As Printed in the Quarter 3/2006 Issue of The Belly Dancer Magazine
DANCER TO DANCER/MUSICIAN
Pangia - Pat Olson & Denise Manion
As Interviewed By: Oberon
2
What is the magic, driving the rapid upward spiral of the enigmatic band known as Pangia? Their music is so often chosen by dancers for performance that it is repeated copiously at dance venues, festivals etc.
Teachers embrace it in their dance classes and non-dancers simply buy the music for the pure enjoyment of listening. What is the back-ground and intention of these sought-after musicians?
Join my conversation with Dancer, Teacher, Musician - Denise Mannion and her life-partner Pat Olson - musician, song-writer, smokey-voiced singer and so much more …together we attempt some insight into the appeal of PANGIA.
O=Oberon, DM=Denise Manion, Pat=Pat Olson)
O So where were each of you born?
DM Well I'm from New York (with a little giggle) and Pat is an Oregon boy.
O How in the world did you end up here, together.
DM We actually met here, at the College of the Siskiyous, during a summer production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"!
O Was it love at first sight?
DM Pretty much! (giggles again).
O How did each of you end up in such an out-of-the-way place like Mt. Shasta?
Pat (takes over while Denise pulls brownies from the oven). I've been a musician since the age of five. I made my first recording, singing and playing guitar, when I was five years old. It was called "Misty Moisty Morning". ( Denise's giggle is heard in the background). In fact, I started playing Tuba in fourth grade and continued to play it all the way through college.
After high school I toured with a group called the Agape Players. A music and Drama team, with four groups, based out of Kissimmee, Florida. We criss-crossed the country to perform.
All summer long, we'd work half a day, train for half a day and then at the end of August went on tour for an entire year, performing in colleges, high schools, churches etc. We toured every state EXCEPT Alaska, Hawaii and Wisconsin. We even toured South Africa, Poland and five provinces in Canada.
I sang, acted, did the sound and lighting and, (half laugh) I was the tour mechanic.
One of the reasons I ended up here was because the College of the Siskiyous had the premier vocal Jazz instructor in the United States. A man named Kirby Shaw, and I came here to study with him. (Honey these brownies are awesome).
O (I start whining - I also want a brownie … pass it through the phone please). O.K. Denise … Your turn.
DM Well, I started playing piano at the age of three. I really learned to read music before I could read written word. I abandoned my "classical" piano lessons at the age of thirteen and began to play saxophone and bassoon. I played with my high school band and orchestra and a state orchestra all the way through college. I was teased unendingly for my choice - "here comes the barking bedpost".
Somewhere around this time, I saw my first belly dancer, being tired of being smacked down on the basket ball court , I changed my focus to modern dance and studied with a member of the Martha Graham company. I also was fortunate to see Morocco dancing at the World's Fair in New York.
Shortly after this, I moved to San Francisco and would frequent the Baghdad and the Kasbah to see the dancing. I was also lucky enough to see the old Bal Anat performed at a renaissance fair.
I then attended class with Mimi Spencer who was able to hook the music to the dance for me. Really important for me. She was just forming Jazayer so I became a Jazayer dancer.
When I did finally move to Mt.Shasta City, I took every out of town seminar I could possibly attend. Ayesha and I formed troupe Mandala along with Jinjer Rader and the late Pat VanDover from Redding and for twelve years we danced together from our base in Mt. Shasta. We competed and won many Troupe and Duet competitions. Even after Ayesha moved to Medford we continued the troupe - it existed for twenty years as Troupe Mandala.
O Was this at the time you connected with Pat?
DM Yes, ( nervous giggle), we became friends and after divorces we started doing things together. He began to attend some of my gigs. He was working construction at the time and had hurt his back. I asked him to come with me to Rakkasah. It was there, while helping to carry my costumes back stage, he heard John Bilezikjian performing. He was so seduced that he began to walk onto the stage and I had to hold him back.
O Aah … the pull of the Magic Man. 
DM He had been talking about buying an oud even before we left and it just so happened that I found a used one at Rakkasah and bought it for his birthday gift. It was a neglected wall ornament that needed much TLC. As he began to play, it literally exploded. He totally rebuilt the entire instrument. It's still to this day a nice playable Turkish oud.
