end of south island tour 2007

a quick blast around part of the south island oct 24-31
picked up visiting work acquaintance late night at christchurch airport
through to ashburton for an overnight stay at my parents place
next day drove inland to methven to view a snow-laden mt hutt
then through to dunedin via geraldine timaru and oamaru
first night in dunedin spent with my sister and family
sleeping in their bus converted to a holiday home
did the tairei gorge train trip on a beautiful spring day
the night was spent playing pool in celebration of niece's 18th birthday
day 3 and destination lake hawea in central otago
first stop being a cold but impressive white hill wind farm
then a drive up the eastern side of lake wakatipu
to get to queenstown in time for a blast on the shotover jet
totally environmentally unfriendly but a lot of fun to be had
then a drive across the crown range to lake hawea
where accomodation had been arranged
at the holiday home of a friend of my sister
this meant 2 more days of travelling back and forward
over the crown range but a great drive so a good trade-off
day 4 took in the skyline gondola and the luge
i.e. acting like kids on carts on a downhill concrete track
maturity kicked in on saturday afternoon for the wine trail
visiting various wineries in the area and sampling their wares
dinner at lake wanaka speights ale house
day 5 sunday included a cruise on beautiful lake wakatipu
on board the tss earnslaw
followed by a brilliant drive to glenorchy 40 minutes from queenstown
then a drive up to coronet peak and a step onto the snow
closest we got on this supposed-to-be skiing trip
back to lake hawea for the last night there
before next day heading over the haast pass to the west coast
stopping at various rivers and beaches along the way
boarded a helicopter at franz joseph for a great trip to the top of the glacier
then a picturesque drive for quite a distance to the town of greymouth
dinner at speights ale house again and an overnight stay in el-cheapo motel
day 7 was destination charleston via the impressive punakaiki pancake rocks
discovered and totally enjoyed the nile river rainforest train
before the return journey to greymouth
and across arthurs pass to descend onto the canterbury plains (photo above)
a bit of sightseeing in chrsitchurch and another el-cheapo-ish hotel
day 8 in and around the city including orana park and the antarctic centre
before heading back to the airport to bid farewell to my travelling companion
all in all a very successful, enjoyable (and relatively) cheap trip
great weather too....

nile river rainforest train

great train journeys of the world part 2 in this series
situated near a town called charleston north of greymouth
an enterprising chap who renamed mainless
used to take people on treks up this river valley
the destination being a large glow-worm cave
with the river running through the cave
and so floating on a rubber tube in complete darkness
provides a spectacular way to experience this unique bit of nature
however it seems the long-ish walk in seemed to deter some people
so he decided to build a railway from scratch to transport tourists in
budgetted about 60 thousand dollars and ended up spending 400
built the train from the remains of a morris 1100 car
and hand built the narrow-gauge track and station platforms
a real work of love you could say
he was the guide for the day and had some interesting stories to tell
the nile river music festival used to be held every easter in the valley
but one year of extremely bad weather wiped them out financially
shame really as the natural amphitheatre there was quite stunning
the train journey alongside the river takes about 15 minutes
and from there it's a walk through the rainforest
across a very robust swing-bridge
and down to the beautifully fresh green-water river
in the meantime the train engine has been attached to the other end
and the return journey takes place along the same track
all very low-key and intentionally so
long may it last

franz joseph glacier

the weather gods were smiling on this day
all was against making the helicopter flight to the top of the glacier
but a parting of the clouds meant that 6 lucky tourists got to go
i had previously undertaken this venture about 19 years ago
and had stayed fresh in the memory since then
so was keen to do a top-up and relive the experience
we boarded a very modern red and white helicopter
and before we knew it we were travelling at 140kph
following up the line of the majestic glacier
apparantly currently growing at a significant rate
thus defying and challenging global warming
(seems to be a large case of denial round here)
barry the pilot landed his craft with pinpoint accuracy
nosing up to a tiny flag planted in the ice
there is no easy way to describe the serenity of a mountaintop
the air on this day was perfectly calm and beautifully fresh
so the sounds of crunching snow and exhaling breath were amplified
the contrasts of the bright white ice and the deep blue sky
combined with the sight of very large mountain ranges
made for an overwhelming sensory experience
10 glorious minutes later and back into the bird
a hop over to the nearby fox glacier
for the return journey skirting over huge crevasses
and the sight of a gushing stream of ice-fed water
leading down to the glaciel river
flowing into the valley below
a few minutes flying along the coast
viewing lakes and forests
as we landed the weather closed in again
so we were very lucky
cheaper than a bungy jump
maybe not so adrenalin-pumping
but i suspect much more exhilerating
some tourist traps cannot be bypassed
long may the glaciers grow

glenorchy

ye olde classic sunday afternoon drive
though in a place not seen on any given sunday
the morning was spent on the tss earnslaw
tss = twin screw steamship
cruising on lake wakatipu from queenstown to walter peak station and back
twas a beautiful day and the lake and mountains were looking stunning
so a decision was made to embark on the drive from queenstown to glenorchy
the road these days is of excellent condition
it skirts around the western side of the lake
cuts inland for a few kilometres
but mostly the lake is usually there to be seen
and occasionally breathtaking views are laid out
as in the one above taken from a lookout at the side of the road
the town of glenorchy is at the very western end of the lake
it's a 45 minute trip from queenstown
the town itself is quite small (pop 200)
but well set up for obvious reasons for the tourist
a few cafes and the local pub offering food and refreshments
though it felt to me to still be the local watering hole
easy to imagine farmers and others gathering from far and wide
also easy to imagine the place on a cold winter's day
howling winds and snow would be common
but on this day it was the beautiful opposite
there's a jetty that goes out a fair distance into the lake
presumably to take supplies and people from queenstown
a great spot to stand and take in the grandeur of it all
before jumping back into the car
and enjoying the return journey
lovely part of the world

gibbston valley wines

they say that the wines coming out of central otago are world-class
an opportunity arose up to do a saturday afternoon wine trail
to 4 of the leading wine-makers in the queenstown area
it's one of countless tourist traps in the area
the attraction of a bus trip complete with guide
and as many samples as you could cope with
meant it took all of about 2 seconds to make the decision to do the trip
the tour guide named wayne was a laugh a minute
full of stories, information, experiences of his home area
the first winery visited was gibbston valley wines
they laid on a full tour of their facilities
and a talk through the recent establishment of the winery
which has only been in existence for 20 years
and in that time has won awards at world-class competitions
pinot noir and pinot gris are the ones they excel at
their point of difference is the wine tunnel
built into the steep hill at the back of the winery
literally blown out of the landside
it goes back about 70 metres
and at the rear has 200 metres of hillside above it
there's a constant year-round temperature and humidity factor
that is ideal for the storage of wine in the most natural conditions
they believe this is a large part of their success
following on from the dry summer conditions outside
an unforgettable experience was had sampling their wines
at the very back of the wine tunnel
then a sit-down lunch of the finest food
before an opportunity to inspect their large shop
and onward to another 3 completely different wineries
similarly and generously offering samples of their produce
the wine tour included a stopover in a suitably happy state
to watch people also happily throwing themselves off a bridge
with a large rubber-band attached to their feet
a quite memorable afternoon
pinot gris
yum

