THE COLLABORATIONS
Goodson Gomanda (Malawi) is a songwriter, vocalist, recording engineer and producer. His small home studio creates huge results, supporting and encouraging emerging musicians alongside professionals. Our collaboration on Walking Together was free flowing, experimental and just plain fun! Sam Katimba and Owen Hulera openly injected their creative sense into the piece which is based on something an Aboriginal man once told me.... "you can walk beside me, together as equals, but never in front".
Mildred 'Nachi' Ligoya (Malawi) bought her joyous love of singing, along with and openness to experiment, to each session. Driving through Blantyre with her mother and Pauline Chiwawa (one third of the Gospel Vocal Chords group, along with Chiku Kamwendo and Maurice Mbewe) singing their hearts out, was a moment which, for me, described much about the 'heart' of all the Malawians I met. While all around there was chaos, heat and poverty, Life Is Life reflects on the boundless wonders of the human spirit which rose from that dusty terrain.
The Lusolao Boys Band (Malawi) led by Chrispun Solobala (also the maker of all the recycled junk instruments they use) along with his brother Francis Solobala, Flex Chatenwa and McDonald Bwatamba, were full of the best that music and human spirit can offer. Their love of music and the sound they produce from their instruments (they create their guitar strings from the insides of car tyres!) inspired me to step outside the bounds of my intended collaborations. My time in and around remote Chikwawa district lives with me as a 'book' of wondrous memories of these spirited people.
Kamba Makolekole and his Valimba Band (Malawi) live in the village next to the Lusolao Band. The dexterity, speed and humour with which they play music, totally infected me the first time I saw them. We would then gather under the shade of a tree and try ideas for a new piece of music. It was an overwhelming experience, with huge waves of children gathering around to watch us, dancing spontaneously, laughing and mimicking me and my didgeridoo motions. One day we spontaneously began a huge circle dance, billowing dust and laughter into the air, and inspiring our eventual Childrens Dance.
Saul Callejas (Bolivia) is a maestro of the charango with a beautiful voice to match. Like so many of the musicians along the way, he openly collaborated with trust and integrity. His vast professional experience, including numerous CD recordings and extensive international touring, showed in his seamless pursuit of musicality during our two collaborations of Mini Voices and Five Corners. Together with Carlos Ponce, a virtuoso of the zampona and a musician of extraordinary musical vision, Danilo Rojas, Victor Hugo Guzman and Galo Cortez, we created our own musical journey. Mini Voices highlights the problem of child labour, and Five Corners creates a joining together of musicians from around the world.
Ruben Valesquez (Bolivia)is a wonderful guitarist who collaborated on Step By Step and Here In La Paz. Our times at the studio seemed full of too many ideas, and together with Felix Rodriguez and Saul Vino we created the flavours of our joint ideas. Here In La Paz is a melody resulting from the inspiration of that first week in Bolivia's capital - the staggering beauty of Mount Illimani, a small child begging, new sounds, smells, the children playing football on the street late at night. Danilo Rojas (Bolivia) is a highly accomplished jazz pianist. His sense of humour, huge smile and musical sensitivity, took Mariangel into a space which it belonged. A highly emotional and personal piece of music which needed his sense of harmony and passion.
Felix Rodriguez (Bolivia) would meet me at the shop where he worked and we would 'jam' song possibilities for hours. He is a gifted zampona player who is now using a three tier chromatic pan pipe and including improvisations and uncommon harmonies in his music. It was also his consistency and loyalty, his sense of humour, which were important during my time in La Paz. Step By Step.... tells of the need to look within for our positive nature, to continually walk tall and forward in this life. All we need to take is one small step, followed by another. Composed together with my good friends, and the new wave of Bolivian musicians, Felix and Ruben.
Cornel Pana (Rumania) is undoubtedly one of the world's great nai virtuosos. Now focusing on a repertoire of classical music as an orchestral soloist, he tours the world giving concerts. The Big Slide was our way of creating a link between his skills, the flavour of Rumanian brass and an old melody that had resurfaced. It also reconnected us, from over a decade previously when I had been his student of the nai in Bucharest.
Yumika Nozaki (Rumania) agreed to work with me at a time when it seemed no inspiration would present itself in Rumania. I first met Yumika some ten years previously, as a fellow nai student of Cornel Pana. Forrest Gods is dedicated to all those people who stand up to save our forests. Geamparalele is based on a traditional Rumanian form, featuring Yumika playing nai along with the wonderful bassoon ensemble of Viorica, Adam, Orban and Gabriel.
The first time I heard Maria Raducanu (Rumania) improvising in the jazz style to a traditional piece of Rumanian folk music, I knew I had to ask her to collaborate. Nobody Ever Wins At War and Five Point One are testimony to the breadth of her talent. Beyond the music, Maria said that "life and friends before art" were what her life involved, a statement which was to taunt me during my lonely times in Rumania.
