The following excerpts of Raphaël Faramelli's logbook from some of his traveling in 2005–2008 to Africa, Asia and South–America.
The most recent, this year's travel notes can be found here.
Enjoy!
[ January 3, 2008 6:37:12 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Marc Faramelli
Subject: Vill Gleck am neien Joer 2008
Moien
Hoffentlech gess du net rosen hihi 2 mol Original an eng Fälschung !
de marc
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[ December 31, 2007 11:19:00 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Tunesia
La 224e représentation de Arthur B. Light devant 400 enfants à Nabeul, Tunisie, en compagnie de Marc Strasser nous améne à un constat: une "vrai" écoute du public s'est installée! à force de répéter le show aussi souvent. Cela nous donne une compréhension de ce public, son contexte socio-politique, son histoire, ses peurs et désirs... Ici on trouve des gens très vifs qui ont tout de suite envie de participer, c'est fort; des situations nouvelles et incroyables naissent: tout à coup il y a 20 "moustiques" dans la salle ou bien une jeune fille joue 10 minutes toute seule avec "notre" public etc. très beau festival de théâtre pour enfants, 13 nations, 5 spectacles et 2 workshops de jonglerie en 6 jours de voyage! Jiihaa!
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[ December 22, 2007 1:17:12 AM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: afrikfotos
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[ December 17, 2007 6:14:22 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Myriam Strauch
Subject: Re: West African Report
A toi de tout coeur, Merci pour le temps partagé, ces échanges fabuleux de franchise et d'energie , je ne regrette qu'une chose, une vrai bataille de polochons histoire de défouler ..... Energie quand tu nous tiens, merci de tes douceurs, jokes et mots ci dessus qui me touchent profondément !
...Atchao bonsoir ,
Mymi
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[ December 17, 2007 12:20:32 AM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Re: West African Report
Voila mes très chers, Un autre beau voyage qui s'achève! Après le Sénégal Magnifique, nous voici plus profondément en Afrique, là où il y a moins d'influences européenes: Burkina Faso, mélange d'une soixantaine d'ethnies nous révèle un beau public d'une grande douceur, des personnes très touchantes avec un imaginaire bien à part! Chaque passe magique le devient doublement puisque tout est déjà magique aux yeux des Burkinabais.
La qualite du Arthur-B.-Light-show s'améliore encore et toujours! Pourtant les conditions de jeu sont extrêmes; chaleur plombante, 35 degrés, rendez-vous manqués; l'heure africaine n'est décidémment pas la même que l'européene!, 500 enfants facilement par spectacle! critères sociaux très différents: nos amis ont envie de nous prendre en charge du matin au soir, alors bonjour notre chère intimité tant adorée! Spectacles dans deux villages Zedengha et Bama, jeu au centre des orphelins et enfants atteints du sida de Bobo-Dialassou, école de la deuxième chance a Sabou...
La relation avec Myriam qui défend courageusement les premiers pas de son association pour l'echange interculturel par le jeu appelée Cross my roads, se passe très bien. A nous deux on represente deux associations, ce qui n'est pas toujours facile au niveau des paperasses administratives ici. Myriam est un vrai travel reporter: caméraman, photographe, public relation manager, tour operator et même chauffeur de Sabou a Ouaga. Un grand merci pour son intrepide énergie.
Me voici donc un peu au bout du rouleau après 12 prestations ici et encore 2 a 3 dans les 2 prochains jours... heureux de vous retrouver et content de respirer un bol d'air frais pur et... luxembourgeois repectivement bruxellois.
Bien à vous!
Plein de soleil et d'amour
Raphaël
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[ December 9, 2007 4:06:03 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Senegal et Burkina
Voici quelques snapshots!
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[ December 2, 2007 6:37:52 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Senegal
Chers amis,
Un public jamais vu, vif, malin, incroyablement curieux, se battant pour venir voir le spectacle, "Toubab, Toubab," crient les enfants quand nous arrivons avec la charette tiré par les mules au village. Jamais je n'ai eu des applaudissements aussi forts et l'impression de surfer sur un lac de diamants noirs, les beaux yeux scintillants de ces gosses merveilleux. Ouaw, j'en reviens pas; encore un autre public, très différent de l'Asie ou de l'Amérique du Sud. Dieu merci! de rencontrer ces gens ici: tous mes préjugés bousculés, balayés. Tout à l'heure nous projettons de jouer pour les enfants talibés et demain retour pour Dakar et vol pour Ouagadougou. Vive l'aventure!
A bientôt
Raphael pour CmSF.be
[ November 15, 2007 2:12:26 PM GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: The Arthur B. Light news
The Arthur B. Light News Après
2 actions dans le cadre de Luxembourg 2007 - capitale culturelle - Europe, une avec Joaquin Fargas (Arg), beau duo intitulé "globaloonisation" et une animation avec Zaltimbanq' dans l'expo "All we need" aux époustoufflantes soufflantes de Esch, Arthur passe 2 mois à Bruxelles oµ il joue 6 cabarets avec Ziza en duo appelé "Poly et Esther". Après ce beau séjour dans la schizophrène Belgique au coeur de l'Europe qui n'a toujours pas de gouvernement depuis juillet passé ( on n'est pas loin des paranoïdes states of America!), en plus anarchique, Arthur se prépare au "clown-cloud" prochain pour survoler l'Afrique et y verser des larmes de joie et de rires, tout d'abord au Sénégal puis au Burkina Faso en duo avec crossmyroads, une organisation qui échange des jeux intercontinentaux et enfin il va terminer l'année en beauté en duo clownesk avec Marc Strasser de Zaltimbanq' en Tunisie. Son très cher travail de prof lui manquant, il reprendra ses activités à partir du 7 janvier 2008.
