Highlife
Hello Everyone,
Last night as I was typing the period for "that's all for now" the computer did something funny and logged me off...at that point I gave up and called it a night.
Last night I went and saw a Highlife band perform at a place called the Alliance Francaise with my instructors, Aaron and Michael. They began by playing an African version of the 1960's hit "House of the Rising Sun" and I thought "Oh no this is going to be a long night." But soon after they started playing some more standard Highlife songs. The music was a real blend of pop music, reggae, calypso...really hard to pin it down. It was definitely music for dancing. People were dancing all night long. They also included Paul Simon's "Call me Al" The German students at the show recognized it right away and started dancing like crazy to it! What a small world...
The band played continuously for two hours straight - no breaks. When one song ended the next one began.
My lecture yesterday on Jazz Genesis and Evolution went very well. there were many, many students and faculty there. They seemed very interested and asked quite a few very good questions including: What is Jazz? A very difficult question to answer - I think that will be the topic of my next lecture!
I had lessons on both the Kpanlogo drum and xylophone today. The drumming is coming easier than the xylophone playing. Since my time here is so short I am trying to accomplish as much as I can with my lessons and practicing.
All is well here.
Best
Patrick
Last night as I was typing the period for "that's all for now" the computer did something funny and logged me off...at that point I gave up and called it a night.
Last night I went and saw a Highlife band perform at a place called the Alliance Francaise with my instructors, Aaron and Michael. They began by playing an African version of the 1960's hit "House of the Rising Sun" and I thought "Oh no this is going to be a long night." But soon after they started playing some more standard Highlife songs. The music was a real blend of pop music, reggae, calypso...really hard to pin it down. It was definitely music for dancing. People were dancing all night long. They also included Paul Simon's "Call me Al" The German students at the show recognized it right away and started dancing like crazy to it! What a small world...
The band played continuously for two hours straight - no breaks. When one song ended the next one began.
My lecture yesterday on Jazz Genesis and Evolution went very well. there were many, many students and faculty there. They seemed very interested and asked quite a few very good questions including: What is Jazz? A very difficult question to answer - I think that will be the topic of my next lecture!
I had lessons on both the Kpanlogo drum and xylophone today. The drumming is coming easier than the xylophone playing. Since my time here is so short I am trying to accomplish as much as I can with my lessons and practicing.
All is well here.
Best
Patrick
posted by Patrick Roulet at 12:48 AM
1 Comments:
Hi, Pat! Hey, what's wrong with "House of the Rising Sun?" Worked for Eric Burden!! Was listening to a Maine Podcast the other day and they were talking about Gambian drumming music (gotta love Maine for being 45 degrees off!!)...and how hard it is for us Westerners to get our heads around the rhythm (probably too much House of the Rising Sun). Anyway, they said the music was designed for dancing, which of course went hand in hand with what you said in your blog. Thanks for broadening my mind. Living in the state that brought us Sam Aleto and the Gay American Governor, I need my mind broadened. Please continue to have wonderful adventures and write us about them!!
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