How I Found Him:

I actually came upon this talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist via our very first Featured Fan, Bas D! I will admit that I’m surprised that Midón is not as well-known as he clearly deserves to be. This is what the Jukebox section is all about! Over the last 10 to 15 years or so my musical tastes have broadened considerably and am I glad! I would hate to think that I’d have missed out on the gem that is Midón’s music.

My Thoughts / Initial Impression:

Upon first listen I was utterly impressed by his unique, hybrid style. Midón offers up a heavy dose of funky R&B with some soulful Blues and Folk in there for good measure. I found myself mesmerized by his guitar playing. He works that guitar like his life depended on it, and maybe it does! The man is a guru of groove and the sometimes percussive flare in his delivery is such a breath of fresh air that you can’t help but smile and give in to it. Not only is Midón’s guitar playing exceptional, so is his voice. This man knows how to wrench every ounce of soulful emotion from his throat and bring it to your ears in a way that makes you stand up and take notice! He also produces vocal trumpet solos from time to time, too!

From His Wikipedia Entry:

Midón began his career as a session singer for numerous Latin recording artists including Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias and Jose Feliciano. After touring with Shakira, he set aside this career to pursue a solo career and moved to New York City. In New York City he focused completely on his solo career with the exception of working with producer and renowned DJ Little Louie Vega. He wrote and recorded several songs including “Cerca De Mi” with Louie and his production team under the band name “Elements of Life.” Elements of Life, led by Louie Vega toured Europe, Japan and Australia in 2003/2004.

Favorite Vid of His @ The Moment:

Releases To Date :

“Blind To Reality” 2001 self-released album
“Raul Midon Live EP” 2003 self released album
State of Mind (2005), Manhattan Records
A World Within a World (2007), Manhattan Records EMI
Synthesis (2009) Universal Decca

Related Links:

Official Site: http://www.raulmidon.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/raulmidon?_fb_noscript=1
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/raulmidon

Today’s Artist: Daniel Triana

How I Found Them:

For some reason it blows my mind that anyone or any band can still be creative after over two decades making music but that’s just what New Jersey born Daniel Triana is doing! I happened upon his particular brand of dark, cinematic Electro music via ReverbNation.

My Thoughts/Initial Impression:

I guess it’s the quirky Industrial flavor to his music that grips me, and the fact that one person can be responsible for the creation of music that immediately transports me to a world of action movie sequences and insane drama!

It’s little wonder that he cites Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Portishead and Massive Attack among others! Triana is quite the inspiration I gotta tell ya! Including a Gothic/Alternative band called Bellas Artes prior to his solo career, Triana has worked on many projects. He is definitely at the reigns only enlisting a few guest members when need be.

Reminds Me Of:

Depeche Mode, Front 242, Ladytron

Favorite Vid of Theirs @ The Moment:

Not an actual clip but a stream of his track “Flows and Glides” from the album “The Color of Sound”

Releases To Date:

• The Color of Sound (1996)
• Musica Electronica (1997)
• Untitled 1.0 (2007)
• Untitled 2.0 (2007)
• Untitled 3.0(2007)

You can purchase/preview all of the above at his CD Baby page

To Learn More:

Official Site: http://www.danieltriana.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danieltriana
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Triana/125925694255

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What We’re Reading:

What We’re Listening To:

He Says: “Great album. What really stands out is the robust guitar tone.”

She Says: “Secret fact. I am a lounge music addict. It started in the late nineties and has continued unabated. One of my fave things to do is to dim the lights, turn on the mellow vibes, and have some sparkling juice ”

What We’re Watching:

Last Movie Seen:

Currently Inspired By:

He Says: “Tools like the Internet keep proving that there are a lot of young and extremely talented people out there doing their thing. This is truly a DIY generation. These kids pulled offsomething that was more effective than the ‘official’ We Are The World 25. It’s an inspiration to hear and to see what the Internet has made possible.”

She Says: “Recently watched a marathon series on Andy Warhol’s ‘Factory People’. A lot of the section on the Velvet Underground intrigued me, got a lot of ideas from their multimedia performance art approach! “

Excerpt:
DEATHS from cases of domestic violence have quadrupled over a five-year period from 2004 to 2008, while the amount of cases of domestic violence reported to police have increased by 60 percent, according to statistics released in the Senate yesterday.

Read the whole article here.

The article goes on to mention that greater emphasis is being placed on police training re: handling of domestic violence incidents, as well as an increase in funding to NGOs who specialize in the matter.

What measures/changes would -you- like to see made? Do we need to take a legislative top-heavy approach first, or is the answer more from the ground up? Share your thoughts/experiences.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to have such exposure which is why it is so important for school systems to step in where parents may not have the resources. That’s why I was so happy to recently come across an online profile of Victor Prescod – Project Coordinator of Trinidad’s Pan in the Classroom Project Unit

Key Excerpt:
““….As a music educator, I am passionate about music education.  But all of the research that is done, tells you that the earlier a child begins to learn to read and write music, the better they perform across the board (academically).  The three main areas that children really need exposure to within the first six years of life – music – well the arts, but music in particular, physical education and sports, and languages.  Those three have been shown to be, the best areas in terms of developing the brain – making the connections around the neurons and synapses and so on; growing connections in the brain….”

