Kristi- It was in the mid 30's when the string instrument bouzouki and the vocal improvisations on eastern scales, called amanes, were prohibited by a new law of the dictator of the times called Metaxas (nothing to do with the famous Greek Metaxa drink!). In 1922 many Greek refuges from Minor Asia had come to Greece in terrible condition. They would gather in those small private places, backyards or taverns, that were called tekes and smoke hush and play their rembetika songs of sorrow and pain with their bouzouki. But at that time the dictator Metaxas didn't like this eastern atmosphere and mentality. He kept saying and he was also trying to impose this to the rest of the people, that Greece belonged to the west and not to the east. So he made this law and the rembetes were often captured and put in jail. It was then that they started to use baglamas, which is like a bouzouki, but much smaller. Because of it's small size they could keep this instrument hidden inside the jail and under their coat when on the road. I really cannot tell how they were able to "hide" it's ear piercing, crying sound when they were "secretly" playing it.

And by the way, hash smoking was also important part of the rembetika tradition. You mentioned this habit during your Prague concert, in a different context. Does the connection between herbs and music have different level/meaning in Greece, than in the hippies and rasta culture?

Kristi- It has exactly the same meaning in certain kinds of Greek music, like in rembetika, and in some of the laika songs, which is a continuity of rembetika. I wouldn't say hash smoking has much to do with other kinds of Greek music, like with dimotika, which means the traditional songs of the rural areas of Greece. Remember that rembetika were songs of the city.

Stathis- Rembetika has to do more with the Blues culture.

Ross Daly once told me about a lira player who catches bees, puts them into plastic bag and then plays their "music" on his instrument. On you Prague concert, you mentioned a bouzouki player who learns music from imitating nature. Could you explain more about this method?

Kristi -It's funny because in our previous album Echotropia, we have a song called Beehives, in which Stathis has recorded bees in a field and then turned their recorded buzz into a rhythm loop.

In the show I was talking about Giorgos Zambetas, a very famous songwriter of laika songs who has passed away.

He was a very interesting figure and some of his sayings and lots of stories about him are often mentioned. One of these, was that when once he was asked in an interview, how he had learned to play his bouzouki, he had answered, "by listening to the frogs". It's not a method of learning. It's just to have open ears and listen to the environment around you. There is music everywhere. And as Aristotle had said, art is an imitation of nature. If you listen to the sounds of a jungle, all those birds bubbling rhythmically, you can tell why music from Africa and from South America is so rhythmical. Listen to the wind which never stops for days on some Greek islands and you will feel why in traditional Greek and in Byzantine music there is always one monotone sound backing up the main melody, giving that psychedelic feeling of dizziness. Rock music is also the music of the environment of it's era of cars and loud machines. And nowadays, isn't it electronica, what we are listening to all day? Mobiles ringing everywhere and little computer sounds all around us?

A sailor's question: When you told the story behind Calima, you talked about all this humidity and headache coming from this southern wind. The same situation is explained in the Visconti's film Death in Venice, when scirocco comes and makes the main hero suffers even more than you suffered at Canaries. So, is Calima more like scirocco or like Livas?

Kristi- I love this talk about the winds and their names! So in Venice it is the scirocco wind that bothers them. I didn't remember this interesting detail from that beautiful film. Scirocco in Greece we call specifically the wind that comes from south east. They say that it can sometimes become dangerous for boats because when the night falls it becomes very strong. Livas is a very hot, burning wind that comes from the south and brings to the Greek peninsula the sand of the Sahara desert. This creates headaches to people. You wake up some mornings and there may be sand on your car, your balcony, the streets. In the Canary island the wind which is creating similar effects comes from the east, because these islands are on the Atlantic ocean opposite the west coast of Africa, so the wind of the Sahara is travelling from the east to the west to arrive on top of them and blur the atmosphere of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where I learned about all these.

Czech people are not familiar of Greek music. What you would recommend from past? Do you have any personal heroes on the Greek scene?

Kristi- I would recommend albums of rembetes Vassilis Tsitsanis and Marcos Vamvakaris, to mention 2 of the most wellknown and goodquality, authentic rembetes, and of the songwriter Manolis Chiotis, who innovated the style of bouzouki playing and somehow started the scene of laika songs. I would also recommend albums of authentic, traditional, rural Greek music. All the albums of Mrs. Domna Samiou, the lady of Greek traditional music, a very impressive singer herself. Travelling around Greece for years, she has gathered and put in albums some of the nicest songs of various areas of Greece, performed mostly by herself and by some of the best traditional musicians of Greece. I would also recommend the songwriter, lyra player from the island of Crete, Psarantonis. In his own magical way, he is the living tradition of Cretan music. I would also recommend the 2 famous Greek composers that have become classic, Manos Chadzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. Their songs and music is a somehow more sophisticated approach to the tradition of rembetika and laika songs.

Stathis- Other personal heroes are Anestis Delias from the rembetika era.He was Keith Richards of the rembetes but he was not that lucky and died young.

Dionysis Savopoulos also is a figure that especially between 1970 to 1980 was my hero. He was the first Greek songwriter who combined rock music with Greek and Balkan traditional music and created a new sound.

What kind of "formal" musical education did you get? Conservatory, Byzantine music school?

Kristi- I went to both and learned a little of both kinds of music. But I am not a very much formally educated musician, mainly because I am lazy. As Stathis is often telling me, I became lazy, just because I am able to any time open my mouth and sing, which needs less practise than to learn an instrument and anyway you can make music just with this.

