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Raised in the cornfields of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Arthur Russell (1951-1992) would become a visionary cellist, singer, composer, and producer in Lower Manhattan's "Downtown" arts scene during the 1970s and 80s. Russell's enigmatic music blended and transcended genres as disparate as Indian raga, Americana folk, avant-garde composition, and disco. He actively infused popular music into Manhattan's avant-garde art scene, while bringing a Buddhist-inspired experimentalism into American popular music. As poet Allen Ginsberg recalled, "His ambition seemed to be to write popular music, or bubblegum music, but Buddhist bubblegum; to transmit the dharma through the most elemental form..." Following Russell's premature death due to AIDS at age 40, composer Philip Glass reflected, "Arthur was very, very ahead of his time." And while a few of his dance singles would remain underground classics, Russell's work would be significantly neglected for over a decade. However, through the archival releases of Audika Records, a documentary film ( Wild Combination ) and a biography ( Hold On to Your Dreams ), Russell's fearless creativity and radical vulnerability have found an admiring audience in the 21st century. Today, celebrated artists--from Kanye West to Rosalía and Peter Broderick--as well as emerging musical generations are breathing new life into Russell's music and praising his name. Nevertheless, he has remained as mysterious as he has become accessible. Buddhist Bubblegum dives deep into