ZMR Awards Show Review 

By Suzanne Doucet

I just came back from New Orleans. An amazing event took place there at the Joy Theater. The 9th LIVE ZMR (Zone Music Reporter previously New Age Reporter) Music Awards took place with performances from some of the best artists in the genre. The event was a great success thanks to Daryl Portier and his staff at ZMR as well as thanks to all contributors and supporters of this event. Many artists, reviewers and broadcasters met for the first time and as Renée Blanche, (our beautiful host of the evening) pointed out "we became flesh and bones". 

Bill Binkelman and RJ Lannan (music reviewers) walked around with a big smile on their face; Bill interviewed everyone at the entrance of the Joy Theatre; DJ Thornton was connecting with artists for her “Morning Breeze” Radio Show and I was able to hang out with Steven Halpern, Hennie Bekker, Trine Opsahl, Peter Kater, Michael Brant DeMaria, Jeff Oster, Marc Enfroy, Miriam Stockley (AOMUSIC), 2002, Heidi Ann Breyer, Will Ackerman, (who received the first Lifetime Achievement Award ) Joe Paulino, Peter Sterling and others. 

Will Ackerman

Many members of the New Age Music Circle came to New Orleans and Beth Hilton and I were able to give away copies of our fifth New Age Music Circle compilation, which had just arrived prior to us leaving for New Orleans.

The performances and presentations of the evening were excellent and everyone gave more than their best! Will Ackerman was the star of the evening. I was blown away by Will’s presence and masterful guitar play, but also by Hennie Bekker, Michael Brant Demaria and Heidi Ann Breyer to name a few of the amazing performances. You can read all about the ZMR Music Awards nominees and recipients at:http://zonemusicreporter.com/admin/Awards_Show1.asp and more about the event at Daryl's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/daryl.portier?fref=ts

Heidi Ann Breye,r Hennie Bekker, Michael Brant Demaria

The event reminded me of our International New Age Music Conferences (with Awards and concert) in Los Angeles in the late ‘80s, where so many in our community met for the very first time… Steven Halpern and I were reminiscing about it. He was the first recipient of our Crystal Award for new age music. It is exciting to see that it is happening again – now with a whole new generation of musicians, labels, broadcasters and reviewers and with the support of the internet.

Steven Halpern

Beth Hilton and I also had a chance to see some parts of this warm, friendly and creative city. We went to the French Quarter and to the Waterfront. We had great crawfish, “New Age Wine” at the Red Fish, beignets and liquorish coffee at the Cafe du Monde! I really enjoyed this trip and hope there will be many annual LIVE ZMR Music Awards to come.

Thank you Daryl and Ben for organizing this great event! Thanks to everyone who was there and contributed to make this such a memorable weekend.

I encourage all of you who are involved with New age Music to become a member of ZMR at: http://zonemusicreporter.com/ - you can become a sponsor of ZMR and the next ZMR Music Awards!

ZMR Music Awards Live Show

zonemusicreporter.com

Mother's Day gift ideas

Sunday May 12th  is almost here!

It can be hard to know what kind of gift to buy someone, no matter how much you love them. Some people love gift giving, but others can find themselves stumped or disappointed when they're not quite on the mark.
Here's a few Mother's Day gift ideas for husbands or partners who want to treat their special someone to music that speaks volumes!

First off let's try to break it down by some archetypes:  is she a romantic, down to earth, creature of comforts, an artistic type, etc.?

For "traditional" moms that enjoy pianos, roses and such, try Danny Wright's new piano album "A Mother's Love," with a bottle of red wine, some flowers and a framed photo of a beautiful moment.

Or, does she have more of a passionate or artistic flair? Maybe you want to try some luxurious bath salts, champagne, and copy of Al Conti's album "The Blue Rose" that follows a romantic fable. In the Asian myth, a princess who doesn't want to be forced into marriage declares she will marry the man who finds her a blue rose, unknown in nature. Her true love, in fact, finds that impossible blue rose. If you're especially ambitious, perhaps you'll dip the stem of a rose in blue dye to give to her.

And then, there are the women who enjoy spa packages, and those who would love the chance to indulge in a little TLC. Why not set up your own pampering session at home for the mother of your children, light some candles, warm the massage oil, and put on Fiona Joy Hawkins' beautiful album "Sensual Journeys."  As a bonus, arrange for the kids to stay at Grandma's.

Albums available:
Danny Wright: HERE
Al Conti: HERE
Fiona Joy Hawkins: HERE

Have any fabulous suggestions of your own? Send them our way at BEING.

Written by Andrea Dolbec (andrea@thebcompany.com)

On Film: The Fruit Hunters

Growing interest in Conscious and/or Transformational Entertainment has laid the groundwork for the Environment-specific Film Festivals that are popping up around the country, and one of the best is the Portland Ecofilm Festival at The Hollywood Theatre.  

