Recording at the Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter.

Field Recordings of Pooja Angra performing at Exeter Respect Festival 2009.

Field recording of Chartwell Dutiro performing at Exeter Respect Festival 2009.

I encountered the following video on the blog of Sunn O))) member Stephen O'Malley. I'm enthusiastic but not very knowledgeable when it comes to Indian classical music, I find the drones and textures compelling. Anyway, this video caught my attention this morning and I thought I'd share it.

Flamenco guitarist at the Exeter Phoenix.

Recorded on 13th July 2008

Denis-Kigongos African Odyssey at this year's Exeter Respect Festival.

Recorded on 12 July 2008

Field recording of Indian Devotional music made at Exeter Respect festival 2008.

This was another performer I saw at the Exeter Respect Festival, playing the Kora. He was accompanied by two youngsters on guitar, which I thought a bit incongruous at the time but I really think the combination of instruments worked.

Recorded on 7th August 2006

On the weekend of 8 July, the Exeter Phoenix hosted the annual Respect Festival. Among the many performers was a guy playing Turkish folk songs on a Saz. I found the sound of the instrument and the vocal melodies hypnotic and compelling.

The mountain of Montserrat near Barcelona is home to one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe. Before our visit we'd read that the choir sing each day at 1pm. There was lengthy introduction given in numerous languages (can also be heard here) and the singing was definitely worth the visit.

Earlier this month we traveled to Barcelona for the Sonar Festival. After the festival was over, we had the chance to explore some of the sights we had missed during our last visit to the city a few years ago. The first of these was Parc Guell, designed by Antoni Gaudi.