From 5th to 8th July, the Windhund musicians are giving workshops at the Dhow Countries Music Academy in Zanzibar – and today, on the second day, we welcomed Bi Kidude, a legend of Taarab music in Zanzibar and the rest of the world.

The session started off with a traditional song, which Windhund had the chance to learn at yesterday’s workshop kick off. Bi Kidude, who had just returned from a concert trip to Poland, joined in with her unique, strong voice.

Here’s the recording of the beginning of the session:

Windhund workshop with Bi Kidude (mp3, 1′18”)

Later on, the Windhund as well as the workshop participants improvised with two accordions, guitar, cello, two violins and voices, finishing with a Bosnian tune that Otto presented yesterday. Bi Kidude’s presence and participation were a great benefit to the morning session. To be continued on 15th July in Dar es Salaam, at a joint concert by Windhund, Bi Kidude and her trio, organised by CCBRT.

Bi Kidude and Otto Lechner in perfect harmony

Ruins of Mtoni Palace

Princess Salme was a daughter of the Sultan of Zanzibar and Oman, who resided in Mtoni Palace in Zanzibar. She fell in love with a German tradesman and followed him to Hamburg, abandoning her life at court, converting to Christianity and taking on the name Emily Ruete. Later she wrote an autobiography entitled “Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar” – a precious insight into a woman’s life at the Sultan’s court.

The remnants of Mtoni Palace give an idea of this live – however the ruins need some restauration work and archeological research to gain more knowledge and preserve the edifice for the future.

Windhund carry their instruments to Mtoni Palace

Windhund and the Zumari horn players Sekembuke & Siga from Zanzibar were invited to play a concert in this unique setting, incorporating references to Princess Salme by Anne Bennent’s recital of passages from the Memoirs. Proceeds of the evening went to the restauration and preservation of the Palace.

Audience at Mtoni Palace, 4th July 2010

The concert, well-attended by some 70 guests, started right after the Muezzin’s evening prayer with an improvisation by Karl Ritter (guitar), Otto Lechner (accordion) and Melissa Coleman (cello). Actress Anne Bennent read from the Memoirs in english language.

Anne Bennent

The second half of the concert – after a traditional coffee ceremony with cardamom flavoured coffee served with various sweets – started with a captivating cello solo by Melissa Coleman and continued with Anne’s beautiful performance of Arthur Rimbaud’s poem ‘The Drunken Boat’, accompanied by Karl Ritter on the guitar. Otto Lechner came in with an accordion solo, touching, sensitive and a wee bit sentimental too.

Sekembuke, Siga, Karl Ritter, Otto Lechner, Melissa Coleman (from left)

mtoni_excerpt (mp3, 45 seconds)

Sekembuke & Siga entered with their Zumari horns from the back corridors of the Palace, making their way onto the stage.  As Windhund have experienced before, at concerts and private sessions in Austria, each time they meet the Zumaris turns out differently. At Mtoni Palace, the Zumaris stepped back a little bit, leaving more space for improvisation and solos of the less strong instruments.

Right after the concert, Otto Lechner commented on the reunion with Sekembuke & Siga, clearly happy with the outcome of the concert:

Otto Lechner’s comment (mp3, 40 seconds, in German language)

And one of Zanzibar’s most acclaimed musicians, Mohammed Issa Haji (aka Matona) made some very positive remarks on the concert evening, which he found to be an interesting approach between two musical universes, yet to be explored further in the next couple of days…

Matona’s comment (mp3, 50 seconds, English)

Before things were getting serious with a tight concert and workshop schedule, the Windhund used the last day off for a boat trip to Prison Island, some 30 minutes awazy from Zanzibar.

However, don’t think they just went snorkelling in the tuquoise, stunningly clear, perfectly cool sea, or looking for shells in the white, super soft sand dunes!

This is what the concert venue of the following day – Mtoni Palace – looks like, according to tour manager Peter Kuthan’s memory. The Windhund members used the wind shadow of a coral stone to discuss the proceedings for the first concert in Zanzibar on Sunday, 4th July. A good occasion to go through some vital questions, such as which text passages to recite and how to place the musicians within the Palace ruins.

On Friday night, the group, including the Zanzibar based Zumari horn players Siga & Sekembuke, joined some 300 football fans to watch the World Cup game: with Ghana being the last African team remaining, it was – even for those not so much into football – out of question who to cheer for!

Gymkhana is a basketball field in a residential area of Zanzibar, well outside the tourist area and the Stone Town, which hosts live concerts and sports screenings at night time. They serve local Kilimandjaro beer, grilled goat and great fries.

We were defeated by Uruguay, indeed, but for some minutes at the very end of the first half, the audience was united in goal ecstasy. Listen to an on site recording:

ghana scores

Overbooked flights and strict Egyptian airport officers couldn’t stop us: very early on Tuesday morning, the group (the musicians and their families, including three kids) arrived on Zanzibar airport, after two long-distance flights and a 20-minutes flight on a charming Cessna 208mb.

Windhund stumble out of the mini-plane in Zanzibar

Thanks to Anna Kuthan, one of the organisers, transport as well as accommodation in Zanzibar’s Stone Town were well arranged. After a breakfast (mango, banana – as fresh as it can get) the group took some time to unpack and rest a little. A brief walk through the twon centre was followed by late lunch / early dinner at a seaside Restaurant.

For those who don't know: it's the Indian Ocean!

Leisure & pleasure on the first day – the second one started with a visit to the Dhow Countries Music Academy, the DCMA, where next week workshops will be held. Kate Bingley, artistic director of the institution, introduced the purpose, the history and the current situation of the Music Academy, which focuses on teaching traditional styles of music but obviously does take into account the interests of young musicians.

