Classical cellist Emily Burridge has taken on quite a monumental task with this grand scale project, by meshing two very distinct cultures – the sophisticated prim and proper world of chamber music and the primordial world of the Xavante Indian tribe of Brazil . She creates a cohesive nine part symphony that literally constructs a musical "Bridge Between Worlds", composing the pieces for full orchestra, piano, and solo cello augmented by the traditional chants of the Xavante tribe she recorded while a guest in their village. Upon my first listen I found the chanting to be gimmicky and distracting, and was about to dismiss the entire project as the musical equivalent of showing home movies of your vacation to strangers. But I’ve made it a conscious effort to always listen to anything I review a number of times before actually penning the final verdict. And it soon became apparent these ritualistic chants were not simply tagged on as a sampled sound effect – but her compositions were finely crafted around the themes – using the tempo and texture of each chant as one might utilize another instrument. And the more I listened the juxtaposition of cultures flowed into a cohesive emotional experience. I went from critic to convert by the second listen. Track two, "Greeting" evokes a true sense of joy by both the quirky little melody and the staccato chants of the tribe. The song is then awash in a string chorus that is truly beautiful. Like the oboe, there is a haunting quality about the cello which can tug at the heart, and Emily Burridge is a master of her instrument – evoking passion as her bow dances across the strings. Through the medium of music Emily Burridge has bridged the gap of disparate cultures in her sonic travelogue "Bridge Between Worlds". Reviewed by Joseph Shingler on April 8th, 2007 Note: Emily Burridge has set up the Hummingbird Fund to collect 15% of Performance Royalties from "Bridge Between Worlds" and through the registered charity "Indigenous People’s Cultural Support Trust" (www.IPCST.org) will organize the funding of projects for the benefit of the Xavante of Marimbu Village. Tracks: http://www.womensrising.com/music/reviews/currentreviews.htm This cd, Bridge between Worlds, plays like a soundtrack, but rather than a film soundtrack, a soundtrack of life. Burridge’s time spent in the Brazilian cultures of the Xavante Indians provides the backdrop for this most accomplished collection of work. Tracks such as Adolescents are a hauntingly beautiful cello set against a soft background of chanting; there is a peaceful feeling that is indescribable and must be the magic of the Xavante culture softly bleeding through. This piece of work by Burridge is proof that music is truly the universal language and that we can bridge any distance; create peace and harmony in the coming together of different worlds, and in this day and time, that is a great feeling, and so is this CD, aptly named, Bridge between the Worlds.
http://www.articmist.org/direct/c_bridge_between_worlds.htm
Tras su anterior trabajo, Footsteps In The Sand, Emily Burridge reaparece en el 2006 con Bridge Between Worlds, una producción a gran escala, donde su cello se deja arropar habilmente por sonidos de orquesta y de piano. Si bien su trabajo anterior era, en mi opinión, una maravilla, el que nos ocupa ahora no lo es menos. Los 9 temas que componen Bridge Between Worlds son pequeñas joyas llenas de sentimiento. En este caso he de hacer mención a dos de mis temas favoritos: Greeting y Marias's Prayer.
Basándose íntegramente en cantos de la tribu de indios Xavante de Brasil, la cellista de formación clásica Emily Burridge ha realizado esta producción como consecuencia directa de las frecuentes visitas y viajes al país sudamericano. Su asociación con los indios Xavante comenzó en 1994. De hecho la inspiración musical indígena brasileña era ya pantente en algunos temas de su anterior disco. Los temas incluídos en Bridge Between Worlds incluyen actos rituales de los Xavante y que ella pudo apreciar después de haber sido invitada a un pueblo de esa tribu indígena y, de hecho, los temas fueron compuestos en torno a los cantos y gestos de la tribu, y no al revés. Esa fue la forma de componer de Emily, provocando una mezcla de culturas cuando menos curiosa y sorprendente. En los créditos del Cd se indica, de hecho que Bridge Between Words es un trabajo de Emily y los Xavante, quienes recibirán parte de los royalties de las actuaciones de Emily Burridge y a través de la organización Indigenous People's Cultural Support Trust (www.ipcst.org).
Para más información sobre este trabajo: www.emilyburridge.com
