The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #49696   Message #751881
Posted By: simon-pierre
21-Jul-02 - 12:41 AM
Thread Name: Obit: Alan Lomax-An Era Passes (1915-2002)
Subject: RE: OBIT: Alan Lomax-An Era Passes
"The incredible thing is that when you could play this material back to people, it change everything for them. They realize that their stuff and they are as good as anybody else. Then I found out that what I was really doing - and my father was really doing - was giving an avenue to these people to express themselves and their side of the story."

I've listen to these words a zillion times. They are from an interview of 1991 and opening "The Alan Lomax Collection Sampler" that I bought when it was published five years ago. That was my first encounter with the man and the beginning of a very particular and a very deep travel trough music. I could have say "american music" but the fact is that I discovered sounds that I would never approach otherwise, like or Spanish or Carribean music - I urge everyone to get his recordings of Neville "The Growling Tiger" Marcano... I'm speechless.

I remember that when I got this recordings, the first of an ever growing series, I thought that this man had the best life it is ever possible to live, travelling over the world, recording and listening to music and meeting people.
And when I knew he was dead, it is very naturally that I came here.

SP