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C*LTURE: Alice Coltrane


Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was a jazz pianist, organist, harpist, singer, composer and swamini.


Alice was a musical prodigy, learning piano from an early age, and playing organ in Mount Olive Baptist Church by the age of nine.


The legendary jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane was her soulmate, husband and collaborator. Together they embarked on a deeply spiritual journey of musical exploration. They had four children before John passed away in 1967.


After her husband's death, Alice suffered from severe weight loss, sleepless nights and hallucinations. Alice spent focused time in isolation, fasting, praying, and meditating.


In the 1970s, she became a disciple of Swami Satchidananda and took on the name Turiyasangitananda. 


Turiyasangitananda translates as the Transcendental Lord’s highest song of Bliss. She became a spiritual leader herself and and continued to record devotional music for her community, she left her physical form in 2007.


Alice Coltrane’s catalogue of music is divine.

?UESTIONS: Katy Watson

Photographer, Katy Watson. Katy's photos capture the essence of life, her ability and eye presents both beauty and virtue. The vibrancy in her photographs open up a social dialog, an opportunity to delve into the stories of others.

Which photographers have influenced your thinking and photography? 

I’m a very visual and emotive person, so I see images, good images, daring images, powerful images, an endless amount of images that impact me somehow. In seeing them, and feeling a certain way they shape me and refine my vision.


There are lots of photographers that I can say have influenced me in different ways; Don McCullin, Carrie Mae Weems, Kadara Enyeasi, Dana Lixenberg, Ren Hang, Gordon Parks to name a few. I really couldn’t say that other photographers influence me more than say artists working in all mediums, and also people’s characters, nature, the city, architecture - I’m basically influenced by everything!


I'm self-taught, so I've had an unsystematic and maverick journey with photography and I dip in and out of lots of different genres and philosophies. Possibly the most concrete thing that has influenced my thinking on photography has been sharing and teaching what I can about photography to others. Being a part of someone else’s journey with photography is very insightful. 

What message do you communicate through your artwork? 

In essence I see photography as a powerful tool for testing perception and reality. That's the heart of all my work. A still frame can freeze a moment, the dynamics between people, places, things, and as such it can help us rethink or confirm the narratives that shape our vision and experience of the world. It's an opportunity to expose and expand our understanding.


In my artwork I specifically like to experiment with perception by testing the concept of reality bound by time. In camera techniques I look to capture what our eyes or mind do not process consciously: to see realities that may exist but that we cannot process, to defamiliarise the concept of time, of challenging time as linear and our spaces as fixed. This may either result in deforming the subject by blurring, it, or by creating multiple forms by freezing multiple fleeting moments. in the editing and selection process, I look for underrepresented body forms, like "awkward" body shapes and "uncomfortable" microexpressions. 


All this allows me, and hopefully others, to see nuances of reality that often get filtered out in the pursuit of idealisation. It facilities potential realities. Because that's what the camera always captures, a reality. A reality that has been manipulated by narrative or technique, but a reality nonetheless.

How do you approach photographing strangers?

With respect, humility and gratitude. My approach is very much based on positivity and openness, and the premise that a portrait is a collaboration. If I see someone I want to photograph, it's because I've seen something good, something positive, something to be celebrated! And I tell them that, I tell them why they caught my eye and what I like about them.


Perhaps I see someone that feels part of a story, or narrative that I’m questioning, or working on. In which case I approach them asking for permission, just permission for their time, then I ask a few questions to see if my broad perception was correct (if I’m doing a local story, I need to know if they live/ work local or are they passing by).


My approach tends to take into account, especially when travelling, that a camera can be threatening, so humbling yourself is a good way to express your intention when you don't speak enough of the local language. It's also very important, for me, to respect when someone tells you a solid no. The photograph is rarely more important to me than how I treat other people. 

What music do you listen to when you’re editing? 

I’m a total music junkie and I love all sorts. I especially love dancehall, afrobeats and hip hop, but when I’m editing and processing I need to work in a highly focused flow mode. I can't listen to music that makes me want to dance or has deep lyrics that would catch my attention. So I choose music according to what will aid and enhance my flow at any given time. It may be that I've woken up energised, so to complement that I go with liquid DnB or dub techno.


