ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Abigail Washburn - Clawhammer banjo player
Abigail Washburn pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, creating results that feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody's ever heard before.

Why you should listen
If American old-time music is about adopting earlier, simpler ways of life and music-making, Abigail has proven herself a bracing challenge to that tradition. A singing, songwriting, Chinese-speaking, Illinois-born, Nashville-based, clawhammer banjo player, Abigail is every bit as interested in the present and the future as she is in the past, and every bit as attuned to the global as she is to the local. From the recovery zones of earthquake-shaken Sichuan to the hollers of Tennessee, she pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, and the results feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody’s ever heard before. To put it another way, she changes what seems possible.
More profile about the speaker
Abigail Washburn | Speaker | TED.com
TED2012

Abigail Washburn: Building US-China relations ... by banjo

Abigail Washburn: Kako bendžom izgraditi sinoameričke odnose?

Filmed:
1,039,474 views

TED Kolegica Abigail Washburn željela je poboljšati odnose između SAD-a i Kine radeći kao odvjetnica - sve dok nije uzela u ruke bendžo. Ispričala je dirljivu priču o nevjerojatnim poveznicama koje je stvorila svirajući bendžo i pjevajući na kineskom, kroz turneju diljem Sjedinjenih Američkih Država i Kine.
- Clawhammer banjo player
Abigail Washburn pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, creating results that feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody's ever heard before. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
If you had caughtzatečen me straightravno out of collegekoledž
0
0
2000
Da ste me uhvatili negdje baš nakon koledža
00:17
in the hallsdvorane of the VermontVermont StateDržava Housekuća
1
2000
2000
u hodnicima Vermont State House-a
00:19
where I was a lobbyistlobist in trainingtrening
2
4000
3000
gdje sam radila praksu kako bih postala lobist
00:22
and askedpitao me what I was going to do with my life,
3
7000
2000
i pitali me što ću napraviti sa svojim životom
00:24
I would have told you
4
9000
2000
rekla bih vam
00:26
that I'd just passedprošao the HanyuHanyu ShuipingShuiping KaoshiKaoshi,
5
11000
2000
da sam upravo položila Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi,
00:28
the Chinesekineski equivalencyekvivalentnost examispit,
6
13000
2000
kineski test ekvivalencije,
00:30
and I was going to go studystudija lawzakon in BeijingBeijing,
7
15000
3000
i da idem studirati pravo u Peking,
00:33
and I was going to improvepoboljšati U.S.-China-Kina relationsodnosi
8
18000
4000
i da ću poboljšati odnose između Sjedinjenih Država i Kine
00:37
throughkroz top-downodozgo prema dolje policypolitika changespromjene
9
22000
2000
kroz utjecaj na javne politike, odozgo prema dolje,
00:39
and judicialpravosudne systemsistem reformsreforme.
10
24000
2000
i kroz reforme pravosudnog sustava.
00:41
(LaughterSmijeh)
11
26000
3000
(Smijeh)
00:44
(ApplausePljesak)
12
29000
2000
(Pljesak)
00:46
I had a planplan,
13
31000
3000
Imala sam plan
00:49
and I never ever thought
14
34000
3000
i baš nikad mi nije palo na pamet
00:52
it would have anything to do
15
37000
2000
da bi mogao na bilo kakav način biti povezan
00:54
with the banjobendžo.
16
39000
4000
s bendžom.
00:58
Little did I know
17
43000
2000
Nisam mi slutila
01:00
what a hugeogroman impactudar it would have on me one night
18
45000
2000
kako će ogroman biti njegov utisak na mene jedne noći
01:02
when I was at a partystranka
19
47000
2000
na zabavi
01:04
and I heardčuo a soundzvuk comingdolazak out of a recordsnimiti playerigrač
20
49000
2000
kada sam čula zvuk kako dolazi iz muzičke linije
01:06
in the cornerugao of a roomsoba.
21
51000
2000
u uglu sobe.
01:08
And it was DocDoktore WatsonWatson
22
53000
2000
Bio je to Doc Watson,
01:10
