Some things are just too good to be true. While finishing off the cataloging of recordings that ARC collected for Brazilian Music Day, in preparation for India Music Week, I came across this album by Egberto Gismonti.
It’s the perfect transition – the perfect bridge between the two cultures and the annual focuses here at the ARC. Last year Brazil, this year India. Força Lascada (EMI, Brazil, 064 422 940, 1984) offers a jazzy and dissonant use of a dilruba and the “sitara” – untuned, loung-ey and peculiar – as nearly all such cultural mashups are.
It’s the perfect addition to the collection we’re building of non-Indian musicians incorporating Asian Indian instruments into their music. Often it’s a straight ahead and flatly melodic use, like on a Beatles record. But sometimes it’s an avant-garde mess bordering on genius. As this is. At least on two cuts.
We’ll have a full rundown and essay on more than 30 of these recordings ready for India Music Week in Oct. Stay un-tuned!
AS YOU MAY KNOW our Swingin’ Summer Record + CD Sale is coming up – June 8 – 16. So another benefit of re-Brazilin’ is the big pile of Brazilian/Brasilian LPs that we will have at our sale. Things in near mint condition, like below @ below market prices…