The music of Thailand has been influenced by most of the surrounding countries and/or people: Indian, Myanmar, Khmer, Mons, and others. Thai music is what is generally called a "heterophonic: music, that is, all instruments are playing almost the same melody, each with its own particular ornamentations and embellishments. The scale in Thai music differs greatly from Western music, being divided in approximately seven equidistant pitches. It sounds out of tune to most ears. The three pieces heard on this CD are from the region of Chieng Mai, the second most important city in Thailand. It is a region with a large number of different ethnic minorities. These three pieces are of very different styles, with a different instrumentation in each case. A true discovery. ~ Bruno Deschenes