TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Thursday, April 6, 2006

7:58 PM
Posted by jodi rose

the very fabulous kate and kay

Nomadic Bridge Artist Celebrates Kaiparoro

'Our Land, Our People, Our Bridge and, Our Stories'
Weekend of Celebrations April 7-9 2006

Sonic bridge artist Jodi Rose is visiting New Pacific Studio at Mt Bruce for the celebration and rededication of the Anzac Memorial Bridge on Sunday 9th April, 2pm as part of the weekend of celebrations, which also include a Mystery Dig on Saturday, 10am at NPS.

Rose is working with a group of local children to explore the cultural connections from this bridge across the world and to create a work responding to the history and stories of the Kaiparoro area, for Sunday's celebration and rededication ceremony.

...Now for something completely different...

This is where I am right now, writing in my fabulous room in the restored normandell house, chaise lounge by the window, bells on the table. Filtering, planning and responding to ideas about the site and local area to create the performance with the kids on sunday. I'm still fascinated with the concept of sonic signatures, that a place transmits something of the soul and culture of its people through music. Had a wonderful time at the music school library, collecting examples to sample and cut-up and re-use from each of the countries where the people memorialised on the bridge are buried. Egyptian variations on popular themes, from Les Musicians du Nil (glad to have the Nile in there somewhere!), Debussy: Children's Corner (had to narrow the search for french music down somewhat, used the date 1918 which is when Debussy died)... some interesting synchronicity already - one of the wild cards that came up in the Turkish search is Rast Destgah, Ethnic Series PAN 2017 Mugam ensemble, that is an Anthology of Azerbaijainian Music, featuring a 53 minute improvisation. In conversation at dinner that night, kate mentioned the various tribes of the Jewish diaspora, including the Azerbijan who were mythologically oriented. Another strange link was the Mere Boynton CD, Waikohu, with Kohu the word for mist or fog, referencing the fairy people or mist maiden, and 'infers that reality is shrouded in mist, it is not possible to be too sure of what you see...this album (allows) the listener to glimpse through the mist and discover something new at every turn.' Another piece of Turkish music randomly chosen was a taksim, and displays 'the mysticism of mevlevi dervishes, meditative, religious nature' - perfect for a memorial service and celebration. Reading more on Debussy's orchestral works, I also found that he made a 'very free interpretation of Mallarme's 'L'Apres midi d'un Faune', a series of backgrounds against which the faun's dreams and desires stir in the afternoon heat'. There's just not enought symbolist poetry-inspired music these days!! ;)

I'm using very small samples (ie not infringine copyright!) from these works to create subtle resonances in the soundscape, mixed with ambient recordings from the bridge site which I made today when the cows responded with an extraordinary syncopated symphony of mooooing, the trucks rattled past and water bubbled along the stone riverbank. The kids will be using various simple performance techniques to evoke the start of their journeys along a river of dreams and desires, using bells, ribbon and bamboo, with the bridge becoming a ship at some point. Now all I need is to encourage some interprative dance (or ballroom would be fine too) and we'll be sweet. :))

This is a gorgeous project to be involved with, contributing something to my half-homeland (can you be a part new zealander?), getting to know more fabulous people, and staying in lovely surroundings. Sometimes money isn't everything - the intangibles can be equally valubale - but there's even some of that too!! The previous whinge about professional rates doesn't really apply here - its just those damned socialist principles in my bohemian upbringing that make it hard to successfully transition from do-anything-for-love to do-some-things-for-money-too... workshopping it.