In the second part of the evening, the band People of the Wind took over. The trio, consisting of James Wylie, Fausto Sierakowski and Alexandros Rizopoulos, was formed in Greece in 2016. James and Fausto share an unusual biography: both saxophonists (one born in New Zealand, the other coming from an Italian-French family in Rome) initially lived in Berlin, then moved to the Aegean to study and deepen the rich and diverse traditions of Greek and Oriental music. People of the Wind undertakes a daring experiment combining the ancient with the contemporary. The artists, fascinated by the extensive literature composed for the duo Daouli (percussion) and Zurna (funnel oboe), celebrate a musical journey through Egypt, Armenia, Greece and Iran. They rework old melodies with modern instrumentation, but also present original compositions. The saxophone, the instrument of their choice, renews and enriches the musical heritage in a new light. Added to this is Alexandros’ drum, a rhythmic section that focuses on the essentials. In this second set, wood from California incense cedar was burnt. The natural range of this plant includes the US states of California and Oregon and the Mexican state of Baja California. It can grow up to 70 meters tall and live up to 1000 years. When burnt, it exudes a warm and balsamic fragrance.
A multisensory concert – 13th October 2017
The Darkest of Winter Nights (James Wylie)
PEOPLE OF THE WIND –
James Wylie: saxophone; Fausto Sierakowski: saxophone; Alexandros Rizopoulos: percussionen + Evi Filippou: vibraphone – Fabio Dondero and Dominik Breider (Incense burning): American cedar and Sandalwood.
Biergarten Jockel, Ratiborstrasse 14c, 10999 Berlin
Video: Fabio Dondero Camera: Fabio Dondero, Chiara Somajni