singingpjevanje and playingigranje "ShadySjenovitim GroveGrove."
23
55000
3000
pjevao je i svirao "Shady Grove."
01:13
ShadySjenovitim GroveGrove, my little love ♫
24
58000
2000
♫ Shady Grove, moja mala ljubavi ♫
01:15
ShadySjenovitim GroveGrove, my darlin'Draga '
25
60000
2000
♫ Shady Grove, moja draga ♫
01:17
ShadySjenovitim GroveGrove, my little love ♫
26
62000
3000
♫ Shady Grove, moja mala ljubavi ♫
01:20
♫ Going back to HarlanHarlan
27
65000
3000
♫ Vraćaš se u Harlan ♫
01:24
That soundzvuk was just so beautifullijep,
28
69000
3000
Taj je zvuk bio toliko lijep,
01:27
the soundzvuk of Doc'sDoc voiceglas
29
72000
2000
zvuk Docovog glasa,
01:29
and the ripplingtalasanje groovebrazda of the banjobendžo.
30
74000
4000
i valovite brazde zvuka bendža.
01:33
And after beingbiće totallypotpuno and completelypotpuno obsessedopsjednut
31
78000
4000
I nakon što sam bila sasvim i potpuno opsjednuta
01:37
with the mammothmamut richnessbogatstvo and historypovijest
32
82000
2000
ogromnim bogatstvom i poviješću
01:39
of Chinesekineski cultureKultura,
33
84000
2000
kineske kulture,
01:41
it was like this totalukupno reliefolakšanje
34
86000
4000
bilo je to potpuno olakšanje
01:45
to hearčuti something so trulyuistinu AmericanAmerički
35
90000
3000
čuti nešto tako suštinski američko
01:48
and so trulyuistinu awesomesuper.
36
93000
3000
i tako suštinski fenomenalno.
01:51
I knewznao I had to take a banjobendžo with me to ChinaKina.
37
96000
3000
Znala sam da moram ponijeti bendžo sa sobom u Kinu.
01:56
So before going to lawzakon schoolškola in ChinaKina
38
101000
2000
Tako sam, prije polaska na studij prava u Kinu,
01:58
I boughtkupio a banjobendžo, I threwbacio it in my little redcrvena truckkamion
39
103000
3000
kupila bendžo, ubacila ga u svoj mali crveni kamion,
02:01
and I traveledputovao down throughkroz AppalachiaAppalachia
40
106000
3000
i zaputila se niz Apalače,
02:04
and I learnednaučeno a bunchmnogo of oldstar AmericanAmerički songsPjesme,
41
109000
2000
i naučila gomilu starih američkih pjesama,
02:06
and I endedzavršeno up in KentuckyKentucky
42
111000
2000
i završila u Kentackyju,
02:08
at the InternationalMeđunarodni BluegrassBluegrass MusicGlazba AssociationUdruga ConventionKonvencije.
43
113000
3000
na Međunarodnoj konvenciji glazbenog saveza Bluegrass-a.
02:11
And I was sittingsjedenje in a hallwayhodnik one night
44
116000
3000
Sjedila sam u hodniku jedne noći
02:14
and a couplepar girlsdjevojke camedošao up to me.
45
119000
2000
kada mi je prišlo nekoliko djevojaka.
02:16
And they said, "Hey, do you want to jampekmez?"
46
121000
2000
Pitale su me: ''Hej, hoćeš svirati s nama?"
02:18
And I was like, "Sure."
47
123000
2000
"Naravno!", rekla sam.
02:20
So I pickedizabran up my banjobendžo
48
125000
2000
Uzela sam svoj bendžo,
02:22
and I nervouslynervozno playedigrao fourčetiri songsPjesme that I actuallyzapravo knewznao with them.
49
127000
3000
i nervozno odsvirala one četiri pjesme koje sam zapravo znala s njima.
02:25
And a recordsnimiti executiveizvršni walkedhodao up to me
50
130000
2000
Tada mi je prišao direktor izdavačke kuće
02:27
and invitedpozvan me to NashvilleNashville, TennesseeTennessee to make a recordsnimiti.
51
132000
3000
i pozvao me u Nashville, Tenessee da snimim ploču.
02:30
(LaughterSmijeh)
52
135000
4000
(Smijeh)
02:37
It's been eightosam yearsgodina,
53
142000
4000
Otad je prošlo osam godina,
02:41
and I can tell you that I didn't go to ChinaKina to becomepostati a lawyerodvjetnik.
54
146000
4000
i mogu vam reći da nisam otišla u Kinu kako bih postala odvjetnica.
02:45
In factčinjenica, I wentotišao to NashvilleNashville.
55
150000
2000
Otišla sam umjesto toga u Nashville.
02:47
And after a fewnekoliko monthsmjeseci I was writingpisanje songsPjesme.
56
152000
3000
I nakon nekoliko mjeseci, pisala sam pjesme.
02:50
And the first songpjesma I wrotenapisao was in Englishengleski,
57
155000
2000
Prva koju sam napisala bila je na engleskom,
02:52
and the seconddrugi one was in Chinesekineski.
58
157000
3000
