Events & Ideas: A Blog
What's Happening in the World of Dawoud
10/9/25
Today marks the 125th birthday of Dr. Yusef Lateef, one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Yusef Lateef came into my life in a very unique way. I first heard of him in the 70s. I would often go to a record store and come through the cut out section for rare records (I was never content with restricting myself to popular music; I needed to find what others did not). In the jazz section, I always saw his album 1984. It called to me, but I did not buy it at the time.
In 1994 accepted Islam. About four months into being a new Muslim I met some Salafis who told me that music was forbidden. Somehow, this didn’t add up, and for two days. I was biting my toenails over this conundrum. Finally, I put out my prayer rug and made a prayer asking Allah for guidance.
Within two days, I met several Muslim musicians, and found a number of bodies of literature that offered an alternative analysis to what the Salafis told me. I interpreted that as the answer I was looking for. One of the musicians I met was Yusef Lateef. I later had the opportunity to attend one of his classes, and even played with an ensemble that opened for him in Philadelphia. I learned so much in a very short period of time.
Meeting him and spending time with him was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I want to be just like him when I grow up.
On a related note…
One of my favorite pieces by him is his interpretation of Love Theme from Spartacus, from his groundbreaking album Eastern Sounds. Barry Harris played piano on that album. Some time in the early 2000s, I was asked to perform at a fundraiser at the Muhammad Sallahudeen Memorial Theater. I was focusing on sitar in those days. When I arrived I learned that Barry Harris was performing that evening, and I was going on after him! I had to follow Barry Harris! I said to myself “Oh shit…”. But he did what he did, and I did what I did. And I didn’t make too much of a fool of myself.
9/30/25
Around 2010, I booked a ten-day tour of southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois. On the first day of the tour, I injured myself; I popped the muscle in my left calf. It was painful. While doing the gigs, I limped around between Milwaukee and Chicago for ten days.
On the last day, I drove back to New York City (where I live). I drove nonstop for 18 hours, stopping only for gas and coffee. This was not the first time I did this and will probably not be the last. But my leg was really bothering me. It was swollen and the pain was worse.
Upon arriving in New York City (where I live), I dropped off my belongings, returned the rental car, and took a cab to the hospital. It was that serious.
They kept me there, poked, prodded, and did all kinds of things to me. Finally, they released me with a bottle of hydrocodone (which I never took, and ended up flushing down the toilet), and instructions to get some rest, stay off the leg, keep it elevated, and alternate between putting heat and ice on the affected area.
But did I listen? Nooooo! I had a solo gig at an art gallery that night. I went home, packed my instrument (I played sitar at that gig), and went to the venue.
By the time I arrived, I’d been running non-stop for almost 30 hours, and looked like stir-fried death. I set up and began to play.
If memory serves me, I began improvising on raga Bagheshri, but treating it as a jazz-like improvisation. I was also well into my innovations in using electronics (some years before, I had modified a Roland GK pickup so I could trigger a synthesizer with my sitar. It scared the hell out of people).
The spirit is willing, but oh how weak the mortal frame! Despite my enthusiasm and inspiration, I was exhausted. So much so that I fell asleep.
Yes, I fell sleep. On stage. During the performance.
But I continued to play in my sleep! I had a very vivid dream that the notes I was playing were characters in an enormous and complex theatrical production. They were acting out a story as big as the world itself, living their lives, interacting with each other, doing business, making love, fighting; all as if the notes were living beings whose existence I “initiated” with each note I played.
Thanks and praise to Allah, I woke up with a start and was immediately aware of my surroundings. I continued to play and finished the concert.
People complimented me on my performance, unaware of what really happened. I thanked them graciously, but secretly wondered if I deserved their accolades. I wasn’t even there.
Our greatest limitations—the weary body, the tired mind—can sometimes, paradoxically, become the very doorways through which something far greater enters the world. The spirit is not just willing. In those moments, it is the only thing left standing.
This is a true story.
