Diggin’ The Grub: What I found true in my Philippine culinary experience is that there are major influences from China, Japan, India, the Middle-East and later Spain. There’s the simple whole fried fish with rice & vegetables dish, the fried rice aka “sinangag” which has ground chicken or pork-garlic&onion spice w/fried egg on top. Then there is “arroz caldo” which is a rice porridge w/chicken, ginger, onions and coconut milk that makes it more like a cereal, and there are various stews such as the popular Kare-kare (peanut stew) often made with oxtail or tripe (stomach lining of an animal). There are popular street foods that I came across but had to avoid because I could not take the chance of getting sick with the commitment I had… but one I was curious about was “betamax”… that is roasted dried chicken blood cut and served into small cubes for which it received its name…it looks like a Betamax tape. Although we did not get to experience many of the traditional dishes (and there are many others not mentioned here I have tasted), we did have great meals and a memorable tasty Philippine seafood dinner consisting of fried cuttlefish, large crab, sauteed vegetables, steamed rice, dried seaweed, chunks of fried grouper, and dumplings. I think there were a few other items I cannot remember… …Anyway, I now have a taste for grilled fish and a beer.
BTW, many of the locals drink Red Horse Beer, but I prefer the San Miguel.

Ear To the Street and Head to the Sky: I’ve found this Southeast Asian metropolis to be as complex a society as its food.

Different religions, different philosophies about life amongst islanders, farmers and those on the mainland, different politics, different goals, etc., etc… all this while a large body of the population is starving. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing the Philippine government because for all I know they’re probably doing everything in their power to make things right for the people. But I am curious about the disparity in the areas I’ve seen. For instance, the Philippines is known to be one of the world’s most highly mineralized countries with untapped mineral wealth estimated at more than $840 billion. We’re talking copper, gold, and chromate deposits. Other important minerals include nickel, silver, coal, gypsum, and sulfur. The supreme court gave the OK for investments by foreign companies for large scale exploration of these resources… and i hear the Philippine government was cool with that. But I also read that the work gets outsourced. That’s a drag. Is it because 33% of the population aren’t educated or trained for the jobs and thus live in poverty? I hear another 55% of the population works in the service industry, leaving 12% to slurp the chocolate off the side of this sweet sugar cone. Is this true?
Well, not sure what’s what, but this is what I saw: People surviving, whole families, barefoot, taking up residence on street corners, alleys, bus depots, on the banks of polluted rivers, under walkways and bridges and basically where ever they could and not be run off. At these “residences” I saw families eat from one plate, devise makeshift stoves to cook on and sell what ever mystery was over the flame -maybe Betamax…They also sold nuts, various loose fruits, some peeled and cut… and capsules of “viagra” and “cialis”. .. Oh yeah, did I not mention the dens of promiscuity? Apparently they were all around as men would come up and offer to “take you to see nice girl”… I saw these things throughout Manila, and Cebu.
I guess all countries have there problems and complexities…? And all this while the smell of roasted meat, fish, vegetables and other palate pleasers from some establishment with a grill and vent fill the air. Keep ya’ heads up.

Ghetto Fabulous: And just how does the vast majority get around? Answer: In some of the funkiest truck-buses ever created known as the “Jeepney”!

Mostly old WWII Bantam Jeeps but now you’ll even see old Mercedes pick-up trucks refurbished to look and serve as a bus.
These vehicles and their drivers serve the mass population of the Philippines and are the glorified equivalent of the Flatbush and Jamaica Avenue (Brooklyn & Queens) $1 vans. Except they run throughout the entire country! Every city or populated island has their own (We didn’t go to all the cities, but i asked a local source) i was told.
The outer bodies are usually unfinished or have had the paint removed, a wagon with seating for 10-12 people added along with a metal or thick canvas ragtop to protect the passengers from the sun.
These vehicles have been converted into short buses that look like steroid enhanced coffins on wheels and are personalized with accessories from the simplest and plain to those with chrome bars and megaphones, from christmas lights to a collage of a drivers favorite pics…, from cow bells to sea shells, from neon signs to strobe lights. The names of street routes and stops are hand painted on the sides and above the back bumpers. This is Ghetto Fabulous deluxe! And I love it! They should be made a national symbol as they perform a service for a nation and are truly the countries identity.

Maya’s lyrics in the song “G-Hetto” (her hip-hop anthem), “what I got, is all I got in the G-Hetto…” rang true for most of our stops in Southeast Asia and definitely so here in the Philippines. People making and doing the best with what they have. It is easier to see this taking place when there exists a dichotomy of those that have… and those that do not. The difference between the two creates anxiety, desire, and fear. Classic capitalist-American thinking says this is good because it motivates. Well, if this tropical sugar cone with all its sweet sauce running down the side has been influenced by American culture in any way… then this is just as true: One who strives to be beautiful utilizing the items one can only afford, in the glamorous way beauty and richness is portrayed in the media IS “Ghetto Fabulous”.
To see people strive in this way is a beautiful act in itself because the individual is not allowing any perceived disadvantages hold them back. One can rise above all obstacles when the mind is in this state- reference the “funky truck-buses”…

But off the streets its all MALL CULTURE. From SM Mall to Glorietta Mall to Landmark Mall to Ayala Mall.
In some areas, these city-like Malls have crosswalks or bridges connecting one to the other and once you’re in, its like being on (or in…) the internet…. you better keep in mind what you came there for, time yourself, leave soon, and remember which way you came in… ‘cause the mall is trying to eat just like those people on the street. The concept of “the mall” itself is Ghetto Fabulous! I was diggin’ it for the air- condition alone…

No Lacking in Music: For many years, the Philippines has access to nearly every musical genre coming out of the U.S. and Europe. As a result, the country produces very talented musicians with high levels of musicianship. We’ve met kids ages 11-15 with their own bands playing covers by The Who, and adult professional bands working the club scene and touring internationally. There are also children studying classical music. And it was a real joy to hear the diversity of music played on radio, in malls, by DJs in clubs, even heard that Peter Malick recording featuring Norah Jones (The Chill Albulm) for the first time. So the Philippines does have a lot going on musically. But, as influenced by American culture as the Philippines have been, it is surprising to me that the language of self expression is not in the forefront of creative education (as has been the case for all the countries we’ve visited thus far). Here as well as other countries we’ve visited I’ve noticed that older musicians are only playing/copying (note-for-note) what they’ve heard and that includes solos, without interjecting any phrasing, arrangement or style of their own. Not necessarily a bad thing when studying music and/or learning how to play. But it becomes self-surpressive when it is repeated throughout a repetoire. One may not realize it… but its true. Now, there is one genre that boasts of self expression… yes, Hip-Hop. And even though in the U.S. Hip-Hop is “dead” in terms of its progressive evolution, it has become the starship of self-expression and is helping to empower the young and old creatively. Still, as a teaching-artist, I would like to see more self expression in the earlier stages of development. And for that to happen, Jazz and the idea of improvisation remains very important. I just feel the “improvisation” aspect of Jazz or any genre for that matter should be considered FIRST when sharing American Music Abroad. I’ve found that 8-10 year olds in an ensemble setting absorb the concept very easily. So a few good places to start would be in vocal ensembles, percussive ensembles, guitar ensembles, brass, string, etc… This is where confidence is built. This is where one learns what she or he has to contribute. This is what we (Americans) are taught “in the G-Hetto” and elsewhere. This is the lesson that needs to be “shared”.
“My Umi says shine your light on the world, shine your light for the world to see”
- Mos Def. .

How We Shined the Light: “Tour of The Malls” I call it - our concert series in the Philippines were held in 3 Malls: Ayala Center Cebu, TriNoma Mall (Quezon City), and Greenbelt 3 Park (Makati City). We also held 2 Master Classes- one at Cebu Arts Council at the College of Architecture and Fine Arts at the University of San Carlos. The other was held at University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music.

One of the joys about the Master Classes was the attendance of a lager group of kids ages 10-15 at Cebu Arts Council, who were eager and open to the concept of self expression and showed a desire to be mentored as was clear when Maya divided the groups into 4 sections and kids would shift seats to be amongst the artists or group (Bass/keys, Drumset, Guitar, or Vocals) they had an affinity for. We then had each section sing their part first, then invite them to the stage area with their own instrument or to play ours. Then we created a jam session with each group playing their part but allowing for some interpretation of the B-section of Maya’s “Set You Free”. At first it seemed like the sound would be a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but we coordinated by synchronizing with Ivan’s drum group. So the groups always noticed how we listened to each other before counting them in to play their part. Christian had a group of 10-12 year olds that could play basic chords on guitar and sounded great!
Maya also had a group of highly enthusiastic singers who also sounded great! Ivan always had the charisma and talent to ‘drum up’ exceptional musicians and get them to play! He also managed to get in an extra workshop here and there before and after shows-amazing! I’m sure his groups walked away with a lot of information. My keyboard players were great too! I would have them play in duos, one playing the bass part and the other playing the chords then rotate. A fine session it was.

The Master Class at UST Conservatory of Music was fantastic. We had about 200 teachers in attendance who asked questions about how to teach rhythm and phrasing in a group setting. When we asked about traditional Philippine Music, the point was made that they are trying to expose themselves to music beyond that. That was great except the point of ‘sharing’ was missed. A little sad, but as the little girl Kyra said in the documentary When Fried Eggs Fly, “I’ll get pass it”.
We were happy the teachers all left the workshop ecstatic (as Maya pointed out) about what we presented. Hopefully they left with new ideas about teaching music. And do note, about 80 of those in attendance arrived late about 2/3rds the way into our presentation - we were nearly done but took a moment to summarize what had been conveyed earlier and continued from that point. Apparently, they still got a lot from that. Yehhh! On to Sri Lanka…

-B. Mack

That being said, here’s a note for my music students:
Always be ready to “Hurry up and wait” because YOU MUST BE ON TIME and READY TO LUG ALL YOUR GEAR when there’s no one else to do it after you’ve played for 2 hours. That also means you need to maintain good physical health. This is all part of being a professional musician. To minimize stress and use of energy, you must plan ahead, constantly be aware of changes and be flexible so you can adapt easily to those changes.

