Professional Surfer Kelly Slater and artist-songwriter Ithaka Darin Pappas - Brazil June 2009

Eleven-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater and artist-songwriter Ithaka Darin Pappas (Escape From The City Of Angels) in Imbituba, Brazil in the State Of Santa Catarina. Pappas was the English language comentator for the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro WSL [then ASP] world tour surf event.

The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard by Ithaka

January 06, 2013

The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard by Ithaka

HoodLamb team rider Ithaka presented his latest range of contemporary sculptures made from recycled surfboards during the "The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard" exhibition in Gallery WOA: Way Of Arts in Cascais, Portugal. Check out the nice photo of Ithaka in his HoodLamb T-Shirt as featured in Onfire Surf Mag!

Ithaka (Ithaka Darin Pappas) is a hip hop artist, sculptor, artistic photographer, writer and surfer from Southern California, who currently lives in Brazil.

While living in Lisbon, he recorded his first two hip hop albums, Flowers and the Color of Paint and Stellafly. Ithaka later returned to California where he recorded his third album called Somewhere South Of Somalia with producer Conley Abrams III. Later Ithaka relocated his base to Rio de Janeiro where he recorded his two most recent albums, Recorded In Rio and Saltwater Nomad.

In addition to creating music, his short story series entitled, Fishdaddy Chronicles, has appeared in surfing magazines around the world including Surfer, The Surfer's Journal, Water and Transworld Surf". In 2009, his short story "Miracle At Malibu" was published in the book entitled Surf Story, a collective volume of stories and surf culture.

His abstract photographic art and body of sculpture work known as The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard have been exhibited globally, his most recent solo showings were hosted by Gallery WOA (Way Of Arts) in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2007, The Camp in Costa Mesa, California in June 2010 and Gallery Alma Do Mar in São Paulo, Brazil in October 2010. At present the artist creates most of his works at Recanto Akahti, his small ranch in rural South America located on the edge of the Atlantic Rainforest in AkahtiLândia, Brazil.

Links:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/468212-ITHAKA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIZXy50yj_t9UuHqeOQhpGQ

http://planetithaka.blogspot.com/

https://genius.com/artists/Ithaka

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

http://ithakaofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IthakaBlue/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/69363540

https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/Ithaka2

https://www.instagram.com/_ithaka_/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5225987/

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/ithaka-interview

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka













http://upmagazine-tap.com/en/pt_artigos/ithaka-2/

L

Ithaka: The Nomadic Journey of a Renegade Artist & Hip Hop Visionary (Hollywood Weekly - cover story)

(Interview) ITHAKA DARIN PAPPAS - SportTV 3 - Portugal

O hip hop salgado de Ithaka (Ithaka Darin Pappas)

______________________________

Capa do CD Fishdaddy Flashbacks, do californiano Ithaka. Foto: Músico e artista californiano Ithaka acaba de lançar o disco Fishdaddy Flashbacks.

Artist, Ithaka Darin Pappas Surfing Powerful Winter Waves in Greece

Greek-American contemporary artist and musician, Ithaka Darin Pappas surfing powerful winter waves in Greece. Photo: Giorgos Papandreou

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/69363540

https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/Ithaka2

https://www.instagram.com/_ithaka_/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5225987/

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/ithaka-interview

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka

http://upmagazine-tap.com/en/pt_artigos/ithaka-2/

From Pinball Wizard to World Traveler - Ithaka Darin Pappas

From Pinball Wizard to World Traveler

Published by Katcy Stephan on February 20, 2017

Beat-up longboard by his side, Ithaka Darin Pappas sits in the sand at El Porto beach, letting the waves rush by him.

A smile gleaming across his face, he recalls how he first came to realize his love for surfing 38 years ago.

“I was a pinball wizard in inland Orange County, and we used to see surfer magazines at 7/11. I was just going, ‘What am I doing playing pinball when I could be out surfing?’”