À bientôt, pour Arthur B. Light, son agent Raphael Faramelli
[ September 28, 2007 9:07:28 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: cabaret clowns sans frontieres
ola amigos,
en train de préparer le fameux cabaret à tour et taxis de bruxelles, venez nombreux samedi le 6 octobre à 15 et à 20 heures, ça va être très chouette!
Raphael pour cmsf
ps deuxième date le 12 octobre à Ath en soirée
[ September 12, 2007 3:54:39 AM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: the return
les voyages nous tranforment, au retour on doit se redéfinir. Qui suis-je devenu, qu'ai-je appris, qu'est-ce que je veux intégrer dans cette nouvelle/vieille vie: le constat de la différence entre vie nomade "libre" et vie sédentaire aux mille responsabiltés est elle de plus en plus douloureuse après chaque retour. "Réinsertion" sociale, retrouver les amis, la famille et les connaissances, les voisins, alors qu'on était un inconnu pendant des mois et tous les endroits si chargés de pleins de souvenirs alors que les lieux du voyage étaient tous frais, vierges, nouveaux à découvrir. Ici tout est connu ou peut-être à redécouvrir également avec mon nouveau moi qui a tant vécu, qui est plus riche et moins curieux? ou d'avantage, sensations étranges, jet lag, choc de température et d'ambiances, ... et ça repart: quotidien aimé, comfortable et haï l'ennuyeuse routine... pourtant si pratique et sécure
[ August 24, 2007 5:43:32 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: second world-tour loop closed
Voila, voila, amigos tan adorados,
la seconde boucle de tours du monde de Arthur B. Light s'achève, merci pour toutes vos réactions et merci à tous les partenaires organisateurs, parrains, marraines, amis et partenaires de jeu rencontrés lors de ses magnifiques périples. 42 spectacles au total! (3 en Birmanie, 18 au Laos, 5 à Luxembourg, 1 au Chili, 6 en Uruguay, 1 au Brésil et 8 en Argentine), quelques workshops et conférences pour 6 mois de voyage!
L'unique spectacle au Brésil dans une maison pour sans abris se termine en chanson, un vieil homme vint me remecier au nom de tous à la fin du show et dit que c'est toujours un peu triste chez eux, alors je réponds: "tristezza nao tem fin..." - chanson connu de Tom Jobim - et on chante ensemble, une petite larme dans l'oeil...
Les ultimes spectacles en Argentine dans des écoles pour sourds et handicapés moteurs et finalement 3 shows avec un ami de Patagonie du nom de Franco dans le métro de la capitale: beau défi!
Et maintenant vite vite taxi pour l'aéroport pour un long voyage de 20 heures pour embrasser le sol du petit Findel qui m'a tant manqué tous ces mois.
Abraçoes
Raphael
[ August 12, 2007 | 6:20:15 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: felicidade
Oi todos,
tristeza nao tem fim, felicidade, sim...
a felicidade e como a pluma
que o vento vai levando pelo ar
voa tao leve, mas tem a vida breve
precisa que haja vento sem parar...
a felicidade do pobre parece
a grande ilusao do carnaval
a gente trabalha o ano inteiro
por un momento di sonho
pra fazer a fantasia de rei ou pirata ou jardinheira
pra tudo se acabar na quarta-feira
Bahia, capitale de putes, drogués et touristes-gringos la con comme moi, se faisant harceler, harnaquer et ... à tout coin de rue . Vive le tourisme! qui bousille tout, a chaque rue son flic armé, c'est pas vrai! pour protéger le consommateur allègre dans ses chers plaisirs morbides sous les yeux avides et jamais satisfaits de clodos, putes et reputes, des gamins en pleine nuit et les mêmes au petits matins, mais quand est-ce qu´ils dorment? Pourtant le tourisme était concu au départ a un bel échange entre population locale curieuse et visiteur désireux également d'apprendre, de donner et de prendre des choses. Eh ben, c'est raté et ca me rend très triste, j'ai rien à faire ici, malgré l'incroyable beauté du lieu.
Demain, je joue dans un hôpital pour enfants atteints du cancer, et j'apprends le brésilien, j'ai un super prof qui me donne ce qu'il appelle un survival kit (et j'en ai bien besoin!) de 5 heures dans les prochains jours..., voilà très cher Brésil que j'adore et je hais en même temps, content de repartir sachant déjà qu'il va me manquer au retour dans l'Argentine, bien plus dure mais plus honnête!
Raphaesinhou
[ 2007-08-03 | 8:29:59 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: SaludArte, Uruguay
Subject: The right to happiness.
The right to happiness. SaludArte's Clowns spread laughter in Casa de Galicia Hospital. By Daiana Beitler.
As a result of a cooperation between SaludArte and Clowns without Borders, Raphaël Faramelli visited several groups and institutions of Uruguay. Multiple activities were organized both in Montevideo and in San José, a province close to the capital of the country. Raphaël and SaludArte's clowns participated in thematic workshops (magic, juggling, rhythm), a conference at the National Institute for Youth, and a very special visit to Casa de Galicia, a hospital in Montevideo. During the encounters, both organizations enriched each other by sharing experiences and by demonstrating, once again, how powerful it is to use laughter as a way to relieve people's suffering and to connect them across cultures, languages, and national borders.
