NAME: Jeff Rona (award-winning film composer)

CITY: Santa Monica, CA

WEBSITE: www.jeffrona.com

FAVORITE MUSIC SOFTWARE: Logic

NAMBA GEAR: Shaka Laptop Messenger

Jeff Rona is a contemporary film composer and recording artist who has worked on numerous film and television scores, including Homicide: Life On The Street, The Lion King, Traffic, The Net, Toys, Mission: Impossible II and many, many others. Prior to becoming an established composer, Rona was active in the creative and technical aspects of electronic music, and was one of the architects of the MIDI standard. He is author of The Reel World, a guide to the art and business of film scoring, and which grew out of a column of the same name which he regularly writes for Keyboard Magazine.

His projects have received numerous awards including Oscar, Peabody & Emmy awards, and countless film festival awards around the world. He is a two time recipient of the ASCAP film and television music award. He was commissioned to compose a concert for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which toured throughout China.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECTS

I spent a lot of 2008 traveling thru China as part of my composing, recording and performing for the 2008 Olympic games. I’m back in the studio now scoring the horror/thriller ‘The Tortured’,  and the video game God Of War 3.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR NAMBA GEAR BAG?

My laptop is a portable studio as well as my lifeline away from the studio. I carry demos, record sessions all from my laptop and audio interface. I put my gear thru a lot, and safety counts! I’m a “bag guy” and I’ve gotta have a great bag. That’s why I chose the Shaka Laptop Messenger bag.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE REMOTE RECORDING LOCATION?
In the homes and personal studios of some of the best musical artists on the planet.

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In our third installment of All Good Things Namba, we will explore  one of Japan’s most famous shopping districts, the Namba District of Osaka, Japan. What really makes this shopping area so special is  Namba Parks which is integrated into the buildings.

Namba Parks is a really amazing piece of architecture, a place where you’ll spend half your time shopping and the other half admiring the design. It stands where Osaka’s baseball stadium used to be until 2003, and consists of a 30-floor skyscraper, Parks Tower, and 120-tenant shopping mall which includes many restaurants and a cinema. The eight floors of terraced gardens, boutique stores, big brands and trendy dining have been an instant hit in shopping-mad Osaka. In addition to providing a highly visible green component in a city where nature is sparse, the sloping park connects to the street, welcoming passers-by to enjoy its groves of trees, clusters of rocks, cliffs, lawn, streams, waterfalls, ponds and outdoor terraces.

Beneath the park, a canyon carves an experiential path through specialty retail, entertainment and dining venues. Namba Parks creates a new natural experience for Osaka that celebrates the interaction of people, culture and recreation. The project was so successful that Namba Parks was extended in 2007 - almost doubling the facility.

 Finally this project is so amazing, that personally I would include it as the 8th wonder of the world.

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Second in our Namba Gear series of other cool and interesting All Good Things Namba that we have discovered, is Austin Namba the skateboard wizard. This guy is so good he is just “sick”. The soundtrack is “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone, which seems very appropriate as Austin makes it look so easy that everybody should be able to to it. Again, simply enjoy. Peace.

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We thought that we were so clever when we came up with the name of our company, Namba Gear, based on the travel essay about the two Namba tribes of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu. You can read the full story by going to one of our earlier blogs, The Danger of Reading Travel Essays When You Are Trying to Name Your Company.

Since then, we have become aware that Namba is not so unusual a name after all, and in fact there is a  plethora of Namba’s in this world. So, we thought we would bring you our little series of All Good Things Namba.

First up is a clip from the South African Gospel Music Complilation DVD. It’s by Mthunzi Namba, one of my favorite mzansi gospel artists, with Joyous Celebration.  If you are in need of a translation, “thina sithi amen…” means “we are saying Amen…” Enjoy!

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NAME: Ray Riendeau (bassist / recording & performance artist)

CITY: Phoenix, AZ

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/rayriendeau

FAVORITE MUSIC SOFTWARE: Logic

NAMBA GEAR: Shaka Laptop Messenger

Ray is a highly sought after bassist whose versatile style and dedication to the instrument has earned him world tours and many major CD recording projects. His musical expertise and knowledge of the instrument keeps him busy as a composer, teacher, clinician and a touring / recording artist.

