FROM ALL DIRECTIONS
INDIGENOUS AND REGIONAL CULTURES AND WORLD MARKETS
A monthly newsletter from Bronitsky and Associates about events and people from indigenous and regional cultures in the international scene--concert tours, signings, and all the latest news.
Number 60, January 31, 2006
1. YAIVA HIP-HOP TOUR
2. BEAR CANYON GALLERIES
3. TRANSJOIK IN GERMANY IN MAY
4. INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE (iibec.mgt.unm.edu)
1. YAIVA HIP-HOP TOUR
Recently, we had the pleasure and privilege of meeting hip-hop artist Yaiva. We were impressed with his music, and even more impressed with his heart and his goals.
Yaiva is currently beginning planning for a 4-day tour that will be on the Hopi and Navajo Reservations in an effort to educate and heal through positive Hip-Hop, March 2nd – 5th. The Native Movement, based out of Northern Arizona, is sponsoring the 2006 Native Movement Tour and all proceeds will go to benefit the Substance Abuse Prevention and Gang Awareness Program. 4th World Entertainment and the Native Movement are currently fundraising and seeking sponsors for the tour, if you are interested in donating or sponsorship please contact Yaiva at (928) 699-9601 or yaiva@4went.com, monetary donations are also being accepted at www.nativemovement.org . For more information regarding Yaiva and 4th World Entertainment please contact Yaiva at yaiva@4went.com or call (928) 699-9601(www.4went.com). And please let him know you read about the tour in From All Directions!
Even better, here is Yaiva, in his own words:
My name is Gabriel Yaiva and I grew up on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. At a young age, like many indigenous youth, I was deeply involved with gang violence. Through spiritual and personal revelations, and through the power of hip-hop, I was able to transform my life to fight for our community’s empowerment as opposed to submitting to violence against my people. Now I work for the Native Movement Collective directing the Gang Awareness and Substance Abuse Prevention Program working with youth who went through similar struggles that I have been through. Native Movement runs and supports nearly a dozen youth run projects ranging from resource extraction on indigenous land, protection of sacred religious sites, food sustainability and security, arts, culture and language preservation, as well as preventing violence and substance abuse.
The Native Movement collective is sponsoring an all-indigenous hip-hop tour, “Healing and Educating Through Hip-Hop,” from March 2nd – March 5th. Often hip-hop is used as a tool to glorify violence, misogyny, gang life, and unrealistic material wealth. The purpose of the tour is to show that hip-hop can be a tool for personal empowerment; fights for justice, and elevating voices that have been otherwise marginalized and oppressed. In addition, the tour will raise money for local community-based projects dealing with these pressing issues on creative and resourceful levels.
We are going to bring this tour free of charge to schools in our community. We will be raising nearly $4000 dollars and are nearly half way there to achieve the goals of this tour. We are not only asking for your financial support, but any intellectual (connections and ideas), emotional, and spiritual support in the spirit of solidarity of struggling communities and peoples would be greatly appreciated.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. BEAR CANYON GALLERIES
Another Native American artist and entrepreneur we’ve had the pleasure of meeting lately is Eddie Kaibetoney, one of the founders of an innovative virtual gallery. And here are his own words, too:
Bear Canyon Galleries
Our Story
Bear Canyon Galleries, Inc. is a Native American-owned company based in the heart of the American Southwest. Our president is Eddie A. Kaibetoney, a Navajo born of the Bitter Water Clan, born for the Big Water People. He was raised in and around the Navajo Reservation in the traditional culture.
We represent outstanding Native artists living and working in the Southwest. We facilitate and foster relationships between Native artists and customers around the world. Our intent is to ensure that Native artists share in the true economic value of their work. We also support efforts to protect the integrity and authenticity of Native arts and crafts and to ensure customers are receiving original pieces created by Indian artists.
We meet and work with many Native American artists in Arizona and New Mexico. We have the opportunity to see and bring to you both new and contemporary works, as well as traditional art. You will meet and see the work of better-known, name artists, as well as many that we believe will become well recognized in the future.
