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CD Review/Tangir-Too
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Earthrise Arts Newsletter, CD Review/Tangir-Too >>
The cultural connections between Asia and Russia are rather startling, given outward differences. If we envision daily life in Moscow in terms of Bejing street culture, that’s one story. But approaching Central Asia and the lower lip of Siberia, an entirely different story unfolds. Firstly, this is the region where Shamanism proper was formed (the word was pulled from Tungus-speaking Evenk reindeer herders). And while mysticism is known the world over, the region covered on this phenomenal Central Asian project documents how entwined music and spirituality is to natives. The entire 10 CD/DVD series, Music of Central Asia, explores the entire region from Kazakhstan to Iran to India; Volume One focuses on Kyrgyzstan, situated in the highlands near Northwest China. Tengir-Too Artistic Director Nurlanbek Nyshanov leads the troupe with traditional instruments such as the wood en and metal jew's harps, sybyzgy (side-blown flute) and choor (end-blown flute). Stylistically, this first volume is a compilation, ranging from fiddle sounds of the kyl kiyak and string instruments of the komuz to vocalists like Kenjegül Kubatova on the high-pitched ,Kyiylyp Turan (I'm Sad to Say Goodbye). Most impressive (and undoubtedly truest to shamanic spirit) is Manas reciter Rysbek Jumabaev. Manas is the region's epic war story of existence; compiled it is some 30 times the length of The Iliad, something Jumabaev knows by heart. While the higher-tuned string instruments can be a bit grating (the production is not spectacular), the hypnotic flute sections are beautiful. There's an air of worn dignity through every second of this disc outweighing any technical oversight. Ritual music is meant to be experienced, and on that level, this outfit has succeeded without a hitch. 03/19/06 >> go there
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