Start Time: Monday, July 27, 2009 at 9:30am End Time: Friday, July 31, 2009 at 4:10pm
Location:Chapeltown Sikh Centre Street: Chapeltown Road City/Town: Leeds, United Kingdom Phone: 01132445523 Email: info@saa-uk.org.uk
SAA-uk is delighted to present its Annual Community Music Summer School, which will offer tuition in Gurbani Vocals, Sitar, Santoor and Tabla. The Summer School will give participants the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of traditional raags and improve musicianship skills, a chance to make new friends or to catch-up with old ones.
The Summer School is open to any age and covers novice to advanced levels.
Theme:
1) Continuing from last year’s successful theme will be a focus on ‘Solidifying the Foundations’. This will include sessions on helping to improve riyaz discipline and how to structure a riyaz session. The ten Thaat Raags (parent scales) will be used as base raags for riyaz exercises with compositions to follow as well as focusing on technique to improve musicianship. Tabla players will use the eight basic taals as a basis and learn tabla riyaz techniques and also learn new compositions.
In addition, this year we will be looking in depth at:
2) ‘Raag Rang’ – Worlds of Colour, Emotion and Rhythm. Continuing from last year’s focus on ‘Navarasa’ – the nine emotions that provide the basis for Hindustani music – ‘Raag Rang’ shall explore the visualisation of music. The theme will examine the links that can be drawn between individual colours and musical notes, why a particular note can express and correspond to a particular colour and/or emotion, and what this means. This will aim to engage the participants in viewing their music from a different angle – regular riyaz and technique study will remain a large part of the Summer School, but there will be a renewed focus on being aware of the emotional and visual content of Hindustani music.
Fees (all 5 days, 9:30 – 4:00):
£65 Individual
£55 each for 2 or more siblings
£50 each for 4 siblings
1 FREE adult place is offered to help support your children in their learning and development.
Discounts are available for family groups and those on benefits. Contact us to discuss requirements.
Supported by The Sikh Centre, Chapeltown & Swara-Sangeet
Registration opens for 3rd IMC World Forum on Music
The International Music Council (IMC) is a global network of expert organisations and individuals working in the field of music. Founded in 1949 by UNESCO, IMC is mandated to promote musical diversity and support cultural rights for all.
Paris, July 10, 2009 – The International Music Council (IMC) is pleased to announced that registration has opened for its 3rd IMC World Forum on Music and 33rd General Assembly to be held in Tunis, October 17-22, 2009 under the title “Access to musical diversity”. It will be organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Preservation of the Tunisian Republic.
The 2009 World Forum on Music will focus on five areas which IMC considers being of crucial importance to the world of music:
Cultural diversity: where do we stand?
Music as a vector for dialogue
Creativity and innovation in music distribution
New approaches to music education
Changing audiences: challenges for art music around the world
To access GENERAL INFORMATION and the REGISTRATION FORM, please go to the Forum section on the IMC website.
Information: International Music Council, Silja Fischer
1 rue Miollis, 75732 PARIS cedex 15, France
Tel. +33 1 45 68 48 50 – Fax +33 1 45 68 48 66
e-mail: wfm@imc-cim.org
The Kedia Brothers – Mormukut & Manoj Kedia , the gifted torch bearers of the Senia Maihar Gharana ( School ) , are a frequently mentioned name in the contemporary technical expertiseand spontaneous aesthestic sparkle have enable them to spread wings and soar the heights of splendour. Recipent of the National Award Mormukut and Manoj the son of Nationally acclaimed Tabla Player Pt. Sanbhu Dayal Kedia took to SITAR & SAROD at the age of Seven ( 07) and Nine (09) under the guidence of Shree Praja Nandy Jee, Acharya Raja Ram Sukhla & their father Pt. Shambhu Dayal Kedia. There after they were nutured by Mr. S.D. David.
