7/18/18

Nelson Mandela & Peace & Grace & Love

I work quite a bit with music from the African continent, both as a newly published songwriter, and in helping artists from there, most notably Sharon Katz, Wouter Kellerman, Jann Klose, Shawn Phillips, Alex Boye’.  I’ve been a cheerleader for many more!
From South Africa Sharon Katz made CNN News in 1993 as she created and led South Africa’s first, 500-voice multiracial choir. This became a 2015 award-winning documentary, WHEN VOICES MEET, selected for 25 film festivals and shown in over 50 countries, premiering in South Africa. (www.WhenVoicesMeet.com). Sharon Katz & the Peace Train have 5 other albums, and appear on the Rainforest benefit album, “Carnival!” alongside of Sting, Elton John, Madonna, Johnny Clegg…

This is Peace Train,” which appears on her 2002 Grammy-nominated album, “Imbizo.”  
  

Peace Train 
by Sharon Katz & Bolden Abrams Jr.(on Sharon Katz & The Peace Train “Imbizo” CD)

Chorus:
We need a sweet survival, love revival Peace Train
Make a heart connection, sweet affection, Peace Train
 Come on get on, come on get on, get on The Peace Train (2x)

Meet the Love Conductor, he’s your brother on The Peace Train
Choo Choo, choo choo! (2X)

Sister Ticket Collector, she’s the Hate Deflector, on The Peace Train
Choo Choo, choo choo (2X)

And when you see a child in her mother’s arms and you see her cry coz baby brother died, you know
There’s too much war in our lives
And when you pull your gun you see the children run, you make them terrified, you know
There’s too much war in our lives, I’m terrified
The world is love deprived.

Chorus:  We need a sweet survival, love revival Peace Train……………….

And when you start to cry and your heart hurts inside you know
There’s too much war in our lives
Hate mongers telling lies, a poor girl’s father dies 
The tears pour from her eyes and I can’t leave your side
I can’t leave your side
The world is love deprived.

Chorus:     Choo Choo to end

© 2002, 2018 by Sharon Katz 

 Listen to our Christmas songs here: https://soundcloud.com/leightonmedia/sets/seasonal-christmas-hannakah

I want to turn you on to the holiday song NEVER TAKE LOVE FOR GRANTED by Dan Berggren.
“Remember it’s the thought that counts!”




Ilona will be performing at the Cutting Room, New York City on August 1.
She has two Nashville gigs: August 5 at the Bluebird, and August 7 at the Basement. 

Ilona’s music, to me, is a cross between Pink’s and Taylor Swift’s, and she has grit with energetic pop arrangements.   


Her song LOVE IS STUPID is upbeat power pop about tossing and turning late at night because she’s missing her ex. (lyric below) 


 Gary Lucas' Chinese Pop from the 1930s-'50s has developed quite a following. His partner Feifei Yang with multi-instrumentalist Jason Candler perform new Mandarin versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Jefferson Airplane, plus songs from the earlier part of the 20th Century. 


More shows, including today the last day at the Bolshoi Classical Music Festival, performing his original live solo soundtrack based on Russian classical music  accompanying the 1925 silent Soviet comedy “Chess Fever” directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and Nikolai Shpikovsky. 
Please explore www.GaryLucas.com



Here are two artists that almost got away—Americana / Roots Rock & Roll ala Faces, Rolling Stones, Black Crowes is Josh Lewis, whose name I remembered as the original guitarist from one of my all time fave hard rock bands, Warrant.   

Elliott Murphy; OPEN CITY:  Bluesy, ethereal guitar, Elliott's voice could be described as a cross between Tom Waits & Petty and Bruce Springsteen. This November is going to be an empowering time for this rock troubadour that the universe has been giving back to.  Soon I'll have complete info. One confirmation is Elliott is playing New York City's Rockwood on November 10.


  
Rebecca Loebe is a member of the Austin, TX-based trio, NOBODY’S GIRL, who were at the top of the list in this month’s ROLLING STONE for their country-pop cover of Blondie’s CALL ME:   https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/10-best-country-and-americana-songs-of-the-week-cam-kenny-chesney-and-more-701812/

This is Rebecca’s song, LIE, from her top ten European album, BLINK.

More
Rachael Sage’s new album, MYOPIA, has yielded a finalist in the IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards). The song is ”Tomorrow" is Rachael’s first co-write ever, with James Mastro, who is in her band, and was a member of the classic band, The Bongos.  ”People are crazy, but you’re not crazy, and neither am I”