The Killer Granddaddies did an “acoustic” show using instruments we normally wouldn’t use. Somehow it turned out kinda cool. The song is called “Stop Breaking Down” by the granddaddy of blues, Robert Johnson.
Month: October 2021
One of my absolute faves, a one-of-a-kind nkisi statue from the the Tetela people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I purchased it at the San Francisco Tribal Art Show a couple of years ago.
Another fave from my collection, a superb antique ceremonial mask from the Krahn people of Ivory Coast.
“The Krahn are an ethnic group of Liberia and Ivory Coast. This group belongs to the Kru language family and its people are sometimes referred to as the Wee, Guéré, Sapo, or Wobe. It is likely that Western contact with the Kru language is the primary reason for the development of these different names.”*Wikipedia
Another piece of my absurdly large collection of African art.
This one is a Senufo Kpeli made of copper alloy, which is far less common than those carved in wood.
“The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the western Burkina Faso.”
New Year’s Eve at Patrick Lamb’s NYE ball at the Governor.
We had a ton of tech issues that night, but I think this one turned out ok. Dave and Chrissy Bentley make a cameo.
The Killer Granddaddies—now on a long hiatus—performing with acoustic instruments the first song I ever wrote, while in prison around 2000.
Lyrics
Punch in the mouth
Kick in the groin
Gonna tax your ass
Til you’re tenderloin
You think you’re a king
You’re nothing but a fool
What I’m gonna do
Is take you to school
Slap you around
Rearrange your face
Send that puny body
To a painful place
This is a promise
I’m gonna keep
Like the preacher says
You’re gonna sow what you reap
Gonna draw blood
Gonna break bones
Gonna use sticks
Gonna use stones
Gonna make you pay
For what you’ve done
Gonna draw blood—DRAW BLOOD
Whatever I do
Won’t be enough
You deserve to die
You d**k s**k**g p**k
When you think I’m through
Ya don’t get a vote
I’m gonna rip off your b***s
And shove em down your throat
Gonna draw blood….
When you start to cry
Is when I’m not gonna quit
Don’t disrespect the game
If you can’t take the hit
Sorry about your pain
Is what I’m not gonna be
And the rest of your sorry days
You’ll wish you never met me
Gonna draw blood…
I’ve been running smack into these old Killer Granddaddies performances.
Man, I’m really starting to miss that stuff…
Here is another favorite from my collection of African art
a Kuba Bwoom mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have many of these that aren’t as old as this one. It was collected in 1970 and was already old at that time. Here’s a bit of the story of this work of art:
“Kuba mythology revolves around three figures, each represented by a masquerade character: Woot, the creator and founder of the ruling dynasty; Woot’s spouse; and Bwoom. Bwoom’s specific identity varies according to different versions of the myth. He may represent the king’s younger brother, a person of Twa descent, or a commoner. Embodying a subversive force within the royal court, the Bwoom masquerade is often performed in conflict with the masked figure representing Woot.”
To see a lot more of my collection, visit “Dave Dahl Collection” on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/davedahlcollection
One of my favorite African art pieces
a masterpiece Songye nkisi figure from the Democratic Republic of Congo—very old and beautiful, in my opinion.
Provenance: Sothebys Parke Bernet, New York, 24 March 1979: no. 156
Yale# 0031495
Purchased from Joshua Dimondstein.
I will be sharing these from time to time.
