Artists include: Ismael L6 (Senegal), Nothembi Mkhwebane (South Africa),

Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe), Franco & OK Jazz (Congo), Wimme (Finland),

Antonio Chainho (Portugal), Muzsikas (Hungary), Ya Rayah (Algeria),

Meira Asher (Israel), Umm Kalthum (Egypt).

Sweeping across half the musical world, The Rough Guide To World Music:
Volume I makes for a wonderful listening experience. Tracks from all over
Africa, Europe & The Middle East combine to form a fascinating
cross-section of musical styles, from Finnish Sami joik and Portugese fado
to Congolese rumba and Algerian chaabi.

The Rough Guide To World Music: Volume 2 covers the other half
of the globe, with a remarkable selection of tracks from North America,
-
^ Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.

Both titles mid-price • Available on CD & cassette • Each over 65 minutes long

See inside back cover for ordering details

W'RL* Mus^ N^t w»*k

• • 6 Abbeville Mews, 88 Clapham Park Road, London SW4 7BX, Uk!
tel order hotline: 0207 498 5252 •
fax: 0207 498 5353 • email: post@worldmusic.net • website, www.worldmusic.net ;
 World
Music
Volume 1: Africa, Europe
and the Middle East

THE ROUGH GUIDE

Other Rough Guides music reference titles:

Music Reference Series

Classical Music • Country
Jazz • Music USA • Opera • Reggae • Rock
World Music 2 (Americas, Asia, Pacific)

Mini Guides
Drum'n'bass • House • Techno

100 Essential CDs

Classical Music • Opera • Reggae • Rock

www.roughguides.com
Cover photos
Front cover: Main image: Ismael L6 (Senegal). Tinted images (from left): Oumou Sangare (Mali), De Danaan
(Ireland), Carmen Linares (Spain), Khaled (Algeria).
Back cover (from top): Les Amazones de Guinee (Guinea), Bisserov Sisters (Bulgaria), Les Musiciens du Nil
(Egypt), Shooglenifty (Scotland).

Rough Guide Credits ->

Editors: Mark Ellingham, Orla Duane, Vanessa Dowell

Proofreading: Elaine Pollard
Photo research: Vanessa Kelly
Design and image scanning: Henry lies and Justin Bailey
Typesetting: Justin Bailey, Helen Ostick, Judy Pang, Link Hall
Production: Susanne Hillen, Julia Bovis and Michelle Draycott

Editors' acknowledgements
The editors would like to thank: all of the contributors for their hard work over a prolonged period, in particular
Kim Burton and Andrew Cronshaw for careful attentions above and beyond the call of duty; Jak Kilby for delivering
large boxes of exactly the right photos; Ian Anderson, editor of Folk Roots, for making available the magazine's
extraordinary archive; Andy Morgan for preparing the appendix on record stores; Thomas Brooman and WOMAD
for their inspiration over the years; all of the many record labels and distributors who responded to strings of requests;
Orla and all those on the project at Rough Guides; and Henry and Justin at the masterful Henry lies studio.
Simon thanks Kate, Mark thanks Nat (and Miles), and Richard thanks his long-suffering family, for their

forebearance over the processing of a million-odd words.

Publishing details
Published November 1999 by Rough Guides Ltd, 62-70 Shorts Gardens, London WC2H 9AB.
Distributed by the Penguin Group:
Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ
Penguin Books USA Inc., Hudson Street, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 487 Maroondah Highway, PO Box 257, Ringwood,
Victoria 3134, Australia
Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1E4
Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand

Typeset in Bembo and Helvetica to an original design by Henry lies.

Printed in Spain by Graphy Cems.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher except for the
quotation of brief passages in reviews.

Text © Rough Guides, 1999

All photographs copyright of credited photographers, agencies and record labels.

784pp.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 1-85828-635-2
 World
Music
Volume 1: Africa, Europe
and the Middle East

THE ROUGH GUIDE

Edited by

Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham

and Richard Trillo

with
Orla Duane and Vanessa Dowell

THE ROUGH GUIDES

 ^

Greenland

Parti
Europe
Iceland
Norway .
'Sweden

SCI
Denmark
Nl
We,ani Poland
,Eng. Neth. „

Wales ' -
.lux S. J
Ukfame
-c Aust Hung
c'^ I

France
ATLANTIC Romania

OCEAN Serb: Bulgaria

Portugal Spain
Andorra Cors,ca |, a v
|

A | b K ;
Georgia""~\
~S
Vrmema^r,
V>
\ N
(fVVjjV
V ..-<;••*
V_/7Kyrgyzstai
N^bekistan^,
Safdinia
Greece '
Turkey
Mallorca^— flft* Spl
—-—^^^^^ r
V^HB^^T Syria

Moroccqj

"t Algeria

Western
Sahara

Mauritania

Mali
Cape
Verde
Senegal,'

Gambia ^^—^ I
, :
/
_ . .
\

\ /
1

Burkina
Jr Fas0
Guinea-Bissau--- ' '

„„„,„
Guinea
^
jj-
s - Wc6J
a
U Ni9ena

Liberia "l. \ / JV /
Togo

Ghana

Equatorial Guinea

Sao Tome
and Principe

Map showing
World Music I

Sections

Part One: Europe p.1 IAN OCEAN

Part two: Middle East p.321

Part Two: Africa p.411

Thismap is drawn on the Peters' projection

which shows the correct relative size of countries
 i
3

Contents

Introduction ix

Part One • Europe

Albania: the eagle has landed Kim Burton 1

Alpine music: the alpunk phenomenon Christoph Wagner 7

Austria: soul music of old Vienna Christoph Wagner 1

Baltic States: singing revolutions Andrew Cronshaw 16

Belgium: flemish, Walloon and global fusion Paul Rans 25

Bosnia-Herzegovina: sad songs of Sarajevo Kim Burton 31

Bulgaria: the mystery voice Kim Burton 36

Croatia: toe tapping tamburicas Kim Burton 46

Czech & Slovak Republics: east meets west Jiri Plocek 49

Denmark: a new pulse for the pols Andrew Cronshaw 58

England - Folk Roots: england's changing roots Colin Irwin 64

England/UK - Bhangra/Asian Beat: one way ticket to british asia DJ Ritu 83

Contents V
Finland: new runes Andrew Cronshaw 91

France: music of the regions Philippe Krumm and Jean-Pierre Rasle 103

Germany: kraut kaunterblast Ken Hunt 114

Greece: songs of the near east Marc Dubin and George Pissalidhes 126

Greenland: sealskin hits Etienne Bours 143

•

Gypsy Music: kings and queens of the road Simon Broughton 146

Hungary: a musical mother tongue Simon Broughton 159

Iceland: waiting for the thaw Andrew Cronshaw 168

Italy: tenores and tarantellas Alessio Surian 189

Macedonia: tricky rhythms Kim Burton 202

Netherlands: tilting at windmills Wim Bloemendaal 207

Norway: fjords and fiddles Andrew Cronshaw 211

Poland: hanging on in the highlands Simon Broughton 219

Portugal: traditional riches, fate and revolution Andrew Cronshaw and Paul Vernon 225

Romania: taraf traditions Simon Broughton 237

Russia: music of the people Simon Broughton and Tatiana Didenko 248

Samiland: joiks of the tundra Andrew Cronshaw 255

Scotland: from strathspeys to acid croft Pete Heywood and Colin Irwin 261

Serbia & Montenegro: balkan beats Kim Burton 273

Spain - Flamenco: a wild savage feeling Jan Fairley 279

Spain - Regional Musics: a tale of celts and islanders Jan Fairley 292

Sweden: a devil of a polska Andrew Cronshaw 298

Ukraine: the bandura played on Alexis Kochan and Julian Kytasty 309

Wales: harps, bards and the gwerin William Price 314

Part Two • Middle East

Arab World/Egypt - Classical: partner of poetry David Lodge and Bill Badley 323

Armenia: the sorrowful sound Harold Hagopian 332

Egypt - Popular/Street Music: cairo hit factory David Lodge and Bill Badley 338

\f\ Contents
 3

Georgia: a feast of songs Simon Broughton 347

Gulf & Yemen: sounds of the arabian peninsula Bill Badley 351

Iran: nightingales and mullahs Laudan Nooshin 355

Israel: a narrow bridge Dubi Lenz 363

Jewish Music - Sephardic: ladino romance Judith Cohen 370

Kurdish Music: songs of the stateless Eva Skalla and Jemima Amiri 378

Palestinian Music: the sounds of struggle Andy Morgan and Mu'tasem Adileh 385

Syria, Lebanon & The Levant: europe meets asia Bill Badley and Zein al-Jundi 391

Turkey: sounds of anatolia Martin Stokes 396

Part Three • Africa

Algeria - Rai: music under fire Andy Morgan 41

Algeria - Kabylia: bards of immigritude Andy Morgan 425

Angola: struggle and talent Christian Hyde and Richard Trillo 428

Benin & Togo: afro-funksters Richard Trillo and Eric Audra 432

Burkina Faso: hidden treasure Frangois Bensignor 437

Cameroon: music of a small continent Jean-Victor Nkolo and Graeme Ewens 440

Cape Verde: music of sweet sorrow Susana Maximo and David Peterson 448

Congo: heart of danceness Graeme Ewens 458

Cote d'lvoire: heart of the industry Frangois Bensignor and Brooke Wentz 472

Equatorial Guinea: malabo blues Manuel Dominguez 477

Ethiopia: land of wax and gold Francis Falceto 480

Ghana: gold coast: highlife and roots Ronnie Graham and John Collins 488

Guinea-Bissau: the backyard beat of gumbe Guus de Klein 499

Indian Ocean: a lightness of touch Graeme Ewens and Werner Graebner 505

Kenya: life and times of kenyan pop Doug Paterson 509

Madagascar: ocean music from southeast africa Ian Anderson 523

Malawi: sounds afroma! John Lwanda 533

Mali/Guinea - Mande Music: west africa's musical powerhouse Lucy Duran 539

Contents VM
 3
7

Mauritania & Western Sahara: ways of the moors Dave Muddyman 563

Morocco: a basic expression of life Dave Muddyman 567

Mozambique: a luta continua Celso Paco 579

Niger: sounds of the sahel Francois Bensignor 585

Nigeria: from hausa music to highlife Ronnie Graham 588

Pygmy Music: sounds of the african rainforest DaveAbram 601

Rwanda & Burundi: echoes from the hills

Jean-Pierre Jacquemin, Richard Trillo and Jadot Sezirahigha 608

Sao Tome & Principe: island music . . . Conceigao Lima and Caroline Shaw 61

Senegal & The Gambia: senegambian stars are here to stay

Mark Hudson, Jenny Cathcart and Lucy Duran 61

Sierra Leone: palm wine sounds Ed Ashcroft and Richard Trillo 634

South Africa - Popular Music: nation of voice Rob Allingham 638

South Africa - Gospel Music: spirit of africa Gregory Mthembu-Salter 658

South Africa - Jazz: hip kings, hip queens Rob Allingham 660

Southern Africa - Archives: hugh tracey, pioneer archivist Mark Hudson 669

Sudan: yearning to dance Peter Verney 672

Tanzania - Popular Music: mtindo - dance with style Werner Graebner 681

Tanzania/Kenya - Taarab: the swahili coastal sound Werner Graebner 690

Uganda: exiles and traditions Sten Sandahl 698

Zambia: evolution and expression Ronnie Graham and Simon Kandela Tunkanya 702

Zimbabwe: jit, mbira and chimurenga - play it loud! Judy Kendall and Banning Eyre 706

Part Four • Directories

Hi
Record Labels 719

Record Shops 734

Contributors 737

Index 737

Viii Contents
 I

Introduction

It's new edition of the

fitting that this Scandinavia, for example, turned from one
Rough Guide to World Music coincides piece into five, as did the former Yugoslavia.
with the start of a new millennium, for it In addition, the new edition reflects the
deals with the oldest and newest music in huge expansion of the whole World Music
the world — from centuries-old traditions to market over the past five years. There are
contemporary fusions. It includes the most more concerts and festivals than ever before
sacred and profound music and the most — and many would say that there is actually a
frivolous and risque, music of healing, music surfeit of CDs. In preparing this edition, we

of protest, the loudest music you'll ever surveyed the lot, completely overhauling
hear, the softest and most intimate, and our discographies, adding biographical
maybe also the most moving and enjoyable. entries for artists, and reviewing and high-
The Guide sets itself a clearly impossible lighting the best discs available.
task: to document and explain the popular, That's the main reason why this new
folk and (excluding the Western canon) clas- edition of the Rough Guide is not one book,
sicalmusic traditions around the globe. but two: this volume covers Africa, Europe
However, since the first edition appeared in and the Middle East, while Volume Two has
1994 it has been the chief handbook for the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Even
enthusiasts and become a resource for those with two books, each volume has turned
working in and around the World Music out longer than the entire first edition.
business itself. In producing a new edition we The articles - from more than eighty con-
were aware of omissions and shortcomings in tributors - are designed to provide the
the first edition and we have added many background to each country's music styles,

new pieces on countries that weren't covered explaining how they relate to history, social
before - France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Israel, customs, politics and identity, as well as high-
Angola, Mozambique, Burundi and Uganda, lighting the lives and sounds of the singers and
to name a handful in this volume. Other arti- musicians. We hope you'll find this enriches the

cles were expanded, revised and rewritten; whole experience of listening to World Music.

Introduction
How this book works Each section has one or two 'star discs'

This volume is divided into three geograph-

which are indicated by a larger than usual

Europe, the Middle East and

ical sections:
CD symbol ( HE ) . These are the ones to buy
Africa. Within each section the entries are first. All other selections are preceded by a

arranged alphabetically by country or by CD (B3), cassette (ITX!) or vinyl (O) symbol:

ethnic group (for instance the entries on those specified as cassette or vinyl are not

Gypsy, Jewish Sephardic, Kurdish and available on CD but worth* checking out all

Pygmy music). There are running heads and the same. To avoid any conflict of interest, as

an index to help you find your way. some of our contributors are professionally

Our discographies -follow the arrang- involved with bands or record labels, the

ment of each article and when it makes selections are the responsibility of the editors.

things clearer by style (for example, Nigeria In the directories at the end of the
has sections for Traditional, Juju, Fuji, book we've included addresses and websites
Highlife, and Afro-beat). Compilations are of the most important record labels releas-

listed first and artists follow (listed A-Z), ing the music featured in this volume, as

with a brief biography and reviews of their well as the best specialist shops to track
key discs. down CDs.

X Introduction
 ONE

Europe
Thismap is drawn on the Peters' projection
which shows the correct relative size of countries

Greenland

Iceland

Faroe
Islands
Norway
Sweden

Russia
Scotland Latvia
Denmark .Lithuania
Russia
0*1
Ireland Belarus

England Neth. Poland

Germany
Wales
Belg.

Luxembourg Czech Rep.

Ukraine
ATLANTIC — > Slovakia
OCEAN
Austria
Hungary
Switzer.
France
Slov. Romania
Croatia

B-H Moldova
Andorra Serbia
Bulgaria

Italy
FYRM
Corsica
Mac.
Alb
Albania 1
Spain
Alpine music 7 Portugal Sardinia
Greece Turkey
Austria 13 Mallorca
Sicily
Baltic States 16
Belgium 25
Bosnia-Herzegovina 31
Bulgaria 36 Croatia 46 Czech & Slovak Republics 49 Denmark 58 England - Folk Roots 64
England/UK - Bhangra/ Asian Beat 83 Finland 91 France 103 Germany 114 Greece 126
Greenland 143 Gypsy Music 146 Hungary 159 Iceland 168 Italy 189 Macedonia 202
Netherlands 207 Norway 211 Poland 219 Portugal 225 Romania 237 Russia 248 Samiland: 255
Scotland 261 Serbia & Montenegro 273 Spain - Flamenco 279 Spain - Regional Musics 292
Sweden 298 Ukraine 309 Wales 314
Albania CO

the eagle has landed

Albania is called by its inhabitants Shqiperi (often translated as 'the land of the eagles' although
there's an alternative interpretation, 'the land of clear speech') and the country still retains many
elements of its patriarchal and tribal past, and family ties to the
with concepts of honour, hospitality
fore. Isolated from the outside world for many years by geography and politics, the country has,
through the 1990s, suffered the realities of contemporary Balkan life - hitting the headlines when
Albanians tried to escape economic breakdown and political anarchy on boats to Italy, and as
Albanian refugees fled from the Kosovo conflict in neighbouring Serbia in 1999. Its music, however,
claims Kim Burton, is as startling and beautiful as any in eastern Europe.

Albanians in the Balkans are divided capital Tirana and its surrounding area shows the
The between the Republic of Albania (3.2 mil- strong Turkish influence common to urban
lion) on the Adriatic Sea and the republics music throughout the Balkan region. In a small
of former Yugoslavia (about 2 million). and separate category, the songs of the northern
The Albanians of Kosovo in Serbia, where they city of Shkoder, which is generally regarded as

make up around 90 per cent of the population, the most cosmopolitan and sophisticated commu-
together with their cousins in western Macedo- nity in the country, express a romantic and inward
nia, became separated from those in Albania itself character all of their own.
at the end of the nineteenth century when the final What unites all these styles is the intensity that
collapse of Ottoman imperial power in the Balka- both performers and listeners give to their music
ns led to the creation of new states and the draw- as a medium for patriotic expression and as a vehi-
ing up of new maps. In the jostling for land and cle carrying the narrative of oral history. Although
influence that accompanied the formation of these everybody puts the purely musical content first,
new states, independent Albania ended up as a composers and performers are always aware of the
small strip on the sea, bordered for the most part extra-musical meaning that their music carries. In

by forbidding mountains. During the years fol- the days of Hoxha this aspect was forced into ser-
lowing the Second World War, its natural isola- vice to build support for the Party - even lulla-

tion became still more pronounced, as the hardline bies contained the wish that the infant would grow
Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha drew in upon up to be a strong worker for Enver and the Party.
itself, resisting influence from abroad and attempt- The outbreak of new freedoms after Commu-
ing to enforce unquestioning obedience upon its nism's collapse led to a surge of songs dealing cither
citizens. With the fall of the communist govern- whole-heartedly, or slyly, with the new circum-
ment in 1991, the Albanians found themselves at stances: support for political parties, the revival of
last able to travel (within immigration constraints), the custom of gtifbet (seeking seasonal work abroad)
to follow the Western media and to make contact or other changes in everyday life. At concerts, no
with foreign individuals and ideas without fear of matter how formal, audiences are given to break-
imprisonment, forced labour or internal exile. Yet ing into applause and furious whistles of support
at the same time, waves of economic and politi- at a line in a song that reflects their feelings, and
cal disasters added to their burdens. if their approval is strong enough they will rush
In a sense, the deepest, most secret soul of a peo- onto the stage to force small gifts on the singer.
ple lies in their music, and Albanian music, still lit- It is not simply music with a traditional basis that

tle known to outsiders, is as rich, complex and fufils this role. Even out-and-out pop - usually
beautiful as any. It falls into three major and very based on an Italian model, and a relatively new
different stylistic groups; there is an important con- development in a country where in the 1 970s singer
trast between the two cultures of the northern Sherif Merdani was given a twenty-year jail sen-
Ghegs and the southern Tosks and Labs which tence for performing The Beatles' song "Let it Be"
is reflected in their music, while the style of the - deals directly with everyday life and its problems.

Albania
 The most important popular singer to emerge constant Albanian themes of honour, hospitality,
so far is Ardit Gjebrea, who sprang to fame in treachery and revenge. The performances can be
1993 with a rather sentimental song called "Jon" highly emotional with compelling shifts of rhythm
dealing with the desperate and risky attempts that and tempo quite unlike the epics of their Slav
many made to cross the Ionian sea to Italy, and the neighbours. Up until recently the performers were
family break-ups it caused. It was a constant pres- always men, but there has been a new develop-
ence on radio and TV for a couple of years, often ment as women have started tojjiake inroads into
inciting an overtly emotional and personal response the field of epic balladry in their own right. In the

from its hearers. Gjebrea's recent attempts to fuse past the only women performing a traditionally

pop song with the polyphonic vocal music of the male repertoire were the Vajze te betuar, genet-
Gjirokaster district has met, with great popular ic women who lived as men either for reasons of
acclaim if perhaps not yet complete artistic success. conviction, or to ensure that family inheritances
were not alienated from the line of descent.
Epics of the North Both epic traditions serve as a medium for oral
history in what was until quite recently a pre-lit-
Albania itself can be divided roughly into two cul- erate society (there was not even a generally agreed
tural areas, with the river Shkumbin dividing the alphabet until the early 1900s) and also preserve
two. The Ghegs of the north also make up the and inculcate moral codes and social values. In a
population of Kosovo and the vast majority of the culture that retained the blood-feud as its prima-
ethnic Albanian population of Macedonia, and ry means of law enforcement until well into this
much of their music shares a rugged and heroic century such codes were literally matters of life
quality. and death. Song was one of the most efficient ways
The most serious and uncompromising musical of making sure that each member of the tribe was
form of north Albania is the sung epic poem. aware of what obligations he or she was bound to.
The oldest type, known as Rapsodi Kreshnike The historical dimension remains important. On
(Poems of Heroes) and accompanied by the singer the Topic recording mentioned in the discogra-
on the one-stringed fiddle, the lahuta, sounds very phy. there's an excerpt from a song about the ill-

similar to the music of the Montenegrin and Ser- fated, American-backed uprising in the 1940s, and
bian guslars (see Serbia - p. 275), with a set of singers such as Sali Mani continue to treat such
melodic cells that produce a structure on which contemporary themes as the events in Kosovo as

poems of immense length can be sung. This music subjects for their songs. Among the many singers
is the province of old men, and when Albanians living and dead that are famed for their interpre-
talk about it they will sweep their fingers across tations in the traditional style Tropoja's Fatime
their upper lip with a flourish to express the lux- Sokoli Shaqir. Cervadiku and Muca-Mustafa
uriant growth of moustache thought necessary for stand out.
the singer. The cifteli is also used, together with its big
Only rarely heard these days, this tradition is brother, the sharki, the violin and the tambourine-
particularly identified with the inhabitants of the like def, to accompany dances and lyric songs,
remote northern highlands, but another, more whose imagery is generally drawn from country
accessible ballad tradition is found throughout the life. ("You are the flower of the mountain the . . .

Gheg area, with particularly important

schools in Diber (Debar) and Kercove
(Kicevo) in Macedonia, as well as dis-
trictsof northern Albania. Here the
singer is accompanied by the (ifteli, a
deceptively simple two-stringed instru-
ment related to the Turkish saz, of
which one string carries the melody
while the other is used mainly as a

drone.
The tales tell of heroes such as the

fifteenth-century warrior Skanderbeg,

leader of the struggle against the
Turks, and their semi-historical, semi-
mythical events are bound up with the Sharki pi ayer Altush Bytyci from northern Albania

2 Albania
morning dew"). Since the Second World War sophisticated, with oriental-sounding scales and a

bands of massed ciftelie and sharki have become constant interplay of major and minor, they bear 09
popular with Albanians both inside and outside an affinity with the sevdalinke of Bosnia (see Bosnia >
Albania. The same repertoire of songs, given an - p. 33) and the neighbouring Sandzak, but differ

ad hoc hannonisation, is performed by small bands from them in their extreme and typically Albani-

based round clarinet and accordion at weddings an restraint and the exceptional fluidity of rhythm
and feasts. and tempo. Early descriptions of such groups,
In the countryside it's also possible to meet with which date from the end of the nineteenth cen-
shepherds who play for their own amusement tury, suggest a remarkable sound: violin, clarinet,

using various homemade wind instruments of the saz, def, sometimes an Indian-style harmonium
type common to shepherds and cowherds through- and percussion provided by rattling a stick between
out the Balkan area. More unusual is the zutnare, two bottles. These days the accordion and guitar
a double "clarinet" made from two tubes of cane have replaced the more exotic instruments, but
or the hollow bones of a bird tied side-by-side and the intimate approach of the singers remains the
provided with a simple reed at one end, and with same. Among the most important players are Bik
a flaring bell of cow or goat horn at the other. The Ndoja, Lucija Miloti, Xhevdet Hafizi and the
tone is piercing and rousing, vet most of the tunes handsome Bujar Qamili.

Alb-pop
In the capital, Tirana, and
central Albania in general,
much of the popular music
Albanian Village Music has a noticeable Gypsy
flavour, exemplified in the

Musika Fshatarake Shqiptar hot clarinet-led band of the

gravel-voiced Myslim
Leli, whose tapes are sold
on every street corner.
Mixed with influences
from the eastern Mediter-
ranean (Turkish music,
particularly the oriental and
sentimental type known as

Arabesk, is very popular in

Albania), this forms the
basis for the nearest
approach to an indigenous
pop music that Albania has
so far developed, to be
heard in the work of
Merita Halili and glam-
our queen Parashqvili
Simaku, both of whom
are melancholic and contemplative. The player are presently living outside Albania and perform-
uses circular breathing, taking air in through the ing for the large emigrant audience in the United
nose while blowing out through the mouth using States and western Europe.
the cheeks as a kind of reservoir without needing
to stop for breath. Children learn the technique
by blowing through a straw into a glass of water,
Roses of the South
keeping a continuous stream of bubbles. The music of the southern Albanians — Tosk and
The songs of the northern city of Shkoder - Lab alike - is profoundly different. Lacking the
always the most cosmopolitan of Albanian towns determined heroic ethos of the north, this musk .

and the centre of intellectual life - are very dif- both vocal and instrumental, is relaxed, gentle, and
ferent to the rural music. Lyrical, romantic and exceptionally beautiful. It has a highly developed

Albania
Famille Lela de Permet

polyphonic structure of up to four independent ern Albania's most loved female singers, and the
parts, depending on the area from which it comes. remote mountain town of Permet, one of the
The Labs have a saying that "one traveller is alone, great musical centres of Albania and birthplace of
two will quarrel, but three w ill sing." two of the country 's most important musicians,
The most complex and strangest of the vocal clarinettists Laver Bariu, who still lives there, and

styles - some fine examples of which are to be the late Remzi Lela, founder of an important
heard on the Chant du Monde recording Alban- musical dynasty whose members are now repre-
ic: Polyphonies Vocales et Imtnunentales — stems from sented in every aspect of musical life in Tirana from
around the port of Vlore in the southwest. Each wedding band to symphony orchestra. The group
singer has his or her own title - taker, thrower, he led has been one of the few to have toured and
turner or drone — and a separate part to play in recorded in the West under the title of La Famille
the web of independent lines and sustained notes Lela de Permet. Albanians say that the most
which create a rich and moving sonic world dec- beautiful of Permet's songs are those sung for the
orated with falsetto and vibrato, sometimes inter- bride at weddings. "The bride stands in the mid-
rupted by wild and mournful cries. Much of the dle of the room, arrayed like the Morning Star",

power of music stems from the tension

this they sing. "The many-petalled rose passes down
between the immense emotional weight it car- the lane, the boys and girls follow after her."
ries, rooted in centuries of pride, poverty and Instrumental music in the south obeys more
oppression, and the strictly formal, almost ritual- or less the same rules as the vocal music. South-
istic nature of its structure. The force of these ern Albanians use many string instruments of the
songs is extraordinary and unparalleled in any lute family related to the Turkish saz and Greek
other Balkan music, and the tradition remains bouzouki to perform dance melodies and rhap-
vibrantly alive. It's heard and sung with great sodic meditations on slow airs, but the glory of
pleasure. their instrumental music is the kaba. A kaba (the
Tosk music, although it also has a complex word is Turkish meaning 'low' or 'deep') is a half-

polyphonic structure, is even gentler, and in small improvised melancholy form led by a clarinet or
towns the predominant ensemble is one which violin supported by a drone from accordion or
mixes instruments - violin, clarinet, Haute (lute), Haute and usually followed by a dance tune to
det. and often these days accordion and guitar - release the tension. The melodies, ornamented
with two or three singers. The most important with swoops, glides and growls of an almost vocal
centres are the city of Korce, home of Eli Fara. quality, sound both fresh and ancient at the same
now yet another emigrant but still one of south- time, and exemplify the combination of passion

4 Albania
with restraint that is the hallmark of Albanian tria, in particular, have a wide network of venues
culture. where visiting stars play, but they can be difficult

The district of Dropuli, south of Gjirokaster, to locate. ^

has a sizeable ethnic Greek population, and their The more ancient layers of folk music may
music is related to the music of Epirus, south of sometimes be heard at World Music festivals

the border. Using the same scales and rhythmic abroad, but the best place to hear them is in situ,

patterns as their Albanian neighbours, but with- at a wedding or around the family table. With
out the same polyphonic complexity and with a luck, time, and a little persistence, the traveller
rougher and more aggressive tone, their music is should be able to make the acquaintance of one
well worth seeking out. of Europe's most startling and beautiful musical
traditions.

Live on Stage . . .

Unless you are lucky enough to happen across a

Kosovo and
wedding celebration or other festivity, or to make Macedonia
the acquaintance of a musician, amateur or pro- Most of the ethnic Albanians that live outside the
fessional, it can be difficult to hear live music in country are Ghegs, although there is a small Tosk
Albania. In previous years the Communist gov- population clustered around the shores of lakes
ernment maintained control over musical life just Presp and Ohrid in the south of Macedonia. The
as it did every other aspect of life in Albania. As most significant communities, however, are those
well as organising large orchestras of traditional of Kosovo - a population long suppressed by Ser-
instruments "in the spirit of collective labour", bia-Yugoslavia, and then brutally displaced dur-
they used to support local amateur groups in a ing thewar and 'ethnic cleansing' of 1999.
network ot festivals which culminated in the huge Music might seem a minor element in the war
quinquennial festival at Gjirokaster, on the and tragedy of Kosovo, but it was not ignored.
understanding that every group included a song The political repression in Kosovo had for years
in praise of Enver Hoxha and the Party. before the war meant that Albanian songs with
Now there is no money for such activities. The nationalistic connotation could not be sung in pub-
only organisation actively involved in the promo- lic without risking arrest or ill-treatment. This lent
tion of music is Albanian Radio-Television the music a significant role in articulating historic
(RTSh), which is hoping to reorganise the festi- background and current aspirations.
valnetwork in collaboration with private spon- In Macedonia (and in pre-war Kosovo), an
sors. In 1995 there was a national festival in Berat extensive recording industry, bankrolled by suc-
that RTSh helped to organise along with the Min- cessful members of the diaspora, churned out pop-
istry of Culture, which met with considerable suc- ular music of all types, ranging from ballads to
cess, and there were hopes that it would become lyrical love songs.
a permanent fixture. In Macedonia, Skopje's Vellezerit Aliu (the
However, since the collapse of the pyramid All brothers) exemplified the popular style, back-
schemes in which many people lost what savings ing their vocal duets in deeply traditional style
they had, and the resulting widespread social unrest, with clarinet or saxophone, synthesiser, drum box
any event in Albania is hard to predict. There are and electric bass to create a highly successful and
still sporadic concerts at the Opera (the one-time energetic music.
Palace of Culture in central Tirana) but otherwise Kosovo's capital Prishtina (Pristina) was -
few opportunities. The poverty of the country - home to similar singers and musi-
before the war
means that those usual Balkan venues for bands - cians,among whom Gypsies were prominent.
cafes and restaurants - either can't afford to employ Among the stars of this form were Mazllum
musicians, or if they can, cater for well-to-do for- Shaqiri ('Lumi') who led the search for a con-
eigners, the occasional ambitious tourist, or the temporary way of singing old songs. The inhabi-
temporary visitor on business. The bands in these tants of Kosovo's second city, Gjakove
restaurants rarely play local music. (Djakovica), were known for a sweeter sound,
Meanwhile many of the best-known singers are with romantic harmonies and expansive vocal
now living abroad, performing for the exile com- flourishes. The best-loved singer in this style was
munity, and they provide the best opportunity to undoubtedly Qamil i Vogel (Little Qainil). At
hear the hard-driving, popular style of Tirana and time of writing, in mid- 1999, the whereabouts of
other large towns. Germany, Switzerland and Aus- these musicians is unknown.

Albania
discography E Vocal Traditions of Albania (Saydisc. UK).

Don't be put off by the rather academic title - this might as

easily be" called 29 All-time Albanian Greats. Recorded in
Compilations front of an obviously enthusiastic audience at the 1 995 festi-
val in Berat. the music - including a couple of examples of
the type of urban wedding songs tremendously popular
Albania: Canti i Danze Tradizionale
Inside Albania but rarely recorded for Western audiences -
(I Suoni Cetra, Italy).
comes from all over the country. Informative notes are a plus,
Produced in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences in, though the sometimes idiosyncratic approach of the Albanian
Tirana, and drawing on their massive archives which cover Radio sound engineers can be a little irritating.

the traditional styles of the whole country, this series of dies is

well worth the trouble it takes to track down. The three LPs 7. Yugoslavie 2: Sous Les Peupliers de Bilisht
still represent the best collection & Albanian traditional music. E Yugoslavie 3: Bessa ou la Parole Donnee
(Ocora. France).
1 Albania: Vocal and Instrumental Polyphony
(Le Chant du Monde, France).
These very fine, well-recorded examples of music from the
Tosk (Vol 2) and Gheg (Vol 3) Albanian minorities in what is
Music from the southern half of Albania, starting with an now Macedonia, include both instrumental and vocal perfor-
astonishing song from Vlore and ending with a very lovery one mances - the latter the more important.
from Permet. Most of this is a cappella. with a couple of
instrumental kaba laments on clarinets, violin, flute, lutes and
def. Very well recorded. Artists
E Albanian Village Music (Hentage. UK).

An interesting collection of archive recordings made in Tirana Laver Bariu

and Shkoder by HMV in 1 930. this CD features music from all
Permet's great clarinettist Laver Bariu has been a ban-
over the country, although the extensive notes focus on the
recording history and the recording engineer A.D. Lawrence
dleader for over forty years, and has exerted a tremen-
more than the music. dous influence over younger generations by passing on
the tradition that he learned as a child while making his
E Folk Music of Albania (Topic. UK). own individual contribution felt.

The commercial Western recording of music from Albania,

first
E Songs from the City of Roses (GlobeStyle. UK).
thts dates from 1 966 but is a good introduction to the musics
of Albania. Unusually, AL Lloyd, the compiler, seems to have Recorded in Permet itself, this collection of favourite songs
been able to make some original field recordings instead of (including a couple of classics by Laver's father) and instru-

relying on 'approved' matenal. and the rough and ready mentals by a group spanning three generations is a great
nature of some of the performances is very appealing. introduction to the southern repertoire. As a bonus it includes
a couple of songs and dances learned from musicians in
I:Greatings from Macedonia Tirana and points north.
(Toska Radio FM, Macedonia).

Creative spelling and all. this is actually one of the best Famille Lela de Permet
overviews of the various strands of Albanian music available
on CD. tailored for an Albanian audience looking for a good The extensive Lela family are an important Albanian musi-
time rather than a respectful foreign folktorist. The performers cal dynasty, who moved en masse from the southern

all hail from the Republic of Macedonia. town Permet to the capital Tirana in the years following
the war. Members of the family have colonised both the
Music from Albania capital's wedding scene and symphony orchestra.
(Rounder, US).
Polyphonies Vocales et Instrumentales
A recent release of recordings made in the more optimistic
d'Albanie (Label Bleu/lndigo. France).
days of 1993 including epic music from the north, beautiful
polyphonic music from the south including an instrumental A very beautiful and very approachable collection of songs
kaba plus hard-edged and passionate urban music from the from the Permet and Korce regions of southern Albania, and
Roma Gypsies. The finest available introduction to music one with an enchantingly mournful sound with clarinet, lute,

from Albania with excellent booklet notes. accordion and violin.

6 Albania
 r—
Alpine Music C/J

the alpunk phenomenon

Behind the stereotypical image of Alpine music - lederhosen, cowbells and red-faced farmers puffing
away on tubas - lurk more subversive talents. Punk yodelling, hardcore thigh-slapping, alphorn-
didjeridoo hybrids and beery jazz fusions. There are strange goings on in the Alpine regions of
Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Strange, because this is a bastion of conservatism, where the
mountain fastness has long made a virtue of experience and tradition. Christoph Wagner reveals all.

traditionals of course, remain in A&R boys. The sound was born from a real his-
Alpine
place. There are authentic, old-style torical migration. On an extended visit to Brazil,

Alpine musics, sometimes differing from Wolfgang Netzer, the leader of the band, came
one valley to the next - and a variety across a style that sounded strangely familiar to
packaged into a predictable thump by commercial him and touched childhood memories of when
bands who play in the hotels and restaurants. But he used to be a member of a schuhplattler (thigh
of late, beneath the snowline, things are moving and leg-slapping dance) group complete with
as young musicians reshape the traditional folk lederhosen. The music had been taken to Brazil
music. It's this music that most demands your at the turn of the century by a wave of Bavarian

attention. immigrants: landlers, polkas and waltzes mingled

with the sounds of the Brazilian south, where there

Bavaria is a Bavarian community to this day.

Back in Munich, Netzer developed the music

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is the home of by adding Brazilian instruments like cavaquinho,
BavaRio. As the name suggests, this group pre- viola caipira and samba drums and percussion to
sents acombination of Bavarian melodies with the traditional Bavarian stubenmusik string band
samba rhythms from Rio — and this isn't just sound of hammered dulcimer, harp, zither and gui-
another World Music fusion dreamed up by the tar and made a real link between the two cultures.
Munich is also the home of Die Interpreten
who do a similar tightrope act with variations on
Bavarian folk music but add a sharper edge to it.

They bring their jazz background plus a range of

saxophones to traditional melodies. Once they've
got hold of the mainly sedate dance tunes and sub-
jected them to lively intonation and overblowing
techniques it sounds as though jazz saxophonist
Albert Ayler were lost in a Bavarian beer tent. This
is eccentric music that is surprising and refreshing,
although it sometimes borders on parody.
The best-known alternative Bavarian group and
the pioneers of the whole genre is Biermosl
Blosn, founded in 1976 by three brothers from
the Well family who play trumpet, horn and accor-
dion and irritate local right-wing politicians by
writing satirical lyrics to traditional tunes and pro-
ducing records with titles like The Yodelirtg
Horror Monster Show. Their most notorious per-
formance was on Bavarian TV in 19S0, just before

BavaRio hanging out in their Alpine hothouse Bavarian president Franz Josef Strauss made his

Alpine music 7
 During the 1 990s the revival of
alpine folk became a fashionable
CO trend under the banner of "Neue
Volksmusik". New faces were
brought into the public eye.
Hundsbuam, formerly known as

Hundsbuam Miserablige, is an all-

Bavarian band founded in 1994.

With noisy guitars, heavy drums
and wild on-stage antics, they try
hard to which was left
fill the gap
when Hubert von Goisern, the
most popular star of the Alpine
New Wave, left show business.
These attempts to develop alpine
folk music by opening it up to
other styles should be seen against
the background of a growing inter-
est in traditional music by amateur
players. In Munich alone there are
hundreds ot stubenmusik ensembles
playing just for the fun of it. Many
of these are disciples of Sepp Eibl,
one of the most influential figures

of the old school. His group favours

tunes trom the richest period of
Bavarian folk music, the mid-
Biermosl Blosn nineteenth century, reconstructed
from musicians' notebooks. The
New Year speech, when they played the Bavari- music ot this authentic movement is a far cry from
an anthem with new words which direcdy attacked the commercial dilutions of 'Volksmusik' which,
his politics, resulting in a long-term ban from surprising as it may seem, sweep across prime-time
Bavarian radio and TV. They still do political television nearly every day.
cabarets, often with satirist Gerhart Polt. Leaving Many young musicians hold traditionalists like
politics aside, they exist in another incarnation Eibl in high esteem, but most seem sceptical as
called Well-Buam (Well Boys), specialising in to whether purity of tradition alone will ensure
stomping dance music on clarinets and brass. the survival of the old music. Wolfgang Netzer
mood are the sounds of Fraunhofer
In a gentler speaks for most of the young generation when
Saitenmusik who play traditional music from he says: "Genuine folk music means vitality. Life
Bavaria and related countries using only string goes on and you can't keep re-hashing what was
instruments such as the harp and a variety of zithers made a hundred years ago. It won't improve.
- an instrument which was introduced to the south When it was made a century ago it was very pow-
of Germany by vagrant musicians in the eighteenth erful stuff, but when played today, it loses that
century. The hammered dulcimer was an even intensity."
earlier arrival. Today the best-known virtuoso of The series of early recordings reissued by Trikont
this instrument is Rudi Zapf. who plays a huge (the leading label for Alpine music) show this to

range of styles from classical music to jazz and avant- be true. Often the old 78s sound rougher and
garde. In a family band with his wife Ingrid on dou- tougher than the "authentic" recreations of today.
ble bass and her sister Evelyn Huber on harp, he Brass bands like the Original Dachauer
lakes us on a musical world trip from Bavaria to Bauernkapelle, founded in 1906 and first record-
Greece, China and Venezuela and back again. With ed two years later, played with such a drive and
the addition of guitarist Wolfgang Neumann the passion that most modern bands sound limp by
group becomes Zapf nstreich, moving more bold- comparison. But on the other hand, these tradi-
ly into new territory with a mix of acoustic tex- tions are vulnerable and easily disappear if nobody

tures and electric sounds of the guitar. protects them.

8
Swiss in Space Newcomers on the scene, Stimmhorn from
Basel, have achieved a high profile in just a few o
CO
The desire for a new approach is shared by years. The band is a partnership between Balthasar
Appenzeller Space Schottl, one of the most Streiff on trumpet, alphorn and alpcridu (an Alpine
prolific bands in Switzerland's folk music revival. horn played like a didjeridu) and the amazing vocal-
The name on the absurdity of a technolog-
plays ist Christian Zahnder who combines Mongolian
ically advanced space shuttle coming from rural overtone singing with archaic yodelling as well as
Appenzell - an area known for its cheese and for playing self-invented instruments such as the 'rock-
giving women the right to vote only fifteen years ordion' - transformed from an accordion and a

ago. "milking-machine organ" (organ pipes operated

Tobi Tobler plays a special local hammer dul- by a milking machine). Their general approach is

cimer, which is the core of any traditional stre- minimalistic and meditative at the same rime. They
ichmusig ensemble in Appenzell, and Ficht paint colourful musical landscapes ofjagged sounds
Tanner plucks the bass. Their music reflects the like the Alps around them and enrich their per-
Appenzeller world, where clocks move a little bit formances with theatrical effects.

slower than elsewhere. Starting with free impro-

visation and psychedelic rock more than twenty Austria
years ago, Tobler and Tanner brought the spirit
of these styles to their acoustic music and now In Austria the scene was dominated for years by
mix it together in their schottl (meaning shake). Attwenger, who whole new musi-
triggered the
Recordings of Appenzeller Space Schottl are a cal avalanche. Starting as alpine punks (some called

rarity, as they believe "there's enough plastic in them the Austrian Pogues) Markus Binder and
the world!" (CDs presumably haven't made it to Hans-Peter Falkner developed musically with each
Appenzell yet). succeeding record. With the distorted sound of a

Stimmhorn

Alpine music
 A totally different approach is used by two highly
sophisticated ensembles, which mix Alpine sounds
CO with either jazz or new classical music. Die
Knodel (The Dumplings), fonnerly known as Die
Verkochten Tirolerknodel (The Overcooked
Tyrolean Dumplings) are an intellectual under-
ground band founded in the early 1990s. Their
instrumentation — using violins, viola, clarinet, bas-
soon, trumpet and fluegelhom -*is closer to a classi-

cal music ensemble than a landler band. The four

male and four female members of the octet are
highly educated musicians who earn their living in
thesymphony orchestras of Austria and Gemiany.
Though classically trained, they are not ashamed of
their traditional roots or of pushing folk music into
new areas. Their music rarely suffers from their
instrumental virtuosity — it's clear and balanced.
Until the summer of 1995 the Dumplings'
leader, Christof Dienz wrote all their material,
mixing Michael Nyman-style minimalism with
impressionistic atmospheres to create a contempo-
rary chamber folk music. To keep fresh they have
recently commissioned pieces from composers
based in their home region of Tyrol, who come
from contemporary classical, jazz, rock and exper-
Attwenger imental backgrounds. The result is an exciting
patchwork of alpine polkas, waltzes and instru-
button accordion from the Steiermark mountain mental yodels, each viewed from a different angle.
region played through a wah-wah pedal, gunshot While Die Knodel use classical music,
drum tracks and electronic hip-hop rhythms, they Broadlahn uses jazz. Founded in 1982 by three
tried "to find the meeting point between folk school friends playing guitar, mandolin and
music and punk". Markus Binder, drummer and accordion, they became a sextet in 1990 adding
lyric writer, explained: "We take particular ele- three experienced jazz players to their line up, on
ments from the old traditions and try to amplify saxophone, bass and drums. Searching for the
them. Old and new styles are contrasted, fresh and other kind of groove in traditional music pat-
strong, by using reduced instrumentation arranged terns, they have stretched the framework to the
in a dense, expressionistic manner." limits and occasionally beyond them. Trying to
Attwenger regard both alternative pop culture dance to their complex rhythms and complicated
and traditional tunes as an expression of rebel- riffs could be disastrous!
lion in everyday life. Despite their underground Although these are all highly individual bands,
gloss, however, Binder and Falkner's starting what they have in common is a vision of Alpine
point is the music of their home region where a folk music which is rooted in tradition, but
number of unique dance-tunes have survived. modern at the same time. It's a successful mix,
In their hands Schleiniger, Innviertler Ltitidler and often leavened with humour and imagination.
Aberseer Latidler become wild songs with aggres-
sive beats. Although they enjoyed tremendous
critical acclaim and were twice voted best band,

they folded in 1995 due to musical exhaustion

and a refusal to be part of the Alpine New Wave
discography
hype. Refreshed, they reunited two years later
Compilations
and took the public by surprise with an even
more radical reductionist attitude. The folk ele-
The Alps: Music From The Old World
ments were so diluted that they only surfaced (World Network, Germany).
occasionally over repetitive trip-hop and jungle
Both the old and new school of alpine folk music - although
beats. more old than new. Includes alphorn duets, exuberant yodeling

10
 Most
(Trikont, Germany).

Their first and best album, from 1991, features liberal radical

humour and traditional dance tunes played with hip-hop

drum rhythms and a head-banging landler-beat from the
wildest of the Alpine groups.

