Something pertinent

[allynh@calder.berkeley.edu (Allyn Hardyck)]

Here's a quote from Mantra.  This was in Beef Magazine, an SF freebie on
art, music, and culture for whom KuKuKu did a benefit.  There may be some
vinyl out soon - a friend taking a sound engineering class over at SF State
saw a tape in the studio with their name on it.

Mantra - Lead vocalist and performer, "KuKuKu"

The New Revolution is a spiritual revolution.  I am a priestess; I want to
bring you through the fire, not leave you in it.  I would die for you if
need be.  I've been having some visions which I would hesitate to tell
anyone but my closest friends because they are alarming.  I'm scarier than
Kate Bush and sweeter than Diamanda Galas, but we're all sisters:  we believe
in God.  God told me to do this; I don't know what his intentions are.

God's got a pinstripe suit on, a monocle, a little cane, and blonde hair;
he's very dapper.  [Tom Wolfe is God?  Ed.]  I wear a suit of armor and a
sword so that people can rally behind me.  I want people to have the
courage to confront what might be out there.  One of these days, I'm going
to march all these people out of the auditorium, take them for coffee and
donuts, and then we're going to the White House!  The government doesn't
care what the spiritual climate of our youth is, and the kids don't realize
the power they have!  I want to set people free and make them brave:  if I
can do it, you can do it.  You can get the same effect from a KuKuKu show
as you can from being rolfed, only ours is half the cost and is pleasurable
instead!  Our music is white people music PLUS black people music - not us
trying to be black.  Classical and folk are a part of it:  there IS white
culture, there IS white soul.  The music itself is drawn from our ethnicity:
we use eastern European meters and there are some Celtic influences.  Our
songs are little narratives:  "Wet Dagger" is about little Jane Finley from
the typing pool.  She is frustrated - she's making the best of things and
yet one day it is too much for her.  She's angry at male culture, she's
trapped in a highrise - this terrible longing comes up in her womb to be
wild and crazy:  she wants to be violent, horrible, unladylike, bloody,
smelly, and rip things up with her fingernails and taste blood.  But she
doesn't win - all it ever is is a fantasy.  I have to act it out for 
people; most people just hold it in because they think:  "I can't!  What
will people think!?!"  What people need to realize is that you don't die
if you take that chance.  Be brave!  Fight for your dignity!  You're not
a helpless drone!