Burma, now called Myanmar, borders India,
China, Laos and Thailand. Many of the elements
found in the music traditions of Burma show
clear parallels to those of its neighbors.
Yet Myanmar is a country with a unique and
vital culture of its own, one that has been
only lightly explored by outsiders.
Compared with the musical style of neighboring
cultures, Burmese music is lively yet graceful,
frequently relying on sudden contrasts and
touches of whimsey.
What this recording presents is an interesting
look at the musical nation. The performers
here are neither classical court musicians,
westernized pop artists or folk revivalists
and preservationists. Rather, what we get
here is a collection of music by a music scene
that has assimilated and co-opted influences
and instruments from its neighbors and invaders
and made them their own.
With every purchase comes documentation
that explains not just the sounds but their
circumstances -- their who, what, when and
why.
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