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11 Views
18:40:39 11/02/10
Mishka Live in Studio A - Part 1 - Lonely
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 18:40:39 11/02/10
Part 1 of Mishka performing live in Studio A of Mevio in San Francisco For the entire interview, CLICK HERE
* WEBSITE
* FACEBOOK
* MYSPACE
* TWITTER
* MAILING LIST ABOUT MISHKA
Mishka’s biography has an almost cinematic sweep. He spent most of his early life on a boat in the Caribbean, sailing from island to island with his seafaring parents and older sisters. A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul. Talk About is his fourth album and the second release for Matthew McConaughey’s j. k. livin label.
“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.” “Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.” “I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.” Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his unique upbringing. “My parents met in Bermuda” Mishka explains. “They always had dreams of living at sea and my father built a boat for the family to live on. I moved onto the boat when I was three.”
“We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean” Mishka recalls. “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.” Mishka and his sisters were home schooled until they went to boarding school for their higher education. “Learning how to read maps and chart a course was my math and geography class, going ashore in different countries and talking to people about their culture was my history class, reading books on board was my literary education, picking up French and Portuguese in the ports we visited was my language school.”
The boat had a small battery-run cassette player and Mishka heard the music his parents loved: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Dylan and Jimmy Buffett who was sailing the same waters as his family in those days. “My sisters turned me on to the Police, Cars and Roxy Music, but when I heard Burning Spear, Culture, and Bob Marley, I got addicted to roots reggae.”
Mishka moved to London and his debut, the self-titled Mishka, became a Top 40 hit in England. “Give You All the Love” cracked the charts in Britain and Japan where it went Top 10. While he was making Mishka, Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) was working in the studio next door. Terefe produced Mishka’s second album, 2005’s One Tree, a blend of electronica, folk and reggae. While on tour, Mishka met Darryl Thompson a long time guitarist for Sly & Robbie. They were working on Above the Bones when Matthew McConaughey showed up and signed Mishka to his newly formed j. k. livin label.
The album started as an independent project produced by Mishka and Guitarist Darryl Thompson but was finished with McConaughey’s creative assistance. It was essentially tracked live with minimal overdubs. “Darryl has played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, but he has a background mainly in rock and blues” Mishka says of Darryl. “He could hear the folk, soul and reggae in the music and really helped bring the songs to life”. “Matthew (McConaughey) has a good ear for picking out the best elements of a song and really brought his positive energy and enthusiasm to the studio.”
In February of 2009, Above the Bones debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an exhaustive world tour. Mishka then provided the soundtrack for summer with two features of his soulful island melodies: a music video for the title track, featuring the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, that premiered across the Yahoo! Entertainment network that June, and a selection by Starbucks Entertainment and iTunes for their music discovery program, “Pick of the Week,” that was available at Starbucks locations nationwide. By year’s end, Mishka was named 2009’s Best New Artist in the singer/songwriter category by digital music leader iTunes.
Building off the previous year’s momentum, Mishka released Talk About on March 30th, 2010. Setting the tone for the self-described “album of movement,” the lead single “Bittersweet” began as a studio experiment before evolving into a musical space that surprised even its creator.
“When I brought the song to the band it was extremely raw just a few chords and a couple lyrics played at a modest tempo,” says Mishka. “But as we started jamming on it, it started to move into an up-tempo track like I’ve never recorded before a place, musically, that is brand new to me.”
Two of the tracks on Talk About, “Stars Will Be Shining” and album opener “Give Them Love,” are the product of collaboration with super producer Butch Walker (Pete Yorn, Pink, Fall Out Boy). The pair was introduced by label owner, album co-producer, and Hollywood icon Matthew McConaughey.
“This is an album of movement of stepping outside the box of traditional folk-reggae and adding a real mainstream rock influence,” says Mishka. “Butch works fast he works efficiently and he knows how to cultivate those rock tones in the artists he works with.”
The album’s 13 tracks span a distinct ebb-and-flow, from the fast paced and up-beat first half to a more mellow and introspective second half. “In the days of the LP, this would definitely be an A-side/B-side type record,” Mishka commented.
