Dracaena Draco by IKB Ensemble

disc 9 | 2014

2014. Two blue-covered albums: “Rhinocerus”, recorded in May and released in June, and “Dracaena Draco”, released in November. The same project (although not exactly the same troupe of musicians) in two concert venues: the imposing National Pantheon and the discreet Saint Georges Church, or English Church, in three different occasions (“Dracaena Draco” is a double album, recorded in 2012 and 2014). Besides the musical character of these albums, they are also a milestone in my “other” life (as a sound engineer): they are the first recordings in which I was responsible for recording (shared with Carlos Santos on “Rhinocerus” and “Dracaena Draco” (2014)), mixing and mastering.
Playing in churches and sacred spaces is always a gratifying and somewhat solemn experience. The grandeur of the nave, the pure space, the propagation of sound, are things that are, in a sense, divine. To be able to share this occasion with other musicians and an audience is to transform it, in a way, into a kind of sacred ritual. And so we celebrated.
At the altar of these three moments, there were a bunch of believers: Ernesto Rodrigues on baritone violin, harp, and bowed viola, Marian Yanchyk on violin, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Miguel Mira on double bass, António Chaparreiro and Abdul Moimême on electric guitars, Yaw Tembe and Rogério Silva on trumpets, Bruno Parrinha on clarinets, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone, João Silva on the "shruti box," Tibetan bells and "feng" gong, Maria Radich on vocals, Armando Pereira on accordion, Carlos Santos and Ricardo Guerreiro on computers, José Oliveira (also on acoustic guitar), Monsieur Trinité and me on percussion, Eduardo Chagas on trombone, Paulo Raposo on radio, Christian Wolfart on cymbals, Paulo Curado on flute, Gil Gonçalves on tuba and "flugabone," and Rodrigo Pinheiro on the organ.
Amen, Yves Klein!

[published May 27, 2021]

Músico e engenheiro de som. Bateria, percussões, teclados e gravações-de-campo. | Musician and sound engineer. Drums, percussions, keyboards and field recordings.

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