I went to hear Ramona in concert in Vienna last Friday night and just wanted
to give a little report about her. Probably many of you can recall
Manhard's enthusiastic post about her a few weeks ago.
Her music is very beautiful, unique and unusual. Listening to her for
nearly three hours was like stepping into another world. She is not
comparable to anyone I have ever heard. Her songs are very complex and
sometimes almost manic - moving between darkness and light in the emotions
conveyed within one song - but most of all there is much heart and depth in
her songs. I sense that she has felt and experienced much in her life -
that she has a strong empathy and love for people and their stories and a
great capacity to feel. She is a total musician - an excellent guitarist,
mostly self-taught, but with a little bit of Flamenco training that is
evident in her compositions - and she has a very beautiful singing voice.
Most of her songs are in alternate tunings. She talked to me for nearly an
hour after the concert and (among the many things she said to me) she said
that she found open tunings all on her own and not from listening to music
by other people. She was accompanied during the concert by a drummer, bass
guitarist and a soprano saxophonist. Her band was excellent and very in
tune with and sensitive to the changes in mood in each song. They must be
excellent musicians to be able to learn her complex songs.
My favorite song during the evening was a song called Earth Song, which
seemed to blend elements of gypsy, Hindu, Austrian folk, and African music.
She played a small acccordion and her band members sang some harmonies.
I think she is planning to do a CD within the next year. I think many
people on the list would enjoy her music.
Marian
Vienna
