On Labor Day weekend in the Sierras at the Strawberry Music Festival, a lovely young Canadian named Samantha Robichaud took the stage.  She played one delightfully modernized traditional fiddle tune after another, swiftly, deftly, introducing each piece with a little story.  She showed a killer left hand pizzicato; she played brilliantly with her excellent band, she danced in her high heeled boots and radiated vivacity and charm.  And then she said "How many of you know who Daniel Pearl is? Well, for those of you who don't know, he was a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan, in 2002. He was an amazing journalist and a great musician. Where ever he traveled, he wanted to make friends, using music to bridge cultural differences.  I was honored with the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin for a year, so that I could be inspired to tell you Daniel's story. I wrote a song in his memory, and I hope you enjoy it.... it's called `Always Remembered.’

The collision of gory memory and lilting music shocked me.