THE NEW FEELING
An Anthology Of World Music
(p) & (c) 1996 Celestial Harmonies
16tks/79mins

This CD deserves not a short review, but a large article, moreover that on its booklet is presented detailed information about every composition. And it contains a lot of things to hear! On "The New Feeling" is collected folk music practically from all the world. For example, one can hear in this album whimsical and exotic music of Vietnam (composition "Muc Ha Vo Nhan"), performed on various lutes, percussion and Dan Nhi - Chinese violin having two strings. The album also contains Guinea song "Fonikeya Marassi". It is interesting to note, that accompaniment to the djembe drums is extraordinary combination xylophone (balafon), widely spread in West Africa and 21-string lute (kora). In the album also presents American indians melodie ("On Eagle's Wings"), Thailand melody ("Wind In The Coconut Trees") and even throat music of Australian aboriginal people ("Jowelbinna").

Well, I'm not going to tire you by enumeration of these really perfect compositions. I will stop on one principal feature of "The New Feeling", which is, to my mind, the main one. In this sampler is collected not only traditional folk music from all corners of the Earth. There is a lot of improvisation in the music of this CD, the spirit of experimentation is at present here. If you wish to hear the combination of Australian music and Middle- Eastern music, then you should hear for sure the passionate composition "Aman", which is played together by Australian multi-instrumentalist Michael Askill and famous Turkish percussionist Omar Faruk Tekbilek. This composition is an original cocktail of western music and dervish fire dances. With this in "Aman" is used many various drums, and it is performed so virtuous, harmonious and even ecstatic, that it is impossible to imagine that before this session in Sidney the musicians never met! The CD contains one more composition by Tekbilek "Caspian Wings" from his album Whirling. In it guitar and synthesizer by Brian Keane serve as an elegant frame of inspired music of Tekbilek. In general, compositions of Tekbilek (who is one of my favourite artists) add to "The New Feeling" special beauty. They fascinate us, as the smooth whirling of sufies can fascinate the side viewer.

Also I would like to tell, that this perfect compilation is the result of efforts by Jaslin Hall, who made several radio programs which have received a broad recognition by listeners, and who actively propagandizes music of various peoples of our little planet. For Jaslin Hall musical traditions of separate peoples are branches on a tree of the world music. While listening to "The New Feeling", it is very pleasant to realize, that these branches grow, develop and we can be thrilled by a indescribable beauty of the new flowers blossoming on these branches.

Serge Kozlovsky