"I came to the realization (around 1930) that the spoken word was the distinctive expression my constitutional makeup was best fitted for, and that I needed other scales and other instruments." ~ Harry Partch
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." ~ John Cage
"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~ Berthold Auerbach
The music of Chapa is it's own best definition. If you are blessed with the talent of listening, this combination of half spoken poetry, orchestral themes, thematic development and masterful percussion will clear away the dust in some unoccupied corridor you have probably neglected. That half sung dying fall in the voice, and woodwind song, the bliss of gliss, and the smile of a cello will take you to the garden where poetry grows. You may find the housework more interesting, and feel of your bare feet a little miraculous. A new sound is a new way of thinking.
Lou Lewis has spun a bramble of thoughts together in a tumble of poetic observations guided by a voice like Harry Partch's great excursions into the eccentric world of deep thought. There are lots of grand ideas expressed in common words. The songs seek to settle big questions: "Who am I?" and "How did I get here?" The voice may stray from pretty into something just out of the key, but all the while you would do well to follow. Lou has a different key in mind that may unlock something wonderful. Partch's "Hobo Transcriptions" went there years ago, but never made it to your Top 40 radio.
The truth often disobeys the structure of expectations, but this is an honest deviation. These are art songs with a broad scope perfectly set on a bed of winds and strings. If you relax a little, you can let go of the arm of you chair and float a little in less restricted thought, where images bubble up and smiles come from joy and wonder. If you can let go of that same familiar new thing you've grown so very comfortable hearing, this music from elsewhere may leave you believing.
There are themes and counter-themes in the words and music. You may think of The Moody Blues, and the flute may occasionally remind you of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, but this journey encompasses the wonder of Western "classical" expression, with an occasional eclipse of a less familiar Balinese lunar influence. Altogether, Chapa plays for the high stakes, where the song questions itself, and the singer seeks his own identity.
At this point, I would normally write about each song. I don't see the value of that. The best definition of a poem is the poem itself. The four songs on Chapa's EP "Believing" are available to be heard on their site. There is no way to quote a little without cheapening the story. If you are ready to listen, these songs will open your stony brain like a geode, and show you that sparkle inside
THE SONGS ARE:
OLD FRIEND DEAR FRIEND THE RAIN'S WAY THIS WORLD AROUND YOU A LOOK TO THE WEST
Sulings (a bamboo flute used in Balinese gamelan ensembles)
Lou Lewis - voice, guitar, songs Emil Abramyan - cello Paul Pate - bass clarinet Deacon - drums and percussion Adam Zygmunt - oboe, English horn, suling, flute, pennywhistle art by Joey
CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO VISIT CHAPA'S MYSPACE SITE
