Molam: Thai Country Groove From Isan (2005)

«Compilers Alan Bishop and Mark Gergis (of American bands Sun City Girls and Neung Phak, respectively) use the word "groove" advisedly in the title of their new release. Molam: Thai Country Groove from Isan doesn’t have a single cut that would fit in on a collection of funk dusties, but a great number of these rustic tracks definitely impart head-nodding bliss.

The term molam represents a group of rural musical styles from Southern Laos and Northeastern Thailand, but this CD focuses mainly on the lam phun and lam sing substyles during what Gergis calls "a pivotal time when the music of the region began to be electrified and integrated with Western instruments" in the 1970s and 80s. It’s a period that roughly overlaps with an era of timeless funk recordings from Africa, and listening to this disc for the first time is similar to getting your first taste of Fela Kuti or Ethiopian jazz.

There’s a heady energy captured on murky tape as these regional folk sounds first slither from amplifiers. Fat, looping bass lines and electric guitar arpeggios find their place alongside indigenous percussion elements and khaen (bamboo mouth organ). Commanding male and female vocalists speak-sing in cadences and scales not far removed from those of Fela. Nothing is codified yet and there are moments in the early cuts when pieces of the Isan harmonic sensibility clearly don’t fit into the Western pop puzzle. This is where the similarity with Africa ends: while African musicians must have found it relatively easy to retrofit the blues-descended styles of their American cousins for their own purposes back in the motherland, the Isan fusions are the result of more exotic engineering. Like the Filipinos with their national mode of transport, the jeepney, Molam pop musicians take a Western construction, trick it out almost beyond recognition and then take you for a ride.

It’s not all groove on this disc, though. There’s also a smattering of look thung, a slower style which, like enka in Japan, is sometimes compared to country music in America. If you’ve ever been to Thailand you’ve probably heard it. It’s nice that this style is also represented, but it’s less a revelation than the early, gritty lam phun and lam sing recordings, the likes of which I’ve never heard before – the sort of revelation that the Sublime Frequencies label provides regularly.» (The Far Eastern Audio Review)

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Postcards from Italy (48): Loc. Santa Lucia - Iscra 'E Voes , Nuoro (Sardinia)

Photo: MauritZ ®

Maria Carta - Chelu e Mare (1992)

Some time ago, Francesco (many thanx, although regrettably belated!)from Sardinia sent me this beautiful album by the sadly late Maria Carta, one of the best interpreters and innovators of Sardinian folk music. Somehow, the files got lost in the vaults of my hard disk. Now, prompted by another reader from Sardinia who sent me a picture of his beautiful land, at last I managed to find it. So here it is, enjoy!

«Maria Carta (Siligo, 24 giugno 1934 - Roma, 22 settembre 1994) è stata una cantante e cantautrice di musica tradizionale sarda. Ha inoltre partecipato a film e rappresentazioni teatrali e ha scritto un libro di poesie (Canto Rituale, 1975).
In 25 anni di carriera ha ripercorso i molteplici aspetti della musica tradizionale della sua terra (ninne nanne, gosos, canti gregoriani, eccetera), spesso aggiornandoli con un tocco moderno e personale. È riuscita a portare con successo la musica folk sarda in manifestazioni popolari a livello nazionale e internazionale (soprattutto in Francia e negli Stati Uniti).
Interprete estremamente sensibile e dotata di notevole presenza scenica, non ha mancato di affascinare registi come Francis Ford Coppola e Franco Zeffirelli, che l’hanno chiamata a recitare nei loro film. Legatissima alla sua terra, Maria Carta era però innamorata anche di Roma, città in cui ha vissuto per lunghi anni; nella capitale ha ricoperto il ruolo di Consigliere comunale dal 1976 al 1981 tra le fila del Partito Comunista Italiano. Nel 1985 ha vinto la Targa Tenco per la musica dialettale.
Negli ultimi anni della sua vita Maria Carta è stata molto legata all'Università di Bologna, dove ha svolto un ciclo di lezioni e seguito studenti che preparavano tesi di laurea aventi per oggetto tematiche a lei consuete, fornendo loro preziose indicazioni derivanti dalla sua esperienza personale, umana e di studio. Nel 1991 il Presidente della Repubblica Francesco Cossiga l'ha nominata “Commendatore della Repubblica”.
Maria Carta ha tenuto il suo ultimo concerto a Tolosa (Francia) il 30 giugno 1994; malata da tempo di cancro, è morta nella sua casa di Roma a 60 anni, il 22 settembre 1994.»

