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Saturday, October 14, 2006
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a story of love
From Sonoma to Africa & back again, i have spent a good part of my life on the road.
Life in Africa taught me a great deal about the human spirit. Visiting the continent at a critical time, i was fortunate enough to see history in the making. Apartheid was about to come crashing down, Nelson Mandela would finally be set free - the promise of better days seemed to be coming true. At the same time, i saw first-hand the drastic contrasts between rich and poor, driving through wealthy Johannesburg neighborhoods like Sandton one day and then visiting churches and community centers in Soweto the next. Travelling throughout Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and the rugged, beautiful mountains of Lesotho, i met some amazing, inspring people, many of whom had suffered under the weight of oppression, living in exile, dealing with constant fear and the threat of violence. Music plays a big role in African life, helping to raise people's spirits and help them cope with hardship and struggle, with a succession of tragedies looming on the horizon, music would soon do the same for me... While in Zimbabwe i got to attend a performance by the legendary Manu Dibango, with an opening set by Thomas Mapfumo. Already a huge fan of 80's dancehall and reggae groups such as Toots & the Maytals, Culture and the Itals, being immersed in African music had a very positive influence on me. Moving back to the San Francisco bay area in 1993 my friends introduced me to the sounds of House music, taking me to some amazing, unforgettable events, among them Wicked Crew's Full Moon - on the beaches north of Santa Cruz.
These parties had a huge impression on me and i started work on some of my own production, eventually moving from the west coast to the vibrant city of Montreal. after i lost my best friend in the summer of 2001, i ended up spending most the next year or two in front of my Macintosh, working on new beats and mixes... music helped me cope with tragedy as i continued to work on new material, eventually releasing my first 12 inch shortly before New Year's Eve 2005.
While keeping a strong focus on simply having a good time in the studio, i like to produce very straightforward remixes, celebrating my love for all things R&B and fondness for editing classic tracks from the 1980's, bringing back rich memories of simpler times...
5:24 PM
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