~ Mazja ~ The Dreambird
Puppet instrument by Grego
Mazja has butterfly-shaped wings feathered with leaves.
She has eight human-like hands, each a different color.
They hold and play a moon-horn harp, cymbals, violin, and panpipes.
She is a totem of the principles of harmonic interaction.
Her body is a “psaltery”, (a kind of “zither”).
It is plucked, strummed, and played with one or two bows. At times a tabor pipe (flute) is played along with the psaltery, together in real time, while Mazja is being simultaneously manipulated by the music-puppetician.
Mazja plays Amazing Grace, not on the album, but here for you
More video clips of Grego and Mazja in an outdoor setting :
At the Oregon Country Fair (Video by Clark and Sean Higgins)
and busking in parks in Tokyo:
Tennesee Waltz
Lola Lola (France) trad
Breton (France) trad
LimberJack dances to Steven Foster’s Oh Susanna
“Childgrove” folk-dance – England
“Salterello” folk-dance – Italy
Folk-songs – China
(studio recording included on the album)
Original music
(studio recording included on the album)
~ Mazja ~ The Album
This recording is about exploration of huge sonic spectrum available with a new approach to an uncommon instrument, the bowed psaltery. Two of the melodies were taken from the traditional repertoires of China and Spain. The rest of the album consists of original compositions using stylistic elements drawn from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and dreams.