For more info: http://www.myspace.com/mariacarta

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Roswell Rudd & Toumani Diabate - Malicool (2002)

Another fine contribution from Tobi (Thanx again!).

«At first blush, adding Roswell Rudd to a group of native West African musicians might seem, well, stretched. Surprisingly, though, it proves a remarkably impressive combination — in large part due to the simple melodies, the opportunity for the trombonist to stretch out, and the quality of the band. Curiously, although recorded in Mali, half of the tunes are not indigenous to the region: Three are by Rudd, "Jackie-ing" is, of course, by Monk, and "All Through the Night" is a traditional Welsh song. Rudd plays the only Western-style horn (the others perform on a variety of local instruments or contribute vocals), and his burly tone and raunchy swagger take full advantage of the moment. The trombonist is in prime form, relaxed and expansive. The Africans are splendid, too, not only laying down a sympathetic carpet of light percussion over which the trombonist improvises but also providing some interesting diversions on instruments such as the kora, the balophone, the djembe, and the ngone. The acclaimed Toumani Diabate is co-leader of the session, contributes a few pieces, and shines on his native kora (a 21-stringed harp). "Jackie-ing" is perhaps the most interesting of the tunes, if only because it is so difficult for the Africans to manage. As Rudd explains in his notes, the tradition among the Africans is to focus on simple riffs as accompaniments and to continue to explore sections to their fullest rather than jumping to the next section of a song. Ultimately, these issues (and others) are worked out, and Monk is given a sort of facelift that proves compelling. Overall, the band is tight and well-rehearsed, Rudd's solos rival his best, and the tunes are catchy, simple, and accessible. Fans of the trombonist or of West African music will not wish to miss the opportunity to pick up this rare and exciting collaboration.» (AMG)

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Postcards from Italy (47): Matera II (Basilicata)

Aktuala - La Terra (1974)

«Fino ai primi Anni Settanta, strutture e strumenti musicali etnici erano presenti solo in un certo tipo di jazz o di musica contemporanea. John Coltrane impiegava moduli africani e asiatici nelle sue composizioni per sassofono, pianoforte, contrabbasso e batteria. Charlie Mariano e Yusef Lateef usavano strumenti e scale melodiche etniche in abbinamento con il piano, la batteria ecc. Anche gruppi rock come i Beatles e i Rolling Stones, per citare gli esempi più noti, si avvalsero in qualche loro canzone di strumenti musicali extraeuropei, come il sitar e vari tipi di percussioni.
Questa era la situazione in cui emerse Aktuala, con una formula strumentale nuova che non si basava solo sul jazz, rigorosamente priva com’era di batteria, contrabbasso e pianoforte (cioè gli strumenti base del sound jazzistico, i primi con il loro swing, il piano con le armonizzazioni).
Una congerie di percussioni sostituiva la batteria, al posto del piano comparivano strumenti a corda antichi e insoliti come la balalaica o il saz e una miriade di fiati, più effetti sonori misteriosi e nuovi per quell'epoca. Il tutto all'insegna di parallelismi tra stili musicali compatibili, come per i ritmi dispari che ritroviamo nei Balcani, nel gamelan balinese e nella musica indiana. Il tutto con codici di improvvisazioni incrociati. Oppure, la creazione di nuovi impasti sonori di fiati, dovuti alla sperimentazione di combinazioni inusitate di strumenti, come per esempio zurna + sax soprano + flauto + armonica bassa nell’album La Terra.
Il capolavoro degli Aktuala è La Terra (primo LP in cui compare Trilok Gurtu), realizzato nel 1973 e messo in commercio nel 1974, uno dei primi lavori di world music in assoluto, ancora ineguagliato quanto a fusioni stilistiche e sonore e a originalità degli insiemi strumentali.» (Soundcenter, freely edited)

