[mplpost] folk music/magic
Carolyn Sutherland
csutherland@superaje.com
Wed Aug 16 20:12:42 2000
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Nick Naffin said in his posting:
> Folk's a thing of the heart. You can tell by the stars in the eyes of
>someone you meet at a festival; by the walk of a woman who just found a
song
>teling her she's alright after all; by the guy who tells you, man, I =
gotta
>pull out that guitar; by the way they let you pass on your way out of =
the
>parking lot.
>
>
> Maybe it's easier to define what isn't folk. The ones left standing =
are
>folk; but they'll probably debate about it.
*********
I don't have anything to add to the definition itself but Nick's =
description echoes with a workshop I saw in Edmonton last weekend. I =
don't know if the experience can be transmitted to computer screen, but =
I'll try... It was entitled "Sing Out" with artists Garnet Rogers, =
Karen Savoca, Kimmie Rhodes and Rokia Traore. They did a roundabout as =
usual, taking turns doing songs, but somehow as time went on, they got =
into one another's zone more and more, and songs got longer, with =
extended improvs at the end of each. These went beyond the trading =
solos that I'm used to seeing in these workshops; people were playing =
and vocalizing with and through one another, and the songs just drifted =
around in an amazing way. A whole new zone on "The Water is Wide"; =
later Rokia Traore did one 'griot' song, starting out on turf unfamiliar =
to many, which blossomed into an extended groove with everyone layering =
responses. The performers and I believe most of the audience got swept =
up in the hour; had less and less to say between songs, and many were in =
tears before the end... =20
I know this musical experience is not limited to this one workshop; as =
the discussion last summer on workshops illustrated, they can be =
magical. Nor is it limited to folk music... but it felt like the best =
that folk music can be, bringing together people and music, traditions =
and spirit, in an open, inspired atmosphere. =20
Carolyn Sutherland
=20
Stewart Park Festival, Perth, Ontario
=20
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Nick Naffin said in his posting:
> Folk's a thing of the heart. You can tell by the stars =
in the=20
eyes of
>someone you meet at a festival; by the walk of a woman =
who just=20
found a
song
>teling her she's alright after all; by the guy =
who tells=20
you, man, I gotta
>pull out that guitar; by the way they let you =
pass on=20
your way out of the
>parking lot.
>
>
> Maybe =
it's=20
easier to define what isn't folk. The ones left standing =
are
>folk;=20
but they'll probably debate about it.
*********
I don't have anything to add to the definition itself but Nick's=20
description echoes with a workshop I saw in Edmonton last weekend. =
I don't=20
know if the experience can be transmitted to computer screen, but I'll=20
try... It was entitled "Sing Out" with artists =
Garnet=20
Rogers, Karen Savoca, Kimmie Rhodes and Rokia Traore. They did a=20
roundabout as usual, taking turns doing songs, but somehow as time went =
on, they=20
got into one another's zone more and more, and songs got longer, with =
extended=20
improvs at the end of each. These went beyond the trading solos =
that I'm=20
used to seeing in these workshops; people were playing and vocalizing =
with and=20
through one another, and the songs just drifted around in an amazing =
way. =20
A whole new zone on "The Water is Wide"; later Rokia =
Traore did=20
one 'griot' song, starting out on turf unfamiliar to many, which =
blossomed into=20
an extended groove with everyone layering responses. The =
performers and I=20
believe most of the audience got swept up in the hour; had less and less =
to say=20
between songs, and many were in tears before the end... =
I know this musical experience is not limited to this one workshop; =
as the=20
discussion last summer on workshops illustrated, they can be =
magical. Nor=20
is it limited to folk music... but it felt like the best that folk =
music=20
can be, bringing together people and music, traditions and spirit, in an =
open,=20
inspired atmosphere.
Carolyn=20
Sutherland
Stewart Park=20
Festival, Perth, Ontario