World Music Exporation - Rufftone

This week, we are exploring the music of Kenyan gospel artist Rufftone (Roughtone). His musical style has been described as "Reggae, Afro- Kapuka". He has been nominated for numerous awards, including Gospel of the Year at Africa's Kora Awards, International Artist of the Year at the 2004 America Gospel Music Awards and Album of the Year at the 2003 Kisima Awards.

He won Artist of the Year at the 2004 Groove Awards. He has performed throughout Africa, the USA and United Kingdom.According to KenyanGospel.com, the title song of his 2003 album, Mwikulu, Luhya for heaven "is about how people would like to go to heaven, and yet they forget the simple rules. It is a fusion of Zouk (party music) and African ragga.

Here's a clip:

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(TM), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

New Videos on Musespeak Youtube Channel

Videos from some our performances at SAJETAA's Hana Matsuri are up on my Youtube Channel.Here's one of them:

Proceeds from the event will go to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

We performed six Jpop numbers:

• "Tsubasa wo kudasai" from Neon Genesis Evangelion and K-On!

• "Houki Boshi" from Bleach

• "This is My Road" from Guin Saga

• "Crossbeats" by Pia no Jac

• "Fukai Mori" by Do As Infinity

• "Shima Uta" by The Boom

We're still playing around with the set but hope to perform it again soon.

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - Grand Master Masese

This week, we're checking out an instrument that is unlike anything we have in North America, the obukano. It hails from the Gusii village.Playing the obukano and singing is Grand Master Masese. He plays the obokano and nyatiti (lyre). He is also a comedian, poet, dancer and writer. He introduces the song extremely well in this video:

Latest Benefit Performance Made the News

Yesterday, my sibling and I performed at the Hana Matsuri, organized by the Southern Alberta JET Program Alumni Association (SAJETAA for short). Hana Matsuri is a Japanese celebration to welcome spring and to commemorate Buddha's birthday.

Since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, we have wanted to help with the relief efforts in any way that we can. When we signed up to perform, we thought, "Oh boy! We don't have a lot of time to put this together. Time to get cracking!"

We had one week. Three ensemble rehearsals. Sheet music for only two songs, chord charts for the rest, for those who want to know. Melodies had to be picked out entirely by ear.

I'm the first to admit that when the news camera guy walked in, there was a moment of panic: "OMG! We haven't had these pieces for very long. What if we bomb?". Incidentally, every classical artist's nightmare. We are trying to break the habit but every now and again, we succumb to old thought processes.

Thankfully, all went well. We triumphed over our trouble spots and smoothly adjusted whenever we went "off the page". For that, we have to thank God. We also have to thank our music teachers, especially Derek Stoll and Linda Pimentel, for stressing the essential stage survival skills: technique, sight-reading, improvisation, a strong ear and a strong foundation in music theory.

We were touched by our audience. It is really true that we feed off our audiences. It's a circle: musician gives to audience - audience reacts - musician feeds off reaction to give more. We see happy faces, we want to give more to the happy faces. We see people tearing up with emotion, we want to give them more because we know we've triggered something in their heart. Our audience becomes an integral part of our performance.

As a pianist, I don't really see the reactions of the audience, but I hear them. The sighs of pleasure,the laughter, the gasps of delight, the whispers, etc. We even hear the not-so positive comments with our "on-stage super hearing", such as "Is it over yet?", "I wanna go home now!", "This piece is sooooo long!"

As a singer, I see it all written on people's faces. There is a magical, mystical connection forged when you sing directly to someone. We don't get that connection when our eyes are focused on our instrument.

The festival itself was a success. There was an ikebana demonstration (too bad I didn't win a flower arrangement for Mom), taiko drumming demonstration by Midnight Taiko Kai, several things to buy, free food and tea and a "Let's Play Dress Up" corner with yukata. Sale and raffle proceeds went towards the Japan earthquake/tsunami relief efforts.

And yes - we made Global TV Calgary's 6:00 News approximately 11 minutes into the newscast. You can hear us playing HoukiBoshi in one segment and a bit of Tsubassawokudasai in other.

Selected songs from yesterday's performance will be added to Musespeak'sYoutube Channel.

(c) 2011 byMusespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - Traditional Music of Kenya

This month, my students and I are exploring the music of Kenya. There are 13 tribes in Kenya, each with a distinct style of Kenyan traditional music:

1. Akamba: highly percussive music

2. Bajuni: mainly male singers

3. Borana: feature the chamonge guitar (cooking pot strung like a guitar)

4. Chuka: polyrhythmic percussion music

5. Gusii: features an obokano (lute-like instrument) and a ground bow

6. Kikuyu: features female singers and dancers, featuring music for initiations, courting, weddings, hunting, and working

7. Luhya: features drums

8. Luo: feature drums, clappers, metal rings, ongeng'o or gara, shakers, strings instruments such as the nyatiti, wind instruments such as tung' a horn,Asili, a flute, Abu-! and singing

9. Maasai: call and response vocal music

10. Mijikenda: percussion music

11. Samburu: vocals, pipes, guitar

12. Taraab: singing with accompaniment with Arabic and Indian influences

13. Turkana: call and response music mostly, some horn

This week's clip is an example of call and response music:

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.