Friday, January 27, 2023

The Gathering

 

THE GATHERING

paul brady peter browne andy irvine donal lunny matt molloy tommy potts

Sruthán, 1981, GR 705

This is a very peculiar album not because of the line up but because of the context. It was recorded in 1977 and according to Irvine ''it was a favour for Diane Meek who was something of a patron of traditional music in Dublin at the time. She formed a small record company called ‘’Sruthán‘’ that she intended to release this album on but for some reason didn’t get round to it till she was back in the States some years later.''So it was released later by Greenhays (GR).
Of course all these musicians and singers don't play together but in duets or trios. So we can enjoy P. Brady's and A. Irvine's talent together or separately; Matt Molly is backed by D. Lunny on bouzouki (on one track only). Peter Browne is from a musical family in Dublin and is currently a producer for the RTE. A very good piper like his cousin Ronan Browne.
Rare enough are Lunny's compositions ''the Last Time'' and ''Fairfield Mirage'' with some synthetizer by Lunny.
From Dublin also was Tommy Potts (another musical family) with his unique style on fiddle and his way of ''deconstructing'' a tune. He might have composed the superb tune ''the Butterfly'' (not everybody agrees on that) and was admired by some fiddlers like Gavin or Martin Hayes but others wouldn't want to follow Potts in his musical adventures.  He died in 1988.
Additional musicians are : Triona Ni Dhomhnaill on harpsichord, Paul McAteer on drums and Arty McGlynn on guitar
Sruthán means ''stream'' in Irish.
A very rich album indeed but never reissued on CD.



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Thursday, January 26, 2023

Stefan Georgiev


STEFAN GEORGIEV/ACCORDION

HOROS AND RUCHENITSAS FROM DOBROUDJA

Balkanton, 1989, VNA 12491

S. Georgiev was one of many Bulgarian accordion players who recorded for Balkanton. This is folklore-like music with a soloist accompanied by a full orchestra with traditional instruments (kaval, gadulka, etc) here  the Tolbouhin State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances. Georgiev had the usual career for a soloist in Bulgaria; there are some information about that in the notes.
The Dobroudja is in fact divided between Romania, Ukraine and Bulgaria. The biggest part of the region is now in Romania.
Text in English and Bulgarian.

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Monday, January 16, 2023

Raise the Rafters

 

RAISE THE RAFTERS

KEVIN CRAWFORD  P.J. KING  MARTIN O'MALLEY

Celtic Prime Leisure Records, 1995, CCC002

This tape was reissued as a CD but in small quantities and it seems nearly impossible to get one. So I'll make an exception this time and post it.
These three musicians were then regular ones at Cruise's Pub a very ancient public house in Ennis County Clare. P.J. and Kevin were members of another band Grianan which recorded an album that was badly promoted; when the band stopped P.J. and Kevin wanted to carry on and after meeting O'Malley formed this trio.
P.J. as a solid style on the box as Kevin's flute playing matches it with great power. Kevin had a solo album the previous year (1994) called ''D flute album''. He is a good example of musicians of Irish extraction born outside Ireland (Birmingham for Kevin) who managed to settle in Ireland and earn a living from music. He used to go to Ireland every year until the day he decided to stay after a wedding party in Clare. He has been leading a great career since and he now lives in the US.
There are four songs out of fourteen tracks full of energy. The  cassette title is a reel composed by P.J. King.


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Monday, January 9, 2023

Чукотская и Эскимосская Музыка

 

Чукотская и Эскимосская Музыка 

CHUKCHI AND INUIT MUSIC 

Melodiya, 1974, 33D035505-6 

This album was published as part of a series entitled ''the singing soul of Russia''. Side A is about ''Eskimo national music'' as the Russians said and side B about Chukchi national music.

The Inuit in Siberia never were very numerous and live near the Bering Strait. The census of 1979 listed 1200 Inuit and 400 Aleuts who are very close to the Inuit. Here only men were recorded singing alone or in duet with a drum. Most of the songs refer to hunting and animals but there is one song to the glory (I suppose) of the Soviet cosmonauts.

The Chukchi people are Paleosiberian people living in the Chukotka (Nort Eastern Siberia); their name means ''reindeer owners''. Part of them is sedentary hunting and fishing while the other part was nomadic at least at the end of the Soviet period. Russians managed to colonized them during the 19th century and then the Communist Party was successful in controlling them through their shamans who were declared local chiefs.
It is thought that this population stayed in Alaska a long time ago before returning to Siberia.
Female and male singers were recorded; there are several ''personal songs'' a custom that is also known among the Inuit and some Amerindian people. We can listen to the rhomb on one track.
Text in Russian

Here the tracklist in Russian and local languages. I translated the Russian titles in the audio file.

A1
Песня О Дружбе = Илякулъыкиляган
A2
Полет Чайки Против Ветра = Нагуйяк Айгульгэ
A3
Праздник Кита = Агвыквувалъя
A4
Такын Большая Птица = Такын Какулюк
A5
Олыми
A6
Итаюнвон Утренняя Заря = Мтаюнвон Силямени Камароми
A7
Штукатур = Штукатура
A8
Космонавты = Космонавтыт
A9
Вольный Танец = Тухумин
A10
Игра С Мячами = Анкалгит
A11
Охота На Медведя = Нанугнэльгэ
A12
Охота На Каяке = Каяхтульгэ
A13
Чайка = Нагуя
A14
Танец Медвежонка = Нанурагак
A15
Шитье = Минкыльгэ
A16
Праздничный Танец = Кырысмам Саютна
A17
Лампочка Ильича = Лампочка Ильичам
B1
Олененок = Кэюкэй
B2
Морские Охотники = Анкакэнат Гыннинныттыльыт
B3
Личная Песня Лидии Актемировой = Актемировын Лидиян Чиниткин Гырэп
B4
Девушки С Голубых Озер = Вытыра Гытгык Кача Нымытвальыт Нэвыскэтты
B5
Личная Песня Етигина = Етигынын Чиниткин Гырэп
B6
Личная Песня Атчин = Атчинын Чиниткин Гырэп
B7
Личная Песня Гиункеу = Гиункеунын Чиниткин Гырэп
B8
Личная Песня Тнагыргына = Тнагыргынын Чиниткин Гырэп
B9
Два Наигрыша На Тэльытэле = 2 Талеткогыргыт
B10
Личная Песня Рультынэут = Рультынэутын Чиниткин Гырэп
B11
Приход весны = Кыткытръогъэ

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Friday, January 6, 2023

АЛА-TOO КҮҮЛѲРҮ 3

 

АЛА-TOO КҮҮЛѲРҮ 3/ MEЛOДИИ АЛА-TOO 3

ALA-TOO MELODIES 3

Melodiya,1984, M90 46035-36

Third volume of a series of five albums with this title. Side A is about popular music with some solos on ooz komuz (jew's harp), choor (flute), kyiak (bowed instrument), komuz (lute) and songs with komuz. Side B is entitled ''creators of popular music'' with compositions of songs accompanied by komuz, mostly. The last track is a tune by Sh Sherkulov played by an orchestra with kyrgyz instruments.
Recordings made between 1930 and 1970.

МЕЛОДИИ АЛА-TOO (album 3)

Первая пластинка: Киргизская нар. музыка –

1. Кукушка;

 2. Бекташ;

3. Керме too;

4. Скачка;

5. Кет бука;

6. Бекбекей;

7. Карагул ботом, нар. поэма (отрывок);

8. Текучая вода;

9. Просыпаюсь;

10. Лунный луч. Творцы нар. музыки –

11. Токтогулу (музыка и сл. К. Акиева);

12. Мой киргизский народ (музыка и сл. А. Усембаева);

13. Отчизна (музыка и сл. А. Болобалаева);

14. Маруся (музыка и сл. Ш. Тер-мечикова);

15. Счастливый наш народ, песня-состязание;

 16. Наперсник (С. Бекмуратов);

17. Сестренка (М. Омурканова - К. Кумушалиев);

18. Сердце ликует (Ш. Шеркулов).

 

Ашыралы Айталиев - пение, комуз (7), Калык Акиев - пение, комуз (11), Муса Баетов - пение, комуз (9), Сайд Бекмуратов - кыяк (16), Осмонкул Болоболаев - пение, комуз (10, 17), Райымберди Сакеев - чоор (2), Жумаш Саркебенова - ооз комуз (3), Шаршен Термечиков - пение, комуз (14), Алымкул Усенбаев - пение, комуз (12), Токтонаалы Шабданбаев, Ысмаил Борончиев - пение, комузы (15), Шекербек Шеркулов - комуз (5), женский вокальный ансамбль (6), орк. киргизских нар. инстр. им. К. Орозова п/у Э. Жумабаева (18). Записи 1930-х - 1970-х гг.


 

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Sunday, January 1, 2023

Muzikë popullore nga krahinat e veriut

 

MUZIKË POPULLORE NGA KRAHINAT E VERIUT

FOLK MUSIC FROM NORTHERN REGIONS

RTSH,  ?, ?

 

Today being the first of January 2023 let me wish you an excellent year full of music and other good things like love, friendship, good health.

I got this tape at the end of the 80s thanks to friend who went to Albania. It's part of a series of tapes organized by regions. There are no names mentionned only the titles. The music is more on the folklore side  with bands of çiftelli, the usual clarinet-accordion based orchestras or some synthetizer. Only songs, no instrumentals.
The sound quality is poor enough but we are used to it no ?


 

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Giora Feidman

  מוזיקת ​​נשמה   / גיורא פיידמ GIORA FEIDMAN / "JEWISH SOUL MUSIC'' Hed-Arzi, 1972, BAN 14297 My father (who went  abroad   ...