Coordinates	32°30′20″N45°49′29″N
Conventional long name	Republic of Uganda Jamhuri ya Uganda
Common name	Uganda
Image coat	Coat of Arms of Uganda.jpg
National motto	For God and My Country
National anthem	"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty"
Nickname	The Pearl of Africa
Official languages	English, Swahili
Languages type	Vernacular languages
Languages	Luganda, Luo, Runyankore, Ateso, Lumasaba, Lusoga, Lunyole, Samia
Demonym	Ugandan
Capital	Kampala
Largest city	capital
Government type	Democratic Republic
Leader title1	President
Leader name1	Yoweri Museveni
Leader title2	Prime Minister
Leader name2	Amama Mbabazi
Area km2	236,040
Area rank	81st
Area magnitude	1 E11
Area sq mi	91,136
Percent water	15.39
Population estimate	32,369,558
Population estimate year	2009
Population estimate rank	37th
Population census	24,227,297
Population census year	2002
Population density km2	137.1
Population density sq mi	355.2
Population density rank	80th
Gdp ppp year	2010
Gdp ppp	$42.194 billion
Gdp ppp per capita	$1,226
Gdp nominal	$17.703 billion
Gdp nominal year	2010
Gdp nominal per capita	$514
Hdi year	2010
Hdi	0.422
Hdi rank	143rd
Hdi category	low
Gini	43
Gini year	1998
Gini category	medium
Fsi	96.4 0.1
Fsi year	2007
Fsi rank	15th
Fsi category	Alert
Sovereignty type	Independence
Established event1	from the United Kingdom
Established date1	9 October 1962
Currency	Ugandan shilling
Currency code	UGX
Time zone	EAT
Utc offset	+3
Time zone dst	''not observed''
Utc offset dst	+3
Drives on	left
Cctld	.ug
Calling code	+2561
Footnotes	1 006 from Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda ( or ), officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompassed a portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.

The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country. Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962.

The official languages are English and Swahili, although multiple other languages are spoken in the country.

History

The Ugandans were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago. Bantu-speaking populations, who were probably from central Africa, migrated to the southern parts of the country. These groups brought and developed ironworking skills and new ideas of social and political organization. The Empire of Kitara covered most of the great lakes area, from Lake Albert, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, to Lake Kyoga. Its leadership headquarters were mainly in what became Ankole, believed to have been run by the Bachwezi dynasty in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, who may have followed a semi-legendary dynasty known as the Batembuzi. Bunyoro-Kitara is claimed as the antecedent of later kingdoms; Buganda and Ankole. The Nilotic Luo invasion is believed to have led the collapse of Chwezi empire. The twins Rukidi Mpuuga and Kato Kimera are believed to be the first kings of Bunyonro and Buganda after the Chwezi Empire collapsed, creating the Babiito and Bambejja Dynasty. Nilotic people including Luo and Ateker entered the area from the north, probably beginning about A.D. 120. They were cattle herders and subsistence farmers who settled mainly the northern and eastern parts of the country. Some Luo invaded the area of Bunyoro and assimilated with the Bantu there, establishing the Babiito dynasty of the current ''Omukama'' (ruler) of Bunyoro-Kitara. Luo migration continued until the 16th century, with some Luo settling amid Bantu people in Eastern Uganda, with others proceeding to the western shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya and Tanzania. The Ateker (Karimojong and Iteso) settled in the northeastern and eastern parts of the country, and some fused with the Luo in the area north of Lake Kyoga.

Arab traders moved inland from the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa in the 1830s. They were followed in the 1860s by British explorers searching for the source of the Nile. Protestant missionaries entered the country in 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries in 1879. The United Kingdom placed the area under the charter of the British East Africa Company in 1888, and ruled it as a protectorate from 1894.

As several other territories and chiefdoms were integrated, the final protectorate called Uganda took shape in 1914. From 1900 to 1920, a sleeping sickness epidemic killed more than 250,000 people, about two-thirds of the population in the affected lake-shore areas.

Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962, maintaining its Commonwealth membership. The first post-independence election, held in 1962, was won by an alliance between the Uganda People's Congress (UPC) and Kabaka Yekka (KY). UPC and KY formed the first post-independence government with Milton Obote as executive Prime Minister, the Buganda Kabaka (King) Edward Muteesa II holding the largely ceremonial position of President and William Wilberforce Nadiope, the Kyabazinga (paramount chief) of Busoga, as Vice President.

In 1966, following a power struggle between the Obote-led government and King Muteesa, the UPC-dominated Parliament changed the constitution and removed the ceremonial president and vice president. In 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic and abolished the traditional kingdoms. Without first calling elections, Obote was declared the executive President.

Obote was deposed from office in 1971 when Idi Amin seized power. Amin ruled the country with the military for the next eight years. Amin's rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans' lives. He forcibly removed the entrepreneurial South Asian minority from Uganda. The Ugandan economy was devastated.

Amin's reign was ended after the Uganda-Tanzania War in 1979 in which Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles invaded Uganda. This led to the return of Obote, who was deposed once more in 1985 by General Tito Okello. Okello ruled for six months until he was deposed after the so called "bush war" by the National Resistance Army (NRA) operating under the leadership of the current president, Yoweri Museveni, and various rebel groups, including the Federal Democratic Movement of Andrew Kayiira, and another belonging to John Nkwaanga.

Museveni has been in power since 1986. In the mid to late 1990s, he was lauded by the West as part of a new generation of African leaders. His presidency has included involvement in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other conflicts in the Great Lakes region, as well as the civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army, which has been guilty of numerous crimes against humanity including child slavery and mass murder. Conflict in northern Uganda has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Government

The President of Uganda, currently Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is both head of state and head of government. The President appoints a Vice President, currently Edward Ssekandi, and a prime minister, currently Amama Mbabazi, who aid him in governing. The parliament is formed by the National Assembly, which has 332 members. 104 of these members are nominated by interest groups, including women and the army. The remaining members are elected for five-year terms during general elections.

Political parties were restricted in their activities from 1986, in a measure ostensibly designed to reduce sectarian violence. In the non-party "Movement" system instituted by Museveni, political parties continued to exist, but they could only operate a headquarters office. They could not open branches, hold rallies, or field candidates directly (although electoral candidates could belong to political parties). A constitutional referendum canceled this nineteen-year ban on multi-party politics in July 2005. Additionally, the time limit for president was changed in the constitution from the two-term limit, in order to enable the current president to continue in active politics.

The presidential elections were held in February, 2006. Yoweri Museveni ran against several candidates, the most prominent of whom being the exiled Dr. Kizza Besigye.

On Sunday, 20 February 2011, the Uganda Electoral Commission declared the 24-year reigning president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winning candidate of the 2011 elections that were held on the 18th of February 2011. The opposition were however not satisfied with the results, condemning them as full of sham and rigging. According to the results released, Museveni won with 68% of the votes, easily topping his nearest foe Kizza Besigye. Kizza Besigye who formerly was Museveni's physician told reporters that he and his supporters 'downrightly snub' the outcome as well as the unremitting rule of Museveni or any person he may appoint. Kizza Besigye added that the rigged elections would definitely lead to an illegitimate lead and added that it is up to Ugandans to critically analyse this.

The EU Election Observation Mission reported on improvements and flaws of the Ugandan electoral process against International Standards for democratic elections: « The electoral campaign and polling day were conducted in a peaceful manner (…) However, the electoral process was marred by avoidable administrative and logistical failures that led to an unacceptable number of Ugandan citizen being disfranchised ».

Yoweri Museveni will be heading Uganda for another 5 years and the next elections are anticipated to be in 2016.

Geography

The country is located on the East African plateau, lying mostly between latitudes 4°N and 2°S (a small area is north of 4°), and longitudes 29° and 35°E. It averages about above sea level, and this slopes very steadily downwards to the Sudanese Plain to the north. However, much of the south is poorly drained, while the centre is dominated by Lake Kyoga, which is also surrounded by extensive marshy areas. Uganda lies almost completely within the Nile basin. The Victoria Nile drains from the lake into Lake Kyoga and thence into Lake Albert on the Congolese border. It then runs northwards into Sudan. One small area on the eastern edge of Uganda is drained by the Turkwel River, part of the internal drainage basin of Lake Turkana.It was named after the Founder Adnan

Lake Kyoga serves as a rough boundary between Bantu speakers in the south and Nilotic and Central Sudanic language speakers in the north. Despite the division between north and south in political affairs, this linguistic boundary actually runs roughly from northwest to southeast, near the course of the Nile. However, many Ugandans live among people who speak different languages, especially in rural areas. Some sources describe regional variation in terms of physical characteristics, clothing, bodily adornment, and mannerisms, but others claim that those differences are disappearing.

Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform as the altitude modifies the climate. Southern Uganda is wetter with rain generally spread throughout the year. At Entebbe on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, most rain falls from March to June and the November/December period. Further to the north a dry season gradually emerges; at Gulu about 120 km from the Sudanese border, November to February is much drier than the rest of the year.

The northeastern Karamoja region has the driest climate and is prone to droughts in some years. Rwenzori in the southwest on the border with Congo (DRC) receives heavy rain all year round. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world's biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. It prevents temperatures from varying significantly and increases cloudiness and rainfall. Most important cities are located in the south, near Lake Victoria, including the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe.

Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes, besides Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, there are Lake Albert, Lake Edward and the smaller Lake George.

Districts, counties and kingdoms

Uganda is divided into districts, spread across four administrative regions: Northern, Eastern, Central (Kingdom of Buganda) and Western. The districts are subdivided into counties. A number of districts have been added in the past few years, and eight others were added on July 1, 2006 plus others added in 2010. There are now over 100 districts. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns. Each district is divided into sub-districts, counties, sub-counties, parishes and villages.

Parallel with the state administration, six traditional Bantu kingdoms have remained, enjoying some degrees of mainly cultural autonomy. The kingdoms are Toro, Ankole, Busoga, Bunyoro, Buganda and Rwenzururu.

Economy

For decades, Uganda's economy suffered from devastating economic policies and instability, leaving Uganda as one of the world's poorest countries. The country has commenced economic reforms and growth has been robust. In 2008, Uganda recorded 7% growth despite the global downturn and regional instability.

Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. The country has largely untapped reserves of both crude oil and natural gas. While agriculture used to account for 56% of the economy in 1986, with coffee as its main export, it has now been surpassed by the services sector, which accounted for 52% of percent GDP in 2007. In the 1950s the British Colonial regime encouraged some 500,000 subsistence farmers to join co-operatives. Since 1986, the government (with the support of foreign countries and international agencies) has acted to rehabilitate an economy devastated during the regime of Idi Amin and subsequent civil war. Inflation ran at 240% in 1987 and 42% in June 1992, and was 5.1% in 2003.

Between 1990 and 2001, the economy grew because of continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation and gradually improved domestic security. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth.

In 2000, Uganda was included in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion. In 2006 the Ugandan Government successfully paid all their debts to the Paris Club, which meant that it was no longer in the (HIPC) list. Growth for 2001–2002 was solid despite continued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export. According to IMF statistics, in 2004 Uganda's GDP per capita reached $300, a much higher level than in the 1980s but still at half the Sub-Saharan African average income of $600 per year. Total GDP crossed the 8 billion dollar mark in the same year.

Economic growth has not always led to poverty reduction. Despite an average annual growth of 2.5% between 2000 and 2003, poverty levels increased by 3.8% during that time. This has highlighted the importance of avoiding jobless growth and is part of the rising awareness in development circles of the need for equitable growth not just in Uganda, but across the developing world.

With the Uganda securities exchanges established in 1996, several equities have been listed. The Government has used the stock market as an avenue for privatisation. All Government treasury issues are listed on the securities exchange. The Capital Markets Authority has licensed 18 brokers, asset managers and investment advisors including names like African Alliance, AIG Investments, Renaissance Capital and SIMMS. As one of the ways of increasing formal domestic savings, Pension sector reform is the centre of attention (2007).

Uganda depends on Kenya for access to international markets. Uganda is part of the East African Community and a potential member of the planned East African Federation.

Demographics

Uganda is home to many different ethnic groups, none of whom forms a majority of the population. Around forty different languages are regularly and currently in use in the country. English became the official language of Uganda after independence. Ugandan English is a local variant dialect.

The most widely spoken local language in Uganda is Luganda, spoken predominantly by the Ganda people (''Baganda'') in the urban concentrations of Kampala, the capital city and in towns and localities in the Buganda region of Uganda which encompasses Kampala. The Lusoga and Runyankore-Rukiga languages follow, spoken predominantly in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Uganda respectively.

Swahili, a widely used language throughout eastern and central East Africa, was approved as the country's second official national language in 2005, though this is somewhat politically sensitive. Though the language has not been favoured by the Bantu-speaking populations of the south and southwest of the country, it is an important ''lingua franca'' in the northern regions. It is also widely used in the police and military forces, which may be a historical result of the disproportionate recruitment of northerners into the security forces during the colonial period. The status of Swahili has thus alternated with the political group in power. For example, Amin, who came from the northwest, declared Swahili to be the national language.

Uganda’s population has grown from 4.8 million people in 1950 to 24.3 million in 2002. The current estimated population of Uganda is 32.4 million. Uganda has a very young population, with a median age of 15 years.

Religion

{{bar box |title=Religion in Uganda |titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=percent |float=right |bars= }} According to the census of 2002, Christians made up about 84% of Uganda's population. The Roman Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents (41.9%), followed by the Anglican Church of Uganda (35.9%). Evangelical and Pentecostal churches claim the rest of the Christian population. The next most reported religion of Uganda is Islam, with Muslims representing 12% of the population. The Muslim population is primarily Sunni; there is also a minority belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The remainder of the population follow traditional religions (1%), Bahai (0.1%), or other non-Christian religions (0.7%), or have no religious affiliation (0.9%).

Traditional indigenous beliefs are practiced in some rural areas and are sometimes blended with or practiced alongside Christianity or Islam. In addition to a small community of Jewish expatriates centered in Kampala, Uganda is home to the Abayudaya, a native Jewish community dating from the early 1900s. One of the world's seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship is located on the outskirts of Kampala. See also Bahá'í Faith in Uganda.

According to the ''World Refugee Survey 2008'', published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Uganda hosted a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering 235,800 in 2007. The majority of this population came from Sudan (162,100 persons), but also included refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (41,800), Rwanda (21,200), Somalia (5,700) and Burundi (3,100).

Indian nationals are the most significant immigrant population; members of this community are primarily Ismaili (Shi'a Muslim followers of the Aga Khan) or Hindu. More than 30 years ago, there were about 80,000 Indians in Uganda. Today there are about 15,000. The northern and West Nile regions are predominantly Catholic, while Iganga District in eastern Uganda has the highest percentage of Muslims. The rest of the country has a mix of religious affiliations.

Health

Uganda has been among the rare HIV success stories, one of the reasons being openness. In the 1980s, more than 30% of Ugandan residents had HIV; this had fallen to 6.4% by the end of 2008, the most effective national response to AIDS of any African country. This is supported by the findings of a 2006 study that modern contraceptive use in Uganda is low.

Infant mortality rate was at 79 per 1,000 in 2005. Life expectancy was at 50.2 for females, and 49.1 for males in 2005. There were 8 physicians per 100,000 persons in the early 2000s.

Uganda's elimination of user fees at state health facilities in 2001 has resulted in an 80% increase in visits; over half of this increase is from the poorest 20% of the population. This policy has been cited as a key factor in helping Uganda achieve its Millennium Development Goals and as an example of the importance of equity in achieving those goals.

Culture and sport

Owing to the large number of communities, culture within Uganda is diverse. Many Asians (mostly from India) who were expelled during the regime of Amin have returned to Uganda.

Cricket has experienced rapid growth although football is the most popular sport in Uganda. Recently in the Quadrangular Tournament in Kenya, Uganda came in as the underdogs and went on to register a historic win against archrivals Kenya. Uganda also won the World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 and came in fourth place in the WCL Division 2. In February 2009, Uganda finished as runner-up in the WCL Division 3 competition held in Argentina, thus gaining a place in the World Cup Qualifier held in South Africa in April 2009. In 2007 the Ugandan Rugby Union team were victorious in the 2007 Africa Cup, beating Madagascar in the final.

Rallying is also a popular sport in Uganda with the country having successfully staged a round of the African Rally Championship (ARC), Pearl of Africa Rally since 1996 when it was a candidate event. The country has gone on to produce African rally champions such as Charles Muhangi who won the 1999 ARC crown. Other notable Ugandans on the African rally scene include the late Riyaz Kurji who was killed in an fatal accident while leading the 2009 edition, Emma Katto, Karim Hirji, Chipper Adams and Charles Lubega. Ugandans have also featured prominently in the Safari Rally.

Ugandans have since the early 1920s enjoyed the fast-paced sport of hockey. It was originally played by the Asians, but now it is widely played by people from other racial backgrounds. Hockey is the only Ugandan field sport to date to have qualified for and represented the country at the Olympics; this was at the Munich games in 1972. It is also believed in Ugandan hockey circles that Uganda's first and only Olympic gold medal may have been realized in part by the cheers from the representative hockey team that urged John Akii-Bua forward.

Also in July of 2011 Kampala,Uganda qualified for the 2011 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the first time beating Dharan LL in Saudi Arabia.

Education

Illiteracy is common in Uganda, particularly among females. Public spending on education was at 5.2 % of the 2002–2005 GDP. Much public education in primary and secondary schools focus upon repetition and memorization. There are also state exams that must be taken at every level of education. Uganda has both private and public universities. The largest university in Uganda is Makerere University located outside of Kampala. The system of education in Uganda has a structure of 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary school), and 3 to 5 years of post-secondary education. The present system has existed since the early 1960s.

Cuisine

Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional cooking with English, Arab, Asian and especially Indian influences. Like the cuisines of most countries, it varies in complexity, from the most basic, a starchy filler with a sauce of beans or meat, to several-course meals served in upper-class homes and high-end restaurants.

Main dishes are usually centered on a sauce or stew of groundnuts, beans or meat. The starch traditionally comes from ugali (maize meal) or matoke (boiled and mashed green banana), in the South, or an ugali made from millet in the North. Cassava, yam and African sweet potato are also eaten; the more affluent include white (often called "Irish") potato and rice in their diets. Soybean was promoted as a healthy food staple in the 1970s and this is also used, especially for breakfast. Chapati, an Asian flatbread, is also part of Ugandan cuisine.