It is a normal Friday in Casa de Galicia. It is only 5:00 pm, but the dark grey sky announces a cold night. The fourth floor appears empty, permeated by an immensurable silence …
[ 2007-08-02 | 8:23:40 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: SaludArte, Uruguay
Subject: Thank you, dear Rapha!
Introduction: The transformative power of happiness across national borders.
As a result of a cooperation between SaludArte and Clowns without Borders, Raphael Faramelli visited several groups and institutions of Uruguay. Multiple activities were organized both in Montevideo and in San José, a province close to the capital of the country. Raphael and SaludArte’s clowns participated in thematic workshops (magic, juggling, rhythm), a conference at the National Institute for Youth, and a very special visit to Casa de Galicia, a hospital in Montevideo. During the encounters, both organizations enriched each other by sharing experiences and by demonstrating, once again, how powerful it is to use laughter as a way to relieve people’s suffering and to connect them across cultures, languages, and national borders.
Discovering together Montevideo’s Magic and Rhythm.
By Lichi Sánchez
I had the honor of hosting Raphael Faramelli in my home during his stay in Montevideo, and the opportunity to accompany him to the different workshops and performances that he participated in. The first workshop was about juggling and he described the different circus schools and techniques. Raphael based his experience in the New Circus School in France. We were eight jugglers participating. The second workshop was about corporal rhythm and micro-magic.
The rest of the events were organized by SaludArte in cooperation with the Institute for Children and Adolescents in Uruguay (INAU), the National Association of Public Education (ANEP), and Clowns without Borders, respectively. On Tuesday, July 10th, we went to INAU and met up with Franco, a street child who was accompanied by Valentina (social worker). We headed together to a “Children’s Club”, located in Rio Branco, between 18 de Julio Avenue and Colonia street. We had lunch with the children and social workers from that institution. There were around 20 children, including Franco, who did not have any problems interacting with the rest of the crowd, even though he usually does. The whole event run smoothly and it was very enjoyable for all of us.
On Thursday, July 12th, we went to Escuela N° 85 in the neighborhood “El Cerro”, where we found 100 children, approximately. Rapha entertain them for quite a while, which is a lot to ask for in school with those characteristics. On Friday, he invited me to perform a duet with him in a very small school located in Guaraní and Buenos Aires streets, where we had some very magical moments together.
The magic of laughter as a universal language: Clowns without Borders and SaludArte share experiences in Montevideo.
By Federico Leone
SaludArte and Clowns without Borders organized a workshop at the Nacional Institute for Youth on Tuesday, July 10th. The purpose of the workshop was to learn and explore the wonderful tools that a clown can use in order to promote health and well-being in hospitals and other medical facilities. The workshop was leaded by Raphael Faramelli, an actor-clown trained in the School of Circus in Brussels, founder of Luxemburg’s school of Circus, and member of Clowns without Borders – Belgium.
The workshop counted with the presence of doctors, nurses, professors, educators, social workers and students. We exchanged information on best practices and learned from each other’s experiences, as well as from Raphael’s stories. Furthermore, we had a very interesting debate on the role of clowns in hospitals and other medical facilities, many of which are considered “difficult” to work from an artistic point of view.
It was a particularly enriching learning experience because Raphael shared vivid stories about the transformative power of the clown in the more than 14 countries that he has visited. In a certain way, he represents how magic and laughter can be a universal language that goes beyond cultural differences, and can have a tremendous impact in very disconnected and remote places of the world.
As a result of this experience, it became clear to us the importance of working with vulnerable populations and of using resources in order to promote well-being not just at home, but in the world as a whole. In fact, and as it was shown by Raphael’s stories, the presence of a clown can transform suffering into something magic, regardless of the local conditions and the geographical location.
Raphael also delighted us with some of his routines and close up tricks. We were amazed to see how he uses materials from a wide variety of cultures and cities, and transforms those very diverse and particular resources into working tools. Despite the cold weather in Montevideo, the two hours that we spent at the workshop were very warm and enjoyable. In fact, the encounter ended with each participant hugging each other.
The right to happiness: SaludArte’s Clowns spread laughter in Casa de Galicia Hospital.
By Daiana Beitler
It is a normal Friday in Casa de Galicia. It is only 5:00 pm, but the dark grey sky announces a cold night. The fourth floor appears empty, permeated by an immensurable silence. We hear someone crying from the distance, and a young woman is walking down the hallway holding a baby in her arms. The baby’s name is Facundo, he is only five years old and has been in hospital for several weeks now. He shares the room with Micaela, who is ten years old and keeps crying because she is bored and wants to leave her immaculate white bed.
Suddenly, the devastatingly grey hallway begins to change. One, two, three, four clowns emerge from a little room, and the whole atmosphere is magically transformed. Red noses and bright suits invade the atmosphere with colors, laughter, games, balloons, and bubbles. The clowns make Facundo smile, and they keep doing it, room by room, with the other ten kids staying in that hospital’s floor. Micaela tells me excitedly that the new “doctor” has prescribed her candy. Renzo’s mother, a young and single woman, affirms that it is the first time since her 10-month old baby was diagnosed with pneumonia. Santiago, who looks at me with sassiness, proudly walks down the hallway holding a dog made with balloons. Franco, a 6-month old baby, seems indifferent to the clowns, but all of a sudden stops coughing.