9/19/25
In the early 2000s, while playing live music for yoga and martial arts classes, I began to develop the Music Meditation Sessions. I concurrently developed (or perhaps “found” is a better term) a deeper level of improvised psychoactive music. The Music Meditation Sessions that emerged from this are guided meditations where suggested imagery is replaced by improvised psychoactive music. Participants reported a wide variety of experiences. Many experienced relaxation and deep meditative states. Some recovered lost or repressed memories. Some have described more intense experiences with visions, astral travel, and out-of-body experiences. I call the music I use for this The Sacred Forbidden Music.
I haven't conducted a Music Meditation Session since 2019, just before the pandemic. I'm seriously considering beginning this again, and have been speaking to a few venues.
What do you think? Should I go for it?
9/18/25
As I promised, the video of my performance at the Life Aid for Palestine concert is now available. You can see and hear the video at my YouTube channel (and if you haven't already, don't forget to like and subscribe. Let the algorithm know your support my work).
On a personal note, this video was released on the 55th anniversary of the passing of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century; Jimi Hendrix. I remember that September afternoon that the news of Hendrix' passing reached my friends and I. To this day, my enjoyment of his music and his fount of inspiration has not diminished. Some years back, I wrote a fictional story; an epitaph for Hendrix' had he died at the age of 70. You can read it on my Substack page (and don't forget to subscribe).
9/8/25
Yesterday (9/7/24) I performed at the Life Aid for Palestine charity concert at the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro, VT. The concert was to raise money for the Good Shepard Collective and the Middle Eastern Children's Alliance.
The concert had many truly marvelous performers: Scott Ainslie, Joel ‘Veena’ Eisenkramer, Samirah Evans, Kwarteto Mambo, and others whom you can learn about here. (I have to be honest, I was a little nervous knowing I'd be on the same bill with these amazing musicians. Samirah Evans came on after me with a beautiful set - I'm happy I didn't have to follow her!)
You can enjoy the video on my YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/5EdG8AfZlFw). The entire performance is on Vemeo (https://vimeo.com/1112535152?fl=pl&fe=vl My performance starts at 3:07:44).
It was an honor to be part of this. And as a perk, it felt good to be in a small town. Living in Manhattan as I do, getting out and experiencing beautiful places like this is refreshing.
Special thanks to Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi for recommending me to the producers, and to Michael Hanish for everything!
9/6/25
Yesterday, Musicians For Musicians (MFM) celebrated our 10th anniversary.
The celebration was held at The Cutting Room. We had musical performances by Joe Lovano, Arturo O'Farrill, Banning Eyre, SoSaLa, David Benoit, and others. The music was amazing! We also had keynote speakers, including yours truly.
MFM grew out of an idea Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi had. He and I talked, debated, brainstormed, argued, and worked on it. I was the first person to join and the first board member. It has grown into a formidable organization that has accomplished a lot and will accomplish more as the years go on.
Looking forward to the next 10 years!
Tomorrow is the Live Aid for Palestine concert at the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro, VT. So today, I drove to Brattleboro. It took four and a half hours, and I drove it in one long burn (I tend to do that when I'm travelling: I just go, go, go until I get where I'm going. Once, I drove for 20 solid hours through a severe winter storm from Milwaukee to New York. I almost didn't make it).
As I write this, I'm in a hotel. I'd taken a moment to walk around this town (and treat myself to a nice dinner). Brattleboro is a small town, probably typical of Vermont. Living as I do in Manhattan, it's refreshing to take in the small town's wide open spaces. And it's good to be reminded that this is what most of America looks like.
8/22/25
Last night I attended a meeting with the Harlem Bitcoin Community. It was a fascinating experience. I learned a lot and met some very cool people. Before long, I plan to set up this website to accept payments in Bitcoin.
8/15/25
Yesterday I did a gig at Verdi Cannabis. It was an unusual gig, especially since I really don't indulge. But I had a good time, and the people there were really great. They asked me back.
Next month I'm performing at a Live Aid for Palestine event. I'll keep you all informed on how that goes.