S3 Song (Trikont, Germany).

Attwenger's clubby 1997 release blends jungle and trip-hop

hypnotics with a light flavour of traditional accordion.

BavaRio
BavaRio, led by guitarist Wolfgang Netzer, comprises four
Bavarians and one Brazilian from Munich. It was the first
band of the revival movement to gain a record deal with a
major label.

B3 Hoi (Meilton, Germany).

As ever BavaRio mixes the best of both worlds: landlers and

samba, cavaquinho and zithers. Mainly their own composi-
from Austria's Citoller Tanzgeiger and even three rare tracks by
tions, but also a 'forro' number and music by composer
the legendary Appenzeller Space Schottl who haven't made
Anibal Augusto Sardinha, a contemporary of Villa Lobos. With
any recordings before or since.
their latest album they have returned to a small record label.

S3 Bayern - Volksmusik.
Rare Schellacks 1906-1941 (Trikont, Germany).
Broadlahn
Driving brass and string bands from the suburbs and coun-
Founded in 1 982 and led by singer, composer and guitarist
tryside of Bavaria on this unique collection of rare 78rpm
Ernst Huber. It was eight years before they made their first
recordings. Not the bland oompah you might expect.
record and went on to win high acclaim and the prestigious
Deutschen Schallplattenkritik award.
S3 Oberdsterreich-Salzburg - Volksmusik.
Rare Schellacks 1910-1949 (Trikont, Germany).
S3 Leib & Seel (BMG, Austria).

Proving there's more to the region of Salzburg and Upper

In this 1993 album, jazz improvisations emerge from folk
Austria than Mozart - polyphonic yodels, heavy brass and
tunes, and landlers get a new look with original arrangments
driving string music make this collection a gem.
using everything from hand clapping to marimba.
Osterreich: Musik der Regionen (Vol 1-10)
(Osterreichisches Volksliedwerk, Austria). Fraunhofer Saitenmusik
This comprehensive survey of traditional Austrian music The ensemble got its name from the famous Fraunhofer
styles is like a sound atlas. Archive and contemporary record- restaurant in Munich where they played as a house band
ings from different areas. From Upper Austria around Linz for years. For a long time Richard Kurlander (harp and
and Salzburg to Lower Austria south of Vienna, you can hear hammer dulcimer), Heidi Zink (hammer dulcimer and
the best performers play music ranging from wild yodelling zither) and Gerhard Zink (acoustic bass) played as a trio.
and Alpine horn playing to three- and four-part singing. Or With fourth member Michael Klein they added the sounds
take to the dance floor for traditional waltzes, marches and of guitar and forest zither.
landlers played on accordion and fiddle or by small brass
bands. There's an accompanying booklet with introductions gg Zwischenklange (Trikont, Germany).
to the regional styles (in German and English), song lyrics (in
The title means 'Sounds in between' which might be
German), but hardly any information about the musicians.
described as Bavarian 'chamber music' folk with a New Age
Distributed by Daniela Schwarz, 1230 Wien, Anton
touch. Pleasant or bland depending on taste.
Baumgartnerstr. 44/A2/213 » (43) 1 6673169.

H3 Urmusig (CSR Records, Switzerland).

Hundsbuam
Bandleader Streitbichi Michi's inspiration came when he
Wonderful field recordings from the Swiss Alps. This double
visited an Attwenger concert and was converted to
CD was originally taken from a film sound track including
Alpunk. In 1994 he formed Hundsbuam Miserablige, now
some of the living legends of traditional music in Switzerland,
known as Hundsbaum.
like eighty-two-year-old Rees Gwerder pumping out some
driving dance tunes on his Schwyzer Orgeli, a special
83 Hui (BMG, Germany).
melodeon only found in Switzerland.
With funky tuba lines, heavy metal guitar chords and accordion
staccato, these Bavarians show how to rock the beer tent.

Artists Released in 1997.

Attwenger Die Interpreten

Since their arrival in the early 1 990s, Attwenger, comprising The trio of Erwin Rahling (drums), Andreas Koll (baritone
Markus Binder (drummer and lyrics) and Hans Peter Falkner saxophone) and Thomas Binegger (tenor saxophone) are
(accordion), have taken the scene by storm becoming the one of the pioneer ensembles and are still going strong
most influential band and kick-starting a whole new genre. with the same line up after fifteen years.

Alpine music -J
-|
 S Stollen 4 (Trikont, Germany).
Bavarian Dancefloor
Hard-edged drum beats with rough saxophone roars mining
the roots and blowing dust from traditional tunes.
Boarischer Tanzbodn
Die Knodel Live mit den Well-Buam
Die Knodel are an octet from Austria founded in 1992.
Since then they have released three CDs and played hun-
dreds of gigs around the world in classical concert halls,
folk festivals and jazz clubs.

2C Panorama (RecRec, Austria).

Panorama is Die Knbdel's best record to date: a collection of

pieces from different composers with a wonderful blend of
timbres and textures. It is a welcome change from their own
often somewhat overcomplicated ^material.

Stimmhorn
Stimmhorn, from Switzerland, are Christian Zehnder
(voice and bandoneon) and Balthasar Streiff (Alpine horn
and trumpet). They began collaborating in 1995 and were
soon noticed for successfully bridging the gap between
the old and the new.

S3 Schnee (Rohrender Hirsch, Switzerland).

This 1997 release is their second album, recorded in the

wonderful acoustic of Olsberg abbey. "Snow" features spec-
tacular vocal effects - yodel related and overtone singing -
and moving and fascinating contributions from accordion,
bandoneon and alphorns.
ZapPnstreich
Well-Buam Hammer dulcimer virtuoso Rudi Zapf has been a key player
in the Bavarian revival movement for many years. He is not
An off-spring of Biermosl Blosn, this eight or nine-piece only an excellent musician but also the organiser of the
band is led by the powerful trumpet tones of Christoph International Hammer
Dulcimer Festival, which takes place
Well. Famous for their lively and eccentric versions of every two years Munich featuring music from all around
in
Bavarian dance classics with clarinets, brass, accordion the world. The 'string' ingredient in his new band
and bass. Zapf'nstreich is guitarist Wolfgang Neumann.

Sautanz GS MCMXCVI (Pantaleon Records, Germany).

(Trikont, Germany).
This is the first record by Zapf's latest band. The hammer
A album complete with chatter and foot stomping. Great
live dulcimer king' focuses mainly on new adaptions of alpine
fun and highly recommended, whether you have your own string music played on harp, hammered dulcimer and electric
lederhosen or not. guitar, but also includes pieces from other parts of the world.

E Boarischer Tanzbodn (Trikont, Germany).

Trikont Records are distributed in Britain by
An equally good second volume, including Ravel's Bolero as Klang, Clonan House, Midgehole Road, Hebden Bridge
"Flaschlwischabolero" (Wipe-the-bottle bolero). HX7 7AA; «/fax: 44 (0)1 422 84221 2.
Austria

soul music of old Vienna

Viennese music is not all Strauss waltzes, Mozart arias and Beethoven symphonies. The Austrian
capital on the Danube, once one of the world's greatest political and cultural powerhouses, is the home
of a particular brand of urban folk music which developed in the nineteenth century and continues
today. Schrammelmusik, as Christoph Wagner explains, is still just about alive and kicking.

week in a charmless modern restau- with a traditional line-up of accordion, two violins,
Once rant
a
m a suburb of Vienna, the atmo- contra guitar and vocals, stretches the tradition to
sphere is transformed as Kurt Girk its limits, adding blues chords and soul grooves.
croons the traditional Viennese songs -
Wienalied. Girk, looking like an Austrian Yves
Montand, is one of the few singers left who cele-
brate the city's folk music heritage. The audience
gathers round the tables, washing down wiener-
schnitzel and dumplings with large glasses of local
wine, and as the evening draws on, Kurt Girk care-
fully removes his jacket and tie, and rolls up his

sleeves, before signalling to his accordion player -

"When you're ready, bandmaster." A heartbreak-
ing song follows, and he underlines the pathos with
dramatic gestures. "To sing a Viennese song you
don't need a voice, you need a soul!" he says and
asks the small audience to join in. Schrammel-
musik is the proof of Vienna's wistful and melan-
choly heart. These half-forgotten songs from the
past are still in high demand, and for 70 schillings
Girk will sing any one of them. He has known
them all by heart since he was a boy.
Elsewhere, in a busy suburban wine bar, where
people are eating at long wooden tables, two dif-

ferent musicians are also keeping the tradition alive.

The duet of Karl Hodina and Edi Reiser play
their way from table to table throughout the
evening. Hodina, in his early sixties, is one of the
old masters of the accordion - which was invent-
ed in Vienna in 1829 - while Reiser plays a spe-

cial kind of Viennese guitar with a double neck.

They play instrumental dances and waltzes in the
old fashioned way, slowing down in particular pas-

sages to change the dynamics, before dramatical-

ly speeding up again, to accompany their perfect
harmony singing.
Occasionally a long-haired, bearded man in a hat
can be seen here listening. Roland Neuwirth is
from a younger generation but is respected as a
unique figure on the traditional music scene of Vien-
na. His acoustic quintet, Die Extremschrammeln, Roland Neuwirth

Schrammel music 13
C
VI

Schrammel Band. early twe-rrt»ett"i

Schrammel Roots Neuwirth

and the New Wave
Although Neuwirth is true to the
purists protest.
tradition of Viennese folk music, which has evoked As a young man Roland Neuwirth was not i

from a clash of musical styles. It emerged as a resuh rsted m Schrarrnnelmuak at aH He wanted to be

of the industrial age. when tens of thousands of a blues Sanger, and it was only when he reabscd
people from rural Austria, the Alps. Hungary, that the Danube could never be the Msssassappa.
Bohemia. Moravia and Slovenia poured into the that he discovered the ""Viennese Bines" on ins
slums of the fast-growing capital of the Austrian- own doorstep. As he searched for h» cny"* mnsi-
Hungarian empire, transforming it within a lew cal roots, he discovered similarities wish the his-

decades into a multicultural metropolis. It soon tory of the blues. Schcrammcfcnusi has strong ink*
developed its own musical language. Polkas. Gypsy with the red hght district of Old Vienna, where
melodies, tunes from the Balkans, rural Alpine love songs and murder ballads were sung m cav-
yodels and dances mingled with Viennese waltzes, erns and brothels.
landlers and string quartets to create an exciting Neuwirth first mixed the MassMsippB and Danube
new style. blues together but later started more radical exper-
The key event in the city's folk music tradition iments, adding electnc guitars and drums to cre-
was in 1878 when Johann 1830-93) and Josef
( ate the Danube New Wave. It was only in the
Schrammel (1 852-1 895) formed a trio with bass 1 980s that he returned to the aoooshc format, aim-
gmtanst Anton Strohmaver They calledit D*Nuss- ing to sound as authentic as possible, only mlifcng,

wine suburb where they

dorfer after the Viennese new ingredients which teemed to fk naturaly.
performed. The two brothers became so famous He rehearsed wkh mo vaofah players for mam-
that their name was given to the whole genre. weeks to achieve the dassac Viennese ombre of
Schrammelmusik was born slow vibrato. H» acconflbn player Walter Soyka.
Before long, the style setded into a regular quar- who one of the famous squeeze boxes bait
plays
tet form, with the addraon of a small G-clannet in the workshop of Fritz Budowitz more than a
(played by folk-clannrtist Georg Danzer in the century ago. knows the secret of achieving the right
Schrammels' original band,, sometimes replaced sound. To soften the tone of the instrument the
by an accordion. In the 1880s and 90s. Schram- old players used to put a page of newspaper made
mel quartets emerged aD over Austria and over the it. but not am page would do the _>ot h had to be
.

border in the Alpine regions of southern Germany. page seven of the tabloid Die I

Schrammel music
the pin-up girl - as only something round and soft

would guarantee the velvet tone. For Neuwirth, on

the lyrics are as important as the music. He is a poet
in his own right, exploring in words the cracks in
modern day life and showing the grin of death
behind the charming face of Vienna.
When Neuwirth and his musicians want to get
away from the present day, they perform under
the name of Herzton-Schrammeln, playing
instrumental from the repertoire of legendary
ensembles such as the Original Lammer Quartett,
the Butschetty Quartett and the Strohmayer Quar-
tett playing before the First World War. Herz-
ton-Schrammeln found their pieces on old 78s
and transcribed them onto sheet music, but that's
the easy part. The real challenge is to perform Artists
them as well as the old masters did. "Simply to
play music the way the Schrammel Brothers did
Roland Neuwirth
is a lifelong job", Neuwirth reflects. "The Schram-
The 'Schrammel King' of contemporary Viennese folk
music works with his four-piece progressive Die
mel Brothers lived at a time when the tradition Extremschrammeln and its offshoot Herzton-Schrammeln.
of popular Viennese music had reached its peak The aim with the latter was to recreate Schrammelmusik
as authentically as possible.
and they even counted the famous Johann Strauss

among their friends and patrons. The line up of HERZTON-SCHRAMMELN

two violins, clarinet or accordion and bass guitar
existed before, but the

it
Schrammel Brothers turned
into a small orchestra", explains Alfred Pfleger,
® Herzton-Schrammeln
(Ariola, Austria).

After years of research and practice Neuwirth's group have

and as he slides into one of the melodies on his achieved the same elegance and sensitivity as the originals -
violin, the Viennese sound of the last century is
a couple of tracks feature the same numbers as the Trikont
compilation opposite for comparison. More than a dozen
alive again. standards (including Josef Schrammel's "Weana Gmuath"
and Anton Strohmayer's "Slibowitz Tanz") played here fault-
lessly. Musicians include Alfred Pfleger (violin), Manfred
Kammerhofer (violin), Walther Soyka (nineteenth-century
chromatic accordion) and Roland Neuwirth on contra guitar.
discography DIE EXTREMSCHRAMMELN
^ See
^ German
also the features on Alpine music
folk (p.1 14).
(p. 7) and SB Essig & Ol (WEA/Warners, Austria).

Die Extremschrammeln at the height of their art on this

recording from 1994. Songs with the expressive harmony
singing of Neuwirth himself and Mizzi Moravec alternate with
Compilations fine instrumentaldances where the schmalz of the twin violins
mingles perfectly with the colours of the accordion. Not as
extreme as the name of the band suggests! Just extremely
ft Wien: Volksmusik: Rare Schellacks 1906-1937 good!
(Trikont, Germany).

A superb historical collection featuring the main singers and Thalia-Schrammeln

ensembles of Vienna some 70 years ago. Performing the char-
Harald Humer and Reinhold Rung (violins), Gerald
acteristic repertoire from the heurigen (wine bars) which has
Grunbacher (G-clarinet) and Heinz Hromada (Bass guitar)
almost disappeared. Soulful songs with passion - Danube blues!
are graduates from the Vienna MusikHochschule and are

33 Die besten Schrammeln Instrumental dedicated to the original, unsentimentalised sound of the
(Trikont, Germany).
original Schrammel line-up with G-clarinet instead of
accordion.
Compiled by Roland Neuwirth, this is a superb collection of
rare instrumental by the great masters of the genre. In a ft Music from Old Vienna (Naxos, Hong Kong).

recording from early this century you can even hear Anton Stylishly played music by the Schrammel brothers and sever-
Strohmayer who was guitarist in the original Schrammel al other composers in the genre. The piercing G-clarinet
Brothers trio. Real star dust! sound lends it a special character.

Schrammel music "J 5

s
rr
The Baltic States
en

5 singing revolutions
m
C/5 *
The characteristic Baltic singing festivals - hugely popular events - played a major role in expressing
the national identities of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania during their move to independence. Now there
are increasing signs of interest in their other musical traditions, many of which draw on ancient ways
of making and hearing music. Andrew Cronshaw assesses the state of play.

the beginning of the 1920s, after much KGB to explain his dubious activities with the

At suffering in the First

ceeded by independence struggles,
World War suc-
all
patently not deceased folk tradition, puts
Russians didn't speak Latvian, so we
it:

sang the songs

"The

three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and they told us we had to sing and added a whole lot

Lithuania - escaped the imperial clutches of Rus- more that we wanted to sing!"
sia and Germany. Freedom and peace didn't last The language issue was crucial for Baltic cul-
long, however. In 1940 (1939 in Lithuania) Sovi- ture. All three Baltic languages use Roman char-
et troops broke the 1920 treaties and invaded, fol- acters, rather than the Russian Cyrillic alphabet.
lowed a year later by the German army, which was Estonian is closely related to Finnish in the Finno-
ousted in 1944 by the returning Soviets. In the Ugrian linguistic group while Latvian and Lithua-
process, hundreds of thousands of Baltic people nian languages are related to each other and form
were deported to Siberia or killed. Many more a Baltic subgroup of the widespread Indo-Euro-
fled to the West, depleting the population of these pean linguistic group.
up to a third and swelling
three small countries by There are considerable nadonal and regional dif-

Baltic exile communities, particularly in North ferences between (and within) the three countries.
America. Repression continued after the war. On But they share in the continuity ot culture around
a single day in 1949 almost 43,000 Latvians were the Baltic (including Finland and the Russian Baltic
deported to the Gulags. As part of the Soviet areas) which reaches back thousands of years. All
Empire, the Baltic states were 'colonised' by large have folk song-poetry of the runo-song type and
numbers of Russians. they have in common several tradinonal instruments,

On September 6, 1991. after another traumat- notably Baltic psalteries variously called kantele,
ic series of events which were variously bizarre, katmel, kokles or kankles. As a result of historical dom-
tragic, heroic and musical, the three countries ination, however, the Baltic states manifest Germanic
regained independence. For each ot them, the and Slavic cultural traits not found in Finland.

mass singing festivals, which had taken place Though the inevitable changes in village life

since the nineteenth century and regularly involved have meant that the context ot much song and
tens of thousands, were a focus for national con- dance has disappeared, there's still a great deal to
sciousness. In 1988, the year when the singing be found in living memory. In the 1960s folklore
revolution' began, 300,000 singers gathered at movements sprang up which encouraged field trips

the Eestimaa Laul (Estonian Song) rally in Tallinn, to the villages and performances by urban enthu-
at which Trivimi Velliste, the head of Eesti Muin- siasts which attempted to reflect still-living musi-
suskaitse Selts (the Estonian Heritage Society), cal traditions rather than than the idealised,
voiced the demand for independence. classically-harmonised, folk-costumed approach of
Ironically, it was Stalinist policy that had decreed the soviet-style ensembles.
music dead and ordered its replace-
Baltic folk Now there is the freedom for individual expres-
ment by mass song. Even in Soviet days, howev- sion, but though the economies are growing,
er, paeans to the merits of collectivisation were incomes are small and there's little money avail-

by no means the only form of song. As Latvian able for CD recording or high-powered staging.
folk musician and ethnomusicologist Valdis Muk- Baltic roots music remains relatively low-profile
tupavels, who was regularly summoned by the and uncommercial.

16 Baltic States
Setu singers

Estonia rhyming folksong with wider-spanning tunes and

sometimes instrumental accompaniment. Never-
Estonia's traditional culture, while distinct, has theless it survived in a few areas — notably in Setu-
strong links with that of the linguistically and geo- maa, which straddles Estonia's Russian border, and
graphically close Finland, with runo-songs and also on the island of Kihnu and among Estonian-
its own variants of Baltic zither. resident members of Ingria's repeatedly displaced
population.

Runo-song
Setu Song
Estonian runo-song has the same basic form as
the Finnish variety to which it is related: the line The songs of the Setu people have considerably
has eight beats, the melody rarely spans more than influenced contemporary roots singers, both in
the first five notes of a diatonic scale and its short Estonia and in Finland. There's been a recent
phrases tend to use descending patterns. revival in Setu culture and the speaking of its

A number of runo-song texts have been

large dialect. Several villages, such as Varska, Kosselka,
collected, largely from women, and thus offering Helbi, Obinitsa and Uusvada have established
a female point of view. They cover most aspects women's vocal groups that perform songs tradi-
of life, including work, rituals, spells, ballads and tionally sung and danced while working or at social

mythical stories, and tend to a stoic sadness, or wry events, particularly the three-day wedding cele-
observation of life's realities, rather than extreme bration. The eight-syllable runo pattern of these
expressions ofjoy or love. The more ornament- songs is often interrupted by extra syllables and
ed swing-songs were sung while sitting on the refrains, and unlike other Estonian vocal traditions,

bigcommunal village swing whose movement they are sung polyphonically, the other singers tak-
made its own rhythmic demands. ing the leader's line (the torro) and adding a lower
Estonia's national epicKalevipoeg, by folk- part (the second torro), and a higher, penetrating
lorist F. Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803-1882), was single voice (the killo) which often uses just two
published in the 1860s, paralleling folklorist Elias or three notes.
Lonnrot's creation from runo-song sources of Fin-
land's Kalevala, first published in 1835. Armas Kannels and Zithers
Launis collection of melodies of the runo-songs
from which Kalevipoeg had been constructed was The old pastoral wind instruments such as animal
published in 1930. horns, wooden birchbark-bound trumpet, willow
By the early twentieth century runo-song was overtone whistle and bagpipe have lost their tra-

largely overtaken by more European forms of ditional herding context but are used to some

Estonia 17
 extent by present-day folk-rooted musicians. The researching these same living cultures, not in
fiddle, the ever-popular accordion and the long- response to Moscow's wishes but in order to
00
bellowed concertina are used in the playing of cou- explore the distinctiveness of their own culture.
ple-dance tunes, the most prevalent form of which Performing ensembles fell into two groups:
the polka. 'ethnographic' - which came from a particular area
o is

Polkas also feature, together with older music, and specialised in local forms - and 'folkloric' -
CO
-I in the repertoire of the kannel, the Estonian ver- which drew on the whole country's traditions.
>
—I
sion of the Baltic psaltery, which, though it tends The first of the 'ethnographic' type to appear in
m
CO
to have six strings rather than five, is of the same the more liberal climate of the 1 960s was the Setu
basic design as Finland's kantek - a carved, wedgt*- choir Leiko from Varska, formed in 1964. Of the
shaped box, with strings passing direct from pegs 'folkloric' type, Leigarid (formed in 1969 to enter-
to a single attaching bar. Players died out during tain tourists at Tallinn open-air museum) soon
the twentieth century but the instrument itself sur- turned away from the colourful folkloric specta-
vived (if only to hang on the wall) amongst the cle approach towards a more authentic style root-
many North America - where the small
exiles in ed in village traditions. Regional ethnographic
kannel has had something of a revival. In Estonia performance groups were formed, too, as were
itself, the formation of Soviet-style folkloric ensem- young city-based ensembles such as Leegajus (led

bles involved the creation of an 'orchestral series' by Igor Tonurist) and Hellero.
of bigger chromatic box-kannels. However, visits In 1985 the conference of CIOFF (Conseil
from contemporary Finnish kantele-players such International des Organisations de Festivals de
as Hannu Saha and Antti Kettunen have helped to Folklore et d'Arts Traditionelles) was held in Esto-
stimulate new interest in small kannels. nia, and in 1986 the Viru saru folk festival took

Setumaa has its own form of kannel, usually with place in Palmse. The Baltica festival, which moves
a soundboard extended wing-like beyond the box each year to a different Baltic state, began in 1987,
rather like those found in eastern Latvia and parts and Tallinn first hosted it in 1989. These growing
of western Russia. This form is increasingly used, performance opportunities stimulated more groups
for example by Finnish kantele virtuoso Timo and further cultural developments including the
Vaananen. Leading Estonian kannel players include opening of a folk music department at the Cul-
Tuule Kann and multi-instrumental ethnomusi- tural College in Viljandi in 1 990.
cologist Igor Tonurist. More fuel for revival, or for continuation of the
In Estonia, as in Latvia and Lithuania, folk play- traditional music in different 'post-traditional' cir-

en of a wide and ingenious range of board-zither cumstances, had been provided by the publication
or chord zither can be found. These aren't true between 1956 and 1965 of the five volumes of
kannels/kanteles but are closer in design to the fac- Eesti Rahvalaule Viisidega (Estonian Folk Songs
tory-made zithers, autoharps and other domestic with Notations) edited by Herbert Tampere,
multi-stringed instruments made largely in Ger- who had been working on and publishing folk
man factories and sold across northern Europe and music since the 1930s and who at the end of the
North America. The bowed lyre, hiiu-kannel 60s also began a radio folklore programme. In 1969
(called a jouhikko in Finnish) was played until the appeared the first book of the eight-volume anthol-
twentieth century in the Swedish enclaves of Esto- ogy of Estonian folk song texts Eesti Rahvalaulud.
nian islands (relics of Sweden's fifty-year rule over The first anthology of recordings on LP, Eesti
Estonia from 1660 until 1710), particularly Runo, Rahvalaule ja Pillilugusid (Estonian Folk Songs
and is finding a role again today in some of the and Instrumental Music), was released in 1967 and
modern folk bands. a second followed in 1970.
Contemporary composers and musicians have
Ensembles and gone to work on traditional sources. The choral
folk and runo-song arrangements of composer
Festivals Veljo Tormis became popular, having influence
During the 1960s instructions were sent by as far away as the Estonian community in Aus-

Moscow to cultural organisers throughout the tralia where the choir Kiri-uu added avant-gardist

Soviet Union that supervised manifestations of synths and samples to their own choral perfor-
genuine, living folk culture were to be encour- mances using many of Tormis' arrangements. Kiri-
aged, to demonstrate the government's support for uu nowadays is no longer a choir but a vocal and
the needs and expressions of the masses. In the technology duo comprising Olev Muska and
Baltics, reluctant members of these "masses" were Coralie Joyce.

1 8 Estonia
 t

The sun is a dominant image, often personified

as Saule, and her daily course across the sky and
00
through the year is linked metaphorically with
human life. While the sun is female, Meness, the
moon, male, and frequent song theme
is

courtship between
a

them or other celestial figures

is
o
CO
such as the twin sons of Dievs (God) and the —
daughter of the sun. The solstices were tradition-
-H
al occasions for celebration - in particular Jani m
CO
(midsummer) — whose central figure wasjanis, the
archetypal vigorous, potent male with strong phal-
lic associations. As the ligotne (midsummer song)
"Jana Daudzinajums" describes him:

Oh Janis, the son of Dievs,

what an erect steed you have
The spurs are glittering through forests,
Singer Kirile Loo combines traditional runo- the hat above trees

song influences and modern sensibilities. two

After
Janis was riding all the year
virtually no
and has arrived on the Jani eve;
albums (on a German label - there are
Sister, go and open the gate, and let Janis in
roots music CDs on Estonian labels) she has recent-
ly begun to take these approaches into live per- (Translation by Valdis Muktupavels)

formance with a band fusing samples and traditional

instruments. The major collection of dainas was made by

Finally, and although not rooted in traditional Kris janis Barons (1835-1923); the six volumes
music, a major Estonian contribution to modern of his Latvju Dainas were published between 1894
music is the instrumental and choral work of one and 1915, and contain about 300,000 texts.

of the twentieth century's major composers and In keeping with other regions of the Baltics,
musical innovators, Arvo Part. newer song-forms spread during the nineteenth
It is still a little early for Estonian roots per- century, when chordal, fixed-scale instruments —
formers to be making an impression on the world such as the accordion —
Thus zinge is a
arrived.
music touring and festival circuit, but at home the singing style with a strong German influence. The
scene is growing. The annual Viljandi folk festi- older forms remained, however: dziesma means
val at the end ofJuly young audience
attracts a to a song having melody, while balss means
a definite

see a variety of roots bands, and whether it's in 'voice' or 'speech' and has no clearly defined
Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania there's a substantial melody, changing with the rhythm of the words.
list of Estonian performers on the bill of Baltica. Balss was the style used in calendar celebrations as
well as during work. It usually follows a three-
voice form: the leader sings a couple of stanzas of
a daina, then the others repeat them. In some
Latvia
regions these repetitions are sung over a vocal
The land of amber has more Baltic zithers, drone- drone - a distinctive feature not found elsewhere
based singing, and a large body of traditional song- in the Baltics but still a living tradition in some
poetry - dainas - with strong pre-Christian parts of Latvia.
symbolism and a lack of heroes.
Kokles and Citara
The Daina
For village dance music and song tunes (sadztves
The Latvian daina is a short song of just one or music), the traditional Latvian instruments include
two stanzas, one or two lines long, without rhyme, bagpipe, goat horn, whistles and rattle-stick, and
and largely in the same four-footed trochaic metre more recently fiddle and various accordions. But
as runo-songs. Dainas feature mythological sub- as elsewhere in the Baltic, it is the zither that is

jects and most aspects of village life, but the sto- dominant.
ries and heroic exploits described in many The Latvian Baltic zither is called the kokle or
countries' folksongs are notably absent. kokles, and in its traditional form it has between

Latvia 1 9
 five and twelve strings. It is seen as a national sym- each maker-player put in individual features
- most

bol, and as elsewhere in the Baltics larger, box- of these American kokles are of a single pattern,
00
built instruments were developed for use in wingless and with almost identical soundboard dec-
Soviet-style folkloric ensembles. These, fitted with oration, probably because buyers from the hand-

o screw-in legs and often ornamented with a cen-

tral jewel of the locally abundant amber, are attrac-
ful of'North American makers want an instrument
identical to the one they've seen played at Latvian-
c/j
tive in appearance and ensemble sound, but not American gatherings.
-4 very responsive as instruments, with musicians dis- A wide variety of interesting designs of citara
m
CO
playing a rather stiff playing style based on a West- (chord-zither) are still in usejn Latvia. Most have
ern classical approach. • large numbers of strings, some or all of which
Renewed interest in the traditional smaller are tuned as ready-made chords. These are not
carved kokles began during the folklore move- principally related to Baltic psalteries but rather
ment of the 1970s. The instrument survived in the to the mosdy German factory-made chord-zithers
living tradition of only a few areas: the Catholic and autoharps sold since the nineteenth century
enclaves of Kurzeme in western Latvia and Lat- across Europe and North America. Individual
gale in the east. The strongest influence in this Baltic makers have made ingenious modifica-
revival was Janis Porikis. who made a couple of tions, some resulting in very big instruments and

hundred kokles and organised workshops and per- a few that are cylinder-shaped. There are also

formances. Valdis Muktupavels. Latvia's lead- hybrid forms between citara and kokles, known
ing player, learned the style of the Suiti region as citarkokles.
from Porikis. and has gone on to champion the In the eastern province of Latgale, hammered
instrument. dulcimers have been played since the early nine-
Muktupavels normally plays a nine-string kok- teenth century, a borrowing from nearby Belarus.
les of the type found in eastern Latvia — with a

'wing' extension of the soundboard beyond the Performers

soundbox and pegs. Drones occur in Latvian
singing, and it's usual to tune the lowest string of The leading groups performing traditional music
a kokles to a drone a fourth below the key note. in Latvia are IJgi (formed in 1981), Grodi and
There are several regional playing styles involving Rasa (both formed in the late 1 980s as Soviet rule
plucking or strumming and damping, including - was crumbling), and Auri (formed in 1991 and
as in some Estonian styles — that of resting the fin- led by Maris Jansons). Rasa's Valdis Muktupavels
gers of the hand on the soundboard between
left also performs solo as a vocalist and kokles and bag-
the strings and moving them from side to side, pipe player. Popular Latvian rock band Jauns
damping sets of strings alternately to leave the rest Meness (New Moon) has a distinct folk music
ringing as chords while strumming with the other component, featuring Ilgi members Maris Muk-
hand. tupavels (Valdis' brother) and Ilga Reizniece, and
North America the small kokle has become
In Jauns Meness leader Ainars Mielavs and his UPE
the main instrument of Latvian- American cultur- record label are taking a leading role in the evo-
al groups. While in Latvia there's no dominant lution and popularisation of new Latvian rooted
design - the instruments were home-made and music.

ItUOlU SONGS Of LATVIA

Beyond the River

20 Latvia
The Baltica Festival 00

The Baltica International Folklore Festival is held to sing songs of the summer solstice (ligotnes). The PA
each July in rotation by Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. It system was unobtrusive and the audience only too o
sponsors Baltic folk music, dance and customs and happy to join in with the singing, not to mention the CO
-H
customarily attracts over 100 groups from the host
nation, and a dozen or so from Estonia, Lithuania, Scan-
seemingly compulsory consumption of rye bread,
cheese and beer.
>
-H
dinavia, Austria, Russia and Belarus. If you visit a Baltica festival, try to catch the ethno-
m
CO,
Baltica was first held in 1987 in Vilnius, Lithuania. graphic ensembles, such as the famous Latvian groups
On 5th April 1989 the official 'Folklore Association Balti- Suitu Sievas or Gudenieku Suiti, comprised mostly of
ca' was founded and the Latvians used the occasion the older generations. While their folk costumes and
to raise their national flag for the first time in forty years. heavy bronze and amber jewelry may only be worn for

The festival gathered momentum during the 'national special occasions like these, their music is probably
awakening' which led to the independence of the Baltic the most true and unaffected you will find. These peo-
states. ple, some now in their eighties, are the direct inheri-

When the Festival last took place in Riga (in 1997), tors of Latvian folk song and have known the repertoire
music was played in a variety of venues, from outdoor since childhood. They are said to be able to select the
concerts in stadiums to intimate acoustic sessions in perfect song for any occasion. Some songs, particu-
galleries and museums. A procession through the old larly those associated with weddings, are competitive
town heralded the start of the event and the streets and improvised, with two women taking turns to out-
were suddenly flooded with people wearing crowns of wit the other, while others provide an accompanying
oak leaves and flowers. The Riga group Grodi, often vocal drone. For those unfamiliar with the language,
at the centre of such events, led the way playing bag- the jokes might be lost, but the roars of laughter indi-
pipes (dudas) and drums (bungas). Watched by the cate that these women have a wicked sense of humour.
crowds, they passed specially erected 'gates of fire' In contrast to the ethnographic ensembles, the Riga
and 'gates of stone' (representing different stages of festival also included music from modern Riga-based
human life) before stopping to silently place flowers at folk groups - a younger generation exploring the song
the foot of the Freedom Monument. and dance of their ancestors and bringing new life to
the music through their own cre-
ativity. This has become known as
'post-folklore' in Latvia - a term
invented by the group Ijgi when they
felt they could no longer describe
their music as 'folk'. Nonetheless, it

was this group who, long after their

concert had officially finished, kept
everyone dancing and singing into

the early hours.

Andris Kapusts, Artistic Director
of the Latvian branch of the festival,

believes that the aim of the event is

to present and preserve the nation-

al heritage. Baltica certainly does
that, although no one is pretending
that people wander around in elab-
orate costumes performing ancient
rituals all year round. It is a display
of what the Baltic states are rightly

proud of, and an opportunity for

The festival continued in Riga all week, and on some others to discover more about Baltic folklore and tra-

days musicians would make excursions to small towns dition. As the leader of one group pointed out: "If only
and villages in the Latvian countryside to give non-city rock'n'roll is danced around the world, we will soon
dwellers an opportunity to sample the 'Baltica experi- disappear as a nation."
ence'. In one particularly beautiful valley, a ceremonial Baltica returns to Riga in 2000.
bonfire was lit and hundreds of people joined together Leah Zakss

Baltica Festival 21
 Lithuania Instruments
The largest Baltic state has a notably rich variety There is a relatively large range of Lithuanian tra-

of folk forms, including layered polyphonic ditional instruments. The basic form of the Lithua-
music, sung or played on reed instruments, flutes nian version of Baltic zither, the kankles. differs
o and - in common with its neighbours to the north regionally in playing style and in the number of
— Baltic zithers. strings which can be anywhere between five and

a
m
twelve. The repertoire of the traditional kankles

CO
Song •
consisted of old style material such as sutartines
and more modern dance tunes such as polkas,
Thousands of Lithuanian traditional songs - dain- waltzes and quadrilles. A 'concert series' of large
os - have been collected. They deal with every many-stringed box kankles was devised for the
aspect of life, and wedding and love songs feature Soviet-Style ensembles.
particularly prominently. Some would be passed Whereas previously the old round dances (rateliai)
on as well-known songs, but others, such as lulla- were traditionally accompanied by singing only,
bies, would be varied or improvised to suit the during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
occasion. In the early twentieth century many instrumental ensembles commonly played the
women who were predominandy the creators and newer dance forms. Instrumental groups playing
carriers of songs had repertoires of a hundred or kankles and lamzdeliai (wooden or bark whisdes)
more songs. existed as far back as the sixteenth century. Later
Singing can be solo or in a group, in unison the fiddle and three-stringed bass basetle joined them,
or in parallel chords of thirds, fourths or fifths. and in the nineteenth and early twentieth century
Aukstaitija, Lithuania's northeastern region, has a accordions, bandoneons, concertinas, Petersburg
distinctive and well-known tradition of polyphonic accordions and harmonicas, mandolins, balalaikas,
songs, sutartines. whose melody and form are also guitars, modern clarinets and cornets. During the
transferred to instrumental music. They are duo- Soviet era, dressed-up ensembles emerged using
phonic — two voices, or groups of voices in har- box kankles and birbynes (folk clarinets - they used
mony. of dvejines (by twos) and
In the case the developed form which is a mellow-sounding
keturines (by fours) two harmonising lines are thick tube with a cowhom bell). These groups actu-
sung together, then they stop and are replaced by ally made quite a pleasant sound, not so different
a second group of singers and two different har- from a disciplined village band, but they were often
monisations, while in trejines three parts overlap, used, to the annoyance of those searching out the
two at a time, as in a canon. The word stresses cre- real thing', in classically influenced arrangements
ate a syncopating internal rhythm. to accompany choral singing of harmonised and
denatured so-called sutartines with all their

dissonances smoothed out.

LITUANIE In the northeast, tunes

type were played on skuduciai
of the sutartino
— rather
Le pays des chansons like dismantled pan-pipes, played by a

group of men. The same type of tune was

played by five-piece sets of birchbark-
bound wooden trumpets (ragai), or alter-
natively, by pairs of the straighter, longer

daudytes; each of the latter could produce

up to five natural harmonics, so only two
daudytes were needed for a set.

Other wind instruments include suilpas

(overtone whisde), goat-horns, and sek-

miniu ragelis (a single-drone bagpipe). Per-
cussion instruments include tabalas (a flat

piece of wood hung and hit like a gong)

EURORADIO
and drums. An unusual stringed instru-
ment is the pusline - a musical bow with
ocora an inflated pig's bladder resonator con-
Radio France taining a ratding handful of dried peas.

22 Lithuania
Performers calendar and family celebrations, some recorded back
1930s, including Lithuanian sutartines, etc. The recordings
in the

come from Latvian and Lithuanian Radio, plus a recording of 00

As the social structure changed, and Sovietization the Leiko Ensemble from a Paris performance in 1992.
altered Lithuanian society from the outside, the old
much of their Estonia
ways of music
moved
lost role.

to post-traditional, or 'secondary folklore',

Tradition
o
cn
w ith material collected from those who remem- Compilations -I
bered the old ways converted to a form considered t»
—i
suitable for performance to an audience.
O The Folk Music of Estonia (Melodiya, USSR).
m
CO
The first Lithuanian folklore ensembles were
Double LP released in 1986 of recordings from the
formed around the beginning of the twentieth cen-
Kreutzwald Literary Museum of the Estonian Academy of
tury. One of them, formed in 1906 and still exist- Sciences. 44 tracks of recordings of traditional instruments,
ing, is the Skriaudziai kankles ensemble. including horn, pipe, shepherds' trumpet, fiddle, Jew's harp,

Subsequently ethnographic plays such as The hiiu kannel, concertina and song from around Estonia includ-
ing Setu-land.
Kupiskenai Wedding were staged. While these
tried to reflect genuine village life, concert ensem- 89 Setu Songs (Mipu, Finland).

blesworked on the premise that the rough old folk Setu women's singing groups from villages of Helbi,
songs needed sprucing up. Kosselka, Obinitsa, Uusvada, Meremae and the Leiko group
from Varska, recorded in situ and in Helsinki.
A choral movement gathered momentum, result-
ing m the huge song festivals, Dainu Sventes. The
first of these was held in 1924, and then every five Artists
years during the Soviet period. As well as choirs,
professional concert folk ensembles such as Lietu-
va, formed in 1940, appeared at such events. 'Mod-
Kirile Loo
ernised' folk instruments were created, and traditional Bom in the northern Estonian village of Varinurme, singer
Kirile Loo studied at Tallinn school of music. Promoted in
dress was formalised into national costume.
CD some sort of Baltic witch-spirit, she's never-
blurbs as
While this was an acceptable form of national theless strong and interesting, moving recently and
expression within the Soviet regime, a back-to- promisingly into live performance with a band combining
the-villages folklore movement began during the sound modules and traditional instruments.

1 960s, spurred on later in the decade by the Prague 83 Saatus (Fate) (Erdenklang, Germany; Alula, US).

Spring events in Czechoslovakia. Rasa (the sum- Runo-song based material in sparse, atmospheric settings
mer solstice) and other Baltic pagan events were with traditional instruments (kannel, bagpipe, reed-pipe,
publicly celebrated despite persecution by the straw whistle, Jew's harp) plus keyboards and guitar,
arranged by Peeter Vahi.
KGB. Folklore ensembles sprang up in towns
and cities, and the village musicians from whom Lullabies for Husbands
(Erdenklang, Germany).
they collected formed performing units themselves,
usually known
as 'ethnographic ensembles'. There Loo's excellent 1999 album, with more developments of tra-

were camps and competitions. The first

folklore ditional lyrics and melodic forms, in collaboration with Tiit

Kikas, who plays all the instruments, acoustic and electronic.

republic-wide ensemble competition Ant marii[
krantelio (On the Sea Shore) occured in the 1980s
Veljo Tormis
atRumsiskes attracting a thousand contestants.
Influential composer of choral arrangements of Estonian
The annual Skamba skamba kankliai in Vilnius' old
folk songs.
town began in 1975, and Kaunas hosted Atataria
89 Forgotten Peoples (ECM, Germany).
trimitai. The first Baltica International Folklore
Festival, which moves between the Baltic states acclaimed double CD of six Tormis compositions
Critically

based on the music of Livonian, Votic, Izhorian and Karelian

each year, took place in 1987 in Vilnius.
Finno-Ugrian peoples, sung by the Estonian Philharmonic
Chamber Choir.

discography Ummamuudu
Ummamuudu are an electric folk-rock band performing
Compilations original and traditional material.

v Voix des pays Baltes - Chants traditionnels de 89 Ummaleelo (Ummamuudu, Estonia).

Lettonie, Lituanie, Estonie (Inedit, France).

This five-track EP is the band's most recent (1997) release. It

Ethnographic vocal recordings of (mainly) older women and features traditional tunes arranged for the band together with
ensembles singing the traditional repertoire. Work songs, Setu choir Leelonaase.

Baltic States 23
 I

Latvia Ugis Praulins

09 Programmer, producer, singer, keyboard, kokles and flute
Compilations player Praulins combines traditional music with current
studio technology.

O Beyond the River:

(EMI Hemisphere, UK).
Seasonal Songs of Latvia Paganu Gadagramata
(UPE, Latvia).
CO
-H A credible and widely available introduction to the leading Material from the folk song collections of Emilis Melngailis, in

>
— contemporary Latvian roots groups. 17 tracks of Auri, l|gi,
very sympathetic atmospheric settings featuring Jauns

m
CO
Grodi and Rasa. Meness guitarist Gints Sola and the voices and traditional
instruments of llga Reizniece arid Maris Muktupavels.
Released in 1999, it's an impressive start to the 'Latvian Folk
Artists Music Collection' from Ainars Mielavs' UPE label.

Rasa Ensemble
IJgi
A group led by Valdis Muktupavels, singing and playing
This leading Latvian band explore traditional repertoire Latvian traditional music exclusively on traditional instru-
and create new material using largely traditional instru- ments - kokles, bagpipes, violin, flutes, reeds, drums, rat-
mentation - recently in electrified form. Their fiddler llga tles - while incorporating interpretative ideas from other
Reizniece and kokles, stabule and bagpipe player Maris traditions.
Muktupavels also form the folk-music component of
Jauns Meness (see below). E Latvia: Music of Solar Rites (Inedit, France).

E Riti (Labvakar, Latvia). Traditional songs, both polyphonic (with vocal drones) and
monophonic. for summer and winter solstices, weddings,
An acoustic album featuring songs about the symbolic myths funerals, working and drinking, plus instrumentals including a
of sun and moon, and marriage. kokles solo and dance music.

E Saules Meita (UPE. Latvia).

This 1998 album saw a move to a more electrified approach,

Lithuania
and some lineup changes, but still with strong attachment to
traditional styles and instruments.
Compilations

E Lithuanian Folk Music (33 Records, Lithuania).

46 recordings from 1930s to 1980s of work, ritual, wedding,

nature, children's, historical and war songs, and instrumental
music - with extensive English notes.

E Lituanie: Le Pays Des Chansons (Ocora, France).

Excellent, varied collection of 35 traditional songs and instru-

mentals, including horn, kankles and sutartines. recorded for
Lithuanian Radio between 1958 and 1990. Notes in French
and English.

Artists

Ethnomusic Ensemble Ula

Folk music group using violin, bandoneon, whistles, flute,
harp, wooden trumpets and stringed instruments.

