CURATION
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from this page:
by Matrix
Network Node
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Name:
LeVar Burton
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City/Place:
Los Angeles, California
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Country:
United States
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Hometown:
Landstuhl, West Germany/Sacramento, California
Current News
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What's Up?
"I’ve dedicated my life to the power of storytelling. Whether I’m acting, directing, writing or podcasting, I believe sharing stories is what I was born to do because storytelling is what brings us all together."
Life & Work
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Bio:
LeVar Burton marked the beginning of his acting career in 1977 with his portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the ABC award-winning drama series Roots, which was adapted from Alex Haley's novel. Notably, Burton's audition for the role of Kinte served as his inaugural professional endeavor, and his performance earned him a nomination for the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
In 1988, Burton revisited the character of Kunta Kinte in the television film Roots: The Gift. Reflecting on the societal impact of Roots, Burton emphasized its role in broadening people's awareness, transcending racial boundaries. He expressed that the series contributed to dismantling stereotypes, fostering a perception of each other as human beings for both black and white individuals. In discussing the enduring influence of Roots, Burton articulated, "It expanded the consciousness of people," emphasizing that societal transformations are gradual, likening them to the ripple effect caused by a pebble in a pond. He underscored the importance of gradual change, stating, "I think the only constant is change, and it's always slow. Anything that happens overnight is lacking in foundation." Burton affirmed that Roots represents a part of an evolving trend, highlighting its ongoing impact in the broader cultural narrative.
Starting in 1983, Burton served as both the host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow on PBS. The program enjoyed a remarkable run of 23 seasons, solidifying its place as one of the network's longest-standing children's shows. Throughout its duration, the series earned an impressive collection of over 200 broadcast awards. Among these accolades were a Peabody Award and 26 Emmy Awards, with 11 specifically in the "Outstanding Children's Series" category. Burton's contributions were duly recognized, as he himself received 12 Emmy awards for his roles as host and producer of the show.
In 1986, Gene Roddenberry approached Burton to take on the role of Lieutenant Junior Grade Geordi La Forge in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character, who is initially blind, utilizes a prosthetic device known as a VISOR to gain "sight," wearing it over his eyes. La Forge commenced his journey as the USS Enterprise's helmsman, later advancing to the position of Chief Engineer by the show's second season.
Burton continued to portray La Forge in subsequent feature films based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, starting with Star Trek: Generations in 1994 and concluding with Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.
In 2012, LeVar Burton and his team introduced Skybrary and Skybrary School—a meticulously curated, continually expanding, interactive library featuring digital books and video explorations, all hosted by the beloved storyteller, LeVar himself. Emerging as the top educational app upon its entry into the market, kids have delved into more than 20.7 million books and viewed over 20.9 million videos since its launch. Notably, Skybrary School has been contributed to over 10,000 Title One schools, with ongoing donations each year. Recognized as the premier award-winning digital library, it serves as a go-to resource for parents and teachers, fostering a lifelong love of learning among young readers.
In a philanthropic move in 2019, LeVar donated the Skybrary service to Reading is Fundamental, a leading literacy non-profit, with the aim of bringing books to millions more children.
Accessible on the web, iOS, Kindle, and Android tablets, Skybrary provides a versatile platform, while Skybrary School is exclusively available on the web.
Clips (more may be added)
We use the mathematics of the small world phenomenon to transform the creative universe into a creative village wherein all are connected by short pathways to all... (Wolfram explains how above)
This Integrated Global Creative Economy uncoils from a sprawling Indigenous, African, Sephardic and then Ashkenazic, Arabic, European, Asian cultural matrix...
Great culture is great power. From Brazil.
"Thanks, this is a brilliant idea!!"
—Alicia Svigals (NEW YORK CITY): Apotheosis of klezmer violinists
"Dear Sparrow: I am thrilled to receive your email! Thank you for including me in this wonderful matrix."
—Susan Rogers (BOSTON): Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory ... Former personal recording engineer for Prince; "Purple Rain", "Sign o' the Times", "Around the World in a Day"
"Dear Sparrow, Many thanks for this – I am touched!"
—Julian Lloyd Webber (LONDON): Premier cellist in UK; brother of Andrew (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Phantom of the Opera...)
"This is super impressive work ! Congratulations ! Thanks for including me :)))"
—Clarice Assad (RIO DE JANEIRO/CHICAGO): Pianist and composer with works performed by Yo Yo Ma and orchestras around the world
"We appreciate you including Kamasi in the matrix, Sparrow."
—Banch Abegaze (LOS ANGELES): manager, Kamasi Washington
"Thanks! It looks great!....I didn't write 'Cantaloupe Island' though...Herbie Hancock did! Great Page though, well done! best, Randy"
Our Matrix was conceived under a Spiritus Mundi ranging from the quilombos and senzalas of Cachoeira and Santo Amaro to Havana and the provinces of Cuba to the wards of New Orleans to the South Side of Chicago to the sidewalks of Harlem to the townships of South Africa to the villages of Ireland to the Roma camps of France and Belgium to the Vienna of Beethoven to the shtetls of Eastern Europe...*
Sodré
*...in conversation with Raymundo Sodré, who summed up the irony in this sequence by opining for the ages: "Where there's misery, there's music!" Hence A Massa, anthem for the trod-upon folk of Brazil, which blasted from every radio between the Amazon and Brazil's industrial south until...
