Thanks Seth Gidiony – just got sent some pictures from Mnase village showing the dispensary storm damage and then repairs being made to the broken windows. So thankful to all who bought the CD Sing to the Well project. Finances still help with continued community support.
Martin’s Musical Mystery Tour – Ok so this month’s blog was inspired by a joke! Like drummers, accordion players also get the brunt of them, and so let’s take a listen. We start off with Greek singer and composer Magda Giannikou, who is joined here with the band Snarky Puppy. Check our her group Banda Magda.
I am back after a Swedish tour with musician friend Mark Riley from Hawai’i. During a couple of days off, I got to capture some video of this beautiful country. I also met up with Annelie Westerlund from Alingsås, who talked about the resurgence of folk music. She also told me some great stories of how music had impacted her life and how she was able to use music to encourage others.
After many trips to Sweden I finally got a chance to sit with a Nyckleharpa player. I had heard the stories and seen videos but this was the first time to see the instrument up close – and what a work of art. The making of instruments always fascinates me and I could see the influences of the hurry-gurdy that must have inspired the inventors way back in the mists of time. This particular instrument was made by Annelie Westerlund’s father. Read More
I found this curious sand hourglass in a church on Skaftö Island, Sweden. In days past, an hourglass was turned when the priest started preaching. Apparently, if he didn’t finish before the sand ran out, permission was given for people to leave the church!
This remote island community of around 2000, explodes during the summer vacation to over 20,000! Arriving after the storm is like walking into a very beautiful ghost town, almost all the shops are closed and only a few tourist stragglers are to be found enjoying the peace and quiet. Read More
The Heart of everything that is – Bob Drury & Tom Clavin
This book is more than the story of Red Cloud, the great Sioux warrior; it is a history of the Great Plains, chronicling the story of the land and it’s tribes. The ancient way of life is forced to change as a trickle of pioneers from the East coast turns to a rush of settlers to the gold fields in the West. This book is an incredibly honest narrative of the men and woman behind the stories of intrigue, councils, trade, betrayal and confrontation.
