Thierry Van Roy – Taïga MayaTaïga Maya (Naïve, 2010)
World Music Central published a story about this project in late December of 2010. Taïga Maya is a boxed set that contains an Audio CD, a DVD and a hard cover book with 220 pages that includes liner notes and the short science fiction alternative history narration The Circadian World in English and French with many images.
Thierry Van Roy composed and arranged the music. British vocalist Melanie Gabriel (Peter Gabriel’s daughter) contributes English and Spanish language vocals. The album also features several vocalists from Yakutia and Mexico. The vocals are a delight, combining various techniques and overdubs.
Although the music is original, it is based on the shamanistic folk music of the Russian republic of Yakutia and the traditions of southern Mexico. In fact, Van Roy creates a new sound, blending the musics and instruments of Yakutia and Mexico, and mixing vocals in English, Spanish and throat singing from Siberia.
One of the most fascinating elements of the set is the collection of videos. These include features about the peoples of Yakutia and Mexico, their customs and musical techniques. There are also rehearsals, a handful of live performances, a trailer and slideshow.
The book explains what’s behind this futuristic traditional music. “My concept of Music-Fiction, based on the principle of alternative history, consists in rewriting History of the past or the future and to imagine a music that could have existed or might exist,” said Thierry Van Roy about the project. “Taïga Maya is the traditional music of a future civilization, born from the fortuitous and virtual encounter of the Siberian Yakuts and the Mayans of southern Mexico a few years after the major Earth disaster of 2012.”
Taïga Maya is a beautifully packaged collection that brings together captivating and unique world music, intriguing alternative history and thought-provoking videos.
Buy the album:
- In North America: Taïga Maya.
- In Europe: Taïga Maya
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.
