It is amazing that we are “still” talking about this, right? Jewish slaves that were forced to work for Germans, Japanese slaves that were forced to work in American camps, and Australian slaves had at minimum an “official” apology. Some even received reparation payments for the maltreatment and theft their forefathers have experienced. The “Black Lives Matters” recently put reparation payments for the descendants of American owned slaves back on the national agenda. They are trying anyway.
A lot of people are so tired for those ancient stories. Yet unfortunately they are not ancient stories they are current and very much part of the 21st Century stories. According to the International Labor Organization approximately 21,000,000 slaves are alive today. Yes, today!
Anti-slavery.org educates us that even today:
There are many different characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations, however only one needs to be present for slavery to exist. Someone is in slavery if they are:
forced to work – through mental or physical threat;owned or controlled by an ’employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse;
dehumanized, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’;
Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects people of all ages, gender and races.
Rolando Morales performing Sionfonds Fundraiser for Haiti Families at Paella Venga on Sunday, September 25, 2016
Sunday Sept 25, “Sionfonds for Haiti Presents: Party & Fund Raiser to Support Children & Their Families in Haiti,” Venga Paella, 229 Brush Street (at 3rd St.), Oakland 4 to 8pm. Rolando lends a hand to some dear friends in their mission to provide education, nutrition, job training, community improvements and health care to rural Haitian families. Enjoy a great party at this cool Oakland spot that will serve up a splendid paella dinner and drinks. Bring a friend and meet smart, fun, caring people while Rolando Morales provides live entertainment on solo guitar and voice. Bid for unique local and Haitian crafts and amazing services you’ll want, such as Haitian crafts, catered dinners with live music with Rolando Morales and more! $45 includes dinner. http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/pk8a76g22yq3zbkhp
Enjoy fundraiser to assist kids like this cute little girl.
Sionfonds supports Haitian Families, through education, opportunity and healthcare. All of our programs are conceived and implemented by Haitian families, teachers, doctors, farmers, social workers and community leaders. When appropriate we bring visitors from outside Haiti to share their skills and expertise in order to further the cause of Haitian autonomy. Learn more by visiting Sionfonds.org.
Rolando Morales at Don Pico’s Bistro on Friday September 16, 2016
Friday Sept 16, Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro, 461 El Camino Real, San Bruno, 6 to 9 pm. Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with Rolando as he returns on solo guitar and voice in the intimate Restaurant Room.(650) 589-1163 and see www.donpicosbistro.com.
Tonight Rolando Morales with Bob Harrison at Maria, Maria Cantina, 710 Camino Ramon Road, Danville CA,
Sept 13, 2016
Hola, Mi Gente!
I wrapped up another jam-packed week with an intimate patio performance on Sunday September 11 at Maria, Maria in Walnut Creek. The full, attentive patio (and even those inside) were receptive to an impromptu musical tribute to the significance of the day. I allowed the gentle wind to select the songs from my book for my 9-11 segment and shared them with the audience. From Stevie Wonder to John Lennon to Djavan and beyond, the wind chose songs I hadn’t done before and the lyrics, mood and passion were perfect for the moment. Very special.
One never knows what’s going to happen from gig to gig. Every day is different. I enjoyed a great private concert up in Oakville on Friday with my talented friends Carlos Reyes, Janice Maxie-Reid, Estaire Godinez, Gary Brown and myself. We created stirring and entertaining moments.
And on Saturday, at Pairings Cellars, a unique version of my Trio — drummer Celso Alberti, bassist Dewayne Pate and myself— surprised and excited the Pleasanton audience with forms of music they weren’t used to seeing there! Hell, I even surprised the band with some of the tunes I called out. Several we had never done before, but I wanted to take advantage of the talent. We hit them strong.
This week I have some big private weeknight events with my band in store, alongside solo public appearances Tuesday at Maria, Maria in Danville, at Don Pico’s Friday, Barone’s Restaurant on Saturday Sept 17 and Maria, Maria in Walnut Creek on Sunday. Details below.
Remember, too, to make your reservations for the annual fund raiser put on by my beautiful friends at Sionfonds to benefit the children and their families in Haiti. It happens next week on Sunday Sept 25 from 4-8pm at Venga Paella in Oakland. These people really do exceptional work, have big hearts and kick it all off from right here in Oaktown. It’s a great night out with authentic paella dinners, sangria and other libations, Haitian crafts, and I’ll be providing the musical sound track. I urge you to click on their site to learn more and make your reservations. www.sionfonds.org.
