Enihs, The Power of the Written Word

Recently at a place where I do business, a piece of graffiti art was exposed when the owners of the establishment had to tear down a concrete loading dock. It seems the railroad, or the railroads, or the man, or Uncle Sam came by and said they wanted to run bigger equipment on their track, so the loading dock had to go. It took the owners of the business three months to demolish the dock, because it was solid concrete. It had been there as long as the building, because the building originally was a warehouse for storing goods transported by the railroads. This building is historical because it probably dates back to the turn of the century. There is always an ebb and flow of interest in preserving historical real estate in our town. The “Old South’s” very flavor comes from its history. Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia have roots rich in American history. All one must do is walk around their downtown areas to enjoy a taste of the past. Striking a balance between preserving the past and sparking economic redevelopment can be difficult. Nothing could be a better example of this problem than post-Katrina New Orleans. New Orleans, Louisiana is the birth place of jazz, the only true American art form. As a result it should be a priority to local and federal government to preserve the rich cultural heritage embodied in this port town. Skeptics could be Conservatives who won’t recognize the historical significance of jazz music. Jazz is closely tied to American ideals stated in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence. This music by nature represents freedom and the ability of diverse cultures to assimilate and coexist peacefully in a humane and artistic environment. The concept of jazz music should be understood by all Americans, and its concept should be included in a traditional education in our public schools. The problems associated with jazz music are not that different than the problems of everyday life, because jazz music is an extension of American life. The trials of slavery, the tribulations of civil rights, and the strife of racial oppression are all expressed in the musical vehicle known as jazz. The “Blues” provide a stable “bottom” for jazz providing “Affirmation in the face of adversity.” Jazz music has never been mainstream in America, because it deals with artistic issues. Whereas certain components of jazz music can be entertaining, it is and always has been serious music. It is a blessing that serious music is not always reserved for subscription orchestras requiring expensive concert halls or academic institutions. It instead burgeoned in the clubs of 52nd Street in New York City, providing an accessible support structure for this music to develop. Jazz music began in New Orleans as a mix of African rhythms brought over by slaves, work songs, field hollers, church music (or American Spirituals), Tin Pan Alley songs (from Broadway), and Sousa marches. The Mississippi Delta Blues as conveyed by Robert Johnson is a crucial component of jazz music. New Orleans, because of its location on the mouth of the Mississippi River, was the perfect place for the development of an art form. The slave trade brought the poly-rhythms of African drumming to America that mixed with French Creole culture, descendants of European plantation owners in Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, Saint Lucia and other Caribbean territories colonized by France. Zydeco music, although widely unmentioned in the history of jazz, must have played a crucial role in jazz's development. The Cajun ethnic group, colonies of formerly Acadian settlers transplanted from Nova Scotia, were also influential in New Orleans. Hence jazz music has rich cultural roots that traditionally cross the boundaries of race. That is why jazz music should be at the heart of American culture, rather than vying for its very existence as real estate developers try to capitalize on thousands of displaced African-Americans in the Lower 9th Ward of post-Katrina New Orleans. Like the current trend of Republican/Conservative America “cleaning up” our cities, what is left? Best Buy? Circuit City? Lowes? BP? For history to continue and the culture of America to sustain the test of time, it needs a place, a structure upon which to live. The Military Industrial Complex cannot seem appealing to millions of Americans sheltered in nuclear fall out facilities,monitored by big Brother. This is not the freedom America stands for. Freedom is the right to exercise humanity and all that is embodied in human nature. It is not the right of government to legislate morality to the American people, because the right to chose one’s own moral and ethnical policies has been the core of the philosophy of America since its inception. We are adults, and as adult we have the right to choose. That includes the right to frequent a “Speakeasy” in New Orleans and listen to a music Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, or Benito Mussolini may have considered music of the devil. Is vandalizing public and private property in the name of art an American right? Enihs, an anadrome for Shine, is an artist that has been doing this regularly for the last few years. His works of art are easily visible posted on his My Space website organized into galleries determined by date. I wondered when I viewed these for the first time how long it would take for authorities to track him down. Enihs runs a website dedicated to graphic design with only pictures of his wife and newly born children. He uses the handle “Funk and Jazz” online. The reason why Enihs rings a bell is because his graffiti is what was uncovered when they removed the concrete loading dock of which I spoke. I photographed his collage of spray paint and became intrigued by its artistic content. I scoured the railroads for other examples of Enihs’s work. It was abundant. I have yet to match any of the examples I personally have found with the ones posted on his My Space cite. It is an interesting scenario. His graffiti stretches from coast to coast, so I figure he travels a lot. He is a musician who enjoys Funk and Jazz, because that is his cyber handle. He is also a graphic artist of formidable talent. Hope this helps, since he was in the news today.