warauduati

Within the last days there have been quite a few very interesting and valuable discussions going on … all regarding ethnology, the actual purpose of this blog. Although I won’t make a great fuss out of it, I just would like to let you know and welcome you to join. So here is No. 1:

„At the city of Munich’s southern fringe, bordering to the rich people’s pseudo-gated-community Grünwald, there is a quite remarkable location to be found right at the river Isar’s shore. In between the forest’s majestic trees there is a literal chaos of ramps, ridges, holes, rootwork, and hillocks. There you can see youngsters (…) speeding and jumping havoc on mountain-, downhill-, and BMX-bikes.„

My dear friend and colleague Zephyin_Xirdal, somehow I could understand him as one of my mentors as well, at least my source of critical long- discussed ethnological and everyday-life resemblance for some time now (as you can see I cannot describe him right), found out that there is a close connection to „Meatspace hardcore bike-tricking (…) with practices stemming from computer- and online-culture„. As part of his research he soon came up with a theory on how to sort this example into the whole object of cyberculture and cyberpunk.

He argues (in my own words):

„that bikers at the Bombenkrater use computer-based images and ideas to transform the way of use of the environment and of technology vice-versa use the environment and their doings-with-it to fit into the computer-based representation. In each case definitely a kind of appropriation, either way. The difference between ‚real‘ and ‚virtual‘ actually is not that much of a difference but ‚aspects of the same Lebenswelten‘. Because of this type of appropriation we can call the crystallising lifestyle … cyberculture.„

I figured, because I wanted to draw his example on a higher level of ethnological theory, that

„On a higher level this lifestyle, the manifestations of cyberculture, could then be a conscious othering in the real world to escape from a homogenised global world, but on the other hand a conscious assimilation into the homogenised virtual world to bridge heterogeneous barriers.„

Well now, as I said, I do not want get into a serious discussion on my own blog. To read my own and others thoughts on the topic, just go to the Bombenkrater at Zeph’s place. He told me today, he has about one page and more of an answer to all my questions… personally, I am desperate.

Well, warauduati got hacked and cracked last night by Turk Internet Kullanicilarina Ozel or Siber Savacilar (here their website). Whatever that means, whoever they are, whatever they want, they definitely did show me that network security is a question of its own. However, to a certain degree I think it was funny and I do give them credit, although I wasn’t too pleased when I opened my site fifteen minutes ago. I thank them for just exchanging the main index.php file, without destroying any material. Here is the screenshot of what warauduati looked like for a few hours:

A group of students at the Department of Ethnology in Münster has founded an open online-magazine for culture and society called Ethmundo.de. For their first edition they have chosen „Cannibalism“ as the number one topic. Besides a general introduction „Kannibalismus – Tod eines Mythos“ to the subject, there is a very interesting article about Anthropologist Beth Conklin and her perspective on cannibalism („Das traurige Maiskorn – oder Kannibalismus aus Mitleid„) and a short entry on the Kuru disease in Papua
New Guinea („Lachend in den Tod: Kuru – BSE der Kannibalen„).
Most of all I enjoyed the pages about the German adventurer Hans Staden („Den Menschenfressern entkommen!„) who was one of the first to describe cannibalism among the Tupinambá and whose work should be one of the main sources for the Dutch during their intervention in Brazil, an interesting episode in South American history I wrote about just two weeks ago. A Review of Nigel Barley’s The Innocent Anthropologist: Notes from a Mud Hut
(1983) and an Interview on Intercultural Competence completes this first edition.
Working within the editorial staff of Ethnologik, the student magazine of the Department of Ethnology and African Studies in Munich, in the past, I am very grateful for this engagement within the wider community of anthropological students. The ones who took over the work at our institute are about to present not only their second edition but also a completely revised and restructured website soon.

So stay tuned and be curious about what is to come!

(Ethmundo.de via entry at :: antropologi.info ::)

Just a few impressions of what winter was all about around here. Although these pics are actually quite nice … believe me … it wasn’t always like this – the snow had to fall first and later we had to clear the roofs!

Matthias Eberl has developped and programmed a new form of journalistic presentation: the multimedia report. When we spoke about this just a few days ago I couldn’t really envisage what he was talking about but now he has published his first report in co-operation with the youth magazine jetzt.de of the Süddeutsche Zeitung. A very interesting way of presenting stories, news, and wider information not simply in text, picture or sound but in combination of all three.
Das Finale der Passanten (via jetzt.de and Rufposten, in German) talks about the Soccer World Cup Final 2006 at some inconspicuous place in Munich while the rest of the world had moved their eyes on Berlin, the scene of the actual happening. We get to know people crossing by this place, why they are not watching, or why they were, what else is going around during the two hours of the game, just little stories of the pedestrians waiting for transport or allowing themselves a little break.