«Aktuala represent one of the most meaningful musical innovations in the Italian scene of the 70s. They were involved in popular musics of every age and country, passionate collectors of ancient and ethnic instruments who tried to make a sort of universal popular music, a total experience without the mediation of the classic culture; their music was instinctive, primordial, in it the same signs of the nature, the daily sounds became music. Middle East, Africa, Mediterranean countries, Australia were part of this complex sonic geography, along with free jazz and avantgarde music. The band didn't play in theatres or the usual concert circuit, choosing to play instead in different contexts, like public squares, beaches, restaurants, even psychiatric hospitals.» (Soundcenter)

Tracklist, line-up and more reviews here: Progarchives

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SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL STARS documentary movie trailer

Just to remember that there are lots of persons and peoples in this world who are still fighting for their freedom and dignity, unfortunately with no happy endings guaranteed.
So, in wishing you all a happy new year, I do hope 2008 may be a year of reconciliation, peace and prosperity, especially for them. Peace and Love,

Radu

Here is a short trailer for the documentary film SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL STARS. The film tells the remarkable story of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, a group of musicians who form a band while living in a West African refugee camp. They were forced from their homes by a brutal civil war that took the lives of many of their loved ones and left them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. But it could never take away their music. Through music they find a place of refuge, a sense of purpose and a source of power. This film follows the band over the course of three years as they make the difficult decision to return to their war-torn country and realize their dream of recording an album of their original music. The story of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars celebrates the best of the human spirit - the incredible ability of individuals to sustain hope and find forgiveness even in a climate of rage and loss.

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars - Living Like A Refugee (2004)

«Made up of former displaced persons from the killing fields of Sierra Leone, members of the Refugee All Stars (a.k.a. R.A.S.) were forced to flee for their lives during the 1990s, fanning out into nearby West African nations. Through continued hard times, bandmates Reuben M. Koroma, Francis (Franco) Langba, and Abdul Rahim (Arahim) Kamara entertained and heartened their compatriots with truthful, gently satiric, liltingly infectious tunes. Filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles made a prize-winning documentary about the band's courageous struggle, thereby bringing their story to an international audience. Backed by Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, and other socially conscious celebrities, R.A.S. embarked on a rapturously received world tour and were at long last able to augment their earlier, but nonetheless invaluable, field recordings with professionally engineered studio tracks. The resulting seventeen songs travel through deceptively relaxed Sierra Leonean Palm Wine music, triple-rhythmed gbute vang and reggae-like sounds (complete with toasting), Nigerian Afro-Beat, and even echoes of Congolese soukous. Backed by sweet yet astringent vocal harmonies, sultry guitars, homemade percussion, and playfully retro-sounding organ riffs, each selection reveals still another facet of a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant saga of survival. At long last, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are poised to become the superstars they were always destined to be.» (Christina Roden, Amazon)

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Postcards from Italy (46): Matera (Basilicata)

Ethiopiques 14: Gétatchèw Mèkurya - Negus of Ethiopian Sax (2002)

«L’avventura della musica etiopica moderna cominciò durante il regno dell’imperatore Menelik II (1889-1913). Quest’avventura, che da più di due decenni mi sforzo di studiare e di far conoscere, è strettamente legata all’influenza degli strumenti a fiato offerti al sovrano abissino dopo la vittoria di Adua. Nel 1897 lo zar di Russia, Nicola II, inviò in omaggio al vincitore e suo fratello nella fede ortodossa un kit completo per fanfara, ovvero una quarantina di ottoni. Fu così che nacque la prima banda imperiale. In occasione delle udienze diplomatiche o durante i gheber (banchetti offerti dall’imperatore a migliaia di convitati) la fanfara suonava con la stessa disinvoltura sia inni russi o francesi sia pezzi più leggeri come Frou-Frou o La casquette de père Bugeaud.

