World Music Library - Dombra Music of Kazakhstan

[9dragons]

World Music Library - Dombra Music of Kazakhstan

Some weeks ago, they were playing this in my favorite local record store, Wall of Sound. I was captivated by it, but did not pick it up, chalking up my excitement to being too juiced up on espresso. Then, for days after, I felt the gap, the terrible void in my collection - even if I wanted to, I could not hear some music of Kazakhstan, right now...was the thought running through my head. Finally I got it, and listening to it tonight (though indeed I have partaken of a few espressos) I am utterly amazed by it. This is the sonic equivalent of a hyper scrolling persian rug motif. I love it. I highly suggest finding this if possible, or any other music of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh people know how to play music, it has retained a deep sense of transmission of ancient memory and awareness.

I hope this could spark up a general discussion of Central Asian music. There is another album that is quite excellent (though gathered from previously released recordings) called "The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan", that I would consider absolutely essential. http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Road-Musical-Caravan/dp/B000063NDQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1233648104&sr=1-5.

[ffcal]

Joseph,

If you can find it, I would highly recommend that you pick up the 1988 King Record release, "The Silk Road II-Chinese Music of the Hans & the Uigurs."  Some very soulful string playing on that disc.  Also recommended and in a similar vein:  Turkestan Chinois/Xinjiang (Musiques Ouigoures), a 2-disc set released in 1990 on Ocora.  I am very much into this music as well.  A few years back, I picked up a Khushtar (a Uyghur violin with sympathetic strings), which I finally worked into one of my recent pieces for my next CD project.

Forrest

[9dragons]

Will check those out, thanks Forrest. Excited to hear of your next project, any more details forthcoming?

The Khushtar seems amazing, found some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23149384@N03/2332715387/in/photostream/

[ffcal]

Will check those out, thanks Forrest. Excited to hear of your next project, any more details forthcoming?

The Khushtar seems amazing, found some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23149384@N03/2332715387/in/photostream/

Well, the recording and mixing for the CD was recently finished, though it hasn't been mastered yet.  I'm still working on a provisional title for it, though I consider it to be a followup of sorts to my 'Gongland' CD.  The CD took much longer than my other CDs to finish, though part of the reason for that was getting sidetracked by other CD projects and simply having the time and the right mental space to finish it.  I actually thought I had finished the CD about a month ago, but then recorded something new and had to dump a few shorter pieces to make way for the new piece.  I found the Khushtar to be extremely difficult to play (I decided against trying to play it like a rebab and simply held it up to my neck like a Western violin), and tuning the sympathetic strings turned out to be a bit of challenge, too.  In the short piece in which the Khushtar appears, I don't play it as a lead instrument; the lead instrument in the piece is a Turkish cumbus, which is sort of a large fretless banjo.  The CD is predominantly electronic, though there are definitely more acoustic instruments on this one than on Gongland.

I'll of course let everyone know when the CD gets closer to being released.

Forrest

[ffcal]

One thing I forgot to mention was that the khushtar came in a very rustic handmade wooden case that was lined with fleece.  It was shipped directly from Western China.

Forrest

[dwight]

Well, the recording and mixing for the CD was recently finished...

Terrific. I am looking forward to this.

-D

[jcruz0918]

 I could not hear some music of Kazakhstan, right now...was the thought running through my head. Then another said that they was captivated by it, but did not pick it up, chalking up my excitement to being too juiced up on espresso.




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