FAIT MAISON 14

14 February 2010

For Valentin, I read love poems by Walt Whitman (1819-1892) that are explicitly addressed to men. Once I finish reading, I fold each poem's sheet in four, as if to make a greetings card, I stick on it a red ribbon rosette that I pull out from my chest and I offer the object to a member of the audience. In samuraiyonara (a collaboration with Roy Lu), I improvise on the flute while Roy puts his costume on and beats more and more frenetically on a cushion, while I get closer to him and put my flute under his throat by way of a sabre, ending the ritual in a sudden cry...

and then, a good friend in the philippines, passed on. (...) im thinking now to do a tribute to him. he was a drummer/percussionist. recognized as among the best in the country. and in the year before i moved here he had been active in our performance art group, xo?. we did several performances together and in those he not only supplied 'background' music but, more importantly, added a layer to the whole piece. (...) i was wondering if you would be willing to play on your flute pink floyd's "wish you were here" together with me for this tribute piece? i dont know if youre familiar with this rock classic. but this is what winston (my friend) requested to be played/sung at his funeral.

your idea about playing the silver flute is perfect with the idea/concept im developing now which is around the 'samurai' character of which 'seppuku' is an integral part. generally, my idea is for me to appropriate some of winston's contributions, i.e., playing drumstick on a white pillow that would eventually 'bleed'; playing on a cooking pot plus a few other 'objects' i will 'drum' on. i was thinking while i do this, you can be standing behind me, playing your flute. the association here is with the classic 'seppuku' where a samurai is standing behind the person committing seppuku ready with one blow with the long sword for the final decapitation. it does seem rather bloody, but the idea is really that of the samurai willing and ready for death with honor even if or especially if it is self-inflicted.

this piece i have thought to title: "samuraiyonara" a combination of samurai and sayonara. this 'japanese' inspired 'imagery' and text is because in the popular philippine imagination, especially in the 80s, going to japan (or nagjapan) was the goal for many musicians, even if, many of them (...) they dont actually end up in japan. and then, the samurai is your ultimate 'professional,' as winston was.

E-mail excerpts from Roy Lu, February 2010