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Taken from Michael Franti (Sep 11, 2010)
At 4 years old Raliegh Neal, II learned to play and sing "Proud Mary" on a baritone Ukulele. At the age of 5 he performed for his kindergarten class. It all seemed natural for him. He formed a jazz Quartet in 11th grade called Moment's Notice named after the John Coltrane classic. While in High School the band "gigged" professionally and participated in many jazz band competitions. Later Raliegh auditioned and was accepted to the University of Miami's school of music. Raliegh moved to New York City in 1991 and truly discovered the power of music and the arts in direct Community service. He became the Music Director for the CityKids Repertory Company where he implemented a music composition course for beginners and an audio engineering class for more experienced youth composers.
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Taken from Michael Franti (Sep 11, 2010)
I have been singing for as long as I can remember, whether it was along with the radio on long road trips, singing opera at age 5 in the bathroom, the church choir, years and years of talent shows, or performing the national anthem at countless sport games. My love for music has always played an integral part in my life. I grew up on the California coast in Monterey, just north of Big Sur. Being born and raised in such an incredibly beautiful environment ingrained the deepest love within me for nature and the outdoors. I started playing the piano at age 6, but after a couple of years moved on to musical theater and dance.
In high school I got my first guitar, and after I graduated I attended Cal Poly to study Theater and Dance.
I met Michael at the Winnipeg folk festival in 2007. A year later he heard me sing and play guitar after a Stay Human clothing photo shoot I was hired for. I now spend most of my time on the road with Spearhead, or in San Francisco working on my debut album which is being produced by Michael with the help of musician and sound engineer J Bowman. I have also been busy in the studio singing the background vocals for Michael Franti and Spearhead's new album The Sound of Sunshine, coming out September 21st. I also join Michael on trips working with CARE, a global aid organization. Last winter we traveled to East Timor to learn about the living and farming conditions there and to sing for the children and families in different villages. Being able to bring the gift of music to those who have so little, especially children, is a passion I intend to nurture with great dedication.
My experiences on the road with Spearhead thus far have been nothing short of a dream come true. I am soaking in every moment and love the excitement of being in a new city and meeting new faces every day. I look forward to all the inspiration these travels continue to bring so that I can pour that into my solo projects as well. Now calling San Francisco home, I have grown a deep love for the raw grit of the city and feel inspired amidst the chaos and buzzing energy, but still love being in the dirt, and run to the forest every chance I get.
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Taken from Michael Franti (Sep 11, 2010)
I'm Dave Shul I hope all is well in cyberspace. I play guitar in Spearhead. I've been involved in the Bay Area music scene for about 20 years and joined Spearhead in April of 1998. My favorite part of being in Spearhead is traveling and meeting local folks, because I don't usually get to see a lot of the sites as we are moving from place to place so quickly.
I first started playing guitar at age 12. My older brother had a guitar and I used to sneak into his room and play it, because every time I'd ask him for a lesson he'd bop me on the nose and say, "get outta here you ...!" At age 13 I went to Cazadero Music camp at the Russian River in northern California. Among the teachers were Bobby McFerrin, Eddy Marshall, and John Santos.
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Taken from Cherine-TV (Apr 27, 2016)
"Making music is like food to my soul. It make me feel good, it's powerful, it heals...I hope people feel inspired when they experience my music too."
Cherine Anderson is one of Jamaica's leading young female singer/songwriters, actress and performers. Her genre defying grooves coupled with her powerful voice and thought provoking lyrics has brought her in front of well over 1,000,000 live audience fans, in places such as Jamaica, Europe, Canada, Australia and the USA.
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Taken from www.anthonyrobustelli.com (Apr 26, 2016)
Anthony Robustelli is the epitome of a born musician. Though his primary instrument is keyboards, he is truly a multi-instrumentalist. Anthony is also a prolific writer who has four prior albums to his credit, Another Fatal Blow, Grown Tired of the Con, Comfort is so Rare and a six-movement straight-ahead jazz suite, entitled Travels of a Lost Soul. The music from Travels was featured in the film "Get Famous" along with songs from jazz great Gary Bartz. He also co-wrote the score for the critically acclaimed independent film "Hitman's Handbook" the award-winning PBS documentary "Off the Curb" , penned the theme song to the 2012 documentary "Naked Brand" , and played keyboards on the Spearhead LP Yell Fire.
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Taken from MC RADIOACTIVE | Flowerbox (Apr 28, 2016)
Originating from Boston, MA, Radio Active embodies the essence of hip hop. He is an emcee, beatboxer, writer, painter, and b-boy. He plays musical instruments, incorporates electronic beats with his beatbox and commands active audience participation during his fresh, soulful original live performances.
Innovative to the industry, Radio Active brings hip hop into other genres, a true crossover artist. An electrifying performer, Radio Active has toured extensively the past years throughout North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan as a member of the politically charged musical group Michael Franti & Spearhead to audiences in theaters and festivals upwards of 100,000 people ...
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Taken from Bob Crawford Music - Biography (Apr 28, 2016)
The Bay Area's Bob Crawford is a pianist/keyboardist who finds home in a wide range of different musical styles. He's had experience in everything from jazz to afrobeat, salsa, samba, funk, hip hop, rock, and more.
Although he had little formal musical education, Bob proved to be a quick study with the afro-cuban montuno piano style, and found himself playing in a great local latin funk band called Los Angelitos throughout the early '90s . The band won several Bay Area music awards and played to packed houses, including The Warfield, The Filmore, Slims, and the Great American Music Hall. In addition, the band's music was featured on the national TV show Nash Bridges, including one of Bob's compositions. Clearly, he was on his way.
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Taken from Billboard (Apr 28, 2016)
Born Goapele Mohlabane in Oakland, CA, this singer grew up in a socially conscious and politically active family. Her mother married South African political exile Douglas Mohlabane while studying in Nairobi, Kenya. At an early age, Goapele attended the Berkeley Arts Magnet School where she led a pre-teen peer support group. She also became involved in various groups and organizations that combated racism and sexism. It would be these extroverted activities that assisted her singing career as she would also sing at community functions.
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Taken from Guitar Casa (February 14, 2014)
An Inspiration for Anyone Inspired to Play Jazz on an 8 String Guitar
Although most 8 string guitar playing is associated with the genre of metal, the Charlie Hunter guitar style proves that this guitar has an iconic place in jazz. Over the course of about 20 years, Hunter has proven that he is a skilled musician capable of magic on the eight string guitar.
Early Years
Charlie Hunter was born on May 23rd, 1967 in Rhode Island, but moved to Berkeley, California with his family at the age of four...
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