Terry Riley X Africa Express
Minimalist American composer Terry Riley’s pioneering masterpiece “In C” celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Initially created electronically, the work has since been performed and recorded by various outfits:
“I always welcome it when pieces change. The worst interpretations I’ve heard of In C mechanically try to copy the original performance. [...] Rules,” says Riley, “are not as important as results.”
Most recently, the Africa Express project initiated by none other than Damon Albarn decided to create its own kaleidoscopic, genre-bending rendition of “In C”, following the lead of musical director André de Ridder, who coincidentally had a copy of the score with him on a visit to the Malian capital of Bamako:
“[The piece] is based on repetition, but it's never quite the same. What matters is what's on top of it and how it evolves, how it changes”, raves de Ridder.
Brought to new life by a transnational ensemble of primarily West African musicians, accompanied by the likes of Albarn, Brian Eno and Jeff Wootton, the group travelled to London to present their cyclic musical update at the Tate Modern ‘after hours’. Don't miss the full interactive live performance here.
via: The Guardian
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