Customer Reviews

Mapa

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The four members of Uakti (pronounced wa-KEE-chi) all have musical degrees and jobs in various brazilian orchestras, but they would much rather be making instruments of their own design, and performing music on them that ranges from minimalist to melodic to avant-garde. This is not your typical "Ambient" music, and it is DEFENITLEY not "Ethnic" in any way. (Truly good music cannot be limited to any one culture group, and to do so would deprive the music of it's universal appreciability, but that's another discussion.) At times it is achingly poigniant, at other times powerfully optimistic, but never trite or contrived. I have never heard such an amazing group. They created their own musical language, and had to make from scratch instruments suitable to express it.
"A Lenda" is my favorite track, especially the middle (percussive) section and the beautiful, understated close. Surprisingly, I bought this CD because of the version of Ravel's "Bolero" found at the end (I'm a Bolero nut, obsessed almost). I didn't like the Bolero, but the rest of the disc more than makes up.
In closing I'll say that you should buy this CD if you are looking for music that's unlike anything else, or if you're searching for an "Ambient/New Age" album that you can actually LISTEN to, rather than those whale noise CD's which don't go anywhere.

The four-man band Uakti consists of four Brazilians who have come together to explore a gentle 'New Age' approach to the philosophy and sounds of the rainforest. They create the instruments, consisting largely of flutes and percussion, themselves--often without prior models. The overall sound produced is neither exactly ambient nor exactly tune-directed, and entirely unique. All of their albums I know are pretty much the same, presentation-wise and quality-wise. This is good pleasant music to have on in the background while eating, lounging, or working.

I've owned this disc since it was new and it is still one of the most interesting things to listen to that I own. It is recorded fairly well and sounds great played back on good equipment. Since none of the "instruments" sound much like anything else... well, it's just great to hear sounds from non-familiar instruments making such compelling music. Great melodies range from fast paced to languid. This disc is great for relaxing in the evening - one of those rare discs where you can get so into the music nothing else exists, at least for a little while. In case you are considering other Uakti titles, I had I Ching for a while and just never could get into it... it's gone now. I also bought Trilobyte, and while I still have it and probably won't get rid of it, I don't listen to it as often as Mapa. Mapa has a unique combination of very interesting sound and enchanting music - and that's coming from somebody who listens to more rock than anything else.

Recently saw the Ballet Jazz de Montreal perform a piece that was choreographed to this album. The performance was lovely, and the music stands alone nicely, still sounding fresh despite being 15 years old. There's a certain creative optimism that is rarely encountered. It's the sort of music I'd like to put in my (hypothetical) child's crib.

Rush used the song - "Trilobita" on the Rush in Rio DVD during the credits. It's a very nice percussive piece. I'm not totally sure what instruments are being played (I would guess Marimba or Balophone). It's very reminiscent of works that Neil Peart has written in the past (eg. Pieces of Eight, Momo's Dance Party, etc.) and fits in great with the Brazilian themed concert. Percussion fans should check this one out.

I can't tell you a lot about Uakti (I'm not even sure how you pronounce them), but this is a very unusual and often beautiful album. Categorized at World Music, you can hear the far-flung influences here, and while this definitely has a New Age feel, it comes without all the usual sentimental, tedious baggage.

the enchantment sound of their home-made instruments and their talent made this album a special moment in music in general.

Excellent recording sound, skillful acoustic performance, all you need to do is sit down, enjoy your coffee, read some books......their sound will bring you in a relaxing world.