Ithaka Darin Pappas has caught waves in East Africa, Morocco, the Great Lakes and Portugal, but he always finds his way back home to Southern California | Photo by Katcy Stephan

His passion for surf has taken him all around the world, to places that aren’t necessarily known for their amazing swells.

“I’ve explored places most people would never even think of surfing. I’ve surfed in East Africa. I’ve surfed in the Mediterranean. I’ve explored many of the mid-Atlantic islands, owned by Portugal and Morocco. I’ve been all over.”

Pappas, 50, is no stranger to challenging the conventional, both in the water and in his career. He has worked several jobs over the years, including artist, photographer and surf journalist, just to name a few. All his jobs have had something major in common: exploration.

“With many sports, it doesn’t really matter where you do them. For surfing, it matters. And its like, you go to Morocco, the surf is incredible, but then when there’s no surf, you go inland and you explore Marrakech. You go to the mountains. It’s just a very complete cultural experience while you’re doing an activity you love.”

Pappas says that, no matter where he travels, he is able to make meaningful connections with fellow surfers.

“Surfing is a completely global tribe. When you travel with surf, you meet people all around the world. You end up re-meeting those people, especially with the internet. You say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be in Indonesia in June.’ ‘Hey, me too!’ You end up seeing people all around the world that you know.”

Even after living in Greece, Portugal, and Japan, Pappas found himself pulled back to his Southern California roots last year.

“No matter where you’re traveling, you never really leave where you’re from. You never really leave the places you’ve been, either. So I might be here right now, but Portugal, Brazil, everywhere else are still in my head. I’ll be back there again.”

Katcy Stephan interviews former surf journalist Ithaka Darin Pappas at El Porto in Manhattan Beach. (Photo/Rachel Ramos)

https://www.shootthecurl.com/from-pinball-wizard-to-world-traveler/

Links:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/468212-ITHAKA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIZXy50yj_t9UuHqeOQhpGQ

http://planetithaka.blogspot.com/

https://genius.com/artists/Ithaka

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

http://ithakaofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IthakaBlue/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/69363540

https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/Ithaka2

https://www.instagram.com/_ithaka_/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5225987/

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/ithaka-interview

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka

http://upmagazine-tap.com/en/pt_artigos/ithaka-2/

Artist, Ithaka Darin Pappas, Surfing at Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii

Artist, Ithaka Darin Pappas, surfing at Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii
Photo: Masaki

Links:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/468212-ITHAKA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIZXy50yj_t9UuHqeOQhpGQ

http://planetithaka.blogspot.com/

https://genius.com/artists/Ithaka

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

http://ithakaofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IthakaBlue/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/69363540

https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/Ithaka2

https://www.instagram.com/_ithaka_/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5225987/

https://thehundreds.com/blogs/content/ithaka-interview

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka

http://upmagazine-tap.com/en/pt_artigos/ithaka-2/

Ithaka - Salwater Nomad (review on Surfline)

Are you doing in life what you was meant to?
Are you doing in life what you was sent to?
Are you living the life that you wanna live?
Are you living your life in a way to win?

--Ithaka from "The Life You Wanna Live?" (Saltwater Nomad) 

 

 

The Chinese philosopher, Confucius once said that a wise man doesn't feel the need to differentiate between work or hobby. And more importantly he doesn't feel the need to reveal to others whether or not he is working or playing.

Observing from distance at the effortless way the multi-artistic Ithaka (aka Darin Pappas) traverses at ease between all of his chosen mediums of expression; [music, sculpture, writing and photography] it appears his life's journey is a soulful balancing act somewhere between the worlds of euphoric creation and aquatic diversion. But on closer inspection, looking at the expertise and attention to detail of any Ithaka project, it becomes evident the man is getting down to first-degree serious business, even if he himself isn't aware of it. 
 

View Non-Flash Version

Born in southern California, the hip hop visionary and visual expressionist spent his early youth surfing LA and Orange Counties, but soon began his global wanderings - not only in pursuit of higher quality waves but of profound cultural experiences, both shore side and deep in the cities. For Ithaka, marriage of surf and street comes naturally.