Every single moment is felt even more magical than the other: kids laugh, some more timidly, others enthusiastically; mothers and fathers, family members and friends, all seem relived and give us smiles that show a mixture of concern and tiredness; the nurses run to see the different performances, celebrate the jokes and seem to enjoy even more their own job; the suffering and different diseases, while a tangible and concrete presence, seem to fade away with every bubble that graciously falls in the hospital’s floor.
With the sound of that unexpected laughter and the tenderness of those smiles, the clowns go to the third floor to meet Antonio, a patient who has just turned a hundred and one years old. The musty smell of the little room penetrates our senses while Antonio and Walter look amazed at the clowns. Antonio, driven by his imagination, recognizes to his roommate that it is the first time in his life that he sees a blue-colored dog. And then, once again, that very special connection is magically established between clowns and patients. It is almost like a mutual complicity that transforms the way patients and practitioners deal with adversities and suffering.
It is, after all, that very human and real capacity to share humor and magic what invades room after room and transforms happiness into well-being. A woman with a tray in her lap offers us to join her for dinner; an older man decides to share his life story and chats eagerly about his family and how he misses them; an excited nurse poses with a clown for a picture and seriously requests to have the picture be sent to her house; a ninety-nine year-old women is moved by the clown’s attention and smiles like a teenager in love, demonstrating, once again, that communication goes beyond language and can conquer somebody’s heart with just a smile. And this is how, smile after smile, the clowns leave behind magic moments that remain in the hospital’s atmosphere and that brightens up a dark and cold winter night here in Montevideo.
*Program "Jarabe de risas" from SaludArte Fundation:
Guest actor-clown from Clowns without Borders: Raphael Faramelli
SaludArte’s Clowns: Lichi Sánchez, Federico Leone y Chiara Hourcade
Coordinator of the hospital program: Federico Leone
Executive director of SaludArte: Rasia Friedler
[ 2007-07-29 | 7:50:52 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Chili
Friends,
what a benediction to travel and be a clown! Nothing happened as planned in Santiago de Chile,(no responses to my mails of the contacts I had/ winter holidays...) but I met Amma, the "ambrassador" of Kerala and spend 3 magnificient days realizing what a beautiful service it is to serve the people especially clowns without borders. In that spirit we had a great show on saturday at a children's home in Trinidad/Santiago. The chilean public is very calm and attentif, a beautiful audience! Now I'm on my way back to Buenos Aires...for further adventures!
Lots of love and light from Raphael
[ 2007-07-14 | 3:56:40 AM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: I met a girl
Felt in love in the Montevideo hospital in Uruguay; she is 99!... and so cute!
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[ 2007-07-16 | 11:57:32 PM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Uruguayan report
Uruguay, chiquito pais, a "little" country between Brazil and Argentina, a bit forgotten because the poverty is quite recent, not spectacular like India yet the number of street kids and homeless people is increasing and a relatively small number of local associations and ONG exists.
The little tour of the belgic-payasso-el-raffael included 6 shows in Montevideo and San Jose, 4 Workshops (magic, rythm, juggling) and one conference about "clown tools for health".
A very nice and special public, soft and wild at the same time, well educated in geography: everybody knew where is Belgium and Luxemburg! We had a lot of fun!
I must thank also Beto from the french ambassy and Rasia, head of Saludarte for the nice and very professional work they did in organising and supporting clowns without borders.
Especially the duo with the local Clown Lichi from Saludarte and Los Juglares was a premiere for the most of the time solo-acting Arthur B. Light. We did two great shows and I appreciated the potential of the Uruguayan artist very much. Also in general, I must say that everything is possible here, a lot of young people with great skills, rehearsal places, very nice theatres and a lot of good will!
Good luck for Payassos Sin Fronteras Uruguay!
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[ 2007-07-06 | 3:10:11 AM GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: voyage, voyage
7.07.2007
Compañeros, compagñeras
j'ai l'impression d'apprendre plus en 2 mois de voyage payassien que en annees de confort quotidien carre grand-ducal. Est-ce le contexte sud-americain insecure, instable mais o combien enrichissant face aux certitudes inebranlables du luxembourgeois/oise. Alors bienvenu chaos, si je t'accepte quelle fureur de vivre s'ensuit. Me voila en route pour l'Uruguay avec un programme hypercharge, style oncolgie, conference pour le personnel medical "clown tools for health" et "Saludarte clownesk", workshops en jongle et magie et education sexuelle! ayeayeaye! puis visite du Chili d'une organisation luxembourgeoise (ah quand-meme!) et terminus au Bresil a Salvador de Bahia.Le projet avec le Art and Science Center porte ses fruit, on va presenter un chouette spectacle au festival du cirque des sciences au Luxembourg le 22 et 23 septembre (ah enfin!) Venez donc nombreux!
Hasta luego, amigos, les quiero mucho!
Raphael
[ 2007-06-23 | 1:30:34 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: show in gastro-hospital, Buenos Aires
21 junio 2007,
Amigos,
photos con Grupo de Paya-medicos, a kind of local Clini-clowns in Buenos Aires, Argentina, magic momentitos!
