I was told the other day that I am “just like Martha Stewart“. Damn, where the hell did that come from? I can assure you that I am not running around clothed in women’s dresses. As it turned out, the comment was aimed at my involvement in all facets of the company; from writing the Namba Gear blog to picking out the Namba Gear colors. (I understand that picking out product colors is one of Martha’s big things). So, I thought it might be interesting for you to know where I got the “inspiration” for our fashionable color combinations.

How Is A Black Laptop Bag Similar To A ”Piano Shaped Object”? 

To begin with, every laptop bag company seemingly offers a black bag (not that there is anything wrong with that), and just like looking at acoustic pianos, after awhile, all black laptop bags start to look alike; even if there are major differences in design, construction and quality. Piano stores even have a name for this black piano phenomenon: PSO = Piano Shaped Object.

Although, I wanted Namba Gear to have an identity that would at least set us apart from “the black bags” enough that our customers would give us an opportunity to prove that we were the “best of class”, I had a more important reason to look at colors. This primary reason was based on my personal experience of setting my bag down with a bunch of other black bags in dim lighting and not being able to find my stuff.

I also noticed that if the inside of the black bag looked like the outside of the black bag, (i.e.; black), I couldn’t quickly identify what I needed to pull out of my bag. So the inside of the bag needed to be a contrasting color. My past shame is revealed, I can’t find my own bag in a crowd, and when I finally do, I can’t find my stuff inside the bag.

Apocalypto Provides The Color Palette For Namba Gear

Here’s the “true colors” story; I finally watched Mel Gibson’s movie, Apocalypto. Although I enjoyed the movie, I’ll spare you the movie review. At any rate, the vibrant colors of the tropical jungle of Mexico against the copper earth tones of the Mayan civilization as depicted in this movie were really wonderful.

What got my “color antennae” activated was when the Mayan painted the soon-to-be-sacrificed tribesmen this bold, bright blue and how the blue men were such a great contrast against the brown background color of the buildings. There was also a great combination of bronzed masks and ornaments against the background of green jungle vegetation.

Namba Gear Laptop Bags & Backpacks - Visibility For The Non-Conformist

So the Mayan civilization of Apocalypto inspired the Namba Gear studio laptop bag colors of brown/blue interior and olive green/bronze interior. What about the charcoal bag with red interior you ask? That is from a scene of a fire with the glowing charcoals.

I want to announce that it is offically OK to walk away from black. No monkeys will get hurt in the process. Plus, with Namba Gear laptop studio bags & backpacks, you’ll be able to find your bag and find what’s inside in speedy time.

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A couple of years ago I visited Rio de Janeiro along with my friends and great musicians Chris “Fingers” Adams and Scott Wilkie. On Saturday night we grabbed a taxi and went to an old samba club in the Lapa area of Rio called Bar Carioca da Gema

The Best Samba Club On The Planet

The club occupied an old house that had been turned into a club and held about 250 people. “Cariocas” are what the native Rio de Janeirans call themselves. The expression da gema means “very best” or “genuine article”.

The club was packed; there were more than 350 people in the place and everyone was moving to the rhythm of the beat. It was infectious. You couldn’t help yourself as the room throbbed and your body started to move of its own volition.

What Does A Traditional Samba Band Look Like?

It was a traditional 7-piece samba band with the players ranging in age from about 20 - 65 years old. From left to right:

1) Flute/percussion/background vocals
2) Tambourine (never heard anyone play a tambourine like this – he was like the snare, toms, hi-hat and cymbals of a drum kit)
3) Bass drum called the surdo (the 65 year old, played like a floor tom with mallet and hand to muffle)
4) Brazilian cavaquinho, a 4-string petite guitar (the 20 year old)
5) Mandola (the “rock star” of the band with great facial expressions worthy of any lead guitar player)
6) Brazilian 7-string classical guitar (alternated bass lines and rhythmic chords)
7) Center stage vocals (female vocalist that could give you a sexy purr or nail you with her voice.)

It was also a tribute night to one of Brazil’s well-known samba composers.

The band kicked into high gear and the musicianship was incredible. This form of traditional samba is multivoiced and heavily, hugely rhythmic. The surdo thudding out its bass rhythm was palpable. Everyone in the crowd knew the songs of the famous composer, so the entire club of 350 people sang along on the chorus of every song. As the set progressed, the singer showed the crowd an intricate syncopated beat to clap to, and they all did it! (You can’t even get most Americans to clap on 2 & 4).

My First Samba And A New Music Tribe

The entire room was dancing; everyone was singing; everyone was clapping; and best of all, everyone had a great big shitty grin on their faces! I have never felt so full of music, so full of joy and so much a part of the tribe, as in this place.

READ RELATED ARTICLES: Tribal Drums

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The first question we have to ask ourselves is; Why did you think that you could have a meaningful relationship with another human being and continue to pursue your music dreams? Of course there is no good answer to that; anyone involved in the arts is going to have a high degree of passion for their art as well as for the people that they care about.

So the real question becomes; How do I keep my private life and my art of creating and recording music in balance? Yes, balance is the key. But how do we attain that balance? Jeez, this is starting to sound like a bad Kung-Fu movie… OK, then it must be story-time.

How The Problem Developed

Several years ago, my friend J. Chris Griffin, NYC mixing engineer (Madonna, The Corrs, Janet Jackson) shared with me some of the difficulties he was having balancing the demands of a very successful career mixing top caliber recordings against having time with his lovely wife, Janet. He would find himself in the middle of a music project that was due within the next day or two and wind up staying in the recording studio, mixing the tracks until midnight or later in order to get it finished.

Since Janet works normal hours, typically she had already gone to bed by the time he came home each night, and she was up and gone before he awoke. I’m sure that by now we have all correctly identified Chris and Janet’s problem.

(more…)

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