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	Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon Fikret Amirov, Sandeep Das, ... Sony, 2005 average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Interview with Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma speaks about his latest adventures involved in this new installment of the ongoing Silk Road Project--an epoch-making collaboration among musical colleagues. Read our special interview to learn more about Ma's musical philosophy.

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Beyond the first Silk Road CD

Yo-Yo Ma went beyond indeed. The first CD with Silk Road ensemble (When Strangers Meet) was inconsistent and somewhat experimental. This one however, is superb. As if in the 5 years the musicians got to know each other (but in truth, only a few musicians are the same). 23 traditional Eastern instruments are listed plus a number of western strings and other percussion was used. So the music on this CD gets my full attention, and as the title of first track suggests, you (can) get enchanted.
The tracks are ordered into three parts: Enchantments (1-5), Origins (6-9) and New Beginnings. First track is strangely familiar (like it was used in some film, but there is no mention of this). In third track this theme gets Chinese interpretation. The style from one track to the other changes, so you can't get bored or overexcited. Second is simply very nice, the fourth great intro of Armenian wind instrument duduk (played by famous Gevorg Dabaghyan), accompanied by percussion mostly, albeit the piece is short. 5 is gentle with cello and xun (Chinese ocarina), 6 orchestral from slow to cool, 7 again gentle with cello and vocal, 8 starts with yearning duduk and turns into orchestral battle, 9 cello and percussion. Track 10 is the only one with prominent vocal (love song) and introduces us to the last part of CD, which are more like jam sessions of all instruments. 11 and 13 are very lively. The last one, track 15, brings us a new interpretation of very ancient Chinese melody played on pipa.

Some would probably say this CD is commercialized. Personally I don't see any wrongdoings in this as long the music stays a high quality one. For the more authentic Silk Road one can always buy The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan.

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Excellent Compilation with Marvelous Tracks

I enjoyed this compilation of Silk Road music very much. It delivers a nice, diverse sample of music from the region. My favorite track of the CD is Shikasta, but I like the others as well.


delightful experience

this collection of music is quite a cultural experience. I've been hooked since I opened the cover!


Completely original feel...

As a classical album, it is different and quite original. It literally takes you to another place. Maybe because of my origins, I find the album close to me. The songs from Asia, the use of authentic instruments for these well-known songs in their regions are what makes the album beautiful. You really feel like journeying along the silk road, and stopping at locations along the path, and being presented these beautifully orchestrated songs.

Regarding my favourites, even though I can honestly say that I enjoyed all these songs very much, I can give the names of the two, Shikasta and Night at Caravanserai.

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What Can I say???

This CD is anyone who longs to travel to far away, exotic places but cannot afford to get there in "real time". I was, and am so impressed with this CD from the moment I heard it on WQXR one beautiful spring morning, I knew "I had to own it" and I have not regretted listening to it over and over again. If you want to enter the heart of the mysterious, exotic world of Middle and Far East; if you want to envelope yourself in music so sacred, so beautiful that your soul will ache for more, than this is the CD for you...Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble are magical, they are Djinn....

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3



Tracks
Enchantment: Mohini (Enchantment) - Yo-Yo Ma, Das, Sandeep | Enchantment: Oasis - Yo-Yo Ma, | Enchantment: Distant Green Valley - Yo-Yo Ma, Jiping, Zhao | Enchantment: Akhalqalaqi Dance - Yo-Yo Ma, Traditional | Enchantment: Echoes of a Lost City - Yo-Yo Ma, Jiping, Zhao | Origins: Mountains Are Far Away - Yo-Yo Ma, Kalhor, Kayhan | Origins: Yanzi (Swallow Song) - Yo-Yo Ma, Traditional | Origins: Battle Remembered - Yo-Yo Ma, | Origins: Summer in the High Grassland - Yo-Yo Ma, Jiping, Zhao | New Beginnings: Kor Arab - Yo-Yo Ma, Amirov, Fikret | New Beginnings: Shikasta (Minstril's Song) - Yo-Yo Ma, Hajibeyov, Uzeyir | New Beginnings: Night at the Caravanserai - Yo-Yo Ma, Traditional | New Beginnings: Gallop of a Thousand Horses - Yo-Yo Ma, Kalhor, Kayhan | New Beginnings: Tarang (Currents) - Yo-Yo Ma, Das, Sandeep | New Beginnings: Sacred Cloud Music - Yo-Yo Ma, Jiping, Zhao

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