Music and Bombs

Driving to work today I made an all too frequent mistake of turning on the radio when the BBC world news is airing. I’m not one to turn my cheek to the tumultuous affairs that happen on this Earth but I at least deserve my morning cup of coffee before being subjected to a mudslide of media doom, gloom, and gore. Bombs are going off in taxis, suicide bombers are getting onto crowded buses in Jerusalem, and religious extremist women and children are suiting up with plastic explosive vests and walking into crowded hotel lobbies to detonate their payload of anger toward fellow humans. It’s a damn shame that such diverse and abstract concepts as religion can motivate people to intentionally harm their brothers and sisters on this planet.

After arriving at work with my steaming cup of Joe sitting on my desk I find more disheartening news in the music industry that I have reported on earlier in this column. Cuban musicians Ibrahim Ferrer, Chucho Valdes and Cuban group Los Van Van, three nominees for the September 3rd Latin Grammy Awards will not be able to attend the gala event because of stringent processes set up by the US State Department. Apparently, The ‘GW Gump’ Administration has been stepping up its resurrected ‘Cold War’ tactics by intensifying the process by which Cubans gain passage into the USA by tying up paperwork and investigations that could take up to two months before clearance is granted. All of this is due to the paranoid visions of our government that Cuba is still financially backing global terrorist efforts. Read Full Story HERE

This situation, which could easily be rectified by ‘GW Gump’ himself, is an absolute tragedy to musicians and to all artists worldwide. ‘Road Map to Peace’? How about extending your hand to three legendary musical artists and help them on their journey for recognition they fully deserve? I can’t believe the American public allowed such a foolish, bumbling, idiot into office. Are you going to let it happen again? You may have to put your remote control or Game Boy down for an hour to vote and make a stand this election, people. If all the music fans got together to help put these antiquated, outmoded, 1950’s idealist numbskulls out of their leather chairs in Washington maybe we could help turn this planet into a place where music is heard and not the sound of bombs…..

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com