House The Houseless | Music and Action with Cole Williams

Musician & WWOZ radio host Cole Williams is in the vanguard of a powerful movement of direct action in the city of New Orleans, defending the rights of unhoused people. In recent years New Orleans housing activists created a political space for people to come together. Following frequent street demonstrations at City Hall, activists succeeded in getting the City to provide emergency housing in empty hotels. Now grassroots activists are renovating City-owned blighted houses with unhoused people by their side. Organized by The Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team (GNOCRT), they are asking the city government and those individuals with construction skills to assist in this dramatic and impactful Project. Cole Williams is leading this struggle with deep community participation and her powerful songs of love and struggle. Her new album with the Cole Williams Band, “Give Power to the People” puts them in the tradition of Gil Scott-Heron, creating songs that reflect the everyday experiences and hopes of Black people all around the world. These songs are anthems of the Movement for Black Lives and certainly for peoplestruggling to make sense out of this dangerous and hopeful moment. Listeners are invited to observe on web2 platforms Youtube and Twitter, or to participate in VR at The Ropeadope Lounge. VR participants will be granted microphone access to speak directly with the panel, and the discussion will continue in VR as we play selections from Cole’s album.

Sandeep Das HUM Ensemble At Lincoln Center

Internationally acclaimed tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das and his classical Indian instrumental HUM Ensemble harness the transformative power of Eastern music as an inspiration of positive social change. The ensemble’s newest project, Delhi to Istanbul, is the latest initiative in their socially driven series, Transcending Borders One Note at a Time. This eclectic mix of original compositions and traditional arrangements explores the shared musical heritage of India and Turkey via the conjoined traditions of Indian ragas, Arabic maqams, Sufi poems, and lyrical thumri. The Grammy Award-winning Guggenheim Fellow Sandeep Das leads his quartet—featuring Tamer Pinarbasi on the kanun (zither), Rajib Karmakar on sitar, and Jay Gandhi on bansuri—for the NYC premiere of this transcendental work. This was an amazing event that was free to anyone near the Lincoln Center and online. This is the spot to go if you can make it there, on way or any way.

Which Ways

The final part of this week’s proGram was in and out or out and in.

Jam 6.1- Greg Spero
THEO SAYS- Theo Croker Ft. Ego Ella May & D’LEAU
Funky Princess- Kingsley Durant Ft. Eric Johnson


For Phineas- Isaiah J. Thompson Ft. Julian Lee, Philip Norris & Domo Branch

Fire Illuminations Inside the Particles of Light- Wadada Leo Smith”s Orange Wave Electric
***pre-recorded conversation with Wadada Leo Smith***
Muhammad Ali’s Spiritual Horizon- Wadada Leo Smith”s Orange Wave Electric
Tony Williams- Wadada Leo Smith”s Orange Wave Electric


Chant II- Ingrid Laubrock w/Tomeka Reid, Brandon Seabrook, Mazz Swift, Michael Formanek, Tom Rainey
Leap Leap- Leap Day Trio (live)
The Great Western Loop- Billy Childs


The Ghetto- EarthKry

Returning To

The middle part of the proGram was back to the point of…

Head North- Mick Pini / Audio 54
Go Ahead- Lucas de Mulder, The New Mastersounds & Eddie Roberts
Feel the Spirit- Lucas de Mulder, The New Mastersounds & Eddie Roberts
Shake (All Your Good Mama Gave You)- Max Kaplan & The Magics


Know Better- Abby Jeanne
Intro- The Drawbars
One Twenty-Five- The Drawbars
Cat Call- The Drawbars
St. Thomas- The Soul Rebels & Count Basie Ft. Nicholas Payton, Cimafunk & Weedie Braimah


South Philly Groove- The Vince Ector Organatomy Trio + (Live)
Reprise- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds
But Wait, There’s Les- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds
Like Him- Greg Spero

Parking Moving

The first part of this week’s proGram had to stop to start it all up.