To my fellow musicians I’m not telling nothing new. But to those of you who feel ready or aspire to be a professional touring musician, there is not enough I can say about the necessary preparedness, patience, promptness, concern for your health, and that of your temporary ‘road’ family, yet allowing them to be alone regardless of how you think your kind words will make them feel better… then remembering what it is you’re there or here to do… play music, share knowledge, learn from others, and find a way to have a good time doing it. Please keep these things in mind and make it a point to ask other professional musicians about life on the road. When I get back, I’ll talk more about this and what it means to use your talent as a diplomat of good will.

Here we are in Hangzhou, at Shangri-La Hotel just back from a performance over 24 hours since I wrote that last paragraph and our shortest stay, with the largest audience -over one thousand in the 1, 200 seat theater at Zhejiang University College of Arts and screaming in joy at Maya’s stroll from the stage to connect with many of them for a hug, hand shake and serenade. It was another good show, with everyone in the house doing call and response with Maya. You can imagine how that sounded, right…? Just finished packing my bags for our trek to the Philippines tomorrow morning. This was our last date in China (for the time being anyway) and I didn’t get to visit the REAL Shaolin… yet, I’m closer than I would be back home.

I know, it never was on the schedule. But I never stop dreaming… especially when I have one of those RZA tracks in my headphones. Yeah right, like WuTang Clan really makes me think of modern day China… they’re name is more a reference to and inspiration from the 1970’s martial arts films that so often depicted 19th or early 20th century China on the country side.

There is a lot going on in China now that put those images far in the past. From demolition to excavation to construction everywhere you turn, China is on the move! Here you’ll find construction workers engaged throughout the night in building, soldering, lifting, sanding and what not… Structures come up fast in China! This country is obviously building for more than the 2008 Olympics… The whole world knows that. I’m thrilled to be able to see it first hand because the people are also as diverse as the land.

But what is not known, is what’s happening creatively in China. There are many traditional music and performing arts schools in China, such as Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Yunan Cultural Center, Yunan Arts University,(both in Kunming)- all of which we played and/or held workshops. Along with various High Schools they are making efforts to expose their students to music of other cultures as well as western music particularly that of the Americas. There are also hip-hop communities developing music with a fresh take on lyrics. Take for instance the various dialects and ethnicities in China… This is something the new “global china” is having to deal with in order to economically unify the country and its economy. There are young lyricists who are finding rhyme schemes to communicate within these dialects while utilizing hip-hop to show their acknowledgment of popular American culture! And many are young women!

(BTW, women in China seem to have more of a roll in society. We’ve noticed they are hired more across the board in fields often reserved for men such as construction, truck drivers, bus drivers, and institutional directors. Although, I have yet to visit any government offices… The women, young and old also seemed very impressed with the fact that a woman as Maya who’s feminine character stands out has such command and power. This is my real reason for suggesting “Maya Mania” is set for a jump off in China!)

We’ve also had request from kids to “teach” them how to dance! Many young people also want to express themselves within the Rhythm & Blues aka R&B style of singing. That in itself is special because although they do not have the same hole in the sole of shoes African-Americans have walked in or bare the burden of our “Blues” … Young artists in China, have ground to stomp and MEGA HISTORY to reflect on because their people have suffered greatly for a long time also. So there is a “Blues” waiting to be sung by them. Soul is not something one can teach, it has to be identified in oneself. Like Bobby Byrd said “I know you got soul, if you didn’t you wouldn’t be in here”. One can only hope the young recognize this, combine it with some rhythm and incorporate it into whatever they learn from the Maya Azucena Band or anyone else willing to give up the funk.

See, in a bar of music, we may drop a soulful cadence on the 2 & 4, but those beats will only stand out in the confidence of one’s own rhythm. I feel we’ve been instrumental in empowering the young artist we’ve met to find that confidence. One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen and heard are the faces and voices that come up to the stage, create and sing with us during workshops. They want to be a part of it, know how it is played, the different styles and how they can play it while maintaining their own traditions. But here also lies the disconnection. The idea that traditions cannot be part of something new. Fear of a calculated evolution. A determined future felt needed for the survival of a nation at the forefront of the new global community. The “if I do this, I might lose something” syndrome. Back in the day, George Clinton coined that syndrome as “Sir Nose Devoid of Funk”. Don’t be “devoid of funk”. Embrace it! I say bring the instruments of your grandparents and emphasize their melodies within YOUR groove. Then come up with something new on that old instrument. New music must be written on old instruments to keep those instruments relevant.

