Concerto de Natal | Caderno de Viagens: Londres | CCB from Fundação CCB on Vimeo.
Thought of the Week!
December 16th, 2009 No comments »A música é a acústica do texto!
jorge silva melo
Thought of the Week!
August 21st, 2009 No comments »“I am not moved by seeing a “beautiful body” on the stage, in the classical sense of ballet. It moves me to see people onstage, people of all colors and ages. I don’t believe that dancers need to retire at age 40. Even in sports it could be interesting to see a soccer game played by players who are over 60. I plan to dance forever.” – Hillel Kogan
Thought of the Week
August 10th, 2009 No comments »“Art is made to disturb. Science reassures. There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain.” – Georges Braque
Is this blog multi-lingual now?
July 29th, 2009 No comments »Testing a nice little plugin for wordpress, see here: http://www.qianqin.de/de/qtranslate/
Thought of the Week!
June 25th, 2009 No comments »« What music means to me, I often wonder. Maybe the instinctive, intimate prayer that allows me to be. Around me floats an intensity of sounds, some of which touch me more intensely than others. To start making music, is to me the same as to listen attentively to each of the sounds which I have remembered. Their respiration generates spontaneous movements which mutually correspond to each other and which arise to oppose silence which in turn is, also, one must admit, beholder of a breath of life ».
Yoshihisa Taira
Thought of tomorrow
June 12th, 2009 No comments »“If one doesn’t put one’s reason at stake in an experiment, the experiment is not worth attempting” — Gaston Bachelard in “Le Surrationalisme” (1963)
Quote!
March 26th, 2009 No comments »It’s my quote for the week!
“There must be some kind of order, but not too much of it . . .”
—György Ligeti
Marimbists are a strange breed…
December 10th, 2008 No comments »-
- Jj, we have no acoustic shields, please keep the noise DOWN!
My callus has exploded, again!
- Kuni, just letting you know my Adams has NO CRACKED BARS, so please dont start!
These are some of the dangerous maniacs, uniting for a certain marimba marathon… during 2009… please stay in tune for further news and beware… it will get worse!
Love Vibe
November 20th, 2008 No comments »Here’s a pic of the new malletech love vibe – it will be available in March 09, but the prototype was at their booth at PASIC. It’s profusely addictive to play! It’s revolutionary (no motor – vibrato is done via a clever contraption on the pedal!) and I need one, thus, the wealthy readers of this most noble blog shall feel indubitably inclined to sponsor me one of these —- gimme money now you tight b*****ds!!!!!!!!!!
New Marimba CD
October 27th, 2008 No comments »My great friend and mallet monster Jeremy Fitzsimons has a new CD out with the music of Gareth Farr!
A MUST-BUY: it’s pure lush and Jeremy is phenomenal (as well as the other musicians on it!)
Csharp Dood, Cshaaaaaaaaaaarp!
October 15th, 2008 No comments »Composer Rodrigo Sigal pointing out how his piece should sound like (most probably not the way I play it!) We had fun today in Morelia, Mexico, at the Conservatorio de las Rosas (where I did a class the whole afternoon with the most avid and keen young percussionist in the planet). Also met Javier Alvarez, new director of the conservatoire. Hadn’t seen him for 12 years!
With Rodrigo, we did a long session sampling vibes for his upcoming piece for vibes and electronics. Very exciting ideas and looking forward to the ride – the piece will be part of my triple CD (ambitious hey?!) of works for wood + electronics, metal + eletronics, skins + electronics. Apparently it will crack my fingers open, but wouldn’t expect anything else from Rodrigo!
Rodrigo Sigal and Pedro Carneiro
Arse Kicked!
September 16th, 2008 No comments »This dood SOOOO kicks my arse – go, Tiago, gooooo!
I’ll have whatever he had for breakfast!
Enough mics?
September 16th, 2008 No comments »Mics, mics, mics – we LUV mics! Can I have some more please? Picture from a recording session with Quarteto Vintage with a quintet by Tinoco.
Tom Burritt warm up
August 22nd, 2008 No comments »Fellow marimbist Thomas Burritt has written a nice warm-up for marimba, download here and warm away!
Fritz comin’ into town!
August 4th, 2008 No comments »Fritz Hauser is coming into town in the next few days. Check out his gig, here. Fritz is a legend and you gotta be dumb not to attend…
Late birthday present, anyone?
July 18th, 2008 No comments »In case you really need to send me a late birthday present, here’s a hint 
http://www.marimbas.com/fs.php#used
A vintage Musser Canterbury Marimba 4.3 octaves – it’s got my name written all over it. But I got two marimbas already, can’t afford a third one and got no room for it. One can dream though!
Marimba Article, NY Times
July 4th, 2008 No comments »A nice article on marimba, at the nytimes website.
Toru Cappuccino
June 24th, 2008 No comments »This is a bit of a private joke (you had to be there) that I shared with my good friend in Japan, Kiyoko. We headed for a coffee at Starbucks at Sapporo train station (last month during the tour in Japan) and we ask for a “short latte” and a “tall cappuccino”. There were 3 girls working in there, and of course being Japanese means that, for a westerner they looked like they were 13/14. Once we ordered, they repeated this out loud three times (though they were standing less than a meter to each other). I tried to recreate this moment of hilarity and recorded this myself, but had to do a little pitch shift in order to sound closer to the actual thing. It was phenomenally funny and we laughed for about 20 mins. And we learnt about a new composer called Toru Cappuccino: a japanese/italian avant-garde composer, for sure!
nice and fresh!
June 22nd, 2008 No comments »greetings from melbourne airport! details of tour later on, as well as some photos! getting ready for melbourne / singapore / london / madrid, where I shall arrive fresh and ready for a recording! more soon!
