For this post I am reaching back into the vaults to some incredible videos I found a couple months ago. The three pieces differ greatly in style and substance, but each of them is endearing in their own way.
The first video captures me because of its simplicity, it's just a video of a Zambian musician performing a song in a Zambian village with a crude guitar that looks more fragile than it does playable. In this simplicity though there is a quality that eludes much of the western musical world, it is an innately African ability to speak and express through rhythm and poly rhythms. This ability is put on perfect display at the end of the video when the singer begins calling out rhythms over the top of the song, it is absolutely incredible to hear the ways he plays with the existing time signature. It bring up a point that I learned in Senegal, the idea that people can hear the same music in a completely unique way depending on their preconceived notions of rhythm and music. To me the concept is a beautiful one that speaks to the synchronicity of humankind, but also the inherent diversity of our oneness.
The first video captures me because of its simplicity, it's just a video of a Zambian musician performing a song in a Zambian village with a crude guitar that looks more fragile than it does playable. In this simplicity though there is a quality that eludes much of the western musical world, it is an innately African ability to speak and express through rhythm and poly rhythms. This ability is put on perfect display at the end of the video when the singer begins calling out rhythms over the top of the song, it is absolutely incredible to hear the ways he plays with the existing time signature. It bring up a point that I learned in Senegal, the idea that people can hear the same music in a completely unique way depending on their preconceived notions of rhythm and music. To me the concept is a beautiful one that speaks to the synchronicity of humankind, but also the inherent diversity of our oneness.
KEN'S SONG
THE DARK SIDE OF THE LENS
IRC DANCE MOVEMENT
Ken's Song - A Traditional Era from David Tree on Vimeo.
The second video is about a man's journey as a photographer and surfing enthusiast. It chronicles his love of the ocean of and of surfing, but also the crushing power of the water and his fascination with a force that is far greater than himself. I really appreciate the artistry behind the video, the shots are incredible and the editing is top notch. I think the visual images coincide nearly perfectly with the narration, and the two combine to create a kind of visual poem. I love the way the narrator talks about the ocean, because here in the Northwest we don't know much about beautiful tropical beaches, the ocean is exactly the way it is characterized in this piece a brooding and beautiful force.
THE DARK SIDE OF THE LENS
DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.
This video is just insane. I really enjoy dance and the ways people can move their bodies to express abstract ideas, but this video takes it to another level by combing movement with the art of cinematography. The editing that they did with this video are top notch, and it accentuates the movements of the dancers to near perfection. I almost think the editors go too far by putting in random lines and numbers and angles, but the end product is still awe inspiring.
IRC DANCE MOVEMENT
IRC dance movement from . on Vimeo.
No comments:
Post a Comment