Stathis- I 'm learning music mostly by myself. Listening to music, playing with others, imitating my hero musicians! I also studied in a Conservatory at the 90's.

And how did you develop your art of writing lyrics? Do you have any favourite poets, drama writers, novelists?

Kristi- Writing comes out of me very naturally since I was a child. I never say to myself you have to sit down and write a lyric, it's the lyric itself which is violently waking me up and makes me get out of bed, go find a pencil and put it down, so as to get rid of it and relax and be able to sleep again. By the way, the same thing is happening to Stathis with most of the melodies he has written. As for readings, I very much like one Greek contemporary poet by the name Iannis Ifantis. I love and I would recommend to a foreigner the classical novels of Alexandros Papadiamantis, the "Greek Dostoyefski", who lived in the beginning of the 20th century. I know some of them have been translated at least in German. In German there is also a translation of a long novel of Zirana Zateli, a very magical, contemporary Greek woman writer.

From abroad I love Tom Robins! I also enjoy Clive Barker's fantasy fiction. But I don't read much fiction anymore. I mostly like to read theoretical books about various subjects that interest me, like Yoga, Nature, Eastern and ancient Religions and rituals, mysticism, history, travelling.

There seem to be a newly found understanding between Turkish and Greek musicians and audiences. How the Greeks see Turks now? And how do they enjoy Turkish music?

Kristi- Greek and Turkish music have always been interacting with each other. Greeks and Turks are neighbours, so of coarse they get influenced by each other and nowadays they often play music together. You often find Turkish songs with Greek lyrics in the Greek music market and Greek songs with Turkish lyrics in the Turkish market. I think Turks and Greeks have become friends finally. We have so many things in common and in some cases, our music resembles very much.

Stathis- Turkish and Greek musicians where always cooperating. We are lucky that politicians and generals from both sides, have finally decided to keep on a peace process , so the audiences are positive now . There are no frontiers between musicians . And between all artists I presume.

Do you have any projects besides your band?

Kristi- I must admit that I don't feel the need to mix with any other musical project, at least not now. I enjoy very much what we are doing together with Stathis: Writing songs in various places and then recording them in our home studio. Bringing our band to play on top and then edit and change things and try this and try that and argue and then come up with an album and then with rehearsals with the band and live concerts and more new songs etc etc. This whole thing is very fulfilling for me, because through our own songs and our own productions we are able to express our own truths, our own secrets, ideas feelings, in our own, personal way.

Stathis- I agree

The setup of your band changed since Echotropia times. What did make you to switch the setup?

Stathis- We have switched the set-up a lot of times. We don't want to be a replica of ourselves.

Kristi- We got tired of our previous folk-rock sound of our live shows and wanted to experiment more with live made loops and percussions instead of drums. We like the way Stathis's traditional string instrument and the electric guitar are mixed with these loops and with the bagpipes. This is how this "folktronic" sound came out. We often also use a lyra player together with the bagpipe, the string instruments, the percussions and the electronics. This last year, whenever we had the chance, Stathis and I also experimented on performances with just the two of us on stage, emphasizing mostly on the electronic part, with a lot of improvisation, live sampling etc.

And why you choose the Indian harmonium?

Kristi- Because from the first moment that I had seen and heard this instrument, played live by my "hero" Nico, I mean the singer of the Velvet Underground, who had come to Athens for a concert back in the mid 80ies, I fell in love with it and wanted to find one and buy it. Then of coarse years later Indian harmonium became more common as an Indian instrument, due to the rise of World Music. I bought this one in India this year and it makes me crazy how it breaths like a real person when you play it. Being a lazy musician, as I already admitted, I don't play any complicated things on it, but I love to make it breath, coordinating it with my own breath when I sing and I feel like as if this is giving me a kind of a strange, double power when singing. My small, portable Indian harmonium has become a good friend of mine and I have named it Sitaram.

Stathis- In our live performances we need a "warm" sound, "pads" as they call them in music terms. But we really hate those huge sounds created by most of the synthesizers. So the Indian harmonium and the use of my set of filters and samples create the sound we want.

Did you have chance to perform in Turkey, Middle East, India? Could the Eastern audiences understand more deeply songs like Majoun than Europeans?

Kristi- We have only played in Tel Aviv in two festivals in 1998, when the political situation was different there. People were enthusiastic.

In Prague, the Saal Schick Brass band played the same festival as you, but one day earlier. Do you still have any common projects?

Probably you didn't hear that their concert was cancelled. They didn't to come to Prague (there were no tickets I think) and didn't play.

But anyway I answer the question.

Kristi- From time to time the SSBB invite me and Stathis and we play with them in concerts. We enjoy very much doing this. When I sing with them, I love to hear their huge brass band's sound in my ears. They are very good musicians and performers and they are very good friends!

Kristi and Stathis' home page

MERCEDES PEON   13 April 2004

For a person who's never been to Galicia, can you explain the Riveiranas tradition? Does the name mean it comes from the coast, from the Rios?

¿Para una persona que nunca es sida a Galicia, puede usted explicar la tradición Riveiranas?.¿Lo significa(piensa) el nombre viene de la costa, del Rios?

el nombre proviene del pueblo, es como denominan el ritmo de 6/8 con la acentuacion fuerte en el 2º golpe en la pandereta, ribeirana en gallego procede de ribeira, es decir al lado del mar o en la viera .este mismo ritmo se denomina, muiñeira en singular en sitios donde no conocen otro más que este.

