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'Fighting For Peace' Music & Spoken Word Event featuring Patience Higgins/Poet Ishmael Reed & more (Saturday, 4/17)

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Divergent Worlds Come Together to Honor Daniel Pearl and Call for Peace
“Fighting for Peace," Music and the Spoken Word Event
at the Knitting Factory, Saturday, April 17, 7:30pm




Celebrated Poet Ishmael Reed Performs Poetry and Works by Buddhist Philosopher Daisaku Ikeda; Music by Patience Higgins



New York, March 22, 2004

Unlikely confluences of worlds intersect on Saturday, April 17, when renowned American poet Ishmael Reed recites his own poetry together with peace poems by philosopher Daisaku Ikeda, to the accompaniment of original arrangements by the Patience Higgins Quartet. Dedicated to the memory of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter slain in Pakistan in February 2002, the event takes place on Saturday, April 17 at the Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street in Tribeca, at 7:30PM.



The coming together of Reed's and Ikeda's poetry with Higgins' music to honor and carry on the legacy of Pearl represents a meeting of divergent worldviews bound by a common desire to overcome hatred and create peace. Daniel Pearl's young life and promising career were cut short when he was brutally murdered by his kidnappers. Ironically, it was his determination to “hear the other side," to directly confirm realities on the ground rather than rely on existing stereotypes, which put him at ultimate risk. An accomplished violinist, Daniel used his passion for music and culture to build bridges of mutual understanding among different peoples. As his wife, Mariane, has said: “. . .you were right: The task of changing a hate-filled world belongs to each of us."



Ishmael Reed has been described as one of the most original and controversial African American literary figures. In describing him, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has said that he really has “no true predecessor or counterpart." Reed's prolific body of work spans over 40 years; his numerous writings include novels, poems, essays, plays, television productions, and anthologies. He also helped launch the “East Village Other" and co-founded the “Before Columbus Foundation," a multiethnic organization dedicated to promoting a pan-cultural view of America. He has taught at University of California at Berkley, as well as Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth and SUNY Buffalo.



Reed will also recite the poetry of Buddhist philosopher and peace activist Daisaku Ikeda. Fighting for Peace, Ikeda's collection of peace poetry, is slated for commercial release in June. In Reed's foreword to the book, he says about Ikeda's work: “He speaks for millions of people who have become frustrated with the lethal shenanigans of the world's politicians, who continue to threaten the people of the earth and the very planet itself with destruction...Though troubling, these poems are ultimately hopeful...He pictures a future world where 'Everyone has the right/to savor the highest joys./Everyone has beautiful hopes/that must not be violated." Daisaku Ikeda is the President of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a global Buddhist lay organization dedicated to peace, cultural exchange and education and has over published over 50 previous works.



Critics call Patience Higgins a saxophonist with authority; he heads a band with James Weidman on piano, Bruce Cox on drums and Tariq Shah on bass. Most recently, Higgins has been maestro of what has come to be known as the hottest jam session in New York-at Harlem's St. Nick's Pub. Lauded for his even-handed leadership of the legendary sessions where every eager musician gets a chance to display their talents, Higgins has performed with such greats as the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Muhal Richard Abrams and Savion Glover. His participation in this event grows from a personal philosophy of peace: “All change starts from within and music helps you to achieve that."



Tickets to the event are $25 and can be purchased through the Knitting Factory's website, www.knittingfactory.com or by phone, 212 219-3006.

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