The Coming Rain (video)

Click here to see the video for THE COMING RAIN

Manzanilla coconut trees

On Saturday I was heading to Tunapuna (less than 5 mins away from home) to shoot some sneakers I had seen dangling from telephone wires (for the music video I'm doing for Malik: Street Life - soon to be featured). Once that was accomplished, I kept driving east and ended up in Manzanilla ... about 2 hours later. That spontaneous trip resulted in this video for the Coming Rain (track #15 on my Manzanilla CD). When it started to rain, it was as if that piece of music was actually the soundtrack for my day. Ironic, as rain in Manzanilla was the very thing that had inspired the piece of music in the first place.
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- Happy Hippy -

News Headlines

manzanilla sun

'TWIN TAPES' TAPERS OFF
The one-week on-line phase of the Twin Tapes project has come to an end, but offline I will continue to work towards creating the eventual "piece", as requested by Liam. Thanks to all who responded to the initial interactive segment and those who took part in the seven random interviews.

STREET LIFE
I am currently finishing up the music video I have been working on for the song "Street Life" by hip-hop artiste, Malik. Interviews, etc. with Malik will soon be featured here prior to viewing of the finished product.

WEATHER(WO)MAN PREDICTS 'COMING RAIN'
Stay tuned for the video, coming soon ... tomorrow, to be exact.

- Happy Hippy -

The True Twin Story

The following is an excerpt from the true twin story,

written by Liam (the surviving twin)

and sent to me by e-mail

for the purpose of sharing his story with you all

in his own words.

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Then that day came: May 18th, 1989. It was the worst day my mother ever had. At my birth the "intelligent" doctors at the hospital did not know jack crap of what just came out of my mother. So as would every baby born with a problem, I was rushed to the General Hospital of Port-of-Spain. Again none of the doctors there knew what was going on, until this one doctor came and said that I was a siamese/conjoined twin. The only different part of my story is that my twin was never formed ...

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CLICK HERE TO READ THE TRUE TWIN STORY

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When you click you will get a document outlining how this whole project started and proceeded to this current point. This chronological account leads to the true story. Stored as a Word document, so you can print and read at your leisure.
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Tomorrow: What next?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #7

Today's transcription is the final one in this phase of what was originally called "The Rainbow Project". Tomorrow the true twin story and the process that has brought us to this point will be revealed.

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Location: Long Circular Mall, Trinidad
Respondent: Young Adult Female

YOUNGISH ADULT FEMALE: I can see how that ... I can agree with it. I think we all have these lost twins and that's when we think we're looking around for people to 'complete' you. It's really you're looking for your lost twin, you know? At one point I used to see doppelgangers all over the place. But not my doppelgangers, it's just other people's doppelgangers ... so that I always used to think, well ... I do believe that people have 'twins'. If not twins, then other selves parading all over the place.
HAPPY HIPPY: If you had to give that statement a colour of the rainbow (lists them) ... what colour would it be?
YAF: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Violet. Violet is a colour, right?
HH: Mmhm.
YAF: Yeah.
HH: Any reason why?
YAF: It just seems to be more of a 'beyond' colour, y'know? All of the other colours have definite associations. But to me violet is always a kind of elusive colour. And then when you think about some lights ... you know, when people talk about auras and all of that, I always imagine violet or one of those sort of hot tones, if that makes any sense.

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #6

The little girl from Transcription #4 takes it upon herself to interview me on that same Saturday about 2 weeks ago.
(Transcribed from dictaphone).

LITTLE GIRL: What does this message mean to you?
HAPPY HIPPY: My twin that was lost?
(LG's Mother in background shouting to men working in garden): Y'all need ice?
LG: Yes. What does it mean to you?
HH: To me ... well, funnily enough, when I was growing up, I felt as though I had a ... or I wished that I had a twin when I was growing up. And actually, I did feel as though there must have been ... there was a sense of a twin in my life, but I just was never able to ...
LG: See it or feel it?
HH: I felt it ... but I couldn't see it. But I felt ... ahm ... I was supposed to have a twin, but obviously I wasn't born a twin. But I did always have a feeling of a twin and I think as I got older that translated into wanting to find ... connect with somebody who's yuh know ...
LG (singing out): Who is like your twin!
HH: Yeah ... who I could have that connection with, then. So when I read this message that's what comes to mind for me.
LG: Now! What is your favourite colour of the rainbow which you can remember in this message?
HH: Which colour would I apply to this?
LG: Yes.
HH: I would say green.
LG: Why green?
HH: Green is the first colour that comes to mind because it's ... life, it's plants ...
LG: But why would you think that that reminds you of your twin in some way?
HH: Well green is a colour of growth and life, so that if something is missing ... whatever that aspect is, then it means that it's growing.
LG: It's growing ...
HH: It's growing because it's green.

