THE EYES OF ROBERT FRIPP SMILE
Posted by
Sid Smith
on Oct 27, 2014
Here's one for our Spanish speaking visitors - a substantial newspaper article in which Robert discusses the work of the Guitar Circle, King Crimson and the current state of the industry during his recent visit to Argentina.
For those of us too lazy to bother to learn another language, here's the auto-translated version with all the flaws and mangling of the language you'd expect. If anyone would care to take on the monumental task of providing a more sympathetic translation please feel free!
For those of us too lazy to bother to learn another language, here's the auto-translated version with all the flaws and mangling of the language you'd expect. If anyone would care to take on the monumental task of providing a more sympathetic translation please feel free!
The eyes of Robert Fripp smile. Maybe the smile does not extend so often to his face, but when an appreciable irony intrudes, there is a visible spark in the deep blue eyes of this 68-year-old man who has devoted his life to music. There are some monk at Fripp, but nothing of religious fanaticism; It is one of the indisputable talents that has given the English rock, but never was carried away by the rules of the star system. He is a polite, elegant and rigorous, man that does not pass a day without practicing with his guitar. In his more public facet, is the leader of King Crimson, band who since 1968 has had various incarnations and instrumental armed, and that just made a comeback for United States with a Septet training tour, with three drummers occupy the first line of the scene. But Fripp also devised the company Discipline Global Mobile, revolutionary in the approach of maintaining "small functional units" and all the musicians to retain the rights to their work. And it is also the creator of Guitar Craft, a system of education that approaches the instrumentalists to another way of tuning (New Standard Tuning) and a series of techniques and modes of working which sets apart it from any other "musical instruction", and which gave rise to the League of Crafty Guitarists (League of artisanal guitarists) and infinity of groups acting by the world since 1985.
That came the English musician to Mendoza: the convent our Lady of transit, in Lunlunta (to 20 km from the capital), occurred in a new meeting of Guitar Circle, introductory course which was attended by more than seventy guitarists of the Argentina and the world. For five days, the crafties and advanced trainers group headed by Fripp (which includes the Hernán Núñez Argentines and Fernando Kabusacki) had a coexistence intense, crowned by a concert in the Circular space of Le Parc Centre (see separate). The musician prefers to stay away from the press, and years that it does not grant a personal interview to an Argentine environment; Lunlunta peace meeting is therefore all a rarity.
-How was the experience of these days?
-With about 73 guitarists of moderate abilities: two or three that can play much better than me, and about six who can play almost as well as I. The majority of these people is much more enjoyable than I am, more kind and more gentle.
-It gives the impression that you like this image of being not so kind, but in reality it is not so.
-I have to say that Yes, this is true. I have a terrible reputation in the music industry, and that is probably a good thing.
-What expectations these people bring to the Guitar Circle?
-You
should have a few words with them, I cannot speak for them. But the
issue for me is that the world is clearly a disaster, with what the
question is about what each of us can do about it. The problem is that
it is very difficult to trust anyone who is in a position of authority.
In terms of my background with respect to management companies and
record companies, all of my professional life was interrupted on 22
February 1976, when it was at a retreat at Sherborne House
(Gloucestershire) and I was visited by my management, so I gave my
copyrights so they could collect my royalties. This explained my
counter... and was a lie. At that time in England, a person of such
professional position supposed to be reliable. But it was very clear to
me that financial services are not reliable. And until 2008, more or
less, the majority of ordinary people didn't know what I had done in
previous decades. Control of the money people is not reliable. This
counter now enrolled is a Director of the Isle of Man Government, has
received an honorary doctorate for his philanthropy and his services to
the music, he was Adviser to the Royal family: a pillar of society by
its good offices. And yet his entire career is based on a lie. It is
very easy to present criticism without personal knowledge, but in terms
of issues that relate to my own life, I can speak with greater
authority. And in this small image it is possible to see the greater
picture. Then, if we can not rely on financial systems, and few in
England can rely on politicians, who can we trust?
-In artists?
-Do you think John Lennon lied for money? Dylan? Hendrix? When we lose faith in our artists, our culture is extinguished. For example, if in 1969 he had a conversation with the President of a company and I told him "I am only interested in the money," Although this was business in the music industry people, I had set aside, they have not trusted in me. If I had that conversation today and told him "I'm only interested in music", I leave aside, they would not trust me. This is an example of how we have gone from a market economy to a market society, where social relations are governed by a price. Then, what you can do Robert about that? I cannot change the world, but when the Lord Núñez tells me "we have a course in Argentina", and if I can take a plane
