Cat pee

this is the first rough draft of an idea for a new song. it may define a new genre of music I might call 'deeep cheeese' exemplified by the lyrics of the last verse:

when I hear your voice say my real name
moons dot my i's, shooting stars cross my t's
and it's hard to realise you were not meant for me.

watch this space.


moons dot my i's - first take

My first jam with Sam on guitar and Isabel on kora. They invited me to come with words to sing. I found an old poem I had written and chose a couple of lines to improvise with.

"Before we sleep, we lasso a star or two and carve on them poems...
We count ourselves and find that we are many."

Even though it’s really rough I think it’s so cute, and Sam and Izzy’s playing is so beautiful, we should start a band. I can play bass when I finally get mine back!

before we sleep

National Songwriting Month - Day 1

Lyrics if anyone else is interested:

if I listen to your feet, will they tell me where you've been?
will they show me all the roads you took before you got to me?
if I tasted your tears, would I know your sorrows?
would it help me keep your pain away the rest of your tomorrows?

if you've never had your eyelids kissed, let your first time be from my lips.

if I spoke to your god, would he tell me your secrets?
would he show me how to hold your heart, and how best I should keep it?
if I count your eyelashes, would it roll up the blinds
like a code to souls set at the beginning of time?

if you've never had your eyelids kissed, let your first time be from my lips.

if I breathe in your skin, would I smell the rain
in the air of the place you call home?

if you've never had your eyelids kissed, let your first time be from my lips.

NaSoWriMo #1 - Kissed Eyelids

no vocals today coz my cold got really bad. tinkered with organic mbira and synthetic garage band noises.

NaSoWriMo #3 - I wanna be somewhere else (mbira + fx)

Written in some dark times to give myself a little hope and comfort, and a reminder that it wouldn't last forever, "the colours of time can change to gold" ...things would turn out ok, the pain would transmute, my yesterdays and todays did not dictate my tomorrows, and I could write a new story for myself. 

A tropical music video is right here: https://youtu.be/sRXPEIn-Mg4

If you like it, you can download a copy of the song at http://birikiti.com

Colours of Time lyrics:

When you find yourself
Far away from your insides,
Just retrace marks made on your soul
By blessings in your life.

You can write yourself back home
With a story of your own.
Yesterday won’t come again
If you don’t invite him in.

With every lie your mind tells your heart,
You move a little further apart.
And every time you say something that’s true,
You take another step closer to you.

If you forgive yourself,
You can clear the way ahead.
Let go of all that’s gone before
And the colours of time can change to gold.

But every lie your mind tells your heart,
You move a little further apart.
And every time you say something that’s true,
You take another step closer to you.

And the truth is that your truth is only ever good,
If you choose to see your reality the way you should.

With every lie your mind tells your heart,
You move a little further apart.
And every time you say something that’s true,
You take another step closer to you.

But you can write yourself back home
With a story of your own.
Let go of all that’s gone before,
And the colours of time can change to gold.

The colours of time can change to gold.
The story you write can make you whole.
The story you write will take you home.

Credits:
Lyrics & bass written by Birikiti Pegram. 
Guitars & percussion written & performed by Mulele Matondo
Sound engineered & mixed by Mulele Matondo
Mastering by Chris McCormack

Colours Of Time

...for all those who lost their lives in the #Grenfell Tower fire. I wrote this song days after the blaze, though never shared it as it seemed so heavy. But with #BLM so loud right now, and the anniversary of that fire, and the undeniable connection between the two issues, well it is heavy isn't it. And still we wait for justice...

lyrics, vocals and bass written by Birikiti
guitars written by Mulele Matondo
guitars and bass performed by Mulele Matondo
recorded, produced and mixed by Mulele Matondo

Lyrics by Birikiti:

our whole city watched you die -
most of us horrified.
but after, did you wonder
if a privileged few smiled?

when we saw tragedy,
did they see opportunity?
when we rubbed our eyes
from fallen tears and disbelief,
did they rub their hands with glee?

what have we come to
when the poor die for the rich to get a better view?
what have we come to?
mass deaths of the poor profit pockets of an elite few…

spirits of the blazing tower,
RISE from your death trap.
haunt your hunters’ dreams.

scream. all. your. names.
scream. every. name.

terrorise their children in nightmares.

scream. all. your. names.
scream. every. name.

Live video recording on Youtube: https://youtu.be/_ztlViYW7X0

for Grenfell

took up the challenge at the 11th day. 
I did a bad thing. And I must make amends.

Day 11 - L.U.C.I.L.L.E.

Demo piece commissioned by 'Write To Life', Freedom from Torture organisation to compose music and melody for a poem written by a refugee from Uganda.

Music composed, arranged and performed by Mulele Matondo Afrika
Vocals and melody by Birikiti Pegram
Lyrics by a poet who wishes to remain anonymous

THE REPORTING CENTRE

The Centre hides
in the shadow of the Shard
Cramped between the glass spire and the hospital
is a line of - men and women with - broken hearts.
No roof they can call a home
No food they have earned for themselves

Heads bowed, and eyes that stare defeat
Hoping for freedom to live again
Hoping for freedom to live again.

(INSTRUMENTAL)

Today is endless
Tomorrow shrouded in fear
Their hearts with loved ones no one else can see
Far away from home, where everything is strange
Their old selves stolen, they wait to find out who they will become
Hoping for freedom to live again
Hoping for freedom to live again
Today is endless
Today is endless

At the foot of the building a door opens
The line shuffles forward
The day goes on, goes on, goes on…

No roof they can call a home
No food they have earned for themselves
Heads bowed, and eyes that stare defeat

Their hearts with loved ones no one else can see
Far away from home, where everything is strange
Their old selves stolen, they wait to find out who they will become
Hoping for freedom to live again
Hoping for freedom to live again
Hoping for freedom….

The Reporting Centre

Downtempo afro-twisted deep-pop to tickle souls & warm hearts. Years in the marinading, the time is coming to stop dancin around the music & join in its making.

Birikiti's Kitchen

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