Voices from the past

There is something which most amazes me when listening to music: its ability to bring me to another era, place, mood so easily!


Its interactions with memory - both personal and DNA-related - appears as mysterious as they can be.


Something similar possibly pushed the Lomaxes' to explore the whole planet searching for weird, seldom heard music, languages, dialects: from Pigmei to Inuit to Borneo and Amazonas rain forests people, from Native Americans to people from Sardinia, Italy.


Thirsty and hungry of the different, curious about the other, always.


I so much enjoy these gems from somewhere else like I'd "enjoy" reading a technical handbook - i.e. sure enjoying more a novel but needing the handbook thick tome, as well... and the result is like sipping from the tap water of humankind dawn and knowledge, a time-machine affaire.


I'm quite partial and fond of some very definite titles in my discotheque: a three records-set on Harmonia Mundi France by Renè Clemencic and his Ensemble devoted to Troubadours, their travels in Europe and Middle East, the contaminations of different world and cultures colliding (the Crusades...).

These marvellous, sought after discs were given to me by a late friend of mine who didn't like and knew I was searching for them since a long time...


Such a gift...


... not only music, original instruments and the like... but voice... voices from another era!


The tales and gestures of Peire Vidal sung by Renè Zosso with his natural, raw voice in Occitane, Burgundy, Provencal dialects are an experience I'd wish to share with everyone passioned enough!


It's not easy listening, for sure... yet, like with '50s b/w movies (Frank Capra, I. Bergman, Fellini come to my mind) they own their very own pace and character, a slow languid, languishing disease which sort-of slow down my wrist watch and feed my soul.


Amazing!


I recently found an Hungaroton disc by Kecskes and his Enselmble owning same character...

... and I'm again so grateful to the men who took their time, spending a life to search and preserve this heritage.


The usual question: is it only music?


Audio?




Naaaah!


It's culture, folks.


Our history... much worth sharing.


... for our future... as there is not future without knowing the past, while living the present.