There comes a time in every music fan’s life — usually around 3 AM after a night of heavy drinking or just, say, a really dull Sunday afternoon — where he or she must blow the minds of his/her friends through a fascinating, unfamiliar, or just plain bizarre DVD selection. Fortunately for the curious cineastes and headphone junkies among us, we have Sublime Frequencies to fulfill our collective need to catch glimpses into the little-known musical histories of other cultures. And now the Seattle-based purveyors of all things obscure, international, and mindblowing have announced the release of Staring into the Sun, a DVD/CD/book by photographer/filmmaker Olivia Wyatt that’s just chock-full of field recordings and Polaroid photographs of Ethopian tribes.
This limited-edition release is limited to 1,000 copies and is already being touted as “the latest ethno-film cinema classic.” (Well, at least Sublime Frequencies is touting it as such.) Ms. Wyatt’s work follows the goings-on of 13 different tribes out of Ethopia’s 80+ ethnic groups, so you’ll get to experience spirit possession, hyena feedings, Ethiopian TV segments, tribal wedding ceremonies, and a hell of a lot more. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll want to stick your hand in a hyena’s mouth and feed it delicious, bloody raw meat! Check out the trailer below. Staring into the Sun brings the sights and sounds of Ethiopia to a DVD/CD player near you come July 5.
CD tracklisting:
01. Konso Tribe, “Konso Lyre Song”
02. Habesha 2000 Band, “Habesha Traditional Song”
03. Azmari (Masinko Player), “Masinko Song”
04. Dirashe Tribe, “Dirashe Syncopated Panpipes”
05. Gedeo Tribe, “Gedeo Vocals”
06. Dirashe Tribe, “Dirashe Drum Song”
07. Dorze Tribe, “Dorze Song”
08. Mursi Tribe, “Mursi Song”
09. Habesha 2000 Band, “Habesha Traditional Song 2”
10. Dirashe Tribe, “Dirashe Lyre Song”
11. Konso Tribe, “Konso Lyre and Percussion Song”
12. Gedeo Tribe, “Gedeo Percussion, Lyre, and Vocal Song”
13. Dirashe Tribe, “Dirashe Lyre Dance”
14. Tsemay Tribe, “Tsemay Song”
15. Borana Tribe, “Borana Singing Wells”
16. Habesha 2000 Band, “Habesha Traditional Song 3”
DVD chapter listing:
01. Intro
02. Borana Singing Wells
03. Addis Ababa Traditional Night Club
04. Harari Wild Hyena Feeding
05. Tsemay Tribe
06. Afar Tribe
07. Konso Tribe
08. Arbore Tribe
09. Amhara Tribe
10. Dirashe Tribe
11. Hookah Night Scenes
12. Zar Spirit Possession Ceremony
13. Mursi Tribe
14. Day Dreams
15. Masinko Player
16. Banna Tribe
17. Gedeo Tribe
18. Hamar Wedding
• Sublime Frequencies: http://www.sublimefrequencies.com
[Photos: Olivia Wyatt]
