FolkWorld #60 07/2016

CD & DVD Reviews

Paul McKenna Band "Paths that wind"
Own label; 2016

Artist Video

www.paulmckennaband.com

The Paul McKenna Band has stood out as one of the up and coming Scottish folk bands for several years now, and their latest album further cements the band's position as one of Scotland's very very best.
Yet again Paul has assembled a superb collection of songs - eight songs with meaningful and catchy lyrics. This time half of the songs are written by Paul; his songwriting sounds very mature, be it when he sings about being away from home and missing the old connections yet building new ones, the cruel murder of Freddie Gray by Baltimore Police, or an optimistic song about always staying positive trying to succeed. The remaining songs are the traditional "Banks of the Moy"; a powerful version of the poignant "He fades away" about an Australian miner suffering asbestos related lung disease; Jim Reid's "Greylag Geese"; and continuing the theme of forecful anti fascist songs (following the brilliant version of "Silent Majority" on a previous album) a strong version of Pere Seeger's "Song of choice".
While Paul's charismatic Scottish singing is the backbone of the album, once again it is his band that makes the music really stand out, adding highly effective arrangements to the songs, as well as contributing two energetic sets of instrumentals written by band member Sean Gray (flute, whistles). The remaining two of the band are Ewan Baird (bodhran and percussion) and Conor Markey (banjo, bouzouki and mandolin). The album's sound is further enriched by a few guests including producer of the album, wonderful fiddler John McCusker.
Another truly exceptional album and a "must have" addition to any serious singer/songwriter and Scottish folk collection.
© Michael Moll


Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar "The Silent Majority"
Fellside Recordings, 2016

Artist Video

www.russellalgar.co.uk

This fantastic duo has over revent years taken the English folk scene by storm. I loved their previous album "The Call", and since seeing them live at the wonderful Folk East Festival in Suffolk my whole family are fans - and this, their third album just confirms Greg and Ciaran's standing as my favourite English duo.
Unbelievable as it seems, the two have managed on this album to still move up a gear from their brilliant previous one. Greg's singing has developed even more depths and expression, showcased in a robust selection of songs - including "We must be contented", "George", "Did you like the battle Sir?" and "The silent majority". The latter is a superb song which Greg learnt from another favourite singer of mine - terrific Scottish singer Paul McKenna (see review above!), and it showcases how similar a style these two singers have.
Ciaran's excellent fiddle playing is the other, and just as essential, side of the Russell & Algar coin, providing often dramatic arrangements to the songs. Also on the tunes side the duo has evolved - more tunes are composed by Ciaran, and they are superbly put together, telling in themselves musical stories. While the music has the feel of a duo album, there are great guest contributions on selected tracks, from Laurence Blackadder (Double Bass), Ali Levack (Highland and Border Pipes, whistles), Hannah Martin (vocals) and Tom Wright (Percussion).
A stunning album that I am sure will feature high up in my Top 10 2016.
© Michael Moll


Duach "Duach"
Own label, 2015

Artist Video

www.duachmusic.com

Uplifting cheerful tunes from Irish traditions are at the heart of this talented trio from Ireland. The trio brings together John McLoughlin, Sean Regan and Eamonn de Barra, on guitars, fiddle and flute/bodhran. The album also features three attractive songs - a dreamy Gaelic song, a set of superb lilting, and the song "Oh good ale" with excellent harmony singing. I could now list all the famous Irish folk acts that this trio has apprently recorded and performed with - but this would just deflect from the brilliance of the trio in its own right. An album that charms with its simplicity of very well crafted traditional music.
© Michael Moll


Divanhana "Zukva"
ARC Music, 2016

Artist Video

www.divanhana.ba

Even though I am generally not too much into Balkan music, I did enjoy this album from Bosnian band Divanhana a lot. The musical arrangements, featuring accordion, brass, piano, bass and drums, are fresh and versatile, giving the music a refreshingly jazzy feel. The lead female voice is warm yet expressive, with some of the songs reminding me of Portuguese Fado. The musicians of this band have studied music at the Sarajevo Music Academy, and this shines through in the high quality of musical talent and creative ways of interpreting traditional Bosnian songs.
© Michael Moll


