05/01/06- I worked on a rough mix of The Orishas first five songs with roughed out arrangements by La Palabra. These were for Frances to work out her phrasing. She has been singing these songs for about a year now but with the new arrangements they have become a new ballgame. For more on the Orishas you can go to the News. Not much more to say other than its 10:09 in Beautiful California (Whittier to be exact) and its time to go to bed- I'm tired! I do still have a day job and the morning will come very early. Tomorrow I'll be out and about with trips to Pomona in the morning and Los Angeles in the afternoon. See ya!

04/30/06- I decided to post some photos of Old Santiago here at Lord Tiger. A bit of self-indulgence, I know, but sometimes I do miss my old hometown, I left since I was fourteen and though my memory is fading, the feelings are still there. I hope to have time in the not too distant future to finish my Cuban album "Pa' mi Cuba me voy." Right now is called "EL Cucalambe, I knw, but that will change when I finish- its only a working title. I'm pretty far along, really. But I do need to hire a few players to finish out the songs. Roberto put down most of the percussion already but I do need a tres player, a good flutist and a good bass player. Maybe I'll hire Palabra to arrange some of it when I get some "billetes." When the Orishas take off I'll have the cash to acomplish all that. It will be a good complement album to the Orishas. All the songs are heart felt and about "patria," the love of the land. Can't wait to finish! - I almost forgot, the pictures are from webshots.com Some wonderful people took those pictures of Santiago and shared them and I got to see them- thank you! And thanks to Susi for pointing me to that wonderful website.

04/29/06 - (this is from a post I made in www.recording.org where I am a moderator- I edited it a bit for the blog- otherwise some parts would not make sense- it was adressed at a poster that was frustrated with the music bussiness)

The problem with being a creative type in our society is that unless you make a living at it it is not recognized as 'legit' and it is looked upon as a 'hobby.' I finally came to term with that myself after being frustrated for many years as you are. What my final conclusion was/is that I am a singer/songwriter/composer/musician and I am doing just what I want to do. I don't have air play or acclaim or fame (yet, hope spring is eternal)
but I am who I want to be, doing what I want to do. If other people don't recognize that, its their problem, I don't have a problem with it anymore.

That being said, I am currently working hard in a new musical "The Orishas Are Coming To America." ITs going rather well so far, (I Think- no, I know!) and there is some real hope for success. The plan is to get some REAL WORLD CREDITS here. Once you get that, your work is magically legitmitized (is that a 'real word?) and the rest of your body of work becomes 'legit."

So I go on still writing and recording. My new solo album, "Little Hope" (a little hope is better than no hope at all!) www.lordtiger.com/littlehope.html will be out this summer for sale at my website, at our ebay store and at gigs. (which are few and far between nowdays, sad to say). When the Orishas take off (notice I say when, not if) I am hopeful to sell a fair number of 'Little Hopes' and also of my other albums (One Dark Dude, Look My Way, The Lord Tiger Sessions, Dragon Masters, For All Times)- you get the pecture-

Until that happens, man I do go on. I go on writing, singing, recording, producing, promoting, of course modding here at this fine site... You get the picture, 'I AM Doing IT' Never mind if the world doesn't know, I know!

So that's my take on it. I can't tell you not to get discouraged for we all get discouraged. But when you recognize that you are who you are and you do what you do because that's what you do then it is easier to accept it. I can't give up for then I will just wither and die. I know it is our lot to die anyway, all of us, but what we choose to do between birth and death its what matters in this reality and the present moment anyway. And my lot in this life, just like you, is music. And I choose to follow it, even if like a Don Quixote stabbing at windmill. Hey, he was a unrealistic dreamer just like us. He didn't make much of his life (by society standards anyway) but he followed his dream and now he is inmortalized- about that!

Well folks, sorry for the long ramble. I just had to set the record straight: IT IS NOT A HOBBY!!!! Its who we are, its what we do- mo matter what BS to the contrary you may hear.