Showing posts with label mbira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mbira. Show all posts

5 January 2011

Zimbabwe




This is the first post with the "music for musicians" label. I've always loved the idea of chamber music as a social event where the players themselves are the audience, and I've been thinking a lot of composing music specifically to make it fun to play, composing for the musicians instead of composing for the audience. My plan is to compose "games" for chamber ensembles and some sorts of "solitaire" for piano.

Meanwhile I decided to publish this piece I composed some time ago and that actually fits perfectly into this idea: I originally composed it for an ensemble I played at, I made it for myself and my fellow musicians. It is very loosely based on Mbira Dzavadzimu music, and some of the ornaments are Balkanic (...ish).

The score and the parts can be downloaded at Scribd, IMSLP or the Internet Archive.



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19 July 2010

Ephemeral Music: 19 July 2010




I recorded this with an old dusty kalimba I hadn't used for a while. I'm saving up for a Mbira dzaVadzimu, so until I get hold of one this kalimba should do.
In true "messy music" fashion, I recorded the same thing seven times, diverging occasionally from the cycle. Once chaos ensues, a clear concertina melody appears, floating above the disorder.


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18 June 2010

Ephemeral Music: 18 June 2010 "Water & Glass"




I enjoyed a lot to record with the bottle for the previous Ephemeral Music post. This time I decided to use only the bottle and a wine glass with water. I'm really pleased with the result. The music is mysterious and pacifying.


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16 June 2010

Ephemeral Music: 16 June 2010




This was recorded with a bottle filled with water to different levels and about 7 tracks of accordion competing with each other for prominence. Most are playing the same thing with different levels of ornamentation, some are free wavy improvisations going in and out of key. The music accumulates to a dense and noisy disorder. Messy music FTW!


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Mbira DzeNharira plays Tozvireva Tingaputike Neshungu




Beautiful music from Zimbabwe!

You can support Mbira DzeNharira by buying their record.

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2 June 2010

Ephemeral Music: 12 May 2010




This is loosely based in Ethiopian music, basically I just copied a scale I heard ;)
I recommend anyone who likes the colour of the scale to listen to Mahmoud Ahmed, he's indescribably amazing.
The percussion is made by hitting and scratching two coins together, and by thumping the bellows of the accordion.


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Ephemeral Music: 7 May 2010




This was recorded in layers. It's cyclical music, something I'm totally hooked on since my discovery of African and specifically Zimbabwean music. There's also some irishness around and other things.


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Ephemeral Music: 5 May 2010




This tune is a bit reggaeish. I recorded myself in a couple of layers, improvising over myself. All sounds, including the percussion are my accordion.


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