Aisling - A Walk in the Park

Aisling's first music video, featuring original tunes by Andi Wolfe:

A Walk in the Park
Drakensberg Storm
All Roads Lead to Underberg

These tunes were inspired by a memorable field season in South Africa and Lesotho in 2003. Andi is a botanist who works on parasitic plants in southern Africa. The 2003 field season was for a trip to the Drakensberg mountains and the highlands of Lesotho in search of Hyobanche, a parasitic genus in the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae). Collecting in these areas involves a lot of hiking and climbing in some breath taking scenery. Andi's field assistants included her graduate student, Jeff Morawetz, and two young lads from Cape Town who were the most amazing climbers: Nick and Chris Laidler. Andi isn't a young lass anymore and so it was kind of hard to keep up with these young men in the mountains. Thus, the title of the first tune is "A walk in the park" to commemorate one evening, after a very long hike, when Andi complained to these lads about how they thought these grueling hikes were just a walk in the park.

The second tune is in honor of the amazing thunderstorms that hit the highlands about noon each day. Thunder, lightning, torrential rains, hail stones the size of golf balls - you name it, you got it. Wow! Nature's fury at its best.

The third tune in this set is in honor of the Underberg Hotel, where Andi's team spent way too many nights because they couldn't get into Lesotho via Bushman's Nek. Communication between them and the pony trek guides fell apart and they waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally, they drove up into Lesotho via Sani Pass. They had a lovely time at the Underberg Hotel, thanks to a pub and a lively bartender named Dean. The images in the video were taken by Andi Wolfe and are from the Drakensberg of South Africa and the highlands of Lesotho.

Aisling is a Celtic Folk band from central Ohio with band members including: Andi Wolfe (hammer dulcimer, fiddle, bodhran, vocals), Craig Caldwell (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Mary Bertke (banjo, bouzouki, vocals), Steve Wolfe (flute and tin whistle), and Stuart Brand (fiddle and flute). We play mostly traditional Irish music, but we also play our original tunes and arrange tunes to have a mix of genres ranging from jazz to chamber music.

Check our website at http://www.Aisling.us and our MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/aislingtrad for more information.

The Pilgrim's Road available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/aisling

Category:

Music

Tags:

• World
• Celtic
• Traditional
• Irish
• Indie
• Unsigned
• Folk

[AislingAndi]

ZeddZar - I'm glad these pics brought back some memories. The Drakensberg and Highlands of Lesotho are some of my favorite places on earth. I didn't notice any of the San paintings from where we were perched, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they were there and we missed it while experiencing the heavy rain and hail storms of the highlands.

[UISTMAN59]

Great video. *****

[AislingAndi]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Speilbox]

Great pictures and great Music!

[AislingAndi]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[ZeddZar]

Hi there, this brings back memories! I lived there (Bushman's Nek) in the late 60's early 70's and used to ride on horseback into those mountains during school holidays. Point of entry was the police post and then up Tomato Pass, a treacherous climb!

Looking at the pic at 1:40 looks very similar to a ledge under which were numerous Bushman paintings. I may be mistaken but the pic at 1:00 looks like you are looking back toward the border post. Thanks for the memories!!!

[eiregirl123]

Hey this is great I actually play the violin it's great to know tht there is other people out there that share my love for music!!

[pigsrulealot]

I agree, that flute player is so weird. (just kidding dad)

[SWolfeNI8W]

Really great music! You should lose that flute player, though (stinko). Just kidding. I'm... Doh!... I mean... He's not that bad.