Hopefully these points came across earlier, at Hangzhou Library and Museum, where we held a workshop that more than 300 people attended while learning about some of their own history! An amazing display of sculpture, drawings, audiophile and miniature landscapes describing the history and culture of the Grand Canal was on display. A very timely dichotomy… I Just think the positive side of the people need to be known… Say hello to the people!

But you just want to know what I did on my down time… well, what little down time we had was truly quality.
While in Beijing aka Peking, we visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace, and The Great Wall. They were all that you’ve ever heard and a must see if you have not done so. Beijing is a very large city and you probably know more about it than I need to explain here. But if you would like to share your experience… please do.

I missed a chance to have “Peking Duck”! But did have very good duck in other places.

I found Shenyang to be a very industrious and bustling inner city. Every bit of land seemed excavated when I looked out my hotel window! This will be a totally different place in a year! Here, we learned a bit about the culture of eating at the round table, as we did along with other guests of one enthusiastic local business man and friend of the U.S. Public Affairs office, who made quite a few toasts with glasses of an aromatic corn liquor known as BI-ZHOU (that’s my phonetic spelling - I don’t usually ask someone how to spell when their drinking…).

He and his friends were very happy about our show earlier that evening, which entertained delegates from North Korea, Japan, Philippines, the U.S. and others.
I took precaution with a few extra glasses of water and extra pieces of roasted duck… But really, no excuses for “extra pieces” of anything are needed when invited to a FEAST! And who am I to offend anyone? Hey, turn that lazy susan so I can scoop up some of those tasty sautéed mushroom sprouts and some of those shrimp!

For Guangzhou, I had big plans to have bargains played and suits made. I even had the blessing of drummer Alvin Atkinson who provided me with the contact of a marketing manager located in the city who imports and exports goods (mostly art from Africa) But. due to the start of the Canton Trade Fair (which my contact was also registering for) our trip was cut short . Although, I did get to spend an hour with Mr. Ato to see how bargaining is done in one of the city’s key wholesale centers and ended up picking a few suits for Alvin who made arrangements for some suits prior to my arrival…. I’m holding your suits hostage, Alvin… holla’ at me, yo.

Guangzhou has been a trading center since 1,200 BC and became a major trading center under the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Many Africans, Russians, and Middle Easterners live and have businesses ther. If you wanted to live in China and feel like you’re in New York or D.C., this would be the place to come.

An old man speaking broken english who I met in Green Lake Park my first day in Kunming, told me I was “the first black man in Kunming”. I didn’t know whether to believe him or not since the U.S. Navy was posted on the shores of Kunming during WWII, as a strategic point of defense. But the armed forces (particularly the NAVY) were segregated at that time… which lends support to his comment. And I did get looks… either way, he was as friendly and curious as those looks in Kunming. The weather was about 75% and it stayed that way even through the night. We heard its’ like this all year ‘round except for a minor drop in February to about 65%. It is known as “the city of spring” - one of the only places in the world with “spring” as the only season!

Green Lake is a lake full of history as you will see multiple groups of people gathered to sing and dance to old Chinese folk songs played on traditional instruments by mostly older musicians. You’ll find young and old and some more formal than others. But sound is throughout the park with little old ladies dancing!

Kunming is in a mountainous region and vegetation is rich. The variation in green plant life is daunting and used to design the city, including the shopping areas. This is also an important location for tea, mushroom, and tobacco trade but mostly tea. To sit in a tea shop is an event that can last for a couple of hours because the merchant will request that you to sit, drink, and taste teas while he or she explains the use of the tea, all along sipping with you. The main reason for the sit is that the tea becomes stronger while it sits in the water and the purpose is for you to get all it has to offer.
You are then expected to buy some tea. Folks in China are becoming as snooty about their tea as folk are about their coffee in the U.S.

The most interesting dish of food so far has been “Ground Lotus Root with Chopped Tofu and Scallions”. The mushrooms here are the tastiest I’ve had anywhere I have ever gone and the Chinese chefs are highly skilled at preparing just the right sauce flavor for any sauteed dish. Nothing seems to overwhelm anything else. Except for one pepper that numbs your tongue and lip… but after about a dozen big shrimp and some vegetables you will need nothing more anyway!

So listen, I gotta’ go stretch and break this fast. I ‘ll get back to you once I’ve settled in the Philippines. Much love and all the best.

-B. Mack

You will be happy to know there will be a lot more stories and pictures coming from each member of Maya’s band as well - that is something you should look forward to… but let me not speak for them or spoil anything they may have in store for you.

