Country & Eastern

Message from april 1st, 2059: Looking back on the economics of the arts world during the last 100 years.

2009-04-01T18:59:00.005+02:00

Message from april 1st, 2059: Looking back on the economics of the arts world during the last 100 years.

Lenny Bruce's comments in 1959, exactly 100 years ago, about the secrataries and their bad effect on the arts was the first sign of what was later to be the great movement on reconstruction of the role of those whose work it is to make the art world and the artists in it function as smoothly as possible.

Even 50 years ago, this restructuring was not felt in the cultural climate of the time. Indeed, even though in Sweden a thorough cultural investigation was made in 2009, it only treated the working conditions and mechanics of the people whose call was to serve the artists. The cultural investigation did not deal with the arts at all, not even with the working conditions of the artists or the content of their work. All it covered were the rules of distribution of support among those distributing it. It sounds unbelievable to a modern ear, but that's how it was as late as in the beginning of this century..

It was not until ten years later, in 2019, that the view on the relationship between artists and bureaucrats that seem so natural to us today got the upper hand in peoples minds. And of course, as soon as the people involved, bureaucrats and artists alike, realised that this was the way to do things, things evolved very quickly and within a few years everybody was happily doing what suited them best and what they liked the most. That is, for the artist: creating art and for the bureaucrats: constructing and filling out forms and raising money for the betterment of the arts and the citiziens. And what a glorious cultural life we all got at last.

Bureacracy continued: Lenny Bruce on secretaries

2009-03-30T23:15:00.005+02:00

Exactly 50 years ago, in 1959, Lenny Bruce spoke about the bureacrats of that time, the secretaries in showbusiness.

His view on some of the people who have monthly salaries to see that the art world functions is equally valid today.

Hear what he had to say:

On the connection between the artist and the bureaucrat - in swedish

2009-03-05T18:44:00.004+01:00

Om sambandet och arbetsfördelningen mellan konstnären och byråkraten.

Det tycks mig som om det har uppstått ett missförstånd angående vem som skall göra vad i det konstnärliga arbetet som jag hoppas kunna reda ut i denna lilla text som jag fortsättningsvis kommer att bifoga alla ansökningar om samhällsstöd för konstnärliga projekt.

Vi är alla överens om att det behövs en viss byråkrati för att handa stödapparaten, men det har gradvis insmugit sig en missuppfattning av hur man bäst hanterar uppgiften, förmodligen pga det administrativa arbetets själva karaktär och kanske rentav den läggning man kanske behöver för att engagera sig i detta många gånger otacksamma värv.

Det är fel att tro att uppgiften är att göra också de som söker ekonomiskt bistånd till blankettmänniskor.

Grundidén med den byråkratiska apparaten måste vara att dessa tjänstepersoner just står till tjänst med det de är så väl skickade för, nämligen att skapa och fylla i nödvändiga blanketter åt oss som söker stöd. Inte att dressera också oss till att använda en stadigt växande andel av vår arbetstid åt detta, deras område. Det är inte så enkelt att också vi vill ha betalt för det arbete Ni gör på betald arbetstid, utan vi vill inte göra det alls. Och det är inte förvånande om några av oss, i frustration över att tvingas använda en växande del av vår obetalda arbetstid till blanketter och tidsplaner som vi och Ni många gånger vet helt eller delvis är luftslott mest till för att uppfylla en eller annan femårsplan, med saknad längtar efter en gammal hederlig mecenat.

Så vänligen kom till insikt om uppdraget: Att hjälpa oss som vill och bör använda så stor del av livet som möjligt åt skapande verksamhet att göra just det. Ring, skriv eller kom och träffa mig och ta reda på varför jag behöver ekonomiskt stöd för min verksamhet, hur mycket och hur den ekonomiska kalkylen skall se ut. Det är ju NI och inte jag som kan detta. Då kan Ni väl fylla i blanketten åt mig nästa gång.

