Labyrinth
Ross Daly Quartet at WOMEX2007!
Labyrinth is perhaps more a musical way of life than it is merely a group of musicians.It started on Crete in 1982 simply as a group of friends dedicated to the exploration of the various modal musical traditions from around the world and the possibilities for creative interaction within and between them. Labyrinth has included at various times musicians from a very wide range of different ethnic backgrounds, each of whom brings to it the world from which he has come, through the medium of his own personal creativity. The members of Labyrinth do not necessarily share a common ideology or philosophy, rather they are united in a common spirit and, of course, love for music.
The term "modal music" usually refers to a specific genre of music which is quite clearly defined by equally specific technical characteristics, and which is frequently identified geographically with the Middle East and the Orient.
True though this may be, for us it is something much more. Inherent in all of the great modal traditions of the world (both of the East and the West) is a primordial,transcendental spirituality which is totally independent of religious dogmas or any other specific patterns of thought and feeling of a descriptive or presciptive nature. It is this aspect of modal music which draws us irresistably towards it, and which enables us to surrender ourselves to the transpersonal and transtemporal world which it opens for each and every one of us according to his or her individual nature.
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When we started this work more than 20 years ago, there was no specific category into which our music neatly fell, and often the task of describing it to others was extremely difficult. What we do is not "traditional music" per se, but it does draw, almost exclusively, on elements of specific and, usually, closely related musical traditions which are continuously developing, each in its own way. The newly coined terms "Ethnic" or "World Music", if they do indeed have any real meaning at all, both refer to interests which are, in fact, the direct opposite of what concerns us. |
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The "Ethnic" dimension of any given musical tradition is of little if any relevance to the inherent ability of certain elements within it to transport us from personal to transpersonal levels, a characteristic of prime importance to us. That which is "Ethnic" certainly reflects a collectivity which simultaneously contains and supercedes individuality, but it does continue to produce dualities such as "us" and "them", whereas the transpersonal refers us to another realm of existence where there simply are no such divisions and the emphasis is on the revelation of inherent unity. "World Music", whatever that term might eventually come to mean in future genedrations, remains an extremely primitive organism, lacking both a backbone as well as a central nervous system, and would seem ill-equipped to pass the harsh tests of survival and evolution. The biggest weakness of both categories, probably, is in the fact that they are both the creations not of musicians themselves, but of the music industry in search of new forms of commerciality.
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Since it has always been clear to me that what we have been attempting to do all of these years does not fit into any of the aforementioned readily available categories or genres usually used to describe music, perhaps it would be more relevant if I were to emphasize more heavily the dimension of music which concerns us, and less its formal aspect. The following text was written by me in 1990 in an attempt merely to point, through the medium of words ( I would never dare an actual description), in the direction of what is essentially an archetypal dimension of music which has inspired and motivated me throughout my life. This music is experienced more as an inner presence than as a specific and recognizable sound. I include this text here in the hope that it will help our listeners to understand what music is for us, even if what we actually do will always remain far less than what is here described: |
ABOUT MUSIC
by Ross Daly
Music
exists everywhere in our world but, for the most part, we unfortunately don't
hear it. This is perhaps because we think that music is but yet another language
to be used in our dialogue with the world, a language which we employ for our
everyday interactions with it. We describe our feelings, experiences, thoughts
as well as our relationships with people, things, ideas, even states of being
with this rather abstract language of melodies or, in the case of songs, lyrics.
To put it concisely, we imagine that it is the events of our lives which give
birth to music.
With regards
to most of the music which we hear this is probably so. However, there exists
another dimension to music in which none of this is relevant. The music of this
dimension exists prior to our feelings, experiences or indeed any of our relationships
with anything whatsoever. It is with this music that "our" lives begin
and end, and with its sound we pass from the realm of individual existence that
of the infinite in each and every moment, usually without being in any way consciously
aware of such a cycle. This music does not belong to any given civilization,
every sound of it simultaneously contains and transcends all of the civilisations
of all peoples, of all places, of all times. Civilisation belongs to the realm
of lived experience. Inspiration and initiation (which are our sole points of
entry to the dimension I am discussing) do not belong to this realm. Instead,
they merely leave imprints in the world of experience which serve as catalysts
for the awakening of the search and the longing for the source of inspiration,
of music, of experience.
It is through the awakening of this longing that we can see the primary and
indeed fundamental difference between this music and any other expressive arts
which utilize the medium of sound.
The music
being discussed here is not any man's creation, it is not even the creation
of mankind as a whole, rather it is a gift to mankind. Perhaps we don't really
"know" anything about its source, but if ever we hear it, even for
a fraction of a second, we want only to go there.
For this to happen, however, we must become instruments of this music. We must
see the necessity of resigning from our "positions" as artists, creators,
indeed as individuals, giving way to a re-defining and a re-discovery of ourselves
as silent, still, and even given to the movement and sound
of the music.
This silence,
however, is not to be found in external manifestations. It is rather an internal
state of being which removes all distance between the "musician" and
the "listener", thus dissolving any false perceptions of the music
belonging to the one or the other. It is this silence and stillness which ultimately
show us its true source.
From its conception
up until today, "Labyrinth" has always had a nucleus of musicians
which is shaped and renewed through the circumstances and the needs of the times
or even through unexpected incidents. Musicians of various ethnic backgrounds
come, go and, rather often, return, thus completing a cycle inside the labyrinth
that Ross Daly himself has "built". They are influenced by all of
the other members of "Labyrinth" and simultaneously exert their own
influence, musically speaking, always offering unsparingly of their musical
as well as their personal attributes.
At the same time, however, this nucleus is also influenced by visiting musicians who collaborate with Labyrinth in various projects, but are not necessarily assimilated into it. These musicians subsequently continue on their own way, often to return again at a later date. Ross Daly's collaborations as a soloist with other important artists (without the other members of Labyrinth) also influence indirectly, but deeply, the central core of the group, as Daly, the central figure of "Labyrinth" , is particularly adept at translating the knowledge he receives through collaborations with other musicians into new and creative forms.
From 1982 and for approximately one decade, the basic members of “Labyrinth” were:
Amin Alagabou , Elias Papadopoulos
Katerina Papadopoulou , Agnes Agopian, Senih Undeger
Giorgos Symeonides
Today, the basic core of “Labyrinth” is consisted of the following musicians:
Important musicians that have collaborated and influenced Ross Daly and “Labyrinth” are:
Rufus Cappadocia: cello
Necati Çelik: turkish ud www.turkmusikisi.com/necati_celik/indexe.html
Stelios Foustalieris: boulgari
Carlo Rizzo:percussion
Rakesh Chaurasia: bansuri
Shubankar Banerjee: tabla www.subhankar.net/home.htm
Rabindra Goswami: sitar
Devashish Dey: indian singing www.ethnosuperlounge.com/devashishdey.htmhdey.htm
Halil Karaduman: kanoon
Habil Aliev: Azeri kemanche
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Irshad Khan: tabla |
Pantelis
Despotidis: violin |
A large number of musicians from all over the world that have collaborated with “Labyrinth” in various musical projects are mentioned at “Ongoing Projects”.
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