white hill wind farm

overlooking the town of mossburn, central otago, new zealand
it's a bit off the beaten track but when i heard about this place it demanded a visit
unfortunately the day itself was dreary, chilly and not conducive to good photography
but the sight of these incredible machines was awe-inspiring
the towers stand 67 metres tall and have blades each of 42 metres in length
so together they reach a height of over 100 metres
to get an idea of the scale of size spot the cows in the foreground of the above photo
this is a very new facility only brought on-stream in june of this year
there are 29 of them scattered over the rise of hills in the middle of a plain
and so they come into view from a long distance away
and just get more and more impressive the closer you get
much more impressive of course to see the blades revolving
going about their business of supplying humans with energy
apparantly this installation can generate power for 30,000 homes
i rate these machines as one of humanities better inventions
can't understand people who don't like them
no other argument other than a blot on the landscape
what - and a coal-burning power station isn't?
though presumably there is also an argument
about the carbon expended to construct them
but surely that has a time trade-off?
some more research suggests nz is going full steam ahead
is going to bring more and more of them on-line
hang the (not insignificant) expense it seems
clean energy is the way to go
somebody please tell me i've got it wrong
if that is the case but i'm convinced
these beautiful machines are of the future
i stood and watched for a long time
to use a much over-used expression
totally awesome

taieri gorge railway

one of the great train journeys of the world
or so the promotional material proudly states
it's a 4 hour round trip that departs from dunedin's historic central railway station
and heads out of the city into central otago across farmland
before winding it's way into the tairei gorge
across various rail bridges over running rivers and streams
past geese and swans floating in still waters
then along a steep gorge not unlike a mini grand canyon
and stopping at various places for photo opportunities
including possibly the smallest train station in the world
and then heading on to the destination called pukerangi
the weather on the day of travel was particularly beautiful
unseasonably warm, blue skies and not a breath of wind
the train itself is an old timer
pulled by a powerful diesel engine
but the carriages lovingly restored to original condition
it seems to be a popular journey for the elder person
there seemed to be at least 1 or 2 organised groups
and the gentleman providing the running commentary
may well have been doing the job for as long as the train has been running
but obviously still in awe of the scenery and loving his job
it really was very easy to sit back and go with the rhythm of the tracks
gaze out the window at the passing scenery
or step outside onto the carriage platform
and take in some fresh air and have a yarn with a fellow traveller
the frequent stops also presented various opportunities
to wander off and survey the train and scenery from a vantage point
by scrambling up the hillside or down a few steps into the gorge
not unlike the sheep and goats that were also spotted
frequently in front of the train and scrambling off the tracks
maybe their daily fun for the day was playing like a chicken
the train included a buffet car offering suitable food and refreshments
so no chance of yearning for journey's end to top up there
in fact the time taken seemed very well organised
just enough to relax and enjoy the return journey
and not so much to require a serious allotment of time and or effort
most enjoyable

the unknown terrorist

the national bestseller
stunning...brilliant
crucial and compelling
this from the front cover of the latest book from richard flanagan
there are more wordy raves also on the back cover
so i thought i'd buy this one about our contemporary society
the book is set in current days in sydney
complete with all the suburb and street names left intact
even the personalities of the town are featured in the book
though for obvious reasons ray martin and alan jones are renamed
the star of the book is an innocent pole-dancer known as the doll
who by association gets caught up as the suspect in a terrorism scare
so has to go underground to escape the hysteria and hence the title
it's not really such a good read
though it is a very easy one
i'm now not so sure what i was expecting from the book
probably a take on the heavy-handed way we are dealing with terrorism
and the effect it is having on our society
the author touches on this but does not criticise, condone or question it
but certainly uses it all to enhance the excitement of his book
there are some books you read where you wonder how it could ever be made a film
not this one as it reads like a film script
and so from very early on i felt a bit cheated by the book
felt that i was just part of the process leading to the real target
of a cinema or tv audience and not a book-worm
there are some real clangers in the book and some terrible stereotyping
seems mr flanagan has a real problem with aboriginal society
not sure what they have to do with the perceived terrorism threat
but he sinks the boot in there on more than one occasion
the same for the poor and wretched in our society
this in reference to an encounter with a beggar in redfern
and because her revulsion had so abruptly overwhelmed her empathy
she found herself thinking how someone else
people in authority, or charities, or government departments
should be helping such people - not her
thanks for your thoughts on this matter mr flanagan
and so i found myself reading it all as quickly as possible
not out of enjoyment but more a case of get it over and done with
or maybe hoping it would get better as it went on
which in a way it did as it wrapped up quite neatly
everything fell into place more or less as expected
the final scene will be quite spectacular on the big or little screen
the unknown terrorist
sucked in

lost and found

a period of non-activity on blogspot
call it a settling-in period
having temporarily moved countries
or at least taken on the address of no fixed one
plan is to be a bit nomadic for a while
mainly because i can and thought i'd give it a shot
a nomadic existence kind of implies one of impoverishment
and eeking out of an living in the nost basic of ways
not much permanence in anything except that which goes with you
but that is probably the traditional definition
these days it's very easy to drag it all around with you
i can do my work on the move
i can rob peter to pay paul with ease
i have my music collection on a tiny portable player
my diary is as close as the internet and this blog
one suitcase of the necessaries
a laptop bag with the appropriate contents
a book or magazine or 2
and a mobile phone
sounds all very simple and maybe even attractive
but there's downsides
i had a period a number of years ago in a similar position
kind of truly alone for the first time
it took a while to get used to the anonymity of it all
people look right through you
seems we are brought up with the concept of having attention
some people demand it but most of us expect it
and when it's not there for a period of time
it can be quite an odd feeling
especially in a place where there's no-one familiar around
i'm working through it
knew what i was up for when i took on this little project
don't know how long it or i will last at it
but it's underway now
so i'm going to go with it
there's still comfort to be had
family isn't far away
friends are and missing them
work acquaintances will come and go
i'm going to go crazy on the blog
some interesting sights, sounds and experiences to document
real soon now

congolese rumba (democratic republic of congo or zaire)

the democratic republic of congo - otherwise known as zaire
where muhammad ali and george foreman had their rumble in the jungle
as documented in the excellent film titled when we were kings
which basically taught me everything i know about this country
so not much really except that it has been ruled for a long time
by another brutal african dictator by the name of mobutu
i was surprised to read about congolese rumba
something that seems more likely to come out of las vegas
than a landlocked and presumably very poor african country
but that's the amazing thing about music really
it seems to travel very well and take root in the oddest of places
here's what songlines had to say about this style
the classic rumba sound of the 60's, 70's and 80's congolese big bands
was a combination of multiple interwoven guitars
sumptuous vocal harmonies
and soul revue style horn sections
the current rumba revival recreates the wonderful atmosphere
epitomised by franco's ok jazz, tabu ley rochereau and le grand kalle
they recommended an album called congo life by kekele
there's also a photo of these 4 chaps dressed to the nines
in matching dinner suits
as in the following video
check out the white dude on the bass guitar
a fine bit of role reversal happening there
(11 of 50)

