Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
j acquelynlewis@dailyemerald .com
Thursday, April 3,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
On Tuesday
Acupunture —
pricking away pain
Overwhelming
war information
results in serious
introspection
Mason
West
Selling out
Mason West
Movies/Music/TV Columnist
I’m frazzled, still clinging to the blur of spring break.
But my stupor comes from long discussions with friends
and family that stressed my noggin so much that I felt
the inebriation of a dozen Gancun revelers.
It’s this damn war thing. It makes me pause and think
about the beliefs that govern my existence — and that’s
hard thinking. I’m not so happy with the things I found: I
am consumed by consuming, and I am generally more
entertained than informed. Exam
ple: When the Emerald staff watched
President Bush’s deadline for Sad
dam Hussein’s exile approach, I
complained about not being able to
play our advance copy of the new
Zelda on the same television.
Am I going to change? Not in any
fundamental ways. But the need to
act has finally caught up with me.
The question is: How? I can’t take a
stand because I have spent my time
focusing on the Oscars and not Sad
dam-a-rama. So I need the info.
TV news doesn’t help much in that department. It’s
just more entertainment. The ceaseless spew can re
port things as they happen — which is good — but
most of the time is filled with babbling, speculation
and repetition.
The paradox is needing many sources to cover news
and not being able to process all the information gener
ated by these sources. The super-saturation of informa
tion makes my head spin — and ultimately, shut down.
The pervasive sense that there is more than I will
ever be able to take in leaves me feeling helpless — a
sentiment I assume many share. What can I, just one
guy in Eugene, do? So I am helpless, but I still have
the need to contribute something. This is why the
Oscars made the superficial, almost insulting, gesture
of removing the red carpet and why I’m writing this
rambling column. These small gestures seem absurd
when compared to the enormous scope of the war,
but it’s all we can do.
I have too many questions and no answers. This war is
bigger than just getting the bad guy. The statement is
sued by Hussein on Tuesday calling on Muslims to wage
holy war against the United States cements the weight
our actions carry. Holy war?! ? Holy crap!
In a San Francisco Chronicle column Tuesday, Tom
Plate wrote that although American intervention to re
move Hussein is not an act against Islam, some Muslims
may see it that way. There are core differences between
Muslim and Christian (which I consider to be the domi
nant religion in America) religious beliefs — not that I
fully understand them. But knowing that we are poten
tially condemning a people’s way of life makes me won
der when they are going to decide to blow up the imperi
alist infidels regardless of the consequences.
We are a proud nation — proud of our power and
freedom. The idea of abandoning this pride is unthink
able. How then do we expect the Iraqi people to aban
don their pride? We can subdue pride with power, but
we can’t crush it.
I wish we were not in a war that I have nothing to
do with. I am afraid of people being dehumanized be
cause they are members of a country or a religion. I’m
afraid of people who believe in things so much that
they abandon reason. I’m afraid that nothing good will
come of this war.
I have a lot more thinking to do and I hope others are
taking the same opportunity. I’m up for a good discus
sion anytime.
But for now, I’m going to play Zelda.
Contact the Pulse columnist
at masonwest@dailyemerald.com.
His views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
r
Courtesy photo
Rhythmic grooves
Dance Africa, a nonprofit troupe
promoting African culture through
performances for school children
will perform Monday night
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
International Week kicks off in the
form of drumming, dancing, rhythmic
form on Monday night, with Dance
Africa performing at 8 p.m. at the M.
Frances Dougherty Dance Theatre in
Gerlinger Annex.
The troupe is a nonprofit organiza
tion, largely funded by private dona
tions. Most of the group’s performanc
es bring African culture to grade
school children, but Dance Africa has
also performed at Lane Community
College and in famine relief benefits.
Monday’s show is a fundraising event
for the troupe as well as the Universi
ty dance department.
Dance Africa director Rita Honka, a
University adjunct dance instructor, also
performs with the troupe. She began
studying African dance in 1989. She said
the troupe formed in 1993 for fun.
Next week’s show will mark Dance
Africa’s second campus performance
this academic year. In November, the
group performed with guest artist
Yousouf Koumbassa, who worked with
the company for three days on the
piece “Soli.”
“We always perform the piece they
have set on us,” Honka said. “It be
comes a collaborative performance be
tween Dance Africa and guest artists.”
The troupe consists of 10 dancers
and six drummers. Musical director Bri
an West, who teaches African drum
classes, is the lead drummer of the
group. This involves extensive soloing
and the calling of the “break” during
the individual dances. A break is devia
tion from the standard rhythmic pat
tern of the piece. It can signal a change
or solo for the dancers and drummers.
“Now that I’m the lead drummer,
that gives me chance to interact with
the dancers,” West said. “If I see a
rhythm in a dancer’s body, especially
the feet, I accent that part.”
West said it is difficult to describe
African rhythmic concepts without
using some generalization.
“How the dance influences the
music — it’s hard to put that in a
paragraph,” he said. “It’s hard to find
some of the origins of the music. It’s
hard to guess what came first — the
rhythm or the drum.”
Dance major Beatrice Woods, in her
Turn to Dance, page 6
Musical talent, emotions abound in Chasing
CD review
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
There are times when songs don’t re
quire singers, and the music just de
mands to be heard. “Man Chasing
Woman Around Table,” from Enion Pelta
and David Tiller, is one such album. More
than anything, it exudes unhindered feel
ings in each of the 12 tracks.
These two are relatively unknown
(read: not mainstream) musicians, and
that’s a shame. Violinist Pelta and man
dolinist Tiller have played music for most
of their lives, and both play their instru
ments with world-class skill. The couple
is also one half of Taarka, a Portland
based group formed early last year. Taar
ka’s music is officially described as “seis
mic hypno Gypsy jazz.”
The compositions on “Man Chasing
Woman” — both collaborated, and indi
vidually written between the two — show
cultural influences aplenty: Irom Celtic,
Middle Eastern and Indian to jazz and
bluegrass. They are as beautiful, daring
and strange as should be expected from
such immense talent. It only takes listen
ing to the first few measures of “Camille’s
Last Jump” to get a sense of this. Here is
a piece that swoons delicately, with the
possibility of eliciting far forgotten feel
ings from the listener — maybe even
ones they never knew they had.
And that’s the secret to the album; it’s
epic, but in a devastatingly intimate way.
This keeps it accessible and also dance
able. Thanks to their musical interests,
Tiller and Pelta have acquired a keen
sense of rhythm — one with a disposi
tion toward the full body movement of a
given listener.
The record has great replay value, be
cause even listening to it once or twice
won’t be enough to hear everything. This
is music that lasts, with depth and sub
tlety, that if followed, can be climatic
and devastating.
a 13 tor) pcila
da\?iel filler
Courtesy photo
“The Tants of Toyt” is a reminder that
it’s possible for music that isn’t rock to
still be rocking. It’s an all-out romp of in
sane rhythm — with the musicianship to
back it up. Tye North, one of the many
guest musicians, dials it in on the
Turn to Music, page 9