This is the third and perhaps final post about the musical heritages of those lands worst hit by the tsunami. I’ve already written about Sumatran and south Indian music. Today, the honor goes to the temple drumming of Sri Lanka. In searching for a suitable recording to convey the music of Sri Lanka, I happened on Air Mail Music’s compilation, Sri Lanka/Ceylan. Here’s what the World Music Institute online shop’s notes say about it:
In Sri Lanka, everything dances and vibrates to the rhythm of the magical drums. The ritual dances of masked demons, folkloric tradition, religious service, medical practice or a psychodrama session are all placed under the hypnosis of the drums, the musicians as well as the audience. Recordings compiled by Francois Jouffa in Sri Lanka during the shooting of his film “La Bonzesse” in 1973.
Hear Gini Pagime Utsewaya [Walking on Fire at Hikkaduwa] from Air Mail Music’s Sri Lanka here.
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