Come to this collaboration between the French jazz group Mezcal Unit and the Native-American composer GrayHawk Perkins, you will have the chance to enjoy passionate songs proudly sung in Mobilian. GrayHawk Perkins’ works are always inspired by the traditional music of North American tribes – the land with the ancient 13-moon calendar. Emmanuel de Gouvello, French drummer and jazz composer will convey his inner world through the signature jazz rhythms remixing Perkins’ composition and render them unique.
As a lingua franca, Mobilian language was created to remove language barriers between the tribes coming from different regions. The use of Mobilian in GrayHawk’s works highlight this meaning even more, as a harmonizer for different music genres and cultures. The concert is a tribute to the Native American culture as well as a coherent approach for jazz musicians, accustomed to blending and respecting the influences of world music.
In the concert, through the stories of his tribe, GrayHawk explains the lyrics which describe the life and the events taking place in a Native American year: “Turkey Moon” tells the story of October, the month in which they honor the ancestors, “Chestnut Moon” (in February) about the fraternization between the Native Americans and the African slaves as well as their encounters at Congo Square, New Orleans. As another example, GrayHawk will tell the story of “How his people find corn starch” – a long story honoring the fundamental role of women in the American Indians’ culture.
Jazz Night “13 Moons: Mezcal Unit & GrayHawk Perkins” will be held on 25 Nov 2017, 8 pm, at Youth Theatre, 11 Ngo Thi Nham, Hanoi.