Page 2 Portland Obaerver, February 29.1994
'Three-dimensional' music hits Portland
synthesized, a rtific ia l music. A nd
th a t is good q u a lity sound. It was
nice to hear a pure sax blow with the
deep, mellow voice o f Scott-H eron
not distorted beyond recognition.
H e guided the audience in to a
num ber
of
song*
such
at
W ash ing to n D C . ,
W in te r in
Am erica. N o t needed A nym ore and
H o ld on to Your Dreams
" W e p lay three d im en sio n al
music. It's physical because you can
move. It's m ental because we give
you ideas and it is spiritual because
we make you feel b etter."
by L am ia Duke
•‘ M y life really mean» that the songs
that I sing are just piece* o f a dream
that I've been building.
W e can m ake a H a n d and here
I'm reaching out my hand 'cause I
know dam n w ell we can, if we are
w illing.”
(O il Scott-Heron, 1980)
Grassroot News. N. W<— In front
o f one th ou sand fans, p o litic a l
b lu c s o lo g is t, O i,- S c o t t - H e r o n ,
showed Portland that he was ready,
willing and able to keep hi* commit
ment to the struggle and dreams of
A fro-A m ericans. H i* musical com
m itm e n t ha* carved him a unique
position in record collection* across
OIL SCOTT HERON
years overdue."
In
an
exclusive
interview
fo llo w in g T h u rs d a y ’ s concert,
S c o tt-H e ro n , thin and w orn from
traveling and perform ing, said, " I
d o n 't do happy or sad songs. I do
tune* that go together like pieces o f
a puzzle. The albums are like chap
te r* in a b o o k . T h e book goes on
and on because the story goes on
and o n ."
H e also stated that the ideas he
sings about are ideas that "B la c k
people already know about. When I
sing, it gives the idea a certain
amount o f justice.”
Scott-Heron has used his music to
address concerns th at are not
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
p red o m in a n t issues in the Black
community, such as nuclear power.
" N u c le a r energy is an equal o p
portunity destroyer. W e didn't need
to wait until Three M ile Island to see
that it was coming. Nuclear energy
is a further threat to our survival.”
i
Buy. SaMorTrada
Anything o( valua
GBOON.E. Union
287 5330
he added.
A t P o rtlan d S tate, S co tt-H e ro n
started the concert with a 45-minute
monologue where he defined hi*
music, roots and message. This was
fo llo w e d by a set w ith his b an d.
A m nesia Express. Ron H o llo w a y ,
tenor sax. L arry M a c D o n a ld , per
cussion and Robert G o rd a n , bass,
rem ind ed the audience o f w hat is
missing fro m
to d a y ’ s super-
their years.
S c o tt-H e ro n
has m ade his
keyboard available to the campaign
o f Rev. Jesse Jackson. “ A n y tim e
we see something or someone trying
to do something positive for Black
people, we go in and play. W e do not
have to concur with their philosophy.
I f you say you want to do something
fo r Black People in A m e ric a , you
just risked your life. I f you believe
in it th a t s tro n g ly , then I ' l l be
there.”
m a teria l" to the white-ruled coun
try.
" T h e U .S . is sabotaging the in
ternational arms embargo by winking
at U.S. companies' m ilitary exports
to South Africa. The volume o f this
trade is much greater than has ever
been r e p o rte d ." said Thom as
Conrad o f N A R M IC (National Ac-
tio n /R esearch on the M ilita ry In
d u s tria l C o m p le x ), the Q u a ke r
organization's research team.
" R a th e r than o u trig h t sales o f
large weapons systems, exports by
U .S. corporations consist to a great
extent o f the b u ild in g blocks o f
modern w eapo nry— com ponents,
unfinished sub-assemblies and other
technology that can be easily sub
merged in large wholesale transac
tions,” according to the report.
" T h e U .S . governm ent claim s
that these exports are fo r civilian
use. But this equipment has military
applications and the Stale D ep art
ment has acknow ledged that the
products are on the Munitions List.
Once this technology reaches South
A fr ic a , it w ill be im possble to
prevent it fro m being used fo r
m ilita ry purpo ses,” explained
Thomas Conrad.
According to the report, the State
D e p a rtm e n t has a u th o rize d sh ip
ments
of
encoding
devices,
navigation gear, image intensifiers
and technical data to South Africa.
The other types o f sensitive ex
ports to South A frica "underscore
the fact that Pretoria has a friend in
the W hite House,” according to the
Q u a k e r o rg a n iz a tio n 's re p o rt,
which cites government disclosures
showing that the U.S. has also ship
ped over half a million dollars worth
o f " n o n -m ilita r y arms and a m
m u n itio n ” and $556 m illion in a ir
c ra ft and related parts to South
Africa.
"By loosening controls on exports
to South A fr ic a , the Reagan A d
m in is tra tio n is cozying up to the
w h ite -m in o rity governm ent in
P retoria,” said Jean Sindab, Direc
to r o f the W a s h in g to n O ffic e on
A fric a . " T h e arm * em bargo isn’ t
working because the Administration
doesn’t want it to ,” she added.
T h e re p o rt cites a num ber o f
vio la tio n s in v o lv in g technology
fro m U .S . and E u ro p e an co m
panies. Among them: the diversion
o f U .S .-o r ig in counterinsurgency
aircraft and engines to military forc
es in two South African homelands;
the shipm ent o f U .S .-m a d e shock
batons to South A fr ic a ; the
reported use o f U .S . electronics in
the new South A fric a n G 5 155mm
howitzer and naval fast attack craft;
the use o f West German technology
in South A fric a n m issile systems
and m ilita ry comm unications gear;
the award o f several South African
m ilita ry patents to Swiss, Ita lia n
and French com panies, and the
B ritish and French governm ents.
T h e patents cover a range o f
European inventions in the Fields of
weapons design, o rd nance and
military vehicles.
Don't overlook neighborhood energy champs
O verlook residents deserve a pat
on the back fo r th eir e ffo rts to
weatherize. According to Portland's
Energy Saving C e n te r, O ve rlo o k
residents lead a ll N o rth P o rtla n d
neighborhoods in the num ber o f
homes w eatherized th ro ug h the
C e n te r’ s energy loan program . A t
the next m eeting o f the n eigh
b o rho o d association, a represen
tative from The Energy Saving Cen
ter w ill present an award to Jimmy
W a lk e r, the n eighborhood c h a ir
m an, in recognition o f the neigh
borhood's effort.
R ecently, the James K anyon
y/'
The G il Scott-Heron concert was
not b ro u g h t to P o rtla n d by an
established p ro m o te r b u t by a
student o rg a n iza tio n whose m em
bers had to p ro m o te the concert
w hile studying fo r th eir m id -te rm
exams. T h e Black and w hite com
m u n ity should com m end R o n nie
W a lk e r and the B C A B w ho
displayed com posure w ell beyond
South Africa embargo violated
Philadelphia— The U .S . govern
ment ha* quietly licensed the com
m ercial ex p o rt o f m ore than 28.3
million worth o f military technology
to South Africa during the last three
years, despite the m andatory arms
em barg o passed by the U n ited
N a tio n s , according to a report
issued jo in tly to day by the
American Friend* Service Com m it-
teefAFSC) «nd the Washington O f
fice on A frica, (W O A ).
Based, in p a rt, on m a teria l
released to the FSC under the
Freedom o f In fo rm a tio n A c t, the
publication, entitled, " M ilita r y Ex
ports to South A fric a — A Research
R epo rt on the A rm s E m b a rg o ,”
charge* that government-approved
expo rt* o f arms technology on the
State D e p a rtm e n t's " M u n itio n s
L is t" are a grave v io la tio n o f the
United Nations arm * embargo. The
embargo, which became mandatory
with U .S . support, by a vote o f the
U .N . Security Council in 1977, bars
the sale o f " a rm s or related
&
r
Hock Shop
S co tt-H e ro n con tin u ed . " I defy
most B lack A m e ric a n a rtis ts to
com e in here and get the k in d o f
feelings we get fro m the audience.
They may get the tam e kind o f ap
plause, but the feelings we create are
not counterfeit.”
He wants his fans to question the
music th at is being p layed on the
airw aves. " I hope Black people
know that what they get fo r free is
not w orth having. T h e things that
are valuable are things you have to
look for and struggle fo r ."
America.
P o rtlan d S tate’ s Black C u ltu ral
A ffa irs Board chose Scott-H eron's
music and message to celebrate
B lack
H is to ry
M o n th .
The
c e le b ra tio n
lingers
w ith
the
everlasting truth o f the lyrics he in
corporates in hi* songs and a beat
that keep* you on your feet.
Since 1970, Scott-Heron ha* kept
the blues a liv e by singing about
som ething other th a n , " M y baby
has left m e ".
H i* first social-musical tune was
The R e v o lu tio n
w ill n o l be
Televised, an original rap that said
when the struggle reaches it* peak,
" Y o u w ill not be able to plug in .
turn-on and cop-out."
In 1974, when Amenca was in shock
over the W aterg a te B re a k -in * and
the re sig n a tio n and p a rd o n o f
Richard N ixo n . Scott-H eron sang.
" W e beg yo u r p a rd o n A m e ric a ,
because the pardon you gave was
not your* to give."
In 1980, he sang. " Y o u can
depend on p o litic ia n s cause they
always got a point o f view. You can
depend on a bad p ositio n fro m
them; change* that you have to go
through. But d on ’ t depend on the
tra in fro m W a s h in g to n , it's 100
Whal’s all the
smoke about
the backyard
burning ban?
home on W illam ette Blvd. was ad
ded to O v e rlo o k ’ s roster o f
weatherized homes. James and Ger
trude Kanyon had insulation as well
as storm w indow s installed in
February, and are now expecting a
warm er home and smaller heating
new w eath erization rebate fo r oil
heated dwellings. This is a 50% cash
rebate up to $1,218, and is available
to incom e elig ib le renters and
hom eow ners. T h e rebate can be
combined with either the 4 V i% loan
or the state's 616
loan, m aking
w e a th e riza tio n very inexpensive.
F o r in fo rm a tio n ca ll T h e Energy
Saving Center at 248-4636.
DR. BRADY'S
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
FOR SAVING TEETH
FOR FAMILY DENTISTRY AT
LOWER COSTS
"SAVING TEETH 1983”
HIGH QUALITY PORCELAIN CROWNS A BRIDGES
REINFORCED PORCELAIN CAPS
PHONE IN FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
REPLACE YOUR MISSING OR DECAYED TEETH W ith permanent caps
“TWILIGHT SLEEP”
& OTHER ANESTHETICSBY REGISTERED ANESTHETIST
WHILE PREPARING YOUR CROWNS & BRIDGES
COME IN FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
Complete Cooperation on ALL DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS
OPEN SATURDAYS
NO ADVANCE APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
Hours W eekdays 8 30am to 5pm Saturday 8 30am to 1pm
Park Free — Any Park n Shop Lot
DR. JEFFREY BRADY, DENTIST
SEMLER BLDG.
S W 3rd A Yamhill
Downtown PORTLAND
„
SALEM
1 10'j Commercial N E
581 8699
228-7545
PERS
bills.
The 4V4% loan is available city
w ide to all incom e eligible
homeowners— regardless o f heating
type. Typically, a family of four can
earn up to $ 3 1,680 annually and still
be elig ib le fo r this p ro gram . The
Center also administers the State's
PCC scholarships open up
Portland Com m unity College an
nounces the a v a ila b ility o f 35
scholarships, with one to be award
ed to a graduating senior in each of
the high schools in the PCC district.
Each scholarship entitles the
recipient to one year fu ll tuition at
any o f the six P C C campuses and
centers located th ro u g h o u t the
d is trict. This is the th ird year the
awards have been made.
Last year, 30 such scholarships
were given to graduating seniors in
the a re a , w ith five schools not
responding, according to W illiam T .
Dobson, P C C coordinator o f high
school relations. " W e ’re hoping for
full participation this year, since all
35 schools have graduates attending
P C C ," Dobson said.
Dobson said that district seniors
interested in ap p lyin g fo r the
scholarships should contact their
high school counselors during
spring term.
W inners are determined by high
school scholarship committees at
the individual high schools, based
upon general guidelines suggested
by PCC.
&CAR
TELEPHONES
THE BEEPER PEOPLE
In atalllng Ineulatlon In the Jam as Kanyon raaldanca; p art of
Ovariook nalghborhood'a waatharizatlon driva.
713 S.W. 12th Street
all 224-BEEP for a free demonstration.