Listen to a track from Ithaka's Album, Saltwater Nomad. PORTUGAL

After long blocks of time in Greece, Japan and other exotic locales, Ith arrived in Portugal in July of 1992 with a surfboard, wetsuit, Nikon FE camera and very little else. In addition to sampling the region's wealth of epic surf and making friends, he started exhibiting his photographs, creating new sculptures, publishing his short stories, and even began working as a radio host on a national music program. He left the region six years later with two studio albums under his belt and nine Portuguese Grammy nominations. An unlikely place to start an international music career, but Ithaka has not only been influenced by his many Siddharthian journeys, he has become a product of them. And he doesn't exactly reinvent himself at each intercontinental stop along the path, he merely keeps adding layers, carpet-bagging along the way newly learned skills and infinite wealth of mental archeology, the bases for most of his songs, stories and visuals. But even though global as they come as a human being, artist and surfer, he'll be the first to tell you it's not necessary to go far away to get away. He says,

It's all about perception.
How you look at things.
How you absorb things.
Some of the wisest
and most interesting people
I've ever met have barely even
left their home state.
It¹s about breaking routine

And breaking routine is what Ithaka and his bag of tricks is all about. In contrast to his last audio work, Recorded in Rio (a melodic, mostly live-instrument hip hop album released in 2004), the new cd, SALTWATER NOMAD, his fifth full-length, goes to the polar opposite and is largely an electronic production. Recorded in Brazil with producer Tito Gomes, the two serve up twelve clean, bumping, minimalist hip hop story-songs.

Vocal-wise, Ithaka's fluid punctuality can be considered in outstanding company like Everlast, Michael Franti and the late Tupac. And although sonically, Saltwater Nomad will be considered a pop/rap record, lyrically don't expect generic Pimp & Ho/22"-rim/gansta-stylin' references. Ith successfully personalizes the genre, using it as a soundtrack for his straight-up, no bullshit, autobiographical story-telling, walking new ground across subjects like spirituality, global politics, nostalgia, lust, immigration, positive thinking, diabolic roommates (comedy), the intricate complexities of long lasting boy/girl unity and his passion of choice, wave-riding. All scribed with the Ithman's patented crafty, post-Beat Generation urban lyricism.

Breaking routine is what Ithaka and his bag of tricks is all about.

I ride since I was a small fry
Sine the day mammy multiplied
I ride to keep my soul alive
I'll ride until the day, the day that I die
I ride 'cuz I like the view from the tube
I ride 'cuz I like the color blue
I ride to keep my mojo intact
So I got the goods to deliver
When my baby gets back

Ithaka's music has been featured in several surfing films (including the award winning, Timmy Turner's Second Thoughts), and the hit basketball video game NBA 2K7. His hip-hop classic, "Escape From The City Of Angels"? appeared in Columbia Picture's feature film, The Replacement Killers.


For more info see:

www.myspace.com/ithakamusic

Saltwater Nomad (and other Ithaka releases) may be purchased at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ithakamusic2

A major retrospective from Ithaka's body of sculpture work entitled, The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard (1989 until present) is currently being shown at the prestigious WOA gallery in Lisbon, Portugal.

ITHAKA: Lyricist/Vocalist, Photographer & Surf Culture Artist

Californian-born lyricist/vocalist, photographer and surf culture artist, Ithaka,
with a sculpture entitled Viridi Nephrite from his 2015 exhibit Aliens Of AkahtiLândia [at F+ Gallery, Santa Ana] of the general body of work known as The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard (300+ wall-mounted recycled-surfboard sculptures that Ithaka has created from 1989-present day).