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Tomorrow: They are everywhere ...

(The final transcription before the true twin story is revealed)

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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #5

The mother of the little girl from Transcription #4 responds to the 'Twin' statement ...
(Transcribed from dictaphone)

Mother: Just read it?
Little Girl: Yeah, read it, but you have to say what it means to you.
Mother (reading): ... because I feel like I lapse in some things? I don't understand.
Little Girl: You want to hear my interview? Let her hear my interview. (Grasping for dictaphone) Where is review?
Happy Hippy: If you had to ... you don't understand anything? I mean, what does it make you feel? Do you have any questions?
Mother: I don't feel that a piece of me is missing. And the second part ... I don't understand.
Happy Hippy: You feel it refers to a piece of you?
Mother: How yuh mean? I don't feel like any twin was lost.
Little Girl: Mummy ... pretend you had a twin.
Happy Hippy: Actually there is no explanation. Everybody ...
Mother: I don't feel like I had any twin that was lost.
Happy Hippy: Okay.
Mother: So nothing is missing. So then I wouldn't feel ... lapse? What kinda lapse? Time?
(End recording)

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Tomorrow: She asks me ...

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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #4

For those who have not checked in lately, a few more people have written their responses here

A Female Child (age 8) - upon being asked to read the 'Twin' statement ...

(If I remember correctly, this was done on the afternoon of the Sun 12 June recordings at Lopinot)

Location: St. Anns area

FEMALE CHILD: Why do I have to read this? (She reads it quietly to herself)
HAPPY HIPPY: What do you think it means?
FC: If your twin is lost? (Pause) I'm thinking ... and I'm getting something ... (Long pause) It means when your heart has lost somebody in your family, you might be really, really sad because they've been very close to you for a long time ... when you were born and when you were growing up. And when you have a twin you more or less have the same birthday, same Christmas, same presents ... and it really means a special something besides your whole family. And when you lose your twin it's really heart broken.
HH: Aww. Do you think there's a colour associated with that? If you had to think of all the colours in the rainbow ... red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet ... Which one do you think you would give to the twin?
FC: Red.
HH: Red. Why?
FC: Because it shows a lot of love, because the heart inside you is red.
HH: Nice. Thank you.

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Tomorrow: But I don't understand ...

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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #3

Location: Still in Lopinot on that same Saturday morning
Respondent: Golden Age Female
(Transcribed from dictaphone)

GOLDEN AGE FEMALE (after slowly reading statement aloud and pondering): I think it's something that you care for most deeply, sincerely, that is missing in your life and you feel as if everything is lost. Life is not worth living without this thing ... or whatever you cared for is no longer there. Something that you were close to, that you adhered to ... something that meant quite a lot to you ... and it has suddenly disappeared. Now you feel as if - you know - life cannot go on without this particular thing that you cherished or that you had all faith and confidence in. That's my response to this question here.
HAPPY HIPPY: Good. Thanks. Can I ask you one more question?
GAF: Yes. Certainly.
HH: If you had to think of a colour that goes with this phrase, what would that colour be? What's the first colour that comes to mind ... out of all the colours of the rainbow?
GAF (chuckling): I'll have to think a while ... (pause) I think purple, or something like that. Some dark colour, really. Because it's darkness in your mind. Your mind is clouded now. So I think it's some dark colour. Nothing that reflects the light ... you see?
HH: Okay. Thanks.
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(HH post-interview comment transcribed from dictaphone): Okay, so far still in Lopinot. The answers are varied. The colours are varied ... and I really don't know where this is leading, but this is how the project is forming so far.
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Tomorrow: From the mouth of a babe ...

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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #2

I continue to explore what this statement means to random people ...
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Respondent: Adult male
Location: Lopinot
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(Transcribed from dictaphone)
ADULT MALE: You lapse in yuh companion, seeing that yuh twin was lost. So you have no companion again.
(Pause ...)
HAPPY HIPPY: That's it?
AM: Yes.
HH: What colour comes to your mind when you hear the phrase ... (reads the phrase) ? If you had to give a colour to that, what would it be?
ADULT FEMALE in background (who the man washing the car said would answer): Black. Black is a kind of mournful colour.
HH: You think it's a mournful thing?
AF: Is a sad thing. Black represents something sad.
AM (after some time): I would say red.
HH: Red ...
AM: Yeah, de red. De red dat was lost dat have yuh missing someting. De red.
HH: The red ... the life?
AM: De red was ... how yuh say ... Now he was born a twin and you miss yuh partner ... it was de red dat took him away. De blood. Yeah.
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Tomorrow: A woman in her golden years offers her perspective ...
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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: reluctant participants

The investigative "Twin'" interviews continue in Lopinot ... but the respondents I approach now are not willing to answer.

