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The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
A special collaboration between band Lolita Dark and Hollywood Light Orchestra
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Gruta das Torres (Portuguese: Grottoe of Towers), is a lava cave, a geological formation of volcanic origin formed from the flow and cooling of subterranean magma rivers. This formation is located outside the parish of Criação Velha, in the municipality of Madalena, on the western flanks of the island of Pico. The cave system formed from a series of pahoehoe lava flows which originating from the Cabeço Bravo parasitic cone about 500 to 1500 years ago. The caves are a group of interconnected lava tubes between 0.5–22 metres (2–72 ft) width, created from both pahoehoe and aa types of lavas generated during different geological periods. It has a height between 1.1 and 15 metres (3.6–49 ft) and is located at an elevation of300 metres (980 ft). With an estimated length of over 5.2 km (3.2 mi) it is the longest lava cave in the Azores. Access to the cave was managed by the Mountaineering Association (“Os Montanheiros” – Núcleo da Ilha do Pico). Starting in 2011 , AZORINA, SA took over the management and organization of the cave.
The cave doesnt have a date of discovery but the first cientific exploration was in 1990. The cave's uniqueness lies in its impressive drainage pattern, which can be shown by the presence of more than seven layers on the walls, with lateral benches and three cornices. Gruta das Torres is one of the 17 caves (out of 28 found here) in Pico Island of the 30 caves chosen for Azores as a whole (from a over all list of for inscription under the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites proposed by the Government of Azores.
Discovery
The Gruta das Torres's doesnt have a date of discovery but the first scientific exploration was in 1990. Between March 28 and April 23, 1991, a "three dimensional braided system" was documented by a team of speleologists when the cave was recorded as the longest lava tube in Azores with the explored length of 3350 metres. The total length is still uncertain as parts of the tube have not been accessed yet, but it is estimated as over 5200 metres. Declared a national natural monument by the Portuguese Environmental Department, the Azores Regional Government declared the cave a regional natural monument on March 18, 2004 (Monumento Natural Regional DLR N.° 6/2004/A), the second regional natural monument to gain such a distinction, and to be honored for its unique geological setting and its length in Azores. Following this, a visitor center was planned and built as a facility for visitors. It is also inferred that the caves are a part of the volcanic phenomenon in the mountains of Azores that occurred about 1000 years ago.
Geography
The Gruta das Torres is located on the lower western slope of Mount Pico, located in the parish of Criação Velha in Madalena in the western-mid part of the island of Pico, in the central-south of the Azores. The Torres Grotto is one of 28 larger caves and eight pits discovered in the island of Pico, which has the largest number of caves of any island in the Azores. Most of these caves lie in the western half of Pico Island.
[edit] Formation
The Gruta das Torres is located on the slope of Pico, further down than Furna de Frei Matias, a large cave inside Pico's cone. The largest lava tube, cited by various sources to either be the longest or second longest in Azores formed by a volcanic eruption originating in Cabeço Bravo. The main part of the tunnel is fairly large with a height of 15 metres in places, although the top side of the tunnel is very small.
The lava tunnel is at a ten-minute walking distance to the south of Madelena. A signpost near Criacao Vella directs to the Grutas Das Torres. The cave has two entrances. The first entrance is open to the sky or a day lighted roof at one end of the tunnel. The other entry is a tunnel cavern opening which is inferred to have been formed due a slump in the roof. The tunnel has clear pahoehoe lava in some reaches while in some other reaches the roof has collapsed with large lava blocking the tunnel route making access hazardous and narrow. Lava gutters are also seen. A number of secondary tunnels also have impressive geological formations. The lava tubes have picturesque formations of stalactites (lavacicles), stalagmites, lava, lava benches and side balls or balls of lava. Considering the large size of the cave, with further scientific studies more faunal species may be discovered.
The liquid lava that dripped from the roof of Gruta das Torres has formed into picturesque stalactite and stalagmite and also in several other formations and shapes. Inside the tunnel, it is humid as water drips from the roof and a constant temperature of 16 °C (61 °F) is recorded throughout the year. However, the entrance has a slightly higher temperature. The total drop is approximately 200 m (660 ft).
