Adverse Circumstances and Music: “Parade” Rehearsal in Zimbabwe
Copyright: Alex Davies
Despite the extremely difficult political situation in their homeland, participants in Linz09’s “Parade” project recently gathered in Zimbabwe for their first rehearsal. They’ll be staging their musical procession this coming May in Linz.
The “Parade” project will be providing new auditory experiences and out-of-the-ordinary acoustic perceptions in public spaces during the Capital of Culture year. Peripatetic musical ensembles from all point of the compass will be convening May 1-3, 2009 on the outskirts of Linz for an encounter with foreign cultures that also promises to impart a new vibration to familiar sounds.One of the parade contingents comes from the southwest African country of Zimbabwe that’s been making headlines in Austria of late in connection with the depredations of its despotic president, Robert Mugabe. Thus, what the musicians had to go through to attend the first “Parade” rehearsal was difficult to say the least, but things nevertheless came off successfully. Here, you can read about the participants’ experiences and assessments.
