Talking Bamboo

Since my time in the Himalayas, I’ve become fascinated by the unique sounds of giant bamboo stems moving in the wind. Those first attempts were not successful due to the position near the local villages, where there was always some human noise in the background. In my recent field trip to Thailand’s western mountains along the Myanmar border however, another opportunity has emerged as the jungle habitat I was visiting was abundant with bamboo growth.

Still, finding the suitable conditions was not an easy task. Most bamboo stands were too young and thin to create the desired effect. The location needed to be remote, with just the right amount of wind—enough to create movement but not so much as to oversaturate the ambience. After three unsuccessful days, I was ready to again let go, that is until on the 4th day of exploration, I discovered an extraordinary bamboo forest area and moment that embraced it all; giant mature stems, perfect wind conditions, and complete isolation from any human made sounds.

While recording, I usually fell into a meditative state of being and relaxed my body and mind, immersing myself in the surrounding and listening closely. On this occasion though, the whole experience was very exhilarating and almost scary. I was sitting below the overhanging huge stems, which also have spikes sticking out, and some of them are already dead, hanging above, so when the wind starts to rush, there are all kinds of squeaking and cracking noises. That combined with the area being highly populate with elephants, I have stayed alert and look after my shoulder after every cracking sound that bamboo made.