words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: Renato Cruz Santos/Cultura em Expansão
A week ago me and my colleagues from Grupo Operário do Ruído, a parte experimental-exploratory-avant ensemble connect to Sonoscopia were in the depths of our Open Rehearsal, after months of hours long reharsals.
Being part of the group has been a very interesting experience. I elected the electric guitar as my main instrument, in itself a challenge. I’m far more familiar with an electric bass than with an electric guitar. Most of my other instruments are as peculiar and unique as Grupo Operário do Ruído: a couple of plastic beads necklaces, a children’s melodica, mismatched drum sticks, empty spices bottles, and more, and our claribones, what I call our odd purpose build mix of trombone and clarinet.
Many instruments we use were build on previous years of the existence of Grupo Operário do Ruído, some like my guitar, the traditional drums, the tambourine are convencional. My use of the electric guitar is anything but convencional. We’re often asked what we do, what we play. We’re still working on the musical piece directed by António Serginho and Carlos Guerreiro, to which we all contribute.
I would say we’re much close to an orchestra than a rock band. The musical, sound, and other approaches are wide. As you can see on the photos we do not use staves. There are structured rhythm parts, solo and free style parts, corporal movement, a bit of singing. Each of us, one more than others depending of what we play, swap our instruments, according to the section we’re playing.
None of the above explains much other than a little of the mechanics of this year in Grupo Operário do Ruído. It’s not easy to explain as it is a sound experience composed of a million details.
I’ve been asked if I felt nervous playing in front of an audience. I didn’t. I didn’t even notice the audience that surrounded us. We’re concentrated on what we’re playing as well as in the hand instructions of António Serginho tailor made for us, and therefore different than standard conductor instructions.
Come and see me and my colleagues from GOR – Grupo Operário do Ruído – a large experimental-exploratory-avant ensemble – on our Open Reharsal, Friday, 13 at Associação de Moradores da Bouça in Porto, 9:30pm. Entry is free (2 tickets per person, at the door, from 8:30pm).
I’ll be on electric guitar, prepared, bass like or otherwise, and, most likely, on a few peculiar instruments too.
words: Marcos Leal (editing and free translation: Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota
The Sun Ra Arkestra presented itself in Porto, once more, in a rainy Thursday night withinin Outone em Jazz concert cycle.
Before an expecting, sharped ear, audience the Sun Ra Arkestra entered the state in shinny colorful sequins that adorned the retro-futuristic garments of the 13 músicos who, slowly, took their place behind their instruments, before starting what would become a journey into time and intergalactic metaphysical space.
The ochestra, created in the 1950s by Sun Ra, one of the greatest names of avant-garde jazz, and it is now directed by another 99 years old alien, Marshall Allen, brought to Porto the philosophy and cosmic sound of its creator, as travellers from another world with a mission to spread piece, harmony, the cosmos.
At times, the cosmos can, initially, sound chaotic, but nothing is random. That is how the performance started. A construction of a dialogue between instruments with rhythms and somehow dissonant and atonal melodies towards a jazzy exploration, challenging those less prepared for it. Tara Middleton vocal contributions were one more instrument in the orchestra sound, releasing sentences of peace and galactic utopia.
It is in afrofutismo, of which the Sun Ra Arkestra is seen as a pioneer, that the influence in more contemporary jazz is understood, with the incorporation of elements that aren’t natural to jazz like electronic keyboards and synthsisers. It is interesting to highlight that those were some of the musicals elements that caught me ear the most with delightful moments. The Sun Ra Arkestra also gifted those in attendance with more classic jazz big bands like themes making the bodies of the audience to move swing style like.
In short, a performance that fulfilled both more traditional jazz lovers as well as avant-garde jazz ones, with high quality musicians, that alternate standing out with their solos with a sunny disposition of everyone on stage and memorable moments. Like when one of the older members of the Arkestra demonstrate dance moves enviable to thoso much younger. Other highlights: Halloween in Harlem, to coincide with the approaching date aproveitando a proximidade da date and a short walk among the audience.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 