RockOm

As the US celebrates its Independence Day this weekend, we share with you these old church hymn lyrics as a sort of meditation. What a beautiful and balanced hymn - celebrating one's country of origin as well as recognizing the larger picture and world community. Words by Lloyd Stone.

"This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine."

MORE verses after the jump...

On this week's podcast episode, out today:

• Musician Mark Karan shares about the two most important lessons he learned during his battle with cancer as well as speaks about his new album, Walk Through the Fire. [Interviewed by RockOm's Tom Crenshaw]
  
  Karan has performed with some of the world's finest musicians as side-man. He now takes center stage with the debut of Walk Through the Fire.
  
  
• We remember the life and legacy of Indian Master Musician, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan whose many firsts introduced Indian classical music to the western world and went on to influence the sound of The Beatles.

Swing over to the podcast page to download this episode individually or to subscribe to all future podcasts with iTunes or any other podcatching software.

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Rocker-T and Joan Baez Perform Live Duet at Northern California's 31st Annual Harmony Festival

Rocker-T, the internationally-renowned, ground-breaking, and award-winning Reggae and World Music recording artist, delivered an unexpected and exhilarating live acoustic performance of his new single, "The Way Life Should Be..." to the capacity crowd at Northern California's 31st Annual Harmony Festival accompanied by singer and human rights activist Joan Baez with Gabriel Harris, Joan's son, on percussion. And for those that don't believe "lighting strikes twice," the duo delivered a surprise and equally rousing second live performance of the song later the same evening. "The Way Life Should Be..." is from the new Epiphyte Records EP release, featuring five mixes of the duet single "Luv is the Foundation" written and performed by Rocker-T with Joan Baez.

The first early afternoon mainstage set featured Rocker-T, backed by a 50 voice Choir, performing "Rise Up and Stand" to the audience of approximately 3,000. In the first of the two impromptu guest performances, Joan then joined Rocker-T on stage to perform her legendary "Gracias" before the two segued into "The Way Life Should Be..." The set ended with a powerful version of "Amazing Grace" which, backed by the Choir, was the high point of their first performance together.

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Mark Karan's long anticipated debut album Walk Through the Fire is out today on Quacktone Records. Four years in the making, Walk Through the Fire is a testament to Mark Karan's dauntless musical spirit which shines through brilliantly on each track of this remarkable album.

Since 1998 Mark has been performing with the extended Grateful Dead family (The Other Ones, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, and Bob Weir & RatDog). He has anchored the lead guitar slot in RatDog for the last eleven years, touring the US year round. Before crossing over into the land of the Dead, Mark worked his guitar and vocal voodoo for the likes of Dave Mason, Delaney Bramlett, the Rembrandts, Paul Carrack, Huey Lewis, Jesse Colin Young and Sophie B. Hawkins.

RockOm caught up with Mark Karan recently to discuss Walk Through the Fire, as well as his time with RatDog and how he healed from throat cancer through the power of optimism and by "walking through the fire".

RockOm: Your new CD Walk Through the Fire is fantastic. You must be proud of it.

Mark Karan: I feel really lucky. I can say that I am. You get so close to a record when you're making it- you can hear every bleep, fart and wart. A lot of people that I know who have made records- by the time they get to the end of it they've put a lot of work in it and they hate it. Everybody else loves it, but they hate their own record. I'm not having that experience at all. I feel really lucky.

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As the world mourns the loss of master entertainer Michael Jackson (1958-2009), RockOm takes a minute to invite you to reflect on one of the more lyrically moving songs in his extensive catalog.

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