PRINTED MEDIA OLD and NEW
A Musical Trip Through Time
Aashid Himons / Mountain Soul (Gandibu Music)
Aashid Himons has been a fixture of Nashville's non-country music scene for long that it's easy to take him for granted. One of the founders of the near-legendary band Afrikan Dreamland in the early-eighties, Aashid has been the voice of conscious of the Music City's alternative culture for almost two decades now. Whether as a musician exploring the depths of reggae, space music or the blues, a documentary filmmaker, host of the influential “Aashid Presents” television show or as a crusader for many causes, Aashid's multi-media talents have always been intelligent, vital and thought-provoking.
Nevertheless, Aashid's latest musical effort the Mountain Soul CD comes as a surprise in spite of his past track record as an innovator and trailblazer. A collection of country blues, hillbilly folk and other traditionally styled music, Aashid has shown us yet another facet of his immense talent with Mountain Soul's enchanting performances. An African-American with his roots in the mountains of West Virginia, Himons explains the lineage of this material in the CD's liner notes. In the harsh hills of Virginia and West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, African slaves often played music alongside the poor Irish and Scottish immigrants of the area. The resulting collaboration created a folk music tradition that spawned such genres as gospel, bluegrass, blues and country music.
To be honest, there aren't many musicians these days exploring the artistic milieu that Mountain Soul showcases so boldly. On Mountain Soul Aashid works alongside some of Nashville's best and most underrated musicians, folks like Giles Reaves, fiddle wizard Tramp and bassist Victor Wooten. Himons has created here a mesmerizing song cycle that incorporates original songs written in the authentic signature of the hills as well as a handful of timeless classics. Aashid's commanding baritone is perfectly suited to this material, whether singing a soulful, blues-infused cover of Hendrix's “Voodoo Child,” the mournful spiritualism of Rev. Gary Davis' “You Got To Move” or on originals like the moving “Stranger In Paradise” or with the talking blues matched by some nifty guitar work on “The Crazy Blues.”
One of my personal favorites on Mountain Soul is “Mr. Bailey,” Aashid's tribute to the first star of the Grand Ole Opry, harmonica wizard Deford Bailey. A talented and charismatic African-American musician from East Tennessee, Bailey's lively performances popularized the Opry radio broadcast in the thirties and helped launched the careers of such country legends as Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe. Tragically, Bailey's contributions to the Opry and American music have been forgotten. It has long been Aashid's crusade to get Bailey his long-deserved place in the Country Music Hall Of Fame, and this song is another reminder of that glaring injustice.
Mountain Soul is definitely not an album for the casual user of music, requiring more than a three minute, radio-influenced and MTV-bred attention span. Although the album's style and often times simple instrumentation might not seem so upon first listen, these are frightfully complex songs musically multi-layered and emotionally powerful. This is music as old as the earth itself, its origins in the blood and sweat and tears of the common people who created it. With Mountain Soul Aashid Himons has paid an honor to both the roots of all popular modern music and the forgotten artists who wrote it. Mountain Soul is an artistically and spiritually enriching listening experience, a musical trip through time that will clear the cobwebs out of your ears, rekindle the fire in your heart and remind you of the reasons you began to love music in the first place.
(For more information on the Mountain Soul CD contact Aashid at aashid@goarchie.com
or spaceformusic.com/mountainsoul.html)
Review by Rev. Keith A. Gordon, copyright 1999
Aashid Himons, a Nashville musician, hugs his 4-year-old son, Metumbe. Himons was among the hundreds of thousands of African American men at the Million Man March who were encouraged to rededicate themselves to being responsible fathers. photo by Dave Findley
By Keisha Rucker (Banner Staff Writer)
In October 1995, a projected one million or more black men convened on Washington for the Million Man March. The march, led by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan attracted a diverse group of attendees but the historic event, and its message, captured a special place in the hearts of black men in America, especially fathers. Local world music artist Aashid Himons was at the march, where African American leaders urged black men to return to their homes as more responsible, empowered and dedicated citizens. Fathers were challenged to not only adopt these qualities, but to instill them in their young. More than a year and seven months after the march, the spirit lives on , black fathers say. "The effect will never subside," says Himons. "It gave them a sense of responsibility for passing on something positive, insead of living for themselves," he says of local dads. Although the March inspired many black men to reclaim their roles as fathers, Himons didn't need a march or a speech to adhere to his paternal responsibilities. "I was already into that," the storyteller with long gray dreadlocks says of his dedication and obligation to his 4-year-old son, Metumbe. The March struck a spiritual nerve in Himons, who was more amazed by the nonviolent togetherness of black men than anything else. "The thing that I got out of it that really affected me was the oneness, the unity," he