged as mother, lover, and warrior. Zili Misik's songs are sensual, political, self-reflective, positive, and invoke love. Zili's lyrics glide seamlessly from English to Kreyol to Portuguese to Spanish, spinning tales and visions of lives lived and yet to be.

Zili Misik has won a Boston Music Award for Outstanding International Music, and has been nominated every year from 2007! In 2010, Zili Misik received a Commendation from the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for their continued fundraising efforts on behalf of the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. Zili Misik won the Boston Phoenix and FNX's Boston Best World Music Band, 2008 & 2009.

Zili has toured with Queen Omega (T&T), State Radio and Tony Brown (US), performed with Queen Ifrica (Jamaica) and Emeline Michel (Haiti), opened for Shaggy, Boukman Eksperyans, Les Nubians, and Zap Mama (twice); and performs regularly at colleges, schools, festivals, and performing arts venues throughout the country. Zili has an ongoing "Project Misik," which collects donated musical instruments for a school in Mirebalais, Haiti (to which members of Zili brought donated instruments and funds in, August 2010).

Founder and multi-instrumentalist Kera M. Washington composes and arranges most of the songs for Zili. A semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Hand Drumming Competition, and an ethnomusicologist, Kera incorporates an array of percussion, including Caribbean and West African instruments, flutes and African harps. Kera also possesses an unusually moving and powerful voice, allowing her to move easily from melodic singing to vocal percussion to chants and spoken word.

zilimisik.com

Kaminanda

Hailing from the Coast of B.C, Kaminanda produces and performs music that uplifts the spirit of the listener,while allowing for the natural ebb and flow of light and dark. In a style that could be described as a swirling fusion of Trip Hop, Dub, Downtempo and Sensual Trance, Kaminanda unveils Crystalline Melodies, Ecstatic Rhythms from around the world and Beats and Bass that sway the body into surrender and release.

Like an audio Oracle set, Kaminanda unfolds archetypes and elemental movements while tapping into the unlimited realms of Adventure, Beauty and Elevated States of Consciousness. He now makes his music out of southern California where he lives with his Beloved and Baby Boy.

kaminanda.bandcamp.com

Anjali & The Incredible Kid

Anjali & The Incredible Kid have played a transformative role in the Portland, Oregon club scene for nearly a decade, presiding over two of Portland’s longest-running and most successful dance parties, as well as hosting a popular radio show on KBOO community radio. They are most known for igniting dance floors with the South Asian sounds of Bhangra and Bollywood, but the duo scours the globe for any hard-hitting music that combines local musical traditions with window-rattling production. After making a name for themselves in their hometown’s raucous house party circuit, DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid introduced the Portland, Oregon nightclub scene to the sounds of Bhangra and Bollywood on New Year’s Eve 2000. After a series of residencies, beginning with a six-month residency at the legendary Blackbird, the duo began hosting sold-out ANDAZ dance parties in July of 2002. The party’s focus on hardcore Panjabi Bhangra and the latest electronic confections from the Bollywood film industry continue to pack the dance floor after nearly eight years.

While ANDAZ was still in the bloom of youth, Anjali and The Kid founded the popular monthly ATLAS (with co-host/DJ E3) at Holocene in November of 2003, in order to share more of their musical passions. The ATLAS parties provide a forum for the duo to feature other sounds in their repertoire including: UK Asian Garage and Drum’n’Bass, Middle-Eastern electronica, Balkan Beats, Kuduro, Reggaeton and international Hip-hop. Since introducing Portland club audiences to the amazing sounds of the South Asian diaspora and more the duo have remained in constant demand playing any number of one-off events nearly every weekend of the year

Together and separately they have supported artists as diverse as Digable Planets, Balkan Beat Box, Pink Martini, The Decemberists, DJ Spooky, Tigerstyle, Boban i Marco Markovic Orkestar, Delhi 2 Dublin, State of Bengal, Karsh Kale, DJ Rekha, CeU, Antibalas, Dengue Fever, Rupa & the April Fishes, DJ Marcelinho Da Lua, Toy Selectah, Extra Golden, Maga Bo, Quasi, Ming & FS, Joro-Boro, Kultur Shock, Ghostland Observatory, J-Boogie, and Nickodemus from Turntables on the Hudson.

anjaliandthekid.com

LoCura

Direct from San Francisco’s fertile music scene, LoCura taps into the diverse sounds that have a rich history in the Bay Area, weaving them together in an uncanny way to reveal their common roots. Mixing Flamenco with Reggae and Cumbia with Ska through contagious rhythms and multiple languages, their music takes you on a ride through a day in the emerging globalized experience where the movement of cultures, people and ideas are in constant flux.

