COTFG brought us to Austin on Sept 28th to collaborate with local musicians.
TJIW performed at the Big Medium Creative Standard Room along with Lee Redfield (sax), Eliot Stone (vocals) and James Suter (Bass)
Earshot Jazz Festival 2019 Invitation for October 12th!
Indeed, while my project Turning Jewels Into Water is decidedly not a Jazz project, we’re deeply honored to have been invited to the legendary festival whose expansive scope also includes global music artists Tinariwen, DahkahBrakha and Egberto Gismonti, alongside Jazz luminaries Chucho Valdes, Jeff ‘Tain Watts, Terri Lynn Carrington, Jenny Schienman, Makaya McCraven and Kneebody and lots of other amazing artists!
Cleveland Solstice 2019
Deeply honored to have been asked to perform at the prestigious Solstice Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Art! Partially curated by King Britt, the line-up included the Sun Ra Arkestra, Tribu Baharu, Rafiq Bhatia, Shigeto, RJD2, Anbessa Orchestra and Forest Management.
Mixmag: 6 Artists to check out
Turning Jewels Into Water was chosen by Mixmag for May 2019’s edition of
“Artists you need to check out”
They wrote:
“The bass continuum is mutating again and the result is Turning Jewels Into Water, a collab between Indian-born jazz drummer and producer Ravish Momin and Haitian percussionist and turntablist Val Jeanty. Their debut album ‘Map Of Absences’ hops through jazz, rhythmic syncopations and dubby rumble. It’s as hypnotic as you might hope, and comes backed with killer remixes by Slikback and PlayPlay. Subwoofer recommended.”
Interview on Redbull Radio, Apr 4
We had been invited on April 4 to speak with Vivian Host on Redbull Radio in NYC. We talked about our various influences such as Nidia, Dengue Dengue Dengue, DJ Rashad, and played new track from Turning Jewels Into Water and remixes by Slikback.
*Live interview segment begins at the top of the 2nd hour*
New Album is Best of Winter 2019!
Map of Absences is, in short, intoxicating. Helmed by New York duo Val Jeanty and Ravish Momin, Turning Jewels Into Water is making music that is decidedly global with electronic production, ritualistic chants, and percussion. Percussionist Jeanty is of Haitian-descent and producer/drummer Momin is of Indian-descent and the two work in unity to marry the sounds of their respective cultures in this project. Map of Absences’s 11 songs flow into each other with their heavy percussive beats and futuristic synths. Opener “Lake Hums No More At Night” sounds disparate and ominous with heavy synths. “Azul (for Nidia)” turns the mood of the album up a notch with electronic sounds akin to early ringtones, beepers, and gaming consoles. The titular track sounds like a distant rave interspersed with recurrent drumming. “Our full-length record, ‘Map Of Absences’ is a reflection on the regressive state of human rights, deepening refugee crisis and the worsening impacts of climate change worldwide,” they say of the album. Map of Absences succeeds because Jeanty and Momin are dedicated to imagining a world without borders. –Diamond Sharp
March 2019 Tour Dates Announced for TJIW!
March 16, The Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
March 18, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
March 20, MassArt, Boston, MA
March 21, Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
March 22, Arete Venue, Brooklyn, NY
March 23, Collider 5: Grange Hall, Williamsburg, MA
Teaser for Upcoming Full-length album on FPE Records
Making a music video from scratch proved to be a lot trickier than I’d imagined. Once we got dancers Ivvy (infinite.byrnn) and Ranubi on board, the setting and narrative fell in place. Excited to have had my vision brought to life! Full video premiers in March 2019.
Multiflora Productions Presents Turning Jewels Into Water in DC
Multiflora Productions has been killin’ it in DC, bringing an amazingly wide variety of global music to the area. We’re deeply honored to be presented twice!
On Friday Oct. 19th, TJIW will perform at Georgetown University’s afternoon series, and on Saturday Oct. 20th, we’ll perform at the Flash of the Spirit Festival at the Anacostia Arts Center.
New Solo Video produced by Four|Ten Media
No overdubs! I composed and played all the parts. This video, inspired by a Turkish rhythm (Karsilama in 9/4), showcases the intersection of Music-technology and improvisation.
[Filmed by Four/Ten Media in Philadelphia on Aug 14, 2018]