And the forest remained in us
Jul 19, 12:41 PM
"The story behind the migration of the Batwa pygmies from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was quite thought-provoking, and it inspired me to research this migration further. The field recording by Colin Hunter is a living example of the indestructibility of the spirit of the forest that the Batwa pygmies carried with them when they were evicted from the forest land in 1992. Being an immigrant myself and a person who has moved a lot, I can imagine the heartbreak and difficulties migration can bring.
"The field recording I chose for my composition is a welcome song that a group performed for Colin, close to Bwindi National Park. I had two approaches to compose music with it: one was to remix the recording and create something catchy, or to create an ambient track with a strong imaginary sonic landscape around the field recording by editing it and creating many smaller samples out of it.
"I settled on the ambient approach because I felt the recording was truly special, and it must teleport a listener to Bwindi and to the difficult migration story. I also felt the ambient approach would help me highlight a sound or melody from different angles without being too shackled to a structural idea.
"I imagined the sonic landscape in my composition as if an observer/listener is walking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before the migratory chapter and there’s an ongoing celebration. They see different groups singing and dancing, welcoming them while they are surrounded by the greenery of a lush forest and the sheer force of nature unfolding in it.
"Perhaps the Batwa pygmies have learned to adapt to new surroundings and new ways of life today, but I think the forest will always remain in their being. To me, Colin’s recording beautifully captures how the performing group’s song is quintessentially connected with the forest. That’s why I have named the composition ‘‘And the Forest Remained in Us.’’
Batwa song reimagined by Atúl.
Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration.
For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration
"The field recording I chose for my composition is a welcome song that a group performed for Colin, close to Bwindi National Park. I had two approaches to compose music with it: one was to remix the recording and create something catchy, or to create an ambient track with a strong imaginary sonic landscape around the field recording by editing it and creating many smaller samples out of it.
"I settled on the ambient approach because I felt the recording was truly special, and it must teleport a listener to Bwindi and to the difficult migration story. I also felt the ambient approach would help me highlight a sound or melody from different angles without being too shackled to a structural idea.
"I imagined the sonic landscape in my composition as if an observer/listener is walking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before the migratory chapter and there’s an ongoing celebration. They see different groups singing and dancing, welcoming them while they are surrounded by the greenery of a lush forest and the sheer force of nature unfolding in it.
"Perhaps the Batwa pygmies have learned to adapt to new surroundings and new ways of life today, but I think the forest will always remain in their being. To me, Colin’s recording beautifully captures how the performing group’s song is quintessentially connected with the forest. That’s why I have named the composition ‘‘And the Forest Remained in Us.’’
Batwa song reimagined by Atúl.
Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration.
For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration