Beloved: Connection And Ecstasy In Oregon

By Christian Martin

For the ninth year in a row, people from up and down the West Coast gathered in the coastal forest near Tidewater Falls in Oregon August 12-14 to celebrate, dance, expand and connect. With a central stage playing a wide variety of international “sacred music” through the day and pulsing with eclectic bass music through the night, the sequencing of sounds to move the heart, soul and bootie at Beloved was exquisite. From Mali’s Fatoumata Diawara to Ukraine’s Dakhabrakha to Nigeria’s King Sunny Ade, there was generous servings of inspired world beat. Acoustic-roots music was provided by Rising Appalachia, Dirtwire, Trevor Hall, Sara Tone, Mike Love and others. And DJs and producers including Tipper, Ott, Subaqueous, Michael Manahan, Nicola Cruz, Living Light and Clozee facilitated a dance ritual that throbbed until the break of dawn.

In addition to so much stellar music, Beloved also offered yoga sessions from a variety of different disciplines, workshops, spoken word and poetry performances, group meditations and facilitated conversations on race, social justice, ecological adaptation and more. The shady grounds were decorated with nature altars everywhere one turned, as well as tea zones, art installations, vending, healthful food and drink, the Oasis bathhouse, galleries and the amazing nighttime “light paintings” by Preston Hall and Acorn Productions, which enhanced the mossy forest with subtle accents and juicy color washes.

In 2017, Beloved celebrates its tenth year of bringing people of all ages together in conscious celebration around sacred music and arts. Plan ahead and hope to see you there! Visit www.belovedfestival.com to stay informed.

Photos by HekterVision. Visit his website for many more and to purchase prints at www.hektervision.com.

Beloved attendees gather around the “Secret Lake” Friday night to thank the waters

Altars are scattered throughout the grounds of Beloved, which is held every August in a forest 10 miles inland from the Pacific coast

An altar devoted to flowing water offers an introspective space, as well as necessary nourishment, next to the main stage

Yogi and musician Bibi McGill leads a morning asana practice in the yoga forest shala in the Far Mosque

Dancers at the tree stage on the first day of Belovedancers at the tree stage on the first day of Beloved

Portland-based electronic producer Subaqueous shares his music on the main stage Friday night

Subaqueous debuts his new project Silk Drop with vocalist Heather Christie and guest violinist HAANA

Youssoupha Sidibe and his kora close Friday night out with grounding Sufi music from Senegal

Rising Appalachia find harmony during their Sunday set

One of the standouts of the weekend, Dakhabrakha fuses traditional Ukrainian sounds with modern, funky sounds

Dakhabrakha, from Ukraine, was one of many little-known delights presented throughout the weekend at Beloved

Fatoumata Diawara shared the lively, joyful sounds of her native Côte d’Ivoire with Beloved Saturday evening

Seattle’s legendary DJ and event visionary Michael Manahan initiated the traditional Saturday night dance ritual with a set of tribal house Saturday night at 11:11 pm

Though Beloved doesn’t emphasize any marquee musicians in its eclectic lineup, Dave Tipper and his alien hip-hop soundscapes were one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend

A dancer moves to the music Saturday night at Beloved

Concentrating all of the music on one central stage, the dancefloor pulses with eclectic bass music Saturday night till sunrise

A well-deserved sivasana at the end of the Beloved weekend in Tidewater, Oregon