CHILDRENS DANCE
Written by: Valimba Band, Keelan
Musicians:
Kamba Makolekole: vocals, valimba, drum
Shiku Manyowa: valimba
Bendson Lauzhi: valimba, vocals
James Shagant: shakers
Peter Keelan: pan pipes, nose flute, bass drum, gong, bass, vibraslap, mouthbow, chimes
Recording Engineers: Evans Masamba, Peter Keelan
Words:
Ana avine
Asangalale kwambiri
Asiyeni ayimbe
Valimba nthawi ino
Asangalale avine anawo
Asangalale avine kmambiri
Asiyeni ayimbe
Valimba nthawi ino
The children dance
smiles so wide
let them play
valimba a while
Shaka shaka shaka
dega de dega de
bah bah bah
ANGEL DANCE
Written by: Rojas, Keelan
Musicians:
Danilo Rojas: piano
Felix Rodriguez: malta, zanka
Ruben Valesquez: guitar
Saul Vino: charango
Galo Cortez: bass
Peter Keelan: malta, toyos, bombo, tin tin, whistle
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos, Peter Keelan
CIRCLES
Written by: Pana, Keelan
Musicians:
Cornel Pana: nai
Peter Keelan: didgeridoo, bass drone, air pan pipes
Recording Engineers: Victor Panfilov, Peter Keelan
FIVE CORNERS
Written by: Callejas, Ligoya, Raducanu, Keelan
Musicians:
Saul Callejas: vocals (Spanish), charango, sonko
Carlos Ponce: zampona
Danilo Rojas: piano
Victor Hugo Guzman: drums
Galo Cortez: bass
Mildred 'Nachi' Ligoya: vocals (Chichewa)
Shane Kearney: talking drum
Maria Raducanu: vocals (Rumanian)
Cornel Pana: nai
Stefan Radu: hammered dulcimer
Subhan Hartree: vocals (English)
Peter Keelan: chromatic pan pipes, caporale bells
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos (Bolivia), Victor Panfilov (Rumania), Evans Masamba (Malawi), Peter Keelan (Australia)
Words:
|
Spanish (words by Saul Callejas)
Con tu voz |
Chichewa (translation by Mildred Ligoya)
Tonse pamodzi |
Romanian (translation by Maria Raducanu)
Glasul tau |
English (words by Peter Keelan)
With your voice |
FIVE POINT ONE
Written by: Raducanu, Keelan
Musicians:
Saul Callejas: charango
Danilo Rojas: piano
Victor Hugo Guzman: drums
Galo Cortez: bass
Maria Raducanu: vocals
Cornel Pana: nai
Stefan Radu: hammered dulcimer
Peter Keelan: pan pipes, whistle, bombo drum
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos (Bolivia), Victor Panfilov (Rumania), Evans Masamba (Malawi), Peter Keelan (Australia)
FORREST GODS
Written by: Nozaki, Keelan
Musicians:
Yumika Nozaki: nai
Adam Siminiceanu: contra bassoon
Gabriel Sava: 1st Bassoon
Orban Godri: 2nd Bassoon
Viorica Feher: 3rd Bassoon
Peter Keelan: chromatic pan pipes, chimes,didgeridoo, bird noises, bass drum, gong
Recording Engineers: Victor Panfilov, Sergei Panfilov, Peter Keelan
GEAMPARALELE
Written by: Nozaki, Keelan
Musicians:
Yumika Nozaki: nai
Adam Siminiceanu: contra bassoon
Viorica Feher: 3rd Bassoon
Gabriel Sava: 1st Bassoon
Orban Godri: 2nd Bassoon
Stefan Radu: hammered dulcimer
Silviu Prodan: double bass
Victor Panfilov: vocal
Peter Keelan: pan pipes, bass drum, drinking glass, vocals, vibraslap
Recording Engineers: Victor Panfilov, Peter Keelan
Dance dance dance because we can
Dans dans dans ca pute
HERE IN LA PAZ
Written by: Rodriguez, Valesquez, Keelan
Musicians:
Felix Rodriguez: zampona
Ruben Valesquez: guitar
Saul Vino: charango
Carlos Ponce: bombo
Galo Cortez: bass
Peter Keelan: malta, rondador, caporale bells, bird sounds, whirlie, cymbal
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos, Peter Keelan
MOYO NDI MOYO (Life Is Life)
Written by: Ligoya, Keelan
Musicians:
Mildred 'Nachi' Ligoya: vocals
Goodson Gomanda: vocals
Pauline Chiwawa: harmony vocals
Chiku Kamwendo: harmony vocals
Maurice Mbewe: harmony vocals
Owen Hulera: guitars, bass, drum programming
Sam Katimba: piano
Peter Keelan: pan pipes, clapping, woodblock, cowbell, rainmaker, chimes
Recording Engineers: Goodson Gomanda, Peter Keelan
Words:
|
Chichewa (translation by Goodson Gomanda)
Tiyeni tivine |
Do it now Use our time Make some sound Getting down Dance the night Right away Here in Malawi (Orztralia) Dancing yeah.... eah Life Is Today! Life.............. e Life Is................. s Life is Life is for living Don't you know that Life............. e Is for living Don't you know that life Is for living Walkin down the street Everybody tellin me that I look like a Well.... like a canary They're asking me Why I'm so happy When they're all so sad And I tell them that Life.......... e Is for living Don't you know that Life is for living Listen here Hey my brother Hey my sister Don't you know You've got one life to live Make your choices Learn from your mistakes Hey.....ey.....ey.....ey Hey my brother Hey my sister Find something that Will make you happy inside Life is for living |