jean lee and the yellow dog (part 2)

demolition
this is the love song/ballad on the album - a slow number with a familiar acoustic guitar feel
jeffrey w plays an almost military style drum beat and mr oxley does not much at all
there's some really random and unexpected noises coming and going
sounds like someone is having a bit of fun with a bass sax/clarinet thing
proving once again that ek can do whatever ek wants to do
shame
not sure about this one - it gets along quite nicely and has an air of familiarity about it
my feeling is that he has borrowed another riff (real wild life?) and warped it beyond recognition
which i think is something few artists could get away with without sounding out of ideas
but there's just so many tunes gone under the bridge that need to be put back in our faces
and as usual the updated production makes it as new - then again - maybe it is?
real to me (1)
beautiful use of instrumentation - violins, cello, banjo, acoustic guitar
sounding like something springsteen would have liked to include on his seegar sessions
but then again the boss lacks the subtlety that ed brings to the vocals in this tune
it's actually quite a gorgeous tune this one with some very poignant lyrics
a classic kuepper love song that he produces sparingly but very convincingly
real to me (2)
how many artists would have the freedom or strength of conviction to lay 2 versions of a tune side by side
and speaking of iconic american performers we now hear what neil young would do with this tune
full-on crazy horse backing, beat, sound, guitar - think hurricane and we're very close
a touch of genius really to give us 2 totally opposite versions of a very catchy tune
the fade-out on this version cleverly includes the sound of a huge crowd in rapturous mode
finding you
ed adds edge to what was a simple but beautiful tune from g w mclennan before his untimely death
probably one of grant mc's more accessible tunes and one i suspect he held dear
judging from a performance i have witnessed on the gobbies stripped sunlight sound dvd
here ed makes it his own with strummed solo electric guitar and cello
and as with the rest of this album his voice sounding clear, strong and lyrical
ambient piece
56 seconds of mix-up, backwards playing (?) violins, noise and noodling
that to me points to a possible future recording of such electronica
the mind boggles with possibilities of such an approach on the back-catalogue
more significantly it fills out the range of sounds and styles heard on this album
and segues very nicely back to track one when on repeat play

a blinder of an album that is multi-layered beyond belief
every listen exposes more and more of what lies beneath
i'm going to hammer this one to death and beyond
live it was staggering
recorded it's glorious
thanks ed
go for it

jean lee and the yellow dog (part 1)

it has been just way too long since the last ed kuepper album
but hope regained consciousness with the success of his latest live lineup
a trio featuring laughing clowns compatriot jeffrey wegener on drums
and a towering peter oxley providing anchor and rhythmic bass noises
they previewed a couple of songs on a start of year tour
since then they have presumably finished recording this latest album
and augmented the live band to a 7 piece featuring a 3 piece brass section
i had the great fortune of seeing the lineup in action a few days ago
usually it's a case of ed blasting out any number of his vast back catalogue of tunes
but on this occasion it was the new tunes that were featured and were most memorable
no hesitation at all in buying the cd on the way out and reviewed following
hang jean lee
a beautiful violin introduction courtesy of warren ellis
gives way to a fast, furious and frantic guitar/bass/drum sound
and there's that voice back and guitar riffing away as good as ever
ed is singing about jean lee the last woman to be hanged in australia
the voice in fine form but it's going to take a few listens to get all the lyrics
miracles
a standout track from the standout live performance of the album
beautiful, clear, spacious production and ed's voice sounding better than ever
this one is a slower number and with totally discernable lyrics
big drum sound, solid bass, violin and strummed electric guitar
a very pleasant reminder of that irish band's excellent october album
that depends pt 3
big production - backing and overlaid vocals in various contortions
there's screeching violins, tabler-style drums, lots of different guitar sounds
ed starts out and hands over vocal duties to chris bailey almost seamlessly
a very accomplished tune that should become a classic ek tune
here she comes that friend of mine - she won't walk that centre line no matter what
daddy's girl
if there was ever an ek tune made for stadium rocking then this is it
big rock drum feel and sound and a complementary guitar sound
my memory tells me this tune was the one that had me pinned to the wall
back at the basement earlier this year when as a 3 piece they let fly
this recorded version stays true to that feel and sound
skinny jean
lots of space also in the production of this number that swings beautifully
horns used sparingly and backing up the echo-laden guitar playing
boogie-woogie style piano comes in later in the tune and fits right in
a brilliant live track that has you wondering how the hell he does it
comes up with tunes like this that seem to have been around forever
yellow dog
ed rips off ed - a fine concept i reckon - though damned if i can remember the original title/album
if there is such a thing then this is trademark ed k stuff (there is no such thing really)
but listening to this it is easy to conjure up the image of ed live on stage
grooving away while riffing on the guitar and all but eating the microphone
there's a not unintentional nod to jean genie in there also that works particularly well

'nuff said for tonight - need to wander around more with headphones
and this damn fine album filling my head again
part 2 tomorrow

on the road (in the air) again

part 2 of the big life-changing events of this year
i was born in new zealand and have spent most of my life living in sydney
largely because of my work i have travelled extensively throughout australia
and similarly have managed to visit nz 3-4 times a year
lack of family in oz and an ageing one in nz has finally tipped the balance
so i have decided to return to my roots and re-connect somewhat
though the nature of my work and established contacts
means that effectively i will straddle both countries
and become a true australasian in more ways than one
i suspect my heart is more attached to nz
than my head that probably belongs in oz
so at least for a while i shall try to placate both
i think i can make it happen with the plan to spend even time in both places
though ever conscious of my carbon footprint i will need to minimise time in the skies
apart from the distance of loved friends and other acquaintances
my biggest fear about time away from my familiar surroundings
is the loss of immediacy living in a large city affords you
than means to me the lack of opportunity to see some live music on a whim
or walk out the front door to a vast array of eating establishments
or a similar number of picture theatres, book and music shops in close proximity
mostly though it will mean a shift in the comfort zone
as i have become very aware of and attached to the diversity of culture
that has evolved in my city of choice and suburb of domesticity
something that i had previously noticed the lack of in previous visits to nz
i sense that things are changing for the better though
something to do with a more sympathetic and socially aware government maybe
(would australia be enjoying such diversity now if you-know-who had been in power back then)
so on friday 19th of october, 2007 after a late night out
i rose at 5 in the morning to complete the task of packing all my necessary possessions
and relocating them into a 10 square metre storage space
some friends took bits of furniture and the cd/dvd collection
and so with a bulky 4 suitcases i arrived at the airport quite late
to be greeted and laughed at by the ground crew
who quite happily took my happily parted money for excessively excess baggage
stepped on to the plane, feet up and too tired to even think about it
bade my temporary farewell to my more permanent home
i hope australasianism can work for me
we shall see what the future brings
ps - morale of the story
do not relocate house and country on the same day
(another meaning of the word optimism)

