I guess that's what brought the Foreigner song to mind.
In case you've forgotten,
the blue means optimism, joy, happiness, and serenity.
That was totally in keeping with today's solo guitarist, Derek Gripper.
Most of the time, he was playing with his eyes closed - not looking down at the strings, as so many guitarists do, but head up and moving with the tune, occasionally launching into muttered vocals.
Check him out here, performing "Jarabi", which means "Passion".
He also performed Ali "Farka" Touré's "56", a piece he had played for a friend of the composer. The friend's response had been "That is a difficult piece to play." Derek said he was taking it as a compliment.
(smile)
I think my favorite was "Mna Ndiyayithanda Imotokali"! He said the song was by Madosini, an old woman who had played the mouthbow - which he described as "a stick and a wire" - with more notes than he could strum. The song reminded me of one of my favorites by Queen - you could definitely feel the road passing right under your feet!
What was that title in English? "I Love the Motorcar".
(smile)
To begin to understand how the man views music, check out this TED talk. There he demonstrates playing the rhythm, harmony, and melody, on just the one guitar.
Incredibly talented!
What I most enjoyed though, besides his humorous anecdotes, was this: he is keeping alive African music by translating the tunes from traditional instruments into more common musical devices... like from a West African 21-string kora into a six-string guitar available anywhere in the world.
Now, that is truly giving back to the music community while also paying homage to music's heritage and preserving the musical past.
for this SMF volunteer posting!
I am so glad that I ventured out this morning
into the gray of the rainy day!
I am so glad to have been blessed with
the opportunity to learn about this music!
I am so glad to have been able to work
this event with folks I enjoy!
i thank You, God.
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