Kalimba Magic NEWS

Seeking funding for Baba Marimba CD via Kickstarter
We need to raise about $1000 more within a week

My world music dance band Baba Marimba is raising money via Kickstarter for our debut CD. Can you help us?

Kickstarter is a new way to raise money for artistic projects, such as recording and duplicating a new CD. The way it works: people describe their projects on the Kickstarter web site, including how much money they need to raise and how long they have to raise it. Other people make pledges through their Amazon accounts. If the target amount is raised in the target time, the project is funded (minus about 10% for credit card processing and Kickstarter fees), and contributors are debited their pledges. If the target amount is not raised in the target time, the project isn't funded and the pledges aren't charged.

Oh, and one other important feature of Kickstarter - those pledges are not just for giving away money for free - each pledge is in exchange for something of value - like a CD or a concert.

Since October 2011, I've been playing with Baba Marimba here in Tucson Arizona. It has been a great experience for me. Some of the music we play traces its origins through the Kwanongoma College of African Music (scroll down to pages 8-21) where Andrew Tracey helped set up their course of instruction by finding karimba master Jega Tapera back in 1960. In fact, the Kwanongoma school started the new movement of marimba band music in southern Africa, which came to the USA around 1970 with Kwanongoma graduate Dumisani Maraire who taught at the University of Washington in Seatle. Of course, some of the songs played on the "newfangled marimbas" come from the karimba and the mbira, and are more like 1000 years old. Part of Baba Marimba's repertoire grows out of that tradition. And part of our repertoire is original music. And people just love the music we create.

Says our latest $350 pledger for a house concert:

Dear Band Members, Wondering if the full band is available to play at a backyard party to celebrate my birthday? As the musical vibrations of the saxophone blend with the drum beat, an irresistible urge to dance breaks through the self-imposed barriers. Freedom, joy and gratitude moves me far beyond the wheelchair into the Oneness that unites everyone who embraces the healing energy generated by Baba Marimba.

A band like Baba Marimba is not easy to record. We need to go into a real studio, with many expensive microphones, isolation booths, etc. In other words, it costs real money to record a band like this (as opposed to the Hans Mayer/Mark Holdaway CD, a duo which I record in my bedroom for free).

We are trying to raise $2000 via Kickstarter to pay for our first recording session, CD production, and CD duplication. We have just under a week to raise just under $1000 more. We are asking you to pledge $20 to help us pay for this - and in exchange we will send you a CD when it is done. For $30, we can send you a CD autographed by the six original Baba Marimba band members. For $40, I guess we'll send you two CDs. If you are in the Tucson area, higher pledge levels will get you a lesson or even a house concert.

Please help us out a little - you won't be disappointed! And your generosity will help Baba Marimba fly.

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