ed kuepper and the kowalski collective

dream come true stuff really
i had been planning an extended overseas excursion since july
but when i had heard the mr k was due in town complete with a brass section
the trip got postponed till the day after this show
that meant i had a few preparations and farewells to deal with pre-show
which meant i got to the venue with the band already (just) on stage
the basement was surprisingly not packed to the rafters
so i squirmed my way into the usual spot centred in front of the bar
took a few deep breaths and then surveyed that which was laid out before me
a bespectacled ed kuepper guitar-slinging it centre stage
to his right the imposing gentle giant of peter oxley on bass
right again to an unrecognised lady on keyboards and cello
a very sharp looking jeffery wegener on drums at rear of stage
and the big highlight of a brass section comprising sax, trumpet and trombone stage left
my feeling is that mr k has been working up to this occasion for some time
over the past year or 2 he has worked with messrs wegener and oxley
each show i have seen of the 3 piece has been a musical treat
the last one i saw again at the basement had me sliding off the back wall
it was a fearsome sound that completely defied the word subtle
where to from here i remember thinking to myself
i'd heard rumours of a saints revival so held out hope for the return of the clowns
not that i ever saw them in original form but my ear has now turned in their direction
aided by the 3cd remastered anthology of clowns material
and more recently some exposure to similarly filthy and noisy brass based music
so yes this night had the makings of a very special musical occasion
it wasn't too long before i was enamoured of the sound coming from the stage
as the band worked it's way through some classic kuepper tunes
culminating in a glorious rendition of eternally yours
this tune knows no boundaries and it's master seems to have an endless stream of arrangement ideas
tonight would have been the closest i could ever had heard it to it's original clowns form
but it still sounds as contemporary as anything you will hear anywhere
this marked the end of the first set and the opportunity to re-locate
spotted an empty table (huh?) directly under the position of the brass section
settled in and waited in anticipation of the second set
apart from working in a new lineup mr k has been writing some new material
and the promise was of a full run-through of the new album in this set
so upon return to the stage we were introduced to hang jean lee
i must admit from that point on i lost track of the tunes and titles
all i know was i sat there utterly gobsmacked at the intensity of the sound coming my way
ed looking completely in control and totally detached and absorbed
he has put together a band that surely must now be close to his perfection
jeffery wegener seems to be his musical muse as they lock in frequently
peter oxley plays a fluid bass that by demand is all over the place
the touch of keyboards and especially cello add a richness to the music
and the boys on brass (sorry - unidentified) come and go expertly
there was one moment where ed was head-on, face-down to the blasting brass
i was as close as i could get but could only imagine the satisfaction ed must have been enjoying
knowing that at least musically all is good in his world
this is all going to sound very sycophantic but this is my truth
i sat there thinking if someone tapped me on the shoulder right now
and said these are the gates of heaven - come on through i would have gone
but then something quite unbelievably surreal happened
a smiling lindy morrison caught my eye and sat down to my front left
and from then on i watched a member of another iconic australian band
looking on in obvious admiration at what was happening in front of her
proving to me that mr k is the musician's musician
just now have to wake up the rest of the world
absolutely, stunningly, brilliantly, mind-numbingly stupefying
the homebake crowd won't know what hit them
i'm coming back for that
bye

1 giant leap

desert island dvd
assuming the desert island i get marooned on has a dvd player and screen
but apart from that if i ever had to pick just 1 dvd to keep this is the one
released in 2002 and watched multiple times since then
usually as tonight as the result of a rave to an acquaintance
and the opportunity then to fire up the projector and get taken away again
always best viewed with total focus and volume at the upper levels
there's 11 short films that make up the full picture
but there's a lot in common with each story that leads to that cliched saying
about the sum being greater than the individual parts
music is what the film is built around
a great fusion of traditional instruments and musicians of the world
mixed in with electronica and dance beats that create a unique sound
there's the occasional gentle bamboo flute or solo voice or other acoustic sound
but inevitably the beat kicks in that builds and drives forward each segment
speaking from total inexperience but it strikes me any of the tunes
could be used at a dance/rave party where beat, noise, mix-up is essential
but back in the comfort of the home theatre environment
commentary is the major feature of the film
brian eno talks about the need to embrace future generations
anita roddick (rip) succinctly describes the success of the consumerism strategy
michael franti also bears down on the pay them and slay them mentality
dennis hopper very humbly muses on the miracle of life
kurt vonnegut (rip) describes his reliance on music as a saviour of life
tom robbins tells a brilliant story complete with puppetry about enlightenment
and many others add their thoughts, stories, anecdotes on their meaning of life
the visuals are stunning
it's not about the beauty of the planet upon which we live
but the diversity and commonality of the peoples that it supports
the musicians and singers are featured in each segment
before ineveitably giving way to a mighty collage of images appropriate to the theme
time, god, money, death, masks, are some of the titles and subjects of each segment
it is quite a dense visual production which means repeat viewing is mandatory
it would be impossible to take it all in with one viewing
which is probably why i keep going back to it repeatedly and keep seeing new things
it does have a great worldliness as it is devoid of nationalism and patriotism
though some separate words of wisdom from an aborigine and a maori
provide a local interest to an otherwise world-view feel
cleverly the producers have avoided politics and politicians
which also adds to the timelessness of the production
unity through diversity is the chosen catch-cry
the good news is that part 2 is currently in production
every home, school and desert island should have 1 giant leap
totally engaging

orpheus

favourite song time following on from previous random tunes blog posting
i did a google search for david sylvian to find out the year of release of brilliant trees
got delivered up in the results a youtube link to the promotional clip for this song
which just so happens to be about my all time favourite tune by this near all time favourite performer
so of course i clicked onto the link and sat mesmerised
as i watched and listened to this superb song
the video complements the song beautifully
so another link to a lyrics database site
delivers up the lyrics as follows
i think they are quite profound
it's just the best song
and at 2 minute 17 seconds remaining
a moment of silence
that i just want to live in
sigh....



standing firm on this stony ground
the wind blows hard
pulls these clothes around
i harbour all the same worries as most
the temptations to leave or to give up the ghost
i wrestle with an outlook on life
that shifts between darkness and shadowy light
i struggle with words for fear that they'll hear
but orpheus sleeps on his back still dead to the world

sunlight falls, my wings open wide
there's a beauty here i cannot deny
and bottles that tumble and crash on the stairs
are just so many people i knew never cared
down below on the wreck of the ship
are a stronghold of pleasures i couldn't regret
but the baggage is swallowed up by the tide
as orpheus keeps to his promise and stays by my side

tell me, i've still a lot to learn
understand, these fires never stop
believe me, when this joke is tired of laughing
i will hear the promise of my orpheus sing

sleepers sleep as we row the boat
just you the weather and i gave up hope
but all of the hurdles that fell in our laps
were fuel for the fire and straw for our backs
still the voices have stories to tell
of the power struggles in heaven and hell
but we feel secure against such mighty dreams
as orpheus sings of the promise tomorrow may bring

tell me, i've still a lot to learn
understand, these fires never stop
please believe, when this joke is tired of laughing
i will hear the promise of my orpheus sing