Padma Bibhusan Ustad Ali Akbar Ali Khan impressed with the enormous talents and wonderful acumen of Mormukut & Manoj to grasp the intricacies of Ragas , formally baptisedhim as his discipline in 1975.They also started to take taleem from Guru Maa Annapurna jee daughter of great wizard of Indian classical music ustad Allaudin Khan Saheb of maihar. Presently they are under the guidence of Pt. Sunil Mukherjee , Sarod Meastro of Delhi .
Today they are taking the breath away from the listeners by their glistering musical performances around the country.
Interview mit den Gründern der Global Music Academy Berlin
Die Global Music Academy ist eine Initiative internationaler Musiker in Berlin. Sie bietet ein ambitioniertes internationales Programm für Musikausbildung, Forschung und Austausch. unesco heute sprach mit zwei der Initiatoren, dem südafrikanischen Saxofonisten und Komponisten William Ramsay, Artistic Director, und Andreas Freudenberg, dem ehemaligen Geschäftsführer der Werkstatt der Kulturen und Managing Director des Projekts.
unesco heute: Was motiviert Sie, die Global Music Academy zu gründen?
Ramsay: Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass junge Musikerinnen und Musiker in Europa langfristig die Chance haben sollten, eine fundierte transkulturelle Ausbildung zu erhalten. Im Lauf der Jahrhunderte haben sich in allen Kontinenten einzigartige Musikkulturen entwickelt. Dieser Reichtum wird noch nicht hinreichend erkannt. Es gibt aber viele Anzeichen dafür, dass gerade der globale Dialog auch in der Musikausbildung eine enorme Kreativität freisetzen kann.
Freudenberg: Junge Menschen, die heute in der hybriden Umwelt moderner Großstädte aufwachsen, suchen nach Wegen, ihre eigene musikalische Sprache zu finden. Sie kombinieren sie mit den Klangwelten, die sie in ihrem Umfeld und in den Medien erleben. Für diese Generationen ist Musik daher immer mehr ein Experimentierfeld: Junge Musiker überschreiten kulturelle Grenzen, sie setzen sich mit Identität und Zugehörigkeit auseinander, sie beschäftigen sich mit Ein- und Ausgrenzungen. Und das tun sie weltweit – in Berlin und Sao Paolo, Jakarta und Johannesburg.
unesco heute: Wie konkret ist das Projekt zu diesem Zeitpunkt?
Ramsay: Die Senatverwaltung für Wissenschaft und Forschung in Berlin hat unsere Unterlagen bereits geprüft und die vorläufige staatliche Anerkennung in Aussicht gestellt. Die Studiengänge könnten schon 2010/2011 beginnen. Wir haben ein anspruchsvolles Konzept für ein Grund- und Aufbaustudium entwickelt. Es berücksichtigt zum Beispiel die Lehrmethoden, Techniken und Kenntnisse vieler Musikkulturen, es ermöglicht aber auch, sich in Musikproduktion und transkulturellem Musikmanagement zu spezialisieren.
unesco heute: Mit welchen Partnern kooperieren Sie?
Freudenberg: Es gibt eine enge Kooperation mit der Rotterdam World Music Academy in Codarts und der Hochschule der Künste in Rotterdam. Wir planen auch, mit Music Crossroads im Bereich Teachers Training zusammenarbeiten. Diese Initiative wurde 1996 von der UNESCO gegründet und unterstützt junge Musiker in Mosambik, Simbabwe, Malawi, Sambia und Tansania. Wir möchten mit Music Crossroads und weiteren Partnern auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent schrittweise das Global Music Network aufbauen. Es soll ein Netzwerk aus kompetenten Musikeinrichtungen und Bildungsinitiativen werden.
unesco heute: Wo sehen Sie besondere Herausforderungen?