- Bengt Berger

BENT På Fasching och i Umeå 14-16 april

2009-03-03T21:05:00.008+01:00

Tuesday april 14 at Fasching and thursday april 16 at Studion, Umeå

Bengt Berger, Bengt Ernryd, Niklas Fernqvist, Fredrik Nordström

Comments in swedish on the state of music critisism in swedish daylies

2009-03-03T15:53:00.003+01:00

Är Svenska Dagbladet på väg att ta sig ner i det infantila musikkommentarselände där DN dväljs?

Så här avslutar idag Elin Unnes sin recension med rubriken "Charmige Wadling hyllas med stående ovationer"
".... ett passande tack till en person som har ett självförtroende och en talang som verkar stå i diametral motsats till varandra, men som faktiskt är begåvad."

Och så här skriver samma Unnes igår i en positiv recension av Wildbirds & Piecedrums:
""Spelglädje" är en av de mest irriterande saker som kan drabba ett band, men Mariam och Andreas visar att det inte behöver vara något negativt så länge man har bra låtar och inte blundar alltför länge medan man spelar dem."

Törs man hoppas att det kanske går att hitta en lämpligare syssla till Elin Unnes?

Bengt Berger

Prog in Pt Taranath's memory at Trinity Club, Mumbai

2009-01-04T12:55:00.009+01:00

This is a post by gurubhai Rajesh Kaikini:

Jai Guru Dear Bengt!!
My best wishes to you for a Happy and Healthy 2009.
Hope all well.

A few months ago, a few of Guru Pt Taranathji's students held a program in his memory at Trinity Club, Mumbai.
The function was attended by many of his students, including Mohan Balvally, Ramani, Uday Raikar, Vijay Kangutkar,Sudhir Naringrekar, Anand and Nandan Balse. (we missed Sadanandji and Ashok Bellare as both were travelling )
The program included a wonderful jugalbandi by Uday Raikar's young students Master Bhatt and Master Khanolkar (both hardly 10-11 yrs old )..... reminiscent of mohanji/sadanandji jugalbandi at the same place about 40 years ago.

Abhimanyu Herlekar (student of Aneeshji Pradhan), Anand Joshi and Prakash Desai (both students of Arvindji Mulgaonkar) presented some wonderful kaidas.
(coincidentally, Prakash Desai had also studied under Late Shri Marutiji Kurdekar for over 5-7 years in Goa, until prakash shifted to Mumbai some years ago)
The grand finale - we were treated to some awesome jugalbandi performance by Vijay Kangutkar and Sudhir Naringrekar - which brought back fond memories of Guruji's amongst all of us .

On this occassion, a photograph of Guruji was unveiled..Guruji's photo will be on permanant display at the club - together with some of the great maestroes of indian music.
I have attached a few photos taken at the program.

The group photo includes....
Standing (l to r) Mahesh Kumble, Anand Balse, Vijay Kangutkar, Ramani, Mohan Balvally, Uday Raikar, Sudhir Naringrekar and Nandan Balse.
Sitting (l to r) Bhatt Sr, Me (in brown), Prakash Desai (in white),Master Khanolkar and Master Bhatt (in blue)
Warm regards and best wishes.

Rajesh Kaikini

Merry Christmas from Country & Eastern

2008-12-24T11:28:00.001+01:00

Franz Coltrane in Ystad and Stockholm

2008-12-07T19:43:00.004+01:00

Franz Coltrane at Ystad's Opera House and Kulturhuset, Stockholm on december 3 and 5 was very satisfying. Here is a review in swedish from Svenska Dagbladet today.

December 1: Country & Eastern Christmas Web Calendar - Christmas double cd album and X-mas release party

2008-11-22T11:50:00.005+01:00

Last years Christmas Party, X-mas Calendar and mp3 album with OUR versions of the Christmas kanon was a big success, so on december 1 we do it again, only now we also release the music on a double CD.

At midnight (GMT+1) on december 1 the christmas calendar will be operating.

Go to http://www.countryandeastern.se daily to hear a new christmas song interpreted in an unorthodox manner by the Country & Eastern Party Band and some of the greatest singers in Sweden.
Some of the songs are swedish and the comments are in swedish, but I'm sure you will understand all you need.

Simultaneously we release a double CD with the same songs. There will be links to it from the calendar at our site.