Nel 1924 Ras Tafari, principe reggente e futuro Hailé Selassié, decise di compiere un lungo giro diplomatico in Europa per celebrare l’ammissione dell’Abissinia nella Società delle nazioni. Allora, in piena epoca coloniale, era l’unico stato africano a far parte dell’organizzazione. Prima del suo viaggiò Ras Tafari andò in pellegrinaggio a Gerusalemme. La fanfara che l’accolse in Terra santa lo impressionò a tal punto che decise di assumerla affinché diventasse l’orchestra ufficiale dell’impero. Era una banda composta da quaranta armeni sfuggiti al genocidio turco del 1915. Gli Arba lijoch, i «quaranta ragazzi», sotto la guida del loro direttore reclutato al Cairo, l’armeno Kevork Nalbandian, diventarono così la prima orchestra ufficiale dell’impero. Nalbandian scrisse, su richiesta del reggente, l’inno nazionale etiopico e si sforzò di mettere insieme un repertorio fortemente “etiopizzato”, ispirandosi alle melodie tradizionali locali. Sotto il suo impulso, la musica etiopica “all’europea” s’impose nel paese. Alla vigilia dell’invasione italiana del 1935, i musicisti che facevano parte delle diverse bande ufficiali erano 250. Alla liberazione, nel 1941, Nerses Nalbandian, nipote di Kevork, contribuì enormemente allo sviluppo della musica etiopica moderna.

Sulla sua scia, altri direttori d’orchestra europei furono invitati nella capitale etiopica. […] Il viennese Franz Zelwecker, pianista e direttore d’orchestra, appassionato di jazz alla Glenn Miller, diede un contributo determinante a quello che negli anni sessanta sarebbe diventato il groove etiopico, caratterizzato dal ricco suono degli ottoni. Con i migliori elementi delle bande imperiali, creò la sezione “sinfonia jazz” dell’Orchestra della guardia d’onore, che comprendeva almeno dieci fiati. Lo swing mise radici in Etiopia con i suoi stereotipi, il suo profumo di modernità e la sua eleganza. Dal 1955 al 1974 – anno della caduta dell’imperatore – l’Etiopia visse due decenni musicali favolosi e singolari, la sua età dell’oro. Nel 1963 Addis Abeba, il cui nome significa “il fiore nuovo”, diventò la sede permanente dell’Organizzazione dell’unità africana (Oua). La città, creata nel 1880 da Menelik II, si trasformò in un centro cosmopolita grazie all’influenza esercitata da una nutrita comunità diplomatica.

Ancora una volta, però, non furono le musiche africane a incontrare il favore del pubblico, ma quelle provenienti dall’Europa e dagli Stati Uniti. Addis Abeba vide spuntare grandi alberghi e locali notturni dove esplose la nuova musica urbana etiopica, in cui si mescolavano melodie tradizionali, rhythm’n’blues e soul. Da Asmara radio Kagnew, l’emittente delle forze armate statunitensi di stanza in Etiopia, trasmetteva tutti i successi degli anni Sessanta, che da lì arrivavano ad Addis Abeba. Quello fu il periodo di un’inimmaginabile “swinging Addis”, versione africana della celebre “swinging London”. Il 1974 fu un anno funesto, in cui cominciò la lunga notte della dittatura di Mengistu: coprifuoco ininterrotto per diciotto anni, orchestre smantellate e musicisti in esilio, estetica ispirata al realismo socialista e censura. L’età dell’oro era finita.

