Planet Flute

Viviana Guzman (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Well-Tempered Produc
• ASIN: B000003Y39
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #220,852 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take your soul on a timeless journey around the World, February 28, 2001

By	Linda (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I collect alot of flute albums but this one is very special and unique. As I listened to each track, I went to another place in time and another country or culture. There are many different types of flutes and drums played on this album, and the didgeridoo resonated throughout in deep tones.

The flute playing was seemed to come from the heart of the flutist in whichever flute she played and the drums were invigorating and musical.

I liked all the tracks but my favorites were the Seventh Veil (Moroccan influence), Quetalcoatl (Aztec influence), and the Painted Cave (American Indian influence).

This is a great album to add to your music collection, especially if you like world music. The music on this album reflects the blending of cultures on our planet happening today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A celebration of diversity, ritual, and interconnectedness., October 6, 2004

By	Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Juilliard-trained Viviana Guzman, who plays over fifty varieties of flute, including glass, bass, gold, nose, Lapp, and Native American flutes on this album, is joined by her talented ensemble to present haunting, otherworldly music, based on folk melodies. Showing the "diversity, ritual, and connectedness" among peoples, the tracks include pieces of Andean, Celtic, Mexican, Afro-Cuban, Spanish, Native American, and Australian origin.

From "Seventh Veil," a Middle Eastern melody with insistent drumbeat, conjuring visions of Salome and belly dancers, to "Forest Voices," which calls to mind the sounds of birds and animals in the Australian outback and features an instrument called the bull roar, Guzmann and her ensemble reinvigorate aboriginal music, giving it a fresh sound and interpretation. "Painted Cave," inspired by a mysterious place in the Santa Barbara mountains still containing the spirit of the Native Americans who left their marks there, features Guzman on the Native American flute, accompanied by bass drum, clay drum, didgeridoo, and shakers. Her powerfully rendered "Amazing Grace" on the bass flute, closes this remarkable collection of Guzman's arrangements.

Most of these tracks are quietly played in minor keys and include a stirring beat, with the single-toned didgeridoo playing subtly in the background. Though the inspiration for these songs is simple, the musicianship Guzman and her group brings to their arrangements is amazing. John Villa, the expert on didgeridoo, has worked with aboriginal elders in Australia and has made his own instrument. Richard Patterson, who plays guitar on two tracks has studied in Spain with Andres Segovia. Jason Fann, who studied drumming in Ghana, and Peter Maund, an expert on ethnomusicology play aboriginal instruments here ranging from dumbek to riq, djembe, berimbau, and jun-jun. Guzman herself has advanced degrees and has studied with Jean-Pierre Rampal and James Galway.

The stunning cover art, which is also sold as a poster, suggests the back-to-basics approach of this group in getting at the essence of their music, paying homage to traditions of the past while thrilling the souls of performers and listeners alike. Mary Whipple

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planet Flute, December 31, 2007

By	Donna M. Jackson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a good listening experience for anyone who likes unusual music played on the various types of flutes. It certainly isn't your usual flute fare. Viviana Guzman is an educator in that she exposes her audiences to the variety of flutes that exist, and the music that can be played on those instruments. I had the opportunity to attend one of her concerts and she does the same things from the stage.