The Thai Elephant Orchestra
"Water Music"
$13.99 | CD | Catalog #MUL020
Release date: February, 2011
MP3: Teak Forest Mist
Water Music is the third and last recording of the grand Thai Elephant Orchestra, and features fourteen elephants improvising on giant instruments in the Thai jungle. This is the "purist" CD, with no human participation (except for a traditional Buddhist prayer for the elephant spirit by a monk on one track), editing or overdubs. Experimental composer Dave Soldier and elephant conservationist Richard Lair built giant instruments for the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. The elephants improvise long pieces with them with the only human instructions being to start and stop. Their music have been widely televised and filmed, including several of the pieces on this CD, for a new documentary.
The Houston Press says that Water Music should receive a Grammy Award!
A PDF article by on this and related projects by Dave Soldier
Article about the Orchestra from The New York Times
Article on Thai elephants (features the orchestra) from National Geographic
Article from Time Magazine
Article from The Economist
Review of Elephonic Rhapsodies from Seattle Weekly
Video: with lots of playing shot by SBS in Australia
Video: Swedish TV story with nice film clips of the performances
Video of a trio and an 8 piece from June, 2006 by Neal Christensen
Audio: BBC radio interview
Audio: a long Canadian Radio interview
More about The Thai Elephant Orchestra
More about Dave Soldier