Fran O'Rourke & John Feeley "JoyceSong - Irish songs of James Joyce"
Own label, 2016

www.joycesong.info

Never judge a CD solely by its cover. With this one, showing the two gentlemen who have recorded this album, combined with the title, I expected a quite high brow academic and dry album. What a pleasant surprise that this is a rather beautiful and relaxed album, with warm interpretations of largely traditional Irish songs skilfully accompanied on guitars - including James Joyce's restored guitar. All of the songs can be found referenced in Joyce's work - and the sleeve notes remind us that this lovely singer is an academic - elaboratively quoting every single page of Joyce's works referencing the song. The album was recorded on St Patrick's Day live in Monaco of all places. An enjoyable album of Irish songs.
© Michael Moll


Joanne McIver & Christophe Sauniere "Musique de Ecosse"
Buda Musique, 2004-2008/2015

www.mciversauniere.com

Joanne McIver hails from the beautiful aisle of Arran in Scotland. She is a wonderful singer, with a gentle voice and a lovely lilt in her singing tracing back to the Gaelic heritage of the Scottish islands. She is also a gifted piper on both highland and small pipes, and plays flutes and whistle. And if that was not enough she has composed nearly all songs and tunes that the duo play - in a style that would easily go through as traditional. Christophe joins her on the harp; his background is classical but also jazz, rock and contemporary, which gives his playing innovative edges but still suits the traditional Celtic theme of the albums.
This CD brings together four albums that the duo recorded between 2004 and 2008. It features many great tunes and wonderful songs that were inspired by and truly reflect the beauty of Joanne's home place. Instrumentally I found in particular the combination of harp and small pipes spectacular. A collection of songs of a calm beauty which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to.
© Michael Moll


Elof & Wamberg "Byen Sover"
Go Danish Folk Music , 2015

Artist Video

www.elofwamberg.dk

The ukulele has a limited reputation in European folk music circles, and only few albums put any kind of focus on this instrument. Tobias Elof takes the ukulele centre stage, and shows that it can be a versatile and atmospheric instrument. Being the first musician in the world taking a university education with ukulele as main instrument (in folk music studies) he masters to make it sound like a cross between harp and finger picking guitar, and makes it a real star of the show. His duo partner Nicolaj Wamberg gives the music with his double bass extra groove. The music of this Danish duo, all self Composed, is reflective, somewhat meditative, and of very high quality throughout. Very interesting indeed.
© Michael Moll


Os Dabaixo "Ao vivo en Lorient"
Own label; 2013

Artist Video

www.osdabaixo.com

This is a band from Galicia in Northern Spain, and has all the characteristic features of Galician folk music. There are the gentle sounds of the Galician bagpipes (with sometimes two Gaita players at the same time), traditional percussion, and there's fiddle, accordion, flute, guitar as well as the occasional saxophone. The songs, and the appealing voices - often in quality harmony singing, give me the comfortable feeling of familiarity despite many of the songs being new to me. The tunes are uplifting and cheer me up, and both songs and tunes are closely based on traditions yet feature some clever new arrangements. The album is recorded live which adds further to the atmosphere of the album. A fine album.
© Michael Moll


Hoela Barbedette "Ceresier- Harpe solo" [Double CD]
Coop Breizh, 2015

www.hoelabarbedette.eu

This Breton musician presents with this double album a bumper collection of Celtic harp music, lasting nearly 100 minutes. While Breton traditional music is the starting point of the album, Hoela ventures outside of France with some of her tunes - to Scotland, Iceland, Greece or Sweden - and there are a few self composed tunes in the mix too. A few Breton songs are dotted in here and there - showing that Hoela also has a very pleasant voice. All of the music is solo harp, with the exception of two tracks when uilleann piper Patrick Molard is joining.
© Michael Moll


Okra Playground "Turmio"
Sibelius Academy Folk Music Recording, 2016

Artist Video

www.okraplayground.fi

This six piece Finnish folk band features three female singers with light and clear voice, accompanied by kantele, bowed lyre, fiddle, accordion, percussion, e-bass and guest programming. The music is based on Finnish traditional music, but takes inspiration from modern and world music. The first title of the album is my personal highlight and is very much in the renowned Finnish folk pop style, yet much of the material is rawer, darker and more hypnotic and meditative.
© Michael Moll


