In Pursuit for the Dream Career: Jeffrey Cramer

By Galya Dimitrova

It is good to see when post graduates actually make steps towards getting into the carrer they have been preparing for while doing their degree. I met Jeffrey Cramer, who plays the guitar,  about a month and a half ago at a rehearsal for a degree show and was amazed of the talent he and the other musicians demonstrated. The actual live performance was even better. But I just had to see how he is doing outside university, so to say, in a “real life” situation. So last Sunday I went to a performance of the band he plays in, “The Contagious Grooves” and left more than impressed. After this, I just had to make an interview with him and show what students are capable of, even before they have gained a lot of professional experience. There is no age for a talent, and neither are any boundaries. Here is what Jeffrey shared with me about his music and his professional development in the future.

How long have you been playing for?

I started playing piano at the age of 6. It was the instrument that I learned to read music on, and was my introduction into music I played it till I was 11 years old… I never fully enjoyed the instrument, however, and found it hard to practice due to my lack of interest in the repertoire.

Jeffrey Cramer. Photo: personal archive

And how about the guitar? Did you start playing it because you felt it is more exciting than the piano?

Well, when I was 11 started to listen to old style rock like Hendrix and Eric Clapton, as well as Nirvana. It was also because of my piano teacher, who was also taught me guitar, I listened to him play when i sat in on my sisters guitar lesson waiting for my piano lesson and thought it was a beautiful and exciting sounding instrument.

Piano just never really did it for in the way guitar. I fell in love with it as soon as i started playing.

It was also becoming a popular instrument in school around this age, and a lot of people were learning to play. I pissed a few people off during my time in school when i joined bands because I took music so seriously. I was practicing 4 hours sometimes more every day, which was something that never happened with piano.

All this confirms my observations that you are passionate about it and dont play just for the sake of it.  Is there a song or an instrumental piece that you can play over and over again without getting enough of it?

Well, when I went through a phase of playing classical guitar I used to absolutely and I guess still do play Bach’s Sarabande in E minor BWV 996 from his lute suite. I think it is one of the most beautiful pieces written for guitar. But nowadays the first thing I play on a guitar when i pick it up is just improvisations. Sometimes I improvise to things that come on in the background of tv or films, whilst watching.

That is so interesting!  Which films for example?

Just yesterday I was watching the tv show ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and just mindlessly improvising to the gospel/funk soundtrack in the background. I’ve done it to a few things, though, which I can’t remember off the top of my head. Found an example of the music that shows up on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0BuojigeQ4&list=PL273588B05C210D7F

Have you been thinking of creating music for films and tv shows?

I once made an imaginary soundtrack about 3 years ago based on the imagery of the graphic novel “Maus“. That was just for fun, though. I think if an opportunity like that came, I would definitely take it. I am particularly in love with video game music:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpmezdSifw

Amazing! Will you have a go on that if you get the chance?

Yeah, but i think that is more in the composition side of things. My field is more on playing and performing. I’m much more likely to be the one playing on the soundtrack than composing it. But I haven’t had any opportunities such as that as I am only just starting my career really and I don’t think something like that will come a long till I have been doing this much longer, as it is completely about networking/who you know. Also a lot of these tv shows use electronic intruments that are played directly into the computer by the composer nowadays, which means there isn’t as much work there. I would imagine as the show are saving a lot of money. This is in tv a lot nowadays in particular. “Everybody Hates Chris” is an exception as that has real musicians. But shows like for example law and order are completely digital. It’s a much harder industry nowadays. A lot of the work appears to be from playing live.

Indeed. Just a few days ago you had an amazing gig with “The Contagious Grooves” in the Canal Basin, here in Coventry. Tell us more about the band, how did you form it and what kind of music do you play most of the time?

Performing along with the band. Photo: personal archive.

Whenever I was in London, I attended a lot of Funk/Jazz jam nights put on by professional players. I really enjoyed the music, particularly the brass and felt that it made a huge impact when performing live with them. I’ll show you an example of the jam nights:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-6_upd48_w

I also started listening a lot of The RH Factor. I started to make a setlist, which I sent to a few people in the the band and we decided we were gonna play. Originally my setlist was a lot jazzier but i had to compromise a little and play a little more funk. I play all sorts of music these days. I’ve played on R’n’B, Pop, Rap;  I have a gig with a soul singer this Sunday. I also play jazz more these days.

However, jazz is a complicated genre and i still have a lot to learn before i feel i can consider myself an adequate jazz player. It is a recent interest which i wish to delve further into.

So you see yourself as a potential jazz player and you want to work on it?

Definitely, it is something which has caught my ear over the past 2 years and I feel it is a chance for me to explore music from a completely different perspective regarding theory and harmony.