Ray is endorsed by ZON Basses, Accugroove Cabinets, Aguilar Amplification & Lightwave Systems. He has been featured in many publications such as Bass Player, Bass Frontiers & Bassics to name a few.

As a clinician, Riendeau has demonstrated his concepts to students throughout the United States & Europe at events such as Bass Day - L.A., the National Guitar Summer Workshop, The School of Bass - AZ and Bass Day - New York 2001 which also featured Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Matt Garrison, Mike Pope and Christian McBride.Ray was also part of the ZON Ultimate Bass Concert in Berkley CA with Michael Manring, Todd Johnson and Damian Erskine. Riendeau is also acknowledged for his contributions alongside highly-revered guitarists such as Gary Hoey, Greg Koch, John 5, Jeff Kollman, Scott Mishoe, Ron Jarzombek, Rob Popescu, Curtis Reid and Neil Zaza.

Ray is a bassist most known for his work with singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest). As a member of the band Halford, Ray recorded two studio cds, one double live CD, and toured around the world, most notably playing to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden - NYC and Co-headlining Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival with Iron Maiden playing to a crowd of over 250,000 (to be released as a DVD Sept 23, 2008).

Ray was also a recording / touring artist for Machines of Loving Grace, a band who was featured on the movie soundtrack “The Crow” which sold over 1,000,000 copies. His credits with the band include “Gilt” and the soundtrack for the movie “Hackers.”

Riendeau assisted in the research and development of Sunn bass amps and the Fender Bassman series combo amps for Fender Musical Instruments. Ray has also been a Fender clinician and authored an instructional DVD for Fender as well that is included in all bass packs sold all over the world.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECT, RECORDING, OR PERFORMANCE:

Upcoming clinics/performances:

Arizona Bass Player Festival  March 5 - 8  Tempe, AZ (ASU)

Mile High Bass Camp May 2nd  Longmont, CO  @ Mojo’s music Academy

Rocky Mountain Bass Slam May 3rd Denver, CO @ Ziggies

check website for more details:  www.myspace.com/rayriendeau

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR NAMBA GEAR BAG?

The NAMBA Shaka bag allows for durability, protection, lots of room for musician type things and style.

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I recently received this email notice from Music Connection Magazine. Check it out.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the untimely death of pioneer rocker Buddy Holly, and to commemorate it Music Connection’s website is featuring a remarkable mp3 for your listening pleasure: it’s a fascinating long-distance phone conversation between a then little-known Buddy Holly and the president of the label that had just dropped him. Bottom line: the ever polite but persistent Holly is heard getting the old heave-ho from The Man. The conversation (recorded by Holly on his own reel-to-reel tape machine) is heartbreaking (considering Holly’s impending death in a plane crash), supremely ironic (in light of the legendary heights that this artist would soon attain), but ultimately inspirational today to any struggling artist who hears it.

Take this opportunity to eavesdrop on this incredible piece of music history by going to http://www.musicconnection.com/. In the upper left of our Home Page you’ll find the Holly clip on the “Music Connection Channel.”

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At the recent NAMM show in Anaheim, CA, one of our Namba Gear neighbors were the guys from IMSTA. The International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA) is a nonprofit association which represents the interests of the music software industry. IMSTA’s primary goal is to change end-user behavior in order to reduce the demand for pirated software. I had some lively discussions with IMSTA’s executive director, Paul Fattahi about why people and especially musicians might feel perfectly warranted about using cracked software.

This got me to thinking about a visit to Buenos Aires with my friend and associate Chris Adams of Studio Sound International. One day we had lunch with a very famous Latin American drummer, whom I was surprised to learn was also on the forefront of technology. I was surprised that he was technology fluent not because he was from Latin America, but because he was a drummer. (OK, I promise, no more drummer jokes.) As we talked about various music software, it seemed that our drummer had just about every piece of music software on the planet. When questioned about this, he boasted that he had cracked versions of everything and had paid little, if anything, for the majority of his software collection.

