Global ensemble

[Guest]

Global ensemble

creates cosmic

'Cosmopoly'

 

http://www.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/14/wb.vollenweider/link.flute.guy.jpg

 

http://www.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/14/wb.vollenweider/story.jpg

 

(CNN) --Thirteen musicians from nearly

10 countries. Over 30 instruments. One

album: "Cosmopoly," by harpist Andreas

Vollenweider and an international cast.

 

It may sound like a behemoth of a project, but Vollenweider's latest album is

relatively small when compared to many of his recent orchestral compositions.

"Cosmopoly" also marks his return to the new age music, for which he won a

Grammy with 1986's "Down to the Moon."

 

"On this album, I really wanted to make a strong

point, and invite people from different places of

the world to meet in the world of music," the

Swiss musician told WorldBeat.

 

Galician bagpiper Carlos Nunez, Armenian duduk

player Djivan Gasparyan and Carly Simon, the

North American singer-songwriter who also

composed and wrote lyrics for the album, were

among the global crew that came together to

record the album and perform at New York City's

Joe's Pub.

 

"Andreas invited me to play in a very new way

for me," Nunez said. "This way was

improvisation. We never do improvisation with Celtic instruments. We always

play a tune, something very straight from the tradition. With him I feel a little bit

more free."

 

Vollenweider does have a startling effect

on music, Simon agreed. "When I

collaborate with him, it enlivens a

different part of me," she said. "I get to

be the 'Andreas/Carly' vision, which is

very different than the 'Carly' vision."

 

What is the "Andreas" vision, which

Simon called "a very honest,

close-to-his-soul statement of himself?"

 

"A wonderful medium," Vollenweider

answered. "To touch people, to

communicate something that is beyond words. That is the reason why music

was always necessary every culture."