It’s my belief that music has the power to make a difference, to bring people together. It has the power to reach the most youthful and pure part of the human spirit.
Photo by Staff Sergeant Renae Saylock USAF
Throughout our travels, I have had the great fortune to meet others who share this belief.
The US soldiers at the Navy installation in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier, were supportive of us and our music before we even touched down. They provided us with equipment, attended each and every master class and performance, sketched pictures and took photos of us during our concerts, and basically made us feel at home at every turn. They even invited us to play at Camp Lemmonier. Their first order of business was to introduce me to the embroidery wizard. Seriously, this guy of Filipino descent was like a character out of Harry Potter movies. He had my last name custom-embroidered (FREEHAND!) in less time than it takes me to say it... he even spelled it right!
I am always amazed by what humans are capable of when they are so skilled at their craft that it becomes as natural as breathing.
To some, spreading good will and striving to make positive change comes this naturally.
Meet Command Sergeant Major Rick Matticks, a great guy:
CSM Matticks honored us by giving us his coin, a momento that I will certainly cherish as a special memory of my time at Camp Lemmonier and a symbol of our continued friendship.
We played a concert following the Khaki Ball, where many service women and men were honored and promoted. In the air of celebration, we played American songs and even fielded a few requests with new guest vocalists. We ended the evening with a giant jam on the undeniable “Mustang Sally” with the resident band “The Horns of Africa.”
See those guys with us in the photo below? This is what great service men look like.
I am proud to know them. I am grateful for what they do each and every day. I am honored to call them friends.
So we've been back in the States for a week now and as the jet-lag fades, I'm starting to get back into a routine of practicing. This was something I didn't have any time to do on the road. We were constantly moving and when we weren't, I was lucky if I had the energy to post blog entries while horizontal. As I type this into my iPhone, on which I wrote and took photos for the whole trip, I realize that I miss writing these entries about all the beautiful and wondrous events on our tour. It's funny, as soon as I got back, I ventured to all my favorite ethnic parts of NYC. I went to Chinatown, little Italy etc. and coaxed my friends to leave our lovely Upper West side neighborhood, because as I exclaimed, " There's a whole city out there ". We went in search of exotic food and drink, it was clear that I was hooked on the excitement of seeing new places, new things. I have to admit that NYC is an amazing place and It felt good to be home with my loved ones. You can really feel like you've travelled to other exotic locales by just hopping on the subway and going downtown.
I started missing the Middle Eastern food right away and went to my favorite Falafel place after a rehearsal. It wasn't the same, but I was transported by those flavors back in time to our trip and imediately so many impressions that came to mind.
The sights, sounds and smells of the Middle East are intoxicating, exotic. I miss the sound of the call to prayer heard five times a day; dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. I had never heard that in person before and it reminded me of the church bells that I would hear every day. I grew up next to the Church on the Hill and you always knew what time of the day it was, by counting the tolling bells. What both have in common for me, is that they bring you into the moment and listening to the beautiful sounds of the voice or bells, gives me a sense of presence.
The whole tour seems like a dream to me now and only when I look at the pictures can I start to remember it all and put the trip into perspective. I am looking forward to sharing some things that changed my perceptions of the Middle East, how we were welcomed and recieved.
We woke up this morning and drove back to Cairo from Alexandria. Before we left, I had enough time to have breakfast at our hotel on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
We stopped halfway back at a rest stop that had some strange inhabitants.
The drive back went through an area of Egypt that is know for farm raised fish, organic farming, produce for export and wineries etc. It's a very lush area and it is the first farm land that I've seen since I've come to the Middle East.
We got back to Cairo and had enough time to rest for an hour before we had to go to the outdoor stage for our last concert in Egypt and out final concert of the Mid East Musical Overtures tour. The outdoor concert sponsored by Mobinil wireless, was an underground music festival featuring five Cairo alternative rock bands and us. Before we played, we had enough time to walk to a Nile river boat cafe for a snack. I wasn't sure why there was a horse in the parking area of the festival, then again it didn't surprise me after all the goats, sheep, donkeys, chickens, roosters, etc, etc, that I've seen in the streets, on this tour.
I told Johnny that he should ride the horse on to the stage;)
Eating on the Nile with Mike Hanke the US Embassy PA officer. He and Sarah took such good care of us and made our trip to Egypt so enjoyable, safe and successful. They did an amazing job!
We got back to the concert and did a couple of media interviews before taking the stage. There was a great Cairo band playing when we got there and it was great to hear the fusion of Arabic traditional instruments and modern rhythm section. Before we started, people were milling around and waiting for us to go on stage.
We got our gear set up on stage and I wondered how this young hip eclectic audience would receive us and our music?
We started to play abd the young crowd moved towards the stage and by the time we were playing our third song, Johnny had made his way off the stage and into the crowd. He had them singing along individually and as a group. People were dancing, holding up lighters. We saw a band and group of fans yelling to us, they had been at our workshop. The energy and enthusiasm of the crowed was surprising and not the same vibe I had seen during the other acts. There was so much interaction and participation. By the time we played the last tune, everyone was really dancing & rocking out. You could feel the excitement and joy of the people, like they had been waiting for a moment to dance and let loose. There has been so much happening here since the revolution and there is such a youthful positive vibe in this city. I felt very emotional watching them having fun and celebrating. Sharing the music and fun made this the most wonderful half hour! We got the biggest welcome and made so many more friends tonight. We thanked them from the stage for the honor and pleasure of being here in Cairo with them this evening. I love Egypt and the Egyptian people. I can't think of a better way to end our tour. There is so much history, culture, heart & soul in this land and I am truly changed by being here during this amazing time in their quest for freedom. Egypt, I wish you peace, stability, safety, freedom and most of all, love.
