Roberto Riggio: News

In 2002 I decided to scale back my teaching in order to focus on creative projects. Now that I have settled into a rhythm with my projects, I am ready to take on new students again in the Austin area. I can teach lessons in violin, viola, oud, Arabic music, and melodic approaches to improvisation. My requirement for violin, viola, Arabic music and improvisation students is that they have basic familiarity with an instrument and have been playing for at least one year. Beginning oud students are welcome. For more information, or to discuss rates and scheduling, please call me at (512) 784-8660, or write to roberto@robertoriggio.com.

Atash Press Release


World Harmony Arts, Mhumhi Records and Ruta Maya International Headquarters Present:

GLOBAL HARMONY
A World Music Celebration of AFRICA

Friday and Saturday, June 22-3, 5pm - 2am @ Ruta Maya International Headquarters, 3601 S. Congress Ave. Austin, Texas Admission: $12 per day or $18 for both days.

With the larger aim of promoting global harmony, Austin world musicians will unite with non-profit organizations in a community-building and culture-enriching event that promises to create good feelings for the heart and soul as well as for the ears and feet. Besides great music, dance, and art, participants will have a chance to meet Austin-based not-for-profit organizations whose work benefits communities in Africa as well as Austin.

To reserve tickets, please call (512) 784-8660. You may skip outgoing message by pressing #. Please leave reply phone number.




Artist lineup

Friday 6/22
5 pm doors open -- meet and greet for individuals and organizations
6 pm Sabaya performance
6:30 pm Balafon workshop with Aboubakar Sylla
7 pm Djembabes
8pm Afrique Djemba Kan
8:30 pm Atash CD Release
10:30 pm Oliver Rajamani
11:30 pm Rattletree

Saturday 6/23
5 pm doors open -- meet and greet for individuals and organizations
6 pm Sabaya oriental dance workshop
6:30 pm Sabaya performance
7 pm Rattletree CD Release
9:30 pm Afrique Djemba Kan
10:00 pm Lannaya with west African dance workshop by Jean Claude Lessou
11:30 pm Atash

Note: This event is intended to flow organically, and actual start times for various groups may not be according to exact schedule. There will also be interplay between the groups, and, for those groups that play both nights, performances will vary from night to night. Just come and enjoy!
Afrique Djemba Kan : Austin debut and world premiere of the Sylla family group from Guinea-Konakry, west Africa -- master drummer Alseny Sylla and master balafon player Aboubakar, with Sylla's daughter and two sons, Jolie, Aboubakar, and Sekou.

Atash : Austin's own world class international musical brotherhood, with members from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, fronted by Iranian vocalist Mohammad Firoozi -- the sound of global harmony.

Djembabes : a group of Austin drummers and singers who are dedicated to the joy and inspiration of hand drumming and the possibility created by sharing music with the community in ways which allow interaction and the unfolding of a vibrant Community Spirit.

Lannaya : an extended family of dancers, drummers, and singers, led by Master Drummer Alseny Sylla, with choreography by Master Jean-Claude Lessou; performing intricate and intoxicating dances, songs and rhythms from Guinea and the Ivory Coast.

Oliver Rajamani: renowned world music artist credited with keeping alive the ancient vanishing Tamil folk music and culture, and the nomadic and devotional musical styles of India; creator of his own brand of world fusion incorporating influences from all along the Gypsy trail from India through the Middle East and North Africa to Spain.

Rattletree : a six-piece high-energy trance-dance Zimbabwean style marimba ensemble, directed by Joel Laviolette; an impressive family of different-sized hand-made marimbas and percussion , guaranteed to get the dance floor moving from the first song!

Sabaya: the captivating artistry of oriental dance from Austin's premiere company with over 20 years collective experience performing on the international stages of Egypt, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Confirmed participating nonprofit organizations include:

African Education Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness through education and community building in Togo, west Africa. Currently, the project facilitates intensive tri-annual workshops between rural villages in the realms of health and agriculture, also building and managing construction projects that provide essential infrastructure for the region and offering literacy classes.


Amala Foundation serves and catalyzes individuals and communities to actualize a deeper life through humanitarian service, the cultivation of authentic community and sustainable peace initiatives that start from within. Those who come to study and serve with Amala Foundation understand humanitarian service as a spiritual practice and a way of life. Projects in Austin and Nigeria.

Anthropos Arts brings top-notch professional musicians and artists into Title I public schools in and nearby Austin, Texas to lead economically disadvantaged youths through a comprehensive music program consisting of concerts, workshops, master classes and lessons. Curriculum ranges from classical repertoire to jazz and world music, with guest artists from all over the world.

