Tribute (Yanni album)

Tribute
Live album and Concert film by Yanni
Released November 4, 1997
Recorded March – May 1997
Genre Instrumental
Length 67:13
Label Virgin Records
Producer Yanni
Yanni chronology
Nightbird
(1997)		 Tribute
(1997)		 Forbidden Dreams: Encore Collection, Volume 2
(1998)
DVD Cover
Tribute DVD cover

Tribute is the third live album by Yanni, recorded live at the Taj Mahal, India and the Forbidden City, Beijing, China from March to May 1997. The album peaked at No. 1 on "Billboard's "Top New Age Album" chart and at No. 21 on the "Billboard 200" chart in the same year.[1] The corresponding concert tour in 1998 was the Tribute World Tour 1998.

History

Tribute pays musical homage to India on several songs; Greek-born composer and keyboardist Yanni describes the album as a tribute to the builders of the Taj and the Forbidden City, as well as to the people of India and China. Yanni's ethereal keyboard work is backed by orchestra, vocalists, a choir, and various world instruments including didgeridoo, duduk, charango, and bamboo saxophone.

Yanni hired Armen Anassian as Conductor "on faith" --- as he had never watched him conduct an orchestra.[2] "That's how Yanni does many things," Anassian said in a 1998 interview with the Toledo Blade.[3] Anassian concedes that he had some doubts about the artist's plans to perform at India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City, for Tribute. "To be honest, a few years ago when he was talking about it, the idea was so amazing. I myself was very skeptical, understandably so. But the truth is, it happened. We did it."[3] Anassian said the Tribute video looks great but watching it on film cannot compare to actually being at the Taj Mahal and Forbidden City concerts. "It doesn't feel the same. It doesn't smell the same," he said with a laugh. "It's hard to put it in a nutshell. It was a life-changing experience."[3]

Album

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
AllMovie[5]

In a review by Jonathan Widran of Allmusic, "Yanni's gargantuan popularity unfortunately makes him an easy target for those who see his orchestrally inspired works as glorified musical wallpaper. But if they'd listen for the whole picture before judging, it would be clear that he brings classically influenced symphonic qualities to modern instrumental music; it's highly charged film scoring, only without the movie. The musical images comprising Tribute and the photos in the packaging come from the famous places that not only inspired it but at which it was performed: India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City. While conventional string and brass instruments lead the way, Pedro Eustache's bamboo sax and Doodook and the gypsy-flavored lead violin of Karen Briggs supply appropriate dashes of Eastern culture. "Waltz in 7/8" combines the traditional western rhythm scheme with Eustache's exotic flute improvisation. As always, Yanni plays keyboards, but he's more a ringmaster/conductor of an inspiring, symphonic brew that includes gospel and flamenco (with rousing vocals and an accompanying guitar textured over a mid size string section), powerful violin/funky sax duets (the core of the seven-minute "Renegade"), improvisational trumpet ("Dance with a Stranger"), and an intoxicating weave of an orchestra with upward climbing operatic voices. Yanni and friends tap on another culture on the closing track, the previously recorded African tribal piece "Niki Nana", which features Eustache's percussive flute and a hooky wordless vocal chant from a gospel-flavored, female choir. As we see from the other artists this month, there are many ways to build musical bridges between East and West; Yanni's approach is spiritual grandeur in a beautiful, theatrical setting."[6]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Deliverance"  8:33
2."Adagio in C Minor"  3:50
3."Renegade"  7:14
4."Dance with a Stranger"  6:45
5."Tribute"  6:40
6."Prelude"  2:27
7."Love Is All" (writers Pamela Lynn, McNeill, Yanni; and performed by Vann Johnson)5:25
8."Southern Exposure"  6:48
9."Waltz in 7/8"  5:32
10."Nightingale"  5:44
11."Niki Nana (We're One)" (Sterling, Yanni)8:15

RIAA certification

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold and Platinum database entries:[7]

Video

Track listing

  1. "Deliverance"
  2. "Adagio in C Minor"
  3. "Renegade"
  4. "Waltz in 7/8"
  5. "Tribute"
  6. "Dance With a Stranger"
  7. "Nightingale"
  8. "Southern Exposure"
  9. "Prelude"
  10. "Love Is All"
  11. "Niki Nana (We're One)"
  12. "Santorini"

RIAA certification

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold and Platinum database entries:[7]

Sound
"Tribute"
Title track from the album Tribute
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Personnel

Band

Vocalists

Conductor

Orchestra

Production

References

  1. ↑ "Chart history for Tribute". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  2. ↑ "Profile at Serve.com". serve.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview with Armen Anassian from the Toledo Blade". serve.com. 1998-02-01. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  4. ↑ Allmusic
  5. ↑ Allmovie
  6. ↑ Jonathan Widran. "Review of Tribute". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  7. 1 2 "Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold and Platinum searchable database". Retrieved 2007-01-01.
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