Thursday, July 3, 2025

List of Books by Ithaka Darin Pappas (writer, artist, photographer)

  

















(source Wikipedia Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka_Darin_Pappas_bibliography


Short Stories

 (published individually)


  • Oxygen Falls
     (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[1]
  • Stellafly (series: Curson Avenue Archives)[2][3]
  • Zé dos Cães (José of the Dogs) (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[4][5]
  • Independent Surf Publishing, 1993 / Sweatlodge Publishing, 2022 / ISBN 979-8371652379
  • Charles Didn’t Surf (series: Peace, Love & Portugal)[6]
  • Miracle at Malibu (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[7]
  • Moments of Insanty: Part One (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[8][9]
  • The Forgotten Four (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[10]
  • Moema (series: Ravenshark Chronicles)[11]

Poetry Books

Art & Photography Books

  • Beyond South Central: Rap legends N.W.A. as seen thru the lens of Ithaka Darin Pappas (1988-1990)
  • Mini Ith
  • Umbilicus: Belly-buttons of Tokyo
  • Murakami Yawns at Mars
  • Aliens of AkahtiLândia
  • Sun Temple Sojourn: (Peru Through the Lens of Ithaka Darin Pappas) (series: Saltwater Nomad)
  • Rangamala: रंगमाळ (series: Saltwater Nomad)
  • Chiapas Heart Expedition (series: Saltwater Nomad)
    • Axolotl Grupo Editoral, Mexico, 2023 / Sweatlodge Publishing, 2024 / ISBN 979-8300303730


Collective Literary Book Appearances

  • Surfer – Volume 41 – Issues 7-12
    • University of California /Surfer Publications, California, 2000

Collective Photography/Art Book Appearances

  • Ice Cold: A Hip-hop Jewelry History by Vikki Tobak
  • Taschen, 2022 / ISBN 978-3836584975


Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Forget the past, go outside, have a blast are words that, at one point in the 90s, had as much impact around the world as Timothy Leary's famous expression: Turn on, tune in, drop out.


































Ithaka Darin Pappas photographed by Dede Fedrizzi (São Paulo, Brazil)

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Forget the past, go outside, have a blast são palavras que, a dada altura durante os anos 90, tiveram tanto impacto pelo mundo quanto a famosa expressão de Timothy Leary: Turn on, tune in, drop out. O seu autor é o norte-americano Ithaka Darin Pappas

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Forget the past, go outside, have a blast are words that, at one point in the 90s, had as much impact around the world as Timothy Leary's famous expression: Turn on, tune in, drop out. Its author is the American Ithaka Darin Pappas. The song was called 'So Get Up' and became, at that time, a true anthem for dance music fans. 

https://expresso.pt/blitz/2025-05-07-quanto-mais-louco-fosses-melhor-do-alcantara-mar-a-bimotor-quando-o-movimento-rave-em-portugal-foi-um-paraiso-0550d5d3

Olvida el pasado, sal, diviértete son palabras que, en algún momento de los 90, tuvieron tanto impacto mundial como la famosa expresión de Timothy Leary: Enciende, sintoniza, abandona. Su autor es el estadounidense Ithaka Darin Pappas. La canción se titulaba "So Get Up" y se convirtió, en aquel entonces, en un verdadero himno para los aficionados a la música dance.

So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, So Get up, 

Monday, June 9, 2025

Ithaka "Flowers And The Color Of Paint" 30th Anniversary (1995-2025)







Released on June 15th 1995, this week Ithaka's album Flowers And The Color Of Paint celebrates it's 30th Anniversary.

Flowers And The Color Of Paint was recorded in early 1995 at Namouche Studios in Lisbon, Portugal

The album was nominated for three Premios Blitz (the Portuguese equivalent of the Grammy) in the categories of: Best Album, Best New Project and Best Male Vocalist. In an end-of-decade retrospective of national music, the prestigious newspaper Público considered Flowers And The Color Of Paint to be one of the ten most influential 'Portuguese' albums of the 1990's.

In 1995 two songs were used in the surfing documentary G-Land Pro produced by Quiksilver. In 1997, acclaimed Hollywood director Antoine Fuqua used the song Escape From The City Of Angels (featuring Marta Dias) in the soundtrack for his feature film The Replacement Killers [released by Columbia Pictures] starring; Mira Sorvino (academy award winner), Chow Yun-fat (academy award nominee) and several other known actors such as Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Rooker.

