Unhurried Journey

 

Unhurried Journey. Performed by Elena Moon Park. CD. Approx. 53 min. Moonpark Music. 2020. Price: CD: $15; Digital: $12.  All ages

Elena Moon Park performs six appealing original songs that she composed and ten traditional and original songs from Asia. Musical styles are varied, from bluegrass and jazz, to the folk music of various Asian countries. Her wonderful guest musicians are many and hail from the US and Asia: Elizabeth Mitchell, Dan Zanes, Sonia De Los Santos, Barbara Brousal, Claudia Eliaza, Yorn Young, Kyungso Park, Gamin, Akiko Hiroshima, Sumie Kaneko, Annie Chen, and Peni Candra Rini. The variety of musical instruments used is staggering and the performances are outstanding: acoustic & electric guitars, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, violin, upright bass, piano, organ, musical saw, jarana, shamisen, pipa, gayageum, tro ou, flute, piri, fue, saenghwang, trumpet, gongs, trombone, French horn, vibes, roneat, marimbol, accordion, synthesizer, mellotron, drums, taiko, shakers, and percussion. The original songs are in English, while most of the Asian songs are in the language of the country, with some English translation. In “Brilliant New Idea,” everyone shares songs, stories, and new ideas. The “Flower Dance” (Cambodian folk song) is dedicated to springtime flowers floating on a lake. On an “Unhurried Journey,” we enjoy looking at trees and changing leaves, and feeling breezes. “Sae Taryeong,” a Korean folk song, celebrates springtime with people watching birds flying and listening to their songs. A light-hearted original Japanese song, “Ito Maki” tells about making underwear for a bear, pants for elephants, and fluffy socks for a fox. “Dia Mal Ka” (original Taiwanese  song) tells of children rambling down a tarry street, while smelling stew cooking. “Flying Starfish” are flying free but can return to the sea to be with family. A Korean folk song, “Springtime in My Hometown,” celebrates springtime blossoms, wheat fields, singing birds, and the springtime harvest. There are people saying I can’t be me, “Let It Come, Let It Go,” let it drift in the river and flow. In “Musikaru Ride to the Mountain,” a family of four take a hot air balloon ride, letting the wind carry them along. “Pong Dang Pong Dang” is a fun Korean song about skipping stones, then watching them cause ripples and make waves in the stream. “Hanagasa Ondo” is a Japanese folk song that accompanies a dance performed with a flower straw hat. “Gong Xi Gong Xi” was written to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year by shouting ‘Congratulations!’ (Gong Xi). You and me, we’ll meet in a dream “Underneath the Marshmallow Tree.” In the Indonesian folk song, “Count the Waves,” a child tries to catch a butterfly, but it slips away. What a wonderful way to introduce American children to the variety of musical styles of Asia.