Travelin’ Soul- Alice Howe
Weasel & Weasel’s Convenience Store- The Okee Dokee Brothers
I’m Just a Lucky So-And-So- Taj Mahal
Blues Funky Like That- Eric Bibb Ft. Taj Mahal & Jontavious Willis
Day Of Reckoning- DownTown Mystic Ft. Tony Trischka


52nd Avenue- Peter Storm & The Blues Society
Go Down & Play- Peter Storm & The Blues Society
She’s a Woman- Big Harp George
Jump Abu Lula!- Big Harp George


War Pigs- Josiah Soren & the Colorblind Pilots Ft. Austin Parker
Sweet Like Mary Jane- Marcus Rezak
Lost Connection- Eric Silverman

Fire Illuminations With Wadada Leo Smith

Legendary trumpeter/composer and family to the proGram, Mr. Wadada Leo Smith debuts his new ensemble Orange Wave Electric with an exhilaratingly hot new album “Fire Illuminations”, available as a digital album on March 31, 2023 via Kabell Records. Joining Wadada are an electric band with guitarists Nels Cline, Brandon Ross & Lamar Smith; bassists Bill Laswell & Melvin Gibbs; electronic musician Hardedge; percussionist Mauro Refosco; and drummer Pheeroan akLaff. He recorded the album in a series of sessions and configurations, compiling the final product through extensive post-production. He sure had an embarrassment of riches to work with: Orange Wave Electric, as shown spelled out above, is an all-star electric band that brings different parts to stoke the flame. Wadada shares history with many of these musicians; Mr. akLaff in particular has been a vital collaborator for more than 4 decades and he has recorded with Mr. Ross & Mr. Gibbs in the formation of their bold trio Harriet Tubman, while Laswell joined the trumpeter along with the late percussion master Milford Graves for 2021’s inspired Sacred Ceremonies. Both Mr. Cline, famous as a member of the band Wilco, and Lamar Smith have been members of Wadada’s Organic group. Only Mr. Refosco is a new layer, though he’s long been an acclaimed percussionist best known for his work with David Byrne and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Mr. Smith crafted the 5 expansive compositions on ‘Fire Illuminations’ in the studio from a series of recording dates conducted and edited over the course of nearly 4 years. He cites such precedents as the groundbreaking work of Jamaican reggae and dub innovator Lee “Scratch” Perry & Miles Davis classics like Bitches Brew & On the Corner.

It is always a pleasure to have Mr. Wadada Leo Smith join in on the proGram. He always adds new ways to think about music’s being, and how it gets to the people. Before we got into the new album, “Fire Illuminations”, we talked briefly about his recently being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. We did dive head first into the creation of the new album and how the process beGan and the space in the in between. Wadada shares a few ways in which the sparks flew to be where they landed, and how each collaborating energy adds to the vibrance of the pieces. Dark Matter. What matters. We touch on so much, but discussing how the piece on the record that really keeps a good burn on for me, “Tony Williams” came to exist and be it’s own, made me relisten and refocus when relistening to the times around the heard. And….this track sounds great on the radio. The honor is always mine to learn more about the how, of the music the changes me. Find some change with this one.

Við Kjalveg – Jarlhettur, 2000.
Photo: Einar Falur Ingolfsson

Upflown

The final part of the open schedule fill-in proGram was lifted.

The Alchemist- Scott Petito Ft. Randy Brecker, Rachel Z Hakim, Omar Hakim & Mino Cinelu
Bombogenesis- Scott Petito Ft. Bob Mintzer, Kevin Hays & Simon Phillips


Wes 2K- Eddie Coburn Jazz Project
Batteries Not Included- Eddie Coburn Jazz Project
Scagg’s Place- Eddie Coburn Jazz Project


Fuchsia- Mr. Chair Ft. Eddie Barbash

Another Opens- Kendrick Scott
What Day Is It?- Kendrick Scott
Con Alma- The Vince Ector Organatomy Trio + (Live)

Flowing Until Ends

Did a open schedule fill-in proGram and the first part was getting on down.

Chucha- Son Rompe Pera
Proteus- Son Rompe Pera Ft. Gil Gutierrez
Sac Buit- ROS
You’re A Girl For One Man Only- Brandee Younger


Ballaké Sissoko- Sona Jobarteh Ft. Ballaké Sissoko
***pre-recorded conversation with Sona Jobarteh***
Gambia- Sona Jobarteh
Kambengwo- Sona Jobarteh Ft. Youssou N’Dour


Machine- Nadia Washington

Interlude: Old Friends- Sanah Kadoura
The Gemini’s- Sanah Kadoura


African Drum- Dwight Trible Ft. Kamasi Washington
Elements- Dwight Trible

Poking Out From Within

The final part of this week’s proGram see and saw.

Grigori- The Reluctant Cosmonaut
Ready to Ball- Kassa Overall


Let Them Know- Wax Tailor Ft. Voice Monet & lojii
***pre-recorded conversation with Wax Tailor***
Just Rock On- Wax Tailor Ft. David Bars, Ill Conscious, Mattic & Kuf Knotz
Freaky Circus- Wax Tailor Ft. Mr. Lif & Napoleon Da Legend


Twisted- Jacques Schwarz-Bart
Sun Salutation- Jacques Schwarz-Bart


The Layers- Julian Lage
Moten Swing- Wayne Alpern
Little Darlin’- Wayne Alpern
When I’m Sixty Four- Wayne Alpern


Yeah Yeah Yeah- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds
Mary Lou- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds

Still Branching Out

The middle part of the proGram kept reaching for it.

Sage and Cigarettes- Abby Jeanne
Stono Hustle- Hot Mustard
One Finger Only- The Drawbars
Lets Do It Again- The Drawbars
Cowboys To Girls- The Sextones


Everything’s Gonna Be Alright- Lettuce
**pre-recorded conversation with Adam Deitch of Lettuce**
Keep That Funk Alive- Lettuce Ft. Bootsy Collins
Didn’t You- Lettuce Ft. Talib Kweli

WYD- Rudy De Anda
Several Times- Lucas de Mulder, The New Mastersounds & Eddie Roberts
Hot Ba-Ri-O- Lucas de Mulder, The New Mastersounds & Eddie Roberts
Underground Dance- Lucas de Mulder, The New Mastersounds & Eddie Roberts
Beach Chase- Sunbörn Ft. Caio Marcio Santos


Apocalypse Daydream- Mike Dillon & Punkadelick

Which Way Is

The first part of this week’s proGram looked for the right directions.

Up on the Shelf- Arkansauce
Ain’t No Grave- The Brothers Comatose & Charlie Parr
Tell Me Pretty Baby- Fred Davis


Permanent Midnight- Big Shoes
Why Not You- Sister Lucille Ft. Reba Russell
greenarrowradio promo- Danny Liston
Free- Eric Bibb Ft. Habib Koité
Sinner Man- Eric Bibb Ft. Eric Bibb String Band


Love The One Your With- Stephen Stills (Live at Berkeley ’71)
Cheap High- Gyasi (live)
Tongue Tied- Gyasi (live)
Won’t Be Satisfied- Harlis Sweetwater Ft. David Hidalgo & John Doe
O Torto Santo- Bike


Yellow Peril- Nat Myers

Photo by Nick Berard

Fishing For Accidents With Wax Tailor

Critically acclaimed French producer and DJ, Wax Tailor has released ‘Fishing For Accidents’ via his own label LAB’ORATOIRE. The album explores cinematic landscapes by sampling a world of vinyl, exploring with his sampler a world of vinyl and cinematographic references. A multi-recidivist talent scout he gathers a prestigious cast of talent from folks in the HipHop world like Mick Jenkins, Mr. Lif, Kuf Knotz, Mattic, and from the indie rock scene (Jennifer Charles, singer of the legendary band Elysian Fields and Victoria Bigelow). With one eye on the past and the other on the horizon Wax Tailor has made an album with one foot in the past and one foot in the present, the result is a unique and beautiful dance. Wax Tailor instills the incandescence of an organic sound and distills his art of sound anachronism in a wide gap between nostalgia and modernity that has made him one of the leaders of the international electro hip hop scene for over twenty years. Going to a live event where you are automatically taken from where you stand and are brought to a new space and place without moving…that’s the experience of a Wax Tailor shared in the moments together time brings.

I had the opportunity to catch back up with family to the program, J.C. (Wax Tailor) ahead of his March 24th performance at the Majestic in Madison. We reel in what the performance could be like for those in the there of the moment. We spend a good amount of time discussing the shaping of the new record “Fishing For Accidents” that he is out in support of. Once aGain, this is another artist that I find to be able to really find the perfect fits when it comes to collaborations or pairing…we get into how that sometimes goes about, and a few examples of other recent artists that have been examples of relationships that have worked out, including Mr. Lif and Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise. All I now is there is no accident with how this music fits together and certainly how I feel lie a different person after a live hang with Wax Tailor.

