COPUS NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2005
To all of our friends and extended families in the southern part of this country, we extend our thoughts and prayers of strength through adversity. For those of you still wanting to continue financial support, we have read about two organizations that have assisted musicians for many years: the New Orleans Musicians Clinic that provides free health care services and is now finding shelters; and the Jazz Foundation of America that is now attempting to replace lost instruments for the jazz legacy of New Orleans. Contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter*. Thank you.
COPUS MATTERS:1. ‘WHISPERS’ GAINS NATIONAL ATTENTION
2. RADIO REQUEST LINE CALL-INS WANTED
3. UPCOMING GIGS
4. STORE
5. POETRY SECTION1. ‘WHISPERS’ – the Phoenix Rising debut CD produced by Copus Multimedia – is gaining national attention. To date, it has been picked up by seven major distributors across the country including Alliance Entertainment Corporation, New Leaf, Gate Media, Oarfin, Galaxy, Gate Music, and Super D. Additionally, ‘Whispers’ can be ordered at any Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore or at www.delvianrecords.com online. Individual tracks can be downloaded at www.itunes.com or www.realrhapsody.com.
‘Whispers’ received its first rave review from Cyndi Combs – check it out at: www.listenandbeheard.net by clicking ‘Features’ and then ‘CD Reviews’. Thank you, as always, to Cyndi, Tony and Martha of the wonderful newspaper/café powerhouse in Vallejo!
2. RADIO REQUESTS. ‘Whispers’ has been distributed to 220 radio stations across the country. We are seeking eager volunteers to make a quick call-in to the radio station nearest your home – and ask them play a song from the CD. To all of my folks living in the 10 states I already contacted, thanks for your support!To those of you living in the Bay Area, please call one of the radio stations listed below and ask them to play your favorite song from ‘Whispers’. If you don’t have the CD yet, you can simply request ‘Tangos’ and then quickly go to www.delvianrecords.com or go in to any Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore and order a copy. Another alternative is to download a song from iTunes for only 99 cents. If you are eager to call all 24 stations in California, please email me your snail mail address and I’ll send you the list with a free copy of ‘Whispers’. Now there are no excuses!
Hearts of Space, Sausalito – request line: 415-499-9902
KKUP 91.5, Cupertino – 408-260-2999
KRCB 91.1, Rohnert Park – 707-585-6284.
3. UPCOMING GIGS:
PHOENIX RISING was asked by the Vallejo Artists’ Guild to perform as part of the kick-off ceremony of open studio events being held in Vallejo. The Artists’ Guild is comprised of 24 Vallejo artists in the areas of art glass, poetry, masks, assemblage, sculpture, photography, watercolor, acrylic and oils. The event will be held at the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th from 7:00-9:00pm. Please stop by to hear some wonderful grand piano and flutes, with a special appearance by Flutopia. We’d love to see you there! 734 Marin Street, Vallejo. Information: Artists’ Guild (707-557-3319) or Historical Museum (707-643-0077). www.vallejomuseum.org,
Afterwards, you can walk down the block to check out the amazing reggae sensation, Ras Digital, who will be performing at the Listen + Be Heard Café (818 Marin Street, 9:30pm). www.listenandbeheard.net
COPUS will be performing at the Red Devil Lounge as part of the international competition sponsored by the Emergenza Festival. Round one is scheduled to start in November. Stay tuned for dates – so you can come out and support your favorite band and send us forward to the finals in Germany! www.emergenza.net
4. STORE. Always great gifts to buy at Café Press! www.cafepress.com/copusmusic.5. POETRY SECTION. Two poems by the late, great Langston Hughes from Joplin, Missouri. From the essay “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” © 1926: "We younger Negro artists now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they aren't, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too... If colored people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, their displeasure doesn't matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, as strong as we know how and we stand on the top of the mountain, free within ourselves."
A Dinner Guest: Me
I know I am
The Negro Problem
Being wined and dined,
Answering the usual questions
That come to white mind
Which seeks demurely
To Probe in polite way
The why and wherewithal
Of darkness U.S.A.--
Wondering how things got this way
In current democratic night,
Murmuring gently
Over fraises du bois,
"I'm so ashamed of being white."
The lobster is delicious,
The wine divine,
And center of attention
At the damask table, mine.
To be a Problem on
Park Avenue at eight
Is not so bad.
Solutions to the Problem,
Of course, wait.Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
“The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” is available at www.amazon.com.* Emergency Contacts:
1. New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)
This is a fantastic hands on organization who has the names and addresses of so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE health clinic all these years and now, they are the ones who are tracking down the local musicians and finding them shelter.
Send donations to:
NOMC Emergency Fund
funds will be distributed by:
SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
desk: 337-989-0001
fax: 337-989-1401
email: finance@swlahec.com
www.swlahec.com2. Jazz Foundation of America
To those who lost their instruments, like drummers and bassists who could not carry their heavy equipment, and guitarist with their amps, they will be making an effort to work with manufacturers and music stores to replace those instruments.
Send donations to:
Jazz Foundation of America
322 West 48th Street 6th floor
NYC 10036
Director: Wendy Oxenhorn
Phone: 212-245-3999 Ext. 21
email contact: Joyce@jazzfoundation.org
www.jazzfoundation.org
Keep safe, and healthy of mind and spirit! “We build our temples for tomorrow...”Wendy + Royal
Contact Copus:
Voicemail: 415/289-2097
* Email: copusqueen@earthlink.net
www.copusmusic.com
http://www.cafepress.com/copusmusic
www.sonicbids.com/copus
www.sonicbids.com/phoenixrising
Copyright © 2005 Copus. All rights reserved.
copusqueen@earthlink.net