Cocoon (7d Media, 2010)
One of the most pleasant surprises in 2010 was Cocoon, the first U.S. release by Russian world music icon. Even though I was not familiar with her solo work, I had heard some of her recordings with the reputable Russian group The Farlanders.
On Cocoon, Inna Zhelannaya continues her mesmerizing combinations of ancient Russian and Eastern European folk music with dreamy electronica. In addition to her captivating voice, Inna Zhelannaya plays the overtone flute, an instrument with an incredibly beautiful sound that is related to the willow flutes played by Swedish and Norwegian musicians.
Former King Crimson guitarist Trey Gunn is responsible for launching Inna Zhelannaya’s career in the United States. He produced Cocoon, participates in the album on touch guitar and got her signed to 7d Media, the record label that releases many of Gunn’s projects. The rest of the album line-up includes Gennadiy Lavrentyev on tabla and violin; Oleg Mariakhin on saxophone; and Pavel Lapygin provides his throat singing.
Inna Zhelannaya is known for combining 12th century Armenian chants, Georgian peasant songs and Russian folk songs with modern music productions. She mixes folk traditions with with electronica, trance and progressive rock. Inna founded the Russian supergroup The Farlanders with the great Russian singer and woodwinds player Sergey Starostin who was awarded the BBC’s prestigious “World Musician of The Year” award in 2003.
In 2002 she released an acoustic CD titled “Tantsy Teney” (“Dances of Shadows”).Vymysly (Imaginations), which came out in 2003, features the famous French horn player Arkadiy Shilkloper. Zima (Winter), from 2008, took Inna in a new direction, weaving her voice with sound design and electronics, featuring violinist Sergey Yakhushenko and keyboard player Arkhadiy Marto.
Cocoon is a vital, atmospheric album that serves as an excellent introduction to Russian singer Inna Zhelannaya, one of the most captivating voices in the current world music scene.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
