New Reviews: June 21, 2004
Reviews by Matthew J. Forss
Ay-Kherel
The Music Of Tuva
Arc Music
Ay-Kherel, meaning “ray of moonlight”, was founded in
1994 by master throat-singer Vladimir Serenovich Soyan.
Hailing from Tuva, Ay-Kherel performs five different
throat-singing styles accompanied by a plethora of
traditional instruments. Instruments used include
kengirge (drum), limbi (flute), synyi (rattle),
shyngyrash (bells), khomus (Jew’s harp),
byzaanchy (violin), doshpulur (lute),
chanzy (lute), duyug (horse hooves) and
igil (violin). Excellent, traditional music
from the steppes of Tuva! A detailed booklet
in English, German, French and Spanish languages
are included.
Charbel Rouhana
The Art Of The Middle Eastern Oud
Arc Music
Lebanese oud master, Charbel Rouhana, brings us new
perspectives on traditional maqams. Charbel’s repertoire
includes fourteen other performers on violin, qanun,
riqq, tabla, bass, accordion, ney flute and male/female
vocals. Traditional Arabic rhythms and classical
compositions reflect Charbel’s signature style.
Overall, Charbel successfully incorporates various
Arabic instrumentation and vocals that masterfully
portray the essence of the oud. A detailed booklet
in English, German, French and Spanish is included.
Various Artists
The Very Best Of Japanese Music
Arc Music
A variety of musicians from Japan, brings us the best
in instrumental, traditional music. Several instruments
are utilized including, the shakuhachi flute, koto,
taiko drum and juschichigen. Musicians include
Yamato Ensemble, Richard Stagg, Clive Bell,
Wadaiko Matsuriza, Nihon, Daiko and Dr. Ayako Hotta-Lister.
Beautiful rhythms and melodies echo the Japanese spirit in
instrumental form. A detailed booklet in English, German
and French is included.
Matthew J. Forss is currently a full-time student at
Lakeland College-Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He is majoring
in Biology and German Language/Culture. Since 1998, he
has collected numerous musical instruments and CDs from
around the world. Also in 1998, he wrote a paper on
Mongolian Ethnomusicology, entitled: How Does Music
Play An Important Role In The Life And Culture Of
Mongolia? Currently, he has collected over 100 CDs that
represent dozens of different countries. His general
interests include ethnomusicology journalism and
researching the traditional/contemporary ethnic music
of various cultures from around the world. His specific,
geographic areas of study include the traditional and
popular music from Central Eurasia (especially Mongolia,
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.) In November of
2000, he accepted the position of writing world music CD
reviews for this site.