So for the record, there’s a lot of love in Burma! And Maya, beside being so talented, sincerely brings love to whomever she performs in front of. People love her and I think as we’re charging through China Maya Mania! is beginning! See what you can find on YouTube… there’s been no less than 40 cameras in the hands of young people at each show… More on that later. But its cool playing in this band. Especially since I have not played straight up SONGS in awhile - 2 verses, 2 choruses, hit it and quit it! But part of the joy of playing in this band is that you feel Maya’s soul just as the audience does. She has won many hearts in Burma and doing the same in China as we wrap up our first week up north in Beijing.

Christian and Ivan are great players who show the same kind of genuine love for people and willingness to share their knowledge. They are all fantastic communicators as well and make life easy on the road. Their skills and passion are consistently demonstrated in performance and workshops. Outside of all that, this band got crazy humor and mad jokes! Maya, singin since she was 4 years old and been an entertainer ever since is always on and ready to receive a wise crack and eager to give one back! And she won’t let up… And tour director-Susan John fits right in! No crocodile smiles up in this piece, they can work the funny bone for for real and for hours! And speaking of Susan John, besides being highly intelligent, efficient, reliable and a gorgeous woman, she is one of the coolest people around. We’ve been very lucky to have her with us and will miss her as she departs from us at the end of this week.

We closed out our stay in Burma with a performance at the residence of the State Dept. Charge’ d’Affaires of Burma- Shari Villarosa. It was a Beautiful, hot, Fifth Dimension - “Stone Soul Picnic” like - Sunday, at a mansion on a manicured piece of property, perched at Inya Lake. Shari made us feel right at home with cool drinks and spacious rooms to change and lounge in.

As the vibe built towards the evening, we all got dressed for stage and Shari put on a flowery dress she got from Haiti. Putting it on seemed to liven her up, so she swirled around for us in it while we finalized a few chomps on a couple of sandwiches and the night began. We played outdoors that night for about 2 hours, to an audience of diplomats, military, state dept. staff, mixed in with some of our friends like J-Me and others we met earlier at the American Center.

In the beginning, the anticipation in the air was that of a southern summer night sermon or recital with all those white-plastic chairs, neatly organized to highlight your every move under the watchful eye of a fire and brimstone preacher. The only thing missing was the tent. But it was just us on stage. We opened up with “Down Down” and gradually picked up the tempo through the next 2 songs. By the time we got to the 4th song, people started getting up to dance.

Maya brought it back down a bit like a tease for 2 songs and then back to the groove we went… It was hot and about to get sweaty… when all of a sudden, in the 80 % heat, someone in a full GORILLA SUITE from head to toe, appeared dancing! It was bananas! Folk came over to shake the gorillas hand and dance. So they danced, sweated and partied!

It was ON at that point, so we had to keep ‘em going… the band dropped some break-beats and disco like grooves and Maya became a momentary disco queen! Seemed like folk needed to get loose, and we were proud to make that happen, soaking wet and all (well at least Ivan and I were). A perfect way to end our stay in Burma, although we all got foot and back massages the next day before our flight. All in the same room at the same time, with 2 people working on each of us! I call that “joy-perfect”.

So, lots of love from Burma and I’ll miss the Bamboo scaffolds, taxi drivers getting’ to close to pedestrians and racing for lanes with no signs telling who to go first, worrying about the black crows dropping “bombs” on me, jasmine flowers, buses with people hanging outside and in the back, barefoot carpenters slinging hammers as they get ready for the “Water Festival”, dried eel and little black, brown and white birds in cages- sold on the streets for you to purchase and improve your karma with, good food everywhere, the lush green and most of all, The People!

Say hello to The People, ya’ll! -B. Mack

We started today in Rangoon aka Yangon, Burma with a few cups of coffee served by the very attentive… staff in the hotels restaurant. Well, you know there were times I just wanted to hide and drink my coffee in a corner just for a moment alone in the morning! Although I did appreciate the refill. We left at 9:30am for the American Center where we held a music education workshop including a mini performance by the band.

We held a very productive and successful workshop that consisted of about 200 participants - some were members of the audience that attended Thursday night’s show. Others included a class of music students and their teacher (who later participated in jam session with us ons stage), and a few local people who frequent the American Center. The Maya Azucena Band started the workshop with an impromptu groove, then we got into Maya’s song “Like No Other”. I then took over and did a vocal warm-up with the large group -who responded with robust voices and perfect pitch! They had no problem but lots of fun following my intricate scat exercises.. I was impressed! Maya then took over and described the role of the rhythm section and how the participants could emulate the rhythm section with their voices.

Each of us taught them how to sing the parts we were playing or singing on our instruments and divided the group into sections which created a massive vocal groove! Christian talked about styles of guitar playing and improvisation followed by Maya answering questions about the differences in “Gospel and R&B singing”.

Maya directed us (and invited the participants) to create a “cypher” where one person created a vocal riff or sound, followed by a complimentary part from each of us. About 12 or so joined us in front of the group. Yet, those remaining in their seats contributed as well. This was very empowering because it offered insight to self expression within a group. Everyone got it! They all understood how each can be different and still contribute to the overall cause of a community.

