"One thing remains constant about our humanity that we must never stop trying to tell stories of who we think we are. Equally, we must never stop wanting to listen to each other’s stories. If we ever stopped, it would all be over." Ruth Behar, pg 37 from Ethnography and The Book That Was Lost
The StoryMan' was recorded in Nicosia, London, Athens and San Francisco with production by Stand Out Selector, Tony Matthew, CES-ONE & Haji Mike. The CD features guest appearances from Imiskoubria, Mike Cherry, CES-ONE, Rocker T, Greekie Lion, Mike D, Zeki Ali and Cutmaster G. It is Haji Mike’s most accomplished and challenging work to date, expressing a life timeís passion for reggae music, dub poetry, hip hop and dancehall culture. In each song a story unfolds, waiting to be told. Haji Mike is a powerful narrator on life on the planet covering topics as diverse as Greek Wedding mania to the self destruction and mindlessness of war. The StoryMan' is the third solo CD by Haji Mike and is released by Olive Tree Music, an independent music label based in Cyprus. To date Olive Tree have released 2 CD's, 'A Pair of Olive Leaves' by Poetz4Peace and the compilation 'Cyprus Thing Vol 1'
"How much are words worth? Just exactly where is the value?
Words can be cheap and profitable. But there is always a price to pay in undervaluing language. Mr. Haji Mike never cuts lyrical corners. The polymorph wordsmith from the London musical and lingua melting pot glides effortlessly from Green Lanes to the Green line. As a social observer and commenter with an acute understanding of the world around him, Haji Mike speaks the truth, talking about what is going on in the world and with that rare talent - humour and humility.The Storyman is his latest featuring collaborations with various interesting bods from Cyprus, Greece, the UK and the West Coast of America. With it he has created more vocal and riddim bounce than is generally legally allowed. Haji Mike brings people together on this major release. Like the Griots, the Soneros, the MCs and the Cypriot Chatista raconteurs trading insults and wise cracks at a traditional wedding. Haji Mike is reflecting life back to us. Dave Hucker, The Beat
Track Listing
What Kind of World
Everybody Love
Greek Wedding
Bling, Bling, Bling pt2
Sing Song Day
Party@Ledra Refix
We Don’t Want War
Baby to a Child
Lament4Biggie
Across The Streets
Friday Night at the Dog and Duck
When Jah Time Come
The Drum
Just a Camel Herder
The Storyman
Plastic People
Mihalakis in Dub
Poetz4Peace
Poetz4Peace - A Pair of Olive Leaves
Hatred is divisive. In so many places around the world old lies and common sense half-truths pile up, decay and then rejuvenate themselves. Cyprus is no different from anywhere else in this sense. Amongst a vast ocean of misconceptions about "each other" and "ourselves" a few poets, musicians and producers have created this music with a positive message. It was no easy task. After 28 years of division, working together is still a taboo subject! For that reason, all the songs were recorded at three different studio locations and linked through the Internet. That in itself makes this one of the most unique recording projects of this new millennium. The determination to create works together is what makes Poetz4Peace really tick. Our mission is peace through the music - some of the most positive vibes ever to come out of the deepest Mediterranean.
Musically it's about both harmony and a sense of defying the boundaries. Cultures clash, combine and fuse, creating a world melting pot where reggae stylings and hip hop riddims encounter the bouzouki and dumbek with conscious, original, soul-searching lyrics. Poetz 4 Peace intend to be transglobalculturalists with shared perspectives and without prejudices or hang-ups about who we are, where we come from and where we're going. The overall aim is to launch an independent, positive-minded music label, known as Olive Tree Music, and of course in the meantime, share some reasoning with audiences throughout the world.