The title track, “Talk About,” explores the imbalance of words versus action, a lyrical theme that runs through much of Mishka’s work. “People make statements about love, equality, and peace and then try to measure their quantity in instant gratification,” he explains. “Whereas those things are really about a long-term way of life where all your actions not words add up.”
An album release showcase at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles also celebrated a new partnership with surf-culture clothing giant, O’Neill, who made Mishka the face of their new eco-friendly apparel line, ECO’Neill. The ECO'Neill Men's Collection, which will be available next spring, includes basic T-shirts, tank-tops and beanies developed with 100 percent organic cotton and board short fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, among other items.
Mishka will be previewing the line during his 2010 tour in support of Talk About. He will also be a part of the creative design of upcoming styles for ECO'Neill and will be featured in advertising and marketing materials before the line hits stores.
"Working with O'Neill is giving me a chance to spread my music to more people -- and specifically those who are into water sports," said Mishka. "I have found such musical and spiritual inspiration out on the waves, so this partnership is a good way to connect with people who probably feel the same inspiration. It's also cool if I can help O'Neill become a more ecologically friendly company along the way. It's a win win situation."
O'Neill Clothing CEO, Toby Bost, elaborated, "Mishka adds a whole new dynamic and direction to O'Neill. Growing up a waterman and having an appreciation for the ocean and earth are attributes that make him a natural fit for us. We're looking forward to incorporating his music, unique spirit and creativity into the ECO'Neill line."
After a momentous 2009 which included an iTunes award, Starbucks feature, and #1 charting debut, it appears 2010 will push the bar even higher, as Talk About debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae chart, Mishka gears up for an expansive new tour, and his partnership with one of the leading surf-clothing manufacturers begins to blossom.
13 Views
18:28:42 11/02/10
Mishka Live in Studio A - Part 2 - Way Out of Babylon
[LESS INFO] 13 VIEWS | ADDED 18:28:42 11/02/10
Part 2 of Mishka performing live in Studio A of Mevio in San Francisco For the entire interview, CLICK HERE
* WEBSITE
* FACEBOOK
* MYSPACE
* TWITTER
* MAILING LIST ABOUT MISHKA
Mishka’s biography has an almost cinematic sweep. He spent most of his early life on a boat in the Caribbean, sailing from island to island with his seafaring parents and older sisters. A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul. Talk About is his fourth album and the second release for Matthew McConaughey’s j. k. livin label.
“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.” “Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.” “I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.” Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his unique upbringing. “My parents met in Bermuda” Mishka explains. “They always had dreams of living at sea and my father built a boat for the family to live on. I moved onto the boat when I was three.”
“We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean” Mishka recalls. “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.” Mishka and his sisters were home schooled until they went to boarding school for their higher education. “Learning how to read maps and chart a course was my math and geography class, going ashore in different countries and talking to people about their culture was my history class, reading books on board was my literary education, picking up French and Portuguese in the ports we visited was my language school.”
The boat had a small battery-run cassette player and Mishka heard the music his parents loved: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Dylan and Jimmy Buffett who was sailing the same waters as his family in those days. “My sisters turned me on to the Police, Cars and Roxy Music, but when I heard Burning Spear, Culture, and Bob Marley, I got addicted to roots reggae.”
Mishka moved to London and his debut, the self-titled Mishka, became a Top 40 hit in England. “Give You All the Love” cracked the charts in Britain and Japan where it went Top 10. While he was making Mishka, Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) was working in the studio next door. Terefe produced Mishka’s second album, 2005’s One Tree, a blend of electronica, folk and reggae. While on tour, Mishka met Darryl Thompson a long time guitarist for Sly & Robbie. They were working on Above the Bones when Matthew McConaughey showed up and signed Mishka to his newly formed j. k. livin label.
