elijah’s adventure

I’ve seen Michael Franti twice this month; once at the Mountain Jam festival in upstate New York, and the second time at Bonnaroo in Tennessee. At Mountain Jam, I had never heard his music before, but a good friend of mine was dead set about going right up to the stage and immersing ourselves in the beats. This was certainly the right thing to do. Towering at 6′6, with long flowing dreads, blue jeans, a tank top, a spearhead necklace, and bare feet, Michael’s appearance leaves an impression. And then you hear his voice, and the sound of the band. You look around, see everyone grinning ear to ear, waving their hands in the air, jumping up and down with ebullience, shaking it without a care, and suddenly you realize that you’re also describing yourself! That was my first impression of Michael Franti, and seeing him a second time has only enhanced my respect for this artist. Here are a few of his songs:

He also flew to Baghdad, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip with a guitar and a video camera. To break the ice, he wrote a one word song in Arabic, called Habibi, which means “dear beloved friend.” After seeing children and old men dancing and singing along, he and his crew were quickly welcomed into homes. Michael also performed for our servicemen stationed in Baghdad, and received a warm welcome that was quite surprising for a guitar wielding, bare footed peacenik. Here’s the trailer for the movie: