The bagpipes are a primary instrument in traditional Scottish/Celtic music, but
José Ángel Hevia (who simply goes by
Hevia on this CD) is one bagpiper who cannot be considered a traditionalist or a purist.
Hevia isn't Scottish -- he's from the Asturias region of Spain -- and
Tierra de Nadie isn't a traditional Celtic recording. Rather, the risk-taking
Hevia combines Scottish/Celtic elements with everything from pop, rock, hip-hop, and new age to Spanish and Middle Eastern music. On the haunting "Busindre Reel" (a major hit in Spain),
Hevia even employs the didgeridoo, a wind instrument that is associated with Australian aboriginals. And
Hevia doesn't confine the bagpipes to an acoustic environment: On this CD, the instrumentalist often uses an electronic MIDI bagpipe that can be made to sound like a violin, an accordion, and other instruments.
Tierra de Nadie won't appeal to Celtic purists, but world music lovers who are open to experimentation will find it to be generally interesting, if a bit uneven.