Greg Beyer visited us!
On the 1st of March 2016, MCA Mozambique had a visit from the famous Greg Beyer, a contemporary music specialist with significant experience in orchestral, jazz and world music. He introduced his project, ARCOMUSICAL – an endeavor that involves ethno-musicological research about, and the composition and commission of new works for the berimbau – an Afro-Brazilian musical bow instrument.
Here is what he had to say about his project and the instrument that has grown to become a significant part of his life:
Tell us about yourself… who is Greg and what is Arcomusical?
– Arcomusical is a project that I’ve been working with the last 20 years. It basically deals with creating, performing and teaching with an instrument called Arcomusical.
How long have you been playing this instrument?
– 20 years now.
What interests you about this instrument (that, in Mozambique, is traditionally called Xitende)?
– The instrument fell into my lap about 20 years ago and about 10 years ago I got into it seriously. After it magically fell into my hands I studied it and became aware of its origins. The interest grew as I learnt more and more about the instrument through my research on traditional instruments.
How did you manage to master this instrument since it is different from your musical culture?
– Early on, I had a teacher who told me that I couldn’t only stick to the tradition and origin of the instrument, he told me that I had to do something different. After about a year of thinking about this idea, I decided that I would try to blend this traditional instrument with contemporary classical music and western music. I ended up working with a lot of friends to incorporate this instrument in this particular universe and in our playing.
Has it been a challenge to get the global community interested in this old traditional instrument?
– I think that there is a lot of interest in the instrument through the Capoeira community (that is known worldwide). Therefore, the instrument has been spread around the world. Since people are already familiar with it there is also a lot of interest in what we are doing with it through our project. Generally speaking, I feel wherever we have gone so far, the audiences have welcomed the instrument and found it very interesting.
What is your advice for upcoming musicians that might be interested in learning to play Xitende?
– Well, I sincerely hope that they do. I feel like the instrument is very simple, so it easily becomes close and dear to us. I also feel that once you find something that you are passionate about you should go for it. Just don’t stop!
Get to know more about Arcomusical: www.arcomusical.com