Another example is a text-based tutorial of his multimedia report format about Munich’s Central Station (in German). There he states that his idea was for a long time „to combine narrative strength with the sensuous experience of image and sound“. Although I cannot imagine so far the multimedia report as being a breakthrough and widely used method of presentation, I think that the idea is fabulous and I can visualize using it myself to for example report on my field research. It would be more than addressing to the people in the usual way of writing, but to include them in some sort of way into what I actually do providing them with impressions, noises and tongues on the spot and let them be an integral part of it all.

A new method in public presentation of ethnographic material within Cultural Anthropology?

Categorized „Musicology“: Even if this is supposed to be a blog on personal ethnological notes, I very soon added „… and more“ to the title. Maybe I should rather read some Malinowskis, Sahlins‘, Herskovits‘, or Cliffords, but what the heck. Once again I came across YouTube this morning and found some neat videos of my all-time favourite band, so no wonder that I had to write a new entry. Actually it has long been overdue to present to the world what I call the „Greatest Band on Earth“ … Tower of Power.

Bandleader Emilio Castillo founded his first band called The Motowns at the end of the 60s. It is more or like one of these stories when a few youngsters begin to form a band in some suburban garage. In this case in San Francisco, the East Bay Area, known for quite a few international successful artists. Very soon the legendary Stephen Kupka joined the band, better known as the ‚Doc‘ or the ‚Funky Doctor‘ by now. Since then Castillo and Kupka have been the leading elements of what soon should be „Tower of Power„.

In 1970, Bill Graham, a famous concert promoter, signed the band to his label San Francisco Records recording ToP’s first album entitled „East Bay Grease“. „With this album and several popular appearances at the Fillmore and other venues the band was quickly signed to Warner Brothers“ (Bay Area Bands). Within just a few years ToP released another six albums: „Bump City“ (1972), „Tower Of Power“ (1973), „Urban Renewal“ (1974), „Back to Oakland“ (1974), „In The Slot“ (1975), and „Live And In Living Color“ (1976). „Don’t Change Horses (In A Middle Of A Stream)“, my all-time favourite song, even made it to the Top 30 charts in 1974.

In 1976, „when the band switched their label to Columbia things started to get worse (although Columbia paid quite a high price to get Tower). They produced three records for Columbia but only the first one reminded of the old Tower of Power. Drug problems, subsequent line-up changes and attempts to keep up with the disco sound produced two weak follow up albums“ (s.a.). Might be true in a way, still the funky tunes hit the groove perfectly. Songs like „Can’t Stand To See The Slaughter“ („Ain’t Nothin‘ Stoppin Us Now“, 1976) or „It Takes Two“ („Back on the Streets“, 1979) are exceptional.

The band’s future though was at an edge. It didn’t look like they would last for very much longer, but, however they managed it, they survived. „Tower of Power’s record output wasn’t that big but the horn section (Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett, Stephen Kupka, Greg Adams, and Mic Gilette) was much in demand for session work and this kept the band together“ (s.a.). In the 80s the ToP horns played and recorded for various artists e.g. Huey Lewis, La Toya Jackson, Carlos Santana, Elton John, Eurhythmics, Phil Collins, Toto, and many others. In between they released a new album called „Power“ in 1987, but the real comeback happened in the early 90s. Signing with Sony Music they recorded „Monster On A Leash“ (1991), „T.o.P.“ (1993), „Souled Out“ (1995), „Rhythm & Business“ (1997), and a Live-Album called „Soul Vaccination“ in 1999. Playing a world-tour almost every year (I saw them five times so far in Germany), „they managed to built up a world wide following during the 90s and although they don’t produce any hit singles they are much in demand“ (s.a.).

Personally, I am very thankful for a youth music camp at the age of 14, when a fellow musician introduced me to ToP’s music. Since then, although wondering throughout all kinds of music styles beginning with Snap, stepping up to Prince, leaning over to Aerosmith, ACDC, and Guns’n’Roses, crossing to rather mild stuff like Tracy Chapman and back to Beck, H-Blockx, and die Fantastischen Vier, I have been devoted to the good old soul and funk, of all kinds but especially the one by Tower of Power, also influencing my own style in Belle Affaire and Funk Conexion (might post some pics soon!).

Tower of Power has gone through a lot of changes within all these years. They had various lead singers, old band and founding members like Francis „Rocco“ Prestia and David Garibaldi returned after a break for some years. In 2003 ToP released the new album „Oakland Zone“, followed by various Best-Of Compilations and two DVDs. This month they visit Germany once more, unfortunately Munich is not in their Tour Calendar, but I am sure Tower of Power will be back next year.

By the way, if you are interested, visit David Garibaldi’s Travel Blog for „The Latest From The Road“ or go to ToP’s official Website.

Give it up for the „Greatest Band on Earth“ !!!

The World Cup is almost over … but here is a last „Schmankerl“ for you all! Playing with clichés …