Most impressive!  Glad to see that there are still musicians who see future in that kind of genre!  Do the other guys from Contagious Grooves share your passion?

I would say so yes, there was a lot of work put in and whilst I was choosing the musicians I made extra sure they would be dedicated to it. We did lose one or two members to begin with but the people who stayed definitely enjoy it. It was scary, though, as I had never attempted anything like this before.

But it works and you perform with so much energy and this is why the gig was so good!  How do you come up with the names of the songs? I am tempted to ask in particular about “Hot Sauce”as it is my favourite.

Haha, well, we named that on a whim, it just had a real groove to it and we weren’t concerned about it having a serious name as such as we were just having a bit of fun. It was our first original and I think in the future we wish to do much more complex compositions with more musicians. Me and Kirk (the sax player) want to work on composing more things for the group. Getting in keyboard players and singers and seeing what happens. Me and him are big fans of Roy Hargrov and Snarky Puppy and would like to go down that route more in the future.

All the best with it! The outcome will be interesting, I am sure! Do you have gigs in London and when is your next gig in Coventry?                                             

“Contagious Grooves” at the gig in the Canal Basin last Sunday.

We are taking a break for a while to have a rest, the past 12 weeks have been extremely stressful and I think we all need it. “Taylor Johns” have asked us to do a gig there a month but the details are not completely organised, they also asked if they could book some studio time with us as they are also in charge in of the label ‘Tin Angel Records’. I expect we will be doing more shows over the summer, but as of yet we have not decided anything.  I will go on to do more gigs in London and trying to progress my career as an individual, too, which right now is my main goal. My next gig on Sunday is in South-East. But i will definitely be happy to play with those guys again in the future.

As a last question, where do you want to play most? Which place do you see as the peak of your career if you perform there?

I would really enjoy playing on the Jools Holland show, that would be a really big thing.

 I know people who have.

I somehow thought you are going to say New Orleans…

Haha, maybe I could in the future some time, but playing on Jools Holland usually means you are definitely getting somewhere.

I wish you then that you play there more than once.

Thank you.

You can like the page of “Contagious Grooves” on Facebook at

< https://www.facebook.com/pages/Contagious-Grooves/165798933584759?fref=ts >

International Music Night – Because Life Is So Much Better With Music!

By Galya Dimitrova

It is nearly summer, and all university activities are coming to an end. So is the Culturae Mundi  Spring season. It will be an exciting and memorable ending that you will have the pleasure of coming back to in your mind during the long hot (or not) summer nights here or abroad.                                                                                                                                                            

Music adds an irresistible taste to the lives of each and every one of us, regardless of our nationality, language, gender or culture. This is why we present you International Music Night – the event on which performers from various backgrounds will show you the best of their culture thorough singing, playing or both! Treefolk Band, piano player Rickie Lee Cooper and Crispy Candy will entertain you with their musical performances, while Indumini, Sophia, Shayo Grass, Lavinia and Ajakpovi Golo will enchant you with their voices. Later on the programme the Street Dance Society will blow you away with some fresh movements on some fresh music. But the end of the performances does not mean end of the party at all! All of you who come along will have the chance to dance to international music, so you definitely don’t want to miss the free style part after the programme!

So, come along and lose yourself in the music from all over the world! Let’s say hello to the summer with what unites people best – beautiful music and incredible voices!

We start at 7pm at Square One, The Hub, this Thursday. International Music Night – because everybody speaks music!

A Celebration of Cultures on Culturae Mundi’s Cultures Day

By Galya Dimitrova

Culturae Mundi’s last event for this year was one of the most exciting, interesting and well-attended so far. Cultures Day brought together a wide range of societies demonstrating the best of their culture and the modern aspects of it.

I was one of the anchors on the event

Before the start of the actual programme, the team leader Awwalu Salihu greeted the guests with a welcoming speech and explained what the meaning of this event is:

” It’s really great to see such a wonderful crowd here tonight. This is what CM is all about. When you look, you don’t see just one person, you don’t see just one group of people, you see the whole world sitting down here.”

As always, there was a bit of everything. Free style and choreographed salsa performances marked the beginning and the end of the show. Bim and his group of dancers made a thrilling street dance performance. Members of the Bollywood society danced under one of the latest hits of Indian music.

The passionate solo flamenco performance by Marcos in the first part and the musical presentation by Ebis and Sayo definitely contributed to the festive mood. They did not only perform but also had a good interaction with the crowd.