Ithaka is the writer and voice behind the legendary international club acapella "So Get Up" (remixed more than 1000 times) and also "Escape From The City Of Angels" from the Replacement Killers soundtrack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: this is a copyrighted image by: Bernard Testamale

 

                      Also see: @_ithaka_ and  @brainshots

THE REINCARNATION OF A SURFBOARD - A Series by SOCal artist: Ithaka

http://greenlabel.com/art/the-10-coolest-pieces-of-art-made-from-surfboards/s/reincarnation-of-a-surfboard-ithaka/

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Reincarnation of a Surfboard - Ithaka

Written by: Caitlin LoPilato Posted on Tue, 10.21.14 at 2:00pm

The Reincarnation of a Surfboard is an artistic recycling project, created by contemporary artist and SoCal surfer Ithaka. It consists of over 300 wall-hanging sculptures, constructed using broken or unusable surfboards. The series has been exhibited on four different continents, and the extensive collection has also been mentioned in books and featured in documentaries.

Surfer and Artist, ITHAKA, On Giant Portuguese Wave

Surfer, vocalist and artist, Ithaka (Ithaka Darin Pappas) at Madeira Island, Portugal. Photograph: João Valente - Surf Portugal Magazine.


Surfing first started in the Portuguese island of Madeira in the 1970s off the villages of Paul do Mar, Jardim do Mar and Punta Pequena. Almost every surfspot is rocky and powerful. No waves seem to break under six feet in the winter months. Madeira did not really come to the attention of foreign surfers until articles in surfing magazines in the mid-1990s. Since 1996, top Portuguese surfers from the mainland compete in the Madeira regional edition of the 'Billabong' Challenge.^[1]
In 2001, the World Big Wave Championships were held in Madeira.
One of the more memorable sessions in the history of Madeira surfing occurred on January 25, 1995 at Jardim Do Mar. Portuguese big wave legend José Seabra and the Californian artist/rapper/surfer Ithaka rode absolutely flawless waves up to eight meters on the face by themselves with no other surfers in the water. Photographs of the session by João Valente have appeared in publications around the world including the cover of Surf Portugal Magazine. The conditions which were some of the cleanest and glassiest ever recorded at the classic big wave point break, inspired Ithaka to write the song Seabra Is Mad ^[2] about Seabra's courageous performance on that day. The song was released on Ithaka's 2nd album Stellafly (1997) and was later awarded both "Song Of The Year" and "Video Of The Year" by the prestigious national newspaper, Público (Portugal) ^[3] as well a being nominated for "Song Of The Year" at that year's annual Premios Blitz (the Portuguese equivalent of The Grammy Awards). Ithaka also wrote two other songs inspired by surfing in Madeira, "Eden By The Sea" (also from the album, Stellafly and "Been Four Years" (album Flowers And The Color Of Paint). In 2012, Paul Mandaca, a Brazilian Blues rock performer used a version of Eden By The Sea as the title track of his debut album.

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@_ithaka_ (Ithaka instagram)

https://www.facebook.com/IthakaBlue/ (Facebook)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIZXy50yj_t9UuHqeOQhpGQ (Youtube)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaka_%28musician%29

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5940746/ 
 http://planetithaka.blogspot.mx/ 


https://www.discogs.com/artist/468212-ITHAKA

"ITHAKA" Oder Die Kunst Surfboards Zu Reinkarnieren

I Ride

"ITHAKA" Oder Die Kunst Surfboards Zu Reinkarnieren

Geschrieben von: Arnd Vehling

"Ithaka" , oder was haben Musik, Surfen und "reinkarnierte Surfboards" miteinander zu tun?

Achtung: Bilder und Video im Artikel.

Are you doing in life what you was meant to?

Are you doing in life what you was sent to?

Are you living the life that you wanna live?

Are you living your life in a way to win?

Ithaka from "The Life You Wanna Live?" (2007 : "Saltwater Nomad")

Der chinessiche Philosoph Konfuzius sagte einmal, dass der weise Mann nicht zwiechen Arbeit und Hobby unterscheidet. Sein Hobby ist seine Arbeit, seine Arbeit seine Passion. Betrachtet man aus der Ferne mit welcher Leichtigkeit der Surfer und Kue¼nstler "Ithaka" (aka "Ithaka Darin Pappas") zwiechen den von ihm gewae¤hlten Ausdrucksformen Musik, Skulpturen, Literatur und Fotografie wechselt, so erscheint sein Leben wie eine Balanceakt zwichen einer Welt euphorischen Schaffens und "aquatischer" Leidenschaft.

