0 HIGH A'l'I,AS - CANADIAN CULTURAL PACKAGE - AFRICA , 1973

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In May, 1973, a eroup of Canadian musicians, artists, film makers �lus a
small crew will be travellins to North Africa to participate in two unique
cultural events and to do :preliminary research into the ancient sources of the
art and music they uncover.
In a land where the archaic inhabitants were Phoenicians, Berbers, Romans , to
mention only a few, lies the date palmed oasis of MARRAKmH, the snow capped pe�ts
of the High Atlas in the distance. Every year during May is held the NJITIONAL
FOLKLORE FESTIVAL, amid the ruins of an ancient palace. Thousands of :rieople,
Berbers from
the hills, tribesmen from the Sahara,
Blacks from south of the desert
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A
and white robed Sudanese all make the journey to Marrakech to take part in this
musical and cultural melting pot. Colourful groups of dancers, musicians, acro­
bats and story tellers gather to celebrate cultural rights which are ancient and
as timeless as the shifting of the dunes.
What was the common source of the various musical heritages we find in the
world which remind us so insistently of each other? The similarities in the
widely dispersed peoples of the world, their beliefs, their arts, their languar:es,
and mythologies all lead us to surmise that there was a common cradle somewhere
in the remote past. And in the obscure reaches of the Atlas the people still tell
tales of that time, they celebrate the rights of Pan, and relate how their ances­
tors came to the: ftesperidian shores after the sinking of Atlantis. Where better
than Morocco to investigate the culmination of centuries of culture stemmine from
sources beyond the memory of most men?
The HEW ATLANTIS ll>USEBAND, a Canadian - based improvisatory group whose ethnic
influences have drawn them also to the Folklore Festival, will be there to pro­
mote musical exchanges with these ancient cultures. With their modern equipr,1ent
and ideas they plan to set up musical encounters with groups of African musicians
and to record the resulting juxtaposition. The tapes collected at the festival
will later be released for distribution as a record package. And in addition there
will be produced a 16mm. colour documentary-feature of the entire experience .

. RICHARD ANST1','Y, of the NEW A.TL.NTIS HOU�BJJID

.. 2 The film part of the package ia being handled by director BYRON BLACK, whose
recent features, the MASTER CD' IMAG&S and THE HOLY ASSASSIN, hav� established
him as one of the sienifieant contemporary film-makers. He will be involved in col­
lecting visual infomation during the Festival and of the New Atlantis Houseband's
appearances there. His teclmique is hi,;;hly orr;anic and relates image gatherinz to
the daily lif"e flow.· The film would be marketed as one component in the packaGe,
with emphasie on its original soundtrack. Thus promotion and advertising for the re­
cord would also benefit the film, and vice versa.
Also to be documented on film will be the installation of an exhibition entitled
CANADIAN� COAST HERMm'ICS, now being assempled in Vancouver. Scheduled for two
months at the MUSEE DYNAMIQUE in DAKAR, Senegal this six-man exhibition of metaphysical
art will also be touring prestige galleries and museums in Europe during 1973. We
hope to capture on film tfte reactions to the e�ibition and to stress the unique aspect
of sending work of this nature to a culture so different from our own.

The personnel involved with the Africa package are:

Gregg Simpson, Richard Anstey, Byron Black, Alan Sharpe, The Fine Arts
Gallery of the University of British coiurnbia, Jack Wise, Giles Foisy,
de.vid uu, Gary Lee Nova, Edwin Varney, and Infinity Studios.

For further information on the project includine tapes, slides, �ress releases,
bio�aphies, and catalogues, please write to the following:
Gre1:;g Simpson,
c/o 425 Eastcot Rd. (home)
West Vancouver, B.C.
or
25Ctf E. 1st Ave., (studio)
North Vancouver, B.C.
CANADA

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