random tunes part 12

i do like playing this game with the random tune generator
there's about 1,000 tunes currently stacked into my realplayer jukebox
all recorded directly from entire cds recorded from the collection
these days new cds are added immediately into the jukebox
then shelved for later examination, loaning, giving
considering about 30,000 tunes can fit into the average ipod/iriver these days
i have a long way to go to fill it up
another project to be attended to as time (and money) permits
red guitar by david sylvian
did i ever mention that imho this man can do no wrong
this one was the big single from his first solo album titled brilliant trees (1984)
you can hear the japan sound and the 80's production
but timelessness is to me the trademark of his solo work
as in this one - re-mastered it sounds like something he could have put out at any time
year of the bloated goat by laughing clowns
i just knew the clowns were going to come blasting out next as soon as mr sylvian faded out
another reminder of re-mastered 80's music = totally contemporary sounding music
a typically strong brass riff re-occurs throughout this one
there's also an almost free-form jazz sound happening in the middle and on fade-out
can't wait to here mr k later this week complete with a brass section - clowns style
the light at the end of the tunnel (was a train coming the other way) by richard hawley
love this instrumental piece off his second album late night final
one of the most under-rated artists around again imho
you hear this tune about once and it just seems like it has been around forever
definitely one on my list of absolute favourite instrumental tracks
finishes with a very apt recording of a train - very clever
malmequer (loves me, loves me not) by mariza
this lady is absolutely, unbelievably, stunningly brilliant in concert
saw her as the headline act at womadelaide earlier this year
thought then and still think that i have never been so captivated by a performance
it's the melancholia of the fado style delivered by a beautiful voice and lady
and augmented by superb musicianship - in this case mandolin, violin, classical guitar - gorgeous
no words of honour by laughing clowns
maybe it's ed's night tonight - no problem with that for me
another tune with a very strong and unique riff
actually this reminds me of a few tunes from his subsequent solo period
this is quite a harsh and raw sound with guitar, piano, and sax sharing honours equally
drums and bass holding it all together as is their task
if you go far enough by jan garbarek
44 seconds of solo clarinet from the master norwegian
from his excellent album titled in praise of dreams on the ecm label
which tonight stands for eclectic contemporary music
i own half a dozen or so albums of that label and they are all excellent
that's yet another project - gather every ecm recording ever released (well?)
the disillusionist by the church
priest=aura is an album that demands repeat playing and absorbing
by all accounts (his own) mr kilbey was in the middle of his smack addiction during recording
which probably explains the darkness, strength and originality of the tunes on the album
as in this one which also contains some quite obscure lyrics
which i have given up trying to interpret - thought that is not new with this band's songwriter
workingman's blues by bob dylan
this is the closing track from his latest and greatest album titled modern times
the only dylan album i have ever owned or listened to
so a very late starter but no problem with that as anything else i have heard has not interested me much
stating the bleeding obvious of course but he can turn a wicked phrase
i love the line in this anthemic type song - sleep is just like a temporary death
abillera by the necks
there are 3 tracks on the album put out by the necks titled chemist
each one around 20 minutes in length
they have no fear of being minimal, extremely repetitive, or unclassifiable
some people want to define them as a band of the j genre
but not me - this one slots them nicely into the n genre - noise - addictive as usual
secret corners by the church
aah - excellent way to wrap up this session of random tunes
the blurred crusade was released in 1982 and again lately in remastered form
1 minute and 46 seconds of blissed out nostalgia from the band like no other
who is this child, who is this man, only 2 people who are doing all they can
run to the secret corners of your room, i'll still be waiting, i'll still be waiting

over and out

chamame (argentina)

i've had a bit of fun with this rhythm of the world from argentina
another one in the list of 50 documented by songlines magazine
unlike some of the styles already covered but not too well represented in youtube
chamame seems to be very popular with a bunch of videos to view
one that caught my eye particularly was a slide show of photos taken in argentina (presumably)
it looks to be a beautiful and very colourful country
here's the songlines quote regarding chamame
from the rich soils of corrientes and misiones
chamame sprouted when migrant workers from eastern europe
rubbed hoes with guarani natives and africans from brazil
the sprightly rhythm has been a folk dance favourite since the late 19th century
but it was legendary accordionist mario del transito cocmarola (1918-1974)
who turned it into a powerful regional roots music
the title of his most iconic song, kilometro 11
evokes a landscape where there are no great cities
just milestones where people chat, flirt, dance and, occassionally, despair
in all his compositions, cocomarola balances the melancholy and passion of chamame
with it's sweet, rocking beat
i did a youtube search for mario del transito cocomarola
and hit on the above-mentioned slide-show
full of great photos with excellent transition effects
with the tune of kilometro 11 as the soundtrack
but in keeping with the process of this project so far
i've selected a video of a band playing music of the chamame style
it sounds remarkably similar to the mario del transito number
so presumably is a fine example of this style
a very nice blend of acoustic guitar and accordian with a strong bass line
and a touch of melancholic in the feel and lyrics (i assume)
the band is called la nueva luna
(10 of 50)

choro (brazil)

this is a style that i feel i have become slightly familiar with
largely because of a dvd i bought and watched a few months ago titled brasileirinho
which roughly translated i presume means choro in brazil
the film is about the impact of choro music on brazilian society
centred around the preparations for a concert by the various musicians
and culminating in the concert itself in an theatre in rio de janeiro
choro music seems to be quite soulful
as opposed to it's close relation of the light-hearted bossa nova
there are some great scenes in the film of audience participation
indicating a passion for the music that invokes great comraderie
seems the grandfather of choro is a chap called pixinguinha
wrote and performed a lot of classic choro tunes from the 1920's onwards
the clip below is from the closing scenes of the film
performed by one of the groups seen often in the buildup to the concert
a group called trio madeira brasil
here's what songlines had to say about choro
(9 of 50)

choro is the ragtime of brazil and the mother of samba and bossa nova
for just as jazz lies latent in ragtime, so those later rhythms lie latent in choro
the rhythm grew from a fusion of african and european dance hall styles - particularly polka
rio's masked balls, including those at carnavale were exclusive for the white and rich
and like carnavale itself, choro was born when poor african brazilians
created their own festivities in the favelas which honeycombed rio's hills
even in the early 20th century