What else u need?!
June 20th, 2008 No comments »Vibes, marimba and coffee: what else does one need in a dressing room!?
Improvs!
June 6th, 2008 No comments »I had forgotten about this concert (where I ran into a glass door afterwards and ended up in hospital with a very damaged nose – how can you forget a concert like that!), but my good friend Ivan Franco uploaded some footage onto youtube. Includes his midi-stick maneuvers!
And I love the acoustics of this church: I have a CD of marimba and live sampling with Vítor Joaquim planned there. About 7 seconds of reverb, but some of the most beautifully liquid reverbs you will hear: Igreja de Santigo, Castelo de Palmela.
The Story of Stuff
June 4th, 2008 No comments »Please check it out and watch the video – well worth watching to the very end!
Japan
May 30th, 2008 No comments »I am now back from Japan, it was a great tour and had a great time hanging with the greatest friends Kiyoko, Mariko and Chieko. Made a lot of noise in several different places, teaching, playing, conducting, etc.
Also met a cool guy and top notch marimbist: Kunihiko Komori and we had the fastest meeting ever (I had just arrived from a meeting with some old chums of Takemitsu, very enlightening: and was late for a rehearsal already!) and managed to squeeze 3 hours of conversation into 30 minutes, whilst eating miso ra-men. Marimba talk and delicious food hey? – heaven for me. Here’s a pic from our meeting.
Meanwhile I am back from Porto, where my concert with the national orchestra was cancelled due to the unexpected death of a musician of the orchestra – very sad news indeed. Concert is postponed for late November this year, same concerto and indeed the mother of all marimba concerti: Alejandro Viñao’s ferocious Marimba Concerto, from 1993.
I am off in a few days, to Australia and New Zealand for a couple of weeks (concerti, recitals, chamber, teaching), so I hope to come back and drop a line or two soon…
More chops for sale!
December 30th, 2007 No comments »Love this old style playing. Clarity, musicianship and elan - Great solo!
And have a look at this!
April 19th, 2007 No comments »My friends at gepsoft, a company headed by Portuguese brain power but based in Bristol, UK, have just released a new version of their exciting software – click below for more information:
And now for something religious!
November 4th, 2006 No comments »This and the Kilpatrick video make me weep!
I had a football team and I did not know!!!!!
October 23rd, 2006 No comments »Click here to view my squad http://www.fotolog.com/hellisk
Chops delivered with utter coolness!
October 3rd, 2006 1 comment »The master of all masters of all master of all masters: click below for an utter dribble….
So I start then…
May 26th, 2006 No comments »Since the callus competition has been such a success (not!), I post the first one – who’s next?!
Fine Gentlemen at WFD, beware….
May 26th, 2006 2 comments »Has they got bones, or is they made of plutonium?In case you are a drummer, percussionist, speed freak, or… please click here for tear relief
Marimba vintage
April 23rd, 2006 2 comments »Marimba vintage, of the highest order, served with style, mood, plight, temper, eloquence, demeaneor, savoir faire and gentility. And yes, the bass player is on acid
Marimba dizzy :-)
March 16th, 2006 No comments »Its true. Marimba is an alcoholic beverage of the worst kind. Please click here to see this video. The effect of the marimba is a dangerous one: people in the vicinity become dizzy and feeling an urgency to perform a silly dance. It happens to me when I play to much complex music in the season……
Marimba Ponies!
March 9th, 2006 1 comment »Now… these guys deserve a t-shirt!!!! I am gonna make sure I get some S sized t-shirts made as well, and get these kids address! Go wonder why the Japanese are such natural marimbists? Here is the living proof:
Click here to watch the marimba ponies videos!
Absolutely top notch — and the cymbal player is fantastic!
WORLDS FASTEST DRUMMER (WFD)
March 7th, 2006 4 comments »I did NOT know this existed: WORLDS FASTEST DRUMMER (WFD): how ignorant can one be!
Forget about the NBA, MBL, NHL or whatever: this is the real deal. And of capital importance to musical aesthetics, development of human soul and generally saving the planet. And please do not, above all, do not confuse the real WFD with other WFD’s of minor importance, such as: World Development Federation, World Dart Federation, Windows Drive Foundation, eteceteraaaaaa…
AND I learnt all about Art Verdi (perhaps related to the composer), who was the first person in history to break 1,100 strokes in 60 seconds — but, did he use four mallets???? AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Can I apply for this WFD with four mallets???? Cause I can do a mean set of double lateral rolls (12 43 12 43, etc, quite a lot…) and reckon I can poop all over that world record!!
Get all set and ready to check out Art’s triplets!
Is your marimba bigger than mine?
March 6th, 2006 1 comment »After years of thinking I had the biggest marimba around, I realised in ain’t true…. planet marimba are making the largest contrabass marimba around. Just check the photo below — mighty and impressive. I need one of these… actually, make it a dozen!
Calluses Competition
March 1st, 2006 No comments »Marimba players worldwide, unite! I am going to host, from today onwards a competition for the biggest & most impressive marimba calluses –> with no discrimination whatsoever: all calluses accepted (marimba calluses, not others!) be it traditional, musser, burton, stevens or your grip! These will all be posted on this blog and the 1st prize is: well, the prize is… I’ll think of somethin’…!!!
Speaking of which…
February 28th, 2006 No comments »My brand new t-shirt has been designed and is soon to be printed and ready to go. Only for friends and people suffering of AMD (acute marimba disorder) and/or RFMD (repetitive four mallet disfunction). Logo is below and yes, it is true, you can’t buy it — you have to earn the right to wear it (i.e. you are a family member and feel obliged to wear it, or you’re just plain marimba sick…and there are quite a few of us around…):