An important part of our relationship with the artists and you is to bring you not only the art, but also the story behind the art and the artist. By coming to know more about Native American art and the artists, we believe you will play an important role in promoting and protecting the integrity and authenticity of Native arts and crafts.
We also believe that in sharing our stories you will come to have an increased appreciation and understanding of the connection between the art and the culture in Native American life. Finally, we hope that in sharing this connection you will also find the sense of harmony and balance that is at the heart of so much of Native American life.
Southwestern Native American art, in all forms, has never been more alive and dynamic. This art combines age-old tradition, innovations and talent. The art, some of which has been influenced by centuries of history, combines an intrinsic spirit with timeless appeal.
When you are buying Native American arts and crafts you are really buying pieces of art. Your personal taste and budget are the guides for making the right choice. Today there is good quality work being done by many artisans, in different media, styles and price ranges.
Native American artists are using many materials that may or may not be indigenous to their area. Many seek out and use a variety of materials to achieve their personal expression of art. It is this evolution of the art form that makes buying Native American art exciting.
This art may take the form of basketry or pottery, or gold or silversmithing, acrylic/oil/watercolor painting, stone sculpture, weaving and textiles or wood carvings, for example. There are wide varieties of art for all levels of collecting and enjoyment, no matter whether you are beginning with a first-time purchase or have been collecting for many years.
Finally, when we say ORIGINAL pieces created by Native artists, we mean works made by hand by Indians living in the Southwest. Each piece is a reflection of the artist and their spirit association with their tribe, where they live and work, as well as with the materials with which they work.
www.bearcanyongalleries.com and our contact information is: Phone
505-879-1546, email eddie@bearcanyongalleries.com. And again, please let him know you read about Bear Canyon Galleries in our newsletter.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. TRANSJOIK IN GERMANY IN MAY
Transjoik--two percussionists, one guitarist and a keyboard player. Four highly individualistic musicians who besides playing a unique brand of music, also use their voices in such a way as to defy description. Guttural chants, subterranean murmurs and supernatural screams are some of the expressions that have been used in an attempt to describe Transjoik’s vocal renditions. The music consciously stems from the traditional Sami joik or yoik, but Transjoik has transformed this into a unique musical style. Based on old wax joik recordings, Transjoik has developed a modern yet timeless evocative musical environment. The music can be exciting, hypnotic, vital and powerful. To many, it also has a sacred, religious or supernatural dimension. If one had to classify this music, the terms ambient, trance and techno would come to mind. World music could also be used. At any rate, Transjoik has taken this genre to new heights. We are delighted to announce performances by Transjoik in Germany in May:
May 5, 2006, MASALA Welt-Beat Festival Hannover (www.masala-festival.de)
Since 1995, the MASALA World-Beat Festival has developed into one of the largest European world music festivals and a meeting point for all world citizens interested in music.
May 6, Kulturfestival Nordischer Klang in Greifswald (www.nordischerklang.de)
Under the patronage of the Norwegian Secretary of Culture Valgerd Svarstad Haugland and the Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Dr. Harald Ringstorff, "Nordischer Klang" is the biggest annual festival of Northern Europe Culture outside Scandinavia.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE (iibec.mgt.unm.edu)
We are delighted to announce that the website has had 5256 total since the site went live. And we’ve had inquiries about participating from throughout the United States (New Mexico, Washington, DC, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, Washington) and Canada, Greenland, Mexico, Ecuador, Finland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, India (Tibet), Pakistan, Burundi, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. We are increasingly excited about the potential for new links, new avenues of cooperation, new solutions that are coming to IIBEC.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gordon Bronitsky, PhD, Bronitsky and Associates, 3715 La Hacienda Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, 505-256-0260, cell505-238-3739; e-mail g.bronitsky@att.net
European Office:
Dirk Steitz, Hofackerring 11, 79206 Breisach 3, Germany; Tel: +49 7664-408 972;
e-mail: dirk.steitz@gmx.de
www.bronitskyandassociates.com
(1).thumbnail.JPG "Sámi leather cap")