The women of these so-called foreign lands have something that unites them with those of us in the so-called free world: love.
February 14, 2005 (Press Release) --
By Mark Kirby
Here in the middle of the psy-ops free fire zone, otherwise known as the America 2004-2008, we are removed from any other bitter consequences of war, save for our own suffering, as seen on television. War is portrayed as a video game and all the real blood of death-especially of civilians is drained. Humans and the people who love them are relegated to mere statistics otherwise known as collateral damage.
What is this collateral damage? We all grieve and bleed for our friends and neighbors who died in the attack on the World Trade Towers, but what of other people's friends and neighbors? What of their children? We are not encouraged to think of that stuff, because, as any Marine will tell you, killing is not easy and you have to dehumanize "them." As Karl Rove and his peeps remind us, such thoughts are "unpatriotic."
In response to this attempt to render us Americans and the rest of the world comes Lullabies from the Axis of Evil. Proving that we as planetary citizens have more in common than not, these lullabies, performed by women from the various countries on Bush's enemy's list and Western enemy noncombatants, have a similar feel, though the languages and tunes vary. Each evokes the primordial sound of mothers communicating to children. It's the soothing sound that smooths over the struggle of life that even babies must endure (watch a baby try to move, sit, stand - life is never easy even in the best of !
circumstances).
Almost as difficult was the birth and development of this project by Norwegian Producer Erik Hillestad. All ideas take work to realize them and make them real, but to go into these lands, find these singers - and all the political and cultural barriers this entailed, not to mention armed soldiers and the lawless chaos of war and strife - and record them and get past the barriers with the tapes, was truly a feat even more courageous than learning to walk, talk, run, play, sing, and love.
The women of these so-called foreign lands have something that unites them with those of us in the so-called free world: love. Love of song, love of life, love of children, and love's cousin from around the way, hope. The lullabies express what all mothers think and feel about their babies: they tell the babies, and ask god, that they will be safe from harm; that the babies are precious jewels of love and hope; that in their perfection, will the universe in all it's expressions of love - moon light, wind, the scent and flowers of jasmine - please rain gently upon them. These songs fly in the face of those who paint those people on the other side of political and economic demarcations as monster, as other. And it is a reminder that art can act like a mirror and a hammer without screaming, bluster, curses, and bombastic beats.
While cross-cultural collaboration of this sort is impressive, it is amazing how, in the hands of these true artists, the foreign tongues and melodies easily lend themselves to incorporation with the western music styles used on this record; music that blends American and European folk rock, ambient, country, and subtle, but striking blends, thereof.
For the complete story & interview with Producer Erik Hillestad:
http://www.musicdish.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=74
By Mark Kirby
Here in the middle of the psy-ops free fire zone, otherwise known as the America 2004-2008, we are removed from any other bitter consequences of war, save for our own suffering, as seen on television. War is portrayed as a video game and all the real blood of death-especially of civilians is drained. Humans and the people who love them are relegated to mere statistics otherwise known as collateral damage.
What is this collateral damage? We all grieve and bleed for our friends and neighbors who died in the attack on the World Trade Towers, but what of other people's friends and neighbors? What of their children? We are not encouraged to think of that stuff, because, as any Marine will tell you, killing is not easy and you have to dehumanize "them." As Karl Rove and his peeps remind us, such thoughts are "unpatriotic."
In response to this attempt to render us Americans and the rest of the world comes Lullabies from the Axis of Evil. Proving that we as planetary citizens have more in common than not, these lullabies, performed by women from the various countries on Bush's enemy's list and Western enemy noncombatants, have a similar feel, though the languages and tunes vary. Each evokes the primordial sound of mothers communicating to children. It's the soothing sound that smooths over the struggle of life that even babies must endure (watch a baby try to move, sit, stand - life is never easy even in the best of !
circumstances).
Almost as difficult was the birth and development of this project by Norwegian Producer Erik Hillestad. All ideas take work to realize them and make them real, but to go into these lands, find these singers - and all the political and cultural barriers this entailed, not to mention armed soldiers and the lawless chaos of war and strife - and record them and get past the barriers with the tapes, was truly a feat even more courageous than learning to walk, talk, run, play, sing, and love.
The women of these so-called foreign lands have something that unites them with those of us in the so-called free world: love. Love of song, love of life, love of children, and love's cousin from around the way, hope. The lullabies express what all mothers think and feel about their babies: they tell the babies, and ask god, that they will be safe from harm; that the babies are precious jewels of love and hope; that in their perfection, will the universe in all it's expressions of love - moon light, wind, the scent and flowers of jasmine - please rain gently upon them. These songs fly in the face of those who paint those people on the other side of political and economic demarcations as monster, as other. And it is a reminder that art can act like a mirror and a hammer without screaming, bluster, curses, and bombastic beats.
While cross-cultural collaboration of this sort is impressive, it is amazing how, in the hands of these true artists, the foreign tongues and melodies easily lend themselves to incorporation with the western music styles used on this record; music that blends American and European folk rock, ambient, country, and subtle, but striking blends, thereof.
For the complete story & interview with Producer Erik Hillestad:
http://www.musicdish.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=74
Email
Print
SPAM
