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Verity Sharp presents the fruits of our latest session between Filipinx percussionist Susie Ibarra and Polish organist Adrian Zalten. Driven by their shared interest in the power of resonance across various locations, the two musicians came together to record their first ever session inside the Neo-Baroque church of St. Jakobus in Mannheim, Germany.

Ibarra’s lines of musical enquiry concern themselves with cultural and environmental preservation. Her recent book Rhythm in Nature: An Ecology of Rhythm revolves around acoustic ecology focused on climate and eco-friendly and sustainable global music practices. She is also a champion of the indigenous and traditional music cultures of the North and South Philippine islands. Zalten started playing the electric organ as a child, following his family’s migration from Poland to Germany. A move to the USA allowed him to deepen his musical training in gospel and jazz, which are now embedded in his practice as a pianist and organist.

Elsewhere in the show: Rbia Harsha Cinta’s dark hymns for endangered seaweed species; Norwegian spiritual free jazz that speaks out against war courtesy of Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie band; and a soulful ballad about a tree by New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla.

Produced by Silvia Malnati
A Reduced Listening production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3