Journey of Nishiyuu and sleeping giants

Good morning! A new week lies ahead with it's work and missions to be done. Today I want to start with this truly amazing and hope giving story that unfolds right now in the wilderness of Canada. Click on the links to see the full blogposts I'm quoting.
 The group is getting bigger as more walkers join in the Journey of Nishiyuu. Men and women, warriors for courage, honesty, humility, compassion, respect, sharing and wisdom.

What is the Journey of Nishiyuu? From the beginning:

SUMMARY:

From Northern Quebec, Six Youth, with one guide, are walking from Whapmagoostui, Qc to Ottawa, Ont and will arrive at Parliament Hill. This is to show to the People of the World, including other First Nations, that the Cree Nation of Quebec are keepers of their language, culture, tradition and more importantly, still carry the sacred laws of their ancestors. This Journey is to inspire all people to reclaim their roots and culture.
MISSION:
This Journey will re-establish and re-unite historical allies and restore traditional trade routes among the First Nations in hopes that this amplifies to all humanity to do the same. The time for unity is now.

From the official webpage of nishiyuujourney.ca Teachings.

Definition of warrior, Kinwhapmackin:
Kinwhapmackin is a person with leadership qualities, who sacrifices themselves for the betterment of others, protecting the people, culture, heritage, and land. Ensures promising future for present and generations to come. They are the carriers and are guided by the teachings of Courage, Honesty, Humility, Compassion, Respect, Sharing, and Wisdom.


Waking up the sleeping giants, in blogpost written by Mattew Mukash, on Censored News.

" For the JOURNEY OF NISHIYUU to have a purpose and meaning, we must go beyond just following it. We must realize that it is also our journey, a personal journey within (from the mind to the heart - the seat of the soul, as they say). To walk among those who can make a difference in the world such as our own Nishiyuu Warriors, we must wake up the Sleeping Giants (Courage, Honesty, Humility, Compassion, Respect, Sharing, Wisdom and other virtues) within each one of us."

Walk with your sleeping giants on your path this week.

Eva

Best cds in my player 2012

Ahmad Al Khatib, Youssef Hbeisch: Jadayel. Maria Misgeld: Romans i moll.

John Doyle: Shadows and light.

During the year that passed I had some cds that kept spinning in my player, over and over again. I would gladly like to share some brilliant work made by musicians from near and far. Some cds has been with me for many years and they will steadily be my companions here. Other cds just released now, hot from the print.

2012

January:
Lhasa, The Living Road Toutoutard 2003
This great voice will never be silent, her artistry is forever. This cd is the first I encountered of her works. Heard first in the dining room at Dala-Floda Världshus in the unforgettable settings of Paul and Christina Aarts food, music, style of folk art from different corners of the world.

February:
The Boswil Concert, Paul Hanmer and McCoy Mrubata. 2010
Paul Hanmer, piano, organ. McCoy Mrubata, saxophone.
Künstlerhaus, Boswil, www.africanmusic.unibas.ch

Mars:
Ilmajousi - Luftstråk. KMH Förlag 2001
Maria Kalaniemi & Sven Ahlbäck

April:
John Doyle: Shadow and Light, Compass Records 2011
John Doyle performed at festival Lempo in Finland where I first heard him live. Totally mindblowing music, him alone on the stage. Great honour for me to guest him on one song. Unforgettable.

May:
Moses Hightower: "Búum til börn" Record Records 2010
I heard them live in Germany when I toured with Nordic Wedding Music. Lovely to hear music sung in islandic language.

June:
Tetra: Hiyya, Footprint 2010
Lovely a capella quartet from Göteborg.

July:
Algérie Voix des Femmes: Compilation cd by Blue Silver. 1997
My absolute favourite track is Djurdjura ura's Azemmour.

August:
No other listening then just dig into Irmelin repertoir, work in progress. Sometimes I go into a kind of music fasting when it comes to consuming music from other artists. It's not so concious from my side, I just go inte to the process of creating my music and then it fades away with listening to other. Or I dont have so much time to listen to other music. I can imagine that the brain is working that way, to give a lot of space for the process of creativity.

September:
Hornroh Modern Alphornquartet
Phonag Records 2009
www.hornroh.ch
Our new friends in Hornroh! Irmelin had the chance to meet and work with Hornroh while doing the performance Blaue Stunde in Basel, in september.

October:
Maria Misgeld: Romans i moll.
Misgeld Music 2011.
www.misgeldmusic.com
Maria's own soloalbum, the album following her first one, "Margits sånger". And again, she's made a touching, vivid and profoundly beautiful piece of art. I will listen to this album for a long time to come.

November:
Otonal.
Mattias Pérez and Nano Stern 2009
A meeting between Chile and Sweden guitar mastery. My friends and former collegues, I long to the moment we will reunite in music one day.

December:
Ahmad Al Khatib, Youssef Hbeisch, Bela Quartet: Jadayel.
My full review can be found in december blogpost.
Jadayel has been spinning in my player ever since. The more I listen, the deeper it goes. Wonderful.


Have a good journey out there!
Eva

Smash the mirror: Odd Lovin

I have a weakness for dresses.....vintage dresses.
Odd Lovin is a wonderful web shop for vintage dresses and today I got my order in the post. Quick shipping, I ordered yesterday.

