Suoni Per Il Popolo is AMAZING! Ian Ferrier, Pharmakon, Moe Clark, and Sadio Sisshoko at Casa

On Sunday when I arrived at Casa del Popolo, I had no idea what to expect, and no idea what I was in for. Drawing me to the 15th soiree of Festival Suoni Per Il Popolo’s programming were Ian Ferrier, Pharmakon and a mysterious Sadio Sisshoko, who I considered to be opening the show from the soundcheck on.

Playing the kora, a 21-string harp-lute instrument native to West Africa, Sadio simply mesmerized the audience with his skill and his voice, which took over the room without breaking anybody’s eardrums - the perfect balance of passion and control. Accompanied by Brian Highbloom on guitar, Trevor Ferrier on likembe and his “brother” Djele from Mali (also playing the kora), I could see Sadio exchanging and working with his fellow musicians to create a musical atmosphere that would speak to our souls. The songs he played had a traditional sound straight out of Senegal, but lyrically inspired by everyday life, “des chansons qui viennent de moi-meme” as he put it. Entitled Truth, Peace, A Song For the Lovers and Hope, among others, and sung in his native tongue, the overall effect was very beautiful. Every once in a while, the musicians onstage with him would take turns improvising over his steady, pealing melodies on the kora. I was so hypnotized I forgot to clap a couple of times, my eyes and ears not ready to believe that what I was witnessing could be real, juxtaposed with the undeniable truth that music is about stunning you into believing in existence.

Also on the bill was freshly transplanted Calgary spoken word poet Moe Clark, whose name does not appear in the Suoni program. Moe is a sensation in her hometown, with four years of spoken word exprience under her belt, so it wasn’t long before Ian Ferrier and she crossed paths at a spoken word program held at The Banff Centre for the arts. A connection was sparked, inspiration ensued, and soon Moe would find herself picking up her things and moving to Montreal where the spoken word community has been flourishing since the mid-90s, thanks to pioneers such as Ian. I got a chance to sit down with both of them before the show.

Full of vibrant energy, 25 year-old Moe confessed it would be her first time performing with live musicians - Pharmakon provided a great backdrop for the improvised section of the show - though it was not the first time she’d turned to music as an outlet for her poetry, which she describes as “intersection without dissection.” A hardcore interdisciplinarian, Moe’s first album, Circle Of She (Story and Song) is the result of an entire winter of musical experimentation with her friend Chris Dodge, also from Calgary. Her artistic impulses have also led her to get involved with local choreographer Jenn Doan, whose work can be seen in Diverge at Tangente, during this year’s Montreal Fringe Festival. While still a little overwhelmed by the move to a new city, Moe doesn’t seem to be slowing down, though she wants to do things right: “I feel like a peanut. I’m still so small in this big huge world of Montreal. I’m always honoured to perform and to share what I’m passionate about. That’s why I do art. I’m not just speaking for myself when I do this.”

Ian, on the other hand, has lost track of the number of times he’s performed for Suoni Per Il Popolo. A gentle giant of wisdom and experience, he continues to push the boundaries of poetry, and has been jamming with Pharmakon for 3 years; with whom he says he’s never done the same things twice in a row. “Improv bands don’t rehearse. This is it! This is all you get! It’s an exploration, you never know where it’s going to go. That’s the fun part.” Drawing on Pharmakon for spontaneous inspiration allows Ian more time to breathe, to let things happen; whereas his solo work requires a more intense kind of energy, and constant focus. Both methods are dear to him for different reasons. He doesn’t shy away from new technology and embraces online networking, which has allowed him to keep building the spoken work community on an international level, with like-minded artists as far away as Australia. “The purpose of the thing is to do it as well as you can. And you need everybody for that.”

All this came together as a beautiful menagerie when Moe took the stage for a solo piece about history, delivered over layered vocal loops, which she created on the spot. Following that, Ian Ferrier and Pharmakon joined in. Tucked away in the corner behind the air vent where hardly anyone could see him (I was lucky enough to have a view) Ian spun a tale about lying on the beach with arms outstretched, eternally sinking into the sand, traveling within your spirit while Moe hummed lullabies in the background and improved melodious choruses. The style of the music and poetry seemed to be constantly in motion, going from point A to B all the way to Z by the end of their hour-long set, with Ian standing up at one point to deliver an awesome nature tale that transported us all to the Rockies. Moe’s song about Shamans also struck a particular chord with me.

I had a great time, made some new buddies and walked away feeling very connected to the world. It was an absolutely inspiring night, full of genuine energy and great people, and I look forward to catching more of the Suoni festival.

I should also mention that Andrea Thompson made a special appearance, to deliver an excerpt from her play Mating Rituals of the Female Cougar entitled “And That’s What I Mean When I Talk About God” - catch it in this year’s Fringe, it looks promising!