Media Reviews
by Mark Maxwell Abushady • New York City


MUSIC

Sitar Secrets
Al Gromer Khan
New Earth Records
www.newearthrecords.com
With the desire to create an album ". . . in which a high denominator would be found between futuristic sounds and classical Indian sitar music," Al Gromer Khan has produced a mystical, sensual and experimental album which stretches the 'speech' of the sitar to new heights. Freeing himself from former rules of play, he dialogues with the listener through some very accomplished performances. Standouts include 'Raga Sarasvati' (where this dialogue is most notable), the very moving, mysterious and deeply resonant 'A Tantric Song,' 'A Bageswari Poem,' and the charming 'Caru Caru,' which makes use of ambient 'ahs' amidst Mr. Khan's joyous strains.

Two Worlds One
Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter
New Earth Records
www.newearthrecords.com
Two Worlds One will enchant the listener from the first cut to the last. Commencing with the richly evocative 'Aran Boat Song,' romantically beautiful and lush in its Celtic tonalities, these two artists compliment each other beautifully on Celtic folk harp and Swedish nyckelharpa, with appearances of 6- and 12-string guitar, mandolin, bandoura, fiddle, viola, cello, cittern, recorders, and whistle. Nicely articulated harp work is always evident. The simple and gentle tune of 'Morning Star,' sweetly melodic and joyous in sound will linger with the listener, and 'Reverie' is a feast for those fans of the Celtic sounds we associate with the legends of that part of the world. A joy to review.

Siyotanka
Michael Brant DeMaria
Ontos Music
www.siyotanka.com; www.ontos.org
Siyontanka is a soundtrack to an original play written by Mr. DeMaria and Stephen C. Lott, based upon a Lakota legend about the origin of the Native American courting flute. I have not seen the play, so review this album on its own merits. Utilizing different flutes to represent birds, owls, elk, and the Native American characters in the story, Mr. DeMaria (a trained psychologist and "soul guide" who has spent years participating and leading in vision quests) has created a well-considered musical expression of the legend. He is a healer, and his background is evident in the fine, sensitive quality of his music. Although piano and synthesizer accompany the flutes, they are utilized with a light touch, and expertly integrated into the overall musical statement. I was enchanted by his work. "Within your heart lives the song of your soul. This song tells you who you are, where you come from, and what you are here to do . . . listen and share what you hear," says Mr. DeMaria, and I'm very glad he has shared his musical vision in this album.

FILM

2012 – Science or Superstition
Directed by Nimrod Erez
Written & Produced
by Gary Baddeley
Original score: Adam Peters
The Disinformation Company, Ltd.
www.disinfo.com; www.2012dvd.com
2012 is packed with information. Twelve speakers are featured, including authors of some of the more popular 2012 books, shamans, researchers and scientists. For those few unaware of the date in question, December 21, 2012 is the end date of the sophisticated Long-Count calendar created by the Maya in Central America. The film purports to give a balanced examination of the significance of the date in terms of possible events both physical and metaphysical, (though at times it seems to be tilted to the more calamitous outcomes).

A look at the reversal of the magnetic poles and possible effects of this, the culmination of a period of increased solar flare activity, and the significance of multiple cultures and disciplines indicating events to occur around this date provide a compelling argument for the occurrence of “something.”
The last third of the film turned from scientific examination to esoteric hypotheses, including the more metaphysical and cultural aspects of the “end time.” Although the film might have benefited from a more judicious editing job, one still walks away feeling that a fair examination has taken place, and is left in a place a little less doom-filled than at the start.

An Unlikely Weapon – The Eddie Adams Story
Directed by Susan Morgan Cooper
Narrated by Keifer Sutherland
Music by Kyle Eastwood
and Michael Stevens
Morgan Cooper Productions
www.anunlikelyweapon.com
Eddie Adams (1933-2004) was a photographer whose work most of us are familiar with. Heralded by his peers as a genius who was never satisfied, he seemed forever driven to try to capture the next, perfect photograph. One photograph in particular, “Saigon Execution,” (that of South Vietnam National Chief of Police shooting a Vietcong prisoner point-blank in the head), is credited with turning public opinion firmly against the war, giving Mr. Adams world recognition. It is also said to have forever dogged that Chief of Police, who, as Mr. Adams said, was doing “the dirty work” of others, and to have inspired, in part, a movie which so disturbed Mr. Adams – “The Deerhunter.” All of these factors worked over time to haunt Eddie Adams. This film relates his life story through that perspective.

Through interviews with the man himself, as well as Tom Brokaw, Morley Safer, Peter Jennings, Bob Schieffer, and Life Magazine photographer Bill Eppridge, among others, we are taken in to the world of Eddie Adams; the world of an artist, an enigma, a contrarian, a genius. His work, spanning thirteen wars, six American presidents, and film stars over the last fifty years is displayed between the recollections of his colleagues, his son, wife, and friends. Though he often comes off as dark, rough-talking, brooding, and abrasive, his sensitivity, passion, and heart are undeniably evident through his adventures, and his photographs. Indeed, parts of the film will bring tears. More than a biography, this film presents a slice of history, on a very, very human level.

Mark Maxwell Abushady is an actor, singer, designer and photographer based in New York City.