About the artists
All of the artists on this recording live and work in the Greater Los Angeles area. Almost all of them have personal history with California Institute of the Arts.

Principal arranger, composer, and producer
Alan Eder has been a songwriter all his life and for over two decades has played and studied traditional West African and reggae music. Alan earned a Bachelor's degree from UCLA in ethnomusicology, a Master of Fine Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts in African Music Performance, and a Fulbright Scholarship to West Africa for studies and research in traditional musics.

Rhythm Section
The guiding lights of the band, guitarist Dustin Boyer and keyboard player Tardu Yegin, pick up where they left off on our ground breaking first recording, Reggae Passover. The amazing expressivity of Dustin's mind and hands rejoin us courtesy of Descanso, the group he fronts on guitar and vocals. Tardu managed to work our sessions into his busy schedule with the Irish band, the Fenians (where he is affectionately known as everyone's favorite Irishman from Ankara). Joining them are bass player and singer Ivan Garzon and percussionist Blake Colie, (the backbone of Rub-a-Dub, rising stars on the Southern California reggae scene) and drummer extraordinaire Bryon Holley (of Mama's Kitchen).

Vocalists
Cantor Dennis Parnell and vocalist Lorna Eder return with more of their fine vocal work, first heard on Reggae Passover. Joining them are Chava Mirel and Natalie Azerad, two singers whose beautiful voices and worldly sensibilities are perfectly suited to our sound and feeling.

Principal African Musicians
Kobla Ladzekpo, my longtime teacher, mentor, and friend, is one of the pioneers in international performance and instruction in African music and dance. His nephew Agbi Ladzekpo is the Music Director of Zadonu African Music and Dance Company, and daughter Yeko Ladzekpo-Cole, in addition to being a drummer and singer, is one of the most agile and artistic African dancers around. (In our live performances, Yeko choreographs and dances along with her mother, Dzidzogbe Lawluvi, her sister, Afi Ladzekpo, and Yolanda Heath. Kevin O'Sullivan holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in African music performance from California Institute of the Arts, is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Ghana and has developed a method of transcribing and performing Ewe dance drumming on the drumset.

Featured Artists
Keeping the Nyabinghi flame burning that he lit on Reggae Passover, we are blessed to have back living legend of roots reggae music, Ras Michael. This remarkable singer, drummer, songwriter, band leader and guiding spirit was dubbed, "Your Nyabinghi specialist" by no less than Bob Marley.

Guest appearances by multi-instrumentalists and groovemeisters Evan Fraser, Edson Gianesi, and Kiko Cornejo further broaden the posse's world of sound. Evan plays Southern African style kalimba in the Afa Medley, and in Latke, Edson plays berimbau and ganza and Kiko, congas and campana bells.

Our horn section is Todd Simon, James King, and Gabrial McNair. All three are in demand studio and live performers, Todd and James with a number of different groups while Gabe makes most of his music these days with the pop group No Doubt.