Just been producing a new project with the Endgame, a band based near Durham – a most enjoyable session – lots of laughs.
Just been producing a new project with the Endgame, a band based near Durham – a most enjoyable session – lots of laughs.
Here comes the rain
We are pleased to be part of an exciting event coming soon – “Imagine” – a celebration of cultures. Revel in the mix of voices, tastes, sounds, designs and movements!
Artists that will be sharing include –
– Dave Bilbrough (Gospel/Folk)
– Martin Neil (Voices From The Nations)
– Muyiwa (Gospel)
– Dan Bilbrough (World/Fusion/Electronica)
– John Ruston (Sitarist)
– Naujavan (Urban with a British Asian flavour)
– Jake Isaac (Gospel)
– The WEC Resonance Band (Multi Cultural expression)
– Andy Au (Movement and dance)
– Paul Hobbs (Art presentation)
£5.00 entry on the door.
Martin’s musical mystery tour – I have been working with a good friend who originates from Portugal so this months blog takes a brief look at the music from that beautiful land. Listen to the wonderful vocal of Ana Moura an internationally recognised fado singer.
Fun day – adding some sparkle and glitter with these cool instruments on the new Jess Penner project.
Heard about a wonderful social enterprise project called the Nozumi project in Japan. Using broken shards of pottery and recycled material found amongst the debris of the 2011 tsunami, a group in Ishinomaki are making unique jewelry to help their community.
“Nozomi, translated ‘hope’ in Japanese, is a social enterprise bringing sustainable income, community, dignity and hope to the women in Ishinomaki, Japan by training women to craft unique jewelry products. One third of these women are single mothers and grandmothers; most of these women and their family members lost their livelihood when the tsunami crashed through half of their city in 2011.”
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.
A wonderful initiative KUGA – founded by our friend Lila Metzger on the island of Kaua’i.
“Kauai UnderGround Artists planting seeds of creativity via art, dance, music & lyrics. KUGA is a non-profit, drug & alcohol free project. Committed to the development of children and young adults in a positive and creative environment. We promote a clean and healthy lifestyle by words and action. We value relationships to the fullest and strive to pull out the best in others. KUGA is family with family values. Respect, integrity, and love.“
One of the video’s from the Garlands for Ashes DVD of the Khmer orchestra we recorded.
Martin’s musical mystery tour – I’m in Texas y’all – so this months blog had to be country.
Found this wonderful collection of spiritual sung poems – The Oktay ensemble is the name of a children`s folklore-ethnographic ensemble who have conducted ethnographic work on the musical culture of the “Staro Vera” (Old Believers) living in remote areas high up in the mountain headwaters of the great Siberian Yenisei river.
Translation – Read More
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.
