Sep 27/08
Yunnan proposals
It’s not just birthdays we’re excited about here at Benn loxo.
I’m getting married.
A few weeks ago while on the hike on a muddy path overlooking Tiger Leaping Gorge, below Jade Dragon Mountain, I proposed to the lovely Marie Louise Congo .. and she said yes.
It’s so wonderful to share these travels - this music - with someone so amazing. My international search for the Good Sound is no longer a solo affair.
After hiking the rest of the high trail, still a little stunned by it all, we spent the next few days in the Shaxi valley with Wu Yunxin and his wife. There we hung out at markets, taught at a primary school and hiked around ancient, Buddhist rock carvings in the surrounding mountains.
If you ever make it to a Shaxi valley Friday market - and you should - you’ll see many colourfully-dressed Yi women selling their wares. Though the Bai people dominate the population of the Shaxi valley towns, the Yi come down on market days from their secluded mountain villages.
I picked-up some Yi music recorded by Laurent Jeanneau of Kink Gong while in Dali a few days later. Although the people of the Yi sub-group who he recorded aren’t the same as those we met in the Shaxi valley, they’re part of the same ethnic minority. Plus, appropriately, they sing several songs about marriage.
Louise, think of this as a musical toast to our future. I love you.
Laluo Yi singers - I want to marry you
Tags: china, shaxi, yi, yunnan
September 27th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Matt,
Although we’ve never met on your travels, it feels as if I know you - thanks to your music. I was lucky enough to find someone who shares my love as music as well - I hope you and Louise are as happy as we are.
Congratulations and all best wishes,
Jed
September 27th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
congratulations. thanks for a wonderful, eye and ear opening website.
September 27th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Congratulations matt! all the best for the future to you both, and thanks for the continuing stream of wonderful music and your accompanying enthusiasm
September 28th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Congratulations! Thanks for your great site, and best of luck to you and Marie.
September 28th, 2008 at 10:25 am
congratulations!!
September 28th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Congratulations, Matt!
I wish both of you the best of luck and a long, happy life together.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Congratulations to the both of you!
September 29th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Matt,
congratulations on the birthday, but even more so on the impending nuptials. that’s fantastic news.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Congratulations!
Jozef
September 30th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Congratulations, Matt.
Like so many here, I don’t know you at all, but can’t help feel a great joy at your news. And what a fantastic way to propose! May you have many many happy years ahead of you both.
So, will we all be invited to the wedding party???
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
Matt and Marie Louise may your marriage be fruitful and continually blessed by all the gods in all the countries that you both visit … it might take a while to get used to all Matts friends - especially the ones he has never met - but I suspect we are a generous and somewhat eccentric bunch - a litte like Matt - Chris A
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Congratulations mister benn loxo! Your marriage will be as harmonious as your taste in music…
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
De passage par hasard sur Benn Loxo…très heureux pour vous deux et que la fête commence! - Thierry
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 am
Congrats, man. I’m happy to have found your site, which I return to regularly with the expectation of hearing cool stuff. Loved the music from Syria.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:24 am
Best wishes to you both! I wish you all the best.
October 6th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Congratulations! I hope you have as happy a life together as I have with my partner-30 years of continuous challenges and joy!
October 6th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Congratulations Matt,
Great news, man. Wishing you and Marie-Louise a life of happiness … played to an highlife and afrobeat soundtrack, obviously!
Glenn and Merydth
October 10th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Congratulations on the proposal from a fellow Canadian. Bon chance.
October 11th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Oh dear! Well, I’m quite ashamed I forgot to send you the birthday present, and now I’m already late for the wedding one…
Ok here’s something that I hope you will enjoy for at least a lifetime. In case you won’t travel the US, or if you want to check a few sounds before your departure, head to http://www.archive.org/details/etree and enjoy! They even have many recordongs available in FLAC format!
My personnal recommendation for bennloxo would of course be Toubab Krewe, in some of their 2008 performances that you will find on this archive.
Love,
David
October 13th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Congratulations Matt!
from
Victoria CANADA
October 18th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
congratulations matt & marie louise! i hope you have a wonderful, long & musical life together!
from a longtime reader, for whom many of the excellent west african music picks represented a virtual gateway into the region (probably even somewhat responsible for an overland trip & a subsequent move to Dakar, where i am now writing from).
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:25 am
Congratulations Matt!! Wish you the best from Argentina
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Congratulations… I have been living with Benn loxo for the past years… so not only the birthday also your wedding announcement is really impressive! All the best for the two of you, and thanks so much for everything! (i agree, i never met you but it feels like i somehow know you…) Felicitations!
October 25th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Congratulations Matt! Thanks for sharing it and the music.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Thanks, everyone. I’m really touched that so many of you left comments! Feel free to crash the wedding.