Claude Challe's Buddha-Bar, Vol. II compilation has elements of Far Eastern spirituality, African song, European electronica, and Spanish spice. The first album, Buddha-Bar, is very mellow for the most part. Deepak Chopra and Demi Moore, far and away the most recognizable names on the album, do a spoken word ditty on love and self-worth. People who are not fans of new age doctrine will appreciate artists such as Oliver Shanti and Consuelo Luz, both of whom contribute songs that manage to sound musical, spiritual and ethnic at once. The second album varies from hallucinatory to groovy to fairly high-energy. "Tears Inshalla" will appeal to fans of Eastern-influenced trance. Lyrics are of almost no importance on the album. They do exist on most tracks, but they bounce around from English to Portuguese to Arabic. Bits and pieces and snatches of phrases come through here and there -- just enough to make a listener feel in sync with it all. This music is intended to be an ambient journey, and while a few of the tracks seem to stray off into Never Never Land, the majority of them should appeal to fans of worldbeat. ~ L. Katz

2004 reissue of the second installment in the Buddha Bar series. After the success of the first Buddha Bar mix by Claude Challe, the customers at the Paris bar may pay less attention to what's on their plate, concerned more with the background music and ambience which accompanies it. Challe proposes with Buddha Bar II the pleasure of reliving at home the insane nights of a magical place. He becomes a master in the art of interbreeding the ethnic rhythms of India, the Caribbean and North Africa mixed with electronica as if it were a postcard of an epic voyage. The music oscillates between the lightness of talented De Phazz or Nino and the energy of Suba and Soul Ascendants. Much like the Café Del Mar series whereby Challe is the Parisian counterpart of Jose Padilla. Originally released in 2000. Wagram.

Adapter: Consuelo Luz


  Akemodoro Unai CD - Import
  by Nenes
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Nenes are a female vocal quartet from Okinawa whose music blends sounds from Okinawan pop with echoes of traditional folk music from both Japan and their home island. While there is certainly a pop veneer, cutesiness and almost kitschy quality to much of the music, its winning ways and sheer resolute cheerfulness eventually carry the day. The four vocalists tend to sing the themes in unison then break off to perform brief solos accompanied by guitars, sanshin (a kind of Okinawan lute) and electric keyboards, usually played in a light, lilting manner. The songs have a folkish tinge and, though they deal with a variety of subject matter, from love to sailing to social concerns, to Western ears (all are sung in Okinawan) at most they take on an appealing wistfulness. At their finest, as on "Heiwa No Ryuka", the vocals take a heart-wrenching turn that is surprising and hugely affecting. On the other hand, their naïve attempt at rap, "Kuduchi" is so silly and off the mark as to be paradoxically endearing. Okinawan pop has had its strong adherents in Western rock, including Richard Thompson, Ry Cooder and David Lindley. Akemodoro Unai is one example of how attractive this genre can be and will prove quite rewarding for listeners seeking a bit pop off the beaten track. Recommended. ~ Brian Olewnick

Nenes consists of 4 women from Okinawa, Japan - they perform "Shimauta", which is island music, an exclusive traditional music of Okinawa; the group formed in 1990, released 8 albums & have recorded w. Ry Cooder & David Lindley

  Universal Love CD
  by Nawang Khechog
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This, however, is not to say that Khechog's Asian roots are absent or obscured on UNIVERSAL LOVE. Indeed, his flute playing often recalls the ancient folk melodies of his homeland; the stark "Quiet Minds" and the effervescent "Cutting Through the Ocean of Ego" both center on Asian pentatonic modalities. The title track and, especially, "Last Stand of the Wild Things" were inspired by Australian aboriginal music. On these selections, a low-pitched, almost moaning didgeridoo becomes the focus. This is supported by a variety of ethnic instruments, which span the globe. Whether it's the entrancing percussion and keyboard effects of "Universal Dance of Kindness" or the ecstatic tribal horns of "Four Immeasurable Kindnesses," all of the music on this release resonates deeply. Moreover, Khechog's theme of unconditional love makes each of these nine tracks beam with positive, healing energy.

Despite a strong cultural identity, the compositions on UNIVERSAL LOVE do not necessarily reflect Nawang Khechog's Tibetan heritage. Instead, this composer/performer embraces music from many cultures and continents including Africa, Australia, and North America.

  Sai-So: The Remix Project CD
  by Kodo
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The Kodo group is Japan's global ambassador of Taiko drumming. This fanatical group arose in 1981 from an island colony of traditional Taiko drummers that sought nothing else but perfection of their art. The religious intensity and single-mindedness of this small (population 40) thorp clearly comes across on the mighty percussion forays contained here. Consider the powerful drum exchange on "Nobi." Beats are thundered in one channel to be answered by drums of another timbre in the other channel. Imperceptibly, the piece slows in tempo until the sound of a muffled heartbeat emerges. "Heartbeat" is one possible translation of "kodo" and after this exposition the group returns to a potent swell of rhythms accompanied by frenzied and ecstatic shouting. Sai-So means "reborn" and as such this album is a rebirth into electronica of the Kodo material midwifed by some of the genre's most important names. Experimentalist Bill Laswell (Material), producer of Iubkl, contributes two tracks to this compilation that mostly finds the possibilities of ambient, chill-out vibes in Kodo. A notable exception is the vigorous "Wax Off." Sampling three different Kodo pieces and written by Kodo, David Beal, David Baron, and Lindsay Jehan, the urgent and layered "Wax Off" makes an excellent soundtrack to highway travel. Other interpreters include Strobe, DJ Krush, Kevin Yost, Metronome B, My Name Is Myron, and Killer Whale. ~ Tom Schulte

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