Ben Sands "Troubadour"
Own label, 2015

Artist Video

www.bensands.co.uk

Ben Sands is well known as a member of the legendary and wonderful Northern Irish family band Sands Family.[44] As one of his solo album, "Troubadour" presents a collection of Ben's self penned songs. Nearly all of the songs feature solely Ben's voice and guitar. The title and the spirit of the first song on the album sums up what Ben Sands' music is all about: warm songs for cold nights - songs sung with a warm voice, with a chorus that just invites anybody to sing along to, music that creates a very homely atmosphere. The songs reflect everyday situations - be it the Irish ex pat dreaming of the Irish rain, reflections of being faraway from home, departure (of his daughter to emigrate to Canada) or friendship, with a more humorous song about a teenagers house party mixed in. It's an album that comes from the heart and warms the heart of any listener.
© Michael Moll


John McCusker "Hello, Goodbye"
Under One Sky Records, 2016

www.johnmccusker.co.uk

This album marks the 25th anniversary of John McCusker's career as a professional musician. Having started off with the Scotland's famous Battlefield Band, for the last 8 years, John has played as a member of Mark Knopfler Band and has toured the world. Despite this fame, John's latest album is an album that goes back to the roots, continuing continues where he left his earlier solo albums. Yes he may have gathered a list of impressive guest musicians for this album - yet they all are from the folk music scene: Andy Cutting, James McIntosh, Michael Mac Goldrick, Ewan Vernal, Ian Carr, Phil Cunningham, Tim O'Brien and Heidi Talbot. Yet the album is always fully focused on John's skilful fiddle playing. The tracks on the album are a mix of traditional and new material.
"Hello, Goodbye" is an impressive yet gentle album of traditional Scottish sounding music, it's music without tricks, just outstanding playing. Fiddle albums do not come any better than this. An immediate folk classic.
© Michael Moll


Päre "Hausjärvi Beat"
Own label; 2016

Artist Video

www.facebook.com/...

Listening to this album you wouldn't expect the music to be Finnish. For a start one would not connect an album focussed on bagpipes to Finland - and rightly so as apparently Päre is the first band in 200 years with Finnish bagpipes. Before then, bagpipes did have a tradition in Finnish music, they were played in Finland from the Middle Ages until early 19th century.
Päre explore what Finnish bagpipes music in those old days might have sounded like. The result resembles much more the kind of dark Scandinavian / Swedish avantgarde folk than Finnish music. The sound of Bagpipes is of course central to the music, but is combined with tribal percussion, Jews harp / shepherds' wind instruments, kantele / fiddle and mandola. Päre's band members are well respected on the Finnish music scene through their involvement in other bands and projects. The music is imaginative and more Scandinavian sounding than Finnish, with a fine dose of world and medieval music flair.
© Michael Moll


Buttons & Bows "The Return of Spring"
Own label, 2015

Artist Video

www.buttonsandbowsmusic.ie

A wonderful album of four very well established masters of Irish traditional music:Accordionist Jackie Daly, fiddlers Sean and Manus McGuire and Garry O'Briain on guitar, mandocello and piano. The album features swinging polkas, flying jigs and reels and tender waltzes, all played to perfection. The material is a mix of the old (trad Irish) and the new (with tunes composed by all of the band members). Irish trad at its best.
© Michael Moll


A Presenca das Formigas "Pe de vento"
CPL Music, 2016

German CD Review

www.apresencadasformigas.com

This northern Portuguese folk band is far removed from the most famous Portuguese folk music style, the fado. Taking inspiration from traditional dance music from Northern Portuguese villages (just across the border from Galicia) and mixing in world music elements, this had a beautiful, lively and positive flair. The wonderfully expressive and warm Portuguese singing of Sara Vidal is mesmerising. The musical arrangements are appealing too, featuring accordion, violin, guitars, bass and percussion. The band name translates as "The presence of ants", and as much as the presence of ants is a given on a summer's day, this band's music is just the perfect music to go with a relaxed summer's day (or day dreaming of such a day!), bringing with it all the pleasure and warmth and sunshine we all associate with summer. Highly recommended.
© Michael Moll


Ginevra di Marco "Stelle"
Own label, 2013

www.ginevradimarco.com

Italian singer Ginevra di Marco has an expressive strong, slightly husky voice. She presents songs in a style that is based on traditional Italian music, but is interpreted in a more contemporary chanson and world music style. The piano is the backbone of the song arrangements giving the album a pleasant flair. There's additionally guitar and percussion, and the music is varied, from lively to gentle and slow, but always appealing and uplifting. Plenty to enjoy here.
© Michael Moll


Ray Hearne "Umpteen"
No Masters, 2016

www.rayhearne.co.uk

Born to Irish parents in industrial South Yorkshire, Ray Hearne is a brilliant folk singer/songwriter. His powerful songs tell stories expressing very much his very own world - of his industrial home town, of mining heroes, of lost friends, of the boy who killed a milkman - they all have a very strong personal meaning to Ray, and include a pleasant dose of nostalgia.
As Ray says on his website: "I learned lots of (..) songs and played them here and there but a sense grew up in me that something was lacking. Those lovely renderings expressed other people’s worlds but not my own. Where were the songs of South Yorkshire steel and coal? I knew songs about the Ohio, Thames and Shannon but not about the Don and Rother which had flowed through the whole of my life. Where were the songs in our accent? Shocking to say, they were nowhere to be found. It dawned on me that we would have to write them ourselves."
And so Ray did, and Umpteen presents an impressive choice of 14 of his own songs. Ray has an expressive and attractive voice, and several of his songs have very catchy choruses that you'll just have to sing or hum along to. While Ray's singing and guitar are at the centre of this album, a whole host of friends make appearances- including the wonderful Ciaran Algar & Greg Russell, Ciaran Boyle and the "No Masters Choir".
© Michael Moll


The Old Fashioned "Strawberry Leaves"
No Masters, 2016

www.theoldfashioned.co.uk

The Old Fashioned brings together three well established English musicians: Singer and fiddler Fi Fraser, pianist Pete Bullock and Howard Mitchell on double bass and melodeon. The backbone of their music are songs sung by Fi accompanied by piano. There are also three lively dance tunes mixed in.
The material is a wonderful mix of serious and melodramtic and funny comedy songs, largely from contemporary folk singers, all not widely known. There are many gems in the mix; I thought "Stately as a Galleon" is wonderful. Overall I like best those songs that are have a swing with a jazzy touch (and sometimes ably supported by Jo Freya on sax). A quality selection of English folk songs.
© Michael Moll


The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc "Deliverance"
Own label, 2016

Artist Video

www.thenordicfiddlersbloc.com

This album showcases a new top European fiddle bands, joining the ranks of the likes of Fiddlers Bid and Blazin Fiddles. The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc is a trio of fiddlers, from Sweden, Norway and Shetland: Anders Hall, Olav Luksengå:rd Mjelva and Kevin Henderson. Their music beautifully melts the three music traditions, with the fiddlers creating their own compositions as well as arranging traditionals. The fiddles, viola, hardanger and octave fiddles are wonderfully and tightly played together. Deliverance is the second album of this brilliant trio, with perfectly played music from three different yet sufficiently related traditions; a lovely album that calms and relaxes.
© Michael Moll


Tantz "Voytec (The Bear)"
Own label

Artist Video

www.tantz.co.uk

This Klezmer band from Leeds in England stands out for its dramatic contemporary arrangements of Klezmer. The band does feature the quintessential clarinet but it is by far not as dominant as in many other Klezmer recordings. In Tantz the violin and guitar are as important instruments, and the music is driven by inventive percussion which turns at times pretty wild. Four of the tunes on the album are composed by band members, I assume the remainder are traditional but cannot be certain given the sparse sleeve notes. There's so much energy and drama in the music, making the the album a delight to listen to.
© Michael Moll


Piaceri Proletari "Piaceri Proletari"
Materiali Sonori, 2015

Artist Video

www.piaceriproletari.it

This album is so good fun to listen to. The "pleasure proletarians" have created a heady blend of Italian world music and jazzy big band music. They are really only a duo of singers from Florence, with relaxed voices, playing primarily guitar and mandolin. Their songs in Italian have catchy melodies. Yet what makes this album so wonderful is the host of additional musicians, on a range of brass instruments as well as piano and percussion. With all that brass, the music swings and is catchy, it is full of charm, energy and great musical ideas.
This truly is feel good music, to play loud and often.
© Michael Moll


