MOUMBASSA

Single channel video, 4m 46s. 2011

 

I had never been to Turku. I built it in my head. I imagined the view from your window, looking at pictures of the church. I cooked recipes from the ‘Food of Finland’ cookbook my mom got me for my birthday. I took the metro with the ‘Finnois de poche’ book, listening the Kikka tapes you sent me, without understanding a single word. I didn’t care. I just re-wrote the lyrics.

Then I came here. I went to karaoke at Hulibumba, in Rovaniemi. I heard this woman sing Mombasa.

Back in Turku, I sat by the church, drinking by myself. The wind turned, I heard the distant sound of karaoke, across the river. I asked you to come and sing with me, as if you too, were re-writing that song, making it yours, ours. When we got up on stage, the hostess asked me how I was going to sing in Finnish if I couldn’t understand the words. You said: Hän ei puhu, mutta hän laulaa. She can’t speak, but she can sing.

It really doesn’t matter what this song is about. I know exactly what it’s about. I wrote it.

 


 

 

Created as part of an artist residency in Turku (Finland) in August 2011.

Additional credits: M. Källström (cast), A. Atanasova, E. Bergen, J. Luhio, M. Kankaanranta, R. Mannov Olesen, S. Mäntylä (camera)

Presented at B-Galleria.

(c) larose s. larose