Sublime Frequencies V.A. : Folk and Pop music of Myanmar (Burma) vol. 3 : Music of Nat Pwe (BU,2007)***
This album compared to various other albums of the label much more is a folk document. The label once came into existence inspired by the pioneering world music labels (of which Ocora, Smithsonian, Lyrichord, Nonesuch and Chant Du Monde are the most known ones to me). This documents the music of the ceremony “carnival” festival of Nat Pwe, which deals with the ‘Nats’ or spirits who are presented by kind of possessed dressed up persons. All kinds of relations towards these entities are being dealt with and can be solved during this time. The Nat Pwe Orchestra plays a heavy percussive (including the orchestral bells and gongs), ceremonial & celebrative music with song contexts and with instrumental, rather improvisational structures. The energy is nervous and dominates your attention like a snake (bite) dance, in a rather joyful way.
