It was harder to keep up posts than I thought it would be... but the trip was an amazing success. I learned and taught so much... now I feel like "back to the real world..." but simultaneously like "back to the imaginary world..." everything felt so alive on this trip and it will come through in the final music and in music that comes from the new studios for years into the future... I will be putting together video and of course song mixes.. but right now I just have to get back to work... here are a few more pictures... more  to come soon, thanks again everyone. it was wonderful to work with everybody and to bring you all together where artists, students, producers, donors etc are all working to support good sustainable educational youth projects... we did this all together... it was an honor to get to be the one who was physically in both places... but we all did this together.

 

Mattoh at day 1 of the project in Arusha... more pics soon... this song is from G Kolezi in Likoni...

it is about producers who cheat.... or at least who don't fully support their artists... and shows that they keep going and are still making music... the instrumental was produced by GPE's Dope Boy producer in Asheville...  I will be holding off on posting the other songs from Likoni, and probably any video, (also some CHACHILLIE colabs!!) until I get back... more pics and music soon though...

http://soundcloud.com/ben-gradison/wazamani-rough-mix

I had to ignore the state dept and go through Mombassa (today and yesterday)... yes a bomb went off... and yes I am fine... a day late to Arusha, where I recieved a warm awelcome from LEAF International Teacher Fredy ktonga...I am safe and sound... the equiptment and Mattoh too... the ride was wild... very dusty... I saw big heard of elephants, some ostriges and other wild thuings without any need for a safari... As long as I have music I may never need to be a tourist again... tommorrow a new project... some of the brightest satudents in Tanzania I am told... eager for hip-hop producion skills and equiptment... and on their midterm break, stuck board at boarding school... the "D" is for destiny...

I will post pics... more music from TWAAYF soon... and maybe video... 

At yesterday's event where our kids performed... (how quickly I feel I can describe them that way)... I couldn't help but play for the local kids while things were getting set up and all were kind of hanging around staring at the Mzungu...  these kids (unlike the kids at TWAAYF) didn't speak a work of english except "yes"... and not much Swahili either (mostly Lago? I think)  how else could we communicate but to share songs... they and any nearby adults surely thought I was crazy... Maybe, a little.

Here is a shot from the event itself...

Young stars

A great evening session after a few day time sessions and classes... this time the kids (the orphanes of TWAAYF themselves got it in... woah! these tracks, this CD WOW! It will be hard to leave for Arusha...and then home... gotta keep moving... I hope very much to come back before too long. It is great to be here now.

1st fuller track to share... still could use collaborators (guitar fills?)... missing verse to be filled in here tomorrow...

Another one to build on... from just today... Rnb, soul, and christian artists be sure to check this out...