SEEKING
Violin, Keyboard, Background Singer, Flute.ABOUT
Music to Make You Move and Feel Moved
Ginger Beat sings about life's journeys over pulsing rhythms from Cuba, the Caribbean, and the American South. Lead violin and saxophone fill the air as you dance, sing along, and soak in the vibes. More than just a band, we are a kinesthetic experience delivering flavors from blues to bluegrass, salsa to rock-and-roll, and a whole lot of driving groove. Our all-original songs will shake your soles and your soul.
Founder and composer Arjan Khalsa spent early years at music conservatories, an Indian music college, and learning with fine jazz artists. After a career in educational technology, he recently reclaimed music as his main focus. He traveled to Cuba, studied with Berklee School of Music teachers, composed with hot new technologies and old ethnic instruments, and has been performing a lot. Ginger Beat is his biggest project.
- Screen name:
- ginger1763504
- Member since:
- Feb 09 2024
- Active within 2 weeks
- Level of commitment:
- Committed
- Years together:
- 2
- Gigs played:
- 10 to 50
- Age:
- 70 years
Influences
Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Septeto Santiaguero (Cuban traditional+rock), Amadou and Miriam (African rock)
Members Of Band
Arjan - composer, vocals, guitar, Cuban tres, octave mandolin
Ted Kuster - bass, banjo
Marco Ghezzo - Gypsy jazz violin
Amar Khalsa - keys, flute, sax
Syan Corpus, Ron Rico Duben, and Dalbir - Congas, bongos, hand percussion
Gina Fromer, Krystal Collins - background vocals
MUSIC
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Back in the 60s
Back in the 60s Track number: 3 Year: 2024 Album: Ginger Beat Genre: Rock
For some of us, the 1960s were a time of hope and transformation. And now, in this time period, we are experiencing our own 60s - that's how old we are. We are "Back in the 60s." This rock-n-roll song calls upon those of us who are back in our 60s (and older) to keep the dreams of social advancement alive. It explores three stages of life: teenage years, child-rearing years, and today's era of advanced age. We feature a great piano solo by Amar and the always-styling strains of Marco's jazz violin.
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Santiago
Santiago Track number: 1 Year: 2024 Album: Ginger Beat Genre: World
Santiago tells the story of a man who has immigrated with his mutli-generational family from Latin America to San Rafael, CA, the author's home town. He strives to "stay in the center of the lane," playing by the rules to ensure safety and security for his family. The song is constructed with polyrhythmic Cuban-salsa musical elements of tumbao and montuno that feature a Cuban tres guitar, congas, and bongos. Violin motifs and solos float on top and background vocals punctuate a dramatic ending.
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Rain Matinee
Rain Matinee Track number: 2 Year: 2024 Album: Ginger Beat Genre: Reggae
There is often a special fragrance that fills the air after a midday rain. On a hot summer day, this fragrance can complement a much-needed cooling to transform and day and uplift your spirits. This song describes this state of post-rain bliss. It introduces horses, played by a violin, and birds, played by a flute, to help convey the beautiful transformation. The song features a reggae beat, established by the "double skank" guitar strumming and a prominent bongo pattern. The engineer lent Arjan a rare 1959 Gibson ES 225 T2, a hollow-body electric guitar, to give this song a special reggae timbre.
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We'll Walk Someday
We'll Walk Someday Track number: 4 Year: 2024 Album: Ginger Beat Genre: World
We'll Walk Someday pulses on a driving Afro-Cuban rhythm played on congas, beaded gourd, shekere, and bongos. The singer describes actual people in his life who helped set him on his path. The first character is a high-school friend's mom who had all four limbs amputated due to diabetes. The second was the dean of the school of music at the University of Oregon who spent a long time chatting in the campus graveyard, exploring the depth of life. The third is a collection of friends who came through at a tough time. Their collective message: "We'll walk down that road, walk down that road, walk down that road when we get there."
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Santiago (Video)
Santiago (Video)8lzIxddjQ8U