And if you are in Stockholm we celebrate with a Christmas Party with all the singers and then some at the last of our monthly C&E Nights at jazz club Fasching in Stockholm.
We open at 6 pm and will have a party up to midnight.

Performers are the Party Band (Lars Almqvist, Bengt Berger, Jonas Knutsson, Per Sjöberg, Max Schultz, Kjell Westling och Mats Öberg) ackompanying the following singers:
Sofia Berg-Böhm, Nicolai Dunger, Lina Englund, Lars Fredriksson and 108 crickets straight from China, Horn Please, Sofia Jernberg, Jeanette Lindström, Anita Livstrand, Gunnel Mauritzson, Ulrika Murray, Ale Möller, Lina Nyberg, Lars-Göran Persson, Torkel Rasmusson, Cosma Rauner, Niklas Rådström, Monica Söderberg, Lena Willemark, Kaya Ålander and DJ Daniel Bingert - So you see it will be quite a night.

Hope you'll make it.

Beche

PS And remember, the songs can only be heard for one day, so visit daily. DS

The funeral invitation

2008-11-09T22:37:00.009+01:00

See the photos as a slide show.

Photos from the Chief's funeral in Ammasu on october 2, 2008

2008-11-09T21:46:00.013+01:00

Funeral Invitation

A cock is to be killed for public announcement of the Chief's death.

Dead body on bed covered with gold bars, the cloths are all gold dust.
On the right side of his head, you can see a gold statue which show the oneness of Ankobia and Dormaa Ahenkro.
The people in the picture are security gards watching the body until he will be laid in state.

Dead Chief on bed, covered with gold dust all over the body.

Announcing to the public the death of the Chief, Nana Amponsah Appiah Berimah, Dormaa-Ankobeahene

SunShip Mobility Band at Fasching on november 3, 2008

2008-11-04T16:53:00.006+01:00

Franklin "SunShip" Kiermyer performed his new "SunShip Mobility Suite" at Fasching last night in front of a small but excalted audience.
The band had Franklin, Bengt Berger and Per Tjernberg on drums and percussion,
Dan Berglund and Ole Morten Vågan on basses,
Bobo Stenson on piano,
Magnus Broo on trumpet,
Mats Äleklint on trombone,
Jonas Kullhammar and Fredrik Nordström on saxophones.

We all had a lound and strong evening.
Here is more about it, pictures, a slide show and stuff.

Day 2 at Womex

2008-10-31T11:34:00.004+01:00

The first day was quite nice, I have a lot of bookings in the pot and expect more today.

Country & Eastern at Womex

2008-10-30T12:41:00.004+01:00

I've just set up shop in the Swedish stands at Womex in Sevilla.
After one hour I've sold two concerts for next year: One addition to the Karaikudi R. Mani tour in october and one with our swedish Messiaen project. Plus a couple of maybes. So I'm worth a lunch now.

Gurubhandu Maruti Kurdekar dies from sudden heart attack

2008-10-30T12:25:00.005+01:00

Tabla master Pandit Maruti Kurdekar had a massive heart attack on the morning of october 28, 2008.
We are all struck with grief. May his soul rest in peace.

Maruti Venkatesh Kurdekar has for a long time been working as a senior professor in tabla at the faculty of Indian music and dance of Kala Academy in Panjim, Goa.

He studied both tabla and pakawaj for 17 years under the guidance of renowned Guru Pandit Taranath Rao, Farukhabad gharana. Maruti is known as an accomplished solo performer; he is also an approved artist of Doordarshan and AIR (national Indian television and radio).

Maruti Kurdekar has for the last 30 years been devoted to guide tabla students, and he is a very well known teacher and pedagogue. He has toured Europe and Scandinavia on several occations and conducted lecture demonstrations and workshops at academies and schools abroad.

He took part in Sebastian Åberg's Sangeet Project a couple of years back on the Country & Eastern label.