Escape From The City Of Angels also appeared in the television series Good Girls Don’t (which was shown on Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Channel) during its June 18, 2004 episode entitled, ”Addicted to Love”. All licensing inquiries for "Escape From The City Of Angels" by Ithaka should be directed to North Music Group [USA]






Flowers And The Color Of Paint Album Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6SQM0XuCzlWduBwDu5LM05

”Escape From The City Of Angels” is a hip hop song recorded in 1995 by Californian-born lyricist and vocalist, Ithaka (featuring Marta Dias) which, in 1997, appeared in Columbia Pictures’ feature film release The Replacement Killers starring Mira SorvinoChow Yun-fat, Clifton Collins Jr. and was directed by Antoine Fuqua, recipient of the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director. The song has also appeared in the television series Good Girls Don’t (which was shown on Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Channel) during its June 18, 2004 episode entitled, ”Addicted to Love”.

The song was first included on Ithaka’s debut album, Flowers And The Color Of Paint in 1995.
Although Ithaka is from Southern California, the track and entire album were recorded at Namouche Studios in Lisbon, Portugal where the artist had lived from 1992 until 1998 and both song and album are often included in a genre of music known as Hip hop tuga, or Portuguese hip hop.

Most of the self-reflective lyrics for Escape From the City Of Angels were written by Ithaka Darin Pappas over the flight required to arrive from Los Angeles to Lisbon. A destination where, it is said, he arrived with a one-way ticket and less than a hundred dollars to his name, yet remained over six years.

Produced by Joe Fossard (engineer) and DJ Grez, the song included backing vocals by São Tomean Portuguese singer Marta Dias – and also featured bass guitar by Francisco Rebelo, tenor saxophone by Paulo Muiños and trumpet by Nuno Reis (all members of the Portuguese band, Cool Hipnoise.

The original pressing of Flowers And The Color Of Paint was fifteen-hundred copies and although Escape from The City Of Angels appeared in a main stream Hollywood movie scene with three Oscar-nominated actors, (resulting in upwards of 600,000 downloads in China alone) there was never an official soundtrack released other than the classical score by Gregory Harrison which excluded Escape From The City Of Angels and also other film tracks by The Crystal Method, Talvin Singh, Tricky,
Death In Vegas, Hed PE and Brad.



Friday, May 16, 2025

Ithaka "Ninety-Eight in the Shade"


"Ninety-Eight in the Shade" from Ithaka's 5th album Saltwater Nomad (Sweatlodge Records). Produced by Tito Gomes, Recorded at Studio Fibra in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



Friday, April 25, 2025

Ithaka "The Day Was Hot" produced by Mario Caldato (Beastie Boys)


 Ithaka "The Day Was Hot" produced by Mario Caldato (Beastie Boys)


177 views • Premiered Apr 8, 2025 • #alternativehiphop #undergroundhiphop



Keith Morris (Circle Jerks) with Bobby Vylan backstage at Coachella '25 - photo by Ithaka Darin Pappas


Keith Morris (Circle Jerks) with Bobby Vylan backstage at Coachella 2025 - photographed by Ithaka Darin Pappas
 

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Ithaka "Escape From The City Of Angeles" ft. Marta Dias (Replacement Killers Soundtrack)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y21UrdTi2kI