Their next screening is THE FRUIT HUNTERS on May 9th, starring actor and community activist Bill Pullman, in a sumptuous film by director Yung Chang’s exploration of nature’s sweetest bounty. It's described as a cinematic odyssey through nature and commerce that spans prehistory to the present, the filmmakers propose that it will change not only the way we look at what we eat, but how we view our relationship with the natural world.  The thrill of the chase experienced by these characters is absolutely endearing, and they certainly made me feel better about paying $3 for an organic mango at the market.

Catch it 5/9 at 7:30 pm if you're in the area, and stay for the discussion afterward with Jim Gilbert (One Green World), Katy Koelker (Portland Fruit Tree Project), and Harriet Fasenfest (Culinate blogger).

Click for info and advance tickets or watch the trailer.

Yogurt Treats That Are Both Tasty and Nutritious

Mmmn YUM!

Summer is around the corner and we all want to look and feel our best inside and out. When healthy gets mundane, it's time to tap into your creative side with scrumptious, healthy pairings that utter indulgence with every bit. Some suggestions via Redbook to get you started...

Cool cucumber

Thinly sliced cucumber, lemon zest, chopped fresh dill, salt.

Berry crumble

Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries; granola; pomegranate seeds; a drizzle of maple syrup.

Grape nutty

Red and green grapes, Grape-Nuts cereal, sliced almonds, a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Tropical crunch

Diced fresh pineapple, kiwi, and mango; dried papaya; toasted coconut; roasted macadamia nuts.

Garden fresh

Sliced radishes, chopped chives, salted pistachios, mint, cumin, radish sprouts.

Bunny lunch

Shredded carrots, raisins, salted pumpkin seeds, salted peanuts, a drizzle of honey.

Read more: Yogurt Toppings - Greek Yogurt Recipes - Redbook 

Got anymore fabulous ideas of your own? Please share them with our readers. Thanks!

Review: Hokulea by AOMUSIC

Reviewed by Jonathan Widran

Driven by the expansive passions of musical and pan-cultural visionaries Richard Gannaway (stringed instruments, vocals), Miriam Stockley (vocals) and Jay Oliver (keyboards, synths, samples), AOMUSIC is all at once a truly global music phenomenon and a call to spiritual renewal by way of infectious melodies, transfixing rhythmic textures and hypnotic vocals and children’s choirs singing in their native languages from around the world. The group brings a colorful history into the rich, sweeping tapestries of their latest recording Hokulea (a Polynesian term translating to “Star of Gladness”), with their broad impact extending to an invitation to compose theme music for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, work with the Give Kids the World charity and being featured in the 2011 promotional trailer for Project Peace on Earth.

AOMUSIC gets the drums booming and guitars jangling at the outset of “Kuimba” - a track that beautifully traverses the landscapes of new age and world fusion - before Stockley’s lovely soaring voice crosses a bridge to a hypnotic choir singing an anthem in Swahili about singing and dancing till the sun rises. The dreamy, mystical title track blends deep ambiences with male and female lead vocals switching off to convey the essence of unity and home. The spiritual vibe is enhanced with a distant flute and the soothing harmonies of children. The gentle hypnosis continues via flowing, then soaring ethereal voices and light percussion textures on the Swahili language track “Sisi Ni Moja,” while “Ha Le” ambles along as an acoustic guitar driven folk song before the tribal rhythms amp up and voices swing and sway in a mix of Polynesian, Zulu, Xhosa, West African, Japanese and Hebrew (perhaps the most inspiring vocal mash-up ever!).

After the gracefully symphonic folk/new age influenced, mostly instrumental “Edge Walkers,” the group stirs up a fiery jam led by a fanciful Irish jig, dense percussion, ambient synth washes, flutes and trippy angelic harmonies. Although the title of the vibrant, soaring “Yaka Matai” almost sounds like an Eastern title, it actually derives from an exultation in the South African language of Xhosa. When the choir declares “God Is Here,” over the fiery groove, there is surely no doubt something divine is in the mix. Asia bound, the next track is the simply arranged Indonesian language tune “Itu Lagu,” which feature the charming flow of the children’s choir as the low key acoustic guitar line builds and eventually bursts into a high energy dance.

Hokulea wraps with yet another fanciful linguistic excursion, this time the Hindi language, in which a lush and innocent young female voice invokes the Divine Source in prayer; as God enters, the choir chimes in with a hopeful, solemn plea for the peace to stay and love to manifest. To the uninitiated, AOMUSIC presents world music in dynamic ways that truly reflect our common bonds as human beings. Longtime fans will enjoy the fresh, unexpected nature of what evolves, like a musical form of the Olympics, into a spirit of global cooperation and celebration of life.

– Jonathan Widran, Music Connection

Follow AOMUSIC on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ao.music.ao

In time for Mother's Day!