Unify With Lettuce

Lettuce is bringinG their UNIFY tour to Madison. It’s needed everywhere!! Unify, their 8th studio album and 3rd consecutive record made at Denver’s Colorado Sound Studios, completing a loose trilogy starting with 2019’s Grammy-nominated Elevate, and continuing with 2020’s Resonate. It’s also a benchmark moment for the sextet: Adam Deitch (drums), Ryan Zoidis (saxophone), Adam Smirnoff (guitar), Erick Coomes (bass), Nigel Hall (keyboards/vocals), Eric ‘Benny’ Bloom (trumpet). Approaching 30 years since its humble Boston beginnings, the relentlessly soulful funk outfit has essentially lived on the road, embodying, night after night, the sly wink of its moniker: Let us play! And now, endorsed on Unify by none other than the legendary icon of funk, Bootsy Collins, singing & playing bass on “Keep That Funk Alive”. The roots of Unify took hold several years back, when Lettuce assembled at Colorado Sound to begin work on Elevate. Armed with dozens of songs, the band tracked enough material for that record, its successor, and then some (including a vinyl-only, 45-minute, live-in-the-studio, one-take improvisation, Vibe). A pandemic-abbreviated European tour schedule in 2021 further inspired, as the group traded ideas for more new material. A totally collaborative effort, there were exciting cuts full of brilliant lyrics & arrangements from Hall. And fiery horn parts from Bloom. Plus, the tantalizing prospect of unveiling it all on the upcoming tour. Epitomizing the funk and the fun, it’s impossible for “Keep That Funk Alive,” not to be a focus track, even on a 16-song album full of highlights. Inspired by a buoyant Bootsy Instagram post and an irrepressible groove crafted around it. The venerable Parliament-Funkadelic bassist dug the hybridized creation, laying down low end and vocals on the proper track. “It’s such a dream to have one of the inventors of funk music bless this album. We are all STILL in awe!” exclaims the band. This album is an expression that is pure Lettuce. Unify will teleport you to a funky galaxy far, far away, where all life coexists as one in peace, love, harmony, and music!

I had the pleasure of catching up with Adam Deitch ahead of the maGical night of March 23rd when Lettuce brings that thang they do to Madison at The Majestic. Adam and I get into what any newbie to their scene could expect from heading out for this Unity tour event. We spend a good amount of time discussing how the album took shape and how the stretching out of these tracks live has taken new shapes after the pandemic. I am always interested in artists that play well with others and Lettuce, Adam, these cats seem to fit that mold, so we get into a recent opportunity they had to work on a track for the upcoming album “Late Night Basie”, celebrating some of the tunes of Count Basie. That focus track from Unity featuring Bootsy is so cool, we had to talk about how that went down and the cool it has kept going. Adam and I share a mutual brother in Mister Rourke, so we take the time machine back to a group they were both in called Fatbag. Oh yes we did!! EarGrab this chat and go check out Lettuce live – its healthy for you.

Photo: Jeremy Elder

A Little Time With Sona Jobarteh

Sona Jobarteh is the first professional female Kora virtuoso to come from any of the West African Griot dynasties. Her lineage carries a formidable reputation for renowned Kora masters, most notable amongst these are her grandfather Amadu Bansang Jobarteh and her cousin, the legendary Toumani Diabaté. Sona is reputed for her skill as an instrumentalist, her distinctive voice, infectious melodies and her grace onstage, and she has rapidly achieved international success as a top class performer. The demand for her live performances has rocket in recent years, and 2019 saw her perform at some of the world’s most renowned festivals & venues such as the Hollywood Bowl in LA, WOMAD in Australia & New Zealand and Symphony Space in New York City. Sona has the unique ability to touch audiences globally and from all backgrounds & cultures, while also commanding the attention of sitting presidents & royalty alike. Her captivating stage show has proved to be popular everywhere, and with a repertoire that exudes accessible sophistication, her audience demographic is constantly expanding. Sona’s dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and her stage performances makes her much more than a regular musician; she is in fact a compelling social activist, speaker, & change-maker who believes in leading by example. Her achievements in setting up a pioneering Academy in The Gambia, alongside her dedication to social change has gained her invitations to deliver speeches at high profile events around the world, including summits for the UN & the World Trade Organization. Sona founded the Gambia Academy in 2015. This pioneering institution is dedicated to achieving her mission of educational reform across the continent Africa. According to Sona, Africa faces the crucial & urgent challenge of addressing its education systems. Children who are fortunate enough to be able to attend school spend most of their waking hours in school, however in most cases the environment, culture, approach & curricula content within these schools are invariably oriented around a post-colonial value system and subsequently a foreign perspective. For Sona, it is detrimental for future generations of the continent whose values and concepts are shaped during their school years, to continue to be trained within a system where African culture, African history, African traditions and their intrinsic values are either non-existent, or at best relegated to the position of extra-curricular ‘activities’. This Academy is therefore the first of its kind in The Gambia to deliver a mainstream academic curriculum at a high level, while also bringing the culture, traditions and history that belong to students, to the front and center of their everyday education.

