Island Dreams - songs and lullabies carried on the wind

Dragonfly

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 1, 2004)
• Original Release Date: June 1, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Koto World
• ASIN: B0002E5824
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,741 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Cranky Crow Music, August 2004
"Stunning.....here is a CD filled with a nurturing spirit that points the way to a more harmonious world."

Product Description
Recipient of a 2004 NAPPA GOLD AWARD! Dragonfly consists of singer Aiko Shimada and koto player Elizabeth Falconer (both of "Oyasumi" fame) with Mako, whose incredible voice and instrumental talent is introduced on this album. Mako 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 award-winning performer 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 they are Dragonfly, creating fresh yet nostolgic music.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shimanchu, June 27, 2005

By	shimanchu (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews

If I close my eyes, I can see the litle shops in Koza. I can smell yaki tori, and taste soki soba... the song leaves me wanting to taste melon soda and hear more Uchinaguchi.
Four stars, not five because I have a great love for the traditional sounds of Okinawa. I did, however, find this Dragonfly interpretation very pleasing... very soothing. I would definitely see Dragonfly live if given the opportunity.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BE-YU-T-FUL!, December 22, 2004

By	Jo McMurphy (San Mateo, CA) - See all my reviews

Wow. If you want a recording that just plain makes you feel soothed and joyful, this is it. What a beautiful blending of sounds and cultures! These musicians were somehow able to bring together lullaby-type songs from Southern Japan (Okinawa) and Hawaii and make them all seem familiar, even to someone who does not know much about those places. I am not surprised this won some awards --- it leaves me feeling warm and happy every time I listen to it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A harmony that results in strong group cohesion & chemistry, July 5, 2004

By	J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.)