Last night we played for an amazing crowd of Egyptians! It was at this old theater that is now a cultural center.
The place had the best vibe and we had so much fun on stage. It really was one of the most exiting experiences we've had. At one point during an early rock and roll number, everything seemed black and white on stage, it seemed like we went back in time. The old theatre, the audience and the music sent everyone to a place of oneness, a single awareness, joy.
Johnny told the audience that we were honored and blessed to have come to play for the people of Egypt, of Alexandria. There is a special spirit in this city and in the hearts of it's people.
Students from the American center that is sponsored by the US Embassy and Consulate in Alexandria, did a documentary if our whole day. We told them that we came with open hearts and minds and we were changed forever by their country and their positive energy. We said our goodbyes and promised we would comeback someday.
Yesterday we played Damietta at the cultural center which sits on the bank of the Nile, where it meets the Mediterranean sea. There is a beautiful old bridge on the river that was designed by the same man who designed the Eiffel tower. It was originally in Cairo and was floated down the Nile to Damietta, where it is now a bridge museum library.
The cultural center had a small cement theater in the round, outside in their court yard. We had some great young musicians and dancers join us during the concert.
We had a great time with the crowd and made lots of friends who have since sent us pics & warm wishes on Facebook. We packed up our gear and drove 3 hours to Alexandria.
We got to Alexandria late in the evening and you could smell the fresh sir and scent of the Mediterranean. The next morning we woke up early to play at a facility in the Alexandria library.
We did a workshop for a few local young Alexandrian bands. We played for a while and then they played for us. At the end we all played some tunes together and again we made so many new friends.
We love Alexandria, there is an amazing spirit here and it is reflected in their music. The vibe is wonderful and the people made us feel so welcome. After the workshop, we were given a private tour of the library. It sits across from the sea on a beautiful plaza and you can see young people hanging out enjoying life in this beautiful city.
The outside of the library has representations of every type of language notation from around the world. The large ball is a planetarium and there are all sorts of concert halls and antiquities museum in the facilities. The inside is so amazing that the pictures I took just can't do it justice. I suggest that you go to their website, which is one of the most interactive and amazing sites I have ever seen! See more at; Bibalex.org
We finished our mind blowing tour of the library and had time for a quick bite on peace plaza. There are 12 Palestinian olive trees planted there as a reminder of peace.
Yesterday we drove from Cairo to Port Said University to play a concert. We took the ferry across the Suez canal. This would be the first of four trips across the canal and I think that's probably a world record for any US Band;)
The hall started to fill up with students and they seemed so exited to share in the morning's event. We played our songs and they clapped and sang along as we interacted with them all morning. They played some Arabic songs for us and we were so impressed by their talent and musicianship. Their ensemble consisted of students and faculty on guitars, bass, percussion, drumset, voice, oud and dulcimer etc. We joined them on one of their traditional songs and then they did some percussion solos and a flamenco type trio with two guitars and bass. We spent so much time taking pictures and signing CDs with all the students. We have seen so much activity and made so many new friends on Facebook since yesterday. The faculty, staff and students made us feel so at home and we all had the best time. We ended with some early rock & roll and I never thought I'd hear a version of Jailhouse Rock that included an oud trading licks with Joe's electric guitar, while a dumbek, riq and a tar jammed out along with my drumset.
We were sad to leave the school, but we had to say our goodbyes and packed our gear in order to get to the next school.
We got back on the Ferry and went back across the Suez canal. We ate some amazing falafel and bean sandwhiches in the car on the way. We got to the next school where we set up and played for some public school children who came after school to this private school as part of a US Embassy program. The students in this workshop were so smart, funny and talented. These students like most we've encountered in Egypt, could sing back almost any rhythm and melodic lick that we threw at them.
We signed more CDs answered questions and were so impressed with their english language skills.
We packed up our gear again and drive towards the ferry and took it across for the 3rd time now, back to the Sini peninsula. Here you can cross from the Africa side o Egypt to the Asia side. This area is right on he Mediterranean sea and the fishing and shipping industry has influenced the local musical culture as well.
We got on to Sini & did an unplugged setup at an outdoor beach cafe on the Mediterranean.
The children were mentored by some amazing local musicians who were teaching them the songs, rhythms and dances that are an important part of their historical musical culture. The songs were influenced by the local trading, fishing and farming. They touched our hearts with their singing, playing and dancing. We played with them on some of their music and they joined us on some of our music. We have some vids of them and I can't wait to put some up when we get more bandwith;) It was an amazing day of sharing music, dance, food and laughter. I am so blessed to have been here in the Mid East, Africa and now Egypt with my bandmates, sharing all this love and happiness.