I'm a lucky owner now to a dress from the 70's with the name "Smash the mirror". You can see it here on Odd Lovin

Got a letter in the package from Odd Lovin. I couldn't have said it better myself.

"This garment is vintage.
It has been picked and loved by someone before you, in another time and place.
I'd like to think that vintage clothing comes with a secret story that gives it a special kind of character. It's in a way already full of life right now when you're holding it in your hands.
By wearing it you will make this story continue and it will become a unique extension of who you are.
It will add that special edge to your wardrobe and personal style, and at the same time you will contribute to a more eco-friendly way of dressing.
Thank you for sharing our love for odd clothing."

Tuva Minna Linn. 

Sharing

Sharing as a starting point.

Most of the time a new musical collaboration starts with a sparkle and a recognition. We want to explore music in the same regions! We are driven by the same passion for a certain kind of music. Then along the road, maybe in the tour bus, there will be the deeper discussions and sharing of the history that lead a person to the place he/she is today.

This time we agreed to start early with the sharing. A full day together just sharing, Ahmad, Martin, Roger and me. It was Martin coming up with this idea/method to share deeply about what motivates us, what major turning points we've had in our music development. Sometimes a single concert, or even a passage in a certain piece of music, was so mind blowing that it started a whole new era in our musical lives. When music starts to talk to us. Things like that.
Each one got time to draw some lines of our musical history and play some examples of music to the others. After the presentation the others gave feed back and asked questions.

Listening to the others was very special. Suddenly there's a total recognition that this particular point is deeply engaging for me as well, I've been there too. Some other times it was obvious that the four of us come with four truly unique life stories and "schools" of music. When we get together, form our ensemble, our differencies will be our strength.

Sharing - give space.

When I work with Irmelin I know that the three of us has similar music background, interest in folk song, vocal traditions, we have the same education and we've had the same teachers. When I work with Ahmad, Martin and Roger we don't have that common ground to start out from. Wich is also wonderful. That's the reason, we want to make music we haven't done before. Roger take part in his profession as composer, and hearing his views on our music and views is really a good mirror. He makes me see things from quite a new angle.

Next meeting will contain four musical ideas. Each person bring an idea or a sketch of music, a principle or method to work with.

Space...

Circular economy

A world of opportunities, and the shift has already begun.....




That's why I got back home yesterday with a lovely little stove of the Kockum brand, known for quality and long lasting performance. And I like the design with white and turqoiuse. Indeed one of my most crazy shopping items ever. I felt a little embarrased almost, should I show this on the blogg...but after seeing the little film on circular economy I felt, Yes! Of course, this goes in the same direction of caring for our world and not throw valuable things away.

The stove will be a "back up"-stove for a tiny kitchen in a small house up where I have my family roots. Anyone knows from wich year this pretty little stove can be?

Oh yes, and there's so much fun to find at the local second hand. Found a Odd Molly cosy outfit (hoodie + pants in velour) for home evenings, plus a 100% silk top. What more is, it's a friendly place, I even got a spontaneous hug from another customer there who I don't even know the name of. We always meet at the rack of dresses. Can you tell me other shops where that happen?

Noa Noa elven Arwen style.

Hunkydory so light as butterfly wings.

Eva

Music with space

Painting with sound and music. A day for creativity.

Today it's time to meet musicians Ahmad Al Khatib and Martin Holmlund, and composer Roger Johansson. We will embark now on a journey together to discover the creative roots to our musical handcraft. What it means with "space" in our music. To give space, to open up, to find a common path in doing this together.

It may sound a bit airy. I hope it is:-)
At the same time we are at this point very structured and have a plan on how to proceed for the whole year with three more workshops to go, concerts in the summer, documentation in autumn. When the frames are set it is totally clear how we can work very open on our artistic creative process.

Each one of us will have a personal presentation today, drawing the picture of our history with music, what was important, what has been our biggest influences, including giving the others some musical examples of this. When did we last have the chance to really get to know people we work with in this particular way?
We will also work on a few musical ideas together, to dig into the work of forming our sound.

And when did I have the chance to do this kind of work and sit with a composer in the room? What a great luxury to give and take and have Roger Johansson as a member of this process.

www.minioperas.org Here you can listen to a mini-opera composed by Roger, and with this he won the competition!

Kulturbryggan has given us financial support to do this. We are so happy to have this chance of really put in time and go deep in the process.

Tonight I had a strange dream I was playing the timpani. Maybe this is the picture of me stepping outside my old circles in music, wich I hope I will do today. Maybe not by the playing of timpani, but in my creativity as a singer.

Lets go out in a lovely day!

Eva

Singing in a free world

Tomorrow we'll do the concert again, Himmelen Inom, written, composed and compiled by Anders Nyberg.

Heaven within.

Two choirs, from Svärdsjö and Sundborn, musicians and soloist. I will sing the soprano solo voice.

Sundborn church
Sunday February 3, at 6 o clock in the evening.

On the train going to Falun.

Winter.

On the inside we are free. No opresseing power in the world can deny us to be free in our minds.

This music in Himmelen Inom has followed me for a long time and been the topic of many discussions with Anders Nyberg and more friends of mine. I was part of the recording of the CD Himmelen Inom. For years we have held in mind that doing this music is a process of finding our own heaven within ourselves. This music is very much about honouring our inner child each and everyone carry inside. Seeds for thought that can bloom differently in bygone seasons, and seasons to come.

Eva