Maybe it’s because we just attended the ASCAP Expo and are really tuned into song structure, but the Ben E King song “Stand By Me” has got to rank up there as one of the greats. We happened across this video which uses street musicians and takes this song to totally new heights. Although we didn’t observe any Namba Gear, it is obvious that the producers of Playing for Change embraced the mobile studio idea to travel the world in order to realise their vision for this song. Amazing, awesome, inspiring. Enjoy.

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And what discussion of All Good Things Namba would be complete without a mention of NAMBA, the acronym for North American Model Boat Association. NAMBA International is a non-profit association of radio-controlled model boat clubs. The club appoints knowledgeable chairmen in such areas as Electric, Offshore, Sport Hydro, Outboard, and Unlimited Hydro.

These guys take their “sport” very  seriously, that is until you start checking out the videos on YouTube. Then you find out that they: put explosives on their toy boats and blow them up; tie a line with bait onto the back of the model boat and troll for fish; annoy alligators and get them to chase their model boats.

Here is a little video sampler for you.

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OK, this one is just way cool and a ton of fun. In our continuing expose of All Good Things Namba, Jackie and the Cedrics finishes off the Kaiju Surf Battle at Namba Rock Rider in fine, destructive style. Everybody gets involved, the audience does the crowd surfing, and the house is very effectively brought down! Tarentino look out, this has got to be the best surf band ever!

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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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