A Conversation With Michael Franti

On November 30th, Nell Geiser and Jessica Kinerson sat down with Michael Franti , the lead singer of Spearhead on KGNU Radio.

Q: You speak about the importance of the right to dance. What implications does the new PATRIOT Act have for that and other basic rights?

Michael Franti: First of all, regarding the right to dance, I believe that music is a healing art. The healing takes places on an emotional level, a mental level, and on a body level, a physical level. So when we dance, it helps brings all those three things together, and those three things are what I call spirituality: the mind, the body, and the emotions. So anything that stifles that, or anything that attempts to clamp down on the healing power of music is wrong, is scary, is something we need to recognize when they start throwing these words around like PATRIOT Act. Its really more like a Fascist Act, it has nothing to do with patriotism. I think it's important that we understand whats going on with our civil rights.

Eventhe so-called "Founding Fathers," they wrote the Constitution during a time of war. The Constitution was written during a time of war and said, no matter what happens, we still have the right to free speech, right to assemble, all these different rights. So I think music is something we need to protect. But we don't protect it by building a fence around it, we protect it by allowing it to blossom and grow, flourish and spread far and wide.

Q: Howard Zinn has said that the role of artists and musicians is to transcend the propaganda and lies of the times. What do you see as the role of artists and musicians in these times?

Franti: I think the role of artists and musicians is the same no matter what, no matter what time youre in. Because an artist or musician is no different than any other person. As human beings, we have two things that we are responsible for. We have to be responsible for taking care of the planet. And then we have to be responsible for taking care of each other, to help bring happiness to other people. I'm reading this book called Anger by Thic Nat Han and in the book he says, "Happiness is a relief from suffering." We try to find a relief from suffering in our own hearts, and then we try to help other people, and bring a relief from suffering.

Art is a very powerful way of doing that, especially in a time when we are fighting multinational corporations that are running the media. It's important that our art exists beyond that. It has an opportunity to reach people in a way television, even radio, the internet cant. We have to find ways that art can reach people directly and help to relieve suffering. Mumia Abu Jamal has a great description. He says that the role of a musician today is to "enrage, enlighten and inspire." And I added one part to it, which is to enrage, enlighten, and inspire people to become more compassionate.

	"As this war becomes increasingly unpopular, its up to us to embrace other people into peace, not go out and say "you guys are all wrong for believing what you believe" and "you guys are all wrong for waving the flag."

Q: Well the war that were engaged in now of course theres been a war in our streets for a long time as you speak about in your songs--but the new war involves a PR hack being hired as undersecretary of state, it involves Dan Rather saying that "If the President asks me to get in line, I'll ask where." Whats you're take on this war, which has been hailed as a just war: how our government is dealing with it, and how we should be responding to the events of September 11th.

Franti: Its an oxymoron to say a "just war." I don't believe there is a just war anywhere. And I believe that all bombing is terrorism, no matter who does it. The way that this consent was manufactured, the way this whole thing was constructed is amazing...Back here they report it as, "were doing this surgical bombing, these little attacks." We see these "night vision" explosions. We dont see peoples limbs being ripped apart, we dont see flesh burning.