LUSULAO JOYS
Written by: Lusulao Band, Peter Keelan
Musicians:
Chrispun Solobala: vocals, rhythm guitar
Francis Solobala: lead vocals, lead guitar
Flex Chatenwa: drums
McDonald Bwatamba: bass
Simon Nield: vocals
Subhan Hartree: vocals
Peter Keelan: pan pipes, didgeridoo, cowbell, lekolilo flute, vocals
Recording Engineers: Evans Masamba, Peter Keelan
Words:
|
Pa pa pa Ife anyamata Alusolao Band Peter anatipeza tikuimba Nyimbo zathu x 2 Ndimtima onse pamalo a padera Munthu ukakhalawekha Nthawi zina Umakhala ndimaganizo Maganizo oipa x 2 Ife anyamata a Lusolao Tingathe kupeza njira poimb nyimbo x 2 Zathu mosangalatsa x 2 |
Find that joy special place deep inside sweetest taste When you're alone deep in trouble look again for that bubble Lusulao boys lead the way singing songs move and sway And they know its the way Sing sing sing Move ahead take first steps positives instead |
MARIANGEL
Written by: Rojas, Keelan
Musicians:
Danilo Rojas Piano
Felix Rodriguez Zampona
Ruben Valesquez Guitar
Juan Vera Quena
Saul Vino Charango
Subhan Hartree Vocals
Galo Cortez Bass
Peter Keelan Malta, chimes, guiro, bombo
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos, Peter Keelan
Words:
|
Mariangel Mi otro cuerpo Nos juntos te amo Juancito En tiempos pasados hemos vivido otra pueblo tierra Wajcha alma solito ahora conozco eres mis brazos ahora conozco mis sonrisa y aliento ahora conozco Mariangel, angelito Mariangel, angelito |
Maria my angel my other body together we love Juan In times past we have lived in another village the solitary life now I know you are my smile and breath now I know Maria the angel Maria my angel |
MINI VOICES
Written by: Callejas, Keelan
Musicians:
Saul Callejas: charango
Carlos Ponce: chulli and malta, zanka, toyo
Danilo Rojas: piano
Galo Cortez: bass guitar
Victor Hugo Guzman: drums
Peter Keelan: chromatic pan pipes, didgeridoo, bells, flexitone, recorded sounds
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos, Peter Keelan
NOBODY EVER WINS AT WAR (Nimeni Nu Castiga En Razboi)
Written by: Raducanu, Keelan
Musicians:
Maria Raducanu: vocals
Petru Popa: piano
Mihai Iordache: saxophone
Stefan Radu: hammered dulcimer
Peter Jeavons: double bass
Subhan Hartree: vocals
Russell Burrows: congas, drums, cymbals
Peter Keelan: chromatic pan pipes, didgeridoo, guiro, bass drum
Words:
|
Nobody ever wins at war but faceless men who sell the law nobody ever wins at war especially not the hungry and the poor so why do we make more sending sons and daughters to the fore |
Nimeni nu castiga din razboi Poate doar cei fara de chip, fara de zei Nimeni nu castiga din razboi Nu noi, cei multi plini de nevoi Si atunci de ce sa se-intample De ce din nou motii sa ne dam |
STEP BY STEP
Written by: Valesquez, Keelan
Musicians:
Ruben Valesquez: guitar
Felix Rodriguez: zampona
Saul Vino: charango
Victor Hugo Guzman: drums
Russell Burrows: shaker
Galo Cortez: bass
Peter Keelan: chulli, malta, zanka, chimes, guiro, bombo, triangle, shouts, congas
Recording Engineers: Ivan Barrientos, Peter Keelan
THE BIG SLIDE
Written by: Pana, Keelan
Musicians:
Cornel Pana: nai
Mihai Iordache: saxophone
Marius Radu: hammered dulcimer
Peter Keelan: toyo, malta, buzz pans, bass
Ieronim Pogorizovschi: trombone
Pechis Suchio: clarinet
Marius Costache: tuba
KUYENDA LIMODZI (Walking Together)
Written by: Gomanda, Keelan
Musicians:
Goodson Gomanda: vocals
Mildred 'Nachi' Ligoya: vocals
Owen Hulera: guitars, bass, drum programming
Sam Katimba: piano
Shane Kearney: talking drum
Russell Burrows: shaker, cowbells, claps
Simon Nield: vocals
Peter Keelan: assorted blown bottles, piano, goats nails, cowbell, clapping, pan pipes
Recording Engineers: Goodson Gomanda, Peter Keelan
Words: (Chichewa translation by Goodson Gomanda)
|
Peace to you musician brothers playing true sisters and others Sing this song Join our noises Make us one Through our voices |
Mtendere kisa nonse Anyamata onse oyimba Kuyimba kwa uthetemwa Atsikana a mangoli Tiyeni tiyimbe nyimboyi Tili pamodzi Tigwirizane mukuyimba Mau okondwera |