Search - Ganga Giri :: Didj Mania

The Best of Ganga Giri in one CD--oh boy!

Joanna Daneman | Middletown, DE USA | 02/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you aren't familiar with digeridoo, harken back to the opening and closing ceremonies from Olympics in Sydney last year (what a blast that was!) The festivities included some top Aborigine artists playing the long, hollowed-out tree with the intriguing droning sound called a didgeridoo, or just "didge." It's also in the background of famous Australian-inspired TV ads for certain SUV's and beer. (Listen carefully and you'll hear the sound in the background music.)Ganga Giri is not aborigine, but he is a world class master of the didgeridoo. He is a highly creative and gifted musician with an especial talent for rhythmic invention. His first three albums are all different from each other, but all incredibly original and exciting music. We have all three CD's at home and listen to them over and over, not only for the amazing music but to follow the personal progression of this up-and-coming artist. He is also featured in two cuts on Peter Gabriel's Ovo albumWe had the privilege to attend a Ganga Giri workshop for Didge in Germany last year (Germany seems to be a hot capital for didge players, who'd ever guess?) and he is a consumate musician and also the most unconceited, balanced and decent guy you'd ever meet. And a great, great musician and teacher. His concert at the end of the workshop included a version of one of his compositions usually played on a slide didge (kind of like a didge crossed with a trombone.) But Ganga Giri played it on a regular classical didge and the composition was just as, if not more, exciting and energized. If you want an introduction to the best of didgeridoo, this CD is a wonderful one to start with. And if you just want some hot new music and something different,exciting and fun, you can't go wrong here."