Emily Burridge

Coincidental Meetings

Hi there cyber buddies! Well what's going on ~~~~ it is a blooming summer in England and net working abounds. I responded to a CD baby "meet up" in Notting Hill ~ a meet up! what is this? pioneered by the pioneering Derek Sivers the open mind behind CD Baby. A load of musicians coming together - I walked in and bumped straight into a wonderful singer/song writer who I haven't seen in years ~ Andrea Black ~ I played 'cello on a few tracks on her album "Jumping off the Wall" .....well we have since got together at my studio she played guitar and sang in a Latin Jazz style and I played 'cello with effects. Bliss.........with Latin jazz I play, close my eyes and I am transported to my Latin love Brazil - where a warm breeze blows and I recall similar vibes in another environment with the 12 string guitarist Manasses.....so Andrea and I are going to develop some music and very soon there will be some forthcoming gigs posted for London Town ~~~~~~ Thank you Derek Sivers ~~~~~~~~~~~

On the Road in Brazil continued

From the Mato Grosso I travelled for 27 hours destination : the North East coast of Brazil. 4 degrees off the equator - the main city for me in this part of Brazil is Fortaleza.

This area of Brazil was the source of my second CD production "Footsteps in the Sand" . You can visit my web site : www.emilyburridge.com/footsteps   to learn more abot the development of this album´s production. It was an exciting time travelling off the beaten track in this region and it is great to return.

Staying at a friends beach house which is based in a small fishing village. This is  a belated posting as the internet hasn´t arrived there! Having a bit of a rest after working down in the Mato Grosso.

I was playing my electric ´cello one night , wondering how I was going to find an amp when I heard an electric guitar in the distance. So I followed the sound which led me to a little white church beside the sea. Inside there was a childrens band rehearsing. Guitar, drums and two singers. I went home and returned with my electric cello. The likes of which they had never seen. We commenced playing together and I was a new member in the band. The drummer Henrique Rodrigues was just brillant and - eleven years old. We rehearsed every day and each day more children appeared at the door keen to help carry the ´cello case down to the church. These children had a big repetoire, twenty songs to learn and then we were invited to play at the church services.

Back to the city and in touch with musicians who played on "Footsteps in the Sand". Manasses  is a renowned guitarist and producer and is busy on productions and it is really good to be working with him again.

Recording at Studio Ararena : www.ararena.com.br

All the best X

On the Road in Brazil

On the Road in Brazil. December 2005

At the beginning of November I decided that it was timely to go and visit the Xavante. In the process of finishing mixes of my forthcoming release "Bridge between Worlds" which features recordings of the Xavante singing. I made these recordings during the period I was setting up the Xavante small clinic.

December - I arrived in the Mato Grosso. It´s seven years since I was last here.

On the bus to the Xavante reservation. What a shock. Soya is being cultivated as far as the eye can see. Soya silos as big as cathedrals. Well at least with the cattle ranches you have trees, plants insects and birds. With Soya - all has gone. Tractors spraying chemicals. It is one more absurdity in the current environment crisis in the world. Think twice when you consume soya products.

So to aid the Xavante indians on their reservation isn´t just a question of aiding people. It is also a reserve for nature. The fauna and flora indigenous to this region.

It´s a big emotion to meet up again with the Chief and his family. Into an old banger of a car and off we go into the middle of the reservation where the health centre is situated. It is always a big adventure to enter into their world.

The health centre is standing! Sadly not really functioning at the moment as the nurse who was working there recently died. The village has received very little support towards the centre since .

I stay with the Xavante in one of their houses made of a type of palm.  I have brought with me solar torches and various things which can help improve daily living.

Through  support from the "Indigenous People´s Cultural Support Trust" I decide to buy a generator for the village. It will help for the time being. They are delighted.

I also decided that the way for me to help this community again will be through my musical production which features their singing.

I pray for a success with the new production "Bridge between Worlds".

In the new year I´ll be tracking down a compatible company. For the time being you can listen to extracts of some of the music on my site: www.emilyburridge.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006