Track Listing

1. Saginou - Zulya Kamalova, Zuly
2. Picking Flowers - Lei Qiang
3. Hangama Hai Kyon Barpa - Ghulam Ali
4. For Julia - Sanjay Mishra
5. Utuwaskarap - Oki
6. Gerizler Basi - Okan Murat Ozturk
7. Afshari - Kamil Alipour
8. Anggopanku - Hila Hambala
9. Empress - Ancient Future
10. Kang Mandor - Ujang Suryana

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9072 in Music
• Released on: 2000-08-22
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
This pan-Asian travelogue features musicians from China, India, Tatarstan, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, and Iran. Aside from the unifying theme of the 400-hundred-year-old tea trade, the tunes have little in common and range from modern fusions to intriguing glimpses of rarely heard traditions. Assorted strings dominate the instrumental forces, especially harplike sounds, but the vocals are equally strong. Among the most fascinating tracks are Zulya's beguiling recollections of her Tatar childhood, Oki's tribute to his endangered Ainu (Japanese aboriginal) heritage, the Anatolian Turkish saz (lute) stylings of Okan Murat Ozturk, and an arrestingly percussive example of Iran's classical Persian disciplines as performed by Kamil Alipour. The set offers an array of unexpected pleasures from cultures that deserve to be better documented in the West. It is as mellow yet invigorating as the perfect tea break. A recipe for chai, a spicy Indian milk tea, is included. --Christina Roden

From Rhythm Magazine
Like Music from the Coffee Lands, its 1997 forerunner, this collection initially seems a bit contrived, but it begins to make sense when one considers that tea is the most common beverage in the world and is associated with a broad diversity of mostly Asian cultures. The music on here is as marvelous as it is obscure, with a peaceful quality that is indeed compatible with a good cup of tea. Except for Ancient Future, whose track is drawn from a Narada CD, the ten performers are little known. Several of them, including singer Zulya from Tatarstan, erhu player Lei Qiang from China and guitarist Sanjay Mishra from India, have left their native turf for Australia and North America. --Paul-Emile Comeau

Customer Reviews

Tea Time never sounded so good
There are quite a few fascinating cuts on this CD, including some very rare music from Japanese musician Oki that highlight his Ainu heritage. The Ainu are the Japanese aborigines, living on the island and anthropologically quite different from the Asiatic strain of Japanese. It's a very pretty folk song, and something you won't find on a CD every day.

My other favorite was the opening song by Zulya. She is a Tatar, that is, one of the Asiatic Russian peoples. What is interesting here is the mix of the Mali kora as an accompaniment. At first, I was a bit surprised to hear the kora (it's not from Tatarstan--it's an African instrument), but I must say it made for a lovely mix with the beautiful and mysterious-sounding song. The rest of the CD is pretty good, too, with especially nice music from Persia and Turkey.

If you ever brew a pot of tea, try serving it in those thin Turkish or Russian tea glasses instead of mugs on a cold winter day, and put on this CD. Lots of romantic atmosphere, and a great way to relax. Highly Recommended.

My heart has been stolen
When I first previewed this cd in a local Borders bookstore, I wrinkled my nose at a few of the tracks. But I must tell you it wasn't until I took the wraps off at home and paired it with my favorite incense that the overall spirituality of this cd soaked through.

It was initially "Saginou" that stole my heart, then "Kang Mandor", but gradually I was ovecome by the entire flow of the compilation. They really do work well together.

My hat's off to the compilation specialist and Putumayo for one of my favorite compilations, ever. (and I'm QUITE picky about what I choose to let in)

If you're the relaxation type who enjoys music that soothes and heals, you should definitely consider this one.

Fantastic
I loved this cd from the first listen. The opening track by Zulya is just beautiful. What a gorgeous voice she has. When I first picked up this cd I wasn't expecting to be so enthralled by it as I am. I wasn't expecting either to love the Chinese and Pakistani songs. But it truly goes to show that all music, no matter where it's from, is beautiful and can be loved and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of cultures, if given half a chance. And the Putumayo releases are perfect introductions to world music that otherwise may be passed over. They have certainly broadened my musical tastes and knowledge. The booklet contains very informative notes on each artist and song. I highly recommend this album.