Here is an adaptation on Ukulele, Guitar, Keyboard and Drum Machine of the song Sirba by Vladimir Cosma. This title was composed for the film of Yves Robert and Francis Veber: The tall blond with a black shoe (1972).
The talent of composer Vladimir Cosma and his compositions for French cinema can be heard in many films.
To name but a few: An elephant tricks a lot, The boom, The goat, The father noel is a scumbag, The dinner of idiot.
And of course, The Tall Blond Guy with one black shoe.
Why this song.
This melody of Sirba has been playing in my head since I was a teenager. I can’t tell you how many times my brother Pierre and I have walked around whistling this tune. So much so that we played this theme with our first rock band, Alaf Lamout, in the 90s.
Indeed, this Cosma composition represents quite well my connection with music. I mean by that, the meaning I like to give it. Namely, something light that can be hummed and put in joy. Something humble that embellishes the daily life. Something that you can take everywhere and that accompanies you.
Music.
Clearly inspired by Eastern music, Sirba is a talkative theme. Indeed, a lot of eighth and sixteenth notes with very consonant notes in the harmony. For example, on the very beginning of the theme, we have A repeated which takes us to the note C. All this on an A minor chord (A, C, E). Same thing when the harmony becomes D minor (D, F, A) with the notes D and F.
This consonance associated with this cheerful rhythm is in a logic of folk and popular theme.
For the choices of my arrangement, I could evoke the drum machine programmed in GarageBand, the electric guitar which holds the role of the bass and the keyboard in counter-time in the way of the reggae which I like.
Video capture.
Here, I wanted to try an effect of appearance and disappearance of the instruments. With a set that does not move. Like a kind of magic. As if going from one instrument to another could be done in a light and ghostly way.
I don’t know if I succeeded in making my idea. On the other hand, the constraint was severe in terms of recording. Indeed, for this to be possible, the camera had to stay still. But also, the keyboard, the lights and the few visible elements. This was possible by recording each track in a relatively fast and condensed way.
I have to admit that I had a lot of fun with it.
Score and tablature.
If you wish, my adaptation available in pdf format just below this text.
This is a non-commercial sharing.