Fatale Abstraction

If you're like me, you adored Lisa Gerrard's soundtracks for The Insider, Gladiator and other films. She's an Aussie who grew up in a Turkish/Irish community which heavily influenced her compositions and her style of singing. Many of her songs feature made-up words, because she speaks of the "prisons of language," and the idea she advances there is the way our communications separate rather than unite us. Her music is innovative and strikes some impeccable balance between the modern and ancient. The stringed instrument she plays with the long hammers is a Chinese dulcimer.

Lisa's very able partner as writer/performer is Brendan Perry, and their group was called Dead Can Dance. I fell in love with the grandiose orchestration and sweeping lyricism of their music in the mid-80s, and I was utterly besotted with Perry's rich baritone voice. He remains one of my favorite voices ever, and I wish they would record some more music together.

The video below was recorded during their 1996 tour. A few weeks after this recording was made in San Francisco, I saw them at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, and this endures as one of the finest musical performances I've been privileged to see. This song, Rakim, is a particular favorite of mine. I hope you like it.

And yes, that bouncy guy playing the drums bounced through the entire show. This performance is available on a DVD called Toward The Within. SO worth it.

Favored son
Turn in the garden
Shades of one
Sins forgotten
Favored signs
to find hope
In the rounds of life
Favored rhymes to find hope
In the sands of life
Favored son
Fence in your heart
Savored son
Sins forgotten