E Ula (Ula, Lithuania).

34 tracks of instrumentals and songs.

Jauns Meness
Sutarus
This very popular pop-rock band are a Latvian equivalent
of Scotland's Runrig. They are led by singer Ainars This five-strong groupwas formed in 1988 by musicians
Mielavs, a dynamic figure both on stage and as head of from the Lithuanian Folklore Theatre. They specialise in
UPE records, fast emerging as the focus of Latvian roots reviving ancient instruments and repertoire.
music recordings. The band are often accompanied live
Call of the Ancestors
by a large dance troupe.
(Lituanus, Lithuania).
Dzivotajs (UPE, Latvia).
A fascinating survey of ancient and modern Lithuanian folk

The group's most recent (1998) album has a mainstream music. 38 tracks including the extraordinary sound of vocal
rock approach, spiced by Aigars Voitiskis' mandolin and the and instrumental sutartines, several kankles tracks, horns,
traditional instruments of IJgi's llga Reizniece and Maris flutes, pipes, the pusline musical bow and polkas and other
Muktupavels. dance tunes for fiddle, accordion, harmonica and basetle.

24 Baltic States
Belgium
en

flemish, Walloon and global fusion

Belgium lies at the point in Europe where Latin and Germanic cultures converge: the north is Flemish
and its 5.5 million inhabitants speak Dutch while in the south 4.5 million Walloons speak French. The
capital, Brussels, is bilingual but predominantly French-speaking, and in the east a minority speak
German. Strange then, that Belgium's most famous world music group, Zap Mama, is African - or to
be more precise, draws on the band's dual Belgian and Congolese heritage. But as everywhere in
western Europe, the twentieth century has seen local cultures undervalued. Broadcaster and folk
singer, Paul Rans tells the story.

Flanders the most outstanding singer in Flanders — and

As flautist and researcher Wim Bosnians, of the Hubert Boone, who besides his fieldwork - col-
folk group Jan Smed, demonstrated on the lecting, for example, from village brass bands or
group's latest CD Airekes (Tunes), many traditional the old guilds' instrumental ensembles - also led
Belgian tunes have migrated from one part of the the traditional music group De Vlier and is now
country to another and are now shared not only leader of theBrabants Volksorkest. During the
by Flanders and Wallonia but by various European early 1970s Herman Dewit with his group 't
countries, their real origins unknown. Some are Kliekske (Little Clique/Small Band), went on a
even in the Classical mainstream, having been legendary trip around Flanders with horse and
adopted by nineteenth-century opera composers. cart, performing in villages and towns, and at the

The repertoire, which also has distinct Flemish and same time collecting songs and tunes from older
Walloon traditions, began to decline early in the people.
twentieth century but much survives due to the At the end of the 1960s and during the early 70s
efforts of folk-song and dance-tune collectors of there was also a movement to modernise traditional
the 1900s. music, with Wannes Van de Velde singing his own
urban songs in his native

Antwerp dialect, as well

as traditional ones. Van
de Velde's songs are
some of the best ever
written in Flanders.
They are musically and
lyrically innovative, yet

rooted in tradition,
drawing on traditional
elements from Flanders
but also on those of
other European coun-
tries, especially Greece
and Spain, and even on
contemporary classical

music. Wannes also

works in theatre and is

an excellent guitarist
Wannes Van- de Velde
who regularly accom-
Interest in folk music was rekindled in the 1960s panies the imaginative flamenco singer Amparo
by people such as Wannes Van de Velde - still Cortes, born in Seville but now living in Brussels.

Belgium 25
 Ghent-born sculptor and singer Walter de Wallonia
Buck revived many of the old Ghent broadside
00
m
r—
ballads and added his own, meanwhile initiating In Wallonia the folk music revival has not been as

the Gentse Feesten — street parties which have since strong, but old traditions such as fife and drum bands,
C5
evolved into a two-week summer festival. fanfares (brass bands) and hunting-horn ensembles
Rum was a group which first took Flemish folk are still very much alive. Groups such as Rue du
(in a blend of ballads and dance-songs, exciting Village (Village Street) play lots of dance music for
instrumentals and humorous presentation) across popular bah (barn dances) in a traditional vein, but
the language border into Wallonia and then around not oblivious to what's happening elsewhere in the
Europe from 1969 to 1978 when the group final- world.
ly split up. Singer/ guitsrist Dirk Van Esbroeck and
guitarist Juan Masondo continued Rum in a dif- MUSIQUE POPl/LAIRE
ferent format for a number of years. Fiddler and DE LA BELQIQUE
tenor-guitarist Wiet Van de Leest then started the
VOLKSMUZIEK UIT BELQIE
contemporary folk group Madou with singer Vera
Folk Music from Belgium
Coomans.
Hubert Boone's Brabants Volksorkest has
travelled widely and has taken its

century traditional repertoire from Flanders to

Siberia,
mainly nineteenth-

and from Cuba to Africa. The orchestra

also
f
m
specialises in dance and serenade music of the Bra-
bant and theCampine region: structured melodies,
harmonised in a style which flourished in the nine-
teenth and early twentieth centuries. The reper-
toire is on written sources and partly
partly based
on Boone's own fieldwork. This is no longer lim-
ited to Flanders, and in recent years he has released -1UV1DIS
I I IIMC I

several CDs (on Auvidis) with field recordings from

the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Armenia.
The 1980s were not very propitious for folk The latest Walloon band is Coincidence which
music. Although Wannes Van de Velde, 't Kliekske offers its own creations in a Gallic folk-rock idiom.
and the Brabants Volksorkest kept the flame burn- Bagpipe maker Remy Dubois is also a fine per-
ing, and the folk-rock band Kadril continued to former who plays regularly with Olle Geris - a

widen its own audience, folk music of any kind Flemish maker and player who was his apprentice
was considered unfashionable. Herman Dewit did- and who has a particular gift for improvisation.
n't worry too much about fashion and continued Together they show that it's still possible for Flem-
to perform, making bagpipes, fifes and hurdy-gur- ings and Walloons to get on and enjoy playing
dies and organising annual summer courses in each other's music. Jean-Pierre Van Hees is

Gooik, West of Brussels. The latter were, and still another fine bagpipe and musette player who was
are, very successful events which began to bear in the final incarnation of Rum and who can be
fruit in the mid-1990s with young groups emerg- heard in a variety of traditional music projects.
ing such as Marc Hauman & De Moeite, The adventurous and virtuoso fiddler, Luc
Ambrozijn, Fluxus and Lai's. Pilartz, (once in the successful, but now defunct,
The quality of these groups' playing and singing Verviers Central) is now part of the Belgian
bodes well for the future. The three girl singers of 'supergroup' Panta Rhei. This band combines
Lais, for example, give impressive renderings of folk, jazz and classical musicians to play music from
traditional as well as new songs in fine unaccom- all over Europe: feisty man-
playing which always
panied harmonies, and from time to time join Claude Flagel
ages to reach the heart of the music.
forces with the folk-rock group Kadril, their vocals is a French singer and hurdy-gurdy player whose

taking on a rawer edge in the company of electric repertoire spans many centuries of French and Wal-
guitars, drums and acoustic bagpipes. Unaccom- loon balladry. He has lived in Brussels for several
panied harmony singing is also Water & Wijn's decades and has worked with both Flemish and
trademark, a dozen singers — including Wannes Walloon musicians. He also runs the Fonti Musi-
Van de Velde and Marc Hauman — who love cali label specialising in ethnic music from Wallo-
experimenting with style and technique. nia to Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda and Burundi.

26 Belgium
 .

Festivals 00
m-
r
Dranouter Folk Festival also give workshops during the festival and are happy C5
The Dranouter Folk Festival (usually the first week- to just meet people informally to chat and talk about
end of August) has grown from its modest and intimate their culture and their music. Besides the concert stages
first outing (some 300 people) in 1975 to a gigantic Sfinks also has a Virtual Village with video and multi-

three-day event attracting over 60,000 festival goers. media productions. As in Dranouter, a colourful mar-
The atmosphere is easygoing despite the huge num- ket adds to the international atmosphere.

bers and many people go for that alone. Musically, the The Sfinks organisation's offices are also the seat

biggest stars don't always remember their roots, but of the European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals
the organisers do their utmost to cater for all tastes, (EFWMF) which represents 35 festivals in 15 countries
from classic folk and ethnic to post-modem world music. and is possibly the biggest promoter of world music.
The Dranouter Festival also sponsors the tradition- Sfinks {www.sfinks.be « (32) 3 455 6944).
al music Feestival 2002 in Gooik (between Brussels
and Ghent); an annual Jewish festival in Antwerp; and Other Beligan festivals
co-operates with a number of other musical events, Antilliaanse Feesten, Antwerp: music from the
including the CD label MAP. West-Indies: second weekend of August.

The festival advertises widely, and has a site on the » (32) 3 314 3732.
Internet: www.folkdranouter.be Brosella, Brussels: second weekend of July,
e-mail: mdeswarte@unicall.be n (32) 2 270 9856.
« (32) 57 446 424; fax: 57 446 243 Brugges Festival, Bruges: second weekend of

February. » (32) 50 348 747.

Sfinks Festival Couleur Cafe, Brussels: last weekend of June.

For more than twenty years the Sfinks Festival (end rt (32) 2 672 4912.
of July beginning of August) has been looking at music Gentse Feesten, Ghent: ten days during the
from around the world. Each year it attracts some second half of July. »(32) 9 225 3676.
45,000 people and offers traditional as well as con- International Jewish Music Festival, Antwerp:
temporary music, ritual and trance music, acoustic and end November, s (32) 57 446 923.
electronic sounds, hip hop, ethno-house - anything Open Tropen, Turnhout: music from the tropics:

goes on the four different stages. Many top musicians first weekend in July. » (32) 1 4 420 961

Zap Fusion singer Cecile Kayirebwa (who sings both tradi-

tional songs and her own compositions), and Con-
Belgium's main link with Africa lies in what is now golese singer Princesse Mansia M'Bila, as well
again called theCongo, formerly Zaire and before as by jazz musicians such as American sax player
that the Belgian Congo (1884-1960). John Ruocco. Besides being a percussionist, Chris
During the colonial era - and indeed, up until Joris also plays tenor sax and piano and is a jazz
the 1980s - not much attention was paid to Con- composer at ease with different music forms. He
golese music, outside ethnomusic circles. Howev- continues his explorations with African and other
er, immigrants, students and temporary visitors from musicians today in ever-changing combinations.
Congo, Rwanda and Burundi have always per- Among the various immigrant communities of
formed their music in Brussels for themselves. The Belgium there have been some genuinely inter-
recent interest in World Music has ensured that esting fusions: Dirk Van Esbroeck grew up in
some of those excellent musicians and singers have Argentina and joined Rum soon after his return
been able to reach wider audiences, and in Zap to Belgium. He later met bandoneon player Alfre-
Mama (see box overleaf), Belgium has one of the do Marcucci and guitarist Juan Masondo and
most dynamic bands on the World Music scene. went on to form Tango al Sur. The group's
The old Afro-Belgian links first bore fruit in the repertoire includes original tangos, Argentinean
early 1980s with Bula Sangoma. a group where music and their own compositions with lyrics in

Flemish percussionist Chris Joris was joined by Dutch as well as Spanish.

some brilliant Central-African musicians, such as Brussels-based Moroccan oud-player Abid El
singer/composer Dieudonne Kabongo (who Bahri has joined forces with Flemish lutenist
finds inspiration in his Luba tradition), Rwandan Philippe Malfeyt and Chinese pipa player Hua

Belgium 27
 Zap Mama: The Pygmy Connection
"I feel I can be a bridge between two cultures," says While the first album grew out of Daulne's experi-
Zap Mama's leader Marie Daulne. True enough. Her ence with the Pygmies (although its musical influences
group has proved to be a vibrant bridge between many were pretty wide), the second, Sabsylma (1994) took
cultures, stunning audiences all round the world. a more global viewpoint. "Before I spoke about the
Daulne's story is extraordinary. She was born in Pygmies and the people around them. Now want to I

1964 in what was then the Democratic Republic of the talk about the people around Some of the most
rfte.

Congo (1960-71), but three weeks after her birth Her rewarding travel I've done was just ringing my neigh-
Belgian father was killed in a rebellion and her mother bours' doors. My Moroccan neighbour shared her
took her children into the forest for eight months where Moroccan world. The Pakistani man at the grocery
they were protected by Pygmies. The Belgian Army showed me Pakistan. That's what Sabsylma is about.
airlifted the family to Belgium and she grew up in Brus- I suggest that people dream and travel in their own
sels. There she teamed up with other Belgian-Africans cities by talking to their neighbours."
and two white singers with a genuine feel for multi-cul- Zap Mama's latest album, Seven, brings their a cap-
turalism. Drawing on Pygmy polyphony and yodel tech- pella music into closer contact with modern Western
niques, as well as other African and European vocal life. There's a band and electronics, but Daulne still

styles, they thrust their virtuoso five-strong female a sees herself as a sort of global griotte bringing a power
cappella group on an unsuspecting world in 1989. from an ancestral world: "A man in Mali told me that
In their first eponymous 1991 album (called Adven- there are seven senses. Everyone has five, some can
tures in Afropea in its incarnation on the Luaka Bop use their sixth, but not everyone has the seventh. It is

label) they explored all sorts of vocal sounds - squeals, the power to heal with music, calm with colour, to sooth
grunts, pants, laughs, giggles, vocal percussion as well the sick soul with harmony. He told me that have I this

as warm velvety tones and harmonies. What's more gift, and I know what have I to do with it."

they put together one hell of an energetic, inventive

and polished stage show. Simon Broughton

Zap Mama

28 Belgium
Xia to form Luthomania, a global trio of lute Folk Music from Belgium
(Auvidis Ethnic, France).
maniacs, strong on improvisation and offering an
00
excellent roots salad. Good mix of authentic traditions and revival groups, all recently
recorded by Hubert Boone, leader of the Brabants
m
r-
Planet Flanders is the name of a CD which
Volksorkest, field worker and curator of folk instruments at the C5
bangs together a cross-section of musicians settled Brussels Museum of Musical Instruments. Old traditional forms
in Flanders during the past few decades. These on this double CD and tabor bands, hunting-horns
include fife

in the Ardennes, accordion players, drummer bands in

include Largo: two Belgians and a Moroccan who
Antwerp and the famous carnival drums of the 'Gilles de
produce a very contemporary sound; Tarn 'Echo Binche'. The revival groups include some of the best such as

'Tarn comprising a French, a Moroccan, a Bel- the Brabants Volksorkest, 't Kliekske, Polka Galop. Rue du
Village and Kadril 'unplugged'.
gian-Guyanese and a Congolese voice in unac-
companied singing, carefully avoiding the Zap B3 Gentle Men (Irregular Records, UK).

Mama sound; Tezerdi, a Turkish-Italian- The latest of the Passchendaele Peace Concerts, a double

Flemish combination with virtuoso saz, guitar and CD looking back on the Great War in Flanders' fields. This
suite of folksongs about WW1 is an Anglo-Flemish co-opera-
keyboards; Zahava Seewald, bom from a Moroc- tion Robb Johnson's grandfathers during and
centred around
can mother and a Polish father in the Jewish part after World War Excellent singing by Vera Coomans, Roy
I.

Bailey and Johnson himself, with effective instrumental sup-

of Antwerp and many more. All of these musi-
port from Koen de Cauter's Golden Serenaders. The previous
cians are part of the increasingly multi-cultural concerts, available on the No Masters and Map labels, are
landscape of Flanders and a second edition of Plan- equally moving.

et Flanders, stressing the relevance of these musi-

cians in today's society, is on its way. Artists
Despite the fact that officialdom does not make-
it easy for musicians to survive, the future looks
Brabants Volksorkest
fairly bright. An increasing number of concert
The Brabant Folk Orchestra was founded in 1978 by
organisers and festivals are interested in World Hubert Boone to revive the music from his own and oth-
Music and public radio is generally supportive. ers' field recordings and collections, as well as to make
his contemporaries dance (and listen).
Besides the home-grown groups there is a con-
stant flow of touring bands - from the most com- M Crispijn (Auvidis Ethnic, France).

mercial type of world pop to the most authentically Dance music and instrumental traditions from the Flemish
ethnic - performing to steadily increasing num- Brabant: waltzes, scottisches, polkas, quadrilles and con-
tradanses played on flutes, clarinet, dulcimers, fiddles, double
bers of World Music converts.
bass, bagpipes, accordion and percussion. Flemish but also
European.

Lai's

discography 'Lai's'means voice in Flemish - and also refers to

medieval erotic minstrel songs: a good choice for this trio
of fine Flemish women singers, Jorunn Bauweraerts,
Nathalie Delcroix and Annelies Brosens.
Flanders and Wallonia

Compilations

Belgique: Ballades, danses et chansons de

;

Flandre et de Wallonie (Ocora, France).

Reissue of older BRTNA/RT Radio 3 recordings from 1 g52 to

1980 but still a fine selection of traditional performers repre-
sentative of both Flanders and Wallonia, juxtaposing old field
recordings and revival versions.

Flemish Folk Music 1997 (MAP, Belgium).

A double CD of the good, bad and the ugly ... with an

emphasis on the good, including all the best-known groups
in Flanders. Produced by the Dranouter Folk Festival and the

Flemish Folk Music Guild who have provided an extensive

booklet with a mine of information (in English!) on the bands,
clubs, societies, festivals, concert organisers, instrument
makers, museums, cafes et al. You name it, it's there.
 3.5 Lais (Wild Boar Music, Belgium). E Marockin' Stories (Music & Words, Netherlands).

The group's 1998 debut - a treat of Celtic-sounding vocal Marakbar, Al-Harmoniah and the Blindman Quartet share this
00
m
r—
harmonies, with unintrusive backing from the band Kadril.
The songs are mainly arrangements of traditional Flemish
disc and show three different approaches to immigrant roots
music in Antwerp, each one involving mastermind Luk Mishalle:
o material, along with the odd number from Sinead O'Connor Moroccan roots-pop with Marakbar, two dozen sax players
with some twenty percussionists in Al-Harmoniah - "a delicious-
and Jacques Brel.
ly rich cocktail", as Folk Roots put - and the more intellectual
it

approach of the four saxophones of the Blindman Quartet.

Panta Rhei
Fiddler and piper Luc Pilartz and flute/sax player Steve
Houben and friends playing fiddle, cello, melodeon, gui- Artists
tar, bass and percussion. They found their roots in an old

Heraclitus' saying "Panta rhei ..." (All things flow, nothing Pierre Van Dormael, Soriba Kouyate,
lasts forever).
Otti Van der Werf
3D European Music Today (Biz-Arts. Belgium).
This group has jazz guitarist Pierre Van Dormael exchang-
Roots music from all over Europe brought together in short ing musical cards with Senegalese kora player Soriba
suites, linking East and West, North and South with great skill
Kouyate, reinforced by OttiVan der Werf's bass guitar.
and ardour. Heartfelt music-making.
S3 Djigui (Igloo, Belgium).

The of several years' teaching as well as learning

Wannes Van de Velde fruit

Dakar, sharing the music and a way of life.

in

Listening to others
The best-known voice of Flemish folk. Born in 1937 he iswhat these musicians find essential and this meeting
has an encyclopaedic knowledge of tradition but has also between European jazz and African roots certainly makes you
written some of the best songs in Flanders. listen to them.

De kleuren van de steden

S3 (Granota, Belgium).
Zap Mama
'The colours of the cities' offers a selection of Wannes's own
The most famous group from Belgium: five women of
songs, inspired by urban life and life in general - often poetic,
mixed ethnic background whose original a cappella
sometimes bitterly critical, sometimes funny. Modern arrange-
singing and strong stage presence have taken them
ments by the late Walter Heynen for voice, flute, violin, double around the world. They mix every influence going.
bass and guitar.
Zap Mama/Adventures in Afropea
(CramWorld, Belgium; Luaka Bop/Warners, US).
Fusion
Zap Mama's first 1991 album is still a World Music classic
with its imaginative and Draws
virtuoso vocal arrangements.
Compilations on sounds from Central African Pygmies, Zaire, Rwanda, Syria
and Cuba plus wonderful yodelling, compelling harmonies and
rhythms. The Global Village at its best.

fl Planet Flanders (PAN Records, Netherlands). S3 Seven (Luaka BopA/Varners, US).

An excellent collection including Largo, Princesse Mansia
Marie Daulne dominates this 1997 album, assisted by several
M'Bila (sings Congolese songs and plays the balafon), kora new Zap Mama sisters and brothers. Not digging for further
player N'Faly Kouyate, Tarn 'Echo 'Tarn, Tezerdi, Zahava roots but exploring a more urban musical world beyond
Seewald and music from north African and Arab roots. unaccompanied vocals withmore of a techno tinge.

30 Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina CO
o

sad songs of Sarajevo

30
N
m
When you think of Bosnia, unfortunately it's not music that comes
The irony is that the ethnic to mind.
diversity that tore the country apart made musically very rich. Kim Burton picks over the pieces of
it
O
the current roots music scene in this quarter of former Yugoslavia and outlines the unique specialities
of Bosnian music.

w
ith the break-up of Yugoslavia an industry even in the chaotic, economically shat-
ideal died. Overnight, it seems, the tered and fragile societies that are rebuilding them-
country changed from being a cheap selves amid the ashes.
holiday destination for those with a In the days of the Yugoslav state, the rather dif-
taste for mild exoticism, to being associated with ferent task of deliberately preserving old songs,
brutality and internecine slaughter on a level not dances and crafts was undertaken by the amateur
seen in Europe since the days of World War II. ensembles known as Kulturno-Umetnicka
The countries of southeastern Europe, as a whole, Drustva (Cultural-Artistic Societies) or KUDs,
have a reputation as a flashpoint for conflict which which received state support in the form of finance,
stems not only from their historical role as a human or artistic direction from well-known performers
chessboard upon which great power politics played or academics. These still survive - one even has an
out their rivalries, but also from their complex and Internet presence - and these days they hope for
interwoven mixture of races and religions. What business sponsorship as well. At one time practi-
was Yugoslavia had probably the most diverse eth- cally every small town, or even factory, would boast
nic and cultural mix of any of these countries, and a KUD, and those that remain perform at folklore

one that, despite the best efforts of those of its cit- festivals at home or abroad, sometimes recording
izens who were committed to a multi-ethnic ideal, for the radio and occasionally making tapes or
proved to be the most fragile of all. records for small local labels. These are often well
Before Yugoslavia became a single country in worth hearing as they give an idea of the contem-
1918 it complex and often bloody history
had a porary village or small-town sound, whereas the
of invasion and foreign control, resulting in what professional and officially sponsored folklore groups
is now the major cultural divide within the coun- are impressively drilled but rarely as soulful.
try and one of the primary contributors to the Meantime, between the traditional and contem-
ferocity of the conflict. From the fourteenth cen- porary styles are various professional and semi-pro-
tury onwards the east and south were part of the fessional groups working outside the recording
Ottoman Empire, while Croatia and Slovenia in industry who play for money at social occasions like
the west were part of the Holy Roman Empire weddings, Saturday-night dances and village feasts.

and later Austro-Hungary.

As a result, what was Yugoslavia and
collection of independent states consists of not
is now a
The Bosnian Mix
only Catholic Slovenes and Croats, Orthodox Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the centre of former
Serbs and Macedonians, Muslim Albanians and Yugoslavia, is the area where Turkish influence
Bosnians, but also Turks, Hungarians, Gypsies, was the most developed and perhaps lingered the
Vlachs and many other small communities. Each longest, and where the ethnic diversity and inter-
of these groups has its own music - distinctive, penetration contributed to the most bitter fight-
and yet a part of the ethnic mix. And while tra- ing in the struggle for territorial control. It has a
ditional music in its pure form is inevitably dying population of about five million, three million of
out, throughout the new nations it's being brought whom are Muslims (many of whom prefer to use
up to date in novokompoiiovana narodna muz'xka the less religiously loaded term Bosniac to refer to
(new-composed folk music), heard everywhere themselves), most of the remainder being either
in cafes, bars and taxis, and forming a lucrative Catholic Croats or Orthodox Serbs.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 -J
 In its ethnic mix, the area was a microcosm of is slow and painful, with local authorities often
the entire country, and was ironically held up as putting obstructions in their way, or standing aside
DO
O the place where, more than anywhere else, peo- while returning refugees are harassed and attacked.
ple had conquered the distrust of their neighbours Even before the process of ethnic cleansing
and lived harmoniously. When the Croatian con- changed the map of Bosnia, perhaps forever, many
flictwas beginning, Bosnians frequently denied of the areas of the country could be seen as pre-
that the war could ever move to their republic, as dominantly Croat, Muslim or Serb. Everywhere,
m
33 the bonds between its inhabitants were too strong though, there were minorities within the major-
IM to break. But they were no match for the sinister ity group, so that the mainly jvluslim area of east-
m
a manipulations and ambitions of the political lead- ern Bosnia held a sizeable Serb minority, and
© ership of the surrounding republics and their Herzegovina in the west, mainly Croat, held many
cohorts. And although many of the inhabitants of Muslims.
the capital, Sarajevo — an extraordinary melting This interpenetration of communities meant that
pot of Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Mus- styles of music tended to be geographically based
lims and Jews until it was pounded by Serbian rather than linked to ethnic identity, for instance,
shelling in the spring of 1992 - strove to uphold in the northeast both Serbs and Muslims played the
their inheritance of tolerance and traditional com- energetic and compelling violin and Sargija (SA2)
panionship, they too succumbed and Sarajevo music referred to as izvorna (original), and in the

became a divided city. hills above the southern reaches of the river Neret-
At present, Bosnia is divided into two parts va both Croat and Muslim villagers sang the ancient
which are intended to cooperate in the building and dissonant vocal gange of the Dinaric mountains.
of one nation; a troubled Federation of Croat As is often the case, the most important gener-
and Bosniac Entities, and the Serb Republic, al divison -wider cultural sense and more
in a
which has its own internal stresses and strains. The of music — lay between the
specifically in the field

principle on which the war was fought — the forced village and the town; the village with its rough and

displacement of ethnic communities in order to ready sounding antique harmonies and powerful
create ethnically pure areas — has led to a refugee rhythms, and the town with a more sophisticated,
crisis of enormous proportions. Hundreds of thou- supple and sinuous melody supported by hannonies
sands of people fled the country, and their return with a clear Western component.

Nesidu-I-Huda - Sufis of Sarajevo

32 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Sevdalinke them hidden away from undesirable suitors. So
many Sarajevske sevdalinke speak of thwarted
00
The most typical form of urban music in Bosnia love. The young women, forbid-
story goes that o
CO
is the sevdalinka or love-song. (The name is den to meet or even see their lovers, would sing
derived from the Turkish word sevda - love - but of their love through the barred windows of their
in the Bosnian sense it has come to mean a yearn- walled gardens to the young men strolling in the
ing, hopeless, and painful love, doomed, never to dusk through the narrow lanes of the city. The
be consummated). The broad, ornamented following is a typical lyric:
m
melodies often use oriental scales and chromatic N
m
inflections, with a free and flexible rhythm and A red rose has blossomed CV
sweeping arches of melody. The lyrics speak of In the lane, there is but one left.

star-crossed lovers, faith or betrayal and breathe an Through that lane my sweetheart passes
atmosphere of regret and resignation. There are And with his horse he tramples the flowers.

tales, possibly somewhat exaggerated, of listeners Let him, O let him trample them

who were so moved by a particularly impassioned If he but pass this way more often.

performance that they left the room and shot them-

selves out of grief. Traditionally sevdalinke were performed to the
The origins of sevdalinke lie in the interaction accompaniment of the saz, a stringed instrument
of the musical forms that the Turkish invaders of Turkish origin with a pear-shaped body and long
brought with them with the ballads and lyric songs neck. Ideally the singer would also be his own
of the Slavs that they found there. Many of the accompanist (women rarely if ever were acquaint-
Bosnians accepted Islam much more readily than ed with instrumental technique, save for the tam-
did the other inhabitants of southeastern Europe, bourine-like dairc, although they were and are
possibly because they had been Bogomils, a Chris- frequently valued as singers). The sound of the saz

tian sect proclaimed as heretical and attacked by is quiet and contemplative and fits the mood of
both Eastern and Western churches. As a result, sevdalinke perfectly, but it is a dying art and in
the towns of Bosnia became centres of Islamic cul- Bosnia before the war there were perhaps only thir-
ture, and it is believed that some oriental religious ty sazlije, mostly of the older generation. Among
melodies known as ilahije were adopted by the the most notable of the singers were Hasim
townspeople and fitted with new lyrics to become Muhamerovic, Kadir Kurtagic, Emina
sevdalinke. This does not mean that all sevdalinke Ahmedhodzic and Muhamed Mesanovic-
were introduced from the East. Many sevdalinke Hamic, some of whom were also sazlije.

show typically Slav melodic formulae and caden- more common these days is the performance
Far
tial patterns, and the melody of the celebrated "Kad of the same songs to the backing of a typical folk
ja podjoh na Benbasu", which has been proclaimed orchestra of accordion, violin, clarinet and guitar,
the unofficial anthem of Sarajevo, has had a Jew- with harmonies influenced by (but not identical
ish origin claimed for it. to) Western models, and less rhythmic subtlety, but
Each of the towns of Bosnia or Herzegovina has retaining the supple and mournful beauty typical
its own sevdalinka tradition, and their subjects of these songs. The older sazli je looked on this style

relate to their home-town's particular quirks of as adulterated and less capable of expressing subtle
history or geography. Zvornik, for example, on emotions, but there is no doubt that performers
the River Drina between Bosnia and Serbia, was such as Safet Isovic. Hanka Paldum, Zaim
known as the Gate of Bosnia and was, in the time Imamovic, the late Himzo Polovina and oth-
of Turkish rule, the point from which armies were ers are part of the long and sophisticated tradition.

despatched to put down revolts and uprisings in

Serbia. Consequently, many of the sevdalinke from Bosnian Roots
Zvornik deal with loss and with lovers who are
never to meet again. One famous song says: "The Although there are many other types of music in
Drina flows from hill to hill, not with rain or white Bosnia, including a Muslim tradition of heroic bal-
snow, but with the tears of the maidens from lads similar to those of the Serbs and Montenegrins,
Zvornik." but often accompanied by the strummed tambura
In contrast, Sarajevo, the capital of the (lute) and celebrating the feats, naturally enough,
province, was the home of rich landowners and of Muslim rather than Christian warriors, the most
merchants who carefully guarded the honour and widespread is a style known to the locals as Izvor-
marriage prospects of their daughters by keeping na Bosattska muzika, which means roughly 'roots

Bosnia -Herzegovina
 " "

music'. This is a relatively recent development of

the village music from the Drina valley and the sur-
00
o rounding area in the eastern part of the country,
CO with the small market town of Kalesija
centre; the savage fighting and subsequent maneou-
its one-rime
Kaksijski Svuci
vrings in the area have not been conducive to sus-
I

taining musical life.

m
30
At one time performed at village celebrations
N
m known as sijela (sittings) marking the end of har-
,

vest time, ploughing, sowing, or on feast days, and

C5
O more recently at the Saturday-night dance in the
local house of culture or bar, this kind ot music is

usually performed by a small group of a couple of

singers, two violinists and a player of a sargija (the
village equivalent of a saz), sometimes accordion
or even, on occasion, a rough and ready assault on
a drum kit. GlobeStyle's great but tragically titled album
The sound of this roots music is quite startling
to Westerners, as its ideas of harmony and conso- dissonance where the Bosnian hears a charming
nance draw on a tradition totally different to that consonance. It's an ancient way of singing and
of western Europe or its descendants in American widespread in southeastern Europe, from Istria on
popular song. Essentially it involvestwo voices the Slovenian and Croatian coast to eastern Bul-
singing together in very close harmony — so close, garia, but the Bosnian bands have developed it in
indeed, that the Western ear perceives a grinding a very interesting way, being remote enough to
preserve it but close enough to trade routes and
small towns to acquire modern instruments and
Aljo the Bully Blocked the Road adapt them to the old music.
It was around the time of the First World War
Aljo the bully blocked the roads that such string bands of this type made their first

And demanded tribute from the girls. appearance, but in the 1960s and later, as the
music's local audience began to travel abroad as

Aj, he didn 't only demand tribute gastarbeiter (guest Germany and other
workers) to
from beautiful Hajrija relatively wealthy European countries, they
But Aljo spoke to her: increased their economic power, both in their own
"Aj, you will not pass before I kiss you. lives and by sending money back home to their
families. This provided the impetus for many local

Aj, beautiful Hajrija started to say: record companies to record the music, giving it

"Don't, Aljo my mother will notice. an unusually wide distribution for what had been
Aj, Aljo screamed like an angry snake. a rather obscure form of village music.
Consequently, you can find discs and cassettes

And he kissed beautiful Hajrija. of practically pure folkloric performers like the Jelic

Aj, how much he kissed her. sisters, the very lyrical group of Mohamed
He left four marks [on her face]. Beganovic and the almost punkish energy of
Zvuci Zavicaja (Sounds of Tradition) next to
Aj, the first mark was on the eyebrows. Kalesijski Zvuci (Sounds of Kalesija). The latter's
The second mark was excellent Bosnian Breakdown album, released on the
in the middle of her white cheek. UK GlobeStyle label, is an astonishing mixture of
Aj, the third mark was local singing and fiddling styles with a hot village-
at the middle of her white neck. dance rhythm section.
Aj, the fourth was where the rain doesn't fall. The problems created by the massive displace-
ment of population and the vast numbers of
Traditional sevdalinka sung by Kadir Kurtagig refugees mean that the largest audience for Bosni-
on Smithsonian Folkways Bosnia Echoes from : an music of the traditional sort
is probably to be

an Endangered World. found abroad. However, at home there are still

concerts of sevdalinke and newly composed folk

34 Bosnia-Herzegovina
 outstanding performance by Himzo Polovina accompanied by
music, and there are also groups that concentrate
saz and a beautiful "Kad ja podjoh na Benbasu" with the
on representing the whole field of Bosnian music. radio orchestra - as well as dance music, a fiercely dissonant
00
One such is the Sarajevo-based Bosansko Kolo, ganga, Sufi music and a muezzin's call to prayer. Good
sleeve notes, too.
o
C/5
while most of the communities in their temporary
exile have amateur or semi-professional groups of 83 Sevdah u Becu (Sevdah in Vienna)
(RST Records, Austria).
varying capabilities. i

Sarajevo's one-rime position as the centre of for- This CD of refugee musicians is of variable quality, under-
standably, given the random selection of performers thrown
mer Yugoslavia's music industry was, understand-
together by an appalling worth getting hold of 30
fate, but is for
rsi
ably enough,
unabated tendency to take
damaged by the war, and the
political affiliation into
the beautiful and sensitive saz playing of Himzo Tulic alone.
m
account when choosing those who occupy posi- Artists
o
tions of power in the media and in cultural life has

naturally influenced the way in which music is Kalesijski Zvuci

presented and mediated, but both the city and the This a great rustic six-piece band from northeastern
is

country are still noteworthy as the source of rich Bosnia with vocals, violin, cargija, accordion, bass and
drums. They come from the village of Donji Rainci, a short
musical talent.
distance from the market town of Kalesija from which
they take their name 'Sounds of Kalesija'.

discography ®
The
Bosnian Breakdown
(GlobeStyle, UK).

title of this CD, recorded in 1991 shortly before the out-

break of the war, has gained a terrible irony, but the music is
.See the article on Serbia (p. 273) for discs that as powerful as ever. Two of the tunes are performed in tradi-
^cover the whole of former Yugoslavia. tional style with two violins and sargija, the rest are beefed up
with electric guitar, bass and drums.

Compilations Nesidu-l-Huda
The name of this ensemble, focussed on the Tabacki
~ Bez Sevdaha Nema Milovanja (Diskoton, Bosnia). Mosque in Sarajevo, means 'Divine Instruction'. Founded
in1985 they were semi-underground during the commu-
This outstanding two-cassette collection of sevdalinke by var-
nist period and then lost several members during the
ious well-known singers, accompanied by a small band from Bosnian war.
Radio Sarajevo. The best possible introduction to a wonderful
style, if you can find it. 83 Bosnia: Sufi Chanting of Sarajevo
(VDE/AIMP-Gallo, Switzerland).
Bosnia: Echoes From An Endangered World
(Smithsonian Folkways, US). Excellent collection of Sufi music (ilahija and kasida) in

Bosnian, Arabic, Turkish and Persian. Male vocals with

Covering more or less the whole spectrum, with a focus on accompanying frame drum or tambourine recorded in
Muslim performers, the music chosen covers sevdalinke with Geneva on a concert tour in 1995. Excellent notes.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 35
. Bulgaria
>
SO
> f#ie mystery voice
After wine music has become Bulgaria's best-known export. The distinctive women's
and footballers,
singing style of Le Mystere des voix Bulgares has been a World Music hit, popping up in commercials

and film soundtracks while their concerts and discs still sell strongly. On the instrumental front,
wedding-band clarinetisHvo Papasov is internationally known, while at home the traditions are very
much alive, whether at social occasions or at the great quintennial festival in Koprivshtitsa. Kim
Burton checks in.

sound of Bulgarian music, direct, soul- ornaments, although subtly varied with each per-
The ful and unashamed, is unmistakable. formance, are percieved as a vital part of the tune,
Although it undeniably forms part of a con- and the only time you will ever hear a song with-
tinuum that stretches from the western out them is when the singer is too old to cope.
Balkans to Turkey and beyond, both its matter and Much Bulgarian music, both sung and played,
manner are powerfully individual. The first thing was traditionally performed without harmony, or
to strike the unaccustomed ear is the characteristic with, at most, a simple drone like that of the bag-
Nadka Karadzho-
vocal timbre of such singers as pipe. Nonetheless, in some districts a most extraor-
va, Yanka Rupkina and Konya Stojanova - dinary system of polyphonic performance grew up.
the soloists on the popular Lc Mystere des I oix Bul- In the Shop district near Sofia, women in the vil-

gares album recorded by Bul- lages sing in two- and three-

garian Radio's women's part harmony - though not
choir. Their rich, direct and a harmony that western ears
stirringsound has rather readily recognise, as it is char-
oddly become referred to in acterised by dissonance and
the West as 'open-throated'. tone clusters and decorated
In fact, the throat in this style with whoops, vibrato and
of singing is extremely con- slides. The singers themselves

stricted and the sound is say that they try to sing "as
forced out, which accounts bells sound". In the Pirin
for its focus and its strength, mountains of the southwest,
and which allows the artic- the villagers sometimes sing
complex yet
ulation of the two different two-voiced
clean ornaments that are songs with two different texts

such a striking feature of simultaneously, resulting in

these singers' performances. a four-part texture. In gen-
Another common mis- eral, this polyphonic style of
conception about the Mys- performance is the particular
tere album was to put it in Mystery voice Nadka Karadzhova domain of women, and was
the category of folk music', associated with women's
when the compositions, for the most part, were gatherings. In the Pirin district men also sing in
highly sophisticated modem choral compositions harmony, albeit with a different repertoire and in

or arrangements of village song, notably the slow, a simpler, more robust style.

heavily ornamented solo numbers. These are tra- The rhythmic complexity and speed of Bulgar-
ditional women's songs which used to be sung at ian music is also striking. Most of the countries of
the social events called sedyanki, evenings when the southeast Europe use a rhythmic system based on
unmarried girls would gather together to sew and beats of irregular length so that such times as 7/8
embroider, gossip and compare fiances, or sung to or 1 1/8 are commonplace, but the Bulgarians have
guests on the occasion of various festivities. Their developed this, and the fleet dance steps associated

36 Bulgaria
with such patterns, to an unrivalled peak of intri- has vanished as a living tradition, but is sometimes
cacy. The most widespread of these irregular pat- presented at festivals and folklore shows where the
terns is probably the rachaiitsa dance, with its three wild and stirring music remains the same.
beats of irregular length arranged as 2-2-3, closely The two most important rites of passage in con-
followed by the kopmitsa (2-2-3—2-2). More com- temporary Bulgarian life, whether in the country
plex patterns are by no means uncommon. These or in the town, are getting married and leaving 30
rhythms, so foreign to Western ears, are ingrained home for military service - the latter affecting both
in Bulgarians, who snap their fingers in such pat- the recruit himself and the family he leaves behind.
terns while queueing for a bus or hanging around Both these occasions are marked by music. Every
on the comer of the street. On the other hand, ordi- moment of a wedding - the arrival of the groom's
nary two-beat patterns of the sort found in the sim- wedding party, the leading out of the bride to meet
ple 6/8 Shopsko lioro are probably the commonest it, the procession to the church, and so on - has a

of all. particular melody or song associated with it. Tra-

ditionally, the songs sung at the bride's house the

Ritual Music night before the wedding

whole body of Bulgarian music because the bride
are the saddest in the

Even though Bulgaria is a relatively small country is leaving home, never to live again in her parents'

- the population is just nine million - there are house.

several clearly defined regional styles. The earthy, Parties to see the young men off to the army
almost plodding dances from Dobrudzha, in the are more cheerful affairs. In towns, the family of
northeast, are quite different in character to the the recruit hires a restaurant and a band — normally
lightning-fast dances of the Shop people who live some combination of accordion, violin, electric
around Sofia, the capital city, and the long, heart- guitar, clarinet/saxophone and drum kit which
rending songs from the Thracian plain contrast plays a promiscuous mix of folk, pop and other
with the sweet and pure melodies from the north- melodies - and the guests eat, drink and dance. In
\\ est and the Danube shore. In the remote moun- the country the feast is often held in the evening,
tains of the Rodopi, in the south, you can still hear and out of doors.
the distant sound of a shepherd playing the bag- Typical of such occasions was one I saw in
pipes {gaida) to his flock of a summer evening, and Mirkovo, a village in west central Bulgaria. The
in the villages or small towns of the valleys groups mam street was jammed with trestle tables and
of people sing slow, broad songs to the accompa- the guests were entertained by a little band of
niment of the deep kaba gaida. two clarinets, trumpet and accordion, who played
The yearly round of peasant life was defined by the slow melodies called na trapcza (at the table)
the rhythm of the seasons - sowing and harvest while the guests ate. Later the young soon-to-be
and the winter lull - and many of the ancient rit- soldier - glazed of eye and rather unsteady on his
uals, intended to ensure fertility and luck, survive, feet- was led round and presented with gifts of
though the belief that they will have a magical money, flowers or shirts. (Shirts play a great role
and supernatural effect is more or less superseded in Bulgarian folk life. At weddings each mem-
by force of These customs include the
habit. ber of the party wears a handkerchief pinned to
when groups of young
Christmas-time Koleduvane, their breast, but the more important relatives
men process around the village asking for gifts sport an entire shirt, sometimes still in its cello-
from the householders; Laduvane at the New Year; phane wrapping.)
and the springtime Lazaruvane (songs of St Lazarus After all the food had gone, the band struck up

Day), the most important holiday for young a set of local dance tunes, and everyone rushed to
women, who take their turn to sing and dance join in a how (a ring dance) whose leader capered
through the streets. All have particular songs and and leapt, all the while flourishing an enormous
dances connected with them - usually simple and flag on a long pole. Bulgarians, especially villagers,

repetitive and almost certainly stemming from love dancing, and at the end of a festival or simi-
ancient times. lar event, once the official part of the programme
Once performed in the villages of Bulgari, Kon- is over and the band starts to play for pleasure, you
dolovo and Rezovo in the Strandzha area, the most can see people - from grannies to young children
startling of these rites, Nestinarstvo - when the - literally racing across the grass to join the circle.
chosen tell into a trance and danced on hot coals Even the trendiest of young things needs no per-
to the sound of bagpipe and drum mark the cli-
to suasion to take their grandmother's hand and be
max of the feast of saints Konstantin and Elena - swept into the ring.

Bulgaria 37
 "

and other na trapeza melodies. In the Rodopi

Traditional Bulgarian Song mountains in the most southern part of the coun-
A big sedyanka was gathered try the musicians use a much larger instrument,

In the dancing-place of the village. the deep-voiced kaba gaida, to accompany singing
Two young girls began to sing of dancing, sometimes alone and sometimes in
Began to sing and didn't stop. groups of two, three, four or even more. One
> A monk heard them enormous ensemble goes by the title of Sto Kaba
from Sveta Gora monastery Gaidi (One hundred bagpipes), a precise indica-
And monk cursed them bitterly:
that tion of its size, and both the* sight and the sound
"God damn you, two young girls of one hundred bagpipes playing in unison is unde-
Why didn't you start to sing a little sooner, niably impressive and indeed overwhelming.
Before I became a monk? Like the gaida, the kaval was originally a shep-
Iwould have married one of you, herds' instrument, and some of its melodies — or
Either the younger or the elder.
rather freely extemporised meditations on certain
specific motifs — go by such names as "Taking the
herd to water", "At noon", and "The lost lamb".

