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Nefasha Ayer
Lyrical / Jazz / Roots Music

the space of in between . . .



San Francisco, California
United States

Profile Views:  9092




Last Login:  2/16/2009
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   Nefasha Ayer: General Info
Member Since7/3/2007
Band Websitehttp://www.redpoppyarthouse.org/residentartists.ht
Band MembersMeklit Hadero (voice and composition), Todd Brown (composition, guitar, bass), Prasant Radhakrishnan (saxophone), Mohini Rustagi (drumset, percussion), Miles Jay (upright bass), Eliyahu Sills (ney, flutes, upright bass), Gabriel Teodros (MC). Nate keck (Project Photo-Documentation).
Record LabelUnsigned


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Nefasha Ayer's Nation of Aural Immigrants - SF Weekly Article from 2/4/09  (view more)

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   About Nefasha Ayer
Nefasha Ayer, loosely translated from Amharic as “the wind that travels”, explores a transcontinental odyssey of multiple characters who find themselves caught between national identities, cultures, and politics. The project joins together the talented song-writing capacity of Meklit Hadero with guitarist/composer-arranger, Todd Brown, South-Indian Carnatic Jazz composer/saxophonist, Prasant Radhakrishnan, drummer/tablaist, Sameer Gupta, composer/bassist/flautist, Eliyahu Sills, and Ethiopian born hip-hop artist, Gabriel Teodros. Nefasha Ayer weaves together Ethiopian and South Indian melodies/rhythms against a varying backdrop of North American jazz, while Hadero’s voice and song, as the wind that travels, serve as the narrator.

Through its tones and colors, poetic texts and trans-cultural melodic scores, Nefasha Ayer joins the continents of Africa, South Asia, and America to explore the most essential and universal qualities shared among individuals worldwide whose identity no longer fits within the boundaries of one country, culture, or tradition. Whereas one would expect the content of such a project to focus on the social/cultural context of its characters, Nefasha Ayer builds on the internal: the subjective yet universal human desire for home. For these characters, “home” is no longer an external place – for some it never was. Home has taken shape instead as a longing within. This is “the space of in-between.”

As Hadero states,

"When growing up in Brooklyn, my mother would refer to Ethiopia simply as “back home.” Years later, during our first trip to the Horn of Africa, I witnessed her using the very same words to describe the United States, which struck me profoundly. It became instantly clear that there was, in fact, no such place as “back home.” Rather, it was a reference to an in-between, heavy with nostalgia and fluid enough to change from moment to moment, as she herself was capable of doing."

The lyrical content, written both in Amharic and English, follows the story of five characters, each expressing a different part of the story of “in-between”: nostalgia, exile, return, the moment of break-through, and, finally, revealing to others what has been learned. In each song, the wind, which does not belong to any nation, is ever-present as the narrator or a character, constantly calling the listener to move from the external world, through the songs, and into the internal landscape that ultimately grounds the music.

Although there are innumerable works, in almost every discipline, that address the interface of racial and/or cultural groups, immigration, etc, Nefasha Ayer's central focus brings to life a deceptively simple and most elusive quality. Though the stories are told through the lens of Ethiopian musical idioms and language, it is not an Ethiopian story. Rather, Nefasha Ayer explores a living history found universally amongst people of movement, and indeed all human beings, whose life and identity cannot be bound by nation, religion, or cultural tradition. At its heart, Nefasha Ayer - the space of in-between, represents a free-ness from ideological construct and a fluidity of being - moving and livng in constant redefinition.
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   Nefasha Ayer's Friend Space (Top 19)
Nefasha Ayer has 164 friends.
 Meklit 


 Todd 


 Gabriel Teodros 


 Prasant Radhakrishnan 


 sameer 


 ∴ p e l a g i c 


 K’NAAN (www.twitter.com/iamknaan) 


 Lulacruza 


 Maria de Barros 


 The Red Poppy Art House 


 Marina LaValle - AfroPeru 


 Idan Raichel Project 


 Aaron 


 Sara Tavares 


 KRUDAS CUBENSI 


 Marcus Shelby 


 World Connection 


 living word 


 techung 





Nefasha Ayer's Friends Comments
Displaying 14 of 14 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
adia





Jun 10 2009 4:25 AM

Photobucket


Eduardo Green





May 26 2009 1:23 PM

Aqui pasando a saludar!! aprovecho para mandarles
un abrazo y dejarles esta invitacion:

Que Honduras con las verduras que ya subieron las Temperaturas

A toda la banda:  Este viernes 29 en el C3Bar 21 hrs.

Eduardo Green & Thegreenmotherfunkers LIVE.
Puli Negro_Bateria
Amur_Funk Bass
Ramon Rodriguez_Tabla y percusion
Mr Green_Guitarra Fx secuencias y Vox
electro funk latin samba techno pop

Invitados espaciales:
Tahiru Drabo_Percusion
Gonzappa_Sax
Lucero Cardenas_ Baile Flamenco
priosanchez_visuales proyeciones video.

+ NOERU SOUND SISTEM 23_30 hrs
   DJ Mrgreen                   01_00 hrs
   DJ Elastico                    02_00 hrs

C3 Bar calle montalegre 5 08001 Barcelona.
Alyssa Suede





Jan 13 2009 5:34 AM

My debut EP "Black & White in Color" is officially FOR SALE NOW!

Please check it out and I hope you enjoy!!

BUY IT HERE ON ITUNES

BUY IT HERE ON CD BABY

(For more places to pick up my record, check out my myspace page!!! xo)
NightCulture.com





Dec 26 2008 7:06 AM

I hope you can make it out to our New Year's Eve Ball 2009 with Armand van Helden in Houston Wednesday, Dec. 31st at Bar Rio! Texas' Largest NYE show. Tickets are super cheap right now if you buy them early. We also have Deep Dish (Sharam) playing Jan. 9th at Rich's.
See you soon!
Heidi Frances Jackson





Nov 16 2008 7:38 PM

Y'all are absolutely divine!
Thanks so much for bringing your greatness to the celebration last night. It was a pleasure to work with you.
Peace.
La Bohemia





Sep 11 2008 5:57 AM

Photobucket Image Hosting
Eduardo Green





Aug 26 2008 12:42 AM

Cool Music!
Thanxx 4 the support,

Check out some new songs!

Peace,

Mr Green Music.
The SpeakEasy Cafe (Poetry Open Mic Radio Show!!!)





May 29 2008 9:35 PM





~ OPEN MIC *RADIO ~

JOIN SPEAKEASY CAFE
MAY 29TH
for the
"SOUND OF INK"
OPEN MIC POETRY
RADIO SHOW!

Show time:
4:00 pm West coast
7:00 pm East coast
Call in number: 646-595-3965
Show site:
www. blogtalkradio. com/speakeasycafe

Annalee





Apr 28 2008 3:43 PM

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=Q9zgT3WzTVA

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
The Dalai Lama

I hope you are doing something for yourself today.
Annalee
adia





Apr 23 2008 4:06 PM

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Visit ASE Dance Theatre Collective for more information about upcoming performances.



Enjoy!
Drains, Doors, and Lotus Flowers (2007) Choreography: Adia Tamar Whitaker

Annalee





Apr 7 2008 1:58 PM

There is no greater joy nor greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.
-- Sister Mary Rose McGeady
Annalee





Mar 23 2008 2:56 PM

Happy Easter! Enjoy the day with your family!
Annalee
** Aly **





Jan 30 2008 12:59 PM

people are still talking about your performance at the limelight cafe teh other night- come back to Barbados soon!!!
Rennea





Nov 16 2007 6:40 PM

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