Dancing with the Dead (Musical Expeditions)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful experiance of music and culture
Review: "Dancing with the Dead" is a wonderful way of experiancing culture though music. The CD comes with a small book which describes the culture and the way these specific songs are used in death rituals. The music is beautiful and varied everything from New Orleans Jazz to African talking drums to an operetic solo of the Jewish tradition. The only problem I found with the book was that it had not enough information about the cultures themselves and in that sense it is a very brief overview, and certainly left the reader wanting for more specific information. It is crammed with many interesting facts about a variety of cultures and death rituals. But if you are looking for a complete cultural analysis you won't find it here. However, the music is the real story teller here and it tells a story of its own, of a life mourned and yet celebrated. I think it is perhaps one of the best ways to experiance another culture; through its music. In short this book CD set is wonderful. The dance of life goes on!