Bands and Instruments The modern kaval is made of three wooden tubes
fitted together, the topmost of which has a bev-

Most Bulgarian bands that play at weddings and elled edge that the player blows against on the
other events use modern, factory-made instru- slant to produce a note. The middle tube has eight

ments, often amplified with more enthusiasm than finger holes and the last has four more holes which
subtlety. Around the town of Yambol in the affect the tone and the tuning. They are some-
Strandzha area, in the east, however, people pre- times called Djavolski dupki (the Devil's holes),
fer the old folk instruments, and if they can afford and the tale goes that they were made by the
it hire a specialist band of professionals to travel Devil, driven to such jealousy by a young shep-
from Sofia for the occasion. Such a band will herd's playing that he stole his kaval while he was
almost invariably consist of gaida (bagpipes), kaval sleeping and bored the extra holes to ruin it. When
(end-blown flute), gadulka (a bowed, stringed the shepherd awoke he discovered that his instru-
instrument) and tambura (a strummed, stringed ment sounded still sweeter than before, and the
instrument), sometimes with the addition of the Devil's plans were, as is usual in folktales, sent
large drum, the tapan. wildly awry.
These instruments were always common The school of kaval playing that has grown up
throughout the country and after World War II, since the war, led by Nikola Ganchev and Stoy-
when the state founded its ensembles for folk songs an Velichkov, is extremely refined and capable
and dances, they were the ones chosen to make of all manner of nuances of sound. The tone is
up the new 'orchestras'. As a result they have sweet and clear (the folk say 'honeyed'), the low
undergone certain technical developments and (kaba) register is rich and buzzing, and in the last
refinements to aid tuning and tone, while the fifteen or so years some of the performers have
invention of a paid class of professionals allowed developed a new technique called kato klarinet (clar-

their players to reach unprecedented

heights of virtuosity.
The gaida is the best-known of all
these instruments. Although of simple
construction - a chanter for the melody,
a drone, mouth-tube, and a small
goatskin bag which acts as a reservoir for

air - it's capable of a partly chromatic

scaleof just over an octave and, in the
hands of masters such as Kostadin
Varimezov or Nikola Atanasov, its

wild sound has an astonishing turn of

speed and rhythmic force. These play-
ers also have the ability to use the poten-
tial of the gaida's rich ornamentation to
perform beautiful versions of slow songs Sto Kaba Gaidi (One Hundred Bagpipes Ensemble)

38 Bulgaria
 Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares CO

Dora Hristova, who has led Le Mystere des Where do you get your repertoire?
Voix Bulgares for over a dozen years reveals "Our singers come from villages all over Bulgaria and
some of the mysteries: they bring their own repertoire. These are usually solo

songs, or diaphonic if theycome from the Shop region

What's the secret of the singing style? of western Bulgaria. When they come to us record I

"It is impossible to train somebody to sing like this. the song and give it to one of our arrangers (Nikolai

These women are born with this ability. We have Kaufmann and Kosta Kolev, amongst others). Then the
worked with a group of American women who love Bul- singer who brought the song is the soloist in our
garian music and have formed a choir specially to sing arrangement so that its original character is preserved.

it. Of course they are good, but it is an imitation. Sec- "A singer from another region is not able to reproduce
ondly, this technique is very harmful to the vocal chords. the style, they might be able to imitate it, but not give
If you are not born with the right physiology you can it the genuine character. The choir is like a bunch of
easily damage your vocal chords because the tension flowers. Everyone is individual, and as a director I try

of the air passing through them is so great to make the to tread a fine line between keeping people's individ-

sound piercing and strong. uality and unifying the voices into a choir."

"The vocal technique was once widespread in Europe,

but the historical circumstances meant that it was When not performing internationally, what is the
only preserved in Bulgaria. With five hundred years choir's role in Bulgaria?
of Ottoman oppression we had no real contact with "We are employees of Bulgarian television. First of all
European vocal culture while they developed a bel we record vocal music for radio and TV programmes
canto vocal style. In European bel canto resonance and then we're invited to give concerts for official fes-

is in the head and chest while in Bulgarian singing the tivals and celebrations. Most of the local ensembles no
resonance is always in the chest, never in the head. longer exist because they couldn't survive these diffi-

That's why the vocal range is restricted - only an cult years. We are lucky because we are still employed."
octave." Simon Broughton

inet style) - the instrument is played as though it

were a trumpet producing a sound indeed very
like the low register of the clarinet.

The gadulka is a relative of the medieval rebec,

with a pear-shaped body held upright on the

knee, tucked into the belt, or cradled in a strap
hung round the player's neck. It has three, some-
times four bowed strings and as many as nine sym-
pathetic strings which resonate when the
instrument is played to produce an unearthly
shimmering resonance behind the melody. The
gadulka is exceptionally tricky to play, there are
no frets, not even a fingerboard. The top string
is stopped with the fingernails instead of the fin-
gertips, and the technical ability of some of its
players is astonishing. Mihail Marinov and
Atanas Vulchev are notable among older play-
ers, and Nikolai Petrov is an important mem-
ber of the younger generation.
The tambura is a member of the lute family,
with a flat-backed pear-shaped body and a long
fretted neck. Its and
original form, found in Pirin
Rodopi, had two courses of strings,
in the central
one of which usually just provided a drone while
the melody was played on the other. These days
the common form of the instrument has four Gadulka player

Bulgaria 39
 courses tuned like the top four strings of a guitar, language which answered the aesthetic demands
and in groups it both strums chords and runs of western European concepts of form and har-
counter melodies. It has thus changed its form and mony, without losing touch with the atmosphere
its role in Bulgarian music more than any other of the original tunes. If you compare his work with
instrument, as chordal harmony is not typical of the attempts of earlier arrangers to force the tunes
village music and was only introduced by aca- into a harmonic system which they really didn't

^ demically trained composers in the course of this fit, his success is as obvious as their failure.

century.
Around the end of the nineteenth century fac-
tory-made instruments like the accordion, clarinet

and violin began to arrive and were soon used to

play dance music and to accompany songs. Mod-
ern accordion style was pretty much defined by
Boris Karloffwho played vers- elegantly and wrote
a number of tunes, notably "'Krivo Horo", which
have become standards. More modern accordion-
worthy of note include the Gypsy Ibro Lolov.
ists

Traicho Sinapov and Kosta Kolev - the latter,

also well known as a composer, arranger and con-
ductor, plays in a unique style which contrasts in Trio Bulgarka with singing pal Kate Bush
its restraint and care with the high-speed acrobat-
ics of some of the younger players. By far the most It is Koutev's heritage that is heard on the pop-
brilliant of these is Petar Ralchev, a Thracian ular Bulgarian recordings: the Mystere des voix Bul-
who. unlike some of the speed-merchants, com- gares CDs, and those of the Trio Bulgarka and
bines new ideas with a great deal of taste and, more the instrumental group Balkana (a slighdy expand-
importantly, soul. Another Thracian accordionist ed Trahiiskita Troika trading under another name)
with an invigorating approach is Boris Khristev. which had some success abroad in the early 1990s.
More recently, the accordion has been replaced It is impossible to overestimate the tight grip
as the keyboard instrument of choice by the syn- that the Communist state had on every aspect of
thesiser, easier to amplify and with a greater range Bulganan life, and this is as true of music as of any-
of sounds, although many of the players who have thing else. What began as a praiseworthy attempt
moved to it from the acoustic instrument play it to preserve and enrich folklore became a strait-
with the keyboard held vertically on the thigh, as jacket to which all musicians had to conform or
though an instrument laid parallel to the ground else stop working as musicians. It reached such
were an offence against nature. ridiculous extremes as prescribing a certain per-
centage of Russian songs to be played in the course

State Ensembles of an evening's entertainment in a restaurant to

demonstrate the eternal friendship of the Bulgar-
The familiar sound of Bulgarian musical ensem- ian and Soviet peoples, while the presence of
bles was developed in the late 1940s and 5()s, when watchful figures with their notebooks ensured that
various local and national State Ensembles were the musicians complied.
set up by the new government as part of a cultur- One musician told me how he had had to audi-
al drive on the Soviet model. tion all his new songs and dances to 'The Com-
The most important of these was based in the mittee of Pensioners' before he was permitted to
capital Sofia, and drew on talent from all around perform them on the radio. If they were 'not Bul-
the country. This was the State Ensemble for garian enough' then permission was refused. Even
Folk Songs and Dances under the leadership of if it was granted, the sty le of performance had to
Philip Koutev (1903-1982), an extraordinarily be acceptable. "Once they told me that I was play-
talented composer and arranger whose style of ing too fast, and that Bulgarian music is not played
writing and arranging became the model for a so fast. This was a tune that I myself had written,
whole network of professional and amateur groups it was I that was playing it, and I am a Bulgarian
across the country. His great gift was the ability to musician. How could they tell me the way to play
take the sounds of village singers - drone-based my own song? But they could. I tell you, Bulgar-
and full of close dissonances, but essentially har- ian music used to be behind closed shutters - but
monically static - and from this forge a musical now the shutters have been opened."

40 lulgana
 Koprivshtitsa: Bulgaria's Main Event 09

Imagine a cross between a pop festival and a medieval music, if not the event, is genuine. The performers may
fair: 18,000 people singing and playing music in the have been assisted by 'consultants' but this is village
3D
mountains of central Bulgaria surrounded by traders music as performed by the villagers, not arranged and
exploiting the new free-market potential, the smell of cleaned up by professional ensembles. Still, I suspect
grilling kebabs, beer tents, plastic-trinket sellers, stalls that nowadays most mid-winter rituals in Bulgaria are
with the latest in Bulgarian CDs, and Gypsies weaving performed at Koprivshtitsa in August rather than at their

through the crowds with performing monkeys and proper time. Beware too the endless 'folk plays' full of

dancing bears. This is the festival that takes place every butter chums and spinning wheels that pop up between
five years on the hillside above the picturesque village the musical numbers. It's clear that the social changes
of Koprivshtitsa. since the war have changed the nature of village life

It began in 1965 as a showcase for Bulgarian folk- for ever.

lore financed by the Ministry of Culture. The Bulgarian Unlike Romania, where folk music has kept its orig-

Communists were generous in supporting their own inal function in spite of the regime, in Bulgaria it has
idea of folk music: state song and dance troupes pre- rather lost its true meaning, thanks to sponsorship by
senting a 'rich national heritage' abroad and profes- the state. Now it needs to find a natural life again, but
sional dance ensembles going into villages to show I wonder if it can do so when the link between the music
the locals how Bulgarian dances should be performed. and everyday life is broken. It may have become per-
But Koprivshtitsa was one of the better ideas. Here the manently festivalised!

music is performed in something like its raw style by The best music at Koprivshtitsa happens offstage
ordinary villagers. away from the dreaded PA systems. You can find lit-

Its supporters say the Koprivshtitsa Festival shows tle groups just singing to themselves, or solitary bag-
Bulgarian music at its most authentic. I don't see that pipe and fiddle players on the hillside. This is where
performing a mid-winter dance on a concrete platform the music belongs and where it sounds at its best.

in August, with men dressed in woolly bear-suits in a Going off in search of a kebab, I stumbled across a
temperature of 30°C, is remotely authentic, but the clutch of Bulgarian Turkish musicians at the centre of
a ring of dancers playing zurna and tupan drum. For a
few leva, you could have the dubious thrill of the zurna
blown directly into your ear - 'ear fucking' as they call
it. With the rhythms insistently pumping out, the dancers
were in fact in a sort of sexual frenzy. Some of the men
had beer bottles tucked into their wide waistbands and,
thrusting their groins, they carefully controlled their
movements until the climax of the dance, when the
beer frothed over and sprayed the crowd.
What Koprivshtitsa demonstrates above all is that
there is incredible musicality amongst ordinary peo-
ple. Could you find 1 8,000 performers like this in a pop-
ulation of nine million anywhere else? And what the
festival contributes is an impetus for non-profession-
al people to preserve their traditions and a focus where
professional musicians can go to keep in touch with
music at the roots.
Villagers strut their stuff Simon Broughton

This is not to say that the people working in the their own individual style. Amongst arrangers and
field of folklore during the Communist yean were composers, Kosta Kolev is one unmistakable voice,
all apparatchiks, nor that they failed to produce and the work of Stefan Mutafchiev and Niko-
immensely beautiful music. The network of region- lai Stoikov with the Trakiya Ensemble in Plov-

al professional ensembles, fed by a stream of talent div was very inventive.

trained in schools set up to teach folk music, meant The series of regional competition-festivals held
that there was time, money and opportunity avail- around the country and culminating once every five

able for people to develop the approved language years at the vast gathering of amateur music groups
in their own way, and many composers created at Koprivshtitsa (see box), the mass-production

Bulgaria 41
of folk instruments, and the encouragement shown and began a far-reaching reinvention of their local

to amateurs, has managed to keep music alive in the music. It was only in the mid-1980s that official-
villages. The lack of state funding and the resulting dom picked up on the existence of this music, and
commercial pressures have led to a plethora of through the efforts of some far-seeing musicolo-
cloned women's choirs capitalising on the success gists was persuaded to recognise
worthy of it as

of Mystere, and a consequent struggle for scarce public support. A set up in

triennial festival was
resources on the part of other groups performing a the town of Stambolovo (hence the wedding
less high-profile music. However, in recent years name of Stambolovski orkcstri) and
bands' alternative
fledgling private companies are beginning to play a the results issuedon the Ba+kanton record label
part in developing a new folk-based popular music. and more recently Marko's Music. The festival
At the moment much of this is in a fairly underde- presented the new music in maybe a slighdy bowd-
veloped state, with a simple juxtaposition of a folk- lerised form - bands were subjected to the 'assis-

song with a beatbox, but the conditions for the tance' of approved musical directors - but the
development of a truly Bulgarian pop music (as performances and the resulting recordings were a
opposed to the usual cabaret-style Eurodisco imi- revelation nonetheless.
tations) are beginning to bear fruit. Clarinettist Ivo Papasov (see box) became the
The festival at Koprivshtitsa is particularly impor- best known abroad of these musicians. He started
tant, not merely because of its size (there are lit- out with the Plovdiv jazz-folk ensemble, and in
erally thousands of performers bused in from all his own later work has flirted with jazz and pro-
over the country) but because it is the only one duced some startling transformations of tradition-
devoted to amateur performers. Practically the only al Thracian and Turkish music. His family is of

recordings of genuine village music that the state Turkish origin, and even in the period just prior
record company Balkanton has ever released are to the fall of the Zhivkov regime, when the very
from and they are among the most
this festival, existence of a Turkish minority in Bulgaria was
beautiful and valuable commercial recordings of denied (the Balkans suffered greatly under the
Bulgarian songs and dances ever made. Turkish Empire for over five hundred years and

the attempt to whip up anti-Turkish feelings was

Wedding Bands part of an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by the
communists to retain power by playing the nation-
The wedding bands are a fascinating example alist card), you could get homemade recordings of
of the formerly 'underground' folk music that is Papasov playing Turkish melodies with a small

currently an extremely important part of Bulgar- band of the type common today in Istanbul.
ian musical life, and is likely to develop still fur- When the ethnic basis of music became less

ther. Unlike the musicians mentioned above, who highly charged and releases of Turkish music began
were approved and employed by the state (though to surface both on Balkanton and private labels, it

none the worse for that), they existed outside the looked though some interesting innovations
as

framework of official music making, being hired could be expected from him - his second release,
to play at weddings, the seeing-off of recruits and Balkaiwlogy, on UK-based Hannibal records, kicked
various village festivities. Because they did not off with a Turkish dance and also included Mace-
have to pay much attention to the Communist donian and Greek material - but in recent years
ideal of workers and peasants marching into a glo- he has had a lower profile, occasionally making an
rious dawn on the radio
in order to record or get appearance on more of the folk-jazz projects of
(as semiprofessionals the air-waves were not open which Bulgarian musicians seem so fond.
to them in any case), they were free to experi- There are many other wedding bands of this
ment with instrumentation, mixtures of folk type in which Rom musicians are often promi-
instalments like gaida and kaval with electric gui- nent whose approach is still more eclectic and
tar, synthesiser and kit drums, rock and jazz adventurous. The orchestras Sever, Juzhni Vetar,
rhythms, and foreign tunes. Shoumen and Trakilski Solisti all have fresh
As the state-monopolised recording industry in and intriguing ways of interpreting their traditional

Bulgaria didn't allow the formation of a commer- music. Some have now made commercial record-
cial style, some of the musicians simply learned ings; others are still only to be heard live or on
songs from Serbian and other radio broadcasts or homemade tapes sold in the markets of the small
from pirated cassette tapes and performed them to towns where they live, but all have a freshness and
a public that responded to their directness and ener- excitement that overcomes all but the most hide-
gy. Others, particularly in Thrace, went further bound ideas.

42 Bulgaria
 Ivo Papasov - the Wedding King 00

With a huge gut and unwieldy frame, Ivo Papasov music." He has an immense following in Bulgaria, not
seems an unlikely source for some of the most nimble just among Turks and Gypsies but amongst young peo- 3>
and virtuoso music you'll encounter anywhere in the ple as well. It's now easier than was for him to give
it

world. After seeing him in concert, though, you'll be concerts, but he's most famous for playing weddings
left in little doubt that he's one of the for those who can afford it.

most interesting clarinettists around. "They are big weddings - maybe

He and his band race through num- 1 000 or 1 500 people with lots of eat-

bers based on the complex rhythms ing, drinking and dancing. They last

of Bulgarian folk dances, grafting on more than twenty-four hours, starting

jazzy improvisations for clarinet, sax- in the morning at the bride's house.
ophone, accordion and keyboard. There's eating and drinking and
He is also one of the few jazz money is bestowed or maybe a car or
musicians to have been in prison for a house. In the late afternoon when
propaganda. "It was in 1982 when it's cooler there's a dance outside and
there was a campaign to make Bul- then more eating and drinking till

garian Turks change their names. I morning."

was often playing at Turkish wed- Ivo cites some of the greatest jazz
dings and the police came, arrested clarinettists and saxophonists as influ-

us, beat us and took us to prison. I ences - Benny Goodman, Charlie

was in prison twenty days and then Parker, David Sandborn - but along-
was to be sent to a labour camp. side them is Petko Radev, a great Bul-
They wanted to make an example of garian clarinettist, also from Thrace.
me, but a friend of mine, a prosecutor, managed to get Always keeping his background in mind, Ivo Papasov
the judgement changed and I was released." is one of the many musicians in Bulgaria who is bril-

Ivo Papasov is a Bulgarian Turk from Kardzali close liantly forging contemporary music out of traditional
to the Greek and Turkish borders. "I am from Thrace forms.
where Orpheus was born. It is an area very rich in Simon Broughton

New Sounds and social instability, exacerbated by the chaos and

lawlessness that have flowed from the recent con-
It is not only the wedding bands that have been flicts in former Yugoslavaia. Great efforts have been

pushing back the boundaries oflate. Some of the made to sustain the network of festivals of music,
bands that play purely traditional instruments have dance and folk art despite the lack of people to sup-
been experimenting. Sofia's Loznitsa, which fea- port them. The biggest of all, at Koprivshtitsa, has
tures both the old master of the gaida Nikola survived, and looks set to do so for the future, while
Atanasov and the incredible young kaval player the local festivals continue as a result of local efforts
Georgi Zhelyaskov good representatives of
are and the eagerness of the amateur musicians to retain
the new worth investigating
trend. Particularly a platform for their perfonnances. A lack of money
too is the work of the kaval player Theodosii is also problematic for the wedding bands, whose
Spassov, who has not only recorded a very beau- place is nowadays often taken by smaller groups
tiful and practically avant-garde folk album, Dulm; relying on sequenced keyboards and drum machines.
Put, in collaboration with composer Mutafchiev, Over the past couple of years several small pri-
but has also played to great acclaim with the well- vate labels have emerged which are playing a part
known Bulgarian jazz pianist Milcho Leviev at his in the development of a new folk-pop - or rather,
first concert in Sofia after twenty years of exile. several types of folk-pop in which Gypsy musi-
He has become renowned as a composer of film cians and singers are often prominent. Some of it
scores, and at the time of writing has pretty much is heavily influenced by Serb novokomponovana nar-
abandoned pure folk music and its arrangements odtia muzika (see p. 273) - orchestras Kristal and
in favour of experimenting with timbre and form Eros are good examples - while other bands like
in a loosely jazz-like way. Palantiri and Rodopi show a clear debt to
Bulgaria shares the problems of many post-Com- Papasov, though usually without his hair-raising
munist societies in its economic underdevelopment virtuosity and with, some might say, better taste.

Bulgaria 43
 From the Black Sea coast Orkestar Slunchev S3 Stambolovo '88 (Balkanton, Bulgaria).

Bryag delivers a sort of Gypsy-influenced Bulgar- When the wild and wonderful experiments
of the wedding

ian pop-soul with gaida, kaval and gadulka instead bands became too popular for the authorities to ignore, they
responded in the only way they knew how - by organising a
of a horn secdon. Other musicians - singer Daniel
festival and selecting a panel of judges. This is a selection of
Spasov stands out — are gendy updating the Koutev live performances by some of the wedding bands who took

sound; the Subdibula label specialises in this area. part in the 1988 Stambolovo festival. They came from all

All in all, it seems that Bulgarian music will con- across the country, and gaily shovelled all manner of tradi-
tional and electric instruments together to get the crowd on
tinue to be as thrilling and inventive in years to
their feet and roaring approval.
come as it ever has been. «*

S3 Two Girls Started to Sing . . . (Rounder, US).

These real field recordings focus on vocal music made in

1 978-88 in village locations round Bulgaria and provide a fine

discography example of the sort of music that you might be lucky enough
to hear sung spontaneously in the field (or in the pub), includ-
ing work, sedenka, table, wedding and dance songs sung by
non-professional musicians. Good notes.
Compilations
Village Music of Bulgaria (Nonesuch Explorer,
US).
S3 Anthologie de la Musique Bulgare
(Le Chantdu Monde, France). An excellent selection of material (first released in the 1970s),
mostly by professionals but with their village roots showing
Between 1977 and 1983. Belgian folklorist Herman Vuylsteke unabashed. It includes a stunning performance of the Rodopi
made a series of trips to Bulgaria, where he collected a vast
song "Izlel e Delyo Haidutin" by Valya Balkanska, the first
amount of material from village musicians all over the country.
Bulgarian song to escape thebonds of gravity when trav- it

Vuylsteke can be a bit sniffy about the state ensembles and

eled on the spacecraft Voyager as one of its examples of
their 'perversion' of folklore, but given the riches that he
Earth culture.
uncovered, he can certainly be forgiven. So far five volumes
have been issued, with Vol 5, from north central Bulgaria the
most varied. Artists
SB Bulgaria (Auvidis/Unesco, France).

A good cross-section of styles from the various regions of

The Bisserov Sisters (Sestri Biserovi)
Bulgaria which includes both amateur and professional musi- A trio of chunky looking villagers from the highlands of

cians, like Yanka Rupkina of the Trio Bulgarka with excellent southwestern Bulgaria, the Bisserov Sisters are one of the
solos on the kaval, gaida, tambura and gadulka. more authentically traditional of that country's musical
exports. Performing both the dissonant sounding unac-
O Koprivshtitsa '76 and Koprivshtitsa '86
companied polyphonies of the mountain villages and the
(Balkanton, Bulgaria).
rather less challenging songs of the muslim Pomak com-
The quinquennial Koprivshtitsa most important
festival is the munity to tambura and tarabuka accompaniment.
in the country, drawing together thousands of ama-
literally

teur performers from

contain performances of
ed during the heats when the
all over Bulgaria. These two recordings
some of the finest of these, record-
line-up of the festival was being
m Music from the
(Pan Records, Holland).

Simple and
Pirin Mountains

makes a wonderful introduction to the

direct, this
chosen. With some astonishing performances on gaida and music of the Pirin district. The backing by the Trio
gadulka as well as remarkable solo and group singing, they Karadzhovska on kaval, gadulka and tambura is a little more
rank as some of the most valuable and beautiful recordings of elaborate than usual for this group, who normally accompany
Bulgarian songs and dances ever made. themselves, but none the worse for that.

O Popular Clarinettists from Thrace

(Balkanton, Bulgaria). The Bulgarian All Stars Orchestra

Thracian musicians took to the clarinet like basil thirsty for

The Bulgarian All Stars Orchestra is a relatively new col-
lection of younger musicians, virtuosos on both folk and
water, as the Bulgarians say, and this is a cracking collection,
with superb playing from six of Bulgaria's best clarinettists, factory made instruments and skilled in all manner of
including Petko Radev and Ivo Papazov. Perhaps it's a bit
regional styles, brought together under the aegis of
old-fashioned by now, and it might be hard to get hold of, but Frankfurt's Network Medien.

if you can find it, grab it!

S3 Dusha: The Soul of Bulgaria
S3 Song Crooked Dance:
of the (World Network, Germany).
Early Bulgarian Traditional Music 1927-42
This startling mixture of musics, unlike many of the other
(Yazoo/Shanachie, US).
discs around, bears some resemblance to what Bulgarian
A well-researched pre-war collection of Bulgarian music musicians play for their own pleasure. Traditional, modern,

excellently remastered from 78rpm recordings. It is fascinat- Turkish and Romanian melodies are all included, and instead
ing to hear the lively and rhythmic kaval playing of Tsvyatko of the usual three-minute arrangements, long medleys result
Blagoev, so different from today's legato, meditative style. as the musicians slip from one tune to another seemingly
Other highlights include a song about an earthquake in 1928, spontaneously. The disc is also notable for the presence of
the striking heroic song "Kapitan" and some catchy precur- Bulgaria's first (and so far only) female professional gaida
sors of Ivo Papasov. The notes by Lauren Brody are both player, Maria Stoyanova. and some beautiful gadulka playing.
scholarly and accessible. The singing is rather disappointing, unfortunately.

44 Bulgaria
 Bulgarian Voices "Angelite" Ivo Papasov
This choir, conducted by Valentin Velkov, has toured Irrepressible clarinet virtuoso IvoPapasov has been
widely and favours more contemporary arrangements experimenting with fusions of jazz and traditional
and an experimental approach. From Bulgaria with Love Thracian music since the early 1970s, and is the best-
- 'the Pop album' - in 1992 with rap and hip-hop fusions known exponent of the wedding band movement.
being a horrible example.
>
Balkanology
y Mountain Tale (Jaro, Germany). (Hannibal, UK).

This is a successful 1998 example of Bulgarian fusion including Audiences love it, musicologists despair. Ivo rips his way
the Tuvan throat-singers Huun Huur Tu and the Moscow Art through those thrilling rhythms in the manner born. His first

Trio. A two female voices singing the

great opening track with Hannibal album S3 Orpheus Ascending is equally recommend-
repetitive, narrow phrases of a Bulgarian song over which able, but this includes more ethnically diverse material with a
tip of the hat to neighbouring countries, his Turkish roots and,
Sergei Starostin (one of Russia's leading folklorists) sings a
Russian song with a broader voice and wider range, followed
with the allusion to Charlie Parker, perhaps a touch more jazz.

by plenty more inspired collaborations and only a couple of

miscalculations. An ambitious and successful global fusion. The Philip Koutev

National Folk Ensemble
Krachno Horo
This ensemble, founded by folklorist and composer
Amongst Bulgarians Gabrovo has the reputation of being Philip Koutev in 1951 remains perhaps the most impor-
the home of the stupidest people in the entire country - a tant of all Bulgaria's many professional and amateur
reputation that is belied by the playing of Krachno Horo, a ensembles. Its repertoire is drawn from the cream of the
four-piece wedding band from the town. country's composers and arrangers.

'
Musiques Populaires de Bulgarie 53 Bulgarian Polyphony I (JVC, Japan).
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
This and Vol II of the JVC series contains some of the best-

A showcase and pre-

for the quartet's breathtakingly skilful known works and
written for the ensemble, given experienced

cise performances for the dance-crazy; all displaying an committed performances by a thrity-four-strong women's
attractive sense of enormously good-natured enjoyment. choir plus a small group of folk instrumentalists. Although

Clarinet, sax, accordion, electric bass and percussion. some of the instrumental performances are a little lacklustre
this is more than made up for by the chance to hear a record-

ing of this music that isn't drenched in digital reverb in a spuri-

Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares ous effort to increase the atmosphere of mystery.
This name was dreamed up by French mining engineer
(and musicologist) Marcel Cellier for his initial compilation Theodosii Spassov
of tracks from the archives of Bulgarian Radio and TV.
The four volumes of Le Mystere on Philips/Disque Cellier Kaval player Theodosii Spassov is one of the most inter-
esting of Bulgaria's younger musicians, with breathtaking
are compilations of various choirs from the archives.
Since the huge success of the first compilation, the name
control over tone and phrasing, and an adventurous atti-
tude that although sometimes leading him down free-jazz
has been applied to the Bulgarian State Radio and
paths that were tramped to death in the 1970s, usually
Television Female Choir, currently led by Dora Hristova,
comes up with some fascinating ideas.
who have subsequently recorded using the name Le
Mystere de Voix Bulgares. S3 Dulug Pat (The Long Road) (Balkanton, Bulgaria).

Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares Vol 1 A collaboration with some of Bulgaria's finest arrangers, with
(Philips/Disque Cellier, France). echoes and Hindemith mixed in with folk sources.
of Bartok
Stunning playing from all involved, on brass instruments, folk
This was the disc that introduced so many people to
instruments and the drum-kit. quartal and quartal harmony,
Bulgarian music, and although it doesn't claim to represent
mainly brief enharmonic excursions.
field, its echo-drenched ambience, classic melodies
the entire
and stunning choral arrangements given a hauntingly beautiful S3 Welkya (Gega New, Bulgaria).
performance make this an indispensable disc. There are three
This develops Spassov's ideas further, and is more varied in
further volumes.
approach although sparser in sound.
S3 Ritual (Nonesuch, US).

This disc of Dvora Hristova's choir draws on music for

The Trio Bulgarka
Christmas and St. Lazar's Day, and includes some good Singers Yanka Rupkina, Stoyanka Boneva and Eva
instrumental tracks. Reflective and powerful. Georgieva are the members of the Trio Bulgarka, without
question Bulgaria's most prestigious vocal trio.
Orkestar Sever Respectively hailing from Strandzha, Pirin and Dobrudzha
districts and each one famed in her own right as a soloist,
Orkestar Sever are one of Bulgaria's very hottest Gypsy- they combine to perform arrangements and original com-
led bands, who don't even pretend to pay attention to the positions by some of Bulgaria's finest composers.
concerns of the traditionalists.
H3 The Forest is Crying (Hannibal, UK).
S Albaniya '93 (Payner, Bulgaria).
The three singers peform some of their favourite repertoire, re-
With its rather fetching English language introduction (a bid recorded for a Western audience. Most tracks are a cappella, but
for the international market?), this is a treasure. A cassette- some are accompanied by the Trakiiskata Troika (Thracian Trio)
only recording unfortunately, but worth getting just for Miladin instrumental ensemble. A pity that some of the tracks are spoiled

Asenov's extraordinary synthesiser playing. by less than top-class playing, but nonetheless well worth having.

Bulgaria 45
 Croatia

=2 toe tapping tamburicas

While the Croats and Serbs largely share a language (which used to be called Serbo-Croat), they write
it in different alphabets: the Croats use Latin letters while the Serbs use Cyrillic reflecting their
respective Western/Catholic and Eastern/Orthodox tendencies. The way Croatia tries to define itself

musically is similar. Kim Burton tiptoes through the tamburicas.

the most part the character of Croatian Tamburica Bands

For music is attractive and cheery, easy on the
ear and with few of the intricate structures Although Croatian music uses a wide variety of
found further east. Amateur groups abound, instruments, including violin, zither, accordion,
playing their local music either in the village bar clarinet and various folk wind instruments, the typ-
or on the square, and there are some high-quali- ical ensemble, found all over, but most highly
ty professional groups that perform arrangements developed in the area of the Slavonian plain to the
of folk material somewhat after the Bulgarian north and east of Zagreb, tamburica band.
is a

model. Zagreb's Lado is probably the best and The tamburica is a plucked and strummed string
most versatile of these, and you're unlikely to come instrument that comes in various shapes and sizes,
across the sort of folkloric music that they perform from the tiny mandolin-like prim to the large berde,
in any other context than the concert hall or the the size of a double-bass. The tamburica is actu-
festival. ally a small tambura - the Balkan version of the
Of course, individual singers and musicians do Turkishsaz, one of the many musical legacies of

preserve the older types of music but it is difficult Ottoman occupation and a clear demonstration
to hear anything spontaneous unless you're invit- that Croatia's musical links reach East as well as
ed to some rite of passage or informal gatherings West.
of friends and neighbours. The peasant musicians Ensembles range from the huge, like the Tam-
themselves, particularly the women, tend to hide burica Orchestra of Croatian Radio-Television,
their abilities from the crowd, as if it were faintly to smaller ensembles of five or six people, and
shameful to be caught singing. sometimes the instrument is played alone as an
There is a wealth of festivals, however, in which accompaniment to singing, when it is usually
amateur groups, some highly skilled, perform, and referred to by the name of samica. The lively dances
the fairly efficient, reviving tourist industry can point (principally the kolo, round dance) and dance songs
the vistor towards these. The most important is are often accompanied by encouraging whistling
Zagreb'sMedjunarodna Smotra Folklora (Inter- from the men and a high-pitched squealing from
national Folklore Review), a week-long event the women. Slower songs are sentimental and
which, as its name suggests, presents groups from betray the sticky-sweet influence of Vienna, while
abroad as well as all over the country. It usually takes the fast ones are extremely lively with scurrying
place in the second half ofJuly. inner parts and counterpoints.
As well as the usual amateur societies there are
many professional ensembles. The first of these,
formed in the 1970s, was the Zagreb-based group
Ex Pannonia, who sfte still active. They have
been joined by many more, notable among
since
them Zlatni Dukati, Zdenac, and the Berde
Band, playing some traditional songs, but con-
centratingon writing new material. The most con-
temporary-sounding of them is Gazde (The
Bosses), whose shows owe more to leather-clad
Tamburica rock'n'roll than the village green.

46 Croatia
 Krunoslav ('Kico') Slabinac and Vera Svo- Since then Knebl and Bajuk have gone on to
boda arc probably the best-known individual record albums of their own; while Legen have dab-
singers. Kico's collaboration with tainburica play- bled in techno-folk crossover, souping up tradi-
er Antun Nikolic in the group Slavonski Becari tional songs with synthesisers, samples and
(Slavonian Bachelors), founded in the early 1970s, breakbeats in the manner of Transglobal Under-
preserved a good deal of traditional material which ground or Loop Guru. A second Ethno-Ambient
O
was in danger of being lost. album featuring Legen, Bajuk and Istrian folk/jazz
The tainburica orchestra bears an added weight singerTamara Obrovac was released in spring 1999.
as a symbol of Croatian national identity, and dur-
ing the period of conflict there was an upsurge of Other Regional
new songs in response to the fighting and the expul-
sion of people from areas under the control of the
Traditions
Serb separatist forces. These new songs were accom- Towards the end of the 1980s the songs from the
panied by a revival of songs from World War II, area of Medjimurje, in the north of the country,
some tainted by their association with the ill-famed bordering Hungary, became very popular. Most-
Ustase, the Croatian Fascist movement. When in ly lyrical, with a few more energetic examples,
the summer of 1995 rockets launched from the sonic of the songs have melodic and structural qual-
Krajina, south of Zagreb (then held by ethnic Serb ities in common with the music of Hungary, so
separatists), fell on the capital, within a few min- much so that some have
the air of being 'Croat-
utes of the first blast nothing but patriotic and sen- ianised'by the simple expedient of adding a tain-
timental songs, each one accompanied by burica orchestra. Others feel strongly Croatian,
tamburice, were broadcast on the radio. while yet others are neither one nor the other, but
Pozega, m central Slavonia, hosts an annual fes- contain recognisable elements of both. There is

tival, Zlatne zice Slavonije (Slavonia's Golden Strings) also a strong tradition of unaccompanied narrative
which is dedicated to the performance of newly song which is largely the domain of women.
composed songs. Most of these are on the soupy A little further _
side, but some of the faster examples have startling south, in the hills of
echoes of bluegrass - the influence of Croatia's theZagorje around
best-known Bluegrass band Plava Trava Zabo- Zagreb the music is
rava has spread wide. Practically every singer or almost indistinguish-
notable group appears at the festival, which is also able from the polkas
broadcast on television. and waltzes of Slove-
nia and Austria, with
Contemporary forceful harmonised
singing accompanied
Developments by accordion and gui-
Alongside the tainburica bands, the last decade has tar. Although locally
seen an increasing hybridisation of Croatian roots it is highly popular -
music with a string of performers attempting to with many small
breathe new life into traditional forms with studio amateur and semi-professional groups in and around
technology or new musical styles. Most of them the areas playing and recording - it has not made
have drawn inspiration from the fringe areas of many inroads outside the Zagreb area.
Croatian folk (notably Medjimurje and Istria), All along the Dalmatian coast and on the
thereby offering an alternative to the nationalistic islands, small male voice choirs called klape,
folk-schlager-pop on the airwaves. with up to ten members, perform smoothly har-
First off the mark were Vjestice, a group formed monised and sentimental songs, with chromatic
in 1988, who gained a wide audience by blending inflections and 'barbershop' harmonies. There is a
Medjimurje folk songs with 1990s' rock attitude. good-sized Italian minority in the area, and the
This interest in the archaic styles of northeastern influence of the Italian vocal tradition is explicit.

Croatia was picked up in the early 1990s' by the Further south, towards Dubrovnik, the small
group Legen and singers Dunja Knebl and Lidi- bowed lirica with its three strings still survives and
ja Bajuk, all of whom
mined collections of folk is used for accompanying dance.
melodies. They collaborated on the 1995 album Utterly different and quite startling is the music
Ethno-Ambient Live, an outstanding recording of from the coastal area of Istria, where they not only
acoustic performances in a Zagreb nightclub. sing and play using a distinctive local scale with

Croatia 47
very small intervals, but also harmonise it in paral- is undoubtedly the best place to start, and the highly informa-
tive notes will point those interested in discovering more in the
lel seconds. It is probable that this is a very ancient
right direction.
tradition, and the singing style has given rise to an
entire body of instruments dedicated to reproduc-
Da si od Srebra, Da si od Zlata
(Croatia Records, Croatia).
ing such harmonies. The rozenica or sopila is a type
This classic record restricts itself to the more traditional side
of large oboe and is always played in pairs, one large
of Croatian music, but has some splendid examples.
and one small. The much smaller curia, two pipes
played with a single mouthpiece, allows one play- E Ethno-Ambient Live (Crno Bijeli Svijet, Croatia).

er to play two parts at once. After a period of accli- Not the exercise in folk electrajica the title might suggest:
• rather a sparkling collection of traditional songs acoustically
matisation it can be quite attractive.
rendered. Legen. Lidija Bajuk and Dunja Knebl all figure promi-
The Istrian bagpipe, the diple. works on the nently. Most of the material is from Medjimurje and Slavonia,
same principle - it has no drone, but a double although the odd Dalmatian and Istrian pieces squeeze in.

chanter, and is still to be found along the Dalma- 3E Pozega '94 (Croatia Records, Croatia).
tian coast and inland into Herzegovina (now part
This is a record of the performances from the 1994 Golden
of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a large and militant Strings festival, re-recorded in the studio, and features both the
Croatian population). For hardened discord lovers biggest stars, Krunoslav Slabinac, Zlatne Dukati and Gazde,
and some less-known but still delightful bands. The subjects of
there's a Folkways album of songs and religious
the songs range from love to patriotism via the experience of
music made on the Istrian island of Krk in the early being stopped by the police for speeding. This has been suc-
1960s (only available on cassette from Smithsonian ceeded by more recent Pozegas, but it's a great collection.
Folkw ays), while within Croatia, revivalist groups Village Music from Yugoslavia
are active in performing and recording the music. (Elektra-Nonesuch, US).

Despite the misleading subtitle 'Songs and Dances from

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia & Macedonia', this is all Croatian
music, except for one Macedonian zurle and tapan track.

discography Excellent
typical
songs from
tamburica bands.
village performers and dance music from

Compilations Artists

E Croatian Folksongs and Dances Berde Band

(Harmonia Mundi/Quintana, France).
The eight-strong Berde Band was formed in 1992 from
Music from the Croatian communities in mainly south Hungary tamburasi who had already made their names playing in
(many Slavs escape the Ottoman invasion) in
fled north to various groups, and has become one of the most popular
archive recordings mostly from the 1 950s and 1 960s, but as of the contemporary groups. Their repertoire includes
recent as 1985. Some really archaic songs are included, and folk tunes, newly composed music in a folk-pop style
bagpipe playing and excellent fiddle playing from Stipan and religious songs.
Pavkovics, a renowned virtuoso. Lots of virtuoso tambura
bands, notably the Pavo Simora 'Baraban' orchestra from 33 Poletit ce Sokol Moj (Croatia Records, Croatia).

Felsoszentmarton. still a centre of tambura music today. Most Probably this band's best recording so far, it is both typical of
of the bands have a vital raw sound, rather than showy glitz. the contemporary tambura scene and a good example of the
Those who know the music of the Hungarian band Vuycsics band's individual strengths.
will recognise a couple of tunes here. Strongly recommended.

Croatie: Musiques d'autrefois (Ocora, France). Dunja Knebl

A survey of traditional songs and instrumental music in the Singer and guitarist Knebl from Zagreb discovered indige-
best Ocora tradition, taken from Croatian Radio Archives from nous folk traditions relatively late in life and began singing
1958-1993. Divided into regional areas, begins with some
it professionally aged 47. Nevertheless, she's one of the
Medjimurje songs and includes plenty of good tamburica more authentic figures of the Croatian folk revival, bring-
bands, Istrian and klapa singing and instruments such as the ing a fresh, untutored singing style to the narrative songs
diple, sopila and licera. of northernand eastern Croatia which had all but disap-
peared from the mainstream folk repertoire.
Croatie: Musiques Traditionelles
d'Aujourd'hui (Auvidis/Unesco, France). SS Iz globine srca (Dancing Bear, Croatia).

This excellent record documents practically the whole range of Predominantly wistful Croatran folksongs from Medimurje, the
Croatian music, from obscurities that you would be lucky to district of northern Croatia along the Hungarian border. Soft,
hear, to the sort of commercial and sentimental songs given sometimes haunting, contemporary arrangements with
so much radio play that you would be lucky to avoid. Music acoustic guitar and instrumental contributions from Mladen
from Istria. Medjimurje, Slavonija and Dalmatia and more. This Skalec. Lyrics in Croatian with short English translations.

43 Croatia
Czech & Slovak Republics
O
M
m
r>

east meets west Qo

CO
r—
Since 1993, the three lands of Czechoslovakia have been divided into two states: the Czech Republic o
<
(comprising Bohemia and Moravia) in the west, and Slovakia to the east. In spite of the political
and cultural links. Musically the territory charts a transition from
division, there are strong historical
Bohemia's regular, symmetrical structures of west European folk to the spicy and idiosyncratic
30
melodies and tunings of Slovakia in the east, sharing features with Ukraine and Hungary. Jin Plocek m
~o
reports from Moravia.

Collections of folk songs have been a vital the liberation after World War II, gave rise to the
source of traditional music for village foundation of the biggest folklore festival in the o
CO
ensembles in western Bohemia, south- country in Straznice, Moravia in 1946. There are
eastern Moravia and Slovakia. Tens of several other similar festivals in Moravia today.
thousands of songs were written down around the The Communists, who ruled the country from
turn of the twentieth century, allied with the 1948, co-opted the folklore movement and used
national movement. The region was also fortunate it for ideological presentations of socialist culture.
to have the composer Leos Janacek (1854-1928), In the 1950s and 60s they started to support ensem-
who helped to lay the foundations for modem eth- bles financially and influence them politically and
nomusicology in the Czech lands. Like his fellow also created new professional ensembles. The idea
Hungarian composer Bela Bartok, Janacek made was to create a new sort of popular music removed
important cylinder recordings in the field and this from the influence of decadent Western pop and
familiarity with his country's folk music was cru- The musical style of these ensembles tended
jazz.

cial in forming his own composing style - amongst to be conformist, artificial and sanitised - what
the most distinctive of the twentieth century. Of Milan Kundera described as 'fakelore'.

course Janacek and the other great Czech com- However, the pan-European strains of the folk
poser of the twentieth century, Bohuslav Mart- revival blew in the sounds ofjazz and rock togeth-
inu (1890—1959) were themselves following the er with an interest in the genuine forms of tradi-
illustrious nineteenth-century tradition of Bedfich tional music. An important impulse to the folk
Smetana (1824-1884) and Antonin Dvorak movement was the two- week visit of Pete Seeger
(1841-1904) in drawing on national music. during his world tour in 1964. He left in his wake
a burgeoning movement of Czech singer-song-
Folk to Folklorism writers.
Two streams of traditional folk music existed in
By the time Janacek was recording folk music, in the 1970s and 80s. One was officially supported,
the 1 880s, traditional music was declining in every- and composing
stressed a professional attitude in
day life and migrating to concert and festival per- and arranging. The National Radio Folk
formance. Folk music was giving way to Orchestras in Brno and Bratislava are good exam-
'folklorism'. Nonetheless, the music was adopted ples. The second stream returned to genuine folk
with enthusiasm. At the 1895 National Czecho- music while encouraging new and individual inter-
Slavonic Ethnographical Exhibition in Prague pretations. New and electric folk music car-
Janacek prepared a musical programme from ried an exciting 'non-conformist' cache in a
Moravia featuring his beloved string band from totalitarian state, and the Porta Festival (estab-
Velka nad Velickou. It became apparent that folk lished in 1966) attracted over 30,000 young peo-
music expressed not only an inner need, but also ple in its peak in the late 1980s and was nicknamed
a national identity. The exhibition ushered in an the 'Czech Woodstock'.
era of folk music gatherings, celebrations and fes- Since the Velvet Revolution of 1 989, musicians
tivals, bolstered by the creation of the Czechoslo- have been able to experiment more freely with
vak Republic in 1918. Similar feelings of joy at the different sorts of music, including traditional

Czech & Slovak Republics 49

and modern folk music, rock and jazz, both local In Bohemia today, the main living traditional folk

and world. For example, the Ceskomoravska music is in the Chodsko region in the southwest.
hudebni spolecnost group fuses rock, Moravian This hilly district in the Czech-German borderlands

and Celtic music. has its own distinctive identity and is famous for its

bagpipes. The annual Chodsky Festival in

Bohemia Domazlice presents local virtuoso bagpipers such as

Zdenek Blaha, Antonin Konrady and Vladimir Baier.