Norah Jones will release her new CD on October 7th, 2016
Norah Jones has announced the October 7 global release of Day Breaks (Blue Note Records), her stunning sixth solo album which is a kindred spirit to the singer’s breakout debut Come Away With Me and finds the 9-time GRAMMY-winner returning to the piano and her roots. The album features jazz luminaries including her Blue Note label mates saxophonist Wayne Shorter, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, and drummer Brian Blade on a 12-song set that presents 9 new originals alongside covers of songs by Horace Silver, Duke Ellington and Neil Young.
“This new album, Day Breaks, feels full circle because I’m going back to my early influences,” says Norah. “After the first record, I drifted away from the piano a little bit. I still played it, but was more inspired to write on guitar. I really loved playing piano on this record.”
Born March 30, 1979, in New York City, Norah Jones, the daughter of Ravi Shankar quietly grew up in Texas with her mother. While she always found the music of Billie Holiday and Bill Evans both intriguing and comforting, she didn’t really explore jazz until attending Dallas’ Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. During high school, Jones won the Down Beat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist and Best Original Composition in 1996, and earned a second Best Jazz Vocalist award in 1997.
The year is flying by like a ghost. Are we already entering the last quarter? Did we really lose so many? Are these events really happening?
Throughout it all, I continue to perform my private and public shows throughout La Bahia and beyond, endeavoring to create good, positive feelings by sharing my music and passion. I feel grateful to still be doing so as frequently as I do.
September brings more of these blended opportunities, so please join me when you can! I’m looking forward to some great private wine country events and playing for a repeat client that should bring in around 1,500 people.
Publicly, I’m looking forward to Saturday Sept 10 from 8-11pm, when a new version of my Trio performs at Pairings Cellars, the brand new Pleasanton night spot. We’ll have the great Brazilian drummer Celso Alberti; the deeply grooving bassist Dewayne Pate; and I’ll lead the way on guitar, guitar synth and voice. Free! Details below.
For those of you keeping score, after months away, I’m also returning to Barone’s Restaurant on Saturday Sept 17,also in Pleasanton. Details below.
I’m also very happy to be contributing to the annual fund raiser put on by my beautiful friends at Sionfonds to benefit the children and their families in Haiti. These people really do exceptional work, have big hearts and start it all from right here in Oakland. The party happens on Sunday Sept 25 from 4-8pm at Venga Paella in Oakland. It’s a great night out with authentic paella dinners, sangria and other libations, Haitian crafts, and I’ll be providing the musical sound track. I urge you to click on their site to learn more and make your reservations. www.sionfonds.org. You can also reserve here: http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/pk8a76g22yq3zbkhp.
There’s much more happening in your new Calendar, so check it out and say “Hola!” See you at the show!
Ciao,
Rolando
LAST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE FOR SEPTEMBER 2016
Friday Sept 2, Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro, 461 El Camino Real, San Bruno, 6 to 9 pm. After almost a month away, Rolando returns to the place The Examiner and Independent have proclaimed has the “Best Seafood and Best Mexican Food” anywhere, on solo guitar and voice in the Restaurant Room. Call (650) 589-1163, www.donpicosbistro.com.
Sunday Sept 4, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 2-5pm. Rolando returns for the Maria, Maria Tardeada series. Enjoy a Mexican brunch outdoors and Rolando performing on the newly renovated front patio on solo guitar and voice by the creek. He may be joined by flautist Bob Harrison.www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Saturday Sept 10, Pairings Cellars, 310 Main Street, Pleasanton CA 94566, 8-11pm. Rolando returns to this new, exciting social hotspot in downtown Pleasanton. This new wine bar features fine wines, tapas and the Rolando Morales Trio, this time featuring from Brazil, the superb drummer from Steve Winwood and Airto, the great Celso Alberti; bassist from Arturo Sandoval, Robben Ford and so many more, the great Dewayne Pate; and Rolando Morales leading the way on guitar, guitar synth and voice. Free! www.pairingscellars.com, (925) 398-8846.
Sunday Sept 11, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 2-5pm. Enjoy a Mexican brunch and Rolando performing on the newly renovated front patio on solo guitar and voice by the creek. If it’s too hot, it will be indoors. He may be joined by Bob Harrison on flute. www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Tuesday Sept 13, Maria, Maria Cantina, 710 Camino Ramon Road, Danville CA, approx 6-9pm. Rolando returns to Carlos Santana’s most elegant restaurant for Taco Tuesday. $1 tacos, baby! And Rolando on solo guitar and voice with his diverse repertoire performing out on the patio by the fire pits. (925) 820-2366. See www.mariamariarestaurants.com.
Friday Sept 16, Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro, 461 El Camino Real, San Bruno, 6 to 9 pm. Celebrate 16 de Septiembre, Mexican Independence Day with Rolando as returns on solo guitar and voice in the intimate Restaurant Room.(650) 589-1163 and see www.donpicosbistro.com.
