Public Profile Info (Optional)

Full Name

Steven Tatum

Interests

Original Country Music, American Folk Music, Blues Roots Music, Country Blues, Old Time Gospel, Native American music, Native American Flute, Indigenous music, world beat, Afro-Cuban, multicultural sound, Asian folk music, Tribal sound. Middle Eastern jam. World music, poetry, art, magic, Christianity (in it's true form), Islamism, Sufism, Buddhism, Taoism, all the isms. Cao Dai (Vietnam), Traditional Filipino folk medicine and herbalism, There are various categories of folk doctor (arbolario) including the practitioner of Ablon or Ilut (mangablon or mangngilut), the herbalist (mangngagas), the bonesetter (mammullo), the obstetrician (partera), and other specialists such as snake- or animal-bite curers (mannuma) and shamans or spiritual healers (mangallag)., I studied under such healers while living in the barrios there., Native American music, art, spirituality and belief systems., talismans and amulets, Gris-Gris, Voodoo, Hoodoo, All cultures, languages and colors, Black, Yellow Red & White and all the in betweens. World cuisine. World Dance, World Art, World Poetry, World Music., Music & Dance along with a lot of prayer is the only thing holding us together as one people, one Tribe. I collect tribal masks and study indigenous folk music and instruments from all over the globe.

Personal

About Me

Under the influenece:
I have too many musical influences to mention them all. My mama was with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra when she was pregnant with me and my Daddy was with a Nashville Gospel Quartet in his early days. I was raised on the same street with the original members of the Hank Williams band (Drifting Cowboys) and Ray Price. I attended school with Johnny Cash’s kids, lived at the age of 17 thru 19 with Lefty Frizzell and his family. The Allman Brothers Band was a big influence.That Memphis to Nashville to Muscle Shoals sound is in me and I guess it always will be under all the layers of my musical experience. Was an "Untouchable" with King Alex and The Untouchables in KC as well as percussion for The Bobby Smith Blues Band. A lot of gigs in Bar-B-Que joints. I come from Cherokee ancestry, so Native American music has always been a big influence. Being in the company of such artist as friend and brother Nino Reyos, Bill Miller and Micki Free. Artist such as R. Carlos Nakai and Robert Mirabal have shown the diversity of Native sound and how the art form is not limited to any particular style. It can be soothing to the soul and at the same time electrifyng!

At an early age I was heavily influenced by the New Orleans sound, particularly The Neville Brothers and Dr John. Got that hoodoo vibe going, particularly when I'm on stage with my congas. My very first instrument was the drum. I continue o this day as a percussionist. Laying down that back beat with a little Hoodoo. Got that John The Conqueror Root thang goin'. Shango Music!