bernie mcgann quartet

i'd left the decision to go this show very late in the day
so had a feeling i would miss the start and maybe not get a ticket
my first fear was confirmed as i arrived at the door to hear them underway
but no problem with the ticket - walked in to a near empty venue
i took a seat of choice a row or so back from the stage
my thoughts were immediately with the lack of audience
what is it with this city of 4 million plus people
that only about 30 of us can be bothered
to be entertained by one of the living legends of australian music
bernie mcgann plays his saxophone like he was born with it
his age, experience and talent takes his music up a level
beyond technical excellence to that soul kind of feeling
warwick adler on trumpet is his musical equal
they have obviously played together many, many times
again it has to be more than amazing musical talent
that means they can come in, harmonise, and finish tunes
note and beat perfect repeatedly without the aid of sheet music
the other big drawcard for me tonight was the rhythm section
james waples on drums is surely headed for legend status himself
i've seen him on quite a few occassions lately
in outfits that have allowed him space to be totally inventive
tonight he assumed the required role of a more conservative contributor
but within that still provided a huge array of beats and sounds
this man is such a dedicated musician he tunes his instrument between sets
he probably does not even realise it but that in itself is a performance
tonight he was doing this as inobtrusively as possible
but did so while a fairly sparse bit of solo sax was being quietly broadcast
meaning the between set music became a very spontaneous creation - thanks james
brother ben on double bass is also one i have a lot of admiration for
which started several years ago when i first encountered his regular band
tonight he also had the opportunity to play more conservatively
which for him meant he could be a lot more rhythmical than usual
he very much confirmed that he is up there with the best
so tonight's quartet is capable of providing a great noise
and they did - probably 8 or so long tunes over the course of the evening
all totally captivating and played with great skill and feeling
a new tune titled all care and no responsibility was introduced by mr mcgann
...which means we can f*#k it up was the quiet retort from warwick adler
but no chance of that as the brass section again played as though singing
and the rhythm section carried the tune like a train on a track
there were mistakes and awkward moments during this new tune
mostly to do with throwing control from solo mode back to band mode
but that to me adds to the live experience with this style of music
especially when the moment is handled with grace and good humour on stage
the final tune of the night was a eastern tinged number
written by a bernie mcgann compatriot from his days in new york
it struck me as being quite a complex but very satisfying piece
as was the entire nights set of tunes
shame more people weren't there to witness it
an excellent quartet

calypso (trinidad)

it had to happen at some point in proceedings
thought it would have happened sooner actually
but in that sense i have been pleasantly surprised
every rhythm encountered in this 1 to 50 countthrough
has had a number of suitable and good quality clips on youtube
so a relatively quick exercise to pick one and link it in as an example
but today has seen a number of hours spent trying to uncover one for calypso
seen some very interesting stuff along the way
mostly confirming this resource by nature
can be all over the place
my theory is that the pure form of calypso
was born in the poorer parts of trinidad in an otherwise dull decade
before the advent of cheap film recording equipment
and definitely not in the hands of the fans of calypso
there's plenty of examples of calypso's descendent called soca
modernised, synthesized, homogenised? (the word fits)
and only a couple of listenable and watchable clips of the original
the one below is by the original hero of calypso lord kitchener
who apparantly took the sound to london in the 1950's
this clip was recorded in 1999 so he's been doing it for a long time
sorry about the quality (and the sponsor)
here's what songlines had to say
(8 of 50)

late 19th century african work songs co-parented calypso
and the earliest recordings (1914) feature tambour-bamboo drums with acoustic guitars
by the 40's, tuned steel drums (pans) carried the lightly syncopated springy rhythms
which support the calypsonians' improvised poetry
patois, slang and double entendre satires of topical subjects
(political scandals to cricket)
are wielded in the annual carnivale calypso monarch contests
calypso reached post-war london via lord kitchener and friends
and 50's superstar mighty sparrow was overshadowed
by harry belafonte's diluted million-seller 'calypso' in 1956
by the 80's, calypso was displaced by the soul/calypso fusion, soca

random tunes part 11

haven't played this game for quite a while
been distracted by the current obsession with searching out youtube videos
time to crank up the iriver jukebox and hear some old favourites
or at least see what gets tossed up off albums i have loaded into the iriver
good, bad or otherwise (though a good chance of leaning to the good)
mali sadio by toumani diabate's symmetric orchestra
this is a superb album of beautifully produced and rich west african music
on this one the master cranks up his kora and his voice
then introduces a slow but very strong handclap style beat
with a very meaty bassline, some electronica and ali farke toure style guitar
a long seductive rambling tune that no doubt has some strong political message also (?)
new feet by brian eno and david byrne
one of the better re-issues of the last few years has been my life in the bush of ghosts
loved it on release in the early 80's - love it even more in it's remastered form from last year
totally unbelievably contemporary electronica sounding from the future not nearly 30 years past
this one is just total random beats and some kind of sampled indian chant voices
old world meets new world - crazy stuff but also just so infectious
theme from mad flies, mad flies by the laughing clowns
this is why i love this random tunes nonsense game thing
it brilliantly puts tracks and artists together that otherwise may not be connected
in this case we're also talking about a tune from the early 80's since remastered
lots of stabbing, dischordant brass and a totally rhythmical bass line
ed's in there powering away on this absolute classic, futuristic, ageless piece of superb noise
this room by fat freddy's drop
this outfit totally deserves all the plaudits being laid upon them
best band out of nz, the pacific sound, world music savoiurs, etc, etc, etc
saw them live at womadelaide earlier this year in a mid afternoon spot - cook they did
ska meets reggae meets electronica meets crooning meets dance meets funk meets groove
this one is a smoking, beat laden, up-tempo tune once again featuring the smooth vocals of dallas tamaira
i wanna love, i don't wanna fight yeah yeah...repeat, repeat, repeat
the levee's gonna break by bob dylan
never thought i'd see the day that i actually listened to let alone rave about a bob zimmerman album
but last year's album titled modern times is an absolute pearl of an album
get the impression in one foul swoop he basically makes redundant a lot of his contemporaries efforts
this tune rocks along very nicely but as seems usual with b d there's meaning in them lyrics
if it keep on raining the levee gonna break, some people still sleeping, some people are wide awake
business woman by the church
off the hugely under-rated (aren't they all) album titled sometime anywhere
i tend to ignore, bypass, switch-off or otherwise switch to non-attentive mode when this one comes up on the album
it strikes me as one of a few church tracks that seems to be a result of auto-generate
but when listened to in isolation (as here) it takes on a life of it's own
and again demonstrates the absolute adherence of the church to always giving all in production
pila pila by not drowning, waving
sticking with the australian band theme born in the 1980's
another underrated outfit that certainly achieved their best without knowing it
confirmed by a full performance of the tabaran album at womadelaide a couple of years ago
this is a simple and short little ditty that blends an irish jig kind of feel
with reference to the papua new guinea lifestyle that formed the basis of the full album
wai by bonny price billy
curiousity got the better of me with this american based singer-songwriter
read many reviews about the strength of the album this is from titled the letting go
i'm still waiting to be hooked, won over, taken in, convinced
as with this tune he has a fine ear for production of his acoustic guitar based music
i think it may be a grower, a sleeper, a repeat-player - we shall see - ahem - the jury is out
woman of the world by double
another surprise re-mastered, re-issued. re-loved 80's classic album
this swiss based 'jazz' outfit burst forth with an album titled blue
had completely forgotten about it until it popped up somewhere somehow sometime ago
bought the remastered cd and now have it on high rotation
it's just so 80's but beautififully produced and damn catchy with it - as with this one
milonga de mis amores by the dino saluzzi group
a very nice seque into this similarly produced track from this outfit
which i actually do not know much about except they are on the eclectic ecm label
their bandoneon centred, electric jazz guitar based sound caught my ear a while ago
they hail from argentina which may explain the emphasis on the bandoneon
a very original and fine sound that would not be out of place in concert halls