Human rights

Respect for human rights in Uganda has improved significantly since the mid-1980s. There are, however, many areas which continue to attract concern.

Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan Army. A UN official accused the LRA in February 2009 of "appalling brutality" in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The number of internally displaced persons is estimated at 1.4 million. Torture continues to be a widespread practice amongst security organisations. Attacks on political freedom in the country, including the arrest and beating of opposition Members of Parliament, has led to international criticism, culminating in May 2005 in a decision by the British government to withhold part of its aid to the country. The arrest of the main opposition leader Kizza Besigye and the besiegement of the High Court during a hearing of Besigye's case by heavily armed security forces – before the February 2006 elections – led to condemnation.

Recently, grassroots organisations have been attempting to raise awareness about children who were kidnapped by the Lord's Resistance Army to work as soldiers or be used as wives. Thousands of children as young as eight were captured and forced to kill. The documentary film ''Invisible Children'' illustrates the terrible lives of the children, known as night commuters, who still to this day leave their villages and walk many miles each night to avoid abduction.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants reported several violations of refugee rights in 2007, including forcible deportations by the Ugandan government and violence directed against refugees.

Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda. Gays and lesbians face discrimination and harassment at the hands of the media, police, teachers and other groups. In 2007, a Ugandan newspaper, ''The Red Pepper'', published a list of allegedly gay men, many of whom suffered harassment as a result. Also on October 9, 2010, the Ugandan newspaper ''Rolling Stone'' published a front page article—titled "100 Pictures of Uganda's Top Homos Leak"—that listed the names, addresses, and photographs of 100 homosexuals alongside a yellow banner that read "Hang Them". The paper also alleged that homosexuals aimed to "recruit" Ugandan children. This publication attracted international attention and criticism from human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International, No Peace Without Justice and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. According to gay rights activists, many Ugandans have been attacked since the publication. On January 27, 2011, gay rights activist David Kato was murdered. Kato was on ''Rolling Stone'''s hitlist. Also a number of other gays and lesbian are missing and are believed to have been murdered.

The Uganda parliament recently considered an Anti-Homosexuality Bill, if enacted, would have broadened the criminalisation of homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for people who have previous convictions, or are HIV-positive, and engage in same sex sexual acts. The bill also included provisions for Ugandans who engage in same-sex sexual relations outside of Uganda, asserting that they may be extradited back to Uganda for punishment, and included penalties for individuals, companies, media organisations, or non-governmental organisations that support LGBT rights. The private member's bill was submitted by MP David Bahati in Uganda on 14 October 2009, and is believed to have had widespread support in the Uganda parliament. Debate of the bill was delayed in response to global condemnation.

See also

Cabinet of Uganda

List of schools in Uganda

List of national parks of Uganda

Kisizi

The Uganda Scouts Association

Uganda AIDS Orphan Children Foundation

''War/Dance''

References

External links

Talking Ugandans Forum

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

Uganda from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''

Humanitarian news and analysis from IRIN – Uganda

Humanitarian information coverage on ReliefWeb

Map Uganda At UN.org

Country Profile from BBC News

Uganda Tourist Board

Uganda Humanist Schools Trust

Radio France International – dossier on Uganda and Lord's Resistance Army

Uganda Social Bookmarking;Discover and Share Uganda Web content and News

Category:African countries Category:Bantu countries and territories Category:East Africa Category:English-speaking countries and territories Category:Landlocked countries Category:Least developed countries Category:Member states of the African Union Category:Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations Category:Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Category:States and territories established in 1962 Category:Swahili-speaking countries and territories Category:Member states of the United Nations

ace:Uganda af:Uganda als:Uganda am:ዩጋንዳ ang:Uganda ar:أوغندا an:Uganda frp:Oganda ast:Uganda az:Uqanda bm:Uganda bn:উগান্ডা zh-min-nan:Uganda be:Уганда be-x-old:Уганда bcl:Uganda bo:ཨུ་གན་ད། bs:Uganda br:Ouganda bg:Уганда ca:Uganda ceb:Uganda cs:Uganda cy:Uganda da:Uganda de:Uganda dv:ޔުގެންޑާ nv:Yogénda dsb:Uganda et:Uganda el:Ουγκάντα es:Uganda eo:Ugando ext:Uganda eu:Uganda fa:اوگاندا hif:Uganda fo:Uganda fr:Ouganda fy:Uganda ga:Uganda gv:Ooganda gag:Uganda gd:Uganda gl:Uganda ki:Uganda xal:Угандин Орн ko:우간다 ha:Uganda hi:युगाण्डा hr:Uganda io:Uganda ilo:Uganda bpy:উগান্ডা id:Uganda ia:Uganda ie:Uganda os:Угандæ is:Úganda it:Uganda he:אוגנדה jv:Uganda kn:ಉಗಾಂಡ pam:Uganda ka:უგანდა kk:Ұғанда kw:Ouganda rw:Ubugande sw:Uganda kg:Uganda ht:Ouganda ku:Ûganda mrj:Уганда la:Uganda lv:Uganda lb:Uganda lt:Uganda lij:Uganda li:Oeganda ln:Uganda jbo:ugandas lg:Yuganda lmo:Uganda hu:Uganda mk:Уганда ml:ഉഗാണ്ട mt:Uganda mr:युगांडा arz:اوجاندا mzn:اوگاندا ms:Uganda mn:Уганда nah:Uganda nl:Oeganda ja:ウガンダ pih:Yuganda no:Uganda nn:Uganda nov:Uganda oc:Oganda mhr:Уганде uz:Uganda pa:ਯੁਗਾੰਡਾ pnb:یوگنڈا pap:Uganda pms:Uganda nds:Uganda pl:Uganda pt:Uganda kaa:Uganda crh:Uganda ro:Uganda rm:Uganda qu:Uganda ru:Уганда sah:Уганда se:Uganda sg:Ugandäa sc:Uganda sco:Uganda stq:Uganda sq:Uganda scn:Uganna simple:Uganda ss:IBuganda sk:Uganda sl:Uganda szl:Uganda so:Yugandha ckb:ئوگاندا sr:Уганда sh:Uganda fi:Uganda sv:Uganda tl:Uganda ta:உகாண்டா tt:Уганда te:ఉగాండా th:ประเทศยูกันดา tg:Уганда tr:Uganda uk:Уганда ur:یوگنڈا ug:ئۇگاندا vec:Uganda vi:Uganda vo:Lugandayän fiu-vro:Uganda war:Uganda wo:Ugandaa ts:Uganda yi:אוגאנדע yo:Ùgándà zh-yue:烏干達 diq:Uganda bat-smg:Uganda zh:乌干达

Coordinates	32°30′20″N45°49′29″N
name	U.G. Krishnamurti
bgcolour	silver
birth date	July 09, 1918
birth place	Machilipatnam, India
death date	March 22, 2007
death place	Vallecrosia, Italy
occupation	Philosopher
website	}}

Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti (Telugu: ఉప్పలూరి గోపాల కృష్ణమూర్తి) (July 9, 1918 – March 22, 2007), known as U.G. Krishnamurti, or just U.G., was an Indian thinker who said that there is no "enlightenment".

Although necessary for day to day functioning of the individual, in terms of the Ultimate Reality or Truth he rejected the very basis of thought and in doing so negated all systems of thought and knowledge in reference to It.

"Tell them that there is ''nothing'' to understand."

Philosophy

"I have no teaching. There is nothing to preserve. Teaching implies something that can be used to bring about change. Sorry, there is no teaching here, just disjointed, disconnected sentences. What is there is only your interpretation, nothing else. For this reason there is not now nor will there ever be any kind of copyright for whatever I am saying. I have no claims"

"I am forced by the nature of your listening to always negate the first statement with another statement. Then the second statement is negated by a third and so on. My aim is not some comfy dialectical thesis but the total negation of everything that can be expressed."

U.G. emphasized the impossibility and non-necessity of any human change, radical or mundane. These assertions, he stated, cannot be considered as a "teaching", that is, something intended to be used to bring about a change. He insisted that the body and its actions are already perfect, and he considered attempts to change or mold the body as violations of the peace and the harmony that is already there. The psyche or self or mind, an entity which he denied as having any being, is composed of nothing but the "demand" to bring about change in the world, in itself, or in both. Furthermore, human self-consciousness is not a thing, but a movement, one characterized by "perpetual malcontent" and a "fascist insistence" on its own importance and survival.

He stated that we inhabit a thought realm. When the continuity of thought is broken, even for a split second, its hold on the body is broken and the body falls into its natural rhythm. Thought also falls into its natural place – then it can no longer interfere or influence the working of the human body. In the absence of any continuity the arising thoughts combust. UG stated that the burning away of thought often produced an ash-like substance on the surface of his body.

In its natural state, the senses of the body take on independent existences (uncoordinated by any 'inner self') and the ductless glands (that correspond to the locations of the Hindu Chakras) become reactivated. UG described how it is the Ajna Chakra (pineal gland) that takes over the functioning of the body in the natural state, as opposed to thought.