says. Despite the positive energy of the Million Man March, problems rooted in unstable parenthood continue to plague the black community in the relationship of black fathers, says Himons. Himons cites the single-parent household as one of the major obstacles in raising black children. Some black mothers, rejected by the men who impregnated them, often use the resulting children as a weapon against the fathers, according to Himons. This cycle often discourages black men from fully participating in their children's lives. "The main challenge is trying to find a way to get along with black mothers. There is a schism," he says, "So many of us aren't with the mothers (in relationships), but that doesn't mean we can't be with the children." According to Himons, fathers need to stop assuming that both mother and child are a one-package deal that cannot be distinguished from the other. "People need to quit viewing the mother and children as one unit," he explains. Although may single mothers do a "dynamite job," those who choose to keep fathers at bay unknowingly do more harm than good to the children, especially males, says Himons. "The boys become very bitter. The boys are becoming feminized because they don't have that direct male input." But even fatherless boys can grow up to become good dads, says Himons. "There are beings who can come out of it and make a life for themselves," he says. "I've known some really string brothers who had no idea who their father was, but they worked on it. But that's the exception." Himons, a victim of the so-called single mother insensitivity, has a 31-year-old son in California with whom he's just now establishing a relationship with. "I definitely have regrets that I did it the way I did it," Himons says of distancing himself from his son's situation. Spirituality and peace guide the lessons Himons instills in Matumbe. "The main things I'm trying to give him is a sensne of his spiritual self and his intuitive self, as well as his role as a so-called black person," he says. "I want to keep him away from hate. The way you do that is by teaching him about different cultures around the world." |
Percy Person, left, Aashid Himons, center, and Iayaalis discuss Nashville's new Society of Black Artists. Himons founded the group. photo by Rick Musacchio (Tennessean Staff Photographer)
Artists team up to put spotlight on black talent.
By ALAN BOSTICK (staff writer)
When Aashid Himons answers the phone, he doesn't say "Hello." And when he hangs up, he doesn't say "Goodbye." In both cases, he says this "One heart." "That's a concept of us all being one," this veteran musician explained. "Oneness. One dream. One destination. I'm just reaffirming that." If that philosophy -- which Himons says has both Egyptian and Rastafarian sources -- makes it way into his telephone etiquette, you can bet the man has bigger things on his mind. And you'd be right. This longtime leader of the group Afrikan Dreamland -- he's been playing here since 1966 -- is also a founding father of Nashville's newest arts organization. It's called the Society of Black Artists, or SOBA, and has for its goal nothing less than to unify and support the interests of local black artists. "Black artists don't know each other." Himons said. "There are many in this town, but they have no outlet. A lot of what they do they do out of town. So I saw a real need to do something here." SOBA -- which currently has 50-60 members -- aims at becoming the first ever black artists organization here to encompass all arts -- dance, theater, performance poetry, visual art, literature, and most every kind of progressive music, from rap, hip hop, jazz and gospel to country and alternative. The SOBA concept was born just over a year ago when director Spike Lee passed through town to film parts of the movie Get on the Bus, which follows a group of black men en route to the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. Himons said Lee put the word out that he wanted to hire blacks in Nashville to work in production and was disappointed not to find the pool of applicants he expected. "That really woke a lot of people up to what was needed," Himons said. Himons, who serves on the board of the Nashville Entertainment Association (NEA), then hit on the idea of creating an organization that provides the same services for black artists that NEA does for artists in general. The idea behind SOBA, which is still getting definded, is to raise the voice of a segment of the Nashville arts world that has not been heard before. Not only does SOBA want black artists to communicate with each other, it wants black artists to be appreciated by the larger Nashville community. If SOBA has its way, there could be more black music on mainstream Nashville stages. Black theater and dance groups could share bills with more established organizations. Black visual artists could have their work on view at more galleries and in more public spaces. In short, the creativity of an entire segment of the Nashville population would be available for all to see and sample. To achieve that, SOBA members say, you need unity and you need communication. "We need to say out lowd that we are this and that this is what we are doing," said Angi McCrary, a musician and SOBA member. Percy Person, another SOBA member, put it this way. "We want to be a resource for artists who wouldn't otherwise have a resource. A kind of communication and support network. If an artist has an ideak, and no avenues are open, then SOBA will be there." As McCrary, Himons and others explained, it's probably easier to describe what SOBA isn't than what it is. SOBA is unlike most any other arts organization you might name. Here's why: SOBA is