Mr. Rosen, you and your festival missed a great chance to be a “real and meaningful festival!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Daniel H. Rosen response to my article of To D.H. Rosen’s Kodo’s Earth Celebration (Japan) PR: is Japan really OK? (03/11/2011)

“Last month I posted a video of a Niigata Television news report that featured my involvement with a live-streaming project at Earth Celebration 2011. I then received a response from Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi from the “DooBeeDooBeeDoo” blog who took issue with my suggestion that “Japan is OK.” Mr. Ladjevardi makes some important points so I thought I would share his blog entry in my newsletter. However, I would also like to explain my intention was only to show the world that Japan is still a vibrant place where life is celebrated (as opposed to being a nuclear wasteland), not that everything is rosy and the dangers aren’t real. Yes, Japan has a lot to learn from past mistakes and the nuclear issue is very serious, but when I said “Japan is OK,” I meant it in the context that the piece was intended– i.e. that it is OK for tourists to come back, which I do believe to be true. For those of us that actually live here, the long-term affects of elevated radiation may very well be a health risk, but the idea that people outside of Japan have a better understanding of the situation than those of us on the ground is ridiculous if not infuriating. Peace out!”

This commentary appeared in Rosen’s “TokyoDex Newsletter 11月号” which I subscribe to. Good to know that he read my article and thought about it. Unfortunately he didn’t respond to me or to DooBeeDooBeeDoo directly, although I had emailed him directly to inform him about my post. So I guess he didn’t want to speak with me directly. Nonetheless,…at least I got some response from him.

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Dance and muisc show: Carolina Fonseca’s Gypsy Duende Dance & Sinan Gundogdu @ Theaterlab (NY)

Date: November 10th through November 23rd, 2011
Time: 9pm, except the 23rd at 7pm
Venue: Theaterlab (137 W. 14th Street, bet. 6 & 7 Avenues, NY)
Ticket: $15

This week the Portuguese Gypsy Duende dancer, choreographer, educator and dance producer Carolina Fonseca is joined by SoSaLa‘s Sinan Gundogdu who is not just an oud player but also a very talented guitarist.

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Interview: Sarah Rayani And The Band – Jazz, Lounge vocals delivered in a soulful manner, meets an old school Hip Hop and Funk band.

Text and interview by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

The Brooklyn Independent Music Fest took place at Littlefield’s in Brooklyn from September 16th to 18th. For three days over 60 bands took to the two stages to perform music which ranged from Alternative Rock to Pop, Blues, Soul and Rap. I checked out the festival on the 16th. Listening to about 10 bands Sarah Rayani And The Band, a Jazz/Soul band, was the one which impressed me most. When I talked to Sarah after her performance I found out that almost all her songs were written by her. She told me how much she was into Jazz and Motown backing vocals. She also occasionally uses Indian tonality with heavy Hip-Hop samples and synthesized pop elements. But what makes her different from all the other singers of this festival is her laid back, sexy and cool voice.

About Sarah Rayani

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NY Street Musician – A Cowboy Plays Bach?!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Yesterday, when I changed trains at 14th Street on my way back home from my rehearsal in Williamsburg, I saw a guy in a cowboy outfit playing classical music on a keyboard which was kind of funny. Instantly I took out my iPhone from my pocket and thought this could be something for the “Musicians In New York” page. Before shooting him I gave him some money. He said “Thank you” with a big smile and started playing. I don’t know what he was playing, maybe Bach? After a couple of minutes I tried to start a conversation with him and asked for a short interview which he for personal reasons rejected. But I felt that he didn’t like to do an interview. So I just stopped shooting him and rushed to my C train.

Enjoy the video below!

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Music listings – 11/7 through 11/13

1. Red Baraat w. REBEL DIAZ & The KOMINAS

Date: Monday, November 7, 2011
Time: 8pm
Venue: BROOKLYN BOWL (61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718-963-3369)
Ticket: $5
Genre: Bhangara/New Orleans Jazz

In just over two short years, the pioneering Brooklyn dhol and brass party juggernaut RED BARAAT have become known as one of the best live bands playing anywhere. Led by dhol player Sunny Jain, the nine piece (comprised of dhol ((double-sided barrel shaped North Indian drum slung over one shoulder)) drumset, percussion, sousaphone, and 5 horns melds the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with a host of sounds, namely funk, go-go, latin, and jazz.

Check out Sunny Jain’s interview in DooBeeDoo Continue reading