U.G. also maintained that the reason people came to him (and to gurus), was in order to find solutions for their everyday real problems, and/or for solutions to a fabricated problem, namely, the search for spirituality and enlightenment. He insisted that this search is caused by the cultural environment, which demands conformity of individuals as it simultaneously places within them the desire to be special – the achievement of enlightenment thus viewed as a crowning expression of an individual's "specialness" and uniqueness. Consequently, the desire for enlightenment is exploited by gurus, spiritual teachers, and other "sellers of shoddy goods", who pretend to offer various ways to reach that goal. According to U.G., all these facilitators never deliver, and cannot ever deliver, since the goal itself (i.e. enlightenment), is unreachable.

"Man is just a memory. You understand things around you by the help of the knowledge that was put in you. You perhaps need the artist to explain his modern art, but you don't need anybody's help to understand a flower. You can deal with anything, you can do anything if you do not waste your energy trying to achieve imaginary goals."

The articulation of his insights, at least in public, did not begin until U.G. was well into middle age. According to U.G., ''despite'' his life-long efforts to bring about spiritual enlightenment, he underwent a life-altering series of bodily experiences, which he collectively referred to as 'the' ''"calamity"''. (See sections below).

According to U.G., "The so called self-realization is the discovery for yourself and by yourself that there is no self to discover. That will be a very shocking thing because it's going to blast every nerve, every cell, even the cells in the marrow of your bones."

"I am not anti-rational, just unrational. You may infer a rational meaning in what I say or do, but it is your doing, not mine."

Biography

Early life and India

He was born on July 9, 1918 in Machilipatnam, a town in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India, and raised in the nearby town of Gudivada. His mother died seven days after he was born, and he was brought up by his maternal grandfather, a wealthy Brahmin lawyer, who was also involved in the Theosophical Society. U.G. also became a member of the Theosophical Society during his teenage years.

During the same period of his life, U.G. reportedly practiced all kinds of austerities and apparently sought moksha or spiritual enlightenment. To that end, between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, he undertook all kinds of spiritual exercise, determined to find out whether moksha was possible. Wanting to achieve that state, he had also resolved to prove that if there were people who have thus "realized" themselves, they could not be hypocritical. As part of this endeavor, he searched for a person who was an embodiment of such "realization".

He spent seven summers in the Himalayas with Swami Sivananda studying yoga and practicing meditation. During his twenties, U.G. began attending the University of Madras, studying psychology, philosophy, mysticism, and the sciences, but never completed a degree, having determined that the answers of the West – to what he considered were essential questions – were no better than those of the East.

In 1939, at age 21, U.G. met with renowned spiritual teacher Ramana Maharshi. U.G. related that he asked Ramana, "This thing called moksha, can you give it to me?" – to which Ramana Maharshi purportedly replied, "I can give it, but can you take it?". This answer completely altered U.G.'s perceptions of the "spiritual path" and its practitioners, and he never again sought the counsel of ''"those religious people"''. Later U.G. would say that Maharshi's answer – which he perceived as "arrogant" – put him "back on track".

In 1941, he began working for the Theosophical Society, in C.W. Leadbeater's library. Shortly after, he began an international lecture tour on behalf of the Society, visiting Norway, Belgium, Germany and the United States. Returning to India, he married a Brahmin woman named Kusuma Kumari in 1943, at age 25.

From 1947 to 1953, U.G. regularly attended talks given by Jiddu Krishnamurti in Madras, India, eventually beginning a direct dialogue with him in 1953. U.G. related that the two had almost daily discussions for a while, which he asserted were not providing satisfactory answers to his questions. Finally, their meetings came to a halt. He described part of the final discussion:

And then, towards the end, I insisted, ''"Come on, is there anything behind the abstractions you are throwing at me?"'' And that chappie said, ''"You have no way of knowing it for yourself"''. Finish – that was the end of our relationship, you see – ''"If I have no way of knowing it, you have no way of communicating it. What the hell are we doing? I've wasted seven years. Goodbye, I don't want to see you again"''. Then I walked out.

After the break-up with Jiddu Krishnamurti, U.G. continued travelling, still lecturing. At about the same time he claims to have been "puzzled" by the continuing appearance of certain psychic powers. In 1955, U.G. and his family went to the United States to seek medical treatment for his eldest son, and stayed there for 5 years.

London period

He ultimately separated from his family and went to London where he lived. While sitting one day in Hyde Park, he was confronted by a police officer who threatened to lock him up if he didn't leave the park. Down to his last five pence, he made his way to the Ramakrishna Mission of London where the residing Swami gave him money for a hotel room for the night. The following day, U.G. began working for the Ramakrishna Mission, an arrangement that lasted for a period of three months. Before leaving the mission he left a letter for the residing ''Swamiji'' telling him that he had become a new man.

About this time, Jiddu Krishnamurti was in London and the two Krishnamurtis renewed their acquaintance. Jiddu tried to advise U.G. on his recent marital troubles, but U.G. didn't want his help. Jiddu eventually persuaded him to attend a few talks he was giving in London, which U.G. did, but found himself bored listening to him.

In 1961, U.G. put an end to his relationship with his wife, who had recently been suicidal (she later underwent shock therapy and died of an accident in 1963). Their marriage had been a largely unhappy affair, and by that time he described himself as being "detached" from his family, emotionally as well as physically. He then left London and spent three months living in Paris, using funds he had obtained by selling his unused return ticket to India, during which time he ate a different variety of cheese each day. Down to his last 150 francs, he went to Geneva.

Early Swiss period

After two weeks in Geneva, U.G. was unable to pay his hotel bill and sought refuge at the Indian Consulate. He was listless, without hope, and described himself as ''"finished"'' – he requested that he be sent back to India, which the consular authorities refused to do at the state's expense. A consulate employee in her sixties named Valentine de Kerven, herself a well-traveled woman, offered UG shelter. Valentine and U.G. became good friends, and she provided him with a home in Switzerland.

For the next few years, the questions regarding the subject of enlightenment – or anything else – did not interest him, and he did nothing to further his enquiry. But by 1967, U.G. was again concerned with the subject of enlightenment, wanting to know what that state was, which sages such as Siddhārtha Gautama purportedly attained. Hearing that Jiddu Krishnamurti was giving a talk in Saanen, U.G. decided to attend. During the talk, Jiddu was describing his own state and U.G. thought that it referred to him (U.G.). He explained it as follows:

When I Iistened to him, something funny happened to me – a peculiar kind of feeling that he was describing my state and not his state. Why did I want to know his state? He was describing something, some movements, some awareness, some silence – ''"In that silence there is no mind; there is action"'' – all kinds of things. So, I am in that state. What the hell have I been doing these thirty or forty years, listening to all these people and struggling, wanting to understand his state or the state of somebody else, Buddha or Jesus? I am in that state. Now I am in that state. So, then I walked out of the tent and never looked back.

He continues:

Then – very strange – that question ''"What is that state?"'' transformed itself into another question ''"How do I know that I am in that state, the state of Buddha, the state I very much wanted and demanded from everybody? I am in that state, but how do I know?"''

Calamity

The next day U.G. was again pondering the question "How do I know I am in that state?" with no answer forthcoming. He later recounted that on suddenly realizing the question had no answer, there was an unexpected physical, as well as psychological, reaction. It seemed to him like "a sudden explosion inside, blasting, as it were, every cell, every nerve and every gland in my body." Afterwards, he started experiencing what he called "the calamity", a series of bizarre physiological transformations that took place over the course of a week, affecting each one of his senses, and finally resulting in a deathlike experience. He described it this way:

I call it calamity because from the point of view of one who thinks this is something fantastic, blissful and full of beatitude, love, or ecstasy, this is physical torture; this is a calamity from that point of view. Not a calamity to me but a calamity to those who have an image that something marvelous is going to happen.

Upon the eighth day:

Then, on the eighth day I was sitting on the sofa and suddenly there was an outburst of tremendous energy – tremendous energy shaking the whole body, and along with the body, the sofa, the chalet and the whole universe, as it were – shaking, vibrating. You can't create that movement at all. It was sudden. Whether it was coming from outside or inside, from below or above, I don't know – I couldn't locate the spot; it was all over. It lasted for hours and hours. I couldn't bear it but there was nothing I could do to stop it; there was a total helplessness. This went on and on, day after day, day after day.

The energy that is operating there does not feel the limitations of the body; it is not interested; it has its own momentum. It is a very painful thing. It is not that ecstatic, blissful beatitude and all that rubbish – stuff and nonsense! – it is really a painful thing.

U.G. could not, and did not, explain the provenance of the calamity experiences. In response to questions, he maintained that it happened "in spite of" his pre-occupation with – and search for – enlightenment. He also maintained that the calamity had nothing to do with his life up to that point, or with his upbringing. Several times he described the calamity happening to him as a matter of chance, and he insisted that he could not possibly, in any way, impart that experience to anybody else.

Post-calamity

According to U.G., his life-story can be separated into the pre- and post-calamity parts. Describing his post-calamity life, he claimed to be functioning permanently in what he called "the natural state": A state of spontaneous, purely physical, sensory existence, characterized by discontinuity – though not absence – of thought.

After his calamity experience, U.G. often travelled to countries around the world, declining to hold formal discussions yet talking freely to visitors and those that sought him out. He gave his only formal post-calamity public talk in India, in 1972.

"Nagaraj who was sitting quietly all this time said, "U.G., what exactly are you trying to put across?" U.G. replied, "Depends on you, not on me. This you don't seem to understand. You are the only medium through which I can express myself."

