Incursion.org > Richard di Santo > San'an

San'an (1'00)
From the CD, 60 Sound Artists Protest the War
Atak Records, 2003

In 2003, at the advent of the Iraq war, I was invited to participate in a project curated by Keiichiro Shibuya for Atak Records in Tokyo. Released in June of that year, the resulting compilation CD features 60 one-minute compositions by 60 different artists; 60 original expressions of protest against the war in Iraq, without words or rhetoric, but with sound.

My own contribution gets its title from a centuries-old theme in Japanese music. San'an (which means "peaceful birth") is the song a husband would perform on the shakuhachi flute while his wife is giving birth in the next room. In its original form, it is a slow, contemplative prayer for a peaceful and healthy outcome.

And so, even if I could do nothing to stop this war—much like the husband, powerless to effect change in the next room over, but unable to resist expressing the aspirations of his heart—I had hoped that the very act of composing, of making this protest and sharing the results with others, that this might work some unseen magic on world events and inspire a peaceful outcome—through sound, reflection, and, above all, a palpable desire for peace.

In light of more recent acts of violence resonating around the world, today these sentiments seem equally relevant—and, sadly, equally without consequence—as they did over three years ago.

Thanks for listening.

Richard di Santo, 2006