New CD takes you on a “Bush Waalk”
Over the last ten years News 5 has profiled enough newly released Belizean music to fill a library. Tonight, we have the pleasure of introducing you to a recording that’s a little bit different. It was created by a group of people from different parts of the world who have taken the fleeting sounds of the Belizean forest and married them to music on a pair of CD’s. They call it…Bush Waalk. Brent Toombs reports.
Brent Toombs, Reporting
Alone in the remote jungles of Belize, the roar of a jaguar or the grunt of a tapir can leave even the bravest of souls with a bad case of goose bumps. But in the comfort of your own living room, those same primal sounds could actually help you to unwind. If music does indeed “soothe the savage beast”, then the CD Bush Waalk, should have what it takes to relax even the most stressed out listener.
Antonio Robateau, Composer/Engineer
“It’s a nine track, two disc CD relaxation experience. Disc one is non-stop relaxation listening to the sounds with Belizean compositions and music behind it and it’s very soothing. Disc two is the more scientific sample of what these different species that Belize has sound like on their own.”
Over one and a half years in the making, the Bush Waalk project began when German student Hanna Hildenbrand was on an extended visit to Chaa Creek Resort in the Cayo District.
Hanna Hildenbrand, Co-Producer
“I took a tape recorder and microphone and I went and taped everything that sounds nice, sound like the jungle to me.”
At first Hildenbrand was only looking to put together an aural postcard of Belize. But then she paid a visit to Antonio Robateau at Ludwig Studios in Belize City…
Antonio Robateau
“She said she had over ten hours of jungle recordings of birds, of nature sounds, of waterfalls, crickets, you name it.”
Robateau along with his partner, Frank Wright, began working on music to accompany the sounds Hildenbrand had gathered. But for composers who’s work is normally limited to commercial jingles and mainstream melodies, collaborating with Mother Nature proved to be somewhat of a challenge.
Antonio Robateau
“When you write relaxation music you’re not writing, okay what lyrics will be catchy, and then write from lyrics and then do the music for the lyrics. What we did for this, we listen to the nature sounds in blocks. The water scenes, the rain scenes, the horseback riding scenes and listen to it and say to ourselves, what would imitate what we’re hearing here in nature musically?”
“It’s not a musical piece that has a typical tempo and begins and ends after such and such a certain time. But what happens is this project allowed us to use traditional sounds in a new way…where now we can use to interpret what the animal is doing. We can use a guitar to interpret what a horse is doing or a timbale to imitate a water drop.”
Jason Guerrero, Guitars
“You’re pretty much free, in terms of choosing the cord qualities, in terms of choosing the touch of the guitar to get different colours and what’s not, and that was really nice.”
For percussionist Carlos Perrote, there is a special connection between the instruments he plays and the sounds he’s trying to replicate.
Carlos Perrote, Percussion (In Spanish)
“The majority of folkloric percussion instruments are made with elements that are brought from the jungle. For example the conga: you have wood that you find in the jungle or mountains. Likewise, the skin of the conga comes from the mule or horse or cow, depending on the size of the drum. All those things come from the jungle, from a specific place in the jungle and when you try to a particular sound it is very easy to do because the construction of the instruments originates from the jungle.”
While the musicians provide the acoustic interpretation of nature, Hildenbrand has created a visual tribute to Belize’s kaleidoscope of wildlife.
Hanna Hildenbrand
“I did a lot of paintings for the CD. I did design, some graphic on the computer. I did colour paintings, and I did paintings of, I think about twenty-two different animals with sounds are on the CD.”
Bush Waalk may be visually stimulating and sonically soothing…But will something so far removed from the narrow spectrum of Mr. Peters to Punta Rebels be accepted by Belizean consumers?
Jason Guerrero, Guitar
“In terms of Belize, yes it’d definitely…I’d go so far as to say avant-garde. It’s not a typical sound that you would hear locally. It’ll be interesting to see how the local market responds.”
Hanna Hildenbrand
“The relaxation CD is for tourists to take back as a memory of Belize, of the jungle. To put it in when they are stressed out.”
But even if Bush Waalk proves to be more popular with people who return to the concrete jungles abroad, rather than those of us who live here in nature’s own back yard, Robateau believes the project is an unabashed success.
Antonio Robateau
“It is so unique in so many ways. Even down to the packaging, it’s a non-plastic packaging. It’s very eco-friendly. Even that appeals to the nature lover. It contains the most work we’ve ever put into any single project and when you listen to it, you hear it.”
Reporting for News 5, I’m Brent Toombs.
Bush Waalk was produced by Mick Flemming of the Lodge at Chaa Creek and also features Pablo Collado on flute. The C.D. will be launched Saturday night at a special ceremony at the lodge.