The tunnels formed within a pahoehoe type lava flow. The top of the flow cooled against the air and formed a solid crust, while beneath it the liquid lava continued to move. As the amount of liquid lava passing through them decreased, the tunnels emptied. Silica oxide is also seen in walls of the cave in some stretches of the cave. At the main entrance, after passing through the ‘Algar da Ponte’ ("Algar Bridge"), there is an avenue of trees. Some forms of plant life like ferns, mosses and lichens are also noted at the portal, floor and walls of the cave opening.
Deep inside, in the darker regions of the cave, mold, bacteria and insects have been identified. The troglobite faunal species found, typical of such caves, are the endemic species of Trechus Pico Machado and Cixius azopicavuz Hoch.[13]
UNESCO Heritage List
Considering the large number of caves found in the Azores archipelago – 271 caves under four categories of Rank A, B, C and D, the Government of Azores has initiated a proposal for submission of a few selected caves to UNESCO for inscribing under the UNESCO World Heritage List. A Working Group on Volcanic Caves of Azores supported by the Azorean Speleological Inventory and Classifying System database has identified 30 Volcanic Caves of Rank A, which are located in the Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge, São Miguel and Terceira islands for inclusion in the UNESCO List. Of these 30 volcanoes identified for UNESCO recognition, Pico island has the maximum number of 17 volcanic caves in the proposal, which includes the Gruta das Torres cave. The selection criteria for inclusion of the caves in the list was based on the scientific value, tourism prospects, approach conditions, perceived threats, data base and conservation standing
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Taken and originally posted in 2014.
This sculpture appears to be floating in the reflective pool in front of the Hearst Memorial Mining Building on the UC Berkeley campus. It's one of Bruce Beasley's five stainless-steel sculptures. They're all interconnected rings in a series he calls Rondo.
This was my first visit to Berkeley since 1990, and only my second since leaving grad school here in 1968.
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837
State Abbreviation - MI - Mich
State Capital - Lansing
Largest City - Detroit
Name for Residents - Michiganders, Michiganians or Michiganites
Major Industries - car manufacturing, farming (corn, soybeans, wheat), timber, fishing
Origin of the Name Michigan - Michigan is from an Algonquian Chippewa Indian word "meicigama" that means "big sea wate" (referring to the Great Lakes).
State Nickname - Wolverine State
State Motto - "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circum spice" [If you are seeking a amenable (pleasant) peninsula, look around you]
State Song - Michigan, My Michigan
State bird - Robin
State fish - Brook trout
State flower - Apple blossom
State tree - White pine
Detroit was founded on July 24, 1701, by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
The Renaissance Center (also known as the GM Renaissance Center and nicknamed the RenCen) is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters. The central tower, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, is the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, and features the largest rooftop restaurant, Coach Insignia. It has been the tallest building in Michigan since it was erected in 1977.
Detroit, Michigan, USA is a border town across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario, Canada
*******ABOUT THIS TRIP***********
TakeTours
5-Day Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit Tour from New YorkTour Code: 172-2382
Visiting 8 states:
Illinois
Michigan
Ohio
Indiana
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
Ontario (People Mover ride by)
*** VISITING***
ILLINOIS
Chicago IL
Grant Park
Buckingham Fountain
Millennium Park
Cloud Gate
The Magnificent Mile
Wrigley Building
Tribune Tower
Chicago Water Tower
Willis Tower (Sears Tower)
Navy Pier
Marina City
Lake Michigan & Great Lakes
Lake Michigan Cruise
Chinatown
MICHIGAN
Detroit MI
Ford Museum (National Historic Landmark)
GM Renaissance Center
People Mover - Detroit Transportation Corporation train
Detroit River
Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
Belleville, MI
Holland, MI
The Dutch Village - living museum
OHIO
Cleveland OH
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Lake Erie
Toledo OH
Toledo Museum of Art
Tony Packo's Cafe (Hungarian hot dogs)
Parma OH
Henninger Homestead
Richfield OH
INDIANA
Welcome Center visit
PENNSYLVANIA
Welcome Center visit
Delaware Water Gap PA
Amish Pennsylvania
Lamar PA
Mill Hall PA
Danville PA
Mauses Creek
Mausdale, PA
Brookville PA
NEW JERSEY
Kittatinny Point Visitor Center
Delaware Water Gap
Delaware River
NEW YORK
Chinatown NYC
ONTARIO
Windsor Ontario
United States–Canada border People Mover ride by
Bus border drive along
TakeTours
888-428-7255
Host company
E-World Tours
48 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
(212) 385-1688
Hashtag metadata tag
#Detroitcity #CityofDetroit #Detroit #city #DetroitMichigan #Michigan #Michiganstate #MI #Mich #DetroitRockCity #TheMotorCity #DetrioyMotorCity #WayneCounty #MetroDetroit #GreatLakes #BorderTown #NorthAmerica #NorthAmericann #USA #carmanufacturing #automobileindustry #automotiveindustry #Michiganders #Michiganians #Michiganites #WolverineState
Photo
Detroit city, Michigan state, The United States of America U.S.A. country, North America Continent
May 22nd 2015
mapping the interconnectedness of the world, in scheduled air hops.
