Galás is known for being a fiercely confrontational avant-garde performer and is noted for her wailing, four-octave vocal range. Galás was the daughter of Greek Orthodox parents and her singing was roundly discouraged, although her prowess as a classical pianist was nurtured; ultimately, her strict upbringing resulted in a reckless, drug-fueled youth prior to her entrance into the University of California's music and visual arts program. Galás made her performing debut in 1979 at France's Festival d'Avignon, which led to an invitation to assume the lead role in composer Vinko Globokar's politically charged opera Un Jour Comme un Autre. In subsequent solo performance art pieces like Wild Women with Steak Knives and Tragouthia Apo to Aima Exon Fonos, Galás further honed her unique, shattering vocal style, inspired by the Schrei ("shriek") opera of German expressionism (a form employing a system of four microphones and a series of echoes and delays).
She worked with many avant-garde composers including Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, John Zorn, Iannis Xenakis and Vinko Globokar. She made her performance debut at the Festival d'Avignon in France as the lead in Globokar's opera, Un Jour Comme Une Autre which deals with the death by torture of a Turkish woman. The work was sponsored by Amnesty International. She also contributed her voice to Francis Ford Coppola's film Dracula (1992) and appeared on the film's soundtrack.
Her work first garnered widespread attention with the controversial 1991 live recording of the album "Plague Mass" in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York. With it, Galás attacked the Catholic Church for its indifference to AIDS using biblical texts. In the words of Terrorizor Magazine, "The church was made to burn with sound, not fire." Plague Mass was a live rendition of excerpts from her same-titled trilogy which began as a response/homage/indictment to the multitudinous effects of AIDS upon the silent class - of which her brother was a member. During the period of these recordings, Galás had "We are all HIV+" tattooed upon her knuckles; an artistic expression of disillusionment and disgust with the ignorance and apathy surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Her brother, who died during the trilogy's final production, reportedly appreciated her efforts.
Susan McClary (1991) writes that Galás, "heralds a new moment in the history of musical representation," after describing her thus: "Galás emerged within the post-modern performance art scene in the seventies...protesting...the treatment of victims of the junta, attitudes towards victims of AIDS...Her pieces are constructed from the ululation of traditional Mediterranean keening...whispers, shrieks, and moans."
In 1994, Galás collaborated with Led Zeppelin bass guitarist John Paul Jones. The resultant record, "The Sporting Life", while containing much of Galás's trademark vocal gymnastics, is probably the closest she has ever come to rock music.
Galás also performs as a blues artist interpreting a wide range of songs into her unique piano and vocal styles. This aspect of her work is perhaps best represented by her 1992 album, "The Singer" where she covered the likes of Willie Dixon, Roy Acuff, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins while accompaning herself on piano. For that album, she also recorded several traditional songs as well as the rarely heard Desmond Carter-penned version of Gloomy Sunday. Many of her selections both within and outside of blues repertoire have sometimes been categorized as 'homicidal love songs'. She also focuses on the death penalty. One program of songs, "Frenzy", has been dedicated to Aileen Wuornos and features the work of Phil Ochs and Hank Williams Sr.
Her latest song cycle is an interpretation of songs by Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich.
Official Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/songsofexile
Vena Cava 8
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I miss you,
It's been so long.
How are you?
I′m fine,
I've been out here so long,
So green there,
It's so black here.
I just wonder how long I can go on,
I think of you always,
I think of mother,
But dear God,
Is he okay?
I live in dreams now,
And try to remember every detail of the past,
I try to make a perfect memory,
Of everything that has gone before,
Now so far away from life.
How many in the hall now?
Falling off the Earth,
Like old men with no history.
Do you remember was I ever there,
Or am I dreaming?
You must remember for me,
Because I′m losing days,
Help me, all that breach that is too far,
I cannot make it.
One step, two steps, three steps,
Am I breathing?
Is this a god I see,
Crawling to my grave,
On hands and knees,
And falling, falling, falling,
Out of light and into darkness,
Hold me, hold me,
Ghosts of love and lovely eyes,
Can hold me in the sun,
When life is done,
My angel, are you there?