I had the honor of catching up with Sona ahead of her March 21st event in Madison at the Garver Atrium. Fresh off her 60 Minutes interview that certainly opened more doors and windows to what she has been doing and where she is heading, Sona and I discuss a little about what a newer person to her music can expect at a live event such as the one here in Madison. We learn about some of the music we may here from here latest release, “Badenyaa Kumoo” and how she feels while presenting the music live – the conversation. I could not spend time with Sona without touching on the powerful work she has dedicated as her purpose in life, The Gambia Acadamy. We touch briefly on a few aspects of the what that is happening to help achieve a new model of education in Africa and try and find the middle points in her life’s Venn diagram to see how/where/if/when the two marry. I am honored to have had this opportunity to discuss only a few aspects of what makes Sona go…and go she does, as you can tell by her answer to the final question about where she Goes to find a little ‘Sona time”. Do yourself a favor and find a way to start a conversation of your own by listening to her music, supporting her missions and or both, as forward is the way she is heading.

Climbing The Red

The second part of the Xtra open schedule fill in proGram went up to get down.

Cosmic Change- Lonnie Liston Smith/Adrian Younge/Ali Shaheed Muhammad Ft. Loren Oden
Sunset- Eddie Chacon
Trouble- Supreme Beings of Leisure
The Other Side- Supreme Beings of Leisure
Solar Power- MELONYX
I Am The Occupation- Mary Ocher


Forbidden Cabinet- Wax Tailor
The Final Note- Wax Tailor
The Glass Dragon- Ursula 1000
Made Of Golden Light- Tommaso Cappellato Ft. Lalin St. Juste
Your Love Is Mine- The New Mastersounds [Nostalgia 77 Remix] Ft. Corrine Bailey Rae


Panter- Montparnasse Musique Ft. Kasai All Stars & Basokin
Le Serpant- Montparnasse Musique Ft. Basokin

A Look Upwards

Did a little open schedule extra day proGramming. The first part looked up this way.

Am I Sad?- Gecko Turner
Ain’t No Fun Preachin’ to the Choir- Gecko Turner
So New Orleans (2023)- Delfeayo Marsalis & Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Carnival Time- Delfeayo Marsalis & Uptown Jazz Orchestra


Stanky- Kingsley Durant
Better- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds
Temple Bar- Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar & Abe Rounds
My Stomping Ground- Dwight Trible


Intermezzo- Joe Chambers
Caravanserai- Joe Chambers
Gazelle Suite- Joe Chambers
Homer and Debs- Mike Dillon & Punkadelick
Sister Sadie- Leon Lee Dorsey Ft. Russell Malone & Mike Clark
Bumpin’ on Sunset- Leon Lee Dorsey Ft Russell Malone & Mike Clark


Something’s Blowing in- Markus Rutz

Changing Daily Spiral

The final part of the proGram took the what is and found a soon to be.

