2017 Performing Artists – The Convergence

Michael Lott

zlotusmusic — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 19:31:40 +0000

Michael Lott is a visionary abstract artist whose work is heavily inspired by his travels, our relationship with nature and our movement towards spiritual integration, and by the worlds opened up to him via dreams and the collective unconscious. The unique style that Michael’s work takes on is inspired by synesthesia, a “neurological phenomena” in which Michael’s senses overlap and he perceives music and sound visually as a flowing, interwoven dance of colors and abstract patterns. Michael believes that his work holds rich subconscious symbolism, and that it can be seen as a foreign yet universally familiar language. For more of Michael’s work, check out www.MichaelLottArt.com

AshEL SeaSunZ aka The Lyft Rapper

zlotusmusic — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 00:52:41 +0000

AshEL SeaSunZ aka The Lyft Rapper is the CEO of Earth Amplified Consulting, offering Creative Strategy for various conscious entrepreneurs, startups, and non profits. He is the Senior Strategist for International Plant Based Hip-hop organization Hip Hop is Green. He is founder and performer with roots, rap, and reggae collective, Earth Amplified, and a vocalist with West African/West Oakland band Dogon Lights. He is a shamanic & plant based health coach and also teaches meditation, creativity, and manifestation principles for activist, creatives, and entrepreneurs. www.uberrapper.com.

Desirae Harp

zlotusmusic — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 22:43:52 +0000

Desirae Harp is a member of the Mishewal Wappo tribe from the central coast of California, and she is a descendant of the Diné Nation from the Southwest. She is a singer/songwriter, cultural bearer/activist, and teacher. She sings with Audiopharmacy, an internationally acclaimed world music/ reggae/ and hip hop ensemble. She uses her music as a teaching tool to facilitate workshops on cultural survival, social justice, and environmental justice with youth across the country. She is the founder of the Mishewal Ona*staTis language revitalization program, and she works with the run4salmon campaign to restore the California water ways, salmon runs, and indigenous ways of life.

Indigenous Rising

Lydia Violet

jay@livingmandala.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 23:07:58 +0000

Lydia Violet (of Ayla Nereo Band) is deeply inspired by folk, blues, and protest music traditions. She uses her stunning violin sounds, intricate 3-part harmonies, lyrical banjo, and strong instrumental arrangements to bring her listeners into a soul-folk revival experience woven into with new wave of protest music. Lydia has also studied closely with deep ecology elder and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy for the past 9 years, learning how we can metabolize our pain for the world into profound communion with our human and more-than-human communities. In the past year she has performed alongside Climbing PoeTree, Ayla Nereo, The Polish Ambassador, Wildlight, Rising Appalachia, MaMuse, and Joanna Macy. From civil right songs to old-fashioned blues to sweet folk vibes, Lydia delights in sharing the medicinal power of music.

www.lydiafiddle.com
www.facebook.com/lydiafiddle
IG: @lydiavioletmusic

2017 Convergence Performance: Sunday, Oct 6 | 12:30 – 1:00 PM | Main Stage

“Lydia’s violin has provided a spontaneous deepening of experience to all, as has her capacity for keen and genuine presence…” – Joanna Macy

“Lydia is a magical gypsy whose violin notes dance like fire and fall with the grace of water. She is one of the most talented violinists I’ve ever had the honor of working with. Her enthusiasm is absolutely infectious, and she is always so receptive to ideas, feedback, changes, and crazy impromptu improvisations. She beams a bright light, and it truly brightens up every person around her.” – Ayla Nereo

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Dustin Thomas

jay@livingmandala.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:48:00 +0000

Big hair, big smiles, and a whole lot of love- Wild-hearted globe-trotter Dustin Thomas is making waves from America to Australia with his infectious blend of beat-box/soul-folk. Armed with his voice, a guitar, and universal anthems of love and war; this young singer-songwriter continues to inspire hearts around the world on his mission of peace, joy, and unity. As a touring artist Dustin Thomas is known worldwide for his captivating and unifying performances and soulfully crafted sing-a-longs.

As a recording artist, Dustin has built a unique grassroots following online and boasts over a half a million streams on his website alone. Truly a man of the road, Dustin Thomas has shared the stage with the biggest names in conscious music including SOJA, Xavier Rudd, Trevor Hall, Rising Appalachia, and Nahko and Medicine for The People. As an advocate for both social and environmental justice, Dustin Thomas uses his platform to inspire both awareness and consciousness about important issues and writes music that encourages all people from all walks of life to work through the hard times, appreciate the good times, and ultimately to love themselves, love the planet, and love each other. Dustin is currently recording music in the states and touring both globally and nationally. To support his upcoming album and touring efforts, click the donate button below.

