Wu Man and Friends (2005)

About this title: Chinese pipa player Wu Man loves mix'n'match styles, and obviously isn't afraid of a challenge. This time around she takes her tradition and melds it with instruments, singers, and music from the U.S., Ukraine, and Uganda. Unlikely as that sounds, it works well. Yet it's not a deliberate fusion as such; instead everything seems quite relaxed and perfectly natural, as if these instruments had conversed together for centuries. The music is largely traditional, and that works perfectly, especially on the Chinese pieces, where the pipa really gets to sing. She's a virtuoso, but never hogs the ... read more

Tracks on this album

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.