Can you describe your first encounter with Galician traditional music? At Costa Morte?

¿Puede usted describir su primer encuentro con la música Galician tradicional? En Costa ¿Morte?

estando de camping en la aldea de baldaio nos pusimos a tocar la pandereta en una plaza, de súpeto salieron tres mujeres de aproximadamente 45 años y me dijeron que tocaba mal, que no era de esa manera ( tenia yo entonces 13 años), cogieron las panderetas y empezaron a cantar una ribeirana, la sensacion fué telúrica y al mismo tiempo yo sentí que aquello era yo misma, no entendía las canciones, el ritmo, las palabras, pero aquello era yo, a los 5 minutos salieron 3 hombres, de la bodega y se pusieron a bailar, dando golpes en el suelo con los pies, aturuxar ( gritos propios de nuestra tierra simbolo de alegria ), y ya quedé prendada y enganchada para toda la vida.

Why they call it Costa Morte? Is it dangerous for fishermen? For big ships?

¿Por qué ellos le llaman Costa Morte? ¿Es peligroso para pescadores? ¿Para barcos grandes?

es una costa muy quebrada, con mareas muy fuertes, una gran resaca o marejada, y es mar abierto, efectivamente ha habido muchos accidentes que aumentaron la leyenda de esta costa, y que se han visto reflejadas en los cantos tradicionales, y existe un matriarcado muy potente precisamente por esta causa.

What did that happen? Was it still during the Franco era?

¿Qué año como aquel encuentro? ¿Era ello todavía durante la era de Franco?

de aquella epoca, el dictador franco ya habia fallecido hacía 4 años.

During the Franco era, was that dangerous to explore the tradition of non-Castellano language?

Durante la era de Franco, era que peligroso de explorar la tradición de no ¿langueage?

si, con franco estaba totalmente prohibido hablar en gallego, hacer ningun tipo de critica social, sobre todo, porque el poder estaba en manos de curas, médicos, juristas y militares, justamente los asociados con el franquismo y que un pueblo como el gallego, ancestralmente libre, tenia sus formas tradicionales para colocar a cada uno donde le correspondia, mediante coplas, juegos, algarabía, en resumen crítica humoristica y totalmente espontánea.anteriormente a franco, desde la reconquista de los reyes catolicos, el pueblo gallego se quedara, sin su nobleza, desterrada por isabel la católica, por lo tanto toda la cultura en gallego quedó a manos del pueblo que sin poder económico lo mantuvo, porque no le parecía alos poderes existentes durante cinco siglos peligrosa, gracias a eso, se mantuvo hasta hoy en dia en pleno siglo xxI con un 70 % de gallego -hablantes y con expresiones musicales que yo entiendo milenarias, y en contra tenemos la falta de estima que dá el poder económico unido a una cultura determinada .

But wasn't Franco also Galego? Did it made any change for the music?

¿Pero no era Franco también Galego? ¿Esto hizo se cambió alguno para la música?

franco, efectivamente nació en galicia, pero como acabo de explicar las personas con ansias de poder ni aman al pueblo puesto que no tiene poder económico, ni a la naturaleza en general, cuando alguien poderoso utiliza la cultura para bien o par mal, desde mi punto de vista es totalmente negativo, puesto que puede estar machacando la propia o culturas vecinas .

Tell me about Carnaval de Laza, what kinds of music is played?

¿Dígame sobre Carnaval de Laza, qué clases de música es jugada?

lo más importante del carnaval de laza, es la catarsis orgiastica de todo un pueblo con el motivo principal del carnaval, moverse involutariamente en conjunto para desahogar, todas las programaciones convenidas desde hace siglos a los humanos, sin duda es desde mi punto de vista una experiencia única, sólo comentaros que el propio pueblo está diseñado para ese día, pueblo medieval con una tradición de peliqueiros, típicos enmascarados cuya funcion a grosso modo es adueñarse del pueblo y crear un orden único por encima de alcalde y demás autoridades .

Every culture has it's drink. Russians have vodka, Germans beer. What kind of beverage is connected to Galician music? Wine like in Portugal or cidre like in Asturias?

Cada cultura tiene esto es la bebida. Los rusos tienen el vodka, la cerveza de Alemanes. Que tipo ¿la bebida es unida(conectada) a la música Galician? Vino como en Portugal o cidre como en ¿Asturias?

el orujo de hierbas, que incluso conlleva un ritual, llamado queimada, y en el que se convocan a las fuerzas telúricas para espantar a los malos espíritus .

You recorded Marabilla in the church of Santa María de Oza in A Coruna. Are you a deeply religious person? Or was there another reason?

Usted registró Marabilla en la iglesia de Santa María en un Coruna. Son usted ¿persona profundamente religiosa? ¿O había allí otra razón?

marabilla es un tema que habla de la conexion del universo con nuestro propio ser, andas a buscar el níquel y tienes el oro en casa, ese oro del que hablo es mi propio sonido, que me deja escuchar todo el universo, creo que dentro de una iglesia, hay mucha energia acumulada que por los motivos que fueran dejó la gente que fué a pedir por los demás, que no es más que hablar con uno mismo, hacia nuestro interior espiritual, otro motivo es la buena acústica de una iglesia románica en forma de cruz, donde se me permitia escuchar su propio silencio.

