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While Judeo-Christian-Muslim religion tends to emphasize a conformity of thoughts in followers (submission to Allah or accepting Jesus into one's heart), many Eastern religions require instead a conformity of action. It doesn't matter so much how you feel or think about it--as long as you do your ritual duty, the gods and spirits will be content. In places like China and Burma this can lead to some good entertainment. During the Chinese Hungry Ghost Month, for example, it's common for temples to put on operas or screen martial arts films for the entertainment of the spirit world. If the human world just so happens to enjoy a Jackie Chan film in the bargain, that's fine too.

Blueberry Buddha's The magic of Burma: Mandalay Marionette Music represents one of these artistic fringe benefits. Rooted in Burmese traditions of nat (spirit) worship, youq-the-pwe (Burmese puppet theatre) is considered by many to be the country's finest performance genre. The shows, which often portray the lives of various incarnations of Buddha, begin with an offering to the nat made by the puppets themselves. This CD features the loose and exuberant music that accompanies the actions of the wooden performers. Fans of Thai, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian music will find familiar timbres such as double-reeded horn, gongs, and metalophones, but the presence of some very distinct tuned drums gives this music a sound all its own. As it's tied to the action onstage, the music never stays at the same tempo for long. Occasionally, a reverby vocal will enter the mix. It's intriguing, joyful music that would surely be considered avant-garde if it was created by a westerner.

The performers on this disc are those of the Mandalay Marionettes and Cultural Show, an ensemble that often performs for tourists and has toured the United States. Blueberry Buddha's Ken Lee originally purchased this recording as a cassette in Burma after attending a performance. Lee, a musician and activist, has bootlegged that tape for this CD release and is donating all proceeds to the Burma Forum of Los Angeles, a non-profit working towards democracy in Burma. Even if you could find an original copy of this cassette (very doubtful), your money would be helping the military junta of Myanmar. This is one bootleg you can feel good about buying.