North Carolina-based group Songs of Water has emerged from the South East with a sound both ancient and modern in an inventive fusion. This six piece ensemble (sometimes 8 piece or more), composed primarily of instrumental music, harbors a wide variety of cultural and stylistic influences. The uncommon use of the Appalachian folk instrument, the hammered dulcimer, melodically leads many of the group’s pieces, followed by the resonance of various acoustic instruments and a brooding foundation of heavy percussion. Combining Band Leader, Stephen Roach’s world music influence with the classical background of violinist Marta Richardson, the Spanish infused guitar of co-founder Jason Windsor, and multi-instrumentation of Greg Willette, Luke Skaggs and Michael Pritchard, Songs of Water creates a unique sound that reaches beyond the common mileu.
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