2004 Gourd Festival Concert Review - Sue
Lense,
Columbus, OH.-
Refuge in a Gourd
While it wasn't my first encounter with the Gourd Festival, this was my first
evening concert. I have nothing but praise for the event - the price was fair,
the facilities adequate, and there were even concessions. However, the only
real criticism was the lack of good directions on the fairgrounds. Solve this
minor problem and there will be increased attendance next year. Applause to
the Ohio Gourd Society for an overall great job. Many do not realize the world
wide significance of gourds in music making, nor do they think of gourds as
having potential for new forms of music. If there were any doubters beforehand,
the concert made many converts.
The first group known as the Oxford
Gourd and Drum Ensemble intentionally perform in an organic manner, improvising
on hand made instruments. Distinct atmospheres enveloped the listeners through
myriad percussive, rattling, blowing and plucking sounds. One song, dedicated
to recreating a summer evening did just that, complete with 'crickets', 'bullfrogs'
and other rhythms of nature. Adding to the fun was their musical re-enactment
of a steam engine which was both believable and a nice segway to the next act.
Paul
Sedgwick, recently returned from West Africa, gave an engrossing history
of the banjo, beginning with the akonting, a traditional instrument. He then
traced its development into the contemporary banjo resurrecting early minstrel
tunes from the nineteenth century. Interest in learning traditional akonting
is fading in Africa. Paul has not only learned how to play and make them, he
has made an instructional video to help keep this knowledge alive. He also played
a gourd didgeridoo, native to the aboriginal peoples of Australia. Though normally
made from wood, Paul's instrument and skillful circular breathing made it impossible
to tell the difference.
Shifting from the educational, but only less formally, were the Richmond
Indigenous Gourd Orchestra. They made a particularly flamboyant aural and
visual display. In full homemade regalia they sounded as if they were the progeny
of the 'Hoosier Hotshots', Harry Partch, and Sun Ra. While this is supposed
to be impossible, RIGO had a good time showing us that it was not. The playfulness
of their original compositions thinly disguised evidence of strong musicianship
and a deep knowledge of world music. Mbiras, gamelon-like marimbas, scrappers
and all things gourdian blended together like Captain Beefheart in Wonderland.
This was an act for all ages and dispositions. For many they were just plain
"awesome."
The last musician recapitulated the idea of creating an atmosphere - but it
was with greater seriousness.
Xavier Quijas Yxayoti, a Native American from Mexico, created a sacred space
in a performance using little more than his voice, clay flutes, and a rotating
drum-rattle that simulated sounds of the ocean. He began his one man religious
ceremony by entering in total darkness, burning sage, and saying prayers. A
small fire added to the feeling of being outdoors. All of this, including his
songs, stories and audience participation enabled everyone to enter a more timeless
frame of mind.
By the end of the concert, each left in good spirits - literally. It is my hope
that more well considered concerts such as this can continue at future Gourd
Festivals. In an age of increasingly synthesized sound and much noise pollution,
it was a delight to recall by demonstration one of the oldest sources of music.