The DCMA is located in the Old Customs House, a beautiful, recently renovated building on the seaside – more pictures and sounds will be posted next week (when we’ll be spending a lot of time there) – for the moment just two snapshots of Windhund musicians at the DCMA:

Karl Ritter disappeared and was found jamming with a musician in a class room.

Karl Ritter and Otto Lechner brought their own instruments to East Africa – Melissa Coleman, however, will play with cellos borrowed on site. The only tool she could take along was her own bow. At the first meet-and-greet at DCMA on Thursday, Kate Bingley of presented Melissa the instrument she will be playing with next week and also at the first concert on Sunday at Mtoni Palace.

Yes, it's okay, Melissa said after the first encounter with her cello.

After an evening sunset cuise with Dhows, local sailing boats, we headed to Serena Hotel in Stone Town. The concert of the world renowned group Culture Musical Club gave a first live impression of Taarab, the local music style, which the Windhund will be working with in the next couple of weeks.

The lady in the lavish pink dress sings of love and pride. And yes, it was dark...

The Windhund pose for a farewell group foto in the MQ in Vienna

On Monday, 28th June, the Windhund musicians gathered in Vienna’s cultural quarter, the MuseumsQuartier, for a public farewell event – including their entourage, friends, family and partners of the tour, the Austrian Development Agency, Aktionsradius Augarten and Licht für die Welt. Bright sunshine, mellow breeze and three suitcases with gifts for the road…

Karl Ritter, Anne Bennent, Otto Lechner and Heidi Liedler-Frank (Austrian Development Agency) present the project

Heidi Liedler-Frank of the Austrian Development Agency briefly introduced the Windhund members and the upcoming tour in front of the “Ke Nako – Afrika jetzt” pavillon temporarily set up in the main court of the MQ. The presentation was followed by a performance by Karl Ritter, Otto Lechner and Anne Bennent, who recited from Rimbaud’s poem “Drunken Boat”. The sails are set, the suitcases packed.

Melissa Coleman with a suitcase by AugartenStadt…

Gartenzwerge – garden gnomes – are a special chapter of Austrian everyday life. An icon of narrow-mindedness, cultivating one’s own garden, regardless of the world outside – yet, remember: it was a garden gnomewho travelled the world in the French movie “Amelie”!

An Augarten resident and Augarten-vice-mayor Alois Kinast - in the background Edith Lechner and Keba Cissokho

And, as Augarten-vice-mayor Alois Kinast confirmed in his charming speech to the audience of the Bunkerei: the roots of mankind, and thus also of the garden gnomes, are in Africa. We shall find out more about this assumption very soon….

Alois Kinasts speech was followed by a beautiful concert by Edith Lechner and Keba Cissokho from Senegal.

Thanks so much for the warm farewell!

With only a few days left before the departure, and an intense programm during the first days, Windhund are looking forward to their first concert in Zanzibar, on 4 July at Mtoni Palace – the local program site EverythingDAR has included this one and the other gigs in Tanzania in their listings:

http://www.everythingdar.com/category?CategoryID=408

Windhund and their entourage are getting ready for the tour – before departing on 29 June, there is a public farewell-event the day before in Vienna. And as one gig is not enough, there will be even two opportunities to see Windhund and wave Goodbye:

28 June, at 5pm Windhund gather at the “Ke Nako / Multimedia” – Container at Museumsquartier

venue: MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, info: www.kenako.at

28 June, at 7pm Windhund perform before the concert of Keba Cissokho I Edith Lettner (Senegal, A)

venue: Bunkerei Augarten, Obere Augartenstraße 1a, 1020 Vienna

After the concerts in Linz, Graz and Vienna, we received some verry positive, not to say enthusiastic reactions by the audience – here’s how people commented on the fusion of the Zumari artists Sekembuke & Siga with the Windhund’s improvisation:

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„when listening to the windhund i am again and again surprised about the intuitive confidence with which they pick up on foreign music styles, how easily yet seriously they deal with unusual sonic systems, without losing their own sound. when improvising with the zumari-horns, this lead – in the best moments – to the dissolvement of any kind of exoticism, which i of course enjoyed a lot!“

Robert Bilek, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, Radio OE1

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„Neither the governement nor the functionaries are the ones who build bridges between peoples and cultures, but the artists and musicians – the Zumari horn musicians and the Windhund, open-hearted people with a beautiful smile on their faces.”

Werner Hörtner, Südwind magazine

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„Great write up and photos, Peter! And thanks so much for hosting us and taking the Harare city boys to rural Europe!! Hehe!”

“Great show, guys!! Really powerful collaboration.. Blew me away! more fire to you!”

Comrade Fatso
AKA Samm Farai Monro
Toyi Toyi Poet & Freedom Fighter

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“A wonderful concert – together with the concert of Poetic Pilgrimage definitely one of the highlights of LINZFEST 2010. Thanks to Peter Kuthan/Arge Zimbabwe for arranging it!”
Wolfgang Almer, organiser LINZFEST 2010

Sun, 4^th July, 18:00, concert @ Mtoni Palace, Zanzibar

Mon, 5^th- Thu, 8^thJuly, workshop @ Dhow Countries Music Academy, Zanzibar

Sun, 11^th July, 19:30, concert @ Old Fort, Zanzibar International Film Festival, Zanzibar

Tue, 13^th July, 20:00, concert @ TaSUBa Institute for Arts and Culture, Bagamoyo

Thu, 15^th July, 15:00, concert @ CCBRT mobile outreach in Mwembeyanga/Temeke, Dar es Salaam

Sat, 17^th July, 18:00, concert @ Goethe-Institut, Nairobi