This was demonstrated later, when I asked for 3 participants to come up and create some music without Maya’s band playing, but using the same concept we had exercised. Three came up, one on guitar, another using her voice, and the last using his body as a percussive instrument - beautiful!

We then collectively (along with audience members who brought instruments) created a song together. this was a really good experience for everyone because it was a different activity than what they normally do, it allowed for them to get direct answers to things they’re interested in without it being censored, and most of all, it was empowering for them as well as us to know that we can contribute to change through music just by providing a community with various ways to express themselves.

We later did lunch with members of the American Center and group of music students at a local eatery called Feel, where traditional Burmese dishes are made.
Took a ride to visited the New Freeze Hip-Hop Troupe and Dance Workshop. This is a really cool organization run by youth who dance and sing. Break-dancing and Hip_Hop culture is very big amongst these young people and this organization is sort of a mini version of The Door - the need is everywhere there are young people ages 12-21. You gotta’ hear the rappers spit rhymes in Burmese! The language demands a hard core rap style as the tone and pronunciation leave no choice to the vocalist. J-Me has got to make it to New York!

Later, we visited the Shwedagon Pagoda-here’s a little about it that I took directly from the official website. And believe me, it is all that when you get to see it.
But, as we did to enter this temple, you must remove your shoes…

“In the capital city of Yangon, you will find the beautifully majestic Shwedagon Pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda sits upon holy Singuttara Hill. To understand the reason why this hill is considered so holy, and to grasp the significance of the Shwedagon to Buddhists and to the people of Myanmar, it is important to know both the history and the legends of how it all came to be.
Over 2,500 years ago, there lived a king by the name of Okkalapa. He was ruler of Suvannabhumi and ruled over the Talaings. At this time, Siddharta Guatama was living in northern India. He was still a young man and was not yet recognized as the Buddha.

It was and is believed that a new Buddha, or “Enlightened One”, will come into being once every 5,000 years. At the time of Okkalapa, it had been approximately 5,000 years since the last Buddha, and it was considered time once again.

Singuttara Hill is important because it was the holy resting spot of the relics of three Buddhas. Their relics were enshrined within Singuttara Hill, thus making it a holy place. To keep it holy, it was believed that gifts given by the new Buddha, which would become relics, had to be enshrined every 5,000 years in the hill.

But Okkalapa was concerned, as a new Buddha had not come to be known yet, and if it took too long he feared the hill could lose its holiness. He went to the hill to pray and to meditate, unaware of Siddharta Guatama’s coming into enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in northern India at the same time.

According to area legend, he appeared to Okkalapa and told him to be patient, that his wish for the hill would soon be granted.

As Guatama was reaching the end of his 49 days of meditation, he was visited by two brothers. Their names were Tapussa and Bhallika, and they happened to be from Myanmar and were subjects of Okkalapa. These two merchant brothers present Guatama Buddha with a gift of some honey cake, as they recognized him as The Enlightened One.

To express his thanks to them, he pulled out 8 of his hairs off of his head, and gave the hairs to Tapussa and Bhallika. They took the hairs and headed back home. However, during their journey they were twice robbed, and 4 of the sacred hairs were taken from them. By the time they reached Myanmar, they had only 4 of The Buddha’s hairs left.

However, their return was still a celebrated one by King Okkalapa and his people, and a large party was thrown in honor of the brothers. It was decided that a shrine place should be built on Singuttara Hill to house these newest relics. At the party in their honor, the brothers presented a casket containing the Buddha’s hairs to their king, and he opened it.

There were great tremors upon the earth, a great rocking earthquake. It is also said that all of the trees then burst into blossom and lovely jewels fell from the sky.

A shrine was created on Singuttara Hill to house these 8 miraculous hairs, and the area was deemed sacred. An enormous pagoda was then created atop the hill to house the shrine, and it is considered one of the most sacred places in all of Myanmar. The pagoda itself is a wondrous architectural achievement. The top soars well over 300 ft into the air (approximately 100 meters or more) above the hilltop and can be seen from quite far away. The Shwedagon, which means, loosely translated, “golden hills” is magnificently made out of gold and jewels all over.

The details as to exactly when and how the construction of the pagoda began are somewhat sketchy, but writings document that it was well-known and visible by the 11th century. Over the years, various kings and queens took part in renovating it, and enlarging the structure, making it even taller and grander than before.

Some interesting stories of the Shwedagon Pagoda deal with its enormous bells. In 1608, a Portuguese invader by the name of Philip de Brito y Nicote stole a bell that weighed in at around 6,0000 lbs, or 30 tons. However, as he was attempting to return home with the bell, it fell into the Bago River and was lost.

