|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Oran Etkin's 'Open Arms' Series - New Single out October 9th Honors Dr. Yusef Lateef On Oct 9, internationally renowned multi-reed player Oran Etkin will release a new single and music video in honor of the 100th birthday of his mentor and teacher, Dr. Yusef Lateef. Etkin will also perform a live-streamed concert from Smalls Jazz Club on Oct 12th and a live-audience outdoor concert in Plainfield MA, very close to Dr. Lateef's home for many years. Etkin's reflections and a portion of the new music video will also be featured on the UMass Amherst's multimedia project "100 responses to Yusef Lateef." Etkin began studying with Yusef Lateef when he was 19 years old and Dr. Lateef later wrote the linear notes to Etkin's first album, Kelenia. "One of the many ways that Yusef Lateef influenced me is the way he related to the music of other cultures, " Etkin reflected. "Brother Yusef had a way of engaging in conversation through truly listening in a powerful way and then sharing his own perspective honestly. In many ways he was the same way with music — he would always try to understand the music from the perspective of the culture from which it was born. He would incorporate certain elements that spoke to him from the music that he encountered, so that he could express his own music honestly and directly. I never saw him try to just imitate or mimic a style. He was always himself and always in honest dialogue with the music." About The Tribute: Karigamombe It all started over a shared plate of sadza in a home on the outskirts of Harare, talking, laughing and preparing for the ceremony that night. In February 2018, Etkin had some time off between concerts in France and Zimbabwe so he decided to go early to Zimbabwe and live with the Chigamba and Chingodza families, two legendary dynasties of the spiritual Mbira music. He was greeted at the airport by the ebullient warm energy of Irene Chigamba, who took him to the home of her father, 80 year old Mbira master Tute Chigamba. The next day, there was an all-night ceremony lasting 14 hours, in which many of the great Gwenyambiras (the Shona word for Mbira masters) from around the region descended upon the Chigamba's homes to play music for 14 hours straight, calling forth to the spirits and ancestors. The music was deep, soulful and trance-like. The circular melodies seemed to have no beginning and no end. Around hour 11, as the sun was rising, the Gwenyambiras asked Etkin to take out his bass-clarinet and join in as they taught him the traditional parts on the spot. From there the music continued to flow each day and each night. Feeling inspired, Etkin invited the Chigambas to come perform with him on his live concerts. "We are together. We are soldiers of peace", Tute Chigamba said to Oran before their performance in Harare. "When you start playing, people sit down and think more deeply". Guided by the deep spiritual and musical connection they all felt, they went into the studio to record a series of tracks which will come out as part of Etkin's Open Arms Project. Karigamombe is a traditional form, which literally means he who is stronger than the bull and is sung to the spirits of venerated ancestors. It is with gratitude and humbleness that Etkin dedicates this tribute to the spirit of one of his cherished mentors, Yusef Lateef, and to all who love him. About Open Arms Project This April, as the world was closing down, Etkin's response was the Open Arms Project: a monthly release of singles & videos highlighting various collaborations he had with great masters around the world - each characterized by a deep human bond formed out of a sense of listening and mutual respect. So far in this project, Etkin has released tracks with legendary Brazilian vocalist Danilo Caymmi recorded & filmed in Rio de Janeiro and a duo with Mbira master Musekiwa Chingodza. Future singles in this series include collaborations in Prague, Paris & São Paulo. About Oran Etkin Oran Etkin has been described as "ebullient" by New York Times and "composer of eminent individuality" by Yusef Lateef. He was voted #1 Rising Star Clarinetist in DownBeat Magazine's Critic's Poll and has performed as a leader at venues including Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, WolfTrap, Kennedy Center and more. He has been invited twice to be a guest lecturer at Harvard University and is also the founder of the Timbalooloo educational program for young children. Etkin released six albums as a leader including four on the Motema label. Etkin's duo concert with Sullivan Fortner in Paris was chosen as one of the Top 6 Musical Highlights of the year by Libération, which described it as "a concert of weightlessness, class, spark, inspiration and sharing. Magic uninterrupted for two hours. The crowd went wild. For such is the music of Etkin: sensitive to the exchange with the audience." Etkin's unique sound on the clarinet, bass-clarinet and saxophone emanates from an openness to deep musical connections that often transcend cultural and generational boundaries. Etkin began reimagining how touring can become part of the creative process with his Gathering Light project, released in 2014 on Motema. Flipping the traditional record-then-tour model, he first toured in Indonesia, China, Japan, Israel and West Africa and then let the rhythms and melodies he encountered influence the music he created with his New York based band. Since then, he has only deepened his concept of "gathering light": taking time off between shows to live, perform and record with traditional mbira masters in Zimbabwe; building collaborative projects with Czech, Slovak & Roma (Gypsy) musicians in Prague; and nurturing friendships and collaborations in many cities where his tours took him from Paris to São Paulo. write your comments about the article :: © 2020 Jazz News :: home page |