The Jungle Book Reimagined – Lit

Share this review:

Jocelyn Bock is a musician and singer f composer of music for films and ballet performances; Includes a track record of Martin Scorsese Gangs of New York and Bjorn Range the wife. But she’s probably best known for her collaborations with director Stanley Kubrick – Bok composed the music for the dramatic Fancy Ball in his last film, closed eyes. The list is also long of pop and rock artists she’s worked with, from Laurie Anderson and The Cranberries to PJ Harvey and Peter Gabriel.

Her new record is the music for a modern reinterpretation of Rudyard Kipling Jungle Bookballet Reimagining The Jungle BookChoreographed by Akram Khan. Reworked to include both boat people and climate change, this is the story of Mowgli, a young woman who drifts away on a raft without her parents. She arrives on Earth and is cared for by the animals, herself refugees from zoos and laboratories, who are trying to take care of each other in the face of impending ecological disaster.

Bock’s music is presented without dialogue; The only anonymous voices are running how dare you, with parts of Greta Thunberg’s speech and sounds from radio or television. The music is dark and emotional. Bock draws inspiration from African rhythms and melodies from Eastern Europe and Asia. Connection is also found in the instruments, which include the gralla, duduk, and thumb piano. The singers’ backgrounds – British, Eastern European and Asian – also add to the sense of the multicultural world in which Mowgli lives.

Bock’s musical interpretation of this new reading of Jungle Book Beautiful and mysterious, sad and sad, cheerful and serious. It is filled with strong universal feelings: of loss, longing, and homesickness (Where did we come fromMexile); Pride (Majestic elephant); of concern and commitmenthow dare you); but also of hope (Discovery, mother’s lullaby).

It’s hard not to be affected by this record, by Bock’s music. Upset and upset.