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Gina Ferrera and The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project
by Gina Ferrera and The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project
Gina Ferrera and The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project
by Gina Ferrera and The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project
RELEASE DATE: 2010-01-25
I originally intended this project to be a way to share the gyil music with the community. The album began as an attempt to use Reason and Pro-Tools (i.e. music/recording software) to mix beats for live loops and to rehearse secondary gyil parts. It quickly evolved into a multi-layered, electronic, global rhythm experiment with the following goals in mind: To feature the gyil in a cross-cultural presentation with other forms of world music; to present traditional gyil styles with an urban Philly influence and with electronic beats; to maintain the organic quality of the instruments; and feature specific artists from the community. The pre-production had been already laid out in my mind: I had been playing these songs live, either solo or with different featured guest artists and my goal was to maintain the ability to recreate the album for live performance. The project was also a personal outlet for liberation and creative expression.
The material was recorded in my home studio with an AKG CS1000 condenser microphone and an MBOX with one channel. I recorded from August 2007 until about February 2008. Each musician supported my love for traditional music, and my efforts as a producer, recording engineer and performer. In total 30 local artists are featured on this album. To each of them, I am most appreciative and grateful.
In February 2008, the hard-drive containing all the material that had been recorded crashed. Fortunately, thanks to credit cards and Springboard Media, almost all of the material was recovered. Some of it got scrambled and the files eventually became corrupted. By March 2008 I could no longer open the sessions. They sat in the hard drive untouched until December, when I presented all of the files to Tom Spiker (Undercarriage Studios) for mixing. Spiker brought the recording back to life. The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project is a birth and rebirth…“of what we’ve lost and what we’ve found” (In & Out).
The material was recorded in my home studio with an AKG CS1000 condenser microphone and an MBOX with one channel. I recorded from August 2007 until about February 2008. Each musician supported my love for traditional music, and my efforts as a producer, recording engineer and performer. In total 30 local artists are featured on this album. To each of them, I am most appreciative and grateful.
In February 2008, the hard-drive containing all the material that had been recorded crashed. Fortunately, thanks to credit cards and Springboard Media, almost all of the material was recovered. Some of it got scrambled and the files eventually became corrupted. By March 2008 I could no longer open the sessions. They sat in the hard drive untouched until December, when I presented all of the files to Tom Spiker (Undercarriage Studios) for mixing. Spiker brought the recording back to life. The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project is a birth and rebirth…“of what we’ve lost and what we’ve found” (In & Out).
Track Listing
- 01. In and Out
- 02. Curls
- 03. Carry Me
- 04. Whirlwind
- 05. Bewaa
- 06. Inner Evolution
- 07. Organic Spinning Sphere
- 08. Mbiragyil
- 09. Somewhere, Someway, Somehow
- 10. Birifor Night
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About the Artist
The Philadelphia Gyil Fusion Project is a tribute and reinterpretation of traditional gyil music. The gyil (dʒile or dʒil) is a pentatonic xylophone from the northwest of Ghana. It is the primary musical instrument played by the Dagara, Lobi and Birifor people. For the past nine years, I have studied traditional gyil music as well as other styles of drumming and percussion. In June of 2006, I moved to Philadelphia, to live among a community of artists that shared my passion for cultural and traditional music. I felt inspired by working with musicians from Leana Song, Oud Blues, As Human, Alokli, Alô Brasil and The West Philly Orchestra.
Gina Ferrera is one of those artists that comes along every once and awhile that combines genres so well it stuns listeners. Gina brings a lifetime of education and knowledge about traditional gyil music mixed with the current state of music (electronic resources/ popular culture know-how/ and wonderful taste in influences). Gina's voice is spectacular and to regard her as anything BUT revolutionary would be a mistake. In a time period where world music is often seen as too intelligent, or not able to ever become the music accepted by mainstream fans, Gina bridges that gap by fusing the two opposite worlds. Take note of Gina Ferrera, because when she is remembered as one of the first people to bring world music to masses you'll want to say you were there when she began
http://ginaferrera.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ginaferrera
http://www.ginaferrera.com/
Gina Ferrera is one of those artists that comes along every once and awhile that combines genres so well it stuns listeners. Gina brings a lifetime of education and knowledge about traditional gyil music mixed with the current state of music (electronic resources/ popular culture know-how/ and wonderful taste in influences). Gina's voice is spectacular and to regard her as anything BUT revolutionary would be a mistake. In a time period where world music is often seen as too intelligent, or not able to ever become the music accepted by mainstream fans, Gina bridges that gap by fusing the two opposite worlds. Take note of Gina Ferrera, because when she is remembered as one of the first people to bring world music to masses you'll want to say you were there when she began
http://ginaferrera.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ginaferrera
http://www.ginaferrera.com/