American singer and social justice campaigner Michael Franti. Photo by Sophie Meixner
AMERICAN musician and activist Michael Franti created the catchy riff of his latest single when he woke up one morning and his first waking thought was how happy he was to be alive.
"I was saying to myself that wouldn't it be great if everybody could wake up one day and say 'man, it's good to be alive right now'," he said.
"But not everybody says that every day and a lot of people are in conditions where they can't say that."
He performed this new single, Good To Be Alive Today, to a delighted crowd of clapping, dancing revellers at the Woodford Folk Festival on Tuesday night.
In his final number, the energetic crooner bounded off the stage, mingling with festival-goers whose rousing cheers indicated widespread praise for his soon-to-be-released album.
Franti's headlining spot at the festival was his first stint at Woodford, after touring Australia in the past for the Byron Bay Bluesfest.
"I've been hearing about (Woodford) for years, both as a fan and as a musician," Franti said.
"Artists have been telling me about it, friends and people around the country.
"I knew I was going to be in Bali this month so it was perfect timing, so I'm grateful to be here."
He said he had barely arrived in Woodford before he encountered the festival's unique spirit.
"I got over here around midday, I started walking around, I met a living tree person, met a robot, met a pirate, that was my first five minutes," he said.
Franti said his unique style of song-writing developed when, as an adopted child in a mixed-race family, he understood what it was like to stand out.
"That led me to want to speak and seek out others who feel left out and disenfranchised," he said.
"Some way, somehow, we all feel like freaks, weirdos, left out, and I want my music to be a voice for acceptance and a celebration of being different."
He said the word "tolerance" was thrown around in the community but he wanted to celebrate rather than tolerate different people.
"You tolerate if your sandwich doesn't really taste good but you're really hungry, but I don't want that," he said. "I want it to be that we celebrate the differences."
He said his music, which combined lyrics calling for social change with upbeat, positive melodies, reflected his optimistic view of the world.
"I see people everywhere around the world who are optimistic and hopeful for change," he said.
"I think that optimism is something you have to practice, not something you just wake up and become.
"Like shooting free throws in basketball or playing darts, if you do it all the time you get better at it.
"Think positive thoughts, do positive things, say positive words, then positive belief systems become your default rather than cynicism.
"I'm very optimistic about the future but I hope the future gets here quick."