Raphael, payassos sin fronteras, Belgica
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[ 2007-05-23 | 12:04:58 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: europe tour
dear friends,
how nice to be back in blossoming Europe smelling honey everywhere...
after a grandios' festival at the little luxemburgish Zaltimbanq' circus tent, which becomes one of the best festivals in the world in his genre, I hit the road to Stockholm for the clowns-without-borders annual international meeting and met back friends from all over the world to exchange viewpoints. Enriching!
Back to Brussels for a nice cabaret at the Roseraie and a meeting of the local Clowns sans frontieres, I'm visiting Amsterdam for a little chillout. The idea is to work again on my show to improve certain details and for this I plan to meet Michel Herrmann in Marseille and do a rythm workshop in Swizzerland before attacking Southamerica again... nice programm, isn't it!
Good luck wishes the globe-trotter Raphael
[ 2007-05-08 | 5:42:54 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Bernadette Umunyana
Subject: nouvelles de laos
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[ 2007-04-12 | 15:10:54 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: happy birthday!
Vientiane 12th of april 2007,
Happy Birthday, Arthur!
Arthur B. Light tourne depuis 2 ans pile aujourd'hui! 157 shows en 14 pays (Lux, B, F, D, Sweden, Slovenia, Thai, Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia)= 3 continents! Starts to be fun! Good to play so often!
Practice makes the master! Learnt a lot, still a lot to learn!
Sok di Pii Mai - good luck for the new year, yes it is Lao new year!
The year 2550 starts tomorrow!
[ 2007-04-01 | 18:35:15 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: The Aka-tour!
Hi folks,
just back from a short trip to the Aka-tribe villages/Muang Sing/Laos in the so-called Golden triangle, the border beetween Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and China. What a great experience, entering ethnic villages and having a little show as a gift, I did about seven shows. One special show for a single person and a few kids which brought us to him, an isolated man: he suffers from leprosy, but what a wonderful person with a big touching smile, when he watches the magic tricks we present him. My guide and angel is the dedicated, with an insolent working power, Leila Srour, pediatrician since 5 years in Lao and founder of a beautiful children center: the Meung Kabua , the butterfly chidren centre. Show and magic worshop, songs, guitar and a lot of joy from Lao wishes Raphael alias Kham La.
[ 2007-04-01 | 13:27:30 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: little story
"So why are you doing this" asks the man in his freshly polished black leather jacket. - "Well, to give some fun to the depressed and upset people in this country" - " Hm, interesting, but why, I still don't understand?"- " Well, I enjoy doing these shows and want to share my pleasure!" - " So,so, but why you share pleasure", he asks again with a thought behind of some hidden money or raise of status that I should probably get in performing clown-acts in front of underfed children. " See isn't it a right for every child to smile" - " Well, you know what we think about the human-right-business, it is a strategic weapon of the Westbloc to justify their mixing up with our politcs and I wish to ask you another question: don't you feel ashamed when you loose your face like that in front of these people which are already disabled?" -" I'm sorry Sir, but I worked about twenty years to loose my face like that easily and spontaneously, it's called "clowning" and supposed to do good and bring some relief! thank you and good night!" And I took up my way home to my guesthouse. (meeting of a civil burmese intelligence cop and a clown from Luxembourg).
[ 2007-03-24 | 18:14:31 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Burma alias Myanmar: enjoying the taste of totalitarian...
Amigos y amigas,
3 major events in Burma,
la prise en charge de mes spectacles 'Clowns sans frontieres' par MSF Suisse, Save the Children et MSF Hollande; je suis grandement ravi du travail que font ces organismes sur place. MSF Hollande a su procurer des soins a plus de 1 million de patients l'an dernier et ils ont un staff de 1000 personnes dont 900 locaux! Puissant! Cela m'a permis de jouer avec les permissions des pouvoirs "publics" si on peut les appeler ainsi. Je viens de jouer pour des personnes atteintes du sida et les under-feds, j'en ai les larmes aux yeux.
seconde rencontre incroyable, 4 jours avec les Moustache-Brothers, contraints depuis 10 ans de jouer chez eux et qui cassent la baraque tous les soirs pour les touristes afin d'informer sur le gouverment atroce en place. Voici des jeunes gens qui ont du courage. 2 des brothers ont fait 7 ans de prison puisque le gouvernement n'approuve pas leur humour! Eh ben, ils continuent avec le statut de prisonnier politique et ils se donnent le titre de ONG! Ils sont sur la black-list, ne peuvent recevoir aucun engagement, "no visa, no passport!". 4 jours inoubliables , on regardait le film de Arthur ensemble, question de les faire voyager un peu... et on a fait plein de photos pour les copains...
Alors ultime event, mon appareil photo disparu, quand je descend sur Bangkok, costaud le KGB, horrible sentiment de ne pouvoir faire confiance a personne qui te poursuit partout et tout le temps dans ce pays, le sentiment qu'ont eu nos parents/ grands-parents pendant la guerre probablement, "vive la Chine, vive l'Opium et vive la dictature militaire, continuez comme cela, bravo: 45 ans! pas mal! pour un gouvernement". Cela augmente encore la sublime generosite du peuple Birman duquel ils ont mis under house-arrest leur prix nobel de la paix, la Dame Aung San Suu Kii, il faut l'imaginer pour le croire...