Freudenberg: Musikproduktion und Musikmarketing haben sich durch die schnellen technischen Entwicklungen weltweit tiefgreifend verändert. Allein die Entwicklung der digitalen Aufnahmetechnik bietet inzwischen sehr viele Möglichkeiten. Allerdings wird es auch immer schwieriger, nachhaltige Modelle der Musikproduktion und Musikindustrie zu finden – heute kann alles kopiert und über das Internet getauscht werden. Auch die Vielfalt der Klangkulturen steht unter Druck. In vielen Teilen der Erde gibt es herausragende Musikkulturen, die zunehmend an den Rand gedrängt werden. Oft beherrschen auch nur noch wenige Menschen traditionelle Instrumente und Spielweisen.
Ramsay: Wir können hier allerdings unseren Beitrag leisten, indem wir diese Schätze fördern und damit sichern. Deutschland hat 2007 die UNESCO-Konvention zum Schutz und zur Förderung der Vielfalt kultureller Ausdrucksformen ratifiziert. Mit der Global Music Academy wollen wir diese Konvention unterstützen. Sieht man sich die dort formulierten Zielvorstellungen an, dann wird deutlich, dass derzeit die Bedingungen und Möglichkeiten für junge Musiker in vielen Ländern unzureichend sind. Hier wollen wir durch die Kooperation mit unseren Partnern ansetzen.
Die Fragen stellte Christine M. Merkel, Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission.
(AACM Youtube Channel -04/30/09) – The Ali Akbar College of Music has been working towards creating a public library to maintain our ongoing collection of music in order to make it accessible to students, scholars, researchers, and music lovers. People throughout the San Francisco Bay Area have attended concerts, classes, and films, at our college campus and are very familiar with our work. Now, we are looking forward to extending the life of Indian Classical music through this unique library that will be open to the public right here at our campus in Marin County.
Our founder and principal teacher, Ali Akbar Khan, known affectionately as Khansahib, is now 87 years of age. He first came to the U.S. in 1955 at the request of the late Yehudi Menuhin. During his 44 years of teaching and performing in the U.S. he has received: a MacArthur (Genius) Award, a National Heritage Fellowship Award, he was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, and has received 5 Grammy nominations. Khansahib continues to teach master classes at his college as he has been for the past forty years. Hopefully, he will continue in this capacity for many years to come.
Our immediate concern is to preserve the archives of his classes, concerts, photographs, newspaper articles, etc. This collection is comprised of the personal library of Ali Akbar Khan as well as the archives of his non-profit music college. It is an unbroken line of music dating back to the 16th century court of Emperor Akbar. Between Khansahib and his father, Baba Allauddin Khan, it spans over one hundred years of musical compositions and concerts. It is by far the largest single collection of Indian classical music. The collection emphasizes the teaching of the music as well as concerts. The teaching is the future of Indian classical music, and Khansahib has taken great care to make sure it survives by teaching 4-6 classes weekly, nine months of the year for the past forty years. His daily teaching is part fixed composition with the majority of the class focusing on his composing music on the spot as he would put it. This method has left behind a treasure trove of new compositions specifically designed to help the student better understand the movement of the ragas.
Our largest need is to transfer and reference over 4,500 hours of audio tapes of Ali Akbar Khans classes spanning from 1980-2001, and approximately 1,000 of his concerts. This does not include the 15 years of video tapes of his classes. In 2007, we were finally able to begin to work on this exciting project with the help of a very generous grant from the James Irvine Foundation of $150,000. The award was intended to partially fund this project for a 2 year period. We have also received a very generous $10,000 award from the Rex Foundation, and $15,000 from individual donations totaling $175,000. Our budget for this crucial phase of the library is $375,000. We are still $200,000 short of our goal.
It is of the utmost importance to us to have Khansahibs input on all aspects of the library. As an example, when we have transferred older concerts we have discovered that many of the tapes have nothing written on them. Khansahib has been instrumental in telling us who was accompanying him on tabla, drums, and has identified obscure ragas. Sometimes he has been able to recall an interesting event that took place around the concert, all of which will not be possible in the future. It is vital that we continue to preserve this great body of work that Khansahib has so lovingly passed on. We need help from the community to ensure that this tradition is carried on to our children, and our grandchildren.
