Today we wanted to do something fun and a bit unusual. We raw foodies are a creative bunch, so we? thought, "Why not profile a handful of raw musicians !" Sounded like an interesting project, as we've all heard of at least a few raw foodist musicians out there. So, here are a dozen raw musicians to get you started -- that's right, FOURTEEN wonderful raw musicians!? (Since when does a dozen equal fourteen? Well, we figure that cooked foodies have their "baker's dozen," which everyone knows is thirteen.We figure: Why be outdone by the cooked food world, eh? So, we're redefining things a bit!)
Anyway, some of these bands/musicians are internationally famous; others are names you may not have heard before. We asked some of our friends to suggest raw musicians for today's post and we were surprised with the number of musicians mentioned! All those listed below are reportedly raw (or, in the case of whole bands, at least one or more of the members are raw foodists).Please note that this is by no means a complete list.
(Click on the pictures to visit their sites!)
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We'll start off with Jason Mraz, as his triple-platinum Billboard Top Ten tune I'm Yours has dominated the charts for quite some time. By the way, Jason's Twitter feed (see yesterday's blog post!) is here. True to his raw roots, you'll note that his current tour is known as the "Gratitude Cafe" tour (surely a nod to the famous raw food destination Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco). Mraz also reportedly owns his own avocado farm in southern California. |
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Next up is Bif Naked, which should immediately demonstrate that, while raw foodies seem to share some basic philosophies, the way they express those philosophies differs widely. Bif brings a much harder-edged sound, kind of the polar-opposite of Mraz. However, her energy is undeniable. (She's on Twitter, too -- here!). Bif has received quite a bit of attention of late in relation to her health. Many in the raw food world were rather shocked to learn of her bout with breast cancer -- especially as there are so many documented cases of people turning to raw foods to cure cancer! We've attempted to contact Bif a number of times, as we'd love a chance to interview her about this. But, like Jason Mraz, she's particularly tough to personally connect with. ?[UPDATE: ?We DID interview Bif that same year. Here's the link!] |
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November 2011 update: It's been a while since we made this post, but this list definitely should include Bibi McGill, who is the guitarist for Beyonce, among many other things! We interviewed Bibi for Pure Jeevan. It's a great video -- available on the blog here. |
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Every raw foodie knows David Wolfe... But did you know he's a musician, too? From the Healing Waters Band site: "Their sound is one best described as upbeat, positive, humorous and groovy. All six members eat a diet consisting solely of raw, organic fruits and vegetables 24/7. While touring the U.S. and Canada they travel in a bus fueled entirely with cooking grease from fast-food restaurants." |
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Next up is Elijah and the Band of Light. Wendi first heard and met with this band while at the Raw Spirit Festival in Sedona in 2008. She brought back their CD and, based on the number of times she's played it since, it's fair to say that this is among her favorite bands of all time! In addition to the band's web site linked to at left, they also have a community site, here, for friends and fans. |
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Okay, on to the Luminaries. We were largely unfamiliar with them, but it looks like they performed at the last Raw Spirit Festival in Santa Barbara. From their site: "A dynamic group of gifted artists who know that they are here to affect great positive change on this planet... spearheading the luminous movement ? exposing truth through the vehicle of music, conscious hip-hop, and love vibrations. ... Luminaries, united by their vision for peace, being the change, being the message, being receptive, being connected ? and emanating this radiant glow ? each individually ? and exponentially amplified as a collective..." |
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Cipes and the People. From their site: "Cipes And The People are an electrifying 21st Century conscious, roots-rock band that fully captures the power and spirit of oneness in a joyful celebration of love and music. 'Music is the most powerful vibration on the planet,' says Cipes, the group s charismatic singer and songwriter. 'We re all sound vibration. Music is in movies, television shows. It s everywhere. So ultimately, it s the vibration that transcends all things. Would you like to hear some ' You do, because Cipes And The People create music with the intention of fusing knowledge, wisdom and awareness with the very clear vision that we are all brothers and sisters capable of living in harmony with each other and the planet." |
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Shimshai. From his site: "Whether singing the ancient Sanskrit mantras of India, the traditional folklore songs of South America, or performing his original works of divine inspiration, Shimshai s music invokes a sentiment of ancestral devotion and a dedication to higher consciousness. A self-proclaimed seeker of truth, described by many as possessing the voice of an angel, Shimshai is gifted with the innate ability to deliver his message flawlessly in several languages; most profoundly the universal language of Love and Oneness." |
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Djin Aquarian. Wow, this guy was a bit tough to track down, but we found him! According to the site, this band features "the organic fluctuations of sonic chemistry. Wildly primal. Jazzy. Blues-y. Electrical. Contagious. Always inspired. This music is so clearly channeled from the Divine. Unpracticed, unpretentious, yet still wickedly rockable!Fire. Water. Air. Ether. Earth. This music combines every element, taking you on an energetic cosmic carpet ride." We haven't heard them yet, but will take a listen soon! |
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Jimmy Braskett. This link goes to his MySpace page, where he's self-described as a folk-rock, acoustic, ambient artist. One of the great things about musicians with MySpace pages is the direct access to their music. I'm currently listening to his "Silencing the Stones" as I write this. Great stuff, Jimmy! |
