Occasionally I will describe my concerts to someone as primarily 'opening up a window into the land of no troubles'. As simplistic as this sounds, it is likely the most apt description I have heard, in terms of the why and the what...It is possible to think of spirit as only enthusiasm - often a welcome approach to those with grave misgivings around organized religion. A deeper look will find that the roots of the word give it a context - 'en' means 'within' and 'thusiasm' is coming from the Greek 'theo', meaning God. So, enthusiasm means to have God within...
It is very much as if playing music with enthusiasm is all one need do to make it a spiritual practice. Of course this means never getting bored or frustrated while playing, as these states are only possible in the absence of enthusiasm...!
So how to avoid these lapses of enthusiasm? Since my own approach has been led by the heart, my own way could be described as 'chasing beauty'. If one listens closely while playing, one will always hear if it sounds beautiful or not. And from here, it is a direct step to only playing if it sounds beautiful, even if it means playing just one note, then two, over and over, as long as it maintains that beauty.
If one perseveres in this approach, eventually the obstacles of self-judgement and impatience will be surpassed, and everytime one plays, it will open up a window into the land of no troubles.
It might be referred to as the fine print to mention that the only way I can see to harness the personal energy required to maintain this focus long enough is to commit to living a good life in a spirit of gratitude and service to your community. :-)
It was through Kinobe that I first heard of Toumani Diabete - at the age of 9 Kinobe saw him play, and seven years later went to visit him in Mali, to begin learning the Kora. Toumani has gained his reputation by travelling and playing for rapt audiences for many years, but it is a telling sign that, when he is in home in Mali, he goes down to the market every week and plays for hours to all who pass by.
He has a landmark CD that I recommend, recorded in one take per song, with a kora player he had never played with before. It is here.
For those who have an interest in Kinobe, we are rebuilding his website. Just for fun, you can watch it develop here.
We will be in Europe in the fall, back here next Spring...
