David Byrne & Fatboy Slim: Here Lies Love on 2 CDs

Imelda Marcos, Gattin des philippinischen Machthabers Ferdinand Marcos, der 1986 durch einen Umsturz abgesetzt wurde, pflegte freundschaftliche Beziehungen zu Mao und Gaddafi und stand in dem Ruf, mit ihrem Mann zusammen die Korruption auf den Philippinen gefördert zu haben. Mit »Here Lies Love« haben sich David Byrne und Fatboy Slim, a. k.a. Norman Cook, ihrer angenommen. Der Blick gilt dabei dem Verhältnis zwischen der in ärmlichen Verhältnissen aufgewachsenen Imelda und ihrer Nanny. Das Album ist als Zyklus mit 22 Songs angelegt und enthält Beiträge u. a. von Santigold, Cyndi Lauper und Roisin Murphy.

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David Byrne and Fatboy Slim have paired up for Here Lies Love, a 22-track song cycle about the life of former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos and her childhood servant, Estrella Cumpas. Due April 6 on Todomundo / Nonesuch Records, this standard version of the album includes a 24-page book with essays and photos detailing the project. In addition to Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love features performances by Santigold, Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), Sia, Steve Earle, St. Vincent, Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, Sharon Jones, Nicole Atkins and many others. Along with the recording, The Public Theater in New York City is developing a theatrical version of Here Lies Love for a future production.

Here Lies Love came into being when Byrne approached Norman Cook (a. k.a. Fatboy Slim) about collaborating after reading of Marcos’ affinity for the clubs and discos of the late 1970s and early 1980s. “The world of a royal court [is] surreal and, to my sensibilities, very theatrical,” Byrne notes, “but now there was an added soundtrack!” Byrne further elaborates: “The story I was interested in was that of Imelda’s rise alongside the tragic parallel story of Estrella, the woman who raised her as a child. I felt that this story was more universal, revealing and profound than that of the shoes—which anyway weren’t discovered until the mobs descended upon the Manila palace after the Marcoses fled. For me the Marcoses’ departure from the palace was the end of the story.”