not political. There ar no plans to seek government support, or take their case to the mayor, Metro Council or Metro Arts Commission. Instead, SOBA intends to work almost invisibly, offering useful information and serving as that missing link between artists and potential venues, artists and potential industry contacts. "It's all about those who have experience giving to those who don't," Person said. SOBA will not present events. Rather, they will help individual members score their own appearances. They do plan to hose a showcase of area black artists at Hadley Park in September, but such happenings will be the exception. SOBA is not a closed organization. It's open to anyone interested in joining. There are no dues. There's no set agenda for meetings or gatherings. SOBA has no home and -- at least for the time being -- no leader. But there is a steering committe, a new CD , and a newsletter listing arts events of interest to SOBA artists. "Everybody's welcome, "Himons said. "We are not a cult." SOBA is not big on attitude. They don't plan to get in anybody's face. They're not trying to get more than their due. They recognize a need and are attempting, collectively, to address it. SOBA artists have no single style or slant. The only thing SOBA have in common is that they are mainly African-American. Their performing styles and artistic interests are as individual as each member. SOBA is not just newcomers. In addition to emerging artists, SOBA also extends to established Nashville artists, such as Karen Roberts of Uhuru Dance Company. Visual artists Carlton Wilkinson and James Threalkill and author Sidney Wingfield. SOBA is not pointing fingers. Members do feel they have not had the access that others have enjoyed and they want to create more opportunities for black artists. But ask them if they've experienced prejudice, and they shrug their shoulders. "We are not on the attack," Himons said. "We are not trying to place blame. We just want to remedy these problems, no matter how they came about." If they blame anyone, SOBA members blame themselves for a lack of organization among black artists. "Because there has been a lack of understanding and a lack of hearing our voice, how can there be appreciation of what we do in its fullest sense?" said Donalda Chandler, a hip hop artist who goes by the name Iayaalis, an acronym for "I Am You Are and Love Is." SOBA's Kimberly Steger, a Nashville writer and producer, said black artists already have access to some local black clubs, but many feature mainly traditional entertainment -- not the progressive sounds SOBA artists are interested in making. Person said there should be mainstream clubs and venues where reggae, rap, African and world music have a regular presence. As Iayaalis put it, black artists want access to every venue "from 328 Performance Hall to the Arena." Steger said: "We want to be a springboard to a broader arts community." Himons said: "We're not saying opportunities aren't there. But if you see a bunch of doors, you need to know what door to walk through. That's the purpose of SOBA." Steve West, owner and operator of 328 Performance Hall said many local black artists have not had success in reaching a larger Nashville audience due to lack of extensive media coverage and radio airplay. For club owners, West said, local groups without a large and committed following are not easy to schedule. "If you own a club, you don't want to put people on who will cause you to lose money," he said. "It's all up to the audience. They have to be willing to spend the money to support the groups they like." West said that through SOBA and the networking it's designed to provide, black performers will hopefully be able to create the base of support needed to get gigs in larger clubs. "People have been off on their own tryng to get something going," he said. "Maybe now,they are able to network, they can rally support around them." Sherry Bond, the NEA's executive director, acknowledged her organization has not done especially well in supporting black artists. "We've kind of let things happen as they may and have not really been putting all our energy behind it," she said. But Bond said the NEA -- a 2000-member trade organization aiming at making Nashville's music scene second to none -- wants to change all that. After NEA put Himons on their 50-member board, a black music committee was formed to keep that interest on people's minds. Club owner West was an early member of that committee, which later evolved into SOBA. Inspired by th e networking potential he saw at the NEA, Himons made lots of phone calls and found lots of support for the idea. Bond said she wants a SOBA representative to have a permanent seat on the NEA board: "We want the two organizations to work together to help unite, promote and serve the black community." Now that SOBA is up and running, Himons is fading into the backgound to let younger colleagues step forward. That leaves room for Steger, Iayaalis, Person and others -- including producer Christopher ("Kool-Out") Davis, studio operator Charles Howe and musician Curtis McFarland -- to take over guidance of the organization. They are currently meeting monthly to discuss SOBA's continued development. It's early still. But SOBA -- and the cause of black artists in general should soon be gaining momentum. For more info To join SOBA or learn more about it, call Aashid Himons at 353-1082. |
AASHID SITE INDEX
AASHID SITE at SPACE FOR MUSIC
AASHID'S ART SELECTIONS GALLERY
AASHID and FRIENDS PHOTO GALLERY
TRIBAL SPIRIT BOOK (Entire Is Book Online)
THE MILLION MAN MARCH PHOTO GALLERY
WOMAN ON THE PLATEAU (ENTIRE SCREENPLAY)
Please email me at: aashid@goarchie.com
WE ARE
ONE HEART
