dreamland - various (Putumayo)

dreamland - various artists

A conscience-stricken Putumayo has seen fit to release Dreamland, 13 lullabies from around the globe. Starting off with an entry by Angelique Kidjo accompanied by the spacey guitar wash of none other than Carlos Santana the music covers a broad cultural ambit that ranges from folksy Gaelic tales from Scotland and Canada, lovely choral music from South Africa, the soothing tones of Madagascar's Erick Manana, as well as appropriately chosen selections from Japan, USA, Brazil, Argentina and two from Australia (Zulya's Lullaby closes the compilation).

With interesting arrangements, genuine talent and soulfulness and varied approach any anodyne facelessness that could afflict a project of this kind is completely absent. You don't have be a kid to warm to this although the tin-eared brigade would probably miss the point. As a footnote I'd like to point out the entry by Mexico's Claudia Martinez Arriba Del Cielo. A lullaby recast with South African sounding vocal harmonies, it is based on a universal cancion de cuna known throughout all Latin America under a guise of different names but with identical melody and similar verses. RJ July 2003