I was however disturbed to read that although the project has now placed instruments in over 60 elementary schools in Trinidad & Tobago, there are still schools that actively do not want music in their schools and see no educational merits to its inclusion. Who could actively adopt such a stance, and why are they have been handed charge of our youngest of our citizens?

Read the whole profile here.

What do you think of early exposure to music education? Has it affected you personally in any way?

One of the topics that i am really passionate about is the fight against facism and racism. Here in Britain i see more and more racism entering secular life, things like – I’m not racist but… immigrants taking our jobs… etc. To me this type of prejudice is helped by the gutter press (to me this is all newspapers) that these people read and the belief that everything they read in the press is the gospel truth. With the press feeding the shallow minds, along with voter apathy, in my opinion this gives extremists like the fascist Brains Not Present and other far right organisations the ammunition they need to gain a little power. My belief is that politics needs to change and attract those who are apathetic to politics.

Sarina: If you won the lottery and could give $1 million USD to one of the causes on our page which would it be, and why?

There is only one cause i would give the lottery money to and that’s one that is really close to my heart and that would be autism awareness. The reason i have picked this cause is that I have family members who have autism and I know from personal experience how hard it is for autistic children/people to cope in certain situations . I think awareness needs to be greater to help others understand the world of an autistic person.

Sarina: That last line really says it all. As someone on the spectrum, I really wish more people took that approach…

Jason: What is your most prized possession and why?

Not to sound cheesy but my prize possessions are my family. Without them I wouldn’t be the person I am. Material possessions come and go, your family will always need you .

Sarina: Why do you dig Legionaire?

I dig Legionaire because their sound is fresh and through the amalagmation of influences [they] produce a sound that wants to tell the world they mean business .

Sarina: What would you like to share with the LegionCorps about your work/sites/etc. ?

What can I say about ravenslament? The first intention of ravenslament was to really mess around and remix other peoples trax but, while doing this I thought I would try my hand at doing some of my own material. As a person with an extreme eclectic taste in music I try to bring all these influences into all my work. I try not to get my trax categorised to any genre but my aim is to make music that will appeal to some/all of the artists/friends on reverbnation/myspace . I am under no illusion that all my trax will appeal to all, so making music in different styles, I hope there will be at least one track that will be liked by an individual. Anybody checking out my reverbnation profile will find these eclectic influences in all the trax i have uploaded. Thanx Legionaire for putting these questions to me, I hope I have answered them enough for you. Great thanx is given for making me your featured artist of the week .

as always believe and keep in touch

ravenslament

Think your mug should be the next one to be featured on our site? There’s only one way to be picked, and that is to join our mailing list Membership not only puts you in the running to be our next Featured Fan, it also qualifies you for members-only merchandise giveaways,exclusive Legionaire downloads and breaking updates where our group and music are concerned . Sign up today! Your information will never be shared or sold (Don’t forget to confirm your membership via the link that will automatically be sent to you )

Key excerpt:

Trinidad and Tobago got its most serious wake-up call about the new penalties for drunk driving on Friday, when Carl Pirmal was sentenced to jail for two years with hard labour for failing to submit to a breathalyser test. Consider that for a moment. All of the cases brought before the courts since the introduction of the blood-alcohol content test have resulted in fines, but Pirmal earned the wrath of the court by refusing, with abusive words, to submit to a third testing of his blood alcohol content on Carnival Tuesday, after his vehicle crashed into another one. Despite clear warnings from Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes, who served as the Gold Commander of Carnival’s security initiatives, 11 people were arrested and charged by police over the Carnival weekend with driving under the influence of alcohol.

If there’s one thing that a party-happy public should take away from Carl Pirmal’s sentencing, it is that there is a new regime of road safety in effect in 2010, and at its core is the very clear understanding that not only is drunk driving a matter of zero tolerance for police officers, efforts to avoid and neuter the effectiveness of the breathalyser regime is also. Let there be no mistake, the business of road safety is a critical one. This country has a well-earned reputation for poor vehicular etiquette and deaths, as a result of automobile accidents having been on a steady rise since the year 2000, when 135 deaths were recorded on the nation’s roads. Fatalities due to auto accidents peaked in 2008 at 262, and there was a small drop in the number of deaths to 213, the lowest toll since 2004.

Read the full article here:

Ever since Jason was the perpetrator of a drunk driving accident in 2001 he has not touched a drop of alcohol before getting behind the wheel (in fact the incident turned him into a teetotaler). He was lucky enough to get a second chance to be ’scared straight’. However how can you be so sure that you will be, or that you will not inflict harm onto others? Be safe, do the right thing.

