Emilio Cao

 

LENDA DA PEDRA DO DESTIÑO

LEGEND OF THE STONE OF DESTINY

EMILIO CAO 

Guimbarda, 1979, GS-11.007

This is E. Cao's  second album after the first one in 1977. He was a pioneer of the revival movement in Galicia and is credited to be the first to have introduced the harp in Galician folk.

This album is about a legend about the Stone of Destiny which was at Scone in Scotland.

This legend dates back to biblical times and states that it is the same stone which Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. Later, according to Jewish legend, it became the pedestal of the ark in the Temple. The stone was brought from Syria to Egypt by King Gathelus, who then fled to Spain following the defeat of the Egyptian army. A descendant of Gathelus brought the stone to Ireland, and was crowned on it as King of Ireland. And from Ireland, the stone moved with the invading Scots to Argyll.

E. Cao in addition to the harp also plays the citola, guitar, electric bass, keyboards, hurdy-gurdy and mandolin. He sings as well. He's joined by Xoan Silvar on gaita, flutes and percussions. They are joined on track B4 by Welsh musicians : Mary Jo Searle on fiddle, Rob Comley on bodhran and Tomy Jenkins on crumhorn.

Tracks B2 and B3 are one piece. The booklet is in Castilian with the lyrics in Galician and Castilian.

Cao liked to try different sound effects especially the slow rising of the music at the beginning of a track; so the background noise of my album  is at times at the forefront.

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