Short stories about CD's tracks:

PEPPE CONSOMAGNO & TIMBRE FROM THE  WORLD^®

                                                Italian

Peppe Consolmagno – voice, percussion, live sample

The carpet on which he allocates his instruments looks like a mill of rhythm and dreams, a space freed from the cacophony of modern existence and devoted to the pleasure of sound. Peppe Consolmagno builds sounding objects for himself and for Nana Vasconcelos, one of his many appreciators. More objects are built using  materials recovered from his travels.  Even more are imagined combining his voice to the symphony of timbres and colours that originate from this peculiar one performer ensemble: Large sahelian cucurbits converted  into water drums, a burman gong, the lapping of a caxixi, singing African terracotta pots, clanging of sanza, pygmy flutes and more, between South America and Africa, Asia and imaginary regions, among some instruments borrowed from the most heterogeneous traditions and other totally invented or re-invented. Esteemed musicologist, brilliant animator of seminars and workshops, Peppe Consolmagno builds his performances as short tales in a magic dimension. (Marco Boccitto - Rome June 26, 1996).

  1. LION HEART ( 4.48 )

hang, voice, delay

The name Leonardo seems to derive from the English word Lion Heart. Leonardo's birth has enlarged our hearts: his mother's and mine...24-27-29 Leonardo, Peppe, Rosangela, three lions under one single roof.

2. SEGREDO DA NOITE (5.08)

voice, shell, conga, ferry-boat

In the past sacred quiet places existed in the world, where everyone could restore one’s own potential energy balance. There existed sites consecrated to silence. The night is one of the few moments when surrounding noise level (considering noise every unwanted loud phenomenon) softens. The night with its secrets warrants a little bit of the right to peace.

3. BAURIMBE’ (8.24)

berimbau, voice

All string instruments stem from musical bow. Berimbau, mainly known as guide for movements in the dance-wrestling called Capoeira, is chiefly a good partner, a faithful friend, always ready in moments of sadness. Baurimbé is a gift to Brazilian north-east, to Caatinga, to homesickness of man obliged to work far away. The journey is too long and expensive to be able to return.

4. XARA’ (2.40)  

voice, one note flutes

In Brazil , when two persons with the same name meet, to mark the coincidence they snap their fingers and say: xará! In this case the coincidence is in the family, there is the mother who teaches her son the vowels (a-e-i-o-u). Vowels are the soul of the word, they are the components of melodic invention. Primordial languages were probably more meaningful where speech and music were almost the same.

5. MANAUS (8.05)  

burman gong, voice, live sample

It’s a journey starting from capital city of the Amazon, Manaus , and continuing through water-ways and paths penetrating deeply into the jungle. It’s a journey into the memory, where memories of travel, names of fruit and plants, tastes and voices mix with memories bound to childhood.

6. ENCONTRO DAS AGUAS (8.45)

shell, cing, water, symbols, water gourds, dumbek, voice

“The meeting of waters” is a point, not far from Manaus , where the rivers Rio Solimões and Rio Negro meet. Clay-coloured the first one and coca-cola-coloured the second one, after eight kilometres of difficulties (temperature and humus differences), they succeed in joining together and forming Rio of Amazons. Naturalistic and mental sceneries suggest ideas and interpretations. The white/black relationship, the figure/background contrast, symbols and non sound effects, like representation of human experience. T he pleasure of confluence.

7. PICOLE’ (2.47)

kalimba, voice

Picolé is a little fresh-fruit ice-lolly sold by Brazilian children on the beach. They keep them in a polystyrene container carried on the shoulder. In Countries in the south of the world, houses have drawing-rooms that open out onto the garden. This fact has made it preferable to use portable instruments. It’s the case of Kalimba, also called M’bira, Likembe, Sanza, etc., a little thin plate keyboard with a sweet and fascinating sound. “Picolé” is the period of waiting, by the child, for the arrival of Santa Claus who brings him a present.

8. LUA (5.54)

cymbals, voice, symbols

Lua means moon. This is an acoustic piece, too. Moon, sea and woman  are closely related from immemorial time. It’s the moon which governs tides and woman’s cycles. “Lua” is exaltation of timbre,  of thin emotions, it’s a homage to my sister.

9. A CRIATIVITADE È UMA DANÇA (3.18)

udu, voice

The sounding pots “Udu” are native to Nigeria and are played by Igbo women to teach dancing steps. This piece is a lullaby for “m-I” child (the child who is in me), to whom I tell that creativeness is like a dance, it’s just a little dancer, it’s like a pumpkin that has a crazy head, it’s just like the one I play, it’s just like the one I’ve got. Axé! “m-I” child.

10. A MINHA CARLOTTA (3.26)

caxixi, voice, echo

Caxixi are instruments I’m fond of in a particular way. These also, like other instruments I use, are manufactured by myself. I believe that nowadays it’s difficult to invent something; what the musical instrument maker can do is to succeed in joining spontaneous creativeness with the necessity to satisfy immediate requirements. This  piece is a greeting to my female cat “Carlotta”, which after several attempts, a good five years of living together, today has a new little house and at last she finds her childhood again, and I her affection.

11. UEKKE, UEKKE (2.23)

udu, brush, voice, harmonizer, live sample

Uekke-Uekke is a joyful song with a funky flavour in which I overlap rhythms and I play with samples and a harmonized voice, all this is strictly performed live. This song represents a balance between immagination and the audience. Uekke Uekke marks the arrival of a new life.