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on September 1, 2011
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on August 30, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #7Mitch talks Consciousness, Nature, Music & Language...MNTTKA Manifesto!
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on August 26, 2011
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on August 21, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #5The Necessity of Travel: Visiting An Arab Land
Post CommentIn this short travelogue, Global Beat Fusion author Derek Beres goes to Morocco for a music festival and rediscovers the universal nature of humanity. Visit www.globalbeatfusion.com for more information on the forthcoming documentary film, and please donate today.
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on August 17, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #4Saida Charaf and Rachida Talal Live in Morocco
Post CommentThe Sahraoui represent one the last contested lands in the world. That makes it especially inspiring that the producers of the festival Mawazine in Rabat invited two top Sahraoui singers, Saida Charaf and Rachida Talal, to headline one of the evenings in Sale. Having never seen either one before, I was completely mesmerized by the entire performance. Both singers played an edge of Arabic pop, Arabic classical and Moroccan roots music so brilliantly I could not move from the photo pit the entire time. These images pale in comparison to actually being there, as all photography of great musical performance should. - Derek Beres
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on August 15, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #3Nass El Ghiwane live in Morocco
Post CommentMerely mentioning the name Nass El Ghiwane in North Africa is to invoke the gods of sonic mythology. Since 1971, this Casablanca-based band, born out of a political theater movement, has helped to redefine and revitalize Moroccan Gnawa, Rai and Chaabi styles. On a beautiful June evening in Rabat, I got to sit back and watch thousands of fans spanning four generations singing along to every song. On this particular night, in celebration of the annual Mawazine festival, American bass player Victor Wooten, best known for his work in Bela Fleck’s band, joined in to add some solid low-end to this rootsy and energetic performance.
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on August 12, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #2Walking Around Morocco
Post CommentA little pictorial journey of my visit to Rabat, Morocco in June 2011 to cover the Mawazine festival. Music has now brought me to Morocco three times, twice in the summer of 2011 alone, and I can say with confidence that there is much in terms of society, politics and culture that Americans can learn from this wonderful nation. Like anywhere, there are institutional problems, issues of poverty and gender equality, and a small sect of religious fundamentalists. Overall, however, the country is making great strides economically and artistically. Morocco will be the focus of a longer-term project of mine. In the next post, I’ll explore the music I saw while there. For now, I’ll let the sights do the talking. - Derek
To see more photos from this journey, click here.
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on August 8, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
Posted project update #1Majid Bekkas live in Rabat, Morocco
Post CommentMoroccan Gnawa musician Majid Bekkas playing with Argentinean drummer Minino Garay and German jazz pianist Joachim Kuhn at the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, Morocco, in June 2011. Video and photos by Derek Beres.
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on July 25, 2011
Spectral Alchemy
commented on a projectThanks, Dr. Lee. You are always on top of it.
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on July 25, 2011
Spectral Alchemy launched a project
GLOBAL BEAT FUSION, the transmedia experience by Spectral Alchemy
The Global Beat Fusion Project explores today's converging world culture through music.
Funding Unsuccessful (09/16/2011)
Spectral Alchemy
New York, NY
think tank.transmedia.culture architecture. Spectral Alchemy bridges consciousness, nature, language, arts, and technology, creating bona fide mythology through the exploration, revelation, and formulation of revolutionary edicts via an esoteric modus operandi.
