The 19th century poet Artur Rimbaud already captured the imagination of pop artists such as , and Patti Smith. The latter even boldly rhymed 'go Rimbaud' on her debut album (1975). The way in which Rimbaud briefly and at a young age flared almost made him a pop star of his time. After turning his back on poetry in his early twenties, Rimbaud began traveling and lived, among other places, in the
… holy Muslim city of Harar in Ethiopia. The artistic American company Soundwalk Collective moved here and made recordings of the Sufi music from this region. In addition to Smith, they were assisted by the American composer Philip Glass and the Ethiopian composer and vibraphonist Mulata Astatke. In New York the recordings were edited into mesmerizing soundscapes full of hypnotic Sufi chants, ritual rhythms and dark electronics. Smith recites the poetry of Rimbaud, her beloved, in a soft but intense voice. A special project that does justice to the hallucinatory oeuvre of the poet. (MR)more
