Tusk Festival 2015 — Louise Landes Levi

Considering the journey she’s been on through her time on this mortal coil – both literally (in miles) and metaphorically/metaphysically - Louise Landes Levi has managed to retain a remarkable degree of anonymity. In the late 60s she travelled solo through Istanbul to India, studying North Indian music and poetry and has published several translations including one of the work of Mira, a 16th Century Indian singer-saint, plus several volumes of her own poetry and biographical writings. A contemporary of and collaborator with Ira Cohen, Angus MacLise, Terry Riley and others, a founder member of Daniel Moore’s Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company (America’s first fusion orchestra) and previously a student of both La Monte Young and Ali Akbar Khan, Louise’s discography seems rather minimal in the light of her rich, experiential travels. She plays the sarangi in a beautifully serene, meditative style and it was Richard Dawson who first brought her album From The Ming Oracle to our attention, her only vinyl release