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Taken from Cisco Systems Bluesfest (July 10, 2003)
Cisco Systems Bluesfest - Ottawa Bluesfest
Michael Franti & Spearhead
 In nearly two decades in music making, Michael Franti has grown from a black-booted voice of youthful rage into a barefoot clarion for social justice. In 1986, Franti formed the Beatnigs, whose black industrial sound deconstructed punk rock and Reaganism with a leather-jacketed "No!" to militarism, racism, and compromise. By 1992, Franti and Beatnig member Rono Tse became the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy with multi-instrumentalist Charlie Hunter (who has since become a renowned jazz guitarist). Their album Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury delivered assaulting Public Enemy-inspired beats and rhymes, but also offered naked songs like the self-probing 'Socio-Genetic Experiment' and the movement-mantric 'Music and Politics'. Franti has toured with U2, recorded with William Burroughs, and is a protest music icon.
His next step defied expectations. In 1994, he signed to Capitol Records for his new band, Spearhead, and dove headfirst into his blackness, mixing up Mayfield and Marley, Scott-Heron and Scarface on hits like 'Hole In The Bucket', 'People In the Middle', and 'Ganja Babe'. 'Home' and 'Chocolate Supa Highway' sold hundreds of thousands of copies and Spearhead became a worldwide phenomenon.
But by 1999, Franti had retreated from the major-label treadmill to re-center his music and politics. 2000's 'Stay Human', co-released on his own indie label, Boo Boo Wax and Six Degrees, was a statement on justice and survival, touching on issues like media monopolization and incarceration.
'Everyone Deserves Music', perhaps Franti's best album in an accomplished career, represents the most connected, developed work Franti has ever done. He composed many of the songs from the guitar up and, like fellow 21st century cultural globalists Manu Chao and Ozomatli, continues to synthesize his eclectic influences. In a departure from the noise of the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes and the minimalism of early Spearhead, Franti's affirming lyrics are now set to appropriately swelling rock chords, while keeping a 21st century world-wise groove, nodding towards reggae, dancehall, bossa nova, Afrobeat, and funk.
Since the release of 'Stay Human' in 2000, Michael Franti and Spearhead have toured relentlessly, headlining hundreds of shows for their legions of devoted fans as well as sharing the stage with acts as diverse as Dave Matthews, Ani Di Franco, Trey Anastasio (Phish) and KRS-One.
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