Michael Franti hugged my daughter today.

[silverweb]

She got to San Francisco in time for the Power to the Peaceful festival this afternoon and was lucky enough to be up front while Franti performed. She called me a few times on her cell phone so I could hear the music, but the noise was just too awful to make much of anything out.

Then she called to say she was wearing her Obama T-shirt and sitting on a friend's shoulders during part of the concert and got close enough to Franti to say "Thanks for writing Yell Fire!" after the performance, and he gave her a big smile and a quick hug before he moved on.

I asked her if she told him her mother adores him, but she said she didn't get the chance to say it for either of us.


Oh, to be young again....

Power to the Peaceful!

[musette_sf]

1. way cool

i have a michael franti bumper sticker in my office with a quote from "Bomb The World":

"You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace"

[silverweb]

4. Love it!

I don't have the bumper sticker or a bumper to put it on. However, I do have the "Yell Fire" album cover (among other things) on my desktop slideshow screensaver.

[Fridays Child]

2. He's an awesome songwriter and performer.

High five to your daughter!

[silverweb]

5. And he's an awesome human being.

I loved his music from the start, but after I saw a couple of interviews and read more about the man, he became much more than a musician to me.

[sakabatou]

3. I was there too!

[silverweb]

7. You're so lucky!

I hope you had a fantastic day. My daughter told me the whole event was just incredible.

[Cha]

6. SCHWEET! "Power To The Peaceful"..ohhhhhh,

I Like That!

WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR..ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

[silverweb]

8. Franti started this annual event.

"The festival was created by Michael Franti in 1999 and is co-produced by Guerrilla Management, providing a FREE music and arts festival dedicated to social justice, non violence, coexistence and environmental sustainability." _link_

Apparently, it quickly became an institution. I so wish I could be there just once!

War! Good God y'all,
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing!
Say it, Say it, Say it!



Edited to add link.

[Bennyboy]

10. Franti...the most important musician since Bob Marley!

An incredible person.

[silverweb]

14. Amen.

I hadn't really thought to compare him to anyone else, but your Marley reference fits.

[Cha]

11. Thank you for this link, silverweb!~

Michael Franti is new to me..

[silverweb]

12. You're most welcome.

He's an amazing artist and person. There are some interviews he did _here_ that will help introduce you, as well.

Enjoy!

[Cha]

15. Awesomely Awesome..This is in my

favorites and bookmarks so I can view them soon when I've rested up from a labor intensive week!

[Forkboy]

9. That's pretty damn cool. Michael is a hell of a person.

[silverweb]

13. Indeed.

Everything I've learned about him confirms that.

[Forkboy]

16. Have you seen his documentary yet?

I'm dying to see it!



Musician and political activist Michael Franti journeys to the Middle East to learn about the human costs of political occupation in this documentary. Franti, who has recorded with the groups Spearhead and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, took a small camera crew to Iraq with the goal of finding out "what it's like to live under foreign military rule," and with his guitar in hand Franti interacts with Iraqi civilians, chatting with people on the street, speaking with folks in their homes, and joining in for performances with local musicians as he interviews them about the differences between life before and after the American invasion of their nation. Franti also visits American forces stationed in Iraq, wanting to know how the war and occupation has impacted their lives. Later Franti journeys to Israel, speaking to ordinary people and military figures as well as Palestinians in search of similar insights on this long simmering conflict.

[silverweb]

17. No.

But I saw an interview in which he talked about it and showed some incredible clips.

I'm dying to see the documentary, too!