Cities And Memory

"Thinking of how tourism is now a major industry for Madeira I started with the now, the field recording submitted to the Sonic Heritage project. Already rhythmic in the sound of the footsteps I looped parts of this, and brought it back in at the end. I really liked the image the recording brought up of walking the narrow Levada (waterways) and the muffled greetings and people saying 'sorry' and 'your welcome' as they squeeze past each other. The World Heritage Site is promoted today for its wildlife, tranquillity and calm, so I also closed the loop with brought in birdsong recorded in the Laurisilva (the World Heritage Site in which the field recording was made) "In the past however, for all the lush and ancient forest, this was essentially part of an industrial landscape, with the Levadas (waterways) carved and built through the rock to facilitate the sugar industry that was developed from the mid 15th century onwards. This industry was also the model for the plantation slavery across the Caribbean, Brazil