Olive Tree Music Presents Poetz4Peace - A Pair of Olive Leaves (OTM 001)
US audiences were treated to the unique music and poetry group Poetz4Peace as it made its US debut in California. The group includes core members Haji Mike and Zeki Ali, Cypriots from opposite sides of the line that has divided the island for 29 years. Their messages of peace and reunification are supported by music influenced by hip-hop, ambient, funk, reggae, dancehall, and dub. The US tour included a reception with Cypriot Consul Nicolaos Theophanous and an appearance at the prestigious Sierra Nevada World Music Festival as well as other performances.
Songs on the CD released last year, "A Pair of Olive Leaves," make a plea for peace to prevail not only in Cyprus, but throughout the world. The disc was recorded largely over the Internet by Poetz on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Zeki Ali described the goals of the project, "Our trials will be the greatest gifts to our children and we lovingly take our part. Peace is not just an alternative to war; it is a way of life. A universal ‘religion’. We are simple people who are proud to be simple." Holding down the US side of the cyber-collaboration is San Francisco’s Steffen Franz, label head of PSM Recordings. He further elaborated on the Poetz’ mission "to make this music heard throughout the world and to enjoy the knowledge that we are doing something that is changing the world around us for the better."
Another unique aspect of Poetz4Peace is the manner in which it was funded. The Bi-communal Development Programme (BDP) supported not only the recording and release of the CD but also educational workshops aimed at youth. The BDP, based in Cyprus, is supported by the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and United States Agency for International Development. A second CD "A Cyprus Thing" OTM002 is due for release later on this summer, and features 29 songs from amazing artists from both sides of the "Greenline". Olive Tree Music LTD (Cyprus) and PSM Recordings (US) provide label support for Poetz4Peace.
Track Listing
intro
dangerous smile
revulsion
funky tilirka
cease the war
a pair of olive leaves remix
life could be so beautiful
the fig poem
that's how we do it
party @ ledra
chifteteli jam
peace & quiet
down by the green line
strangest creature
dead man's bed
no bread on my table
tumblin' down
Members of Poetz4Peace: Steffen Franz (AKA Stand Out Selector) - Producer and Beat maker on the CD is also PSM Recordings label founder, producer, remixer, beat creator. Zeki Ali - poet, writer, radio presenter Haji Mike - Lyricist and MC on the album is also a poet, musician, producer, PhD, vragga dagga don, and P4P/OTM founder. Also featured on "A Pair of Olive Leaves" were Mike Minas on bouzouki and Mike Cherry on keyboards with guest appearances by Rocker T, Kyppa Ranks, Elena Savva, and CC Martyn.
US Publicity: Erwin Karl Promotional Rescue Seattle, WA mailto:
"As poets of a small island community we strongly believe that peace is inevitable and division will be a subject for history books. But we also believe that we can't sit down and wait for it. Our trials will be the greatest gifts to our children and we lovingly take our part in it. Peace On Earth has become a universal expression, but what matters most is the feeling and the effort you put behind it. When we say Peace On Earth, its not from glossy lips of a beauty queen: because we lived the horrors of war. Peace is not just an alternative to war: its a way of life. A universal religion. We are simple people who are proud to be simple. We have nothing to lose. Instead of being the objects of manipulation by others we prefer to stand up and say you can not be right on everything and every time. We don't want to see our future being blocked by the mistakes of people from the past."
- Zeki Ali, March 2002
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"An interesting double compilation come from the original Vragamuffin Haji Mike with 'Cyprus Thing Vol 1' [Olive Tree Music] this honest collection is split between the modern and the modern old. Cd 1 is subtitled "Urban" with a selection of young artists, musicians, poets working with the hip hop reggae r&b beaty area. Artists like Napa Collection, M.B 59, Sofoz_MC and of course Mr Haji Mike himself.
Cd 2 is selection of music that starts from the traditional and does not fit into the other popular categories. To my ears the these more interesting. More poetical, more storytelling unshackled by rhyme, like Zeki Ali's Talking Mediterranean Blues.
Starting from a baseline of virtually no home-grown music industry in Cyprus this is a snapshot of where things are in the last 5 years or so with the creative talents of left field Cypriot music.
