You can take ginseng, drink tea or you can listen to Mauro. I made the mistake of having a cup of Ginseng tea while listening to this CD, and was so hyped by the end of it that I was dancing my way through the rest of the day.

This is rock and more - tribal and more - music with a message and great deal more....

Mauro A'sha Martins de Oliveira combines classical music training with his Native American heritage to compose and produce an album of incredible depth and power. Influenced in the past by artists like Peter Gabriel, he has moved on into his own realm and developed a sound that is uniquely Mauro.

"IC2" is 15 tracks of anger, hope, grief, joy, and sensuality. From the very ethnic tribal rhythms on the "Morning Song" cut to the symphonic sweep of "Asianotepec", Mauro demonstrates a depth of musicianship that takes the breath away. His voice, an exceptionally broad ranged tenor, is versatile and passionate. Mauro's lyrics are intelligent, acute and poetic. Whether heard in the rock ballad "Winds", the musical commentary on Uncle Sam in "About Love" or in "Amerika", he tells his stories with insight and clarity.

Speaking to Mauro provided several other insights into the dedication and passion he has for his work as an activist. The music; gift, skill and talent, is not the only means by which he disseminates his message, but also his way of reaching into the hearts of those who hear him or see him perform.

"Winds" - The first cut on "IC2" is a dramatic ballad about a medicine man staying behind to give his tribe time to escape the oncoming union soldiers. It is the plea of the medicine man and his own inner thoughts during the confrontation. When asked about this song, he noted that it had become an even more important piece for him recently.

Mauro - "'Winds' turned out to be true with a friend of mine who was working with the Uw'a, in Columbia. He was just killed about 45 days ago. He was murdered working with those Indian people, and they (the killers) dumped his body in Venezuela. So for me, the issues that I'm taking on are so much a part of my life and the people around me, that it was literally scary when Terry was killed. The next time I saw 'Winds', it clicked with me how real that video is. It wasn't just a figment of my imagination. That death has happened to countless people on this planet."

In a wake-up call about the dispute at Big Mountain, Arizona, Mauro delivers his message with might and simplicity. "Amerika" hits hard and comes across through his lyrics and deeds. Musically, the rhythm is consistent, and insistent. This is almost a war dance, with the amount of strength expressed behind the beat. Mauro's war is for peace and justice; the right to exist free of fear and persecution.

Mauro - "Myself, and a lot of the people I work with, are human rights and environmental rights activists. We're not just artists. I actually run supply lines to Big Mountain every two weeks, which is a 28-hour drive round trip to Northern Arizona. We run 5-10 vehicles. We're trying to hold off a relocation of the last traditional Dineh (Navajo) people."

"Come With Me" - An East Indian Tabla beat, bagpipes and a sinuous seductive melody line blend as though they were always meant to intermingle. An invitation to intimacy and play, this song is an alluring and joyous dance of love. The dominant heartbeat of the tabla challenges the listener to match it, raising the energy level and imagination. This song is not to be missed!

During our discussion, it became immediately apparent that his native American heritage is part of every facet of Mauro's life. I wondered when this began.

AMZ - "When did you become more interested in your Native American background?"

Mauro - "1990 is when I really immersed myself into ceremony."

AMZ - "Ceremony. So, you've done a vision quest?"

Mauro - "Yes. I've vision quested and I'm a Sun Dancer. Sun Dancing is a ceremony that honors women, life, generations and water. It's a 4 day ceremony where the participants do not drink water or eat food for the entire time, and there's flesh offerings given. There's also purification before the ceremony and after for 4 days. During the ceremonies you'd want to remove coffee out of your life. During that time you'd want to get your thoughts pure. You'd want to try to purify all aspects of your body, your emotional, spiritual, ethical life, your mind."

The next cut on IC2 is "On Our Way Home", a dedication to the medicine man who presided at Mauro's sun dance. Martin High Bear, who Mauro describes as an incredible human being and influence on the planet, passed away about 3 or 4 years ago. This song is uplifting, jubilant and yet spiritual, which is the most consistent theme throughout all of Mauro's works. There is a quality of rapture to this cut, which is a real pleasure to listen to.

"Initiate" is the first of the peyote songs on this CD. Remembering that peyote is part of the religious experience of Native American culture, this song and "Morning Song" which comes up later on the CD reflects this very inward and spiritual aspect of some of our indigenous cultures... These songs, illustrating two very different interactions, and two very different approaches both appear to take the listener on the singer's inner journey.

Of "Morning Song", Mauro comments, "That's a Peyote Song, that I wrote for my daughter. And they're usually song in sets of four, but I only put one (two actually) on there, 'cause I thought it was a little risky. Although Robbie Robertson, right after IC2 came out, his new CD has it on it too. Not "Morning Song", but another one."

This reviewer's favorite of the two peyote songs is the briefer "Morning Song" as it expresses such simple beauty in the chant. I asked Mauro about this facet of his songs.

AMZ - "There are a number of different songs within your CD, that have native American Chant. Is there meaning in the words or are these traditional vocalizations?"

Mauro - "Both, and a third aspect which is just chanting. 'Hey Nay Oway' is a traditional ending of Native American Peyote Song. They always tag the ending with 'Hey Nay Oway'. Other chantings just kind of fit the actual flow of the music, and it just kind of happens the way it does."

When asked about the cut "Medicine Man" Mauro tells of another great influence in the continuing inner quest he has taken with his life. The expression of this quest is captivating, and invites us to partake of yet another taste of Mauro's experience.

Mauro - "That's about a man named Kingfisher, who is a big influence in my life. He's a Northern Cheyenne, and he taught me the power of Mahaio, which is the spirit helper. I named my daughter Mahaia..."

Mauro is in the building stage now of creating his recording studio in Colorado.

Mauro - "The new studio is being built, right now in Colorado, and it'll be ready in August. It's my studio, and it's on top of an earth ship, which is a tire house; which is what we have, my family and my daughter. We have an earth ship now in Colorado which is going to be a beautiful music studio, and then we're going to move there out of L.A., and I'm going to go ahead and start on the next project. It's the only way that I'm going to be able to do it. I have to get away from here."

For a complete turn about in style and tone, "City of Angels" illustrates the emotional, spiritual and physical cost of working in a conflicted environment. This is something everyone can relate to in one form or another. Whether we thrive on stress or not, there are times when the chaos of a driving environment overwhelms. Mauro deftly relates his conflict with this environment in a musical exposure of his reaction to this climate. It's quite an indictment of existence within a pressure cooker.

The next piece on the album is lighter, in fact, the feel is clean, light and soaring, which matches perfectly the intent of the song. Mauro describes it below.

Mauro - "With 'Birds of Pray', it's one person, subconsciously talking underneath whatever interaction is happening. One person is praying that the other will recognize them from another life. Because the one person who is praying sees that the other person is his or her soul mate, and is praying that they'll see it back. When they were together in their last life, they were birds and he's trying to force that into the mind of the other one; trying to help open that doorway."

Another example of the diverse cultural influences that Mauro draws upon is his interpretation of the Gilgamesh stories. Of the next song, he says ".... it's kind of a love story.... How impressive it would be to have that power and be enthralled with one of the humans; to be able to show off. It's probably one of the most playful pieces on the CD." "Nine Miles High" is this dynamic and lyrical piece of other world beings here on Earth.

Mauro's talent is unmistakable. The question which arises now is what other musicians influence him.

AMZ - "It's said that you've been influenced in the past be people like Peter Gabriel, or U2. Are there are musical artists that you find influential now?"

Mauro - "Yeah! I'm finding all these incredible women so influential. The whole gamut of the women around Lilith Fair. I'm just really taken with them, Paula Cole and Sheryl Crowe. I'm really inspired by their energy, more than their music. Sarah McLachlan, and I've ALWAYS been inspired by Kate Bush, and with her, it's more about her music. To me, she's just this wild woman who's containing everything long enough to get it onto a record. She comes up with the most unique rhythms and things, and she actually manages to get a hit out of it too, climbing up that hill a few years ago."

This brings us to the tenth cut, which is actually two songs that work in tandem. "Knights", which seems to illuminate a ceremony through the eyes of the initiate's guide, is followed immediately by a simple prayer of gratitude, aptly named "Thank God". This pair intrigues in more than the simple flow of the music, or the even the spiritual awakening expressed. Mauro's lead vocal drifts into the background so Annette Austin can move forward from background into the lead for "Thank God". Her voice is clear and resonant, chiming piously in harmony with Janine Freeman's background vocals.

Laureen Clair, who joined with Mauro and Brian Wilkes in the vocals for "Morning Song" lends her dulcet tones to narrate "White Buffalo". Not even a full minute and a half, we are treated to a gentle transition, heralding the birth of the sacred animal of the Great Plains.

Mauro's talents are quite diverse. His live performances are dynamic and now, in the production of IC2, he has taken on the additional role of recording artist. I wondered how much of the CD was taken from his live performances.

AMZ - "Have all of the songs on IC2 been used in performance or are any of them studio pieces exclusively?"

Mauro - "'Asianotepec' is a studio piece and 'White Buffalo'."

AMZ - "Will you be adding either of them to your live performances?"

Mauro - "No."

AMZ - "But you see 'Asianotepec' evolving into something more?"

Mauro - "It will be a film score. It's already showed up over credits on several documentaries..... It'll be a soundtrack to something someday. I have a whole movie idea and part of a script, that I've been working with and it would be part of that."

"Asianotepec" is an entirely instrumental piece, with a symphonic undertone. It did indeed sound like the underlying them of a movie score. The movie idea is intriguing. After all, Mauro had already penned the United Children Song "21st Century Child" that was performed at the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebration. He wrote for the Clinton Inaugural. His "Winds" video received acclaim at a U.S. Film Festival. So what IS his movie idea?

Mauro - "It's called Novus, as in Homo Novus; or New Man, which is the offspring of Sapiens Sapiens, which is what we are. Homo Novus is actually being born on the planet now. "It's just what you'd call a genetic opening from Sapiens Sapiens, and that's why you are seeing extremely genius child being born. Because there are influences on the planet or the stress on the planet is so great with environmental degradation, with every body's own personal if you can pardon the expression "shit" coming to a head in their own lives, even with the economic pressure, that there's so much pressure on this planet that it literally gives birth to a resolution to the pressure, and without that, there would be extinction. "If we didn't (evolve) into a higher being, which is what we've done, ever since we were homo Erectus, we resolved stressful times, by producing a better human, and if that doesn't happen it leads to extinction... So hopefully, that's where we're headed, which is the theme of a lot of my music, as well."

The anchoring cut on IC2 is a kick in the seat of the pants. "About Love" is really about love. Not romantic love, but our allegiances... His lyrics are a blast of cold air. They wake you up, make you think, but they don't insult or patronize. Mauro walks a thin tightrope with this work, and he does it as gracefully as a ballet dancer.

When asked to put a label to his sound, Mauro hesitated. He sees it as an evolving process. But when nudged a bit more, he graciously relented, "I would still have to use the word Rock, so I would have to say Indigenous Rock; Earth-based Rock. Some of the music is trying to heal, and some of it is trying to make things apparent where it's actually tearing apart."

When asked to put his message into words he was as well spoken as his music.

Mauro - "I believe that what I'm doing with the direction of my music and my videos and my other work, my nonprofit, and the documentaries that I'm working on are all part of an effort to bring as quickly as possible awareness to the people on the planet, about how much in danger we are in right now. Also, the idea that, life is a celebration and a joy. If we can balance our joy and thankfulness, which is far too low right now. Most people are not happy, and if we can learn to be happy, and learn to take care of the land, as fast as we can, working as hard as we can, right now, we just might make it in time. But if it's anything short of that, it's going to be a disaster."

Mauro was born of our native American culture. Raised and guided by his mother, a concert pianist, he was educated and living his credo of the sanctity of life as a professional fireman. After earning his fire department pension, he came full circle back to music as the medium to express his message. This Native American musical Ghandi is someone to watch for.

**This CD is not in broad distribution but may be available through your local Independent Music Seller or at Mauro's own website:

http://www.solcommunications.com/mauro.html