Austin Africa Network a group of organizations and individuals that are participating in ways to help Africa here in Austin, envisioning a renaissance of peace, health education and prosperity while preserving the continent's unique natural beauty and cultural heritage. Projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda.

Brother Brother Sister Sister helps AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe by providing medicine, food, clothing, shelter and human resources.

Mhumhi Records is a not-for-profit record label that is dedicated to preserving and sharing some of the amazing music that is happening in Southern Africa today, and to the fair distribution of revenues to the musicians involved in the recordings.

One Vote '08 is an unprecedented bi-partisan campaign to make global health and extreme poverty foreign policy priorities in the 2008 presidential election.

TASO (The AIDS Support Organization) is the largest indigenous non-government organization providing HIV/AIDS services in Uganda and Africa, having supported over 150,000 directly since its inception.

World Harmony Arts is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to fostering the collaboration of artists, cultures, disciplines, organizations and individuals towards mutual understanding, co-creation in artistic endeavors, and the improvement of human relations and quality of life on our planet.


10% of each CD sale will go to the organization of the purchaser's choice.

This event is a collaboration initiated by World Harmony Arts.
If you would like more information, or to offer comments or suggestions, please call (512) 784-8660 or write to worldharmonyarts@robertoriggio.com.


Atash | 11100 Balcones Woods Cir. | Austin | TX | 78759

I found this journal entry from three years ago in a notebook. I thought it would be good to include it and perhaps expand upon it. I welcome discussion from others.

16 November 2003
Austin, Texas

When I went to India the first time (in 1995), I met a girl from Bombay named Natasha Medeira. We became friends and one of the delightful things about her was that she talked about classical music. For her, classical music did not belong to a culture, but was international. It did not mean “Western” or “Indian” classical music, but merely classical music. I remember how much I liked that concept of music.

Classical music, to me, is music which is somehow elevated, music which conveys profound emotions, which is the fruit of deep knowledge and builds upon traditions. Many kinds of music can be called classical by this definition, but I am not here to argue about how to categorize music. My point is that music is a sacred art, and it takes many forms. There are no boundaries in music, and the history of music itself is a testament to this fact. The primary purpose of music is to provide an experience which touches the inner spirit of man through vibrations. There is no right or wrong way to experience classical music. What makes a composition great is its ability to be experienced by humans in a visceral, emotional, or intellectual way, regardless of the knowledge of the person who experiences it. More enjoyment is possible through understanding of the forms and language of the music, yes, that is true, and that is also very good. Music is, however, part divine and part human, and, as such, can also be enjoyed intuitively, for we are all spiritual creatures. We live in a spiritual world.

As a force in music, I wish to champion the breaking down of boundaries. Not that I want all music to converge into some homogenous art form, but, first, I want to encourage people not to be afraid of listening to music because of its associations. This idea encompasses different kinds of music within one society as well as the music of different societies. I have grown up in an age in which the recording, communication and travel industries have made it possible for one to experience many different kinds of music. For a person open to the experience of unfamiliar music, this is a tremendous opportunity. For a person content within a more insular sphere, music from outside of this sphere, and the culture which that music represents, may seem unintelligible. However, I believe that fostering the understanding of tastes in music can help people to understand each other, to find affinities, and can increase cultural connections. It is not the only way, of course, but it is one way. A person’s taste is a person’s taste, and there is no crime in preferring one type of music and disliking another. My point is merely this: there are many more people who will be able to appreciate unfamiliar music if they are helped to do so, and this experience may play a role in building bridges between peoples. As a performer, composer and musical director, this is my cause.

I have experienced music as a cultural exchange on many levels. After beginning to learn and to love Arabic music, in the early 90s, I went to Europe with my violin. In the streets of Florence I met a group of young Arabs who were working there. We sat and talked, and one told me that, because I was American, he could never be my friend, stating that as an American I supported Bush (Sr.), and that he had lost every member of his family as the result of Bush’s policies. I told him that the actions of my country’s government had nothing to do with who I am, that I was merely a human being trying his best in the world, like himself. He wasn’t convinced. His friends had heard me play and asked that I get out my violin. I played with great conviction some music by Abd Al-Wahab, the great Egyptian composer. As stubborn as my new friend had seemed in the beginning, with as much bitterness as he must have felt in his heart for his losses, he instantly warmed up to me, and wound up inviting me to stay with him. Though he was poor, he generously offered everything he had to me in the way of food and shelter. I was quite young at the time, and have never seen him again, but the memory of that experience has stayed with me.

