JourneyOnline
CD
RRP $25
This second offering from Scattered People once again shows that community music making can be a wonderful experience for the participants as well as the audience.
A project of Lifeline’s community development unit, Normal Days brings together refugees to share their stories of struggle and triumph through music.
Producer and arranger Simon Monsour of Sweet Freedom Inc has incorporated the influence of African percussion, South American wind instruments, and a choir of refugees from all over the world.
Songs like Precious Water reminds us that some problems are universal, while the stripped back All We Hope For longs for the simple things in life that so many of us take for granted.
“Clothes on our back, food on the table, children in school, willing and able, it’s all we hope for.”
Light a Candle tells the story of starting a new life in a new country, using numerous different languages to emphasise Australia’s global community.
With tight production and a mixture of acoustic and programmed instruments each track stands apart.
The Scattered People choir adds a warmth, honesty and overall cohesiveness to what is an excellent example of collaborative community music making at its best.
Normal Days is available from www.sweetfreedom.org.
Reviewed by Mardi Lumsden, a musician and associate editor of Journey