Will you bring the azada on your tour to Prague? And also the stone?

¿Trae usted el azada de su viaje a Praga? ¿Y también la piedra?

claro, os voy a presentar el último disco al completo, en el cual suena mi propio flujo sanguineo, aguas y gotas al ritmo de 6/8 y la azada con la piedra ( símbolo de la fuerza de la tierra y el pueblo ) será testimonio en este concierto

What is the secret of padnereitera's voice? What kind of training do you need to produce this loud tone?

¿Cuál es el secreto de la voz(del voto) del pandereitera? Lo que la educación(el entrenamiento) hace usted necesita

¿produzca este tono ruidoso?

la manera de cantar de las pandereteras es paralela a la voz de unas mujeres bereberes,del senegal, del flamenco, de unos indios del amazonas, etc, sincera, imitando los sonidos de la naturaleza . para poder dedicarme a enseñar este tipo de voz, tuve que estudiar foniatria y logopedia, para saber cómo utilizar las técnicas comunes estudiadas desde hace años, como cualquier cantante del mundo .paralelamente utilizo todos los colores que me gustan y me puedo permitir para mis composiciones y sentimientos .

And what about the sound colour? Is it tremolo, vibrato, or close intervals like with the Bulgarian voices?

¿Y en cuanto al color sano? Es ello tremolo, vibrato, o intervalos cercanos como ¿con las voces(los votos) búlgaras?

como ya mencione anteriormente, somos pueblos puros en nuestra huella ancestral . tecnicamente podemos decir que sobre todo hay que encontrar los resonadores en todo el cuerpo puesto que son voces que nunca cantaron con micro que se mezclaron con la naturaleza, tecnicamente provoco la vocalizacion en la vocal i, despues de un conocimiento clasico, para conseguir ciertas modulaciones muy gallegas y así podriamos estar hablando hasta llegar al punto de descolocar la voz ( ja, ja ). evidentemente utilizamos cantidad de mordentes, cuartos de tono, glisandos, etc, pero que son tantos los recursos que pertenecen a nuestra música que no vendria a cuento expandirse.

When I talked to you in Zaragoza, after the concert in 2000, you told me about performing at Vychodna festival in Kosice in Slovakia just 2 weeks before the Zaragoza concert. Do you still remember playing at that Slovakian festival?

Me dirigí a usted en Zaragoza, después del concierto en 2000, usted me dijo sobre realización en festival Vychodna en Kosice en Eslovaquia solamente(justo) 2 semanas antes el Concierto de Zaragoza. ¿Todavía se acuerda usted de jugar en aquel festival Eslovaco?

si, por supuesto, una muy grata experiencia, y para mi un pueblo maravilloso, de hecho una gran amiga mia es de praga

What is your opinion on the kind of folkloric events? Do you still go to these events, or do you focus just on your band?

¿Cuál es su opinión sobre la clase de acontecimientos folklóricos? Hágale todavía van a estos ¿los acontecimientos, o dou usted enfocan solamente(justo) en su cinta?

creo que son muy positivos, sobre todo si los grupos son fieles a lo que sucede en el pueblo, eso nos diferencia y nos acerca, en mi música me expreso libremente como un ser humano del siglo xxI que pinta sus cuadros con los colores que le gustan, por eso mismo non es folclore, es la expresion de una compositora que ama profundamente el origen del ser, y el que me tocó en mi nacimiento fué el gallego, colores maravillosos que surgen de mi tierra

un beso para todos

IBRAHIM FERRER   30 March 2004

The Wim Wenders film Buena Vista Social Club shows your performance in New york City in Carnegie Hall. What was your personal feeling then?

En la pelicula de Wim Weners BVSC se le ve actuando en NY en el Carnegie Hall. Qué fue lo que sintió?

BUENO , CREO QUE EN LA PELICULA ESTO SE PUEDE VER MUY CLARAMENTE: ME EMOCIONE DE TAL MANERA QUE NO PUDE CONTENER LAS LAGRIMAS.

Well I think the film shows it very clearly: I was so moved that I couldn't restrain the tears.

What was the last time you played USA?

Cual fue la ultima vez que actuó en los USA?

MI ULTIMA GIRA FUE EL AÑO PASADO, EXACTAMENTE SI NO RECUERDO MAL EN MARZO Y ABRIL , PRIMERO ESTUVIMOS EN FEBRERO PARA LA PRESENTACION ALLI DE MI ULTIMO DISCO (BUENOS HERMANOS) EL PUBLICO ME HA TRATADO CON MUCHO CARIÑO Y LES HA GUSTADO MI MUSICA.

My last tour to USA was last year, March and April to be exactly. We went there in February to my new album presentation (Buenos Hermanos). The audience has treated me so kindly and they liked my music.

This year, you were denied visa to Grammy Awards. This is a regretable fact, especially when so many people in USA like your music. How do you feel about that?

Este año le denegaron el visado para los Grammy. Esto es un hecho lamentable, especialmente cuando hay tanta gente en USA a que su musica le encanta. Cómo le sienta esto?

BUENO ES COMO USTED DICE, ME SENTI TRISTE POR NO PODER ESTAR CON MI PUBLICO ALLA, ELLOS QUISIERON QUE YO GANARA EL GRAMMY Y HABRIA SIDO BONITO PODER DEDICARLES ESE PREMIO.