The so-called Western classical tradition has its victories and its failures in this age. Many of its victories are on non-Western shores. Recently I had the honor of serving as a violinist on the North American tour of Fairuz, the legendary Lebanese singer. The chorus singers and a few Arab instrumental specialists were from Lebanon, the conductor and most of the orchestra were from Armenia, four violinists and a cellist were from Syria, two were Palestinian, and the drumset player and I were the only musicians in the group born in the Western hemisphere. It was a fantastic experience for the most part, and a very interesting one because of the mixture of schools. The Armenian strings were trained according to Russian conservatory methods, and were distinctly classical with a very intense and uniform vibrato. Some of them could also play in a more Armenian folk style, and the accordionist seemed to have Balkan chops as well. The Armenian pianist and contrabassist were fine jazz musicians, and the conductor came from the Russian conservatory tradition. The Syrians themselves were a mixed group, some of which had trained in Western music and had no special training in Arabic music, but, being Arab, were intuitively capable of playing appropriately in tune and embellishing properly in the “oriental” style, as it was referred to by all. Two of the Syrian violinists, the youngest of the Syrians, as well as one cellist, were Arab music specialists. One Palestinian violinist, my good friend Hanna Khoury, is a Western classical virtuoso, trained in a conservatory in Israel (he now studies at UCLA), and the other Palestinian was an Arab music specialist who teaches in a conservatory in Israel. I played among the group of violins which were Arabs, Syrians and Palestinians, called the first violins. The second violins were Armenian. These two violin groups played in different styles, the Armenians playing in the European manner, the Arabs playing “oriental” style. There were some pieces in which the Armenian violinists did not play at all because the music was very, very Arab, and the necessary nuances of intonation and embellishment could not be assimilated by the Armenians, at least not in a short amount of time. (Many Arabs would argue that such details can never be learned by one who is not Arab. When it is demonstrated that I am able to play them, they are amazed, and often comment that I must really be an Arab somewhere in my blood.)

This combination of musicians served its purpose in support of Fairuz very well, though it could breed some awkward moments as well. Arabs complained that the Armenians couldn’t play the quarter-tones in tune or in an appropriate style, and the Armenians complained that the Arabs couldn’t play in a disciplined fashion, especially where it related to following bowings. Both have a right to complain, as the music of Fairuz is a mixture of disciplines, owing in large part to the musical interests of her chief composers, her late husband and his brother, known as the Rahbanis, and especially of her son, Ziad Rahbani, who composes her most recent songs and arranges all the repertoire for her present-day concerts. Ziad has fully embraced the jazz and classical traditions of the West, and is himself a great pianist. I regret that he was not present on the tour, as I would have loved to have had the opportunity to work with him.

Though she is a legendary figure in the tradition of Arabic music, through conversations with the Arab musicians I was able to realize that there is great respect for Western music among them. The singers praised Andrea Boccelli, and the violinists proudly displayed their Western chops. One violinist told me that he knows that the music of Beethoven, Bach, and the great masters of Western music is the greatest music ever written. The music of the Rahbanis embraces not only Arab and Western themes, but also jazz and Gypsy music, and it is harmonically, rhythmically and melodically exquisite. As in all musical situations, there was a presence of political division and there was grumbling over organizational and other aspects, but it was clear that everyone enjoyed playing the music and that there was great respect for it by all the musicians. Here I could see that the interplay between the music of the West and of the Middle East had created a vibrant and dynamic cultural experience. Naturally, the audience was enraptured, owing not only to the lush arrangements and beautiful compositions, but, in larger part, of course, to the almost mystical presence of the singer, Madame Fairuz, whose career has spanned many decades, and represents an important component of their very lives.

The triumph of Western musical influence in this realm was apparent, but few people in the West know of Fairuz, though I’m sure that, if presented in the right way, there would be an audience for her among Western classical music lovers. This brings me back to a discussion of the successes and failures of Western music in modern times. One great characteristic of our art and popular traditions is the ideal of innovation. In the case of “classical” music, this has also been a factor which has alienated audiences, because innovation may become an end in itself in the West. When Germanic composers such as Wagner and Strauss stretched the so-called “tonal” language of “functional harmony” to its limits, composers felt pressed to invent new tonal and atonal languages, sometimes abandoning hundreds of years of technical development in favor of compositional techniques which were based on mathematics or other systems. I will not decry the advent of atonalism, for such experiments have opened the doors to new musical experiences, but I will admit that such experiments have not always been successful. Continuing to work within a tonal language based on the innovations of the past became viewed as backwards, and the thread between the public, who at one time felt so passionately connected to the music of composers of their own time, and the composers which followed was broken sometime in the twentieth century, and the performance of classical music became a more distant type of experience for the general public, more akin to visiting a museum and admiring very beautiful relics of the past, rather than feeling that one is part of something which belongs to his own time, about which he can be passionately enchanted or enraged.

