Nadishana Trio- Far and Near
(Sound Microsurgery Department 2011) (Germany)
Nadishana - dzuddahord, hybrid kaval, futujara, hu-lu-si, bansuri, duclar, khomus, utar, tambujira, 1tone drum, mouthbow, various perc, sounds.
Armin Metz - 6-string fretless and fretted basses
Steve Shehan - self-constructed percussion kit, brushes, hang drum, spacedrum, sagattes, kendang, steel drums, hadgini, tuned udus, piano, likembe, conga, calabash, handsonic, knong wong, various perc.
On their first album together, the members of “Nadishana Trio” bring to the recording studio an original repertory that has been captivating audiences for more than four years of performances in prestigious venues and festivals.
What has been forged through collective interactions, now becomes an original concept that captures the spirit of their fruitful kinship.
Vladiswar Nadishana, the founder of the project, is a multidisciplinary Siberian artist with a deep knowledge of ethnomusicology, playing more than 100 instruments. He is joined by master percussionist Steve Shehan, a legendary world music innovator, member of the famous Hadouk Trio, and bass player Armin Metz, versed in different styles, from electronica, pop, to world fusion.
The title of the album is a suggestive metaphor of their creative road map: "Far" is geographical distance, but also it is about traditions, a journey to an ancient time when music was evolving as a fundamental ingredient of human culture, while "Near" evokes spatial closeness, neighborhood, the fresh modernistic flavor intersected with its “Far” counterpart.
The variety of the musical themes and instruments we hear is impressive. There are original compositions along with skilled solos contributed by all three multi –instrumentalists who distill and blend layers of “Far” and “Near” in a polychromatic panoply composed of a wide array of influences and sources. We are taken to explore a world of harmonies infused by a cross-cultural symbiosis that resonates with the innermost chords of the soul.
Flowing happily like a mountain spring, the invigorating “Water song”, opens the journey. As the musical flow progresses we pass through a mysterious “Hidden Door”, reaching the “Vast lands” of the “Sanskar Valley”, charmed by a mellow “Overtone story” , before “Riding north” surrounded by the dark melodious voice of the bass.
Then comes the silky “Hulusi”, a melody you wish it never ends, and the ritual-like “Kuzhebarsko Horo” reminiscent of ancestral East-European circle dances.
The inspiration flies high when the adventure slows pace with the delicate oriental beauty of the “Urhat”, in which Nadishana’s sensuous kaval narrates an emotional intense melody. In tune with him, Armin Metz weaves rich bass tones, swirling like a snake made of velvet sounds, while sound wizard percussionist Steve Shehan radiates lights and shadows, whispers and silence, deepening the mystery.
But “Far and Near” is also an enriching sonic experience for listeners, as the album showcases a rich variety of percussion , woodwind and chords instruments of different origins, some of them invented by the musicians themselves . It is a momentary return to the sources of music when the humanity was closer to the nature than today. At the end of this fabulous journey, the three fellow storytellers leave us enchanted by the pure joy they shared with passion and virtuosity all along the way. From every angle, “Far and Near” is a vivid illustration of Longfellow’s words: “Music is the universal language of mankind.
Vladiswar Nadishana @ JWQ
Vladiswar Nadishana website