Pat The first song I really learned to sing was Seni Sevdi. John Bilezikjian helped me with the words and the pronunciation. Though I also learned a lot from Mimi Spencer's books about Middle Eastern Music. I got them from Mimi years ago at Rakassah and they are still available from Vince Delgado and through Mary Ellen McDonald (Mary Ellen Books/CDs) and through Marti Coyne who plays with the group, "Tahneen",
Anyhow, I learned a lot more than music lessons from John Bilezikjian. I learned much about being professional and gracious. I consider him my mentor and inspiration in Middle Eastern Music. I studied with him every chance I got and I credit him with correcting my playing positions and teaching me style.
Another source for me were the Mary McDonald's tapes made with George Munday who played oud in the 70"s. Their instructional tapes on melody and rhythm are now available on CD as well as books. This series was an invaluable foundation for me for learning quite a bit of Middle Eastern Music.
And I learned a vast amount from Denise who has an amazing music library. Troupe Mandala put up with me, as I started playing for them with Gordon, Ayesha's husband. Just the drum and the oud - it was a little naked I admit. (Denise is heard in the back-ground saying how much the troupe enjoyed it).We actually played for them on stage at Rakkasah a couple of times and other venues.
I played oud and guitar, Billy Bagby played accordion and Gordon Kamm on drums for Leea Aziz (following the Belly Dancer of the Year pagaent), and the owner of El Morocco (the host restaurant), Fadil Shahin sat in to play with us. This was the actual beginning of the re-curring dinner show at the El Morocco. (a little bit of history there).
We also played with Americanistan at Rakkasah East and West, with Robaire, yes THE ROBAIRE from Corvallistan. Then I decided it was time to "do my own thing".
O So Denise joined you?
Pat HAH! Kicking and screaming. (Laughter in the background). I told her, "Get you're a_ _ _ in gear! You used to play piano".
DM I said "No … I can't"!
Pat I said " Oh Yes you can" . Anyway, I had to bully her into it … here's a woman, we're out on the deck on a nice summer's day, I want to learn a song called Kalamatiano - 7/8 -she is singing it to me note for note so I could find the notes on my oud.
O So Denise hops on board.
Pat She did succumb. She bought a Roland keyboard with a world music card. At gigs, she would play the music in her cover-up, take it off and dance and put it back on and continue on the keyboard.
However, it was when we incorporated the Yamaha keyboard that we could sound like a real Middle Eastern Orchestra. I had started writing songs before this, 'Denise's Bolero' and 'Dream of a Summer Night' (this song is on the newest CD). They were simplistic, but with the new keyboard I could really flesh them out.
Denise has done a few of the arrangements - Jamal's Dream on the 4th CD and Norits Karoon Yegev (Again Spring Came) on the 3rd CD. It's truly a co-operative endeavor; there are very few things that I insist upon. She is really my editor and artistic director.
DM (jumps back in). I try to tell him what music is fun for me to dance too. I'll say, "I'll never dance to that because…." Or "that's cool … because". He is so close to it, so I'm the one who'll say, " that could start more simply"! When he is into it; writing, arranging, figuring it all out, he is sooo immersed in it. I have to leave him be and step back to listen and hopefully enhance that magical creative process. It's fun for me. We're very "Yin " and "Yang". Our creative sessions are a true oasis in my day.
I also do the mock-up on the CD covers. We never wanted our pictures on the covers but we were advised, in order to sell, we needed to be up close and personal.
O How is the musical content chosen?
Pat Have you noticed, we put a lot more music than most on our CD's. There is almost a solid hour of music on them. Sometimes we'll choose songs we'd like to hear up-dated in a different style. For sure, it's not going to be performed or on a CD until we are happy with the arrangement.
DM Our inspiration comes from everywhere. Sometimes I'll be driving and listening to - oh - something as random as The Reptile Palace Orchestra. I'll be inspired by something I hear. Sometimes we'll just record what we like.
O Who chose the name, Pangia?
DM Pat chose it …
Pat Pangia, was the name of the continents before they broke apart. I decided it would be a great name because it describes how we take music from all around the globe and bring it to a single place; the esscense of Pangia. It's what we do. We really love music from many different countries!
O Musically - please describe the band Pangia. 
DM Stylelistically diverse! Even Pat's parents love the music.
O What does Pangia hope for when their music is being performed.