And hence a platform whereupon all creators tend to accessible proximity to all other creators, irrespective of degree of fame, location, or the censor.
Matrix Ground Zero is the Recôncavo, bewitching and bewitched, contouring the resplendent Bay of All Saints (end of clip below, before credits), absolute center of terrestrial gravity for the disembarkation of enslaved human beings (and for the sublimity these people created), the bay presided over by Brazil's ineffable Black Rome (where Bule Bule is seated below, around the corner from where we built this matrix as an extension of our record shop).
Assis Valente's (of Santo Amaro, Bahia) "Brasil Pandeiro" filmed by Betão Aguiar
Betão Aguiar
("Black Rome" is an appellation per Caetano, via Mãe Aninha of Ilê Axé Opô Afonjá.)
Replete with Brazilian greatness, but we listened to Miles Davis and Jimmy Cliff in there too; visitors are David Dye & Kim Junod for NPR/WXPN
I opened the shop in Salvador, Bahia in 2005 in order to create an outlet to the wider world for magnificent Brazilian musicians.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar found us (he's a huge jazz fan), David Byrne, Oscar Castro-Neves... Spike Lee walked past the place while I was sitting on the stoop across the street drinking beer and listening to samba from the speaker in the window...
But we weren't exactly easy for the world-at-large to get to. So in order to extend the place's ethos I transformed the site associated with it into a network wherein Brazilian musicians I knew would recommend other Brazilian musicians, who would recommend others...
And as I anticipated, the chalky hand of God-as-mathematician intervened: In human society — per the small-world phenomenon — most of the billions of us on earth are within some 6 or fewer degrees of each other. Likewise, within a network of interlinked artists as I've described above, most of these artists will in the same manner be at most a handful of steps away from each other.
So then, all that's necessary to put the Brazilians within possible purview of the wide wide world is to include them among a wide wide range of artists around that world.
If, for example, Quincy Jones is inside the matrix, then anybody on his page — whether they be accessing from a campus in L.A., a pub in Dublin, a shebeen in Cape Town, a tent in Mongolia — will be close, transitable steps away from Raymundo Sodré, even if they know nothing of Brazil and are unaware that Sodré sings/dances upon this planet. Sodré, having been knocked from the perch of fame and ground into anonymity by Brazil's dictatorship, has now the alternative of access to the world-at-large via recourse to the vast potential of network theory.
...to the degree that other artists et al — writers, researchers, filmmakers, painters, choreographers...everywhere — do also. Artificial intelligence not required. Real intelligence, yes.
The deep roots of this project are in Manhattan, where Allen Klein (managed the Beatles and The Rolling Stones) called me about royalties for the estate of Sam Cooke... where Jerry Ragovoy (co-wrote Time is On My Side, sung by the Stones; Piece of My Heart, Janis Joplin of course; and Pata Pata, sung by the great Miriam Makeba) called me looking for unpaid royalties... where I did contract and licensing for Carlinhos Brown's participation on Bahia Black with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock...
...where I rescued unpaid royalties for Aretha Franklin (from Atlantic Records), Barbra Streisand (from CBS Records), Led Zeppelin, Mongo Santamaria, Gilberto Gil, Astrud Gilberto, Airto Moreira, Jim Hall, Wah Wah Watson (Melvin Ragin), Ray Barretto, Philip Glass, Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd for his interest in Bob Marley compositions, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam and others...
...where I worked with Earl "Speedo" Carroll of the Cadillacs (who went from doo-wopping as a kid on Harlem streetcorners to top of the charts to working as a janitor at P.S. 87 in Manhattan without ever losing what it was that made him special in the first place), and with Jake and Zeke Carey of The Flamingos (I Only Have Eyes for You)... stuff like that.
Yeah this is Bob's first record contract, made with Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd of Studio One and co-signed by his aunt because he was under 21. I took it to Black Rock to argue with CBS' lawyers about the royalties they didn't want to pay (they paid).
Matrix founding creators are behind "one of 10 of the best (radios) around the world", per The Guardian.
Salvador is our base. If you plan to visit Bahia, there are some things you should probably know and you should first visit:
www.salvadorbahiabrazil.comAcross the creative universe... For another list, reload page.
This list is random, and incomplete. Reload the page for another list.
Wolfram MathWorld
Ex Terra Brasilis
Alicia Svigals
Susan Rogers
Julian Lloyd Webber
Clarice Assad
Kamasi Washington
Randy Brecker
Roberto Mendes
Luciano Calazans
Gustavo Caribé
J Velloso
Lázaro Ramos
Fernando Guerreiro
Maria Marighella
Russell Okung
Bule Bule
Caetano Veloso
RÁDIO MATRIX