An indian string instrument as a conversation partner for the voices in your head
What if you hear voices? And what if those voices keep growing louder, until it feels as though they can hear you too? In his memoir The Magician, Vincent Swierstra recounts how he gradually slipped into psychosis. Drawn to spirituality and esoteric traditions, he eventually became convinced that he was the new Messiah.
A journey to India introduced him to the sarangi, a unique string instrument renowned for being exceptionally difficult to master and for producing a sound remarkably close to the human voice. Slowly, a dialogue began to emerge between the instrument and the voices in his head. During Explore the North Festival, Vincent invites you into a world of sound where reality, imagination, vulnerability, and meaning are in constant conversation. Through storytelling, meditative music, and radical openness, he encourages audiences to look beyond the symptoms of psychosis and consider the meaning people themselves may attach to such experiences.
About Vincent
Vincent Swierstra is the only sarangi player in the world to perform on an amplified sarangi. This has enabled him to experiment extensively with effects pedals, creating a distinctive new sonic palette. He enjoys combining the raw acoustic sound of the sarangi with electronic music. He first discovered the sarangi during his initial trip to India in 2003 and immediately fell in love with the instrument. After purchasing a beautiful antique sarangi, he began studying it. Thanks to ten years of violin lessons as a child, he was able to pick up the technique relatively quickly. Of all musical instruments, the sarangi is widely regarded as the one that most closely resembles the human voice.
Alongside his work as a musician, Vincent is also a writer. In 2017, his debut memoir The Magician: Memoirs of a Madman was published by Paris Books. An English translation is currently in progress. That same year, the documentary Voices of Vincent was released, offering an intimate portrait of his life and work. The film is available to watch on Vimeo.