Gardens of Eden

We were traveling down Rt. 1 in California and stopped in Big Sur. At one of the local shops, I heard the ever familiar Putumayo music and fell into a conversation with the store owner over our mutual appreciation for the Putumayo label. She then brought to my attention that her group was featured on Gardens of Eden. Naturally, we bought it.

The next day, when traveling through the misted mountain road, we were entralled by the way the music somehow choregraphed the scenery - or was it the other way around? All I know is that I will forever remember driving in the convertible, rounding each bend to music that swept away all of our cares and concerns.

I highly recommend this disk.


World music at its best   May 4, 2001
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

What a wonderful cd. The music is terrific, and is a great introduction to artists that you would probably never hear of if not for Putamayo. Where else can you find such diverse songs like this album has. Songs from such countries as Papua New Guinea, Brazil, India, Tibet, and Hawaii to name a few. And the packaging is terrific too. In depth articles on each artist and the song they perform, as well as photos of the artists. I really recommend this album to anyone who would like to broaden their musical horizons a little.


Wow! This is one HOT world music CD!   March 28, 2001
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I've had various world music cd's recommended to me, from music from Mali (not bad, but a bit repetitious) to Brasil, Bulgaria, you name it. All are interesting, not all are ones you'd listen to every day.

Gardens of Eden is one World Music CD that just knocked my socks off. Every cut is fantastic. The mix is varied, from Tibet to New Zealand to Brazil, yet the mix fits together. This is a very cleverly assembled montage of music and it is fast becoming one of my favorites.

To get a good idea of the songs, listen to the first cut, from Papua New Guinea, and then the Shweta Jhaveri. These are two of my favorites on the CD. The last song is the Tibetan one, no sample given here but it is wonderfully deep and interesting.


Warm and relaxing   March 17, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I've listened to almost all of the Putumayo CDs and own more than a few. They've been instrumental in introducing me to all sorts of world artists. Unfortunately, with many of the CDs I end up really liking about 25% of the songs and wishing I could discard the rest. This was NOT the case with Gardens of Eden, though. The whole album is enjoyable and lulls you into a sense of well-being and peace. Recommended.