For a full description and to donate to this project, visit www.aacm.org.
Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam announces the Vocal and Violin Music Camp to be conducted by B.U.Ganesh Prasad from India at Savitha and Prasad Ramachandran’s residence in Naperville.
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Camp Schedule
Conductor:B.U. Ganesh Prasad Dates:1st Apr 2008 to 31st May 2008 Hours: 9 AM to 7 PM Session Duration: 1 hour
Fees will be communicated directly by the Camp Conductor to interested parties. There will be a minimum charge for each session with no proration.
LearnQuest Music Conference 2008 (Boston / Cambridge / Waltham MA – U.S.A.)
While there has been no dearth of great masters visiting the Boston area, we intend to serve the community by taking the listening and appreciation of music to the next level. To this end, our goal is to present authentic Indian classical music the way it is practiced and enjoyed in India through multi-day classical music festivals (Sangeet Sammelans) and conferences. This is an attempt at creating an Indian Sangeet Sammelan-like environment that would cater to all music lovers, both the aficionado as well as the uninitiated. Our goal is to present the famous and established artists, as well as promising rising stars of Indian classical music.
This music conference, a five day event, will be held from April 9th to April 13th 2008 at multiple locations in the Boston area. The opening concert on April 9th will take place at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the second day, April 10th, events will be held at the Stata Center of MIT, Cambridge. The remaining events from April 11th to April 13th will be held at the McDevitt School in Waltham, MA. This year’s conference is being co-sponsored by two very prominent artistic organizations of Boston – MFA and MITHAS of MIT. We are excited about this partnership.
April 9, Wednesday, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Guitar Gayan (Singing Guitar)
At Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA
· Debashsish Bhattacharya and Group (Sutapa Bhattacharya – Vocal, Subasish Bhattacharya – Tabla)
April 10, Thursday, 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. - Confluent Winds
At Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge MA
· Music Triveni 2008 by Natraj with Phil Scarf on the Saxaphone, Shashank and Steve Gorn on the Flute
· Showing of a rare film on Hindustani Music
April 11, 12, 13 (Friday – Sunday) - Cascade of Melodies and Rhythms
At McDevitt School, Waltham MA
Madhukali is holding a two-days award ceremony to give away the first-ever Sangeetendu Dr. Lalmani Misra Awards on 22nd and 23rd December 2007 at Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal (M.P.)
Omenad has decided to organize a Symposium on this occasion focusing on Areas of Innovation in Teaching and Practice of Indian Classical Music. Consent from some scholars has been received who shall discuss philosophy of presentation, myth and facts about inter-relationship of Raga-s and new methodology of learning ICM etc.
There are many facets of Indian Classical Music which have to be understood in modern perspective regarding preservation, promotion and dissemination of this art-form. Many artistes despite having concrete ideas regarding presentation have never brought them out due to hostile public reception or outright rejection. In India music still languishes being branded either as entertainment or an ancient practice. As entertainment it suffers due to market forces resulting in use of synthesised music that has replaced human accompanists; being branded as an ancient art very few students opt to learn at the right age (8 to 12) and then too, music is rarely a part of formal education system. Academics and activists have tried to convince people and authority to give music its place in school curriculum. Music is indeed therapeutic but its commodification as an alternate therapy is detrimental to genuine practice.
Several papers have been received on different aspects of learning and performance of Indian music and dance. Some of the speakers are:
Techniques of Wind Instruments – Pt. Raghunath Seth
Electroninc Music Instruments – Shri G. Rajnarayan
Indian Musical Notation: Accuracy versus Universality – Dr. Ragini Trivedi
Ragamala paintings as Musical Texts – Dr. Naval Krishna
The element of Mystery and Rationality in Indian Raga-s – Dr. Bageshri Joshi
Raga Presentation: Tradition and New Dimensions -Dr. Suneera Kasliwal
Music Therapy: An Objective Evaluation - Dr. Sharada Velankar
Mr. Niranjan Haldar would present his musical innovation, Ranjan Veena before the gathering of scholars. An introduction to Prof. R C Mehta’s recent book, Eminent Musicians of Yester Years shall be given by Tabla virtuoso Prof. Kiran Deshpande.
The symposium shall start at 9:30 am with Registration on 23rd December at Bharat Bhawan Bhopal.
The universe is engaged in a miraculous rhythm that is the ultimate timekeeper. Due to his pivotal role in an important new documentary film, Billy Cobham, a master timekeeper himself, is now more aware of this than he has ever been.
Early in Cobham’s career he played with Horace Silver, Miles Davis and in the pre-fusion band Dreams. But he is best-known as the propulsive drummer of the genre- twisting Mahavishnu Orchestra, who ruled the jazz-rock world and even made some of the pop charts over thirty-five years ago. The band’s music is currently undergoing a remarkable renaissance in which Cobham himself has now taken part.
Under his own name, Cobham recorded two historic records, Spectrum (Atlantic, 1973) and Crosswinds (Atlantic, 1974). After Mahavishnu, he has performed with his own bands and musicians including Herbie Hancock, George Duke and many, many others. He is one of the busiest drummers on earth today; constantly touring or putting on heavily attended drum clinics.
The last couple of years have found Cobham involved in a wide variety of projects that have focused even more deeply on the percussive rhythms that he has spent the last half-century discovering and reinventing. This has given him both the chance to revisit his celebrated musical past and to discover how his rhythms may affect the world around him. Cobham is the central figure of Sonic Mirror— a groundbreaking new documentary film. The Hollywood Reporter says the film is “…a feel-good world music documentary with the potential to be the next Buena Vista Social Club.
All About Jazz spoke with Cobham about his latest efforts and how they fit into his life and drumming legacy.
All About Jazz: You have two CD projects in release that are receiving very good reviews. Meeting of the Spirits- A Tribute to the Mahavishnu Orchestra (In & Out, 2007) was recorded with Germany’s HR Big Band last year. It featured interpretations of classic Mahavishnu pieces, ably arranged by keyboardist and composer Colin Towns. There has been a huge resurgence of interest in the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the last couple of years. But fans never expected you to be a part of it.
Billy Cobham: About three or four months prior, I was approached by the director of the Hessicher Rundfunk Big Band, Olaf Stötzler, to collaborate on a project that would feature the music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. I didn’t believe that I could play that music again. I had a discussion about my feelings with keyboardist and drummer Gary Husband. He got me thinking about the project as an object of curiosity. He told me it would be like revisiting music that I played thirty years ago. And thinking of what I could do if I had the chance to play it now.
AAJ: I have heard you were quite pleased with the experience. How did you approach the Mahavishnu music in a big band situation? BC: Though we did play at least one composition from the second Mahavishnu, that [drummer] Narada Michael Walden wrote, I found that I played less; in a more minimalist way, than in the original band. I also found that the notes in my contribution had more meaning for me. I discovered that I retained the idea of playing the music and relived the images that they recalled in a more positive way for a longer period of time—both on and off stage. Maybe this is why I consider Meeting of the Spirits a very special recording. It represents my past history.
AAJ: A year later you played Mahavishnu again with the HR Band. But this time you were joined by your band-mate from the original Mahavishnu lineup, violinist Jerry Goodman. You had not played together since 1978.
BC: Performing with Jerry Goodman was very positive. It was surprising that we would retain so much of the connection we had from performing together all those years ago. I could hear Jerry’s maturity in the notes. This told me that we had each come a long way because of our individual experiences. It is one thing to speak of this theoretically and yet another to physically experience it with someone else.
