We are out on the beautiful island of Kaua’i working on some new recordings. Had to show you the beauty of this place – the oldest island of Hawai’i and in the centre Mount Wai’ale’ale one of the wettest places in the world – hence every thing on the island is so lush and colourful.
Just saw 2 great short films recently on a flight home. Lumaajuuq (pronounced Loo-my-you) an Inuit cartoon about the futility of revenge and Shi-shi-etko the story of a First Nations child being forced into residential schooling by the Canadian government. Here is a trailer.
We have all been shocked by the horrendous happenings in Norway and I have felt for my good friends in that beautiful country. In my thoughts I kept remembering a wonderful singer Hildegunn Vederhus who I had met this May in Norway. She told me some of the stories of her land and sang some of the old folk songs. This is just one (my friend John captured roughly on his Ipad) that she remembered from her childhood.
Here is her translation – very apt after the sadness of the last few days …. Read More
Here is a collection of new videos recorded on our 2011 return trip to Tanzania. A great rainy season has brought the best harvest for over 8 years which in turn has made an unbelievable difference to life in the village. Celebration is everywhere, not only for provision, we have arrived at a very special time of year in central Tanzania as Gogo children head out of the village for male circumcision …. the drummers are in full voice, often celebrating all through the night. Their light weight drums are made from a wood called muheme.
Check out more videos ….. Read More
Just watched an amazing piece of journalism on BBC 4 … harrowing but well worth the watch.
It’s a documentary about Comrade Duch, who ran the Tuol Sleng prison camp in Phnom Penh and was the first Khmer Rouge leader to be tried by the Cambodian courts for the regime’s crimes. On 28 February 2009 Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, appeared in the ECCC courtroom and made a two-hour speech where he asked for forgiveness for the appalling torture and execution of at least 13,000 prisoners at Tuol Sleng and probably more in the security camps of M-13 and M-99. Until this date, with the exception of a handful of judges, lawyers and a priest, he had not been seen or heard of for the last thirty years. How did a man, known to be kind and generous to fellow students, possibly transform himself into Comrade Duch, the Khmer Rouge’s infamous executioner? This documentary revisits and searches for clues.
Just come back from a wonderful few days in Gothenburg, Sweden recording a new CD with Viola Grafstrom. The line up was drums and percussion, double bass, piano, electric and acoustic guitars and a small 8 piece choir all recorded live in the studio.
Under Dina Vingars Skugga
There is a story attributed to Cherokee wisdom:
One evening a grandfather was teaching his young grandson about the internal battle that each person faces. “There are two wolves struggling inside each of us,” the old man said. “One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, fear…”The other wolf is compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, love…” The grandson sat, thinking, then asked: “Which wolf wins, Grandfather?” His grandfather replied, “The one you feed.”
Thoughts – Read More
