Remember just yesterday I told you would hear more about Stephanie Hunt? Then today this was my highlighted video to watch. How does YouTube know? Ha.. I'm not going to worry about it. It actually is the second video put out with the Fuel our Fire project. The song is actually more hip hop than my tastes, but it's wonderfully emotional.
Why Are You So? is the second single on the album, Precious Human Life, which is the first album recorded by the Amala Foundation's One Village Music Project. Music and Lyrics by: Breez Smith, Stephanie Hunt, Emily Cauley, Annika Mukherjee, & Joe House.
The One Village Music Project is comprised of 18 young musicians, including refugee, immigrant and at-risk youth, who create a unique blend of alternative, folk, hip hop and world music. Youth who participate in the One Village Music Project first came together as a community of inspired musicians during our Global Youth Peace Summit.
Last August, the One Village Music Project partnered with Fuel Our Fire which was created by musician Phoebe Hunt to offer young musicians from all over the world an opportunity to showcase their talents and collaborate in a professional environment.
For more information, please visit www.amalafoundation.org/youth-programs/one-village-music-project.
Earlier in February during Phoebe Hunt's concert, she talked about her love for summer camps, and one she helps run, Fuel Our Fire She then sang Nishike, a beautiful song that I believe is a Swahili means "Holding my Hand" and ties in wonderfully to the first verse. It is on the CD named "One Village Music Project" and can be found on iTunes here. At first I sampled three songs, Nishike, Yesu Ni Bwana, and Precious Human Life. As writing this blog is both informative for you, it's a learning experience for me. The words for it are from the Dalai Lama and of course a great mantra to start any morning.
Here's a great video, including a little more explanation from Phoebe. What a talented young lady with a huge heart.
You should spend the $7.92 at iTunes to support the group and have them on your minds every time you listen to this wonderfully eclectic global sound. Click here it's easy. I have a passion for some global music in my mix of life ever since Paul Simon's Graceland; and some of our global ELCA hymns are my favorite. Try it, it's contagious. BTW... I finished buying all the songs this morning.
First I need to apologize, it is totally unacceptable to not post to this blog at least once a week. February 1st to February 19th means that my weekends have been filled, thus no Saturday mornings to blog in excitement for either a new artist, a new song, something funny, or something about Mary (Lady that is for you blog followers).
So this morning finds me with a half hour to ponder the past posts that should have happened since I'm sitting I a hotel room waiting to go a funeral. Sadly my fourth this year.
Enough with the banter, let's talk about Phoebe Hunt. A little over a month ago I got an email from my friends at the Pump House that the ticket sales had been slow for Phoebe's show and could I help. Well a quick view of the MusicFog.com video, and I was hooked. Readers of the blog know I'm a sucker for a pretty fiddler that I should add a post just to give them all a shout out. Quickly I was in for Two then quickly 4 tickets with friends. Gave it a shout out on my FB page, the Great River Folk Fest page, and of course the House Concert page. Then sadly, I put it out of my mind and got back to the many things that I'm behind on.
Before the concert I did have a chance to hear that circumstances put Phoebe playing alone, and while I wondered how a solo fiddler can pull it off, I've booked a solo bassist Seth Horan and marveled. Figured I was still going to enjoy it.
Well another busy Saturday rolled around, quick clean of the house, organize Church music, practice and play for a service, put our faces in to a birthday party and run down to LaCrosse for the concert. Tony was nice enough to reserve seats for some of the help we did so we were the last to sit down and the concert started at 7:30. Phoebe can in shyly with a uke in her hand and sang Good Blood, and it just put a smile on my face. It would be a great night.
About the third or fourth song in she mentioned that she used to tour with the Belleville Outfit, and the light went on... I knew that name before and I of course had a crush on her before. A quick search found two other postings. That was back in my MySpace days, and it seems I lost track of both the Belleville Outfit and Phoebe after I left my MySpace Zeman persona dry up. Good thing I've maintained the blog.
Since that night I've kept in touch with Phoebe, a wonderful soul on top of a fantastic. She even does a live one hour show every Monday in Concert Window. There should be more in this blog about her, and when I find time there will be. Got to run and have to add in the other things I've been up to.. I promise to be a better blogger. Her website is filled with music, but to see her live is really when you sense the humble twinkle mixed up with amazing talent and lots of passion.
And if you would like to watch a nice half hour set from SXSW 2013: here you go...
Last night I was listening to "It's a Good Day" and my wife said, what are you listening to jazz for?... Wow, there you have it. Good music transcends labels. I never would have even thought of the song as jazz. Yet the Country Swingness of the music and the liveliness of the band in the video posted earlier in this blog from Music Fog never had me thinking I was listening to Jazz.
Well today I was still trying to learn more about this group that has captured my imagination, and is starting to take my money song by song; and I ran into this great review. I have added them as my friend in myspace, who knows maybe a future house concert?... hmmm they are a big group... outside?
The review is at http://twangville.com/1620/the-belleville-outfit-live-at-yoshis/ The two parts of the review that got me is their "Gypsy influence" and "Led by the torch-singing style of lead singer and fiddler Phoebe Hunt"... torch yep... she's lit my fire... HA.
Now... is this the appropriate time to say while I do also dearly love Allison Krause (yes she might have started this deep love affair with woman fiddle players) but I really thought the Plant/Krause was totally overated... now I did like their cover of Killing the Blues, and of course I'm starting to learn more about Phoebe Hunt of the Belleville Outfit and I run into this video from Merle Fest. Wow.... I got to get there some day. (Merlefest I mean... yes I do have this deep infactuation though with Phoebe though)
I guess Barefoot is the headliner in the video... say what? Ha.--- I needed to update this blog post because I was sure that they meant Barefoot Movement, but they didn't exist in 2009. My research concluded that this is BEARfoot in the video.
