Amazon.com Music Reviews
More than just a record, this is also the story of the journey of Paul Pena, a fine blind American bluesman who learned Tuvan throat singing well enough to win a contest in Tuva. His solo tracks, especially his take on
Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues," are the real blues deal, but this record truly takes off when Pena and Ondar duet. The blues and the eerie, often-guttural sounds of throat singing make a natural match, one that simply bewitches with the clear overtones and melodies, while the guitar and Tuvan banjo offer simple, but very plaintive, accompaniment. About the only misstep is the inclusion of the Cape Verdean "Tras d'Orizao," which sticks out like a sore thumb from everything else. Get that out of your system, and the rest is pure magic.
--Chris Nickson
Product Description
This wild musical journey combines the amazing two-note vocals of Tuvan throat-singing master ONDAR with the gut-bucket, scratchy blues of Paul "Earthquake" PENA, and a Cape Verdian morna ballad thrown in for good measure.
Music from this CD powers the award-winning film Genghis Blues.
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