Francesco Turrisi and Taquin Experiments to Perform Live Soundtrack to Archive Films

 A still from Isole by musician Francesco Turrisi and editor Mick Mahon.

Francesco Turrisi and Taquin Experiments to Perform Live Soundtrack to Archive Films

Films use footage from 1930s Ireland and Sicily.

Two films featuring footage of 1930s Ireland and Sicily will be accompanied by a live original soundtrack by Francesco Turrisi next Thursday 24 September at the Mermaid Arts Centre.

Turrisi (piano) will be joined his group The Taquin Experiments, featuring Fulvio Sigurta (trumpet), Nick Roth (saxophone), Kate Ellis (cello), Dan Bodwell (bass) and Matt Jacobson (drums).

The first film is titled La pesca del tonno a Favignana and documents the different phases of ‘Tonnara’, a very old way of fishing tuna that was widespread throughout the Mediterranean. 

The second film, Isole (meaning ‘islands’) is a new work and is the result of Turrisi – who is from Italy – noticing similarities between the two islands of Ireland and Sicily.

The composer and improviser commented: 

When I first arrived in Ireland in 2006, I came across some old black-and-white photographs from the west of Ireland. I was struck by the rough beauty of the nature and by the people and their clothes. These images reminded me of similar photos I had seen from early 20th century Sicily… so I decided to search for archive footage and to try to build an imaginary bridge between these two distant cultures. Together with editor Mick Mahon we have put these images side-by-side, in the hope of creating a film that flows naturally between these two distant worlds and that emphasises differences and also similarities between the two islands.

Isole highlight the themes of poverty, isolation and the influence of the church which connect both places. Agricultural and fishing life, and musical and dance traditions also feature.

The performance starts at 8pm and tickets are priced €16/14. For more, visit www.mermaidartscentre.ie

Published on 16 September 2015

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