Atmospheric, cinematographic, New Age, this album by Nepalese composer and "sound engineer" Biswo Shahi (now based in England) offers relaxing impressions of the Himalayan nation through some acoustic instruments, mainly the bansuri transverse bamboo flute and a 'singing' metallic bowl, samples from field recordings, vocals, chanting, and electronic programming, which includes rhythmic "percussion" and drones. Recorded in a Kathmandu studio, the first track is a greeting song in the Manang language of people from the northwest. This is followed by a portrait of goat herders returning home from the pasture, sung in the Nepali language of eastern regions. A festival is the intent of the next track, with vocals in the Tamang language from central Nepal. Global climate change and the ever decreasing amount of snow in the mountains is the subject of track 4 (and its purely instrumental version of track 8); this again is in Manang and supposed to suggest a monastery locale in the northwest. Reminiscent of Bruno Coulais' movie soundtrack to Himalaya, a yak caravan approaching home is the next impression, with a yangqin hammered dulcimer, mantra chanting, and vocal in Tibetan. The Kathmandu marketplace is suggested by field recording samples, a procession of drums and cymbals, and a flute, but I found this piece far too tame compared to when I visited the busy, noisy city. The final track is a meditation with field recordings of chants accompanied by the ringing of the bowl. The album is 54 minutes long. Notes include musicians and instruments of each track and some photographs of Nepal. This album is gentle, composed of layered sounds, and filled with pleasant Tibetan-style folksongs.
I FOUND THIS CD TO BE FAIRLY INTERESTING ,WITH A RANGE OF MUSIC PERFORMED BY THE SAME ARTIST,I FELT THAT OF THE NINE TRACKS ON IT ONLY TWO WERE WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS INSTRUMENTAL,IN THE AREA OF WORLD MUSIC IT WILL ADD TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOUNDS THAT ARE CREATED BY MUSICIANS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD,EXELENT CD WELL RECORDED AND PLEASANT TOO LISTEN TOO.