The album started as an independent project produced by Mishka and Guitarist Darryl Thompson but was finished with McConaughey’s creative assistance. It was essentially tracked live with minimal overdubs. “Darryl has played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, but he has a background mainly in rock and blues” Mishka says of Darryl. “He could hear the folk, soul and reggae in the music and really helped bring the songs to life”. “Matthew (McConaughey) has a good ear for picking out the best elements of a song and really brought his positive energy and enthusiasm to the studio.”
In February of 2009, Above the Bones debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an exhaustive world tour. Mishka then provided the soundtrack for summer with two features of his soulful island melodies: a music video for the title track, featuring the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, that premiered across the Yahoo! Entertainment network that June, and a selection by Starbucks Entertainment and iTunes for their music discovery program, “Pick of the Week,” that was available at Starbucks locations nationwide. By year’s end, Mishka was named 2009’s Best New Artist in the singer/songwriter category by digital music leader iTunes.
Building off the previous year’s momentum, Mishka released Talk About on March 30th, 2010. Setting the tone for the self-described “album of movement,” the lead single “Bittersweet” began as a studio experiment before evolving into a musical space that surprised even its creator.
“When I brought the song to the band it was extremely raw just a few chords and a couple lyrics played at a modest tempo,” says Mishka. “But as we started jamming on it, it started to move into an up-tempo track like I’ve never recorded before a place, musically, that is brand new to me.”
Two of the tracks on Talk About, “Stars Will Be Shining” and album opener “Give Them Love,” are the product of collaboration with super producer Butch Walker (Pete Yorn, Pink, Fall Out Boy). The pair was introduced by label owner, album co-producer, and Hollywood icon Matthew McConaughey.
“This is an album of movement of stepping outside the box of traditional folk-reggae and adding a real mainstream rock influence,” says Mishka. “Butch works fast he works efficiently and he knows how to cultivate those rock tones in the artists he works with.”
The album’s 13 tracks span a distinct ebb-and-flow, from the fast paced and up-beat first half to a more mellow and introspective second half. “In the days of the LP, this would definitely be an A-side/B-side type record,” Mishka commented.
The title track, “Talk About,” explores the imbalance of words versus action, a lyrical theme that runs through much of Mishka’s work. “People make statements about love, equality, and peace and then try to measure their quantity in instant gratification,” he explains. “Whereas those things are really about a long-term way of life where all your actions not words add up.”
An album release showcase at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles also celebrated a new partnership with surf-culture clothing giant, O’Neill, who made Mishka the face of their new eco-friendly apparel line, ECO’Neill. The ECO'Neill Men's Collection, which will be available next spring, includes basic T-shirts, tank-tops and beanies developed with 100 percent organic cotton and board short fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, among other items.
Mishka will be previewing the line during his 2010 tour in support of Talk About. He will also be a part of the creative design of upcoming styles for ECO'Neill and will be featured in advertising and marketing materials before the line hits stores.
"Working with O'Neill is giving me a chance to spread my music to more people -- and specifically those who are into water sports," said Mishka. "I have found such musical and spiritual inspiration out on the waves, so this partnership is a good way to connect with people who probably feel the same inspiration. It's also cool if I can help O'Neill become a more ecologically friendly company along the way. It's a win win situation."
O'Neill Clothing CEO, Toby Bost, elaborated, "Mishka adds a whole new dynamic and direction to O'Neill. Growing up a waterman and having an appreciation for the ocean and earth are attributes that make him a natural fit for us. We're looking forward to incorporating his music, unique spirit and creativity into the ECO'Neill line."
After a momentous 2009 which included an iTunes award, Starbucks feature, and #1 charting debut, it appears 2010 will push the bar even higher, as Talk About debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae chart, Mishka gears up for an expansive new tour, and his partnership with one of the leading surf-clothing manufacturers begins to blossom.
16 Views
17:42:15 11/02/10
Mishka Live in Studio A - Part 3 Home Grown
[LESS INFO] 16 VIEWS | ADDED 17:42:15 11/02/10
Part 3 of Mishka performing live in Studio A of Mevio in San Francisco For the entire interview, CLICK HERE
* WEBSITE
* FACEBOOK
* MYSPACE
* TWITTER
* MAILING LIST ABOUT MISHKA
Mishka’s biography has an almost cinematic sweep. He spent most of his early life on a boat in the Caribbean, sailing from island to island with his seafaring parents and older sisters. A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul. Talk About is his fourth album and the second release for Matthew McConaughey’s j. k. livin label.
“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.” “Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.” “I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.” Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his unique upbringing. “My parents met in Bermuda” Mishka explains. “They always had dreams of living at sea and my father built a boat for the family to live on. I moved onto the boat when I was three.”
“We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean” Mishka recalls. “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.” Mishka and his sisters were home schooled until they went to boarding school for their higher education. “Learning how to read maps and chart a course was my math and geography class, going ashore in different countries and talking to people about their culture was my history class, reading books on board was my literary education, picking up French and Portuguese in the ports we visited was my language school.”
The boat had a small battery-run cassette player and Mishka heard the music his parents loved: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Dylan and Jimmy Buffett who was sailing the same waters as his family in those days. “My sisters turned me on to the Police, Cars and Roxy Music, but when I heard Burning Spear, Culture, and Bob Marley, I got addicted to roots reggae.”
Mishka moved to London and his debut, the self-titled Mishka, became a Top 40 hit in England. “Give You All the Love” cracked the charts in Britain and Japan where it went Top 10. While he was making Mishka, Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) was working in the studio next door. Terefe produced Mishka’s second album, 2005’s One Tree, a blend of electronica, folk and reggae. While on tour, Mishka met Darryl Thompson a long time guitarist for Sly & Robbie. They were working on Above the Bones when Matthew McConaughey showed up and signed Mishka to his newly formed j. k. livin label.
The album started as an independent project produced by Mishka and Guitarist Darryl Thompson but was finished with McConaughey’s creative assistance. It was essentially tracked live with minimal overdubs. “Darryl has played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, but he has a background mainly in rock and blues” Mishka says of Darryl. “He could hear the folk, soul and reggae in the music and really helped bring the songs to life”. “Matthew (McConaughey) has a good ear for picking out the best elements of a song and really brought his positive energy and enthusiasm to the studio.”
In February of 2009, Above the Bones debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an exhaustive world tour. Mishka then provided the soundtrack for summer with two features of his soulful island melodies: a music video for the title track, featuring the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, that premiered across the Yahoo! Entertainment network that June, and a selection by Starbucks Entertainment and iTunes for their music discovery program, “Pick of the Week,” that was available at Starbucks locations nationwide. By year’s end, Mishka was named 2009’s Best New Artist in the singer/songwriter category by digital music leader iTunes.
Building off the previous year’s momentum, Mishka released Talk About on March 30th, 2010. Setting the tone for the self-described “album of movement,” the lead single “Bittersweet” began as a studio experiment before evolving into a musical space that surprised even its creator.
“When I brought the song to the band it was extremely raw just a few chords and a couple lyrics played at a modest tempo,” says Mishka. “But as we started jamming on it, it started to move into an up-tempo track like I’ve never recorded before a place, musically, that is brand new to me.”
Two of the tracks on Talk About, “Stars Will Be Shining” and album opener “Give Them Love,” are the product of collaboration with super producer Butch Walker (Pete Yorn, Pink, Fall Out Boy). The pair was introduced by label owner, album co-producer, and Hollywood icon Matthew McConaughey.
“This is an album of movement of stepping outside the box of traditional folk-reggae and adding a real mainstream rock influence,” says Mishka. “Butch works fast he works efficiently and he knows how to cultivate those rock tones in the artists he works with.”
The album’s 13 tracks span a distinct ebb-and-flow, from the fast paced and up-beat first half to a more mellow and introspective second half. “In the days of the LP, this would definitely be an A-side/B-side type record,” Mishka commented.
The title track, “Talk About,” explores the imbalance of words versus action, a lyrical theme that runs through much of Mishka’s work. “People make statements about love, equality, and peace and then try to measure their quantity in instant gratification,” he explains. “Whereas those things are really about a long-term way of life where all your actions not words add up.”
