The title track Lotus Dreams, from the album with the same name, echoes the soaring harmonies of one’s imagination where the erhu — a bowed, two-stringed Chinese fiddle — sings its soulful song throughout. This week this track surpassed 250 K spins on the popular streaming platform soundcloud. Alternating between tender, sonorous, and stirring, this […]
Tag: Asian
Peaceful Radio Special with Christel Veraart
On the last day of my stay in the Netherlands, I had the pleasure to sit down with Benno Veugen, radio host of Peaceful Radio in his studio in Heemstede. Specialized in New Age Music, this radio program is a follow-up to the successful radio program Tep Zeppi, that broadcasted for many years on local […]
Erhu Meets Lotus Dreams
The songs celebrating the Chinese New Year reflect the diversity of cultural traditions in China, which includes a wide variety of instruments and singing styles. One of the most distinctive sounds of Chinese musical instruments is made by the Erhu. I love the enchanting sound of the Erhu, which reminds me of the female voice […]
Lotus Dreams – The Album Released
Media Release (PDF) Lotus Dreams is the latest album from award-winning musician Christel Veraart. The lotus is a universal symbol of tranquility and renewal, its exquisite flower opening, petal by perfect petal, as it rises out of the muddy waters of its origins. In this album, Christel Veraart explores that theme through both eastern and […]
Shakuhachi – The Sound of the Soul
The shakuhachi is a testament to the elegance of traditional Japanese culture, and produces a sound that is said to replicate the full range of natural life on earth. I love the sound and meditative quality of this Japanese bamboo flute, and used it in Elegy for a Cherry Tree. In this song it complements […]
East West Fusion in Bamboo Mist
My latest album “Lotus Dreams” retains the meditative quality of my previous albums, exploring similar themes inspired by nature. I often use a mix of Eastern and Western instruments, but here the feel is distinctly Asian. In Bamboo Mist I explore a fusion of influences, a mix of instruments from around the globe that reflect my […]
Voices of the Rainforest
Rimba Kuna (old jungle) is one of two tracks (the other one is Jalak Bali) on “Lotus Dreams” that has strong South-East Asian influences. I used the Indonesian gamelan orchestra to give voice to the Indonesian rainforest, which is home to some of the world’s rarest animals and plants. An instrument with a sound and […]
Totem Speak to Me
Inspired by Chinese author Jiang Rong’s novel about the dying culture of the Mongols and the parallel extinction of the sacred Mongolian wolf, the music of Wolf Totem (previously released on the album “Polar Suite”) evokes shaman drums and chanting, perhaps voicing a plea for guidance from the animal spirit of the wolf. Listen to […]
Duduk – The Sound of Windhorses
Indigenous to Armenia, the Duduk is a double-reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood, with a distinctive velvety and deeply evocative sound. Often played in a pair to create a richer, more haunting sound, the first player plays the melody, while the second one plays a steady drone called dum. Variations of the Armenian Duduk are […]
A Musical Silk Road Born of Difference
Silk Road is a composition partly inspired by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and the richness that comes from the exchange of ideas and cultures, – a recurring theme in my upcoming album “Lotus Dreams”. In today’s world I find comfort in the Silk Road ensemble, founded by this famous musician. My own Silk Road recalls the […]