Jorge Reyes (R.I.P.)

[Undershadow]

En un sueño terminó la vida del etnomúsico Jorge Reyes*

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/02/08/index.php?section=espectaculos&article=a07n1esp



(*rough trans. The life of the ethnomusicist Jorge Reyes came to an end in his dreams)

[Joe R]

Oh man, that's too bad! :(

Without Jorge Reyes, Steve Roach's Origins, Artifacts, and Vine~Bark & Spore would be hollow shells.

And I understand that he has his own rather lengthy discography, though I haven't heard any of it.

[c l i f f]

Steve Roach emailed me; he's trying to verify this.  There's also a 37-year-old Cuban author named Jorge Reyes, who according to Wikipedia died on Feb. 7th -- but it's not clear if the obituaries are based on this Wikipedia entry, or vice-versa.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Reyes

The translated article, plus another article:

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jornada.unam.mx%2F2009%2F02%2F08%2Findex.php%3Fsection%3Despectaculos%26article%3Da07n1esp&sl=es&tl=en&history_state0=

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://autopoietican.blogspot.com/2009/02/murio-jorge-reyes-etnomusico-profundo.html&ei=QKOQSe3lOZfOtAOtjPXyCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=5&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Detnom%25C3%25BAsico%2BJorge%2BReyes%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Cliff

[jim brenholts]

extremely sad news, indeed! the articles seemed pretty clear that jorge was born in 51 and the author in 71. the photos also look like the musician.
joe - his discography is extensive and awesome and a half! some of his recordings are next to impossible to find and others are readily available on the web.
i met jorge very briefly after the tucson concert in 2000. he was cordial and funny, commenting on one of his rare cd's that i had purchased. he said that he couldn't even get a copy of that one. (the soundtrack to the other conquest)

[9dragons]

Feel terrible about this. Have a number of his albums, solo as well as with Roach. Enjoy his work immensely, and his contribution to Mr. Roach's music is huge. Well, he died in his studio, apparently while sleeping there - an artist to the end. Thank you so much for the music Jorge, stay on the path, and rest in peace.

[c l i f f]

Steve's web site http://steveroach.com has been updated with the news.

Here are some more news articles: http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fned%3Des_mx%26hl%3Des%26ie%3DUTF-8%26ncl%3D1284068898&sl=es&tl=en

I had the honor of having dinner with Jorge several years ago.  What an amazing, creative, and lively soul.  He will be missed, but his spirit will always live through his recordings.

[ffcal]

I am very saddened to hear this news about Jorge as well.  My contact with him was brief but very memorable.  I met him in 1993 when he came to San Francisco to perform at the Noe Valley Ministry.  I helped to drive him around while he was in town.  He was a very polite and intensely focused person.  He gave a very memorable performance, incorporating his "body percussion," a series of clay pots (called cantaros) and ocarinas, and strategically placed candles.  He graciously gave to me as a thank you gift one of the large cantaros from Oaxaca he had brought with him on the plane.  I used the cantaro on my Folklore and Blind Messenger CDs, and I'd like to think that his spirit still inhabits it.

Forrest

[vidnaObmana]

In the uttermost respect for an artist that continued to amaze, inspire and provoke me at times when I was exploring the boundaries between fourth world and ambient music.
Life is so fragile,

Dirk.

[dreamin4ever]

This is sad news to hear of Jorges passing. I was lucky to see him perform with Steve Roach back in 2000 in Tucson. He will be missed.
:( :( :(

[richardgurtler]

This is extremely terrible and sad news, can't believe what happened to this great person and musician... My sympathy and condolences to the family and friends. Thank you for the wonderful music and friendship, Jorge. We will miss you and you will always live in your innovative music. Rest in peace. Saludos y abraxas, amigo.

I am writing these lines with tears in my eyes and same like Steve, listening to their magics "Gone From Here" in honor to Jorge. I was talking to Jorge three weeks ago, he was busy with new projects and ideas, he was planning to go to Europe to  Berlin this April and May to work with Peter Avar, recording & mixing enginner of Radio Berlin-Brandenburg, who was Jorge's collaborator on various soundscape CDs like "Michoacan: un paisaje sonoro" or "Ciudad de Mexico Y Chiapas: dos paisajes sonoros". Jorge was also thinking about the idea of doing some live performances while in Europe.

Richard

[Scott M2]

How sad for the world to lose another artist still filled with such vitality.

[LNerell]

Its been a day now since I heard the news and I am still in a state of shock. I had the pleasure of meeting Jorge back in the early 1990s at Steve Roach's house right after Suspended Memories had completed recording their first album. That weekend they performed together live in Steve's living room for an Echos living room concert, I think it might have been one of the first in that series. As Forest said he was a very polite and focused person with a dry sense of humor. He will be missed. Time now to break out all his LPs and CDs and relive some nice memories.

[deepspace]

We seem to be losing too many great artists this year. 

[Undershadow]

Time now to break out all his LPs and CDs and relive some nice memories.

I regret I don't have much of his music. Probably because I'm not much for the heavy-duty pre-Hispanic fluting, conch-blowing and bone-rattling invocation stuff, to be honest, That said, his oeuvre is certainly an impressive achievement, and I respect his uniqueness of voice.
This, one of the quietest and most lyrical pieces I've heard from him, is my favourite, and I've posted it in commemoration:

http://albient.livejournal.com/10137.html

[drone on]

Still can't believe this news.  Two masters are now gone (Jorge and K. Wiese) Jorge was amazing, bringing this ancient music to people with modern technology and making it totally surreal and nothing short of magic!  A true original and visionary artist. 

[1000snakes]

I too, am in a bit of a state of shock from this truly sad news. I had the pleasure of spending a few days with Jorge back in May of 2000. Biff Johnson and I flew from Sacramento to Tucson to serve as roadies for Steve Roach's annual concert there. The day we arrived Steve and Jorge were emerging from an all-nighter in the Timeroom. They had just recorded what was to become "Cave Dwellers" on "The Serpent's Liar" CD. They had been working that week on material for the "Vine ~ Bark & Spore" release as well as preparing for the show.
Jorge was an amazing spirit. I remember asking him if he worried about stepping on the clay whistles and flutes that were placed on the floor near his feet where he often danced. One of the little whistles was hundreds of years old. He said something like, "if it happens, it happens." He lived in the moment. A favorite memory is sitting in Steve's backyard having a tech meeting about the show when Jorge appeared with a bottle and shot glasses and proclaimed, "Now is the time for tequilla". Best wishes for your next journey, Jorge. Thank you for the blessing of your spirit and the gift of your artistry.
Peace, Kirk

[mgriffin]

Thanks for the great Jorge stories, Kirk.

[zzzone.net]

As a big Reyes fan, I too am saddened by this loss.

R.I.P. Jorge Reyes.

[uhurit]

My first exposure to Jorge was many, many years ago with a CD from Extreme. Since then, I'd owned nearly every CD that he ever released. Safe journeys!

[Seren]

Just seen this sad news....I've had some of Jorge's music and it was a bit of a shock to hear he had passed on.

Best of journies into the spirit world Jorge.