Here’s a preview of this week’s song, “Sara”:
Diane says: in early May, a beloved friend brought me to the Camargue region of southern France. we arrived by train at night and then drove, working our way out of city streets until eventual release into the wetlands. a little song emerged in me as we traveled, starting with “pull the wishbone wide”, and something about a red and black spirit. i honed in on it, but it wasn’t a song that wanted to finish in one go.
the following day we visited the seaside town of Stes.-Maries-de-la-Mer and entered the church of Saint Sara. her portrait in the sanctuary thrilled me. hanging high by the ceiling, her leveling gaze and swarthy face brought to my mind the Hindu goddess, Kali (the Destroyer). i fell in love, or rather, under her love, realizing it was she who’d visited in the previous night’s song.
“Sara” developed over the next few days, coming to include the idea of Ereshkigal. i’d recently been told the story of Ereshkigal, who inhabits the underworld and is visited by her sister, Inanna, whom she kills and hangs on a meat-hook to rot. i find the story in its full telling (through to Inanna’s revival) to be a rich allegory for what happens when too much activity or outward drive results in a need to go ‘underground’. this can look like lethargy, illness or depression even as it conveys necessary healing, transformation, and return to a more intuitive state. (If you’d like to check in with these ideas, i highly recommend “The Heroine’s Journey” by Maureen Murdock.)
for the recording of the song i made use of the copper pipe instrument i just finished putting together. i’m happy with the actual recorded tracks though i may ask around for help with effects processing. what i’ve presented is my best mix for now. Ken helped with mastering.
my thanks to Christina, S & B for providing inspirational circumstances around the making of this song.
last month, a subscriber requested that lyrics be posted for each song; i’ll start including these at the end of each new song post:
To subscribe to Song-of-the-Week, please visit the subscription page.
The new song is gorgeous, and the video with Rajasthan Roots is double gorgeous – I hope you record more with them.
The song is gorgeous!
wowee…love it. go D!
Your new song has brought a welcome blast of inspiration to what had started as a dreary and lackluster Monday here in San Francisco.
“Sara” is wonderful and has really revived my spirits. The copper xylophone makes for a moving and mysterious accompaniment.
I’m also enjoying the new website – particularly the blog. I have been enjoying dandelion season as well. I recently completed my first ever batch of dandelion wine which I intend to bottle this weekend. My wife and I have been exploring the herbal arts quite a bit in the last year – tinctures, cordials, salves, wines, fermented foods – as well as gardening and beekeeping. So, its a great pleasure to be able to enjoy your music and read your recipes and tips on all things herbal.
herbals can give so much fulfillment from the simplest projects. i figured i’d share some of what i’m into as a kind of tiny beacon, either turning people on to things they’ve never tried, and/or meeting and conversing with others who are interested in natural food / medicine culture…”tinctures, cordials, salves, wines, fermented foods” are magic words to me !
I LOVE this song! It is incredible–very creative and unique. What were the instruments you used? was that you playing them?
the main instrument i played was the copper pipe xylophone-like thang, then i layered two different keyboard sounds. ‘glad you liked !
the song is really wonderful. as well i always enjoy your collaborations with Cocorosie. you are my favorite women in the universe
gorgeous when will it be sent out?
’twas sent to all subscribers yesterday morning. check your spam folder for a message from “song-of-the-week (at) dianecluck.info”.
๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑ HooOOooray! ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°๑۞๑ for the beautiful song and beautiful things you’ve done with your website. Radiant Power!!
crystalline funk… and acceptance, thanks
Sara is incredible work!
Thank you for creating the music and forming the story as you did!
It is actually a very difficult song when I put myself in the experiences being sung. Know that I really like that! Songs that are so gripping, and as a result, transformative, are their own needed type of song.
I love that it is music that includes reminders about the merging of and connections between different cultures’ stories and their understandings and responses to the depth of life. That is so needed in these times as we may be told those are ideas from “ancient cultures” or “the past”, when our hearts and minds are able to process such depth, and the ideas are able to make sense within our own lives. I will have more thanks about and more to learn from Sara and Heartloose as the year continues. : )
Also I want to say thanks for explaining about your journey. I am one of your subscribers who is part Roma! I look into it when I have time, but knew little of their life in France, and of Sara-Kali as an archetype and series of stories from their culture. To learn more about Roma culture from your project is a fully unexpected blessing.
So happy to have new music from you. You’re my favorite.
SO LOVELY!
Thank you!
+
Big Congrats on the website!
What an absolutely gorgeous song! Thanks so much, Diane.
*smile*
Posting the embed to the site soon! Lovely as always.
This song was very healing for me helping me understand some of the presences in my life. All your songs are like that for me but this one was something special keep recording!
amazing instrumentation and song
You truly are an incredible song writer. I find it very inspiring that someone is writing this kind of material in the present day. Thanks so much for all the images, ideas, feelings and mysteries you’ve presented me with in all of your music and words. I’m really curious to know if you’ve been at all influenced by the album ‘bright phoebus’ by Lal and Mike Waterson. If not, I highly recommend it to you (please don’t judge it by the first track).
hello, Rob. thanks for your words. as i often work solo, it’s interesting and helpful for me to hear when a song lands for someone. i’ve listened to Lal Waterson’s music driving across the the U.K. on tour…she is really valued there and i enjoyed hearing the story of her life..i will check out “Bright Phoebus”.
I just listened to the full track as part of the fall EP.
The story of Inanna and Ereshkigal is very meaningful to me, so I am moved to see it touched upon in your songwriting.
Thanks for this.
Leonore
FYI, the original Song-of-the-Week version (mixed and recorded by Diane, and using Diane’s homemade copper pipe instrument) is different from the one later recorded on the Fall EP (with Isabel on cello, and recorded “live”).