Taking London Heathrow (LHR) as the starting point, this map shows how many scheduled air flights you would need to reach each part of a country.
Used data from OpenFlights and Admin Level 1 boundaries from NaturalEarth . Rendered in QGIS. Used a python script to do the hop calculations.
The heart-shaped projection is a modified Bonne Projection with lat_0=85.
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
KBS, July 14, 2008.
Caption: GLBRC is currently evaluating an interconnected mix of economic, societal, and environmental issues surrounding the different pathways to sustainable cellulosic biofuel production. At Michigan State University’s W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, GLBRC researchers are evaluating the performance of a variety of novel bioenergy crop production systems for crop yield and quality, impacts on microbial-plant interactions, biogeochemical and biodiversity responses and water use.
Photo courtesy of: Kurt Stepnitz, Michigan State University Office of Biobased Technologies.
Explore an incredible interconnected 3D world, brimming with primate platforming and bug-splattering shooter action. Leap with the agility of a tamarin as you journey into the Northern wilderness on scenic routes through forests, fjords and mountains. Along the way you will chase mysterious electrical fireflies, discover a secret underground world of dancing ants, rescue innocent birds, and restore the tamarins’ once idyllic natural habitat.
More PlayStation screenshots, trailers and trophies and everything for PS4, PSVR, PS3 and Vita: www.psmania.net/
Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/psmania.net/
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/TeamPSM
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: Youtube
Join our Discord: discord.gg/6VfsWJd
A special collaboration between band Lolita Dark and Hollywood Light Orchestra
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
River landscape's from the rivers Merwede and Waal.
Merwede
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Merwede (etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the ancient Dutch (Merwe or Merowe) word meaning "wide water") is the name of several interconnected stretches of river in The Netherlands, all part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. The Meuse river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede (Upper Merwede). A few kilometers downstream it splits into the Beneden Merwede (Lower Merwede) on the right and the Nieuwe Merwede (New Merwede) on the left. All these rivers are tidal. The Nieuwe Merwede joins the Bergse Maas near Lage Zwaluwe to form the Hollands Diep estuary, and separates the Island of Dordrecht from the Biesbosch National Park. The Beneden Merwede splits into the Noord River and Oude Maas near Papendrecht.
[edit] History
In medieval times there was no such distinction. The Merwede (or "Merwe" in Middle Dutch) was the name of a continuous stretch of river, considered to be the lower part of the river Waal (being a major distributary branch of the Rhine). Although the name Merwede is currently only used between the towns of Woudrichem and Papendrecht, during its early history it carried on his name all the way to the sea - including the rivers currently named Noord river and Nieuwe Maas.
The situation changed during the later Middle Ages, when a major flood forced the Meuse river to shift its main course towards the Merwede as well. From that moment on, several stretches of the original Merwede were named Meuse instead and served as the primary outflow of that river. These are currently known as the Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas. However, during another series of severe floods (such as the St. Elizabeth flood) the river Meuse (and, to a lesser extent, the river Rhine as well) found an additional path towards the sea, resulting in the creation of the Biesbosch and Hollands Diep. Because of this, the influence of the river Meuse on its former estuary branches slowly diminished. In recent centuries the influence of the Meuse has decreased even further, to the point that the major stretches of river called Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas were essentially cut off from the river Meuse completely.
From that moment on, both the current Merwede and all of its former lower stretches (containing the name Meuse or not) are only part of the delta of the Rhine, while the Meuse has been giving its own artificial mouth Bergse Maas and the two rivers Rhine and Meuse are now mostly separated to reduce the risk of flooding.
