Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

Mystified on Maui

I have chronicled the skin tingling, ascent up Haleakala Crater to the tunes of Chris Berry and Panjea. That cosmic climb was in August 2008.

Fast forward to February 2009 and I’m in stocking feet dancing with an eclectic mix of eccentrics on a wood-floored gymnasium at 3 in the morning. Chris Berry sits before us on the make-shift stage beneath a basketball hoop overflowing with fountainous flowers. Michael Kang is at his side, the organic alter of crystals, Ti leaves and sweetgrass at their feet. Several other incredible percussionists are with them on djembe, mirimba and rattles. Together they are playing the African-inspired Panjea jams to a crowd of about a hundred festival goers.

Mystic Maui Garden Party 2009

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Posted on by Jessica Dofflemyer

RishiRush

March 13, 2001

“Indian women ride scooters side saddle with the most amazing grace. Every vehicle is bumper to bumper, near head-on collisions are commonplace. You’ve got oxen pulling wagons next to big buses, next to Toyota land cruisers, next to cows, next to dogs, next to a series of scooters and auto rickshaws. A maze of pedestrians filter thru the streets. Brakes slam constantly. And yet, she’s holding bags of vegetables in her lap with no handle, her legs dangling off the side and she’s looking gorgeous in a sari, without a sign of anxiety. People pile 3 or 4 bodies on to one little scooter. Parents have no qualms about sticking their 5 year old up front with 2 more youngsters behind them. The beauty is that in all of the chaos, there really is a method. LA traffic has never been so smooth…” Read more