Search - Sa Dingding :: Alive

A Sonic Trek to the East

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 07/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Contemporary in its high production values with layering of varied instrumentation and electronic accents, fine sonics, back-up vocalists, strong beats, and very melodic tunes sung in Tibetan, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Sa Dingding's own invented language (Asian scat?), this album is not what you would expect to reach American shores from China, but Shang-Hai has always been progressive and inventive. From the beginning, the album captures our interest with exotica. It would make a great soundtrack; indeed, it reminds me of the music to the film "Himalaya". It takes us from temples to discos, from mountaintops to tropical beaches. Sa Dingding seems to have found an atypical niche, an original East Asian popular sound. The insert includes lyrics, but they are in Tibetan, Chinese, Sanskrit, and transliteration of her own idiom. Some are mantras, anyway. Although two songs, Alive and Holy Incense, are repeated with the same arrangements, the strong difference in phrasing and rhythm between Tibetan and Chinese languages makes the respective vocals unique. The last song on the CD, however, is entirely out of character, being a simple Western style popular song with piano accompaniment. It seems to serve as a transition to ease us back to our customary life after this audio adventure. This album won the BBC 3 World Music Award for Asia/ Pacific recordings."