Music of Nat Pwe: Folk and Pop Music of Myanmar (Burma), Vol. 3

1	Shwe Ku Ni Pwe Daw 3:07
2	Master of the Nine Cities 5:27
3	Di Kanar Mandu the Hut 3:17
4	Mother Jhan Who Curses People 4:03
5	Come to Taungbyone 3:26
6	Ahmay Jhan Mother Jhan 3:56
7	Taungbyone Min Lay Small King of Taungbyone 4:09
8	Pay Kyaw Chit Tae Doe Father Kyaw Loves His Son 3:56
9	Business Is Better Now Because of the Nats 2:09
10	Small Nat Celebration in Our Neighborhood 3:08
11	Nat Pwe 3:47
12	Father Kyaw the Drunk Nat 3:52
13	Yo-Yar Nat Pwe Traditional Nat Pwe 5:17
14	Kyame Nat Kadaw I Am a Nat Gadaw 4:13
15	Min Hnitpar Pwe Taw Festival of Two Kings 2:56
16	Khuni Nan Ka Kyaw Famous Palace 5:22

All Music Guide

The third entry in Sublime Frequencies' series of Burmese music releases, Music of Nat Pwe focuses on an intriguing style described in detail by co-label owner Alan Bishop in the liner notes -- a nat is the spirit of a famous person who met a tragic end, a pwe is a ceremony done for the nat, and the singer in such ceremonies, the kadaw, is a shamanistic figure who ritualistically marries the nat, and who is often a male cross-dresser. Bishop's description of the role of the kadaw in the ceremony and how this figure is venerated by the public is strongly reminiscent of qawwali figures such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in a much different cultural context, and there is much of the same rapturous spirit throughout this marvelous disc. The song forms are a careful balance between formal melodies and motifs and an exuberant, uplifting chaos, resulting from the percussion-heavy collection of instruments, described in the notes as the hsaing waing, covering everything from gongs and bells to many different drums. It's a reach to say that this is gamelan goes pop, but when combined with what often sounds like song forms derived from Chinese sources, the result is vibrantly addictive and spirited. The compilation focuses on a variety of singers, many of whom are not kadaws but mainstream performers, interpreting the songs perhaps much the same way as American singers of all stripes tackle gospel or Christmas songs. Bobadin in particular gets many selections, with stellar, entrancing singing swooping amid the joyous "Di Kanar Mandut" a standout, while Sein Moota's various choices are equally inspiring, including "Come to Taungbyone." As the disc progresses, one gets a sense of the formal style of Nat Pwe songs and how they can form their own sound, while separated from their immediate context they become celebrations of creativity that are powerful in a different light. Ned Raggett