Bamako, 5 février 2010, 33 degrés à l'ombre. Rendez-vous à midi avec les membres du groupe Tinariwen, anciens rebelles de la révolte touareg, qui prêchent désormais la paix à travers leur musique. Ils jouent ce soir à Bamako et l'idée est de profiter de l'occasion pour les enregistrer avant leur concert. On est dans un quartier à quelques kilomètres du centre de la capitale et il faut qu'on trouve au plus vite un endroit pour pouvoir saisir leur musique et leur message. L'idéal, ça serait un jardin avec un peu d'ombre et une prise de courant pour pouvoir brancher les amplis. Après un repérage sommaire des lieux, on se décide à frapper à la porte d'un habitant du quartier pour lui demander si on peut enregistrer dans sa cour. Un vieil homme nous accueille à bras ouvert et c'est donc dans son petit jardin, devant chez lui qu'on plante nos caméras et nos micros pour enregistrer Tinariwen. Après quelques heures de musique à l'ombre d'un manguier, sous l'œil curieux des enfants du quartier qui tapent dans leurs mains au son de la musique lancinante de ces hommes et ces femmes du désert, Ibrahim nous livre ses impressions sur le sens qu'a la musique à ses yeux. L'idée que la musique est un parfait outil de partage et un langage universel se dessine naturellement dans son témoignage qui rejoint ainsi, une fois encore, celui des musiciens des quatre coins du monde.
François
With all the travel and excitement that the PFC Band and Crew enjoyed in the last three months of 2009, it was wonderful for us all to have a restful holiday break with our families. We are now all back in LA, and tomorrow is going to be our first meeting of the new year. We have a lot of exciting things to discuss, not least of which is "where to next!"
Thank you for all the love and support we have received from our community over the course of this journey. Whether we are home or abroad, it always means so much to us to read your feedback, comments, and emails. Please continue to keep them flowing in 2010, and we'll do the same with the music!
Peace and Love from Los Angeles!
Last night was a night to remember-- but of course we all knew it would be long before the show started. Beginning the moment we all hopped on the bus, everyone could barely contain their excitement. Sinamuva began a song as soon as the bus pulled away from our hotel, and they were quickly accompanied by an improvised percussion ensemble. Peter hopped down into the stair well and pounded on the side of the bus; Venkat began playing the ceiling with his knuckles; Mermans began to yell; People all around me began clapping; And before long half the bus was banging on something-- the rest of us were singing, laughing, or filming the fun.
The 20-minute bus ride began in the rain, but by the time we arrived, the sun had come out. As we pulled up, we noticed a rainbow arching down directly above the venue. We all thought it was a great omen for the show but Mark was quick to counter that if anything, that rainbow had shown up to recharge its energy at our show. And he was right...
The Caja Magica was packed to the gills (over 8,000 people were in attendance!), and by the end of the show it felt like the place was going to blow. The band put together a set list of 25 songs (our longest list to date, I believe), and performed for well over two hours. Guest artists Nena Daconte and Kiko Veneno joined the band for a number of songs, and were greeted by raucous applause. Even our own Enzo Buono hopped on stage to harmonize (and dance!) with Tula during Chanda Mama. The addition of Sinamuva to the band rounded out the sound beautifully, and brought our total musician count to nearly 20!
It was an amazing evening, and I want to thank everyone who was with us, both in body and in spirit. I would also like to thank Acciona and Ademas for making this event possible, and also our Tour Manager Erika Duffee, who has lead this group of Peace Soldiers across North America and Spain these past two months.
I'm on a plane bound for New York City (currently experiencing a fair bit of turbulence) as I write this, and it is a bittersweet moment for me. I'm heading home for the first time in a month, and am looking forward to seeing my family for the Holidays, yet at the same time I am leaving my other family behind. But I know before long we'll all be together, back on the road again. But for now...
Peace and Love from 30,000 feet!
With the arrival of Sinamuva, the South African choir from Umlazi, our band is now complete. Everyone was overjoyed as all the musicians met each other for the first time, and that energy spilled right over into today's rehearsal. The bus ride was one massive jam session, with the choir singing and the rest of the band playing improvised percussion ranging from hand claps to banging on the ceiling-- the ball bearing curtain rods even became a make-shift shaker! The energy of the whole group is off the charts and I know that tomorrow's show is going to be an unbelievable experience.
After rehearsal we all piled back into the bus and took over an Indian restaurant. The food was delicious and the company could not have been better. It feels like one big family vacation here in Madrid, and we're looking forward to sharing the experience with a few thousand more members of the PFC Family tomorrow night at La Caja Magica.
Peace and Love from Madrid!
The PFC Band spent the day in the studio today. It was a long day but we got a lot accomplished. The band recorded a beautiful version of Clarence Bekker's original "Mr. Morality" to start with. Following that the band went to work on a version of a song by The Temptations that was absolutely through the roof (Mr. Bekker has a gift for Motown!). We wrapped the day by adding a few of the band members to our new Songs Around The World, which was the perfect end to a long session.
By the time we got home we were all beat-- we all pulled close to 12 hours at the studio, and were looking forward to catching a bit of rest before rehearsal the next day. Bhekani and Sinamuva are due to arrive in the morning, and we can't wait to add them into the mix. Until then...
Peace and Love from Madrid!
