Author Archives: Adam Reifsteck

MFM “SPEAKS OUT” Podcast EP 39: Baba Don Eaton On African Drumming and His Harlem Roots

“You Gotta Make Them Say ‘Wow!’“

Baba Don EatonOur guest for this episode of MFM Speaks Out is Baba Don Eaton Babatunde. He is a percussionist and master of African drumming and the rhythms of the African Diaspora in the Americas.

Baba Don has performed and recorded with Abidun Oyewole and The Last Poets, Pattie Labelle, Joe Henderson, Donald Brown, Jason Linder, Tyrone Jefferson, Tevin Thomas, James Spaulding, Ron Carter, George Clinton, Pharaoh Sanders, the Metropolitan Orchestra, Bill Laswell, and Philycia Rashad to name a few.

His work with dance companies and choreographers includes The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Maurice Hines, Gregory Hines, Andy Williams, Chuck Davis Dance theatre, Frank Hatchet, Geoffrey Holder, Louis Johnson, and Pyramid Dance Company.

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Gram Parsons

A Homage to Gram Parsons (The Byrds): His Greatest Song “Hickory Wind”

Text by Bruce Gallanter (Downtown Music Gallery, May 6th, 2022)

“Hickory Wind” written by Gram Parsons and covered by The Byrds for Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Recorded in March of 1968 & released later that year.

In South Carolina
There are many tall pines
I remember the oak tree
That we used to climb
But now, when I’m lonesome
I always pretend
That I’m gettin’ the feel
Of hickory wind

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Banning Eyre

MFM “SPEAKS OUT” Podcast EP 38: Banning Eyre on Expanding Our Conception of the Guitar in Africa

“Recognizing yourself in (this music) or finding a mysterious familiarity is something completely unexplainable.”

Banning EyreOur guest for this episode is Banning Eyre. Banning Eyre is a writer, guitarist and producer, and the senior editor and producer of the public radio program Afropop Worldwide.  He has traveled and done music research in over 20 African countries, as well as in the Caribbean, South America and Europe.

His latest initiative is the launch of Lion Songs Records, an independent label dedicated to uplifting overlooked, mostly acoustic music from the African universe. June 2021 sees the release of Boubacar “Badian” Diabate’s Mande Guitar, a showcase recording of finger-style Malian guitar.

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Neel Murgai

MFM “Speaks Out” Podcast EP 37: Neel Murgai on Brooklyn Raga Massive and the New Raga Renaissance

“We’re Creating New Musical Art Forms Indigenous to Brooklyn.”

Neel MurgaiIn this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Neel Murgai. Neel is a sitarist, overtone singer, percussionist, composer, teacher, and Co-Artistic Director of the  Brooklyn Raga Massive, a raga inspired musician’s collective.

Music on this episode:

“Bagheshri Unbound”  (live recorded improvisation by Neel Murgai using sitar, vocals and loops)

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