Bolivian Flute Music

We had a lovely evening the other night. We were invited to an intimate little gathering at the Ten Thousand Villages boutique to hear a Bolivian pan flute musician named Efrain (pronounced Eee.fra-in). There were 15 of us scattered at little tables around the transformed shop. Lights were dim and cozy, textiles and tapestries softened the walls and ceiling, and incense wafted through the still air. My husband found a little rattan love seat that we could snuggle on to enjoy the beautiful music.

Efrain, a native of Bolivia, had long, jet-black hair and traditional, colorful dress. He played a mix of traditional folk music, self-composed instrumentals, and Christian songs such as On My Knees by Jacqui Velasquez, and El Shaddai. In between the songs, he spoke of growing up in a small village, his early love of music, and his journey toward playing music professionally. Eventually, he developed a deep faith in Jesus Christ and a ministry to be a witness to Him through his music.

There was an intermission featuring a variety of fruit, a chocolate fountain, coffee and cheescake. We all had a chance to chat with Efrain as well. We learned that he made all his own instruments, which included quite a mix of flutes. He innovated a finer bamboo mouthpiece for the pan flute, made single bamboo flutes and even aluminum flutes. He also showed us other instruments, like a 10-string one that resembled a ukelele. Efrain has played concerts all over the world, in venues small and (very) large. We were very priviliged to enjoy such a special concert. Thank you, Melody, of He, She and Me, for hosting the event!

Ten Thousand Villages Part II

Took another trip to He, She and Me and used my gift cards for a Ten Thousand Villages purchase. As you can see above, it is a bud vase, made of polished onyx. It is so pretty! There were also apples and pears in onyx, smaller in size (the size of a real, small apple or pear). There were a million things I wanted - I'll definitely be going back.

Ten Thousand Villages

I went to a little shop locally called "He, She and Me." It is a delightful shop, part customized clothing, part coffee shop and part showroom for craftsmanship from all over the world. A great deal of the very artful displays consists of merchandise from Ten Thousand Villages. This is a way for true craftsman from every corner of the world to sell their art for fair market value. The variety and beauty of the items is truly amazing. The craftsmanship is impressive. And the prices are very reasonable. With each item comes a Romance Card, telling a little about how the item is made. There is jewelry, scarves, candle holders, vases and teapots and baskets, musical instruments, planters, stationery, journals and photo albums, pictures made of straw, Faberge eggs and stacking dolls from Russia, and on and on it goes. I bought a little paperweight, made of a river rock from Vietnam. The artist puts 8 coats of varnish and iron oxide, with each coat taking up to a week to dry. Then he painted the koi and covered it all with a clear coat. It's so smooth and unique! Going to the shop is like visiting an art museum, only with pieces you can actually afford to buy. Especially since I got gift cards to the shop from my youngest son for Mother's Day!