Check this crazy stuff out......now this is music!!!!
http://analogafrica.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
People make life difficult
I always hear people say life is hard. But I'm starting wonder, is it really?
I also hear people say that life is what you make it. And this very true.
But I've also realized that human beings by their hatred, fear, selfishness and unkindness make life difficult for others.
When we refuse to share, lend a helping hand to someone in need, share a kind word to those around us; we make life harder, we make the world colder.
It's almost as if there's people out there who catch a kick out of being cruel. How can you be happy being cruel? To be cruel to others is just wrong on so many levels - morally, spiritually, you name it, it's wrong.
Life maybe hard, but it was made so by people. Not by God or Mother Nature, or anything else. We are the cause of all the trouble in the world and all our unhappiness, and we're too bloody selfish and greedy to see that.
Shame on us all.
I also hear people say that life is what you make it. And this very true.
But I've also realized that human beings by their hatred, fear, selfishness and unkindness make life difficult for others.
When we refuse to share, lend a helping hand to someone in need, share a kind word to those around us; we make life harder, we make the world colder.
It's almost as if there's people out there who catch a kick out of being cruel. How can you be happy being cruel? To be cruel to others is just wrong on so many levels - morally, spiritually, you name it, it's wrong.
Life maybe hard, but it was made so by people. Not by God or Mother Nature, or anything else. We are the cause of all the trouble in the world and all our unhappiness, and we're too bloody selfish and greedy to see that.
Shame on us all.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Horns, Alarms, Mufflers, Engines & Tires
Is it me, or has anyone ever noticed how bloody loud all these parts of a car can be?
And people around here use it at all hours of the day AND night! We have buses, taxis blaring music at all hours of the morning.
Now, is it also me, or do you find that your mood instantly changes to one of irritation the minute you hear a loud, obnoxious car horn, or an alarm going off repeatedly, a loud muffler, screeching tires and last but not least, a revved engine? Is it me?
Maybe it's because I live next door to a roadside mechanic who fixes cars on my doorstep. And no matter how many times he has been spoken to, he still continues. And never mind numerous calls made to various authorities (public health, police, minister of works), never mind all that, no one can stop this mechanic, he's on a roll. In any other country, this would be illegal, but not Trinidad, no sir, we brake rules for a living. And everyday, I still hear all the wonderful noises a car can make, over and over.
And my life is irritable the minute I hear all those noises. And I've come to the conclusion, a car is really a noise-making machine isn't it? A speedy, noise maker.
I wish they made silent cars that ran slowly, then our lives would be quieter and there would be no accidents, because people wouldn't be able to speed.
That's my euphoric solution to that problem.
And people around here use it at all hours of the day AND night! We have buses, taxis blaring music at all hours of the morning.
Now, is it also me, or do you find that your mood instantly changes to one of irritation the minute you hear a loud, obnoxious car horn, or an alarm going off repeatedly, a loud muffler, screeching tires and last but not least, a revved engine? Is it me?
Maybe it's because I live next door to a roadside mechanic who fixes cars on my doorstep. And no matter how many times he has been spoken to, he still continues. And never mind numerous calls made to various authorities (public health, police, minister of works), never mind all that, no one can stop this mechanic, he's on a roll. In any other country, this would be illegal, but not Trinidad, no sir, we brake rules for a living. And everyday, I still hear all the wonderful noises a car can make, over and over.
And my life is irritable the minute I hear all those noises. And I've come to the conclusion, a car is really a noise-making machine isn't it? A speedy, noise maker.
I wish they made silent cars that ran slowly, then our lives would be quieter and there would be no accidents, because people wouldn't be able to speed.
That's my euphoric solution to that problem.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Should music be free?
I was having a friendly debate with an artist last week who does graphic art pieces for a living. He was telling me that all music should be free, that no one should have to pay for music.
My response to him was if everyone feels that music should be free, then how do people expect musicians to make a living? His response was that people shouldn't have to pay for an entire album when there's only a few good songs on it. That fans make a band, and that all money can be made from advanced tickets sales for shows and tours.
Now in a perfect world that may work. But how can an indie band survive, much less book shows or even aspire to a tour (all self-funded) if all their money is being spent initially on producing an album, so that people could hear them in the first place? An album is after all, like a calling card. So if you don't have one, no one takes you seriously. Music on various websites can only do so much, but having an album to sell yourself is a must. But mind you, you must now sell yourself without making ANY money from your music.
So if no money comes from album sales, and if people have a right to have music for free, how can musicians make a living?
We don't go to doctors, lawyers, accountants and say 'well, there's so many of you guys around, I'll just take your service for free.'
My graphic artist friend, who has 41,000 songs on his hard drive, doesn't know all of the songs on it, because put simply, who has time to listen to all those songs. But we have become such a download-driven culture, that we don't even know what we have on our hard drives anymore, we just download for the sake of downloading. We're addicted to downloading for free.
The one thing I forgot to tell my artist friend, after just attending his art show a few weeks ago, was that maybe if I took a picture of his art and then photocopied it onto color gloss paper, it would be okay because I'm entitled to share his work among my friends and spread the news that he's a great artist, for FREE.
