Sunda is a region situated in the western part of the island of Java in Indonesia. Up until the 15th century, it was an independent kingdom, until the rest of Java became Muslim and conquered the entire island. Although Sundanese music has a lot of points in common with Javanese and even Balinese music, it has remained distinct from that of Java. A few of the common points are the use of similar types of instruments and ensembles, similar melodic and rhythmic structures, and the importance of music in their spiritual and everyday life. But the styles and types of music are typical to Sunda. The most particular and typical is quite surely the kacapi suling ensemble, a small ensemble composed of the suling, a small bamboo flute, and the kacapi, a zither. It can also accompany singers. On this CD, listeners discover the richness of a music from an unusual part of the world. ~ Bruno Deschenes