Some people say that Danny Shyman is from another time because of things like his fear of microwaves and the fact that he eats with wooden spoons. When he was 23 Shyman, a Jewish kid from Chicago, made the logical decision to study West African drumming.  He has a particular fascination with the drumming from Guinea and Mali, specifically the Dundunba dance . Everyday the drumming patterns and phrases play in his mind. They never stop. It makes it hard to sleep.

 

For 7 years Shyman played with Josephine & The Mousepeople, co-producing the band and touring the west before he settled in Los Angeles to focus on producing other artists. Joy and celebration within music are a signature part of his sound. Although he grew up listening to sadcore artists like Elliott Smith and Jimi Hendrix - music that emphasized depression and confusion as the greatest artistic pipelines - African drumming helped detach him from this self-harming belief. His djembe has become a secret doorway that allows him to access art and music through joy and conviviality.

 

Shyman is often associated with the colors green and brown as in nature and things that grow from the Earth. He is very grounded with deep roots but he is always growing and flourishing. The son of a soy bean trader and a nurse turned social worker, Shyman mastered an uncanny ability to listen and learn from each person he comes in contact with. As a kid he rebelled against his Jewish upbringing and it's strict ways of living. For his bar mitzvah he had to study a Torah portion (a long passage from the old testament). It was very intense. However, Judaism has instilled in him a strong sense of family value, often connecting to people beyond bloodline - a trait he carries over into Salt Lamp City Collective.

 

When asked to comment Shyman said, "We are artists and we create for artists. The real essence of what people will end up taking from their experience with Salt Lamp City is the idea of community, sharing, compromise, and intelligent respectful communication."