* Ithaka "Escape From The City of Angels) featuring Marta Dias * Recorded at Namouche Studios - Lisbon, Portugal 1995 * Produced by: Joe Fossard -* Pre-production and samples by: Grizly * Bass: Francisco Rebelo * Trumpet: Nuno Reis -* Tenor Sax: Paulo Muiños * Lyrics: ©1995 Ithaka Darin Pappas (Ravenshark Music/ASCAP/North Music Group) People they ask me, Why the hell you wanna leave? Saying that they’ll miss me, that they’re gonna grieve This town is number one, we got the Lakers and the sun There’s always lots of lovelies, always lots of fun Why won’t you settle down and stay? Who in their right mind would ever leave LA? But I gotta tell you, got to put it straight Still’ve busted out of there busted down the gate Cuz, I had to get out while there was going to get LA was the hunter, California was the net So I got up, got off of my bucket Sometimes you gotta say, Well what the hell.? fck it! Wasn’t around for the riots of the King But every other night bullets left my ears to ring Hostility, the song that L.A. played Every single night and every single day Walking down the alley, the one behind my house Came five slang-bangers, it was me they were to roust They asked me, Where ya going?, said, Not really sure The next thirty-seconds I remembered in a blur 3x WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS I tried so hard for years to understand Why do you find such pleasure in killing another man? I prefer the simple highs in life Like a mountain of water, not cuttin’ with a knife But where I’ve disappeared ain’t confidential The sky’s still blue, the swells are monumental And no, I’m not ignoring my heritage Over the gap, I’m a building a bridge To learn once and for all that peace can exist Forgive, forget, bring down the fists 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS Five days later, what have I got? I’m in another place which is sunny and hot The difference here is that I’m free as a bird No gun to my head, no blood on the curb But just then a strange thought overtook my brain And since that day, it never felt the same If everybody just put down their arms To nobody on the planet could ever come harm 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS The people of this planet they want explanations For riots, earthquakes and all “God’s creations” You got me, I just couldn’t say I do what I do, I take it day by day 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS Well six weeks later, still don’t know what’s up Don’t got many friends, still got an empty cup They speak in tongues I don’t understand But I look just like ‘em, visually I blend It’s time to start it up in my new land Korvorowng’s one and only survival plan 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS It took me two years, but now I know for sure LA ain’t the enemy and goodness will endure The Seed of Free, my real need Was right there all the time inside of me Just a voyage of my mind is what I needed But now I’m on the other side and deep seeded LA to LAX in fourteen hours flat At home on two shores, but I ain’t living fat Still plagued by brokenness It doesn’t disappear when I say, hocus pocus But grounded for the moment in the city of Lisbon I’m looking for peace and I’m looking for wisdom Hooked up with a mastermind named, Grizzly Formed Ithaka, now we’re rolling busily 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS 3x-WANT TO GET OUT. HAD TO GET OUT. GOT OUT ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS 5x- ESCAPE FROM THE CITY OF ANGELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Escape From The City Of Angels was recorded at Namouche Studios located in Lisbon, Portugal in 1995 and originally appeared on Ithaka's debut album Flowers And The Color Of Paint. The album was nominated for three Blitz Awards (the Portuguese equivalent of the Grammy) in the categories of: Best Album, Best New Project and Best Male Vocalist. And in an end-of-decade retrospective of national music, the prestigious newspaper Publico considered Flowers And The Color Of Paint to be one of the ten most influential 'Portuguese' albums of the 1990's. In 1997, acclaimed Hollywood director Antoine Fuqua used the song in the soundtrack for his feature film The Replacment Killers [released by Columbia Pictures] starring; Mira Sorvino (academy award winner) Chow Yun-fat (academy award nominee) and several other known actors such as Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Rooker. All licensing inquiries for "Escape From The City Of Angels" by Ithaka should be directed to North Music Group [USA] IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10442478/   / _ithaka_     / ithaka_   https://planetithaka.blogspot.com   / ithakablue   https://www.discogs.com/artist/468212... #losangeles

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Song meaning of "Escape From The City Of Angels" by Ithaka (Ithaka Darin Pappas) 

The song Escape From The City Of Angels is a 1990's underground hip hop story-song about breaking away from the existence an individual is born into, both physically and mentally.

The protagonist of the track Korvorão (aka Ithaka) is feeling stifled by the gang violence in his native city of Los Angeles and is dreaming of leaving for a more idealistic place. Friends are confused why he would want to leave a city full of sunshine and pretty girls and is home to the Laker basketball team; People they ask me, Why the hell you wanna leave? Saying that they’ll miss me, that they’re gonna grieve. This town is Number One, we got the Lakers and the sun. There’s always lots of lovelies, always lots of fun. Why won’t you settle down and stay? Who in their right mind would ever leave LA? 

As exemplified in these lines, our protagonist was mugged near his home;

Walking down the alley, the one behind my house. Came five slang-bangers, it was me they were to roust. They asked me, Where ya going?, said, Not really sure. The next thirty-seconds I remembered in a blur.

This only solidifies his resolve to leave his home and he decides to move to the European city of Lisbon, Portugal, with very little financial means, hoping to find a more peaceful and cleaner place. His departure is soon followed by the Rodney King riots leaving LA in turmoil;

Wasn’t around for the riots of the King. But every other night bullets left my ears to ring.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, he finds Lisbon to be, another place which is sunny and hot, but with blue skies and better surfing waves; the sky's still blue, the swells are monumental. He instantly experiences a renewed sense of freedom in a place with significantly less violent crime, leaving him to contemplate why crime even exists at all; if everybody just put down their arms, to nobody on the planet could ever come harm.

After a two year period living oversees, Ithaka, has a change of heart about Los Angeles, discovering that it was his perception of his own reality and his home city that let to the feelings of oppression. This is evident in the lines; 

It took me two years but now I know for sure,  L.A. ain't the enemy and goodness will endure. The Seed of Free, my real need, was right there all the time inside of me. Just a voyage of my mind is what I needed, but now I’m on the other side and deep seeded.

In a sense he has made peace with Los Angeles, and now considers both cities his hometowns as reflected in the lines;

LA to LX in fourteen hours flat, At home on two shores, but I ain’t living fat*. And the lines; Grounded for the moment in the city of Lisbon. I’m looking for peace and I’m looking for wisdom.

NThe word Fat in the line, At home on two shores, but I ain’t living fat. Is a reference to financial instability.