Gilli Smyth, a matriarch of GONG family, passed away after a long illness, aged 83, to join her former partner, Daevid Allen, for a great gig beyond the sky. Most known for co-founding the band and contributing to the ensemble’s musical philosophy, Smyth had a whole separate dimension to her creativity, as a recent reissue of Gilli’s classic "Mother" so timely reminded the listener: she was a poet of a sociological stripe akin to Gil Scott-Heron, but also a very spirited person, as her Shakti Yoni alter ego could suggest. And, of course, she was a mystic musician, within and without her MOTHER GONG project, a master of subtle detail that would color a composition; not pandering to wider public yet revered by her audience. Gilli Smyth will be fondly remembered by many.
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