EDITOR'S NOTE
by Daryl Sanders
The first time I ever saw Aashid, he was performing with his band Afrikan Dreamland at a venue in Nashville called Wind in the Willows. People literally were dancing on the tables, moved by the group's righteous rhythms. It is the one-and-only time I've ever seen that happen. It was pure and joyous celebration of the moment - spiritual and transcendent. Just like Aashid's life.
Aashid has lived many lifetimes within this one, and they've all been characterized by two things: his power to move people, especially through music, and his thirst for the truth. A native of Huntington, W.VA., he grew from child phenom performing in church at age 4 and on the Today show at age 10, to R&B crooner in the late '50's and early '60's, blues-folk busker in the late '60's early '70's and Blu- Reggae pioneer in the late '70's and early '80's. In the mid to late '80's and early '90's, he added television producer, director and host, as well as space musician to his already lengthy artistic resume.
I admit I wasn't surprised to learn that he was writing a book, or actually, a series of books. As long as I have known him, he's had more to say, more to share, than could be expressed through music alone. In his many lifetimes within this lifetime, in his ongoing quest for the truth, he's often discovered a lot of it.
Nor was I surprised that the title of the first book would be Tribal Spirit, because above all else, I know Aashid to be spiritual. Whether greeting you on the phone or in person, he always says "One Heart" as a reminder that we are all One, that we all come from the same Great Spirit. It's the thematic thread that connects his art and his lives. With Tribal Spirit, he makes his most far-reaching statement regarding oneness to date, offering great insight and inspiration.
- Daryl Sanders
Copyright 1997 SOPTEK BOOKS
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