DM Oh, I teach a whole workshop around dancing with a live band. I've become much more aware as a musician. I can tell when a dancer doesn't know the music. It's definitely changed the way I teach. I say, "know the music inside out. Listen to it even when you are not dancing" I learned from Mimi Spencer about being particular in learning a song the way it was intended so then if you decide to make some changes when you perform or record it, you are doing this on purpose and not out of ignorance. We both know when a song is not being played correctly. We also try to give credit to the authors of the music when we play someone elses music. In some cases, we even ask for permission and/or purchase the permission. In this instant age of pilfered intellectual property rights, it becomes really important to give credit to the people who write, perform and record this music. Cd's and downloads don't cost that much. It is important to support the Musicians who provide it all for us.
O What is some of your favorite music?
DM Oh no! There is so much to choose from! Let's see … Aziza, Lailet Hob. Rahbani brothers, old Arabic tunes that I learned to dance to….
O Those are also some of my favorites.
DM I am quite fond of the music of Mohamed Abdel Wahab. He was schooled in France so I think his music falls easier on the western ear.
I also like Lebanese and Turkish music. For example, Schanaz Longa by Adam Effendi sounds fresh every time I hear it even though it was written in the 1800's. I also like Doug Adams - Light Rain - a different sound and approach.
O Do you prefer dancing or playing?
DM Both - and equally. 
O As musician and Dancer, you were at Rakkasah (2006) when an unfortunate performance dominated the event. What were your feelings?
DM That these dancers ripped away in 10 minutes what our community has worked all these years to build. Wrong choice for the venue and audience. You choose the intent you give to your dance/show and you must always consider, and hopefully know who your audience is.
O And so please name some of your most enjoyable performers in this dance.
DM Oh .. this could go on … so, apart from the obvious! In my recent memory, M' Shuqa from Los Gatos and Nadira of Seattle. ( I really have a list too long to mention).As far as experimental and more theatrical endeavors, I really enjoyed what I have seen from Desert Sin. Aisha Ali for recording and transmitting true folkoric stylings and recordings …I love all the old films of Naima Akef, Samia Gamal, Sohair Zaki etc. so much inspiration. I love to SEE THE MUSIC!
O Have you kept your "day" job?
DM Oh Yes - I'm a coordinator for all students at College of the Siskiyous who want/need tutoring and I provide support services for disabled students.
O Hey Pat - some of your favorite music selections please.
Pat Armenian music for listening enjoyment because of the complexity and embellishment of the melodies. I like performing pieces like the Egyptian song Aziza, Ya Gameel , Ghal Ya Buoy for fun … and I love Greek and Turkish music,for example, almost anything by Faruk Tekbilik and also Greek Rembetiko - slow, sad music. It's like Turkish/Greek Blues.
O Now to your favorite dancer. 
Pat You mean other than Denise?
O Nicely played!
Pat (I don't like this question. There are too many to mention) …Next to her - Suzanna Del Vecchio because I enjoy a dancer who has it all - the zils, the floorwork, veil, uses the stage well - a complete routine. (Did you know that the now seldom seen floor work of belly dancing evolved because the dancer was not to have her head higher than the Sheik or Sultan?) I believe a dancer must posses the skills to communicate the music.
I have great respect for the dancers. Believe me, Denise would refuse to be involved if I didn't work respectfully with them. She has made me much more aware. The dancer is important because she is the visual interpretation of the music and it's lyrics.
O So what is the most fun gig you have ever had?
DM (both are laughing). Well, the most interesting, was a New Year's Eve Party in Acapulco, Mexico. Our dancer friend, Nour Said from Mexico City asked us to come down and play and dance. We were flown in and driven by limousine to a palacial estate where just the flower arrangements would have easily cost $30,000.00 in the States. There were armed guards at the gates to the area where all the house are in an exclusive enclave called Lower Las Brisas. Many servants, catered Middle Eastern dinner, totally orchestrated party as we performed for 250 costumed guests, most of whom were gay men. I danced on a spectacular sandstone deck, over looking the amazing pool, all of which was on a cliff over looking Acapulco Bay. At midnight, all of the homes on the cliff fired off the most amazingly huge municipal quality firework displays! Cascading firefalls had us dodging sparks as we played. Tents, flowing robes; the set of Babylon 5 comes to mind! The food was awesome ... it was a fantastic party and Oh yes, did I mention the live camel in the driveway? We were treated like royalty!
O What are the future plans for Pangia?
Pat We plan to keep on being the band that plays a wide array of Middle Eastern music for all style of dancers. We will strive to play the music better than you heard it on the CD and to keep on being the band where you will dance to exactly the music you heard on the CD.
For More Information about Pangia go to:
www.pangiaraks.com pangiaraks@yahoo.com
or call Denise or Pat at (530) 938-2503
