Asian artist Sawhney has always dealt in musical fusions, and Prophesy, his fifth album, is his most ambitious yet. It became a worldwide odyssey, recording the words and beats of everyone from Nelson Mandela to a Chicago cab driver. He went to Madras to mix a 93-piece string section with Natacha Atlas' soaring vocals, did jam sessions in Soweto and rap-metal in LA, sampled Aboriginal ...
Manufacturer: V2
Two of the most redolent sounds of Japanese art music are the shakuhachi (end-blown bamboo flute) and the koto (long zither). This praiseworthy mid-price anthology, based on recordings previously issued by Toshiba EMI, brings together various permutations of the two instruments. For example, it opens appropriately (given the album title) with variations on a lullaby by composer Inzan Tanaka played ...
Manufacturer: Hemisphere
Manufacturer: Private
Recorded in the wake of the late Khan's triumphant performance at the 1985 WOMAD festival, this 10-track collection features the lighter, folkier side of the Pakistani classical music singer's repertoire. Accompanied by his nine-member "party" on acoustic guitar, mandolin, and a full complement of tabla and harmonium, Khan unleashes typically stunning vocal phrases marked by blinding speed, ...
Manufacturer: Real World
Approaching the voice as an instrument, British-born Indian Sheila Chandra brings an expansive, timeless quality to this collection of improvised songs based on ragas and modern folk music. Most of the tracks, outside of the drone, are unadorned--as is Chandra's pretty voice, simple in its low tone and unaffected in vocal style. Still, Chandra travels to expansive places, reliving her days as ...
Manufacturer: Nutone
Manufacturer: ECM
