Poetry sung to original compositions by Sasha Bogdanowitsch (Voice) and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel (Shakuhachi). Poetry from the works of Ranier Maria Rilke (Germany), Pablo Neruda (Chile), John Logan, Sam Hamill (American) and the ancient Japanese Zen-inspired text, Kyotaku Denki.
We are proud to announce the release of our new CD, Striking Light, Striking Dark. Shakuhachi master Christopher Yohmei Blasdel collaborates with the phenomenal singer Sasha Bogdanowitsch to create new compositions that cross the boundaries of culture, style, time, the written word and song. These two musicians set to song and instrumental accompaniment the poetry of legendary poets from four continents that span several centuries. The shakuhachi— Japan’s traditional vertical bamboo flute—makes the perfect blend to Sasha’s fluid voice. They also use an array of rare world and original instruments, such as the Pantheon Steel Halo, Freenotes metallophone and Mbira Array along with the African dosongoni and karimba, to dramatize and enrich the songs. This CD is a perfect example of cross-genre, cross-cultural music that stimulates both on an artistic and intellectual level. Purchase directly from CD Baby.
Track list (The poems and permissions can be found here)
1.Ish Province Work Song (Sam Hamill)
2.How Could We Forget? (Ranier Maria Rilke)
3.Unity (Pablo Neruda)
4.Solstice (Sam Hamill)
5.Peacock Feather (Ranier Maria Rilke)
6.Elegy (Sam Hamill)
7.All of It (adapted from David Wagoner, Who Shall be the Sun?)
8.Oracular (Sam Hamill)
9.The Art of Literary Translation (Sam Hamill)
10.The Search (John Logan)
11.Kyorei (from the Kyotaku Denki)
12.Saltarello instrumental
This CD is based on the navarasa (the nine basic human emotions written in ancient Sanscrit and given life through classical Indian dance) expressed through a combination of shakuhachi, bass, and mouth organ (the Chinese sheng and Japanese shô). The performers on this CD are Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, an American who has lived most of his life in Japan studying Japanese music, and Mark Izu, a Japanese American who has spent his life on the American west coast as a jazz artist and composer deftly utilizing aspects of traditional Asian music. The music is mostly improvised, based on the various rasa themes.
Love (Śṛngāram)
Interlude for Sita
Mirth (Hāsyam)
Compassion (Karuṇam)
Arjuna’s Laugh
Fury (Raudram)
Ganesha’s Walk
Heroism (Vīram)
The Visage of Shiva
Fear (Bhayānakam)
Dance for Hanuman
Disgust (Bībhatsam)
Wonder (Adbhutam)
Sita’s Return
Tranquility (Shanta)
Bass Solo
Shiva’s Dance (shakuhachi solo)
CD1
1.Sokaku Reibo (Song of the Cranres)
2.Kinko Style Honkyoku
3.Yugure no Kyoku (Evening Song)
4.Kinko Style Honkyoku
5.Shigure, Kagero, Katsuragi
6.Takahashi Yuji
CD2
1.Sagari Ha no Kyoku (Song of the Falling Leaves)
2.Kinko Style Honkyoku
3.Tsuki no Kyoku (Song of the Moon)
4.Kinko Style Honkyoku
5.Byoh–for Shakuhachi Solo
6.Hirose Ryohei
1.Tamuke
2.Uguisu (The Nightengale)
3.Koujou no Tsuki (The Moon over the Ruined Castle)
4.Defune (Departing Boat)
5.Hama Chidori (BeachPlovers)
6.Kaze (Who Has Seen the Wind)
7.Mari to Tonosama (The Lord and the Ball)
8.Five Pieces Set to the Poems of Kaneko Misuzu
9.Osaka no Komoriuta (Osaka Lullaby)
10.Yamato Komoriuta (Yamato Lullaby)
11.Calligraphy for Voice and Bamboo
12.Samuyo Mukashi Banashi (Storytelling on a Winter’s Night)
13.Song of Atitlan
1.Heart Of Bamboo
2.Waka from Only Companion
3.Song of the Dream Garden
4.Shunga
5.After Han Yu
6.Talking to Myself
7.True Illumination
8.A Lover’s Quarrel
9.Midsummer
10.Four Letters to Hayden Carruth
1.Yearnings, shakuhachi solo
Composed by Christopher Yohmei
2.Dorian Dance, for shakuhachi and twenty-stringed koto
Composed by Christopher Yohmei
3.The Gates of Heaven and Earth, for shakuhachi and double bass
Composed by Christopher Yohmei and YOSHIZAWA Motoharu
4.Storytelling on a Winter’s Night, for shakuhachi and soprano
Composed by TAKEUCHI Akihiko
5.The Shadow of the Rose, for shakuhachi and oud
Composed by Christopher Yohmei and Hamza el DIN
6.Worthless Shakuhachi–Five Songs from the Kanginshû, for shakuhachi, soprano, narrative and shamisen
Composed by Christopher Yohmei
Tears of Heaven, for shakuhachi and piano
Composed by Michael REIMANN
A.Night of The Garuda improvisation for shakuhachi and ryuuteki
Composed by Christopher Yohmei and SHIBA Sukeyasu
B.Tsuki, for shakuhachi and sho
Composed by MASSUMOTO Kikuko
C.The Song of Atitlan, for shakuhachi and soprano
Composed by Christopher Yohmei
D.Hi-fu-mi Hachigaeshi Shirabe
Kinko style honkyoku
E.Mama no Kawa, for shamisen and shakuhachi
Composed by KIKUOKA Kengyô
Japanese
Chinese (Simplified)
English
French