Recipient of a 2004 NAPPA GOLD AWARD! Dragonfly consists of singer Aiko Shimada and koto player Elizabeth Falconer (both of "Oyasumi" fame) with Mako, whose incredible voice and instrumental talent is introduced on this al... more »bum. Mako was born in Okinawa and moved to Hawai?i at the age of eleven, and currently resides in Seattle. She performs the sanshin, a 3-stringed lute covered with python skin that is native to Okinawa, and sings in English, Okinawan, and Hawaiian, flowing easily from one style to the next. She is joined by the warm vocals and guitars of the award-winning performer Aiko Shimada, a native Japanese who has made a career in the states as a folk/jazz singer and songwriter, both in English and Japanese. With them is Elizabeth Falconer on koto, a classical Japanese instrument she studied in Japan for over a decade, an instrument she has composed and arranged for, told stories with, and collaborated with various artists on, for nearly twenty-five years. Together they are Dragonfly, creating fresh yet nostolgic music.« less
Recipient of a 2004 NAPPA GOLD AWARD! Dragonfly consists of singer Aiko Shimada and koto player Elizabeth Falconer (both of "Oyasumi" fame) with Mako, whose incredible voice and instrumental talent is introduced on this album. Mako was born in Okinawa and moved to Hawai?i at the age of eleven, and currently resides in Seattle. She performs the sanshin, a 3-stringed lute covered with python skin that is native to Okinawa, and sings in English, Okinawan, and Hawaiian, flowing easily from one style to the next. She is joined by the warm vocals and guitars of the award-winning performer Aiko Shimada, a native Japanese who has made a career in the states as a folk/jazz singer and songwriter, both in English and Japanese. With them is Elizabeth Falconer on koto, a classical Japanese instrument she studied in Japan for over a decade, an instrument she has composed and arranged for, told stories with, and collaborated with various artists on, for nearly twenty-five years. Together they are Dragonfly, creating fresh yet nostolgic music.
CD Reviews
Shimanchu
shimanchu | Fresno, CA | 06/28/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If I close my eyes, I can see the litle shops in Koza. I can smell yaki tori, and taste soki soba... the song leaves me wanting to taste melon soda and hear more Uchinaguchi.
Four stars, not five because I have a great love for the traditional sounds of Okinawa. I did, however, find this Dragonfly interpretation very pleasing... very soothing. I would definitely see Dragonfly live if given the opportunity."
BE-YU-T-FUL!
Jo McMurphy | San Mateo, CA | 12/23/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow. If you want a recording that just plain makes you feel soothed and joyful, this is it. What a beautiful blending of sounds and cultures! These musicians were somehow able to bring together lullaby-type songs from Southern Japan (Okinawa) and Hawaii and make them all seem familiar, even to someone who does not know much about those places. I am not surprised this won some awards --- it leaves me feeling warm and happy every time I listen to it."
A harmony that results in strong group cohesion & chemistry
J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 07/05/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Musicians are always looking to collaborate with others who share their same vision, and the partnership of Aiko Shimada (guitar, vocals), Mako (sanshin, ukelele, vocals), and Elizabeth Falconer (koto) yields bountiful rewards with their arrangements of slower, melodic songs from Okinawa, Japan, Hawaii and Tahiti. Some original material is also included, as well as some English lyrics written for a couple of the other offerings. The contemplative and reflective nature of their chosen Asian and Pacific Island fare is largely a function of tempo, and a couple more songs like the moderate-tempo'ed Tahitian welcoming song, "Mahalo," would have been helpful to demonstrate that the wind can range from mere breezes and zephyrs to also flurries and gusts. Also, some additional liner notes with translation of their foreign lyrics would have helped build a stronger sense of audience understanding and community. All in all, the members of Dragonfly have mastered the art of listening to each other, knowing when to lead and when to follow for the trio's collective greater good. Their generous sharing achieves a harmony that results in strong group cohesion and chemistry. Despite their individual differences in backgrounds, preferences and styles, these three players have built a bridge - both figuratively and musically. With these songs and lullabies, they manage to transcend their separate relationships and fuse their musical spirits and Island dreams into a much larger whole. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)"
Island-hopping, Pacific Rim style
escn | USA | 03/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Serendipity" and "simpatico" are apt descriptions of the musical collaboration on Island Dreams. American-born musician Elizabeth Falconer's instrument is the koto (an intergral part of Japanese classical music and traditional culture), while Japanese singer/composer Aiko Shimada specializes in Western musical forms with a slight East Asian spin. The third member of the trio -- Mako -- is from Okinawa. Her main axe is the sanshin, a 3-stringed Okinawan lute. A series of happy accidents led to the group's members finding one another, and the decidedly eclectic nature of the cuts on this disc reflect the meeting of four cultures -- and three unique takes on music.
While many recordings fall into the "world fusion" category, very few live up to the name -- Island Dreams is a glorious exception to the rule. The cuts are a whirlwind tour of various Pacific islands (including Hawaii, where Mako grew up - also where she fell in love with one of the great local traditions, slack key guitar). There's a depth and intensity to the music that emerges after a few listens -- a true sense of cultures uniting, rather than colliding. You'll also hear instruments used in unusual ways -- Falconer's slack-key koto licks, for example.
It's impossible to pick favorite cuts (too many choices here!), but I'm especially fond of "Kojo no Tsuki / Moonlit Castle Reflections" (pensive and very Japanese), "Migumi /One" (Mako's tribute to her parents), and "Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani / My Flowers at Paoakalani, " written by one of Hawaii's most beloved composers, Queen Liliuokalani. In sum, this is one of the most unusual -- and delightful -- discs to hit my CD player in a long, long time."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1