An album release showcase at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles also celebrated a new partnership with surf-culture clothing giant, O’Neill, who made Mishka the face of their new eco-friendly apparel line, ECO’Neill. The ECO'Neill Men's Collection, which will be available next spring, includes basic T-shirts, tank-tops and beanies developed with 100 percent organic cotton and board short fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, among other items.
Mishka will be previewing the line during his 2010 tour in support of Talk About. He will also be a part of the creative design of upcoming styles for ECO'Neill and will be featured in advertising and marketing materials before the line hits stores.
"Working with O'Neill is giving me a chance to spread my music to more people -- and specifically those who are into water sports," said Mishka. "I have found such musical and spiritual inspiration out on the waves, so this partnership is a good way to connect with people who probably feel the same inspiration. It's also cool if I can help O'Neill become a more ecologically friendly company along the way. It's a win win situation."
O'Neill Clothing CEO, Toby Bost, elaborated, "Mishka adds a whole new dynamic and direction to O'Neill. Growing up a waterman and having an appreciation for the ocean and earth are attributes that make him a natural fit for us. We're looking forward to incorporating his music, unique spirit and creativity into the ECO'Neill line."
After a momentous 2009 which included an iTunes award, Starbucks feature, and #1 charting debut, it appears 2010 will push the bar even higher, as Talk About debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae chart, Mishka gears up for an expansive new tour, and his partnership with one of the leading surf-clothing manufacturers begins to blossom.
11 Views
16:46:01 11/02/10
MIshka Live in Studio A
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 16:46:01 11/02/10
Mishka performs live in Studio A of Mevio in San Francisco
* WEBSITE
* FACEBOOK
* MYSPACE
* TWITTER
* MAILING LIST ABOUT MISHKA
Mishka’s biography has an almost cinematic sweep. He spent most of his early life on a boat in the Caribbean, sailing from island to island with his seafaring parents and older sisters. A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul. Talk About is his fourth album and the second release for Matthew McConaughey’s j. k. livin label.
“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.” “Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.” “I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.” Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his unique upbringing. “My parents met in Bermuda” Mishka explains. “They always had dreams of living at sea and my father built a boat for the family to live on. I moved onto the boat when I was three.”
“We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean” Mishka recalls. “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.” Mishka and his sisters were home schooled until they went to boarding school for their higher education. “Learning how to read maps and chart a course was my math and geography class, going ashore in different countries and talking to people about their culture was my history class, reading books on board was my literary education, picking up French and Portuguese in the ports we visited was my language school.”
The boat had a small battery-run cassette player and Mishka heard the music his parents loved: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Dylan and Jimmy Buffett who was sailing the same waters as his family in those days. “My sisters turned me on to the Police, Cars and Roxy Music, but when I heard Burning Spear, Culture, and Bob Marley, I got addicted to roots reggae.”
Mishka moved to London and his debut, the self-titled Mishka, became a Top 40 hit in England. “Give You All the Love” cracked the charts in Britain and Japan where it went Top 10. While he was making Mishka, Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) was working in the studio next door. Terefe produced Mishka’s second album, 2005’s One Tree, a blend of electronica, folk and reggae. While on tour, Mishka met Darryl Thompson a long time guitarist for Sly & Robbie. They were working on Above the Bones when Matthew McConaughey showed up and signed Mishka to his newly formed j. k. livin label.
The album started as an independent project produced by Mishka and Guitarist Darryl Thompson but was finished with McConaughey’s creative assistance. It was essentially tracked live with minimal overdubs. “Darryl has played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru, but he has a background mainly in rock and blues” Mishka says of Darryl. “He could hear the folk, soul and reggae in the music and really helped bring the songs to life”. “Matthew (McConaughey) has a good ear for picking out the best elements of a song and really brought his positive energy and enthusiasm to the studio.”
In February of 2009, Above the Bones debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an exhaustive world tour. Mishka then provided the soundtrack for summer with two features of his soulful island melodies: a music video for the title track, featuring the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, that premiered across the Yahoo! Entertainment network that June, and a selection by Starbucks Entertainment and iTunes for their music discovery program, “Pick of the Week,” that was available at Starbucks locations nationwide. By year’s end, Mishka was named 2009’s Best New Artist in the singer/songwriter category by digital music leader iTunes.