If I'm more levelled out, jazz, trip hop or electronica such as Bonobo (Black Sands Remixed is sick sick sick, I've had that on at some point every day for the last month).


For something uplifting, DJ Complexion is my go to. When I can't find any focus at all, I reach for acapella choral music. I don't subscribe to a particular religion, but I do love music from all religions. When I come out of a focused edit session, I normally crank the volume and go for the dancehall and afrobeats!

What drives your passion in photography and travel? 

People. Everything about them. The world and people. I’m in awe of both. Not really sure how to explain it, it’s just a feeling and an innate drive. Maybe curiosity and fascination, and love really.

Do you have any tips for travelling solo?

Travelling solo is phenomenal. I certainly recommend it. In terms of tips, I think it depends where and why you’re travelling. I’m almost always travelling with a certain objective, either for work or education. I think it’s great to be involved somehow, in a way other than tourism. 


Personally I like to research and almost always need a plan if I’m working, but I also keep myself open! Have a plan and then be open to deviating from that plan. Be open to being uncomfortable and scared perhaps at times and be open to the wonderful ways in which that fear will shift and the growth that comes with that. 

All images courtesy of KT Watson.

?UESTIONS: Dragon Fli Empire

DJ Cosm (DJ/producer) and Teekay (emcee/producer) are hip hop duo, Dragon Fli Empire. From Calgary, Canada, their music is conscious, melodic and jazz inspired. The two just keep on giving, taking hip hop back to the days where the message is key. A DJ and an emcee, the classic set-up. The new album "Banff Avenue" is now available.


What is the philosophy behind the band name? TEEKAY: Dragonflies are the cool, suave, protectors of the environment… since they feed on mosquitoes and other pests. So, consider us protectors of the hip hop world, devouring wack MCs -haha. It also just sounds cool and refers to the fly music we make. How did you meet? TEEKAY: We went to the same high school, but DJ Cosm was a grade older. So, after high school through mutual friends, I remember meeting Cosm to record 4-track joints over beats he made with his ASR-10 and his amazing vinyl collection. DJ COSM: I saw Teekay perform at the high school talent show and I think he was the only performer who was performing original music. Dude had flow. How would you describe your style? TEEKAY: It’s a classic style, heavily influenced by producers like Pete Rock, J Dilla and DJ Premier. Lyrically, my influences are emcees like Q-Tip, De La, Common, Rakim, KRS, Black Thought, Mos Def, Chali 2na, etc. I just appreciate emcees who spit with skill but are relatable and uplifting. DJ COSM: Yeah, agreed. Though I think our style has also been majorly influenced by west coast underground stuff like People Under the Stairs and the Pharcyde. Has your record collection influenced your approach to music? DJ COSM: I’ve always been very passionate about sampling records, especially Jazz. Back in the day I was so captivated by producers like DJ Premier, Q-Tip and J Swift, and then discovering the original samples was such a major revelation. A few years later I was lucky enough to inherit a huge record collection from an ageing Jazz musician. It included a lot of the classics plus a ton of samba records, a lot of which were used to make DFE beats. I still sample some of those records to this day. Listening to vinyl is like getting a visit from an old friend. Do you think it's important to give music away for free? TEEKAY: We’ve never had major label exposure and despite some cool opportunities over our career like getting some national media attention in Canada, putting out albums in Japan, or touring Europe, we’re still kind of under-the-radar. We wanted to remove that obstacle of people getting a chance to know about us by removing the obligation to pay, and instead we gave a lot of music away freely in exchange for adding an email to our mailing list.


We both have day jobs, so we weren’t depending on our music to pay bills, so I guess that was a factor too. Now with Spotify and Apple Music, etc, that model just seems to be the norm. Bandcamp has even removed the stats for how many downloads you get and is just showing you streams. More than being compensated for it, making sure our music hits as many people as possible has always taken priority.

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