The bell was replaced in 1779. That was after a massive earthquake in 1768 toppled the highest part of the pagoda. Once that part, the stupa, was rebuilt, King Hsinbyushin’s son Singu had a 23 ton bronze bell cast. It was called the Maha Gandha bell. In the 1820’s, however, British soldiers plundered the pagoda, and stole this bell.

En route to Calcutta, the bell fell overboard and sank into the sea. It was later recovered and now sits atop the pagoda platform, on the northwest side.

Finally, in 1841 another bell was created, this one weighing approximately 8,000 pounds (40 tons) and covered with 45 lbs (20kg) of gold plating. This bell, called the Maha Tissada bell, still resides in the pagoda, on the northeast side of the enclosure.

The years of 1852 through 1929 mark a time of British military occupation in Myanmar, with colonial rulers controlling the areas. However, the people of Myanmar were still able to have full access to the Shwedagon. In 1871 a new diamond-studded piece for the pagoda’s structure was donated by King Mindon of Mandalay. The people of Myanmar were thrilled at this tribute and well over 100, 00 of them gathered at Shwedagon to celebrate. And although this made the British military somewhat uncomfortable, they had to allow it as the people were honoring their faith.

It is evident that, over the centuries, the Shwedagon Pagoda has survived difficult times. It has withstood earthquakes, invasions, pillaging, foreign occupation and an internal stairwell fire in 1931 that destroyed many ancient monuments. Another earthquake in 1970, which was the 9th that the area had sustained since the 1500’s, led the government to begin a renovation project on the crown of the main pagoda.

Each disaster brought damage to the pagoda, but it has always withstood the onslaughts and endured the renovations. The fact that Shwedagon has survived these times of hardship and damage and still stood firm adds to its sense of majesty. It also adds to the sense of pride within the people of Myanmar, that nothing can truly leave lasting damage upon this beloved site. And people have always pitched in to make sure that any needed renovations took place to strengthen and secure it. Thus, to this day it sits, strong and steady, mystical and sacred, high upon a sacred hill”.

Hey, I couldn’t do much else after that visit. I’ll do my personal expenses log tomorrow morning - B. Mack

Woman at the market First, let me start off with a correction: Excuse me for the generalization in my previous weather description… here in Burma (Myanmar), it is actually cold enough to where gloves during December through January! Although still cool in February, It begins to warm up representing a short spring through April which is the “rainy” month and quite “warm”. May is supposed to be VERY HOT.

Another note: Elbia -a very lively, smart and vibrant woman from Peru, who we met at the American Center is the person teaching the Salsa class. She also took it upon herself to be one of our chaperons for a couple of days. We’re are very appreciative of this. BIG UP and Much respect to her and her husband who gave me a quick lesson about Burmese food, how it is prepared, where and how it is sold. I may be getting a cook book…

Our other chaperone is Pont Pont, who has been our official escort and has taken us to great places (I’ll talk about later) and taught us about the people of Burma and Buddhist religion-which is the main religion of the people here. She has also connected us with group of young hip-hop artists, singers and dancers. She’s really made it a familiar place for us by teaching us about Burmese culture and the people. BIG UP to you and your family, Pont Pont!

So, it is Friday, April 4th, 2008 and even though the title is somewhat self explanatory… the experience puts a twist on everything!

We leave the highly populated borough in the city of Yangon aka Rangoon where our hotel is, and head downtown to the markets.

First off, kids are running up to me, in apparent amazement at my height and who knows what else…, pecking my arms and chest, telling me how “strong” I am, offering items to sell! Women with (each with a baby or small child in arm come up to me begging for money - one woman puts her breast in her babies mouth, seemingly to give the image of a family starving (which I didn’t doubt), but very quickly the impossibility of helping everyone comes to light.

So discreetly I pass on a few kyat here and there and keep it moving.

A “kyat” (pronounced CHAT) is the Burmese word for currency. “One kyat” is = 1000 which is equal to $1 (US). Currently, the best you can get on the exchange is 1,000.40 to $1.

On the streets and in the markets you’ll find everything from dried snake and smoked eel to the ceremonial-animal-skin-laden hats of the Naga people who live in the lush mountains north of Burma.

But no matter what you buy, and regardless of how persistent street vendors and merchants are… they expect you to “bargain” with them. Many want you to bargain with them for the sole purpose of practicing their english speaking skills.

Out of all we saw, the fine art caught my eyes first. I was most impressed by the charcoal drawings done by 9-12 year old kids! I purchased a series of postcard charcoal drawings from one of them and had him sign it! He became famous at that moment -saw a lot of smiles around him!

Although the Jasmine flower is popular, it is something that grows throughout the Southeast Asian region. It is the textiles the Burmese are known for! They are so well made with unique weave designs. Many of the merchants will make jewelry, clothing or paintings for you on the spot! This is quite favorable amongst women and men who purchase textiles for skirts or wraps. Check out some of the pictures… I hope they give you a sense of feel.