Saturday Sept 17, Barone’s Restaurant, 475 St. John St., Pleasanton CA, approx 7:30-10:30pm. Rolando returns to one of Pleasanton’s premier dining establishments. Enjoy exquisite meals, libations and Rolando’s vast repertoire in the Cocktail Lounge for a great night out. See www.baronespleasanton.com, (925) 426-0987.
Sunday Sept 18, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx 2-5pm. Enjoy a Mexican brunch at Carlos Santana’s lively cantina and Rolando performing on the newly renovated front patio on solo guitar and voice by the creek. He may be joined by Bob Harrison on flute. www.mariamariarestaurants.com, (925) 946-1010.
Friday Sept 23, Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro, 461 El Camino Real, San Bruno, 6-9 pm. Rolando returns on solo guitar and voice, now in the intimate Restaurant Room. Call (650) 589-1163 and www.donpicosbistro.com.
Sunday Sept 25, “Sionfonds for Haiti Presents: Party & Fund Raiser to Support Children & Their Families in Haiti,” Venga Paella, 229 Brush Street (at 3rd St.), Oakland 4 to 8pm. Rolando lends a hand to some dear friends in their mission to provide education, nutrition, job training, community improvements and health care to rural Haitian families. Enjoy a great party at this cool Oakland spot that will serve up a splendid paella dinner and drinks. Bring a friend and meet smart, fun, caring people while Rolando Morales provides live entertainment on solo guitar and voice. Bid for unique local and Haitian crafts and amazing services you’ll want, such as Haitian crafts, catered dinners with live music (by me!) and more! $45 includes dinner. www.sionfonds.org. Reserve here: http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/pk8a76g22yq3zbkhp
Tuesday Sept 27, Maria, Maria Cantina, 1470 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, approx. 6-9pm. Rolando returns to Carlos Santana’s Walnut Creek restaurant for Taco Tuesday. $1 tacos, baby! Enjoy Rolando on solo guitar and voice with his huge repertoire and big sound out on the front patio. See www.mariamariarestaurants.com, or call (925) 946-1010.
Friday Sept 30, Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro, 461 El Camino Real, San Bruno, 6-9 pm. Rolando returns on solo guitar and voice, now in the intimate Restaurant Room. Call (650) 589-1163 and www.donpicosbistro.com.
Beverly Reiser has been a prolific artist who has been exhibited all around the world. For the past year she has started in a a new medium, pastels. We hope you enjoy her latest collection.
interactive multimedia installations using sound, video, and computer graphics:
ARTIST / CO-DEVELOPER
Vital Journey / Virtual Heart: a walk-in interactive multimedia installation for Exploration Place, a children’s science museum in Kansas, which takes children on a virtual journey through the human circulatory system, lungs and brain. Visitors complete the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange using life-size video capture and interactive game technology. In collaboration with Gyroscope, Inc., and Vivid Group opened in April, 2000
ARTIST
private_loves/public_opera: A walk-in video “garden” with website which collects love stories, allows you to add your own love story. The web site is athttp://www.ylem.org/private_loves/public_opera/, San Francisco, Art Institute, Walter McBean Gallery, San Francisco, CA Dec.- Jan. 1996-1997, a collaboration with Barbara Lee
ARTIST
Que Viva Tu Recuerdo: Altars And Offerings for the Days of the Dead
An altar/ installation dedicated to the memory of Remedios Varo, Oakland Museum, CA, Oct. -Nov 1995, a collaboration with Lucia Grossburger Morales
Under the name ofLIFE ON A SLICE:
( These are collaborations with Hans Reiser, Bill Fleming and Kimberley Edwards.)
ARTIST / CO-DEVELOPER:
VOICE GARDEN: LABYRINTH OF LOVE, LABYRINTH OF DESIRE, an interactive multimedia CD-ROM
Come, Human, spin in my Web! – A ride thru an A.I.’s persona
An A.I. sends an invitation out to Humans to visit the “web”. If they take up the invite, they adventure into either the “Cerebral Cathedral” or the ” Feral Forest”. Eventually they arrive at one of four possible endings having altered their own “data structure” or the environment.
Temple of the Goddesses – A virtual sacred space.
As the visitor moves thru the shrine complex they are engaged in various episodes (depending on the visitors response ) by goddesses Venus, Nemesis, the Psychedelic Cyber Pagan, etc. There are four possible endings with numerous episodes along the way.
The Phosphorescent Samurai and the Geisha Snail– A surrealistic fable
Two inter-species mutants start on their ‘hero’s journey’ and, depending on choices made by the viewer along the way, are transformed accordingly. There is a final revelation unique to each of the eight possible endings.
