Silence, sounds, spaces

Renzo Spiteri amazingly remembers every musical piece he’s ever played, but don’t ask him about dates.

I imagined what stories those mighty different-sized stones could tell if only they had a voice

I find this out when, prior to talking about his latest album release, Silence Sounds and Spaces, I ask him to recap a few of the events he’s been involved in since his tantalising 2008 performance at the Manoel Theatre, accompanied by prominent Chinese flute player Guo Yue and British pianist and accordionist Ben Murray.

“Gosh, 2008 seems a long way away. So much has happened it’s hard to recall all of it – and I’m terrible with dates,” he laughs.

Nevertheless, he does mention, in no particular order, the repeat performances of the Sketches from Home production in Viareggio and Aachen, performances in Washington as a guest of the French Embassy there, collaborations with the Rosa Ensemble in Holland and British sculptor Derek Nice here in Malta, the launching of the Terra Project at last year’s Teatru Unplugged, and among several other events, last year’s key performance with the Idan Raichel Project and the launch of the Inkontri album, the latter a novel twinning of Joe Friggieri’s inspired poetry and Spiteri’s musical creativity.

“We had already tried out this fusion of music and poetry a couple of times during private concerts before recording the Inkontri album,” Spiteri explains.

“I had read some of Joe’s poetry and felt it possessed a certain musicality. However, I wanted to record Joe reciting his own poetry before proceeding to come up with the accompanying sounds and musical pieces, which were ultimately inspired by various aspects of the poems – from the sound and rhythm of the words to the topic itself.”

Spiteri says the launch itself, enhanced by the live performance’s visual aspect, was very well-received, as was the album, which is currently part of an innovative educational plan.

“I never really liked studying poetry at school,” Spiteri recalls, “but interpreting poetry through a musical dimension gives it an edge over the textbook approach.

“We’re looking into bringing this fresh approach to our schools; to instil a new interest that goes beyond the scholastic mindset.”

Around the time Spiteri released Inkontri in October 2010, he was also involved in a concert alongside The Idan Raichel Project. Organised by Anne Catisson in aid of local NGO Pamper the World, the concert was part of the annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days Event.

Given his myriad commitments at home and abroad, one wonders how Spiteri managed to find time to work on his latest album, Silence Sounds and Spaces.

“I started working properly on it after I’d finished Inkontri, although the concept behind it had been on my mind for some time.”

In the summer of 2007, Spiteri had been commissioned by Heritage Malta to compose a soundtrack for a new multilingual audio guide that was being introduced at the Hypogeum.

“They had seen me playing at the launch of Isabelle Vella Gregory and Daniel Cilia’s book about The Human Form in Neolithic Malta and clearly liked my organic approach of playing on stones and rocks.”

If his choice of instruments intrigued them, his recording approach certainly surprised them.

“They didn’t expect me to record inside the Hypogeum itself, but working onsite was the only way I could truly experience the feel of the place.”

The constant flow of visitors, and subsequently their encouraging enquiries about the music on the audio guide inspired Spiteri to develop the concept into something bigger.

Once again, Spiteri chose to work onsite at different temples and historical sites.

“Had I not worked in that environment, the music would have sounded different. I needed to feel close to the subject that was inspiring the sound, which was also influenced by the particular acoustic properties that different places have. It’s all in keeping with the connection that exists between the silence, the sounds and the space.”

The sessions weren’t exactly the easiest of experiences.

“Being outdoors presented problems with weather conditions, and sometimes I’d have to go back home because it was too windy, which makes recording impossible.”

On a brighter note, Spiteri says he feels lucky to have been given access to places that usually have restricted access.

“It instils a certain thrill, more so at night when these sites were ‘telling’ me much more, probably because I feel more inspired and focused at night.”

As one would expect from an artist, a certain degree of imagination was involved in the process.

“Naturally – the idea for the track To You, Mighty Stones, for example, came to me when I was looking at Ħaġar Qim from a distance. I imagined what stories those mighty different-sized stones could tell if only they had a voice.”

Imagining the stones as men and women conversing, Spiteri interpreted their words through the distinct sounds of the African mbwata clay drum.

“Once I’d imagined these things were alive, the creative streak started rolling.”

Although he is best known as a drummer and percussionist, sounds seem to play a far more important role in his artistic forays.

Spiteri explains the importance of the visual elements that accompanied his recent two-night performance to launch the album.

“I was very much involved in the visual aspects of the performance because the image I had in mind for this album launch was holistic. The screen was an extension of the music; the images interlinked to the music to give it that extra dimension, and the lights established the overall mood.”

With the launch now behind him, and a busy weekend at Teatru Unplugged coming to a close tonight, what’s next on Spiteri’s to-do list?

“Making this album, as well as performing it has been a very profound experience for me. I’m thinking of maybe doing more performances, possibly abroad too as a sort of contemporary postcard of Malta’s history.” That, however, isn’t the only thing Spiteri is working on. He mentions several new ideas and works-in-progress but stops short of giving me the full information.

“I’m waiting to finalise a few things, but rest assured I’ll get back to you when it’s all in place.”

Silence Sounds and Spaces is available from Renzo Spiteri’s website or from D’Amato and Exotique outlets.

www.renzospiteri.com

bugeja.michael@gmail.com