Reviews
Indus Raag: Music Beyond Borders
While the large-scale human suffering at the Partition of India (1947) is very well documented, very few people are aware...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014
Kyoku: Japanese Chamber Music
Mieko Miyazaki & Suizan Lagrost
The sounds of the koto, shakuhachi and shamisen on this excellent CD seem familiar, yet Japanese chamber music is not...
Reviewed in issue Jan/Feb/2014
Eternal Return
Taiko drumming is punctuated by chants and yells, encouraging players to perform with maximum energy. This commanding collection celebrates 20...
Reviewed in issue Nov/Dec/2013
Thailand: Music and Songs from the Golden Triangle
Unreconstructed field recordings of folk songs and instrumental pieces may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but this collection provides...
Reviewed in issue Nov/Dec/2013
Love & Devotion
Qawwali is the devotional music of South Asian Sufis (Islamic mystics) and its most famous exponent, the late Nusrat Fateh...
Reviewed in issue Nov/Dec/2013
Anthology of Indian Classical Music: A Tribute to Alain Daniélou
This three-LP set, recorded by Alain Daniélou, was first released in 1955. The recordings were groundbreaking in the 50s for...
Reviewed in issue Nov/Dec/2013
Three-Mountain Pass
At the opening of this CD, the plucked strings that slide serenely from note to note are like a silken...
Reviewed in issue Nov/Dec/2013
Echoes of Indus
While Pakistan has undoubtedly given the world some outstanding classical vocalists, Pakistani instrumentalists have, by and large, remained in obscurity...
Reviewed in issue October/2013
The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Bollywood
Bollywood rode high in the 60s and 70s. Playback singers were the stars of their day and musical directors had...
Reviewed in issue October/2013
Elegant Pipa Classics: Wu Man’s New Renditions of Ancient Melodies
Here are ‘elegant’ pipa (Chinese lute) classics, which are in the main calm and meditative. But what a title! Traditional...
Reviewed in issue October/2013