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Peter Edwards. Peter describes his piano sound as "healing & easy listening / acoustic / ambient."? He's another one with a MySpace page, so you can hear samples directly. Quite beautiful music, Peter! Very relaxing and peaceful. From his page: "Peter Edwards, British-born pianist and multi-keyboardist, is one of the early innovators of new age piano and contemporary instrumental soundscapes. His music sings of the paradise found in our oneness with the beauties of nature, and helps to awaken the 'secret oasis' within each of our hearts." Peter also runs a raw food directory site called Raw Food Planet. |
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Tania Elizabeth from The Duhks. Wow, the Duhks have a pretty neat web site. Check it out sometime! I hadn't heard of them, but came across this article on Tania's raw life on the road with the band. I was listening to one of their videos and trying to identify the genre for you, but had some trouble as it's really a mixture of styles. So, I re-Googled them and found their Wiki page, which said, "The five members play a blend of Canadian soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time country string band, zydeco, and Irish dance music." Yep, that sums up the sound rather well! I don't believe the whole band is raw, but it looks like Tania is giving it a serious go. |
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Angelika. From her site: "Angelika s music appeals to all paths, anyone who longs for the Freedom and Beauty of the Divine and the forgotten music of their own soul. Angelika's main intention is to promote Oneness, Peace, Healing and Good Will amongst all people everywhere through inspiration and she sees music as a great tool for that. The vibration of deep peace and joy in this music can cut through the constructs of the mind to the essence of our being very quickly by flowing softly into the heart without effort. Angelika sings ancient Sanskrit healing chants, mantras, prayers in different languages and her own original songs in English, German and Sanskrit, sharing love, celebration, comfort and wisdom." Her site includes some song samples, as well as a page devoted to raw foods. (She does some teaching on raw foods as well!). |
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Carlos Rull. Our friend Carlos is a professional pianist and drummer from Southern CA. Known as RandomGuru on Twitter and elsewhere online, he often also spends time online documenting his personal spiritual journey.Fom his site: "Carlos Rull is an award-winning drummer and pianist currently performing with several musical projects in the San Diego area, and is often called on to do last minute substitution-work for various musical groups. Carlos has and continues to perform with the legendary experimental rock artist Gary Wilson (of You Think You Really Know Me fame), both with his Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates group, and with Singer Donnie Finnell. In addition, Carlos also performs consistently with flamenco/jazz/fusion group Flamenco Nova, and he also does corporate and private events with Big Daddy Orchestra, led by singer/guitarist and bandleader Barry Cohen." |
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How could we cover raw musicians here without giving a shout-out to our good friend Jer, aka Alien Implant ! Jer's an aficionado of industrial rock. We've had many wonderful conversations about his personal influences, composition style, and of course his extensive collection of virtual synthesizers. If you visit his MySpace page linked to at left, you can hear his tune Coma, which has received more than 100,000 plays! |
According to a page on David Wolfe's web site, other famous musicians who have at least shown "an interest" in raw foods include Anthony Keedis (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Barbara Streisand, Brian Adams, Jewel, K.D. Lang, Lou Reed, Seal, The Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Moby, Prince, Sting, Nina. The extent of these musicians' interest or involvement in raw is unknown (although Wolfe says he's heard that David Bowie and his wife have a live-in raw chef).
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Wait!! I know more, I know more!! [Wendi here, popping by to add a few before the post goes live... I don't know how to do that fancy thing with the pics/links on the left and the text on the right, though. Maybe Jim can come back when he has some extra time at the office to fix this up a bit. ;-) ]
- Jim Dee (Rawdiant on Twitter). Yep, Pure Jeevan's very own Jim Dee -- the one who wrote this article and didn't even bother mentioning himself -- composes piano music (mostly modern ragtime songs), and you can check out his site here.
There are more, too! The following raw foodies are also musically talented:
- Jeff Rose (ChefBliss on Twitter) of Natural Zing (Is there anything he can't do !)
- JS Ohlander (JSOhlander on Twitter) of Raw Food Right Now is currently working on an album. His personal site is www.JsOhlander.com.
- Nicoletta Stephanz (Aromantic on Twitter) creates some unique music
- Pete Vincent (PeteVincent on Twitter) of RawHumour.com often posts videos of himself singing and playing guitar.
AND!! There's someone just about all of you know who's also a musician (little known fact) and even has a CD out! I'm not going to mention who he is, yet. I just had an idea and I need to run it past him, first. If he's okay with it...I'll post something exciting for all of you next Friday. *big grin*
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Thanks to everyone who made suggestions to us earlier this week for this list!? So, who else should be included here ? Have we left off any raw foodist musicians you know of If so, please let us know in the comments section!
Original Comments
Below, we have included the original comments from this blog post. Additional comments may be made via Facebook, below.
On August 7, 2009, wrote:
Music by a Living Food Artist
http://www.ingamusic.com
Inga blends finger style classical guitar with hopeful melodies, mellow vocals and introspective storytelling. Watch your life transform as you enrich your body and your soul with her pure living vibrations! Inga s music is soothing, rich, and uplifting. Let it comfort your mind as you heal your body! Experience the purity of her songs, and feel the energy of life pulsating in every note!
On August 11, 2009, wrote:
Jason Mraz is in town tonight!!! I wanted to go, I love his song "I'm yours" even though it is a way overplayed pop hit. I had no idea he was raw, how cool. Thanks for the post.
On September 26, 2009, wrote:
I just love jason mraz.I'm yours is such a classic one.
On September 26, 2009, wrote:
Great Work !
Regards
On October 1, 2009, wrote:
thank you for the "raw love"... i appreciate it very much, and sorry i missed this one until i saw the link on Google! thank u my friends! :)
On April 18, 2011, wrote:
Wow! It's totally been a dream of mine to find some healthy minded musicians to jam with...thank you guys!