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Hein Tint: hsaing waing
Kyaw Saw: maung zaing
Htun Oo: hne, flute
Kyie Mint: chauk lone pat, vocals
Ye Minh Thu: si wa
Christophe Panzani: saxophone
Pierre Perchaud: guitar
Leonardo Montana: piano
Joan Eche-Puig: double bass
Anne Paceo: drums
Fables of Shwedagon is the result of a meeting in Myanmar (formerly Burma) between the traditional music ensemble of Hein Tint and Anne Paceo’s jazz quintet. This album is a live recording of their first concert together in France, captured at the Jazz sous les Pommiers festival.
A two-time winner of the Victoires du Jazz awards, drummer Anne Paceo is always up for bold new adventures. With Fables of Shwedagon, she presents a musical journey on the borders of jazz and traditional Burmese music, blending her compositions with those of Hein Tint.
With a repertoire specially written for this unique, mixed ensemble, the musicians succeed in breaking down the boundaries between genres in a project that is both daring and warm-hearted.
After nearly 60 years of dictatorship, Myanmar has been undergoing major upheaval since its first democratic elections in 2010 and the lifting of international sanctions. Until then, it was nearly impossible for a Burmese citizen to leave the country, and foreign influences were seen as a threat by the ruling military junta.
As a result, Burmese music and culture have remained largely untouched by outside influence, preserving a musical identity that is truly unique in the world.
The first traces of the traditional Burmese orchestra, known as Hsaing Waing, date back to the 17th century, and its instrumentation has remained unchanged to this day.
It consists of five main instruments: the Pat Waing (21 tuned drums arranged in a circle and played with the hands), the Maung Hzaing (36 small gongs arranged horizontally and vertically, played with sticks), the Chauk Lone Pat (seven large tuned drums played with the hands), the Hne (a double-reed instrument), and the Siwa (bell and woodblock).
“Rarely have two cultures, two musical histories coexisted so harmoniously. This music is anything but artificial or calculated; it carries a rare sense of spirituality, as it perfectly embodies the idea of playing together.”
“The magic works as if by enchantment, and Western sounds blend harmoniously with the complex music of the traditional orchestra.”
“A jazz between fable and mythology that moves and surprises.”