bEBO BALDAN

Warm music for visual images

 

 

 

texts by Victoria Ganz & Tiz Janga

photos: Diegolandi on land http://www.kaleidos.it/landi/ 

(TantraPhoto by Stefano Ghesini) 

Hailing from Venice, Bebo Baldan has already gained a place of honor for himself on the European music scene. His collaboration with the American violinist Stephen James (Ravi Shankar, Bill Laswell), and guitarist David Torn (David Sylvian, Jan Garbarek) has allowed him to explore ethnic and non-European types of music, an original Mediterranean formula influenced by jazz, traditional and warm electronic music.

Acoustic and electronic sounds merge together, subtly influenced by new age streams, and the tracks which make up his albums possess their own unity - it's almost as if they had been actually conceived to project visual images.

Recently he released "Tantra" a new Indian jungle trip-hop album, and "Maya - the Art of dreaming" his new soundscapes solo album, both featuring David Torn and Stephen James.

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

Bebo Baldan is a composer working in diverse mediums, he is fast establishing a reputation in this direction as well as being one of the most promising producers in the world music style. Along with acoustic and electronic instruments, BEBO utilises an advanced array of technology, loops and samples to create his "Trance-kit" soundscapes; they then serve the transmogrification of the primal rhythms of Africa, North and South America and India into the multi-textured vibrating sensation of his "Rhythmo-Drone" Experience.
From performing EDGAR VARESE's "IONISATION" with the New Percussion Orchestra,to performing and composing for dance, theatre, film, TV and other multimedia events and his work with top international artists (David Torn, Tolo Marton, Eddy Campbell, Duck Baker), BEBO BALDAN has an eclectic training and experience reflected in his unique style.
In 1989, he performed at Tenco Festival San Remo with Vincenzo Zitello. Since then, he has composed 7 albums in Belgium (Sub Rosa, also released BILL LASWELL, PAUL BOWLES), Italy (MA.SO. also released BRIAN ENO, WIM MERTENS, JON HASSEL, STEVEN BROWN) and U.S. In 1995, he moved to New York, where he started performing with PIETRO RUSSINO and VICTOR Mc SURELY, members of ROBERT FRIPP' s LEAGUE OF CRAFTY GUITARISTS. In 1996, still in N.Y., he released two albums with lead guitarist DAVID TORN (recorded with DAVID SYLVIAN, JAN GARBAREK, and DON CHERRY). In the same year he recorded with Ralph Towner' pupil PATRICIO MORALES and he co-produced PAKI ZENNARO's "Light from the abyss", for the famous choreographer CAROLYN CARLSON. In last years he composed and produced two new albums:
Jaya -music for meditations, and Tantra, INDIAN VIBE, JUNGLE TRIP-HOP ALBUM, GROOVING WITH HIS MYSTIC RHYTHMODRONE, the wonderful voice of NARAH, the Indian violin and sarod of STEPHEN JAMES, the esoteric guitar loops of wizard DAVID TORN

From 1994 he follows the teaching of the American shaman Wayne Tooker.

Recently he has composed the soundtrack for Wim Wenders' "Electronic Paintings" exhibition in Venice.

 

DISCOGRAPHY


VAPOR FRAMES 86/91 Divergo Records
SONIASIKRI
Sub Rosa - Belgium
VAPOR FRAMES
the compact Materiali Sonori, with Stephen James
DIVING INTO THE WORLD
Materiali Sonori, with David Torn
EARTHBEAT
Ma.So. with David Torn and Stephen James
JAYA - MUSIC FOR MEDITATIONS
Exit records
TANTRA
- "LIFE IS HERE" Tantra Indian jungle trip-hop album, featured by David Torn and Stephen James

and also...

STRANGE PASSION in "LES EDITION CONFIDENTIELLES VOL.1"
5 o 4 in
"FRAGILE - 50 ARTISTS FOR VENICE"
PIL
in "INTERZONE" featuring Jon Hassel, Steve Reich, Wim Mertens
VARIATION ON A BASIC THEME
in "SONORA 4, THE MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA", feat. Ryuichi Sajamoto

PRODUCTIONS and SOUNDTRACKS


ETHNOS feat. GILBERTO GIL, P. TRAMPETTI, SKARDY
THE SOUND OF SCOTLAND, THE FLAMES
AQUA NOSTRA IGNIS EST,
Tribute to Andrei Tarkowsky film by ANSELMO DE FILIPPIS
FINNEGAN'S WAKE
film by ANSELMO DE FILIPPIS
THE ARMENIAN ISLAND
film by ANSELMO DE FILIPPIS
IAIA
ballet for the EFFEDANZA dance company
KUMUS, APOCALISSE
multimedia performances by ALBERTO RECLA
PAROLE IN TUFFO, MATTBETH
for the VELEMIR TEATRO company

ANIMA by PAKI ZENNARO

THE MUSIC OF WINE by PAKI ZENNARO

PRIVATE MUSIC by PAKI ZENNARO

LIGHT FROM THE ABYSS by PAKI ZENNARO, for the CAROLYN CARLSON company

 

TOURS & RECORDING


Since 1985 Bebo Baldan performed in ITALY, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, ENGLAND, HUNGARY, BRAZIL, U.S.A. with an endless list of bands and styles, jazz (David Boato, Makam, Marco Castelli, Maurizio Caldura...), blues (Tolo Marton, Eddy Campbell, Duck Baker.), pop (Pitura Freska, Estasia, Tacabanda, Sabrina Salerno...), classical (Follina Abbey Orchestra...), rock (Dark Lord, Wax Heroes...), world music (Stephen James, Afritalia Kanam), avant-garde (HakkaH, Freecko...)




