The Whole Music Experience

WM Conversation with American Composer/Conductor James DeMars James DeMars, composer/conductor of contemporary American classical music with a cultural exchange twist, also teaches composition at Arizona State University in Tempe.  His biography cites, "Composer/conductor James DeMars belongs to a generation of composers that is revealing a new integration of world music with the range, depth and stylistic variety of the classical tradition." He is the musical descendent of musicians such as Aaron Copland, George Gershwin (symphonic work), Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and other classical composers that drew inspiration from traditional and folkloric music.  DeMars has produced work and recorded for Canyon Records several times.  His recordings with Canyon Records include, Spirit Horses (1991), Native Tapestry (1993), Two World Concerto (1997) and the opera Guadalupe, Our Lady of Roses (2009). I caught up with DeMars by e-mail.  And I want to thank...

Hamilton De Holanda Quintet Brasilianos 2 Adventure Music If the late American bebop legend Charlie Parker had spent time in Brazil soaking up the music of Rio and Bahia, he would have composed music a lot like Brazilian mandolin player Hamilton De Holanda. The songs on Brasilianos 2 alternate between laidback and wildly frantic and the frantic ones can downright leave a listener breathless. In fact, I can sit listening to the faster pace songs and get my heart racing without aerobic exercise. It’s like eating gourmet chocolate and losing weight.  But on the musicians' part, the music itself could not be called effortless.  These players work up a sweat. The CD portion of the album features 12 tracks and the DVD features a concert in Paris that shows the virtuoso musicians in action. The highlight of the DVD for me is De Holanda’s solo performance of Astor Piazzolla’s Adios Nonino , probably one of the most complex and sad song ever composed. I have seen classical...

Ravi Shankar's 90th Anniversary (April 7, 2010) Ravi Shankar Nine Decades Vol. I (1967-68) East Meets West Music Distributed by Harmonia Mundi On the second track of Nine Decades, Vol. I, a reporter interviews American concert goers about the Pandit Ravi Shankar performance they witnessed. The interviews took place in 1967 and many of the responses appeared astute, especially by the third person interviewed, a man who reflected about exposure to music from other countries, leading to exposure to global art and cultures. And indeed, traditional musicians such as Ravi Shankar certainly paved the way for global cultural exchange. I doubt there is a household in the US or any European countries that has not heard of Ravi Shankar. They might not have heard his ragas, but the name has grown synonymous with classical Indian music and for some folks, the master sitarist comes up in conjunction with The Beatles, especially George Harrison. I’m excited about East Meets West R...