Building off the previous year’s momentum, Mishka released Talk About on March 30th, 2010. Setting the tone for the self-described “album of movement,” the lead single “Bittersweet” began as a studio experiment before evolving into a musical space that surprised even its creator.
“When I brought the song to the band it was extremely raw just a few chords and a couple lyrics played at a modest tempo,” says Mishka. “But as we started jamming on it, it started to move into an up-tempo track like I’ve never recorded before a place, musically, that is brand new to me.”
Two of the tracks on Talk About, “Stars Will Be Shining” and album opener “Give Them Love,” are the product of collaboration with super producer Butch Walker (Pete Yorn, Pink, Fall Out Boy). The pair was introduced by label owner, album co-producer, and Hollywood icon Matthew McConaughey.
“This is an album of movement of stepping outside the box of traditional folk-reggae and adding a real mainstream rock influence,” says Mishka. “Butch works fast he works efficiently and he knows how to cultivate those rock tones in the artists he works with.”
The album’s 13 tracks span a distinct ebb-and-flow, from the fast paced and up-beat first half to a more mellow and introspective second half. “In the days of the LP, this would definitely be an A-side/B-side type record,” Mishka commented.
The title track, “Talk About,” explores the imbalance of words versus action, a lyrical theme that runs through much of Mishka’s work. “People make statements about love, equality, and peace and then try to measure their quantity in instant gratification,” he explains. “Whereas those things are really about a long-term way of life where all your actions not words add up.”
An album release showcase at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles also celebrated a new partnership with surf-culture clothing giant, O’Neill, who made Mishka the face of their new eco-friendly apparel line, ECO’Neill. The ECO'Neill Men's Collection, which will be available next spring, includes basic T-shirts, tank-tops and beanies developed with 100 percent organic cotton and board short fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, among other items.
Mishka will be previewing the line during his 2010 tour in support of Talk About. He will also be a part of the creative design of upcoming styles for ECO'Neill and will be featured in advertising and marketing materials before the line hits stores.
"Working with O'Neill is giving me a chance to spread my music to more people -- and specifically those who are into water sports," said Mishka. "I have found such musical and spiritual inspiration out on the waves, so this partnership is a good way to connect with people who probably feel the same inspiration. It's also cool if I can help O'Neill become a more ecologically friendly company along the way. It's a win win situation."
O'Neill Clothing CEO, Toby Bost, elaborated, "Mishka adds a whole new dynamic and direction to O'Neill. Growing up a waterman and having an appreciation for the ocean and earth are attributes that make him a natural fit for us. We're looking forward to incorporating his music, unique spirit and creativity into the ECO'Neill line."
After a momentous 2009 which included an iTunes award, Starbucks feature, and #1 charting debut, it appears 2010 will push the bar even higher, as Talk About debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae chart, Mishka gears up for an expansive new tour, and his partnership with one of the leading surf-clothing manufacturers begins to blossom.
4 Views
13:29:00 05/13/09
LABRANG TRUTH-TELLERS ESCAPE TO FREEDOM
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 13:29:00 05/13/09
(Left to Right) Gedhun Gyatso, Lobsang Gyatso, Kelsang Jinpa, Jamyang Jinpa, Jigme Gyatso
Photo: Tibet Post International F
ive Buddhist monks from the Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery in Tibet's eastern Amdo province (Ch: Gansu) have reached safety in India, after more than a year spent dodging Chinese security forces in their occupied country. The men were on the run from Chinese authorities due to having engaged in free speech activities — a peaceful protest demonstration in Labrang town on March 14, 2008, and an unapproved press briefing at their monastery on April 9, 2008.
