Printed in the San Diego Reader - 10/22/09 - by Dave Good
They call themselves the Mashtis: Itai Faierman is back with a new band after a four-year hiatus. Before he took off, Faierman spent a lot of time on the local singer-songwriter stages, combining his intricate songs with Jeff Buckley–like wailings that were steeped in a syrup of coffeehouse Buddha-love. Back then, Faierman’s singing roamed around like a dog off its leash. Well, those days are over. His new songs are rock-steady simple. And, at least for the live gigs, he has traded his acoustic guitar for a Gibson solid body and a tube amp, the rock-and-roll equivalent of the muscle car. Even though Faierman’s new CD Sunbed Tapes is a whispery acoustic collection, Mashtis drummer Neil Bociek puts a solid thump in the live works, and by dint of sheer volume, he elevates Faierman’s songs to alt-rock level. Maybe Faierman always was a closeted rocker, but it naturally follows that with a drummer onboard, everybody has to play louder.
Prior to forming the Mashtis, Faierman and Bociek experimented with a Sonic Youth–inspired art-noise band that ultimately went nowhere but that forged the connection that would be revisited when Faierman emerged earlier this year with fresh ideas and a couple of recordings. The turn to simplicity, he says, comes from being grounded. “And, look at the Beatles,” Faierman says. “A song can have only three chords and still be a great song.” Indeed, it can. There are footnotes to the Beatles (and Elliot Smith) all over Faierman’s songs. The wild card in the new band is Erica Putis, who plays her electric bass guitar more like a lead instrument. But, why the Mashtis? Putis says they were in Hollywood and saw an ice-cream shop, Mashti Malone’s, after which the name became somewhat of an obsession. “When we saw that place, we started calling each other Mashti One, Mashti Two. Stuff like that.”
And here's another Mashti story....
Mala Mashtis, who live on the outskirts of Korukonda town, (30 km from Rajahmundry) risk their lives by exposing their bare chest for a ram to slam into with full force. They hit a 50-kg object into the air with their shoulders and somersault and vault without the support of a pole. Sometimes they do this trick in a pit with a 100-kg rice bag tied to each shoulder.
Mala Mashti and Madiga Mashti communities are nomadic communities that have survived for over 300 years by putting on show their martial arts. Krishnadevaraya had recruited soldiers from among the men of these communities, who stand enormous at 6 ft 5 to 7 ft high and weight 100 to 150 kg.
Mala Mashtis, who now live in a low-lying area near Korukonda, have even preserved one of the copper plates given to their ancestors by Krishnadevaraya, who certified them as dedicated soldiers of his army.
Mala Mashtis now depend entirely on the Mala community. They go to villages, visit the Mala families, and exhibit their skills in the SC colony. The old generation is on the deathbed, disabled and in pain. The younger generation is in transition and their future is uncertain.
After four years of agitation, with the help of the social worker Soorisetty Bhadram and Kaki Barnisala, of their community, Mala Mashtis got a piece of land and all 63 families now live there. "No one is concerned about our lives or our future. Only two of our community go to college and another five to school. We have no permanent shelter," said 80-year-old Patti Venkanna who lost his legs in one of the shows.
Or are The Mashtis a band who likes Mashti Malone's Rosewater Ice Cream and Sorbet?
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