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Moments of Optimism
Dva
Tunji Beier & Linsey Pollak
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"Dva"
(pronounced D-vah) is simply the Macedonian word for "two" which expresses
the great love of playing together as a duo shared by its two members: Tunji Beier and Linsey Pollak.
Linsey and Tunji first performed together at the "Border Crossings Festival" in Germany in
1996 and have played together ever since. Although they have travelled very diverse paths and
studied different musical traditions, they find their playing extremely compatible. They create
improvisations and compositions that draw on the traditions of Macedonia and South India, their
greatest musical influences.
Linsey's collection of wind instruments is unique with 30 years experience in making &
experimenting with wind instruments. He has come up with new single reed designs, such as the
various clarinis (narrow bored clarinets) made from bamboo, wood, aluminium and glass as well as
various hybrid bagpipes based on the gaida (Macedonian bagpipe) which he studied in Macedonia and
also the conical bore Saxillo. These wind instruments are combined with Tunji’s Gangan (a small
Yoruba talking drum), Tavil (South Indian temple drum), Kanjira (South Indian tambourine with a
lizard skin), Jaw Harps and other percussion instruments that Tunji has mastered while living in
Nigeria, India and Europe.
Audiences respond enthusiastically to the intense musical relationship between these two
artists, and while their music has its roots in Eastern European, Oriental, Indian and African traditions
they have developed it along their own very personal lines. Their repertoire of original compositions is
constantly changing and although based on a solid structure their performances are not rigidly
planned and there is a great deal of improvisation that is both technically and emotionally dazzling.
“Moments of Optimism” is their 2nd live cd and the recording has captured the energy of their
live performance with no overdubbing of extra parts or instruments.
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Tunji Beier
Tunji’s success derives from the fact that he adjusted early to his father's nomadic life constantly moving between Nigeria, New Guinea, Australia and Germany - and above all
because he managed to absorb the contradictory influences of African and Indian music
seamlessly into his own make-up as a musician.
Undoubtedly it was his experience of Yoruba drumming as a small child that determined the
entire direction of his future life. Particularly, the powerful dundun drummer Ayansola from
Oshogbo made an enormous impression on him. When Tunji was about eighteen months old,
Ayansola played in his parents house at Ile-Ife and the child danced all night, dancing himself
into a trance like state.
He started his training at the age of 8. At age 10 he debuted at the Sydney Festival
with Yoruba master drummer Muraina Oyelami. At age 15 he moved to South India for 3
years intensive percussion training with T.A.S.Mani. Since then Tunji has played with some
of the finest musicians in the world. His impressive musical credentials include
performances with such greats as Billy Cobham, Zakir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu, Hossam Ramzy,
Greg Sheehan, Kayhan Kalhoor, Georgi Petrov & Ross Daly.
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Linsey Pollak
For over 20 years Linsey has made an international reputation as a performer, musician-inresidence, musical director, instrument maker/inventor, and composer. A life-altering
experience was an 8 month stay in Macedonia, where he studied the Gaida (Macedonian
bagpipes). When he returned to Australia he founded the Multicultural Music Center of WA
and later created many multi-cultural music ensembles including the National Cross Cultural
Ensemble "Slivanje".
Linsey has performed all around Australia and internationally, and has recorded 21
albums. He is also well known for his solo music theatre shows such as "The Art of Food",
"Knocking on Kevin’s Door" and "Playpen" which have toured to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong,
North America, Brazil and many festivals in Europe. He has also worked as a musical
instrument maker for 30 years and has designed a number of new wind instruments and
specializes in crafting woodwind instruments of Eastern Europe.
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Tunji plays:
Kanjira
This small lizard skin frame drum is about six inches in diameter and has an amazingly bassy sound, it is played with one hand holding the
drum and controlling the glides and pitch changes while the other is used to play it using the south Indian finger technique.
Tavil
The tavil is a large barrel shaped drum played with fingers (the fingers have thimble like caps on them to create a clean sharp sound) on
one side and a stick on the other. It has a buffalo skin on the treble side and a goat skin on the bass side. This powerful temple drum is used
traditionally for weddings, ceremony’s and street festivals.
Gangan
Gangan is the smallest version of the Yoruba talking drums. It’s body has an hour glass shape and strings weaving from head to head which
when squeezed tighten the heads therefore changing the pitch of the drum. The Gangan sits under the arm that squeezes the strings while
the hand is used simultaneously to play the skin, the other hand holds a curved stick in which the skin is hit.