Well It's like you say, I felt sad of not being able to be there with my audience; they have chosen me to win this prize, and it would have been nice to be there and dedicate it to the audience.

In 1962, you played in Moscow for the political leaders. Do you remember what kind of songs were on the show?

En 1962 Ud actuó en Moscou para los lideres politicos. Se recuerda del repertorio que tocaron en el show?

Algunos si me acuerdo: QUE ME DIGAN FEO, SANTA CECILIA (UN NUMERO DE LA TROVA HECHO CANCION) / MARIA CRISTINA, EL FUNERARIO, me gustaria acordarme de todos pero son muchos años.

I remember some of them: QUE ME DIGAN FEO, SANTA CECILIA, MARIA CRISTINA, EL FUNERARIO… I would like to remember all of them, but this was so long ago.

Obviously your music is best accepted in your home country and also in many places in Latin America.

Obviamente su musica está más reconocida en su pais y también en muchos lugares de America Latina.

BUENO YO SIEMPRE HE PENSADO ESO HASTA EL DIA QUE EMPEZE A VIAJAR POR TODO EL MUNDO Y DESCUBRI EN PAISES TAN DIFERENTES COMO JAPON O ISLANDIA QUE AMABAN Y ENTENDIAN NUESTRA MUSICA.

Well I used to think the same until I started to make world tours. I found out that there are remote countries that also loves and feels our music, like Japan or Island.

In Cuban music, who is the musician you respect most?

En la musica Cubana, quien es el musico al que Ud más respecta?

SON MUCHOS LOS MUSICOS, PORQUE SON MUSICOS Y TRABAJAN EN LA MUSICA, SON COMO PROFESORES EN SU TRABAJO, NO QUIERO MENCIONAR A NADIE PUES OFENDERIA SIN QUERER A ALGUIEN DE QUIEN PODRIA OLVIDARME.

There are so many… So many that work with music, they are like teachers… I don't want to mention none in particular; otherwise I could offend some one by forgetting him.

And in American music?

Y en la musica Americana?

EL MUSICO COMO LE DIGO DEBE SER RESPETADO POR LO QUE HACE SEA DEL PAIS QUE SEA.

As I say I think the musician has to be respected for his work, it doesn't matter from were he comes.

You worked with Ry Cooder as a producer, who is an admirer of Cuban music. On the other side, is there anything you learned from him?

Trabajó Ud. con Ry Cooder como productor, que es un gran admirador de la musica Cubana. Aprendió Ud. algo de él?

BUENO YO CREO QUE LOS DOS APRENDIMOS MUTUAMENTE. EL ME DESCUBRIO OTROS MUSICOS QUE PODIAN ENTRAR EN LAS GRABACIONES DE MUSICA CUBANA Y APORTAR TAMBIEN ALGO, COMO FLACO JIMENEZ AL ACORDEON O COMO LOS ALABA BLIND BOYS ESOS SEÑORES CIEGOS QUE CANTAN COMO LOS ANGELES.

I think we both learned much from each other. He showed me other musicians to record with and who could provide something to Cuban Music, like Flaco Jimenez playing accordion, or like those blind gentleman that sings like angels.

Mr Ferrer, you are a master of a Cuban song called bolero. Everybody remembers your version of Gardenias, featured in the Wim Wenders film. How would you describe bolero to someone who has never heard it?

Sr. Ferrer, es Ud un maestro del Bolero. Todos se acuerdan de su versión de Dos Gardenias en la pelicula de Wenders. Cómo describiria Ud al bolero a una persona que nunca lo haya oído?

HABLANDO DE LO QUE SE TRATA, EL BOLERO REPRESENTA MENSAJE, , SEA BUEN MENSAJE O MALO, ESPECIALMENTE EN EL AMOR. EL BOLERO HABLA Y TRANSMITE , ES SENTIMIENTO Y PRODUCE SENTIMIENTO. ES LA VIDA Y EL AMOR.

It represents a message, bad or god, mainly it has to do with Love. Bolero talks and transmits feeling, it is feeling and it produces feelings. It is life and love.

Mr Ferrer, you are a spiritual man. Is the God you pray to the same God as Christians pray to? Or is it an African God?

Sr. Ferrer, es Ud. un hombre espiritual. Es su Dios el mismo al que rezan los cristianos? O es su Dios africano?

MI DIOS ES EL MISMO QUE REZAN LOS CRISTIANOS, YO NO PRACTICO NINGUNA RELIGION PERO SOY CREYENTE.Y POR SUPUESTO ADORO A MI SANTO, SAN LAZARO, PERO NO PRACTICO COMO LE DIGO NINGUNA RELIGION.

It is the same God as Christians pray to, I don't practice a religion, but I am a believer. And of course I adore my Saint, Saint Lazaro. But as I say I am not a practising member of a Church.

OUMOU SANGARÉ   26 September 2003

On your past recordings, there's one important non-African instrument: violin. Do you have any special affection for this instrument? Why?

J'aime beaucoup cet instrument car il me touche vraiment. Il t'aide à faire sortir ta tristesse, à l'exprimer. Mes deux premiers albums sont en fait un peu tristes. J'avais en moi quelque chose de douloureux qu'il fallait que je sorte ; il fallait que je le dise. Le violon aide à toucher les sentiments des gens. En fait, quand j'entends le son du violon, ça me donne de la force

Mali has very rich musical tradition, yet it is one of the poorest countries in the world. If you could have one wish to be fulfilled for your country, what it would be?

De le voir un jour bien développé, tout en gardant son aspect, ses valeurs tradionnels, comme au Japon, pays très attaché à la tradition

I've found your concerts very magical also on the visual level - e.g. the choir girls stroking up and down percussion bowls with shells. Do you also design the stage production or do you have some visual advisor, choreographer?

Non je fais tout toute seule, car j'ai commencé par le théâtre et la danse !

As an African woman, did you learn anything from Western women? And what could Western women learn from Malian women?

Les femmes occidentales sont très autonomes. J'aimerais que les femmes africaines le soient autant. Si les africaines sont très courageuses, elles ne sont pas encore assez indépendantes, autonomes.

J'aimerais que les femmes occidentales découvrent et adoptent notre sens de l'hospitalité, de la solidarité. En fait dans nos foyers, c'est la femme le maître ; et il y a du coup beaucoup de solidarité au sein même de la famille, et cette solidarité se développe également dans la rue

In your songs, you try to make Africa a better place for women. Do you already see some changes in the society during past 10 years? Do you feel you helped these changes to happen? Can you give some example?

Oui il y a eu beaucoup de changements : les femmes ont moins peur de prendre leurs responsabilités. Elles deviennent de plus en plus braves. Par exemple, certaines, qui ne sont jamais allées à l'école, essaient de créer des petites sociétés (ex : fabriquer des savons, de la teinture,…) avec lesquelles elles gagnent beaucoup d'argent. Les femmes sont de plus en plus présentes dans la vie sociale, économique et politique chez nous (il y a beaucoup de femmes au gouvernement vous savez)

Oui je crois que j'ai aidé à cela : dans les mariages forcés par exemple. Je reçois beaucoup de lettres de jeunes filles qui me remercient en me disant que mes chansons les ont aidées à dire NON.

When you compose, what comes first, words or melody? And while you compose, you play some instrument to test the melody, or just use your voice?

Les mots tout de suite. Ensuite je fais venir mon joueur de kamalengoni et ensemble avec ma voix, on cherche la mélodie

Do you have any favourite piece music from outside of Africa?

J'adore les grandes chanteuses de jazz, comme Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,…

LU EDMONDS, AKA THE UNCLE   7 November 2001

Besides Yat Kha, you also tour with Billy Bragg, What is your contribution?

Is it still possible to make living playing live music in the era of major companies?

it is possible, but not easy, you need lots of friends who also want to play + what our French cousins call "complicité" when you do. As for the Major companies like SFX and CCC, they are not making the most concerts, they are only making the biggest. So you just have to make sure you get to play enough. The real "problem" is that for the last 50 years bands have been getting smaller and smaller in size till now you have 1 DJ spinning records through very loud PAs. This is all very modern but it means that it is harder for live musicians to "learn" an audience, and vice-versa. Also, as radio & TV has got worse or at least more limited over the last few years (with a few notable exceptions), this does not help... So people have to keep playing, and doing interesting things.

When many bands are shopping for major labels contracts, do you think this could also help Yat Kha?

Maybe, maybe not. It all depends who you have to interface with. There are less and less labels, and so there are less and less contracts with these Majors. If a band has a manager who is ready to put a head into the Major Label cesspit and try and communicate with the various (and mostly very curious) lifeforms that exist therein, they had better be sure their manager knows know how to hold his/her breath! Sure, Yat-Kha - like all bands - want to go everywhere and play and meet everyone and theoretically this should be easier with a Major. But... let's take an example - like the Czech Republic and Yat-Kha who started playing at Roxy Club in 1999; but did we need a major label to help us get there? OK, it was not our label but BMG Classics in 1998 was the distributor; I think they sold about 100 CDs through the shops. So actually BMG did not really find it so easy to "sell" us, as we were classical enough and now personnel across Europe & the USA have now all been sacked (classical music gets a lower priority than the fabulous Ms. Alguilera these days). What Yat-Kha really needed at the time was people with ears, ideas and a readiness to take a risk - and for us David Urban was that person (helped by lots of fans, journalists and DJs). Yat-Kha came back again in 2001 and we sold the CD on our own label. So who needs a Major? OK, if Universal were to offer Yat-Kha a major deal then I might say "yes" if all the conditions were met. But as it is almost inconceivable that Universal would even understand those conditions, I do not even bother to go and talk to them. And I am sure they are quite happy not having to deal with me. So what do I mean? I guess I think that Major labels are very unstable at the moment and it is best to do things with people who want to do things with you rather than with people who don't if they are about to be sacked anyway in the latest of series of mergers and acquisitions...

You were involved with Womex from the beginning. Now, 7 years after Womex started, do you feel as a proud Uncle?

WOMEX is very useful, very necessary to anyone who does not believe in some ends when they have to show their passport. I guess we all like to imagine we can help - or at least minimise our potential for sabotage - in order to promote things we really like and enjoy, things that might have previously been "blocked", or unavailable. So to actually be there when something amazing like WOMEX started was a very interesting experience (and still is). I think anyone who has been to a WOMEX and had the chance to share a bit of knowledge and experience about working in this nebulous field called "world music" with other people from such disparate and diverse cultural micro-worlds has a good reason to feel it is something to be proud of, to be involved. But actually I just feel it is just interesting.

In the early Womex years, you worked closely with Borkowski. But Borkowski, being an enterpreneur, has to prove the same skills as the Major Label Showbiz people. What is the difference bethween these two schools? Is there any room for idealism?