Quel che resta di quella straordinaria avventura è una musica che, malgrado le influenze occidentali, ha sempre mantenuto una forte ispirazione nazionale e un carattere davvero originale. Basta ascoltare Getachew Mekurya, l’inventore del “sassofono shellela”. Questo gigante fisico e musicale ha saputo trasporre sul suo strumento gli shellela, i canti e gli urli d’incoraggiamento e di guerra tradizionali. A metà degli anni cinquanta Mekurya, che suonava nella Police Orchestra, si esibiva in violenti assolo degni del free-jazz, che hanno fatto di lui una specie di Albert Ayer etiope. I suoi connazionali, così sciovinisti, hanno capito immediatamente da dove veniva quella musica e l’hanno adottata nonostante le sue dissonanze puramente free. Grazie, Adolphe Sax.» (Francis Falceto, curatore della collana Ethiopiques per l’etichetta francese Buda Musique. Articolo originariamente apparso su Le Nouvel Observateur, tradotto per Internazionale, n. 659, 15/21 settembre 2006).

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Tende (France)

Paroplapi - La Finestra dell'Ultimo Piano (2005)

Tobi, again (thanx!), proposes us this interesting trio that offers us a vast selection of popular songs from Italy and France, all revived with classy arrangements and inspired readings. A small gem, well worth a listen!

«Questo gruppo, dal nome insolito, propone dall’inizio del XXI secolo l’incontro “musicale-linguistico” proveniente dalle rive del Mediterraneo. Paroplapi attinge le sue ispirazioni particolarmente in Francia e in Italia, che rappresentano le zone d’origine dei membri del gruppo. Voci e significati. La pratica e lo studio di questi repertori, mette in luce i legami profondi fra i popoli e i valori in comune: così, non sono più le sole tradizioni musicali di una regione che gli
artisti valorizzano, ma bensì una ricerca culturale, in continua evoluzione in nome dell’unione nella diversità. Individualmente portatori di questi repertori da molti anni, i membri del trio Paroplapi si sono riuniti con lo scopo di poter offrire un ampio spettro di canti popolari dell’arco latino, florilegio di ciò che la memoria collettiva ha raccolto sul filo del tempo.»

«Ce groupe au nom iconoclaste propose depuis le début du XXI siècle des croisements "linguisticomusicaux" de chants de l'arc latin. C'est au bord de la méditerrannée que Paroplapi puise son inspiration, et ce plus particulièrement en France et en Italie, d'où sont issus les deux chanteurs fondateurs du groupe, Samuela Gallinari et Gael Princivalle. La pratique et l'étude des répertoires de tradition mettent en exergue les liens profonds entre les peuples, ainsi que leurs valeurs comunes. Ainsi, ce n'est plus un répertoire ou une région que les artistes portent en étendard, mais la recherche d'un chemin culturel universel, en perpetuelle évolution. Porteurs de répertoires de tradition depuis de nombreuses années, les membres du projet Paroplapi proposent un ample panel de chants populaires de l'arc latin, florilège de ce que la mémoire collective a sélectionné au fil du temps.»

Official site: http://www.cant.org/paroplapi/default.htm

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Denez Prigent - Irvi (2000)

Saxan K points us instead to this remarkable artist from Brittany (Bretagne). «Denez Prigent's strong voice and nuanced performance», says our kind reader – and I fully agree – «floats among beautiful and strange soundscapes. He blends Breton traditional songs and instruments with ambient, techno, and hip-hop elements. The overall sound is a refreshing diversion from the mainstays of the Celtic genre which it most closely resembles. This album is worth listening to just for “Melezourioù-glav – Miroirs de pluie” and 'Gortoz A Ran (J'attends)”. Enjoy!» Many thanx, Saxan!

«Lorsque vient la marée haute et que les vagues encerclent une île, jusqu'alors accessible à pieds, le point de rencontre de ces vagues constitue un chemin. Un chemin d'écumes. Irvi, chemin d'écume en breton, le nouvel album de Denez Prigent, tire son nom de cette métaphore : à la croisée de la musique traditionnelle bretonne et de l'avant-garde, Denez Prigent poursuit sa route ; hors des sentiers battus.