Now I wouldn’t claim that I was “without software sin” in my past, but his attitude just pushed my buttons. I couldn’t help myself and confronted him by asking if it would be OK if I distributed a pirated copy of his latest CD? Or if I came to one of his shows, took a line out of the main console and recorded the show, then made a CD of their live show and distributed it or posted it on the Internet for anyone to download for free? Now I had pushed his buttons and you would have thought that I was Dr. Evil by his reaction.

You get the point I’m sure. Whether you are a songwriter/performer or a software developer, everyone would like to be reimbursed for their labor (even if it is a labor of love). It’s not right for someone to steal your songs or your performances and it’s not right to steal software.

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NAME: Maskerade (musician / songwriter)

CITY: Santa Ana, CA

WEBSITE: www.mlifesoul.com

NAMBA GEAR: Kava Laptop Studio Bag 

As you sit back and listen to the sultry sounds of this RnB/Hip-Hop crooner you are sure to be filled you with wonderful emotions of the nostalgia of love, inspiration and the liberation to kick off your shoes and dance. If you have been waiting for an artist who can make you reminisce, make you smile, and make you cry, the wait is over. We would like to introduce you to Maskerade?

In life we rarely get a chance to do what we were truly called to do. This is not the case for Maskerade. A California native, born in Orange “Juice” County, Maskerade’s love of music began at a very young age. His influence spans over a variety of artists and genres. Listening to different songwriters over the years allowed him to fine tune his skills into what you witness today. Now a new chapter in the journey begins for this extraordinarily gifted artist.

When asked about his performances, Maskerade explains, “My goal when I perform is simple, I want to win the hearts of all who are watching me.” Well, not only has he won many hearts, but has also captured the listening ears of many fans. This singer/songwriter has performed at many events such as the Black History Fair in his hometown, Santa Ana, California. His large list of venues include the Key Club and The Grind in Los Angeles, the House of Blues in Anaheim and Hollywood, and more recently The Vault 350 in Long Beach just to name a few. Of one of his most memorable performances, Maskerade speaks of an unforgettable performance celebrating the homecoming of our American Troops from Iraq. This special performance was indeed a crowd pleaser, attracting an audience of five thousand Troops and their awaiting families, held on a military base in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Let there be no doubt, Maskerade is not just a singer but also a songwriter/entertainer who writes straight from his heart to yours.

Maskerade’s debut CD entitled Luv Iz Crazi is not just another RnB album, but offers more than one would expect, from a cool blend of melodic love ballads to up tempo grooves with a hint of hip-hop and rap. Maskerade collaborates with several other talented artists who he has included to enhance your listening pleasure. The smooth melodies and clever lyrics make him a tour de force. “Because love will make you do crazy things,” He says this is the reason behind the choice of the album?s title, “and the way I spell it symbolizes the topic. Love will give you these wild feelings and people react to those feelings in many different ways. In one corner of love you have a man sending a woman a hundred roses. In another you have a woman bashing some poor Cat’s car. I wanted to write from a perspective that all can relate to?that’s love and love is crazy.”

In 2008 Maskerade was a finalist in the Urban Category of the UK Songwriting  Contest for his song “Outta Control”.  He also placed 5th overall in the  Broadjam 6-pack Songwriting contest. Next up is a female group project that he is writing and producing called “EnAmori” and his latest album “The Fire and the Flame.” Both of the projects are set for 2009.

Recent Projects:

Upcoming projects: EnAmori: www.myspace.com/enamori

Upcoming album:  The Fire and the Flame: www.cdbaby.com/maskerade3

What I like best about my Namba Gear: I’m absolutely estatic with my Kava Laptop Studio Bag!  It’s got everything you need to take your gear on the go.  It’s very sturdy with thick straps and stiching. I was pleasantly suprised and I already have a bunch of stuff in it.  Thanks for making such a great product.

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