"Ithakas" Wurzeln liegen in Süd-Kalifornien. Dem Land in dem nicht nur Milch und Honig fliesst sondern das auch reich an erstklassigen Riff- und Beach-breaks ist. So verbrachte der Hip-Hip Visionaer und visuelle Expressionist seine Jugend hauptsaechlich surfend zwichen "Los Angeles" und "Orange County".

Fuer die meisten Amerikaner mag Portugal als Ausgangspunkt einer internationalen Musiker-Karriere ein ungewoehnlicher Ort sein, fuer "Ithaka" nicht. Die Reisen, die Teil seiner Selbstfindung sind, haben ihn nicht nur beeinflusst, er ist ihr Produkt geworden. Auch wenn er sich nicht an jedem neuen Ort, den er erreicht, neu erfindet, so fuegt sich doch an jedem Zwichenpunkt seiner globalen Reise eine weitere "Schicht" an Erfahrungen und Eindrücken hinzu. Dies ist die Basis vieler seiner Songs, Kurzgeschichten sowie seiner visuellen Ausdrucksform. Aber obwohl "Ithaka" eine Personifizierung des in unseren Zeiten so oft beschworenen "Weltbuergers" ist, ist er einer der ersten der dir erzaehlen wird, das es nicht noetig ist weit zu reisen um "wegzukommen", Zitat:

Es hat alles mit Wahrnehmung zu tun.

Wie du deine Umgebung betrachtest.

Wie du sie absorbierst.

Einige der weisesten,

und interessantesten Menschen

die ich je kennengelernte

haben nie ihren Geburtsort verlassen.

Es geht einzig darum Routine zu durchbrechen.

  

Und "Routine durchbrechen" kann er. Im Unterschied zu seinem letzten Audiowerk "Recorded in Rio" (2004), einem mit "Live-Instrumenten" arrangierten Hip-Hop Album dominieren auf seiner aktuellen CD "Saltwater Nomad" die elektronischen Klaenge. Dieses in Brasilien, "Ithakas" aktuellem Wohnsitz, von Tito Gomes produzierte Album besticht mit minimalistischen, teilweise hypnotischen Hip-Hop Arrangements.

Obwohl sein Stil manchmal mit Everlast, Massive Attack und dem "spaeten Tupac" verglichen wird, haben seine Lieder oft eine eine "sphärische Nuance". Wer stereotyp Texte im "Gangsta Style" Hip Hop oder "Pimp Rap" erwartet, wird enteuscht werden. Zum Glueck. "Ithaka's" Musik ist eher sein persoenlicher Soundtrack. Erzaehlt werden autobiographische Geschichten ueber Spiritualitaet, Reisen, teuflische WG-Mitbewohner, die Liebe und natuerlich ueber die Passion seines Lebens, das Surfen, Zitat:

Das Verlangen nach exotischen Surfspots und die Sehnsucht nach fremden Kulturen schickte ihn dann sehr frueh auf eine Odyssee rund um unseren blauen Planeten. Es ist dieser Trip zwiechen entfernten Surf-Spots und dem pulsierenden Leben der Staedte die seinen Alben Ihren sehr eigenen Klang verleihen. Beides wird in seinen Songs mit natuerlicher Leichtigkeit fusioniert.

Nachdem er laengere Zeit u.a. in Griechenland (der Heimat seines Vaters) und Japan verbracht hatte, fuehrte ihn seine Reise 1992 nach Portugal, dass er mit nicht viel mehr als seinem Surfboard, einem Wetsuit und einem Fotoaparat im Gepäck erreichte. Portugal stellt fuer Ithaka eine besondere Station seiner Reise dar. Er surfte dort nicht nur die reiche Auswahl erstklassiger portugisicher Spots, schloss lebenslange Freundschaften sondern began dort auch seine Fotographien auszustellen, Kurzgeschichten zu veroeffentlichen und spaeter einen Musik-Kanal des portugisiechen Rundfunks zu moderieren. Als er neun Jahre spaeter Portugal wieder verliess hatte er zwei Studioalben und neun portugiesiche "Grammy" Nominierungen im Gepaeck.

