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James made an interesting contribution: How do you think the indians would receive the looping tools to simplyfy/extend their music? Do they use any electronics exept for straight amplification of their traditional work? >...I've spent the last fifteen years studying North Indian >Classical music both in the States and in India. I'm having lots of fun >looping with sitar and surbahar (bass sitar), as well as other middle >eastern/south asian stringed instruments like the Turkish baglama, the >Iranian tar, and the Afghani rabab. > >I'm sure it's been discussed in the past, but I'd like to make some >recommendations for "traditional" music that incorporates rhythmic and >melodic repetition in a "looping" sense. Here are some good recordings: > >"Ritual Mouth-Organs of the Murung" Auvidis CD W 260084 -- this is >traditional ensemble music from a tribal people in Bangladesh -- there's >no >relation at all to the "classical" or even the folk music of >India/Pakistan/Bangladesh. Hard to describe the music, but the "mouth >organs" have a reedy quality not unlike an electric organ, and are played >in >interlocking repetitive sections. My wife heard this from the next room >and >thought it was Brian Eno! Come to think of it, it even sounds a bit like >a >less thickly-textured Terry Riley. The Auvidis website is >http://www.mcm.asso.fr They have many great recordings of traditional >music >from around the world. > >Almost any music you can find from "Balouchistan" which is more of a >cultural area than an independent country. The Baluchi area basically >overlaps eastern Iran, western Pakistan, and part of Afghanistan. >Shanachie >records # 65013 "Mystic Fiddle of the Proto-Gypsies" despite it's >misleading >title has some great music played on the "sorud" -- an upright fiddle >which >is also known throughout south and central asia as "sarinda" and >"ghichak." >A very haunting sound. I'd also recommend 2 recordings on the French >Ocora >label. The first, Ocora C 560105, is called "Balouchistan The >Instrumental >Tradition" and features not only the sorud, but also an incredible flute >called "doneli" which is held more like a recorder (*not* the electronic >one!) but is actually a "double flute" consisting of one flute for drone >and >the other for melody. A really interesting instrument played here is >called >the "benju" which is a Japanese "toy" instrument that's almost like an >Appalachian dulcimer but played with a typewriter-style keyboard. Despite >the silly look of the instrument, the gentleman playing it here is >absolutely virtuosic. You would think it was an Iranian sehtar or other >long-necked lute. The second Ocora disc (C 580017/18) is a double CD >featuring all of the instruments mentioned above, as well as some singing >and "healing ceremonies." I'd recommend only to investigate this one if >you >hear and like the others. > >A little closer to home (?) is a recording of Sardinian folk music on the >Al >Sur label (ALCD 157) called "Sardaigne - Les Maitres de la musique >instrumentale" or "Masters of Instrumental Music." The first few pieces >are >recordings of the "organetto," a small accordian. These are mainly dance >pieces. The remainder of the disc is taken up with various flute/recorder >instruments, the most fascinating of which is called "launeddas" which are >reed pipes that are played (like the "doneli" above) either in pairs, or >even in threes. Circular breathing is used to create a continuous sound. >The melodies themselves are short, repetitive kernels which are played >over >and over, but not always symmetrically. I imagine that on the page this >looks pretty dull, but hearing it you'd be surprised how much it rocks. > >I apologize in advance for being somewhat off-topic but I think that >anyone >interested in looping and in traditional music would find these >interesting. > >Looking forward to more interesting discussions with the group. > >James Pokorny