Kiko Veneno "Doble Vivo"
Fol Música/Boa, 2016

Artist Video

www.kikoveneno.net

Kiko Veneno (José-María López-SanFeliú) can be considered one of the few survivors from the long lasting trip that started in the late 1970s, after the end of General Franco’s dictatorship, and coincided with the days of the punk rock in cities such as London or Berlin. Kiko Veneno was born in Figueres (Girona) in 1952, but a few years later his family moved to Andalusia (S-Spain) to live in Cadiz and Sevilla. After his university studies in philosophy he travelled throughout Europe & the USA, becoming a great fan of artists such as Bob Dylan or Frank Zappa, but he also rediscovered his Spanish roots in the tradition of flamenco guitar music. In 1975, he met the Amador brothers (Raimundo & Rafael) and he played with them in the band called Veneno (poison), who performed a fusion of blues, rock & flamenco. In 1979, Kiko was one of the musicians that participated in one of the greatest recordings in modern flamenco, “La Leyenda del Tiempo” from the singer José Monge Cruz, a.k.a. ‘Camarón de la Isla’, which included one of Kiko’s greatest hits, the song ‘Volando Voy’. In 1982 Kiko moved to Madrid, just at the time when the emerging underground rock & pop movement was at its peak, and hundreds of young bands were experimenting with all of the new (and old) styles imported mostly from the UK. In Spain’s capital such sort of ‘movement’ took precisely that name ‘La Movida’. Kiko’s rock-blues-flamenco fusion was no longer a novelty in those days, but he continued writing catchy songs, with his personal sense of humor, and even playing regularly on TV shows, but he had a difficult time consolidating his artistic career. In the 1990s and also thanks to his joint activities with other artists such the pop musician Santiago Auserón, Kiko Veneno started to develop a sound professional career and writing hits such as: ‘Echo de menos’, ‘Lobo López’, ‘En un Mercedes Blanco’ or ‘Joselito’. Years later he even had the chance to play together on stage with Jackson Browne, both in the USA and in Spain. Now in 2016, Kiko Veneno comes back playing and recording on stage almost his entire repertoire on this double CD. In CD-1 he sings & plays alone some of his most popular tunes: ‘Ratitas Divinas’, ‘Veneno’, ‘Coge la Guitarra’, or ‘En un Mercedes Blanco’. In CD-2, Kiko is joined by his band ‘Los Notas del Retumbe’, with the string quartet ‘Cordes del Món’ conducted by Michael Thomas.
© Pío Fernández


La Banda Morisca "Algarabya"
Fol Música/Boa, 2016

Artist Video

www.labandamorisca.org

La Banda Morisca (The Moorish Band) brings back some of the flavors that were sensed in Spain back in the 1990s, in those years when a great band located in Madrid was experimenting with a fusion of Spanish folk music, flamenco and Arabic rhythms. We are talking about Radio Tarifa,[41] a band that vanished after 2004, but which left unforgettable memories in many Spanish folk music fans. Now in 2016, the musicians (and their instruments) in La Banda Morisca are: José Cabral (oud, Moorish guitar, cumbus, saz, guimbri), Antonio Torres (sax, tarota, gralla), JoséMari Cala (voice), and JuanMi Cabral (bass, hajhouj), but in this recording we also find guest artists such as: Amin Chaachou (fiddle), Lola Vega (voice), David Guillén (trumpet), José María Sagrista (electric guitar), and one of the iconic ex-members of the before mentioned Radio Tarifa, Vincent Molino contributing with the Oriental sonorities coming out of his traditional wind instruments: ney, oboe, Indian harmonium, bawu. There is another ex-Radio Tarifa musician mentioned several times in the documentation delivered by the record label of this CD (Fol Música / Boa). His name is Wafir S.Gibril. Wafir is well known in Madrid for playing his oud with a large number of local folk bands. But I have not been able to identify exactly in which tunes in Algarabya is Wafir playing oud, or any other instrument. Several of the musicians in La Banda Morisca also played in the Andalusian folk group La Jambre, an ensemble established in the city of Jerez de la Frontera (province of Cádiz), that intended to develop Andalusian folk music walking along an alternative narrower path parallel to the broadness of flamenco. The fact is when listening today many of the songs in Algarabya, it is easy to find similarities with flamenco music, although with some influences from jazz, and probably also from north African music. Such is the case in the song ‘En toito te encuentro’. Algarabya is a very talented and honest new project to cross again the bridge that connects Iberian folk from southern Spain, with an (maybe) idealized concept of Arabic traditional music. A quite courageous effort in these days, when many of the optimistic hopes of the recent decades for the friendly merging of cultures, the peaceful coexistence of ethnicities & religions, and the vanishing of national borders, seem to be gone with the wind.
© Pío Fernández