One way that classical music has dealt with this distancing is in the advent of virtuosi coming to the fore, instead of composers. As time passed, and the repertoire more backward-looking, the mania for virtuosi has demanded younger and younger performers to breathe life into our tradition. And here, we can see, once again, the triumph of Western music on non-Western shores. Increasingly, our virtuosi are hailing from the Far East, where the beauty of Western tradition is embraced as something new, something about which one can be passionate, something to which one can dedicate one’s life, a way of achieving legitimacy in the world.

The same is not felt by youth in the West, for the most part. In the West, the rock ‘n’ roll revolution holds the most sway over young people, or rap. It’s not “cool” to play the violin, but beatboxing and breakdancing performances command great attention. Here, I am not denigrating rock or rap, or beatboxing, or breakdancing, I am merely observing cultural phenomena. Thee skills require talent and discipline, and they belong to our time, viewers feel they are a part of these experiences. Djs are also popular in the West, and pre-cursors to this popular art can be found in Western art music, especially in the experiments in the fifties and sixties by composers such as Edgard Varèse and John Zorn, who pioneered the use of the turntable as an instrument.

But returning to the mainstream of our tradition, the embracing of new elements has been a constant in classical music history. Composers have incorporated instruments and increasingly exotic folk styles into their music on a continual basis, and audiences are accustomed to listening to music in a language they don’t speak; new forms are continuously being sought. Why, then, not embrace other classical traditions? Has the time come when traditions may be truly merged? For example, the Indian classical music traditions are completely self-sufficient and follow their own rules and disciplinary methods. Some attempts to connect Hindustani or Carnatic music with Western music have been made, but it is very early in the game. The Indian disciplines are so strong, and require such a different skills compared to Western music that it is very difficult to fuse them with Western genres in a successful way. But this is also exciting. The planned, fixed elements of Western music meet the equally strong improvisational disciplines of Indian music.

To finish later.

Helm Fine Arts Center, Ars Mundi, World Harmony and Dance Umbrella are pleased to present:

ATASH and international guests in a performance of
Global Harmony: Nocturnalia

Atash celebrates the Persian New Year (Norooz) in the Nocturnalia, a night-ritual festivity honoring the natural forces of creativity and renewal in the universe. This rich world-music ensemble, centered around Iranian singer Mohammad Firoozi, brings new music and a fresh approach to this year's part of the Global Harmony concert series. He is joined by Roberto Riggio on oud (Arabian lute) and violin, John Moon on violin, Christian Fernandez on flamenco guitar, Dylan Jones on upright bass, Rob Hooper on drums, Jason McKenzie on world percussion, and Guinean drum master Alseny Sylla on djembe, all members of the Atash brotherhood. Joining Atash as guests will be Ganesh Kumar, one of the leading South Indian percussionists in the world, on kanjira, a frame drum; and Kinan Abou-Afach, Syrian-born cellist who has most recently toured with Fathy Salama and the Egypt Orchestra to accompany Youssou N'Dour. International dancers will also be featured at the event.

Performance dates: March 31st and April 1st, 2006
Times: 8pm, both nights
Location: Temple Family Theater @ Helm Fine Arts Center, St. Stephen's Episcopal School, 2900 Bunny Run, Austin, Texas
Prices: $25 (Adult) $15 (Student)
To purchase: www.frontgatetickets.com or call 1 888 512 SHOW
For more information write moon@atash.com.

World Harmony is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a platform for artists to explore cultural traditions and disciplines through collaborative projects, performances, recordings, and educational activities.

After a tumultuous year, things are settling down, and I'm getting into my work mode again. Atash hasn't performed for awhile, but we've been meeting often to write new material for our upcoming show, part of the Global Harmony series, called Nocturnalia.

The title comes from a piece that Jason McKenzie (http://www.myspace.com/jsunray) and I wrote back in 1999, an instrumental number which was based on an Indian mode called Charukeshi. The title itself is a Latin invention of ours, which means, sort of, a celebration, or even a worshipping, of the night. It takes its cue from those festivities dedicated to the Roman gods, like the famous Saturnalia and Bacchanalia, dedicated, respectively, to Saturn and Bacchus. Jason had some rythmic ideas he wanted to express, so he wrote the rhythms, and I gave them their melodies.

This year the show will be quite a bit different from last year's show. Firstly, we're not going to repeat any of the music from last year's show, and, furthermore, we're going to play mostly brand new music, with only a few familiar tunes. We're also going to use themes from "Nocturnalia" (the song) to serve as a kind of glue, weaving the various pieces together. It will have somewhat of a ritualistic feel, but how we're going to convey that I'm not telling!

