BANDHADA

A Chilean band, found in early-80's in Santiago de Chile by guitarist Carlos Chung.The rest of the crew included bassist Philip Clark, drummer Eduardo Correa, wind instrumentalist Carlos Dominguez and keyboardist Alfonso Feeley.Back at the time Bandhada had a great live activity, performing in universities, cafes and theaters, but their self-titled album from mid-80'd wouldn't have escaped obscurity if it wasn't for the Mylodon CD reissue two decades later (with a couple of live bonus tracks).

This is really stunning and airy Prog/Fusion , maybe with a Canterbury edge at moments, evoking the jazzier side of CAMEL or even Dutch legends SUPERSISTER.An all instrumental experience, containing massive breaks and interplays but also a fair dose of melodic parts.The sound is driven by the superb flute parts with a strong Classical inspiration, the jazzy guitar pieces of Chung and the CHICK COREA-like style of playing of keyboardist Feeley, including synthesizers and electric piano.The atmosphere is very optimistic, energetic and pleasant with beautiful, dreamy melodies and an incredible ability by the group to change the sound from rich musicianship to more ethereal soundscapes.They sound like a flute-driven version of TANTOR, while the solos are many but far from the self-indulgent deliveries offered by a huge number of groups performing the style.

Awesome instrumental Prog/Fusion of high calibre, where technique and melody are harmonically placed together.Highly recommended.