From the age of 16 on I was drawn to other music outside of Nashville, especially the Grateful Dead (my first Dead show was at Vanderbilt Campus in Nashville on October 21st, '72), New Riders of the Purple Sage, even outside of the realms of American music altogether. "Other World Music" Drawn towards the "Music of the Spheres" and ever searching for that musical "Satori", I continue my journey along other musical paths . Peter Gabriel is an early influence and also Ai Farka Toure from Mali, Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Dadawa, Yungchen Lhamo ("Goddess of Song") Tibet, Conguero Poncho Sanchez,Tito Puente, so my musical taste covers a lot of ground. I love music, especially indigenous (native) folk music. I am a musician, songwriter, vocalist, percussionist, guitarist,etc. I have been instrumental in the promotion and composition of Native American music in the States. I play Native American flute and experiment with many tribal sounds in the music I perform. I was instrumental in establishing the first drum and pipe ceremonies and sweat lodge at the Tennessee State Correctional facility in Nashville. Although I was an outsider looking in, I established some trust and friendships on my visits to that facility. As an advisor and councilor of sorts, most of my experience there was with the Native American inmates. My Earthly Travels and things picked up along the way: My first real adventure was in the early 70's when I lived with the Hopi people on 3rd Mesa Arizona. My experience there I will always hold dear and set the tone for the rest of my Journey. I have traveled to Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Taipei, most of the US and some parts of Canada. I study a lot. Love to read. Speak some Arabic, Vietnamese, Kapampangan (a dialect of Northern Luzon, Philippines). My home was in the Philippines off and on from 1998 to 2000. I love the Filipino culture. So little stress. Just to note, if you're invited to a party, It's actually considered rude if you show up to an event on time. Everyone is tactfully late. Ever tried "halo-halo" ? What an awesome desert! Leechon (roasted pig) and "bangus" (milkfish) , Sinigang (a sour soup with tamarind and fish, shrimp or other meat and green leafy vegetables and pepper) are just a few of my favorite dishes.
Oh, let's not forget "balut"! (a steamed duck egg with a fetus inside) yummy!
Other interests.....
I study Hebrew, Aramaic (the language of Jesus), and Greek (in relation to Holy writings of the New Testament). I also know how to recite Quran in the Arabic language. I like long walks in the woods or jungle or desert or mountains (depending on the continent or terrain) I love adventure and traveling to places I've never been. I love the Philippines and have a Filipino family and home over there in Northern Luzon as well as my new family in Palawan City, Puerto Princessa, Philippines. My dear wife and “soul mate” is from Escalante, Philippines. I also have many friends and loved ones over the past couple of years in Saigon (i.e., Ho Chi Minh City) and Nha Trang, Vietnam . I have prayed side by side with the Buddhist Priests of Vietnam in the language of their holy chant in the Tran Hung Dao Temple or Xa Loi pagoda. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam . I used to love sitting in the "cool" of the morning in Saigon at the cafe' with my glass of "ca phe den" (black coffee) or "ca phe sua da "(coffee + condensed milk + ice, this is coffee prepared Vietnamese style with a slow drip process and the coffee is very strong and rich with flavor After drinking this style of coffee for so long (even when I lived in Seattle with members of the Vietnamese community there) no other coffee can compare. No...not even a Starbuck's 4-shot latte' ! 1 glass of "ca phe sua da" runs about 4,000VD (Viet Dong), or around 25 cents and trust me, it is sooooo worth it !!! I must caution you though, this coffee is highly addictive (at least as far as I'm concerned) toi muon uong ca phe' sua da! Ca phe vang xin, cam on nhieu! I went to many concerts in Saigon and performed in one myself. (the Vietnamse crowd loved classic rock. Eagles,Neil Young, etc,) but they really love ballads soI wooed the ladies with a love ballad, a cover of Richard Mark's "Right Here Waiting For You" complete with an electric piano and saxophone intro from my full Vietnamese band (who spoke virtually no English, by the way). These guys were awesome musicians and followed my every move. After the show, the audience would line up single file all the way out of the venue to the outside sidewalk each taking turns shaking my hand. Thanks to singer Ngoc Son for your amazing performance on the night the power went out during the concert. Candle light, flashlights and Zippo lighters lit the way for an even more magical performance! You showed how much you love the people and the music by continuing the performance and raising your voice in an acappella moment that I will never forget. Cam on nhieu! Hoan ho! loved shopping for fresh vegetables and fruit in the Bin Tay wholesale market in Cholon or taking a ride on a "Honda" or "moto" with a beautiful Vietnmese girl to Notre-Dame Cathedral or taking a personal guided tour through the Reunification Palace (former presidential palace of South Vietnam) formerly known as "The Peace Palace" . Just relaxing in the evening at an open air cafe with Bia hoi (Bia hoi is Vietnam’s tap beer) the beer cost 5000 dong (less than thirty cents) per liter! Anh yeu Vietnam! Thank you ("Cam on") Vietnam for your hospitality and for sharing the magic of your land, your people, your music and your culture with me. I will keep your memory forever in my heart of hearts. Anh yeu Vietnam!!! Kaluguran da Ka Philippines!!! Mahal Kita!!! Onward with the journey!

History

Member for

51 weeks 1 day