8/6/25
Last month, Spaghetti Eastern played at Otto's Shrunken Head. Guitar master and MFM member David Belmont wrote a review of the gig. You can read it here.
Speaking of David Belmont's reviews... have you seen this?
8/3/24
Yesterday, Spaghetti Eastern played a matinee performance at Young Ethyl's in Brooklyn. The performance went well. We were in good form.
Someone in the audience approached us between songs and said "I been waiting a long time for a band that does REAL music!" That made my day. Comments like that let me know I'm doing the right thing.
7/27/25
Today, I went to a jam session in Harlem.
It was produced and hosted by Jeremiah Hosea (bass), Kevin Nathanial (mbira, vocals), and Hasan Bakr (percussion). The venue was Rokmil Fitness (274 Lennox Avenue, Harlem, NYC).
One of the rules was that the instruments were to be tuned to 528hz. There is a solid theory behind this. This frequency resonates with the human body. It is part of the Solfeggio Frequencies, historically associated with ancient Gregorian chants and later revived for potential therapeutic applications.
As such jam sessions often do, the music took a joyful path. Jeremiah led the direction of the jam with some pre-prepared loops and grooves that the musicians followed. At first, Nathanial attempted to direct who would play, but eventually things just happened. There's no way to contain that kind of energy.
And that energy was what made it special. It was a truly joyful event. I saw some people I haven't seen in a while: Silvian Leroux, the master of the Fula flute, and vocalist Mikel Banks. And it was the first time I'd played with Jeremiah. We'd known each other for a long time, but never got around to playing together.
The vibe was unique to the essence of those old Brooklyn events in the 1990s and early 2000s, which are becoming increasingly harder to find. It's something you had to have experienced. And I've seen it nowhere else in the world.
7/22/25
Tonight I played at Silvana in Harlem. I performed one of my most controversial songs, Blues for Palestine. And as fate would have it, there were three Israeli women in the audience. They didn't like the words to that song one bit. They liked me even less. And I'm not surprised.
At that moment, I was not in a position (nor had the desire) to engage in an argument. Nonetheless, I tried to explain that my position was that my harsh lyrics were directed exclusively at the Israeli government, were entirely political, and had nothing whatsoever to do with religion, culture, or ethnicity. They didn't believe me.
But I got to thinking, maybe there's still another side to this.
Now, make no mistake, I'm never backing down from my opposition to the Israeli government. But there's a human side to it that is all too easy to ignore. Evil men like Netanyahu and Trump are one thing; how do you deal with fundamentally good people who were seduced and poisoned by evil? Specifically, how do you fight monsters without becoming a monster?
7/11/25
Today, I held a book signing event at Catalyst Records. This was a book signing and music performance, and I read from my book Bedtime Stories for Musicians and Other People. Many thanks to my friends Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (president of Musicians for Musicians), David Mecionis (Composer, executive Director, Artistic Director, New York Composers Circle), and Tom Semioli (bassist for Spaghetti Eastern, host of Know Your Bass Player podcast) for showing their support.
It went well! I had fun. But something happened that stood out to me. A man had walked in, not knowing who I was, or anything about my music and my book. He stood and listened while I played some of my music (I played a few things from my album The Power and the Longing, some improvised things, and a piece I haven't played in a long time called Sacrificial Virgin).
When I finished and was about to read from the book, this man stepped up, apologized for the interruption, and told me, in front of everyone, that my music touched him. He described himself as a "gangster" and said that he is not easily moved. But he said that what I played took him through a whole spectrum of emotion and brought him to a place of real peace. You can watch the video here.
I was overwhelmed! I thanked him, and I meant it. Comments like that inspire me to work harder to perfect what I do. It is gratifying that my music can mean so much to someone, and it is also an awesome responsibility.
