Terry Lee Nichols & Rebekah Eden - We Have Only Come to Dream (2018) Lossless

We have only come to dream is a sonic rendering of human migration to the Americas. The time span covered is from approximately 50,000 years ago through the late 19th century. My hope is to challenge todays political discourse from exclusionary nationalism and xenophobia with a musical narrative that illustrates the diversity of the numerous ethnic groups that came to inhabit the Americas. In short, living in a country with a combative leader who continually demonstrates historical illiteracy requires us to step up our game by understanding and celebrating our diversity. Here are the CD booklet notes from the opening track:


Track 1: Phantasmagorical Voyage
Composed and performed by Terry Lee Nichols
Vocal arrangement and performance by Rebekah Eden

Overview
Phantasmagorical Voyage provides a sonic rendering of the earliest voyage to the Americas.

According to recent evidence, the first Americans were descended from Australian aborigines. The dimensions of prehistoric skulls found in Brazil match those of the aboriginal peoples of Australia and Melanesia. Stone tools and charcoal from the site in Brazil show evidence of human habitation as long as 50,000 years ago. Cave paintings found in northeast Brazil provided the first clue to the existence of a much older people. Images of giant armadillos which died out before the last ice age, show the artists who drew them lived long before Native American migration.
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How could the early Australians have travelled more than 13,500 kilometers (8,450 miles) at that time? Cave paintings, from the Kimberley region at the northern tip of Western Australia are the oldest painting of a boat anywhere in the world. The style of the art means it is at least 17,000 years old, but it could be up to 50,000 years old. The crucial detail is the high prow of the boat. The design suggests it was used on the open ocean.