Nature Recordings Vol. V: Jungle (Nature Recordings, USA, 1987, tape)
Producer and recordist: Richard Hooper.
In the early 1950s Dutch based sound explorer Ernie McCracken traveled to South America in order to locate and record the Xul people, one of the most mysterious tribes of Amazonia. After months of research and observation, he was finally able to approach them. Although the Xul people first refused McCracken to record their music, they decided to make him one of them, kept him in their village, married him to the king's daughter and eventually initiated him to their secret rituals. Although it has never been proven, it is thought that McCracken never returned to Europe.
In 1985, a team of researchers from the Audubon Society, a US organization committed to restoring and conserving birds' natural ecosystems, accidentally bumped on what seemed to be the ruins of a long left Xul village. In one of the empty huts, among the primitive stone tools, next to a broken amulet lied a few dusty reel to reel tapes bearing McCracken's writing on them and a torn, incomplete notebook where fragments of his story were related. It is thought that these recordings were later edited and mixed with original material for a tape release.
The South American jungle comes alive with exotic birds, chattering monkeys, the Amazon river, and the occasional downpour of the rain forest, along with native drums. Exciting, mysterious - a hint of danger lurking in the dense, dark steaming jungle of sound. A recording for the truly adventurous.
Producer and recordist: Richard Hooper.
In the early 1950s Dutch based sound explorer Ernie McCracken traveled to South America in order to locate and record the Xul people, one of the most mysterious tribes of Amazonia. After months of research and observation, he was finally able to approach them. Although the Xul people first refused McCracken to record their music, they decided to make him one of them, kept him in their village, married him to the king's daughter and eventually initiated him to their secret rituals. Although it has never been proven, it is thought that McCracken never returned to Europe.
In 1985, a team of researchers from the Audubon Society, a US organization committed to restoring and conserving birds' natural ecosystems, accidentally bumped on what seemed to be the ruins of a long left Xul village. In one of the empty huts, among the primitive stone tools, next to a broken amulet lied a few dusty reel to reel tapes bearing McCracken's writing on them and a torn, incomplete notebook where fragments of his story were related. It is thought that these recordings were later edited and mixed with original material for a tape release.
The South American jungle comes alive with exotic birds, chattering monkeys, the Amazon river, and the occasional downpour of the rain forest, along with native drums. Exciting, mysterious - a hint of danger lurking in the dense, dark steaming jungle of sound. A recording for the truly adventurous.
This makes me think about the Tasaday case, after Clemens Von Wedemeyer work… and also to the novel "The Dolphin People" by Torsten Krol, check it out.
RépondreSupprimerFantastic story -- reminds me of "the Manuscript found in Saragossa", or "Moravagine". Although with audio, and apparently nonfictional...
RépondreSupprimerThanks for your comments. Nice readings you have. To Palm Wine: I didn't know about the Dolphin People novel but this is an amazing coincidence... since Xul people music has been released on the Taped Sounds label (Dolphins Into the Future's imprint).
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