7/9/25
The recent Spaghetti Eastern performances in Harlem and East 14th Street were quite a success. We tried some new "songs" (I put that in quotations because Spaghetti Eastern improvises so much, there's no telling what we will play from one moment to the next). Some were ideas composed by bassist Tom "Spontanius" Semioli. But one was a cover of Pink Floyd's Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun. That one was fun to play. A little spooky, but fun!
On July 2nd, I did a solo performance at The Shrine. It went well, and I felt in good form that night. And during my performance of my (as-yet unreleased) song Irresistible, I found myself playing the Star Spangled Banner. That was totally unplanned!
I scheduled the release of the video of the SPaghetti Eastern show for July 17th, 2025, and the Shrine performance for July 21st, 2025. Check out my YouTube channel! Hit "Like" and Subscribe, and smash the bell icon. Show the algorithm that you like what I'm doing.
6/22/25
I was cleaning some files and found a chart for a song I wrote 20 years ago called Beyond Light. I wrote it during my sitar years. It was never recorded; maybe I'll record it for my next album. What do you think?
Someone recently reminded me of a decision I made years ago. I was in a difficult financial state. Someone approached me with a project; he was producing a series of pornographic movies and wanted to hire me to record music for these movies.
I turned him down.
Being involved in such a project would have violated my religious and spiritual principles. Now, I make no claims to being perfect; if you wish to examine an imperfect Muslim, I would make the most excellent model of study. And I try to avoid judging others. But I must do my best to adhere to my principles.
To his credit, the man was not offended and respected my decision.
I share this story as a reminder to myself to put my principles above everything else.
6/16/25
Did you catch David Belmont's review of my album The Power and the Longing?
You can read it here.
6/15/25
Today, I did an unusual performance. This happened at Caffeine Underground, a cafe in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Once in a while, I do a highly experimental performance with unusual and often abstract loops and samples, and an unusual array of instruments. Everything about it is risky. It's fun! It's also a good way to try ideas and find musical elements that I might not have found anywhere else.
One of the instruments I use is something I call The Instrument with No Name - IWNN. It has an interesting history. When I was formulating the idea that would eventually become the Dautar, I bought a rejected body from Limulus Musical Instruments. I used it to experiment and see what worked and what didn't. Looking back, I committed all kinds of crimes on that poor piece of wood! But after the Dautar came to life, I made the IWNN operational and used it almost exclusively for these experimental music performances.
6/13/25
Occasionally, I will share a story in this blog. That's what I'm going to do today.
Many years ago, I worked as a recording engineer and in-house studio musician at a studio owned by a small record label specializing in disco.
One day, we were booked to record a pop singer named Cynthia.
There was a producer whose name escapes my memory, but he was an excellent musician. He was producing Cynthia’s pop record because the pay was good.
A big Italian guy named Mike was the executive producer. Mike reeked of money (for obvious reasons, I prefer not to elaborate on this point). He wanted us to record basic rhythm tracks and a scratch vocal for Cynthia’s song. This wasn’t going to be a problem: the producer (I regret I cannot recall his name) was a talented, skilled, and experienced musician who knew what he was doing, and so did I. And Cynthia was very easy to work with. Mike left, and we did our work. It all went smoothly.
Now, I had recorded a rough reference mix on cassette, and we left the mix on the multitrack on the console. Mike returned to see how we were doing. We had accomplished everything we set out to do. So, I played what we did from the multitrack. Mike didn’t like it. He said it was OK, but it needed something. So, he started playing with the faders on the console. His contributions made a complete mess of the mix, with the VU meters slamming into the red on every track we recorded. He said it sounded a little better, but not quite what he wanted (keep in mind this was NOT intended to be the finished product).
Then I said, “Mike, give this a listen.” Then, giving the producer a quick look and a wink, I played the cassette of the exact same mix Mike didn’t like. Mike listened to it and said, “Now THAT’S what it should have been the first time!”
This is a true story.
6/10/25
Welcome to the first installation of my blog! This is an invitation to a glimpse into my world. I will be sharing both the day-to-day things that happen in my life, as well as thoughts about... whatever I need to express.
I look forward to seeing where this takes us.