The Merovingian Dynasty probably derived its name from this river. See Emil Rückert [1]
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi, one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
Once upon a time, in a world woven with the threads of interbeing—the deep understanding that all life is interconnected and that each being contains the essence of every other—there lived a bodhisattva named Kṣitigarbha, the “Earth Store.” Though awakened, Kṣitigarbha chose not to rest in Nirvana. Instead, his heart overflowed with boundless compassion, and he made a vow:
“I will not attain final Buddhahood until all beings—even those trapped in the deepest hells—are freed.”
— A vow of love that echoes Thich Nhat Hanh’s call to “touch the suffering of the world as if it were our own.”
Again and again, Kṣitigarbha descended into realms of pain, despair, and loneliness—realms we might understand metaphorically as the suffering of anxiety, loss, or disconnection.
In those dark places, he carried two sacred tools:
A khakkhara staff—a gentle ring to awaken beings from their isolation.
A wish-fulfilling jewel—a radiant light, like a mindful breath, to remind us we are not alone.
In every cry, every pain, every heartbreak, Kṣitigarbha touched the wounds and whispered:
“You are not separate from me. Your suffering is my suffering. Let us walk together.”
His vow wasn’t a distant myth—it lived in every act of compassion we offer. Just as Plum Village invites us to embrace the world with mindful love, Kṣitigarbha embodies the essence of Mindful Compassion in Action.
When we offer help to someone in emotional pain, we become Kṣitigarbha’s hand.
When we practice deep listening or offer presence without judgment, we hold the jewel of his care.
Whenever we vow to alleviate suffering in small or great ways, we echo his Great Vow.
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
India; Maharashtra, Ghatkopar
Poster
Dance and seduction are closely interconnected, often working to ensure or thwart righteous purposes. In the story of Bhasmasura, a mighty and ambitious demon performs extreme austerities and (as usually happens in Hindu myths) thereby gains the attention of one of the great gods—in this instance, Shiva. Shiva offers him a favor, and Bhasmasura asks for the power to turn anyone to ashes by touching them on the head. On receiving the favor, Bhasmasura threatens to use his power on Shiva, who flees, calling on Vishnu for assistance. Vishnu takes the form of Mohini, a beautiful, seductive woman, and challenges Bhasmasura to match her dancing. He gets wrapped up in the erotically charged competition and carelessly mirrors her when she touches her head. He falls to ashes.
Cincinnati Art Museum
Beyond Bollywood Exhibit
DSCF4212
We’re honored to feature the amazing Rosie Emery this week, an international singer/songwriter, environmental educator and new media producer specializing in teaching children about life’s interconnectedness. Rosie has so many talents, it is hard to know where to start but we’re giving it a go! We just love how Rosie is bringing the messages of caring for nature and sustainable living to children through music and education and we’re totally enthused by her positive, happy outlook, so she made for an easy fit as this week’s Friday Featured Friend.
Rosie grew up wandering freely among nature in the renowned Sherwood Forest, a magical place that has inspired Rosie’s strong passion for the environment ever since. Concerned about the decline in global environmental health and the disconnect that has arisen in our understanding of how our well-being is completely tied up with the well-being of our planet, Rosie became involved in environmental protection in the 1980s. Since 1989, she has been writing and performing meaningful songs, stories, and activities for children that awaken a sense of wonder for the Earth and celebrate the beauty of nature.
Rosie loves to build on children’s innate curiosity, in order to encourage children to find their own pathways to unearthing an inherent desire to care for and nurture living beings and nature. She stresses that it is more important than ever to get across the message to children about the importance of nature in their lives, given that the majority of us now live in urban centers. While making it clear that it is our responsibility as parents, guardians, and teachers, to provide children with plentiful opportunities in which to discover and cherish “this awesome place in which we live”, Rosie isn’t here to preach; she’s keen to provide the tools to help all of us nourish children’s love for nature, to make it easier for us to guide children in finding their own ways to protect the environment as befits their unique skills and talents, and she states emphatically that: “It also has to be fun! Ideally all kids would get to spend time out in the forest, on the river, in a swamp, by the ocean or just playing in their backyards and parks! There is no doubt that first hand experience in nature is the best!” With gentle and consistent guidance and encouragement to enjoy their time in nature, Rosie believes that children will continue to protect and care for the environment as they grow into adulthood.
Underpinning much of Rosie’s efforts is the key principle of interconnectedness. She believes that it is vital to help children understand that effective earth stewardship is dependent on eliminating global poverty because the two are inextricably linked. She also helps children to see interconnectedness as requiring us to view all species as intrinsically relevant in the community of life. As Rosie sings, “We’re All Interconnected”!
One of Rosie’s principal concerns is that many children miss out on wandering around freely in nature, directly experiencing the bond we have with nature and learning about the interconnectedness of the community of life. Rosie believes that all of us must do our best to ignite a sense of responsibility toward the Earth in our children. Referring to the concerns raised by Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods, Rosie worries that children don’t get the freedom to “explore the edges” and that this creates a disconnect with the Earth that can prevent children from understanding the intrinsic value of nature. Rosie doesn’t just signal this concern though; she finds constructive means for overcoming it through her creative talents, teaching young children that the Earth is precious and in need of our care. To this end, she motivates children’s sense of social responsibility through her music and TV programs. For example, Rosie is about to record a new CD called “I Saw Butterflies Kissing Today!”, a musical journey that will encourage children, parents and grandparents to get out and discover the wonders of the great outdoors, even if it’s just the backyard!
Keen to help children learn about the interconnections between environment, culture and health, in partnership with WGCU Public Media (PBS) in Fort Myers, Florida, Rosie has developed and produced their Curious Kids TV/Web programs, including the Curious Kids Nature Club and Get Up, Get Out, Get Active. This summer, Rosie will begin producing a half-hour Kids TV series that will be hosted by Kids for Kids. Culturally themed to highlight how we all belong to both a local and a global community, the show focuses on the environment, wellness, and the arts. Under development also is Rosie’s program “My World, My Self”, a collaboration with the Montreal Women’s Y. This early childhood educator’s program aims to synthesize environmental education with wellness education to help children understand how our own well-being is intricately linked with that of the environment.
And as an overall means of “giving back”, Rosie creates a weekly Environmental Education blog to inspire both teachers and parents with class ideas. Rosie finds that writing this blog serves as a form of inspiration for herself at the same time because she discovers new stories, websites, resources, and fabulous articles while creating it and shares these with the rest of us for free!
So, if you think all that is great, we also learned that Rosie has created and produced with her partner, JC Little of Little Animation Inc., an incredible resource: The Little Earth Charter (LEC). Rosie’s dream is that all children around the world will grow up learning the principles of the LEC. Rosie and JC consulted with the educational team of the International Earth Charter to synthesize its 16 principles into the eight principles of the LEC, so that they could be more easily conveyed to young children. Rosie and her partner are optimistic that the program will spread as more and more people discover it. Already there are schools in Australia , the UK, Portugal, and Belgium using the LEC to inspire their learning activities. This is a truly astounding achievement.
From here, Rosie is brimming with hope and plans for a busy future. She will continue providing workshops for educators around the world and will continue to put her all into environmental education. Rosie says that: “For me it is my life's work and as long as there is breath in my body I shall be doing what I can to create fun and inspiring resources.” It is clear that Rosie’s energetic media creations make the most of relying on creativity to instill the values of earth stewardship in children; this caring and guiding approach is something that we at MiniMonos believe is essential to enable children’s own self-discovery about living sustainably and ethically. We are in total support of Rosie’s enthusiasm and proactive educational activities and we’re proud to be interconnected with Rosie too. Thank you for letting us get to know more about you Rosie!
You can follow Rosie’s activities at her website We’re All Interconnected, listen to more of her music on MySpace, become a Fan on Facebook, play some fun interactive games at Earth To Rosie, and follow her on Twitter @RosieEmery.
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
Award of MeritHigh School Division, Carlmont High PTSA, California
In this piece, I express my place in this world and how I come to realize that I matter. At first, I do not understand the role that I have, but then suddenly, I become aware that everyone in this world is interconnected: we rely on each other for help and support, and everyone is capable of making others feel loved, appreciated, and significant. This is the manifestation of why I matter, and why everyone else in this world does. I matter because I have the power to make others matter. Together, we have the power to transform our world.
In the apparent chaos of the Esfahan Bazaar and its twisting, branching system of interconnected corridors occasionally you come across something that throws you, that seems to defy reasoning. Sometimes a locked in mosque in a blindingly bright sunlit opening, other times a mysterious brown tower visible through a few openings in the canopy above with seemingly no entrance, every so often on the path an exquisitely detailed fountain shielded from the sky by solid tall walls and a roof of small red bricks.