TANTRA - "Life is here"

TANTRA
INDIAN VIBE, JUNGLE TRIP-HOP ALBUM, GROOVING WITH THE MYSTIC RHYTHMODRONE OF BEBO BALDAN, THE WONDERFUL VOICE OF NARAH, THE ASTONISHING VIOLIN AND SAROD OF STEPHEN JAMES, THE ESOTERIC LOOPS OF GUITAR WIZARD DAVID TORN THIS INNOVATIVE ALBUM BLENDS THE MAGIC OF THE ATMOSPHERE CREATED BY THE VOICE OF THE INDIAN KARNATIC SINGER NARAH, WITH NEW PULSATIONS LIKE DRUM'N'BASS, JUNGLE AND TRIP-HOP, IN AN UNIQUE FORMULA, BOTH ETHNIC AND ENTERTAINING.

Recorded throughout N.Y., Los Angeles and Italy,

Tantra's project is the creation of: the polyhedric alchemist and composer Bebo Baldan,
the poetry-rapper from L.A. Max M-bass-ado',
the favourite pupil of Master Pandit Ravi Shankar, Stephen James, from N.Y. ,
the Indian-karnatic style singer Narah,
the keyboard player Rino Zinno, awarded in Italy with Pitura Freska for the best selling album 1995,
the guitar wizard David Torn, acclaimed for his previous collaborations with David Sylvian and Jan Garbarek,
the excellent player of traditional Mediterranean woodwinds Mimmo Maglionico.


EXIT Associated musicians

Many experiments are made in order to create a fusion between Oriental and Western music. Generally the result of these projects is that one of the shapes dominates while the other is only used like accessory. EXIT, compatibly with the philosophies of the new millennium that is left over is opening the road to a particularly form of instrumental music, that joins the elements of Indian, African, Ambient, Jazz, Electronic and European traditional music.

Renowned artists have repeatedly worked with the musicians who contribute to the EXIT albums:

Musicians Ravi Shankar, David Sylvian, Zakir Hussain, Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, Annindo Chatterjee, Ray Spiegel, Steve Gorn, Federico Sanesi, the Hungarian groups Makam and Tintin, Vincenzo Zitello, Mark Johnson, David Boato, Daphne Naphtali, Mark Abrams, Hassan Nahas, Ousmane Goye.

Choreographers Sitara Devi, Carolyn Carlson, Shalini,
Poetry projects with Robert Bly, Allan Ginsberg, and prestigious labels such as Ecm, Cmp, Sub Rosa, Materiali Sonori - Cgd / Time Warner.




JAYA - MUSIC FOR MEDITATIONS

JAYA - MUSIC FOR MEDITATIONS
The de-mixed tracks from Tantra. A new-age album of music for meditation - with Indian atmospheres created by the mystic voice of Narah and the Sarod of Stephen James, At once poetic and refined, Jaya leads you throughout new paths of the soul.




INTERZONE

INTERZONE
NewTone Records - nt 6714 2 cd
FEATURING: Jon Hassell, Steve Reich, Wim Mertens, Michael Nyman, Arturo Stalteri, Harmonia Ensemble, Durutti Column… AI CONFINI / INTERZONE is a collaboration of unissued, or rare, tracks of artists active in the New Music field in Europe, America and Italy.
Michael Nyman in a very intense 1993 composition and Wim Mertens in a rare version of a very evocative tune: "Slam". Besides other aspects of the contemporary sounds: the "Fourth World Music" of Jon Hassell, Bebo Baldan, the "Lovely Music" atmosphere of Peter Gordon, the electronic sounds of Arturo Stalteri, Alessandro Pizzin and Eddy De Fanti, The Durutti Column and their music on the edge between rock and experimentalism, till the almost classical expressions of Harmonia Ensemble




EARTHBEAT

EARTHBEAT
A tribute of sounds dedicated to the earth, a voyage across the planet (Africa, India, the globe's Four Corners) in quest of a common language. World music and fusion, this record celebrates the prolific meeting between Bebo Baldan, multi-musician and creative composer, and various artists of international standing like the esoteric guitar wizard David Torn.



For contacts:


Kaleidos Multimedia

media@kaleidos.it

bebobaldan@tin.it

 

free

music

some songs from the last Bebo's albums, clicking on the items below.

Song 1: Bhajan Bhajore (from Tantra)

Song 2
Download song: JUNGLE IN RIO (439KB)

Song 2: Jungle in Rio (from Tantra)

 

Song 1
Download song: BHAJAN BHAJORE (521KB)

 

Song 3: Pil (from Vapor Frames / Interzone-live version)

pil.mp3

Song 4: Shakti no Brasil (from Earthbeat)

shakti.mp3

Song 5: Bhajore (from Jaya)

bajore.mp3

 

Tantra' Live video:

Om namaha Shivaia

shiva.avi