Music of the Silk Road

Imagine you’re a silk trader traveling with your wares in the mid 7th century. What kind of music would you hear during your 6-month land journey from the taverns of Turkey to the courts of China? This album tells you what kind.

Track 1: Quintessential Turkish folk dance with strings and trad. percussion.

**Track 2: Harvest song with husky fem vox. Strong rhythmic elements and the metallic clinker of small cymbals.

Track 3: Somber, haunting flute refrain.

Track 4: More dance music. Energetic oud-playing and melodic male vox.

**Track 5: Festive dance music with distinctive bellow-like instrument + drums.

Track 6: Dramatic musical piece with high pitched fem. vox.

**Track 7: Classical santoor performance with steady percussive rhythm provided by trad. hollow wooden drum.

**Track 8: Melodic, folksy Afghan love song with male and fem. vox, tabla-like “dhol�, and lute. (read the lyrics of this song in the liner notes—very cool 8->)

Track 9: Nomadic dance tune performed on surnai (shrill flute) and dhol (crude percussive insturment)

Track 10: Strong male vox with fiddle + lute. Check out the crazy vocal acrobatics around 3:30. Very peculiar singing style.

Track 11: Folk orchestra performance with flute at the center. Texturally quite intricate.

Track 12: Duet between powerful fem. vox and flute.

**Track 13: Beautiful solo flute refrain. Traditional shepherd’s melody.

Track 14: Mid-tempo folk song with passionate fem. vox. Warm, oriental sound.

Track 15: Instrumental dance piece. Tempo picks up abruptly around 2:30. Quite theatrical.

Track 16: Piercing fem. vox with beautiful, swaying melody performed on various background instruments.

**Track 17: Joyous and playful composition with flute and brass percussion.