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All too often it's the differences between cultures and ethnic
groups that are emphasized, not the common threads that weave
humanity together. Leave it to renowned Creole
scholar/musician/poet and playwright Dr. Sybil Kein to tap the
very essence of the human existence with her latest heady
treatise that explores the themes of longing and fantasy as
stirred by the global phenomena of carnival. As the good
doctor rightfully contends "we are more alike than
dislike." Such sentiments are what also bind this
well-thought out collection of instrumentals and songs that
span several centuries, cultures and countries into a
homogenous entity.
The themes of longing and fantasy are not only universal
but timeless, which is underlined by the eloquent compositions
of 19th-century Creole composers Basil Barès, Victor Eugène
McCarty, Edmond Dédé, Edouard Déjan and Eugène Prèvost.
With the exception of Dédé, whose "Mon Pauvre
Coeur" was previously recorded by an Arkansas orchestra,
the aforementioned compositions finally make their overdue
recorded debut here. A few of Barès' pieces, "Les Folies
du Carnaval" and "Galop du Carnaval" sport
playful, prancing chords performed by pianists Ray Goeller and
Cindy Mayes, respectively. Other compositions, "La Belle
Creole Quadrille Figure #5" and "Quadrille Figure
#3," are royally rendered in a flute, piano and clarinet
ensemble with the flute's occasional shrill notes creating
brief tension. Yet, it's Déjan's "Un Rêve" that
should adorn the crown of this cache. It rolls merrily along
until encountering fleeting moments of emotional vertigo and
sensory lapse, then resumes onward with gayous dancing.
But in many ways, this 23-track opus resembles a
juxtaposition of diverse scenes found during the
"farewell to flesh" season. Obviously Brahms must
have felt these sensations too as several of his craftings
("Wie Melodien," "Die Mainacht") are also
interpreted here by stunning opera soprano LaVergne Monette
and accompanying pianist Goeller.
Seemingly no stone is left unturned though the modern day
pieces are more obvious. The pent-up feelings of longing and
fantasy couldn't be more gripping than with Susan Marie
Provost's despairing "Bésame Mucho" and Mignonne's
ultra-passionate performance of the Edith Piaf staple, Jacques
Brel's "Ne Me Quitté Pas." Similarly, "Autumn
Leaves" finds Mignonne at her alluring finest, cooing
each line with sensuous, breathy vocals while Charles Moore
and Amasa Miller deliver gorgeous support on guitar and
piano.. There's even a dreamy reading of the eternal classic
"Over the Rainbow," sung by Kein, that fits
perfectly between Barès' and Luiz Bonfa's Brazilian
hip-swaying "Manha De Carnaval." Finally, it's
curtains with "After the Ball" as Kein reminds us
that aches and longings sometimes never go away.
Dan Wiliging
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Donaldsonville, LA 70346 