Enregistré en collaboration avec Bertrand Cantat (Noir Désir), Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Davy Spillane, Valentin Clastrier, Elegia... Irvi présente une tradition celtique ancrée dans son époque : à l'abri des scléroses régionalistes, ouverte au monde extérieur, trouvant (retrouvant) sa force à l'écoute d'un patrimoine situé hors de ses frontières. Album remarquable, alternant titres incantatoires et énergie larvée, Irvi présente un artiste au sommet de son art, indéniablement breton mais avant tout citoyen du monde.» (Librairie Dialogues – read the interview)

Un portrait de Denez Prigent

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Etnika - Nafra (2000)

Hello, happy holidays to you all! Here’s the first of a series of beautiful «Christmas gifts» from my readers. Chris S. proposes us this gorgeous CD by Etnika, a Maltese group engaging in a compelling «fusion of Maltese ethnic instruments with the contemporary». Many thanx, Chris!

«Etnika focuses on the resurrection of Maltese traditional instruments and music. The idea is to use the ancient instruments together with that of other classical and modern instruments in order to create a new Maltese repertoire. The music portrays a unique synthesis between ethnic timbre and contemporary composition. Among the instruments used are zaqq (bagpipe), zummara (reed pipe), flejguta (whistle flute), zafzafa (friction drum), and tanbur (a drum). These are combined with flute, clarinet, violin, guitar, piano, accordion, tuba and percussion to create a totally new way of making Maltese music. Original compositions are by Ruben Zahra, using traditional melodies as a starting point, but expanding them in the tradition of Piazzolla, Copeland, Ives and Bregovic.» (CDRoots)

More info here

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Postcards from Italy (45) - Trentino

Hubert Von Goisern - Fön (2000)

Many thanx to Tobi from Austria for this true discovery!

«Activist, composer, and actor Hubert Achleitner (better known as Hubert Von Goisern) was best known for his stint as lead singer of Die Alpinkatzen. Von Goisern was born and raised in Austria, where he learned to play the guitar, trumpet, and accordion at a young age. He lived in South Africa and Toronto for many years before returning to his homeland in his late twenties in order to pursue a music career, forming Die Alpinkatzen with Wolfgang Staribacher in 1986. Honing a blend of synthy Europop with traditional Austrian folk music elements (yodeling chief among them), the group became immensely popular in Germany and Austria. The group called it quits in late 1994. Von Goisern busied himself with various projects, musical and otherwise, over the course of the following decade. […] He also became deeply involved with activism. […] In addition to his interest in Tibet, Von Goisern was also known for speaking out against the Austrian music industry. In the midst of all this, Von Goisern continued to record and release albums. His first solo effort, Fön, came out in 2000.» (AMG)

«Shrill yodelling and dissonant yodelling in defiance: the worn path of alpine folklore is terrible for him. Away from petit-bourgeois conformism and traditionalism, Hubert von Goisern has experimented with sound and style directions since the release of his first album, Alpine Lawine in 1988 – always endeavoured to elicit new sounds from the diatonic accordion, flugelhorn or the Styrian harmonica. The search for inspiration led to finally to Tibet, Africa and India – there he searched for distance from the Alpinkatzen project, left Hiatamadl behind him, "Goisern", who sang the praises of his homeland, said a quiet farewell. But now the "alpine rocker" is back. Energetic, effervescent with delight in playing and linguistic jokes, he pulls out all the stops on the CD Fön (Blanko Musik), mixed folksy elements with rocky rhythms in his unmistakable manner. In the number, “Kålt”, he expresses syllables in striking dialect imaginative, loaded with meaning, behind which coded quotations from the right wing populist, Jörg Haider, are hidden: "Mir ist kålt, und mir wird kålter, und des liegt, des liegt nit am Wetter. (“I am cold, and I am getting colder, and it's not down to the weather”). He attacks the double moral standards of the church as well, like he beats against power and war. While in “Die Stråss'n” he draws – not without melancholy – a final line under the past: "Wås vorbei is', is' vorbei..." (What's past, is past...")». (Christof Völlinger, Magazin am Wochende)

