Pangea, what's new, Persian music, Laos-khaen, 16 tons

Colin O’Donohoe
Forming the Pangean Orchestra - reuniting the world through sound
Pangea

What’s New:
I’ve been writing a lot of different music lately. I just had a song of mine recorded called “Burning Whiskey Blues” I’m also trying to move forward with plans for the Pangean Orchestra. Hopefully, I’ll have more to report on that front by February.
I’m thinking that 2009 will be an amazing year for all of us. I had a great time in ’08 and am even more optimistic for ’09. I’ve been taking some time to look back on my successes and failures of ’08 to see how I can do even better this year. I don’t like to dwell on the failures, but I’m trying to see what went wrong to change it for this year. The successes are much more fun to look at. It is like practicing music, it is always nice to play a song you know rather than practice the parts that kick your butt!

Region I’d like to learn more about: music of Iran.

Do I have any Persians in the house? Can you give me some names of some Persian master’s that I should check out? Any Persian songs that are famous and have survived numerous generations? I know I have to have at least one reader who knows about this stuff, so come enlighten me!

Region I can share with you. Laos - Khaen

Have you ever heard of a khaen? Have you ever heard of Laos? It’s ok, a lot of people haven’t.
This instrument is a lot like a harmonica. The weird thing that I find with it is, you don’t get any tone unless you cover a whole for a certain pitch. Most wind instruments that I’ve played give you a note regardless of where you put your fingers. The khaen only sounds once you put your finger on a hole. Also- you can play as many notes as the holes you cover. Each hole is a certain note, unlike the flute/sax/and other western wind instruments that only allow you to play one note depending on the comination of how you place the fingers, the khaen keeps adding notes as you add fingers allowing you to play chords.
I think it sounds a lot like a Casio keyboard from the 80’s, but that’s just me.
To check it out, go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdC4HJpWJg
Enjoy something new :)

Song I adore: 16 tons.
This is a pretty cool song. I like the lyrics and I like that it is a bit of oral hisory. It is one thing to learn about the company mining towns, it is another to hear a song about a miner who is explaining just how difficult it really must be to be a miner. Take a listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBkrAESUbyI
When you listen to it, see if you think it reminds you of the recording from the “pirates of the Carribean” ride. Remember, it’s a pirates life for me? They have a similar wind interlude. Besides that, it is a pretty cool sounding old school jazz/pop song.