Woubeshet Feseha

—Track 1

 Woubeshet Feseha from 1976 Ethiopia. Would love to know what the song says.

                            

AFROFIX     

                                                                                                                                                                

Where would we be without our bees?

                                          

Last month, I spent a whole 2 days surrounded by bees. Buzzing bees, agitated bees, frenetic bees, and some very confused bees. It’s honey season in New Zealand and I was lucky to see first hand, the goings on in an apiary, deep in orchard country.

Once I got over the initial fascination of the frenzy of noisy swarms around, the essence of the art of maintaining hives shone bright.Truly, where would we be without the little things. New Zealand would have no fruit to export, and no miraculous Manuka honey to heal just about every Kiwi wound. 

The apiary I was reporting on, is one of the few in the country that exports live bees overseas. By the thousands, I saw them being packed away for a 15 hour flight to Canada, soon to provide some Canadian beekeeper his bread and, honey. So there you go, its not just prime cuts of meat that leave our shores to feed foreign lands, but little pollinators too. 

I finished shooting on day 2, sans any stings.My cameraman copped about 4 to the neck. It’s good for you” the boys said. Of course they would. The story goes to air next  week & up here soon.

 KORU DOJO

It was in the middle of a wet Coromandel winter, that I met David and Hisae Lynch. The70 year old couple run an Aikido school in a remote part of the peninsula.Beginning from the driveway, through to the bush that surrounds the dojo,and the dojo itself, I have to admit- there is something very something special in the air here.There’s in fact something very special in the depths of most New Zealand bush, and this couple seemed to have tapped right into it. 

         Check their story
 http://www.youtube.com/user/AsiaDownunder#p/search/0/s6CQhO9uUoo

Joseph Churchward at Wellington’s Te Papa Museum-where nearly 500 of his typefaces are archived, for posterity. 

5TH APR 2011

            PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORLD’s MOST PROLIFIC TYPOGRAPHERS

Joseph Churchward had just been awarded a Queens Service Medal in Wellington in 2010, when I met him for an interview. Later, when the camera wasn’t rolling, he said along with his typical chuckle, that he’d actually hoped for Knighthood. What’s in a title anyhow, and glad I got to meet this octogenarian legend.

Check him herehttp://www.youtube.com/user/AsiaDownunder#p/u/65/PiNwtFKy4fw

Atsushi's very Moisty tunes 

                 From someone who was just a “talent” for a story, Atsushi ( in Tiger suit,mid air) has become a rare friend to have endless discussions on rocksteady with.

I can’t quite think of anyone I know of, who’s more passionate about ska and rocksteady from 1960’s Jamaica, than Atsushi Ukito. His passion combined with his very Japanese nature, makes for this great combination of encylopedic knowldege, skill and near-obsession. He will do anything to perform with the Skatellites. And at the rate he’s going I think he might just, one of these days. And if not him, it could well be one of his proteges. He’s training up a nice bunch of 10 year-olds in Auckland: The Mini-Moisties. Ska for kids. And why not.

Check the story  http://www.youtube.com/asiadownunder#p/u/174/2i2Gm981SBg

and more on his sounds at Atsushi and the Moisties   http://www.myspace.com/moistiesska