Track Listing

1. Midal [Papua New Guinea] - Telek
2. Tsara NY Miran'ny Taniko (Madagascar) - Eric Manana
3. Mais Filhos de Gandhi (Brazil) - Ana Rita Simonka
4. Makola (Guinea) - Baba Djan
5. To a Beloved [India] - Shweta Jhaveri
6. Arica [Big Sur] - Barefoot
7. Conori (Brazil)
8. Pais Azul [Costa Rica] - Guadalupe Urbina
9. Tautai E [New Zealand] - Te Vaka
10. Elepaio Slack Key [Hawaii] - Keola Beamer
11. Happiness Is... [Tibet] - Yungchen Lhamo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24835 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-13
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Gardens of Eden is a multidimensional tool of anthology guaranteed to whisk even the most hardcore urbanites into the folds of Shangri-la. This collection of music from around the world is built around the theme of paradise on earth; the highly detailed liner notes include an overview of environmental organizations pledged to preserve vanishing resources. The subdued, lighthearted music is constructed around the soft caress of acoustic guitar, ukulele, African kora, Polynesian drums, Indian tabla, and sitar. Exceptional tracks include Ana Rita Simonka's unique fusion of bossa nova and Indian classical music, "Mais Filhos de Gandhi," and Keola Beamer's soothing, oceanic "Elepaio Slack Key." --Leslie R. Marini

Customer Reviews

Wow! This is one HOT world music CD!
I've had various world music cd's recommended to me, from music from Mali (not bad, but a bit repetitious) to Brasil, Bulgaria, you name it. All are interesting, not all are ones you'd listen to every day.

Gardens of Eden is one World Music CD that just knocked my socks off. Every cut is fantastic. The mix is varied, from Tibet to New Zealand to Brazil, yet the mix fits together. This is a very cleverly assembled montage of music and it is fast becoming one of my favorites.

To get a good idea of the songs, listen to the first cut, from Papua New Guinea, and then the Shweta Jhaveri. These are two of my favorites on the CD. The last song is the Tibetan one, no sample given here but it is wonderfully deep and interesting.

Warm and relaxing
I've listened to almost all of the Putumayo CDs and own more than a few. They've been instrumental in introducing me to all sorts of world artists. Unfortunately, with many of the CDs I end up really liking about 25% of the songs and wishing I could discard the rest. This was NOT the case with Gardens of Eden, though. The whole album is enjoyable and lulls you into a sense of well-being and peace. Recommended.

It whisks you back
No matter what Garden of Eden you have in mind, this is the music to take you there.

We were traveling down Rt. 1 in California and stopped in Big Sur. At one of the local shops, I heard the ever familiar Putumayo music and fell into a conversation with the store owner over our mutual appreciation for the Putumayo label. She then brought to my attention that her group was featured on Gardens of Eden. Naturally, we bought it.

The next day, when traveling through the misted mountain road, we were entralled by the way the music somehow choregraphed the scenery - or was it the other way around? All I know is that I will forever remember driving in the convertible, rounding each bend to music that swept away all of our cares and concerns.

I highly recommend this disk.