Dance For the Elephants’ Lives

This album started out with a jam session. In August 2016 I met members of the Great Cornerstone Band and played a joyful set of songs with them in the courtyard of a hotel. This encounter led to a collaboration that forms the heart of this collection of songs. I returned to Tanzania four months later to record new songs I had written, which all benefited from additional musical and lyrical pieces that the band contributed. We weren’t able to finish recording. I returned to the States, and the members of the band scattered around Tanzania.

I then spent the next four years finishing the original songs, adding a couple that predate the jam session but that feel like they belong here, and writing a couple more. Collaborators from Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, and many parts of the US joined in making the sketches of songs into fully fleshed celebrations. Virtual connections made the completion of this album possible. Altogether, it’s an album that attempts to capture the exuberant energy of that first jam. Asante to everyone who played a role.

Whether it’s the majesty of elephants, the depth of the blues, the tragedy of poaching and loss, or the blending of Western and European influences that gave us jazz, there is no denying how deeply African music casts both shadow and light over our lives. Enslaved people. The cradle of civilization and evolution. Endless savannah. People as varied as anywhere on earth. And animals that speak deeply to my imagination. There’s a debt in me, and the pull of love binds all of these songs together in my heart.

Anytime an artist works with people from a different culture, questions may arise. I engaged with these questions as the project progressed, and I also realize the shifting nature of the conversation about equity, cultural appropriation, and privilege. Without going into more detail than liner notes allow, there are a few answers to possible questions. All of the musicians were paid fairly, and were delighted to be part of the project. All profits from this album go to support wildlife conservation in Africa. I acknowledge the contributions of every musician, while also acknowledging that I wrote each song. The members of the Masai lodge choir were enthusiastic about participating and hoped that we would get the chance to work together again. Sadly, that lodge has since closed. I realize that some may have questions in this area, and I welcome correspondence from anyone who wants to know more.

My gratitude is wide and deep for all of those who were part of making this project possible.

Special thanks to

Ombeni Pallangyo, who brought us to Tanzania and set up the first jam session.

Charles Amani for his hospitality and inspiration.

Ahimidiwe Ismaeli for guiding us with spirit, joy, and love.

Tom Pease, Peter Berryman, Barbara Chusid and Barbara Tilsen for ongoing consultation and hand-holding.

The Masai Lodge for cultural exchange, music, story, and hospitality.

The members of the Great Cornerstone Band, for their beautiful harmonies, their musicianship, and their joyful presence.

Sue Elliott, Jean and Jeff Alt, Megan Perry Bond, and Bernice Hirsch for safari companionship.

All of the musicians.

Barb Tilsen, Kim Walloch, Jonathan Sprout, Jacki Breger, and Tom Pease for helping me to think about this recording and its cultural consequences.

Children’s Music Network for the great presence in the world of music.

Alex Lobulu for his recording studio and skill.

Wendy Schneider for her craft in recording and mixing.

Sochi for his help with mixing and mastering.

Heather for her ongoing passion for Tanzania and her love for me.

Mastered by Shochi Shams

Produced by Stuart Stotts

All songs BMI Cerisacal Music

Cover photo by Heather Terrill Stotts

Other photos by Stuart Stotts

Tanzania Wimbo

A celebration of dancing, music, and friendship. Jobiso came up with the Swahili bridge.

Recorded at Alex’s Studio, Arusha, Tanzania

Mixed at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Lead Vocal – Jobiso Shemndolwa and Stuart Stotts

Background Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

Guitar – Jobiso Shemndolwa

Keyboard – Jimmy Kimutuo

Bass – Jobiso Shemndolwa

Percussion – Naliene Omari

Twiga

Giraffes are amazing animals to watch and savor, especially in the savannah and forests. Funny, threatened, clumsy, graceful.

Recorded at Holum St. Studios, in Texas, and in the Netherlands.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocals – Stuart

Bass, guitar, drums – Joost Zoeteman

Backup Vocals – Vincent Bates and Denise Stewart-Bates

Miss More Than You Make

I wrote this song hoping to record it in 2016 in Tanzania, but we didn’t get to it. In 2019 I was able to work with two of Madison, Wisconsin’s finest musicians, Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines, to capture it.

Recorded at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal – Chris Wagoner

Violin – Chris Wagoner

Cello – Mary Gaines

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

Serengeti Plain

This was the first of the Tanzania songs. It’s a classic zipper song, and I’ve since performed it in many settings all over the world.

Recorded at Holum St. Studios, in Madison, Wi. and in Kenya

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal – Stuart Stotts

Percussion – Tim Gruber

Bass – Tito Monako

Punda Milia

Zebras are not warm and fuzzy animals. They are wild and, shall we say, assertive. It’s a beautiful thing to look across the savannah and see herds of them. They participate in the Great Migration, following the rain and grass, although climate change has disrupted that pattern. The Great Cornerstone Band created the additional Swahili parts for the song.

