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The excerpt below is taken from the last few paragraphs of my essay ‘A pristine quality’ that appeared in the Fynbos CD booklet. It was an attempt to capture the thoughts behind the project; to protect the pristine quality of what is left of the Western Cape landscape.
(The notes are somewhat edited from the original essay)
I have a natural instinctive to protect the vegetation of the beautiful coastal region where I live - the environment is my home, physically and spiritually. This desire to protect that which nurtures and maintains my body and soul is, in fact, simple survival strategy. We cannot live a healthy, balanced life in an unhealthy, unbalanced eco system.
When I hear the lovely music coming from the cello, the mbira or the chanting voices I am urged to share my feelings for the fynbos, which, with its pure and natural beauty, contains for me quite similar qualities. The pristine, 'original', and highly evolved quality of the plants growing wild and free on the slopes of the beautiful mountains along the cliffs, slopes and coastal plains next to the ocean seems to speak of the same things that humans speak of in the music presented here. The voices and instruments made of wood, calabash and strings of gut or wire share the same organic resonance and poetry mirrored by the abundance and nature of plant species.
The beauty of the music, blending with the video images of the multi-media aspect of the CD, and the feeling and intent of the project has perhaps already achieved its worth for those who worked on the production of the CD: by enhancing ones awareness of the spectacular world around us one learns respect for it. There is also another lesson here: one can only try doing something for the planet within ones own capability and field of reference.
The love and respect of nature has to become a priority. This is the ancient heart where all beauty springs from, where 'all that is’ sprouts forth. One does not have to have any real knowledge of Period Instruments or African culture, or know the myriad of Latin names attributed to the many fynbos families to appreciate the joy and beauty that they bring us. It is my hope that projects like this may help to raise the awareness of our society to consider its impact on natural life systems.
I have always believed that a single thought, a single person could change the world for the better. I also believe that art can be a great vehicle for this philosophy. Yet I also realise that not much will change by taking a commercial approach alone, or by preaching (usually to the converted), or by advertising. We have to work towards and hope for something to facilitate the rise of the spirit within, a sensitivity that can harmonise with and feed the sense of beauty and grace that nature provides our worldly experience with.
May this music help us to cherish this spirit.