Can you hear me?
I am far away,
But not too far for dreams,
Your face, your face,
Grab me by the hand,
I′ll show you where I am,
Darkness, darkness,
Feel the wind,
My angel, are you there?
Hear my breathing,
I'm near you, waiting, waiting,
Silly, smiling, smiling,
Sound is everywhere.
Now they take me down the stairs,
Slowly, slowly,
Hold me, hold me, here.
Is that my judge?
He sees me.
The lyrics of Diamanda Galás's song "Vena Cava 8" reflect on the pain of separation and the longing for connection. The singer misses someone deeply and has been living in isolation for a long time. There is a sense of desperation to their words as they try to hold onto memories of the past and wonder if anyone remembers them. The blackness of their current situation is contrasted with the green beauty of the past. They are haunted by thoughts of loved ones and the feeling that they are slipping away from life. The chorus of "hold me, hold me" could be interpreted as a cry for comfort and human connection in a world that is slipping away from them. The final lines reveal a sense of fear and uncertainty as they confront their own mortality and question whether they will be judged for the life they have led.
Line by Line Meaning
I miss you,
I long for you,
It's been so long.
It has been such a long time.
How are you?
How are you doing?
I′m fine,
I am okay,
I've been out here so long,
I have spent a lot of time here,
I remember us together,
I recall our past moments,
So green there,
The place was so lush green,
It's so black here.
The current place is dark and gloomy.
I just wonder how long I can go on,
I often think how much longer I will last,
I think of you always,
I always remember you,
I think of mother,
I also think of my mother.
But dear God,
Oh God,
Is he okay?
Is he doing well?
I live in dreams now,
I am living in dreams currently,
And try to remember every detail of the past,
I attempt to recollect every detail from the past,
I try to make a perfect memory,
I attempt to create a perfect memory,
Of everything that has gone before,
Of everything that happened earlier,
Now so far away from life.
Now it all seems so distant.
How many in the hall now?
How many people are there in the hall now?
Falling off the Earth,
Falling off or dying on the Earth,
Like old men with no history.
Similar to old men with no legacy.
Do you remember was I ever there,
Do you remember my presence there?
Or am I dreaming?
Or is it just a dream?
You must remember for me,
You must recall for me,
Because I′m losing days,
I am losing track of days,
Help me, all that breach that is too far,
Help me, mend all the rifts that are too wide,
I cannot make it.
I am unable to cope with it.
One step, two steps, three steps,
One foot in front of the other,
Am I breathing?
Am I still breathing?
Is this a god I see,
Is this a divine sight before me,
Crawling to my grave,
Moving towards my end,
On hands and knees,
Crawling on hands and knees,
And falling, falling, falling,
And collapsing, falling down,
Out of light and into darkness,
From lightness to darkness,
Hold me, hold me,
Embrace me, hold me tight,
Ghosts of love and lovely eyes,
Remnants of past love and beautiful eyes,
Can hold me in the sun,
Can embrace me in the sunlight,
When life is done,
After life's end,
My angel, are you there?
My angel, are you present?
Can you hear me?
Are you able to hear me?
I am far away,
I am very far away,
But not too far for dreams,
But not distant enough for dreams,
Your face, your face,
Your face, the visual,
Grab me by the hand,
Hold me by the hand,
I'll show you where I am,
I will display or reveal where I am,
Darkness, darkness,
Complete darkness,
Feel the wind,
Sense the wind,
My angel, are you there?
My angel, are you present?
Hear my breathing,
Listen to my breathing,
I'm near you, waiting, waiting,
I am waiting near you,
Silly, smiling, smiling,
Foolish, grinning smile,
Sound is everywhere.
Noise is everywhere.
Now they take me down the stairs,
Now they take me downstairs,
Slowly, slowly,
Ever so slowly,
Hold me, hold me, here.
Embrace me, hold me here.
Is that my judge?
Is that my judge before me?
He sees me.
He is looking at me.
Writer(s): Diamanda Galas
Contributed by Grace E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.