Recorded at Aflob studio, Arusha, Tanzania.

Mixed at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Lead Vocals– Miriam Lazier and Stuart Stotts

Background Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

Bass – Jobiso Shemndolwa

Percussion – Naliene Omari

Dance for the Elephants’ Lives

This song was born on one of the most incredible days in my traveling life. In a remote village near Mwanza, Tanzania, I was introduced to a group of singers, dancers, and musicians whose mission is to educate local people about the importance of elephants, in an attempt to stop poaching. I sang this song in its initial form for over 20 minutes, accompanied by drummers. I worked on the song for years, and finally Tim Gruber was able to replicate the rhythm that grounds the song.

Recorded at Holum St Studios, Disq Studios, and in the Netherlands and Texas.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocals – Sally DeBroux and Stuart Stotts

Background Vocals – Vincent Bates and Denise Stewart-Bates

Percussion – Tim Gruber

Guitars and bass – Joost Zoeteman

Guitar solo – Stuart Stotts

Do What You Can

A song inspired by the life of Nkosi Johnson. Although he is gone, his message and story resonate still. More about his life here or here.

Recorded at Aflob studio in Arusha. Additional tracks recorded in Nigeria and Kenya.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Spoken word – Fega Michaels

Keyboard – Jimmy Kimutuo

Percussion – Naliene Omary, Cassius Maganga

Background Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila, Miriam Lazier

Bass – Tito Monako

Amani

Amani means peace in Swahili, and Seriani means peace in Masai. Miriam does the lead vocals , and she improvises her part at the end in her native Masai.

Recorded at Aflob studio, Arusha, Tanzania.

Mixed at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Lead Vocal – Miriam Lazier

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

Background Vocals – Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila, Miriam Lazier

Percussion – Naliene Omari and Cassius Maganga

Keyboard – Stuart Stotts

Tumbili

Tumbili means monkey, and this song is in the tradition of counting songs using monkeys in English. Some of those songs are problematic from a racist history point of view. Hopefully this song brings a clean perspective to my own love of the animal, and how much fun they are to watch. Sausage trees grow sausage-shaped fruit, and monkeys love them. Epsilon created the arrangement and added the Swahili parts.

Recorded at Aflob studio, Arusha, Tanzania.

Mixed at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Lead Vocals – Stuart Stotts

Percussion – Naliene Omari, Epsilon Shila

Background Vocals – Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila

LaLa Salama

On my first trip to Tanzania our evening meal ended with dessert plates on which the staff had written “Usiku Mwema.” Both phrases mean essentially “Good night, sweet dreams.”

Recorded at Aflob studio, Arusha, Tanzania.

Mixed at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Lead Vocal – Miriam Lazier

Background Vocals – Vocals – Cassius Maganga, Jimmy Kimutuo, Jobiso Shemndolwa, Epsilon Shila

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

No Moving Forward Without Grieving

The last song written for this album. To love this planet is to grieve the loss of so much.

Recorded at Holum St. Studios, in Madison, Wi.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal and guitar – Stuart Stotts

Percussion – Tim Gruber

Vocals – Tom Pease

Ololo

Recorded and created in collaboration with singers at the Masai Lodge near Arusha, Tanzania. On a previous visit I had heard the Masai song and made a simple recording of it. It’s a song of farewell in Masai. I wrote English words that I thought reflected the sentiments of the original, and we worked all day to create this version, recorded on a Zoom recorder with tracks added in my home studio. The Masai are joyful and energetic in their songs, and it’s clear how much music is central to their community. You can find the related video at…

Recorded at the Masai Lodge and at Holum St. Studios.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal – Stuart Stotts and Masai singers

Chorus – The Masai Lodge singers.

Asante

A simple song of gratitude. Thanks to Tom for the harmony arrangement.

Recorded at Holum St. Studios, in Texas, and in Madison, Wi.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal – Stuart Stotts

Percussion – Tim Gruber

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

Harmony Vocal – Tom Pease

Additional Harmony Vocal – Vincent Bates and Denise Stewart-Bates

Duke at the Piano

This is like one of those picture puzzles where you have to guess which song doesn’t quite fit. I include it here only because in my mind it belongs more here than on some other album. The influence on music around the world that resulted from enslaved people being brought to the Americas has touched all of us. Duke Ellington was one of the purveyors of this music, and I hold a deep respect for him. The song comes from a story about him that essentially is mirrored in the song.

Recorded at Coney Island Studios, Madison, Wi.

Mixed by Shochi Shams

Lead Vocal – Mary Gaines

Violin – Chris Wagoner

Cello – Mary Gaines

Guitar – Stuart Stotts

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