The morning after we landed in Cairo, we hired a driver and a guide to take us to the Pyramids. As we drove out of town, our driver told us about his views on the current situation in Egypt and what had happened the previous evening. It was very enlightening to us and gave us an insight into the energy and the different voices in the country. We spoke about how most people around the world want the same things, such as; stability, security and decent wages. As we made our way along the banks of the Nile, we learned more about Egypt's history and it's road to independence. The scene outside the city is more rustic and not as populated.
As we got closer, we could see some pyramids in the distance. It seemed so surreal to me and maybe because it was still early for me, very much like a dream.
We payed for our entrance fee and started off towards our first stop, the Great pyramid.
The pyramids are so big, you really can't fit them into the viewfinder unless you are pretty far away.
Going into one of the three entrances on the Great pyramid
To say the sun was hot that day would be an understatement, we were of course in the desert again and water was a hot commodity;) Everytime we hopped in the van to go to the next stop, I would hope that it was really far away. Our guide carried an umbrella and I think he had the right idea.
This is one of my favorite band shots from the day! Its also one of the best views of the three largest and most famous stone structures on the planet.
We moved on to the Sphinx next and spent some time learning about the mummification process. This is probably the largest carving of a single stone in the world. After seeing so many pictures, cartoons and other portrayals of the Sphinx and Pyramids, I still wasn't prepared for the scope and size of these stone marvels.
We had fun taking pics in the columned chamber and learned more history about the Sphinx. We also met shrewd little business women, Nadia, who was so good at hawking souvenirs that we asked her to work for the band as our merchandiser. She spoke at least 4 languages, went to school five days a week and then hawked bookmarks and postcards everyday after school.
She said she had to decline our offer because she couldn't leave her best friend or her mom behind;) This is yet another example why I feel the women of the Middle East are on the rise to empowerment and are a voice that will be heard world wide. In general, I have seen young women in this part if the world, studying, working hard in college and taking care of everyone around them. We have met so many talented female students who are excelling in music, media and so many different aspects of business. Here in Egypt, the male and female students are so great and have made us feel so weIcome. It's funny I had so many misconceptions about this part of the world and after coming here, I want to tell you that I have been amazed at the warmth, hospitality and how we have been recieved. I hope someday you can come see it for yourself. All of us around the world see and perceive each other through the eyes of the media and television etc. and when you let the misconceptions drop away, true acceptance can begin.
The pyramid of Giza is on the far left. There are two cars on the road in the foreground.
A little closer. Giza on the left.
Much closer. A view of Giza with people climbing up one side.
Same view a little closer.
Even closer....
Notice the size of the blocks. On the average they are half the height of a human being. I know everyone has a theory as to how these pyramids were built but after seeing them, I'm not sure any of the theories are right. No, aliens didn't build the pyramids. People did. We build pretty amazing things right now. Why would we have needed aliens in the past?
What did these people believe in order to do this? Certainly it takes a unified vision and a lot of people to build something on this scale. But, these people must have believed in something very strongly in order to carry out such a grandiose vision.
I looked at the blocks very closely. Every single one is different. Every block is a different size and shape. They all approximate rectangular solids but there's a wide variance in the approximation. Somehow they got all of these different sizes and shapes to work together to create this massive testament to civilization. I wonder how much of what they believed in order to carry out this vision is true.
I've used the words "we" and "they" a lot. And I think to myself... we are they.
We landed at the Cairo international Airport after a few hour flight, feeling exited and amazed that we were entering out last country of our Mid East tour. I remember feeling similar when we got Malaysia, which was the last stop on our South East Asia tour last November.
We drove from the airport into Cairo towards our hotel. I was immediately struck by the lack of traffic patterns, there seemed to be no rules of the road. I would be hesitant to drive here and I'm a New Yorker.
As we got into downtown, I recognized the square where the protests had been centered during the Revolution in the Spring. Tahrir square was crowded, but seemed quiet as we drove past. I could see the television building that got burnt down during the revolt.
We got to our hotel and I was happy to go to my room and rest for a little while before venturing out to get local sim cards for our phones. The hotel was quite beautiful and my room had a balcony that overlooked the Nile river.
We rested for a bit and then ventured out on foot to find the Vodafone store, which was supposed to be right by the square, not too far from the hotel. Well that walk became quite an adventure and eventually two of us staid the course and accidentally found the store. Asking directions here with a map that is in English is not an easy task. People are do friendly and helpful, but no one really knows where anything is located, unless it is a big square or hotel etc. We asked on such helpful person and he said he would show us where to get sim cards. Of course it became apparent that he was leading us somewhere else and even though I knew that, I was too polite to protest. We ended up in a small salon that sold natural fragrances, made from plants in this shop owners garden. He made us drink tea with him and tried to sell us bottles of these essences. It was clear now, that there wasn't going to be any phone sims.
He was actually a nice guy and the bottles we bought were quite beautiful. The fragrances were so subtle and clean. I tried to haggle with him and failed miserably, which set the precedent for the other guys. Well at least my girlfriend and the guys wives will have some more very nice presents from our tour. Sorry to ruin the surprise ladies;)
We left his shop and struck out again in search of this elusive store. As I walked around I was really getting a sense of the city and it's commerce. It was obvious that they have been doing buisines for thousands of years. The streets are like mazes and you can buy anything and everything imaginable. I saw some magical Cairo cats and thought about how long the cat species has been around in Egypt. They certainly don't hold the same stature as they did during the time of the Pharoes, but I'm not sure the cats care;)
Two of us kept on dwarfing for the phone store and we finally got our sim cards, but unfortunately they didn't work out for us and we had to go back out the next evening and try another company. All in all, it was quite an adventure and at least we got a feel for the city and it's streets.
On the way home we took a cab and driver was talking to some traffic police while we were stopped. He told us that there was a big disturbance a few blocks away. We had heard the chanting and shouts of the crowd earlier, but thought at the time, that it was a nearby group demonstrating for better wages. By the time we got to our hotel, we found out that things had turned quite serious and if you have been keeping up with the news, you know what has been going on here in Cairo. We stayed in for the rest of the evening planning for our trip to the Pyramids the next day. We had a scheduled day off before we begin a rigorous schedule of traveling, workshops and performances. I love sight seeing on the rare days off, but I really do miss the music and connections we make during our shows and workshops. Well I'm sure I'll get my wishes soon;)
After our first workshop at the youth center in Bahrain, we played an event at the PA officer's residence for US embassy personnel, alum and invited guests. We set up inder a canopy by the pool and I thought how nice it would be to take a dip.'it was beautiful outside and the setting was perfect for an event. We played out set and near the end Johnny called one of our favorite songs, Ain't no Sunshine. To end the tune, he usually jumps in the air or off the stage and when he lands, we hit the final note. Well that night the song ended in a way that we never expected. he signaled the final chord which we held and while we were waiting for his ending cue, he ran across the stage area towards the pool and dove in. Of course when he hit the water, we hit the final note. Needles to say, I think everyone was amazed and we definitely made a splash at the party;)
The pool and a still soaking wet JR after jumping in the pool.
The next day was a rest day for the band and I got a chance to do some swimming of my own at the hotel pool.
By the next day we were ready to get back to work and play at the first English language teachers conference in Bahrain. It was sponsored by the US Embassy and included professional educators from all over the the island. They loved singing along with us in language and afterwards, we signed CDs and took pictures with some new friends.
It seems that even English teachers have dreams of being rock stars;)
The director of the event presented us with a beautiful award.
Hopefully he won't take it away after checking my grammar in the blog;)
That evening we got all our gear packed up and left to play at the beautiful Bahrain fort museum on the gulf. When we got closer, the traffic got very heavy and all the roads were closed leading to that area of town. Janan, our wonderful local national embassy liaison, decided to make some calls and it was decided that the concert should be cancelled. We were happy to find out that it would be rescheduled for the next night and when we got there the next evening, the setting and the weather were beautiful.
The stage with the old fort in the distance
The Portuguese had built the fort around 300 years ago
Because the concert had been rescheduled, we didn't have enough tint to do a scheduled masterclass at a local music store. We were happy that the music students were able to come to the concert and afterwards we were able to talk and jam with them.
We really made some connections last night and during our other events. We have already been sharing some fun times on Facebook. I was really moved by the sincerity of everyone's comments on the Johnny Rodgers Band Facebook page and when we were reading some of them this morning, I felt sad to leave our new friends behind. It is these connections and new friendships that make it all worthwhile for me. We are so blessed to be able to travel the world and present our music to these beautiful people in these wonderful places. Thank you to Brad, Shana, Janan and our drivers from the US Embassy. Also thank you to the Bahrain ministry of culture and it's liaison, Mubarak for hosting our stay and allowing us to share our music.
We played an event for a youth center in Manama Bahrain. We set up in their gym/auditorium and when the Students walked in, I got a sense of a diversity in the crowd. Matter of fact, I realized that since u had come to this country, most of the people we had met were from another country. Most had come to find work, become citizens and find a better life for themselves. Sound familiar? Up to this point, I still hadn't gotten a sense of what this country was about? I couldn't find the pulse as easy here as I have in other countries we have visited. I have since read the paper, asked some questions and now I understand some of the dynamics, but I haven't felt it yet. The more I travel, the more the borders of places get blurred for me and the global/corporate culture seems to obscure the local culture. Also, certain countries have become multicultural because of immigration and this can also blur the lines. As a touring cultural exchange musician, I deal with a lot of people from the service industry as well as embassy personnel, diplomats and and local government officials. This gives me a wide range of diversity in each place I visit. I put all this questioning and thinking out of my mind for a while and then it came to me. The individuals that I meet each and every day, waiters, drivers, sound guys, teachers, audience members. are where the pulse lives, not in the history, stories, the news. For me, each contact I have, each personal encounter goes beyond stories, beyond history and lives in the moment. The thank you's, the smiles, the communion of the sense of being which goes beyond language and words. This is the pulse, that place where we are all human.
This is also the place where creativity and the sharing of music lives. The barriers of race, language and cultural differences quickly drop away when we are all sharing in music. Rhythm, harmony, melody and texture become the language that we all speak and even though the lyrics might be different, the emotion is still felt. This again became apparent as soon as the students heard the music and the room began to rock. You could see it in the smiles and faces of everyone in the room.
Group photo at Youth Center
A student gets a chance to show us his groove
A guitar student gets his Latin feel on
The students performed a traditional Arabic dance for us. Their teacher and mentor told us that he was concerned that this traditional form of dance was in danger of fading away. The students were great and you could sense the pride on their faces as they performed for us.
The students in most countries are shy, but here it took at least a half hour or more to get them to even ask a question. Once we got them going, they were able to relax and even sing along with us. There were some musicians who got a chance to perform on a song with the band.
Joe and Johhny have a cutting contest on their new axes ;)
We left the center knowing we had made some new friends and connections.
Joe - Bahrain. Let’s talk tech. So how does this blog get here – this JRB blog, the blog that you’re reading right now? It’s easy, right? Just go to some beautiful places, play some cool music, meet some interesting people, pay attention, write down what strikes you, take pictures(be sure to ask permission & give credit) and upload it all to the blog. Easy. Well, not so fast. First you need a pile of high tech junk. Flip cams, Zoom Q3s, Smartphones, sim cards, hotel wireless, blogging tools for each platform(Windows, Mac, iphone, Blackberry, Droid), maybe a soldering gun if things get really dicey and probably some other tools you left at home. My suitcase is always filled with tech junk I think I'll need. Even so, I always leave something I really need at home...
Some of the junk in my suitcase
Now, here are a few things that can go wrong: the photos are too big, the videos are too long, the hotel wireless stinks, my battery’s dead, I left my charger in my hotel room two countries ago, the SIM card I bought has no data plan… And here’s what you do when something goes wrong: text Amy in Nashville, call Liz in Washington, call someone at the embassy if you can find a phone and remember where you put the numbers for your embassy contacts. Although I’ve learned that you can get Crazy Glue in the most remote regions of the planet, it won’t help your blog (but you can use it to fix your nails if you play guitar).
Every location you move to on a tour is a potential blogger blackout. But, if you do it right, you can post from the back seat of a van on the way to a gig – even videos if you are in the right country. You can post in real time from inside a canyon at Petra.
I know. I did it. Johnny thought it was violating the sanctity of the place but I couldn’t resist. I had a 3g signal and I used it! Droid phone in front of the treasury at Petra. You know, the place where Indiana Jones went on horseback.
Once the communications channel is worked out, then and only then, can you post your ideas, dreams, beautiful location photos, meals, bad jokes (maybe some good ones) and most of all your musical impressions.
So, what’s the first thing I do when we get through customs and baggage claims at the airport? I hunt for a local SIM card to get my unlocked Droid phone on the internet and have local phone service. Once I can do that, I help the rest of the band get connected – two different iPhones and a Blackberry. I currently have six SIM cards – one for NY, one for each country we’ve visited up until now and a global SIM with no data plan just in case I forget what country I’m in. What’s the first thing I do when I check into a hotel? I check the wired LAN speed or wireless speed to get an idea of what we can upload. It’s an instinct. I can’t be out of communication for very long. I think data is becoming like water or air. We can’t live without it. Don’t have enough bandwidth? Sorry, no videos. Have still less bandwidth? Sorry, no photos. Have even less bandwidth than that? Sorry, no blog. And worst of all, I can’t Skype home.
5 of my 6 phone SIMs.
There are all sorts of cameras in this band both still and video - Zoom Q3, Zoom Q3 HD, smartphones, whatever. It’s all good if you can resize, change resolution and move your work from whatever recorder you use to a computer or directly to the web.
Next are the blogging tools. We use Blogger at Blogspot.com because it has good support tools for computers and mobile devices and, it’s elegant and easy. It’s a Google product so it works well with Gmail, Youtube and Picasa. We wanted to be able to post from anywhere at any time. For example, on my phone I have a very cheap app that can post blogs over a cellular network directly. If I’m on 3g with a local SIM card I can post a video made right on the phone. I’ve posted photos from the van on the way to a gig in the UAE and Jordan. As an aside, though not blogging, I even did a video Skype session over 3g and showed Allison, my wife who is in NYC, a venue we played at by turning on my phones rear camera. Silly, but amazing. We were at an outdoor venue in Amman, Jordan.
We’ve stayed at very nice hotels but the wireless networks haven’t been stellar. On the other hand, I’ve been shocked by the quality of the cellular phone networks in Jordan, UAE and Bahrain. In many places they have HSDPA(3g+) and HSPA+(4g). In other words, my cell phone on the road has consistently had better bandwidth than my computer connection at the hotel. Actually, it has had better bandwidth than I have in New York most of the time. It’s no secret that a lot of countries are moving straight to cellular networks and skipping over wired networks to deliver internet services.
Ironically, after working on getting this blog up and running reasonably well, I haven’t had time to post very much. At the end of it all I ask myself, why do I like this technology so much? Part of the answer is this: I believe it’s good to connect people and connect with people. Connections are changing the world. They certainly are changing my perception of the Middle East and its people. I'm very fortunate to be able to help create connections between people through both music and technology. Many to many connections.
Get your free new Johnny Rodgers Band song download: Go to Johnny Rodgers Band Facebook page, click the like button (If you haven't already) find the link in the left hand column for "free song download" and follow the instuctions. Hope you enjoy this fun song! Here's the link; http://www.facebook.com/PBYRC?sk=app_4949752878#!/JohnnyRodgersBandLIVE?sk=app_14167664298
We landed in Bahrain the night before last, the excitement of our Jordan trip, still fresh in out minds. We were met by a liaison from the Bahrain Ministry of Culture, who got us through the modern airport and it's challenges with ease. We got our local sim cards for our US smartphones, got them working and did the customary happy dance;) The challenge of being out on the road so far way from our families and friends, is eased by our modern connectivity. I have felt much more connected to my life situation at home not only because we have smarter phones, better networks, but because our bandmate Joe Ravo is our technical advisor and guru. He has made it possible for us to write blogs and upload photos in real time from our phones.
The hotel is five star and we have incredible views and local restaurants near by where we are staying. I have met many locals that work and live on this beautiful island. Many are from the Philippines, Central Asia and India. Everyone is so helpful and sweet. The Middle East in general is a very spiritual place and I sense that in every encounter I have here. I've met many people who want to visit America and enjoy talking about how they came to be here in Bahrain. A Nepalese restauranteur told me that Bahrain is such a wonderful, safe and beautiful place to live. I saw a beautiful art gallery/cafe and the owner showed me the exhibit of four wonderful artists. I sensed his pride of the local culture and art scene. He said he'd play our CD in the space during the day.
Hotel
Flower Power
Nearby Mosque
Thai Heaven
Anchors Away
Today our Embassy liaison Shana, took us to the Fort Museum that we will be playing at tomorrow evening. The museum sits on the Gulf, adjacent to the ancient fort site. Archeologists are still restoring and working on the project and are sometimes housed there during their visit.
Museum and site of outdoor concert
View of fort from museum
Everyone seems to "dig" the site;)
We were invited to do an interview with two journalists from the Bahrain Ministry of Culture. Coffee, tea and JRB. We all laughed and had fin together, telling stories about the band and our music.
We spoke about how breaking the fourth wall between the stage and the audience. How the show is honest, interactive and a two way street, very much like social networks, our blog, life. We all agreed that it's all about the moment, laughing and having a good time with music. That there are more similarities and things in common with us all and that music bridges all language and cultural barriers.
Joe - Djibouti (I’m in Bahrain now but thinking back) – We got off the plane in Djibouti and had to get visas attached to our passports to enter the country. We were sent to an office to meet with the customs officer who interviews foreigners for entry visas.
Johnny showed the officer our tour book which describes the details of our visit to each country - where we stay, embassy contacts, concerts, master classes etc. The conversation, in English, got bogged down. The officer acted a bit confused and annoyed. The situation was getting a little tense. There seemed to be confusion over our purpose in Djibouti. Were we in Djibouti to play at the American embassy or on behalf of the American embassy? French is one of the official languages of Djibouti so I decided to jump into the conversation to see if my fairly decent French accent, bad grammar and horrible vocabulary would help. Et voila! The customs official’s attitude completely changed. In a minute or so he was laughing. I told him how I learned French (I leave that story for another place and time – it’s complicated).
I thought about this experience over the next few days. What happened? I believe that this was an experience that can be easily misinterpreted. Before having spoken French to him it was easy for me to think, “Okay, this guy’s giving us a hard time because we’re Americans. Foreigners hate Americans”. I hear that a lot in the States these days. But, what I really believe now is that he was as uncomfortable speaking English as I am speaking French. When I spoke French, even bad French, the world shrunk. His English was probably better than my French but I could tell that he appreciated the effort on my part. I think he was actually happy to meet a bunch of smiling American musicians making silly jokes in his office.
As a side note I should say that it’s not uncommon to meet Djiboutiens who speak at least four languages fluently. Arabic and French are official languages in Djibouti while many people are also fluent in Somali and Afar. English is also widely spoken with varying degrees of proficiency. It’s humbling for me, an American who speaks one language and struggles by in a second language, to meet a Djiboutien kid who can switch in and out of four languages depending on the conversation.
Language is interesting in the sense that it can separate us as people or bring us together. Words can be tricky – to play at a place (an embassy) or on behalf of an entity (an embassy) is a subtle distinction if you are not speaking your own language. In fact, I’m getting a head ache thinking about this. I’ll leave this to linguists.
In the end, I believe that we would have gotten our visas a lot faster if we had just played “Hit the Road Jack” for the customs officer. But then again, I wouldn’t have gotten the free French lesson.
You can tell a lot about a human spirit by the sound and tone that comes out of their instrument. Some players are more lyrical and sweet, some more aggressive and edgy. Tone, when it is truly unique and personal, is somewhat like a fingerprint, in that no two players sound exactly the same.
I encouraged the students at the Arts Center in Djibouti to bring their instruments to the master class. Two students complied.
Although we certainly involved everyone with clapping, call and response, and vocal improvisations, these two students joined us instrumentally in our musical jam sessions.
The first was a guitar player and vocalist who shared a traditional local song with the class. He had 5 strings on his electric guitar, but played them with the joy of all 6. He led us in his own unique version of Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road, Jack,” which seems to be a favorite throughout the region, and Joe provided him with a full set of new strings for his guitar, a difficult thing to find in town. This city has a high level of poverty and the equipment that is available to the local musicians is largely provided by US soldiers at Camp Lemonnier, a US Navy installation nearby. Many of these soldiers are going above and beyond the call of duty to create opportunities for musical and arts educational programs to the local students.
The master class continued and one student was overcome with rhythm and began joyfully dancing to the beat. I learned a few new moves!
Then something unexpected happened. One of the only female students in the class, a woman in beautiful pale green clothing and scarves pulled out a tenor saxophone. Her conservative dress were a stark contrast to the large horn she held in her hand. I asked her to join us and she said she only played alone. I said that would be fine, but she changed her mind. After a bit of gentle coaxing, she finally agreed to come to the front and play. She approached shyly and raised the mouthpiece to her lips, looking around somewhat nervously. It’s very possible that she had never played in public before this moment. She took a breath and blew into the horn. A squeak...then a squawk. Frustration crossed her face. “It’s fine,” I assured her. “There are no wrong notes. Play what you feel.” She redoubled her efforts, moistening the reed a bit more, looking around the room tentatively. Then something clicked. I saw something change in her eyes.
She took a deeper, more courageous breath, and then... Out came a sound that was broad and clear. She played a minute or two solo and her confidence grew with every passing note. She soon seemed to forget her surroundings completely and tap into the source.
The band joined in with her and she played with a robust tone akin to a young John Coltrane. I could hardly believe it, and I was loving every moment. At one point she left the melody far behind and played with complete freedom, a musical self-expression of spirit that refused to be pinned down by any form or key signature. True. Free. Jazz.
Finally, she opened her eyes, took the horn out of her mouth and I could see she was finished playing. She shyly nodded to us and the entire room broke into applause. She quietly sat and put her horn away.
I have tremendous respect for her courage. I wish her many more opportunities to play out with passion and with others in a public forum.
Something special happened in that room, Something I have yet to fully understand, Something I am honored to have been a part of...
After our amazing trip to Petra, on this fortuitous return to Jordan, we had the privilege to play four more events. We returned to the Al Hussein Cultural center for an encore performance. We had the honor to perform for the Prince Ra'ed and Princess Majda as well as US Ambassador Jones and his family.
We got to see some of our fans from our previous trip and some of our new Iraqi friends. It seems that people like to have their pictures taken sitting at my drums.
Earlier in the day, we played an event at a youth recreation center in Amman. The students were conducting interviews with us and asking some important questions about our trip and the music we shared.
In between the shows we went to a cafe/hooka bar for lunch. Lipton is the tea of choice over here and smoking Shishah is a favorite pastime during and after a meal. I bought a beautiful portable hooka to bring home with me.
The next day we played at the Princess Basma youth center in Aaman, but before the concert, Reem, our wonderful translator and event coordinator from the embassy, took us to a conservancy cafe that overlooked the Citadel and Roman ruins.
We had played at another Princess Basma youth center in Irbid during our first visit to Jordan. It was wonderful to talk to the students and mentors about their facilities and projects. There are clubhouses all over the world and we spoke about staying in touch via webcast from their NYC clubhouse. They gave us some mix CD's that they made snd they were doing some great computer generated art.
Beautiful rosemary bushes were growing outside both centers we had visited.
We played a concert on a stage in their parking lot. They set up chairs and a homemade camera boom that they made from recycled materials.
The concert was so much fun and we played until the sun set. They turned on some car headlights and we continued to play into the evening. Some of the students posed with us after the concert for a group shot.
After a nights rest, we drove to Madaba, which means mosaic. There is a church there called St. Gregory,which is famous for it's beautiful mosaics. There is one on the floor near the altar. We played a concert at the St. George school community center. The concert was great and we had so much fun playing for the Madaba community.
Madaba reindeer;)
Joe Jammin out on Accordion I heard what he was trying to do. Never quite heard anything like it;)
Before the concert we had an amazing meal at this wonderful open air restaurant.
We drove back to Amman after the concert and packed for our flight to Bahrain. Everyone at the US Embassy; Ambassador Jones, Karin, Reem, our wonderful drivers, the Jordanian government and all the beautiful people we met in Jordan, made this one of the most wonderful experiences of our lives. I will always carry a part of Jordan with me in my heart and I will forever have Jordan on my mind.
After our two hour ride on our horses through the highland rocks above the canyon floor of Petra, we started our descent by foot into the valley. We hadn't expected to travel this route, so none of us had worn shoes that would make this decent easier. We climbed down the first path until we reached a plateau where we met a Bedouin woman who offered us some tea. She had a small table and tent where she sold camel bone jewelry and other beautiful trinkets. We bought some presents, had some tea with her and her cats and then continued on the path until we saw another tent with more jewelry. Another Bedouin woman showed us her goods and introduced us to her cats and her Donkey named Susan.
She had some donkey milk in a bottle and told us how it healed a local child who couldn't talk. They had seen many doctors, but after a shaman told them to feed the boy donkey milk for six days, the boy began to speak. I think his first words were probably, " Please, no more donkey milk" ;)
We bought some more presents and talked for a while with the woman. She suggested we go up this path to a great view of the valley and a sacrifice site. The path was lined with more Bedouin women who were selling trinkets and they seemed to be strategically placed along the path to the best views;) We got to the top and we were not disappointed with view.
We went back down the path past all the tented tables and when I was saying goodbye to the woman who told us the donkey milk story, she cemented that she really liked my necklace. I took off the polished beaded shells from around my neck and handed it to her. I told her it came from the Solomon islands near Papeau New Guinnea and that they were like wampum beads used for trading. I had gotten them on our last State Dept. tour of South East Asia. In refurn, she gave me a camel bone necklace that she had made and when I put it on, I had yet another reminder of this amazing day and trip to the Middle East. We still had a long way to go and she showed us the path that would lead to the 800 steps that would take us to the valley below.