Official site: http://www.hubertvongoisern.com/

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Värttinä - Vihma (1998)

«One of the most internationally successful acts to emerge from the contemporary Finland music scene, Värttinä revitalized the nation's folk traditions with an aggressive and ultra-modern style that eschewed not only the costumes of their ancestors but also the long-accepted cultural notion that women should sing unaccompanied. […] After Kokko, their trip into the barren land of neo-pop, it seemed as if Värttinä had shot their creative wad. That makes this all the more welcome, since Vihma, if not a return to the way things were, is at least a definite way out of the cul-de-sac. They lay their manifesto on the line with the opening title track, which crams in samples, programmed beats, a strong studio feel around an in- your-face attitude, as if to say, "We're back." And they certainly are, expanding the boundaries from the traditional music of their past to draw far more heavily on original compositions and a couple of tracks which utilize the Tuvan throat-singing tradition of Yat-Kha members Albert Kuvezin and Aldyn-ool Sevek (one of which even draws in the string section of fellow Nordic band JPP). "Kylän Kävjiä" revolves around the drone of a jew's-harp, mingling with the Yat-Kha overtones, while "Maa Ei Kerro" rests on a bed of keyboards provided by producer Richard Horowitz, who also contributes "Vihmax (Viha Remix)" to close out the album – a revamp job that's surprisingly not as radical as the original track. As always, the singing is powerful, with high, keening harmonies. But on Vihma, the instrumentalists feature more; instead of backup for the vocalists, they're now an integral part of the sound, with cunning, complex arrangements that add weight to the songs. It might not be a classic, but Vihma shows that Värttinä remains a force to be reckoned with.» (AMG)

Lyrics (with English translation) here

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Pictures of Greece: Mesohori Karpathos, Dodecanese Islands

Courtesy of JTC

The Rough Guide to the Music of Greece (2001)

«This welcome addition to the Rough Guide catalog shines a light on a country whose music has largely been ignored internationally, and proves that, within the borders of Greece, the musical traditions are complex and marvellously rewarding. Thankfully it's not solely focused on modern-day artists, but frames them in the context of the past, with tracks by the legendary Kostas Nouros, "The Nightingale of Smyrna," and George Koros, the man responsible for really introducing the fiddle into Greek music (his "Ballos" is an aural treat). Inevitably, there's plenty of rembetika and laiko, those particularly indigenous Greek forms, but this stretches beyond that, to encompass the jazz-funk of Mode Pagal, whose "Pikrodafni" is rather insipid and uninspired, as well as several of the superb female Greek singers who've broken through in recent decades, like Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Glykeria, and Savina Yannatou, perhaps the most adventurous of them all. And no overview of Greek music would be complete without Mikis Theodorakis, best known for his theme to Zorba the Greek. Memorable as that was, his real writing has extended in so many directions, and "To Trizoni" (sung by Soula Birbili) offers just a small glimpse of one of his facets. With excellent liner notes, this CD leaves you fully prepared to delve more deeply into music that deserves wider discovery.» (AMG)

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Untouchable Outcaste Beats, Volume 1 (1998)

«London’s Outcaste Records continues to sate those in the know with some of the most intriguing fusionary sounds on either side of the Atlantic. Untouchable Outcaste Beats, Volume 1 will serve as the label’s American calling card – an amalgam of tracks from its roster as well as from other seminal works in the genre. Dance Music Federation’s essential “Cybersitar” stands out as a pioneering work, lacing a furious breakbeat with confused sitars and repetitive chant. Artists like Shri, with his serene “Meditations”; Nitin Sawnhey, who takes it to the lounge with “Bengali Song”; and Badmarsh, who abuses the hardsteppers on the dance floor with “Jungle Sitars” all take the music on divergent paths yet still find roots both in traditional Indian sounds and more frenetic U.K. club rhythms. The Outcaste sound fails to be monolithic, and precisely because of that, it paves the roads toward tomorrow.

