Due to high winds and a dust storm the medical dispensary in Tanzania has taken a hit with many broken windows. VFTN are sending resources to renew glass and curtains.
It was such an honour to be part of a gathering of Celtic and First Nations musicians in Nova Scotia. During the gathering we built a teepee (during which we got eaten by tons of midges!!) on the grounds and enjoyed a very special night with Frank and Josie from the Mi’kmaq people. They led us in a very special ceremony around the fire after which we celebrated with drum, singing and the talking stick was passed around.
2018 has been a difficult year for the local people as the fisheries department had not allowed net fishing due to the extremely low numbers of Chinook Salmon returning to the Stikine river. Fishing is not only the livelihood for this region but has major cultural significance as whole families gather, celebrate and live in communal fishing camps when the salmon are running! Read More
3 years ago we had been invited by Grand Chief Lynda Prince to visit the Tahltan people of Dease Lake in Northern British Columbia. A beautiful remote community that hugs the Stikine Canyon in rugged bear country! Their yearly summer music festival, (a vision of Uncle Willie and Auntie Grace Williams), whose inaugural reconciliatory event had brought together tribes who had had a history of infighting was in it’s 18thyear.
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Heading up the mighty Fraser River in B.C. Traveling up to Stikine Valley to be with the Tahltan people for their 20th annual music festival.
Rumble – anyone seen this movie? Looks very interesting – thanks Martin Myers for alerting me to it.
WOW – more amazing news – The album Carry Me On we produced has been named a finalist for the 41st Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for Religious Album of the Year category in Hawai’i. Read More
We were honoured to be back again to help with recording a gathering of many tribes from all over Turtle Island, this time at Feather Falls hosted by the Concow-Maidu people.
The British Library Sound Archives (formerly the National Sound Archives) contacted us after finding our web site saying “(we) see you are putting out some really great & interesting music”.
They have asked to hold our music saying – “we will catalogue and archive the music as part of the nation’s audio & cultural heritage …..with world class facilities at hand we can provide the safest possible home for your releases, both for preservation and access, for many generations to come.” Read More
Reminded today of a quote from a book ‘The Healing Drum” by Yaya Diallo.
“The star system I see in Western popular music goes very much against the standards of conduct for the village musician with which I was raised. The star does not give time to the community but to himself or herself. The star usually seeks to amaze people, not to care for them; to be admired and praised by the anonymous throngs, not to honour distinct individuals whose lives depend on one another in the community. It is forgotten that the reason for playing is to bring well-being to people. This is different from driving fans into ecstasies of overexcitement. Music should not be a means to building a personal cult. That is idolatry. My village tradition teaches that music is a calling greater than the individual. I can give my life to it if I love it. In serving this music, I can share with other people and contribute to their joy and health.”
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown” and he replied “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God, that shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way”, ‘so I went forth and finding the Hand of God and trod gladly into the night’.
This year will be quite a year for the Czech people – 100 years as an independent nation, 50 years since the Prague Spring and 25 years since the Czech Republic was founded. Music played a part in this story with Marta Kunišová’s song ‘A Prayer for Marta’ becoming an anthem of the resistance in 1968. Will be thinking of our friends as they remember these significant times during this year of 2018.
A wonderful sign in Sweden!!!! – Translates “We are sitting here talking crap!” These 2 strangers enjoyed posing for the picture – Tack!