Happy Hippy (transcribed from dictaphone): I just asked a man the same question ... Mr. G is his name? I just asked him the same question and he ... after hearing the statement about the twin, he said he didn't want to answer.

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(A few minutes later ...)

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HH (transcribed from dictaphone):

Location: Lopinot. Date: Sunday 12th June, 2005.

Just tried to approach a woman who's there with her sewing machine in the Lopinot Community Centre, explained to her that she could read this statement, which is kind of abstract ... and say what she feels, da da da, dee dee dee, long story ... and she also didn't want to try it ... so ... The impression that I'm getting very strongly is that people do not want to explore. They're afraid to just respond to something that they don't know. They're afraid they'll say the wrong answer ... and there is no wrong answer.

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(P.S. After the woman in the community centre, I approached a man who was washing his car on the roadside and he said (before even hearing the statement): "Nah, nah. I not good at dem kinda ting. Try dat lady over dere. She go do it." He pointed me to a house across the road where a woman and her father were sitting in their verandah. It was the father who ended up doing the interview).

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Tomorrow: The father responds.

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And if you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcription #1

The respondent was asked to comment on the following phrase:

Respondent: Young Adult Female

Location: Lopinot, Trinidad

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Young Adult Female: The beginning of it, you'd think that the twin ... being someone that is close to you - whether a mother that you've lost ... Like with me, I lost my mother. Or a best friend. Somebody that you're really close with. So close it's like a twin - somebody who understands you, who knows how you ... knows you, then. Somebody you can be free with. But then the latter part of it says "as if I've lost part of myself" ... and it makes you wonder if it indicates that losing of one's ... connecting with one's self ... (pause) because from time to time we get so caught up in life ... You become distracted and absorbed with external things. You lose touch with your inner self. So it could be that too. This is my feeling ... that it's more that. Losing touch with with that inner self ... than a physical person. And ... what? Basically that. Losing touch with that you ... that real you ... that natural, free, truthful you.

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When asked to think of a colour that she felt matched the statement, the respondent chose the colour GREY.

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Tomorrow: Not everyone wants to answer ...

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If you haven't said it already, what does it mean to you?

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- Happy Hippy -

Twin Tapes: Transcriptions

It's interesting to see the different responses people wrote in the previous post.

Amazing how one phrase can be interpreted in so many ways.

If you have not responded to the statement and would like to, you can do so here.

TUNE IN!

COMING SOON!

From tomorrow I will be posting daily transcribed versions of random people's responses to the statement (recorded with my dictaphone earlier in June). Like you, they did not know where the statement came from and what it really relates to, so their responses were influenced purely by their own thoughts, feelings and life experiences. In keeping with the way the project was developing at the time, I also asked each respondent to choose a colour that they felt fitted the statement.

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The true story and more will be revealed after this series of transcriptions.

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- Happy Hippy -

What does it mean to you ...? (Interactive)

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My twin that was lost ...
as if a piece of me is missing ...
Because now I feel like I lapse in some things.

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(If you'd take part in this, I would appreciate it. You can write your response to the above statement in blue in the comment section below. As long or as short as you want. Whatever comes up: thoughts, feelings, questions, etc. Try not to be influenced by any other answers, so read others only after you have written yours. If for some reason you don't feel to put your name you can remain anonymous or use a nom de plume)

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The statement came about in a very intriguing way. One day I will explain it.

It was written by someone who said to me one day in April:

"I want to give you a challenge. Create an art piece inspired by me ..."

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As part of the ongoing process of creating this 'piece' (I don't know what it will be yet), I have been asking people (without explaining how the statement came about) what it means to them ... because it means something very important to the person who wrote it. In going with the flow, I've been recording people's answers with my dictaphone and, so far, they have been varied and interesting responses. Not everyone I've approached has answered, though. Some appear to be afraid ... of what, I'm not sure:

Me?

The dictaphone?

The statement?

A stranger approaching them with a seemingly bizarre request?

The thought that what they say will be 'wrong'?

(N.B. there is no wrong answer - it is your response)

The concept of answering a question that seemingly comes from nowhere?

The unexplained?

The Unknown?

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I will leave this up for two days and hopefully get some answers.

This is all a part of the 'piece' that is being created.

Thanks in advance.

