DRAGONFLY: AIKO SHIMADA, ELIZABETH FALCONER, MAKO: Island Dreams - songs and lullabies carried on the wind

Dragonfly: Aiko Shimada, Elizabeth Falconer, Mako

Island Dreams - songs and lullabies carried on the wind

© 2004 Koto World (804778010724)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Uplifting and nurturing songs and lullabies from Okinawa, Japan, Hawai'i, Tahiti, and beyond.

notes

Recipient of a 2004 NAPPA GOLD Award, iParenting Media Award, and Parents' Choice Approved Award!
Through a series of far-fetched coincidences (you can read about them in the liner notes!) these three unique Pacific Northwest artists have met and released their first recording together, Island Dreams. True to Koto World style, it is uniquely inspired acoustic music, this time with hues of island sound brought to life by sanshin, guitar, koto, and ukulele. It combines musical traditions from Okinawa, Japan, Hawai'i and beyond with the individual approaches and creative arrangements of these talented multicultural musicians. Sung in English, Okinawan, and Japanese (and a little Hawaiian and Tahitian!) the music is as uplifting and nurturing as an ocean breeze. Works range from poignant Okinawan songs such as Tinsagu nu Hana (Balsam Flowers) and Warabi Gami (Blessings from Heaven) to Japanese traditional melodies such as Kojo no Tsuki (Moonlit Castle Reflections) and Tanabata no Uta (Song of the Star Festival) as well as Hawaiian, Tahitian, and original songs inspired by the islands.

This recording introduces the incredible voice and instrumental talent of Mako, who was born in Okinawa and moved to Hawai'i at the age of eleven, and currently resides in Seattle. She performs the sanshin, a 3-stringed lute covered with python skin that is native to Okinawa, and sings in English, Okinawan, and Hawaiian, flowing easily from one style to the next. She is joined by the warm vocals and guitars of the individualist Aiko Shimada, a native Japanese who has made a career in the states as a folk/jazz singer and songwriter, both in English and Japanese. With them is Elizabeth Falconer on koto, a classical Japanese instrument she studied in Japan for over a decade, an instrument she has composed and arranged for, told stories with, and collaborated with various artists on, for nearly twenty-five years. Together, their sounds combine in refreshing, distinctive arrangements of songs that - no matter what language you speak - tug at your heartstrings.

In the short time since Elizabeth founded the Koto World label in 2000, Koto World recordings have received eight national awards, including Parents' Choice and NAPPA GOLD awards for her previous collaboration with Aiko Shimada, "Oyasumi- Goodnight." This release is the 9th on the Koto World label.

Performed by Dragonfly: Aiko Shimada , vocals and guitars; Elizabeth Falconer, koto; and introducing Mako, Okinawan sanshin, vocals, and ukulele.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • A harmony that results in strong group cohesion and chemistry
    author: Joe Ross

    Musicians are always looking to collaborate with others who share their same vision, and the partnership of Aiko Shimada (guitar, vocals), Mako (sanshin, ukelele, vocals), and Elizabeth Falconer (koto) yields bountiful rewards with their arrangements of slower, melodic songs from Okinawa, Japan, Hawaii and Tahiti. Some original material is also included, as well as some English lyrics written for a couple of the other offerings. The contemplative and reflective nature of their chosen Asian and Pacific Island fare is largely a function of tempo, and a couple more songs like the moderate-tempo’ed Tahitian welcoming song, “Mahalo,” would have been helpful to demonstrate that the wind can range from mere breezes and zephyrs to also flurries and gusts. Also, some additional liner notes with translation of their foreign lyrics would have helped build a stronger sense of audience understanding and community. All in all, the members of Dragonfly have mastered the art of listening to each other, knowing when to lead and when to follow for the trio’s collective greater good. Their generous sharing achieves a harmony that results in strong group cohesion and chemistry. Despite their individual differences in backgrounds, preferences and styles, these three players have built a bridge – both figuratively and musically. With these songs and lullabies, they manage to transcend their separate relationships and fuse their musical spirits and Island dreams into a much larger whole. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

email

Please log in to email this artist.