Found this quote in one of my old National Geographic’s – “Look, I was born in Austro-Hungary,” said a man in his 80’s. “I grew up in Czechoslovakia, suffered from Germans, spent 40 years in a colony of Russia – without leaving Prague! Now we’re Czechs again, like we’ve been for a thousand years. What’s so bad about that?” (Sept 1993 Nat Geog). Just about sums up their history – this has all added to the most unique architecture and design.
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.
Reading a wonderful book called “A House in Bali” about Colin McPhee’s journey with Balinese music. He was the main person who enlightened the rest of the world to sacred Gamelan with years of intensive investigation and writing. Read More
At an open mic night we heard some wonderful Czech folk songs – the 3 singers are –
- Romana Kročilová
- Elenora Fikesová
- Monika Součková
For translation Read More
During our trip to the Czech Republic we came across these street musicians busking in Prague. A unique blend of Czech folk music using bagpipes.
“We have always had a strong tradition of music” declares Charles University musicologist Jarmila Gabrielová. “I found it is a rare Czech who doesn’t play some instrument – or at the very least sing”. Read More
Thanks Bonnie Low for passing on this video which tells the story of a photographers journey amongst the Oglala Lakota Nation. It changed his life. What encouraged us is that through the building of relationships and hearing their stories, his reason for taking pictures suddenly takes a back step as he starts to look at the deeper issues of life on Native American Indian reservations. Well worth a watch.
Thanks to Bonnie for introducing us to this wonderful TV documentary from New Zealand about 4 musicians, Ruia Aperahama, Maisey Rika, Anika Moa and Warren Maxwell who take the art of songwriting into prisons. With the incredible technology we have at our finger tips today you can watch the whole series on the web – Maori TV – Songs from the inside.
In February 2014, a second series of programs started, this time Auckland prisons Paremoremo and the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility were the recipients of the musical program. Joining Anika Moa this time is; Don McGlashan, Laugton Kora and Annie Crummer. Video from this series will also be available globally online.
We had a another great week with the Gateway community in the mountains @ Moniatis – after our time of stories and teaching we had a day doing some wandering around the island. The church of Saint Paraskevi near Pafos in Geroskipou village, had the most amazing frescoes, some of which were painted in the 1oth Century.
Fun day – adding some sparkle and glitter with these cool instruments on the new Jess Penner project.
Great night playing music to support KUGA (Kaua’i Underground Artists). We were fund raising for an annual initiative called Love Life Creative Festival that started in 2009 after a spate of suicides on the island amongst the youth. KUGA are committed to the development of children and young adults in a positive and creative environment through dance, music and lyrics.
We had a great morning recording on the island of Hawai’i – we met Lokelani Dahl and she shared with us a few Hawaiian Oli (chants). The Hawaiian language was not written down until the 1820’s and so before this time there way of preserving history was through the use of songs, chants, and poems. Read More
Just had a wonderful afternoon discovering more about an area in Mexico that has fascinated me for a long time since I read an article in National Geographic. For most people Mariachi will be the music that is synonymous with Mexico. Yet this wonderful country is rich in different types of indigenous music that goes back for at least 4000 years. Singer Eugenia León explores this wonderful heritage in a 3 part series. Here is one of the episodes.