Zarb
The Persian drum Zarb is incredibly subtle while having amazing clarity and a full bass sound making it an extremely complete sound that is
warm, soft and crisp.The Zarb is basically shaped like a goblet with the skin, usually camel being on the large side, it is play lying horizontally
across the lap while sitting down.
Morsing
Or otherwise known as Jaw Harp is a small metal instrument that is held against the teeth and plucked creating a tone which can be
modified by changing the cavity of your mouth, the tongue as well as the plucking is used to create rhythm.
Bells
You can hear a range of cow and goat bells that have been found through Tunji's travels to Portugal. These bells come from a very small
village where the maker hand makes the bells for farmers.
Linsey plays:
Clarini
Linsey plays various narrow bore clarinets or clarinis - hybrid instruments which he has designed and built from bamboo, aluminium and
wood. They use a sopranino sax mouthpiece and in one case an alto sax mouthpiece and are built in various tunings.
"Rosella" & "Crow"
These are 2 different bass clarinis invented by Linsey. "Rosella" is made in glass by Arnie Fuchs and Crow is carved and routed from Crows
Ash. Both instruments although looking quite small have a rich deep sound due to the fact that although looking quite short the bore loops
back and forth and the bore length is actually very long.
Clarinet
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“Moments of Optimism”
was recorded live at Kin Kin Hall in October 2002 and is the 2nd album from “Dva”
1. Crow. (Pollak & Beier)
This opening piece features "Crow" (wooden bass clarini) and the gangan. It is a conversation between these two
instruments and fades with a talking drum solo where Tunji creates a recorded loop live, overdubbing layers of gangan.
2. Moments of Optimism (Pollak)
This is a piece for "Rosella" and kanjira in 18/8 written by Linsey in Tunji's parents' back garden in response to a piece by
Ross Daly while touring with Ross in Australia last year.
3. Brzitsa (Pollak)
A piece written for clarinet in a typically Macedonian style in 7/8. It opens with Tavil.
4. The Key (Pollak)
This piece in 13/8 is played on an aluminium clarini made in the “Kurdi” tuning and opens with a solo on the zarb.
5. Bistrishko Horo (trad - arr)
This is a traditional Bulgarian gaida (bagpipe) tune in 11/8 played on clarinet and kanjira and leads into Mesechina
(Pollak) by way of a kanjira loop that Tunji records while playing live (then changing onto zarb). The melody was
inspired by pieces from the hymnology of the Bektashi dervish order. It is a slow melancholic piece for a wooden
clarini.
6. Krsmet (trad - arr)
This suite of pieces opens with morsing and an arrangement of the Macedonian folk song “Shto krsmet Stamena Imala”
played on "Rosella". It moves on to Another Moment (Pollak & Beier) which is almost a reprise of Moments of Optimism
(but in 11/8) and ends with a dynamic kanjira solo leading into Cocoon (Pollak) which is a piece for a clarini made in
Sabah tuning moving between various time signatures (11/8, 10/8 and 7/8) and accompanied by kanjira.
7. Lanterns (Pollak & Beier)
Lanterns was first played as an accompaniment to a huge parade of lanterns that was part of the Fire Event at the
Woodford Folk Festival. It is played by a bamboo clarini that uses the gaida (Macedonian bagpipe) fingering system
and tuning. It opens with the gangan.
traycard
“Moments of Optimism”
Dva -
Tunji Beier & Linsey Pollak
1. Crow.............................................................................4.28
2. Moments of Optimism............................................5.20
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Brzitsa...........................................................................5.42
The Key........................................................................4.16
Bistrishko Horo / Mesechina..............................11.49
Krsmet / Another Moment / Cocoon..............17.43
Lanterns......................................................................5.14
Total Time..................................54.53
Recorded in concert - October ‘02 at Kin Kin Hall by Stuart Koch
Photos: Sonja de Sterke? Tunji Beier & Linsey Pollak
Tunji plays: South Indian Tavil, Gangan (Yoruba talking drum),
Kanjira (Indian frame drum), Morsing (jawharp), Zarb and bells.
Linsey plays: Clarinis (narrow bore clarinets),
Bass clarinis - “Rosella” and “Crow” , and Clarinet .
Contact: Linsey Pollak, Kin Kin Rd, Kin Kin, Qld, 4571, Australia.
linsey@spiderweb.com.au or tunji@gmx.de
www.tunji.org/dva.html