Tigress Ritual

As reported a while back, John Taylor has made a guest appearance on the upcoming debut album from Swahili Blonde. The band is a project with ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers John Frusciante and ex-Weave! percussionist Nicole Turley. John appears on the song Tigress Ritual, which can now be heard along with others at the Swahili Blonde myspace page. Swahili Blonde will release the full-length CD, titled Man Meat this summer on the Manimal label and plans to tour in the Los Angeles area this spring.Manimal is also set to release the 28-song Bowie tribute album entitled Repetition - A Tribute to David Bowie, containing the Duran Duran cover of Boys Keep Swinging on September 6. Also included will be Swahili Blonde's cover of Red Money, on which I am told that John can be heard playing one of the the guitars, as well as performing the backing vocals at the end of the song.The album will be released as a two-disc set, available as a limited CD, limited double LP, and download with bonus tracks. Profits from the release will be going to War Child UK, an international charity for children affected by war. Pre-orders are being accepted here for this cool way to help a great cause.
In more John Taylor news (there certainly has been a lot) the latest photo in JT's '30 in 30' project reveals a new tattoo. The design is a stylized variation of the fourth chakra, or "heart chakra." The Sanskrit name for this chakra is "Anahata," meaning "unstruck" or "unhurt." Its name implies that deep beneath our personal stories of brokenness and the pain in our heart, wholeness, boundless love, and a wellspring of compassion reside.

Anahata chakra is said to be the center of the body's vital forces: the origin of the breath, the heart beat, its healing energy, and its inner wisdom and music. One triangle, facing upward symbolizes Shiva, the male principle. The other triangle, facing downward, symbolizes Shakti, the female principle. A balance is attained when these two forces are joined in harmony. The twelve petals, or points, along the outside represent lust, fraud, indecision, repentance, hope, anxiety, longing, impartiality, arrogance, incompetence, discrimination and defiance. According to contemporary Buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku, the heart chakra is very important for the feeling of existential fulfillment. The fourth chakra is where the spiritual descends into the physical, the point of creation, free from constraint.

Today marks the halfway point in John Taylor's '30 in 30' photo blog. At the moment, I feel that the act of John taking these pictures speaks more than the photos themselves. What are your thoughts? Feel free to add a comment here or at the Gimme a Wristband Facebook page.