Dear Friends,
I hope life has been treating you all very well lately. Thanks again for signing up to this fan list. It’s time for some updates.
You may well know that I do things in a bit of a complicated way. Not just a combination of both painting and music, but also a project for the Jingpo minority, involving education, research and intercultural exchange. At the point that painting and music had become indispensable parts of my destiny, a few years ago, I choose to also start that Jingpo project and try to find ways to integrate it all. I couldn’t just throw away my close connection to the Jingpo, after living in their villages for such long time, and being involved in research on their Zaiwa language for almost twenty years. It would be a difficult combination, but I had to do this because I knew that, after the inevitable hardships, the outcome would be better for all: for the Jingpo, for myself, for the outside worlds, and for Art.
In the course of the coming year, my wife Li Yang and I will move to a Jingpo village and start activities on a regular base there, instead of just in the holidays like we have done the last few years. It’s not easy, and first of all we need to find ways to feed ourselves.
It’s hard, you know, to maintain two different mindsets. The project mindset needs to be rational and pragmatic, though also idealistic. Luckily, Li Yang is better on this side. The artist mindset is one that spirals outward incessantly, always thinking of new ways of putting things. My art thing is much about transcending, surpassing my present life form… Luckily, I also tend to make simple, pure things, with bright colors and notes. The things I make are getting closer to the children’s world of perception. Besides, some of my music is made with the Jingpo people specifically in mind, making use of their musical themes, so there’s more connection to the project.
For the Dutch speaking, there now is a long interview with me on Geledraak.nl, an important info site about China.
The one-hour documentary about me and our project will be broadcasted throughout China in the beginning of June and then posted on-line. This documentary is in Chinese.
I have been painting like crazy on a new series of paintings, in my friend Gao Yuan’s studio in Songzhuang, Beijing. I certainly will publish some stuff about this happy cooperation.
Have been working on my various artist profiles and playlists, on Reverbnation (linked to Facebook’s My band), on Myspace and on a new Chinese douban page. I present myself differently on every site. So, all together a lot of my music can still be listened to for free. A next step is to start selling music on iTunes and such.
I made a CD! If you wouldn’t all be living so far away (in 7 different countries), I would give it to you for free!
photo: me with Jingpo band, early 1990's
Last week, the director of that documentary asked me to record myself singing a specific Jingpo song she heard when we were filming in the Jingpo area, and I decided to add instruments and arrange it into a full piece. Here it is, the piece Yvum mao / 家乡 / Back to the hills. So this is the first piece where I actually use my voice! It will be obvious to everyone that my voice needs training but I think that is not so important here. The song is about longing for the native Jingpo area and the funny thing here is that the singer here is me, the Dutch Jingpo. Therefore, the song could also well be about my deep wish to be living there and to become one with that area, with its great people, green hills and red earth, an environment that is so much full of life.
Happy days and a lot of inspiration to everyone!
Till later,
Anton
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