|
Song
for 'Water-buffalo' Words
are born Refrain Singing
a song together Our
hands reach out to them. A
song's a question Wendy Poussard |
Twenty years have passed since Yuji Takahashi's "Like a Water Buffalo" for
accordion solo was composed. At the composer's special request the piece was
not published. Copies of the manuscript traveled "from hand to hand" everywhere,
and the work became deeply loved and played by many accordionists all over
the world. We can say, the seeds of this music "Like a Water Buffalo" were
sowed, they made a remarkable growth throughout the world.
Who were the first to sow these seeds? Especially four accordeonists came to
mind: Friedrich Lips (Russia), Elsbeth Moser (Switzerland), Matti Rantanen
(Finland) and Mie Miki (Japan). These four had grown up in completely different
environments, in different cultures and climates, they mastered instruments
of different systems with their own particular repertoire and style of interpretation,
teaching at music academies in Moscow, Hanover, Helsinki and Essen.They had
grown up with different mother tongues and under different star constellations
(Scorpio, Aries, Aquarius, Virgo) in the four different elements (water, fire,
air and earth). They are the four who enjoyed the work of planting, watering,
giving sunshine and cherishing these special seeds.
One
spring day in 2003 I had a dream: these four accordionists on one CD, playing "Like
a Water Buffalo" by Yuji Takahashi and reciting the poem "Song for
'Water-buffalo' " by Wendy Poussard in their own mother tongues. Could
this dream come true? The responses of Friedrich Lips, Elsbeth Moser and Matti
Rantanen came immediately, they all agreed with great enthusiasm.Of course
I was very interested in the origin of these seeds, the poem "Song Mr
'Water-buffalo' " by Wendy Poussard. Mr.Yuji Takahashi and Mrs.Mie
Yamaki searched for the poet and kindly asked Mrs. Wendy Poussard to recite
the
original poem herself.
Eighteen
months passed after the original proposition was made. The unique CD was
performed with Wendy Poussard reciting her poem "Song Mr 'Water-buffalo' ",
with the Suigyu (Water Buffalo) Band. performing Yuji Takahashi's original
song, and with four soloists, playing the same wonderful music in their
own distinct styles,making this CD epoc-making in the history of the
accordion.
Once it was a dream. Now it is a reality.
Special thanks to Yuji Takahashi, Wendy Poussard, Mie Yamaki, Friedrich Lips,
Elsbeth Moser, Matti Rantanen, Takashi Sakurai, Gen-ichiro Yagyu, Mirei Takahashi
and Akiko Miki.
Mie Miki
Landgraaf, December 26th 2004
(translated by Akiko Miki)
Like a Water Buffalo (1985)
Water buffalo is a friend of peasants in Southeast Asia for centuries,
although in these days they are being replaced by the tractors "the
iron water buffalo".
We took the name for our band we formed to introduce Thai protest songs
in 1970s against military, dictatorship. Australian poet and activist
Wendy Poussard
visited
our home one day and wrote the poem for the band to which I composed a melody.
This melody and the accompaniment inspired by the sound of wooden cowbells
water buffalos hang from their neck are turned into a piece for accordion
solo when
Mie Miki asked me to write music of heart for her instrument. It was in 1985.
And I asked her to give the music to anyone who wanted to see the score.
As a song reachs the ears behind the prison walls. handed down from musicians
to musicians,
may this music transmit the sound of freedom.
[The music of "Like a Water Buffalo" is found on www.suigyu.com It is free to download, copy and give to friends.]
Song
for “Water-buffalo” — the
original poem and song
01 Poem read by Wendy Poussard
02 Song played by Suigyu (Water Buffalo) Band
Like a Water Buffalo — for accordion solo
Friedrich Lips
03 Poem in Russian
04 Bayan soloInstrument: Pigini-Mvthos
Recorded :1996 at the Concert Hall of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. Russia Sound engineer: Pjotr Kondraschin at the KonClaRec studio
Recording: Valerij Lebedew
Editing: Natalija Meyerzon, Ruslana Orechnikova
Mie Miki
05 Poem in Japanese
06 Accordion soloInstrument Giovanni Gola (Hohner)
Recorded: May 2000 at Länna Church, Sweden Balance engineer/Tonmeister: Dirk Lüdemann
Producer: Dirk Lüdemann
Elsbeth Moser
07 Poem in German
08 Bayan soloInstrument: Jupiter 1954 Moskau
Recorded: December 10th, 2004 at Tonstudio, Musikhochschule Hannover, Germany Tonmeister/Balance-engineer: Ulrich Katzenbergcr
Recording director: Ulrich Katzenberger
Matti Rantanen
09 Poem in Finnish
10 Accordion soloInstrument: Pigini-Sirius 1998
Recorded : August 27th, 2004 at Church of Nummi. Finland
Sound and editing engineer: Pekka Vesanen