We're also bringing in some very special guests, although I hesitate to mention their names until the contracts are signed and on file. The show's not until the end of March, so I'll keep updating my journal with more information.

As for my other musical activities, I've been in the recording studio a bit lately -- I created some string arrangements and laid down some violin tracks with Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter for a project called TUNER(http://www.myspace.com/tunertunes), and I also recorded some violin on a lovely lullaby-type tune by Aimee Bobruk (http://www.myspace.com/aimeebobruk).

I've also been working with some flamenco musicians, but I'll have to write about my relationship with flamenco in another blog. There's just too much to write.

My aunt Annette first turned me on to flamenco music when I was a teenager. She's one of the more talented musicians in the family (on my mother's side, the side I grew up with), and she introduced me to a few flamenco guitar techniques that she had picked up learning the guitar in Chile. I had my first taste of playing flamenco on violin in the mid-nineties in Austin, working with Christian Fernandez, and Oliver Rajamani, and Teye, but I got more deeply into it on my first visit to Spain, in 1998, when I hooked up with a Gypsy in Barcelona named Ignacio. We used to play in the streets a lot, and I liked him because he was a very open kind of guy, unlike many Gypsies. But I always met with favorable reactions from Gypsy musicians -- that year, and when I returned in 2000, I used to sit in quite a bit at a tablao called La Macarena, on the street Nou de Sant Francesc. Now, unfortunately, it's an all-night disco, which is great, but not if you remember when it was a tablao.

My connection to flamenco is akin to my connection to Arabic music. Stylistically, and feeling-wise, it comes pretty naturally. Of course, like all music, there are things you have to learn and master, and you have to practice to attain a certain amount of fluency. As a violinist, there aren't many models for me to follow, but I feel connected to the basic language of it -- it's what naturally comes out of me when I improvise. I feel the same way, linguistically, about Arabic music.

I used some music by Camarón de la Isla, one of the legends of flamenco, in the first short film that I made in New York in 1998, "Origins," which was autobiographical, and was the first part of my final piece for New York Film Academy, called Two Small Flames. (I gave it that name because it's two short films put together. The second part is called "Morning Raga.") The film is about my shadow-life, that part of my identity which has always been obscured to me, my paternal origins. My father was a bullfighter who left (from México, my birthplace) for Spain when I was very young, and was never heard from again by my mother or me, at least, not until I, having reached the age of 21, tracked him down in México in 1993. I've always equated myself with a bull, because of my zodiac sign, and, I suppose, adding to that having a father who was a bullfighter, I was able to play with the shadow realm of my psyche in all kinds of ways in the film. It was my first stab at working in the medium: black and white, 16mm, shot with WWII-era Arriflex cameras on reversal film, edited on a flatbed), and so it has its rough edges, and doesn't necessarily convey a clear story, but it came from my soul and my toil, so I'm proud of it.

Getting back to the music, I decided last year that I wanted to get to know the world of flamenco on a more intimate level, and I absorbed a lot of music on the streets; in bars and tablaos; at formal shows; on the radio, recordings, and on TV; and I hung around with a lot of flamenco musicians, and jammed a lot. Once, after a beautiful Argentinian show at a bar called La Serilla, near the university in Barcelona, a Gypsy took out his guitar at the table where he was sitting, and began to play. I had my violin with me (of course) and his companions, seeing the case, urged me to come and sit and play with him. I began to join him, improvising a bit, when suddenly he stopped playing.

"Eres de México, ¿verdad?" (You are from México, right?)

"Sí."

"Y tu padre era torero, ¿no?" (And your father was a matador, no?)

"Sí...pero como lo sabía?" (Yes, but who did you know?)

"Porqué tu y yo tocamos juntos hace muchos años, en las Ramblas. No te reconocía hasta cuando empezaste a tocar!" (Because you and I played together many years ago, in the Ramblas. I didn't recognize you until you began to play!)

My heart was overwhelmed. His face, obscured in the candlelit bar, was familiar to me, as well. He is Pepe Camacho, a very talented older guitarist in Barcelona. The memory suddenly came back to me. He was accompanying some dancers on the Ramblas, during the high season of tourism in 1998. They used to allow musical shows on those streets; they do no longer. I had watched for a few minutes, and when it was finished, he kept playing and I began to jam with him. We wound up playing together for perhaps 20 minutes, and then we sat and talked for awhile, when I revealed my origins to him, and the story of my father.

