Foul and funky

By Arun Dias Bandaranaike 

(clouds?) were entertained, nay, treated to music making that was alternately, 'foul' and funky in the best tradition of Eddie Harris. It was accompanied by a ferocious back-beat ("At Long Last"), arresting, into the groove and demanding ("Grinder's Monkey") ,occupying ambient colourscape ("Round and round in Circles") , out of the groove and straight ahead ("High Price") and purely ecstatic ("It Might as well be Spring"). 

The last mentioned was a ballad which probably was the single selection of the evening that was not an original, and featured the leader's beautifully controlled crystal liquid lyrical soprano saxophone (wonder of wonders!!). It began with a dramatic unaccompanied flurry of sixteenth notes that poured forth like a gleaming stream in the morning sunlight, and then went into the familiar harmonies of the standard, even as the piano, bass and drums captured the essentials to provide just the right support

I would give that five stars, and too, the other offering that touched this writer, namely "High Price" . This was quite a tour de force that combined some hard blowing tenor saxophone, interesting changes, a fertility of ideas, and also brought one face to face with the awesome talent of drummer Winston Clifford. Clifford was right there with the action, listening and driving the momentum, filling the night with the most wondrous fills, cross-rhythms and accented off beats. Even though comparisons are odious in such an individual art as this musical form is, I could not help but be reminded of the kind of devices and expressions used by Jack de Johnette when listening to Clifford - there was never a dull moment!

Jim Watson played keyboards i.e. acoustic (upright) piano and Roland synthesizer upon which he executed some pitches and rolls and strangled wheezes and pipes in addition to some deftly crafted multiple voicings (including seemingly human voice tones), all of which would definitely have served to put a smile on the late Sun Ra's usually dour visage!! Watson was a "man for all seasons" and seems an irrepressible character. I certainly was in awe of his command of the piano, especially in the ballad- and he is well able to take the ambience any which way, much as Jaki Byard did. (He was nominated for a "Rising Star" BT Jazz award, 1998; won Best Soloist prize in the Euro Jazz Contest-1996.)

The only blues outing of the evening was another original, dedicated to the giant of the Hammond organ, Jimmy Smith. We also were treated to the "back-stage story " of their encounter, and the reason why Dave O'Higgins called this medium-fast paced composition "The Perfect Gentleman" . It was obvious that Dave has 'grown up' listening to the heady days of the organ-group formula, when artistes like Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott and many others came into world prominence. This current rendition was not really an attempt to capture the entirety of the sound, but, was more an impression. This was successfully achieved with Mike Outram's electric guitar with some support from the keyboard department, while O'Higgins ( on tenor sax) blew his heart out. 

The limitations inherent in the outdoor scenario in steaming humidity, made it apropos for Sam Burgess to stick with the electric bass- which was a disappointment. While the "funkiness" fared well with such a sound, much was lost in the case of some of the other pieces, which needed an acoustic instrument. 

Going underground with rhyme

Other languages and cultures have also contributed immeasurably to English poetry. Chaucer translated the French Roman de al Rose; Ben Jonson and Herrick plundered the classics; contemporary Caribbean poets combine traditional forms and 'national language'. 

'Poems On The Underground', a poster display at The British Council will be on from April 2-12 (except Sundays) from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. 

When 'Poems on the Underground' was launched in 1986, it was hoped that London's two million commuters would be charmed to discover poems by Shelley and Burns, Seamus Heaney and Grace Nichols enlivening their daily tube journeys. 

This programme remains immensely popular with the travelling public. Old and new poems sit easily together in the great democratic meeting-place that is the London Underground - a most hospitable if unexpected venue for the imaginative life. 

Wild flowers for Avurudu

By Hiranthi Fernando

Cultural Survival has been involved in promoting traditional crafts and practices in Sri Lanka as well as in the region. Some years ago, they presented 'Mats and Moguls', where hand woven reed mats were collected from remote villages in the Wanni and exhibited together with a selection of hand block printed fabrics by Brigitte Singh from Jaipur. 'Devi-Devata', their next effort recreated a pantheon of local gods and godesses as well as the Buddha from images hitherto confined to temples or cast in bronze. 

The Samudra Cottage built by Cultural Survival at the Taj Samudra as a model of a rural homestead was repeated at Ulpotha, where a typical rural village with all its traditions was recreated in the countryside. Ulpotha is now a popular tourist destination.

With its current venture titled 'Wild Flower', Cultural Survival hopes to reintroduce to Sri Lanka, a technique that was in use in days gone by, explained Manik Sandrasagra, the driving force behind Cultural Survival. Hand block printing existed in Sri Lanka as it did in many traditional societies. An old system of blocks was used in Sri Lanka for printing and some of these ancient blocks are still found here, Sandrasagra said. The traditional practice known locally as 'Somana', is not seen much in the country today, although it is still a living tradition in Rajasthan, India. 

'Wild Flower' is the result of a fusion of Indian technology and Sri Lankan design. The wild flower motifs and design elements used are all local. The borders used are taken from temple motifs and also show the influence of artists like Manjusri. The printing has been executed in Jaipur in partnership with Rasheed, a craftsperson from Jaipur. 

"We are hoping to bring Indian craftsmen and teach our craftsmen to do the block printing in villages here," Sandrasagra said. "We are also looking at starting a craft village, possibly in a war zone, where there are many displaced people with no employment."

Hand block printing is a time consuming process since each colour has to be introduced separately using different blocks. Initially, the blocks have to be cut as well. "It is a highly skilled task," Sandrasagra stressed. Experiments are also being carried out with natural dyes, which however do not always work well with fabrics. 

The Garden Cafe at Barefoot will take on a new look on April 7 and 8, when the Wild Flower collection is launched as a New Year presentation. Features such as a virudu singer will give added local flavour. Initially, a limited quantity of hand made and attractively block printed curtains, bedspreads, bed sheets, pillow cases, cushion covers and quilts, on finest quality Indian cotton, will be introduced to the local market. 

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