Earthday 2010 …
Even in recent decades, used to be a controversial act, considered kookie, even heretical or criminal to speak up for the rights of creatures, birds n bees. We now instruct youth on environmental principles in kindergarten.
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Ah, kinder garten …
… the invention of a serious, philosophical teacher of teachers, Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, born in 1782.
Froebel himself was largely self-educated and therefore escaped the grim, rigorous drills that passed for education in his day. He was thus free to dream of a different ideal, and he dedicated his life to providing children with an education that developed their spirits as well as their bodies by making use of a child’s natural playfulness and creativity. He was already noted as an educator when in 1837 he started the first preschool embodying his principles of guided play. Three years later, on May 1, 1840, he invented the name for it. Looking for a word to describe a sunny experience that would cultivate children like plants and let them bloom like flowers, he called it a children’s garden, that is, a Kinder-Garten. (www.answers.com/topic/kindergarten).
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Lamentably, in important ways, environmentalisms, protections of indigenous lands, peoples, creatures, plants and biosphere are still considered fair game for unfettered capitalism, to disastrous ends. Ask Monsanto about seed stock , or Bechtel about water.
For that matter lets keep it localer .. and ask a salmon about The American River(s), or Dolphins about sushi, or anyone about water bottles, or riding a bike or public transpo.
I had a onederful time at West County / Richmond, CA Earthday on Saturday. Right smack dab in / beside the recycling plant. Along with all kinds of recy hands-on art for youthful citizens … a TREE Man worthy of an ENTmoot, Ballet Folklorico, Hula Halau, Classroom Safari, all kinds of info on gardening / composting, waste reduction and tours of the enormous ( and rather sparkly) facility via tram … a la Disneyland (without the Disneying aggravations).
When I am playing djmc .. it’s always supa-kul when folks approach me with that wide- eyed look on discovery .. what’s that song on the speakers ? This Earthday, the booth was happily charged by a few folks when we bumped Tiempo Libre (Bach en Habana), and Chuck Mangione ( in between the Dramatics, Beatles, Latifah, Lucky Dube, Marley, Owl City).
All well and good good vibrations …., the show stealer was LIVE ( over a track ) … a pocket-MC, 7 years old, named Lil Yanni … “Where’s The Money At?”… a catchy hip-hop bounce .. that crows “ This Capitalistic System Is Whack … poor can’t can get loans while the banker is fat” …. penned by Lil Yanni’s stage granny … tough–as-nails, with a deep light in her eyes, full of grand-maternal love, fire, hope and aspiration… at some point I had Yanni in a wraparound hug, with him in his wraparound shades, while his littler sis grabbed, delightedly, at my braided-chinny …
On the way home after packing up other community booths with collaborators,
I herad a taoster on our own radio station, in a Carribbean themed show hosted by dj Dale. OMG … I was driving, listening intently for details or lyrics, and holding onto a pen and paper, scrtitching away … DAMN no back announce … and came up with my prize after a few web searches back at la casa ..
Snagga Puss.. can’t wait to get my ears on some extended material .
When was the last time you had to know what was on the radio/ soundsystem, digged for it, and got you some fresh ?
And Happy Pachamama Day… every day …. = : ) ~
More explorations, among ther faves this week include : Pablo Aslan (Tango), Klezmer Buenos Aires, Iomos Marad and Eulorhythmics ( All Natural Hip Hop label) Leftism ( dub electronica jaz) , soundtrack to Departures (Okuributo), and mash-ups of excerpts of “Men Who Stare at Goats”.
