"Let those who have ears hear ..."
by Nora Guthrie
It was a chilly night in Memphis, Tennessee. I had gone to one of the
local clubs to hear the many bands that were showcasing that night as part
of the opening of the annual Folk Alliance conference, a major folk music
gathering. The bands played, all good, but it was late and I was getting
tired. So was a lot of the audience, which was beginning to thin. Only a few
diehards remained to get their fill of the exotic spectrum of musical
talents being displayed.
Wearily, I sat down at a table with a beer with some friends, hoping to
last through the evening. Then Anti von Klewitz and the members of Csókolom
came on stage.... I could tell she was exhausted having just flown in from
Germany a few hours before. She fussed with her shirt sleeves, fussed with
her hat, fussed with her violin, and fussed with a microphone. She reminded
me of a puppet, carefully attaching the right strings to all the right limbs. Then, with surprising focus, she dug her feet into the ground, rooted herself in just the right place, and began to play. And sing.
I remember the feeling that I was suddenly in another world. Everything
happening around me seemed to disappear. The music I was hearing stunned
me and deep feelings came whelming up. I didn't know what hit me.
Involuntarily, I began to cry.
I looked around to see if anyone else was hearing what I was hearing.
Some people were talking, others drinking, and some listening. With tears in
my eyes, I had to laugh. The old adage, "let those who have ears hear" came
to mind and I returned my attention to Csókolom and rested, entranced, in my
own experience. Enchanted by a woman whose music gave voice to something so
eternal and ancient, I listened as the young and the old, the new and the
forever, collided and merged. The alchemy of musical genius.
After the set, I sat wondering if perhaps this extraordinary and rare
experience had been given to me alone. Then I saw Chris Strachwitz,
reputable founder of Arhoolie Records, running up the aisle towards us.
Like a child on fire, he ranted on and on, seemingly unable to organize his
feelings into sentences. Finally he was able to say, "I've got to record
them!" Let those who have ears hear.... let those who have record companies
record!
He immediately arranged to record Csókolom two days later at Sun Studio
in Memphis, the same studio where Elvis Presley and other legends made their
first recordings. It couldn't have been a more appropriate studio. I went
along to the session and listened as Chris captured the magic of these
musicians in this small and somewhat dingy, yet historic, studio. Our hearts
soared as we danced and drank wine through the night, as we celebrated the
shared joy of "discovering" Csókolom. I thank Anti, Sander and Gregor for
taking the long flight to Memphis, going straight to the club without a break,
and performing with such skill and soul, so that I could have the joy of
hearing their brilliance.
Nora Guthrie runs the Woody Guthrie Foundation.
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