Musician, poet, author, Sabas Whittaker releases The Songbook of Life, A ten track album that entertains and examines kindness, humanity and social justice.
“I’m inspired by everything that is art, and all that is life. The art of living well. I used music and art as therapy, first for myself and in my daily living.”— Sabas Whittaker
Renowned musician, songwriter and author, Sabas Whittaker, is proud to release his latest album, “The Songbook of Life” – a cycle of ten songs performed by a team of amazing musicians, that examines questions of humanity, kindness and social justice in a post-Covid world.
“The Songbook of Life” is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his mission of peace, justice and equality. “The album is an attempt to lift up the human spirit,” says Whittaker. “I’d always felt that the world is forever indebted to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who’ve put his life and that of his family, on the line, as he fought and died valiantly in a peaceful struggle for equality, and social justice,” The first track on the album pays tribute to Dr. king. “I wanted to write and create a body of work that would encompass King’s legacy,” Whittaker said. “My Role Model” is about that legacy, but each of the ten songs on the album is a look into a story about kindness, social justice and love.
“Don’t Look Down on Your Brother” examines homelessness, the Spanish song “Immigrant” is the story of the heartache and hope of leaving behind a beloved homeland for a new life, “Isabella Number 10” is about the heartbreak of miscarriage and the healing power of a little girl and loving neighbors. The song, “My Beautiful Caribbean Queen,” was inspired by Whittaker’s wife, Damaris. Whittaker dedicated the song to his wife, “ her beauty, tremendous courageous spirit, love, support, her dedication to her church, and her palpable, infectious love toward all people are an inspiration,” he says.
The song also goes out to his wife’s hometown of Humacao, Puerto Rico, to the Puerto Rican women and to all women.
Each song on the album is an opportunity to consider and connect with the needs of others. “Art, for me, has always been my way to connect with the world. These are messages of peace and love and how we can help other people.”
Whittaker is keenly aware of the suffering and the joy in the world, and he sees music as a way to help spread kindness and positive feelings. “I’m inspired by everything that is art, and all that is life. The art of living well. I used music and art as therapy, first for myself and in my daily living. And I often applied it in my previous career as a mental health worker.”
A World Class Production
“Songbook of Life” is a world class production with award winning musicians from around the globe. Produced by American multi-platinum singer, songwriter, record and artistic producer, Guillermo Torres -Colon, it was recorded at Playbach Recording Studios, in Hatorey, Puerto Rico.
The band includes guitarists Cris Reiz (Brazil) Steve Giddings (United Kingdom) , Eli Fuller (Trinidad and Tobago, and Edgar Mogollon (Venezuela). Carlos De Leon( Puerto Rico) is the drummer, Richard Marcell (Rep Dominican) and Cris Reiz (Brazil) are on bass. Playing keyboards are Guillermo Torres (Puerto Rico) and Mauricio Mira . Violinist Rita Torrens (Russia), Carlos Carty (Peru) on panflute and Abel Bquera(Spain) round out the band.
The chorus includes Donnoya Drake(Trinidad and Tobago) Neymann Laboy (Puerto Rico), Iam Efue (Nigeria ), Guillermo Torres (Puerto Rico) and Susi Eko (United Kingdom)
ABOUT SABAS WHITTAKER
Sabas Hernan Flores Whittaker is a multilingual, humanitarian, and multidisciplinary artist, who uses art and music to uplift his global community. Sabas was born in Puerto Cortes, Honduras, of English speaking and West Indian Garifuna\Garinagu descent. Though he primarily obtained his Spanish education in public schools in San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortes.. His grandmother reinforced his English learning at home and via private tutoring with help throughout the Methodist Church. That he’d obtained a well balanced education in both English and Spanish.
At just 15 years old, Sabas Whittaker enlisted as a merchant marine and Sailed out of Puerto Cortes, where he served aboard the North American-flagged tug boat, the USS Atlas, under the command of Captain David Spicer. Sabas took advantage of each educational opportunity that the maritime career allowed, obtaining his equivalent of the baccalaureate in science and letters. After sailing for eight years, he was promoted to the rank of officer. Sabas served aboard 16 different ships and retired from the sea at age 23, to continue working and studying throughout the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States.
Sabas Whittaker later worked as a psychiatry case manager, therapist, and Lead Mental Health Worker for the Latino unit in mental health. After serving for nearly 30 years in the mental health field, he retired from the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services. Since retired, Sabas Whittaker continues to dedicate his service to the community as a humanitarian activist, renowned author, painter, musician-songwriter, and visual artist. Sabas has been a member of the Association of American Composers, Authors, and Advertisers (ASCAP) since 1991.
In 1998 Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, leaving almost 15000 victims, including 5,657 dead, and 8,058 missings, and along with other prominent Honduran and other American \ Latin American volunteers throughout the Northeast, he helped organized to create the Honduras Relief Committee of Connecticut to help provide humanitarian relief aid to their country of birth.
Following the 2017 hurricane Maria’s devastation of the island of Puerto Rico, he volunteered with local New York churches, such as the Collegiate Churches of New York, to assist and later lead humanitarian, dental and medical missions, throughout the smaller towns deep into the countryside… towns, such as Miraflores, Orocovis, Maricao, Humacao, and other areas within such, where FEMA had either refused to, or was unable to reach.
Reorganizing again in February 2020 to again lead CNN reporters and camera crew to help shed a light on the grim situation in which American citizens were being forced to live. Additionally leading and partaking together with other mental health, nursing, clergy and medical professional volunteers to assess, document, uplift, inspire, treat and deliver food, hope, supplies, medical and mental health assistance, as they bare witness to the devastation caused by the recent earthquakes and their aftermath, economic, physical and psychological damages constant throughout the southern parts of Puerto Rico.
As a composer, his four previous albums, Solo Mi Corazón, Eternal Optimist, Soul Revival and Flight of The Phoenix, which was presented at the United Nations in 2006, during the ODECO conference on economic empowerment of Afro descendant and indigenous women throughout Central America and the Caribbean.
The author has written and published several books of poetry, history, a novel, and various stage and screenplays. Some of these being: Vestiges of a Journey, Tears of Joy Peace and Harmony, Songs to Valentines, Africans In the Americas, and Don’t Look Down on your Brother if You’re Not Going to Pick Him Up. In May 2018, he published Faith in the Field, a historical theological perspective on mental health. Later, Canto Al Grito del Emigrante En Voz Latina, being his first book written in the Spanish language, Poetic Dance Across the World, which is also a songbook of original songs and La Fe En El Campo, is the Spanish translation of Faith In The Field.
For information, visit: https://sabasartcove.com/music/
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