Ensemble Ethnique is a project which ambition is to extend the concept and reach of “lounge” and “chill out” music to a new extent of ‘time’ and ‘cultural’ contaminations. Listening to the CD you are carried away by a sensorial magic evoking, through contemporary sounds, ancient traditions and cultures of different ethnic groups in different historical periods. The debut of this album is marked by the international success already earned by some of its tracks: “Batù” has been included in the track-list of “Nirvana Lounge vol. 2” by Claude Challe, “Bossalounge” is in the Australian compilation “Zen Connection”, while “Amazing Sitar”, “Lyra Shakti”and “Aruna Chala” from the renowned “Chakra Lounge”, beside being included in many European compilations, have been released in the exclusive German edition of “Chakra Lounge” and are also available in the new “Chakra Lounge” release for Australia and New Zealand. Alberto Laurenti, composer and classic guitar player, is a passionate scholar of all chord instruments of the Mediterranean regions. As guitarist he played with Roberto Murolo and Gabriella Ferri, famous Italian traditionl singers, and in fact he also studies popular and traditional songs of southern Europe and Middle East. He is the mind and the producer of Ensemble Ethnique. The Ensemble Ethnique project has clearly been inspired by the ‘romanza’ of 1800 (“L’istante”) and the popular melodic structures of Mediterranean countries (“Saltarello” and “Sponde”), and has the goal of extending the horizons of “lounge” and “chill out” music, also by revaluing instruments and chants recorded live in studio. Oud arabo, bouzouki, flamenco guitar, portuguese guitar, lira, venetian mandolins, bagpipes, dou douk and soprano sax are melodically intertwined to precious rhythmics of drums such as the ‘frames of the Black Sea’, doumbek, bendir, darbouka, turkish riq, cajon all live played instruments accompanied by the voices of the guest singers Alias, Zoe and the baritone Maximus. Ensemble Ethnique exists thanks to the collaboration of musicians of different ethnic and musical origins: Giorgino and Aldo Bahia at drums; Marco Brunelli at keyboards; Miguel Fernandez at flamenco guitar; Renato Vecchio at sax, bagpipes and turkish clarinet; Max Gangalanti at bass; Pablo Petrilli at bandoneon and accordion; Alberto Laurenti at ethnic chord instruments.