Yearly Archives: 2013

Thanks Paul for this short clip – we are in Bangkok, Thailand and have been working on a wonderful new piece of music, drums and voice, with Yam Bongkote. Yam has a real understanding of how to mix the traditional Thai vocals with a more modern style of singing. The picture gives you an idea of what I used – bass drum, floor tom, gongs, small Thai drum, Khmer mahori drum, shaker and a skateboard!

In order to get the full experience – there is nothing like traveling around Phnom Penh in a tuk tuk. The music is from the Garlands for Ashes CD we recorded in 2011.

On our arrival we listen to the drum orchestra practicing – getting ready for the following days recording.

A student learns from two master players. Pastor David spent a number of years studying music in Berlin during the communist era, allowing him to miss the Pol Pot regimes harsh dictatorship. He has become very well known as a composer of Khmer music. The other teacher is a master Tro Sao player – both play a big part in teaching at the school.

We have been out in Spain and read about this regional style of flamenco from rural Malaga in the local paper.  With a more elaborate rhythm section of  hand claps, castanets, finger cymbals and tambourine,  it gives a subtle Arabic feel to the music. I have heard this started as a very old style of folk song, that has over the years been adopted into the flamenco tradition. Verdailes is the name for the olive grown in this area of Andalucia – more info.

Another interesting podcast  (thanks Kathryn O’Neil)  from the World Service about flamenco music being revived as a form of protest during the economic crisis in Spain.

Thanks Larry (NZ) for finding this very interesting project from Mexico – taking objects that have been used for violence and having the creativity to see the possibilities of using them to make music.