The most famous Czech dance must be the polka, An International Bagpipers Festival also takes

a lively Bohemian couple dance in duple time, place in Strakonice every Other year. Outstanding
which became one of the most popular society localnames are Josef Rezny and his Prachehsky
dances of the nineteenth century — and has had Ensemble (founded 1949), and the Posumavska
vast influence on music throughout Europe and dudacka muzika. The Chodsko musical bands are
even Latin America. It's thought that its name may typical for a rich repertoire of songs, a remarkable
come from the Czech pulka (half) referring to the polyphonic style of instrumental playing by small
half-steps in the dance; or from polska (a Polish peasant bands of bagpipes, clarinet and fiddle and
girl) pointing to a link to the krakoiviak dance-songs some distinctive local dances with variable rhythms.
of southern Poland. Like many Czech songs and The bagpipe tradition has survived thanks to the
dances, it begins with a heavily accented first note. appearance of revival players in the 1910s and 20s —
The sort of upbeat common in Anglo-German school teachers suchas Stanislav Svacina from

music, for instance, is virtually unknown as Czech Domazlice and Karel Michalicek from Kosire,
words are stressed on their first syllable. Prague. Preceding them were the first cylinder

Famous old Czech bagpiper Jan Kobes from Domazlice

50 Czech & Slovak Republics

recordings of Chodsko bagpipers (1909) and col- by accordion, fiddle, guitar and double bass. The
lections of songs in the nineteenth century. The fear style owes something to Viennese schrammel music
that the button accordion, which appeared in the (see p. 13) thanks to its historical connections with
1860s, and string and brass band music would push Vienna and mixed Czecho-Cerman culture.
traditional bagpipe music out never materialised. In Another sort of urban folk, called trampska
fact, today's revival groups are so strong, they've hudba (Tramp Music), is a favourite amongst
helped resurrect the vanished tradition of bagpipe Czechs who hit the road to form emmigrant com-
music just over the border Germany and Austria.
in munities all over the world. The music of the tram- Qo
Another type of genuine Bohemian folk music pove grew out of the migrations of young workers CO
r—
(dating from the early nineteenth century) can
Czech-Moravian High-
be to industrial areas in the early decades
tury and popular music of the era
of this cen- O
found farther east, in the it reflects the

lands. Skripacka music employs a rough, home- with guitars and mandolins. It's a specifically Czech
>
made rectangular violin, viola and double bass. It phenomenon with no equivalent in any other
30
was a virtually vanished exotic tradition, but has European country. Current groups include the m
had something of a revival with good bands in Cervanek Duo, who have been around for at
Jihlava and Tele. least thirty years, and Kamelot (formed in 1982). 00
The folk boom of the 1960s gave birth to a Tramp music also had its swinging '60s and poppy
group called Minnesengfi whose sweet harmo- '80s manifestations. The sentimental lyrics typi- o
CO
ny vocals gathered around singer-songwriter Pavel cally express the desire forfreedom and love.
Zalman Lohonka. The band discovered many Czech tramp music is probably responsible for
lost folk songs from the south Bohemian lake area the fraternal welcome that greeted American blue-
m the archives and revived them. During the 1980s grass and country music in the early 1960s. The
and 90s Dagmar Andrtova evolved from a bal- Annual Banjo Jamboree first held in 1972 in
lad singer into a remarkable guitar-player and com- Kopidlno, (east Bohemia) isEuropean
the oldest
poser, while the folk singer, guitar and lute player, bluegrass festival. There are many bands trying to
Vladimir Merta moved from songs directed imitate traditional American bluegrass music. How-
against the totalitarian regime to music inspired by ever, the national favourites, Robert Kfest'an and
Jewish, and especially Sephardic, roots. A profes- Druha trava (Second Grass), which evolved from
sional approach to old Czech music — medieval to the pioneering band Poutnici, enrich bluegrass
nineteenth century - been taken by pioneer-
has and newgrass music with Czech lyrics - deeper and

ing outfits like Skiffle Kontra, Musica Bohem- more emotional than your average bluegrass song
ica and Spiritual kvintet. Many imitators make - and a few traditional Czech tunes.
a living performing to foreign visitors on Prague's
tourist highway, Charles Bridge. Moravia
From the mid-nineteenth century, brass band
music, originating in the military bands of the Dozens of festivals a year and hundreds of musi-
Hapsburg Empire, spread rapidly through cians present traditional Moravian music. The
Bohemia. It was one of the things that destroyed most vital tradition can be found in southeast
the traditional folk music and nearly did the same Moravia where the lowlands meet the rolling hills.

in Moravia in the first half of this century. Until Bands still play for weddings, dances, fairs and at

the arrival of modern bands and taped music, brass Shrovetide when musicians go from house to
bands were used for weddings, dances and even house. While Bohemia is beer country, in south
funerals (and still are, to some extent). The reper- Moravia it's wine or slivovice (distilled from plums).
toire was arranged folk songs and marches and In the fields, near the villages, there are wine cel-
dances by brass band composers like Frantisek lars where, in the summer or autumn there's music
Kmoch (1850-1913). and singing coming from the open doors.
The music is provided by cimbalom bands,
Pub Songs and Tramps the best known of which
who
is Hradist'an, led by
have toured Europe,
violinist Jin Pavlica,
Prague's celebrated pivnice (bars) are home to staro- America and Asia. Hradist'an (formed in 1950) is

prazske pisnieky (old Prague songs), performed known for its performances of traditional music,
most notably by Slapeto, a band whose traditions original compositions,and also for its fusions of
stretch back more than a century. The name Moravian roots with rock and World Music - for
roughly translates as "It's going well" and they play example in a recent album with Japanese instru-
these old pub songs and love songs, accompanied mentalist and composer Yas-Kaz.

Cxech & Slovak Republics 5 -J

Martin Hrbac and his band with guest cimbalom player Zuzana Lapcikova

A cimbalom band like Hradist'an represents the flexibility. There is also the Hungarian style male
most widespread type of instrumental group in dance, verbunk (with its distinctive dotted
Moravian folk music, with the cimbalom, several rhythms) and tahla, a slow song without a regular
violins, clarinet and double bass. The original small rhythm sung or played by the primas with the
portable cimbalom has been replaced by the large accompanying musicians following his solo.

Hungarian-type of concert cimbalom with a pedal. There two other types of traditional band in
are
Besides the primas (leader - usually the first violin) Moravia: gajdosska muzika, bagpipes sometimes
and other instrumentalists, there are male and accompanied by a fiddle; and hudecka muzika,
female vocalists and sometimes choirs. string band music with one or twin fiddles, viola,
While some people disapprove of Hradist'an's double bass and sometimes a clarinet. The early
contemporary leanings, primas and singer Martin twentieth century influence of popular dance music
Hrbac and his Horhacka cimbalom band appeal to also left its legacy in the brass bands of Moravia.
the most traditional tastes. Hrbac is a disciple of the Based on Moravian traditions there's a lively
legendary primas Jozka Kubik (1907-1978). His contemporary roots scene. Vlasta Redl is a charis-

music comes from the Horhacko region in the matic composer, singer and guitarist. He has
Moravian Highlands, where Janacek did some of worked with the rock groups Fleret and AG Flek
the best field collections. Today there's a good fes- though all of them exist independently now. Then
tival in Velka nad Velickou. Violin players Jaroslav there is the singer and fiddler Iva Bittova, who
Stanek, the founder of Hradist'an, Slavek Volavy hasdone many international tours. Her Moravian
and Jura Petru w ere other important band leaders and Gypsy roots plus her composing talent make
of the post-war era in other Moravian regions. her a star of alternative music wherever she appears.
Other small, but distinctive, folk regions in the Her sister Ida Kelarova also brings an ethnic-
north are Valassko (Valachia) and Lassko approach to her singing projects.
(Lachia) where Janacek was born in Hukvaldy. The foremost Czech jazz pianist, Emil
Valachia is famous for its pastoral, shepherd cul- Viklicky, together with violin player Jin Pavli-
ture and the name comes from a historical or leg- ca (Hradist'an) and cimbalom player and singer
endary migration of Romanian shepherds Zuzana Lapcikova have fused jazz with Mora-
(Wallachs) in the Middle Ages, while Lachia has vian traditional music in the trio Ad Libitum
strong Polish influences. Many cultures have met Moravia. Brother and sister Petr and Hana
and intermingled in Moravia. Ulrychovi are vocalists who brought Moravian
The most typical Moravian dance is the sedlacka melodies into the popular music of the 1970s and
(peasant dance, from sedlak — peasant). This is a fast who now compose their own music accompanied
couple dance, often with disconcerting rhythmic by the Javory cimbalom band. The excellent cim-

52 Czech & Slovak Republics

balom player Dalibor Strunc has combined tra- have done, they've drawn on local traditions com-
ditional and contemporary folk music in his Cim- bined with their own eclectic tastes and imagination
hal Classic band, and Teagrass, with a mandolin to produce some excellent recordings and great gigs.

instead of a fiddle in the hands of the primas, mixes The village of Dolna Krupa (near Trnava north- O
Moravian, Balkan, Klezmer and American blue- east of Bratislava) has an intriguing place in musi-
grass music into a compelling global sound. cal history. It was the home of the Dopyera family
before their emmigration to the US in 1908. The
Slovakia Dopyera Brothers invented the famous Dobro gui- fio

tar, with its circular resonating plate, in 1926 and CO

r—
The beautiful, mountainous landscape of north- Trnava has hosted an annual Dobrofest since 1992. O
ern and central Slovakia is the home of various
shepherds' flutes: from a small-size whistle to a

fujara two meters long made from one piece of Festivals 33

wood. They can be played solo - as in the hands m
o
of Pavel Bielcik - or combined with small bag-
Czech Republic
pipes (gajdy in Slovak). Other instruments in the 09
Chodske slavnosti (Domazlice, Bohemia). Festival of r;
mountain music bands include fiddles, a half-size

double bass and a small button accordion.

Czech bagpipe music
Horuacke slavnosti
in August.

(Velka nad Veliikou, northern

o
CO
Slovakia's mountain regions are where the best Moravia). Very traditional festival of the Hornacko
folklore festivals take place, highlighting bands region, second half of July.

and singers Mucha

like the Brothers from Ter- Straznice The biggest festival in the Czech and
Slovak republics with local and international artists. In
chova, Jan Ambroz from Telgart, Datelinka
the small town of Straznice, southern Moravia, the last
from Detva, and Sarisan from Presov. The instru- weekend in June.
mental music of the Tatra mountains - with string Zapadoslovenske folklorne slavnosti (Myjava,
bands of several violins and a cello - is similar to Slovakia). Traditional festival of west Slovakia, inJune.
the gorale music of Podhale in Poland across the
border. As in southern Poland, the popular sub- Slovakia
ject of song texts here is Janosik, the local Robin Prazdniny v Telci (Holidays in Tele, south Moravia).
Hood. In Slovakia he occurs in songs and fairy One of the most popular non-traditional festivals,
located in the beautiful medieval town of Tele. Main
tales and for poor people he was, and still is, the
performances held in the courtyard of the castle, with
embodiment of justice - even if in reality these bands like Hradist'an, Teagrass, Cimbal Classic and
brigands were often common criminals. Vlasta Redl. It lasts two weeks at the turn of July and
August.
The southern lowlands have absorbed Hungar-
ian and Gypsy influences into their cimbalom bands Detva The traditional folklore festival of central
Slovakia, in July.
and the result is the swinging, virtuoso style that is
Vychodna. Traditional festival that presents folklore of
usually associated with Slovak music. The most northern and eastern Slovakia, the last weekend in June.
popular dance is the fiery cardas Bandleader and
Gnosis Brno (see discography on p. 55 for address) can
fiddler Miroslav Dudik, grandson of the legendary provide information about festivals and other musical
Slovak fiddler Samko Dudik (1880-1967) and events, traditional and non-traditional, in the Czech
Republic.
much admired by Janacek, is an heir to the Slovak
cimbalom band tradition, although his recordings
favour ensembles that are too big and folkloristic. Roma - Gypsies
Eastern Slovakia is a world apart. It is isolated
and culturally very rich with Slovak, Polish, Ruthe- Gypsies have been living in Bohemia, Moravia
nian (Ukranian), Hungarian and Gypsy influences and Slovakia for centuries - although all but six

combining in the music of some wild cimbalom hundred Czech and Moravian Gypsies were killed
bands and a living folk culture. The traditional music in Nazi concentration camps during World War
is still strongly connected with folk customs and vil- II. The communities revived somewhat in the
lage celebrations and therefore has not really been post-war years but relations today are not easy, and
transformed into contemporary folk music. Singer- in Slovakia, in particular, Gypsies have been sub-
songwriter Zuzana Homolova works with old ject to violent harassment from their settled neigh-
Slovak ballads and performs them in their most pow- bours in the post-Independent nation.
erful form - a cappella. The group Ghymes comes As in many of the countries of eastern Europe,
from the Hungarian minority in the south of the Gypsies figure prominently in the Moravian and
country and, as many tanchaz groups in Hungary Slovak cimbalom bands. Their music is highly

Czech & Slovak Republics 53

 Vera Bila - Rom Pop Queen
o
M "I am neither Gypsy nor gadje (white). I see myself as Lucerna Hall. Their rapturous reception earned them
m
o
a facade which looks respectable and well-maintained a regular contract at the Koruna bar under Charles
from the outside, but inside there is the heart, blood Bridge. Koruna was (and remains) an unusual meeting
and nerves of an old Gypsy woman and she has quite place for fashionable Czechs, bewildered tourists and
another story to tell." So speaks Vera Bi'la - the most enthusiastic South American students. Playing there
C/5 successful Romani musician to emerge from former was probably responsible for tHe Latin flavour Bela and
Czechoslovakia. Kale bring to Romani songs. In 1995 record produc-
In appearance and style Bila is reminiscent of Amer- ers overruled sceptical reports from their local Czech
ican blues singers of the 1950s, but her music com- managers and Rom Pop was produced to general

bines Romani lyrics, a llatin beat and a passionate acclaim in France.

intensity to produce a distinctively modem sound. Her International success has brought some local recog-

voice is deep and very strong, almost masculine. She nition for Bila and Kale. After living in the western
writes most of her songs, but also sings traditional Bohemian town of Rokycany for fifteen years, the mayor
material. Her career illustrates the difficulties of pre- invited them to perform at the municipal hall, and Czech
senting Gypsy music to a largely white public. television has made a documentary about her. But it

C/) Bom into a musical family in one of the squalid town- has also brought cultural dilemmas. Racial difficulties

ships of eastern Slovakia in 1954, Bila's early interest between Czechs and Gypsies in certain areas have
in traditional cimbalova muzika was opposed by her escalated since 1 989 and some of Bila's Romani friends

parents. They knew what little chance there was of have been attacked by skinheads. She suffered racist

escaping a life of poverty through cimbalom tunes. taunts at a concert in Brno, but returned to perform
Nevertheless, whilst working in restaurants, bakeries there with huge success in May 1998. Bila also finds
and even digging roads, she pursued her musical that when she now visits relatives back in Slovakia,
career. Singing at weddings, funerals and local dances there is jealousy at her success and also resentment
she teamed up with guitarists Jan Duzda, Dezider at what she has done to traditional Gypsy music. But,

LuCka and Pupa Miko who were to

bassist Emil despite enormous pressure for her to produce a more
become the nucleus of her band Kale. Bila means commercial sound, her latest CD is much closer to her
'white' in Czech and kale means 'black' in Romani. Gypsy roots.

The group were saved from obscurity by a chance "I am just myself and I am alone. I have my music
encounter with Zuzana Navarova, a member of a which gives meaning to my life. It liberates and
mainstream Czech popgroup. In 1994 she invited Kale restores me."
to support them at a concert in Prague's prestigious David Charap

Vera Bila

54 Czech & Slovak Republics

emotional and band leaders, such as Evzen S3 Poslyste mladenci: Wedding Songs from Cestice
and PoSumavi region (Musicvars, Czech Republic).
Horvath, [osefGrina and Nudovit Kovac, show
and showmanship on violin or cim- Traditional music with some unusual repertoire and instru-
great virtuosity
A good example
balom. One vocalist to watch out Vera Bfla
for is
ments. of development within the tradition.
O
N
and her band Kale (see box). They have become
Moravia
popular m
Czech Republic and have toured
the
Europe. A festival of Gypsy music (Romfest) was
established in 1991, but lasted only a few years.
Compilations
C/5
See Gypsy Music article (p. 146) for more on the
wider context of Gypsy Music in Europe. S3The Oldest Recordings of Folk-singing from
Moravia and Slovakia 1909-1912
(Gnosis Brno, Czech Republic).
With thanks to Jan Sobotka and Irena Pfibylova
A selection from the wax cylinders originally recorded by Leos
Janacek and his collaborators. Obviously of specialist inter-

est, but the CD comes complete with English translations

and descriptions of Janacek's ethnomusicological activities.

discography 00
Artists
Sadly, few of the discs below have any international o
C/5
The Lotos label is 150 00
at Plzeiiska
distribution.
Praha 5, Czech Republic w/fax
(420) 2 5721 1478 while
1 1 3,
Cimbal Classic & Polajka
some of the other small labels below can be obtained Cimbal Classic is one of Moravia's top non-traditional folk
through Gnosis Brno, Rezkova 30, 602 00 Brno; bands, while Polajka, a female choir from Roznov (a town
Fax: (420) 5 4321 5463; email: plocek@iach.cz in northern Moravia where there's a beautiful village

website: www.mujweb.cz/www/gnosis_brno museum) is an authentic folk choir.

S3 Vanoce v Roznove/Christmas in Roznov

Bohemia (Valasske muzeum v pn'rode, Czech Republic).

A great collection of Valachian carols. Authentic female folk-

Compilations singing with a contemporary cimbalom band that leans

towards classical music. CD available through Gnosis Brno.

SC Bohemian Folk Songs from Chodsko Martin Hrbac

(Supraphon, Czech Republic).
The charismatic singer and fiddler Martin Hrbac (born
A good selection of the best singers and musicians of the
1 939), and his cimbalom band, is one of the legends of
Chodsko region from 1970-1985. Includes the 70-year-old
Moravian folk music.
folk singer Marketa Volfikova; leading figures in the bagpipe
revival, the Svacina Brothers, and many others. IJfgl Hornacky hudec Martin Hrbac
Old (Gnosis Brno, Czech Republic).
S3 Cikansky plac/Gypsy Lament
(Supraphon, Czech Republic). The traditional music of the distinctive Hornacko region of
northern Moravia. Examples of string band, cimbalom band
An excellent anthology of Gypsy songs and cimbalom music and bagpipe music idiomatically played. Slow songs and wild
in Czechoslovakia, full of emotions and deep feeling.
dances.

SIHraly Dudy: The Hidden Spell of the Czech

Bagpipe (Bonton, Czech Republic) Frantisek Okenka
Field recordings (1974-1992) from the collection of Josef Born in 1 921 in the Hornacko region, Okenka is a singer,
Rezny, veteran Czech expert on bagpipe music. Includes teacher and member of the legendary Jozka Kubi'k band.
bagpipes with fiddles and remarkable historical bagpipes. He now works as a guide at the windmill which is part of
the museum of Hornacko life in Kuzelov.
85 Straznice Folk Festival 1946-95 (Supraphon,
Czech Republic) S3 Frantisek Okenka (Gnosis Brno, Czech Republic).

This includes many rare and precious recordings of Archive tracks and new recordings from 1 996 when Okenka
Bohemian, Moravian, Slovak and Gypsy folk music with an was 75, this is some of the most authentic Moravian rural
emphasis on the authentic village style. Compiled by produc- music recently recorded. Okenka is accompanied on most

er Jaromir Necas who has made recordings in Straznice tracks by a four-piece string band lead by Martin Hrbac -
since the beginning in 1946. considered the purest Hornacko folk sound.

Varmuzova Cimbalova Muzika

Artists
Probably the best band of singers in Moravia and a real
family band. There's the father, Josef Varmuza (bass), his
Posumavska Dudacka Muzika brother Pavel (cimbalom), Josef's four sons - Pavel (lead
This a pretty traditional bagpipe band from the region
is violin), Petr (second violin), Josef (viola) and Jin (viola)

at the foot of the Sumava mountains, with some 1960s plus the gentle voices of the mother Hedvika and daugh-
folk revival influences. ter Kateftna contrasting with the men's strong sound.

Czech & Slovak Republics 55

 Hungarian flavour in the cimbalom band. Bright and vigorous,
Na Kyjovsku (Gnosis Brno, Czech Republic).
not sentimental or cloying.
Music from the region of Kyjov in southern Moravia. Often wild
and although some numbers sound more formal.
spirited,
New Folk
1X1 Slovakia
m
o Artists
z Compilations
fio Ad Libitum Moravia
53 Prekrasne Slovensko/Beautiful Slovakia An unusual band featuring one of the best Czech jazz
(Musica, Slovakia). • piano players, Emil Viklicky, together with well-known folk
violin player Jin Pavlica and singing cimbalom player
Despite the kitsch title and cover, this is a great selection of Zuzana Lapcikova.
traditional mountain string
Slovak music. Shepherds' flutes,

bands, great mountain singing and cimbalom music per- S3 Prsi desl/Fast Falls the Rain
formed by some of the best Slovak folk musicians - the (Lotos, Czech Republic).
Mucha Brothers, Anna Hulejova, Darina Lasciakova, the
This interesting project connects Moravian folk songs with a
Stefan Molota band and others.
modern jazzy approach and feeling. Sweet singing and cim-
S3Slovak Csardas: Dance Tunes from the balom playing is followed by jazz improvisations backed by
Pennsylvania Coal Mines (Heritage/Interstate, UK). drums and upright bass.
o Slovaks emigrated to the US to work in the coalmines and
Vera Bila
refineries of Pennsylvania and these recordings were made
for the Victorand Columbia labels from 1 928-30. There are Small, but packing quite a punch, Bila is the most suc-
four bands and (apart from the Michael Stiber tracks which cessful Romany performer to emerge from former
are badly distorted) the recordings sound good for their age. Czechoslovakia. She was born in 1954 into a musical
The repertoire is Gypsy-style csardas and polkas, but what's family in eastern Slovakia, but with her band Kale has
remarkable is their raw, unsanitised style evoking the rowdy broadened her musical sound to embrace Latin sounds
village bands of Slovakia in the first decades of this century. performed in an unmistakably Romani manner.

Queen of Romany
Artists LSU (BMG/GIGA, Austria).

A 1999 'best of disc drawing together tracks from her two

albums. Some up-tempo numbers with Kale's
fizzing guitars
Samko Dudik and vocal harmonies and the tragic 'When I'm getting drunk',

Dudik 880-1 967) was a legendary fiddler and bandlead-

(1 one of the greatest Romani vocals on disc.
er who was championed by Janacek and influenced many
SB Rom-Pop (BMG/Ariola, Czech Republic;
Slovak and Moravian folk musicians. Jozka Kubik was the
Last Call Records, France; RCA Victor, US).
great Moravian fiddler and Samko Dudik was the Slovak
equivalent. Her debut 1995 album is infectiously catchy with its Latin-
influenced rhythms and occasional sax and piano in the mix.
O Samko Dudik (Opus. Slovakia).

Rare recordings made by Brno Radio in the late 1 950s of the Iva Bittova
Dudik family band - an eight-piece ensemble of strings and
Iva Bittova, folk singer and violin player of Moravian and
cimbalom. Wonderful old-style Slovak music which should be
reissued on CD.
Gypsy origin. She started as an actress, but since the mid-
1980s has made a name with her one-woman perfor-
mances with vocals and violin. She has also collaborated
Mucha Brothers
The four Mucha Brothers are an excellent string band from
Terchova, a village in the mountains of northern Slovakia.
This is the highland music also heard across the border in
Poland. They sometimes also use shepherds' flutes and a
button accordion {heligonka) played by Rudolf Patmciak.

Do hory, do lesa Valasi

(A.L.I. Records, Slovakia).

Some of the best Slovak traditional music played with incredi-

ble energy. This disc is a collection of folk carols. Any
actually
of their other CDs are equally good.

Sarisan
The Sarisan cimbalom band based in Presov is among the
most famous and representative bands of eastern Slovakia.

S3 Do nas, chlapci (A.L.I. Records, Slovakia).

Beautiful, vital music of the eastern Slovaks from the Saris

region. In the singing you can detect slight Polish or Ukranian
accents, likewise in the instrumental music with strong

56 Czech & Slovak Republics

with drummer Pavel Fajt, rock band Dunaj and has/ecent- V. Ozveny Duse/Moravian Echoes
ly composed a piece to perform with the excellent Skampa
(Lotos, Czech Republic).
Quartet as part of a survey of her work on Supraphon.
1994 album that takes a journey through the history of
Bile Inferno/White Inferno
Moravian music from Old Church Slavonic music to regional
(Indies Records, Czech Republic).
and pan-Moravian styles.

Bittova and guitar and bass player Vladimir Vaclavek make

beautiful expressive music, minimalist in style, drawing on Ida Kelarova
classical music, Gypsy, Moravian, Slovak, and other east
European styles. Ida Kelarova is known for her experiments with the
human voice and various forms of ethnic music.

Ceskomoravska Hudebnf Spolecnost 33 Ida Kelarova a hoste (Lotos, Czech Republic).

The bizarrely-named Czecho-Moravian Musical Society On this 1997 album Kelarova brings in a unique roster of
founded by composer and arranger Jifi Bfenek. He died female guest artists - her sister Iva Bittova, Gypsy singer
tragically young a couple of years ago, but the group
Vera Bi'la and others from Bulgaria, Zimbabwe and Spain.
remains the most promising 1990s folk-rock band in
Bohemia.
Vlasta Redl and Jifi Pavlica
Mezi Horami/Amidst the Mountains
>

Folk singer and rock musician Vlasta Redl is one of

(Polygram/Venkow, Czech Republic).
Moravia's favourite contemporary performers and Jifi
This 1996 album blends together Bohemian and Moravian Pavlica, primas of the Hradist'an ensemble, is an out-
songs in a way that satisfies both innovators and purists. standing personality in traditional music.
There's also a touch of Celtic inspiration.
S Vlasta Redl, AG Flek & Jizi Pavlica - Hradist'an
(BMG/Ariola, Czech Republic).
Zuzana Homolova
This 1994 album is a tasteful combination of rock and pop
Zuzana Homolova is one of Slovakia's strongest and most
interesting folk singers.
with Moravian cimbalom band music. On top there's the
deeply emotional voice of Alice Holubova, one of the best
M Slovenske Balady/Slovak Ballads young Moravian folk singers.
(Pavian Records, Slovakia).

1995 album in which sad and dramatic Slovak ballads are Teagrass
accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Vlasta Redl, who brings
Teagrass blends together Western music styles (swing,
great sensitivity to his arrangements and performance.
bluegrass) with the Moravian and other Eastern European
traditional music to create its own synthesis full of impro-
Hradist'an visations. Brings together instruments like mandolin,

Hradist'an is probably the most innovative cimbalom

taragot, cimbalom, panpipes, dobro, etc.

band in Moravia. The band started in the 1950s as a tra-

S3 Cestou na vychod/Eastbound
by Jaroslav Stanek, but since 1978
ditional outfit led
(Gnosis Brno, Czech Republic).
under the leadership of Jifi Pavlica it has become far
more eclectic. A non-traditional journey from Moravia to Bulgaria.

Czech & Slovak Republcs 57

 Denmark & the Faroe Islands

z a new pulse for the pols

Throughout Europe's folk revivals, ever since the 1960s, Denmark has proved a good host to external
music at its venues and festivals. Now, though, it's time for the host to come in from the kitchen and
fio
do a turn. Musicians and bands are emerging in Denmark who draw on regional dance music
traditions, ballads and the country's present-day mix of cultures. And they're working together to
make things happen, as Andrew Cronshaw discovered. The distant Faroe Islands, who have a
remarkable culture quite distinct from Denmark's, get a solo spot at the end of his article.

CO
A Nordic country with
Denmark whole of Scan-
controlled the
dinavia in the Middle Ages. But it dif-
fers from its neighbours in two factors:
a Nordic language, are the luwile (a long fretted zither) and, depicted
in Danish church murals
century, the nyckelharpa.
The
as

oldest folk-dance surviving in

long ago as the 15th

Denmark is

a relatively compact size and lack of isolation. It's the pols, which was common in the seventeenth
o
CO a densely populated and low-lying country with century. Its strongest survival has been on the isle

no place more than about forty miles from sea, of Fano, off west Jutland just south of Esbjerg. The
and none of Norway or Sweden's distant valleys local form there, the sonderhoning (named after
where traditions remained sheltered against the the Fano town of Sonderho) is unusual because
breezes of innovation. Nevertheless, individual the dance alternates between a duple-time march
areas and islands once had distinctive traditions, and a triple-time swing while the music stays in
and some, such as that on the island of Fano, have duple time. The main tradition-bearers in Son-
continued to the present day, and are being derho into the twentieth century were the Brinch
drawn on by musicians and bands in the present family, of which the last musicians were fiddlers
renaissance. Soren Lassen Brinch (d.1988) and Frits Atter-
Past and present, most Danish folk comes from mann Brinch (d.1993), and piano-player Erling
that universally popular dance duo - the fiddle Brinch (d.1994). Erling was a member of the trio
and accordion. Most fiddlers tend to play with Jze' Sweevers, and since his death fiddler Peter
groups and there's no expressive solo fiddle style Uhrbrand and accordionist Ole Mouritzen have
as there is in Norway and Sweden. In Danish roots continued the Fano music as a duo.
music the guitar is also more visible than elsewhere Fano has another distinctive dance, the fanik.
in the Nordic countries. It has a leading exponent This, the pols, and other dances in the Danish folk-
in Morten Alfred Hoirup, well-known for his dance repertoire such as polka, vals (waltz), hopsa,
swing playing, particularly in the Danish/Ameri- rhcittl&nder, schottisch, trekantcr and the set dances
can/Finnish American Cafe Orchestra, and now ftrtur and tretur are variants of the dances which
eschewing that for modal and drone styles in new became popular across Europe from the seven-
roots and traditional ballads. teenth to the nineteenth century. They also sur-
vice in places such as Thy, Laeso and Himmerland.

Dance Music -
and Fano Song
The overall feel of Danish folk dance music is The only slowly moving
current roots revival is

rhythmically fairly straightforward, closer to that Denmark has its share

towards exploring them, but
of English folk dance bands than to the complex- of Europe's medieval ballads - some of which
ity of Swedish and Norwegian dance music. Its survived in the oral tradition into the twentieth
leading instruments have been, since the 17th and century - and other songs related to spheres and
19th century respectively, the fiddle and accor- ceremonies of life.
dion. Other folk instruments used in the past in A strong force in the circulation of new songs
Denmark and now being to some extent revived and old ballads from the sixteenth century until

58 Denmark
the beginning of the twentieth were the accordionist and singer Carl Erik Lundgaard
skillingstryk or skillingsviser, printed ballad pops up in many Danish groups. He runs a folk
shoots sold by street vendors, named after the small- music record label, and is a member of the trio
est coin, the skilling. From the mid-nineteenth Lang Linken, which has been playing traditional
century a regular theme of these sheets was emi- music on fiddle, melodeon, bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy
gration - over 300, 000 Danes emigrated, mostly and humle since the 1970s. He was also a central
to America, between 1850 and 1914. player in roots-rock band Danish Dia Delight,
The songs covered such subjects as the gold rush, which made an impression on the festival circuit
ship disasters, going to Utah with the recruiting until it broke up in 1997. Its energetic blend of

Mormons, and nostalgia for the homeland. The traditional roots and rock pulled in a fun-seek-
5*
fact thatmany broadsheet copies of a song were ing following and filled their heads with the shapes go
sold, however, didn't necessarily mean that it of traditional music. Another of the band's mem-
entered the folk culture, any more than a number bers was guitarist Morten Alfred Hoirup, a fine

one hit record does today. swing player in such bands as the Cafe Orches-
tra, who has recently been exploring a more
The Folk Scene modal style and Danish traditional ballads, lead-
O
ing a band, Vingarden, that includes members
and Revival of Lang Linken and fiddler Harald Haugaard
While in the 1970s there was a turn towards Christensen. CO
r—
indigenous traditional musics in other Nordic Haugaard is a busy musician. Not only is he,
countries,Denmark's folk festival and concert pro- with Lundgaard, in the acoustic quartet Puis,
moters played host - particularly to Irish, Scottish which creates new dance tunes in traditional forms,
o
CO
and American performers - and young Danish he's also the driving fiddler in folk-rock band Dug,
musicians tended to take up their instruments in and plays with Sorten Muld, whose techno-folk
those styles. A tew, though, moved on to look at centring on Danish ballads and the breathy vocals
Danish music, and for some of these a mentor was of Ulla Bendixen is showing considerable crossover
Himmerland fiddler Evald Thomsen (1913-
1993), who was recorded by pioneering folklorist
Thorkild Knudsen and employed in the 1970s
by the
was
state as a folk

a lively player who

music consultant. Thomsen
stressed lift and drive above
Festivals & the FFS
a missed note.
Denmark's largest folk music festivals are Tonder (four
The late 1970s and '80s saw a dip in populari-
days at the end of August) and Skagen (the last week-
ty of the whole folk scene except festivals. Seeds
end in June). Both of these feature Danish and world music
had been sown, though, and in the 1990s there
acts.
has been an accelerating growth in tradition-root-
Leading events dedicated to Danish roots music include
ed activity and bands, as well as in Danish-lan- Roskilde Spillemandsstaevne (the last weekend of the
guage singer-songwriters and multi-ethnic bands. school summer holidays, usually in early August) and
An important factor in focusing and publicising Spillemandsstaevne i Arhus (the penultimate weekend
this music has been the coming together of Den- in August).
mark's music organisations, in particular the for- The central information access point for Danish roots
mation of The Danish Folk Council, which music is Folkemusikkens F aelles Sekretariat (FFS)
publishes a magazine and releases an annual show- (The Danish Folk Council), Karetmagergarden, Graven 25

case compilation CD. A, DK-8000 Arhus C, »(45) 86 76 1 1 41 fax: 86 76

; 1 1 47;

There are clusters ot revival groups around email: ffs@folkemusik.dk

regions where traditions survive. Fano has Jae' The FFS publishes the bi-monthly magazine Folk &
Sweevers, for example. East Jutland has quite a Musik and a directory Folkemusik Scenen, both of which
give details of events and venues.
concentration, including the fiddle bands Rasmus
(named after a 1760 tunebook from which much
of its material derives) and Molposen. and the fid- Other evolving bands include the clarinets,
dles-accordion bandjydsk Pa Naesen. accordion and fiddle of Phonix, the swingy dance
It's not unusual for a musician to be in sever- music with rhythm section of Baltinget, and Kaet-
al bands, often moving between acoustic and ter Kvartet, which makes now music that fits the
rockier approaches. Fiddler Michael Sommer steps of Danish folk dance, drawing grooves from
plays in all three Jutland groups, while button African and other musics.

Denmark 59
 Not all Danish singer-songwriters are Amer- There have long been fishing contacts, but the
ican-oriented guitar players: there is a Danish song Faroes aren't on a major sea-route, and from 1709
tradition of literary ballads and setting poems to until 1 856. a time of great change in Europe, the
music, exemplified by such as the successful song- presence of a monopoly trading station meant that
writer-poet team of Povl Dissing and Benny the only official commercial contact was with Den-
Andersen. The similarly named, less famous but mark. Culturally, the Faroes have remained very
nonetheless interesting Benny E. Andersen with distinct.

his group Bla Bailer writes songs moving between

folk, avant-garde and Brecht- Weill styles. Others Circle-dancing
include Erik Grip and Niels Hausgaard. who
sings in the dialect of his native Vendsyssel in North The old Faroese traditional music was vocal. The
Denmark. fiddle arrived in the seventeenth century, and by the
Singer-songwriter, guitarist, fiddler and bagpiper eighteenth the Faroes had the pan-European dances
Lars Lilholt leads his own rocky band which first such as minuet, polka, and English and Scottish
had pop chart success in the late 1980s and is a dances, but such innovadons were largely restricted

major concert attraction. He maintains, and indeed to the Danish smart set in the capital. Torshavn, and
has intensified, contact with the folk tradition, as among the wider populadon they didn't displace die
a member of Rasmus and with the Next Stop old custom of circle-dancing ballads.
Svabonius project which draws together his band Throughout northern Europe it was common
and many ot the leading traditional players to revi- for groups of people to sing ballads while dancing
talise eighteenth-century dance music. in a circle. Only in the Faroes has this tradidon per-
sisted (unrevived) to the present day. The group
holds hands, facing inwards, and the circle moves
clockwise. Normally the singing has a leader and
The Faroe Islands chorus. The song rhythm, pardculariy in the old-
The Faroes - eighteen islands in
beautiful, wild est heroic ballads, is frequendy a different number
the North Adantic with a total population of of beats from the unchanging rhythm of the foot-
47,000 — are a largely self-governing part of Den- stamp, giving a polyrh\thmic, overlapping feel.

mark, roughly equidistant from Norway, Iceland There main types of ballads danced.
are three
and Shedand, and a two-hour flight northwest The majority, and still the most sung, are of the
from distant Copenhagen. Their everyday lan- heroic type, called kvaedi - members of the fam-
guage is Faroese, but everyone can speak Danish, ily of medieval ballads shared with other Nordic

and many also English. and Germanic peoples, with stories of the

60 Faroe Islands
Nibelung, Charlemagne and others, or of Nordic Faroese Music now
history and myth, featuring heroes battling trolls

and giants. The second type, called visur, are often The most prevalent live music in the Faroes is rock
not clearly distinguishable from kvxdi, but they or pop — that's what you'll get in a sports hall dance.
include Danish ballads converted to Faroese form. However, folk-rooted bands do exist, and play
The third are satirical ballads, taettir, mocking indi- and
in smaller clubs, in one place in an old boat.

viduals or politics, with tunes which are more reg- Radio on the Faroes has had a positive attitude to
ular rhythmically and structurally than those sung folk music, and so, to some extent, has TV. There
to the old ballads. Some broadsheet and biblical is also a folk festival (mid-July), which takes place
30
ballads from Norway and Denmark also found their in schools and other local venues around the islands.
way into the round-dance repertoire. Present-day Faroese roots music is characterised
fio
There was World War II when it
a time after by musical seafaring — a creative linking of tradi-
appeared ballad-dancing would die out, so dance tional forms with ideas and musicians from other
societies were formed. Nowadays there's a small cultures.Its major exponent is keyboard player,

but determined number of young Faroese who composer, promoter and head of Tutl records
dance the ballads. They're essentially an enter- Kristian Blak. Blak is a communicator between
tainment for the people in the circle not a perfor- diverse musical worlds, from his role as piano-play-
mance for an audience — the dancers face inwards, er in the twin-fiddle led dance-music band Spaeli-
not outwards. There is also a sense of the dance as menninir, through his Nordic jazz inflected c/j
r—
a Faroese statement. arrangements of Faroese traditional song and hymn >
In the nineteenth century people began to write tunes, to his own compositions (both jazz and clas-

down many were later published

the ballads, and sical orchestral) and his scries of albums and pro-
o
CO
.is ( Carminum Fceroensium - a volume which
Corpus jects featuring musicians from the Faroes and
contained 44,000 stanzas — a huge number con- abroad, including Finnish-resident kora player
sidering they were collected from a population Malang Cissokho and Jan Garbarek percussionist
which then only numbered about 5000. That sug- Marilyn Mazur. In his 1995 Loaned Finery CD,
gests that they must have been sung very frequently. Blak and a frequent collaborator, guitarist-singer
No wonder — they're sung to winding, rhyth- Lennart Kullgren, created a new jazz sound based
mic tunes with long interesting melodic lines and on Native American musical themes and vocalis-
are packed with rich imagery and strong stories ing, paralleling in feel some of the Sami joik fusion

carried through the centuries: Charlemagne killing projects of mainland Nordic countries.
an army with the dead Roland's sword at Ronce- Others working from Faroese roots include the
vaux; Signhild murdered by the dwarf father of progressive and ever-evolving Enekk, a group
her fifteen children; Nornagestur who was 3(H) which brought in Bulgarian musicians for a recent
yean old and couldn't die until a candle inside his project, and Copenhagen-resident Annika Hoy-
harp burnt down; a young man who makes silver dal who on the lyrics of
writes songs often based
wings to fly to his beloved. her brother Gunnar Hoydal, and who has trav-
Another Faroese song tradition is that of skjal- elled to Scotland to work with its musicians on
dur - songs of magic and fairytale sung by adults her recent recordings.
for children, with irregular beats following the
rhythm of the words — has continued, though
nowadays the songs are often sung by the children
themselves. And then there are hymns - used not
only in church but also often before or after a fish-

ing or egg-collecting trip. Unlike in Iceland, the

nineteenth-century installation of church organs
didn't completely oust the old rhythmically free,
pitch-sliding microtonal way of singing hymns.
This was known kingosalmar or kingosan-
as

gur after the Kirke-Psalmc-Bog - a hymn-book

published in 1699 by Thomas Kingo. The
kingosangur tradition disappeared from normal
church use during the twentieth century, but
recordings were made of singers who remembered
the old way as late as the 1970s. Ballad dancing, early 20th century

Faroe Islands 61
 other Nordic dance tunes new
discography in

backbeat of other, hotter parts of the world.

material with the lift and

S3 Kaetter Kvartet (Olga, Denmark).

Fun, excellent musicianship and bright ideas.

A who should have in stock most of the

specialist supplier

o
m
Danish and Faroese CDs below is GO' Danish Folk Music,
Ribe Landesvej 190, DK 7100 Vejle, Denmark; «/fax (45)
Lars Lilholt
Singer-songwriter, guitarist, fiddler and bagpiper Lilholt
75 72 24 86; website; www.homel.inet.tele.dk/eswo/
has had pop hits with his band, but also maintains contact
with Danish traditional roots.
Denmark
30 S3 Next Stop Svabonius
(Danish Folk Council, Denmark).

Bo Compilations Per and Lars Lilholt and their band of leading roots players
here use approaches from string quartet to screaming rock to
-l
explore the dance music of the 1 700s.
Danemark: Chanteurs et Menetriers
m 3S
(Ocora, France).
n
J> Recordings from the 30s to the 80s of traditional musicians NEXT STOP SVABONIUS
30 and singers from various regions, including Ingeborg Munch, 700-tals dansemusik Danmark)
O (1 i

Evald Thomsen, Frits and Soren Lassen Brinch, from the col-
m lections of the Danish Folklore Archives. Danmarks Radio and
the Folk Music House in Hogager.
c7>
r— 83 Folk Music from Denmark '99 (MXP, Denmark).

Each year the Danish Folk Council releases a compilation of

o tracks from
later
new
usually
folk releases. Initially

goes on commercial
it's

release.
a promo-only, but
C/5 it

Artists

Danish Dia Delight

This seminal Danish roots band featured Morton Alfred
Hoirup. Lang Linken melodeon player Carl Erik Lundgaard,
and saxist Henrik Bredholt, along with bass and drums.

83 Live (CE Musik, Denmark).

Traditional and new tunes and songs thrown around with Lang Linken
accessible energy, charm and wit, a lot of skill and no educa-
Long-experienced trio, playing fiddles, melodeon, piano,
tionalism or pompousness. plus hurdy-gurdy, bagpipe, humle, etc.

Lyst
Dug (CE Musik, Denmark).
Dug are a young, energetic folk-rock band featuring fiddle,
Danish traditional dance-music at its best, with some new
bass clarinet, sax, accordion and vocals.
tunes and danceable songs, expertly played with a chugging,
K Beware of Fafner (Nix, Denmark). swinging lift.

Not just folk-rock here: there's a good deal of subtle playing

linking with the band's acoustic-trio origins.
Sorten Muld
techno-based band featuring Ulla Bendixen's
Fast-rising,

Morten Alfred Hoirup breathy vocal, making impressive atmospheric grooves

around material mostly from Danish folksong collections.
A leading voice in the new Danish music, Hoirup is a jour-
nalist, broadcaster, singer and guitarist with a circus-music SB Mark II (Sony/Pladecompagniet, Denmark).
family background. He is best known for jazzy-swing play-
The raw material is largely Danish traditional ballads, the
ing in his backing of fiddle tunes, but is also exploring a
sound is well-varied techno with blended-in instruments,
more specifically Danish-rooted style.
including Soren Bendixen's guitar and Thomas Holm's bag-
Vingarden (Between Your Ears, Denmark). pipe.
S3

A bold move into a more modal guitar style, combining with

the American Cafe Orchestra and the traditional instruments Faroe Islands
of Lang Linken in Danish ballads and new tunes.
The main Faroese record company is Tutl (Reynagota 1 2,
FR-100 Torshavn, Faroe Islands; w (298) 314 825, founded
Kaetter Kvartet
in 1 977, and boasting a catalogue of more than 80 jazz,

With voice, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and keyboards, plus rock, classical and Faroese roots releases, virtually all
drums, Kaetter combines the structures of Danish and featuring new material played by Faroese musicians.