The people did things that I didn't understand, they seemingly obsessively pour water on the ground outside their stalls and at midday, even though they are indoors in the cool shade, they drape a small rug and sleep in their shops, wares left unattended. The labyrinth is deathly quiet for an hour and any attempt to blend in with the locals is lost in the very fact that you are still conscious (be aware of this, once i was invited for lunch in a man's home and found myself obliged to sleep on his living room floor afterwards!).
From a busy road in the bazaar there is a small passage that slopes down, duck down this passable street and find yourself in the beating heart of the bazaar, far from the pretty craftwork and walls lined with jewellery and clothes.
This is the bird market, patroned only by locals. It's like a western butchers but without the morals swept under the counter, you buy it, you kill it, you eat it.
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi, one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
Action painting, enamels
ARTISTS STATEMENT: MARK F CHADDOCK - Painter, Photographer, Poet
My paintings tend to be a one-act performance
My paintings are performed in a meditative state of consciousness.
My paintings are representational of the intricate and interconnected web of the cosmos as believed in Hinduism and Buddhism and recently proven by Physics: The Cosmic Net, if you like, or the Mathematical Chaos of form that is in perpetual flux, the eternal pattern of growth and collapse, of flowing and contracting.
They are about aesthetics and line, rather than analysis and form. That is to say, they are not representational of objects, not about figure, but a 2-dimensional pattern more related to drawing and calligraphy than the traditional expectation of painting with its representation of the outside world.
My paintings are about the inner world - the unconscious. And they are organic rather than cerebral, spontaneous rather than planned, natural rather than pre-determined.
Like past artists who painted in a similar style (eg. Jackson Pollock) my easel is the floor, and my paint is poured. Sticks and knives of various sizes are my brushes, and my paints are largely enamel paints because they give me the fluidity of line that I am seeking, affording better continuity during the ‘performance‘.
This painting style has its roots in Native American sand-painting, but also in the kolam and mandalas of Hinduism and Buddhism, respectively, which are performed in a state of No-Mind, or Trance. However, mine are not symbolic in nature, but representational of Wholeness. They are spontaneous and free.
Each is unique, and success or failure hinges on being in Sacred Space. Success is measured by harmony, pattern, balance. If a painting fails it is because Ego, or thought, has intruded. These paintings are based on intuition rather than relying on knowledge.
Each piece is approached with a dedication to Universal Spirit for the greater good of All.; and a period of initial meditation in order to access Sacred Space.
Influences
I have always had an interest in the unconscious mind and psychology. I spent over 20 years working in Psychiatry so my subject is a natural progression from that. Also, I have a strong interest in Eastern Spirituality and practice and man’s eternal search for Wholeness. In this respect I regularly meditate. This helps me access Sacred Space.
When I studied Fine Art I was drawn to Abstract Expressionism exemplified by the work of Jackson Pollock and the whole New York School during that period.
Mark F Chaddock, 2011
Lolita Dark is an Epic
Rock band with roots in Southern California and Japan formed in 2012. Their sound weaves together crunching guitar riffs, progressive bass lines, lush harmonies, and complex melodic structures in songs that reflect both angst and optimism in an increasingly interconnected world of disconnected residents.
2012 年に結成。米国・カリフォルニアを拠点とする日米双方にルーツを持つ個性派ロックバンド。壮大なハーモニーと複雑なメロディのアンサンブルを特徴的な激し いギターやプログレッシブなベースラインに乗せることにより、幻想的で独創性溢れる世界観を生み出している。バンドのフロントマンであるRay は闇と光、怒りと喜び、過去と現在、東洋と西洋など、現世に存在しうる全ての相反する事象や矛盾の「融合」を音楽を通じて表現しているという。
Fronted by Shibuya-born singer/songwriter Rayko, Lolita Dark provides the soundtrack and visuals of a world where light intersects dark, east meets west, and the past overlaps the present, depicting the, seemingly, redundant circles of our lives and universe.
The core of Lolita Dark is formed by singer/ songwriter / guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Rayko (Ray), Bassist Rain Balen, and Drummer Joey Felix who are also members of the Los Angeles rock band "Dig Jelly", and Okinawan vocalist and keyboardist Machiko (May), and guitarist Patrick Cabrera of prog metal band False Empire.
