March of the Waterman

Bio: Montreal composer Dino Emilio Giancola (Dee), has composed music for over 60 productions including film, television, dance and theatre. His music has been heard around the world, most recently in Spain last summer (2008) at the World Expo in Zaragoza. 2009 will bring him to Mexico for a short tour where he will perform with a Montreal based circus company. While currently being obsessed with writing orchestral music, he has never forgotten his pop music roots and still often sits down to write a funky groove or a slammin' guitar riff. www.dinosound.com

On the Remix: I was familiar with the Water Front documentary and was moved by it's powerful sentiment. I wanted to somehow convey the feeling of frustration and helplessness of the 'victims' of this community and tell their story musically. Joe L. Carter's incredibly emotional rendition of Mr. Waterman was a great starting point.

I wanted to begin the story with the relentless approach of the 'Waterman' characterized by the rhythmic clanging of a metal pipe, almost in a march rhythm, that begins my track. This and the other rhythmic elements, all cold and metallic, would be for me the voice of the Waterman and his heartless bureaucracy. Carter's track would be the voice of the individual, but the masses had to be represented. I chose the string orchestra, the most emotive and 'human' of all instrument groups to symbolize the community. I tried to imply, ever so slightly, a gospel music influence to the strings. I knew that the track had to end on a climax of a desperate plea to the mindless bureaucratic machine to have mercy.

I tried to capture and juxtapose the fear of the inevitable approach of the waterman (metal pipe percussion that transforms into the sound of water drops as well as other metallic percussion) with the raw human plea for mercy (ie. violins + orchestra).