Ethnicity (album)

Ethnicity is the eleventh studio album by Yanni, released on February 11, 2003 by Virgin Records.^[1] It peaked at #27 on Billboard's "Top Internet Albums" chart and at #27 on the "Billboard 200" chart in 2003. It also peaked at #1 on the "Top New Age Albums" chart in 2004.^[2]

Ethnicity
Studio album by Yanni
Released	February 11, 2003
Studio	Yanni's home studio in Florida, US
Genre	World music, Contemporary instrumental
Length	57:51
Label	Virgin
Producer	Yanni
Yanni chronology
Ultimate Yanni (2003) Ethnicity (2003) The Collection (2006)

Background

Ethnicity features greater use of vocals, percussion, and exotic rhythms, which were influenced by Yanni's period of travel during his hiatus between 1998 and 2000. As Yanni is unable to read music, he wrote and recorded demos of the album's tracks at his home studio in Florida, after which he employed transcribers and copyists to write the individual parts for the session musicians.^[3]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	(?) [4]

Backroads Music/Heartbeats wrote that the album was musically quite diverse, stating that "Though Yanni is widely known as one of the most popular purveyors of New-age music, there's actually quite a bit going on here."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rites of Passage"	4:35
2.	"For All Seasons"	5:37
3.	"The Promise"	3:42
4.	"Rainmaker"	5:36
5.	"Written on the Wind"	3:57
6.	"Playing by Heart"	4:37
7.	"At First Sight"	5:14
8.	"Tribal Dream"	5:35
9.	"Almost a Whisper"	3:51
10.	"Never Too Late"	5:01
11.	"Playtime"	5:29
12.	"Jivaeri (Jiva-Eri)"	4:37

Personnel

Music

• All music composed and arranged by Yanni. (except "Jivaeri")
• Pedro Eustache – Flutes, World Reeds, Duduk, Argul, Uilleann pipes, Chanter, and Saxophone.
• Karen Briggs – Violin

Vocals

• Alfreda Gerald (also lead vocals on "The Promise", "Tribal Dream", and "Never Too Late")
• Michelle Amato (also lead vocals on "For All Seasons", "Almost a Whisper", and "Jivaeri")
• Yanni (also lead vocals on "Never Too Late")
• Noelani Brock (also lead vocals on "Written on the Wind")
• Regina Acuna-Williams
• Peter Lehman
• Randy Nichols
• Suzy Park
• Kurt von Schmittou

Lyrics

• Lyrics for "The Promise" and "Almost a Whisper" by Pamela McNeill.

Production

• Engineered and mixed by Yanni at his private studios.
• Assistant engineer: Anthony Stabile
• Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California.
• Recorded and mixed on a Soundtracs DPC-II Digital Console
• All piano tracks were recorded on a Yamaha CFIII 5, 9' Concert Grand^[6]

The Ethnicity concert tour

Set List

"On Sacred Ground" "Felitsa" "Keys to Imagination" "If I Could Tell You" "Playtime" "Enchantment" "Rainmaker" "The Promise" "Within Attraction" "Aria" Intermission "For All Seasons" "Nightingale"

"Dance with a Stranger" "Jivaeri" "Never Too Late" "Nostalgia" "Marching Season" "Acroyali/Standing in Motion" "Niki Nana" "World Dance" "Reflections of Passion" "Santorini"

Featured tour musicians

^[7]

Band Charlie Adams: Drums Michelle Amato: Vocalist Alfreda Gerald: Vocalist Karen Briggs: Violin Victor Espinola: Harp Pedro Eustache: Flute, Duduk, World WWs, Sop. Sax Ric Fierabracci: Bass guitar Ramon Flores: Trumpet Ming Freeman: Keyboards David Hudson: Didgeridoo Bradley Joseph: Keyboards Dan Landrum: Hammered Dulcimer Armen Movsessian: Violin Walter Rodriguez: Percussion Samvel Yervinyan: Violin

Orchestra Violins: Kristen Autry, Robert Berg, Erica Walczak Violas: Eugene Mechtovich, Llona Geller Celli: Alexander Zhiroff, Sarah O'Brien Harp: April Aoki Oboe: April Cap French Horns: Jim Mattos, Kristin Morrison Trumpets: Kerry Hughes Trombones: Wendell Kelly Orchestrator: Jeffrey Silverman

Tour Production

• Personal Management: Danny O'Donovan, Danny O'Donovan Entertainment Group
• Business management: Seven Eight, Inc., Tom Paske, George Veras, Diane Kramer, Anda Allenson, Richard Allenson
• Tour & production manager: Michael Weiss
• Production supervisor: Anthony Stabile
• Personal assistant to Yanni: Don Bath
• Road manager: Craig Yun
• Stage manager: Richard Bray
• Production coordinator: Kathleen Kronauer
• Tour accountant: Richard Allenson
• Tour security: Jason Temke
• Lighting director: Bud Horowitz
• Yanni's wardrobe designed by Nolan Miller
• Costume design/wardrobe: Jennifer Jacobs, Thomas Wells