Anyway, after making the connection, we continued to jam for a few hours, and I was happy to have some of my good friends there with me, friends I had met in Barcelona: Cris and Mayte, José Luis and Amad -- a Galician, a Colombian, and two Mexicans, all artists, all beautiful people. José Luis would always carried his sketchbook, the way I always carried my violin. He could capture the soul of the moment quickly on paper. I wonder if he captured anything that night... (One of his sketches of Atash is included on the Global Harmony poster for our upcoming concert.) Pepe and I exchanged phone numbers, and remained in touch. He advised me to go to Madrid to pursue more opportunities in flamenco, which I did, and I did indeed have a chance to work with some great musicians and catch a glimpse of the "industry" of flamenco music. Perhaps I'll write about that some other time.

To rush ahead, since getting back to Austin, I've had the great pleasure of working with Isai Chacón, a brilliant guitarist, and his lovely wife Olivia, a beautiful flamenco dancer and choreographer who had danced in the Global Harmony concert with Atash last year. Along with the cajón player John and a singer from San Antonio called Cachaito, we presented a very well-received show for the First Night festival in Austin on New Year's Eve. We're going to present a longer version of this show in San Antonio in late March. I'll keep everyone posted.

Isai, John and I also had the chance to work with the dancer Rey Durán, who lives in McAllen, and had also worked with Atash and Olivia in the Global Harmony show last year. We gave a performance with his troupe at the McAllen Civic Center last week, and I was quite impressed by the dedication, passion, grace, and beauty of the dancers. The Rio Grande Valley never ceases to amaze me. I hope to perform with them again soon. As for my part, I improvised completely, as I had not rehearsed for this show with neither the musicians nor the dancers, and only showed up in time to perform. It went remarkably well, requiring high levels of concentration. I enjoy that! As I say, it is a language I feel comfortable with. If it were jazz or blues, I might not have done so well! It still needs a great deal of work, of course. But it will get better. All it takes is time and effort.

My nature has always drawn me to be interested in and curious about spiritual things, to art as an expression of spirituality, and investigation of religious rites and traditions. My personal view is that no religion can explain the universe, but each has some grain of truth in it, and, beyond that, it fulfills a valid human yearning. It also has been an instrument of conflict and manipulation, and at no other time in history has this point been more evident.

As a musician, I have a unique perspective. My first paid gig was in a Catholic Church, playing for a funeral. I later was a music director for two Catholic communities in South Texas. Because of my skill set as a musician, I've performed in Christian (Eastern and Western, traditional and modern), Jewish, Sufi (Muslim), Hindu, Ba'hai, New Age, and various other religious, rituals or functions, and, while I have seen a countless variety of customs and rites, some polar opposites, I have also noted underlying similarities. In the end, we are all humans with the same needs, and I don't turn my back on anyone based on their religion or lack thereof. I believe that one-on-one connections between individuals provide hope for humanity. My personal religion is music itself, the sound of the universe; and man's song expresses both his bewilderment at and comprehension of his place therein. Isn't it amazing that we can simultaneously understand our lives so well, and still understand nothing? Music falls in the gap to reconcile the two.

I'm very sorry that I have not given any attention to my website in awhile. I've been on the road, and I don't have a computer anymore! Thieves, if you're reading this, thank you for the fresh start you've given me. It's nice to wipe the slate clean! And it is now clean, so don't come back, please.

I had an incredible experience in Spain (and Italy, briefly) from June to October 2005, playing with many great musicians, beginning with the Atash tour, but also including the groups Terrae Ignota, Mu, Visa2, La Herejía, and many musician/dancer friends in Barcelona on my last night in Europe. I also got to do some recording in Barcelona and Madrid. When I returned to the States I played for a friend's wedding with my brilliant colleagues/friends Fared and Mukesh (the trio Ashk) and then I went on tour as a member of Youssou N'Dour's Egypt project, which was one of the most fulfilling musical and touring experiences to date! We began in Carnegie Hall in New York, and then played Chappell Hill, North Carolina; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Ann Arbor, Michigan; South Bend, Indiana; Berkeley and Los Angeles, California; and Tucson, Arizona. I will elaborate more on this later, but I simply wanted to briefly state what has been going on. I sincerely wish to thank all of the musicians/performers and friends that I've been in contact with over the last six incredible months, and I'm looking forward to working with everyone again! And, now that I know that people are actually looking at my website, I will try to be better about updating it.

So -- now I'm back in Austin, working on new songs with Atash, and getting ready for a few local gigs, and a recording project and New York concert in the spring. I'm also planning some travel in the early part of next year, which I will update as it becomes clearer. Thanks for reading my website!

Love,
Roby

Atash -- gira catalana 2005 para la armonia global -- recepción-concierto en la terraza de Casa Asia, el día jueves, 14 de julio 2005 de las 20,00 a las 22,00

Atash, una banda de ocho musicos de varios paises del mundo, basados en los EE UU, llegan a Europa por primera vez por supuesto a Catalunya para dar conciertos y colaborar con otros artistas del mundo que viven y trabajan aquí.

El grupo queria venir primera a Barcelona porque representa un ambiente europeo donde hay una grande mezcla de culturas y tiene una reputación artistica de nivel muy alta, y también porque fueron invitados por colegas catalanos a quienes conoció en los festivales de WAC (Worldwide Arte Collective) y Fringe en Macau, China en el año pasado.

La banda está compresa de instrumentos de cuerda (dos violines, el laúd arabe, guitarra flamenca y contrabajo), percusión (tabla hindú, kanjira, djembe, y batería) y voz iraní que canta en persa. Este grupo se formó poco a poco en los últimos diez años, concretando su identidad con nombre de Atash en los últimos cinco años. Los textos de las canciones están basadas en la poesía antigua mistica de los sufis de Persia, pero metido a su propio estilo por el cantante Mohammad Firoozi, quien viene de Irán de la zona del golfo de Persia (Dashtestán). La música también es original, compuesta colaborativamente por los musicos Roberto Riggio (México/Italia/US), Jason McKenzie (US), Dylan Jones (US), John Moon (Corea/US), Alseny Sylla (Guinea), Christian Fernandez (Francia), y Rob Hooper (US).

En colaboración con la Casa Asia y su ente administrativa Ars Mundi, Atash presentará una recepción para empezar la gira a Catalunya en la terraza de Casa Asia, con cocteles y tocadas "vignettes" de los musicos de Atash y de los colaborantes de música y baile de la zona. Este evento esta prenotado para los invitados de la Casia Asia y de los artistas. Si estás leyendo esto, ¡estás invitado! La entrada será gratis. http://www.casaasia.es


Las otras fechas de la gira són:

Domingo, 10 de julio, película muda americana Garras humanas (Tod Browning, 1927) con música en directo por Atash, a las 21,00 horas, a 20 Carrer de Nou Sant Francesc, Barcelona, (teatro manejado por L'Associación Cultural Catalano Polonesa) al lado de las Ramblas Catalunya, cerca de la plaza "tripi" (George Orwell) y el metro Drassanes. Entrada 6€.

Viernes, 15 de julio, concierto de Atash al chiringuito Callao, Canet de Mar, a las 23,00 horas. Entrada gratis.

Sábado, 16 de julio, concierto de Atash al mismo teatro del 10 de julio, a las 21,00 horas. Entrada 7€.

Domingo, 17 de julio, salón concierto de Atash a Círcol Maldà, a las 19,00 horas, a 5 Carrer del Pi, plaza prinicipal, 2nda, Barcelona. tel: 93 41 2 43 86. Entrada 7€. http://www.circolmalda.com

Viernes, 22 de julio, concierto de Atash al mismo chiringuito del 15 de julio, a las 23,00 horas.

Sabado, 23 de julio, "Dissabte Solidari" 2005, a las 22,00 horas, a la plaza de la iglesia, Castelldefels, organizado por el Consell Municipal de Pau i Solidaritat de Castelldefels. Entrada gratis. http://www.castelldefels.org/fitxers/agenda/Dissabte%20solidari%202005.mht

Domingo, 24 de julio, "festival psicoetnic" del festival CRUÏLLA DE CULTURES, a las 23,00 horas, en el clos arqueologico de Mataró, organizado por el ayuntamiento de Mataró. Entrada 3€. http://www.cruilladecultures.com/vinticuatre.html


Se puede ver un video de diez minutos sobre Atash (en inglés) a la página web http://www.sonicbids.com/atash. El sito oficial de Atash es http://www.atash.com.

There is no voice that transports me like the voice of Fairouz. When I listen to her sing, I feel I have strayed into a dream, where I am wrapped warmly in a blanket of safety and peace. In fact, I feel that I am in Heaven. It's too bad I don't understand very much Arabic, as I'm sure understanding the lyrics would intensify my experience a hundredfold. When I listen to Fairouz, I can forget the rest of the world. I am very fortunate to have had the chance to perform in her orchestra. There were times when I forgot to play my part because I was so lost in her magic. There is a shroud of wonder that surrounds her and every aspect of her music, even when she is not singing. The compositions and the arrangements are woven of the same mysterious fabric that surrounds her voice and spirit.

If you have never listened to Fairouz before, you should. She is the angel whose voice has brought pleasure to millions over the course of half a century. In her seventies, she is still in great form.

I wasn't happy with the way the tour was organized, I must say -- someone of her calibre deserves more professional management on this side of the Atlantic (which didn't negatively affect her, I'm sure, but it really bothered me and some of the other musicians in the orchestra). The tour with Kazem Al-Sahir, the Iraqi singer, was much better organized, by Dawn Elder of Santa Barbara. But when the music started, all my negative feelings went away, and when she was onstage, I was enchanted, along with thousands of others in the audience.

