The eye of Polyphemus embraces the music of the Maghreb in Bali

Published on November 20, 2024 at 00:19.

Where did the Cyclops live? According to Thucydides: at the foot of Etna. According to others, never far from the volcano, and always in Sicily. Polyphemus was the most famous of them – he was the one to whom Odysseus settled his score. Polypheme is also the name of a strange and exciting musical project. Sicilian-inspired? No way. It brings together Wassim Hallal on the darbouka (this percussion instrument very widespread in North Africa) and the Puspawarna gamelan – by gamelan, we hear this instrumental ensemble of Indonesian origin which brings together drums, cymbals, xylophones, singing stones, strings bowed a few times. For what Polyphemus, SO? Perhaps by virtue of a shared eruptive character.

Combining the arts of darbouka and gamelan, a priori separated by several meridians, means looking for points of junction, of convergence. There are several, and mainly what we could define as a rhythmic circularity whose orbit portions are made of a constellation of syncopations. Listen The Dream of Polyphemus, published at the beginning of last October by this hybrid formation: it is a series of improvisations (sometimes long, 19 minutes for example for “L’Heureux loup”, at the start of the disc) which cavalcade with the precision of a steam engine – and his sharp breathing.

Want to read all of our articles?

For CHF 29.- per month, enjoy unlimited access to our articles, without obligation!

I subscribe

Already have an account?
Log in