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Gaia's Dream by Nana Simopoulos
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fave it World Fusion | Middle East
10 tracks | 50 minutes
Released Apr 2001
on B&W Music
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:20 Koula Koula lyrics BUY MP3 03:20 Koula Koula lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:20 Koula Koula
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:56 White Bird lyrics BUY MP3 05:56 White Bird lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:56 White Bird
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:00 Artemis' Silver Bow lyrics BUY MP3 04:00 Artemis' Silver Bow lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:00 Artemis' Silver Bow
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 06:23 The Journey lyrics BUY MP3 06:23 The Journey lyrics "GIFT MP3" 06:23 The Journey
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 06:06 Hunga Cheeda (Flying Eagle) lyrics BUY MP3 06:06 Hunga Cheeda (Flying Eagle) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 06:06 Hunga Cheeda (Flying Eagle)
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:13 Many Moons lyrics BUY MP3 05:13 Many Moons lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:13 Many Moons
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:19 Like You lyrics BUY MP3 05:19 Like You lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:19 Like You
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:18 Open Heart lyrics BUY MP3 04:18 Open Heart lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:18 Open Heart
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 06:09 Raphael lyrics BUY MP3 06:09 Raphael lyrics "GIFT MP3" 06:09 Raphael
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:48 Tonight lyrics BUY MP3 03:48 Tonight lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:48 Tonight
"Earthy, sensual and moving...a truly unique style of Greek, East Indian, and Middle Eastern musical influences combine with Western sounds that make some pretty wonderful world music. Simopoulos splashes aural color with great skill." The Music Paper
Editorial review
If one heard Nana Simopoulos' name without knowing what kind of music she plays, it would be logical to assume that she's a traditional Greek artist -- Simopoulos, after all, is obviously a Greek name, and she is, in fact, of Greek descent. But the singer/instrumentalist is far from a Greek purist, and Gaia's Dream owes as much to Indian and Arabic music as it does to Greek music. Like her other releases, Gaia's Dream turns to different cultures for inspiration -- on this CD (which was recorded in 1992 and released in 2002), American folk and pop elements interact with Greek, Indian, and Arabic/Middle Eastern elements. The sitar and the bansuri flute (both from India) are part of the big picture, but so are the Native American flute, the djembe (a string instrument from West Africa), and castanets (which are typically heard in the traditional music of Morocco and other North African countries). Although Simopoulos gets much of her inspiration from places where modal/scalar playing prevails -- such as Greece, the Middle East, North Africa, and India -- she certainly isn't dogmatic or rigid about it. Multi-culturalism prevails on Gaia's Dream, and that means that Simopoulos doesn't have to limit herself to one country or one continent. It means that if Steve Gorn, one of the musicians who accompanies her, finds different flutes from different continents useful, he has no reason not to play them; he has no reason not to play an Indian bansuri flute one minute and a Native American flute the next. But as far-reaching as Simopoulos is, Gaia's Dream does have a certain continuity -- throughout the CD, she maintains a contemplative, peacefully spiritual mood. Gaia's Dream isn't Simopoulos' best album, but it's an enjoyable outing that underscores her risk-taking nature. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Bio / Background
Nana Simopoulos
As traditional music fans have searched for something new to capture their interest, most new artists have simply tried to imitate what is currently popular. While music fans have expressed a greater interest in World Music, most have realized that the genre is merely a collection of
international artists performing what is traditional in their country and their culture. This is why Nana Simopoulos is capturing so much attention.
Nana is a unique "world based" artist who is creating a new "universal" genre of music that combines her love of Greek music and culture with various music styles and influences from around the world. Building upon
a vast array of musical and songwriting influences such as Ralph Towner, classic folk and popular music artists Joni Mitchell and sitarist Rais Kahan.
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