[Note 1: For his part, Jerry Goodman says of the experience and chemistry, "I actually wasn't that surprised. I always felt there was a special connection. There was a challenge playing the Mahavishnu music in that context. But it felt natural to be playing it with Billy. It was sort of like going home.
Cobham's retrospective of his Mahavishnu past will continue with a scheduled performance in March of 2008 in Australia, with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. He will be joined once again by arranger Towns, who this time will perform as well. Guitarist Frank Gambale is also scheduled to play with them. The Orchestra will play Mahavishnu music and some of Cobham's compositions.]
AAJ: The Drum N Voice 2 (Nicolosi, 2006) CD has you joined by many fine guest musicians, including Jan Hammer from the original Mahavishnu Orchestra. Many of these collaborations did not take place in the same studio.
BC: This project was recorded by me tracking patterns in the recording studio alone. The musicians were later added after compositions were developed around those patterns. That part of the recording process may have come one year after I laid down my tracks. The producers wanted it this way. I was very curious as to how they intended to knit their concept together. I am very interested in these kinds of projects, but I realize that they can be very time-consuming, and have their own pitfalls if one is not careful. Of course, you can get sidetracked and hung up in all sorts of delays. It pays to be very focused, as you have to be in any recording situation. In comparison to the first CD, I believe this one to be more of me as it takes a few more risks while still maintaining the groove “in the pocket. Overall, I’d say that I am pleased with the results.
AAJ: You are working on another new project.
BC: It will be called Fruit from the Loom and put out under my own name. It will include many artists whom I have performed with in the past like Ernie Watts, Dave Samuels, Randy Brecker, Carmelia Ben Nasur, Frank Gambale, Victor Bailey, Jean-Marie Ecay, George Duke, Christophe Cravero, Junior Gill, Stefan Rademacher, Guy Barker, Marco Lobo and others. Much of the music on this project reflects how life for me has changed over the past ten years or so since my last individual project, Focused (Cleopatra, 1999), was released.
[Note 2: Perhaps it is Cobham's dedicated involvement in the making of the recently released documentary film Sonic Mirror, from respected director Mika Kaurismäki, which will prove to be his most rewarding and important musical experience. Sonic Mirror attempts to show the importance of rhythm as a tool of social and psychic understanding. Billy Cobham's performances are at the core of the movie.
contact: sonic (at) sonicmirror (dot) com
Kaurismäki and Cobham were introduced to each other by Kaurismäki’s sister many years ago. The idea for doing a movie about Cobham and his music took root back in 2001. Kaurismäki says, “The idea was first to make a more classic portrayal of Billy Cobham and his career. But then we started to think of other ways of doing it. We finally decided to do a film about Billy and some of his projects and focusing on rhythm and music as communication and universal language.
Cobham and Kaurismäki began looking for sponsors by approaching different cultural organizations. It took about four years of fund-raising, filming and editing before the film was ready in 2007. The film had its premiere in Switzerland this past spring and is slowly making its way through the Scandinavian countries. Its full release schedule is still to be determined.]
BC: As usual, “money and time to complete such a project is always at the heart of this type of thing. We could have used a lot more money, which would have helped us govern the time factor better from many aspects. I found it tough to get into a rhythm of thought around this project. I had to continue to think about everyday aspects of my life; while not letting myself become too optimistic regarding the positive factors surrounding Sonic Mirror. Even now I find myself speaking guardedly, because I am still surprised that the film has been released.
AAJ: The director wanted to make a documentary about how rhythm, your drumming, would affect different social and cultural groups. Did you and Mika choose specific destinations for the filming or were they planned around your extensive touring itinerary?