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue
North America
March 1, 2003	Las Vegas	United States	Mandalay Bay Events Center
March 3, 2003	Dallas		American Airlines Center
March 6, 2003	Tampa		St. Pete Times Forum
March 7, 2003	Sunrise		Office Depot Center
March 8, 2003	Orlando		Centroplex
March 9, 2003	Jacksonville		Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
March 11, 2003	Atlanta		Philips Arena
March 12, 2003	Nashville		Gaylord Entertainment Center
March 14, 2003	Dayton		Ervin J. Nutter Center
March 15, 2003	Buffalo		HSBC Arena
March 16, 2003	Columbus		Nationwide Arena
March 18, 2003	Indianapolis		Conseco Fieldhouse
March 20, 2003	Toronto	Canada	Air Canada Centre
March 21, 2003	Cleveland	United States	Gund Arena
March 22, 2003	Pittsburgh		Mellon Arena
March 23, 2003	Cincinnati		U.S. Bank Arena
March 25, 2003	Moline		MARK of the Quad Cities
March 27, 2003	Grand Rapids		Van Andel Arena
March 28, 2003	Chicago		United Center
March 29, 2003	Auburn Hills		The Palace of Auburn Hills
March 30, 2003	State College		Bryce Jordan Center
April 1, 2003	Rochester		Blue Cross Arena
April 3, 2003	Boston		Fleet Center
April 4, 2003	Montreal	Canada	Molson Centre
April 5, 2003	Uncasville	United States	Mohegan Sun
April 6, 2003	Manchester		Verizon Wireless Arena
April 8, 2003	Albany		Pepsi Arena
April 10, 2003	East Rutherford		Continental Airlines Arena
April 11, 2003	Washington, D.C.		MCI Center
April 12, 2003	Philadelphia		First Union Center
April 13, 2003	Uniondale		Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
April 15, 2003	Richmond		Richmond Coliseum
April 16, 2003	Wilkes-Barre		First Union Arena
April 17, 2003	New York City		Madison Square Garden
April 25, 2003	Houston		Compaq Center
April 26, 2003	Bossier City		CenturyTel Center
April 27, 2003	Austin		Frank Erwin Center
April 29, 2003	Phoenix		Dodge Theater
April 30, 2003
May 2, 2003	San Diego		Cox Arena
May 3, 2003	Anaheim		Arrowhead Pond
May 4, 2003	Los Angeles		Hollywood Bowl
May 6, 2003	Fresno		Selland Arena
May 8, 2003	Sacramento		ARCO Arena
May 9, 2003	Oakland		The Arena in Oakland
May 10, 2003	San Jose		Compaq Center
May 11, 2003	Reno		Lawlor Events Center
May 13, 2003	Salt Lake City		Delta Center
May 15, 2003	Spokane		Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
May 16, 2003	Portland		Rose Garden Arena
May 17, 2003	Vancouver	Canada	General Motors Place
May 18, 2003	Seattle	United States	KeyArena
May 21, 2003	Denver		Pepsi Center
May 22, 2003	Colorado Springs		World Arena
May 25, 2003	Las Vegas		MGM Grand Las Vegas
May 28, 2003	Ashwaubenon		Resch Center
May 29, 2003	Milwaukee		Bradley Center
May 30, 2003	Saint Paul		Xcel Energy Center
May 31, 2003	Madison		Alliant Energy Center
June 1, 2003	St. Louis		Savvis Center
June 4, 2003	Miami		American Airlines Arena
North America
March 1, 2004	Albuquerque	United States	Tingley Coliseum
March 7, 2004	El Paso		Don Haskins Center
March 9, 2004	San Antonio		SBC Center
March 11, 2004	Oklahoma City		Ford Center
March 12, 2004	Valley Center		Kansas Coliseum
March 13, 2004	Omaha		Qwest Center Omaha
March 14, 2004	Kansas City		Kemper Arena
March 16, 2004	Fort Wayne		Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
March 18, 2004	Champaign		Assembly Hall
March 19, 2004	Louisville		Freedom Hall
March 20, 2004	Knoxville		Thompson–Boling Arena
March 21, 2004	Raleigh		RBC Center
March 22, 2004	North Charleston		North Charleston Coliseum
March 24, 2004	New Orleans		New Orleans Arena
March 25, 2004	Pensacola		Pensacola Civic Center
March 26, 2004	Tallahassee		Leon County Civic Center
March 27, 2004	Lakeland		Lakeland Center
March 28, 2004	Estero		TECO Arena
March 30, 2004	Columbia		Colonial Center
March 31, 2004	Charlotte		Charlotte Coliseum
April 2, 2004	Bridgeport		Arena at Harbor Yard
April 3, 2004	Providence		Dunkin' Donuts Center
April 4, 2004	Portland		Cumberland County Civic Center
April 6, 2004	Syracuse		War Memorial at Oncenter
April 7, 2004	Reading		Sovereign Center
April 8, 2004	Baltimore		1st Mariner Arena

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States	—	324,000[8]

References

1. "Official biography". Yanni.com. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
2. "Chart history for Ethnicity". AMG. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
3. Spera, Keith (18 November 2004). "Yanni be good?". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
4. AllMusic
5. "Review of Ethnicity". Backroads Music/Heartbeats. Retrieved 2015-05-08.
6. Ethnicity (CD liner). Yanni. Virgin Records. 2003. 7-2435-81516-0-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Ethnicity World Tour 2003–2004 – Official concert program. Yanni. 2003.
8. Cohen, Jonathan (14 November 2008). "Yanni Brings 'Voices' To Disney". Billboard. Retrieved 30 October 2018.

External links

• Official Website
• Ethnicity at AllMusic