Hearing Voices
March 23rd, 2007
When I listen to marimba music (especially live marimbas with resonator tubes) I sometimes hear singing parts (even though no one is actually singing). The singing sometimes sounds like a single female voice and other times like an entire chorus. It is a surreal experience. Ever experienced this?
Today’s song post is from Makeke Marimba, hailing from Lasqueti Island, BC. Lasqueti is a small island with a population of about 350. The island is accessible via pedestrian ferry, and is a community of self-reliant homesteaders who enjoy the island’s mild climate and relative isolation. I had a chance to meet many of the members of Makeke at Nhemamusasa North this past summer. Josie Martens (marimba, vocals, mbira) told me that when they perform off the island they have to haul all their instruments on the pedestrian ferry - and that is dedication. Their hosho player (Rick Waines) has some impressive hosho chops and a beautiful voice. I believe this entire disc was recorded live which gives each track a passion and immediacy lacking in many studio tracks. So, sit back… close your eyes… and you just might hear some voices, too.
This cd is available for sale at dandemutande.org.
2 Comments Add your own
1. Kathy Dutton | June 8th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Yes, I experience this all the time and copy what I hear sometimes if i want to improvise some vocals. It is a surreal experience for sure. Glad to hear someone else also experiences it.
2. Lonnie Welsh | July 13th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
I guess Im not going crazy . I recently joined a marimba group ,, for around 5 mins I heard a chorus of male bari tone voices singing what sounded to be African . . I looked around the room continuously and no one else seemed to notice. These voices were very clear and only appeared in the middle section of a long song . I also found myself singing along
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