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- Happy Hippy -

Astral camera

This quick 'sketch' doesn't look like the camera in the dream, though.

I can't remember last night's dream too clearly - where I was or why I was where I was with whom I was. But I was in a group of people, mainly female, all of whom were gathered around a woman at the centre. I don't know what she was doing - it seemed to be some kind of ceremony. We were outdoors and there were trees around us. It felt modern and 'civilized' ... everyone was 'elegantly casual', yet something about it all felt ancient and tribal, as though under our clothes we were Indigneous people, native Indians, Aborigines taking part in a ritual. Someone shoved a camera into my hands and told me to take pictures. It was a strange camera, very long and large, black (with silver edges), tough and heavy - as if it was made in Germany. I remember looking at the markings on it and noting the simplicity of it all. Instead of having the numbers 4, 8, 11, etc. (aperture) or 30, 60, etc. (shutter speed), the markings indicated simple things like "Sunny day", "Clouds in sky", "Indoors", "Outdoors", etc.

I did take photos.

I wonder what and where they are ...

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- Happy Hippy -

Zeitgeist ... the little box of images

The other day an old friend, moka

got in touch with me by e-mail. She had been visiting Now is Wow ... and in her e-mail she also gave me links to her blog(s). Whilst looking around, I noticed she had a box in her side bar with her photos in it, called a zeitgeist, from Flickr. I thought hmmm, this is a nice feature - like a photographic Rubix cube ... having your photos in the box as little thumbnails - some of which get bigger every now and then ... and visitors can click on the images, etc.

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Then the next day (yesterday) I got an e-mail from
silvergull explaining to me different things about Flickr, one of which was how to get a zeitgeist. So I immediately tested it out by uploading some of my photos (I have to get around to taking some new ones soon). So the box you see to the lower right of this page is my zeitgeist. Thanks to those two for pointing me towards it.

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- Happy Hippy -

Sustaining the Passion

An 80-year old woman asked me the other night if it wasn't hard for me to

sustain passion for creativity.

I told her no - it is like breathing.

It just happens ...

I don't think about it.

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But ... what if I did think about it?

Should I?
Can I?

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Creating = breathing = yoga.

No thought.

The breath.

Connecting.

Merging.

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I think I used to experience it like that.

Something (which I can't quite put my finger on) feels different as of late.

And I'm feeling that I need to return ...

to a way of being from which I shifted for some reason that is no longer valid.

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- Happy Hippy -

Coming soon

Behind the scenes info on the creation and different elements

of the music video "Street Life"

for local hip-hop artiste, Malik.

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- Happy Hippy -

20 things about "this"

1. Yesterday was the 5-months anniversary of my starting this blog.
2. I started on a 'whim' on January 8th (my 4th year anniversary - as of this year - of quitting smoking).
3. Didn't think it would evolve to this extent. Don't know where it is going.
4. (Ditto) I have been evolving along with it. Don't know where I am going.
5. The other day I noticed how effortless it has been to be committed to upating it daily (expcept for the one or two days that I have been away/not near to an internet-ready computer).
6. There is always something to say and always something to put even if it's just one word.
7. Even nothing is something.
8. In the beginning I liked the idea of random people stumbling upon it and finding something that would lift their day, make them say/feel "Wow", make them feel encouraged or inspired, make them think, make them do, make them ask, make them say ...
9. I don't know how many people visit this "Creative Portal".
10. I wonder how they came to it
11. I wonder if what they find makes them come back
12. It has given me a new dimension
13. It has helped me to realise the power of this medium as a tool for getting messages and creative content out to a potentially large number of people.
14. I don't know how many people read this
15. I value the comments that have been made
16. I value the e-mails that have been sent
17. I value the people (local) who didn't write e-mails or comments but saw me in person and said they enjoy it for whatever reason(s)
18. I value the people who have been moved
19. As simple as it may seem, if I had not been doing this every morning when I wake up, the course of my life would have been different in some way ...
20. I, as much as anyone else, do not know what this will be tomorrow, but I look forward to whatever it will become.

- Happy Hippy -

Listen and see ... (music)

Music for the movie of your mind

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Track #1 from MOVING PICTURES

I purposefully left the songs on this CD unnamed to allow the listener to come up with his/her own names based on the feelings and images evoked from the music.

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- Happy Hippy -

What fills space?

Magic Manzanilla (music video)

View of Manzanilla through old window

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Welcome to MAGIC MANZANILLA (the video)

(12.1 MB)

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This is the music video for one of my pieces of music, Magic Manzanilla

(track #3 from my MANZANILLA CD).