druga na kineskom.
02:56
(MusicGlazba)
59
161000
3000
(Glazba)
02:59
[Chinesekineski]
60
164000
10000
(Pjeva na kineskom)
03:09
OutsideIzvan your doorvrata the worldsvijet is waitingčekanje.
61
174000
2000
♫ Pred tvojim vratima čeka svijet. ♫
03:11
InsideUnutar your heartsrce a voiceglas is callingzvanje.
62
176000
2000
♫ U tvome srcu doziva glas. ♫
03:13
The fourčetiri cornerskutovi of the worldsvijet are watchinggledanje,
63
178000
2000
♫ Sve četiri strane svijeta promatraju, ♫
03:15
so travelputovati daughterkći, travelputovati.
64
180000
3000
♫ i zato putuj, kćeri, putuj. ♫
03:18
Go get it, girldjevojka.
65
183000
2000
♫ Idi, zgrabi to, djevojko. ♫
03:20
(ApplausePljesak)
66
185000
9000
(Pljesak)
03:29
It's really been eightosam yearsgodina sinceod that fatedsudbina night in KentuckyKentucky.
67
194000
4000
I doista je prošlo osam godina od te sudbonosne noći u Kentuckyju.
03:33
And I've playedigrao thousandstisuća of showspokazuje.
68
198000
2000
Odsvirala sam tisuće nastupa.
03:35
And I've collaboratedsurađivao
69
200000
2000
I surađivala
03:37
with so manymnogi incrediblenevjerojatan, inspirationalinspirativna musiciansglazbenici around the worldsvijet.
70
202000
4000
s toliko nevjerojatnih, inspirativnih glazbenika diljem svijeta.
03:41
And I see the powervlast of musicglazba.
71
206000
2000
I vidim moć glazbe.
03:43
I see the powervlast of musicglazba
72
208000
2000
Vidim moć koju glazba ima da
03:45
to connectSpojiti cultureskulture.
73
210000
2000
poveže kulture.
03:47
I see it when I standstajati on a stagefaza
74
212000
2000
Vidim to kada stojim na pozornici
03:49
in a bluegrassBluegrass festivalfestivala in eastistočno VirginiaVirginia
75
214000
2000
na bluegrass festivalu u istočnoj Virginiji,
03:51
and I look out at the seamore of lawntravnjak chairsstolice
76
216000
2000
kada pogledam prema moru sjedalica
03:53
and I bustpoprsje out into a songpjesma in Chinesekineski.
77
218000
3000
i započnem pjevati na kineskom.
03:56
[Chinesekineski]
78
221000
3000
(Pjeva na kineskom)
03:59
And everybody'ssvatko je eyesoči just poppop wideširok openotvoren
79
224000
3000
I oči sviju samo se širom otvore,
04:02
like it's going to fallpad out of theirnjihov headsglave.
80
227000
3000
kao da će im ispasti iz glava.
04:05
And they're like, "What's that girldjevojka doing?"
81
230000
2000
I kažu nešto kao: ''Što ta cura radi?''
04:07
And then they come up to me after the showpokazati
82
232000
3000
A onda mi priđu nakon nastupa
04:10
and they all have a storypriča.
83
235000
2000
i svatko od njih ima priču.
04:12
They all come up and they're like,
84
237000
2000
Priđu i kažu mi:
04:14
"You know, my aunt'stetka je sister'ssestre babysitter'sdadilja je dog'spas je chickenpiletina wentotišao to ChinaKina
85
239000
4000
''Ma znaš, babysitterica sestre moje tetke ima psa čije je pile otišlo u Kinu
04:18
and adoptedusvojen a girldjevojka."
86
243000
2000
i posvojilo djevojčicu.''
04:20
And I tell you what, it like everybody'ssvatko je got a storypriča.
87
245000
4000
I, kažem vam, svatko ima priču.
04:24
It's just incrediblenevjerojatan.
88
249000
3000
To je sasvim nevjerojatno.
04:27
And then I go to ChinaKina
89
252000
2000
I onda odem u Kinu,
04:29
and I standstajati on a stagefaza at a universitysveučilište
90
254000
3000
stanem na pozornicu sveučilišta
04:32
and I bustpoprsje out into a songpjesma in Chinesekineski
91
257000
2000
i započnem pjevati na kineskom,
04:34
and everybodysvi singspjeva alonguz
92
259000
3000
i svi oni pjevaju sa mnom,
04:37
and they roarRika with delightzadovoljstvo
93
262000
2000
urlaju od zadovoljstva,
04:39
at this girldjevojka
94
264000
2000
s tom djevojkom,
04:41
with the hairdlaka and the instrumentinstrument,
95
266000
2000
s kosom i instrumentom,
04:43
and she's singingpjevanje theirnjihov musicglazba.
96
268000
3000
koja pjeva njihovu muziku.
04:47
And I see, even more importantlyvažnije,
97
272000
4000
I vidim, što je još važnije,
04:51
the powervlast of musicglazba to connectSpojiti heartssrca.
98
276000
