So , here I was , sitting on Miles Davis , The Jazz legend's stage . HIS Stage !
LUCKY ME but how did I get here,I thought and when will his security throw me off stage, I was wondering but nobody bothered me and then HE walked up the stairs . Everybody was silent like his tune "In A Silent Way " from 1969 . He looked at me , moved on , stood still , turned around again and spoke to me . I was frozen for a second . I couldn't get one word out of my mouth, when he asked my name and who I am. Did I really have to blush like a silly Teenage Jazz Groupie, even though in my mid 20's . I wished , I would have taken some Valium , instead I was sipping on my second black coffee boosting my caffeine level to the max .
Tour managers are always the first up and last in bed , so caffeine or cocaine essential to stay awake or even better weekly Vitamine B12 shots :)
B&W PHOTO by Mammasitta , I think it was 1984 . Femi's band in the background
I remember how speechless I was when I heard the first jazz albums , the days my first big crush introduced me to his favorite music collection, while we were puffing a few drops of cannabis oil or rolling joints like trumpets with the best Moroccan hash ( "black shit" as we called it ), smeared on a cigarette. Real magic on 100's of Vinyls , a feeling of freedom listening to Charly Parker , a "Bird" singing his notes just for us , it felt like a million of bees flying in our room , filled with smoke from Indian incense.Billie Holiday got "ALL OF ME". Nina Simone kept me "FEELING GOOD ": "Birds flying , Sun in the sky , Breeze driftin' on by , you know how I feel " . Chet Baker's "ALMOST BLUE " blew this lovely warm breeze through my heart with the sexiest voice I ever heard .
Freedom was all mine !
JAZZ was and still is my joy and all my sadness vanishes !
Miles made me fall in love back then , " I Fall in Love Too Easily " , oh yeah ........"SO WHAT "
SO , I just finished organizing soundcheck for Femi Kuti , it was his first European tour and I was proud to be a part of history .
Fela KUTI 's son , one of my African musical heroes , Nigeria's greatest musician who introduced himself to the world as : “My name is Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Black president or Chief Priest of Shrine"
I was shooting black & white images every day and night , documenting his fabulous performances with his sisters , Sola one of them , dancing like African queens .
I then joined the other bands soundcheck after my job was done , met Foley , Miles lead bass player , Joe Cocker's bassist , TM Stevens and my private VIP seat on all stages secured.
Miles & Femi captured in one shot was a personal highlight of my tour manager part-time jobs, always a camera in my hand , ready for the special moments . I think , I might have taken thousands of pictures in a decade of pure musical pleasure meeting legends like James Brown , Chaka Khan , Kool & The Gang , Commodores , Cameo , Maze , Jimmy Cliff , Black Uhuru , Stanley Clarke , Al di Meola , Bobby Womack , Percy Sledge , even Prince and so many many many more ......
I would love to post them all on this platform but only ONE was left out of my stunning secret collection . At some point I might have scanned the original photo but I cannot really remember exactly how I ended up with this print on my computer. We did not have digital cameras , apps on smartphones , we had to buy film and develop prove-sheets after , to see which ones were good enough to print.on paper.
When I moved away from my midtown Manhattan, Hells Kitchen loft , I only left a few important belongings behind , wanted to bring them to Bali , Indonesia after being situated in a new life in SE Asia . Albums filled with memories on pictures were kept in boxes, waiting to be picked up. September 11, 2001 terror in New York . My plane left Bali that day , landed in Los Angeles where I was stranded for weeks , had to fly to Houston , Texas and 3 weeks later , I was finally arriving in NYC to look for half of my stuff I stored in a friends brownstone in Harlem . I found my valuables drowned in mud and water , after some flood in the basement .
Long story short , I came too late to get the other half in some expansive storage , I did not pay on-time due to all delays . All Gone !
Memories are stored in my head........so , now you might understand why this photo means so much to me .
The message of my story :
DO NOT FEAR MISTAKES - THERE ARE NONE ! - Miles Davis
Here is one album I was playing on repeat when it came out ! I am not sure if some of you will remember . Enjoy and let me know if you like it
Listen Miles-Davis-Doo-Bop from 1992 on Vimeo !
Source : discogs.com Tracklist Keep on listening to good music kiddos ! :)
Music is a spiritual thing, you don't play with music. If you play with music you will die young. You see, because when the higher forces give you the gift of music...musicians hip, it must be well used for the gift of humanity. - Fela Kuti
The son of Afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Femi Kuti spent years playing in his father's band before eventually rising to super stardom following his father's death in the late '90s.
Credit for image & text goes to : http://www.afrobeatmusic.net/html/femi_bio_.html
I also would like to add very touching words by one of my best friends Wale Idris Adjibade from African Views
For Sola : An ode to a mighty woman - October 10, 2015
RIP SOLA !
~If there was anyone single person I could summon back to life today, it would be Sola Anikulapo Kuti, sister of Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti Femi Anikulapo-kuti. Funke Kuit, Seun Anikulapo Kuti Dele Sosimi Kola/ Carol King and friend to so many including Silvie Iluh Cempaka . No one has ever made me feel so self worthy and accepted as Sola. You gave me much more than I could ever give you back. Gosh, I remember when Sola slap-kicked a couple on their faces in self-defense with her foot on one swing. And the shock on their faces, stunned. Who knew she make that Bruce lee move. She made me feel confident. The kind of feeling you get when someone competent had your back. Darn, I miss that feeling! She protected me when the wealthy multi million-dollar kid who used to date her tried to intimidate me. I was young naive and in love, and he was rough, arrogant, and bitter, but rightly so.
Who wouldn't for Sola? She stood up for me in such a way that I recognized my vulnerability, her strength without making me feel less of myself. That takes a great deal of potential. It is the way everyone, man or woman wants to be loved. And I am glad, that I got to know that. Thanks to Soladegbin Anikulapo Kuti. We shared many secrets, visions, thoughts, sorrows, jokes, laughs, adventures, flights, and so many fun stories.Thank you for opening my heart and mind to a greater vision of life.Thank you for sharing your heart, your beautiful family (who I love very dearly), your friends (who I cherish), your love and your joy with me. I really wish you were here to see Rolari Segun got married, and to see the genius that Made Anikulapo Kuti has become.You would have been so proud of your brother Femi Kuti and your sister Yeni for staying humble and true to the course. You'd be so proud to see all your very hard labor come to fruition. Thank you Yeni for letting me cry on your shoulder whenever I needed. You are so precious to me my sister. I think Sola would have loved the social media. I can't tell you how sorry I am that she passed on too early.
Sola of all people deserve to be here longer with us. I miss her terribly and my life would have been much better and I would have been much happier if she were here. Not even necessarily with me, but just here still. Many people would be happier. However, Sola is always alive in my heart where I have built for her a temple that has all pretty gems of the earth, that is loftier than the heavens, fleeter that the minds, and prettier than what can be conceived. And so she'd be forever loved. Sleep well my dear. Give my love to Mummy and Fela Kuti Anikulapo I envy them for having your precious company. You are mighty among all women. No doubt! What a girl !
My reply: “Wale, those words for a beautiful soul and special woman really touched me ! I am so glad to be a little part of your destiny to meet this wonderful inspiring family .We had such great time on Femi's tour! Where are those photos, I lost them all ..... “
EXCEPT THIS ONE!
PS : My apology for grammar mistakes ( my native language is German ) but I try my best :) Thank you for reading that far !
Love from your Mammasitta
Thank You Femi !!!