I reckon Borkowsky is still as much a dreamer as an entrepreneur. And in both these, he still seems to me to be the same risk-taking person who initiated WOMEX; and really, risk-taking is something that is not a defining characteristic of the "Major Label Showbiz people"! So I do not quite follow your question. The Biz know less than nothing for themselves, they mostly follow herd-like behind mavericks (weird idealistic cows) who can decide there is perhaps some better grass over the hill. And as for the difference between idealists and the "Biz" people; maybe the former are free to dream and do what they like (and not get paid very much), while the latter are only executing pre-planned product launches and participating in quite boring committee-type work (and making damn sure they do get paid). Is there room for idealists? I guess tehre are some idealistic entrepreneurs who get ground down by the everyday disappointments, the rough luck situations that always keep happening. And they give up leaving room for some new ones. Those entrepreneurs that choose to keep going are fed by the sheer enjoyment of involvement, offset by the agony of believing in improvement, which is like idealism. Or survival. And that all takes skills, skills the Major Label crew do not have. OK, maybe Borkowsky has perhaps to understand about "Major Label Showbiz people" but actually very few turn up to WOMEX, if at all. We all have to inhabit the MacDonalds zone to some extent, one where we dare to wonder about "what if?". And that is why we have WOMEX which is not for the Major labels (who have no need for imagination as they are too busy with paranoia). So there is plenty of room for idealism at WOMEX and also brave moves.

Everybody says that music is the universal language and that it helps to overocme the violence. It sounds like a nice theory, but could you name one example when this theory worked on a practical level?

Easy, imagine all the people sitting at concerts around the world not firing AK47s at each other...

More and more people come to Womex each year to make profit. Aren't you afraid that the scene will loose its spark and dillute into easy listening pop?

From Yat-Kha's point of view, profit is good, it means the possibility to develop and invest in the future; to secure the lives of the performers who can then feed their families or pay for the funerals of their children when they die. So I do not think that here's anything wrong with this sort of profit. The alternative is that someone has to guaruntee your life somehow and that system was dismantled some 11 years ago, as you well know (and it had its own problems too!). If the scene loses sparkle then maybe another one will emerge to challenge it and then we will all find new and exciting music somewhere else. The idea of "World Music" is just an idea, a word. Lots of things can happen - some good and some bad. It is up to musicians and artists to keep being creauve and having fresh ideas for an interested audience (who have to keep demanding fresh music) to ensure the sparkle continues.

Everybody knows how the term World Music was invented. But who did suggest the name 3 Mustaphas 3?

Who invented the world "Czech"? Words mean nothing, they are just sounds.

More on Lu Edmonds

RINKEN BAND Mr. Rinken Teruya + Ken Robillard interview   09 April 2001

During the past years, many well known Western musicians visited Okinawa: Phil Glass, Ry Cooder, not to mention Bob Brozman. Does this also mean, there is a flow of Western musical ideas *into* the island?

Rinken: I don't feel that there is a huge flow of western musical ideas into Okinawa. However there are a few western artists coming over wanting to collaborate with our, Okinawan style music. Some resort to sampling and producing dance tracks.

For Westerners Okinawa means a melting pot of Pacific cultures, and also a place where East meets West. But what kind of role does this place for Japanese people?

Rinken: Currently Okinawa is the Southern Island resorts for mainland Japanese tourists. We play host to well over 3 million tourists anually. Okinawa was the last large battle site of the Pacific war during WWII. A lot of older Japanese are aware of the huge toll it took on the island and it's people. Some of these older Japanese feel remorse for the Okinawan's suffering. The US bases still exist here on the island and their presence makes Okinawa's environment unique to mainland Japan.They have there plus and minus just as in any relationship.

Aren't people from Japan somehow envious or jealous towards people from Okinawa?

Rinken: Okinawa and it's people were once looked down upon by the mainland Japanese, however, these recent years the Japanese show more respect towards the Okinawan's because their quality of life is far better and their achievements are termendous. -

Can you recall when the urban Japanese were first confronted with music from your island?

Rinken: No, I'm afraid not.

Rinken Band doesn't play very often at Okinawa - right? So what the local people listen to? Western pop, or musicians like Takashi Hirayasu?

Rinken: Takashi Hirayasu is not very popular here in Okinawa. Although the Rinken Band plays more overseas, our band is on TV commercials played on Radio, and we are on many articles and magazines, even on the US military bases. The people of Okinawa listen to traditional Okinawan music because it is a very important part of our rituals, festivals and total culture. Only some of the young listen to Japan Pops and foreign artists. Different Okinawan's listen to music that they are interested in, just like anywhere else depending on their different personal tastes.

The EuroAmerican public seems to be interested in *world music* only for the last decade, while audiences in Japan were discovering music from the opposite hemisphere for much longer. So, after all the discoveries and fusion, are there still new things to discover for the Japanese listener?

Rinken: I can't speak for everyone. Again, everyone has different tastes in foreign music.

Music from remote islands has quite distinctive flavour: the *morna* from Capo Verde has a lot to do with loneliness, detachment, solitude, and desire to escape. Almost everybody in the Cape Verde islands has relatives abroad, and wishes to join them. Are the general feeling at Okinawa somehow similar - or different?

Rinken: Most people don't want to leave. as a matter of fact, we have more foreigners and Japanese coming here to want to live because it is so very beautiful, just like the Carribean.

