Radio Free Tuva returns...
Kerry-ool Yackoboski
Angeles and vicinity to take in the Tuva-Fest continuing across the
USA...how much of it do you want to read about? As long as I'm
encouraged, I'll keep posting details of the Tuvans' visit and
performances.
But first, a word from our sponsor...Ralph Leighton asked me to post
that video cassette summaries of the Tuvan pilgrimage to the US will be
made available through Friends of Tuva at a later date. These
cassettes will be made using footage shot by the ubiquitious Jeff Cook
of Washington, D.C., and the cassettes will also be sent to Tuva to be
aired on Tuva TV. Jeff also made the 90 second Video News Release that
Ralph Leighton has been handing out to reporters and TV stations.
And yes, the entire trip was surreal - meeting people we've heard about
(Richard and Shannon Ball, friends of Tuvan Hillbilly Robb Wade), the
famous Larissa at tcville, Ralph himself, the artist friend of Richard
Feynman's named Jirayr Zorthian, and a cast of dozens of FoT's, as well
as.... well, we'll leave that for the next article. :-)
--
<yac...@ee.umanitoba.ca> One likes to believe in the freedom of khoomei.
Kerry-ool Yackoboski
last week in LA, I realize that there are one or two I should
keep quiet about, so as not to steal Ralph Leighton's thunder.
However, I think this one anecdote is intersting enough to
spread without taking away from any future Leighton books...
:-)
If the subject heading seems unfamiliar, all will become clear. The
most unbelievable aspect of my view of the Tuvan trip to LA (history as
I see it... :-) ) occurred as Ralph Leighton and hardcore volunteers
set the stage before last Tuesday's concert at Caltech.
As Ralph describes it, he was struggling to arrange the stage quickly
before the audience arrived, when a dishevelled man approached and
persistently asked to speak to Ralph. Ralph relented, and the man
produced his business card....Matt Groening. Matt then explained that
he had heard the Tuvans on the radio and his friend Frank Zappa wanted
to attend the concert but couldn't make it (is this getting
unbelievable yet?). Nevertheless, Zappa was having the Irish band The
Chieftans over to his place on Friday (that would be last Friday) and
wanted to invite the Tuvans to come over to his home recording studio
at the same time. (Note that I am NOT making this up...:-)) .
Anyway, Ralph and the Tuvans went, and we'll have to wait for the next
Friends of Tuva newsletter for the outcome.
So, any bets on which we see first - Tuvans on a Chieftans album, or
Tuvans on the Simpsons?
Still shocked beyond description, Kerry.
Kerry-ool Yackoboski
go ahead and try. The West Coast mastermind is Ralph Leighton
(phone or FAX at (213) 221-TUVA in North America), but the Eastern
segment is being organized by Professor Ted Levin, who might still be
a Visiting associtate Professor in the World Music Program at Wesleyan
University, but I'm not sure about that and I don't know where this
particular Wesleyan U is.
In addition, I encourage everyone to bring the singers to the attention
of any TV shows they think might be interested - Letterman, Hall, etc.
I helped get the ball rolling by bringing them to the attention of the
Tonight Show but they said they weren't interested - perhaps if we get
the big guns out they'll change their mind, so give it your best try.
The singers have beeen getting great press in the LA area, with a few
articles in the LA Times (even a colour photo!) and in other LA area
papers, radio, and TV shows.
Hoping to bring Tuvan culture to the forefront of Joe Average's
mind, Kerry.
P.S. give me suggestions on what aspects of the Tuvan tour (if any!)
you want to read about. No one ever posts here, but everyone tells
me they read it!
Gordon McGonigal
> P.S. give me suggestions on what aspects of the Tuvan tour (if any!)
> you want to read about.
Do they put their pants on one leg at a time?
Dmeur Homous!
--
* * *
Gord McGonigal mcg...@eeserv.ee.UManitoba.ca
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, CANADA (R3T 2N2) phone: (204) 474-6295
Robb Wade
> (Lots of stuff deleted,'cause for some reason I can't post from here,
only followup) Just wanted everyone to know how envious I was of all who were able to see
the Tuvans and everyone in Pasadena. Oh well, at least I'll see them in Ohio.
Anyone else on the net going to be there? I'll even see what I can do to get
them to swing down to Knoxville, but their schedule looks pretty tight.
