Kasrilika by Sand Gems

Kasrilika was born out of a desire to channel my creative energy into something outside of myself to share with the world. With limited resources I had no budget.

Sand Gems came about as a name because it reminds me of an amazing walk on the beach with my auntie Laurie 25 years ago when I was 9 years old. "Under a microscope each grain of sand is a unique gem," she told me. She invited me to envision the many grains of sand with each grain being equally important to make a beach, to fill the ocean floor, to cover the earth. "We are sand gems", she said to me with her eyes glowing like a child excited to be at the beach. In this moment i saw the vast amount of detail that exists within nature. I felt the connection of all life that makes all of us and everything, both small and integral. That walk on the beach forever changed the way i walk on sand and the way that i connect to the world. Laurie Ellen passed on at the young age of 45 but having brought an abundance of gifts to the world as an activist, artist, musician, teacher, and art therapist. I carry precious memories of her that illuminate me like precious gems from within.

The name Kasrilika, is derived from the Yiddish word kasrilik, a word which was made up by writer Sholem Aleichem to describe the people from his shtetl (a small Eastern European Jewish village) Kasrilevke. From his definition: "A kasrilik is not just an ordinary pauper, a failure in life. On the contrary, they are someone who has not allowed poverty to degrade them. They laugh at it. They are poor, but cheerful."

This project wouldn't have happened without the support of friends and family, especially from my sweetheart Orchid Bakla. Many thanks to Keith Tadashi Kubota for helping me to produce the EP and for being so much fun to collaborate with. Thank You to Heddy Fur for shimmering vocals on Night Light Within. Thank you Stephanie Loomis, Tyler Holmes, Teresa Alandia, Rebecca VanDeVoort, Naomi Neustadt, Paul and Barbara Neustadt for your support.

Thank you for listening!

Dream Magic Terrestrial