I'm definitely way over due for an update, my apologies.

This year I have been based in beautiful Paris working with the French Slam Artist Abd Al Malik. It has been a great experience so far playing to wonderful crowds, incredible venues, fun out door festivals. And not to mention being completely lost in translation. One does not complain with such a delicious language to the ear. I've started to pick some up and hoping that by the 2nd part of this year with still more dates to come I'll will have a better understanding of the language.



We managed to do one Aronas gig this year. At Ile de La Reunion. Now I have been introduced to some incredible music originating from La Reunion Island, Mauritious & Madagascar. Its a sound solely created from the coming together of various cultures to share inhabitance of islands of paradise in the Indian Ocean. I didn't know much about Creole Culture before this trip. And now I'm completely in love. In recent weeks I've been composing music with the idea to incorporate some of these rhythms. Not far till the first production will be complete.


ARONAS (Live In The Reunion) by aronottignon


One of the highlights with Malik was Fes Sacred world music festival. It was cool to wake to chanting in the city at 4am, it seems one guys starts up some Arabic, then kilometres away you hear another start, then another. I let these spiritual chants take my mind away and put it at ease with all the troubles happening about in the world. Just to sidetrack a little, with a constant feed via the internet there seems no way avoiding the constant news of disasters both natural and stupid shit caused by man. Its non stop isn't it!

So, right now I'm in Westbourne park rehearsing everynight with Ebony Steel Pan Orchestra. It will my 2nd year performing and competing for the Panorama national Steel pan award thing. The concept is just soooo cool. The rehearsals, the lead up, the competition. An event called Blockorama is where Ebony selects another steel pan group to perform along side, one could call it a battle of some sort. They set up under the westway (motorway) in a basketball type court. Pans smashing out classic hits with a sound system doing the same. Great fun!
The concept with the competition, is each steel pan group (sometimes containing up to 50 musicians per group) will select a new song released by a Soca artist that year. An arranger is selected to turn the Soca track into 10 minute master piece performed just once. Thoughts come to mind of the comparison to Arts or Jazz music. These long pieces are performed by up to 10 bands (roughly) just once! An arrangers composition, built, created in the month of august off the top of his head. There is no manuscript, no real recordings, just our memories of how each piece unfolded for us to keep and reminisce on. Truly a special occasion in the world musically. So moving on, the pan groups packed onto trucks, floats, trailers etc, block the streets of west london in cue for there 10mins in front of the small crowd and judges. Its such an unforgettable atmosphere. You can't beat it! Well I can't, inspiring in so many forms. I feel very lucky to be involved. Musically all the rules and training I had growing are some what left at home. Learn your pan, day by day, learn little by little more of the arrangement, help the others in your section. And give your all.



Album news: Digging tunnels. I'm pleased to say I've given the first version of the album to my Publishers for their summer holidays. It 80% finished. I'm very proud of it and itching to get it out. Just waiting on the news from the company and lets keep our fingers crossed I don't have to sit on it any longer. I've got too much music inside trying to find ways out ; ) they sounds kinda funny...ok, jokes aside. Please show your support and like the Aronas page on facebook. The numbers are important I guess. (not the city or boxer)

So, thats all for now.

Hi all

Well in brief, thanks to Facebook and its applications, here's what happened in status'


...basically, i knocked up a few air miles...(sorry mother earth), I promise to make up for it. Seems I went from the Western Sahara to London hammersmith courthouse, Montreal Fest, Russia, to New Zealand, made recordings with incredible Maori songstress Whiri Mako Black, to a lake in Switzerland, back to london with marvelous Australian singer song writer Sarah Blaskow...Warsaw, etc, etc, shows with La Soiree in Paris....its all been happening. REALLY...throw in a few crazy parties, some bad haircuts, stupid costumes, broken hearts. Yes, I out did do myself again...this below was the lake in Lausanne, swiss mountains. Gorgeous place. I'm not still wearing my pants from the night before ; )



So update with the 2nd album is...its on the backburner at the moment, sorry...wanna make it big one. I have the incredible CARAMBA team in paris on my side and they want the good stuff so we're happy to wait and give time to finish the shit. I'm feeling the idea of the sound at the moment,  its going to range over 3 different types of sonics....the introduction of the steel pan, moving back to the beats of polynesia to just straight dance floor with a few ballads there for you to chillax. I have got about half way. I'm back to OZ in January, so hope to finish the 2nd half writing. Will continue with production throughout the year...theres some previews on both my myspace and website. www.aronasmusic.com & www.myspace.com/aronas

Please leave your feedback.

Recently, I've connected with the brilliant french Hip Hop star Abd Al Malik (below) and look forward to touring with his new album Chateau Rouge in 2011.



So that's all from me now...a very merry christmas and happy new year to you all...and keep spreading the love.
ANd final words from Captain Frodo's speech at the end of la soiree...
"Now I would like it if all of you beautiful people who are here tonight could think about something that you wanted to do, with your life, but that always seemed too strange or too obscure to pursue. Whilst now that you have seen what we do for a living - maybe that dream of yours doesn't seem so obscure anymore.

Yo yo yo, I'm a very wounded Scorpio!!!

November is well and truly kicking my ass. What a month its been so far. I've really had some incredible experiences. But right now packing again for a week in Paris until our next Aronas show in Normandy.

Made a mash up of everybody's starfish contributions to our facebook page. The music is Aronas live performance @Cargo in Shoreditch 5th November 2010.

Watch at this link me performing with Abd al Malik on Le Grand Journal. Popular French TV
http://www.canalplus.fr/c-divertissement/pid3303-c-le-live-du-grand-journal.html?vid=387980

So what happened next....through an incredible party home for a 100 guests. Theme: Jungle. It was my pleasure to be one of the few people to arrive as Jane from the Jungle. Here is a beautiful picture representing her true beauty.