I ride since I was a small fry

Sine the day mammy multiplied

I ride to keep my soul alive

I'll ride until the day, the day that I die

I ride 'cuz I like the view from the tube

I ride 'cuz I like the color blue

I ride to keep my mojo intact

So I got the goods to deliver

When my baby gets back

Seine Musik wurde in mehreren Surf-Filmen verwendet (u.a. in "Timmy Turners Second Thougts", siehe Video weiter unten) war Teil des Video-Spiels  "NBA 2K7" und sein prämierter Song "Escape from the City of Angels" taucht  im Filmklassiker "The Replacement Killers" auf!

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Mehr Infos zu "Ithaka" findet ihr unter https://www.facebook.com/IthakaBlue/ "Saltwater Nomad" (und andere seiner Alben) können bei https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ithaka/id69363540
 erworben werden.

http://stormrider.de/surf/88888931-featured/730-ithaka-oder-die-kunst-surfboards-zu-reinkarnieren

ITHAKA

http://vagueares.blogspot.com/2007/11/ithaka-aka-darin-papas.html

QUINTA-FEIRA, 22 DE NOVEMBRO DE 2007

ITHAKA 

Lure#3, Escultura feita a partir de uma prancha de surf
Ou a forma de transformar uma thruster numa "fish"!

No ano passado, tive a oportunidade de trocar algumas impressões com o Darin Pappas, o multifacetado artista e vocalista hip-hop, também conhecido por ITHAKA.

O espaço onde pretendia colocar a entrevista realizada na altura nunca chegou, no entanto, a concretizar-se, pelo que, com alguma pena minha, ficou guardada na gaveta!

Há uns dias atrás, porém, recebi, com agrado, um mail com a divulgação da exposição "The Reincarnation of a Surfboard” (by Ithaka) que inaugura hoje, dia 22 de Novembro e que estará patente até ao dia 22 de Dezembro na galeria de arte contemporânea WOA (Way os Arts), em São João do Estoril.

E, a propósito da efeméride, achei que fazia todo o sentido vir partilhar aqui a nossa conversa mesmo que com o atraso de um ano. Quem sabe, criar-vos a curiosidade e evitar que percam a oportunidade de conhecer de perto o seu trabalho.

A entrevista segue em Inglês por achar que, de alguma forma, se poderia perder algum substrato numa tradução.

Vista do estúdio, Los Angeles, 2005

- One of the facts that surprise me the most in you is the amount of different activities that you embrace in your life. You are a musician, writer, photographer, sculptor, surfer…What do you usually answer when people ask you what you do for a living?
That usually depends on who I'm talking to and how I will relate to that person, and if I have something in common with that person or not. Sometimes it gets confusing trying to define myself, so I'll simplify and choose one vocation or I'll just say I'm an "audio-visual artist".


- And how do you relate with money? You have been so many times in difficult (limit) situations for the lack of it, isn't it?
I've had a great life in some many ways and am in NO position to complain, but I've had strange relationship with money ever since I came to this planet... For the most part, financially it has seemed like a real struggle.But the important thing for me to remember is to stay active, stay creative, and stay travelling and keep surfing even if it's not financially comfortable to do so; these are all essential to my well-being and happiness.Meaning......... I somehow always get shit done whether I have the money to do it or not or whether or not I'm being paid or not.But unfortunately....... sometimes things take longer than I'd like...
(A LOT longer than I'd like), this is the main drawback of being an indie artist.Patience is something I have begun to learn over the years out of necessity. 