These were the news, now I'm on the way to the chinese border in Lao called Muang-Sing, where they have refugeecamps of the Shan, an burmese ethnic tribe... instructive the travelling! Indeed!
Raphaello
[ 2007-03-24 | 18:15:09 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: myanmar photos
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[ 2007-03-24 | 18:14:31 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: Burma alias Myanmar: enjoying the taste of totalitarian...
Amigos y amigas,
3 major events in Burma,
la prise en charge de mes spectacles 'Clowns sans frontieres' par MSF Suisse, Save the Children et MSF Hollande; je suis grandement ravi du travail que font ces organismes sur place. MSF Hollande a su procurer des soins a plus de 1 million de patients l'an dernier et ils ont un staff de 1000 personnes dont 900 locaux! Puissant! Cela m'a permis de jouer avec les permissions des pouvoirs "publics" si on peut les appeler ainsi. Je viens de jouer pour des personnes atteintes du sida et les under-feds, j'en ai les larmes aux yeux.
seconde rencontre incroyable, 4 jours avec les Moustache-Brothers, contraints depuis 10 ans de jouer chez eux et qui cassent la baraque tous les soirs pour les touristes afin d'informer sur le gouverment atroce en place. Voici des jeunes gens qui ont du courage. 2 des brothers ont fait 7 ans de prison puisque le gouvernement n'approuve pas leur humour! Eh ben, ils continuent avec le statut de prisonnier politique et ils se donnent le titre de ONG! Ils sont sur la black-list, ne peuvent recevoir aucun engagement, "no visa, no passport!". 4 jours inoubliables , on regardait le film de Arthur ensemble, question de les faire voyager un peu... et on a fait plein de photos pour les copains...
Alors ultime event, mon appareil photo disparu, quand je descend sur Bangkok, costaud le KGB, horrible sentiment de ne pouvoir faire confiance a personne qui te poursuit partout et tout le temps dans ce pays, le sentiment qu'ont eu nos parents/ grands-parents pendant la guerre probablement, "vive la Chine, vive l'Opium et vive la dictature militaire, continuez comme cela, bravo: 45 ans! pas mal! pour un gouvernement". Cela augmente encore la sublime generosite du peuple Birman duquel ils ont mis under house-arrest leur prix nobel de la paix, la Dame Aung San Suu Kii, il faut l'imaginer pour le croire...
These were the news, now I'm on the way to the chinese border in Lao called Muang-Sing, where they have refugeecamps of the Shan, an burmese ethnic tribe... instructive the travelling! Indeed!
Raphaello
[ 2007-03-24 | 17:17:05 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: bama
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[ 2007-03-10/12 | 13:55:56 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: foto peter
Here's a foto with Peter an australian English teacher who worked in China for 5 months and who went wiyh me to Dcdc last tuesday.
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[ 2007-03-11 | 16:04:51 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: this is a foto from the blind hospital... 11th of march-show
These are photos from the director and the kids of the hospital for the blind, WE had a great show, very new experience for me; tap-shoes and beatbox aren't that bad for an entertainer... juggling was less effective. Notice that Arthur B. Light deserved a brandnew suit!
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[ 2007-03-06 | 16:18:07 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: first round picture: Lao for the second time in depth!
Mot Tuk Khon, Hello everybody
Sharing the Arthur B. Light World Tour-movie first with my Thai-juggler-friends, I spend a projection-time today at DCDC, a chidren centre near Ventiane, Lao where I played last year. Anyway it's nearly to hot to perform, so such a film-projection is welcomed. I had the nice feeling, that when the kids see themselves as beeing part of a movie and of a tour around other places in the world, they were quite happy and applauded spontaneously. I also gave a copy of the movie to the Sunshine School and to my tour-"angels" Somchit and Mrs Xuyen. I played in a primary school, from where I shall send you some pictures and in the rehab-center of an hospital, called 109, a quite desolate place, where I want to go back share a little more moments with the quite abondonned amputed, deaf and blinds. Yes! on saturday, I'm invited to perform for the blind! What an experience that will be!
The quality of the show improved and it starts to get really funny (which is a good thing for a clown, I believe!). Next Tuesday I fly to Myanmar and my plan is to visit the Moustache-brothers, a local clown-trio put in jail for 5 years under the military dictatorship because of the satirical touch of their shows... So, let's go on with the adventures...
Sok Dii, good luck!
Raphael Faramelli, clowns without borders, Belgium
[ 2006-09-06 | 12:26:26 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: the swedish red-nose-day report
Hey everybody,
It's already a few days that I stay with my clown-friends in the cosy city of Stockholm sharing the summer-end and of course some clown-activities.
The rednoseday, held 3rd of september in Gröna Lund, a fairground was a wonderfull success; "nothing can stop the clown" , not even the bad wheater that day. About one hundred artists "mingling" around and performing on several stages. Exceptional performances by the Burnout Punks, Sirqus Alfon and others stimulating a huge crowd where I noticed and incredible great number of youngsters, so I think we can die peacefully, the movement will go on!
The idea of a cooperation with a fairground is excellent as you don't have to animate a dead place, the place is already alive and the visitors are there for sure. A suggestion would be to give circus-tapes to the shopkeepers on that day so to break the global techno-isation and have and even nicer musical atmosphere around the whole fairground.