Reflecting lead vocalist Kata’s own experience of growing up Spanish American in Spain, Italy, and the U.S., LoCura’s music rides the borders of identity and migration piecing together a mosaic of our myriad cultures and experiences. In Spain the expression "Ida y Vuelta" is used to describe certain styles within Flamenco that made a "round-trip" from Spain to Latin America, mixing with music from the African slave and Indigenous populations.

With this idea of music traveling and music as creative resistance, LoCura takes the trip back again mixing it up with their own Califas Flamenkito, Reggae, and Cuban Son styles. Moved by the music that crosses borders and takes root in different lands, LoCura draws from this creative 'rebelde' spirit to cultivate the cures passed on from our ancestors.

LoCura on Myspace | Play Video

Mbira dzeMuninga

The critically acclaimed Zimbabwean mbira outfit Mbira Dzemuninga is returning to the US with a vibrant new sound featuring Jacob Mafuleni, Tonderai Ndava, Peacheson Ngoshi and Martha Thom. Mbira Dzemuninga promises the deeply moving mbira music rooted in the deep traditions from the Nharira mountains of Zimbabwe.

Known as gwenyambiras (master mbira players) in their country to recognize their roles in traditional spiritual ceremonies of the Shona people, these performances have rekindled an interest in traditional music among young urban Zimbabwean more accustomed to Western forms of popular music.

Alongside Mafuleni, Ndava and Ngoshi on mbira and percussion, Martha Thom brings a new energy to the ensemble with her energetic dancing, strong backing vocals and crisp hosho patterns. Audiences familiar with Mbira Dzemuninga’s sound will be pleasantly surprised with the addition of strong female backing vocals and dance from Thom, an accomplished musician with a resume spanning various genres of Zimbabwean music, including dancing and singing with Chiwoniso Maraire as well as up and coming Afropop outfit Sweet Calabash. Thom has also danced with the celebrated Shingayi Dance Company in Harare and Sekuru Gweshe’s Boterekwa Dance Troupe in her 19-year professional dance career. She has also taught classes at the School of Ethnomusicology in Harare, Zimbabwe.

dzemuninga.com | Play Video

Phutureprimitive

Phutureprimitive is the moniker of Northwest producer and song writer Rain. Early childhood photos reveal Rain sitting at the piano plinking keys, grinning from ear to ear…..a true sign of things to come. Continuing his early fascination with music, Rain was later drawn to electronic music, inspired by its ability to combine the best of organically played instruments and the synthetic pleasures of sounds more exotic to the human ear. After beginning a DJ career in the 90s, Rain began incorporating the music he was making in his home studio into his DJ sets. That was all it took to trigger a full blown love affair with electronic music and the process of its creation.....and Phutureprimitive was born.

Phutureprimitive music is singular and unique in its approach: Lush melodies drift across intricate rhythms, groove heavy beats and warm, fuzzy bass lines. Often exploring a dark and dense palette, his music also manages to convey a sense of tranquility and beauty, engaging the listener into hypnotic movement and often escalating toward a full kinetic experience. Conceived and produced in a digital environment, his music manages to convey more humanity and organic warmth then typically found in an often cold and sterile genre. Shimmering with cinematic qualities, his music ultimately speaks to both the mind and the body.

Despite electronic music's tendency to suffer a short shelf life, Phutureprimitive has already demonstrated a timeless quality with his debut album release of "Sub Conscious" on Waveform Records, which still remains a top seller on the label since it’s release 2004, obtaining a cult status among fans and collectors. With a string of singles released in the interim on various labels, the birth of Native Harmonix (Rain’s own Record Label) brought us the “Luminous” EP in 2010; exploring a lyrical based production, supported by undulating synth work and a palpable haunting texture throughout. His second full-length release “Kinetik” pushes his sound into new territories of emotional electronic dance music, exploring a heavier, bass-centric sound that adds raw energy to the meticulously detailed tracks this trusted producer is so well known for.

