by Michael Glazner

"Austin has its own Berlin Wall: Interstate 35!" said Rashah, artistic director of Cosmic Intuition.

On the Western side of Interstate 35 is 6th Street and most of Austin's music clubs. The other side is the East Side, full of a whole mess of music the average fan of 6th Street rarely hears. How would one go about hearing and feeling on a different vibe of music, a different frequency?

Either this person could be some energetic, free-thinking individual who would go out looking for new and varied forms of musical expression, or they could just indulge in the Austin International Music Extravaganza.

Enter Cosmic Intuition and Rashah. Rashah walked down the streets of Austin and saw and heard (or didn't see or hear), what music Austin was missing.

"I noticed that there were a lot of people who lived here from different parts of the world whom you never saw on 6th Street, heard on the radio or saw in major print publications," said Rashah. "[Recognizing] the void, I went on a crusade to find these artist musicians, to get them exposure and compensation."

According to its brochure, "Cosmic Intuition Productions has been committed to producing events that bring people from many backgrounds and ethnic groups together. We hope that this will help create a more harmonious society ultimately for the purpose of world peace."

Cosmic Intuition works toward peace through music with its own musical creations, dealing out a mixture of celestial, compositional, improvisational, and Sun-Ra influenced music (from 1985 to 1990, Rashah played with Sun-Ra and the Arkestra). Also, the group is behind the Austin International Music Extravaganza.

Exposing people to unique and diverse forms of music and harmony through music is the mission of Cosmic Intuition. Although he continues to arrange and perform his own shows with Cosmic Intuition, Rashah helps to facilitate other music shows and series throughout the year here in Austin.

For the people, for you, the Austin International Music Extravaganza exists. If you can't find new forms of music for yourself, Cosmic Intuition will do it for you. The only catch -- and it's real simple -- is that you have to go to the shows. If you love the shows and what Cosmic Intuition is doing, help the Dance Umbrella of Austin continue to bring those shows to town.

The next series is the International Drum and Percussion Festival from Nov. 9th - 14th. Offering free children's workshops and nighttime shows, the event should give Austinites a chance to see some of the musical flavor they may have been missing.

Maybe we can look at the Drum and Percussion Festival as a means to metaphorically tear down that wall (Interstate 35) that has more psychological than physical impact in some cases.

On Monday, Nov. 9, from 3:30 - 5:30pm at the South Austin Recreation Center, Brazilian percussionist Continho, Indian dunbek and frame drum player Oliver Rajamani, Tropical Productions' Tahiti and the South Pacific Rhythms, and Chacuatol's Latin rhythms will lead a workshop. At the Pan American Recreation Center, on Tuesday at the same time, Hart Stern, Oliver Rajamani, Flames of Fire (which are Nyabingi Drummers), and more will lead another workshop. Wednesday's workshop will be at the Children's Museum, from 6:30 to 8pm and will feature bongo drums by Rey Arteaga and Djembe by Alafia Gaidi. Thursday, from 3:30 - 5:30pm, at the Rosewood Recreation Center, D.R.U.M. (a West African drum ensemble), Salongo Productions from New Orleans, and Continho will instruct the children. Friday's workshop will take place at the Givens Recreation Center with the instructing artists to be announced.

Performances for the festival will take place at the Skylight Gallery Lounge (307 East 5th Street), on Thursday and Friday. The finale for the week will be on Saturday at the East First Garden theater (4822-B East Cesar Chavez). Thursday's show starts at 9pm, featuring Song of Life with Bilal Sunni-Ali, Mohammad Firoozi of the Gypsies, and Iranian violinist Mo Jamal. Friday's show begins at 9:30pm, featuring Cosmic Intuition and special guests.

Saturday's performances are the climax of the festival with 25 different drum and percussion performances playing together and with the crowd. You can find the show at East First Garden theater (4822-B East Cesar Chavez, on the left hand side of Cesar Chavez, half a mile east from Pleasant Valley). Admission will be $10, a great price to see over 25 acts. From noon 'till 9pm, you can catch the likes of Shihid EsSpirit, Salongo Productions, D.R.U.M., Tropical Productions, Hart Stern, Oliver Rajamani, Chacuatol, Contiho, Rey Arteaga, Leon Anderson and Company, Brad Gilley, Ali Awuesi, Phillip Marshall, Dwayne Jackson, Flames of Fire, the Ozain Experience, Mohammad Firoozi, Titos Menchaca and more. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Givens Recreation Center, 3811 East 12th Street.

What in Rashah's life led to all this organization of music in Austin? Simply stated, everything in Rashah's life has been preparation for this moment. For 18 years he worked in a record store, listening to the music of the world.

"That's what gave me an affinity to go into listening to music while at work," said Rashah. "I listened to music from China, Mexico, the motherland [Africa]. That's what gave me the background." He went to school for business and got experience in telemarketing and accounting, plus worked for a radio in Atlanta. He and Sun-Ra met at that radio station in 1984. Later that year, when Sun-Ra and his Arkestra came through town for a New Year's Eve gig, they needed a drummer. Rashah asked if he could play for them.

"Is your space intuition up?" asked Sun-Ra. "Yes!" said Rashah.

Sun-Ra's people got him dressed, put him in a big robe with a hat and a third eye.

"I went on stage and was the most musically lost I'd been and wondering why I had said yes."

After the show, Sun-Ra asked Rashah if he could travel. Soon he was part of the Arkestra. During his time with the Arkestra, Sun-Ra gained an affinity for Rashah's sincerity, and told him he deserved some blessings.

"[I have received] blessings in the form of the band, the series," said Rashah. "As a result of sincerity, the series [Austin International Music Extravaganza] and the band have come about."

And now Rashah is here in Austin, putting on shows like the International Drum and Percussion Festival. Unfortunately money is more often a problem than not. Although Cosmic Intuition gets money from the city for cultural development, they still rely on private donations, which seem to be harder and harder to get.

If the idea of Cosmic Intuition pleases, if you think the work they are doing is necessary for Austin, you can help. Contact the Dance Umbrella of Austin, PO Box 15764, Austin TX, 78761 or, call Rashah at 604-4405 for more information about being a sponsor or patron.