I Just Read About That…

GlobalFEST is an annual event, held in New York City, in which bands from all over the world have an opportunity to showcase their music to an American audience.  I’ve never been, and it sounds a little exhausting, but it also sounds really fun.

The Tiny Desk is teaming up with globalFEST this year for a thrilling virtual music festival: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST. The online fest includes four nights of concerts featuring 16 bands from all over the world. 

Given the pandemic’s challenges and the hardening of international borders, NPR Music and globalFEST is moving from the nightclub to your screen of choice and sharing this festival with the world. Each night, we’ll present four artists in intimate settings (often behind desks donning globes), and it’s all hosted by African superstar Angélique Kidjo, who performed at the inaugural edition of globalFEST in 2004.

The third artist of the fourth and final night is fifteen year old banjo player Nora Brown.  Nora was born and bred in Brooklyn, but she has a huge affinity for Appalachian banjo music.

30 feet below the surface in Brooklyn, 10th grader Nora Brown brings incredible, surprising depth to the Appalachian music she plays. Over the course of her Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST concert, surrounded by innumerable globes and instruments, she infuses new life and energy into the traditional songs of Addie Graham, Virgil Anderson and Fred Cockerham. Nora weaves together songs and storytelling, speaking of the great history of the music that came before her and at which she excels.

Nor plays three songs. “The Very Day I’m Gone” is an Addie Graham song.  Graham was a singer from eastern Kentucky.  It is a slow piece that is primarily a bass riff with some high notes and very soft singing.

Her dad made the banjo she is playing.  As the song ends you can hear the shuttle train that runs back and forth about every seven minutes.

Nora has her school stuff on her tiny desk, since she’s been doing remote school learning.  And she’s a high school student which means she ends her sentences with, “So yeah”

“Miner’s Dream” is a Virgil Anderson tune.  He is from the Kentucky/Tennessee border and brought a bluesy touch to his banjo playing.  This one is a faster instrumental played on a snake head Gibson banjo, the bowl of which is over 100 years old.

“Little Satchel” is by Fred Cockerham.  The banjo she is playing is from John Cohen’s of the New Lost City Ramblers.   Roscoe Halcomb would use it when touring with John.  John recently passed away and the banjo is on its way to the Library of Congress.   The song has fast playing with a cool lyrical melody.  It’s my favorite of the three.

[READ: February 10, 2021] 5 Worlds Book 4

I had actually forgotten about this series, and was quite happy to see this book at the library.  This is book 4 of 5 (5 due out in May).

The book does a nice job of bringing us back up to speed in the first few pages–reintroducing everyone and reminding us what is going on.

Of all the books, this one was the most straightforward.  There’s not a lot of travels and we understand most of what’s going on by now.

Oona, Jax, An Tzu and Ram Sam Sam land on planet Ambrine in the town of Salassanra (where Ram Sam Sam is from).  They receive a mixed welcome.  Since they have lit 3 beacons things have not been great on all the worlds.  (The task is not completed, and the process is a little rocky).  Oona is met with some hostility although the planet people love her (she brought water to them after all).

But this task (to light the fourth (amber) beacon) seems pretty easy. The beacon is in a pyramid.  It’s right in front of them and they meet little resistance.  As Oona begins to dance she realizes this beacon is encrusted in indestructible amber.  She can’t break it, but old runes pop up and most likely lead to a clue.

But as they try to figure them out, Urmuth, who they thought was gone, is back and he is angry.

One of my favorite things about these books is the horrible character of TV personality Peet Bowl.  In our world Rush Limbaugh has just died (and the world got a little nicer) and I feel like this Peet guy is a perfect tribute to this awful man and everyone else on Fox News.

He says things like:
“The Five World Beacons, ancient myth …or modern hoax?”
“Should we be scared …or terrified?”
“Since the third beacon was lit our five worlds started drifting apart.. .is that a bad thing or something even worse?”

One hopes young readers can see how adults fall for people like that (and a recent ex President) as the people watching the broadcast say things like “That Pete Bowl sure tells it like it is.”

Then we see Stan Moon (the evil Mimic) explain to Urmuth the importance of confusing the people.  He tells Urmuth

-for your next appearance tell them [Oona] did not light any of the beacons, those were accidents … and the day after that tell them she really did [light them] and how dare she?
-Btu which is it?
-Exactly. Once people can’t tell what is true, or don’t believe anything is true anymore….they’re yours to do with as you please.
-The won’t believe me if I say…
-It’s not about them believing wat you say, it’s about making sure they can’t believe anything at all.

Could anything better sum up the previous administrations’ disrespect for people?

Back to the good guys.  They learn that the runes say that in order to light the beacon ten thousand voices must sign the amber anthem.  But no one knows how the amber anthem goes anymore.  And how on earth will they get ten thousand people to sing it?

Meanwhile An Tzu has been having some crazy dreams.  And soon enough he realizes that the dreams are actually memories–that he can remember his life before this life–and that he has a mission to try to light the beacons.  He has ten years to do it or he will revert back to energy (that’s why he’s disappearing).

They follow leads some good (the singing weavers are helpful) and some bad.  An Tzu gets caught on at least two occasions because he’s too stubborn to stay at home.

Their only hope is to find the famous singer Cascadelle–she knows all about old folk song and might know the amber anthem.  Plus she is so popular she might get everyone to sing along with her.

There’s a very satisfying moment when Peet get some comeuppance at the hands of a previously maligned giant golem-like creature (the Kyojin) who seem to come to life as people sing the anthem.  Ram Sam Sam has a very important role to play in this process, too.

As they finish their task and prepare to move on to the final world, An Tzu learns that there can be no trace of the Mimic on any of them when the fifth beacon is lit–it’s corruption would spread to everyone.

The illustration style continues to be excellent and very trippy–soft and delicate with fine lines and gentle coloring. It looks very anime and yet it’s not.   I really like the character design as well.  I found it very refreshing that none of the characters look like superheroes (well except for Jax the athlete).  Oona is a short girl who has wide hips and thighs and An Tzu is a chubby boy.  Even the other creatures are all interesting and uniquely designed.

I can’t wait to see how they resolve this and what happens when the five beacons are lit.