Before the sun had risen we set out travelling from the city of Phnom Penn along increasingly bumpy roads to rural Prassat. As we watched Cambodia raise her sleepy head, even at this early hour we saw an impoverished yet industrious people busy trying to eke out a living. Reaching the Mekong River we waited to catch a small over-loaded car ferry whilst being accosted by traders repeatedly urging us to buy cockroaches, beetles, grubs and all manner of delicious traveller’s snacks! Having paid for our crossing, the next step was not so easy. Bribing is now common occurrence through all strands of life, (a legacy some say of having to find any means to survive the Pol Pot genocide), and because our host wouldn’t play the game we had to wait whilst others were put on the impossibly rickety ferry first. Read More
I have many stories where music has played a part in bringing healing. I remember reading a book called “The Healing Drum” written by Yaya Diallo many years ago. In the tradition of the Minianka, music is a remedy for both physical and psychological imbalances.
Recently I read on the BBC web site “Musician Simon Lee, from Kent, is called on to teach drumming to patients with problems ranging from addiction to autism, and learning difficulties to mental health issues. He has even offered help to terminally ill patients needing palliative care. And he says the results are amazing.” Check out the rest of the article here.
In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions: When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
Was it the wind in the trees that got man to recognise the possibilities of using our breath to create sound through bone, cane, wood and plants? If vocal sounds were the beginnings of music, and percussion a close second - then maybe wind instruments were next in the exploration of sound and music. The day when man realised that a bone or a plant had its own voice must have been a special moment.
I was very fortunate to be invited to a First Nations pow wow many years ago – the drumming and singing are so powerful.
I love military drum players and this performance is sensational … bringing skill and fun together. This drum corp are from Switzerland.
On a hillside, high above a ravine lived a small boy and his family. There home was a very ordinary wood shack surrounded on three sides by trees. Life seemed very boring to this young boy and he dreamed of excitement and adventure. Often he would sit on their wooden porch late in the evening and watch the valley below, change colours as the sun went down. On the other side of the valley was another building and on certain evenings there would be an amazing sight, a miracle would happen, the house would explode with amazing golden windows. He would sit and dream about who lived there, how special they must be to live in such an amazing place. Read More
There are many who believe that music can influence society. One such lady is Malian born Oumou Sangare sometimes referred to as “The Songbird of Wassoulou.” Her songs have spoken into woman’s rights, child marriage and polygamy. The track “Yala” is a song that hit the dance floors of Mali and criticises young people who roam late at night in search of pleasure – forgetting their traditional values.
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Just heard about a new film/documentary about the Killing Fields in Cambodia. Looks like a very interesting project called “Enemies of the people” … check out there web site here.