- I know you came to Portugal with nothing but a one way ticket and a few dollars in your pocket. We don't always need a lot of resources to travel and that has been a constant in your life. Do you have an idea in how many countries you have been? Can you name them all?
(Photo: Ithaka, self-portrait near Mombasa, Kenya 1997)
Probably not as many places as some people might think. But some of the stays have been for very extended periods of time.
Portugal (6 years), Brazil (1 year), Japan (1 year), Greece (6 months) + visits to Cabo Verde, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia, Philippines, Morocco, New Zealand, Tanzania, Kenya... and Spain, France, England, Germany, Holland, Switzerland.

- What does travelling mean for you? What do you usually seek in a trip? I suppose it has nothing to do with staying in a resort with all included…
I'm usually visiting friends, working on some kind of project, surfing or just plain backpacking...except for occasional paid work trips the voyages are usually absent of luxury, very frugal, Lonely Planet-style kind of adventures. (I'm really not interested in all- enclosed resort type atmosphere).
Travelling gives me energy, gives me inspiration, keeps me healthy and interested in life and people.
Being out on the street is the best way to experience any place. Getting to know the life of ordinary native people.
I like seeing how they survive, what they wear, what they eat, what kind of entertainment they dig etc....
I love photographing on trips.

- What will your next travel be?
Hopefully Australia (next month) to deliver a surfboard sculpture to a client in Sydney.I've never been there. and am excited to know the place.

- Let's go back to what you do.When I read about your work, especially in your site, there was a project among the others that caught my attention, it's called "Quality Time" if I'm not mistaken. For what I understood the project consisted in closing yourself in a relatively small space, like an apartment, were you would have to photograph whatever was there…that is, you would have to turn small objects in valid photographic models, giving them new life and possibly a new meaning
I find this project interesting because it represents somehow what you do with your creations and your life. Do you agree?
(Photo: Quality Time, Tokyo)
This was a photo/text experiment I did in Tokyo about "forced" creativity, spontaneity and using what you have in front of you in a small, confined space.......in a limited amount of time.I spend most of my life using BIG things, BIG places for fuel, but not ever art-adventure has to be a actual physical "voyage"...this was about 'inner exploration'.

- How did you begin to use surfboards as raw material for your sculptures? What meaning do you give to that?(Sem Título, Escultura 2004)
I was a photographer living in Hollywood, a little too far from the ocean to enjoy it on a daily basis, but once while surfing, I broke one of my own boards by accident. I eventually turned it into a wall hanging sculpture. Friends saw it and brought me more boards to work on.... that’s how REINCARNATION OF A SURFBOARD project was born, I've been doing them ever since then.

- What is your motivation in doing it?Working on the pieces keeps me connected with the ocean even when I not near it. It's about giving new life to inanimate objects that have given me personally a life worth living. I've been doing this shit for 17 years and I STILL loving blasting loud hip hop, drinking a lot coffee or energy drinks and "getting busy' on my pieces.I'll never get sick of it.

- By the way, beside recicling surfboards for your sculptures have you ever shaped any?I tried to shape one when I was about 15- 16 years old, But It was so bad I didn't even bother to glass it.
(Ithaka big wave surfing in Portugal, 1995-98, Photographer unknown)
- And who did your favourite board ever? (Who shaped it?)
Paulo Mandacaru (PMD designs) a shaper from São Paulo who lived in Portugal for many years.I've been riding his boards since 1995.He's now back in Brasil. I am still using PMD boards. I've ridden a few Al Merrick's over the years and liked them a lot. I had a great board from Pete Johnson (Hawaii) too.

-What place would you choose to live and surf? Not only because of the waves, but also for all things that are important to you?LISBON was one of the most perfect places in the world for me. I think I discovered who I REALLY am there (an urban/ocean genetic hybrid mutante).It's a great blend of city meets ocean..great urban culture and great waves There aren't many interesting places in the world that have both next to each other like that. Right now I live in Rio. Rio is excellent as well. The culture is fascinating and the waves are A LOT better than most people will ever know. I'd also like to know Durban, Luanda and Maputo, Maybe someday I'll try a total natural surf environment , but I doubt I'll ever be in a big city that doesn't have quick access to the surf.Many people think I should move to New York for my career. I love New York, but the surf is too far from town and REALLY COLD in winter!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Ithaka surfing Ponta Delgada, Madeira Portugal, 1995, Photograph: João Valente)
- And in Portugal, what was your favourite spot to surf?Madeira, Azores!!!!!!!!! On the continent; Coxos, Supertubos, Arrifana, Carcavelos.

