In Review--Street Groovin'

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World 
Dieter Iby
Didgeridoo Street Music 
Arc Music

On visits to YouTube, I have encountered street musicians playing didgeridoo on street corners and sidewalks.  I can’t imagine encountering didgeridoo players on the streets where I reside, however, I can listen to Dieter Iby perform his world fusion on Didgeridoo Street Music.  The musician arranges didgeridoo with West African percussion instruments and he partners with kora player (West African harp) Stefan Charisius on Sim.Mah (Pisces) with spectacular otherworldly results.  Iby also pleases me with his song titles which feature signs of the Zodiac.  I’m not sure if the musician is familiar with astrological energies, but he certainly matches the right song to the right sign.

For instance, the opener, Gu.an.na (Taurus) feels sensual and grounding to me similar to the sign Taurus and the track I already mentioned for Pisces also feels right on.  The second track, named for Leo starts off with a roar and has a jungle like feel after the drums show up.  So this leads me to experiment by seeing how well the songs match the signs.  Gu (Aquarius) should electrify us or wake us up.  This song starts out with chimes (which is already different than the previous tracks), and then, yes, it feels electrifying once the didgeridoo starts grooving.  The Libra track would bring us back into balance--and the didgeridoo strikes a balance with percussion.  Let’s look at one more track, Dub (Cancer) which should evoke deeper emotions and a sense of safety. I don’t know that it does, but it’s funky nonetheless.

This CD features invigorating music that begs us to move in some way, preferably free form dance.  Even with the low guttural sounds of the didgeridoo, these songs won’t relax listeners and pets might not respond positively to these songs because of their jagged rhythms (so be mindful not to crank up the volume when pets are around).  I am unable to listen to the entire CD in one sitting, but I enjoy listening to a few tracks at a time.  However, if you love didgeridoo or play this instrument, you’ll want to add this recording to your collection.  You might even learn new techniques from listening to it.

http://www.arcmusic.co.uk 



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