Traditional music from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, India/Uzbekistan, produced by Cobie Ivens
I– Alihan Samedov, Azerbaijan. (20:22 min)
A traditional musician from Azerbaijan, he was born on April 27, 1964, in Sumqayit, in the then Soviet Union. He came from a musical family and studied traditional music at specialized schools. He learned to play the balaban, a double-reed instrument that became his specialty, as well as the oboe, clarinet, and saxophone. After graduating in 1990, he performed at festivals and taught chess; his other passion became his professional career. From Turkey, he recorded a series of albums dedicated to the balaban and won several honorary awards.
CD. Balaban : The land of fire – Music of Azerbaijan – Alihan Samedov.
LABEL: Mega Muzik (2001), code: 8694501000670.
VIDEO
II– Raushan Orazbaeva – Kazakhstan. (16:20 min)
While Raushan Orazbaeva is, in a sense, the natural heir to this millennial tradition, she has also undermined it, as Kazakh women have only recently been permitted to study music. Thanks to her virtuosity and dedication, she has succeeded in renewing the music of her homeland, adding, in addition to its traditional shamanic and healing functions (protecting newborns, preventing natural disasters, etc.), those of pure listening and appreciation for the music’s own sake. It is therefore no surprise that, among the pieces she has selected for this album, Raushan Orazbaeva has chosen to include several originally intended for the dombra, the two- or three-stringed lute, the most important instrument in Kazakh music and one that most families have at home. This choice testifies to her ability to transcend the boundaries of tradition through her own originality. However, none of this alters the fact that the entire album remains steeped in the tradition of Kazakh culture.
CD. Akku – Raushan Orazbaeva.
LABEL: Dunya Records (2004), code: FY 8076.
VIDEO
III– Hector Zazou – India/Uzbekistan (22:32 min)
He invites four outstanding instrumentalists from India and Uzbekistan to enter a virtual hall of mirrors, where sound is reflected from one note to the next: an auditory equivalent of a famous scene from Orson Welles’s The Lady From Shanghai. Hector Zazou offers a fresh perspective on classical Asian music, enhancing the musicians’ inspired performances through his subtle reworking of the original sonic elements. The album was recorded in Mumbai with a core group of four musicians. Guest musicians on the album include flutist Carlos Nuñez, trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer, pianist Diego Amador, violinist Zoltan Lantos, and percussionist Bill Rieflin.
CD. In the house of mirror – Hector Zazou.
LABEL: Crammed Disc (2008), code: 5410377901315.
VIDEO
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