A while ago I saw a trailer on Youtube for a documentary in which uilleann piper Paddy Keenan and singer Liam O’Maonlai make a musical journey to Mali in Africa.
From the trailer it looked to be an amazing experience and I have checked regularly to see if it had been released on DVD.
I did a google search today, and joy of joys, I found the full programme on an Internet TV site.
The documentary will be especially interesting to people who have played with musicians from other traditions.
I have swapped and played music with Japanese musicians over the years.
Most people seem to delight in looking for cultural differences, but it strikes me that musicians get the most joy from finding similarities in their playing.
I remember the huge smile on my shakuhachi teacher’s face when he saw me playing cuts and rolls on a whistle. He instantly played a tune full of cuts and roll-like ornaments on his Shak and said, ‘You don’t know the trouble I have teaching these ornaments. I am pleased I won’t have to teach you.’
Derek Bell of the Chieftains definitely hit it on the head when he said,
‘There would be much less trouble in the world if people played and understood each other’s music.’
Anyway enough rambling…on with the music.