“This classic has been ‘in my backpack’ for a decade or so,” says Johno. “I must have about twenty different sketches of it, each with different musicians I met on the road – one with Persian tar, another with Arabic saz, another with Balkan fiddle, and yet another with Moroccan gambri. I even have one with Tunisian Viola master Jasser Haj Youssef, recorded live in the Monastir Library.. I always knew that this song will have to come along with me when I properly release my first work. It was eventually recorded in Tunis, with a herd of true virtuosos – Ahmed Chaibi, Sahbi Mustafah, Naufel Mana, and G’dour on the killin’ percussion. I also always knew that the video for this one needs to reflect the wonderful road I’ve been through in the past years, with my musical backpack, and this John Denver classic in it. I hooked up with director/animator Kleo Korai to make a grand collage of visuals from this eclectic journey, and the eternal calling “take me home, to the place I belong”.
