The 12th Independent Music Awards (IMA) Winner for the "Best Album Packaging" in 2013. (Vox Populi)
Island cultures converge as Taiwanese aboriginal melodies are set to the Hawaiian sounds of 'ukulele, slack key guitar, and piano.
A gentle breeze from the Pacific Ocean
Blowing through the island
Caressing nature and its inhabitants
At a leisurely pace on this land
Whistling one song after another from the inner heart
Innocently influenced by the shimmering sun-lit ocean
From a serene sentiment like the cycle of day and night
Daniel Ho¡¦s musical landscape
So comfortable that even the coconut trees in the Pacific
Have forgotten which direction to bend
A gentle breeze from the Pacific Ocean
Blowing tranquilly
There is something about coming from an island and meeting people from island cultures that resonates with inviting familiarity. Food and music unify this connectedness even more. The concept of this album came about in Taiwan, a paradise of endless hospitality. We spent an evening at a backyard barbecue with aboriginal locals. Our generous hosts were members from various tribes in the area¡XAmis, Puyuma, Rukai, Paiwan¡Xa mere cross section of the dozens of tribes dispersed across Ilha Formosa, or Beautiful Island, as Taiwan was aptly named centuries ago. It felt like home in every way, perfect to the core and complete with an island-style kanikapila (jam session).
We played through the night and shared mostly with smiles and head nods, and by calling out keys for various chord progressions. Instantly engaging with their rhythmic vocal displays, our new friends accompanied themselves on guitar and percussion. 'Ukulele was a natural fit for the pentatonic melodies of the aboriginal folk style. Some songs contained lyrics, others were void of spoken language and consisted of open-sounding vocalizations. Their stories were told in inflections¡Xtales of happiness, thanks, excitement, love, and loss. Not bound by language barriers and compositional limits, it was a consummate instance of music acting as a universal form of communication.
Wind Music International has extensively archived the music of Taiwanese aboriginal tribes. The goal of this collaboration is to reverently present this rich cultural tradition in a new light by pairing it with the Hawaiian sounds of slack key guitar, 'ukulele, and piano by multiple GRAMMY Award-winning artist and producer, Daniel Ho.
WIND MUSIC International Corporation. All rights reserved.
5F, NO 14, Lane 130, Min Chuan Road, Hsin Tien, Taipei, Taiwan 23141
TEL: 886-2-2218-5881 FAX: 886-2-2218-9485 www.windmusic.com.tw
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