Nefisa's Archives - December 2004

DECEMBER 2004 JANUARY 2005

JAN 31- Yes two updates today. Olivia from Brighton was sweet enough to link to nefisa, and so here's her website for all a y'all to check (scroll down to January 26th for the afforementioned link!) peace and peace, Y.

JAN 31- He may not be here, but he's not been forgotten. Today I stumbled across former nefi-member MichL's work on the infamous hippocamp website, just take a listen to his latest musical offering because I guarantee you it will soothe your soul (if your soul needs soothing that is.) Some of it is very remeniscent of Harold Budd to me (and that's a good thing because I love Harold Budd) so please click here if you have some free downloading minutes! Peace for now, Y.

JAN 29- It's all good. Wait, soon come. Soon come. Y.

JAN 19- Nefisa will be suspended by its owners any day now because the rent for webspace has not been paid. This will be sorted soon and won't last longer than a few days if all goes well because I am already dealing with it. Besides, there will hopefully be a few more faces around here soon, so it gives me all the more motivation to keep on going. It's not cheap to run a website like this unfortunately so I have to put the work in (literally) to make sure that this little seed of mine kan keep growing! Peace for now, Y.

JAN 16- Long delays thesedays due to crazy university work but I'm back with an update or two! It seems nefi's be baby crazy, because as well as mon amis freezerman, it seems that congratulations are also in order for nefi#20, David whose first daughter was born just this week. It puts a smile on my face and I'm amazed at it all. Seriously.... but I won't go on and on like I did in the update below.... needless to say the creation of life is somethin' else! And again, warm wishes to both freezerman and david on their fatherhood. I remember when I was 10, 11 or 12 years old watching John Singleton's 'Boyz 'N the hood' for the first time, Lawrence Fishburnes character, 'Furious Styles' said to his son, "Any man with a dick can make a baby, but it takes a real man to be a father"... So this update goes out to all the real men and women who put in the work that's needed to raise kids.

UPDATE!! For a long time, the mysterious and elusive O (nefi number 13) has been silent, however after a recent trip away he sent me a sketch he did, and it seems that this man has all kinds of artistic skills, because it's a pretty amazing portrait that I'd like everyone to check out. He said to me that it only took him a day or so, which for me, makes it all the more impressive. Check out that and his other piece in the ORBS (artwork) section. Peace for now, Y.

JAN 12- I wrote the update below a few days ago but didn't actually post it up. I can't do much about that now! I am very busy, and even as I write, this is an act of procrastination because I still have to finish off this piece of work for university (almost done!) and I'll get back to updating this site with more goodies soon. Take care and do all those nice things whilst I get caught up in the rush of traffic! It's fun actually ;) Y!

JAN 09- How funny that I speak of children (yesterday, below!) when I received the most amazing e-mail from nefi#14- freezerman, who informed me that he had become a father for the second time. I've seen the photo, and as I said to him, there's definitely a resemblance between him and her. Life is so amazing. From my baby-cousins in Maryland, my cousins-baby in California who I met this year, to the 'grown up babies' I met in Denver this summer, to all the ages we're at in life, to the fact that the most healthy of us adults are (in my opinion) still so child-like, still just like babies in so many ways... it's just too much sometimes. Remember that one day you might have a baby in your arms that has come from you. It's going to be the best feeling you ever feel, the most that's possible in our human emotions- I'm certain of that. Whatevers going on now- the best is yet to come, so keep rubbing the present with kind, moral and patient fingers until it becomes the future you dream of. This wasn't meant to be an uplifting piece of advice from me- but hey I felt like saying something, so sue me. Peace and love, Y.Misdaq.

JAN 08- Mangi questo! Mangi il bambino! [eat this! eat babies!] ........... .. beautiful... ... click!

JAN 07- Welcome back Yoshi. You don't know how nice it was for me to walk back through the busy city streets at night-time with my backpack on and my silent watching eyes overlooking this ever-changing city of mine. No matter how much Brighton changes, it always remains mine. I had a wonderful time in Venezia, thank you for asking, and I also managed to visit Firenze, as well as an amazing small town called Assisi; a beautifully serene and dream-like, ancient place from the 12th century which was once home to St.Frances of Assisi. This is an interesting article about that man which some may find interesting, I know I do, because it seems he did have links to Rumi, one of the best poets who ever lived.

On another note, a more personal and self-promoting one- it's not everyday that a professor of music, an actual ethnomusicologist, gives you some feedback on your LP. I just received this in the mail as I got home, and so you can check the great words of praise regarding my album 'From a Western Box' from John Baily, who is professor of music at Goldsmiths college in London (just scroll down to the top of the 'comments' section).

More will follow, as it always does. I hope that everyone is peaceful and opened after the break you had. It was a good break. I learned a lot on this short trip and I intend to get to work on warming up this planet a little more now that I'm back home and safe. Peace as always from me to you, Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi.

DEC 30- I'm off to Venezia in a few hours, just have to pack my suitcase and get my belongings in order. I have ordered a slight update for you, well, just a new song. This is a mini-song, a shortened brilliant piece of a good-time that makes me smile. If I get back safely, then there will be a proper update for January 2005 along with new picture and new song and new who knows what. If you believe that the new year is coming up, then I wish you a great and wonderful time my friend, and I hope u can use it to reflect, think about things and generally be progressive peoples. Thanks for checking this website and for being alive enough to let me know that you liked some of it. Be good and be strong. Peace always, Yoshi (y.misdaq).

DEC 26- What are you talking about? Stop talking. I just wrote a review for a piece of music that is still playing as I type. I started writing on christmas, but now it's boxing day. Ths music's by John Coltrane, and even if you have no interest in jazz, I think you should read it because it's important. The review for 'Expression' is available for your checking in the CAKES (reviews) section. Peace, Y.

PS- In 5 days I will be gone from this spot of Earth, and travelling to Venezia aka Venice, Italia aka Italy. I've always wanted to go, but I'm not excited at the moment really. I hope everyone's cool. Peace, y.

DEC 24- Merry split-second of life that you breathed and enjoyed. Peace, Y.

DEC 22- Sorry for the delay in updating this website. Am I really sorry? In my heart, no I'm not, because I've been very busy doing good and progressive things for myself this last week. I can't wait for you all to hear my album. I've been working a lot on the designing aspect of it as well as trying to sort out the best prices and so on for me to deliver a quality product to you! I do have one update to announce today though, and it doesn't fit in any of the sections of this website because it involves the real world (yes).

I am holding a feed and clothe the homeless night in Brighton. I will be feeding and clothing the homeless people around this town (stuffing food in peoples mouths and forcing jumpers over their heads) along with a little help from my friends, which is where you all come in. So far I have two volunteers. One friend of mine is coming all the way from California to participate (okay that's not the only reason!) and another will be coming down from London. It basically involves the participants meeting up with me, (I'll meet you at the station) and donating whatever they have to spare (blanket or any old warm clothing type stuff would be best) and helping me to prepare some soup which I'll put in a thermos, distribute in disposable cups for the freezing guys out there on the cold brighton streets. I have only started organising this this week in between university work, work on my 2nd album, and actual work (you know the kind u get payed for!) so the dates and specifics are not yet clear, but it will almost certainly be on the evening of the 28th of December 2004 unless I state otherwise. Anyone travelling from outside Brighton to get involved automatically qualifies for a place to sleep in my house, the front room by the fire perhaps, I have enough space and it will be a very fun night for all. Sign up here if you want to get involved, just let me know your name and e-mail, or if you prefer to e-mail me direct because you're a shy little so and so (yes you are!) then just hit this magic button. Peace to all, Y.Misdaq aka Mr.Yoshi.

DEC 16- Peace all. I've just come back from a pretty crazy 24-hours in London, and I'm off to work soon despite still being quite sleepy. I do however want to draw your attention to this dude, so click here, because it seems to me that this man is doing hip-hop like it should be done; to effect a positive social-change in his environment... I respect that and it's an interesting story so I wanted to share. Peace, Y.Misdaq.

DEC 13- It's a day. Here's this months song in WMA format, which should play on your windows media player. You may recognise some of the words in it from an update earlier this month. It contains some strong language just so you know. Click here for the lyrics. Peace, Y.

DEC 12- Yoshi is back in the building. I have written something all of ... 10 minutes ago, and you may read it in the ARCHIVE section (just below all these writings!). All you have to do is go to the 'humans diary' section and click on 'the lockout' ... Part two comes soon. I know I said I'd given up writing the humans diary, but the thing about saying you're going to give something up is... you have to know what it is that you're giving up before you do a big thing. I do make big blunders like that, I'm the sort of person who makes huge errors and makes a ultimate fool of himself and then has to have the pain of swallowing pride and saying "i was wrong." And so without wanting to pat myself on the back already (damn you ego!) all I'd say is...if there's elements of goodness in anything, use them, if there's elements of badness, then try to decrease them. Makes sense. What I really didn't like in my writings in the humans diary was that the it was turning into a place where I started to vent my bitterness and frustrations and even sometimes give my ego a massage and make myself feel good about... myself.. which is the worst thing anyone can do, and I didn't want to keep being 'that kind of person' because it was destructive and not what I aspired to. So dammit...I'll damn well write this humans diary whenever I feel like it if I feel it would be good to do so. Nothing is permanent. Peace and love to you, Yoshi.

DEC 10- This is a nefisa update brought to you by a friend of nefisa. Yoshi would like you to see Nefi number 2's latest work, a comic book by Simeon Aston, which is now available to see in the ORBS section. The comic book is called 'Hunters' and will be available to buy soon. It will also feature a tag on the back of it which will say "www.nefisa.co.uk" . What is shown in Simeons gallery which has now been updated, are a few snippets from this comic-book to give you a rough idea of what it's all about. You may talk about any and all issues in the LIGHT section (otherwise known as the humans forum) Enjoy and peace.

DEC 04- Isn't this delightful? Yes I like the word delightful now. It's a nice time of year I think, I like this, so welcome to western-december! As you will soon see, there are two amazing updates to start this month. Both can be enjoyed simulatenously I feel, i.e. you can listen and read at the same time!

The first such amazing thing is Nefi#20, David's latest track on nefisa, which is a absoultely dedicated, pure, shining piece of music to induce chill in your minds, maybe even inspire you to pick up a pen and write something yourself- that's the greatest thing about instrumental hip-hop (not to mention dub music!) which proves so effective in allowing my mind to give birth to something original on paper... Let the D-man know your thoughts if you want to, just got to click here and speak ur piece in reply to my piece- which has already been spoken. Quite fittingly I think, the song is called "Beauty in you (too good)" and it all makes sense once you give it a listen, so head off to the DRUMS (audio) section now!

The second amazing thing is by me! Ha! What arrogant behaviour to assume ones own work is amazing! Well the truth is this short story came out of me, as the best work does, and you can feel a higher force working through you and dictating the flow, and as far as I'm concerned- that is amazing. Any person, not artist, but any human being in touch with their creativity, and allowing themselves to let it take them over is an amazing thing. As natural as it comes to me, I'm aware that it's almost impossible for some, and so, for anyone who embarks upon an unknown creative journey and comes up with something spontaneously unexpected and brilliant (even if it's you alone who thinks it's brilliant) then I think that's amazing. You are. So my piece is not amazing in the sense that "this is something I have done" because quite frankly, I didn't do anything. As Bill Laswell put it in the great Wordsound 50 documentary, "No-ones original... I don't want to be original, I just want to be awake, so that when that idea-wave comes over me, I'll be receptive to it" and that's what the creation of this story was all about. A wave came over me, took over my fingers when I didn't even think I was in the mood to write, and somehow I came up with this. That's writing, or an important part of it anyway. The piece is called, "Everything appeared here" and you can check it out in the short-stories shelf in the QUILLS section. (It's over there, first right, you can't miss it!)

As for this months song, I'm still deciding which one to put, so bare with me and I'll have it in the next day or two. I hope you like this months art on the opening page. [change subject now, lift it up higher and be all deep!] I wish you peace and heaven, I'm shocked that I'm still alive and so should you be. The only arrogance I'm weary of these days is assuming that we are going to be alive when we wake up. Life is fragile. That's not a negative note to leave things on, if you think rightly about it, it's a positive note. Peace to you and enjoy a magnanimous month, but start it off with a different day, sensual second, magic moment. Y.Misdaq aka Yoshi.

(DEC 02-) the absence of a presence is deeply rewarding sometimes. so live with an absence in some aspect of your life, deny yourself something that you hold close to you and then live without it for a while. it could be anything, a walkman, music in general, sarcasm, a mirror, socks, drinking whilst eating, changing your appearance in some way to test the outside worlds reaction, the reactions of your friends and co-workers... some sort of plunge into the unknown gives a great deal of insight into a great many things if u think urself a thinking and/or reflective person. nefisa will be back when i feel better, ....speaking of absences, you can go and check the name of the next nefisa song in the DRUMS (audio) section. It's there, but you can't download it. You'll have to wait until next time. Peace and calm and I'll speak to u in one day or two, Y.