The day after I had the chance to see the recent 50 minutes Jordan-show with again an excellent movie; 4 wonderful Circus-Circôr-acrobats alterning with 4 clowns gave a wonderful mixture of non-sense. It's also the second really exceptional movie I saw by the swedish team. I think we have to engage them to create an international movie of the nomoreborderclowns one day. The aim was to put mass-awareness on the delicate middle-east conflict and put it under another light what succeeded in a fantastic way!
So much inspiration! "I think we should visit each others on such
beautiful days". (idea of Joel from Sweden)
Raphael Faramelli for Clowns et magiciens sans frontières Belgium
[ 2006-04-05 | 02:47:39 GMT+03:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: ultime rapport avant retour
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Voila, très chers partenaires "électroniques" de mes voyages, si précieux pour moi!
Le retour est proche, slight return tout en douceur. Après la visite de la foudroyante Foz do Iguazu au Brésil, je me suis aventuré au Parana et joué 6 spectacles dans différentes institutions; public chaleureux, c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire, très curieux, prêt à tout - superbes retours, j'ai visité le Paraguay et l'Uruguay et suis retourné en Argentine pour 4 autres spectacles sous l'oeil bienveillant de Joaquim Fargas, directeur du Art and Science Center de Buenos Aires, devenu ami par la suite, auquel je dois l'organisation de ces spectacles dans un orphelinat et un hôpital.
Ensuite l'envolée vers la Bolivie qui est le 12eme et dernier pays du périple, j'ai joué 9 fois avec grand succès. 4 spectacles dans des prisons de Cochabamba m'ont fortement marqué: malgré la pauvreté, je pense que humainement parlant, il est plus intérssant de faire de la "taule" en Bolivie que aux Etats-unis par exemple.
Au total the Arthur B. Light -show à été joué 48 fois lors de ce grand tour (grand total 96 fois avec les 48 spectacles joués en Europe avant le départ) et je suis très content de l'expérience et surtout des magnifiques rencontres! et à la fois heureux de vous retrouver en live et bien alive!
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Je tiens à remercier particulièrement mes marraines et parrains locaux qui m'ont introduit à chaque fois dans des lieux de grande inspiration personnelle: Maggie Eno au Cambodge, Sheila Catell au Vietnam, Xuyen Dangers au Laos, Melanie Hamilton et Jonathan Brugh en Nouvelle-Zélande, Poppy en Thailande, Moshe Cohen aux Etas-Unis, Fraukje Bueno au Brésil, Michaela Balke, Hermana Edith et Wiler Vidaurre en Bolivie, directeur de l'escuela de theatro, de arte y talentos de Cochabamba et Joaquim Fargas en Argentine.
Un grand merci à Michael en Finlande pour la mise à jour des rapports sous Clownswithoutborders/Raphael/log. Ci-joint quelques photos de Julieta Mosses et de Juanguardia8@hotmail.com
Ma plus grande reconnaissance va également à l´organisation des clowns sans frontières sous le chapeautage desquels il est simplement magnifique de présenter un cadeau de pure joie à des êtres humains "humains" (homo sapiens ça-piense trop des fois).
J'espère avoir été un digne représentant de payassos sin fronteras et je souhaite continuer à servir cette cause.
Raphaël
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[ 2006-03-07 | 21:34:29 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: San Francisco, Las Vegas and now Buenos Aires...
Hola todos,
The US-trip led me to Moshe Cohen, the clown-ambassador, who probably leads the Zaltimbanq-family workshop with Giga and Till this summer in Luxembourg, it would be great!
I met Helene Turcotte and Jeff Raz, director of the San Francisco Circus Center respectively the Clown conservatory and greatly appreciated their work.
In Las Vegas, I saw the blue man group and last but not least the last cirque du soleil-show called Kha: surrealist beyond a dimension called human! The amazing Jonathan, a comic-trash magician not to miss.
Now and since three weeks I´m in Buenos Aires attending spanish and Tango lessons. I played in the vijas (argentinian favelas) with an extraordinary good reception of the niños-audience overthere. Very different from Asia, but the Arturo C. Lighte-show works quite well.
I´m on my way to Igacu-falls and hope to play there at the brasilian side.
Hasta luego.
Raphael
[ 2006-02-05 | 10:33:56 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: j'mbrasse la terre a bras...
Fevrier 2006
J'embrasse la terre a bras d'avion (abra cada bra), quelques workshops en yoga, balles rebonds, boleadoras et devil sticks a Bangkok, Bali et en Nouvelle-Zelande.
Et me voila arrive a San Francisco... Quel plaisir d'echanger des savoirs sous le soleil, en hiver...
Remarquables: la gentilesse a pleurer de beaute des gens de Bali, que tout le monde y aille parceque apres les bombes les gens souffrent terriblement, l'industrie etant trop dependante du tourisme, la beaute grandiose des paysages neozeelandiens et l'aeroport de Singapore, ou l'on pourrait habiter... le seul aeroport au monde avec une piscine ouverte! Et puis des contacts de 7 festivals (4 en Australie, 3 en Nouvelle-Zelande et 1 en Tasmanie), avis aux amateurs: priere de me contacter pour les adresses.
J'ai assiste au World Buskers Festival a Christchurch ou j'ai revu un vieil ami Justin Case, perdu de vue depuis 12 ans, quelle joie!