62 Denmark
Compilations *i Klaemint (Tutl, Faroes).

When weather permits, Blak organises for musicians and

IJJl Flugvandi Bidil audience to be taken by boat into a sea-cave, and has writ-

L"U (Tutl, Faroes). ten pieces especially for these grotto-concerts. This, featuring
guitar, keyboards, trumpet, voice, naverlur, bass and percus-
Twenty songs and ballads, mostly from the Faroese second such
sion, is the suite, recorded on the waters in the
University archive, from the first recordings in 1902 up to
cave Klaemintsgjogv.
1997. Fine voices singing rich old stories to remarkable wind-
ing, tripping rhythmic tunes. A revelation, showing the
Faroes' importance among north European song traditions.
Enekk
This progressive roots band - vocals, bass, guitars, piano
33 Alfagurt Ljodar Min Tunga (Tutl, Faroes).
- plays arrangements of traditional Faroese and original
Kvaedi, visur, taettir, kingosalmar and skjaldur, recordings material, and increasingly draws on outside influences.
made between 1 959 (a fine kingosalmar example) and 1 990, fio
S3 Fyra Naetur Fyri J6I (Tutl, Faroes).
accompanying the excellent paperback Traditional Music in
the Faroe Islands (Foroya Skulabokagrunnur) which was a Their most recent album, featuring Bulgarian folk musicians
major source in the writing of this chapter. Valeri Dimchev and Dragomir Dimov.

Kristian Blak Spaelimenninir

30
The key musical mover in the Faroes, Blak is involved in
a multitiude of projects and recordings, moving
Six musicians, including Kristian Blak,
Denmark and USA playing Nordic music on two
from Faroes, Sweden,
fiddles,
O
m
between traditional music, jazz and classical composi- guitar, recorder, piano, bass, with occasional vocals.
tions.
33 Flod og Fjora (Tutl, Faroes). r—
S3 Kingoleg (Tutl, Faroes).
Lively, strongly-played dance music akin in feel to a Scottish
>
A suite based on
flute,
15 kingosalmar, led on piano with harmonium,
recorder, cor anglais, bassoon, mandolin and bass.
ceilidh
Faroese
band and
traditional
reflective instrumental interpretations of
songs.
o

Faroe Islands 63
England |
Foik/Roots

england's changing roots

A decade or so ago it to imagine England's own folk music heritage playing anything
was impossible
but a cartoonesque and kicked around by a mainstream popular culture seemingly
bit part, ridiculed

sympathetic to every hybrid known to music-kind except its own traditions. Old cliched images of
beards, fingers in ears,, nasal voices and overweight morris dancers die hard, but the emergence of a
World Music constituency has opened ears to some esoteric riches at home - and slowly chipped
away at the deeply ingrained disdain for all notions of Englishness. Colin Irwin takes a closer look at
the image of English folk past and present.

England's
1990s, at
multi-cultural status has, in the
begun to express itself in
last
Birth and Rebirth
music through the emergence of second The heyday of the English folk club movement
generation immigrants developing a whole was in the 1960s and '70s when, fuelled by the
new genre of styles involving a cross-fertilisation protest era. the clubs acquired social relevance and
of everything from banghra and reggae to hip-hop, an unlikely scent of alternative trendiness. There
Celtic and Baltic. The blurring of the edges regard- were interesting developments in contemporary
ing what is to be regarded as English music has, songwriting - from Ralph McTell. Roy Harper
paradoxically, encouraged a disparate range of and Al Stewart onwards; there was a veritable gold-

musicians to re-assess the roots and discover a dra- mine of guitar stylists to Bert
from Davy Graham
matic song form that goes way beyond the usual Jansch and John Renbourn; there were the great
misinformation about incest ballads and fey ditties folk-rock experiments led by the Fairports and
concerning jolly ploughboys. Steeleye Span; there was a formidable array of artists
A status akin to folk royalty has also been grant- of varying styles providing a formidable backbone
ed surviving veterans from the original heady days for the scene, including Robin and Barry Drans-
of the 1960s/ '70s revival, as evinced by a newly field. Shirley Collins. Nic Jones.
June Tabor.
media treatment of anything involving
respectful John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris. Bill Caddick
the Waterson/Carthy clan in the wake of a brace Dave Burland and Vin Garbutt - all providing
of Mercury Music prize nominations for Norma exciting daily bread for a scene whose heartbeat still

Waterson's self-titled solo album and her daugh- lay in the great traditional music of English history.

ter Eliza Carthy's Red Rice, a prestigious celebra- But if you stand still you go backwards, and
tory London Royal Albert Hall concert for Roy other styles and movements queued up to kick
Bailey in 1998, and relentless reissues of classic sand in the face of English folk music. Folk clubs
early material. Even relatively overlooked figures have never regained fashionable status - and prob-
such as Anne Briggs and Robin and Barry Drans- ably never will do - but the music has slowly re-
field have had their work re-issued and acclaimed affirmed its dignity, albeit in a dissipated fashion,
with an enthusiasm that must have amazed artists ironically establishing its respect through patron-
so acclimatised to scornful indifference. age from other territories.
The great Nic Jones, tragically forced into retire- The re-birth had its beginnings during the mid
ment following an horrific road crash in 1 982, has 1980s when the likes of Billy Bragg. The
been re-discovered; and England's leading folk Pogues and The Men They Couldn't Hang -
label, Topic, has embarked on an imaginative re- too brash and unselfconscious to to be tarnished
issue programme, including the launch of the 20- by the dictates of cultural fashion and old hang-
CD Voice of the People series documenting the ups involved in puritan values - set about
history of the great traditional singers like Harry English/ Irish folk song with an almost manic ener-
Cox, Sam Larner and Walter Pardon, alongside gy that was as shocking as it was exciting. Out-
Ewan MacColl's legendary Radio Ballads series raged letters to the folk mags from diehard folkies
originally issued on Argo. appalled by the primitive irreverence worn like a

54 English folk/roots
Pub session at Sidmouth England's most enjoyable gathering of folkies

badge by these new wave bands confirmed the World Music rhythms and contexts. Some of these
necessity of such radicalism. English folk music attempts have been appalling, but at best they've
had carefully constructed and protected its own breathed new life moribund form. The likes
into a
elitist ghetto in the folk clubs for too long, a blind- of Blowzabella and 3 Mustaphas 3, for exam-
ly independent strand paying not even lip service ple, did much exciting work mixing the music
to the rest of the music industry, and unbeknow- with Eastern European styles, working wonders
ingly stagnating, crumbling and turning into a for both forms. Perhaps more astonishingly, it has
ridiculed museum relic as a result. even found a voice of sorts within club culture,
The sudden outburst of punk-folkery swiftly with the purity of folk expression absorbed into
lost its appeal as a movement as itbecame obvious mixing desks in intriguing styles. It's a radical depar-
the artists involved had little in common beyond ture eagerly advocated by some of the more vision-
attitude and a genuine respect for the giants of the ary musicians, emboldened by pioneering
preceding generations - the MacColls, Carthys, etc experiments with dance music by people like
— but the long-term ramifications were huge and Sharon Shannon, Martyn Bennett and Afro-Celt
they remain inspirational. After being divorced for Sound System. Eliza Carthy embraced hip-hop
a while The Men They Couldn't Hang returned on her Red Rice album, experimenting further in
at the end of the 1990s to pitch the social history live shows, while even before they'd got a record
mini-dramas of main songwriter Paul Simmonds deal rising stars Tarras were getting their demos
back into the mainstream. Billy Bragg body- remixed by M People.
swerved his own reputation as political-commen- The pleasing paradox of all this is that far from
tator-in-chief to re-invent himself as Woody flushing out the baby with the bathwater, it has
Guthrie's voice on earth with his Mermaid Avenue also had the effectof focusing attention on the
album of newly discovered Guthrie material, and real traditional music of England - a tradition that
a whole range of electric bands like The Levellers, continues to survive the ravages of fashion and
Blyth Power, Blue Horses, The Rattlers, Daily cultural abuse and, against all the odds, is as rich,

Planet and Waulk Electrik have continued to potent, relevant and better represented than it has
join longstanding giants Oyster Band rampaging been young musi-
tor a very long time. Gifted
noisily along the perimeters of English rootism. cians, from the wonderful Yorkshire singer Kate
The times indeed have been-a-changing. Rusby to the amazing 'duelling flute' band
A mesmerising array of exotic talents have sub- Flook! abound; Eliza Carthy, Nancy Kerr.
sequently taken - with varying degrees of effec- Tanteeka, The Fraser Sisters, Equation,
tiveness - ever more daring liberties with the Tarras, Epona, Acaysha, Carleen Angliin and
music, forging an English sensitivity to various The Poozies, to name just a few.

English folk/roots 65
 Lords of the Dance
Morris dancing is at the very heart of cliched English tradition hailing from the industrial towns of Lancashire.
imagery and hasn't yet been rescued from ridicule by The outstanding singer and melodeon player John Kirk-

roots music. Who knows, perhaps it never will be. But patrick is also an ace dancer and one of the leading lights

m for all its apparent absurdity, the dance is amazingly of the Border Morris side in Shropshire - yet another tra-
popular, and there is, after all, something spectacular ditional morris style identifiable by the colourful tatter
C5 and heart-warming in the sight of the dancers in their jackets, blackened faces, and a ralicous, whooping dance
r—
> whites waving bells and hankies, re-enacting some style. You may laugh but it's serious stuff!
obscure fertility ritual. Isn't there? And there are any number of other strange tradi-

The history of morris is ancient and cloudy. Nobody's tions lurking where you least expect to find them. Most
quite sure how it evolved^ or indeed if it's a specifical- exhilarating of all, perhaps, is the annual May Day Obby
ly English tradition. Nonetheless, with its related off- Oss celebration at Padstow in Cornwall - a song and
shoots, it has evolved as an eccentric culture entirely dance ritual of mindboggling colour and alcohol intake.

its own. Long-held customs that women are not allowed Rapper and long sword dancing still abound, notably
to dance the morris have been the subject of fierce in Yorkshire and the north east; and you'll find lots of
debate, with female dance teams emerging at a fran- clog dancing. Chance upon the Staffordshire village of

tic pace with variations of morris, rapper and clog. The Abbots Bromley in September and you might encounter
'serious' teams, meanwhile, preserve their own terri- the strange Horn Dance ritual that has been a feature
torial traditions with a protective discipline that seems of the area since the mid-seventeenth century at least.

positively archaic, but is rigorously encouraged by the Yet more bizarre still is the tradition of the Britannia
Morris Ring, the movement's unofficial governing body. Coconut Dancers, who dance with garlands, frocks,
Mention morris dancing and everyone thinks of the clogs and blackened faces through the streets of Bacup
stereotypical whites, bells and floating hankies of in the Calder Valley of Lancashire on Easter Saturday.
Cotswold Morris, hailing from Oxfordshire; but at any They also wear coconuts strapped to their hands and
festival or morris gathering, you'll also see the fast stomp- knees which they clap together - providing them with
ing clogs of Northwest Moms dancers - a quite different the not altogether inappropriate nickname of 'nutters'!

The art of Morris

66 English folk/roots
 And yet English roots remains the Cinderella Modern artists like Ed Pickford and Jez Lowe
music of the British Isles. While its Celtic cousin are to a certain extent maintaining that tradition.
has risen remorselessly through the 1990s to enjoy Sometimes bleak, sometimes tragic, often wild-
the patronage of mass audiences, the very thought ly happy, Northumbrian music has remained an
of an English Riverdancc would be laughed out of integral part of the local character, and names like

sight by media seemingly intent on burying the

a Jack Armstrong, Joe Hutton, Billy Atkinson,
beast alive. Only Folk Roots and - to a lesser degree Jimmy Pallister, Tommy Edmondson, Willy
the Scottish-based Living Tradition — offer press Taylor, Tom
Clough, Billy Conroy, George
coverage of any depth and national radio cover- Hepple and Billy Pigg are revered locally for o
r—
age lies solely in the hands of the BBC's Folk On their role in perpetuating that tradition.

Two, presented by Lancashire singer/ comedian Much of this proud tradition due to the prox-
Mike Harding (who had a hit in the 1970s with imity of Scotland and its
is

history of country dance

o
"Rochdale Cowboy") following the retirement in bands, and to the influence of Irish migrants. As a
1998 of veteran presenter Jim Lloyd. result, outstanding accordion players, fiddlers and
Yet a quick glance across the hundred or so folk even mouth organists have consistently abound-
festivals regularly held all over England through- ed, though the instrument that really gives the area

out the year certainly doesn't suggest that here is its unique role in English music is the Northum-
a music without a future. You need to get in early brian pipes. One of the smallest and least intim-
to ensure a ticket for Cambridge, the biggest idating members of the bagpipe family, these pipes
binge of the lot held in the grounds of Cherry Hin- are also more versatile than most of their Celtic
ton during the weekend ofJuly. And the old-
last relatives and as a result blend in more easily with

est - Sidmouth - triumphantly approaches its half other instruments. Billy Pigg, who died in 1968,
century with outstanding showcases of English is still regarded as the king of the Northumbrian
(and other world) music and dance which it scat- pipes for the vibrant orginality of his playing, his
ters around the Devon seaside town during the prolific writing of tunes and the high profile he
first week in August in a glorious pageant of colour gave the instrument in particular and Northum-
and celebration. Odd still, then, that however brian music in general.
inventive, exciting and heartfelt the music gets, it His influence remains strong and there's a clear
still seems forever destined to remain in the shad- line between him and the still youthful Kathryn
ows of national consciousness. Tickell (see box overleaf) who at times has
appeared to be on one-woman crusade for the
a

Northumbrian Roots instrument and has done so much to break down

musical barriers and take the music to new audi-
Nowhere is the English living tradition more in ences. Tickell's current influence in the perpetu-
evidence than in the border lands of Northum- ation of the legend of Northumbrian music is

bria, the one part of England to rival the coun- incalculable and she may even have redefined
ties of the west of Ireland for a rich unbroken Northumbrian music with her superb 1 999 album
tradition. It is a tradition sustained uniquely by the Debateable Lands, revolving around a suite inspired

rich splendour of a countryside that has constant- by the disputed area between England and Scot-
ly been interwoven with its indigenous music. land that was long a target of border raiders. But
The changing times may have dissipated that it would be wrong to ignore the role of many oth-
music's importance to the local communities, but ers, both musicians and enthusiasts, who have pro-
it has never come close to eradicating it. Whether moted the music of the area with fanatical zeal.
it be sheep-farming in the moorlands or raucous Bob Davenport and Louis Killen were key
nights in the pubs in the mining communities, the figures in the early days of the British folk revival.
old music still survives as a backdrop even while Davenport did much to align Northumbrian tra-

the mining industry itself has grimly declined - a ditional songs with a more modern folk tradition
processdocumented in the 1997 Richard and — he'd think nothing of merging an old Geordie
Danny Thompson album Factory. favourite like "Cushy Butterfield" with Bob Mar-
The work of Tommy Armstrong, a unique ley's "Get Up Stand Up"; and Killen was both a

Tyneside balladeer of the late nineteenth/early superb traditional singer and concertina player,
twentieth century, remains in popular circulation who did much to popularise the music in Amer-
and his "Trimdon Grange Explosion" — momen- ica. The High Level Ranters flew the local flag
tously recorded by Martin Carthy - is still one of internationally for many years. Northumbrian cul-
the most heartbreaking songs you'll ever hear. ture was served magnificently by their devotion

English folk/roots 67
to colourful dialect songs like "The Lambton The Northumbrian Pipers Society has also
Worm". "Blaydon Races", "Keep Your Feet Still worked wonders to keep interest in the instrument

Geordie Hinnie" and "Dance To Yer Daddie", as alive, to the extent of helping to open a pipes
well as grittier stories of strife in the collieries. museum in Newcastle. A number of border festi-
The Ranters' Colin Ross acted as an ambas- vals have doggedly and successfully concentrated
sador for the Northumbrian pipes at a time when on local music, even including (somewhat con-
most people looked at the instrument and fled, and troversially) competitions for various instruments
his work was admirably continued by Alistair in the manner of the Irish fleadhs.

Anderson, originally noted as a vigorous con- It's a tradition that has e«n seeped into the rock-
certina player, and subsequently
noted^s a also ier side of the story. Great Geordie folk-rock bands
piper and composer of a new Northumbrian tra- Lindisfarne, Jack The Lad and Hedgehog Pie
dition. His Steel Skies suite, directly inspired by the dug into their own local heritage for inspiration
Northumbrian countryside and its genetic tradi- in a way that bands from other areas never did.
tions, remains one of the most important original Alan Price had a Top 10 hit in 1974 with "Jar-
works of recent years. "It was written to be played row Song", glorifying the 1936 mass march of the
by musicians steeped in traditional music and its unemployed to London. It was an event further
development from the tradition was evolutionary commemorated by the area's best-loved band Lind-
rather than revolutionary" Anderson said of the isfarne's "Marshall Riley's Army". The band, who

work. "I hope it retained the spirit of the music it took their name from the famous Holy Island off
has grown from, while opening up some new the northeast coast, created something of a
musical ideas on the way." Northumbrian anthem in "Fog On The Tyne",

The K Factor
If there's one musician music. She's also a fan of
who has personified the classical, bluegrass and
upward trend of English jazz music and her out-
roots music in the last standing recordings have
decade, it has to be included commendable
Kathryn Tickell (and a experiments with Greek,
sharp blow to the ear to Cajun and Irish music.
anyone who pronounces Yet much of the
it 'tickle'). More than any- esteem in which she's
one else, she has reformed held is due to an implaca-
the stuffy old image of folk ble commitment to her
music, inspiring a legion of roots. She will talk, at any
others in her wake. opportunity, of her debt to

Her very youth and the great Northumbrian

attractive personality musicians of old - people
made heads turn from the like Joe Hutton, Willie Tay-
time, as a confident and lor and Billy Pigg - and
supremely gifted teenag- makes that past real and
er, she first started wield- accessible to her audi-
ing her pipes in earnest ences with consummate
around a roots circuit of playing and easy intro-

then profoundly ageing Kathryn Tickell ductions, whether in New-

personalities and dated values. But without any of the castle or Nova Scotia. Her 1993 album Signs was an
shock tactics usually employed for maximum impact, adventurous sally into other cultures, contrasting neatly

Tickell has swiftly risen to a position of unrivalled emi- with her 1 998 'back to the roots' statement, The Northum-
nence, blending technical expertise with progressive berland Collection and its superb 1 999 successor, The
ideas and youthful vitality. After all, she spent some vital Debateable Lands. Galled by the removal of music from
formative years playing with Asian and reggae musicians the education curriculum in Britain, she's even launched
and feels there is no incongruity in applying some of their a charity to provide financial support for children to study
ideas and values to her own heritage of Northumbrian the instrument of their choice.

68 English folk/roots
 The Coppers: First Family of English Folk Song
The great patriarch of English traditional song is, with- by Heinemann in the early 1970s) colourfully describ-
out doubt, one Bob Copper of Rottingdean, Sussex. ing life in a small Sussex farming community and plac-
The Copper Family are synonymous with the folk tra- ing the musical history in its proper context. The
dition, and they have songbooks dating back two cen- Coppers' magnificent four-album boxed set, A Song
turies to prove it. Their songs of rural country life were For Every Season, complete with lavish booklet and
handed through many generations of the family and interviews telling how their songs were used either for
CD
became a staple of the British folk revival of the 1960s. specific social occasions or simply as family enter- >
The saw the Coppers as perhaps the tainment, was probably the most important tradition-
revival, rightly,

last living link with the English tradition, and they were al folksong recording of the 1970s.
o
in in great demand on the burgeoning festival circuit. The advance of age and pressure of family com-
And quite a sight they were, too: Bob in a suit and tie mitments limited the Coppers' visibility through much
flanked by his long-haired son John and blonde-haired of the 1980s, but they maintained their presence with
daughter Jill, each of them using a tuning fork to pitch their own monthly club at Peacehaven. In the 1990s
their voices, and using the ancient family songbook as they started appearing again more regularly, their ranks
a crib sheet. Their appearances provided the inspira- swelled by Jill's husband John. They had lost none of

tion for many upcoming young revival singers, notably the informal warmth and natural feel for harmonies
the flamboyant Young Tradition. which was always such a feature of their live perfor-

Bob Copper's importance to the folk tradition was mances. And the family songbook and tuning fork are
confirmed by regular radio apearances and two high- never far away.
ly readable autobiographical books, A Song For Every The Copper family retain a very special place in the
Season and Songs And Southern Breezes (published hearts of all English roots fans.

The Copper Family (1970), from left: Bob, Heather, PB, Ron, Royston W and John

and although their primary songwriter Alan Hull fiddle player Nancy Kerr - Eliza Carthy's early
died during the 1990s, they continue to operate. partner who has further blossomed in the excel-
Even Sting examines his Geordie roots from time lentyoung band Epona (with a promising first
to time, and has occasionally worked with the album Shine Again) and in partnership with James
Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell. Fagan good effect on the Starry Gazy
(heard to
All of which has all provided a healthy incen- Pie album).The upcoming Borders band Tarras
tive to young musicians in the area, as proven by maintain strong roots in Northumbrian/Cum-
the emergence of outstanding musicians like the brian history, with a family lineage involving
pipers Becky Taylor and Pauline Cato, ubiq- Hedgehog Pie, Jack The Lad and the Doonan
uitous piano-accordionist Lynn Tocker, and Family, and an excellent debut album, Rising.

English folk/roots 69
 Young musicians thrive in Northumbria and inspiration. It was given further impetus by
unlike anywhere else in England, with a charac- Norfolk revivalist Peter Bellamy's mid-1970s
ter also unlike anywhere else in England. You'll discovery of the great traditional singer Walter
catch some of it at the better folk festivals, Pardon, who had lived all his life in thesame
though to hear it at its best there's no beating cottage at Knapton, Norfolk without realising
local events like the Rothbury Traditional that the fund of long-neglected songs he'd
Music Festival. Alternatively, ask around in the learned as a child could form such a vital ingre-
pubs and clubs of Alnwick and Morpeth and dient of England's folk tradition. Pardon went
over the border in Hawick and Jedburgh. And on to make a couple of^important albums for
even if you don't find any music the local hospi- Topic and sang locally and nationally for several
tality is renowned. years until he died in 1996.
Sussex also has a proud folk music tradition.

The Rural Tradition Much of the local traditional repertoire came

through the hands of the late great Scan
Not that Northumbria is the only area where Tester, who played dance music in local pubs
the tradition has survived unbroken. Indigenous with his Imperial Band from before World War
music flourishes in East Anglia, Sussex, I right up until his death in 1972. Tester's
Cornwall and Humberside — although you may music is still a delight and can be heard to good
need to hunt it down. effect on the Topic compilation album / Never
East Anglia might seem an unlikely setting Played Too Many Posh Dances. Sussex is also the
for a roots scene but scratch around and you will base of the Copper Family of Rottingdean
find some surprising riches. Informal pub ses- (see p. 69).
sions still abound both in Suffolk and Norfolk. There's plenty of music to be found, too, in
Two of the greatest traditional singers in the Yorkshire, home of another famous roots fami-
entire folk tradition were from this area: farm ly, the Watersons, still going strong, albeit in

labourer Harry Cox from Yarmouth and Sam box opposite). And in
different guises (again, see
Larner, a fisherman from Winterton. Larner Shropshire, another area where you'll find the
was seventy-nine when he made his first record music intact if you look hard enough, you
but his subsequent output, and that of Cox, gave might still come across Fred Jordan, a rugged
the 1960s folk revival a huge source of material farmworker and one of the last surviving source

Billy Bragg tries the old finger-in-the-ear trick with the Watersons

70 English folk/roots
Watersons/Carthy - Roots Royals!
Initial amazement was followed by unbridled joy when solo album, Norma Waterson, was runner-up (to Pulp!)

the Queen's 1998 Birthday Honours List included an in the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.
MBE for a certain Martin Dominic Forbes Carthy. But it's Norma and Martin Carthy's daughter Eliza
No musician from this neck of the woods ever got who looks set to be the unrivalled star of the family
remotely near a gong before and it seemed almost in the next century. Eliza initially earned her spurs
C5
unreal that it had actually gone to the single most singing with The Watersons and has played a promi-
r—
influential, popular and enduring artist of our times. nent role in two excellent Waterson/Carthy albums >
As the supreme guitar stylist and classic singer, with her parents. Yet the inventive, wilful fiddler had
Carthy has been ominipresent since the early days of too much energy and imagination to be contained
the 1960s folk revival, playing a major role in its gen- within one vocal group. "I never saw the point of doing

esis. There was his profound influence on visiting exactly the same that others had done before me",
American singer-songwriters (ask Paul Simon where said Eliza as she embarked on a dazzling career of
he got "Scarborough Fair"); his memorable duo work her own. Apart from her Waterson/Carthy work, she's
with Dave Swarbrick; significant contributions to the recorded with Nancy Kerr and the innovative Kings
early Steeleye Span and Albion Bands; a significant Of Calicutt, in which young bass player Barnaby
role in the groundbreaking 1980s band Brass Mon- Stradling has notably proved himself one of the
key - his CV goes on and on. And running through it scene's most enlightened arrangers.
all, a brilliant solo career in which he established that Most tellingly, Eliza Carthy's solo work has attract-
highly individual and much copied guitar style, a proud ed the greatest attention. The double album Red Rice
body of important solo albums, and a reputation for (1998) not only saw her experimenting excitingly with
unimpeachable integrity built on three decades of modern dance styles, it enabled her to emulate her
absolute, uncompromising commitment to English mother's achievement the previous year in winning a
music and the folk clubs which has been its natural Mercury Music Prize nomination - as well as provid-
habitat through that time. ing her with more national publicity than any folk artist

Somewhere along theway he became a Waterson, in living was scarcely any surprise when she
memory. It

too. His marriage to Norma Waterson, surely Eng- was snapped up by the corporate might of Warner
land's greatest living female singer, firmly established Brothers to be marketed as a serious crossover artist.

folk's first royals. The Waterson Family defined har- She is, she admits proudly, on a mission to restore
mony singing in the most distinctive manner possi- English music to the nation's consciousness and as
ble, igniting the burgeoning revival scene of the 1960s an individual every bit as single-minded, dedicated,
with their passionate Yorkshire voices and charis- determined and opinionated as her celebrated dad, few
matic unaccompanied performances. Norma, Mike would argue she can't achieve it.

and Lai should be canonised for their work during Martin Carthy, meantime, emerged with a defining
that period alone and albums like A Yorkshire Gar- new album Signs Of Life (1998) which reflected his
land still sound terrific today. But after several years long, enriching musical journey through the songs
away from music they reunited in the early 1970s to that shaped him, even to the point of featuring sen-

make the bold contemporary electric album Bright sational re-workings of old hits by Elvis ("Heartbreak
Phoebus. Despite revealing both Mike and Lai as out- Hotel") and the Bee Gees ("New York Mining Disas-
standing writers, it was not a practical direction to ter"). Not to be outdone, Norma Waterson followed
pursue and they resumed their career as Britain's fore- it with her own musical history lesson, The Very
most harmony vocal group, with one M. Carthy slot- Thought Of You (1 999) on which she reflects on her
ted into the ranks in what was now traditional music's own musical education through songs about Josef
dream team. Locke, Al Bowlly, Fred Astaire and Judy Garland by
Further magnificent albums like Green Fields and writers as disparate as Nick Drake, Richard Thomp-
For Pence And Spicey Ale confirmed their status as son and Freddie Mercury.
the ultimate English harmony singers, tracing their own Sadly, the dynasty suffered a massive loss in late

inspiration from the source singers of old. And when 1 998 with the sudden death from cancer of Lai Water-
Lai and Mike decided it was time to take a step back son, whose own highly individual songwriting talent
from the fray, a new generation was ready to step in. had blossomed dramatically on one of the decade's
Lai Waterson 's son Oliver Knight is a fast-rising gui- most original albums, Once In A Blue Moon (1996),
tarist and producer, and other members of the family recorded with her son Oliver Knight. It made the
are also making their mark. All were outshone by posthumous release of her equally stark follow-up A
Norma Waterson in 1 996, however, when her very first Bed Of Roses (1999) almost unbearably poignant.

English folk/roots 71
 singers. He sings like an angel and still makes tric guitar on stage. Dylan thought he'd been given
occasional public appearances. a hard time with all that "Judas' baiting when he
The vocal tradition was a key area in the great went electric at Newport Folk Festival a few years
British folk revival of the 1960s and '70s. The earlier, but at least he was pillaging his own songs.
•
Coppers* harmonic style was adopted and adapted •
Martin Carthy. the doyen of English folk musi-
with fine results by the flamboyant Young cians, was doing it with a national treasure.
Tradition, who were immensely influential in the The band playing traditional English
idea of a

jg 1970s, and The Watersons have kept the vocal music with all the trappings of a rock band had
torch burning to wondrous effect in various guises initially been discussed by Ashley Hutchings and

^ through the last three decades. But there Have Bob Pegg at Keele Folk Festival at the end of the
been many others along the way. Fronted by the 1960s. Having coaxed the folk singer Sandy Denny
ebullient Dave Brady. Swan Arcade picked up into their ranks. Hutchings propelled Fairport
on Young Tradition's Bullish harmonic unaccom- Convention, then perceived as a Muswell Hill
panied style and raised it And
several decibels. interpretation of Califomian soft-rock, full-tilt into
while modern groups like Coope, Boyes & an English folk direction. The move was to invest
Simpson capably continue this proud vocal tradi- their guitarist Richard Thompson with a unique
tion, the great solo performers like Martin songwriting style of his own that has served him
Carthy. June Tabor and Shirley Collins are fol- brilliandy for over two decades, and it turned their
lowed by fast emerging talents Kate Rusby. Liege And Lief album into a momentous bit of
Kathryn Roberts and Eliza Carthy musical history.
The one record that is still cited as the biggest But Fairport were seen mainly as a rock band
influence in traditional music circles is English playing with folk music, and Hutchings wanted to
Country Music. Put together in 1965 by Reg Hall pursue the idea of an electric folk band to the lim-
and Bob Davenport, it was issued in a limited its. He quit Fairport Convention specifically to
edition of ninety-nine copies and sold out within form that beast, engaging the most respected musi-
a fortnight. Among the primarily Norfolk musi- on die folk club circuit to see it through. The
cians
cians featuredwere the fiddler Walter Bulwer. was Steeleye Span, initially involving
result
Billy Cooper on dulcimer, Reg Hall on Maddy Prior and Tim Hart and the Irish duo
melodeon and fiddle, Daisy Bulwer on piano, Gay and Terry Woods, whose presence instant-
Mervyn Plunkett on drums, and Russell Wortley ly scuppered any purist notions of Englishness.
on pipe and tabor. It was, astonishingly, the first They made one album. Hark Tlte Village Wait,
ever recording of English traditional instrumental before the Irish contingent quit to form their own
music and it fired in a variety of young musicians band (Terry later re-emerging with The Pogues)
a feel for their own tradition that has led to all and Steeleye really got underway with the induc-
manner of development and experimentation. tion of Martin Carthy and tiddler Peter Knight
For serious students of the English tradition, a on the seminal Please To See Tlie King album.
trip to the English Folk Dance and Song Steeleye w ent on to a glorious career, exert-
Society headquarters in Regents Park Rd, ing a positive influence on the whole genre
Camden, North London, may be essential. The which had spawned them, even if some of their
EFDSS has long been criticised for its failure to ideals became blurred in the process, and the hit
move with the times and its perception of being singles "All Around My Hat" and "Gaudete" are
gready more interested in dance than song — and probably better forgotten. They still tour inter-
many of the events staged there can be unbear- mittently (though Maddy Prior finally called it

ably starchy. But it does house a magnificent a day in997 to be replaced by her original foil
1

library and is a goldmine of history and informa- in the band, Gay Woods). Carthy was a relatively
tion. It also marked its 100th anniversary in the early casualty (though he did return briefly in
summer of 1998 with an important 25-track CD company with John Kirkpatrick for w hat was
including many of the source singers who sus- generally conceived as their last throw of the
tained the revival through the last century. dice) and Hutchings himself abandoned ship to
launch another new vehicle for his vision, the

Electric Avenue Albion Country Band, when he saw the

sures of success diluting intent. None
pres-
of Steel-
It all sounds unbelievably mundane now. but back eye had ever envisaged that worldwide tours and
thought the world had
in 1971 English folkies would ever become part of the equa-
hit singles
stopped when Martin Carthy plugged in his elec- tion for traditional music.

72 English folk/roots
 T—

Sid Kipper (on the pint) with The Albion Band

The Albion Country Band were something of outfit who liberally into folk and pop tra-
dipped
a folk supergroup, featuring various ex-Fairports, ditions, and on a more rock sound in collabo-
hit

Richard Thompson and Martin Carthy amid its ration with June Tabor.
ever-evolving incarnations. In the early 1980s, Folk-rock effectively died as a trailblazing force
Hutchings changed the group's name to the once the initial energy, excitement and commer-
Albion Dance Band, and shifted the music cial impact of the form had faded in a haze of rigid
accordingly, deciding that the future lay with drum rhythms and mechanical adaptations of tra-
'English Country Dance', a music rooted in his- ditional styles. Its legacy remains, however, and
tory yet which didn't have to be rigidly structured not merely through the work of the Oyster Band
— and indeed provided scope for development. or the occasional nostalgic Fairport and Steeleye
Many other folk-rock bands emerged in the tours. like the Blue Horses, Daily Plan-
Bands
wake of the Steeleye success. Most of them were et and Pressgang have gamely found fresh ways
awful, though the other half of that original Keele of rejuvenating old styles. Maverick fiddle king
thought-tank, Bob Pegg, achieved great critical Dave Swarbrick proved there was life after Fair-
acclaim if little commercial success alongside his port by making further progress with Whipper-
fiddle-touting, singing wife, Carole Pegg, in the snapper and various partners, including a nostalgic
volatile Mr Fox. One of their offshoots, Five reunion with Martin Carthy which culminated in
Hand Reel, later took the notion of electric folk a couple of albums. Serious illness curtailed his

to new areas of authenticity with the Scottish tra- work in 1999 but he recovered to laugh at his own
ditional singer Dick Gaughan; and there was a brief obituary printed in one national newspaper.
flurry of folk-rock excitement during the 1980s The ideas and instrumentation ventured by those
when two respected folk figures. Bill Caddick original folk-rock pioneers are these days scattered
and John Tarns, combined to create Home Ser- routinely across a wide selection of musicians of
vice from the remains of one of Hutchings' Albion differing backgrounds and inspirations borrowing
enterprises, merging Steeleyesque ideas with a full- from the English tradition much as others might
blooded brass section. borrow from reggae or hip-hop. Such an envi-
But bands like the Home Service were impos- ronment creates disastrous possibilities - and beware
sibly expensive to sustain and with the record of the inevitable opportunist imposters intent on
industry moving on to new toys, the folk-rock leaping on to the next bandwagon before it has
movement collapsed amid grumbling about insen- even begun. But ultimately the presence of an inor-
sitive drummers and going up one-way streets dinate proportion of dross should not blind us to
backwards. The one really enduring group were the exciting possibilities available to the genuine
the Oyster Band (see box overleaf), a wonderful visionaries.

English folk/roots 73
 The Oyster Bandits
The Oyster Band have dominated English roots music "Being English can be the kiss of death", commented
to such an extent across the last fifteen years it's easy John Jones. "You've got to overcome so many things to

to imagine they've been keeping the flame alive entire- actually make it feel radical and different and genuinely
ly on their own. That's maybe unfair on others who've alternative." They took a huge credibility risk by plunging
made valuable contributions along the way, but the into fullblooded electric status, but they were rewarded
Oysters have nevertheless pioneered a highly individ- by taking their own unique brand of roots music to an
r—
ual style of specifically English music and unflinching- entirely new audience, while staying friends with the old.
ly defied the fickle dictates of fashion and business Their next two albums, Wide Blue Yonder and Ride
pressure, developing their art within the perameters of saw them progress into savage songwriters railing against

a hostile rock world. More than that, they've become the complacency of 1980s music and the iniquities of
a major international name, establishing a clear root to the Thatcher government. The arrival of bass/cello/kitchen

the English oral tradition while evolving an often fero- sink player Chopper in place of Ian Keary - and later still

cious instrumental sound coupled with biting, political Lee (new members aren't allowed surnames) taking over
lyrics. the drumsticks - seemed to drive them on to even greater

The group started out purely as an informal dance fury and innovation and they've continued to startle,

band of flexible personnel and erratic style after meet- amaze and delight ever since. Their intriguing collabo-

ing at Canterbury University in the 1970s, with some rative Freedom And Rain album and subsequent tour
initial adventures under the guise of Fiddlers Dram. with June Tabor was hugely successful and they've con-
Interested in exploring the relatively uncharted territo- tinued to grow through spectacular albums like Holy
ry of roots dance music, the Oysters achieved a set- Bandits and The Shouting End Of Life.
tled line-up with Ian Telfer (actually a Scotsman!) on Here's a band who've included traditional English
fiddle, Alan Prosser John Jones (melodeon/
(guitar), standards and New Order covers on the same album.
vocals) joined by Ian Kearey on bass. After several In 1998 they even twisted the folk tradition on its

well-received folk albums, things really exploded in the head, embarking on an 'unplugged' tour, and ended
mid-1980s when they added drummer Russell Lax the millennium with another huge leap, forming their
and, raising the roots in a dynamic rock setting, they own label Running Man to release the Alaric Neville-

dramatically upped the decibel count and the fan base. produced 'look back in anger' album Here I Stand,
An explosive version of the old traditional standard complete with guest appearances by musicians as
"Hal-An-Tow" was their unmistakeable statement of diverse as Canadian folk-rockers Great Big Sea and
intent and their 1 986 album Step Outside was a notable erstwhile anarchic chart-toppers Chumbawumba. Long
landmark for roots music. may there be pearls in those Oysters...

CL

The Oyster Band

74 English folk/roots
 In the late 1980s, however, Stradling concen-
trated his considerable energies on yet another new
band, Edward II & The Red Hot Polkas. This
was his most ambitious and defiant idea to date,
forging English country dance music, sublimely,
with reggae. You can't take such liberties without
getting up somebody's nose and Edward II cer-
tainly did that, but their work with reggae dub-
master the Mad Professor at the mixing desk is

possibly the single most significant leap for English

country music. You have to like reggae in the first

place, of course, but the idea of merging the music

of last century rural England with the sound of the
modern cities was a masterstroke, and for all its

audacity a logical one. The band's first album. Lei's

Polkastcady in 1987, was a veritable earthquake in

roots circles, and in the ensuing decade, most of
it sans Stradling. Edward II moved on to develop
an arresting Caribbean-English fusion, which influ-
enced other free-thinkers from the folk idiom like

Irish accordion superstar Sharon Shannon and,

even more tellingly, one or two reggae/dance
groups too.
Stradling had originally seen Edward II as a dance
band, albeit somewhat more visionary than the
Ashley Hutchings' Albion incarnations. Subse-
Tiger Moth
quently people with ever wilder hair and stranger
instruments took up the baton. Blowzabella.
Wild in the Country erratic but never dull, carved out a starring role,

introducing English country dance to rhythms from

If the 1960s were dominated by protest music and the Balkans and beyond, with Nigel Eaton crank-
the singer-songwriters, and the '70s by Steel- ing things out on hurdy gurdy.
eye/Fairport folk-rock, then the '80s were the
domain of roots dance music. Working from a
now and wonderful fusion of influences, these new
roots bands might, a few years ago, have been
labelled folk-rockers, but most of them wouldn't
understand the significance of the term were it to
bite them in the upper groin region.
The moving spirit behind this new roots scene
was one Rod Stradling. a long-time iconoclast
on the folk scene who'd been involved since the
early 1970s in a series of hugely influential bands.
The first of these, Oak, concentrated on English
country music, inspired by that seminal 1965
album, and they were followed by the Old Swan
Band, who affected defiant attitudes as an anti-
dote to the Celtic music that obsessed the English
of the time. Then came the English
folk scene
Country Blues Band, with bottleneck and slide-
A. Anderson, who laced their dance
guitarist Ian

music with blues, and slowly transmuted into

Tiger Moth - a raucous electric band who them-
selves splintered into Orchestre Super Moth,
mixing in all manner of World Music influences. Blowzabella

English folk/roots 75
 3 Mustaphas 3: The Szegerely Connection
As the 1990s draw to a close, it seems that just about By the time of their first LP proper, Shopping (1 987),
every major city in Europe and North America has a the Mustaphas had lost Oussak, but gained an elec-
band of (mostly) local musicians playing some hybrid tric bassist and singer, Sabah Habas - whose voice,

m of global beats: Balkan, Klezmer, African, Cajun, Salsa. oddly enough, resembled Bryan Ferry's - along with
It wasn't always thus: in fact, until the early 1980s there the prodigiously talented Kemo (accordion/keyboards).
CD was scarcely any band of this kind, indeed, there was The band's Balkan beat remained intact but the musi-
r-
scarcely any kind of awareness of 'World Music' itself. cal range was extended to African and Indian styles.

It was in these unpromising waters, in North London, The Mustaphas were a very flexible (promiscuous,
that the 3 Mustaphas 3 appeared: a worldly crew of musi- in own words) unit and were occasionally joined
their

cians who had played in various punk, African, Latin, jazz by Expensive Mustapha (trumpet) and vocalist Lavra
and rock outfits, though the group's official line was that Tima Daviz Mustapha, who seemed equally at ease
they had all been working for years in the Crazy Loquat singing in Arabic, French, Greek, Hindi, Macedonian,
Club in Szegerely, and that, as they modestly explained, Spanish and Swahili. The Mustapha projects ranged
was why they were so skilled, and so ineffably Balkan. across cultures with superlative ease, with musicians
confident in Latin and African, as

well as Balkan, rhythms. In 1985

they surfaced in Berlin as Orches-
tra BAM De Grand Mustapha
International And Party, a fif-

teen-piece ensemble, while in

Britain, their musical eclecticism

led to work backing visiting stars

of the world music circuit, such as

Israeli singer Ofra Haza, and West
African kora players Dembo Konte
and Kausu Kouyateh.
In their 'regular' incarnation, the

Mustaphas recorded two further

albums. Heart Of Uncle (1989)

was a wild array of songs which
may once have been Hindi filmi

(film music) and Nigerian Hi-Life,

but were transmuted into idiosyn-
cratic Mustapha fare. Soup Of The
Century 990) took the mix-and-
3 Mustaphas 3 (1

match approach even further, with

The band had a floating cast, all bearing the Mustapha prominent woodwinds from new member Daoudi
family name. The guiding spirits were Uncle Patrel (on Mustapha, and material extending to the Japanese
saz, of course) and Hijaz (bouzouki/violin/Hawaiian gui- "Soba Song". Both discs showed the Mustaphas at
tar), while other founding Mustaphas included Houzam the peak of their powers, the latter deservedly being
(drums), Isfa'ani (percussion), Oussak (cello) and Niaveti voted #1 in that year's Billboard world music charts.
Mustapha III (accordion/flute/vocals). They made their Unfortunately, the financial pressures of maintain-
live debut in London in August 1982, and in 1985 ing a big band, and one whose members worked in all

released a mini-album, Sam.' Mustaphas Play Stereo, on kinds of other projects, and lived as far apart as Berlin
their own branch - Fez-o-phone - of the newly estab- and Jakarta, led to an extended sabbatical for the

lished GlobeStyle world music label. Mustaphas - back in Szegerely, of course.