2017 Convergence Performance: Friday, Oct 6 | 10:00 – 11:00 PM | Main Stage

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Orion Freeman

jay@livingmandala.com — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 18:46:39 +0000

Orion Freeman is a singing, songwriting, guitar-playing seeker from the woods just beyond the mortar and bricks of Philadelphia. His souled-out, sometimes reggae-infused, flamenco-tinged, bluesy folk-rock aspires to move: your shoes; your heart; the cobwebs, so as to allow your soul to shine. Hovering somewhere within the chasm between the worldly and the divine, his music is an intimate glimpse into the spiraling states of freedom and folly, playfulness and prayer. In April of 2017 Orion released Morning Son, his second full length record, and will be spending the rest of the year touring throughout the US, with Thomas Seyoum providing harmonic support.

“This second record of mine comes at a time of massive change in my world, and in the world around me. It represents a stripping down, a simplification, a return to the places i’m from and the emotions i’ve lived with. My first record was a tour-de-force, all-in attempt at encapsulating my entire existence up until that point- twenty seven musicians, strings and horns, over an hour of musical journeying, through the void and back. With Morning Son it felt super important for me to at least temporarily scale back, down to the base ingredients of voice and guitar, harmony, with sounds of everyday life peppered in, and just a select few other instruments to add to the overall texture and feel. It feels to me more like a single chapter this time around, as opposed to an entire book.

It began as simply an extended letter of gratitude and acknowledgment to the small child within my own self, who still felt like something was missing or had been left unsaid. I had no initial intentions of even having it professionally mixed. But what it became over the course of the recording sessions was something else entirely- a spotlight on certain emotions that in our culture don’t often see the light of day; and in turn, an offering to those who may have (or still) feel the same way…”

www.orionfreeman.com
www.facebook.com/orionfreeman
www.youtube.com/orionfreeman
instagram: @orionfreeman

2017 Convergence Performance: Thurs, Oct 5th | 10:30 – 11:30 PM | Main Stage

Los Nadies

jay@livingmandala.com — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 18:32:41 +0000

Los Nadies have created one of the freshest sounds to come out of the Bay Area’s Latin music scene in a long time. Filling a vacuum in Northern California that their southern counterparts Ozomatli deliver so well in L.A., Los Nadies bring a keen mix of politics, poetry, street party and musicianship every time they step on to a stage. Their unique blend of rock, nueva trova, South American folklore and Afro-Latin rhythms follows and expands on the tradition of celebration and protest put forth by musicians like Silvio Rodríguez, Manu Chao, and Santana.

Front man Juán Cuba’s vocals, along with José Vergelín’s drums, and Francisco Ferrer’s lead guitar, serve as the anchor for the band, having played together for over a decade in Bay Area Latin rock bands like Zudaka and Santero. Multitalented percussionist Garsha Shavankhani brings an array of Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Cuban and Flamenco experience into the band’s cache of rhythmic arsenal. Along with Cuba, guitarist Mateo Nube composes the band’s lyrics and shares in vocal duties. Bassist Marco Bianchi is the newest addition to the Los nadies family.

Los nadies take their name from a poem/essay by Uruguayan historian Eduardo Galeano decrying the invisibility cast upon the millions of dispossessed people around the world.

www.losnadies.com

2017 Convergence Performance: Friday, Oct 6th | 11:00 pm – 12:00 AM | Main Stage

2017 Convergence Panel: Artists in Action

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Diane Patterson

jay@livingmandala.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 22:47:53 +0000

Folkgoddess Diane Patterson sings the world awake with strong voice, rocking guitar, sweet ukulele, and revolutionary lyrics.

Her sincere spirit and wild heart joyfully plant seeds of love and light in every listener.

Diane’s been performing at festivals and venues since 1989, beginning with a season playing electric bass for the excellent Sacramento, California-based Blues Duo; then co-fronting a world beat band in Davis called The Heat from 1989-1991. She started in 1993, with Joe Kojima Gray and Dave Theno, the award-winning Diane Patterson Sextet, with Jan Peters and two percussionists, Warren Jones and Rita Hosking . . . yes, THE Rita Hosking! Following The Sextet have been 20 years of solo, duo, and trio work, often with Al Torre on guitar.

Currently Diane is touring her fabulous new CD, Teach, Inspire, Be Real!! This album is a powerful collection of producers, songs, & healing vibrations!! Patterson has also published three other full length CDs: Build a Bridge (2013), World Awake (2010) and Hip the Hip (2005). In the works is an album with producer Mike Napolitano in New Orleans!