His unorthodox non-message/philosophy and the often uncompromising, direct style of its presentation, generated a measure of notoriety and sharply divided opinions. At the extremes, some people considered him enlightened, while others considered him nothing more than a charlatan. The clamor increased as books and articles about U.G. and his newly expounded philosophy continued appearing.

Several of his group discussions and interviews have been published in books, and/or are carried verbatim in various websites. There is also a variety of audio and video documents available online.

Death

On March 22, 2007 U.G. Krishnamurti died at Vallecrosia in Italy. He had slipped and injured himself, and was bedridden for seven weeks before his death. Three friends, including long term devotee Mahesh Bhatt were by his side when he died. In February 2007 he had dictated his final piece of writing, "My Swan Song".

He had asked that no rituals or funeral rites be conducted upon his death; also, he did not leave instructions on how to dispose of his body. U.G.'s body was cremated by Bhatt the next day. True to his own philosophy, U.G. did not want to be remembered after his death. He is survived by two daughters and a son, along with their respective families.

Quotes

;thought "The living organism and thought are two different things. Thought cannot conceive of the possibility of anything happening outside the field of time. I don't want to discuss time in a metaphysical sense. By time I mean yesterday, tomorrow and the day after. The instrument which has produced tremendous results in this area is unable to solve problems in the area of living. We use this instrument to achieve material results. We also apply the same thing to achieve our so-called spiritual goals."

"This instrument thought which we have been using to understand has not helped us to understand anything except that every time we are using it we are sharpening it. Someone asked me, 'What is Philosophy? How does it help me in my day-to-day existence?' It doesn't help you in any way except that it sharpens the intellect. It doesn't in any way help you to understand life. If that thought is not the instrument and if there is no other instrument then is there anything to understand?"

"We don't seem to realize that it is thought that is separating us from the totality of things."

"The only way for anyone who is interested in finding out what this is all about is to watch how this separation is occurring, how you are separating yourself from the things that are happening around you and inside you. Actually there is no difference between the outside and the inside. It is thought that creates the frontiers and tells us that this is the inside and something else is the outside. If you tell yourself that you are happy, miserable, or bored, you have already separated yourself from that particular sensation that is there inside you." "The only way it can maintain its continuity is through the constant demand to know. If you don't know what you are looking at, the 'you' as you know yourself, the 'you' as you experience yourself, is going to come to an end. That is death. That is the only death and there is no other death."

" '' (Questioner:) So we keep coming back to this point that thought itself seems to be the enemy, the interloper... '' " (UG:) "It is our enemy. Thought is a protective mechanism. It is interested in protecting itself at the expense of the living organism."

" '' (Q:) You are saying that thought is the thing that causes people's worries... '' " (UG:)"It's thought that is creating all our problems and it is not the instrument to help us solve the problems created by itself."

"Unfortunately, the servant, which is the thought structure that is there, has taken possession of the house. But he can no longer control and run the household. So he must be dislodged. It is in this sense that I use the term 'natural state', without any connotation of spirituality or enlightenment."

;morality "When once you are – I don't like to use the word, freed from, or are not trapped in – this duality of right and wrong, good and bad, you can never do anything bad. As long as you are caught up in wanting to do only good, you will always do bad. Because the good you seek is only in the future. You will be good some other time and until then you remain a bad person. So, the so-called insane have given up and we are doing them the greatest harm and disservice by pushing them to fit themselves into this framework of ours which is rotten. I don't just say it is rotten but it is."

"I don't fight society. I am not even interested in changing it. The demand to bring about a change in myself isn't there any more. So, the demand to change this framework or the world at large isn't there. It is not that I am indifferent to the suffering man. I suffer with the suffering man and am happy with the happy man."

"I will never break the laws, no matter how ridiculous the laws are."

"There is no need to change this world at all; and there is no need to change yourself either."

"There is no meaning in and no purpose to suffering."

;modern medicine "If at any time I accept anything, it is not what the religious people have told me about the way the body functions, but what the medical doctors have found. Yet, what they do not know is immense; and they will never know how this body functions."

"I have never taken any medicine nor have I ever seen a doctor. All the doctors who have advised me not to live the kind of life I had been living are now dead and gone."

;nature "I don't think I have any special insight into the laws of nature. But if there is any such thing as an end product of human evolution (I don't know if there is such a thing as evolution but we take for granted that there is) what nature is trying to produce is not a perfect being."

"The fundamental mistake that humanity made somewhere along the line, was to experience this separateness from the totality of life. At that time there occurred in man, this self-consciousness which separated him from the life around. He was so isolated that it frightened him. The demand to be part of the totality of life around him created this tremendous demand for the ultimate. He thought that the spiritual goals of God, truth, or reality, would help him to become part of the 'whole' again.

"But the very attempt on his part to become one with or become integrated with the totality of life has kept him only more separate. Isolated functioning is not part of nature. This isolation has created a demand for finding out ways and means of becoming a part of nature. But thought in its very nature can only create problems and cannot help us solve them."

"Nature does not imitate anything. It does not use anything as a model."

;sex "Sex is only for reproduction, but you have turned that into a pleasure movement. What else is sex for than reproduction?"

"An enlightened man can never have sex because he cannot reproduce another one like him."

;body "When I use the term 'natural state' it is not a synonym for 'enlightenment', 'freedom', or 'God-realization' and so forth. Not at all. When the totality of mankind's knowledge and experience loses its stranglehold on the body, the physical organism, then the body is allowed to function in its own harmonious way. Your natural state is a biological, neurological and physical state."

"When once it throws out everything that has been put in there by your filthy culture, this body will function in an extraordinarily intelligent way. It can take care of everything." "The native intelligence of the human body is amazing. That is all it needs to survive in any dangerous situation in life." "The native intelligence is what you are born with; the intellect is acquired from what they teach you."

"Fear makes your body stiff and then you will certainly break your limbs. My body is never stiff."

"Once this body is freed from the stranglehold of whatever is put in there either by spiritual teachers or secular teachers, or by those scientists and medical technology, it functions in a very efficient way."

"If a body is lucky enough to stumble into its natural way of functioning, it happens not through your effort, not through your volition; it just happens, but not by what you do or do not do. It is not even a happening within the field of cause and effect. Acausal is the most appropriate word for it, because a happening can never be outside the field of cause and effect."

"If it stumbles into this of and by itself, such a body will be so unique that it will be unparalleled in this world and will function in an extraordinary way. Such a body has never existed before on this planet."

;death "The next question he (''a questioner'') asked me was, 'I have lived ninety-five years and I am going to die one of these days. I want to know what will happen after my death.' I said, 'You may not live long enough to know anything about death. You have to die now. Are you ready to die?' As long as you are asking the questions, 'What is death?' or 'What is there after death?' you are already dead. These are all dead questions. A living man would never ask those questions."

"''(Q:) Are you afraid of death?''" "There is nothing to die here. The body cannot be afraid of death."

"There is no such thing as death. What you have are ideas about death, ideas which arise when you sense the absence of another person. Your own death, or the death of your near and dear ones, is not something you can experience. What you actually experience is the void created by the disappearance of another individual and the unsatisfied demand to maintain the continuity of your relationship with that person for a non-existent eternity."

;suffering "What I am emphasizing is that the demand to bring about a change in ourselves is the cause of our suffering. I may say that there is nothing to be changed. But the revolutionary teachers come and tell us that there is something there in which you have to bring about a radical revolution. Then we assume there is such a thing as soul, spirit, or the 'I'. What I assert all the time is that I haven't found anything like the self or soul there."

;self realization "Enlightenment (if there is any such thing as enlightenment) is not an experience at all. So, this dawns on you – this realization (if you want to put it that way) that there is nothing to realize. Self-knowledge or self-realization is to realize for yourself and by yourself that there is no self to realize. That is going to be a shattering blow."

"This question haunted me all my life and suddenly it hit me: 'There is no self to realize. What the hell have I been doing all this time?' You see, that hits you like lightning. Once that hits you, the whole mechanism of the body that is controlled by this thought is shattered. What is left is the tremendous living organism with an intelligence of its own. What you are left with is the pulse, the beat and the throb of life."

"It is not something that you can do through any effort, will or volition of yours. It has to be a miracle. Whatever has happened to me has happened despite everything I did. In fact, everything I did only blocked it. It prevented the possibility of whatever was there to express itself. Not that I have gained anything. Only what is there is able to express itself without any hindrance, without any constraints or restraints imposed on it by society for its own reasons, for its own continuity and stability."

"The search is inevitable and is an integral part of it. That is why it has turned us all into neurotics and has created this duality for us. You see, ambition is a reality, competition is a reality. But you have superimposed on that reality the idea that you should not be ambitious. It has turned us all into neurotic individuals. We want two things at the same time." "It dawned on me, 'There is nothing to understand.' When this happened, it hit me like a shaft of lightning. From then on, the very demand to understand anything was over. That understanding is the one that is expressing itself now. And it cannot be used as an instrument to guide, direct or help me, you or anybody."

"And what you are trying to get you can never get, because there is nothing to get." "There is no need for me to say you're not going to get what you want from anyone else either. That you will find out by yourself. But that you can't do either by your own effort or by your volition or by anything you do or do not do. That is not something that happens in the field of cause and effect."

