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Jeff Rebrovich

The Future Is Now: Impressions After My First Trip to China

I just returned from my first travels in Asia, a 10 – day business trip to the People’s Republic of China. While my two-city sojourn was far from an exhaustive exploration of the ancient nation, I obviously have some first impressions of those cities that paint my image of the country as a whole.

Nadir in ShanghaiBut more importantly, this trip profoundly altered, affirmed and added context to views I hold for my own country, the United States of America. These impressions were partially formed by my other travels outside the United States, in Europe, Canada and the Caribbean as well, but this journey confirmed some beliefs while completely obliterating others. And of course, since my tendency is to think too much and pontificate profusely, I thought I’d share these impressions with anyone who cares to take a moment and read them.

This is largely a message for my friends and fellow citizens of the United States of America, arrogantly known the world over as “Americans” even though the regions of North, South and Central America contain 35 nations and 10 non-sovereign territories, within all of which reside “Americans”. We Americans from the United States are taught from an early age that we are the center of the world, and that everything that happens on this planet revolves around US, and our political, cultural and financial interests.

Well, forget what you heard. China is the center of the planet. Continue reading

SoulTracks.com: First Listen: Nadir funks it up with a message on “Blue Lights”

We’ve had an awesome response to “Blue Lights” so far, and here’s a beautiful example. SoulTracks.com the biggest soul music site on the planet, offered Nadir’s new funk single to their audience as a First Listen. Check it out:

SoulTracks.com says:  Working For the Man, J. Nadir Omowale’s 2008 polemical album dropped like a bomb into the political, military and economic upheavals taking place in that year. The urgent and powerful funk of the title track pretty much captured the feelings of every working man and woman at a time when the economy was in free fall, mainly due to the greed and incompetence of the people at the top. The rocking Detroit funk man came back in 2012 with the very good, though less overtly political The Book of Jonah, and in the year 2017, Nadir has returned.

A lot transpired – particularly in the fraught relationship between law enforcement and minority communities – between 2012 and 2017, and Nadir has something to say.

READ MORE HERE

 

NADIR OMOWALE – The Right Kind Of Crazy – BUY NOW

Nadir Omowale returns with a scathing, purple tinged, post-Hendrix funk rocker. “She might be out of her mind, but she’s The Right Kind Of Crazy”. Continue reading

Soul Addiction – February 27 at Northern Lights in Detroit

DETROIT! FEBRUARY 27!! Feed your SOUL ADDICTION at Northern Lights Lounge with Nadir Omowale and Caleb Gutierrez with special guest DJ Joe G. Join us to celebrate the release of Caleb’s new single “Addicted” produced by Nadir & Christopher Spooner. 660 W. Baltimore St. in The D at 9pm.

DETROIT! FEBRUARY 27!! Feed your SOUL ADDICTION at Northern Lights Lounge with Nadir Omowale and Caleb Gutierrez with special guest DJ Joe G. Join us to celebrate the release of Caleb's new single "Addicted" produced by Nadir & Christopher Spooner. 660 W. Baltimore St. in The D at 9pm.

LIVE RADIO PERFORMANCE: Nadir Live on WDET for Ann Delisi’s Essential Music, June 2013

In early June, Nadir and the band converged on the legendary Studio A at WDET radio in Detroit for a live recording and interview on Ann Delisi’s Essential Music. The band fired off smoking versions of “Daddy’s Cane” (from Nadir’s award-winning debut Distorted Soul 2.0) and “Go It Alone” (from 2012’s critically acclaimed disc The Book of Jonah). Click the player below to hear, share or download the performance and interview.

Players:
Nadir – vocals, guitar, interviewee
Tasha Lord – vocals
Steve Caldwell – guitar, vocals
Christopher Spooner – bass, vocals
Jeff Rebrovich – keyboards
Raphael Merriweathers, Jr. – percussion, vocals
Jason Bonaquist – drums

Ann Delisi – host
Alex Trajano – engineer
Nicole Fritz – 2nd engineer, editor

Detroit Free Press: Nadir sees life looking up

Nadir at Church_photo by Marc NaderRachel May: Nadir sees life looking up
Originally published October 4, 2012 in
The Detroit Free Press

His music is a harmonious blend of R&B, funk, jazz, hip-hop, rock and soul. On his latest album, “The Book of Jonah,” Nadir reveals a fantastic collection of songs with a positive message about everyday life.

” ‘Belly of the Whale‘ really sums up the record,” says Nadir. “It gives us the message that it may feel like the end of the world but it’s not. It’s just another day in the belly of the whale.”

“The Book of Jonah” is Nadir’s third full-length solo CD, and he’ll celebrate its release with a performance Friday at PJ’s Lager House.

“A lot of the songs are really inspired by some of the things we’ve been going through here in Detroit and Michigan,” says Nadir, whose full name is Jonah Nadir Omowale.

“It’s not as overtly political as my 2008 record when I was mad at George Bush and angry all the time. This one is a little more hopeful, and even with all of the turmoil that we and the rest of the nation — and the rest of the world, really — have been going through, I see a lot of positive signs and a lot of positive things happening.”

Click HERE to Read the Entire Article at Freep.com

VIDEO: Nadir & The Band Live on Fox 2 Detroit Morning Show – October 3, 2012

Nadir and the band lay down the early morning funk with this performance of “Go It Alone” on Detroit’s Fox 2 Morning Show. The incredible band is (left to right): Jeff Rebrovich on Keyboard, Steve Caldwell on guitar, Jason Bonaquist on drums, Tasha Valdez Lord on vocals, Nadir on vocals and guitar, Ray 7 on percussion, and Christopher Spooner on bass.

Special thanks to Taqqee Khabir for manning the mixing desk; to Steve Caldwell and Nextwave Media Lab for going above and beyond the call of duty with the audio assist; to Nancy Schoenheide-Phares for being the best publicist in Michigan; to the folks at Fox 2 for having us on, and for Toast Ferndale for the great post show victory breakfast.

Be sure to check out the full set at The Book of Jonah Album Release Party on Friday, October 5, at PJ’s Lager House.

Nadir and the Band at the Fox 2 Morning Show - Photo by Nancy Phares

© Nadir Omowale