O.K., time for a break.

So a long day it has been… now we cap it with feast at this Burmese outdoor Barbecue Restaurant. Yeah!!!! And it was ALL THAT! First of all, about 50 tables are set up with chairs (they set up several for us/we had a crew) under a bamboo tent with florescent lighting - not the best-but I could see my food! Which was better than some of the fancy restaurants back home, who are always trying to contribute to my romantic evening by hiding the stuff they put on my plate, under the guise of “romantic lighting”….
Anyway, you go up to a long counter that has a section of vegetables and a section for raw meats and fish. You pick your vegetables to be sautéed (tasty!), then pick your meat and/or fish to be barbecued (you know me…). They had various “little” birds, chicken, lamb, beef, almost every part of the pig (highly popular over here),
duck, GIANT prawn, eel, small birds eggs (not sure which bird, but they were good…) and various fish!

We ordered all kinds of stuff and tried everyone’s food! It was the best! The only test I came across was when I was offered a piece of “smoked fermented tofu”… well, if you can imagine the taste of a sour and salty over cooked- high-fiber cereal-compressed in a square chunk, thinly sliced, that-has-been-sitting-in-sour milk-dried and smoked over a couple of months and still moist… that is the taste! And I didn’t know I was only supposed to take a tiny bit and put in my mouth… put the whole square in…. BEER PLEEEASSSE!!!!!!
But the delicious meal went on to heal my taste buds after that funny moment.

And now, back to the hotel for some rest to be sharp for Saturday’s workshop at the American Center.

Talk to you soon - B. Mack

Greetings from Burma, good people!

Its’ been 3 days of travel, starting out in Hong Kong where we spent a night at the Regal Hotel after a 15-hour (straight) flight which was mostly smooth all the way. It is a 12 hour difference in Hong Kong and we only got to see the bay coming in from the China Sea as we had to get a nights sleep to be ready for Tuesday’s double-flight trek to Bangkok and from there to Rangoon, Burma which is 11.5 hours difference in time from EST. It is hot here in Burma, and it was clearly felt when we took a walk last night in the 75% heat and the bug lotion I used made it steamier, mixed with salty sweat got in my eyes! I took care of that in about 5 minutes, then sat down for a cool drink that was satisfying!

This is South East Asia -

The world feels quite different. But I will not speak on differences until after my experience with the people which begins today.
But so far the food is GREAT!
First on today’s itinerary is a briefing at the American Center with the State Department followed by a meet and greet with some of the countries popular Hip-Hop artists. Hip-Hop is EXTREMELY popular here.  One our goals is to find out what they’re rapping about… No, that is not a state department request… that was the band’s curiosity kicking in as we heard of young artists who no longer speak or perform in public. Later tonight we will perform and I’ll let you know how that goes.
Oh yeah, and more pictures soon… I guess airport shots would not have been too bad!

Talk to you soon - Bruce

The artists on The Rhythm Road are traveling in the Fall of 2007 and Spring of 2008, performing in countries that are not regularly visited by American musicians. Tour activities include public concerts, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, workshops, jam sessions, media outreach, and collaborations with local musicians.”

The spot for you to drop in and find out what’s up is right here! This will be my blog to share with you-Music, Video, Photos, and stories about my travels and experiences on this journey/I promise not to tell any “fish tales”… although I normally eat those fried crisp like a potato chip, with some… o.k., I’ll stop there. But if I have a special food experience… trust that you’ll hear about it too!

So stay tuned, as I begin my trek and get my documentation groove on over in the east.

Talk to you… Yihou.

- Bruce

Yeah, ol’ Jax was showing love. Seems like their trying to make some changes and create a bit of southern feel with cosmopolinality, if you can dig that. Hard to find bad food, and I wasn’t really looking for any, except there was this Thai spot… Otherwise They’ve got great eateries, Starbucks, the best sweet-toof-junkie stop dessert cafes, and you can trek 20 minutes south-east and have yourself some ‘gator, shrimp or fish! The Jaguars new stadium is downown and next to an arena where I saw 311 and Matisyahu. BTW, Matisyahu was great! In the band was Scooter Warner on drumset and Danny Sedownick on percussion - need I say anything about the rhythm other than… “oops, up side ya’ head…” That was a real nice surprise. Oh, and don’t sleep on the visual artists! I love the works of Marsha Hatcher and Overstreet Ducasse - don’t sleep on these 2 artists…
So, yeah its cool. But its still a little like “Doobie in your funk”. And I don’t wan this to come of like some tourist promo… I just want to share the time I had and offer a contemporary picture. Jacksonville and Florida in general still got history to shake… and a few knuckleheads that need some shakin’. But there’s just enough cool folk down there now to balance things out and set off a good party for all to attend.
Tell you one thing, living down in the bible belt will keep a voice in shape. Scattin’ “Scrapple To The Apple” wasn’t to scrappy… and everything else was butta’…