You can now purchase the Album Commin’ On Up here LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM HERE !!!
This Album is dedicated to my dear friend Philip Woo’s sister who recently passed. The album is a mashup of different music that I am influenced by.
1. Teresa’s Song
This song is dedicated to Teresa who is Philip Woo’s sister. She recently passed on to the next world. When we were initially working on this tune, Philip came up with a phrase that fit right into the guitar line. I asked Philip where he got the idea and he said that Teresa had shown him the phrase. I felt Teresa’s presence in the creation of this tune. Hence I named it and dedicated it to Teresa.
2. Afro Funk
An African reggaeish feel that was inspired by listening to Lucky Dube and Alpha Blonde. We first heard about Lucky in Hawaii, and the musician there were inspired by their music. Music is so universal! It can cross many boundaries.
3. Commin’ on Up
Commin’ on up was inspired by listening to the country music in Texas!? I had to spent some time in Texas and would go to concerts that were held in a local park in Waco, Texas. The country music there was great. It gave me the feeling of the open “Big Sky” that you experience in the Texas and the Midwest. Believe it or not, this style of country is very close to the blues and shares many of the same feels. Again an example of music crossing cultures.
4. Mali
This tune was inspired by listening to Malian music and hearing a story that Sona Jobarteh told about the origins of the Griot music of Africa. Her family are descendents of the first Griot that was given a ballophone by the king to carry on the tradition of the music. Musicians were advisers to the king in the kingdom of Mali! This is similar to Japan where families are considered national treasures to take care of certain instruments, dances, and traditions. In this tune I tried to imagine coming from southern Africa to pay homage to the king. Being part of a procession that enters the palace to have an audience to the king Sunjiata. The Kingdom of Mali was apparently one of the largest kingdoms in ancient Africa and was the crossroads between southern and Northern Africa. If your interested in Sona’s Story you can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1722L3B3w&list=PLb2R5Frp2VCmBGZHye2BtoNGztOGM691i&index=58
5. Mtukudzi
This is a tune dedicated to Mtukdzi who left us in 2019. Mtukudzi is a national hero in Zimbabwe. As a musician he was involved in a revolution that freed the country of a dictatorship. His music is embedded in the everyday life of the people. If you are interested you can hear about his life in this great documentary: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.28a9f781-a1b2-5678-7e9e-280dcdec23d7/ref=atv_pr_sw_sc?tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_pvt_aiv-20 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323943/
6. Wanning Days
Wanning Days was created as a result of thinking about being in later days of my life. The feel was created after listening to the African guitars of the 80s.
Musicians:
Masaru Koga – Suprano Sax and Tenor Sax, Flute, Bamboo Flute
Philip Woo – Keys
Makoto Horiuchi – Composition and arranging; Guitar; virtual instruments; Drums, Bass, Keys
Michael Ortega – All Things Digital
Khristina Gonzales – Graphic Design, Web Design, Social Media Wizard
I would like to thank all the musicians, engineers, consultants whose shoulders I leaned on and who contributed immeasurably to this labor of love.
Cover © Khristina Gonzales © Kultone Records All Rights Reserved