PRODUCTIONS AND COLLABORATIONS ON THE BARREL ORGAN NEW APPROACHES AND MAGICAL DIMENSIONS 2017 Table of contents The project p 4 An international dimension p 4 The message p 5 The messenger p 5 In short p 7 Saudaá Group ? p 7 2016 Country by country p 8 Guest musicians p 9 Sound postcards p 10 Videos and photos p 11 Texts p 12 What prospects? p 13 Contact info p 14 Press and media p 16 Foreword The barrel organ, mechanical organ or automatic organ? The barrel organ (originally known as the automatic punched-card driven organ) is a mobile wind instrument that uses perforated rolls to produce sound. The instrument is, in this respect, the first system of ‘’recorded’’ music reproduction and the very first computer in the world. While combining the technical aspects of liturgical organ music, watchma- king and mechanics, the barrel organ first appeared in the 18th century and was played in the streets by peddlers, beggars or foreigners. Not only does it embody togetherness-turned popular culture, but also music for the masses. This ancient instrument is deeply rooted in our lives: the ancestor of computer-assisted music (along with the language MIDI) and a catalyst for social connections. With the introduction of the language MIDI (computer encoding of music), interfaces were developed to replace the punched cards with computer fi- les. The latter system results in direct action on the organ from any electronic controler and in writing music without having to resort to the long and costly process of perforating cards. The organ was custom-made by Sébastien Schuetz, from Fachsatter Histo- rischer Musikautomaten and Ecole des Facteurs d’Orgues de Ludwigsburg, assisted by Frédéric Godin. It consists of 42 wooden pipes and a hybrid pneumatic system allowing the use of perforated cards (29 notes) or the lan- guage MIDI (42 notes). The project The barrel organ reworked : from world music to sound art Implemented since 2014 by French musician Alexis Paul, Saudaá Group is a project on creating musical compositions with a street organ. The project blends sound art, improvisations, poetic and societal approach to music, traditions and new forms of authorship. The very essence of this project is the thorough reworking of the street organ: repertoire, technique, use. It provides powerful, repetitive sound textures, and features electroacoustic source, guest musicians, experimentation on use and ‘’nomadity.’’ The Mansion, Beirut, Lebanon, November 2016 An international dimension In 2016 Saudaá Group established residencies around the world for the Street Organ Ritornellos project. He worked with over 30 musicians in a dozen different countries, from the High Atlas to the countries of the Cau- casus, seeking to renew the three-century-old instrument and communicate its legacy to a wider audience. Each step in the journey provided various tes- timonies, radio works for France Musique or short films. Two documentaries were shot in Armenia and Lebanon. In this project Saudaá Group looked into the poetic inter-relationship between music and its environment, and looks forward to pursuing these reflections. 4 French Institute in Casablanca, February 2016 The message The messenger To bring the idea of intermediary music raising contexts while never being key, it was necessary to summon a symbolic instrument. The barrel organ - the instrument of the nomads and non-musicians - has taken over the years a priceless social role in transmitting class music to the people with no requisite expertise. Using the organ in a modern and different context has enabled to shift the obsession from technique to intent and expression facilitating a not strictly musical discourse. The musician’s ego falls below the drive only. ‘’Art is what makes life more interesting than art,’’ Robert Filliou In an effort not to submit to conventional excellence where poetic approach prevails over applauded performance. Saudaá Group actually played on pe- rennial ambiguity using the instrument of ultimate illusion while developing a serious discourse and potential creative aesthetics. A tool The message conveyed through the project posits the principle of music as a ‘’tool’’ and not as a destination. Music becomes this tool that celebra- tes consciousness, interactions, openness and transcendence. Poetry is also addressed. Thus, music provides content, thoughts and becomes a pretext for life. On this cross-disciplinary and complete art journey, our lives have meaning and design almost miraculous connections between the elements. Last, the project blends art, travel and solitude, and exerts the inevitable mark of melancholy as a ‘’daily event’’ and as an invisible expression of love. 5 Répétition collective à Buenos Aires, avril 2016 Qeti Shapatava & Aleqsandr Papunashvili in Dada costumes, in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, at a Saudaá Group performance, during the Fest I Nova festival, Art Villa Garikula, september 2016 In short Saudaá Group ? Reworking the automatic organ? > Music Repertoire : escape the hold of the tradition of the mobile orchestra, move on to minimalist and more contemporary techniques – layers of sound, drones, obstinate chords and bass, within the limits of free popular music. Technique : replace the perforated rolls with a control computer, humanize computer coding, open up creative opportunities. > Symbols Saudade de tous mes lendemains, extrait publié le 22 décembre 2016. Mobility : nature of the instrument, new approach that is broader and interna- « Avec le temps, j’ai appris de la solitude et de la mélancolie une forme tional, beyond Europe’s borders (home to the automatic organ) d’amour invisible. Un amour si puissant qu’il nous échappe. Et puis j’ai ramené de mes premiers voyages au Portugal la saudade et j’ai donné à un cadre à Role : reinterpret the historical social role of the messenger instrument, favor mon sentiment grandissant. En reprenant les termes du poète tunisien Jalel El music as a discursive force of meaning Gharbi, le mot viendrait de la combinaison de deux termes latins : solitudinem (solitude) et salutatem (le salut) mais une origine arabe ne serait pas exclue. En saudaá) qui désigne originellement la) ءاديوس effet, ce mot pourrait venir de bile noire, cause de la mélancolie dans la « Théorie de humeurs », puis la partie la plus intime de l’affect, le cœur du cœur. Le penchant arabe de la saudade qui résulterait d’une douce nostalgie pour un ailleurs ou un َوجَش serait alors le ne sait ni َوجَش autrefois dont on ne sait rien. Contrairement à la nostalgie, le ce qu’il regrette ni ce qu’il désire. Il serait comme un désir à l’état pur, intran- sitif que seul l’art aurait le pouvoir de susciter. Il fait partie de cette catégorie de mots arabes qui signifient la chose et son contraire. Tristesse mais aussi serait ce désir se nourrissant de manque, de vide, donnant َوجَش exaltation. Le vue sur les sites du silence. Avec cette découverte, j’avais alors compris que ma survie existait à cet endroit précis. J’avais pu mettre un mot sur ce que je ressentais depuis toujours. Ce ravissement inexistant dans le « réel », qui m’est indispensable autant qu’il nous fait peur, prenait corps à l’instant où je choisissais de vivre avec, de l’incarner. Dans une certaine mesure, j’apprenais de l’absence à détruire tout sentiment de perte. Voilà pourquoi les déserts m’intéressent à ce point. Cela n’a rien à voir avec un vide à l’intérieur. Pierre Barouh d’ailleurs, a définit la saudade comme «un manque habité». Cette dou- ble ambiguïté faite d’une mélancolie choisie et d’un solitude collective, je l’ai 7 nommée Saudaá Group ». 2016 Country by Country MOROCCO – February 2016 PORTUGAL – July 2016 Residency : The Ultra Laboratory, Casablanca Invitation to play the contemporary arts festival Jardin Efemeros Musicians : Mourad Belouadi (gembri), Othmane Elkheloufi (raita) and Hicham Alaoui (drums) ICELAND – August 2016 Theme : the traditional Berber cult of caves in Morocco, after a book by Henri Basset Residency: Listhus Artspace, Olafsfjorour Musicians: Eyjolfur Eyjolfsson and Ingibjorg Yr Skarphéoinsdottir (langspil) URUGUAY – March 2016 Theme: the langspil, community instrument, and darkness Residency : Pera de Goma, Espacio Uuu, Montevideo GEORGIA – September 2016 Musicians : Diego Abdul Galceran (tape recorder), José Romero Ottonello (cello) Residency: Art Vill Garikula, Akhalkalaki Theme : the Charrua identity and lost instrument, in relation to Montevideo’s Musicians: Tamta Mandzulashvili (panduri, salamuri), Damiane Gordeladze music archives (chuniri), Nino Abelishvili (vocals) Theme: villages of caves and geological formations ARGENTINA – April 2016 Residency : La Paternal Espacio Proyecto, Buenos Aires ARMENIA – October 2016 Musicians : Eugenia Brusa (vocals), Nicolas Avila (bandoneon), Federico Fos- sati (flutes) and Jazmin Esquivel (vocals) Residency: Institute of Contemporary Art & Art and Cultural Studies Labora- Theme : the Mapuche identity and recording as a form of resisting disappea- tory, Erevan Musicians: Vardan Harutyunyan (laptop), Miqayel Voskanyan (tar) rance, after the book by Bioy Casarés ‘’Morel’s Invention’’ Theme: the symbolism of water in Armenia JAPAN – May 2016 LEBANON – November 2016 Residency : Highti, Tokyo Musicians : Reiko Imanishi (koto), Fujita Yosuke (organs) and Ami Yamasaki Residency: The Mansion, Beirut (vocals) Musicians: Youmna Saba (oud) and Fadi Tabbal (guitar) Theme: two museums against oblivion, action to safeguard Palestinian culture Theme : tale of a Japanese shipwreck ‘’La balade de Matsuyama’’ in the camps of Chatila and Burj Ek Shemali MONGOLIA – June 2016 GREECE – December 2016 Residency : French Alliance in Oulan Bator Residency: Y Residency, Athens Musicians : Davaajargal Tsaschikher (guitar) and Munkhjargal Lkhagvaa (morin Musicians: Anna Papoutsi (flute) and Panagiotis Kanellopoulos (mandolin) khuur) Theme: the telluric Sarakiniko beach Theme : Morin Khuur, violin of immortality 8 Guest musicians 9 Sound postcards As part of the international residencies and at the request of Vincent Thé- val, producer for Radio France, over 10 radio works were broadcast. The creation of each sound postcard followed a process of research, encounters, outdoor recordings, editing for radio-broadcasting.