Description:
12 Girls Band began as a series of auditions held throughout China, seeking thirteen attractive and versatile young female instrumentalists (although only twelve appear onstage at any time). After taking Japan by storm, their debut US release, Eastern Energy (2004), created a sensation, crowning Billboard's World Music chart. Since then, the group has become a firm favorite at PBS and NPR, with several prestigious international concert bookings on the horizon. For the present recording, the ensemble ranges between local folk songs, newly composed tunes and works by Sting ("Fragile"), J.S. Bach (an excerpt from Concerto
12 Girls Band began as a series of auditions held throughout China, seeking thirteen attractive and versatile young female instrumentalists (although only twelve appear onstage at any time). After taking Japan by storm, their debut US release, Eastern Energy (2004), created a sensation, crowning Billboard's World Music chart. Since then, the group has become a firm favorite at PBS and NPR, with several prestigious international concert bookings on the horizon. For the present recording, the ensemble ranges between local folk songs, newly composed tunes and works by Sting ("Fragile"), J.S. Bach (an excerpt from Concerto For Violin in A Minor), G. Puccini ("Nessun Dorma" from Turandot), and James Horner ("My Heart Will Go On," the love theme from Titanic). Arranged by Bob Belden and Liang Jianfeng, who leads the ensemble's backing guitar combo, the overall effect is not unlike an Eastern equivalent of Celtic Woman, minus the vocals but every bit as energetic, polished, and astutely marketed. Musically, the tunes are tightly conceptualized and performed, marred only by overuse of a 4/4 snare backbeat and the fact that certain Chinese instruments, although breathtakingly lovely in a more traditional setting, are not always ideally suited to the material at hand. But even so, it's a charming, graceful and high-spirited enterprise; as good-will ambassadors, these ladies can’t fail to please. --Christina Roden
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Manufacturer: Manhattan Records
Release date: 25 June 2007
EAN: 0094637895726 UPC: 094637895726
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