- In the most hardcore surf movie I know, Second Thoughts from Timmy Turner, we hear your sound…how did that come to happen?I heard he was doing the movie and sent him some cds. He licensed the song, THE PLOT and then never got back to me.I thought he edited it out, I only knew the song was in there for sure because of the SURFER POLL awards.
(Ithaka surfing in West Africa, 2004, Photograph: Joao Barbosa)
- Does surfing inspire you in the lyrics you write and the sound you make?Definitely, ALWAYS... some songs are about surfing and sometimes it's just a general energy force, not a specific inspiration.

- And how about the opposite? Does your sound inspire you to surf?... Don't think I've ever listened to my own albums before a session,but music in general definitely gets me hyped up for a surf. Hip hop and funk specifically ...and sometimes rock and dance tracks.

- I know you have recently recorded an album in Portugal, "Remixed in Lisbon", what can you say about it?It's called ITHAKA: REMIXED IN LISBON BY BULLLET. Lisbon-based BULLLET (founded by Armando Teixeira) is using the occipella vocal recordings from my last album RECORDED IN RIO and will do all new instrumentals for ten of the tracks + four all new songs that we already recorded when I was last in Portugal (4 months in spring 2005).

- What are you up to, what projects do you have now?(Ithaka surfing the newly discovered Jardim do Mar, 1995, Portugal)I'm in California at the moment working on new sculptures and visiting family.In Rio (before I left) Tito Gomes and I had just finished preproduction on a new ITHAKA album called "RAVENSHARK CHRONICLES". Basically the album is finished except for the vocals which I am planning to record here in Los Angeles with Conley Abrams (who I collaborated on my album SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF SOMALIA). There is a new remix of IN PORTUGAL by TITO GOMES up onwww.myspace.com/ithakamusic.In addition to REMIXED IN LISBON BY BULLLET, I am working on a spoken word story album called "CACTUS CRATER" with Franco-Portuguese producer called Henri Sanrame (who is a great Setubal-based producer/engineer who works with DJ VIBE etc)... this is a kind of 70 minute novel with ambient music and sound fx.... we recorded the guide voice in 1995 and henri has been putting all the pieces together... should be funny and weird I'm looking forward to it... I'm hoping to come back to Portugal this year to finish this project.

Other things:
The Ithaka song WHO'S THE ENEMY? (featuring GABRIEL O PENSADOR) is in the new SAVE THE WAVES COALITION surf documentary about Madeira directed by Jacob Holcomb called "LOST JEWEL OF THE ATLANTIC". A new version of SEABRA IS MAD will appear in Greg Schell's surf flick "CHASING THE LOTUS" written by Jaymie Brisick narrated by actor, JEFF BRIDGES. The song, WHATCHA GOTTA DO just got licenced for the soundtrack of a new XBOX 360 basketball game calledNBA 2K7... (MOS DEF and JURASSIC FIVE are also on the soundtrack

Nota: As últimas perguntas, que se debruçam sobre os trabalhos mais recentes do Darin, foram respondidas à cerca de ano e meio, pelo que, como é óbvio, encontram-se um pouco desactualizadas e incompletas... Entretanto foi lançado um novo álbum de Ithaka, SALTWATER NOMAD.

Partilho ainda o post scriptum do último mail que trocámos para a concretização desta entrevista… 

ps:...I got up EARLY this morning and surfed perfect waves at 60th street newport beach6 foot+ and super hollow I ate shit a bunch of times, but ended up getting the best tube I've had in six months.Thank you Lord Neptune!