It took a long time to follow the carved rock stairs down into the floor of the canyon and our legs were getting tired from the climb down as well as the long ride. The rock formations and the colors were beautiful under the late afternoon sun.
As we got closer to the canyon floor, you could start to see the cave dwellings and burial niches carved into the rock. The pictures don't really give you the sense of how big and wide the view is to the human eye. It is so expansive, that it seems surreal. The mind has no reference for anything that big and spacious. It seems like you are looking at a painting or a film. Here there is a sense of wonder, a sense of timelessness and words can only point to the stillness that it creates in you.
We reached the canyon floor and were dwarfed by the rock walls that lined the valley. The colors were changing by the minute, as the sun moved across the sky.
We stayed in the area by the front of the treasury, taking pictures of camels and the carved rock structures. We sat, had some water, talked about the journey so far and how lucky we were to be able to do a trip like this. I feel so blessed to be able to play music around the world for so many people. I am thankful to have made so many new friends.
We gathered our strength and started walking through the narrow walled canyon path back to the town.
On the way we saw some tombs/living spaces carved into the rock. We walked the final mile and at one point we stopped to listen to the beautiful acoustics and sound reflecting off the rocks.
We finally made it back to the car and our wonderful driver Hasan, had set up a nice spread of cheese, bread and vegetables in his trunk.
I can't believe what an incredible adventure we had that day. We are all changed because of that journey through the heart of Petra. There will be more pictures and stories to come about this day, from the other guys. I feel I understand a little more about Jordan and a lot more about myself. I hope everyone back home gets a chance to come here some day, it is a wonder indeed and the warmth of the people can't even be eclipsed by the warmth of the beautiful sun in the ever blue sky above Petra:)
Yesterday was one of the most amazing days in my life. We got up early to drive from Amman to Petra, which is about a 3 hr drive. You know it's a special place, when we take one of our only days off during an international tour to travel somewhere. Once outside Amman, the traffic thins and the landscape starts to become less populated.
By the time we started to get closer to our destination, even the desert changed and it started resembling what you might find on the lunar surface. Dark rocks dotted the brown shrub-less landscape and the colors changed with the position of the sun.
As we got close, the rock formations started to change and we started to descend on a long steep road similar to the one that led to the Dead Sea. The surrounding town had built up around the canyon and tourism was what kept this town busy, day in and day out.
We bought our tickets to the area and they included a very short horse ride to the entrance of the canyon, about 300 meters. As soon as I heard the word horse, I got a knot in my stomach, because when I was a child, I had gotten knocked off my fathers shoulders by a horse I was petting. Another time, a policeman gave me some sugar cubes to feed his horse and the horse sneezed and slimed my little face and arms like a scene from Ghostbusters;) When we were in Jordan two weeks ago, I had a chance to ride a camel on a road that led to the Dead Sea and the site where St John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. I think something changed when I jumped on that camel and though I had done for the great photo op, I was able to stay in the moment and be amazed that I was riding a camel in the Mide East:) Meanwhile, back on the ranch; I got on my horse and I was being led down a gravel path by one of the guides. It seemed like one of those pony rides I had when I was six. I thought, ok, I can handle this and it's going to be over in a few hundred feet. At the end of our path, the guides asked us if we wanted to take the horses on a 2 hour journey above the main canyon that led to the Petra temples. Before I could think, I heard myself saying yes, let's go for it and the rest of the guys were saying the same thing.
We walked the horses to another path and then up some steep rocks. Before we mounted I fed my horse some brush and let her drink some water out o my hand. There were three guides and four horses and when my guide saw me bonding with my horse, he asked me if I'd be ok to take him by myself. Again, without thinking, I said yes and started what would prove to be both a journey into the heart of Petra and myself.
Something inside me changed as I left the shadow of my old self behind and rode ahead of the other horses. I just pretended that I was in one of the many movies I had seen and rode as if I had always known how to ride. My horse, Suzanne, seemed to know the way and I only had to be firm with her when she would decide to stop and eat some tree brush. I figured if I let her stop and eat, she would like me, but if I let her stop too much, she would take advantage;)
This is the type of terrain we were riding over and sometimes I thought that my horse was going to slip off the rocks. I encouraged her when we would go up steep inclines and held her back when we would descend too fast over the rocks. The scenery was amazing and I was in awe, mouth open, most of the time. Many scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed up here and being on a horse just fed the wonder and beauty of the moment.
We dismounted and climbed up some rocks, where our guides showed us some amazing views over the steep faced cliffs. We were looking down into the canyon where we could see the sacred temples carved into the stone.
We ran into some Bedouins and their herd of goats. There are still people who live in the hollowed out rock caves in these canyons.
After two hours of riding with our guides over this amazing landscape, we bid them farewell and thanked them for taking such good care of us. They showed us a way to climb down into the canyon by foot and told us how we would return along the canyon floor after we saw the rock carved temples. I had overcome something that day and I knew that it would change my life in many ways. I noticed it even changed my playing. I said goodbye to my horse and we set off on the second part of our journey.