Constantly defying convention, the Phutureprimitive sound is not solidly rooted in any single genre nor easily defined, but draws influences from many sub-genres including Downtempo ,Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Breaks, Trip Hop, and more. Phutureprimitive has become a musical force to be reckoned with, performing in cities and countries throughout the United States, and Europe including New York, Nashville, San Francisco, Los Angeles, England, Scotland, Portugal, Holland, Italy and Croatia.

phutureprimitive.com

Michael Stirling

Michael Stirling began the study of North Indian classical vocal music with Pandit Pran Nath (Guruji) in 1983, subsequently traveled with him to India and became his disciple. After Pandit Pran Nath’s passing in 1996, Michael has continued study and practice of this celestial art form with Guruji’s senior American student, the highly regarded composer and performer, Maestro Terry Riley.  Michael has accompanied Pandit Pran Nath and Mr. Riley in classes and concerts in America, at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas; in India at the dhargha of Sufi Hazarat Inayat Khan in New Dehli; at Diggi Palace in Jaipur; in California and elsewhere.

Michael has also studied and performed with sarangi virtuoso Ustad Hafizullah Khan, with gifted Khyal and Dhrupad vocalists Sri Karunamayee, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, Uday Balwalker, the Gundecha Brothers, Lakshmi Shankar and with the American bansuri artist Steve Gorn, tabla/esraj artist Benjy Wertheimer, Gurubhai tabla player and gifted vocalist Rik Masterson, kirtan artists Shantala (Benjy & Heather Wertheimer), Gina Sala and with renowned poet and Sanskrit translator Andrew Schelling (Naropoa Institute, CO).

At the request of his teacher, Michael offers performances of and instruction in North Indian classical vocal music to individual students and small groups. Mr. Stirling has taught at Marylhurst University, University of Portland, Portland State University, Reed College, Community Music Center, Amrita: A Santuary for Yoga, Yoga Shala, Beloved Festival, for Living Yoga at the Oregon State Correctional Institute, Brietnebush Retreat Center (for the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the publication of Ram Dass’s essential book, “Be Here Now” and elsewhere. Mr. Stirling is on the faculty of Lewis & Clark College teaching Hindustani Classical vocal music (Raga & Tala class and private lessons). Michael has served on the Boards of Directors of Kalakendra and Living Yoga.

Michael Stirling’s raga singing offerings are accompanied by tambura, the majestic and indispensable drone necessary for Indian Classical Music and tabla, the set of two, highly refined, tuned hand drums, also essential for Indian Classical music. Michael offers his deepest pranams with great humility for the countless blessings of his teacher and Guru. stirlingraga.com

Akara

Akara is the brainchild of Joshua Penman, a conservatory-trained classical composer turned electronica producer. He was working on orchestra music and chamber music and opera, and meanwhile going to Burning Man and underground psytrance parties. As Joshua's success in the classical music world grew - his shamanic-journey orchestra piece "Songs the Plants Taught Us" has been performed by over fifteen orchestras - he began more and more to mix the psychedelic sounds he fell in love with at parties with the deep expressiveness and structure of the music of his training and upbringing.

Akara is the fruition of a twelve-year process of experimentation and development. Fed by an enormous number of musical streams - from the twelfth-century polyphony of Perotin to the hyper-current West Coast bass-music scene, Akara's influences include Shpongle, Claude Vivier, Indian classical music, The Glitch Mob, Steve Reich, Maurice Ravel, an-ten-nae, Beats Antique, Frou Frou, Irish traditional music, old-school jungle, Phillip Glass, Air, Tuvvan throat singing, Bluetech, Orbital, Peruvian icaros, and Amma Bhajans.

Akara features the otherworldly vocals of Femke Weidema, a highly trained musician and accomplished songwriter in her own right, leaving her country/pop/Latin roots to be reimagined and recreated as extradimensional psychedelic goddess. Live, Femke and Joshua are joined by a small orchestra of classical musicians – two violins, viola, cello, flute, and Indian mandolin – to deliver a level of virtuosic performance unusual in the electronica world.

akaraproject.com

SaraTone & The Earthtribe Gospel

From the Heart of Cascadia, SaraTone & the Earth Tribe Gospel are offering up the music of and for the land. Salmon Nation, Mountain Streams, Rivers and Creeks back to the Ocean, Back to the Sea.... This is Musical Medicine for the People. To Inspire and Unite, Unity through Sound, CommUnity through Music….

