CONTEMPORARY RAGA #06: VELA

EN - VELA, whose meaning in Sanskrit is time or tide, is the fourth studio recording of the open collection Contemporary Raga, and also the most elaborated one so far. For this piece I wanted a levantine rhythm to confer a certain lightness to the dark colors I chose for the harmonies. The resulting theme has a deep, airy and at the same time sparkling character, whose coruscating light tells of pinnacles, shadowy oases and caravans on Central Asia desert routes. Special guests for this recording are Alessandro Tutoli, exquisite Italian guitarist, and Joko Tebon, Javanese percussionist of rare sensitivity. Together they have contributed to tinge the music with mystery. The opening head is played by the saxophones is followed by Alessandro’s dazzling solo, who embellishes the basic harmonic structure with flamenco-flavored chromatisms and arabesques, supported by the breath of the pulsation woven by Joko on his ethnic percussions, together they create an evoking flickering of shadows and lights. After a thematic interlude I wanted a soprano sax solo. Although I had to perform on a fortune instrument borrowed from my friend Chozin Mukti, I realized perhaps one of my best solos ever. My intention here was aimed to enhance the vocal quality of the traditional scales I used in this composition. Sometimes scarcity of means prompts us to extract the essence.


IT - VELA, il cui significato in Sanscrito é tempo o marea, é la quarta composizione realizzata in studio per la collezione Contemporary Raga, ed anche quella più elaborata fino a questo momento. Per questo brano volevo un ritmo levantino che desse una certa leggerezza ai colori scuri che ho scelto per le armonie. Il tema che ne risulta ha un carattere profondo e arioso ma scintillante al tempo stesso, la cui luce crepuscolare racconta di minareti, oasi ombrose e carovane sulle piste dell'Asia centrale.  Ospiti d’eccezione Alessandro Tutoli, straordinario chitarrista italiano, e Joko Tebon, percussionista giavanese di rara sensibilità. Insieme hanno contribuito a tingere la musica di mistero. Ai temi dei sassofoni fa seguito un assolo folgorante di Alessandro che impreziosisce la struttura armonica di cromatismi e arabeschi dal gusto flamenco, sostenuto dal respiro della pulsazione intessuta da Joko con le sue percussioni etniche, creando un suggestivo gioco di ombre e luci. Dopo un intermezzo che richiama il tema ho voluto un solo di sax soprano, che sebbene eseguito con mezzi di fortuna grazie ad uno strumento avuto in prestito dal mio amico Chozin Mukti, è forse uno dei migliori che ho registrato. Ho cercato di valorizzare la vocalità insita nelle scale di derivazione tradizionale che ho impiegato per questa composizione. Talvolta la ristrettezza di mezzi ci spinge a distillarne l'essenza.



Location: Malang, Malang City, East Java, Indonesia

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