Sheila
      Chandra
      *
      ~
      =)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Zen
      Kiss
     
    

    
     
      (Virgin/REAL
      WORLD)
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      this
      is
      probably
      the
      most
     
     
      interesting
      music
      which
      I
      have
     
     
      ever
      heard.
      It
      is
      a
      mix
      of
      styles-
     
     
      -
      namely
      Islamic,
      Andalusian,
     
     
      Bulgarian
      and
      Celtic.
      You
      can-
     
     
      not
      help
      but
      get
      lost
      in
      the
      mu-
     
     
      sic.
      Most
      of
      the
      songs
      are
      per-
     
     
      formed
      acapella
      by
      Chandra
     
     
      herself,
      and
      even
      when
      instru-
     
     
      ments
      are
      added,
      they
      are
      so
     
     
      subtle
      I
      hardly
      noticed
      them.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chandra
      is
      definitely
     
    
   
   
    
     
      making
      a
      statement
      toand
      about
     
     
      women
      on
      this
      album.
      The
      first
     
     
      song
      is
      inspirational.
      ‘‘La
     
     
      Sagesse
      (Women
      I’m
      Calling
     
     
      You)”’
      is
      a
      song
      for
      women
      in
     
     
      which
      Chandra
      states
      ‘‘...Our
     
     
      wisdom
      cannot
      be
      lost
      and
      our
     
     
      spirits
      cannot
      be
      broken.’’
     
     
      Once
      again,
      Real
      World
     
     
      Productions
      has
      been
      able
      to
     
     
      find
      another
      fine
      representative
     
     
      of
      beautiful
      music
      from
      around
     
     
      the
      world.
     
     
      (S)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Grace
      Kimpinski
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Chris
      Duart®
     
     
      Texas
      Sugar!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Group
     
     
      Strat
      Magik
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ss
      i
      os
      os
     
     
      yor.
      SO
      MS
     
     
      Fatcote
      ye
      oe"
      60
     
     
      b>
      se
      yo
      o>
     
     
      ora”
      gash
      3
     
     
      was
      Kr
      gra
     
     
      3°
      ~
      se
      "o
     
     
      se
      whic
      Fo
      8°
     
     
      qn
      any
      oe
     
     
      bY;
     
     
      ©
      al?
     
     
      The
      Cranberries
     
     
      No
      Need
      To
      Argue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Island)
     
    

    
     
      Listening
      to
      this
      recording
      I
      was
     
     
      transported
      back
      to
      the
      summer
     
     
      and
      the
      warm
      evenings
      I
      spent
     
     
      sitting
      in
      my
      room
      peering
      out
      at
     
     
      the
      world
      while
      listening
      to
      my
     
     
      newest
      favourite
      CD,
      Everybody
     
     
      Else
      Is
      Doing
      It,
      Why
      Can't
      We.
      1
     
     
      loved
      that
      album,
      but
      I
      love
      this
     
     
      recording
      even
      more.
     
    

    
     
      The
      reason
      I
      like
      this
      re-
     
     
      cording
      better
      is
      that
      the
      group
     
     
      doesn’t
      try
      to
      hide
      their
      roots
      at
     
     
      all.
      The
      lead
      singer,
      Delores
     
     
      O’Riordan,
      sings
      with
      an
      unmis-
     
     
      takeable
      Irish
      accent
      that
      can
      be
     
     
      both
      sweet
      and
      raucous.
      The
      lyr-
     
     
      ics
      on
      this
      album
      are
      also
      very
     
     
      personal.
      My
      favourite
      is
      the
      first
     
     
      song,
      ‘“‘Ode
      To
      My
      Family’’.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      measures
      I
      use
      —
     
     
      to
      judge
      how
      much
      IlikeaCDis
      ,
     
     
      how
      long
      it
      survives
      in
      my
      car
     
     
      stereo
      test.
      If
      1
      am
      able
      to
      listen
     
     
      to
      the
      album
      for
      more
      than
      a
      week
     
     
      without
      getting
      sick
      of
      it,
      it
      is
     
     
      excellent.
      This
      recording
      hasn’t
     
     
      left
      my
      car
      since
      I
      received
      it
     
     
      almost
      four
      weeks
      ago.
     
    

    
     
      (S)
     
     
      --
      Steve
      Ellis