;reality "We have invented reality. Otherwise you have no way of experiencing the reality of anything – the reality of that person sitting there, for instance, or even your own physical body. You have no way of experiencing that at all except through the help of the knowledge that has been put in you. So, there may not be any such thing as reality at all, let alone the ultimate reality. I do have to accept the fact that you are a man, that she is a woman. That is all. There it stops. But what is the reality you are talking about?"

" '' (Q:) What is the relationship between words and reality? ''" "None. There is nothing beyond words."

"There is nothing to permanence."

;fear "That is terrifying – the fear of losing what you know. So actually, you don't want to be free from fear. You do not want the fear to come to an end. All that you are doing – all the therapies and techniques that you are using to free yourself from fear, for whatever reason you want to be free from fear – is the thing that is maintaining the fear and giving continuity to it. So you do not want the fear to come to an end. If the fear comes to an end, the fear of what you know comes to an end. You will physically drop dead. Clinical death will take place."

"You want to be free from fear. But there is no way you free yourself from it. If the fear comes to an end, you as you know yourself, you as you experience yourself, are going to come to an end, and you are not ready for that sort of thing."

;belief "You replace one belief with another. You can't be without a belief. What you call 'you' is only a belief. If the belief goes, you go with it. That is the reason why, when you are not satisfied with one belief-structure, you replace it with another."

;the individual "'' (Q:) You say that there is no individual... ''" "Where is the individual?"

;God "To me the question of God is irrelevant and immaterial"

"That messy thing called ‘mind’ has created many destructive things. By far the most destructive of them all is God."

See also

Antiscience

Myth of Progress

Nihilism

Skepticism

Bibliography

''The Courage to Stand Alone: Conversations with U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2001, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-06-4.

''The Mystique of Enlightenment: The Radical Ideas of U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2002, Sentient Publications. ISBN 0-9710786-1-0. Also published as ''The Mystique of Enlightenment: The Unrational ideas of a man called U.G.'', 2005, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-09-9.

''Thought is Your Enemy: Conversations with U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2002, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-11-0.

''The Little Book of Questions'', 2003, Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-029938-6.

''Mind Is a Myth: Conversations with U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2003, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-10-2.

''No Way Out: Conversations with U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2005, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-08-0.

''The Natural State, In the words of U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2005, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-77-3.

''The Penguin U.G. Krishnamurti Reader'', 2007, Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-310102-1. (Mukunda Rao, Editor)

''Thought Is Dead: Moving Beyond Spiritual Materialism'', 2010, ISBN 978-1453709375. (Includes partial transcript of dialogue with David Bohm)

''The Anti Guru: A Selection Of His Greatest Talks'', 2010, ISBN 978-1461013082.

Books on U.G. Krishnamurti

Mahesh Bhatt, [''U.G. Krishnamurti: A Life''], 1992, Viking. ISBN 0-14-012620-1.

Shanta Kelker, [ ''The Sage And the Housewife''], 2005, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-74-9.

Mukunda Rao, ''The Other Side of Belief: Interpreting U.G. Krishnamurti'', 2005, Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-400035-0.

K. Chandrasekhar, J. S. R. L. Narayana Moorty, [''Stopped In Our Tracks: Stories of UG in India'']. 2005, Smriti Books. ISBN 81-87967-76-5.

Krishnamurti, U. G. (Uppaluri Gopala) Books and Interviews Online

References

External links

U.G. Krishnamurti.net Most of the published works by, and about, U.G. can be found here and read freely on- or offline in their entirety.

U.G. Krishnamurti resource site Most of the published works by, and about, U.G. can be found here and read freely on- or offline in their entirety.

About U.G. Krishnamurti Comments on U.G., published books, selected quotes, audio and videos.

Mahesh Bhatt's Diary: 30 days with U.G.

Video: U.G. Krishnamurti's Parting Message

Thought Knowledge Perception Institute A non-partisan organization exploring and continuining the work of U.G. Krishnamurti and related others.

Category:1918 births Category:2007 deaths Category:21st-century philosophers Category:Contemporary Indian philosophers Category:Former Theosophists Category:Indian spiritual writers Category:Spiritual teachers

de:U. G. Krishnamurti gu:યુ.જી.કૃષ્ણમુર્તિ it:Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti sv:Uppaluri Gopali Krishnamurti te:ఉప్పులూరి గోపాలకృష్ణ మూర్తి

Coordinates	32°30′20″N45°49′29″N
name	Ill Bill
background	solo_singer
birth name	William Braunstein
born	14 July 1972
origin	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper Producer Label CEO
instruments	Vocals
years active	1991–present
label	Uncle Howie Psycho+Logical
associated acts	Non Phixion La Coka Nostra Circle of Tyrants Secret Society Injustice Necro DJ Muggs Jedi Mind Tricks
website	www.illbill.comwww.unclehowie.com }}

William Braunstein, better known as Ill Bill, is a American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Having gained notoriety in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his politically-themed lyrics and as the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records. His brother Ron is also a rapper and producer, known as Necro.

Biography

Ill Bill was the main voice behind the now disbanded Non Phixion, and is currently involved with La Coka Nostra, along with Everlast, Slaine, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal of House of Pain & Limp Bizkit fame. In 2004 he released his debut solo album ''What's Wrong with Bill?'' and has since released various solo mixtapes and collaborations in anticipation for his second solo record and the upcoming La Coka Nostra album.

On September 16, 2008, he released his second album on Uncle Howie Records, entitled ''The Hour of Reprisal''. The album includes appearances from Necro, Tech N9ne, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Everlast, Bad Brains, Max Cavalera of Soulfly, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, Immortal Technique and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan. It also features production by DJ Muggs, T-Ray, DJ Lethal, Necro, DJ Premier and Ill Bill himself.

He is also scheduled to release collaboration albums with Vinnie Paz and Sean Price. Possibly also a concept mixtape together with Raekwon. Ill Bill was supposed to release a collaboration album with rapper Crooked I and production team Blue Sky Black Death, but the project was cancelled.

During Spring 2008, Ill Bill joined Tech N9ne and Paul Wall on a nationwide tour. "The Hour of Reprisal" was released on September 16, 2008 by Uncle Howie Records and Fat Beats.

In an October 31, 2010 interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Ill Bill discussed his relationship with his brother Necro and his range of albums expected in 2011 including La Coka Nostra, The Pill album with Sean Price and his Heavy Metal Kings album with Vinnie Paz set to release April 5, 2011.

''What's Wrong with Bill?''

''What's Wrong with Bill?'' is Ill Bill's debut studio album, released on May 4, 2004 by Psycho+Logical-Records. The album spawned one single, "The Anatomy of a School Shooting", and a music video for "Chasing the Dragon". This album never charted.

The album contains 14 studio tracks, one skit and one remix. Featured guests on the album include fellow Non Phixion members Goretex and Sabac Red, Ill Bill's brother Necro, Uncle Howie, Q-Unique and Mr. Hyde.

Discography

2004: ''What's Wrong with Bill?''

2008: ''The Hour of Reprisal''

2010: ''Kill Devil Hills'' (with DJ Muggs)

2011: ''Heavy Metal Kings'' (with Vinnie Paz)

2012: ''New solo album'' 2012: ''Heavy Metal Kings vs. DJ Muggs'' TBA: ''The Pill'' (with Sean Price)

References

External links

www.illbill.com

Category:American rappers Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Underground rappers Category:Horrorcore artists Category:1972 births

de:Ill Bill el:Ill Bill es:Ill Bill fr:Ill Bill it:Ill Bill he:איל ביל mk:Ил Бил pl:Ill Bill pt:Ill Bill ru:Илл Билл fi:Ill Bill sv:Ill Bill tr:Ill Bill

Coordinates	32°30′20″N45°49′29″N
name	Jason Mraz
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jason Thomas Mraz
born	June 23, 1977Mechanicsville, VirginiaUS
instrument	Vocals, guitar, classical guitar, mandolin, mandola, ukulele, baritone ukulele
genre	Pop, pop rock, alternative
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
years active	1999–present
label	Elektra Records (2002–2005)Atlantic Records (2005–present)
associated acts	Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla
website	}}

Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977), also known as Mr. AZ, is an American singer-songwriter, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mraz's stylistic influences include reggae, pop, rock, folk, jazz, bossa nova and hip hop.

Mraz released his debut album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'', which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, ''Mr. A-Z'' that Mraz achieved major commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, ''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'' The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the single "I'm Yours" from the album ''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'' The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million. The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.

Early life

Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915. His surname is Czech for "frost" (). His parents, Tom Mraz and June (née Tomes) Mraz, divorced when he was four years old, but he asserts that he had an idyllic childhood, saying, "My hometown of Mechanicsville was very American. There were white picket fences, a church on every street corner, low crime and virtually no drug use. It was a good place to grow up."

Mraz attended Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville. As a teenager, Mraz participated in local theater with SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community). He played Joseph in the musical ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''.

After graduating from high school in 1995, Mraz attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, for a short time, studying musical theater. He dropped out of the school after taking up the guitar and focusing more on songwriting, and began performing at the world famous Java Joes. He had regular shows and was a favourite with audiences. He then briefly returned to Virginia before moving to San Diego, California.

