The star of the album is niko", one of the traditional string instruments from China.
There are many instruments in the lute category that are played with the bow rubbing
against the instrument which produce the sounds, such as batokin" from Mongol,
hegum" from the Korean peninsula and many others just from Asia alone.
As for Europe, might not we say that violins are representative of string instruments
there?
It is said that instruments were played initially to imitate the human voice.
If that is so, niko is the perfect instrument to express the melodies of the Asian
continent in the tones of this continent. From the lowest to the highest, the tones
stretch expansively and they conjure up in the listener's minds, images of the broad
and slightly red tinted skies and the green fields of the Asian continent and the
people living tranquil lives there surrounded by the rich natural landscapes.
Of the songs contained in the album, only the six piece and the ninth piece are pure
Chinese classics, these being, YUEYA WUGENG" and YUYEYE" and the rest are all
original works created for this album. And despite the abundance of Western harmonies
and Instruments such piano and guitar, the sounds produced by niko maintain the
gentle and the sweet melancholy tones of the Orient and express the great openness of
the pastoral life in the Asian continent.
The other star of the album, Jia Peng-Fang, is a niko player representative of China,
or rather of Asia as can be noted in the profile and perhaps it is his gentle sweet
character reflected in the performances that make us feel so much at peace with
ourselves as we listen. Also Seiichi Kyoda who was in charge of the musical arrangement of all the pieces in the album and composed six, got on really well with Jia and they made a great team together. Seiichi was also able to make a natural connection to the instrument niko, making it possible for him to create the perfect melody makeup and arrangements for
the work. This in turn, made the music more accessible for us who have little chance of ever hearing such an instrument. The title is River" so why not listen to the album and let ourselves feel like we are on a small boat floating down the Yellow River, looking at the fantastic landscapes on the river coasts as we go.