Exploring the Realms of Deep Roots, Gospel~Kirtan, Acoustic Mystical Soul Dub with some deep Rainbow Inspiration... Music to Sing, to Dance, to Laugh and to Cry.... May this Music Stream in Peace, Songs of Blessings & Thanks, Healing and Remembrance. Come open to this Big Love Emanation~ In Peace and Unity~This Powerful Music has been involved in Sacred Arts, Healing and Sustainability events through out the NW, West Coast and Hawaii.

saratonehome.org

Rafe Pearlman

Colored by the sounds, textures and experiences of a lifetime of travel, from the Alaskan Bush to the Middle East, Rafe Pearlman’s music is in a word inspiring. A study of contradictions and then some, his voice and music has been described as: eccentric, passionate, cerebral, gentle, poignant, earthy, and reflective.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Cape Cod, Alaska and California, by wandering artists, he began making visual art with his first steps and started pursuing music in his teenage years; getting his start in the Seattle Grunge music scene of the late 80’s and early 90’s. A growing interest in mysticism drove Rafe down new pathways, leading him through many bands, styles and lands – from world influenced trance and sacred music to pulsing ethereal brit rock to swampy raw soul blues – one thing has remained constant, his passion to explore new terrains in sound.

From Seattle, New York and Los Angeles to Canada, Australia and Israel, Rafe has shared the stage with Zakir Hussain, Brandi Carlile, Babatunde Olatunji, Candlebox, Cheikh Lo, Sheva, George Brooks, Sky Cries Mary, Jai Uttal, Paul Winter and Ashish Khan.

Rafe’s writing, recordings, performances and experiences will be offered here in frequent updates, and we welcome you to stay tuned, to share with others, join in and become a part of the journey

rafepearlman.com

Within Sound Healing

Within Sound Healing is a collaboration between Portland, Oregon's One Root and Shamanic Vibrations. Members Ryan Powell, Kristin Bowen Powell, and Jon Reinschreiber draw listeners into an inner journey of shamanic sound meditation. With the intention of returning the spiritual energy back to the temple of the body, they provide a sonic space of inner listening and deep peace.

Drawing upon their collective experience in the Daoist, shamanic, and yoga lineages, they channel sound vibrations using many world instruments including sacred voice toning, didjeridu, gongs, flutes, frame drums, harmonium, celtic low whistle, guitar, alchemy crystal bowls, bird quill pan pipes, Tibetan bowls, Hulusi, and more.

Ryan Powell is a multi-instrumentalist, Qi of Sound Healer and teacher of Emei Sage/Shaman style Qigong, Taiji, and Daoist healing arts. He has been working with sacred sound as a vehicle for awakening and healing since 1996, beginning his musical journey with the Celtic group Blind Rafferty. He has since shared his musical Qi in the stone circles of Ireland, the Dragon Gate caves of China, and wherever his path takes him.

Kristin Bowen Powell is a vocalist and yoga instructor who has found a sacred medicine within her voice which overflows naturally from her heart into the heart of the listener. Her music is infused with a sense of awe and deep respect for the natural world and the inherent innocence of life.

Jon Reinschreiber, Shamanic Sound Healer, has spent years traveling the planet in search of shamanic cultures and traditional healing modalities. Intuitive and guided by Spirit, Jon’s healing work is a carefully crafted blend of traditional healing styles learned while working with indigenous shamans and sound healers from 12 countries on 5 continents.

one-root.com | shamanicvibrations.com

DJ GlobalRuckus

Portland based trans-global groove maniac DJ GlobalRuckus scours the four corners of the earth for the hot emerging etno-tek (as well as traditional) music that are percolating in their regional ethnic communities and distills them into dance frenzy elixirs around the globe.

Specializing in Balkan beats, Arabic hiphop, nu-cumbia, electro swing, tropical, bhangra, moombahton and danchall, with the added spices of banda, samba, kuduro, and any other culturally rich sounds that engage him, you're guaranteed a wild ride on the dancefloor. Last year's Beloved festival was one of his favorite gigs, in good company with performances in London, Turkey, Geneva, Johannesburg, and Black Rock City and he can't wait to share a whole new bag of sonic treats with you this year.