The Art of MusicIt has been a long journey to get to this point. I had painted 3 large paintings and 3 smaller live paintings before I pitched the idea for a gallery show on Central and South Asian music to Jordan of the Levantine Cultural Center back in Oct. 2012. He gave me the go ahead, and I began working on the rest of the 13 paintings for the show. The pieces included collaborations with Jorge "Tyme" Martinez, as well as 10 large paintings of music from 5 countries I visited while backpacking across Central and South Asia, connecting to people across language barriers through music.After much hard work painting, reaching out to local communities of the five cultures represented as well as other people interested in cultures and music, then getting the pieces framed by RA Custom Framing and then putting them up with the help of Jordan, Lila, Rima, Sahra and Kasmira at the Levantine Center, we were finally ready for the opening.We had our official gallery opening on Feb 2, 2013 and it went well beyond my wildest dreams. It was really heartwarming to see friends, family and all kinds of fans of art and music pack the Levantine Center's Inside/Outside gallery space, with Kyrgyz and Uyghur music playing in the background. It was a joy to share some of my friends and my experiences connecting to people in these beautiful cultures, and very rewarding to see people connect to it. Particularly hearing people's own experience in using art to connect with others on a deeper level was inspiring.
How to go from Bishkek to Tashkent
I could not even think about doing the drive from Bishkek to Osh, stay the night, then hire another car to the border of Uzbekistan and another on the opposite side to Tashkent. I felt like I had been on far too many rides, haggling and being cheated or worrying about what some jerk keeps in his car door or worse passenger door to make it look like it is ours or who decides to throw stuff through the window at night.
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Traveling, photos and harassment at the Osh Bazar in Kyrgyzstan
Read MoreLake Issyk-Kol day 2
Our second day at Lake Issyk-Kol in Kyrgyzstan, after barely finding a place to stay the night, we woke to something unexpected and amazing. Sometimes you take a chance and see how it all works out.
Read Moreoff to Lake Issyk-Kol, Bollywood in Kyrgyzstan
Backpacking through Central Asia, found us in having a Bollywood jam with a Russian musician in Kyrgyzstan. Who knew that was just the start to even more interesting developments?
Read MoreAl-Archa
Lake Al-Archa, playing music, eating Pakistani food all in Kyrgyzstan
Read MoreIn Bishkek at last!
Arrival in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Photos after the hell ride
Read MoreTo Bishkek!
The Hell Ride to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Photos. So, we'll hire a care and drive there. It won't take too long, there's beautiful country in between. What could go wrong?
Read MoreOsh: Welcome to Kyrgyzstan
Osh, Kyrgyzstan, playing music, enjoying historic sites and culture
Read MoreGoodbye China!
Pakistani food in Kashghar, China. Driving to the Pakistan Border, Photos
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