Music is the only language that breaks all social, political and linguistic boundaries, and that’s why we all love it…
My journey to East Timor was with this in mind. The opportunity to perform at a full moon party on the eve of Independence Day was enough for me to grab my guitar with a smile and head over from Australia. As it turned out, performing itself was just one moment of satisfaction within a huge amount of experiences the country has to offer.
My time there was short, but within four days I found myself soaking up a mixture of opportunities that convinced me of a much larger picture than I had expected. There is an incredible raw energy that runs through the heart of East Timor and its pulse is quick to fill your veins. From its people comes a world of stories, every face etched with survival and breathing in the fresh air of independence. From its countryside rolls an endless supply of perfect escapes with untouched beaches stretched around mountains and bush land. All set to take you back in time to the beauty of basic living.
Music is well appreciated in East Timor yet rarely do its people get to experience a live event. On my arrival I was informed of a big concert that night in Dili with local bands and theatre performances. The event turned out to be a stage set up in a field surrounded by hundreds of locals all eager for some live entertainment. Stalls were set up to hand out free food as many people had traveled a long way to get there and were used to living off the land, therefore had no money to buy a meal. With some rice and a beer in my hand I watched a classic display of slapstick comedy followed by some local boys and their rock and roll angst. All the old tricks were used as though just discovered, foot on fold-back speaker, extended tongue, middle finger aimed at the crowd after every song and chorus’s such as “Wear a condom!” thrown in for good educative measure. Every antic was met by the crowd as though it was cutting edge rock phenonema, and for this country it was. I had to laugh when I was informed that the metre long dreadlocks on each band member were created with the off cuts of their mothers hair.
The next day was spent with Sean who runs the full moon parties in East Timor. Sean arrived in ET with the intention of a short stay and soon found himself calling the place home, determined to share the beauty with others by creating tourism guides and finding new ways to bring people within the country together for the experience. His parties have become a sweet release for many ex pats and locals who don’t otherwise get the opportunity to let loose on a beach to live music and dj action. We all know the importance of tuning the headspace into a smooth collection of beats and a groove for a night, and this party was set up to deliver the mood. Staged in front of the local “caz bar’, fires were lit, drinks were poured and people arrived to soak up music by the ocean’s edge. My acoustic set was followed by a group of local djembe players, filling the air with a thick layer of tribal beats and lending rhythm to the fire dancers that soon entered the circle. You couldn’t have asked for a better location, and as the djs kicked in to bring us all to morning it was obvious the night had been well devoured.
It was midday, independence day 2005 in East Timor and still without sleep I found myself sitting on the beach with a handful of the night’s remaining crew. As the knowledge of the day crept into focus I made my way into Dili to witness the thousands of people marching through the streets to celebrate their freedom. Flags raised high and eyes wide for the day’s intention, singing and chanting to release the energy already built. Pull any large group of people together and you can’t help but feel taken by the mood. So with this occasion it was impossible to stop my emotions being dragged into the crowd, swaying back and forth between hope and relief, for the future and past.
Entering East Timor is like being introduced to a child who has the strength and knowledge of an adult. Ready to grow with fresh direction knowing where it has once been. Its history stripped the country to a bare boned state of survival, bringing the local population back to its first steps and laying down the need for a new foundation. But with such a mixed palette of beautiful landscapes and amazing people stretched between its borders, there is no doubt in my mind that the independent spirit of East Timor will soon draw many new visitors to its shores.
Athron McCann
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