P.S. I LOVED the Groeni/Zappa/Chieftains story. Robb the Tuvan Hillbilly
Corun MacAnndra
delightfully outrageous. I can imagine Frank recording them and using
them in one of his exotic compositions. He's by far one of the most
talented and innovative composers of the day.
As for the Tuvans on a Chieftans recording, as much as I like the
Chieftans, I think the Tuvans would do better to hook up with Davy
Spillane. Davy just released a recording with Andy Irvine and several
other Irish musicians of Bulgarian and Macedonian music. Some of it,
of course, not done in the strictest traditional sense, but it is a
lovely recording, and Davy is a consumate piper. Like Zappa, he's very
innovative. For anyone interested in this album (I know, Bulgaria's
a long way from Tuva), it's called East West. I forget the label, but
write me if anyone's interested. Anyway, I think khoomei and Uilleann
pipes would go well together.
Baryatai,
Corun
--
===========================================================================
Corun MacAnndra |
Dark Horde by birth | Avid readers make novel lovers.
Moritu by choice |
Corun MacAnndra
Kerry,
You asked for input on what aspects of the tour to relate. All of it
would be good. ;-) This is a lightly posted newsgroup, but I have yet
to see useless information or discussions. I have many friends who
study Mongolian and Tuvan culture who are without computers, much less
net access, so I'm a conduit for them. I've passed out the FoT address
to several, and will be making a pigrimage to Oberlin college to see
the Tuvans. I'll be with many of my friends who live in that area.
Thanks for the many updates on the tour.
Jeff Dickson
>As Ralph describes it, he was struggling to arrange the stage quickly
>before the audience arrived, when a dishevelled man approached and
>persistently asked to speak to Ralph. Ralph relented, and the man
>produced his business card....Matt Groening. Matt then explained that
>he had heard the Tuvans on the radio and his friend Frank Zappa wanted
>to attend the concert but couldn't make it (is this getting
>unbelievable yet?). Nevertheless, Zappa was having the Irish band The
>Chieftans over to his place on Friday (that would be last Friday) and
>wanted to invite the Tuvans to come over to his home recording studio
>at the same time. (Note that I am NOT making this up...:-)) .
>Anyway, Ralph and the Tuvans went, and we'll have to wait for the next
>Friends of Tuva newsletter for the outcome.
>So, any bets on which we see first - Tuvans on a Chieftans album, or
>Tuvans on the Simpsons?
The latter.
Incidentally, the Tuvans (and Ralph) had a fantastic time at
Zappa's home/recording studio. The BBC was there, so it might show
up on a documentary.
Jeff Dickson
>IF anyone is interested in booking the Tuvans, I encourage you to
>go ahead and try. The West Coast mastermind is Ralph Leighton
>(phone or FAX at (213) 221-TUVA in North America), but the Eastern
>segment is being organized by Professor Ted Levin, who might still be
>a Visiting associtate Professor in the World Music Program at Wesleyan
>University, but I'm not sure about that and I don't know where this
>particular Wesleyan U is.
Not likely on this trip. Their schedule is pretty tight, and the details
of splicing in another concert are overwhelming. If you want to see them,
hit the concert at The Metropolitan Museum of Art or at Harvard. These are
both going to be big concerts.
>of any TV shows they think might be interested - Letterman, Hall, etc.
>I helped get the ball rolling by bringing them to the attention of the
>Tonight Show but they said they weren't interested - perhaps if we get
>the big guns out they'll change their mind, so give it your best try.
Well, The Tonight Show was interested last week. They are thinking about
it. If The Tonight Show falls through, then we'll send it off to Arsenio.
The Arsenio people got real interested when I told them about Zappa.
If people want to send a letter to The Tonight Show folks then great, but
hurry. I don't have the address handy - email me for it.
> P.S. give me suggestions on what aspects of the Tuvan tour (if any!)
> you want to read about. No one ever posts here, but everyone tells
> me they read it!
>--
><yac...@ee.umanitoba.ca> One likes to believe in the freedom of khoomei.
Tell them about G.T.'s adventures. Venice Beach is a good one.
Glendale Galleria on Sunday was quite a time too - those guys can shop!
Jeff Dickson
There will be another concert at Victory Park in Pasadena on Saturday, Feb
13.
There *may* be a concert on Sunday, Feb 14 at Caltech. We can get a yurt
that can seat a lot of tuvan fans, but right now haven't found a sponser to
help pay for it.
And if (BIG BIG BIG IF) there is a Tonight Show gig, then it will
likely be Friday, Feb 12.