A Decade of Musical Exploration
When this new century and decade began I worked as a freelance film journalist. I attended film festivals, screened films from around the world and interviewed dozens of film directors. I thought I could avoid returning to writing about music or performing it, after leaving that endeavor in 1997, but when I watched those movies, I found myself focusing on musical elements, such as soundtracks. In 1999, I saw two Canadian films that turned my ears towards classical music, The Red Violin and 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould , (by the same director and writers). In 2001, I attended the last WOMAD, USA, near Seattle. I found myself immersed in world music and I quickly fell in love with the global feast for the ears and eyes. Suddenly the world opened up to me. I received recordings from Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. I heard music sung in many tongues and played on exotic instruments. My feet danced to poly rhythms, I learned the different rhythms of Afro-Latin,