BC: I remember discussing locations that would be “must have spots with Mika. So, we ended up with a short wish list of possibilities. The list included Nigeria, but that country was thought to be too volatile to work in. We reluctantly backed away and instead brought the musicians to Switzerland for the project involving the autistic community near Bern. Because of his major connections in Brazil and my affinity for the music of that region, Mika and I settled upon including that musical environment in the film; along with Finland, Mika’s birthplace. We wanted to choose radically different social environments for the musical presentations so that we could drive home the idea of music being an alternative communication to other social applications and various therapeutic processes. In this way the main point of the movie would be driven home.
AAJ: What is the difference between recording an album and being followed all over the world by a film crew?
BC: One has no time to get into a “rhythm. You take the time and space available to you and do the best you can with it.
[Note 3: According to Kaurismäki, Cobham was very involved in the cause and the direction of the film. "Billy was part of the creative process from the beginning and he approved our script and concept. It was very much Billy's point, that music is the universal language. I believe that the film proved it. This is especially so of the workshop with the autistic people which made a great impression on him - and on all of us involved.]
AAJ: You played in several different cultural and social contexts to gauge the reaction of the listeners. In one case, you played for people with autism. What do you think the listeners took away from these encounters? What did you take away?
BC: I learned, again, to take life one step at a time. I watched, as the watched became the watchers; where the autistics effectively became the teachers for a brief few minutes. They were deeply touched by their exposure to the music. This confirmed to me that music is the universal language and can be used to help bridge the gap between all who live on this planet. In this way the experience made me a stronger person with a better understanding of how the world turns. I believe that the project really made a strong impact in many areas of the social environment. But it remains to be seen what the future holds for the film’s impact should there be any on the world populace.
[Note 4: Kaurismäki says, "It was clear from the beginning, that Billy would be the focal point of the film. I have the feeling that Billy liked our concept, not only presenting him as a great jazz drummer, but also as an artist, who's constantly looking for new directions, influences and ways to use music—like the use of music as a therapeutic tool. I also believe that it was an important 'journey' for him personally. It was a kind of a 'back to the roots' trip. ]
AAJ: During the four long years of this endeavor, was there a particular event that stood out for you more than others, that still stays with you?
BC: The time spent with my father. It was the last time we spent together before he died.
[Note 5: In fact, sadly, Cobham's mother recently passed away as well. Both his parents appear in the film. Cobham's dad was a pianist, and had given his son his first paying gig at age eight. His mother had been supportive since beat one. So to Cobham, Sonic Mirror reflects the sights, sounds and memories of his own life's rhythm just as much as it does the rhythm of the universe. He realizes that the universal cadence moves on. You are powerless to stop it because you are a part of it. You must continue playing; hoping your music has a positive impact.]
BC: Sonic Mirror verifies the value of music as an important factor in this world. If used for the greater good it can be a powerful ally.
Selected Discography
Billy Cobham, Meeting of the Spirits: A Celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (In & Out, 2007)
Billy Cobham and Others,The Drum N Voice 2 (Nicolosi, 2006)
Frank Gambale, Raison D’Etre (Wombat, 2004)
Billy Cobham, Focused (Cleopatra, 1999)
Larry Coryell, Spaces Revisited (Shanachie, 1997)
Billy Cobham, Stratus (Inaukustik, 1981)
John McLaughlin, Electric Guitarist (Columbia, 1978)
Billy Cobham, Inner Conflicts (Atlantic, 1977
Stanley Clarke, School Days (Epic, 1976)
Billy Cobham, MA Funky Thide of Sings (Atlantic, 1975)
Billy Cobham, Crosswind (Atlantic, 1974)
Larry Coryell, Spaces (Vanguard, 1974)
Billy Cobham, Spectrum (Atlantic, 1973)
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Birds of Fire (Columbia, 1972)
Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia, 1971)
Miles Davis, A Tribute to Jack Johnson (Columbia, 1970)
Dreams, Dreams (Columbia, 1970)
Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, My Goals Beyond (Ryko, 1970)
Miles Davis, Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969)