Ken, I assume you came you came to Okinawa from some other place. Could you tell us your story - what did you do before coming to Okinawa, and what made you decide to stay there?

Ken Robillard: My mother is Okinawan and my father American. I went through grade school here on Okiinawa. I went to a University in California and then came back to Okinawa to work. I've been a radio DJ of the most popular program in Okinawa, had a TV program "Ken's Late Night" on Okinawa TV. When I was younger I modeled, owned businesses. From 1993 I lived in Germany for 6 years and in Washinton DC for 1 1/2 years. I returned to Okinawa recently and work with Ajima Studios, owned by Rinken Teruya.

Ken, I suspect that producers in East Asia work in a very different way than in the West, because the market works differently: there are numerous cover versions, the audience is huge... - So what is the main difference?

Ken: Since I am new, my methods and approach are different from local producers. I am involved in preparing Ajima Studios for the new century. We are now employing more and more foreigners, yet we maintain a strict Okinawan identity in what we produce.

How does the cultural borders work?

Ken: Each country is very different musically although all seem to embrace a bit of US pop music. At least that is what the top FM stations seem to prefer.

If something is big in Japan, is it also big in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, China?

Ken: Not so... again each country has there own Pop stars. Japan is getting more popular recently because of huge advertising and publicizing of their big contract artists. However, it seems US pop artists are still the favorites, at least with hit FM stations.

ALBERT KUVEZIN, YAT-KHA   9 Apr 2001

For unsuspecting and ignorant western audiences, the first contact with throat singing usually results in utter disbelief and shock. But does this work also in the opposite direction? Albert, what was your first impression when hearing Western rock?

I was excited and interested when heard Western rock ( Suzy Quatro, Creedence, Simon&Garfunkel, Deep Purple etc.) on the tape. And I wanted to play drums after that and was enthusiastic to collect records, photos, articles about Western rock though, may be you know, it was very difficult because Western influence and culture were limited and concerning rock- even forbidden. But it is special theme of talking.

Can you recall your adolescent years? Where were you living? What were your listening to? What were your parents doing?

I was born and grew up in our capital Kyzyl which was very small and nice. Our generation was the first who became citymen. My father is a coach and God father of Tuvan volleyball, though he is a pensioneer, he still works and play. Mother worked in state trading company. she is originally from Khakassia, the country to north from Tuva and relatively to Tuvan people. I have been traveling a lot between Tuva and Khakassia with my grandmother. I didn't think to become a professional musician in my childhood but liked to listen rock and pop, also traditional and jazz music. We played very much football and thought to continue it but had not good enough eyes and then got a guitar. Then my life slowly began to turn to music. My favorite were Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, BlackSabbat and music like this (hard rock and psychodelic, then later heavy metal).

For a person from Tuvan countryside, city life must become depressing after a while. Could this make you crazy?

Yes, I can't be in big city like Moscow or similer for long time though have been living there three years.

When coming to the West, what do you miss most?

After some time out of Tuva I miss: silence, fresh, clean water and air, taste of food, mountains, rivers, steppe and of course family.

What are the differences between the singing styles, between Albert and Aldyn-ool?

Aldyn-ool is singer and expert in traditional music, one of the great in Tuva. I think myself that my manner of singing is mixing of traditional and rock expressions, feelings.

Morin Huur is something, I assume, made from a dead horse. Is any dead horse suitable for that?

No, its not true. Morin huur is wooden instrument but on the head of neck it has a horse head. That's why it got this name.( "Morin" in Mongolian means horse). In Tuva we call it "igil" that means two strings. In old time the hairs of live horses have been taken for strings and bow.

And what do you miss from Western countries, when you are back in Tuva?

At home I miss well organized western system ( like servise, restaurants, shops) and some rules of people morals and behaviour , big choice of everything, maintenance of human rights, good beer and wine...

I remember hearing Albert Kuvezin in Berlin in 1993, as one of the BID showcases. For many listeners, the experience was rather disturbing than pleasant - like encounter with the unknown, dark forces. Yet there is nothing like that on the CD. Does this mean you "adjust" your singing for Western audiences?

No, I sing as I like.

For Europeans, throat singing is connected to shamanism and meditation. What a young throat singer like you should do, if he would like to become a shaman?

Only spirits can make a choice who can be a shaman. The man cannot learn to be a shaman. Though if you change your life and will be open to nature and spirits you get a chance to see and hear, to communicate with spirits. Its also a subject for a special talking.

Who are the heroes of the young Tuvans? Madonna, Michael Jackson, or Yat Kha?

For most part of Tuvan young peole the heroes are some International sport and cinema stars, Russian TV and pop stars, "Spice girls". Only some progressive and clever boys and girls think that Yat-Kha is super.

Ten year after Communism, do you consider this era as a happy or tragic?

There were not only bad and tragic things but also some good and positive. As you know everything in this world has black and white sides, positive and negative...

You recorded some of the Socialist era songs on your first CD - and you deliver them with a pinch of irony. Who was behind this idea?

Yes, I like humor and irony, also to myself. In our country ( USSR and Russia) this very help to survive for people and especially for artists.

The opening track on your second CD was written by the Tuvan communist party leader. For an outsider, there doesn't seem to be much difference between this one and other Socialist era songs, which are hated by non-Communists. You seem to be quite serious and almost proud in this case. What is the reason?

Its a part of our History and culture and I don't gonna turn away from this, though that song is not serious for my mind.

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