Shao Rong Orchid CD

Live Recording

Personnel includes: Shao Rong (pipa); Kiyotosuga Amano (guitar); Jian Xio Qing (guzheng); Jia Peng Fong (erhu); Wing Ming Jun (dizi); Yukihiko Mistuka (shakuhachi); Nayoyuki Onda (piano); Hitoshi Watanabe (bass).
Producers: Kazumasa Yoshioka, Seiichi Kyoda.
Personnel: Shao Rong (lute, pipa); Kiyotsugu Amano (guitar); Jia Peng Fang (erhu); Yukihiko Mitsuka (shakuhachi); Naoyuki Onda (piano).
Recording information: Crescente Studio; Flamingo Sound.
Photographer: Junichi Takahashi.
Arranger: Seiichi Kyoda.
Shao Rong's pipa, a Chinese lute, sounds like a cross between a banjo and a mandolin, with the plucked resonance of the former and the ringing, multiple-string tremolo sound of the latter. Though the musician is classically trained, Orchid is an album of original compositions written and arranged by Seiichi Kyoda, who combines traditional Chinese and Japanese instruments with Western ones in a distinctly Western musical sensibility. This pleasant music will sound only slightly exotic to American listeners, and that's all to the good, since without the unusual sounds of the traditional instruments, it would be fairly bland. Shao Rong, meanwhile, sounds more like a featured player on an ensemble effort than the real star of the show. ~ William Ruhlmann
ORCHID features beautiful original instrumental compositions played on the pipa--a four-string lute--by one of China's leading musicians, Shao Rong. The pipa is an unusual instrument that uses microtonal scales and a unique warping technique that mimics the expressiveness of the human voice. Its sound has long been a staple of traditional Chinese music. On ORCHID, Rong's silvery tones alternate trance-pop numbers with traditional compositions. Producer Seiichi Kyoda, a respected Japanese musician with the renowned world-fusion group Uttara-Kuru, has written all the music on ORCHID except for the folk piece "Precious Moon," and has produced the material with surprising results. Reminiscent of the influential music from jazz group Hiroshima, Shao Rong's music pushes the boundaries of Asian-Fusion. "Bamboo Dance" is a slinky electro-pop track with a lazy trance beat paired against Rong's evocative and brooding lute. "The Land of Woods and Waters" is a sparse composition that relies on the vocal qualities of bending tones to create an engaging tension. In addition to the pipa, guest musicians play other traditional instruments like the Chinese zither and shakuhachi flute, lending authenticity to this ambitious, gorgeous recording.