damn fine fun had with this week's 10 random tunes
stay tuned (sorry 'bout that)

bulerias (spain)

moving right along with this fun little project
of putting moving pictures in with copied text
to better understand some of the rhythms of the world
songlines magazine did an article a year or so ago nominating 50 styles
since reading that i have been on a musical mission trying to get my ears tuned in
and with the amazing resources of youtube it is also possible to put pictures to words
here's what songlines had to say about the style known as bulerias
bulerias get their name from burlar (to make fun of)
and were created by gypsies of jerez de la frontera
playing around with alegria (and solea) rhythms
making the accentuation of their rhythmic count far more complex
upbeat favourites for fiestas, they were integral to the renovation of flamenco
by the groundbreaking 80's generation
they also recommended an artist by the name of jose merce
of which there are many videos available
but he's just (ahem) a singer
i was more drawn to the guitarists
showing amazing dexterity at belting out the tunes
this one is by an artist named tomatito
recorded in 1980 so presumably at the start of the mentioned revolution
apart from the brilliant control of the guitar
the rapid hand-clapping and use of the body of the guitar as a bass drum
are also impressive features of this tune
(7 of 50)

the catholics

the vanguard on a wet monday night is not such a bad place to be
the catholics were officially launching their latest album
so a respectable sized crowd was in attendance
comprising a good number of friends, family and acquaintances i suspect
i'd had a not-so-good experience with the band several months ago
when they left me somewhat underwhelmed by their performance
though quite possibly due to my own expectations or circumstances
so tonight it was mostly a case of let's try that one again
there's no doubt this outfit essentially oozes with talent
the core trio of lloyd swanton, sandy evans and james greening
respectfully on double bass, saxophone and trombone
are all stars in their own right and augment any combination they appear with
tonight regulars fabia hevia, hamish stuart, bruce reid and jonathan pease
played respectively on percussion, drums, slide guitar and guitar
i really do admire the skills of all these musicians
they move so easily between styles and can cover a lot of ground
which i think is what i find almost irritating about them
it's quite difficult to settle into a set and stay with them totally
each tune is another fine example of their absolute versatility
at one point i was thinking they would make such a great party band
which may very well be the point of their existence
maybe they just want to have fun playing together
not to be taken at all too seriously
which may also explain the interlude music
an early album of ad/dc with a jimi hendrix dvd as a visual backdrop
a curious selection of between set entertainment
that had me wondering whether that was the band or the venue's choice
either way by the time they had returned to the stage
the first set had been all but forgotten
and we were then taken through another set of tunes
comprising some catholics originals and a few classic covers
done in catholics style as we were advised by leader lloyd swanton
this style seems mostly to be an upbeat caribbean feeling groove
quite loud and very dancey-feely though not tonight at this venue
at the end of the second set they received a rousing ovation
me - same kind of feeling as previous
they are really, really good at what they do
just seems to lack something
soul maybe

bossa nova (brazil)

seems bossa nova is one of those styles that comes and goes
since it's invention in brazil in the 50's
a few years ago when lounge music was all the go
bossa nova made a resurgence (again)
i must admit i have never been a big fan of this music
all a bit middle of the road for me i think
it's all just a bit too nice and gentle
and i like many probably was over-exposed to the big hit
about a girl from a place called ipanema
here's what songlines magazine had to say about bossa nova
bossa nova has been synonymous with brazil - and rio
since its inception in 50's copacabana
by singer-guitarist joao gilberto
pianist-composer antonio 'tom' jobin
and poet-lyricist vinicius de moares
bossa drew on samba's 2/4 notation but without the frienzedly syncopated percussion
a deliciously awkward dialogue exists between voice and guitar
and finger-picked chords relish the desafinado (out of tune) commemorated in jobim's classic
discreet cymbal beats imitate a woman's sashaying hips
bossa's debut was jobim's existentially melancholy 'chega de saudade'
immortalised in gilberto's 1958 version
while 'garota de ipanema' (girl from) by his wife astrud
launched an international frenzy and jazz collaborations led by stan getz
it captivated the world and even tropicalistas like caetano veloso
and today's electronica set explore it
this clip is apparantly a bossa nova standard titled wave
and features above-mentioned antonio 'tom' jobin on piano
from a live studio performance in 1978
(6 of 50)

alister spence trio

the aptly named stone gallery in paddington is a superb music venue
i've often thought that churches could or should be used more for live music
other than that which comes naturally as part of regular services
tonight the impressive looking church organ lay dormant
was superceded by a trio of upstarts on their own less impressive looking instruments
i made the mistake of driving to the venue
and then got caught up in the game of let's find a carpark
in a suburb which draws large saturday night crowds of winers and diners
so walked into the show a tad late which was a bit unsettling
mainly because my ears could not adjust to the acoustics
the trio were making a noise that was all thrashing, crashing drums and cymbals
which was bouncing around off the walls and ceilings
leaving me feeling a little bit uncomfortable with my tardiness
unbelievably the place was thin on the ground in audience members
lots of empty chairs amongst the 100 or so set up for the occasion
my eyes went looking for the promised visual companion to the concert
all i could make out was a set of small screens set up like a barrier
at ground level to stage right and obscured from sight for most of the audience
as the first (or second?) tune wound up alister spence took to the microphone
and introduced the band and the special guest of louise curham on visuals
i took the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make out as though just starting
so eased very gently into a piece of music titled luminescence
this started out with some noise noodling sampling stuff
before the trio took over on traditional instruments
mr spence playing some repeat harmonious chords on his grand piano
toby hall starting out on glockenspiel and moving to gentle drums and percussion
lloyd swanton caressing his double bass to provide the rhythm
louise curhams projectors pushing images from behind in sync with the music
now this is all starting to work for me
as i do love experimentation, improvisation, visualisation
not to mention relaxation which is where i was now heading as i gave into the music
my ears were now tuned in and absorbing all sorts of sounds
the acoustics of this building are so good
that even the low clatter of the projectors sitting on carpet could be heard
i relocated to a front row seat for the second set
from here i could see that the visuals were there more for them than us
in most pieces the trio spent their time with eyes fixed on the random images
as though providing inspiration or detachment
whatever it was worked for them as the music coming our way was superb
this was a trio in complete control and in unison
moving between improvisation and set pieces with ease
at one point i recall being lost in what i thought was an improvised piece
to then witness the 3 musicians do a stop-start with perfect timing
the material seemed to be dominated by tunes from their latest album mercury
this was one very special concert in a very special setting
and with the visuals i have often thought would augment this kind of music
i hope they get to do it again soon
to a larger audience
totally satisfying

be here now

sometimes it seems a song leaps out of nowhere
gets stuck in the head or just keeps re-appearing
in some way and demands some kind of attention
like a child or a pet or in my case an obsession
first heard this tune on a sampler cd from a magazine subscription
kind of fell into it almost immediately
it got played repeatedly for a period of time
bought the album and overdosed on it
so had to put it and the song away for a while
it then reappeared in the shorts for a film seen recently
away from her
a very natural link between the film and song title
be here now
conceived, written, nurtured and performed by ray lamontagne
i went to see the film in no small part because of this song
but clever marketing people had the better of me
it's not used at all in the film so marketing 1 snoner 0
in the end this is a good thing
for i am mostly a bit wary of the use of songs to sell a story
and the film now lives in my head apart from the song
but the song is back out front demanding attention
so needs a pat on the head and to be sent off again
youtube to the rescue again
this clip is totally unofficial
it's an amateur video using the tune as backing
but the style of the video seems to have been fashioned on the film
here's the tune and the lyrics below
big breath....