Ethnos Atramo "Sinagoga del Agua"
Several Records, 2016

www.ethnosatramo.com

Back in 2013 we introduced this folk music duo that developed an inspired fusion of old traditional music from all corners along the Mediterranean basin.[51] Pepa G. Lillo (voice, rebec, tambourine, frame drums, darbouka) and Gabriel Navalón (keyboards), come back with this new CD inspired by the Medieval architectural remains found around 2005 under some old buildings in the city of Úbeda (province of Jaén, S-Spain). Archeological analysis has put an approximate construction date to these stone arches and brick rooms: sometime before the fourteenth century, and a plausible explanation for their original use is: to be part of a synagogue, specially the small water reservoir for the ‘mikveh’ or ‘mikvah’. The architectural restoration of these buildings was completed in 2010, and it is now open to the public as a space for cultural events, such as it was the recording of this CD from Ethnos Atramo: ‘Sinagoga del Agua’, ‘Synagogue of Water’. It was entirely recorded in this hidden historic & spiritual heaven in oldtown Úbeda, and it is a compilation of traditional songs of diverse origins. A couple of the tunes are inspired by the Jewish tradition: ‘Rama de Olivo’ and ‘La Rosa’, but the other eight are taken from a diversity of places: ‘Ojos Negros’ (Macedonia), ‘Tras la Ventana’ (Hungary), ‘La Cigüeña y la Culebra’, ‘Vencido de Amor’ (Castile, Juan del Enzina, 15th century), ‘Barquero’ (Asturias-León, N-Spain), ‘La Montaña’ (Bulgaria), ‘El Emigrante’ (Scotland). The effort and the result of Ethnos Atramo in the development of Sinagoga del Agua it can be well categorized as ambient music, and the atmosphere that it creates it is a successful match with the sort of architectural spaces that inspired this CD. And of top of this, the great musicianship of Pepa & Gabriel is remarkable: a great voice and a talented use of all the traditional and modern instrumental resources, clearly audible in songs such as: ‘Rama de Olivo’, ‘Vencido de Amor’, ‘Barquero’ (also known in Asturias as ‘Chalaneru’), or ‘El Emigrante’.
© Pío Fernández


Kepa Junkera & Sorginak "Maletak"
Fol Música/Boa, 2016

Artist Video

www.kepajunkera.com

Kepa Junkera is a Basque accordionist who is one of the most prolific and ambitious folk musicians in Spain. Last time that we wrote about him was shortly after the release of his book with 2 CDs named Galiza in 2013.[53] The name of this CD (Maletak) refers to the suitcases where Kepa carries his diatonic accordions (‘trikitixas’ in Basque country). After reading Kepa’s explanation for this title, it seems to be a metaphor about all those apparently secondary supporting means (maybe not just physical), many times taken for granted, but that at the end help us to protect and carry with us some of our most precious values. Musically speaking, Maletak seems to bring the inspiration back to the roots of the traditional Basque music, once again combined with a long list of brilliant singers that have already collaborated in several of the latest Kepa Junkera projects. A few of them also from the Basque Country: the young female group of singers Sorginak, Ion Elustondo, Imanol Urkizu and Xabi Solano. But there are also singers from other parts of Spain (Castile, Catalonia, Aragón, Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias, Extremadura,…), such as: Eliseo Parra, Gritstanda, Los Hermanos Cubero, Amadeu Rosell, Guillem Ballaz, Beatriz Bernard, Rocio Sapiña, Lourdes Escusol, Xabier Díaz, Adufeiras do Salitre,… There are also guest instrument players such as: Daniel Do Pando (jaw harp), Ibon Koteron (alboka), Oreka TK (txalaparta), José Luis Montón (Spanish guitar), Josete Ordoñez (Spanish guitar), Antonio Serrano (harmonica), Diego Galaz (fiddle), Germán Díaz (fiddle, mandolin), Pedro Lamas (sax, gaita),… Some of the songs composed by Kepa Junkera that I dare to highlight in this infinite display of musical talent could be: ‘Pottokak’ (a fusion of Basque accordion and flamenco guitar), ‘Arrano Fandangoa’ (a traditional Basque fandango rhythm), the smooth and melodic ‘Errauts Bihotza’, and the happy and slightly melancholic ‘Sukarrieta’. Even the packing of this 17 songs CD is surprisingly rich (as we already noticed in Kepa’s previous work, Galiza): a 24 pages booklet designed & illustrated with pictures by Igotz Ziarreta & Santi Yañiz, and 10 postcards by Rober Garay & Alberto Palomera.
© Pío Fernández



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