The video, created as part of an installation for one of my exhibitions - INtroDUCTION - was a 'spontaneous' artistic video. I would say that it is a musical documentary of elements of my creative work process at that time - the window, the wire, the stained glass (sun), the spontaneous interaction with Nature.

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CREDITS

Shot on location: Manzanilla, Trinidad

Camera: Sean Edgehill

Director: Elspeth Duncan

Edit: Edgehill/Duncan

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Below are some stills from the video

I use windows like these to make WINDOW LAMPS

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Twisting wire into flowers on the sand

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The vastness of Manzanilla has often been a potent source of inspiration for me

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- Happy Hippy -

Full Glo

THE GLO (full video)

Director/camera & edit: Elspeth Duncan

Singer/Songwriter: Gillian Moor

Video created December 2004 for launch of Gillian Moor's 2005 Carnival release, The Glo

- Happy Hippy -

Pause for a commercial break

"Since I was a tree
I had music in me ..."
(words my guitar must say)

(Photo: Marlon Rousse - taken when I had shaved my hair low a while back. Used as front cover of INFINITE CD)

The other night, driving home with friends, we were talking about music and guitars and I was making the comment that for each guitar one picks up, there is a different feel and therefore different inspiration and music comes from it. That's where the thought came from about what my guitar says. I have wondered about it in the past ... the fact that the wood of my guitar was once part of a tree.

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Which tree?

Where?

What winds blew through its leaves?

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It's ironic that "Anonymous" mentioned my CDs and CD Baby/towerrecords in a comment yesterday, since it was just yesterday that I put a new page on my Happy Hippy Projects site, featuring three of my (four) CDs: HERE ...

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Still a work in progress putting this up. When I have time, I will put another clip or two from the Manzanilla CD, put clips from Moving Pictures and one or two more from Infinite ... and will upload jacket and clips from the "Elaine" CD.

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Also, for some bizarre and unfortunate reason, Paypal is not available for Trinidad, so the CDs can't be purchased by credit card (... but there must be another such way which I don't know about right now). I've never personally sold CDs online before, but I would imagine it's a similar procedure to selling photographs. So ... as it is currently, when you click to order, you get my Yahoo e-mail address through which you can request a CD, give a mailing address to which you want it sent and I will provide you with details of where to send the bank draft. Upon receipt of the draft, the CD is/CDs are sent.

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In time I will find a way to refine this process.

But for now, this will work.

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- Happy Hippy -

Dizzy ... (video)

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As children we used to love spinning around for a long time to get dizzy.

I did it the other evening with my camera on Tairico Bay ...

(Spinning in real time)

CLICK HERE TO GET DIZZY

Spinning camera and music ('Panorama') - Elspeth Duncan

Blurry figure in video - Navid Lancaster

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- Happy Hippy -

You are one

In this box

on my desk

is a world full of people ...

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- Happy Hippy -

Something's glowing in the dark ...

A few clips from the music video I did for singer/songwriter Gillian Moor's Carnival 2005 release, The Glo ...

Camera/Edit: Elspeth Duncan
Singer/Song: Gillian Moor

Click here to see video clips from THE GLO

The Glo video and song were launched at Veni Mange (Trinidad) in December, 2004

Even in the deepest darkest night,

Everyone will recognise your light

You can always call upon that Love

That flows from above ...

(some lyrics from The Glo by Gillian Moor)

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- Happy Hippy -

Interesting Link

I stumbled upon this blog, which I found very interesting and creative.

Have a look.

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http://postsecret.blogspot.com

"PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard."

(description from the site)

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- Happy Hippy -

The Coming Rain (music)

A wonderful experience is sitting on Manzanilla Beach and seeing a white wall of rain advancing along the sand ... coming to cover you, pass over you and move on. This piece is my musical account of that experience.

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Manzanilla Beach

(Image: Elspeth Duncan)

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click here to experience THE COMING RAIN

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Music: Elspeth Duncan

(Track #15 from the 16 track CD Manzanilla)

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To purchase the CD Manzanilla:

Email me

OR

Buy it from CD Baby

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Another Manzanilla scene

(Image: Manzanilla Mansion, Elspeth Duncan)

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- Happy Hippy -

Spirit is Love (A Video mantra)

SPIRIT IS LOVE
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Credits:
Camera/Edit/Words & Music - Elspeth Duncan
The Angel: Nicola Cross
Location: Temple in the Sea, Waterloo, Trinidad, W.I.
A HAPPY HIPPY PRODUCTION
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Production Note:
This video has not been saved at optimum quality (i.e. audio/image) in respect of file size and download time.

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- Happy Hippy -