LD はバンドの中核を担うリーダー・Rayを筆頭に、苦楽を共に過ごした地元の音楽仲間であるRain Balen(Bs)、Joey Felix(Dr)、Patrick Cabrera(Gtr).沖縄出身のMay(Keys/Vocal)の移住の後、北海道出身のK−Luを加えた国際的なバンド構成。
Their first album, “Tokyo Status” was released in 2012 and featured a wide range of intensely personal, yet universal meditations on love, addiction, promise, and despair. It blazed new territory with a sonic landscape that fused Shibuya glam, European symphonic-rock, and American metal. Lolita Dark's debut CD explored the themes of Salvation, Redemption, Sanctuary, and displayed some of Rayko's internal anguish after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami ravaged her homeland.
Lolita Dark has performed at various venues including Bar Sinister, House of Blues, J-Pop events hosted by "Tune in Tokyo", and Rayko's on going event “Tokyo Status” .Lolita Dark has also performed at Anime Expo, Nan Desu Kan, Anime Los Angeles, and Pacific Media Expo, where they opened for Japanese artists BACK-ON (Avex) and D (Avex, Universal Music). Lolita Dark was also invited by NAMM 2015 to host a panel to talk about their success in finding a niche in independent music market.
Lolita Dark is working on their third release while they perform as an opener to national acts from Japan, and headlines local clubs and anime convention circuits.
全米最大の日本ポップカルチャー祭典であるAnime Expoでの鮮烈のデビューを飾る。これを期にバンドは本格始動し、ローカル誌などで多く取り上げられるようになる。Anime Expoでのライブを皮切りにBar Sinister Hollywood、Roxy、House of Blues等、数々の有名ライブハウス公演をも成功させている。また、デビュー後は矢継ぎ早 に Nan Desu Kan (Co)、Katsukon (D.C/Maryland)、Zenkaikon (PA)といった多様なコンベンション・ツ アーも取り組まれ、多くの会場での演奏を経験する。
“Mad Times”, from the "Tokyo Status" album, has been chosen for the in-production Steampunk web series “Tinker". “Wounded Angel”, the recently released song by Lolita Dark, has become the official theme song for Anime California 2014. Lolita Dark's second album, “Queen's Decade”, was released in the spring of 2014 at their opening performance for Gacharic Spin (Universal Music) at Tekko 2014.
Lolita Dark's albums and new single "Wounded Angel" are available now on iTunes and CDBaby.
Lolita Dark signed a 5 year recording/distribution contract for East Asia including Japan, Korea, and China in July 2015.
itunes.apple.com/us/artist/lolita-dark/id586389170
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LolitaDark
Official Lolita Dark website: www.lolitadark.com/
Rayko official website: rayko.com/
2012年にはデビューアルバム「Tokyo Status」をリリース。
リリースから現在に至るまで、州外へも精力的に赴き本格的なライブ活動を行っている。このアルバムは全曲メッセージ性が強く、Rayの強烈な想いが反映されている。特に「Mad Times」というトラックは東日本大震災で被災された方々への追悼の意を込めた楽曲であり、Rayの故郷が崩壊されたことに対する悲しみや虚しさなどの感情を色濃く表現している。また、同曲は現在アメリカで制作 中の 「TINKER」というスティームパンクを題材としたウェブTVシリーズの主題歌として起用されている。(www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttWXSVs_4iI）
また、「Tokyo Status」リリース翌年の3月からはアルバムと
同名儀のファッション・ロックショーケース・イベントも月１で開催している。(www.facebook.com/TokyoStatus)
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
The Kerala Backwaters are a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 km of waterways, and sometimes compared to the American Bayou. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises. National Waterway No. 3 from Kollam to Kottapuram, covers a distance of 205 km and runs almost parallel to the coast line of southern Kerala facilitating both cargo movement and backwater tourism.
The backwaters have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas, such as the Vembanad Kayal, where a barrage has been built near Kumarakom, salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various leafy plants and bushes grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green hue to the surrounding landscape.
Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.
HOUSE BOATS
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 2000 kettuvallams ply the backwaters, 120 of them in Alappuzha. Kerala government has classified the tourist houseboats as Platinum, Gold and silver.
