Boundaries are hard coded on maps, For musicians? Boundaries simply do not exist, They are fluid & porous & full of possibilities. It is that possibility, it is that innovative music you hear in this beautifully created album, Yo-Yo Ma & his Silk Road Project bring musicians from all over the world. Innovating & creating new music is part of Silk Road’s ambition & this fifth album reflects that.

Play any track. They are all wildly innovative and make you think.

1-8 Playlist for Extreme Occasion By Vijay Iyer.
The title for Vijay Iyer’s piece is inspired byEdward Said, a well-known literary theorist, who taught at Columbia U. Iyer’s innovative style goes from joyous to quiet, thoughtful sounds. It seems as if each track highlights a different musician & their instrument & you hear & sense various musical influences from India, China & the West
1. Nice interplay between the wind & percussion with Indian/Western influence.
2. Listen to the violin & piano - there is a certain urgency you hear.
3. Starts off on a quiet/reflective note.The violin sounds almost Chinese & you realize it is being played in the South Indian Carnatic style,Interesting mix of tabla, violin.
4. The piano sets the beat, & other instruments join in & create a fast rhythmic pattern.
5. Quiet and thoughtful. It is as if things have slowed down.
6. Sheng, a Chinese reed instrument shines in the first half & then others join in to create a nice, rhythm that is almost mesmerizing.
7. Iyer’s piano sets the mood. Slow & quiet as an interlude should be.  
8. Lilting piano notes set the pattern & others join in a masterfully controlled crescendo anchored by the piano. Lilting rhythm. Unusual beat.
9. Slow, beautiful & serene track,.Picks up steam at the end in a surprising way, & ends on a quiet note.Has Buddhist musical roots. Pipa, shakuhachi & hang-go are the 3 musical instruments
highlighted in this track.
10. A  mesmerizing & delightful percussion piece.Fuses Arabic rhythm with Middle Eastern & Indian percussion drums. A wonderful composition by percussionist Shane Shananah. It remindedme of the Indian music tradition of “Jugalbandhi” or improvisation.
11. The Cello is the highlight of this track, A superb track. Combines Turkish folk music with Western Music. Composed by Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun
12. A brilliant piece for the string. Starts off soft & slow and builds up & then the Iranian/Persian kamancheh comes in.Takes a totally different & wonderful turn. This track is influenced by Persian music, more specifically by a Zoorastrian holy site.
13-16 - Delightful, happy, robust, mesmerizing are the words that pop into your mind when you listent o these. And then are quiet moments like Track #15, wh puts you in a meditative mood. Composed by David Bruce you hear Roma music (flamenco & palmas -the rhythmic clapping of hands) with influences from India,Turkey & America’s Cajun music.
17. A fast-paced track that celebrates the Jewish influence, esp Klezmer music.

Kamla Oct 2014