Monday's mp3: Rhythms of Speech

Brasil!

The 5th All Nations Cup is history, and last night's final saw a shift in the royal family. 2006 champion Russia fell to Brazil by a score of 4-1. (And Peru beat England 3-0 in the third-place match).

Congrats also to multi-ethnic team Iraq, who still have a few problems at home, to say the least, but were able best highly favored Saudi Arabia 1-0 at the Asian Cup final to come home with the champion's trophy. The Iraqis back at home do need to find a less lethal way to celebrate, however.

The Iraqi football team's victory in the Asian Cup has touched off street celebrations rarely seen in the war-torn country in recent years. Crowds of Iraqis wept and fired rifles into the air on Sunday after their team completed a fairytale run in the competition with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the final, making them first-time champions of the continental tournament. Police in Baghdad and Kut reported at least seven deaths and more than 50 people wounded by stray bullets as revellers took to the streets in a wave of euphoria after four years of war. (aljazeera.net)

Today's music does not celebrate successful soccer nations, however. Saturday I drove to Portland for an all-day meeting, and my soundtrack for the trip south was the sublime box set Le Rythme de la Parole II: Converations Musicales (The Rhythm of Speech II: Musical Conversations).

Released in 2005, this 2-CD plus DVD set is a collaboration between 12 musicians from Iran, southern India, and Mali. This track is one of the most vocal-centered, with a tri-lingual recitation of this Saadi poem Abro Bado (the Bread and the Wind) along with setar improvisation by Arjang Seyfizadeh.

Clouds, wind, moon, sun
the heavenly vault all work
So that you may
Take bread into your hands
And not eat it in ignorance

They all obey God's order and work
for you (the human being as crown of the creation)
So it is only fair that you too should
obey God's order

[mp3] Abro Bado - The Bread and the Wind
from Le Rythme de la Parole II: Converations Musicales (The Rhythm of Speech II: Musical Conversations)