Bulletin - January/ February
2010
Ethnic & World Music
Tamburica Orchestra Veritas ->
Various Artists
| CROATIA |
TAMBURICA
ORCHESTRA VERITAS |
Arc Music 2190 |
Folklore From Croatia |
$11.98 |
14 tracks, 53 min., recommended
Formed in 1987 by ex-pat Croats living in Germany, the TOV offer 14
traditional Croatian songs performed on tamburicas of various sizes.
The tamburica (a relative of the tanbur lute of Arabia and perhaps
analogous to the bouzouki of traditional Greek music) looks a bit
like a banjo with a pear-shaped resonator. They can have 4 to 6
strings and come in various sizes, each suited its function, of
course. The largest one, for example is the "berde" which is used
for playing the bass line. The "bisernica" plays the melody. This
orchestra is made up of six tamburicas (of four sizes) and a singer,
Marica Perinic, although her size is not mentioned anywhere. While
lively and engaging, the music is, to my non-traditionally Croatian
ears, somewhat samey. (It might have helped if the lyrics had been
provided.) But I imagine folk dancers will find these recordings to
be just right. (JC)
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| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
African Cream 11 |
The Great South African Trip |
$27.98 |
This 2 CD compilation is designed to take the
listener on a music journey through the diverse sounds of South
Africa, starting and ending with a speech from President Nelson
Mandela. The music features a mix of internationally known artists
(Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba), artists known to world music
cultists (Johnny Clegg, Ladysmith Black Mambazo), and many lesser
known but vibrant talents. All n' all, The Great South African Trip
provides the listener with a good way to sample the country's rich
musical heritage in an attractive package.
|
| HAITI |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Harte Recordings 103 |
Alan Lomax In Haiti |
$128.98 |
Amazing 10 CD box set featuring a selection of
recordings made by Alan Lomax in Haiti in 1936 and '37. During his
time there he recorded over 50 hours of music and shot some color
footage. He was hoping to reissue some of this material in the 1970s
but by that time the original acetates had deteriorated so much that
attempts at sound restoration were unsuccesful. Now with modern
technologies the Library Of Congress's Folklife Center and the Magic
Shop matering facility were able to restore the sound so that,
though still rough, is now listenable. Lomax was amazed at the
variety of the music he encountered and each of the ten discs is
devoted to a different aspect of the music including merengue &
urban music, rustic troubadours, mardi gras and carnaval, children's
songs and more. One of the discs includes some of the film footage
shot by Lomax at the time. The packaging is amazing - the set comes
in a 11"x9"x3" box with a textured cloth covering with an outline of
Haii and a Haitian stamp. Complementing the CDs is a 164 page
hardbound book with detauled notes on the performances by Gage
Averill along with lyric transctiptions and translations and a
selection of photographs. In addition there is a 198 page softbound
book featuring the contents of Lomax's journals of the trip plus a
repoduction of a Haitian map with Lomax's notations. While the music
is not for casual listening the combination of the music and the
documentation provides a remarkable insight into a unique and long
gone musical culture.
|
| AFRICA-CONGO |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Honest Jon's 040 |
The World Is Shaking-Cubanissimo
From The Congo 1954/55 |
$18.98 |
14 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Like clockwork, the folks at Honest Jon's keep cranking out
collections of rare music from exotic places culled from the HMV
label's extensive vaults. Like other collections in the series, the
music is from Africa, originating in the Belgian and French Congo of
Central Africa. This music is comprised of traditional Congolese
music mixed with South American Latin music, with some influence
from Louis Armstrong. As a result, these tunes are highly melodic,
rhythmic, and danceable, as demonstrated by Matete Paris and
Akei Cimetiere by Adikwa Depala, who was the closest thing to
a star that the genre produced. Lute, guitar, likembes, (thumb
pianos) shape this music, with percussion filling in the holes, and
create a very uplifting sound that often belies the distress of the
lyrics (translated in the accompanying booklet). Bottom line: Honest
Jon's has done it again, and produced a unique and fascinating
musical experience for the musically adventurous. NB: The music in
this collection is much more accessible to the world music-novice
than many Honest Jon's titles, and would be a good place for the
uninitiated to begin. (GMC)
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Kein Und Aber 23284 |
Hot Women - Women Singers From the
Torrid Regions |
$17.98 |
24 tracks, 69 mins, highly recommended
Back in print at a lower price. Fabulous collection of vintage
recordings of women singers mostly from the 20s and 30s compiled by
R. Crumb from his own collection. The 24 tracks includes Louisiana
Cajun, Mexican, French Carribean, Chilean, Sicilian, Greek,
Algerian, Turkish, East African, Madagascar (an amazing and eerie
performance that is hard to describe), Burmese, Hawaiian and more.
Superbly remastered by Tony Baldwin and packaged in a digipack
including booklet with notes by Crumb along with color illustrations
by him of many of the performers. (FS)
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