Music career

''Live at Java Joe's'' (2001)

In 2001, Mraz released a live acoustic album, ''Live at Java Joe's''. The album featured Mraz's free-lancing vocal style and songs he later rereleased, including "1000 Things", "You and I Both", and "Halfway Home."

The album was made available to download on iTunes on March 11, 2008, under the title ''Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001''.

''Waiting For My Rocket to Come'' (2002-2003)

In 2002, Mraz released his first major-label debut album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come''. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 200 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".

Touring and ''Mr. A–Z'' (2003-2008)

Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her ''Jagged Little Pill Acoustic'' Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, ''Mr. A–Z'', for Atlantic Records. It entered the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart at number 5. In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year. In 2006 "Life is Wonderful" the first track of the album was featured in the Hilton Journeys Hotel commercial"

Mraz began his long-running tour in support of ''Mr. A–Z'' at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured a variety of opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002. Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us". In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams. In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.

In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Toca Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival. In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

In December 2006, ''Selections for Friends'', the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. ''Selections for Friends'' features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program ''Ugly Betty''. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign. He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".

In 2007, ''American Idol'' contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at #22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100. The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management. In 2007, he also provided background vocals on Mandy Moore's song "Slummin' in Paradise", of her studio album Wild Hope.

''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'' (2008-2009)

Mraz released his third studio album, ''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'' on May 13, 2008. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.

The first single, "I'm Yours", reached #1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks. In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album ''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.'' was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

On June 20, 2009, Mraz was awarded the Hal David Starlight award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Fourth studio album (2009–present)

In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked out into the internet. The song was later released in 2010 by Michael Squire. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

In November 2009, Mraz posted on his Myspace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."

In 2010 Mraz spent time in London, England, where he worked on songs for his new album with producer Martin Terefe and wrote with British singer-songwriter Dido.

Mraz contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Fun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.

In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A; interview with ''Spin'' magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are ''Peace Canoe'' or ''The Love Album''.

On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.

On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010. On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

From December 26, 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love." This image was also trademarked. Popular belief was that the "love" image was the beginning of a marketing campaign for a new record.

Appearing on VH1 Top Twenty Countdown on March 5, 2011, Jason Mraz noted that he had twelve songs ready to go for the album but then decided they weren't good enough. In July 2011, his team's Twitter feed (@theRKOP) confirmed that his album will be released in early 2012.

JasonMraz.com relaunched in July 2011 with a brand new design and a message informing fans that a special announcement was imminent. A few days later, it was announced that Mraz would embark on a mini-global tour in September to November 2011, with occasional full band shows, but mostly as an acoustic duo with long time performing partner and friend, Toca Rivera. The special shows will mark the ten-year anniversary of the independently released Live at Java Joe's album. Dates are currently scheduled for the US, Australia, Berlin and Prague, as well as a festival appearance in Hossegor, France.

Personal life

Mraz was engaged to singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman. On December 24, 2010, Mraz posted on his Twitter "SHE SAID YES." Immediately after his post, Prettyman tweeted "For Once, I Am Speechless..... i did good! holy crap! man of my dreams!!! for the rest of my life!!!" Mraz stated that he will not be getting married until gay marriage is legal. On June 7, 2011, Mraz said in an interview with the Daily Beast that he and Prettyman were no longer engaged.

Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods. He owns an avocado farm in Oceanside in Northern San Diego County near Fallbrook. Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On and SPARC. He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation. He performed at Farm Aid 2011 in Kansas City, KS.

Discography

;Studio albums

!Year	!Title
2002	''Waiting for My Rocket to Come''
2005	''Mr. A-Z''
2008	''We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.''

Notes

External links

Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.

Concert Photos: Jason Mraz – 09/17/2010, 09/18/2010 – Jason Mraz opens for Dave Matthews Band for two sold out shows at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Category:1977 births Category:American male singers Category:American people of Czech descent Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American vegans Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:Musical groups from San Diego, California Category:Musicians from Virginia Category:People from Richmond, Virginia Category:Live Music Archive artists

ca:Jason Mraz cs:Jason Mraz cy:Jason Mraz da:Jason Mraz de:Jason Mraz es:Jason Mraz fa:جیسون مراز fr:Jason Mraz gl:Jason Mraz ko:제이슨 므라즈 id:Jason Mraz it:Jason Mraz he:ג'ייסון מראז jv:Jason Mraz lt:Jason Mraz hu:Jason Mraz mk:Џејсон Мраз ms:Jason Thomas Mraz nl:Jason Mraz ja:ジェイソン・ムラーズ no:Jason Mraz pl:Jason Mraz pt:Jason Mraz ro:Jason Mraz ru:Мраз, Джейсон simple:Jason Mraz sk:Jason Mraz fi:Jason Mraz sv:Jason Mraz tl:Jason Mraz th:เจสัน มราซ vi:Jason Mraz zh:傑森·瑪耶茲

Coordinates	32°30′20″N45°49′29″N
name	Mr. Scruff
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Andrew Carthy
alias	Mr. Scruff
born	10 February 1972
origin	Stockport, England
instrument	Turntables
genre	DowntempoTrip-HopNu-Jazz
occupation	DJ
years active	1994–present
label	Ninja TunePleasure Records
website	www.MrScruff.com }}

Mr. Scruff is the recording name of Andy Carthy (born in 10 February 1972 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England), a British DJ and artist. He lives in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University. Before he could make a living from his music alone, he worked as a shelf-stacker in the Burton Road branch of Kwik Save.

His DJ name was inspired by his scruffy facial hair, as well as his trademark loose-lined drawing style. He has been DJing since 1994, at first in and around Manchester then nationwide. He is known for DJing in marathon sets (often exceeding six hours), his eclectic musical taste, his love of a "nice cup of tea" and the quirky home-produced visuals and animations associated with his music. In an interview he said: "It’s about putting a lot of effort in and paying attention to detail. I get annoyed if I don’t take risks. I’m very hard on myself."

Career

Scruff's first 12", "Hocus Pocus" was released on the small Manchester-based label, Robs Records. Subsequent singles and his first album, ''Mr. Scruff'' followed, released on Robs Records subsidiary, Pleasure Records. After a brief spell working with Mark Rae, he moved to the larger Ninja Tune label, and subsequently released the albums ''Keep It Unreal'' and ''Trouser Jazz''.

His most notable hit, "Get a Move On", is built around "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)" by Moondog. and has been used in several commercials ranging from Lincoln and Volvo automobiles to France Télécom and GEICO insurance. The song also samples Shifty Henry's "Hyping Woman Blues" and led to a renewal of interest in Henry's compositions.

In 2004, Mr. Scruff released ''Keep It Solid Steel Volume 1'', the first of what is intended to be a series of several DJ-mixed compilation CDs for Ninja Tune's Solid Steel series of artist mixes. These mixes are designed to recreate the eclectic genres one would expect to hear at a Mr. Scruff club night. In November 2006, Ninja Tune confirmed that the 8th Solid Steel record would be mixed by J Rocc and the 9th would be Volume 2 from Mr. Scruff. Other Solid Steel mixes have been released by fellow Ninja Tune artists including The Herbaliser, Hexstatic, DJ Food and Amon Tobin.

He has a wide array of remixes to his name, and has also produced tracks for others – notably "Echo of Quiet and Green" for sometime-collaborator Niko for her 2004 album ''Life on Earth''. Niko returned the favour, appearing on the track "Come Alive" from the ''Trouser Jazz'' album.

Having performed regularly at The Big Chill Festival in Eastnor Castle deer park, Ledbury, Herefordshire, he was asked in 2006 to select the tracks for the compilation album, ''Big Chill Classics''.

July 2008 saw the release of ''Southport Weekender Volume 7'', a double album released in the Southport Weekender series, recorded in a purpose-built holiday village in Southport, Merseyside. The first disc was mixed by German nu jazz DJs Jazzanova, and the second was mixed by Mr. Scruff. Scruff's contribution is a mix of soul music.

In 2008, a new independent record label, Ninja Tuna, was founded, a collaboration between Scruff and the Ninja Tune label. Mr. Scruff's most recent singles and the album ''Ninja Tuna'' were all released on the new label.

A US-only release of the album on mp3 came with 10 additional tracks from the ''Ninja Tuna'' recording sessions, under the title ''Bonus Bait''. A CD version of this supplementary album was released in the UK in February 2009.

Style

Artwork

Mr. Scruff's album and single cover art, music videos, merchandise and his official website are noted for their whimsical cartoonish look; the cartoons are drawn by Scruff himself, in what he calls "potato style". The images and animations are also projected onto large screens during his gigs. Scruff also drew cartoons for music magazines such as ''Jockey Slut'' in the 1990s.

Tea

Mr. Scruff began selling tea from a small room at the Manchester club, the Music Box, where he was resident DJ in around 2000, with the proceeds going to charity. When he started touring, Scruff took the enterprise with him and gained a reputation for being the DJ with the teashop. When appearing at festivals, such as Big Chill and WOMAD, tea stalls or tents were erected, and were open for the duration of the festivals. Scruff subsequently started an online tea company, Make Us a Brew, and produces his own range of fair trade teabags. Both his official website, and the Make Us a Brew site also sell branded tea-related paraphernalia including teapots, mugs and tea-towels. The teabags are sold in department store chains Selfridges, Waitrose and Booths.