Bam! promulgated a Balkan bad boy image and They were, in retrospect, extraordinary, trailblazing

unleashed an eclectic mix of Greek songs alongside pioneers, on a par with the German group Dissidenten
a version of the Kenyan classic 'Singe Tema" (sung, (see p. 120), and arguably more influential on world
like all their adapted material, in its original language). roots music-making than better known popularisers
It was recorded in an (empty) North London swim- like Ry Cooder, Paul Simon and David Byrne.
ming pool - the first singing-in-the-baths album, Hijaz
claims. Mark Ellingham

—
76 English folk/roots
 Other notables included Flowers & Frolics, most urban areas of the country. Already the Asian
who played more traditional dance material - jigs, bhangra and ghazal traditions (see following arti-

polkas, hornpipes, and the like — in a somewhat cle) have got a grip on English music, a path beat-
i )ystef Band mode, and the Cock & Bull Band, en by the likes of ghazal singer Najma Akhtar
from the unlikely roots home of Milton Keynes, with her fusion album, Qareeb, and Sheila Chan-
lacing an exotic range of instruments with the dra's melting pot albums Weaving My Ancestors and
inspiration of French piper, Jean-Pierre Rasle. The Zen Kiss. Even Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha
From Brighton came the anarchic Levellers, chart-toppers and - might be considered a ver-
all

playing a defiant roots music to predominantly itable archetype of the English roots band of the CD
rock audiences, asserting that "being called a folk future. Their Born For The Seventh Time album >
group makes us very angry". Originally rooted in embodies many of the colourful colliding cultures z
the New Age traveller world of alternative 1990s encompassing England in the twenty-first centu-
o
England, and deeply committed to radical/green ry, from Tjinder Singh's own Punjabi roots to
issues, they've recently mellowed, flirting with the almost whimsical expressions of English pop and
big, bad commercial world, mainstream radio air- modern techno. Talvin Singh, who first hit the
play and pop chart status. scene backing Najma Akhtar, has gained crossover
The Barely Works - an unfeasibly big-band acclaim as a genuine British roots musician, tech-
jazz-folk oufit - took on the gauntlet of musical no wizard and would-be world music superstar,
anarchy and invested it with a colourful con- while Transglobal Underground show the ulti-
glomerate of melodies and styles, offering a rich- mate face of techno clubbers as roots wannabes.
ly joyous resume of everything from bluegrass to They are moving the corner flag, the grandstand
eastern European Gypsy music. Barriers and prej- and the centre circle as well as the goalposts, and
udices were decimated in the full-blooded wake that's no bad thing.
of a series of fascinatingly oddball albums. They Fifty years on from the arrival of Windrush and
split in 1993, but splintered into the equally the first West Indian emigrees, the colour and pat-
enthralling Bigjig while their accordion player terns of England's roots have changed dramatical-
Sarah Allen is also to be found alongside Brian ly. In musical terms this offers the thrilling potential
Finnegan, Michael McGoldrick and Ed Boyd in of mixing new cultures with the old. A few have
the innovative flurry of flutes that is Flook! experimented with encouraging results but the
This revival of roots music was a significant surface of this potential has scarcely been scratched.
bonus to the rebirth of traditional music among The upsurge of younger musicians with minds that
young musicians at the all-important ground level are open and free from old preconceptions and a
during the early 1990s, leading to the emergence misguided loyalty to traditional purity at the exclu-

of the impressive Eliza Carthy, Nancy Kerr, sion of all else suggests that English music could
Chris Wood, and Andy Cutting, who first made be on the verge of a brave new world.
his name as a precocious teenage melodeon play-
er with Blowzabella.
The onset of the Young Tradition Award -
replaced in 1998 by the Young Folk Award - discography
actively encouraged this trend, with outstanding
Simon Thoumire, Catriona
musicians like Compilations
MacDonald, Carlene Anglim (check out her
outstanding debut album Mellow Frenzy with Allis- BE A Century Of Song (EFDSS, UK).
and piano-accordion player Luke
ter Gittens)
Sub-titled A Celebration Of English Traditional Singers Since
Daniels emerging as genuine forces in its wake. 1898, the traditional treasures on this 25-track CD include
And, of course, talent is self-perpetuating. For each cylinder recordings made by the renowned folk song collector
CecilSharp dating back to 1907. Among the legendary, but
glamorous young star who comes on the scene to
rarely heard, source singers featured are Harry Cox, the
pick up a bit of publicity and few records, sell a Copper Family, Fred Jordan, Walter Pardon, Phil Tanner and
another few hundred may be tempted to pick up Mary Ann Haynes. A must for all serious students of the
English traditional folk song.
a fiddle or an accordion or an acoustic guitar or
whatever to see if they can give it a go. The Rough Guide to English Roots Music
(World Music Network, UK).
English roots music's increasingly cosmopolitan
nature also bodes well for the future. Edward II's This pitches together some of the greatest influences in

English music (The Watersons, Albion Band) with source

experiments with reggae were but a drop in the
singers and musicians (Louise Fuller, Harry Cox, Billy Pigg)
ocean of musical cultures now second nature to and modern strands of the revival (Oyster Band, Edward II,

English folk/roots 77
 Rory McLeod, Billy Bragg, Hank Dogs). The result is a well- attractively with elder brother Robin's smoother
balanced overview that entertains as much as educates it approach, and their regional Yorkshire accents and
and somehow manages to keep most bases covered. charismatic stage presence gave them a strong identity.
When they also developed into intelligent songwriters
S3 New Electric Muse Vols 1 &2 (Essential, UK).
they were signed to a major record company, but turned
Good value mid-price release two volumes updating a
in cel- theirback on fame and money in a perhaps misguided
ebrated album release of the 1970s telling the 'story of folk loyalty to the roots scene. Both have subsequently
into rock'. Includes most of the usual suspects, using its own recorded as solo artists but haven't appeared together
as the vaguest excuse to include everything from the
sub-title for many years.
Copper Family and Davey Graham to Richard Thompson,
June Tabor and Energy Orchard. S3 Up To Now (Free Reed, UK).

r— 2-CD compilation, including material from all their

Definitive
> S3 Troubadors Of British Folk (Rykodisc, US).
4 albums as a duo and solo artists, including several previously
Momentous three-volume series depicting the story of unreleased tracks. A 32-page booklet accompanies the
a English folk music across three decades, including imagina-
package.
tive selections from most of the big names who've had last-
ing influence in that time. The three volumes - each depicting
a different era - are available separately and have the addi-
Nic Jones
tional advantagesuperb packaging and a detailed booklet,
of Nic Jones was one of the great revival performers and a
mostly with personal recollections about each track from the massive influence both as singer and guitar stylist until an
artists involved.
horrific road crash effectively ended his working career in
1 982. The intricacy and contemporary feel of his arrange-
83 The Voice Of The People (Topic, UK).
ments of traditional songs made the albums he recorded
This is a 20-volume anthology compiled by Tony
definitive in the 1 970s landmarks for revival music. He also enjoyed
Engle and Reg Hall of the primarily unaccompanied source a spell with the 'supergroup' Bandoggs and there was
singers, fiddlers, accordion players and the like who provided every sign that he was about to blossom as a songwriter
the bulk of the material and inspiration for modern folksong. when the accident occurred. In 1998 a compilation of
Virtually every traditional singer of note (bar the Copper
amateur live recordings made in the early 1980s, In
Family) is featured somewhere on the anthology and placed
Search Of Nic Jones, was released on his own Mollie
in the context of their character and lifestyle in Reg Hall's
Music label, but Jones now only plays within the privacy
superb notes. Each of the 20 volumes (which are available
of his own home in York.
individually) is distinguished by subject matter - ranging from

drinking songs to dance music to tragedy ballads to songs of PJTI Penguin Eggs
travellers. A hugely important series. IS£J (Topic, UK).

A seminal album for the English revival, marking Jones' sud-

Traditional and Revival den transformation from accomplished but more or less
straightforward interpreter of folk song, to innovative arranger
and intricate performer. It remains a classic.
Artists
John Kirkpatrick
Anne Briggs A last 25 years, Kirkpatrick is a
seminal figure through the
Nottinghamshire's Anne Briggs was blessed with a beau- fine accordion and melodeon player, singer, writer and
tifulvoice, an instinctive feeling for the oral folk tradition morris dancer so absorbed in the tradition he was one of
and terminal wanderlust. She was young, sexy, talented, the prime forces in the upsurge of interest in roots dance
wild and mysterious and seemed to disappear off the
. . .
music in the 1970s/80s. He and his wife, the singer and
face of the earth after a frustrating spell with folk-rock oboe player Sue Harris, were for many years one of the
band Ragged Robin in the early 1970s. A re-discovery folk scene's most popular attractions, recording several
article about her in Mojo magazine in 1998 tracked her outstanding albums together, and he went on to play a
down to a remote Scottish island and inspired a flurry of significant part in the Albion Band and Steeleye Span.
re-issues and media attention. He's still an influential figure, developing as a songwriter
through a succession of solo albums.
S3 Anne Briggs: A Collection (Topic, UK).
S3 Plain Capers (Free Reed, UK).
A 22-track compilation of early Briggs dating from 1 962 and
issued by Topic in 1999. It's a good showcase of a singer Originally released in 1976 (reissued by Topic in 1992) this
who seemed to know no fear, tackling hugely demanding was a landmark collection of 27 morris dance tunes from a
ballads O'Winsbury" and "Polly Vaughan" without
like "Willie wide range of Cotswold traditions. But, far from an academic
stylisation or ornamentation. Earthy and dangerous, the exercise designed purely for the morris fraternity, it focused
album clearly shows that she was indeed the modern on the tunes as an exciting end to themselves, couching
embodiment of the source traditional singers who kept the them in vibrant folk-rock arrangements with John K's lively
music alive for so many years without thought to anything accordion style imaginatively backed by Sue Harris on oboe
else but the love of the songs. And on the opening cut "The
and hammered dulcimer, Fi Fraser on fiddle, Martin Brinsford
Recruited Collier" she sounds remarkably like Kate Rusby
on mouth organ and old sparring partner Martin Carthy keep-
sounds now.
ing rhythm on guitar. Ultimately a much more credible collec-
tion than the more famous Morris On.
Robin & Barry Dransfield
S3 One Man and his Box (H&W, Netherlands).
The Dransfields were a Yorkshire duo who lit up the
scene in the 1970s and '80s with their imaginative and This1999 release is a splendid solo recital album. Mostly tra-
compelling interpretations of traditional songs. Barry's dance tunes magnificently performed on accordion,
ditional

earthy fiddle playing and rich vocal style contrasted melodeon and concertinas plus a few songs. A fine record.

78 English folk/roots
 past thirty-odd years. In their current incarnation, they
Kate Rusby feature the British folk revival's crown prince Martin
A terrific young singer from Yorkshire, Rusby has been
Carthy with his wife Norma Waterson and their daughter
submerged in traditional music since she was a child and is Eliza Carthy, displaying passionate homage to the past

deeply committed to the cause of English roots music. Her with an eye on the future.

beautiful voice first came to prominence in a celebrated

Waterson:Carthy
duo with Kathryn Roberts. With Roberts she joined the (Topic, UK).
three young Lakeman brothers from Devon in the 'brat folk'
band Equation, but split when she realised they were intent The 1994 album that effectively transported the Waterson
on moving away from her beloved traditional songs. legend into a new era and a new audience. Immaculate per-
Merging her magnificent singing with sensitive material and formance throughout, some terrific material, and extraordi-
CD
great stage presence, her solo career took off a big way in nary vitality given that two of the leading performers are r—
in 1997, but she managed to juggle it with regular appear- approaching veteran status. The third, Eliza, was barely
twenty when the album was recorded - and it played no
>
ances with the excellent all-female group The Poozies until
mid-1 999 when pressure of work forced her departure from small role in elevating her to major artist status.

the band, following the acclaim heaped on her second solo

album, Sleepless.

S3 Hourglass (Pure, UK).

Rusby's beautifully unassuming debut solo album is delicate

and sparsely produced, allowing the purity of her voice to read
the primarily traditional ballads in her broad Yorkshire accent.
She also reveals appetising promise as a songwriter within the
traditional idiom, emphasising that folk song is not a stopping
point but a destination for her. Hourglass stands as a com-
pelling milestone in the resurgence of English folk song,
reclaiming credibility and commercial clout for pure English
folk song.

S3 Sleepless (Pure, UK)

Rusby's 1999 outing another stunner. It was shortlisted for

is

the Mercury Music Prize - an amazing acheivement for a

release on her family's cottage industry label.

June Tabor
The charismatic Tabor has been dividing opinion for
twenty-five years with the stark stylisation and sup-
pressed passion of her singing. She has recorded and
toured with The Oyster Band, Maddy Prior, Martin
Simpson and Huw Warren, and she's dabbled in jazz,
standards and Brecht. Yet her main forte remains the tra- Young Tradition
ditional ballad which she invariably delivers with a
This young unaccompanied harmony trio of the 1960s took
uniquely telling tension.
theircue from the songs of the Copper Family and ignited
S Aqaba (Topic, UK). the folk scene with their passionate harmonies and flam-
boyant stage performances. They were relatively shortlived
Dark, sullen and mysterious, this is an uncompromising,
but their influence was profound and their re-issued
demanding but nevertheless wholly fulfilling work, merging albums remain stirring. Peter Bellamy went on to a cele-
traditional song with a shrewd selection of more modern
brated solo career, doing important work setting Kipling
material. The title track is one of the greatest songs by the
poems to music and creating the first folk opera (The
criminally underrated Bill Caddick. Transports) but like fellow member Royston Wood, Bellamy
was destined to a tragic early death. The third member
Kathryn Tickell Heather Wood now lives - and occasionally performs - in

America.
Leading Northumbrian piper and fiddle player, Tickell
draws direct lineage from great northeastern musicians S) The Young Tradition/So Cheerfully Round
like Billy Pigg and Joe Hutton and has inspired a whole (T ransatlantic, UK).
new wave of dedicated young traditional musicians.
Two seminal albums reissued in 1996 in one bargain-priced
The Northumberland Collection package. For a group who sang primarily unaccompanied
(Park, UK). they generated a startling energy and sense of drama which
was often aped but rarely matched. This was Young Traditon
After various excursions into other territories, Tickell show-
at the height of their considerable powers.
cases her Northumbrian heritage in blissfully pure form, with a
supporting cast including famous fiddle player Willie Taylor
and - for the first time on a Tickell album - vocal tracks from Electric and Contemporary
Carolyn Robson and Terry Conway.

Albion Band
Waterson/Carthy After Fairport Conventionand after Steeleye Span, bass
The Watersons are a legendary Yorkshire vocal harmony player and English music visionary Ashley Hutchings
group, hugely important to English Roots music for the turned his formidable attention to an electronic band

English folk/roots 79
 incorporating even wider aspec ts of the Engfish txadrbon,
such as country dance rituals. Through the last fifteen
Martin Carthy
years it has variously involved too many star turns of Bom in Hertfordshire in 1941, guitar styfist singer and
English music to fully document here (notables have song researcher Martin Carthy is the single most influen-
included Martin Carthy, John Kjrkpatnck. Shirley Coins tial and celebrated living figure on the English roots
and Cathy LeSurf) and at one point had its own morris music scene. A young pioneer of the eariy post-skiffle
side. The band changes personnel every couple of years folk club movement he was a resident at London's
or so, and is somebmes acoustic, sometimes electric, but famous Troubadour Club in the 1960s fok boom and a
Hutchings remains the tynchpin of the band and, many 5 ~ zzi "-' ~-z~ i~ i'zi" -
—a' a- ~ zz z zz z '
: • z

would say, of Engfish music too. Bob Dylan (who based "Bob Dylan's Dream* on Carthy s
version of "Lord Frankfin") and Paul Simon (who adopt-
The BBC (Strange Fruit, UKL za ~-
p- iz ~ z zz"z~ zi~ i~z z' S : a '
z _ z~ - Ca . -a; a

Superb cotecoon of recorrjngs made at the z" s" : •••*.- _a.a :••• = "-:• a; a a . a:a
1 972-78. taking in several ncamations of t figure in the folk-rock movement of the 1970s during
paradox of Srwley Coins' mumsy voice agar Band and Steeteye Span, and later
spefts with the Aftiion
ful-blown fok-rockery st* works stmngry, i
helped lead the rrtroductxxi of brass into fofc song with
Taylor's exuberant guitar and Re Sanders' jaz the excellent band Brass Monkey. His marriage to
dfing sound equafly impressive. Norma Waterson completed a kind of fok dream team
as he leant his considerable voice to the Watersons' stir-
Billy Bragg ring vocal harmonies. In the 1990s he has played and
recorded with Waterson: Carthy - which incorporated a
The bard of Barking arrived ranting and howfcng in the
new generation of the famfty and alii acted a new audi-
mid-1980s to apply a punk offence to the genteel inaction
ence as a result, while maintaining his solo fofc club
:-=: E-; r ".::=::e-5 :".'::-e -a :a~a - :a -

ing electric guitar and b rashness and applied a well-

deserved boot to the backside of the Roots scene. And B S*pn of Life (Topic, UK).
once it got over its initial shock English Roots music
reafced that Bragg s sharply dr a w n social observations Carthy sets out his musical signposts of a thirty-year
career, rtdurfing rarJcal interpretations of material as varied
Bee "Between The Wars" and "New England* were indeed
modem folk songs. In 1998 he even broke his most as "New York Mnng Disaster 1941". "Heartbreak Hotel'
solemn vow and, at London's Royal Albert Hal, played an and "The Lonesome Death Of Hatbe Carrol", performed
= ::.=-. : z\zz== ';-:- = :~e. nmftabty with stark arrangements. From Trad. An to Hoagy
ZlZ "if '."a
— ZZ't' ZZiZ ' ' : .'• S .

B Mermaid Avenue (EastWest UK).

For an artist ndefibry associated with East London, it's per- Sandy Denny
haps strange to be recomrnenrJng an afbum dripping in
A wonderful singer and impressive songwriter whose
Americana. This pits Bragg with US band Wflco and an
fiw^tiTfrrnfilr. husky voice always seemed to be in the
important project setting newly discovered Woody Guthrie
"a - a .'. ~ z~ z i' z~ ~.~ ~ z = z~ '
z z~ : .'.a; zz - z zz
lyrics to music andeas#y the best thing he's ever done.
it's
the halcyon fok revival days. After early rMairwn with The
The idea of rjnrnrtwe Essex boy representing the modem spr-
Strawbs. she provided the catalyst for Fairport
it of the old reprobate Guthrie s somehow rxfcty fitting.
Convention's conversion to Engfish roots, subsequently
forming her own band Futtieriiigay before eiiftxarking on a
Eliza Carthy solo career. Engfish music lost something exbaordrarify

The daughter of Martin Carthy and Norma Watrcirm may precious when she cfied after faffing down a fight of stairs
-
; t -,-t- z-zz ' "-- z-sz z~ z~ rite -as a: reata; "a in 1978. A modem curt foftowing and several posthumous
baton and scampered off with it at an astonishing pace. releases rightly keep her name afive.

Aftera few appearances singing with the Water-sons she

made an impressive duet album with fellow fiddle
B Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Island. UKL
player/singer Nancy Kerr, but ft was her involvement with Antoftious. but worthy four-afbum boxed set Displaying the
a likeminded group of folk brats in Kings Of Calicutt frequent fraKes aswel as the soanng glories of her work. R
where she realty made her mark, experimenting with dar- mixes her own pepper material with tradVbooal songs and
ing arrangements and demanding material. Since then various demos and unreteased tracks, complete wah hand-
she s become the perfect figurehead for the brave new some booklet, and through t al runs the almost unbearable
young world of English folk song, acknowledging the sense of pan and melancholy that were to be her epteph
importance of promotion and mar keting and cheerfuty
going along with afl the fofc babe' publicity. Her long-
Fairport Convention
term future, howe ver, may be in her own elusive songwrft-
mg style, rarely exNbfted yet as darkly mysterious as her The first of the onrush of late 1960s/earty '70s bands
aunt Lai. and thought to be ore of the reasons major label who changed the face and dusty image of traditional
Warners saw such commercial potential in her. Engfish song by playing ft with electric instruments and
the intensive power of a rock band. In durability and
S Red Rfce (Topic. UK). versatility they were also the best repeatedly overcom-

FJrza broke a* the rates with Red Rce. An ixfashcnabte dou- ing adversity (the death of original drummer Martin
bte-CO atxm. it Arts with dam n bass, rap-hop and other Lambte, departures of key members at vital moments)
elements of dub culture, whie strMng to maintain the purity to create a distinctive and greatly loved fok -rock style
of folk song n as more trarJbonal matenat Aganst al odds it built variously around the glittering talents of Sandy

worked because there's a magical energy about her that Denny, Richard Thompson. Ashley Hutchings. Dave
conveys itself to the musoans she surrounds hersef with. Swarbrick, Simon Nicol, Dave Matt ac til. Dave Pegg and
The cfcsc won a Mercury Muse Prrze nomnatxxx was FoJc Ric Sanders. They still tour regularly and their annual
Roots' atxm of 1998. won unprecedented arptay and took reunion festival in the Oxfordshire vJagr of Cropredy is
a 'ea ~ z~ z~:
fofc music halfway to the masses.

80 English folk/roots
 Liege And Lief Trawler
(Hannibal, UK). (Cooking Vinyl, UK).

The 969 album commonly cited as the launching pad of the

1 A Greatest Hits compilation with a difference. The album
folk-rock revolution. Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson serves as a decent resume of a decade of Oysterism, with
majestically conspiring to create an explosively dramatic the added interest of several of the older tracks being re-
vision previously alien to such a purely English music. recorded to allow the newer members, drummer Lee and
Fairport's body of work includes other exceptional albums bass player Chopper to put their own proud stamp on the
(Unhalfbricking. Full House. Babbacombe Lee) but this is the proceedings. It worked too and if you are new to the band,
one that made it all possible. this is as good an introduction as any.
£75
Davy Graham Steeleye Span r—

Graham is the acoustic guitarist most other guitarists The most commercially successful English electric folk
point to as the guv'nor from those halcyon 1960s days of band of them all, Steeleye, in one glittering spell in the
the British singer-songwriter boom. Before you qualified mid-1970s enjoyed a succession of chart hits. Their
for anything you had to be able to master by Davy "Anji" greatest attraction was always the twirling front lady
Graham. It was a tall order. Graham, who worshipped Maddy Prior, although their ranks also variously includ-
blues gods like Big Bill Broonzy and Leadbelly and mod- ed Gay & Terry Woods, Ashley Hutchings, Martin Carthy,
ern jazz icons Thelonius Monk and Charlie Mingus, fell John Kirkpatrick, Peter Knight, Tim Hart, Bob Johnson
into the English folk movement by accident. He was and Nigel Pegrum. They still tour occasionally, though
equally intrigued by Far Eastern music and indeed any Prior finally quit to concentrate on her solo career in
other strange styles he chanced upon, and was constant- 1997.
ly off on different tangents, inventing new fusion styles
S3 Please To See The King (Mooncrest, UK).
that no-one else could get near. The big rewards eluded
him, but for many, Davy Graham was - still is - the man. The crucial 1971 album which gave profound impetus and
credibility to the great folk-rock monster. Martin Carthy
WITH SHIRLEY COLLINS strapped on electric guitar for the first time, Maddy Prior's
voice soared gloriously and Peter Knight was full of guile and
S3 Folk Roots, New Routes (T opic, UK).
daring on the fiddle. It has aged well.

It still sounds bizarre: the idea of Shirley Collins, princess of

English traditional folk song, linking up with the most eclectic
guitarist in the country. But producer Austin John Marshall's
idea of linking Anglo-Appalachian ballads as interpreted by
Collins' rustic voice with 'World Music' arrangements (about
30 years before the term was invented) seemed natural
enough to a visionary like Graham. Released in 1964, was it

Graham's first album and shocked the folk scene of the day
who didn't quite know whether to be horrified or thrilled. But it

certainly opened doors and many believe the folk-rock revolu-

tion of five years later couldn't have happened without Folk
Roots, New Routes. Reissued in1999, still sounds good. it

Home Service
A wonderfully band built around a front line
strong, inventive
of John Tarns, Caddick and ace guitarist Graeme Taylor,
Bill

Home Service were unlucky to arrive at the tail end of the

folk-rock boom and they struggled to capture either public
imagination or the major record deal necessary to keep
them afloat. Yet their bold use of a brass section was anoth-
er major innovation enhanced immeasurably by Tarns' richly
evocative songwriting. They drifted into the sunset in the
mid-1 980s - the great folk-rock band that got away.
The ubiquitous Ashley Hutchings
53 Alright Jack (Fledgling, UK).

An album released in 1 986 (but still available) which merged

savage political comment with enlightened revamps of tradi-
Richard Thompson
and truly uplifting use of brass arrangements.
tional material

Confusingly it's an album that is both celebratory and Arguably the most complete and consistent English
provocatively dark. performer thrown up in the 1970s folk-rock explosion,
Thompson would be worthy of special mention for his
blitzkrieg guitar playing alone - a key ingredient of
Oyster Band
Fairport Convention's early impact - but the immense
The most enduring and distinctively English band of the quality and originality of his songwriting mark him out in
modern era, the Oysters flew in the face of fashion to cre- a class of his own. After Fairport he formed a wonderful
ate a unique form of folk-rock, blending John Jones' very partnership with his wife Linda until their marriage split,
traditional style of singing with dance tunes, subtle social when he reverted to a solo career that has survived all
commentaries and violent tirades which serve as telling the vagaries of fashion and age. His songs now play a
condemnations of Thatcher's Britain. They'e still going front-line role in the entire pantheon of English roots
strong and they're still special. music.

English folk/roots 81
 the very heartbeat of English music for three decades as
Watching The Dark
a member of The Watersons, although most people were
(Hannibal, UK; Ryko, US).
entirely unaware of her stunning songwriting ability until
Triple CD compilation charting most aspects of Thompson's her brilliant 1996 album Once In A Blue Moon, recorded
celebrated career, ranging from his most traditional excur- with her son, Oliver Knight In fact, some of the songs
sions to occasional outbursts of pure rock'n'roll. Includes she'd written for the Watersons' controversial album
material from his days with Fairport, Linda and various back- Bright Phoebus (1971) were still in circulation courtesy of
ing bands (notable luminaries include Christine Collister, John singers like June Tabor, but her writing had effectively
Kirkpatrick and Clive Gregson) as well as a healthy proportion been buried for 20 years amid the outcry over the very
of otherwise unreleased cuts. idea of the Watersons singing contemporary songs with a
band behind them. Lai herself, self-effacing and publicity
r— 3 Mustaphas 3 shy, hated touring and the whole process of being in a
serious group and was quite happy to hide her light under
The Mustaphas unleashed upon the world a whole
a bushel, communing with nature in Yorkshire. It may
a panoply of imitators, combining their local roots music
with explorations of Balkan, African and Indian beats.
have been one of the reasons she was such an incredible
songwriter and singer.
There's room for apology there, perhaps. But in the origi-
nal hands of this floating* group of legendary Szegerely
WITH OLIVER KNIGHT
musicians, the music was (nearly) always a revelation, the
time signatures bafflingly complex, and the wit upfront. Once In A Blue Moon
(Topic, UK).
E Heart Of Uncle (GlobeStyle, UK).
You can months on end and still not
listen to this intently for
This 1989 album is the best possible introduction to the
Mustapha sound. Indeed, it's the best thing they ever did.
come anywhere nuances
to getting to grips with the subtle
and stark truths of Lai's lyricism and spellbinding voice,
steeped in a tradition too rich and intense for light listening.
Lai Waterson This is a really GREAT album. The posthumously released fol-
The folk fraternity was deeply shocked when Lai suddenly low-up, SEA Bed Of Roses (Topic, UK) is equally stark,
died of cancer towards the end of 1998. She had been at brooding and magnificent.

82 English folk/roots
England/UK |
Bhangra/Asian Beat

one-way ticket to British Asia m

S3
It's a fairly simple story. Immigrants arrive
culture, traditions, food,
in a stiff-upper-lip land. They bring with them their
languages and music. Over a generation, the music is merged with the
own ^
omnipotent influences of the host country, and then - voila! - new sounds are born. DJ Ritu, BBC
radio presenter and co-founder of the Outcaste label, takes a journey through the new music of Asian
Britain, from Bhangra through to Asian drum'n'bass.

Post-war Britain invited subjects from its for- Bhangra Roots

mer colonies to rebuild the depleted labour
force. The Caribbean and the Indian sub- Bhangra began life as a folk dance, celebrating
continent responded eagerly, mindful of the harvest and New Year mela (festival) in the fer-
the colonial adage 'Britain is best', and seized the tile Punjab region of northwest India. It moved
opportunity of a new life for their families - better into thetowns and cities around 200 years ago,
education, housing, food and employment. The and became established as the Punjab's most pop-
1 950s, as a result, saw Indians and Pakistanis settling ular dance - a position it still holds. It kept its rural

predominantly in industrial cities such as London, past in the dance which mimic agricultural
steps
Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, and Bradford. activites - sowing, reaping, and so on - and in its

More south Asian settlers were then added to these name, which came from the word bhang — hemp,
communities in 1972 following the expulsion of which is grown across the Punjab.
30,000 Asians from Amin's Uganda, as well as a
large Bangladeshi community which had started to

arrive in east and north London. Gradually, the new

setders found employment — as bus-drivers, labour-
ers, airport-cleaners, or as hired help in sweatshops
and factories. By night, however, some of them
found the time and energy to follow their creative

pursuits — as writers, artists and, above all, musicians.

The communities up and down the UK,
whether delighted by the Rolling Stones, baffled
by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, or bemused
by T-Rex and Mud, still longed to hear some
familiar sounds from back home. Cassettes - and
in particular Hindi film soundtracks — were
imported into the UK, but there was a growing
demand for 'live' bands to perform at weddings,
cultural functions and in temples. And so by the
mid-1970s number of Asian dance bands, notably
a

Bhujungy and Alaap, were in circulation.

Already evident at this stage was the variety of
popular music styles from different parts of the sub-
continent. The Pakistani communities favoured
quwali and ghazal; Bangladeshis listened to Bengali
folk music; Gujeratis had bhajans and gharbar, while
Hindi film music transcended most regional or
religious bias. But the most high-profile music style

to emerge in a British Asian context was undoubt-

edly Bhangra, imported from the Punjab. Alaap lead singer, Channi

Bhangra/Asian Beat 83
 Bhangra's strong dance sensibility, led by the groups like DCS didn't feature a dhol player at all

dhol - a loud and playful wooden barrel-drum - and concentrated instead on Westernising their
calling people to the harvest celebration dance, sound as much as possible using keyboards, elec-
and its light, romantic and often humorous lyrics, tric guitar, and conventional drum
kit. The same

lent itself to crossing over into a 'street style' pop differences were apparent in stage costume, with
music. As it developed in Britain in the 1970s, the former band adopting smart, colourful silk
western instruments - electric guitar, bass, key- lunghis from the Punjab, while the latter chose
boards - were added to cut through the hubbub English suits or white jeans. What they all had in
of weddings and parties. The loping
beat of the common were Punjabi ^yrics, largely centred on
r—
dhol, meantime, with complex cross-rh%thms,
its themes of drinking, dancing, chasing girls, or
was just a groove away from the drum machine. nationalistic pride, driven by pulsating, heavy
o The story of its transition belongs to the mid- rhythm percussion.
1970s, a decade when the BBC TV Asian pro-
gramme Naya Zindagi, Naya Jeevan — a beacon of
light to a community rendered invisible by the
British media - brought a weekly fix of the big
Bollywood stars of the day, and (unique in the
British media) turned its attention to British Asian
artists. One group, who had an early break on the
programme, was Alaap, formed in Southall, West
London, in 1977.
Alaap's new take on Asian music was that they
concentrated on traditional Punjabi folk - bhangra
- but brought to it the energy and brazen trap-
pings of disco. In 1978 they were discovered by
the Polygram talent-scout Pran Gohill, the first

individual to realise the huge potential of the

bhangra sound. He had just set up the UK-based
Multitone label to import music from the sub-
continent and having initiated an Indo-disco wave
in the UK with artists like Salma Agha and Mus-
sarrat Nazir, was on the lookout for new artists
and new Asian genres.
Alaap's guitarist Deepak Kazanchi worked
with Gohill to put together Tere Chunni De Sitare
- an album of traditional dhol and tumbi merged
with synth sounds and electro beats, and singer
Channi Singh's powerful vocals on top. Bhangra
with a British twist had arrived and the 'Southall
sound' was born. It appealed right across Britain's Electro-bhangra: it started here . . .

Asian communities.
Other forefathers started to emerge. Amarjit
The Pioneers Sidhu sang with bhangra pioneers Chirag
Pehchan and went on to set up the annual Asian
Alaap had entered the recording business in style. Pop Awards and the Kamlee record label. Kuljit
What followed was nothing short of a landslide. Bhamra, a musician and composer, produced the
Inspired and reassured that it was actually possible first ever bhangra album by a female artist - his

to release a record, new Asian bands sprung up in mother, Mohinder Kaur Bhamra. Through his
their droves. Deepak Kazanchi himself set up a label Keda, Kuljit went on to unleash Sangeeta,

new band, Heera, and went into production with the biggest female Asian artist ever known in the

his own label, Arishma Records. UK. She caused a sensation not only because of
The new wave of bands varied a great deal in her gender, but also because she sang in Hindi;
terms of musical emphasis. Whereas Apna her gentle love songs were wrapped in unforget-
Sangeet chose a very traditional bhangra style with table melodies - yet percussively the flavour was
their dhol player given pride of place centrestage, firmly bhangra, with dhol, dlwlki, and "hoi hoi"

84 Bhangra/Asian Beat
 the X-tra Hot series of best-selling remix
LPs through Multitone, cutting and splic-

ing existing bhangra tracks and adding

house hip-hop beats plus extra voice
or
samples to make them more dancefloor-
friendly. Well-known bhangra and West-

ern tracks wove in and out together,

simply synchronised for a wider, younger
audience.
I—
A hugely successful album, Wham Bam,
appearedin 1990. This was a collection of

remixed material from Bally Sagoo: a

highly sophisticated production that caused
a stir, merging classic bhangra tracks with
a wide range of dance beats exclusively for
the disco floor. The Sahotas, born and
bred in the UK, started merging reggae
rhythms with their bhangra sound whilst
the 'great Punjabi hope' Malkit Singh
kept his music pure, unadulterated and
strictly traditional. Achanak meanwhile,
a Birmingham band set up by tabla player

Ninder Johal, with a state-of-the-art synth

Sangeeta sound, initiated a revolution in dress code
by declaring medallions and flares out -
calls in the chorus. The BBC's Network East TV Armani suits in!

show and LBC Radio's Geetmala programme, By the early 1990s extensive touring abroad by
meantime, continued to propel things forward. bands and prominent DJs rocketed British Asian
By 1982 DJs playing at Asian events increas- sounds into the previously untapped Asian dias-
Boney
ingly put aside M
and Michael Jackson in pora — Vancouver and Toronto in Canada, New
favour of such songs as Alaap's classic "Bhabiye Ni York and L.A. US, the Arabic markets, and,
in the
Bhabiye". More DJs came on board, giving wider of course, the selling ground with the biggest
exposure to the music, creating new audiences, potential — the subcontinent itself.

new bands, and widespread interest. Bhangra was An underground infrastructure of pirate radio
roots. Bhangra reaffirmed cultural identity - pos- stations, magazines and distribution companies
Mother-tongue sounds and instruments
itively. began to take shape. But a lack of knowledge on
merged with those of the West. Here was music how to play the system soon became apparent.
made in British Asia, and by 1986, the British press CDs were rarely barcoded. Tapes were cheap in

wanted a piece of it. local Asian stores, bypassing the chart return shops

Bhangra Goes Disco

In themid-1980s Bhangra raves were com-
monplace in London and the Midlands — taking
place mostly in daytime, as evening slots could not
be secured. Groups of Asian youngsters would miss
school to go and dance at these events where they
felt safe, in a familiar all-Asian environment. They
could indulge in checking-out the most promis-
X-Executive Sounds and Hustlers
ing DJs like
Convention who served up the latest bhangra
beats mixed with soul, disco and hip-hop tracks.
The scene quickly gained momentum. More
events. More punters. More DJs. More Western
influences. DJs like X-Executive Sounds produced Moody beat masters Achanak

Bhangra/Aslan Beat 85
 so that Bhangra never made it to the mainstream Also in 1993, Bally Sagoo became the second
pop charts. And there was ignorance and racism, Asian artist to sign to a major label, Sony
too: the major labels were about as bad as Britain's Columbia. Bally's superb Bollywood Flashback album
football clubs in looking for starsamid the Asian spawned a 'Hindi-remix' fever which swiftly
scene, and the media was little were
better. Artists took hold. He had chosen to mix up a collection
thus deprived of exposure and royalty payments of songs by the great Hindi film composer, RD
despite regular UK-alone sales in excess of 50,000 Burman, adding scratch sounds, swing or house
units for releases by leading bhangra bands. backdrops and generally 'phattening' up the beats
a
r—
and bass-lines in 'blow your speakers' street-style.

> Clubs and Remixes • Once more the mainstream press became inter-
ested, this time on a global level. International film

In 1990, however, despite the odds, the UK's first crews arrived at Bombay Jungle with alarming reg-
Asian pop star arrived, Apache Indian was not ularity. Local BBC radio started to develop a grow-
(and did not claim to be) a bhangra artist, instead ing network of Asian music shows across its stations

creating a 'Bhangramuffin' fusion - slipping up and down the UK. The 24-hour Asian Sun-
between Punjabi lyrics and patois, while laying rise Radio in London gained its license to broad-

tabla beats over reggae rhythms. Signed to a major cast legally. By 1994, Apache Indian had become
mainstream label, Island, his song "Boom-Shak- the first Asian radio presenter onRadio One, BBC
a-lak" reached an unprecedented No. 5 in the sending out ragga/bhangra to his listeners, and DJ
British singles charts. Ritu repeated this coup on London's KISS 100
and with the Bhangrabeat series on BBC World
Service. On TV, the arrival of ZEE TV (24-hour
Asian programming) encouraged more exposure.

New Asian Beats

The bhangra spirit of a new Asian music was being
reincarnated into other 'alternative' Asian forms
through the 1980s. In 1982 Sheila Chandra
appeared on BBC TV chart show Top of the Pops
singing "Ever So Lonely" with her band Monsoon,
while Deepak Kazanchi could be spotted playing
guitar next to percussionist Pandit Dinesh in pop
band Blancmange. In 1987, Najma Akhtar
released Qareeb - a ghazal and jazz album, with sax-
ophone and santoor working harmoniously to cap-
ture the musical essence of Urdu love poetry, that
became a major hit on the World Music scene.
Najma Akhtar, with a young Talvin Singh Similar to other groups of second-generation
on tablas migrants, Asian youth in Britain acquired a taste

for contemporary black music styles. Amongst the

Over on the dance floor, UK Asian music was middle-class young, soul heroes like George Ben-
entering yet another era, as its 'underground' son and Stevie Wonder were hugely popular. In
embraced club culture. A number of London working class communities an identification with
clubs became unofficial Asian hangouts; at Jaclyns, rap, hip-hop and reggae developed. By the mid-

DJ Taz Jay catered for those with Asian and soul 1980s, a sizeable underground Asian rap scene
cravings, and the gay scene spawned Asian nights was alive and kicking. In London's East End, a
at Asia and Shakti. Then in Autumn 1 993 Bombay number of soundsystems - Osmani Sounds, The
Jungle opened at the Wag Club in London: a two- State of Bengal, andjoi Bangla (later renamed
floor venue offered swing, soul and hip-hop down- Joi) firmly introduced conscious rap - centring
while upstairs DJs moved the crowds with
stairs, on East End racism and poverty, mixed with tra-
bhangra, ragga and swing mixes. More weekly ditional Bengali folk lyrics and break beats - into
clubs opened in prime venues across the UK and the music agenda.
one-off events happened at 5000-capacity venues In Bradford, Aki Nawaz was inspired by the
in Bradford, Birmingham and London. punk movement and pretty much everything else

86 Bhangra/Asian Beat
— dub, techno, bhangra - shouting a "no com- renamed Kaleef); all-girl band The Voodoo
promise in the fight against racism" message Queens; the KKKings who baffled everybody
through his band Fun<Da>Mental. He found- musically but charmed the media into dubbing
ed Nation Records in 1989, signing unknown everything that was going on as 'New Asian Kool';
artists for the label's first releases. The compila- and Tejinder Singh's Cornershop who stuck two
tion album Fuse included contributions from fingers up at the Indie scene, and at the end of the
Mahatma T. (real name Talvin Singh) and Pulse 1990s have gone on to phenomenal success, as an
8 (JahWobble and On-U-Sound's David Har- Asian band on the rock circuit.
row). Nation went on to sign other conscious
r—
bands, including Aki's Transglobal Under- The Underground
ground, Hustlers Convention (the original DJ
outfit now expanded into the world's first Sikh
Surfaces
hip-hop crew), Natacha Atlas, Asian Dub Within this flurry of activity the bubbling 'Asian
Foundation (ADF) and TJ Rehmi. A 'world- underground' was ready to spill overground. In
fusion' sound evolved: tabla loops, African chants, 1 994 Outcaste Records arrived to nurture Asian
and electro beats breaking in with powerful, defi- artists not producing bhangra, but able to create
ant lyrics. an even balance of Eastern-ness and Western-ness
Outside the Nation label, other 'alternative' in their music. It released Nitin Sawhney's crit-

groups appeared: New Conscious Caliphz (later ically acclaimed album Migration, melting tabla,
jazz piano, flamenco, and classi-
cal Indian and Asian vocals into
a perfect East/West blend. Out-
- the monthly club - pro-
caste

moted this underground fusion

and received rave reviews.
The following year young tabla
prodigy Talvin Singh set up his

OMNI label, and in 1996 he

launched the Anokha club at Lon-
don's Blue Note. His 1997
Anokha: Soundz of the Asian
Underground compilation CD
cemented 1997 as the year of
British Asian Underground.
Nation had placed the fuse, Out-
caste lit it, Talvin Singh was the
climactic explosion! His 1998
debut album, OK, was greeted as
almost visionary by the main-
stream UK music press. Here was
a melting-pot of Indian classical

instrumentation with Western

underground dance styles -
drum'n'bass, techno and trip-hop.
The Asian Underground suc-
cess story should maybe conic as

no surprise, being immediately

accessible for non-Asian audiences
and journalists unable to cope
with bhangra's overwhelming
Indian-ess. Its familiar dance music
references have crossed easily into
the wider non-Asian club scene,
and, as 201 10 beckons, some forty
Talvin Singh applies polish years on and two or three gener-

Bhangra/Aslan Beat 87
 ations down the line, the picture looks promising.
33 Purely Nachural Vols 1-6 (Nachural, UK).
There's an established infrastructure of Asian labels,
Nachural Recordswas set up in Birmingham by Ninder Johal
PR companies, journalists, magazines, labels, pro- in 1989 and has spawned a range of excellent, largely
moters, pluggers, and so on, all in place to support bhangra bands such as Achanak, Saqi and Panjabi MC. Six
the continued development of a multi-faceted indus- albums have been released so far allowing listeners to sample
some of the best Nachural label artists.
try, as colourful and vibrant as the subcontinent itself.

The mainstream labels have finally caught the S3 The Rough Guide to Bhangra
(World Music Network, UK).
British Asian music bug, too. Talvin Singh records
C3 for Island; Warners signed Apache Indian, Amar, A much needed disc that provides a mainstream distribution,
historic trawl through the music* It's forthcoming in July 2000.
Spellbound, Black Star Liner and Deepika all

within the space of one year (1997); London Records

adopted ADF; and The State of Bengal joined Artists
Bjork's One Little Indian label. Top of the Pops
appearances are no longer the novelty they were in Alaap
Sheila Chandra's day. Jas Mann's "Babylon Zoo" Formed in Southall, West London in 1977 by Channi
reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart; it was fol- Singh to cater for Punjabi functions, Alaap became the
pioneers of modem bhangra.
lowed by Jyoti Misra's "Whitetown"; and then
Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" mixed by Norman Dance with Alaap
(Muititone, UK).
(Fatboy Slim) Cook. Meantime there is much excite-
ment about Fatboy Slim's new stablemate at Skint Probably their most successful and accessible album, featur-
ing their huge tune "Bhabiye Ni Bhabiye."
Records, young Sanjay Sen, aka Indian Ropeman.
Asian bands are certainly now an established fea-
B21
ture of the rock and World Music festival and tour
Brothers Bally and Bhota Jagpal formed B21 with teenag-
scenes. Anokha has hit New York and WOMAD er Jassi Sidhu, after he was dared to sing at Bhota's wed-
The Asian Equation landed at Tribal Gathering ding.They shot to fame in 1996 and are currently the UK's
Bally Sagoo supported Michael Jackson in India most popular Bhangra group.
Cornershop went on tour with Oasis. Meantime, The Sound of B21
Talvin Sing won the UK's prestigious Mercury (Movie Box, UK).

Music Prize in 1999. The group's massive debut album, including their first and
Back on the bhangra circuit, too, new stars con- greatest hit, "Put Sardaran Dey".

tinue to revitalise things. Musicians like Jazzy B.,

Daler Mehndi, Surjit Bindrakhia, AS Kang, Bally Jagpal
and Surinder Shinda hold onto traditional roots, Bally Jagpal is a young Birmingham-born musician, a
stockbroker by day and producer by night. He also per-
with strong Punjabi emphasis in their music, while
forms with the groups B21 and Safri Boys.
a new generation of superstar producers have
'
Dark and Dangerous (Movie Box, UK).
emerged - the of Bally Jagpal and his phe-
likes

nomenally successful group B21, Balwinder Safri's A 1999 'solo' album from Jagpal, featuring the huge club hit

"Aaja Sohniya" sung by Pakistan's Shazia Mansoor.

Safri Boys, Harjinder Boparai and Ravi Bal.
A postcard from British Asia reading "we've
Panjabi MC
landed" is being sent to all corners of the globe.
Panjabi MC is a much loved Birmingham producer and artist

Thanks to Rita Hirani S3 Legalised (Nachural, UK).

This 1998 album is Panjabi MC's finest: beats, B-lines, bass

and completely authentic Punjabi vocals.

discography Partners In Rhyme

Coventry-based Prem and Hardip set up their duo in 1993.

Bhangra S3 Distant Voices (OSA, UK).

Remix and production outfit PIR display a wide variety in

Compilations tempo and style across the album, but keeping bhangra and
Hindi intact.

3£ Bhabi Nach Le (Muititone, UK).

Safri Boys
One of many compilations released by Southall-based record
company set up by Pran Gohill in the late 1970s. Features Balwinder Safri's Birmingham-based band formed in 1 990
some classic tracks by early bhangra pioneers like Premi and after Balwinder himself had won numerous 'best vocalist'

Mahendra Kapoor. awards as a solo artist.

88 Bhangra/Asian Beat
 dynamic record of Aki Nawaz and Kath Cannoville's pioneer-
Get Real (Multitone, UK).
ing west London label.
Brilliant bhangra created by one of the most popular bands
ever seen in the UK.
Untouchable Outcaste Beats Volume 1

(Outcaste Records, UK).

The Sahotas A must-have compilation for anyone excited by the Asian

'overground', this features classic tracks from forefathers of the
The Wolverhampton Sahota brothers who released their
genre - the late Amanda Shankar, Dave Pike Set - and show-
debut LP Gidda Pao while still at school in 1987.
cases upcoming acts on the Outcaste label such as Badmarsh
S3 Decade (Kamlee, UK). & Shri and Niraj Chag. 3D Volume 2, Outcaste Too
Untouchable, is pretty essential too, including Massive
£75
The boys celebrate ten years in the business with some mag-
Attack's remix of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Mustt Mustt", along r—
ical reggae-flavoured bhangra on this superb 1 997 release.
with tracks from Cornershop, Badmarsh & Shri, Nitin Sawhney, >
and Ananda Shankari's rendering of "Jumping Jack Flash".
Sangeeta
The Midlands-based premier lady of UK bhangra who
began her singing career in 1 987.
Artists

Si! Flower in the Wind (Keda, UK).

