Innovation through Diversity: David Byrne meets Fatboy Slim meets Imelda Marcos meets Disco

Rock innovator and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Byrne has a long streak of innovating through diversity.  He has mixed and fused musical genres from rock to house to samba to salsa to opera and expressed himself through the art forms of photography, modern dance, film, the Internet, and his long standing rock band, The Talking Heads, to create truly original. moving, and fun works of musical art.

But his latest album takes diversity, fusion, and innovation to a whole new level.  The double-disc song cycle Here Lies Love, composed with British deejay/recording artist Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook), breaks all kinds of new ground, not the least of which is its core concept: a musical exploration of the rise and fall of Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. And from start to finish, Byrne maximizes diversity and inclusion to make this stunning album work.

Released last month, Here Lies Love tells Imelda’s story through the inclusion of a wide diversity of voices–dramatic and musical. Dramatically, the voice of Estrella Cumpas, the servant who raised Imelda, tells her own tale, suggesting that there are revelations to be gained from perspectives born out of class difference. Musically, in addition to partnering with Fatboy Slim, Byrne has brought on 22 (yes, 22) guest vocalists drawn from the diverse worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop, including Sharon Jones, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Tori Amos, Nellie McKay, Kate Pierson of The B-52’s, Martha Wainwright, and Cyndi Lauper. The result? Something new. An eclectic sound feast that symbolically counters the censorship of voices that a repressive political figure like Imelda demanded.

To check it out, click here.

 Print This Post   Email This Post