Musique Soufi

 

MUSIQUE SOUFI ET CHANTS INEDITS DU XVe SIECLE

SUFI MUSIC AND UNRECORDED SONGS OF THE 15th CENTURY

Turquie/ L'aventure du monde par les sons
Turkey/Discovering the world through sound

KUDSI ERGUNER - NEZIH UZEL

GREM, 1985, DMC 503-1

Kudsi Erguner and Nezih Uzel are both from Turkey and share the same heritage from sufi masters. Uzel died in 2012 while Erguner is still active. He settled in Paris in 1975 and became very well known here through concerts, books and radio programmes; most of his discs were recorded and produced in France.

The notes (in English) are informative enough about the composers and the songs performed. Recorded in 1982 at the Senanque Abbey by Xavier Bellenger (who is also the editor) this LP really gives us a nice way to discover an old poetical and musical tradition through the voice, the ney and the bendir which are at the core of the Mevlevi  order (with ''dancing'' of course). 

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Ensemble Achalay 5

 

ENSEMBLE ACHALAY

MUSIQUE DES ANDES N°5

 

MUSIC OF THE ANDES N°5

Disques BAM, 1972 ?,  LD 5799

This band was founded in 1958 by Argentinian kena player and composer Ricardo Galeazzi. It is as old as Los Incas maybe even older. Argentina was the place were that kind of  music was created from traditional material and interpreted from an urban point of view. Los Pampas is another band along with Los Calchakis and Los Incas with Argentinian roots. Galeazzi plays Venezuelan tunes on his kena and two track with the accordion. They play pasillo, cueca, joropo, marinera etc...
Unfortunately the LP is not in very good shape again after hours of use ...
Text in French only.

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James Morrison

 

THE PURE GENIUS OF JAMES MORRISON

Masterpieces of Irish Fiddling

Shanachie Records, 1978, 33004

Michael Coleman is often mentionned as the greatest Irish fiddler of his time. But county Sligo gave birth to another great fiddler : James Morrison. In fact there were three of them with Paddy Killoran. They all emigrated to the US and made a career there.
This LP is really excellent and shows Morrison's infectious way of playing Irish dance music. During the 20s and 30s Irish music in America was extensively recorded by the major companies like Gennett, Columbia,  Victor, etc. These 78rpm were largely exported and sold in Ireland where people used to dance to them at  a neighbour's house equiped with a gramophone. Tracks A1, A4 or A7 are good examples of the energy and style of Morrison's solos or duets. These 78rpm were both a threat and an incitement to local musicians in Ireland because dancers could easily dance to Coleman/ Morrison's music and because some musicians tried to imitate their prodigious fiddling. These american records spread the Sligo style everywhere in Ireland.
This,LP was partially reissued on a CD called ''From Ballymote to Brooklyn''.
The notes on the back cover are quite informative about the musical life among Irish people in New York.

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the Star of Donegal

 

THE STAR OF DONEGAL
Fiddling Talk & Tunes
JOHNNIE DOHERTY

Folktracks, 1975, FSA-60=075

Johnnie Doherty (1900-1980) was indeed a real ''star'' in Donegal and beyond. This tape was recorded in 1952 by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle when Doherty was still a pedlar. There are tunes of course but also some talking about his family and way of life (4 tracks). This tape is part of a series about J. Doherty but this is the only one I have for the moment.There is a short text about his music.
So if you particularly like Donegal fiddling  you should listen to that ...

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Seyli in love

 

SEYLI IN LOVE

ϹEЙЛИ ХАЛАН / ВЛЮБЛЁННЫЙ ϹEЙЛИ

Folk instruments ensemble
Turkmen folk melodies

Melodiya, 1985, S30 22275 004

Recorded in 1982 and released in 1985 this is an album about the instrumental aspect of the Turkmen  tradition. The musicians whose names are not mentionned were state employees at the Turkmen Radio-Television. Were they traditional musicians or were they the product of the Turkmen School of Music ? I think there are three of them here: one ghijak and two dutars but the sound quality is not great.
This music may sound difficult to follow with long and complex melodies but as for other musical traditions it is worth listening to it several times and then find some pleasure and excitement in it.

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A BOGYISZLÓI ZENEKAR

 

A BOGYISZLÓI ZENEKAR

THE BOGYISZLÓ FOLK ORCHESTRA (HUNGARY)

Edited by Ferenc Sebő

Hungaroton, 1984, SLPX 18095

Another good example of  Sebő's work about the Hungarian peasant culture. Here he focused on the village of Bogyiszló on the banks of the Danube in Southern Hungary, region of Kalocsa. The musicians were born between 1921 and 1935 and were traditional musicians playing for the village band of dancers. This group is still active with the younger generation. The repertoire reflects upon the previous composition of the population with Hungarians, Germans and Slavs. Fiddles, bracs and double bass are the principal formation along with the equivalent on tamburas. There is some singing as well.
It is not surprising to hear a lot of tunes we know already thanks to revivalist bands.
F. Sebő a revivalist himself thought rightly that it would be useful and honest to present the original music played by villagers as it should be locally.  The text in Hungarian and English gives some information about the culture of the area as well as the lyrics of the songs.
Once again I wonder why this LP has never been released on CD by Hungaroton or another label.
So enjoy this fresh and lively music from the past.

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