HEART THEATER, Exploration Place, Wichita, Kansas opens April, 2000
PRIVATE_LOVES / PUBLIC_OPERA, San Francisco Art Institute, Walter McBean Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Dec.- Jan. 1996-1997
2DO FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE VIDEO Y ARTES ELECTRONICAS, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1996
INTEGRATED HEMISPERES: Woman/Art /Technology, Blasthaus, San Francisco, CA, May – June 1996
BURNING MAN FESTIVAL, South of Market Arts Center, San Francisco, Aug. 1995, 1996, 1998
INTERACTIVE COMMUNITIES, SIGGRAPH 95 Conference , Los Angeles, 1995
JUPITER AND THE COMETS, a program/event produced by the
Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astophysics, 1994
THE UBIQUITOUS ART ZONE, the ACM’s Multimedia ’94 Conference, San Francisco, Ca, USA, Oct. 1994
PLEASE TOUCH ! , VIDEO SCULPTURE, Regional Center for the Arts,
Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA, Jan, 1994
THE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, INTERACT ’93, conference of ACM’s SIG Computer Human Interface and INTERACT ( European ), Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1993
LIFE ON A SLICE, tour of German University Art galleries, Feb.-May, 1992
SIGGRAPH ART SHOW ’92, Chicago, July, 1992
IMAGES DU FUTUR ’92, LA CITE DES ARTS ET NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES DU MONTREAL, Canada
TOMMOROW’S REALITIES: HYPERMEDIA, SIGGRAPH, Las Vegas, 1991
INTERACTIVE ART, Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Astrophysics, NASA, U.C. Berkeley
AMERICAN LIGHT ART, Takashimaya, Tokyo, Japan, 1989-90
NEO-NEON, One Market Plaza, Art Programs Inc., San Francisco, 1987
EXPANDED VISION: NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN ART, Jack Gallery, New York City, 1985
interviews, articles, & books:
Art & Technology at the Mining Co. web site, featured artist in Mindscapes on 11/06/97
LEONARDO, ( the cover of) Journal of the International Society for Arts Sciences and Technology, MIT Press, Vol. 29 #1, 1996
Microsoft’s magazine, feature: Art on the Internet: Rare Birds in Cyberspace, by Dominic Gates, http://home.microsoft.com/reading/features.asp, Feb. 26,1997
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF ELECTRONIC ARTS ’96, CD ROM produced & distributed by MultiArtDisc, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1996
ARTWEEK, article on art & technology by Barbara Fisher, Jan., 1996
SIGGRAPH ’95 MULTIMEDIA CD-ROM, a publication of the ACM ‘s SIGGRAPH, 1995
COMPUTERS & GRAPHICS , Pergamom Press , and the IEEE’s COMPUTER GRAPHICS ,Special supplement joint issue edited by Carl Machover, “Aesthetic Considerations Unique to Interactive Multimedia” , May,1995
NEW SCIENTIST, “Netropolis”, “An Elephant Dancing” by Claire Neesham, April,1994
ARTISTS DATABASE CD-ROM , Project Intercommunication Center, Tokyo, 1993,1994,
ART IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE, by Frank Popper, pub. by Harry N. Abrams,1992, Paris, France
LEONARDO, Journal of the International Society for Arts Sciences and Technology,
San Francisco, CA, Jan, 1994
TECH-NATION, interview by Dr. Moira Gunn , National Public Radio, Aug, 1993
GD3D, GRAPHIC DESIGN IN THE THIRD DIMENSION, Ken & Leigh Cato, published by Graphic Sha, Tokyo, 1992
VERBUM, JOURNAL OF COMPUTER AESTHETICS, San Diego, CA, Dec. 1991
LET THERE BE NEON !, Vol. II, by Rudi Stern, NY,NY, 1991
CONTEMPORARY NEON, by Rudi Stern, NY, NY, 1992
NEW YORK TIMES, Business Section 3, The New Hollywood, Sept. 1991
COMPUTER GRAPHICS, Magazine of the I.E.E.E., Art in Virtual Reality, May, 1992
CYBER ARTS, published by Harper- Freeman, ed. by Linda Jacobson, Summer ,1992
offices & awards:
President of Ylem/ Artists Using Science And Technology , PO box 749, Orinda, CA, 94563, 1985-1999
Advisory Board, International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology, San Francisco, CA, 1989-2000
Currently Chair of the Advisory Board
MicroTimes Magazine on it’s “MicroTimes 100”, their list of 100 people who’ve had a significant influence
on the computer industry, Dec., 1995
designer / co-founder / director (until 1999)
Ylem’s Art on the Edge, an art gallery on the world wide web:http://www.ylem.org/
External Advisory Panel member to Xerox PARC Artist-in Residence Program, 1993
Honorary Distinction in Interactive Art, PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA, Linz, Austria, 1992
