The latest CD releases reviewed

SA DINGDING
Alive Wrasse ***

Sa Dingding is the first wave of what I wager will become a torrent of new faces from the East. Sophisticated, ridiculously talented, beautiful, she embodies all eastern allure with the savvy of a seasoned professional. Her mix of ethnic music, styles and instrumentation (she is from a multiethnic background) with western electronics and percussion carries a fair wollop, even if at times she sounds like an Asian Kate Bush. That is a mite, unfair as repeated listening reveals a richness of colour and subtlety under the often boisterous arrangements. Whether Chinese popular music can travel with the same ease as movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon remains to be seen, but we can judge just how good she is when she plays the Festival of world Cultures in Dún Laoghaire in August. www.sadingding.com

Download tracks: Lagu Lagu, Alive, Holy Incense