A highly productive month of January was spent recording this new album. As well as finishing the recording process of “Exile and Adventure,” another two and a half days of filming for the conjoining documentary “The Trackless Wild" was completed. In that spirit, I spent a day wandering around A Wandering Tip's old stomping ground of Capilla del Señor. I even sang one of his songs while waiting for the train to take me there!
The album, besides my own musings in sound, contains the musical contributions of Patricio Sullivan (charango), Facundo Flores (tiple and percussion), Manu Momobertoni (bandoneon), and Ezequiel Dutil (double bass). The only music left to record is fiddle which will be recorded by Aidan Connolly in Dublin in the next few weeks.
After five weeks in Buenos Aires I'm now back ensconced in the north of Argentina where I'm delving into the mixing process, which should take another month or so. Next step then is to concrete the plans for release, another kettle of fish altogether!
I was told by Irish-Argentine author Juan José Delaney that “A Wandering Tip” could possibly be from “A Wandering Tipo” which would translate as a wandering lad. Juan José was interviewed on our second day of filming in the iconic “Club Fahy” in Belgrano, Buenos Aires. Singing Tip's songs and delving into his stories, sometimes I feel like I'm singing out a self fulfilling prophesy, unknowingly carving my own story into “The Trackless Wild” and these 19th century songs of “Exile & Adventure.”
The amount raised for the completion of all this work hasn't moved a jot since the last update seven weeks ago, I've had no time atall to spend on that aspect of things. Something will have to give in that respect, or I'll be wandering the Trackless Wild eternally. Speaking of which, I'm half thinking of naming both album and film “The Trackless Wild.” I think it encapsulates better than “Exile and Adventure, Irish Song of the Pampa" the wild places those first immigrants found themselves in. Although most every song on the album is one of exile, that title “Exile and Adventure” I first came up with when I was hoping to get a grant for the recording. Since not a penny was raised in that sense, I'm thinking the more poetic “The Trackless Wild," as a title, tells a better story than “Exile & Adventure.”
Thanks eternally to all who have supported this worthy work, bail ó dhia ar an obair.
beir bua,
Cha