Steel Pan Sam as sister Tafrina



After the weekend I ventured back to Paris to film for Le Grand Journal. I spent my birthday climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower for the first time. What a magnificent view it is from up there. It was a clear day with the sun shining strong...all gooooood.

Other News, I'm preparing for my trip back to Sydney Australia. Also wanting to fit in a trip to Auckland. I'll be spending some Most of Jan and maybe Feb depending on how things pan out here.

And if you're London get down to LA SOIREE at Southbank. Went down recently and found myself in stitches. Such a great variety of acts. This is a must see show!!! I love Captain Frodo sooo much!

What else what else what else...poster for next upcoming festivals Aronas will be at.

Hi all

Its been one crazy weekend of party shenanigans once again. Thanks to Who?Who? and Muak for having us at there great night down at Cargo. It was a drunken after work club crowd and they wanted action. So found myself standing on my keyboard stool more then sitting. Sometimes these days just playing live instrumental music sitting down just doesn't do it for your typical anglo-saxon beer drinker. But that's cool, that's why we're ARONAS, punk jazz with dance floor grooves. Alexis on drums, Jon on bass, and the incredible steel pan Sam to help me to make a one hour adventure of groove music, so by the end we had the place going bonkers. Yes, all with a bit of help of from back stage Absinthe bottle. Sorry for the mess we left.

Here's a picture of our set up at Cargo in Shoreditch with the new Roland V piano. It was baaaaad. Got a live recording from the evening as well. SO look forward to posting this soon using the www.awdio.com/aronas site.


Leading up to Cargo I had a week of rehearsing with Abd al Malik, French Hip hop star. He really is a great artist and am looking forward to things to come.

Check out the new single Ma Jolie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYO8NtVW4Q8

Its great fun to working with Paris musicians one week the london the next, what an amazing experience this is. So back to paris again for a early morning broadcast of a live version of Ma Jolie, tomorrow that is.

A few more shows left for the rest of the year then back to AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND for summer. Yes ai!!!!!

Oh gosh, all most forgot, I got the pleasure of seeing the french performer Ben L'ocle Seoul. Had too much fun on the dance floor, copping one big black eye form a crazy french lady dancing or should I say spazzing out. Yep...nasty nasty nasty and embarrassing trying to explain myself every day. Here is a picture taken after 5 days from the incident.



All the Best
A

Skpoje Festival

Had another great couple of shows sunday and tuesday last week
first stop was Skopje Jazz Festival
http://www.skopjejazzfest.com.mk/
Here are some photos taken from the event, we had one of our best nights this year



At the Hard Rock Venue....it packed out by midnight allowing us to go on to end of festival party crowed.
They were definitely well up for. What a great reception.
Then to the quiet town of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Very clean and picturesque place. And another very fun crowd...standing ovation with 2 encores
Back to London for the Friday Tonic Music Series, not sure if the audience were ready for us, but they quickly warmed....gave them some raw punk, another great reception!!

So thankyou, Skopje, Ljubjana, London

Right now, I'm currently in Paris working with Ab dal Malik, more on this soon.
cheers
a

yaaaaay!!!

Finally at the end of the blogging course. Its been most useful and helpful keeping me pushing my music. And now I'm definitely in the habit of blogging which is fantastic for reaching new audiences and fans.
Hope to be back on here at least once a week...

Now its time to get back into the 2nd album. Gotta get this baby finished, you'hear!!!

Just tonight I gotta get the press release release for our next London show at Cargo.

So just to conclude, Arial Hyatt's blogging challenge has been most helpful. It is a great read. All though the last couple of weeks have been tricky, one might say that i'm already a successful musician to some degree, hence its been really fucking difficult to take a 9 week course properly, in music success that is. But as I was saying, there is so much valuable information, and I'm interested how it will test the time of the ever-changing/moving fickle industry that is the music business.

what else, had a great Jam on friday down at Tory Bar in Shoreditch, with Rick James on Bass, also played for Lyric L at Vibe Bar, then onto some partying with my buddy Jon and ole pal Tonym on Saturday night. Then my dear french friend Matt has his birthday party. So yeah, i'm bloody knackered. typing this whilst dozing off. going to enjoy a nice cup of tea once i finish posting the photos.

yo yo yo
A lot just happened since last week. Been to Warsaw with Sarah Blasko to playback on TV and live on radio. Funny hey, you'd think it would be the other way round. Cause the audience can't see you, why don't you just play the tape...and if they can see you, prove you can play...ha! Well, it was such a fun time. Spent some good times in the Sofital swimming pool. A lot of sight seeing, vodka drinking, late night clubbing, all thanks to my lovely guide and dear friend Anna. She rocks. So yeah! I think Warsaw is like another Berlin, exciting city vibrant with characters and interesting conversations. Had some good laughs.

So I'm back with my blogging challenge...week 7 continuum. Here we have another serious chapter, really knuckling down on marketing strategy. Finding the ways you can make a small buck, and putting it to work. Obviously being in the music world the extra bucks are mainly made from merchandise, so I know this an area I need to get onto.
I have a few ideas being chucked around, like a private concert at my friends place with the amazing Steinway Grand. A boat party. A new youtube video with cool script. So its all about the funnel, what will draw peoples attention then when you got them what will make them cough up! aaahh...marketing, business. Anyway, I will try to do this in the nicest way... ; ) Special website, nudge nudge, wink wink! : ))) Yes, for special members only. join now for £1 and receive your secret invitation. ha ha h, yes, I get what Arial's saying. Can't wait to put it into practice

So in conclusion, yes this is where it gets really mportant as far as running a business. Look out cause I'm on it!

This week, I have a publishing deal to take care of, possible new management, and rest of year to plan.
 cheers for reading