Gedhun Gyatso and Kelsang Jinpa, both aged 39, reportedly helped to organise a procession through downtown Labrang (Ch: Xiahe), four days after the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising of 1959. In their national capital city Lhasa, many similar processions had been violently suppressed beginning on March 10, with non-violent chanting monks beaten up and detained by Chinese security forces. After five days of this violent response to non-violent demonstrators, a riot broke out in Lhasa late on March 14 in which both Chinese and Tibetans were killed.
Lobsang Gyatso, 24, Jamyang Jinpa, 24, and Jigme Gyatso, 23, participated in an appeal for the world's help during a Chinese stage-managed "international media tour" which visited their monastery on April 9, 2008. Several dozen of Labrang's monks suddenly appeared before the startled journalists and camera crews, bearing their banned Tibetan national flag and banners reading such things as, "We do not have freedom of speech". The unapproved press briefing was extremely embarrassing to the Chinese colonial authorities, who had hoped to prove that all was perfectly well in Tibet by having a compliant foreign press listen to scripted recitations of the PRC talking points. These three men were among the courageous ones who foiled that plan.
Let's have a little reminder of what that looked like. Remember, these men knew they were risking everything when they did this — potentially including their lives. That is the emotion one can hear in the voices. Chinese officials and security are watching it all take place, unable to intervene because the cameras are rolling. From the testimony of Lama Jigme (see previous article) we know that severe retribution was dealt to some of these men after the cameras were gone.
This escape was first reported by Radio Free Asia , which interviewed them on arrival in New Delhi. Those who had participated in these two events learned that they were targets for arrest, and an unknown number took to the mountains around Labrang and tried to avoid capture in small groups.> "We lived like animals, moving from place to place. But this was better than prison," [Gedhun] Gyatso, one of the protest organizers, said in an interview. Gedhun, Kelsang and another companion were surrounded by Chinese police in the mountains after two months of hiding. The two of them escaped but the other companion was captured and remains in prison.
Buddhist monks prepare banners and national flags as they ready for a procession through Labrang town, March 14, 2008.
Photo: Mark Ralston / AFP Jamyang Jinpa told RFA that they had learned of the foreign reporters' visit to Labrang via the RFA's Amdo language broadcast. They didn't know the date of the planned visit, but they prepared themselves for the "good opportunity" to reach out to the world. > "We called for freedom for Tibet and for the release of Tibetan political prisoners, including the Panchen Lama," [Jamyang] Jinpa said. Jamyang added that a lama had advised them to escape after Chinese troops surrounded the monastery when the journalists were gone. They dressed themselves in laymen's clothing and headed for the hills.
The monks reached Dharamsala on Sunday, to a heroes' welcome as they stepped off the early morning bus from Delhi. A press conference was held on Monday — a real press conference this time, without fear of Communist Party reprisal. Phayul reports:> "We couldn’t remain silent when peaceful Tibetan protests in Lhasa and other places were being brutally crushed down, and our fellow Tibetans were being killed for holding peaceful demonstrations," [Gedhun] Gyatso added. Jamyang Jinpa directly addressed the Chinese government's claim that Tibetans are happy and content under their rule, and that the protests which swept Tibetan regions last year (and continue in smaller scale) were the work of foreign-based "splittist instigators".> "What has been happening in Tibet from last year is a spontaneous outcome of deep rooted resentment Tibetan people have had against the Chinese government. No one was there to tell us to protest. Situation alone compelled us to come out on the street," Jinpa said. The men say their newfound freedom has not given them a sense of relief. They did what they did on behalf of their people, and their people remain under the Communist Party's boot.> "Thinking of Tibet makes us feel worried. Our greatest concern is for those who are still suffering in Tibet. Many Tibetans are undergoing torture in Chinese custody," Gyatso said. The Tibet Post also covered the no fear press conference (although it seems to get both incident dates incorrect), and offers additional statements by the new arrivals. Jamyang Jinpa described the Chinese policy in his country this way:> "Population transfer has made us a minority in our own country, we have been colonized by the Chinese, and Tibetans are forced to acknowledge a fake Panchen Lama. [T]here is no religious freedom in Tibet, we are forced to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is at the core of our heart, from who we seek refuge and salvation." The monks' procession through Labrang town, March 14, 2008.
