Jurgis Did - Rolling Waves

—// lyrics //--
I hear rolling waves pounding in my head…

Sing a song for me from long ago
Braids of velvet sound that swell and flow
Who’s to say this tune is yours or mine
Whispers that transcend the test of time

I hear rolling waves pounding in my head…

Songbird sing a song that we all know
Where you learned that tune, you don’t even know
Written in the wind and on the waves
Whisper ‘tween your ears that don’t behave

web: http://jurgisdid.com/
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— // about // —
Songs are meant to be sung. We take them for granted as they blare out our speakers and ooze through our earbuds, but often forget that the original journey of a song was very different from what we know today. A song begins as intention. A whisper in our subconscious. An emotion that takes the shape of sound. It rolls off of your vocal chords, fills a space, weaves itself with other sounds, and returns through your ears. The song is repeated. It evolves. Other people catch the contagion and begin to sing it. It comes back to the origin and grows more, but by then it is no longer belongs to anyone. It belongs to everyone who has a voice and is not shy to sing it. It then takes up residency in the collective consciousness waiting to be summoned.

Before audio recordings and speakers, people were sound systems. Before woodwork and electronic engineering, our minds and bodies were our instruments. Before sheet music and mass communication, songs traveled on lips. Before radio stations and playlists marked the pace of your daily routine, the songs in our heads were the soundtrack of our lives. Evolution is neither good nor bad, but music is a sublime activity that we are not enjoying as much as we could, simply because we are partaking less in music than ever before. Songs are meant to be sung.

“Rolling waves” is an experiment in interpersonal connection and collective artistic expression. It is intended to remind us of the ritual of music. It is a spell that requires people to perform the incantation together. It is a song that invites you to sing - find a voice; a note or a phrase, and play with it for the sake of interaction. It encourages you to listen to others, become aware of the sounds that they are emitting and conscientiously tune yourself to the surroundings. It encourages you to sing with others and find a space amongst other voices. It is a reminder that it is in our nature to be intimately musical; that we can bask in a state of musicality rather than just consume it passively.

This song is also about ethnic roots, cultural heritage, and emigration. On February 16th, 2018 Lithuania celebrates 100years of statehood, an auspicious occasion to consider what culturural and patriotic affiliations mean to us. I personally believe that this sort of identity is something that belongs to the people rather than the state and its institutions. But if the people want to own it, we need to seize it, and practice it.

Lithuanians were in the past a “singing people”. We found joy, strength, and connection through our songs and dances. We’d like to explore what shape those traditions can take in a modern context. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Lithuanians living in California and hardcore connoisseurs of traditional songs to create a mix that reflects the times we live in and can travel well beyond Lithuania’s borders. Its no coincidence that it sounds a bit like the “Beach Boys” took a trip on a Lithuanian “Kaimas”.

We believe that engaging in this song can help the participants reconnect with that “something” beyond the threshold of conscious memory; “something” old and deep.

There are countless “Lithuanians” who have rolled across the globe during the numerous waves of emigration. Their offspring still have faint recollections and emotional footnotes that remind them of their heritage. This song is great way for them, and particular those on the outer fringe of the community to reconnect with their roots, with others, and with the memory of something magical from long ago.

—// credits //--
Director: Jurgis Didžiulis & Akvilė Gelažiūtė
Script and editing supervisors: Akvilė Gelažiūtė & Antonio Bechtle
Producer: Jurgis Didžiulis
Executive producer: Kostas Kanapeckas
Cinematographers: Laurynas Mataitis, Domantas Kancleris, Mantas Kristijonas Kuliešis, Karolis Labutis
Edit & post production: Karolis Labutis

Special thanks to:
Tolimi Aidai
Veronika Povilionienė
Obelija
Laurita Peleniūtė
Abraham Brody
Rūta Loop
Jennings Family
Andrius Kauklys

Видео Jurgis Did - Rolling Waves канала Jurgis DID