BY ALICE COTTON
MUSIC INSPIRES, PAIN IS UNIVERSAL, AND WE ALL WANT PEACE.
Having recently moved to Woody Creek from San Francisco, I was extremely pleased when California resident Michael Franti came to town. He is an extra soulful, thought-provoking, heartfelt musician, and all 6 foot 5 of him is fun. Josh Burman of Mountain Groove Productions put on a fine event at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House.
To kick off the evening, Michael Franti made a great introduction. His documentary film I Know I’m Not Alone captures the lives of Iraqi, Israeli, and Palestinian civilians as well as those of Israeli troops and U.S. soldiers in Iraq. He tells a smart tale of how universal the notion of wanting peace really is.
Mr. Michael Franti took himself, a small crew, a video camera, and his guitar to strum around the war-torn streets of Baghdad, the West Bank, and Gaza. The common thread among all his encounters was that music inspires, pain is universal, and we all want peace. The most poignant interview were with Palestinian rappers, an Iraqi heavy metal band, and a Jewish-Arabic jam session.
The movie was highly applauded: afterward a question-and-answer session ensued. Michael Franti welcomed and answered all questions with enthusiasm and inspiration. He has proven that a man with a guitar and a camera can raise the world’s level of awareness. After condoning any form of violence for political or other means, he moved into a live performance. His songs are smart and charming. Lyrics such as, ”We can bomb the world to pieces but we can’t bomb it into peace” filled the sold-out hall.
Michael Franti cares about the individual — the fact that he took the time to go play and listen to war survivors in dangerous locations proves his dedication. This international film tour he is on further demonstrates his willingness to get this certainly heavy yet simple message to as many people as possible, and hopefully to the right people. Leading by example, Michael Franti shares his personal journey and encourages. at least me, to believe l can also inspire others to the right thing.
In short, we are all little birds capable of soaring over mountain tops- alone or in a flock — and what is important is to give, to share, to be ahppy, to be free, to know we are not alone.