The four fashion shows dedicated to European, Middle Eastern, Indian and African fashion were the highlights of the evening. Culturae Mundi members marched in procession and looked like a really professional models. Designers Roland and Yasmin showed their excitement and appreciation about showing their pieces of art in public:

“It is representing the world of Pakistani and our culture. The show features traditional clothes that we wear when we go to wedding or fancy parties.”

A food quiz was a nice delicious distraction of the regular programme. Six participants won food vouchers by answering questions related to dishes from different nationalities. Guests also had the chance to buy and taste a variety of dishes from all over the world.

Event Manager Shrithi had a short talk about Culturae Mundi and encouraged those who want to become a part for the spring team to not hesitate and join.

The event ended with all the members present going out on the stage and taking a big bow.

It was one of the best events with a significant turnout. Both the audience and the participants had fun and this makes it a night to remember in terms of variety, enjoyment and holiday spirit.

Next of Culturae Mundi’s events is One World Week on 13^th January. As usual, our team will do our best to engage and surprise you with a bit of everything from all the cultures across the globe.

Culturae Mundi Marks the Festival of Lights

By Galya Dimitrova

Culturae Mundi celebrated the beginning of the five-day Hindu Festival of Light Diwali in association with the Hindu Society and Bollywood Society. The event brought together people from various backgrounds, eager to enjoy the marking of this exciting occasion.

“Tonight I see…Indian people and more guests from other different nationalities. That is what Culturae Mundi is all about,” said Culturae Mundi Team Leader and Event Manager Awwalu Salihu in his welcome speech.

The actual event started with “Aarthi” – a prayer, during which a little candle made out of ghee was used for blessing the gods. The worshiping words were produced on a screen so that everyone could follow along with the prayers.

An improvised play told the story of Diwali. It depicted the tale of the brave man Rama and his wife princess Sita. The actors interpreted their marriage, Sita’s kidnapping by the evil king Ravana, Rama’s battle with him and return to the kingdom with his freed wife after fourteen years of exile. Once again, images were illustrated on the screen to indicate where the story is taking place.

The evening also featured a lot of music and dance. First, a guest group of professional dancers from Birmingham performed a seven-minute Bhangra dance in traditional attire, then volunteers invited the guests to join in Garba dance after a short tutorial of the main steps.Attendees danced the night away to the rhythms of Bollywood music.

A traditional meal was served to guests included vegetarian samosas, spring rolls and several desserts like chocolate barfi and diamond shaped sweets.

The last part of the celebration featured a special surprise – the release of fire lanterns, which referred to the essence of the Diwali festival, namely the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil. It was a perfect way to end a night brimming over with brightness, colours and positive emotions.

The Spirit of The Spirit

By Galya Dimitrova

(This Article Will be Furtherly Developed)

The hot Bulgarian summer festival Spirit of Burgas is over for this year. It seems, however, that it would be a topic discussed for a long time.

In the Facebook page of the fest exalted fans are rushing to have their say and express their impressions of the event. Among the most ineteresting ones are “I have lost my voice, my head and my legs somewhere on the beach during the Spirit of Burgas”, “My whole body hurts but it was worthed”, “It was great, was worth travelling from Cyprus. My first sunrise with Armin”etc. Judging by the comments, the biggest furore made Korn and Prodigy.

But apart from the good comments, there are quite a few complaints as well. One of it was about the 3-day bracelets with a metal attachment. Apparently the organisers created it to avoid fake. However, the attachment of many of the fans seemed nearly broken after the wild parties and the people at the gate pass argued they had been tampered with. So practically, it couldnt be proven which side is right.

The Spirit of The Summer at the Spirit of Bourgas

By Galya Dimitrova

Tonight is the last night of the three-day Bulgarian festival for Bulgarian and international music. It takes place in the city of Burgas and this is the fifth year it offers the fervent fans an incredible summer music experience.

Among the forein performers who attended Spirit this year are Tinie Tempah, Korn, Busta Rhymes, the Prodigy and many others. There are alsoa number of Bulgarian singers and groups – Ostava (pop) , Upsurt (hip-hop) , Mango Duende (latino), etc. The festival offers various kinds of music so more people could enjoy it performed by their favourite artists on the different stages of  The Spirit.

Spirit of Bourgas is a source of pride and inspiration to many Bulgarian performers. The Bulgarian DJ Deo called it once “unearthly”. It is an event supported by MTV and it is rated as one of the best European festivals for 2008, when it actually first started.

Cov Cons Rewind: The Legend Of Marley

By Galya Dimitrova

As many of you may have heard, Snoop Dogg has a new become a reggea performer calles Snoop Lion. That spiritual awakening logically happened in Jamaica – where the legendary reggae Bob Marley was born.