don't let your mind get weary and confused
your will be still, don't try
don't let your heart get heavy child
inside you there's a strength that lies

don't let your soul get lonely child
it's only time, it will go by
don't look for love in faces, places
it's in you, that's where you'll find kindness

be here now, here now
be here now, here now

don't lose your faith in me
and I will try not to lose faith in you
don't put your trust in walls
'cause walls will only crush you when they fall

be here now, here now
be here now, here now

benga (kenya)

benga emerged as a pop style in the 50's
when kenyan musicians began adapting for acoustic guitar
the traditional dance rhythms of the luo people
originally played on instruments such as the nyatiti (eight stringed lyre)
by the 60's the likes of shirati jazz had electrified the sound
into a fast but fluid hypnotic push-and-pull rhythm
characterised by soft vocal harmonies and intersecting lead guitars
which has dominated kenyan music ever since
this is how songlines magazine described benga
in it's article of last year naming 50 rhythms in the world of music
i must admit i tend to favour african music above most others of the world genre
so this description had me very curious to get a listen happening
did a bit of a search for the word in youtube and came up with a number of clips
including 1 or 2 by the group called shirati jazz talked out above
but the one that caught my ear and eye is by a performer named musa juma
seems he and his band are well revered in their home country of kenya
in this clip they are seem performing at a club in nairobi
the musicianship is superb with that uniquely african ringing singing guitar sound
that i have heard mostly with another favourite group called the bhundu boys
who are actually referred to as a band playing jit music
so presumably benga (kenya) is closely related to jit (zimbabwe)
in the following clip we can see the band performing with confidence
and the audience grooving away also most comfortably
(5 of 50)

away from her

i saw the shorts to this film a few weeks back and it sort of resonated
even though i have an aversion to films that subject leans towards the schmaltzy
but the shorts included a tune that may well be the one for me of 2007
be here now by ray lamontagne
as stated previously i think this one is an absolute gift of a song
acoustic guitar and strings backing up the man singing about finding inner strength
to deal with that which he is confronted - whatever that may be
so when this song featured strongly in the shorts it seemed a great match
in the film a man has to cope with the loss of his wife of 44 years to alzheimers disease
the setting of winter in canada added to the attraction of the film
i've not seen much of julie christie in the past but she is one beautiful lady
it may be an overused expression but she inhabited the character she was playing
gave a totally convincing performance of a lady slowly losing her marbles
though the story had a twist that suggested she in fact may have been feigning her illness
which for a while had me looking for signs of an actor playing the part of a lady acting she was ill
which seemed doubtful which in itself says a lot about julie christie's skill
for it was certainly most likely the lady really did have alzheimers
gordon pinsent playing the husband was also totally convincing
it was a slow gentle descent for him into the realisation of what he was up against
as his wife decided she really needed to be in a nursing home
to which he reluctantly agreed and then had to deal with the agony
of losing her both emotionally and physically
this would all suggest that we have the makings of a very sad film
which to a degree it is but also quite refreshing in it's subject
there can be no argument that we are all heading to the same place
that being old(er) age with the inevitable loss of mind, body, partners and so on
but we may all be better for facing up to that and seeing this kind of film
rather than live in a constant state of denial as it is easier to do
there's quite a lot of flash-forward happening in the film
so we can see where the film is heading before we get there
which in this case works quite well when it becomes apparant this is happening
the film is augmented by some great acting from the 2 main characters
and is set in a beautiful crisp setting of the winter snow season
which ironically turns to spring as the film concludes
there is some very appropriate and appealing background music
including some famous canadian performers (not old but...)
though no hint of the song they used in the trailer
grrrr...just as well the film was a good one anyway

bhangra (india/uk)

i'll get around to doing something a but more inventive/creative one day
other than copying text from a magazine and linking in youtube videos
but it's kind of fun putting pictures to words
to describe the list of 50 world music rhythms suggested by songlines magazine
and besides it's an educational process
i reckon i could now name the 3 previously mentioned rhythms
axe, adi-talam and afro-beat if i stumbled across them somewhere
though hardly in the city i live in any given night of the week
though maybe i just haven't looked hard enough
tonight we move into b territory
bhangra being the first b in this blog
songlines quote -
in the last 30 years, bhangra has come a long way
it started out in india's punjab
as a traditional music for bringing in the harvest
but has become one of the world' great urban styles
it's basis is the single-stringed tumbi played over infectious dhol drums
all supporting extrovert and melodramatic vocals
british punjabis revolutionised bhangra
crossbreeding it with the disco, pop and dance music they came into contact with in the west
this fed back to the subcontinent where bhangra rules
dominating indo-pop and bollywood film scores
the dhol foundation are a large ensemble that would lean towards the urban style
no vocals but 6 dudes on dhol drums across the front of the stage
backed up by bass player, drummer and another percussionist
saw them at womadelaide where i took the photo above
kicked up a storm they did
had the crowd up from their afternoon siesta in no time at all
and proceeded to push out some amazing beats with some syncronised movements
so it was a highly charged aural and visual show
johnny kalsi (right of photo) is the founder of the group
london born and bred (great accent) and taking his home countries music to the masses
the following video is quite long but it's the best quality one i could find
shows very well their amazing rhythmical skills
bhangra - bang on
(4 of 50)

axe (brazil)

now this is going to be fun
i've done the hard job of transcribing the songlines article of july 2006
listing their 50 rhythms of the world
this information is scattered throughout past postings on this blog
lately i've been all over youtube finding all sorts of interesting stuff
music, comedy, current affairs, bizarre, sad, offensive, interesting, etc, etc
so i'm now going to see if it is possible to dig up some clip
relating to each of the 50 styles that are recommended
so that we have an audio-visual example of each style
which has got to be a lot more interesting than boring old text
tonight we'll go with axe (pronounced ashay) from brazil - quoting songlines again -
a rhythm which when pronounced in portuguese (ashay) is left free of any heavy metal overtones
is the party music of the bahian people
it sounds like samba but played whilst on speed and red bull
it's a relentlessly pounding, energised dance beat, driven by drums and frantic syncopation
and best heard in a heavy sweat and thick crowd at carnaval in salvador
for a hint of what axe is all about, invite lots and lots of friends around, down a few caipirinhas
play some axe extra loud, and let all your hips and inhibitions go
songlines recommended a performer by the name of ivete sangalo
turns out this performer may well be the most popular female singer in brazil
this is one very interesting clip and presumably represents axe well
look at the size and enthusiasm of the crowd - unbelievable
that's one huge band on stage also
feeling positively ignorant about this lady
but now slightly enlightened....
(3 of 50)