A mentionner Mario, the queen of the circus, deja appercu en Slovenie l'ete passe, qui a su emerveiller les foules une fois de plus. Autre piece de theatre physique et c'est le cas de le dire, My brother and I are porn stars, de Jonathan Brugh et Jackie Van Beek, non c'est pas des flammands, c'est des auteurs - acteurs neozelandais terribles, devenus amis et qui m'ont heberge par la suite. Qui trouve un ami trouve un tresor!
Avis aux directeurs de theatre et de festivals: achetez d'urgence cette piece!
Jamais je n'ai assiste a un festival aussi bien organise et ou le public a ete aussi bien eduque a recevoir les artistes, public exclusivement adulte, c'est surprenant pour du theatre de rue. Compliment a Mrs Jodi Wright! Malheureusement pour clowns sans frontieres ce festival n'etait pas le bon endroit alors j'ai profite de voir les copains jouer et me suis bien repose.
Demain j'ai rendez-vous avec le socalled ambassadeur de clowns without borders aux US... quel honneur!
En route pour de nouvelles aventures...
Raphael
[ 2005-12-12 | 2:07:22 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Xuyen Dangers
Subject: Re: message from clown without border
LETTER OF APPRECIATION, Vientiane, 11 December, 2005
Dear Mr. Faramelli,
On behalf of the Children Centers under Social Development Programme of Church World Service - CWS - I wish to write this letter to express our sincere appreciation for your clown performance from Saturday December 3 to Sunday December 11, 2005 in Vientiane capital and neighboring villages.
As a host, for what I have seen and heard, the children and adults all love your shows. They are simple yet it is funny.
From Tammakhung Center to the Thanksgiving celebration at my house, from Donkoi school and center to Phonsinuan School, Sukpaluang School, Sunshine School, Phonsavanh School to Syvathana school, Nahay School and center to Vientiane International School-VIS-, The party at the Ambassador Residence for Embassy staff’s children and adults, to Udomphone center and SVA children at Km 3.. All together you have made children, teachers, and other adults of 13 places of at least over a thousand of them smile, laugh and have enjoyed your shows.
Not only that, they had a chance to get to know you thorough interviews before and after the shows about your life, your family and your work.. I have got to know your philosophy and I have admired your simple life style, yet see you with full of happiness. That is an honour for me and my staff.
I would highly recommend every schools, organizations, business to support your work, so you will be able to bring your humour to every corner of the world as your presence is an INSPIRATION TO ALL!
With appreciation and admiration,
Sincerely,
Xuyen Thi Dangers
MSW CWS Social work supervisor of Donkoi and all the sister centers SW advisor, Faculty of Social Sciences,
National University of Laos CWS PO box 820, Vientiane,
Laos’ email: xdangers@laotel.com
Attached:
• a copy of the week schedule of your performances,
• a ‘book’ with photo newsletter of your week in Vientiane , Laos • and a CD taken by Somchit
[ 2005-11-19 | 17:56:33 GMT+02:00 ]
From: Raphaël Faramelli
Subject: clown without border, first loop closed
Sawadee Khaap, hello everybody,
The first loop of the clown with no more borders is done. First I found back the Thai-juggler-friends in Banglampu-parc in Bankok with an enormous pleasure. I must admit they progressed a lot, you can chec at their new site: www.bangkokjuggling.com or www.jugglingplus.com, check also playpoi.com for some incredible photos.
I also met Nao, a japanese friend of Frix who gave me a link to join a circus programm next year (www.dokbua.org/). Frix plays actually at a refugee camp near Mae Sot. Then I hit the road for one week rearranging the show at the nice beach of Koh Samet.
There I met Giuseppe Rajnu, an Italian Didgeridoo-player with whom we went to Cambodia for 12 days, where we played in Sihanoukville for street-chidren. Guiseppe did Didj-massages after the show, which relaxed a lot the kids, especially the glue-abusers. Nice to communicate them a kind of no-mind-state in a natural way.
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We visited the Pnom Penh Tini-Tinou Circus festival, where we met our friends Sophie des P'tits Bras and Jean-Pierre. They were doing a very nice performance. The next step was the visit of the Battambang-circus-school, an amazing artistic project for about 800 children, drawing, acting, dancing and performing circus skills. A real hope for the whole cambodian youth! Ouaw! Hightec-level!
The trip became then cultural with the visit of the Angkor Wat temple-city. The contact in Poipet, with traffic-children didn't happen because of the waterfestival-holidays, but I have the contact for people that are interested to go and perform.
Two dutch teachers also followed us for one show and you can read what the wrote about the show under www.tommerenchrista.waarbenjij.nu!
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The travelling conditions in Cambodia are horrible, i.e. from Siem Reap to Poipet, a distance of 140 kms, it took 10 hours! But we felt a lot of optimism among the people after 30 years of disasters and we saw many people smiling (much more than in France for example) and the believe raises that the rich people of our so-called first world are not necessarily the happiest.
To say also that many people were felicitating the idea of the clowns without borders, an enriching traveling experience, an alibi to meet new special audiences and a noble aim.
A lot of good vibs,
Raphael Faramelli
P.S. I tried to send some little movies, but it takes a lot of time, so I keep the best stuff on tape , to show when I'm back.
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[ 2005 | SUMMER OF DEPARTURE ]
Raphaël leaves Luxembourg for a few loops around the globe — and turns in from time to time with thoughts, news and visuals.
Messages are uploaded to this Internet address as soon as they arrive. Please send comments or messages to raphael@zaltimbanq.lu or, to updates@zaltimbanq.lu