Something to think about.
But for all those folks who download excessively music, and for all those who say you love music, I just have to say that you're killing our livelihood and when there's no more musicians around to make music because we were forced to take a normal job, then I hope you can understand the part you played in contributing to our demise.
And you may I'm whining or bitter, but I don't care. You're not trying to make a living from music.
All I'm saying is, if we musicians are a profession like every other profession, and a vocation, and if we spend our savings on our vocation, and if we are adding value to people's lives and society, then shouldn't we be receiving some sort of value back in return for this?
But the sad fact is that everyone loves music, but nobody sees us musicians as a profession itself. Just like all other professions. So everyone takes for free now, because it has become the norm.
What this amounts to is greed on the part of the listener who somehow feels that they're doing us a favor by spreading our name around for FREE.
How about this? Everyone who downloads excessive amounts music for free should give away something of theirs that they value for free? How about that?
Fair is fair. Isn't it?
My response to him was if everyone feels that music should be free, then how do people expect musicians to make a living? His response was that people shouldn't have to pay for an entire album when there's only a few good songs on it. That fans make a band, and that all money can be made from advanced tickets sales for shows and tours.
Now in a perfect world that may work. But how can an indie band survive, much less book shows or even aspire to a tour (all self-funded) if all their money is being spent initially on producing an album, so that people could hear them in the first place? An album is after all, like a calling card. So if you don't have one, no one takes you seriously. Music on various websites can only do so much, but having an album to sell yourself is a must. But mind you, you must now sell yourself without making ANY money from your music.
So if no money comes from album sales, and if people have a right to have music for free, how can musicians make a living?
We don't go to doctors, lawyers, accountants and say 'well, there's so many of you guys around, I'll just take your service for free.'
My graphic artist friend, who has 41,000 songs on his hard drive, doesn't know all of the songs on it, because put simply, who has time to listen to all those songs. But we have become such a download-driven culture, that we don't even know what we have on our hard drives anymore, we just download for the sake of downloading. We're addicted to downloading for free.
The one thing I forgot to tell my artist friend, after just attending his art show a few weeks ago, was that maybe if I took a picture of his art and then photocopied it onto color gloss paper, it would be okay because I'm entitled to share his work among my friends and spread the news that he's a great artist, for FREE.
Something to think about.
But for all those folks who download excessively music, and for all those who say you love music, I just have to say that you're killing our livelihood and when there's no more musicians around to make music because we were forced to take a normal job, then I hope you can understand the part you played in contributing to our demise.
And you may I'm whining or bitter, but I don't care. You're not trying to make a living from music.
All I'm saying is, if we musicians are a profession like every other profession, and a vocation, and if we spend our savings on our vocation, and if we are adding value to people's lives and society, then shouldn't we be receiving some sort of value back in return for this?
But the sad fact is that everyone loves music, but nobody sees us musicians as a profession itself. Just like all other professions. So everyone takes for free now, because it has become the norm.
What this amounts to is greed on the part of the listener who somehow feels that they're doing us a favor by spreading our name around for FREE.
How about this? Everyone who downloads excessive amounts music for free should give away something of theirs that they value for free? How about that?
Fair is fair. Isn't it?
Friday, September 3, 2010
Who I'm listening to....third installment
Who am I digging nowadays.....
BBC introducing podcasts where I'm finding out new music all the time...yes sir!!!!
and.....the following local bands....
Joint Pop
12
Oddfellows Local
Orange Peel Groove
Incert Coin
Tamper Evident
Kes
Imij & Co.
and my own bands - Brothers Grimm, Big Eyed Grieve, The Sonic Revival Project
and I'm still jamming the Roots.....a true gem of a hip-hop group.....great musicians in my humble opinion......
BBC introducing podcasts where I'm finding out new music all the time...yes sir!!!!
and.....the following local bands....
Joint Pop
12
Oddfellows Local
Orange Peel Groove
Incert Coin
Tamper Evident
Kes
Imij & Co.
and my own bands - Brothers Grimm, Big Eyed Grieve, The Sonic Revival Project
and I'm still jamming the Roots.....a true gem of a hip-hop group.....great musicians in my humble opinion......
Things too damn expensive here
On this lovely little isle of mine, the cost of living is ridiculous for us locals, after all food prices are going through the roof, the cost of construction is sky high. In fact the cost of everything - a mortgage, a car loan, groceries, gas, consumables, everything is expensive. Hell, liming here is blasted expensive.
There's two ways to live here - 1) Makes loads of money or 2)Thief
I'm trying to create a third way - 3)Believe that it's all good, think that it's not expensive and life is great here and somehow, I will live just fine and have everything I want, just when I need it.
Sounds crazy, but I'd rather do that than fight up with the rat race.
But seriously, things are damn expensive here....
There's two ways to live here - 1) Makes loads of money or 2)Thief
I'm trying to create a third way - 3)Believe that it's all good, think that it's not expensive and life is great here and somehow, I will live just fine and have everything I want, just when I need it.
Sounds crazy, but I'd rather do that than fight up with the rat race.
But seriously, things are damn expensive here....
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