Country & Eastern: Release and concert tonight

2008-10-06T11:54:00.002+02:00

2nd Country & Eastern Night at Fasching on october 6

On the first monday of every month at 3 pm you can hear all the sirens of Stockholm being blown to welcome you to the Country & Eastern Nights at Fasching, Stockholm

Tonight, on october 6 there will be so many live acts:
Sebastian Åbergs Sangeet Project - Horn Please - Haci Tekbilek - Berger Knutsson Spering - Mirja Mäkelä - Jonas Knutsson & Mats Öberg - Lars Fredriksson.
and the release of
Bengt Berger & Kjell Westling - Live in Stockholm 1977
which will be sold at a ridiculously low prize at the concert where Bengt & Kjell will be playing music from the cd as well.
DJ: Jonas Kullhammar

Don't miss it - FEEL WELCOME

Big Funeral in Ammasu, Ghana today

2008-10-02T19:53:00.005+02:00

Nana Barima Kwame Amponsah Appiah

One year back Country & Eastern released the Music of Ammasu albums. Shortly after that, Ahenkaan, one of the central people of the Ammasu Akapoma Group died, and now the chief of Ammasu, Nana Barima Kwame Amponsah Appiah, has died.

He will be buried at a grand funeral in Ammasu on october 2nd, so if you are near Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana today get a taxi and go to the funeral, it will be a great experience.

There are many photos and slide shows at the Country & Eastern site.

Still one Gurupoornima + workshop with Sadanand Naimpalli in LA

2008-08-14T14:25:00.004+02:00

Photo from Gurupoornima in Mumbai 2004.

We are having a Guru Poornima program here in LA on the 17th at one of our Gurubhais' house. It's a small gathering this time but should be fun.

And then: "Tabla Workshop by Pundit Sadanand Naiampalli" on September 6th and 7th in Chino Hills California. Time and details to be announced this week. The event is organized by "The Ravi Bellare Arts Foundation".
Contact tirikit@gmail.com.
-Rupesh Kotecha

Glenn Miller august 5: Free music = communication?

2008-08-05T23:53:00.002+02:00

This evening I visited Glenn Miller Café and heard some very good musicians:
Fred Lonberg-Holm cello, Raymond Strid drums, Patric Thorman bass and David Stackenäs guitar.

The last set was, as far as I could understand a free improvisation and while listening I wondered about the communication within the band.

My impression was that what looked like a quartet of musicians communicating very intensly was actually four musicians using various technical devices that they had created and practised individually, that matched the technical devices that the other musicians were employing so that you get the impression that there is a lot of interplay going on, whereas actually each musician is playing something that fits in the general soundscape. When somebody changes the music through switching his technical device, the other musicians quickly adapt to the change of scenery by finding something that fits with the new approach.

It's all very accomplished and musical, but is it really communication?

BENT spelar på Glenn Miller onsdag-torsdag

2008-08-04T10:04:00.004+02:00

På onsdag och torsdag, augusti 6-7, spelar Bengt Berger trummor, Bengt Ernryd trumpet, Fredrik Nordström tenorsax och Patric Thorman bas på Glenn Miller. Vi spelar in och tänker att det kanske kan bli en skiva.
Varför inte gå dit och vara med genom att glömma att stänga av mobilteflonen eller applådera?
Från 8 på kvällen.

BENT, that is the guys above, will play on Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm on wednesday and thursday from 8 p.m.
If you happen to be around....

Beche

August 3: Taranathji Gurupoornima in B'bay as well

2008-08-02T11:06:00.004+02:00

Dear Friends,

In the honour of our Guruji, we the disciples of Pt. Taranathji have
organised a programme on 3rd August in Mumbai.

On the agenda are performances from students from my academy,
our Senior Guru Bandhu Omkar Gulwadi and a sitar and sarod jugalbandi
by Pt. Ganesh Mohan & Pt. Pradeep Barot.

It's a tradition we have been following and upkeeping for years together.
Please find enclosed the invite for this years programme. I request
your presence and you well wishes.