The kettuvallams were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 30 m in length, provided protection from the elements. At some point in time the boats were used as living quarters by the royalty. Converted to accommodate tourists, the houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a house boat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff – mostly having a flavour of Kerala. The houseboats are of various patterns and can be hired as per the size of the family or visiting group. The living-dining room is usually open on at least three sides providing a grand view of the surroundings, including other boats, throughout the day when it is on the move. It is brought to a standstill at times of taking food and at night. After sunset, the boat crew provide burning coils to drive away mosquitoes. Ketuvallams are motorised but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel. All ketuvallams have a generator and most bedrooms are air-conditioned. At times, as per demand of customers, electricity is switched off and lanterns are provided to create a rural setting.
While many ketuvalloms take tourists from a particular point and bring them back to around the same point next morning there are some specific cruises mostly in the Alappuzha area, such as the one night cruise from Alappuzha to Thotapally via Punnamada Lake two nights cruise from Alappuzha to Alumkavadi,[8] one night cruise from Alappuzha to Kidangara, and one night cruise from Alappuzha to Mankotta. There are numerous such cruises.
Beypore, located 10 km south of Kozhikode at the mouth of the Chaliyar River, is a famous fishing harbour, port and boat building centre. Beypore has a 1,500 year-tradition of boatbuilding. The skill of the local shipwrights and boat builders are widely sought after. There is a houseboat-building yard at Alumkadavu, in Ashtamudi Kayal near Kollam.
FERRY SERVICES
Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters. The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Connected by artificial canals, the backwaters form an economical means of transport, and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing, along with fish curing is an important industry.
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, particularly in the Kuttanad area. Boat making has been a traditional craft, so has been the coir industry.
Kuttanad is crisscrossed with waterways that run alongside extensive paddy fields, as well as fields of cassava, banana and yam. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that many of these fields are below sea level and are surrounded by earthen embankments. The crops are grown on the low-lying ground and irrigated with fresh water from canal and waterways connected to Vembanad lake. The area is similar to the dikes of the Netherlands where land has been reclaimed from the sea and crops are grown.
WIKIPEDIA
Albi the Cockatiel.
As well as paper bags, Albi loved boxes. I eventually made him a mini bird village with 5 interconnected boxes with an assortment of bird toys in each.
Here he's in protective mode of his territory, ready to attack for getting too close.
These details are repeated on each photo, so if you've read it once, firstly thank-you, secondly you don't need to read it again.
I'm uploading these in the absence of anything new.
I took care of Albi while his owner (next door neighbours daughter) started to reproduce. Human babies and birds don't mix these days.
As long as I was in and able to keep an eye on him, he pretty much had the freedom of the house rather being caged up. Like all birds you do have to keep an eye on it, otherwise it will eat the house. I learned this the hard way when I had a pair of Golden Mantled Rosella Parakeets (or Teenage Mutant Ninja Budgies as I named them) with the very good (but naive) intention of giving them complete freedom of the house. This freedom was ended when I came home after a couple of hours out. They’d chewed all the way round a light shade which had collapsed onto the coffee table below. Picture frames chewed and chunks of wallpaper removed. Bits of sofa chewed off. Every house plant (10 or 12) shredded down to the soil. Electric cable chewed. I was impressed by the amount of damage done in a couple of hours, but also a bit annoyed.
Anyway, back to Albi. He was a very friendly bird that would happily sit on your lap to watch telly. He liked to sleep on your head, but woe betide if you dared move - if you woke him up, this would result in your head getting a severe beak battering.
He was a dancer, and a whistler. His favourite tune to whistle and dance to was the Addams Family theme.
He had to be caged at meal times though, because he always wanted to share your meal by landing on the plate and digging in, whatever you were eating. He would even use his head to push your lips apart and literally take the food from your mouth.
I had him for 2 years. But sadly : One really snowy winters day, some of the neighbours and myself were clearing the road and pavement (no gritters for our street). He was watching us intently from the front window. I went in and out the back door a few times, but one of the times, he'd moved to the back of the house to greet me, and as soon as I opened the door, he flew out. I watched him spiral upwards in ever increasingly sized circles. Being such a tame and dependent bird, I honestly thought he'd return. But he'd never have survived that cold night. It was below freezing all day. Even in the unlikely event he had survived the night, there are too many cats and magpies around. I did wander the neighbourhood for a few days, and left the cage out in the back garden with food in it, but all to no avail.