Fish

Most of Mr. Scruff's studio albums contain tracks about fish, whales and other sea-life, which cut up recordings of voiceovers from children's stories and nature documentaries to create surreal and silly stories. They began with the track "Sea Mammal" (featuring a sample from Boogie Down Productions' track "Part Time Sucker"), released on the ''Hocus Pocus'' single (1995). It is also the opening track on Scruff's first album. This was followed by "Wail" (as a homophone for "Whale"), also on his first album. ''Keep It Unreal'' (1999) featured the tracks "Shanty Town" and "Fish", the latter of which features samples from the likes of David Attenborough and David Bellamy. The album ''Trouser Jazz'' (2002) closes with another cut-up track, "Ahoy There!", noted as featuring an appearance from "Albert Ross" (albatross).

Scruff has stated that he is unlikely to record any further fish-based cut-up tracks. However, marine references continue in Scruff's work including the track "Shrimp" from ''Trouser Jazz'', and the title and cover art of his most recent albums, ''Ninja Tuna'' (2008) and its companion release, ''Bonus Bait'' (2009).

Hot Pot

Mr. Scruff and Treva Whateva (his Ninja Tune label-mate and friend from Stockport) recorded a weekly hour-long radio show, some episodes of which can still be found on samurai.fm.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

''Mr. Scruff'' (Pleasure Music, 9 May 1997)

''Keep It Unreal'' (Ninja Tune, 14 July 1999) UK No.175

''Trouser Jazz'' (Ninja Tune, 16 September 2002) UK No.29

''Mrs. Cruff'' (Ninja Tune, reissue of ''Mr. Scruff'' with additional tracks, 5 May 2005) UK# 195

''Ninja Tuna'' (Ninja Tune, 6 October 2008) UK No.60

''Bonus Bait'' (Ninja Tune, 9 February 2009)

Mix and compilation albums

''Heavyweight Rib Ticklers'' (Compilation album, Unfold Recordings, 11 February 2002)

''Keep It Solid Steel Volume 1'' (DJ mix album, Ninja Tune, 1 January 2004)

''Big Chill Classics'' (Compilation album, Resist Music, 21 August 2006)

''Southport Weekender Volume 7'' (DJ mix album – Disc 2 mixed by Mr. Scruff, Concept Records, 21 July 2008)

''Mr. Scruff Feat. Alice Russell'' (Music Takes Me Up),2008

Singles

''Hocus Pocus'' (Robs Records, March 1995)

''The Frolic EP Part 1'' (Pleasure Music / Pinnacle Records, 15 January 1996)

''The Frolic EP Part 2'' (Pleasure Music / Pinnacle Records, 16 February 1996)

''Limbic Funk'' (Pleasure Music, 29 July 1996)

''Large Pies EP'' (Cup of Tea Records, 7 April 1997)

''How Sweet it Is" / "Is it Worth It?'' (with Spikey T) (Grand Central Records, 13 June 1997)

''Pigeon'' (Pinnacle Records, 6 June 1997)

''Chipmunk / Fish / Happy Band'' (Ninja Tune, 10 March 1998)

''Get a Move on'' (Ninja Tune, 26 April 1999) UK# 139

''Honeydew'' (Ninja Tune, 22 October 1999) UK# 129

''Hocus Pocus'' (re-release, Robs Records, 7 May 2001)

''Get a Move on / Ug'' (re-release, Ninja Tune, 6 August 2001) UK# 83

''Shrimp!'' (Ninja Tune, 27 May 2002) UK#78

''Beyond / Champion Nibble'' (Ninja Tune, 23 September 2002) UK# 125

''Sweetsmoke'' (Ninja Tune, December 2002) UK# 75

''Sweetsmoke Remixes'' (Ninja Tune, April 2003) UK#91

''Giffin'' (Ninja Tune, 20 October 2003)

''Chicken in a Box / Spandex Man'' (Ltd edition, Ninja Tune, 11 April 2005)

''Donkey Ride / Giant Pickle'' (with Quantic, Ninja Tuna, 12 May 2008)* ''Kalimba / Give Up To Get'' (Ninja Tuna, 14 July 2008)

''Music Takes Me Up'' (Ninja Tuna, 15 September 2008)

''Get on Down / Hold On'' (Ninja Tuna, 1 December 2008)

''Whiplash / Bang The Floor / Cat & Mouse'' (Ninja Tuna, 9 February 2009)

''This Way / Hairy Bumpercress'' (Ninja Tuna, 9 March 2009)

''Nice Up The Function / Listen Up'' (Ninja Tuna, 6 April 2009)

Collaborations

Mr. Scruff with...

DJ Spooky – "Murderah Style" appeared on the compilation album ''Tribal Gathering 96'' (Universe, 1 October 1996)

Mark Rae – "How Sweet It Is" and "Gotta Have Her" both appeared on the compilation album ''Central Heating'' (Grand Central Records, 25 November 1996)

Tony D – "Flavour" featuring Mark Rae, Mark 1 and Mr. Scruff, from the album ''Pound For Pound'' (Grand Central Records, 15 September 1997)

Mark Rae – "The Squirrel" appeared on the compilation album ''Central Heating 2'' (Grand Central Records, 17 April 2000)

Peter Nice Trio vs. Mr. Scruff – "Harp Of Gold" from the compilation album ''Out Patients'' (Hospital Records, 30 May 2000)

Fingathing – "Just Practice" featuring Mr. Scruff, from the album ''The Main Event'' (Grand Central Records, 20 November 2000)

Quantic – "It's Dancing Time" from the compilation album ''Shapes One'' (Tru Thoughts, 1 September 2003)

Quantic – "Giraffe Walk" from Quantic's album, ''One Off's Remixes and B Sides'' (Tru Thoughts, 6 February 2006)

Swell Sessions – "No No" from the album ''Swell Communications'' (Freerange Records, 24 September 2007)

Quantic – "Donkey Ride" (Ninja Tune, 12 May 2008)

Kaidi Tatham – "Fresh Noodles" (Prime Numbers, 30 November 2009)

Kirsty Almeida – "Pickled Spider" (Ninja Tune, 30 April 2010)

Several of Mr. Scruff's records also feature guest vocalists and musicians. These include DJ Sneaky (from Fingathing), Roots Manuva, Niko, Braintax, Alice Russell and Danny Breaks. Both Scruff and Roots Manuva have expressed an interest in recording a full album together, though the artists' schedules have prevented it to date.

Cover version

"Get a Move On" was covered by Will Holland's side project, The Quantic Soul Orchestra on the album ''Pushin' On'' (Tru Thoughts, 5 May 2005).

Song appearances

The last segment from the documentary movie ''Scratch'' (2001), entitled "Full Circle", features a different mix of "Spandex Man" with additional samples.

Episodes of the Channel 4 UK TV comedy show ''Spaced'' featured the tracks "Spandex Man", "Chipmunk" and "Blackpool Roll" from the ''Keep It Unreal'' album.

"Spandex Man" was also used on the BBC series ''Top Gear'', is often used on the BBC Three show ''The Real Hustle'' and features in the films ''SW9'' and ''Gumball Rally 3000''.

The song "Ug" from the album ''Trouser Jazz'' is used in numerous ''Weebl and Bob'' cartoons, including the very first one entitled "Pie". The pie as a motif later recurred in one of Scruff's videos (''Sweetsmoke'').

"Get a Move On" has been used in advertisements including Volvo and Lincoln automobiles, in television shows including the BBC's snooker highlights, ''Bargain Hunt'' and ''The Apprentice'' and in Kenny Anderson's section of the skateboarding video ''One Step Beyond''. The song was chosen by Victoria Wood as one of her eight favourite records on ''Desert Island Discs''.

"Blackpool Roll" was used in New Zealand by television network TV ONE as background music as part of their branded channel advertising and show listings. It also appears in the game Rolando 2.

"Fish" was used by Nexus Productions for the Virgin Atlantic safety video, which features the voices of Vic Reeves and Dani Behr. It was also used by Thomson Reuters for their UK Customer Service hold music.

Several Mr. Scruff tracks appeared on ''Rolando'', a game for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices in 2008. The game, developed by HandCircus and published by Ngmoco, features the tracks "Ug", "Stockport Carnival", "Spandex Man", "Donkey Ride", "Kalimba", "Shrimp", and "Mice at the Organ".

The track "Kalimba" was featured on Windows 7 Release Candidate 1, 2, also featured in the short film "Modeling, the true story".

"So Long" and "Get a Move On" off of the album "Keep it Unreal" have been featured on Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim during commercial breaks.

References

External links

Official

Artist website

Artist page on Mr. Scruff's label, Ninja Tune

"Pie Space" artist page on MySpace

Artist page on SoundCloud

Make Us a Brew website

Interviews

Other

"Train Wreck Mix" by Mr. Scruff on the Red Bull Music Academy Radio website

"Essential Mix" by Mr. Scruff (7 February 2009)

Category:British DJs Category:English electronic musicians Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:Music from Stockport Category:People from Macclesfield Category:People from Stockport Category:Ninja Tune artists Category:Living people Category:1972 births

cs:Mr. Scruff de:Mr. Scruff fr:Mr. Scruff it:Mr. Scruff hu:Mr. Scruff nl:Mr. Scruff pl:Mr. Scruff pt:Mr. Scruff sv:Mr. Scruff