The star of the album is “niko", one of the traditional string instruments from China. There are many instruments in the lute category that are played with the bow rubbing against the instrument which produce the sounds, such as batokin" from Mongol, hegum" from the Korean peninsula and many others just from Asia alone. As for Europe, might not we say that violins are representative of string instruments there?
It is said that instruments were played initially to imitate the human voice. If that is so, niko is the perfect instrument to express the melodies of the Asian continent in the tones of this continent. From the lowest to the highest, the tones stretch expansively and they conjure up in the listeners minds, images of the broad and slightly red tinted skies and the green fields of the Asian continent and the people living tranquil lives there surrounded by the rich natural landscapes.
Of the songs contained in the album, only the six piece and the ninth piece are pure Chinese classics, these being, YUEYA WUGENG" and YUYEYE" and the rest are all original works created for this album. And despite the abundance of Western harmonies and Instruments such piano and guitar, the sounds produced by niko maintain the gentle and the sweet melancholy tones of the Orient and express the great openness of the pastoral life in the Asian continent.
The other star of the album, Jia Peng-Fang, is a niko player representative of China, or rather of Asia as can be noted in the profile and perhaps it is his gentle sweet character reflected in the performances that make us feel so much at peace with ourselves as we listen. Also Seiichi Kyoda who was in charge of the musical arrangement of all the pieces in the album and composed six, got on really well with Jia and they made a great team together. Seiichi was also able to make a natural connection to the instrument niko, making it possible for him to create the perfect melody makeup and arrangements for the work. This in turn, made the music more accessible for us who have little chance of ever hearing such an instrument. The title is River" so why not listen to the album and let ourselves feel like we are on a small boat floating down the Yellow River, looking at the fantastic landscapes on the river coasts as we go.