In the remote villages of Vietnam's Central Highlands, a profound musical transformation is taking place. Traditional songs that have echoed through generations of the Jerai, Banhar, Ede, and Rongao ethnic groups now exist alongside new forms of expression, creating a complex sonic landscape that Vincenzo Della Ratta has documented across two decades of field recording. This exceptional release captures not just the music itself but a pivotal moment in cultural history—the last flowering of ancient traditions as they encounter an irreversibly changing world.
Recorded live on location between 2003 and 2023, this collection presents otherworldly folk music performed by some of the region's most renowned musicians. The performances, captured during informal settings, reveal the raw emotional power that makes this music so transcendent. Small ensembles and solo performers demonstrate a variety of unique instruments, many accompanied by vocals that seem to carry the weight of centuries.
What distinguishes this documentation from mere ethnomusicological preservation is Della Ratta's recognition of musical change as a living process. Rather than attempting to freeze traditions in amber, the album presents what he calls "an accurate sonic representation of the musical landscape" that includes both old and new approaches to performance. The contrast is striking: older generations maintain traditional playing styles with their characteristic microtonal inflections and temporal flexibility, while younger musicians increasingly adopt Western tuning systems and more measured approaches to rhythm and melody.
This generational divide reflects broader cultural pressures affecting Indigenous communities worldwide. The influence of Western and mainstream Vietnamese music has created what Della Ratta describes as a "new wave of musicians and performers" whose clean, standardized style represents both adaptation and loss. The album documents this transition without nostalgia or judgment, understanding that cultural change, however painful, is inevitable.
The recordings capture the full spectrum of this transformation—from instruments whose playing techniques may soon be forgotten to vocal styles that bridge ancient and contemporary worlds. Each track represents not just a musical performance but a cultural artifact of profound significance, documenting traditions that exist nowhere else on earth.
The extremely limited-edition LP presentation honors the material's importance through careful attention to context. A four-page full-color insert includes photographs of the musicians and their surroundings, detailed track listings, and Della Ratta's insightful liner notes that help listeners understand the broader cultural significance of what they're hearing.
This is far more than what Della Ratta calls a "musical postcard." It stands as essential documentation of a musical world in transition, offering listeners the rare opportunity to witness—and hear—history as it unfolds. In an era when globalization threatens to homogenize musical expression, these recordings preserve something irreplaceable: the sound of cultures maintaining their voice even as their world transforms around them.