3000
moć koju glazba ima da povezuje srca.
04:54
Like the time I was in SichuanSichuan ProvincePokrajina
99
279000
3000
Kao kada sam posjetila provinciju Sichuan,
04:57
and I was singingpjevanje for kidsdjeca in relocationpreseljenje schoolsškola
100
282000
3000
pjevala djeci u izmještenim školama
05:00
in the earthquakepotres disasterkatastrofa zonezona.
101
285000
2000
u zoni pogođenoj katastrofalnim potresom.
05:02
And this little girldjevojka comesdolazi up to me.
102
287000
3000
Prišla mi je ta mala djevojčica.
05:05
[Chinesekineski]
103
290000
6000
(Govori na kineskom)
05:11
"BigVeliki sistersestra WongWong,"
104
296000
2000
''Velika sestro Wong,''
05:13
WashburnWashburn, WongWong, sameisti differencerazlika.
105
298000
4000
Washburn, Wong, ista stvar. (Smijeh.)
05:17
"BigVeliki sistersestra WongWong, can I singpjevati you a songpjesma
106
302000
3000
''Velika sestro Wong, mogu li ti otpjevati pjesmu
05:20
that my mommama sangpjevao for me
107
305000
2000
koju mi je mama pjevala
05:22
before she was swallowedproguta in the earthquakepotres?"
108
307000
4000
prije nego ju je progutao potres?''
05:26
And I satsat down,
109
311000
2000
Sjela sam,
05:28
she satsat on my lapkrug.
110
313000
2000
ona je sjela na moje krilo.
05:30
She startedpočeo singingpjevanje her songpjesma.
111
315000
3000
I počela je pjevati svoju pjesmu.
05:33
And the warmthtoplinu of her bodytijelo
112
318000
3000
Toplina njezinog tijela,
05:36
and the tearssuze rollingvaljanje down her rosyružičast cheeksobrazi,
113
321000
4000
i suze koje su se slijevale niz njezine ružičaste obraze,
05:40
and I startedpočeo to cryplakati.
114
325000
3000
natjerale su me u plač.
05:43
And the lightsvjetlo that shonegranulo off of her eyesoči
115
328000
4000
Svjetlo koje se širilo iz njezinih očiju
05:47
was a placemjesto I could have stayedostao foreverzauvijek.
116
332000
4000
učinilo je to mjesto mjestm na kojem bih mogla ostati zauvijek.
05:51
And in that momenttrenutak, we weren'tnisu our AmericanAmerički selvessebe,
117
336000
3000
I u tom trenutku mi nismo bili svoji ''američki Ja'',
05:54
we weren'tnisu our Chinesekineski selvessebe,
118
339000
2000
nismo bili svoji ''kineski Ja'',
05:56
we were just mortalssmrtnici
119
341000
4000
bili smo samo smrtnici
06:00
sittingsjedenje togetherzajedno in that lightsvjetlo that keepsčuva us here.
120
345000
5000
što sjede zajedno u tom svjetlu koje nas održava ovdje.
06:05
I want to dwellnastane in that lightsvjetlo
121
350000
4000
Želim prebivati u tom svjetlu
06:09
with you and with everyonesvatko.
122
354000
2000
s vama i sa svima.
06:11
And I know U.S.-China-Kina relationsodnosi
123
356000
2000
I znam da odnosi Sjedinjenih Država i Kine
06:13
doesn't need anotherjoš lawyerodvjetnik.
124
358000
2000
ne trebaju još jednog odvjetnika.
06:15
Thank you.
125
360000
2000
Hvala vam.
06:17
(ApplausePljesak)
126
362000
10000
(Pljesak)
Translated by Ivana Kordic
Reviewed by Tilen Pigac - EFZG

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Abigail Washburn - Clawhammer banjo player
Abigail Washburn pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, creating results that feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody's ever heard before.

Why you should listen
If American old-time music is about adopting earlier, simpler ways of life and music-making, Abigail has proven herself a bracing challenge to that tradition. A singing, songwriting, Chinese-speaking, Illinois-born, Nashville-based, clawhammer banjo player, Abigail is every bit as interested in the present and the future as she is in the past, and every bit as attuned to the global as she is to the local. From the recovery zones of earthquake-shaken Sichuan to the hollers of Tennessee, she pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds, and the results feel both strangely familiar and unlike anything anybody’s ever heard before. To put it another way, she changes what seems possible.
More profile about the speaker
Abigail Washburn | Speaker | TED.com