Folk Music of China Vol 3: Folk Songs of Yunnan

The title of this album would be more accurate with a subtitle of The Wa, Blang, and De'ang, as these are the three ethnic groups recorded here. They represent only a small part of Yunnan, the most ethnically diverse province of China, and the album is but a glimpse into the area's equally diverse musical cultures. Recordings of traditional Chinese folk songs are rare, and the team behind this CD deserves respect for their efforts. De'ang songs often feature rather plain, descending melodies that sound like narrative while the Blang people have some rhythmic and danceable songs, accompanied by a plucked lute. Wa songs often use broad ranges and are without accompaniment, except ‘Sha Ran’ in which a synthesizer had been added in post-production, making it a strange track in an album of otherwise acoustic music. The album would benefit from a little less use of artificial reverb on some tracks, and more carefully edited liner notes to avoid such discrepancies as a solo song credited to a group of nine singers. According to the translated lyrics, several songs express gratitude to ‘the Party,’ making one wonder if these are newish adaptations of old songs – a common phenomenon in China.