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Mhina Dada was born in the heartland of Jamaica, and nurtured by its myths and rhythms. A founding member of the Imperial Orgy,
he studied both art and filmmaking at Penn State University. It was at the university that a chance encounter with a
great Belezian drummer unlocked the Jamaican rhythms that had lain dormant within Mhina.
Mhina's background includes film and national television, theatre, art, and percussion. He has worked on a variety of
television commercials, underground documentaries and offbeat experimental productions in Pennsylvania and New York. |
His avant-garde documentaries have been seen from New England to the West Coast.
In 1995 Mhina began painting scenery for Off Broadway theatre. The Wizard Of Oz marked the beginning of his scenic painting.
Recent credits include Acts Of Providence, Babes In Arms, and Dark Rapture.
When not painting scenery, he can be found working in his studio on surreal and expressionist art. Jungian imagery and primal myths
drive his paintings. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries in Massachusetts, New York, and
Pennsylvania.
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Mhina's rhythmic experience ranges from leading African drum ensembles, to sessions with the Urban Bush Women and legendary Afro-Cuban
drummer "Doc" Leonard. His percussive journey took him through a variety of punk bands, which was where he was spotted by Caeser Pink.
Mhina claims that his meeting with Caeser helped to liberate his own creative vision. The Imperial Orgy offered Mhina Dada the rare opportunity to apply his diverse background to the Orgy's unbridled music and
adventurous stage performance.
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Favorite Books: Pensees-Blaise Pascal, Love is a dog from hell,-Charles Bukowski, Man and His Symbols -Carl Jung,
Popul Vuh-Trans.by Dennis Tedlock, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones-Compiled by Paul Reps, Henry Miller-Crazy Cock, The
Essential Whitman-Walt Whitman, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists- Nivedita/Coomaraswamy
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Favorite Albums: Rid Of Me-P.J. Harvey, Oy Vey Baby-Tin Machine Live, Disintegration-The Cure,
Uprising-Bob Marley and the Wailers, Earth Crisis-Steel Pulse, Holy Smoke-Peter Murphy, La mer-Dubussey, Rain Dogs-Tom Waits
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Favorite Films: The 400 Blows-Truffaut, Knife In The Water-Polanski,The Sacrifice-Tarkovski,
Wings Of Desire-Wim Wenders, Rashomon- Kurosawa, Dr. Strangelove-Kubrick, Masculine /Feminine-Godard, Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes- Herzog
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If you would like to communicate with Mhina