Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Live from the city of the Revolutionary Swamp Groove - Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil (Southern Hemisphere Tribal Stew Headquarters)

Red Earthlings:

        The power of a good idea. To bring music, art, creativity, fun taken seriously - and most importantly hope - to the people with a groove utilizing the amazing display of regional music combined with a universal vision. To create a Brazilian "Seattle" as it were. Amidst a poverty that sickens the soul, a city of America to the South boasts one of the most revolutionary music scenes of our generation - Recife/Olinda, Brazil - "manguetown" in the words of the legendary maestro Chico Science and the Nacao Zumbi. Who?! It is a long story, but one that many Americans to the North in search of new musical evolutions need to know and will soon know, I hope.

        Greetings from Brazil, friends! Here I sit amidst the mangrove swamps, rivers, mud, bridges, tropical heat, and the coming rainy season in a small computer pod in downtown Recife. I´m here as some of you may know soaking in the scene, absorbing the mad parade of percussion that Brazil offers, studying with the masters, you might say. Out of this journey will come a slew of fresh ideas for the Red Earth Tribal Stew (the ideas are brewing, boiling upstairs) and many nights of crazy stories over cold cervezas at the Launchpad up there in our Albuquerque-land. Oh yes, and a Master´s Thesis at UNM. Salud!

        Red Earth´s rebirth commences with the fourth annual evening of our Rock n´Roll Pow-Wow - The Electric 49! The craziness commences one month from today. This year´s fiesta is looking something like this (with some details subject to change):

Start spreading the word, get your local press to mention the news, tell your friends, tell your enemies, forward this email to your crew, mark your calendar, and get on the good foot!

Red Earth has recently reinforced our horn section and we´re pleased to announce a few new faces at the dinner table. Ernesto on Saxophone, and John helping out on Trumpet (of Felonious Groove Foundation fame!) Wait until you hear these cats blow. You´ll dig the new sounds. It will be great to be back in action after a 4 month hiatus. New tunes, new ideas, new attitudes are uniting themselves and we look forward to a great year numero uno of this new millenium.

We are also happy to say that we recently hooked up with the Burnt Down Agency in Los Angeles to help us with the painful process of booking shows across the US, as well as in Europe. The mission is a feast day for the world.

Que mas? Time is running out here at the computer stand. A drum lesson awaits. Can´t wait to get back to the Zia-Sol Land, land of sun and soul, to sprinkle a stiff dose of Brazilian flavor into the desert stew and hit the groove with my band brothers. See you at the Electric 49....

From this grand city of swamps, rivers, bridges, mud, tropical heat, mangue beat and mad, mad music.... as they say in Portuguese, "Valeu!" -Jeff Drummerman