AEA: Rick Kramer
We Exchange Email with the Director of Joia World Percussion, The Musical Leader of the Boat of Dreams Parade
Artica’s gates generally open at noon on Saturday, but the activities truly kick in about an hour later. The Boat of Dreams Parade is the annual, spiritual kickoff of Artica, with attendees gathering in anticipation of a 1:11 pm stroll on Saturday afternoon, though that actual start time varies a bit from year-to-year. As does the parade route.
The ideal Boat of Dreams Parade moves down to the Mississippi, past burned warehouses, the moorings of an old casino, and a sometimes-rocky descent to the actual waterline. Once at the river, biodegrable boats are set into the water. Some sink, some take sail. Poetry is read, drums ring out, contemplation is had. Again, that’s the scene during most years. During others, especially of late, paraders find locked flood walls, road construction and other physical impediments to the route. In these situations, parade leaders have taken the assembled walkers on a loop of the Artica grounds, ending at the effigy site, where boats are placed upon it in anticipation of the next evening’s burn.
So, yeah, like Artica, itself, every year’s Boat of Dreams Parade is a bit different.
The best Boat of Dreams Parades, to this attendee, include the presence of Joia, with musical director Rick Kramer leading his crew and, by extension, the remainder of the paraders. Their lively percussion music gives inspiration to the walk, be it to the river or to Our Lady of Artica.
As for Joia, itself, we defer to Joia’s website for an encapsulation: Joia's ensemble presents many types of exciting percussive performances to engage, energize and rejuvenate your event. Pulling from Brazilian, African, Cuban, and Japanese traditions, our percussive music explores the intricate interplay of clavé and the sixteenth-note patterns that surround it. Led by Rick Kramer, Joia is not only a band but a musical community based on the concept of making the experience of percussion performance accessible to anyone with a combination of desire and commitment.
As the Boat of Dreams Parade is the symbolic kickoff to Artica and Rick Kramer heads up the percussion troupe at the head of the Parade, let’s give an early nod to Joia.
How do you remember first hearing about Artica? And when did Joia first participate? Dr. Bone Crusher Bill Russell (I think he was one of the original Artica founders) was a member of Joia back in the day. He got us involved. Looking back at my calendar, it looks like around 2003 was our first time.
How many times has Joia led the Boat of Dreams Parade over the years? And it seems as if the group didn't appear at a few of them. Do you recall all the years on/off? Looking at our calendar I have 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2022 but I may have neglected some years. It seems like we did more than that. We just came when they contacted us.
To me, the Boat of Dreams Parade is a heart/soul part of the Artica experience and Joia's participation in it adds so much to the magic of the weekend. What's your perspective on the day and how Joia impacts things through that one-to-two-hour piece of the Artica weekend? We just loved the quirky artiness of the event. We connected with the primal pulse of the event and the people. The Boat of Dreams parade (for me) was more about the movement of the human soul and the collective feeling of releasing our dreams and aspirations to the tide of the river. (Maybe, that's a little thick.)
What kind of feedback have you gotten from people taking part in the parade for the first time? They usually seem astonished and moved at the organic nature of the event.
Are there any moments that really stand out for you? Maybe it was the weather, or the vibe or something about the group of players that day...? Are there parades that stand out in your mind? And why those particular days? They all had their special vibe. However, one year, maybe 2005 or so, we had an especially large contingent of boat makers and it was magical to watch parents and kids launch their dreams into the river while we played on the rocks of the river. Another year, we had a torrential downpour as we were coming back after the launching of the boats and we all gathered under a large cover near the Admiral. We just had a great and glorious party until it stopped.
What does Joia have going on in the remainder of 2023? Will the project be taking part in Artica's 2023 festival, as it stands today? Yes, we will be a part of the Festival this year. We are also doing something new with Artica. We are playing at the Mississippi Earthtones Festival in September with mask makers from Artica. It should be a pretty cool event. We're also playing at the Ethical Society, the Brazilian Festival, Festival of Nations, and a few other events. Our website is www.joia.com. Lots of good music, photos, and event listings there. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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