What do you do when you can't sleep? You start to play
This is an advice that may have got stuck in the heads of those who braved the rainy weather on wednesday October 9th and attended gig of the group Deliou in the Stara pekarna club in Brno, Czech Republic. Deliou means "foliage" in Breton. A perfect soundtrack to the gloomy autumn day.
Jitka Malczyk, the fiddle player, has been playing with Célestine Doedens on celtic harp for a few years now and the connection between them is clear from the moment you see them. A simple eye contact or a smile is enough for these talented ladies to know what's gonna happen next. On wednesday night they took the audience on a journey to New Zealand, Brittany, Turkey, Bulgaria, Norway but also to the village of Svaty Jan pod Skalou in the Czech Republic known for its monastery.
The title of this review is taken from the experience the two musicians had in Wales. There were two hurricanes during their stay, they were living in a hut made of clay and the wind was whistling through the hut. Certainly not an environment you would sleep in. And these creative minds took their instruments and came up with one of the songs the audience in Brno had an opportunity to hear.
To watch the bow in Jitka's hands or Célestine's fingers wiggling on the strings of the harp is truly a magical experience. Exactly that kind of music you enjoy the most with your eyes closed, letting the tones guide you through the landscapes near and far. There was also a group of dancers at the gig who received an applause each time they joined in. Applause not only from the audience but also from the fiddle player who compared them to the skilled dancers of Brittany. There is a known competition in Brittany between a group of musicians and dancers to find out who would be the last man standing.
And who won this competition on that rainy evening in Brno? That's up to everyone who was there to decide.
Photo: Barka Fabiánová