Jai Guru
Uday Raikar
+91 9920836525

C&E Nights at Fasching first monday every month - concerts and release parties

2008-07-31T00:37:00.003+02:00

August 9:Gurupoornima of our Guruji Late. Pt. Taranath Rao

2008-07-30T10:38:00.007+02:00

Pt.Taranath Tabla Academy & Tabla Alba Presents

Gurupoornima of our Guruji Late. Pt. Taranath Rao

Tabla Duet: Students of Academy
Shehanai Vadan:Shri Pramod Gaikwad
Gayan:Shri Rajendra Kandlgaonkar
Tabla Solo:Maruti Kurdikar
Sarod Duet:Praashek & Abhishek Borkar
Accompanied on Tabla by Pt. Shashi Bellare

Venue
Shree Rang Bungalow
Ram Indu Park
opp Orchid School
Baner
Pune
on 9th Aug. 2008
5.30pm.

Please contact on 9372912801 if you are in the vicinity

http://www.beche.se/india/gurus.shtml

TRAD MAG award for Horn Please

2008-07-29T12:16:00.003+02:00

"We are happy to let you know that one of your new releases:
Jonas Knutsson & Horn Please was awarded the « Recommandé » TRAD MAG award by our magazine."
Trad Magazine, France

Help! Trestukna E / E5 /Threelined E ???

2008-07-29T11:24:00.000+02:00

We are just completing a cd with Mats Öberg and Jonas Knutsson and I immedeately need to know the english expression for "trestrukna E". Is it "E5" (midi) och could it be "three lined E"? Please tell me at once if you know.

With Blacknuss at Fasching

2008-07-28T10:50:00.002+02:00

On the final night of Stockholm "Jazz" Festival I had the pleasure to be invited to play with Martin Jonsson and the Blacknuss band at Fasching and I must say I had so much fun. Unfortunately, the music I do most of the time does not attract big crowds for some strange reason, but it really is a kick to play to a large and enthusiastic audience once in a while. Great Band.

If you have a better picture than this, please upload it.
/beche

And Howard did:

Kakraba Lobi died one year ago

2008-07-25T11:40:00.001+02:00

Some time ago I learned that the great wizard of the ghanaian funeral xylophone, the ko-gyil passed away last summer.
In the seventies I learned from him in Ghana for more than a year and what he taught me formed a substantial basis for the music that we created in Sweden with the Bitter Funeral Beer Band. In fact he came to visit Sweden and we did a long tour together.

Here is a picture of Kakraba playing for some children in the swedish winter:

I was told about his demise by a newfound friend at myspace, american gyil player Gina Ferrera, who also learnt from him.
She has just put up her version of a song that she learned from Kakraba, Ganda Yina, on Gina's myspace page

Incidently I also learned that song from Kakraba and it was one of the first we tried to play with our swedish group Archimedes Badkar (out of which the Bitter Funeral Beer Band grew) so I've also put up that same song from our album "Tre" that was recorded in 1978. On myspace.

Everybody who met and heard Kakraba Lobi will remember him forever.
/beche

Haci Tekbilek + KUR = Bingo

2008-07-24T20:44:00.000+02:00

We happily acknowledge the fact that we got government support to produce a cd with the great turkish multiinstrumentalist Haci Tekbilek who has lived here since 1974 but has never done an album of his own. We hope to record it late in the summer and release it in november.

/beche
(photo: Jon Edergren)

Bengt Berger + Kjell Westling + KUR = $$$

2008-07-24T20:30:00.000+02:00

We are surprised that we got some support for a rerelease of Bengt Berger and Kjell Westling Spelar (Play), a live recording we did many years ago. It will be released at C&E Night at Fasching on october 6.

/beche

Jonas Knutsson + KUR = Paranoia

2008-07-24T18:41:00.001+02:00

We are quite worried about the fact that the three last applications for support for projects with the brilliant Jonas Knutsson have been turned down by the government’s phono-support-agency. Including the great Horn Please that we released last fall and the live duo recording with Mats Öberg that we will release this fall anyway.

Is there something wrong with Jonas Knutsson?

This reminds me of an old favourite quote from Laing saying that we have a word for somebody who thinks he is persecuted, paranoic; but we don’t have a word for somebody who unwittingly persecutes people.

/beche
(Photo: Jon Edergren)