RE: OT: music biz article

["Michael Peters" <mp@mpeters.de>]

> I have very little in common with that Baka man playing on a hillside in
the jungles of Africa, but his music spoke to me. Therein lies the power of
music


totally agreed. A good example. I feel quite distant from the Aka pygmies
culturally but their singing moves me to tears.

Last year I actually saw them perform here in Cologne/Germany. It was a
combined concert in the philharmony starring two dozen Aka singing, and
contemporary chamber and opera music by Gyorgy Ligeti - it was his 80th
birthday concert. Ligeti is also very interested in pygmy music, and feels
close to them, musically.

Seeing these small, half-naked people on stage, just having come from the
deep jungle and not quite attuned to the western world, visibly feeling
insecure on the huge concert hall stage, then slowly warming up and then
taking off carried by their gorgeous polyrhythmic singing - this blew
everyone's mind in the audience, and there were standing ovations
afterwards.


-Michael
www.michaelpeters.de