No music affects me the way classic Arabic music does. I want to make recordings that have that magical quality. Perhaps even short musical films which capture the feeling it gives me. Today I'll say a prayer that I can one day achieve this. My goal as an artist is simply to help others to experience the sense of divine beauty which I have experienced in this life, and which great artists like Fairouz and many others help me to feel.

Love,
Rob

My friends,
we are completing one stage in the post production work from the Global Harmony concert: the audio mixing which will be used in the DVD. Due to budget and time constraints, we have limited our scope to five songs (out of seven), but they are sounding fantastic. I love making records -- I absolutely love it! This is only the second professional record that I've made, as a producer, but I'm infected now. I never want to stop making records. Lots of love and thanks to the bandmates, whose great ears and tastes always help guide me in the collaboration which is Atash's music and recordings; to our co-producer Mark Kazanoff ("Kaz"), for joining us in this "labor of love" (as he puts it); to Bill Day, who's responsible for the great tracks that he recorded at the GH concert; and, especially, to Chet Himes, an incredible engineer, a true pro and master, in the Yoda sense.

I can't wait to get this out! Stay tuned.

Love, Rob

"Boyd Vance, the city's most prominent African American stage actor, director and producer, died Saturday night. He was 47."
--Jeanne Claire von Ryzin, Austin American Statesman

I didn't know Boyd very intmately, but he was the kind of person who made you feel as if you both knew each other very well right off the bat. He was an irreverent and very funny guy who did things his own way, and didn't kiss up to anybody. Despite this personal style, however, he was committed to the arts and he helped a great many people of all ages and colors and supported talented artists by including them in his projects. He hired me to teach violin to elementary school kids on Austin's eastside at Harris Elementary, to play in an evening of Good Friday performances at St. James' Episcopal Church, and to accompany a poet named Vincent in the presentation of his poem "Why Do Black Divas Die So Soon?" at the Hideout, downtown.

The title of Vincent's poem haunts me now, as I was shocked to hear of Boyd's sudden passing from an aortal aneurysm. I'm sure that, of all the names he's been called for his persistence in the world of Austin theatre arts, he would have appreciated being called a "diva!"

The loss of his work and his great sense of humor in all situations and against all odds is a great loss for Austin. I hope that his memory will inspire others to continue the work he started. I regret that I never went to see one of his plays -- I meant to... Boyd's lesson to me: when you mean to do something , DO IT!

Thank you, Boyd, for everything you gave. We miss you.

Love,
Rob

You may find a link to the article from the Statesman on my "links" page.

Sorry if the title is misleading -- no, we haven't succeeded in making the world live in harmony (but perhaps we took one small step in that direction?) Atash had a wonderful concert on April 2 (for those who attended the April 1st concert -- we hope you enjoyed the dress rehearsal!) It will be available soon in a collector's limited edition DVD. (But isn't everything a limited edition? Oh, never mind...)

It was a pleasure to work with everyone who was involved in that concert -- the musicians; the dancers, the lighting, video and sound crews; the St. Stephen's faculty students who came to our (8 and 9 am!) "teaser" performances; the extra people who showed up to help out -- just everyone. I even wonder if the Pope helped a little... That show just went too perfectly. Now that he's out of his body he doesn't have to be a Catholic anymore... It was his only defect. (I'm Catholic, so don't get offended if you are. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.)

I keep getting off on philosophical tangents... but I guess that's my style. Anyway, thanks to everyone, and I know this project will continue to grow. I invite everyone to be a part of it in some way, if they want to.

Love,
Rob

I am in Austin, Texas, in the midst of the SXSW film festival -- I thought of going to see a film, but how can one stay indoors when the sun is shining and it is such beautiful weather? (What am I doing here, at the computer?)

I just wanted to offer a note of thanks to those whom I've been working with over the past several months, people all over the world who have been believing in Atash and the work of Ars Mundi, artists who have been collaborating in our concerts, new and old friends helping us arrange our tour, putting me up in their houses, spreading the word about our projects, offering their enthusiasm. I especially want to thank my bandmates and my family for putting up with my eccentric visions, supporting me, and at least humoring me by not trying to stop me. The work I've been doing in the past few months has been exhiliarating, and I've made so many new friends. I look forward to the Atash Global Harmony Tour of Iberia 2005, and I encourage anyone who is even remotely thinking about vacationing in Spain or Portugal over the summer to come and join us!

If you want more information, just write to me. And I hope your spring weather is as beautiful as it is here!

Love,
Rob