Kora Meets Pipa- Gao Hong & Kadialy Kouyate
Joyful World- Gao Hong & Kadialy Kouyate
Mandeuli II- Clavellina d’aire Ft. Cati Plana & Jordi Maria Macaya
Bartolillo- Clavellina d’aire Ft. Cati Plana & Jordi Maria Macaya


Sukuma- Montparnasse Musique Ft. Muambuyi
Makonda- Montparnasse Musique Ft. Konono No1
Ikwekiame Nedumhe- Alhaji Waziri Oshomah
Brown Dwarfs- Aksak Maboul
I Walk & I Walk- Aksak Maboul


Poised- Dave Askren & Jeff Benedict
Stompin’ At The Savoy- Dave Askren & Jeff Benedict
Girl Get ‘Em- Christopher McBride Ft. Kenny Bentley
The Call- Lukas Traxel Ft. Otis Sandsjö & Moritz Baumgärtner

Green Circles

The 2nd part of this week’s proGram found the spot to go where the goods are greening up.

Pothole Dreams- Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade
Crimson Clay- Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade
Beware Of The Oh EEE’s- Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade


Reverse Window- Jane Ira Bloom / Mark Helias / Bobby Previte
Hawk Migration- Jane Ira Bloom / Mark Helias / Bobby Previte
Ritual Diamonds (for Kim Junghee)- Christopher Hale
Radio Mori- Christopher Hale


Quixote- Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest

Rèn sobo a- Erol Josué
Freak Out- Baaba Maal Ft. The Very Best


Netsujoh 2- YAMATO the drummers of Japan
**pre-recorded conversation with Masa Ogawa {Founder/Artistic Director} of Yamato**
Ishikure- YAMATO the drummers of Japan

Growing Sounder

The first part of this week’s proGram had to be plated and served.

Bulgares- Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project
Beneath- David Howley Ft. Woven Kin
Zelda the Caterpillar Goes to Spain- Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion
Sunrise- Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion Ft. Howard Levy
The Storm- Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion Ft. Howard Levy


Band Chum- Steve Fidyk Live Wire Broad Band
Loopholes- Steve Fidyk Live Wire Broad Band
Mojo- Rachel Therrien Ft. Gabriel Chakarji & Roman Filiu


Gog Magog- The Trials of Cato
Balls to the Wall- The Trials of Cato
Pròleg- Biel Martí
Epíleg- Biel Martí


Hombre- Gerardo Frisina

Masa Ogawa and Yamato the drummers of Japan

YAMATO is a Japanese Taiko drumming group based in Asuka-mura Nara Prefecture which is well known by Japanese people as the hometown of Japan. They call themselves “YAMATO, the Taiko drumming group that travels all over the world”. They have given more than 4,000 shows across 54 countries since their formation in 1993. YAMATO’s Taiko work cannot be fully described by the word “performance”. Their motto is “We go everywhere when somebody needs YAMATO! And bringing energy to the people living in the world!”. On stage, they are standing with more than 40 Taiko drums and all of them are having different characters. For example, their largest drum called “Odaiko”, produced from a huge tree over 400 years old, is approximately two meters in diameter and weighs 500 kg. All other Taiko drums are different sizes and have different sounds. The members of the group have trained their bodies to the limit to beat these massive Taiko drums. The acoustic pressure far surpasses what one could ever imagine. They do not simply make their Taiko drums explode with sound; they produce delicate music that provides the listener with a palette of meticulously crafted sound. This is why YAMATO’s original performances are known as “Physical music”, and continue to receive high acclaim globally. YAMATO is sometimes intense, sometimes sad, sometimes comforting, and in the next moment comical on stage. The audience is more than a group of bystanders, they are engulfed in the sound of the Taiko, and sweat, cry, and laugh and become one with the performers. All types of people gather around the sound of the Taiko, interweaving their lives, and feeling the power of each other’s inner passion and heart.

I had the honor of discussing the upcoming event on April 2 at the Overture Center with the founder and artistic director, Masa Ogawa, when Yamato – the Drummer of Japan come to share energy with Madison. We get into what this audience can expect when they present the World Tour 2023-2024 「火の鳥」”Hinotori” – The wings of Phoenix. Masa does a beautiful job reflecting on how the group and audience share in the created moments of energy and how the travels around the globe help to gain new energies to share with others at the next stop on the journey. We talk about the give back that YAMATO believes in, sharing knowledge that was shared with them and pass it on to the next generations as both a group and as individuals as well as what music he is currently listening to and well…baseball. There is not many “shows’ lie a Taiko drumming “show”, the formation of new lands discovered together in a moment in time is marked with a lifetime of felt emotions and new rhythms to walk the days with.

YAMATO 2019 – 2020 – Masa Ogawa (c)