Unbeatable
EriKa | Iceland | 10/04/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this collection a few years ago, being interested in female vocalists of the world. I fell in love with this 3-CD set immediately, and I actually went out and bought several more copies to give as gifts because it is truly that amazing. The diverse voices and musical styles represented are revelations! And despite the differences between music styles, the music fits together on each disc with such harmony. I was familiar with (and a fan of) some of the contributing artists before purchasing the set, so those artists' inclusion in this collection made me "trust" that this would be a superior collection overall. I was not disappointed. On the strength of the inclusion of Múzsikás, Kirsten Bråten-Berg, Värttinä, and Édith Piaf, I decided this was a must-have, and in listening to it, I discovered the amazing voices of many other artists. For example, Tiddas from Australia, Nasida Ria from Indonesia, Rósa Eskenázi from Greece, Fairuz, who is revered in her native Lebanon, Amália Rodrigues, the pre-eminent singer of Portuguese fado songs (Rodrigues passed away last year), and probably the most beautiful, haunting song on the collection by Ulali, comprised of three Native American women. Quite stunning. This collection is so large and overwhelming that it is really hard to describe in words why you should invest your time and money. Simply put, if you have interest in women vocalists and world music, you would be wise to start here."