This news inspired me to pay a tribute to Marley’s genius and write an article based on the visit of writer Colin Grant to Coventry University some months ago. Back then he presented us his book about the reggae icon – ” I & I – The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh, and Wailer” – and talked a lot about Marley’s background and life.

A Little About The Author

Colin Grant

He was presented to us as a “British-Jamaican boy from Luton”. He went to private school thanks to his father, who used to deal ganja to finance him. Later he got caught. Now Colin is a BBC Science Producer. He maintains his long-term interest for Jamaican things. Like the nicknames that cme along with Jamaican who had moved to UK.

“My all-time favourite is Summer Wear”, said Colin. “When he came to this country in the 60s, he used to wear bright summer suits no matter the weather. I asked my mom “What happened to Summer Wear?” and she said “Within six months he came to this country, he caught a cold and died.”

Such funny/sad stories will be the subject to Colin’s next book “Bageye at the Wheel” as well.

The Wailers

“In the beginning they were three – Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer”, said Colin. “And each one of them could have been The One”.

This is the band with where everything started from.  The little known fact Colin presented to us was that The Wailers got their first brake as teenagers on a Jamaican equivalent of “Britons Got Talent” – a variety show called “Opportunity Hour”.

They wowed the crowd with their very first performance. “The crowd were electrified”, said Colin, “So much that they covered the stage with coins. And in the end every person realized that they were all just as poor as the men on stage and they begged back the pennies.” Colin told us a bit more about their poor background in the Kingston ghetto Trenchtown. People there lived in such poverty that they had to “cut up car tires to make shoes”. There used to be no proper water and sewer system, so “the local heroes” shared the fate of all the other people there. All of The Wailers were born during the rebellions, that lead to the forming of the two political parties –  Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP). As Colin sums it up, “they were born in bloodshed”.

“Brown Girl In The Rain”*

“What was very unusual for Bob Marley was his complexion. He had a famously so called white father. I say so called

“The Natural Mystics” is actually a collective biography of The Wailers

because in Jamaica they say Novel was slightly touched by a tar brush. He wasn’t fully white. But he was socially white. And it was very unusual for a white man in Jamaica to marry a black woman.” Their relationship lead to her get pregnant and after Marley’s birth, he left them. Marley grows up in the ghetto as a “brown fair-skinned boy”. Colin described Jamaica from that time as a “largely black country” at the base of whose pyramid the majority of people are black, whereas towards there is white elite and brown people. “To find a brown skinned boy in the ghetto was very unusual”, said Colin “What Marley was to overcompensate for his fair skin by becoming blacker than black, socially and politically, if not physically.  So much was Bob Marley aware of his complexion and the fact that people in the ghetto were suspicious of people with his complexion that he got his girlfriend Rita to put black shoe polish in his hair to make it appear blacker.”

Vagabond Youth

Marley was one of the first Rastafarians – in the 60s they were the outcasts, the vagabonds, they were vilified. In the course of 10 years they became the signifiers of the Jamaican culture.

“Marley had to be diplomatic because no fair-skinned black boy in Trenchtown becomes a Rastafarian unless he fundamentally identifies with being black”, Colin said.

Ganja And Reggae

Smoking weed was extremely widespread among the performers of that time. According to Colin, he was told that The Wailers smoked weed every day because of the perception of making you more productive.

“They all smoked heavily,” said Colin, “ I don’t think Bob Marley smoked as heavily as Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer because Bob Marley was still managing to be productive. When he got a bit of money he might channel into recordings in the studio or buying a new instrument. When Peter Tosh would get a money, he would buy the biggest baddest bag of weed .

“When Bob Marley sings songs like Concrete Jungle, you realize that it is not a pot song he sings, that’s a biography of his life.”

Channeling God

“When you hear Marley sing, you realise you are in the presence of a master performer”, said Colin, “He had the ability which Spanish people called “duende” – the ability to transmit profound emotions.”

Later after Marley’s dead when people were asking Bunny Wailer about the importance of Marley and his music, he said “It wasn’t him, it was greater than him.”

“In Bunny Wailer’s eyes Bob marley was channeling God”, clarifies Colin. “When you watched the way he performs, you realise he is not interested in the money, but in the sharing of his stories”

 

This Saturday at 9/8c VH1 will present  documentary about Marley featuring rare footage, incredible performances and interviews with the people that knew him best.

*A reference to the social order of thetime. As Colin pointed out, the brown people used to get the benefits. He illustrated that arrangement with the lyrics of the popular slave song “Brown Girl In the Rain”. The brown girl n the middle of the field is a product of a slave owner-black woman relationship and will take the sugar – the sweet things in life. The black girls around it are products of black man- black woman relationship and will take the plum- the sour things in life.