Links:
Be a Designated Driver – Be A Hero
How To Be A Good Designated Driver – Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk

My name is Bogi Takács, I tend to go by ‘prezzey’ online. I’m 26, female, Orthodox Jewish and Hungarian. I’m a grad student in clinical neuroscience. I’ve recently co-founded an R&D company, and I write genre fiction and draw random stuff in my spare time. You can find out more about my projects on my website, or you can ask me and watch me rant!

Sarina: If you won the lottery and could give $1 million USD to one of the causes on our page which would it be, and why?

Autism awareness (I’m involved in autism research, so that was easy!), but I’d be very careful to see exactly where the money goes. I’d prefer to give it to an organization with activities that directly improve the lives of people on the autism spectrum… especially adults, who are often neglected by support programs. I’d also avoid biomedical and basic research, because it’s already well-funded. Applied research is a possibility, I wouldn’t rule that out, but still, I’d prefer to donate to an organization which provides support services for adults. I’d trust you with your T&T recommendations!

Sarina: I definitely agree on the need for support for adults on the spectrum. Especially those who are on the higher functioning end and often can be left behind because outwardly they are held to the same norms and expectations while internally facing the same challenges.

The best option here is the Autistic Society of Trinidad & Tobago, who are currently getting more corporate sponsorship which is great. I am happy to see them addressing not just children but also teens. I am also glad that education, intervention, outreach and support are their aims, rather than a focus on cures or defining autism as a ‘tragedy’. I hope that adults will be part of their outreach as well, especially as familial and social support fall away the older one gets. I have tried to contact them several times via email and have never received a response. They list a phone and address but as most older autistic individuals would prefer initial non-verbal/visual introductions, or to avoid the anxiety of going to a new location ,it really seems unfortunate that they don’t check their email.

Jason: Pizza or filet mignon? Why?

Vegetarian pizza I’m not technically vegetarian, but I love vegetables and eat relatively little meat (though I eat a lot of fish).

Sarina: What’s one movie that you think we should see before we die?

I strongly prefer TV series to movies, because I simply fall asleep if I just sit there and watch TV for more than an hour at a stretch… so I’m obviously not the best person to ask for recommendations! Also, most of my favorites have fringe appeal at best. With all these caveats, I’d like to recommend Labyrinth (the Jim Henson movie).

Sarina: Hey! We’re all about fringe appeal at Legionaire, it’s a big part of our credo Labyrinth was awesome!

In closing, is there a product/service/talent/website that you would like to share with the LegionCorps? This is your time so go big!

I’ve already linked to my website, where you can find out more about me (the company website is currently in beta, but you’ll find an announcement on my personal website once we’re ready to launch), but I’d also like to mention Expanded Horizons. This is an online speculative fiction magazine which focuses on underrepresented groups. My friend Dash edits the issues, and I make the website. We have a large amount of stories already available – which you can read completely free of charge -, and I’d also like to ask all of you to submit content!

We pay a flat fee of 30 USD and we would love to see submissions from the Caribbean and all around the world. (We also solicit donations, which go directly toward paying authors – our long-term goal is to offer semi-pro rates.)

Thank you for reading, and thank you Sarina & Jason for the opportunity!
All the best for everyone!

Think your mug should be the next one to be featured on our site? There’s only one way to be picked, and that is to join our mailing list Membership not only puts you in the running to be our next Featured Fan, it also qualifies you for members-only merchandise giveaways,exclusive Legionaire downloads and breaking updates where our group and music are concerned . Sign up today! Your information will never be shared or sold (Don’t forget to confirm your membership via the link that will automatically be sent to you )

We meet again! Got another update for you guys! So things have been a bit busy here in the Legionaire camp. We’re still hard at work on the next couple tracks and they’re coming along great! I love the writing and recording process! There’s nothing like hearing a song come together piece by piece!

So far we’ve been getting some great buzz thanks to everyone who has shared Legionaire with their friends on Twitter and blogs, and people like Eclipse Audio, GWTO (who shared an essay by Sarina on the story behind our first single, Move On!), and Outlish Magazine! We want to let you all know how much we appreciate it! If you like what we’ve been about so far, we’ve outlined the different ways you can help us to “Share the Pop”!

We’re also excited about our new Featured Fan series! Our first profiled fan was Bas from Holland, and two more LegionCorps members (from Austria and England) will be on the site soon! We’ve been learning a lot from the answers you’ve shared with us and it just blows our minds that our music is spreading so far and wide! Of course, we look forward to learning more about you all but there’s only one way to become a Featured Fan and that’s to join our mailing list! Mailing list members get free merch, exclusive downloads, and we’re looking into other things as well to sweeten the pot even more!

Once again, thanks for your early, continuing support! It’s our hope that you’ll love listening to our music as much as we love making it!

As always……nothin’ but love for the Corps!