The great thing about this disc is how it mixes older funk/psychedelic rock tunes with sitars (“Mathar” and “Streets of Calcutta”) with newer techno sounding ones (“Cybersitar”) and songs that could be considered acid jazz (“The Hand of Contraband”). It also captures more traditional sitar playing in its own rite. Listening to this disc is like taking a trip to different countries and worlds to hear many artists interpretations and styles of sitar playing melting with many different music genres.» (Amazon)

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Las Criollísimas (1988)

«La cultura musical criolla y afroperuana se inicia con la llegada de los españoles y los esclavos africanos que fueron traídos por ellos. La cultura musical criolla en Lima construye de manera permanente una identidad propia, transformando los géneros musicales y patrones estéticos importados. Desde la presencia de valses de origen vienés, mazurcas, jotas españolas, continuando con la influencia de la música francesa e italiana, la cultura popular limeña se fue perfilando a través de la transformación y decantación de géneros, de tal manera que, aún asumiendo las modas correspondientes a cada época, se gestaron y desarrollaron algunas formas musicales que llegan hasta fines del siglo XX y que identifican lo limeño.

Cada momento histórico, desde la época colonial hasta ahora, fue plasmándose de diferentes la cultura musical a través de los instrumentos musicales utilizados, las formas y contenidos del canto, los bailes. Entre los géneros más importantes, cultivados en el siglo XX se encuentran: el vals peruano, la marinera limeña o canto de jarana y el festejo…»

(Más informaciones: Wikipedia; Criollos peruanos en el mundo)

«Musica criolla is a Peruvian genre of music, which combines mainly African, Spanish and Andean influences. The most popular style of musica criolla in Perú is the marinera, said to be the national dance of Perú. Other main genres are Peruvian vals and Tondero, festejo, polka, zamacueca, coplas de amor fino, landó. Musica criolla is a type of Mestizo music. Currently, some of the most famous musica criolla musicians are Carlos Hayre, songwriter Manuel Acosta Ojeda, performers like Lucy Aviles, Eva Ayllon, Alicia Maguiña and Peru Negro. The national "Day of Criolla Song" (Día de la Canción Criolla) is October 31 in Perú. This date coincides with the death of Musica Criolla icon Lucha Reyes, who died on that date in 1973.

Landó is a form of blues music popular in Perú. Musically the Lando is slower than the Festejo. Victoria Santa Cruz (who directed the National School of Folklore in Peru), worked to developed this genre around 40 or 50 years ago.It is related to South American dances of courtship because of its sensual movements on the dance and the soft tempo to sing. Since it is based lightly in a 3/4 time, it has become a popular choice for new Peruvian songwriters. It has origins in the Angolan londu, and is related to the Brazilian lundu.

Festejo (from Spanish 'fiesta') is a festive form of music. It can be seen as a celebration of Perú's independence and the emancipation of slaves, or as an attempt to reinvent diaspora African music without reference to slavery. Composers of all races have contributed to the development of festejo repertoire. Its origins are in a competitive circle dance performed by men playing cajónes. Nowadays, people of all ages and races participate in a witty dance accompanying the festejo.

The vals criollo is a unique musical form characterized by 3/4 time, originating in the coast of Peru. The vals criollo is a variation of the European Waltz brought by Spaniards to Peru, played with Spanish instruments by criollos or mestizos all races since the Peruvian Colonial Period.It was around the 30' when city neigborhoods or barrios starting developing their own styles. It was not much promoted by the media until the 50's when Chabuca Granda the most important composer of the Musica criolla started touring heavily. Other singers, songwriters and ethnomusicologists were compilating old interpretations and began recording songs that were never recorded before. The Musica criolla includes elaborate Spanish guitar work accompanied in recent years by cajon and castanuelas whith lyrics that talk about love, social dilemmas and nostalgia. This form is known outside of Peru as vals peruano (Peruvian waltz). (For more info: Wikipedia)

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