Photo: Mark Ralston / AFP The press conference was also reported on the Tibetan exile government's website , which curiously refers to the men as "youths" rather than monks. The two older men participated in the monks' procession through Labrang town (39 is a bit old for a "youth") while the three younger men were appealing to journalists at the monastery (the monks you see in the video above — Jigme Gyatso can be recognised at the end of the clip).
The coverage of this great escape has so far been seen on ... the Tibetan exile media only. Up to posting time, this has not been reported on any mainstream international news service, many of whom were present when these monks and others risked everything simply to talk to them last year. This is also very curious, since there are plenty of extra international journalists in India now for the election, and most of those are surely in New Delhi (where these notable escapees first arrived five days ago).
The farming boycott in eastern Tibet is continuing through the last part of the planting season, according to Geshe Monlam Tharchin , a member of the Tibetan parliament in exile. In a report gathered from local sources in the Derge region of Kardze Prefecture, Chinese are reportedly taking land from Tibetans who refuse to cultivate in some areas, and buying up Tibetan farms in other areas for use as a military base, in an increased military presence in the region.
It's now too late in the season for planting wheat, but authorities continue to pressure Tibetans to plant potatoes, peas, and similar crops. Local authorities reportedly issued announcements that, "If you will not to plant the farms, our military will use those farms for our purpose." Many people, mainly men, are escaping their towns and villages on the pretext of gathering medicinal plants. Pressures applied to the population through officially-organized public meetings are meeting resistance, and when asked why they won't plant their farms, the responses are along the lines of, "We Tibetans in the areas are united in our efforts to show our strong solidarity to our brothers and sisters those who lost their lives and those who have faced and are facing brutality, suffering and genocide under the Chinese rule."
A woman works in her family's vineyard in Turfan, May 9, 1997.
Photo: AFP In the former East Turkestan (Ch: Xinjiang) similar policies apply to those who do cultivate their land, but in those cases the beneficiaries will be Chinese businessmen . This is a fine glimpse into China's policies in her colonial holdings, where contracts and leases mean little when a governmental authority happens to run short of cash.
In 1983 the government leased wasteland in northern Xinjiang Uyghur "Autonomous" Region to local peasants, on the condition that they grow fruit orchards. By now the orchards are well established and productive, and the government intends to break the 50 year lease, expropriate the land paying a fraction of its value, and sell it to Chinese businessmen.> Township government chief Abdusamet said the orchards would be better managed if they were bought back.
"The farmers are unable to manage their orchards well," he said. "That is why the township government will take it back — we will manage it better."
"We will auction the orchards to Chinese businessmen from the rest of China," Abdusamet said.
"The Uyghur farmers are unable to benefit from these orchards, and our township government needs income," he said. So the 25 years of work which created the orchards and made them profitable, is translated as, "unable to manage their orchards well," and the government will "manage it better." (This sounds familiar.) It will do that by tearing up the contracts, buying the land at 20% of its value, and selling it to Chinese businesses. The real reason is almost an afterthought — local government needs the money.
A court in Dzoge County, Ngaba T-"A"-P (Ch: Sichuan province) sentenced three Tibetans to prison on unknown charges, according to a report received by Voice of Tibet radio . Jampel, 29, and Lama, 23, both of the Chashang Taringtsang family were sentenced to four years, while Namkho, 27, of Chashang Kyajigtsang family got three years. The source said that arbitrary charges, arbitrary sentences and no choice in legal representation are the common standards of justice in Ngaba.
Former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel has called for basic standards to be upheld in the election for members of the UN Human Rights Council. Terming the election process a "farce" — and he should know farce as well as he knows totalitarianism, as the playwright himself composed a number of farces — he called for adherence to the Council's founding resolution to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights" during member selection.
Yesterday, China received 167 votes from the 191 member states present in the General Assembly. It wasn't much of a contest, with 20 candidates for 18 open seats. China hailed its own electoral success, citing its " remarkable achievements in the field of human rights ." If that's the "highest standard" the UN can come up with, we're all in trouble.
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