Here’s something a bit different from our usual shares. Universal Connection: Junko is a latest release from OHNomad.
By Graeme Smith
While I do like to feature a wide range of genres and styles on these pages, it’s rare for me to write about classical music. Sure, there have been some neoclassical acts that have caught my ear in the past, but pure classical struggles to find a place in my heart. In fact, it’s usually Jane that shares it, not me.
So, I think that should go some way to explain how much I enjoyed Universal Connection: Junko by San Francisco, USA-based act OHNomad.
The piece is an Eastern-tinged classical, pairing mournsome strings with stirring piano and woodwind. It unfolds gradually with plenty of interplay between its instrumental components. We arrive at an early, dramatic crescendo and its here that the composition really starts paying off, giving us rises, falls, dips, dives and surprises. All the while, the melody stays emotional and memorable, telling a story without words. As it finds its way to its conclusion, the drama ramps up and becomes beautifully life-affirming.
OHNomad is the nom de plume of Owens Huang who composed the piece as a trio for flute, cello and piano. It’s performed by flautist Ann Kuo, cellist Keina Satoh, and pianist Chi-Jo Lee. Junko is the third piece in the Universal Connection series in which Huang explores various cultures based on his personal experience of friends who embody them. Over the course of the project, we will hear pieces inspired by the musical heritages of Israel, Japan, Taiwan, India, Tibet, Iran, and Russia.
“Nothing in this world stands alone,” says Huang. “Every object is a link in an endless chain, part of an infinite web of universal connections. Junko, an elder in Japan and a masterful architectural designer, spent her life weaving structures and building a business empire with quiet strength. In recent years, she returned to tradition—gracefully donning the kimono at official gatherings, including a jazz concert we once shared. I remember her eyes, soft yet resolute, and the delicate wrinkles that speak of time, of storms weathered. In her presence, I see the essence of a woman who has lived through Japan’s great rise and fall, and still stands rooted in the deep soil of her culture — dignified, unwavering, and profoundly moving.”
It truly is a magnificent piece which I’m happy to be sharing with you. You can give Universal Connection: Junko a listen below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator
