Pablo Picco, of Argentinian outfit Bardo Todol,
traveled to Nepal and did some field recording there. He recorded chants and
other indigenous performances and here presents them as an ethnological
exhibit, much like Alan Lomax did with folk music back in the early twentieth
century. Side A is reserved for voices, as chants and throat singing featured
in a Buddhist ceremony make for a mesmerizing experience before fading into a
different ceremony, one with a bit more percussion. Side B includes recordings
from a “river, caves, and a wedding band,” and showcases the fascinating
trademarks of a full-fledged musical experience from a culture that I’m not terribly
familiar with. (Maybe I should change that.) The droning chants once again
return by the end of side B.
And this is just a taste – Picco and companion María Victoria Arener filmed their
experience traveling through Buddhist sites and released it as a film called Kalinga Uktal. I think it’s time to dig
a little deeper.
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