“Joni Mitchell meets Ani DiFranco. Patterson is a modern day folk goddess.”
“Diane is a young Pete Seeger.” —Percussionist & Composer, Geoffrey Gordon
“FANTASTIC. Diane, you are a great musician.” — Paul Emery Music, Nevada City, Ca. Oct. 2015

2017 Convergence Performance: Thurs, Oct 5, | 9:00 – 10:00 PM | Main Stage

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Youssoupha Sidibe

jay@livingmandala.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 22:37:32 +0000

Youssoupha Sidibe is a Grammy-nominated Senegalese West African kora (African harp) player. Over the course of 25 years, he has developed thousands of fans all over the world and has performed and recorded with many exceptional musicians.

Grammy-nominated for his collaboration with Matisyahu (Youth), Youssoupha has released albums with Charles Neville (Tree of Life), Midnite (For All), Steve Kimock, a duet with Michael Franti (What I Be), and has collaborated live with India Arie, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident, Chris Berry Trio, Shimshai, and many more.

Youssoupha has performed at some of the most famous festivals and venues in the world, including The Hammerstein Ballroom NYC, The Warfield Theatre SF CA, The African Festival of the Arts Chicago, Reggae Rising, Reggae on the River CA, Stanford University, Salmon Arm Roots, and Blues British Columbia.

Youssoupha Sidibe recorded with Matisyahu on his album “Youth” which Youssoupha received a Gold record for as well as a Grammy Nomination.

“Yousoupha is great. I have performed with him many times — almost always without any rehearsal or even speaking much — and we find ourselves on stage together sharing very deep and moving musical improvisations. His melodies are beautiful, his rhythm is engaging, and he is a spiritual man transmitting roots music. I am a fan of Yousoupha and his music.”

– MATISYAHU – Multi-Platinum Selling, Grammy Nominated Musician

“The rippling, and at times percussive, arrangements with the kora are like rocks in a stream, with Neville’s fluid and melodic saxophone like water flowing over and around the rocks. The music is meant to be a healing force that binds the past with the present. “

– Beth Peerless – The Monterey County Herald

“Grammy-winning, jazzy Neville Brother lends his restrained, sultry sax lines to Youssoupha Sidibe’s sparkling, reggae-inflected African harp, the latest in the Senegalese virtuoso’s collaborations with Western artists, including Matisyahu, Michael Franti, Bela Fleck, India Arie and more.”

– Brett Campbell – Willamete Week

2017 Convergence Performance: Friday, Oct 6th | 9:00 – 10:00 PM | Main Stage

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Climbing Poetree

jay@livingmandala.com — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 22:16:17 +0000

Over the last 13 years, Climbing PoeTree has infused our movements for justice with healing and imagination, inspiring thousands through their award-winning multimedia theater, dual-voice spoken word, visual art, sustainable touring, and community organizing. Co-creators Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman are cultural architects committed to reframing the story through multi-voice spoken word, hip hop, world music, and multimedia theater that translate deep research around the most pressing issues of our time into stunning artistry that catalyzes their audiences to activate the transformation they wish to cultivate within themselves and their communities.

Alixa and Naima have independently organized 30 national and international tours, taking their work from South Africa to Cuba, the UK to Mexico, and throughout the U.S. including 11,000 miles toured on a bus converted to run on recycled vegetable oil. Climbing PoeTree has been experienced at diverse venues from the Brooklyn Academy of Music to the United Nations, Harvard University to Rikers Island Prison.

They have been featured alongside powerhouses such as Alice Walker, Danny Glover, Cornel West, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, Little Dragon, Naomi Klein, and Angela Davis, who remarked, “Each time I have the pleasure of attending a performance by Climbing PoeTree, I feel enriched, renewed, and inspired. Alixa and Naima insist that poetry can change the world — and it is true that the urgency, power and beauty of their words impel us to keep striving for the radical futures toward which they gesture.”

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2017 Convergence Performance: Saturday, Oct 7 | 9:00 – 10:00 PM | Main Stage

“Creativity is the antidote for violence and destruction. Art is our most human expression, our voice to communicate our stories, to challenge injustice and the misrepresentations of mainstream media, to expose harsh realities and engender even more powerful hope, a force to bring diverse peoples together, a tool to rebuild our communities, and a weapon to win this struggle for universal liberation.” 

– Alixa + Naima

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Jasmine Fuego & Live Band

Lindsey Morriss — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:43:28 +0000

Co-Founder of the Permaculture Action Network and Bay Area based Performance Artist, Jasmine is an animated mover, shaker and cross pollinator dedicated to bridging entertainment, education and ecology to bring about a new just and generative cultural narrative. Jasmine’s eclectic music project has been called soul-pop and is deeply influenced by the blues, hip hop and jazz.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JazFuego/?pnref=lhc

Website: http://www.jasminefuego.com/

2017 Convergence Panel: Artists in Action

Saturday, Oct 7 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM | Main Stage

2017 Convergence Performance: Saturday, Oct 7 | 10:15 – 11:00 PM | Main Stage

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Wild Man

Lindsey Morriss — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:00:02 +0000

Wild Man is a geographer, dancer, and dj. He works across all parts of his craft to realize more harmonious relations between sound, bodies, and space in an urban setting. One of his favorite media is dance music–from hip-hop and r&b to funk and house–and is grateful to the sonic elders and innovators of soul, past and present. He lives and works in Oakland, CA.

2017 Convergence Performance: Saturday, Oct 7, | 11:45 PM – 12:30 AM | Main Stage

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The Thrive Choir

jay@livingmandala.com — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 23:37:35 +0000

Thrive East Bay is a purpose-driven community for people of all ages and backgrounds who are committed to transforming our lives, the places we live, and the world.

We are building a new type of community that is informed by modern science and ancient wisdom, infused with a profound sense of love and interconnection, and focused on social change. We welcome all people on the journey toward personal growth, shared learning, and collective action.

Thrive East Bay hosts regular Sunday events (currently on the 4th Sunday of each month from 4 – 6pm) and deep fellowship with others, focused on the following core principles:

Thriving Lives – We support each other in overcoming personal challenges and injustice, and creating lives filled with purpose, joy, and creative expression.

Love in Action – We let love guide us toward compassion, gratitude, empathy, and community among diverse groups of people.

Shared Learning & Practice – We seek to expand our critical awareness and evidenced-based understanding of the world, and to grow together through shared inquiry and transformative practices.

Systemic Change – We unite to build equitable systems where we can flourish as individuals, as communities, and as a planet.

Please join us!

2017 Convergence Performance: Sunday, Oct 8 | 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Main Stage

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DJ Dragonfly

jay@livingmandala.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:34:04 +0000

As a global traveler who’s hitch-hiked and bicycled some six continents and 37 countries, DJ Dragonfly is amongst Northern California’s most sought after purveyors of cutting edge world music. Bay Area dance freaks place him in the top ranks of DJ polls for his unique sound: A trans-tempo fusion of idioms, rhythms, indigenous voices and melodies – bumped up by live electronic percussion and traversed over dubstep, downtempo, funky breaks, drum n bass and house. Using bass as the navigator it’s a globally influenced smackdown as he sets his decks on a course that weave their way from Gibraltar to the Ganges and beyond: No continent goes unturned in his search for the perfect groove! He has shared billing with the likes of Krafty Kuts, Dreadzone, Freq Nasty, Bassnectar, Sandra Collins, Cheb I Sabbah, Karsh Kale, Atomic Hooligan, Nickodemus, Ganga Giri, Heavyweight Dub Champion, Loop Guru, Midival Pundits, etc…

As a producer he has delved into the world of creative gatherings by hosting and developing the dance scene with numerous weekly and monthly events such as: The Groove Garden, Mantra Lounge, Alchemy & Floorplay and annual festivals such as: Earthdance, SolFest, Harmony Festival, Techno Tribal, Miambient, Ali Akbar College of Music Festival and Yoga Journal’s Trance Dance and Harbin’s Unconditional Dance Festival.

2017 Convergence Performance: Thur, Oct 6 | 11:00 – 12:00 AM | Main Stage

& Sun, Oct 8 | 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM | Main Stage

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Jasmine Fuego

Lindsey Morriss — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 20:53:16 +0000

Jasmine Fuego is a Bay Area based performance artist and social permaculture community organizer. In 2014, Fuego co-founded the Permaculture Action Tour with musician, The Polish Ambassador, which catalyzed hands-on, earth based projects and “action days” for thousands of people in 44 cities from San Francisco to New York City. Jasmine focuses on arts and entertainment as a vehicle for social and environmental justice. She is currently working with Pandora Thomas and many others to build the Black Permaculture Network which promotes cross-cultural dialogue and education around permaculture design within diverse communities.

2017 Convergence Performance: Saturday, Oct 7th | 9:30 – 10:30 PM | Main Stage

2017 Convergence Panel: Artists in Action

2016 Convergence Panel: Artists in Action

2016 Convergence Performance: Saturday, September 17th | 9:30 – 10:00 PM | Main Stage

2015 Convergence Workshop: Social Permaculture & Community Organizing

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