Najma Akhtar
Her timeless second album, including the brilliant composi-
tion by Kuljit Bhamra, "Pyaar Ka Hai Bari". After winning the Asian Song Contest in 1984, Najma
recorded a groundbreaking album of ghazals (Urdu love
poetry) with jazz-inflected backing, for the Triple Earth
Malkit Singh
label. She had major success with the record in the World
Trained in the Punjab, Malkit began his star-spangled Music market, but seems to have drifted from the scene.
British career in Birmingham in 1986.
BS Qareeb (Triple Earth, UK).
SS Midas Touch (OSA, UK).
Years ahead of its time, this is a beautiful mix of ghazal,
An excellent album which caught on big time in bhangra sweet vocals and jazz, feauring an illustrious cast of musi-
nightclubs, though perhaps Malkit's least 'traditional'. cians - among them Kiran Pal Singh (santoor) and
Nawazish Ali Khan (violin) - still prominent on the UK circuit.

Asian Overground Asian Dub Foundation (ADF)

"Massive not passive" was an early motto for this band of
radical dub-rap-trip-hop-influenced London and
Compilations Birmingham musicians. Their sound is unmistakable,
stemming in part from guitarist Steve Chandrasonic's
Anokha. Soundz of the Asian Underground habit of tuning all his strings to one note, like a sitar, and
(OMNI, UK).
from speed rapper Master D. They are a committed band,
Talvin Singh's essential selection. It includes, among other delivering a conscious message in their music, and edu-
riches, one of the biggest British Asian dancefloor tunes ever, cational work with the community.
"Flight IC 408" by The State of Bengal.
Rafi's Revenge
...And Still No Hits: Nation Records - The (Slash, UK).

Story So Far (Nation, UK).

Asian instrumentation meets Jungle rhythms on this Mercury
Two-CD compilation of Nation artists, including TransGlobal, Prize nominated release, with drum'n'bass, sitars, tablas and
Joi, Asian Dub Foundation, Fun<Da>Mental and TJ Rehmi. A a ton of attitude backed by heavy breakbeats.

Sheila Chandra
Sheila Chandra has been a fixture on the Asian scene for
twenty years, beginning with the mainstream pop of
Monsoon in the early 1980s, dabbling in Indi-pop, and
moving on to experiments with solo voice and drone.

SS Moonsung (RealWorld. UK).

A 'The First Lady of British Asian Music',

fine retrospective of

with emphasis on her more experimental voice creations.

Cornershop
Cornershop grew out of the Mancunian guitar and Indie
band scene, and was the brainchild of Tejinder Singh and
Ben Ayers. They're basically a pop/rock band but their
whole sound is underpinned by India.

When was
I born for the 7th time
(Wiija, UK/Luaka Bop, US).

Asian references to the minimum, but a sparkling album

nonetheless, with their No.1 hit, "Brimful of Asha" and a nicely

Bhangra/Aslan Beat 89
 ironic Bengali-language version of The Beatles' "Norwegian On The Mix (Mango, UK).
33
Wood."
"Wham Bam!" mixmaster's finest moments, wedding superb
vocals from the likes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to dense,
Joi imaginative dub.
Joi - the brothers Farook and Haroon Shamsher -
emerged as the Joi Bangla Sound in East London's t Bollywood Flashback (Sony, UK).
Bangladeshi youth movement of the 1 980s, and went on RD Burman's finest songs reincarnated for the younger
to record EPs for Rhythm King and Nation before finally generation.
m landing an album deal with Real World. Tragically, just as
mainstream success beckoned, Haroon died suddenly, at
C*3
Nitin Sawhney
the age of 34, in July 1 999.

*
A name to watch, Nitin Sawhney mixes Asian vocals and
Tgj* One and One is One tabla with jazz piano and flamenco guitar - brilliantly.
RealWorld, UK).
O
"**••
kSJSi (

This excellent debut album from the Shamsher brothers

Migration
(Outcaste, UK).
^
^ mixed trance, breakbeats»and electro with powerful Asian
melodies and chants. Sawhney's critically acclaimed debut.

T.J. Rehmi Talvin Singh

T.J.Rehmi is a leading Fusionsit (the title of his 1996 Classically trained tabla-player Singh has forged an
debut album), with trip-hop/ambient tendencies. amazing reputation, working with Bjork and Massive
Attack, as well as running his own club and label. He is a
33 Mindfiller (Nation, UK). key figure in British music at the end of the 1990s, and
picked up the 1999 Mercury Music Prize.
Rehmi's mesmerising 1998 outing, with his sitarguitar to the
fore.
OK
(Island, UK).
Bally Sagoo Singh's award winning debut solo album proclaims "Music
Birmingham-based DJ who turned producer/remixer in without boundaries" and proceeds through ambient and
1990. drum'n'bass by way of synths, flutes and sitars.

90 Bhangra/Asian Beat
Finland

new runes
Finnish music has burgeoned in the 1980s and 90s, with names like Varttina, JPP and Maria Kalaniemi
becoming well known both at home and on the World Music scene. There are more likely candidates
waiting in the wings, too, though it's hard to transfer much of what's special in Finnish music to the
world stage. It is at heart a subtle creature of quiet places or small gatherings, and is best understood o
An easy and outgoing stage manner doesn't come easily to Finnish musicians. Still, when
in situ.

performers do break through the reserve there's often bold experimentation and powerful
performance, aided by a national ability to keep a straight face while doing the strangest of things.
Andrew Cronshaw takes a closer look.

is a big, quiet place of lakes and aspects of the language — the stress virtually always
Finland is

forests, its flattish terrain only rising to moun- on the first syllable, and the length of a sound can
tains well north of the Arctic Circle. It's radically affect the meaning of a word.
divided from all but the extreme north of Until the seventeenth century, and in some areas
the Scandinavian peninsula by the Gulf of Bothnia. much later, virtually all Finnish singing was of the
Politically and economically the country faces runolaulu (runo-song) form, of which close rel-
west, but its cultural ties tend to go east and south, atives are found throughout the Balto-Finnic area.

towards the Balto-Finnic peoples within Russia The rhythm of the words - typically something
and the Baltic states, particularly those in former like 'dum-di dum-di dum-di daa daa' - is virtual-
parts of Finland and in Estonia, which is the only ly always four-footed trochaic (four syllables per
other country whose language is close enough in
the Finno-Ugrian group to be mutually compre-
hensible with Finnish.
Finland hasn't existed as a state for long. It was
ruled by Sweden until 1809, then by Russia until
the Bolshevik revolution, when it painfully
emerged war of independence and civil war.
after a

Part of the region of Karelia, a heartland of tradi-

tional culture, remained in the Soviet Union then,
and more was lost to Russia between 1939 and
1944. Then the northern third of Finland was com-
pletely devastated by retreating German troops,
who had been allowed in to fight Russia.

Peace with the USSR entailed the payment by

Finland of huge reparations, but it has emerged as
a highly technologised country — currently riding
the export-economy changes associated with EU
membership and the collapse of the Soviet Union
- which has a standard of living contrasting sharply
with the Russian poverty just across its forested line are stressed). The tunes have a narrow range,
eastern border. usually using just the first five notes of a scale (major,

minor or somewhere between). Time signatures

Song: Runolaulu arc nearly always 4/4 or 5/4 and much of the
melodic interest stems from variation of the melod-
and Kalevala ic line. The line-ends don't rhyme, but there's
In all Finnish song (laulu) a good deal of the strong alliteration, as there is in other ancient Euro-
rhythmic character is the effect of two particular pean poetry such as the Icelandic sagas, or Beowulf.

Finland 91
 Among runo-songs there's a large body of epic
poetry - tales of heroes such as Kullervo, Lem-
minkainen and, centrally, Vainamoinen, who could
control the forces of nature, sometimes holding all

in thrall with his kantele-playing. It was these epics

that doctor folklorist Elias Lonnrot linked
and
and organised make Kalevala (sometimes called
to
in English The Kalevala, but there's no definite or
indefinite article in Finnish). Its first publication
in 1835 didn't make much impression, but twen-
ty years after the revised second edition appeared
in 1849 it became the focal point for an awaken-
ing of Finnishness in a country dominated by
Tsarist Russia, whose intellectuals were more like-
ly to speak Swedish or Russian than the language
in which it was written. Kalevala, and Lonnrot's
second volume of runo song, Kanteletar, were the
inspiration for further research and a great deal of
monumental and romantic art, and became icon-
ic in the emerging national identity. Karelia, where music with her own projects, as a member of Hed-
Lonnrot and others collected many of the Kale- ningama, and in collaborations with modem dancer
vala stories, came to represent the artistic soul of Petri Kauppinen, rock singer Ismo Alanko, and
Finland. the Norwegian/Sami band Transjoik. Varttina
It isn't all tales of epic deeds, however. There also shows ever more clearly its runolaulu roots —
are runo-songs of everyday life, love and misery, as leader Kari Reiman says: "five notes have always

many of them made and sung by women, as were been enough for me!"
the extraordinary sobbing itku (crying) songs, and
lullabies sometimes even wishing for the merciful Rekilaulu
death of the infant. There were many songs, both
happy and warning of sadness, associated with the During the seventeenth century rhyming in songs
biggest ritual occasion — the wedding. The other began to take over from alliteration; runolaulu
important ritual - death — was accompanied by evolved into rekilaulu (sleigh-song), which has a
singing as well, although laments tended to be very regular pattern, with four lines per stanza, the
more freeform than normal runolaulu. second and fourth lines rhyming.
common with much of the old layer of song-
In In some areas, notably Karelia, the change was
poem throughout the Nordic countries, runo- slower, partly because the dominant Christian reli-

songs were often danced, and in Ingria (an area of gion was Orthodox. The Orthodox priests were
constantly displaced population at the south of the often not Finnish-speakers and showed little dis-

Karelian Isthmus, north of St. Petersburg) a more approval of their flocks' songs, whereas the Luther-
recent layer of dance-song is still performed, ans of the western regions shared their parishioners'
notably by the Rontyska group from the village background and tended to disapprove of 'pagan'
of Rappula. customs and songs; furthermore their worship
Runo-songs are increasingly performed in the involved rhyming hymns in stanzas. Although this
present-day folk revival, one of the most spectac- worked against runo-song, another tradition
by Heikki Laitinen, Kimmo
ular uses being evolved of distinctive Finnish hymns, neither runo
Pohjonen and modem dancer Reijo Kela in their nor rekilaulu, which still exists and whose melodies
stunning performance-art piece Kelavala. There have as yet been little heard in the folk music
are signs, too, of a new era of composition. Tellu revival except in the work of Sinikka Jarvinen-
Virkkala's Sudeti Aika (Time of the Wolf) is a Kontio.
song-cycle in which she combines and modifies Right up to the present day reki-song is com-
traditional runo-songs and melodies to tell a time- mon in popular Finnish songs, a form on which
less, image-rich story. Runolaulu's melodic, rhyth- to hang new stories or improvise humour, with
mic and lyrical forms are also dominant in the ready audience participation because of the tune's
material written by Sanna Kurki-Suonio, who familiar structure. It's a prevalent pattern in the

is an increasingly important force in Finnish roots old-fashioned, but still appreciated, rural-comic

92 Finland
Kantele - the Baltic Zither
Instruments of the kantele type are played in Finland and evolved, in which strings are plucked with a pick (tra-

the Baltic States and northwest Russia. They are basical- ditionally a matchstick) held in the right hand, while the
ly forms of zither, whose root design is a tapering box with left damps unwanted strings.

strings, usually now of steel, but sometimes made of gut During the nineteenth century big kanteles began to
or horsehair in the past, attached at the wider end to wood- be used as instruments for solo performance to an audi-
en pegs and at the other to a metal bar. Unusually among ence. Kreeta Haapasalo (1815-1893) from Kaustinen
stringed instruments, a kantele has no bridges or direct earned her living, and national fame, as a performer. Kan-
contact between string and soundboard, and though this tele makers, teachers and tuition books appeared, and
makes it compar- soon aspirations
atively inefficient arose to kantele
in terms of vol- music in the West-
ume, it means em Classical tradi-

that a high pro- tion - for which a

portion of the chromatic instru-

sound reaches ment was consid-

the ear direct from ered necessary. In

the strings, pro- the 1920s Paul

ducing a distinc- Salminen developed
tive silvery ring. a lever mechanism
In Finland the for raising and low-
basic form has ering the tension on
five strings which the existing strings,
are usually tuned Old-time kantele players and the 'concert
to the first five kantele' was bom.
same note range as most
notes of a diatonic scale, the Meanwhile, folk players continued regardless. One
runo-song. The instrument's role in the past was one of them was Martti Pokela from Haapavesi in North
of self-expression rather than performance; a player Ostrobothnia. From the 1950s he attracted a lot of
would get immersed in the rhythmic and melodic pos- attention as a player of small and large kanteles, and
sibilities of those five notes. Three fingers of one hand the new music he made bridged the gap between clas-
and two of the other would have a string each or, in a sical and folk approaches. In 1975 he became the first

style more common in the east and across the Baltic, teacher of kantele at the Sibelius Academy, and he was
one hand would damp while the other strummed. a crucial influence in the creation of a folk music depart-
There are also new designs with more strings. On ment there in 1983. He has virtually given up perform-
those with more than fifteen or so strings the box is ing now, but works with players such as Loituma's
made not by carving, but by gluing boards together; Timo Vaananen and Sari Kauranen in evolving more of

metal tuning pegs are used and the single horizontal his open-minded, innovative compositions.
bar holding all the strings replaced by a pin for each There's a breath of fresh air blowing through the kan-
string. These larger instruments called for changes in tele world at present, but as an instrument for public
playing technique: the hands moved apart, and one performance rather than personal exploration the kan-
took an accompaniment role to the other's melody. tele has problems. The big kanteles are usually played
Around the beginning of the twentieth century players flat on a table, which means that when a player is on
began to turn the whole instrument around so that the stage, strings and hands are almost invisible to the audi-
longer strings were nearest to them. ence. There's also the problem of audibility; quietness
Turning it around never caught on in Central is an aspect of the instrument and its music, and it's

Ostrobothnia, one of the strongest areas of kantele tra- hard to amplify without brutalising the sound.
dition, where there is a vigorous style of playing dance The national Folk Music Institute, and director Hannu
music on big kantele, particularly in the area around Saha in particular, have played a strong role in research-

Kaustinen. Notable players in the Perho tradition include ing, recording and stimulating kantele playing to re-
Eino Tulikari (1905-1977) and the three Alaspaa establish it as a musical instrument rather than simply
brothers, of whom
now teaches at Sibelius
one, Toivo, a national icon. Saha's appearance at Kaustinen Fes-
Academy and leads an ensemble of many of the tival in the 1 980s with an ostentatiously electrified five-

nation's leading young players. string kantele was a mischievous challenge to the
In central Finland, particularly Saarijarvi. a differ- instrument's iconic status - a 'banish stuffiness, back
ent style - both of kantele design and playing - has to the people' gauntlet.

Finland 93
songs of such singers as Erkki Rankaviita and a arched bow. it has a whispery tone, the melody
style updated by a new-generation duo Pinnin against a chugging drone, and is increasingly find-
Pojat (Arto Jarvela and Kimmo Pohjonen) which ing a place in the new Finnish-rooted music.
also renews connections with the Finnish-Amer- Ethnomusicologist A.O.Vaisanen did much
ican comic song of 1920s stars such as Arthur ot the collecting, recording and photography of
Kylander. And rekilaulu is there strongly in many old-style Finnish music and musicians in the early
of the new songs performed by the new wave of twentieth century: and the jouhikko music played
young bands from Kausrinen and Raakyla. to him in 1916 by Feodor Pratsu of Impilahd
on the Karelian isthmus^has proved particularlv
The Old Instruments . influential on such modern players as Outi
Pulkkinen. Tyrti Metsa -r.d Man Jarvinen
The old instruments ot Finnish music include var-
ious wind instruments, among them horns, whis- Pelimanni Music
tles and folk clarinets made out of wood bound
with birch-bark. An important carrier into the Pelimamti (from the Swedish spelman) means 'folk
modem age of the playing and making of such musician', and in particular the term is applied to
whisdes and trumpets was Ingrian-bom Teppo players of folk dance music. Pelimanni music
Repo (Feodor Safronoff 1886—1962). They main- and its much more recent develop-
dances are a
tain a place in current music — for example. Virpi ment than the runo-song layer of Finnish music.
Forsberg specialises in playing animal horns, The first couple dances to become popular were
Leena Joutsenlahti in whisdes, and Etnopo- the minuet and polska: by 1800 the waltz had
jat/The World Mankeri Orchestra make new arrived, followed by polka, mazurka and schortis-
music using the old instruments whose construc- che. AD of these developed Finnish character — on
workshop in Nakkila.
tion they explore in their the w hole rather restrained. The Finnish polska.
r

The old instruments, sometimes combined with for example, hasnone of the rhythmic complex-
modem sounds, have been a feature of a number of its
-
of the Swedish version. Later developments
bands in the past twenty years, including early and imports included humppa and jenkka.
pathfinders Karelia and Primo "PnminiMsen Mua- Weddings were always the major and most rel-

lkin Orkesteri) and later Tuulenkantajat. .Ml of ished social occasions, and presented the biggest
these bands have also used the two principal early opportunity for dance. Special music was associ-
Finnish stringed instruments, kantele and jouhikko. ated with the almost theatrical sequence of events
The kantele — form of zither — is Finland's
a in the traditional wedding celebration — both songs
national instrument (see box on previous page). It and instrumental music, including marches for pro-
was raised to iconic status by the success of Kale- cessions, happy dance tunes and sad ones for the
vala. with its story of Vainamoinen making the bride's leasing. The fiddle (viulu), which arrived
first kantele out of the jawbone of a giant pike, in the mid-seventeenth century, became the main
stringing it with hair from the Devil's gelding and, instrument tor dance music. When the accordion
when the prototype was lost at sea, making the (haitari) — first one or two-row diatonic (hanuri).

second from birch and a maiden's hair. then the larger chromatic versions (haitari or har-
For me the moment when kantele, and much numikka)— spread throughout Europe in the nine-
of Finnish music, made sense was watching Hannu teenth century the fiddle was to some extent
Saha and Anna-Maija Karjalainen playing an inter- drowned out. In some areas, however, the fiddle
locking, silvery, chiming duet in the quiet morn- clarinet and
remained strong, sometimes joined by
ing as the sun streamed dustily through the low kantele example in the Aarnio family band
(as for

window of Kaustinens wooden Pelimannitalo — of Humppila in southwest Finland), as mixed

the same fight as illuminated the lined races of the ensembles developed toward the end of the nine-
flowing-locked, white-bearded players in the old teenth century.
photos. This was the poir# at which the harmonium
The jouhikko. like the kantele. goes far back (harmotri). the pedal-powered reed organ, first took
into Baltic history. In Finland its tradition survived its place as a characteristic feature of Finnish peli-
into the eariy twentieth century in Savo and Kare- manni music. Pumped energetically, its keys are
lia. It's a bowed lyre with three or four horsehair often hit in amanner so lively that the playing style
stringsand is held upright in the lap, the notes of young star Eero Grundstrom incorporates a
changed by touching the strings with the back of deft action to replace those which jump from their

the fingers. Played with a briskly driven small row on his rickety blue-painted folding harmoni-

94 Finland
 Kaustinen
Inevitably, in talking about pelimanni

music, indeed in any discussion of

current Finnish roots music, the
name of a group of small townships
on the Perho river in Keski-Pohjan-
maa (Central Ostrobothnia) comes
up regularly - Kaustinen.
Early in the twentieth century,
Santeri Isokangas' coffee-shop in
Kaustinen was a place where music
was encouraged; there was a har-
monium, and a fiddle hung on the
wall ready for use. The fiddlers of
Kaustinen, Veteli and Halsua such as

Friiti Ojala and Antti Jarvela

would gather. Konsta Jylha's moth-
er worked there, his family played
music; it was natural he would too.
In 1946 the church organist Eero
Polas assembled a ten-piece band for
weddings, including Konsta, where
they played the suites of seven to
twelve linked dances known as purp-
puri (pot-pourri). So the band was
called Purppuripelimannit. By the
1950s the line-up had resolved to
wedding
the typical Ostrobothnian
Maria Kalaniemi band line-up of two fiddles, harmo-
nium and double bass, and it made
am. A regular sight at Kaustinen Festival is piano- recordings and radio appearances. In 1961 Kons-
sizedharmoniums being wheeled between venues, ta, who worked as a lorry-driver, had a road acci-

and an impressive spectacle is the large harmoni- dent which stopped him playing the fiddle for a
um line-up of Kaisu Forsti's pupils, who include while, so he began writing songs and tunes. His
Grundstrom and another very watchable player first effort, "Konstan parempi valssi" (Konsta's bet-

(and singer) Men Tiitola. ter waltz) became popular, and many others fol-
Despite the great popularity of accordions in lowed up until his death in 1984.
the mid-twentieth century, and their ongoing The 1960s was a boom time for roots-discovery
widespread use, the fiddle has re-emerged as the and 1968 Kaustinen staged its first Interna-
in
main lead instrument in pelimanni music. Mean- tional Folk Music Festival. It strongly featured
while, the big chromatic accordion is gaining new, local music and dance, particularly the now famous
more subtle aspects, notably in the widely admired, Purppuripelimannit, and also brought in guests

sensitive and articulate music of Maria Kalanie- from abroad. It was clear the Finnish folk revival
mi, which draws on Finnish tradition, tango and had begun: 20, 000 people came, and the number
other influences. Amongst a variety of projects doubled a year later. (The Woodstock character
Kalaniemi also plays in a five-strong, two-row in the Peanuts cartoon strip in Finland is called
accordion group, the flowery-frocked Helsingin Kaustinen). In a country whose population has
Kaksrivisnaiset (Helsinki Melodeon Ladies). The moved relatively recently from the country to the
one-man performance art show by the other lead- towns, and whose old family homes have become
ing folk-skilled, genre-crossing player, Kimmo its summer cottages, Kaustinen Festival gave a focus
Pohjonen, is a tour de force of huge rolling live- for celebration of the old ways and the old fun.
sampling waves and dramatic lights in which the Striped-waistcoated pelimauuit showed up from all
accordion stars as musical instrument, wrestling over Finland, joined by both the older generation
opponent and sacrificial object. and the newly interested youth.

Finland 95
JPP hit the road with their customised tour bus

At that time, if city youth joined in it was more fessor Erkki Ala-K6nni), and a Chamber Music
likely to be on guitar than riddle or kantele. Nowa- Festival has become an annual event. Music has
days though, no one is to be found thrashing out become Kaustinen's major industry. The stamp of
three chords to a Dylan song — an energy has been individual musical personalities remains strong;
found much closer to home. The festival has indeed quite a few of them can be found amongst
become a showplace for new projects in Finnish the players in the local bar-restaurant, which has
music, spiced by top musicians and dance groups a fiddle on the harmonium for customers' use and
from abroad, but still very much centred on local is called, naturally, Pelimanni.
music and dance.
In 1974 a fine old
and reconstructed atop
wooden
a rise
log house was bought
on the festival site to
JPP and other
become Pelimannitalo. the headquarters of
Kaustinen Bands
Kansanmusiikki-instituutti (KMI). the nation- A very* obvious aspect of the Finnish revival has
al Folk Music Institute, which has a leading role been the ever-decreasing age of impressive fid-
not only in research but also in encouragement dlers, and the increasing complexity of the tunes

and propagation of roots music, publishing many they play. A strong influence in both these phe-
recordings and books. Instead of being an ivory- nomena has been the band that in the 1980s took
tower institution in the capital city, the Institute, the flag of the Ostrobothnian pelimanni tradition
built literally in the field, was right from the start and gave it a twirl - JPP.
a pan of local everyday culture, with Pelimanni- Jarvelan Pelimannit, based in Jarvela (one of the
talo used for fiddle lessons, weddings and other Kaustinen cluster ot villages), comprised members
social functions. of the Jarvela and Varila families. Their offspring
In 1997 a high-tech Kansantaiteenkeskus formed Jarvelan Pikkupelimannit (Y oung Jarvela
(Folk Arts Centre) was opened to accommodate Musicians) — JPP for short. Seeing the Swedish band
KMI and its library plus a 400-seat concert hall, Forsmark Tre playing 1 982 gave
at Kaustinen in
recording studio, rehearsal rooms, the Folk Music JPP which led*o a new approach to arrang-
ideas
Festival s offices, the state-salaried folk group Tal- ing and harmonising and a gradual metamorpho-
lari. a folk instrument museum with computerised sis into a swingy string orchestra with twisting key
audio-visual presentations, a shop, cafe, bar and. changes, using an increasing number of new tunes
of course, a sauna. largely written by the main arranger, harmonium
Folk music courses are run in Kaustinen by the player Timo Alakotila from Helsinki, and by
Ala-K6nni Opisto (named after the late folk music Arto Jarvela and uncle Mauno Jarvela. The
his

researcher and first president of the Festival, pro- style spread, and now one can hear teenagers

96 Finland
like Suolahti sibling trio Jalkisytytys - pupils of Another strong take on the newly-expanded
Tallari's Ritva Talvitie - playing with ease mate- pelimanni traditionis provided by Troka, featur-

rial that would have been astonishing for players ingJPP fiddler Matti Makelii, accordionist Minna
three times their age a generation ago. Luoma, Timo Alakotila, J PP/ Folkkarit bassist Timo
Mauno Jarvela, feeling more could be accom- Myllykangas, and Folkkarit's Ville Ojanen (who
plished back in Kaustinen, had come home from is proving not only a fine fiddler but a fast-devel-
playing with orchestras in Helsinki. He played in oping composer and arranger). The very promis-
Kankaan Pelimannit with another local classi- ing Luna Nova features Tellu Virkkala's vocals
cal musician who had returned to his roots, Juha and fiddle, plus fiddlers Mika Virkkala and Ville
Kangas, now conductor of the Ostrobothnian Kangas, and bassist Timo Myllykangas, and there
Chamber Orchestra. Mauno teaches fiddle to local again is the composition, arranging and keyboard
children, and his approach is so successful that a work of one of the quiet architects of modern
band of two hundred current and ex-members Finnish roots music, Timo Alakotila.
of Napparit (nippers) can be amassed; some of
them have already moved on into other bands Raakyla and Varrtina
and music colleges, and a contingent has toured
the USA. Kaustinen is still Finland's largest folk festival, but
Some involvement with live music, from child- there's increasing choice. The festival at Haa-
hood to adulthood, is central to Kaustinen's social pavesi, about 1 30km northeast of Kaustinen has
life. Active local groups include Purppuripeli- a growing reputation, as does the Kihaus festival

mannit (still featuring Jylha's co-tiddler Hannu at the Finnish Karelian village of Raakyla, centre
Rauma), the wedding choir Haakuoro, the of the Varttina sound.
women singers and fiddlers of Akkapelimannit Varttina (spindle) began as a large number of
(several returning home for the festival from clas- national-dressed children delivering energetic up-
sical studies elsewhere), a brass septet of mostly tempo songs to accordion-led accompaniment. It

KMI staff, the youth dance group Ottoset (which reduced in number, acquired new skills and a tight

has grown from folk-dance into ever-developing backing band, and drew a strong influence from
choreography and new music from its own bands), the music of the Setu people, who live in the bor-
a string of brashly energetic poppish bands with der area where southeast Estonia meets Russia.
a distinct Kaustinen identity and humour - With its exuberant female vocal line-up, and tra-

Folkkarit, Prusikoukku Soundmachine (a ditional songs which surprised people in Finland

tongue-in-cheek name referring to a small bend with their feminine outspokenness, the band
in the Perho river), and the unpredictable duo of became extremely popular at home and the best-
VilleKangas and Turo Myllykangas, Viitalan known Finnish roots band abroad. It continues to
Pelimannit. develop, with fiddler Kari Reiman and other

Finland 97
band members caking a stronger compositional role band Gjallarhorn (see also Sweden - p.303) focus-

since the departure in 1997 of leader Sari Kaasi- eson this Finnish-Swedish material and is likely to
nen. Raakyla continues to spawn new young musi- become an international name.
cians and bands, including Sirmakka and singer Conversely, in the north of Sweden are many
and accordionist Pauliina Luukkanen. Finnish-speakers, and recognisably Finnish music.
Particularly notable in this respect are the Swedish
"Study familiar culture bands Norrlatar and JP Nystroms; the latter has

as if it was exotic" - a distinctly Kaustinen-like fiddle ensemble sound.

Heikki Laitinen The Sami

A strong contributing factor to the new wave in A highly significant group, both culturally and
Finland is the dynamic involvement of research musically, are the Sami. Their territory runs across
institutions, particularly the Kaustinen-based KMI. the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland
There is an ongoing opening up of music colleges and on into northwest Russia. The section on Sami
to folk music, the most important of which is the music in all these countries is to be found else-
Sibelius Academy, the national music universi- where in this book (see p. 255). Suffice it here to
ty in Helsinki, offering in-depth, performance- say that Sami musicians with Finnish connections
oriented degree courses of usually six or seven years include Wimme Saari, Annel Nieiddat/
in length. Angelin Tytot, Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa and Ulla
Martti Pokela's presence at the Academy as a Pirttijarvi.
teacher was instrumental in the setting up of a folk
music department in 1983, and his influence and Finnish Gypsies
the charismatic, free-thinking directorship of Heik-
ki Laitinen (now succeeded by kantele player Particularly striking on a Finnish city street are
Sinikka Kontio) make it a non-stuffy, creative Gypsy women in wide-hipped black velvet long
place, full of technology, in which to carry through skirts and bright, waisted blouses - an unexpect-
Laitinen's aims: "To learn the old styles of play- ed flash of exoticism. In so much of Europe aspects
ing and singing and to break through all perceived of traditional music which have all but disappeared
limits to create the folk music of the future." Many in the country as a whole have been preserved
of the leading names in roots music are to be found among Gypsy musicians, and that's particularly
there, either as students or teachers. true in Finland, where Gypsy singing has been an
music
Facilitating Finland's impressive folk important influence on many of the emerging gen-
research and education programmes has been eration of Finnish revival singers.
finance from a government which, although it The Gypsy songs, and many of the new,
older
fluctuates, recognises that traditional music is a minor mode with a characteristic Eastern-
are in a
major part of its national culture. sounding dip of a semitone or tone onto the last
note of the melody. The prevailing singing style

Swedish Finland and is lyrical, slightly swooping; remarkably similar to

of the great Scottish traveller-singers such
Finnish Sweden that
Belle Stewart. Horsemanship, prison, love and
as

Parts of west-coast Finland, and the islands of Ahve- remembrance of lost friends are frequent themes
nanmaa/ Aland and the Turku/Abo archipelago, in the lyrics, which are mostly in Finnish but occa-

are mainly Swedish in language and culture; indeed sionally in Romany. The warm, but sad-sound-
well into the twentieth century they harboured ing delivery sometimes comes close to that of the
aspects of oldsong and culture that had become older Finnish tango singers, amongst whom Gyp-
rare on the mainland. There are a number of sies have often figured.
Swedish-style spelman groups and, in Vaasa, a #
folk music research institute — Finland's Svenska
Tango
Folkmusikinstitutet. A large collection of music,
song, dance and custom in many volumes, Finlands- Tango - which reached Finland in the 1920s -
Svenska Folkdiktning, has been published by Sven- has made its way into Finnish tradition to become
ska Litteratursallskapet i Finland, and archive part of the standard repertoire of pelimanni bands.
recordings are released on CD by Swedish labels It took strong root in Finland particularly during
MNW and Caprice. Rising young Vaasa-based World War II - a welcome touch of warmth,

98 Finland
 Where to hear Finnish music
Folk-rooted music isn't lurking round every corner in scanning the entertainment ads of the national daily
Finland. There are few consistent roots venues around Helsingin Sanomat for any of the names in this chap-
the country, and very few of the Finnish roots musi- ter, for Helsinki area gigs at least. Sibelius-Akatemian

cians make their entire living from performing; many Kansanmusiikin Osasto runs a couple of club-nights,
combine it with teaching or studying. 'Susiraja' and 'Taiga', on Wednesdays in central venues,

The best (and most enjoyable) course is to go to a and there are other concerts and sometimes a small
summer festival. The three main ones are all in July - bar-session.
Haapavesi in northern Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia) is Alternatively, contact Kansantaiteenkeskus - the
three days at the beginning of the month, Raakyla national Folk Arts Centre - which has a Website
Kihaus in Karelia is four days around the second week- (www.folk.art.kaustinen.inet.fi) and is responsible for
end, and Kaustinen in central Pohjanmaa runs for nine Kansanmusiikki ja Tanssitieto (a biennial directory of all

days at the end of the month. things roots-musical), and the bi-monthly magazine
If visiting Finland at other times of year, it's worth Uusi Kansanmusiikki (New Folk Music).

exoticism and physical contact. Today it doesn't since its formation in 1977. It's now a trio with a

figure m the pop charts but it remains familiar to Spanish singer and Senegalese percussionist. And
most Finns, a part of their culture, or that of their music from other cultures is starting to make a
parents. By Argentinian standards the style of dance wider impression. The Helsinki mbalax band
isn't very passionate, it's more of a sedate shuffle, Galaxy includes among its Senegalese members
but in the Finnish lyrics sentiments are expressed one of the world's most skilled tama players,
which might be hard for a tough male to utter oth- Yamar Thiam.
erwise. There are also all-Finnish bands playing music
Musically, Argentinian tango evolved with the inspired by another culture - for example the exu-
complex New Tango of Astor Piazzolla, and berant, rocky Balkan sound of Slobo Horo. Since
though he is a strong influence on some Finnish there are still relatively few immigrant musicians
musicians - notably accordionist Maria Kalanie-
making their home in Finland they often find
mi — he and even Carlos Gardel are unknown to
Finnish musicians to collaborate with - Senegalese
most Finns. Most popular Finnish tango music is
kora player Malang Cissokho has made connec-
fairly simple in form and characteristically in a
tions with kantele players and there are mixed-
minor key. The button-keyed bandoneon used in
origin bands playing soukous, highlife, or Irish
Argentina is replaced by an accordion, and it takes
music; there's even a Helsinki Scottish pipe band.
a subsidiary role to the principal stars of the genre
- the singers. The most famous of these was Olavi
Virta (1915-1972), who was at the peak of his
career in the 1950s, before his lifestyle caught
with him. Later a rock'n'roll approach manifest-
up
discography
ed itself also to some extent in the music, with the All of the CDs below are normally available from Digelius

likes of Topi Sorsakoski, but today things are Music, Laivurinrinne 2, 001 20 Helsinki; n (358) 9 666 375;
http://www.digelius.com
generally pretty MOR. Of the older generation
still performing, Eino Gron remains a big name,
while among rising stars is the female singer Arja Compilations
Koriseva.
Many of the new names first reach a substantial 83 Arctic Paradise (Arctic, Finland).

public at summer outdoor tango events, particu- An overview of the new developments - 1 8 tracks from latest
larly the big Tangomarkkinat festival at Semajo- albums by many of the new-roots performers. Put out by the
Finnish Music Information Centre, it's a not-for-sale promo
ki in early July.
CD but well worth tracking down.

Incomers and Fusions '

(Trikont,
Finnischer Tango - Tule Tanssimaan
Germany).

Piirpauke, the folk-world-jazz fusion band led The definitive album to illustrate the strange history of Finnish
tango. The choice of its twenty-four tracks from a range of
by Sakari Kukko, has been a pioneer in crossing
labels and sources from 1915 to 1998 is spot on, and the
world influences with Finnish traditional music booklet is rich with human stories.

Finland 99
 SS The Kalevala Heritage (Ondine, Finland). Hedningarna
No amount of textconvey the distinctiveness of runo-
will At core a Swedish trio (see Sweden, p. 300) but with much
singing. These field recordings made between 1905 (the old- influence from Finnish singers Sanna Kurki-Suonio
est recordings of Finnish folklore) and 1967 in Finland. Karelia (recently replaced by Liisa Matveinen) and Tellu Virkkala
and Ingria, drawn from the archive of SKS, reveal a great deal (now replaced by Anita Lehtola) so the hugely powerful
more. Lonnrot made Kalevala from songs such as these, band is highly relevant in Finland too.
telling of Vainamdinen, Lemminkainen, the first kantele, the

birth of fire, and everyday life in another world which to us is

S Karelia Visa (Silence, Sweden; NorthSide, US).

drifting away but these singers still inhabited. For this 1 999 album the band took a trip to Karelia for inspi-
and the
ration result was its most Finnish and runolaulu-slant-
53 Konni ja Kaaleet: Konni and the Gypsies
ed album yet. is more acousflc than its predecessors, with
It

(KMI, Finland). .
Kurki-Suonio's voice prominent.
The fine and distinctive singing of Finnish Gypsies, from the
collection made by the late Erkki Ala-Kdnni in the 1 970s plus Sinikka Jarvinen & Matti Kontio
three 1990 tracks. Includes .Viljo Salojensaari and particularly
Two key contemporary kantele. Sinikka is
figures in
impressive rendition by thirteen-year-old Marus Baltzar.
Director of Sibelius Academy folk music department,
S SoundScape of Finland (KMI, Finland). Matti was a member of the band Karelia, and is a pioneer
in the technology of recording and amplifying kantele.
Excellently programmed 33-track sampler, a cross-section of
the music in this chapter, from the label of the national Folk 3S Kantele Duo: Finnish Folk and Favourites
Music a rich source of
Institute (Kansanmusiikki-instituutti), (Ondine Octopus, Finland).
archive, current traditional and progressive Finnish roots
Ignore its dull title - this is extremely skilful playing of duets on
recordings and publisher of many books on folk instruments
chromatic concert kanteles. The duo use a range of tech-
and music. niques (including train impersonations) largely on their own
compositions.
Tulikulkku
(KMI, Finland).

A surprise fiftieth birthday present from many of Finnish new

roots' finest to the man who has earned through a vision of JPP are the central band of contemporary pelimanni
the folk music of the future, Heikki Laitinen. In prime form are music. The line-up's liable to expand at home in
Kaustinen, and on disc, but nowadays for touring it's Arto
Me Naiset, Hedningarna, Arja Kastinen, Martti Pokela with
Jarvela, Mauno Jarvela, Matti Makela, Tommi Pyykonen
Pirnales, Niekku, Virpi Forsberg, Etnopojat, Tuulenkantajat,
Vamdnputki, Wimme Saan, Hannu Saha ironically setting fire
(fiddles), Timo Alakotila (harmonium) and Timo
Myllykangas (bass).
to a kantele (literally) with Primo, and the unsuspecting birth-

day boy, howling in the street with Suomussalmi-ryhma. String Tease

(RockAdillo, Finland).

Artists This 1 998 release comprises largely new compositions - it's

a living tradition - by Alakotila and Arto Jarvela.

Nikolai Blad Devil's Polska/Pirun Polska

(Olarin, Finland; Xenophile, US).
Songwriter, guitarist and player of a snakelike long-bel-
lowed concertina. Quirky, dryly humorous manner, inge- JPP's 1992 'greatest hits' album is also recommended for a
nious original music, unusual and compelling singing of sense of the evolution of their distinctive twist to Kaustinen
vivid, often surrealist, lyrics. One day Blad will be recog- tunes. Polkkas, polskas, waltzes and more, including of
nised as a national treasure. course a tango.

E Nikolai Blad (EiNo, Finland).

Maria Kalaniemi
Full which transmit even to non-Finns. Intuitive sup-
of ideas,
Finland's subtlest accordionist, drawing together threads
port from regulars mandolinist Jarmo Romppanen and
from runo-song to Astor Piazzolla on five-row button
Tapani Varis (double bass and overtone flute) plus percus-
accordion, using both chordal and free-bass techniques.
sionist Kristiina llmonen, Maria Kalaniemi, Me Naiset's Pia
Her fluid playing, extremely skilled but never showy, is far
Rask and Maari Kallberg. Minna Raskinen, Kurt Lindblad and
from the brashness often associated with accordions; she
fiddler Piia Kleemola.
radiates a focused intensity.

Iho
Gjallarhorn
(Olarin, Finland; Hannibal/Rykodisc, UK/US).
A young band destined wide popularity featuring
for
Kalaniemi with her band Aldargaz plus brass and string sec-
singer/fiddler Jenny Wilhelms, fiddle and viola player
tions in rich, melodic^riginal and traditional material,
Christopher Ohman, with rippling, barking didjeridoo
arranged by her, guitarist Olli Varis and producer/keyboardist
drones and deep drums well fitting the ringing dance
Timo Alakotila.
tunes and epic ballads from the tradition of Finland's
Swedish-speaking minority.
Arja Kastinen
S Ranarop: Call of the Sea Witch
Meditative kantele: Kastinen sits hunched on the floor,
(Warner Finlandia Innovator, Finland).
the fifteen-string kantele propped on one foot, building a
A hugely impressive, excellently produced debut album. web between the shifting flecks of light on the walls, the
Strong melodies, fine microtonal singing, interweaving fiddle single candle burning steadily down through time until it

and viola, an exquisite balance between beauty and guts. flickers out and the silvery ringing dies away.

100 Finland
 [<'
Kantele Meditation (Finlandia Innovator, Finland). Pirnales
Touching the soul of the old way of kantele music, this con: An excellent, under-exposed instrumental band with two
sists of a single improvisation. (Previously issued as Iro). incarnations, one centred on atmospheric kantele explo-
rations, the other on robust dance music.

Kipera as Aquas (KMI, Finland).

A dance and music group, formed in 1993, making con- The kantele incarnation: Sinikka Jarvinen, Marianne Maans,
temporary dance with Finnish tradition-rooted dance Markku Lepisto, Pekka Pentikainen, kanteles, jouhikko, fiddle,
music with occasional appealing singing. Most of the accordion, bass. Developments of music from tradition and
original musicians moved on to other projects in 1997, by band and guests Martti Pokela and Hannu Saha.
leaving a lively CD as a reminder of phase one.
SS Paraste Ennen/Bast Fore/Best Before
as Nousu ja Uho (KMI, Finland). (Olarin, Finland).

Button-accordionist and singer Maija Karhinen, fiddlers Minna Expanded to a seven-piece, including the driving harmonica
llmonen and Mika Virkkala, guitarists Matti Laitinen and Topi and harmonium of a name to watch in the new music, Jouko
Korhonen. bassist Timo Myllykangas and percussionist Kari Kyhala; lively, big-sounding, in Ostrobothnian and Swedish
Kaariainen in light, tight arrangements. polka, polska, hambo, brudmarsch.

Sanna Kurki-Suonio Pinnin Pojat

A singer of rivetting live presence and subtlety, who has The skilful, droll duo man-
of Arto Jarvela (vocals, fiddle,
brought a new strength to the vocal aspect of the new dolins, nyckelharpa) and Kimmo Pohjonen (vocals, har-
Finnish roots music, working in various bands and monica, two and five-row accordions, gogo marimba).
ensembles and now emerging with her own projects.
as Gogo 4 (Amigo Finland).

Musta and hands across the Atlantic to Finland

Original material
(Zengarden, Finland; Northside, US). USA, including "Vuoma Pertti and Eastwoodin Clintti" and
Minnesotan Kip Peltoniemi material.
Her long-awaited solo album (1998), remarkable singing from
full of intense energy, in new songs shaped
silky to ululating,

by the scale-forms, lyrics and inexorable rhythms of the runo- Martti Pokela
song tradition and moving freely among techno tools. The most influential figure, as player, composer and moti-
vator, in modem kantele.
Anna-Kaisa Liedes
as Snow Kantele: Sami Suite
After working with the group Niekku (see below), Anna- (Warner Finlandia Innovator, Finland).
Kaisa Liedes has turned to solo work with her own band
This is Pokela's most recent CD (1997), in which he, Sari
as well as performing in Me Naiset and Tellu.
Kauranen, Timo Vaananen and Sinikka Kontio play his new
as Kuuttaren Korut/ Oi Miksi compositions as well as others evolved between them.
(Olarin, Finland/Riverboat, UK).
Instrumentation is mainly the big silky-sounding concert kan-
teles, with a touch of the small five-string plus jouhikko
Liedes' serene voice goes from tranquil to ecstaticin songs (bowed lyre), musical saw and occasional wordless vocals
from Ostrobothnian, Ingrian, runolaulu and Gypsy traditions, from Anna-Kaisa Liedes and Maija Karhinen.
with backing vocals from the rest of Me Naiset and accompa-
niment by members of Niekku and Aldargaz.
Progmatics
Pragmatics are a dance-music band with attitude and
Me Naiset
haircuts: multi-instrumentalists Jouko Kyhala, Markku
"Us women", the firsta cappella vocal group (apart from Lepisto and Janne Lappalainen (harmonicas, keyboards,
formal choirs) in the Finnish revival, originally put together accordion, sax, cittern, banjo), with fiddler Perttu
from singers in Sibelius Academy's
music department folk Paappanen.
by Sanna Kurki-Suonio for a Kaustinen show; she left
before it recorded. Powerful - a group of individuals.

3S Me Naiset (KMI, Finland).

Old, strong songs newly understood from the traditions of

Ingria, Setumaa, Mordva and Finland.

Niekku
Exploring new
ideas and forming bands are key aspects
of Sibelius Academy's folk music course. Niekku, formed
by the first intake, comprised Anna-Kaisa Liedes, Maria
Kalaniemi, Liisa Matveinen, Anu Itapelto, Leena
Joutsenlahti, and sometimes Arto Jarvela.

BE Niekku 3 (Olarin, Finland).

The final album, ahead of the new roots developments at the

time and still relevant. Chiming kanteles, ingenious accordion,
silky vocal arrangements twisting to hardness.

Finland 1Q1
 33 Vaarallinen Lehmankello: Lethal Cowbell and new works. The live group's line-up has changed
(Olarin, Finland). from that on the CD.

The album is not perhaps as wackily innovative as it could be, 3S Suden Aika (KMI, Finland).
but it's enjoyable enough, with lots of tight, energetic playing
The story, in resonant runo-song images, of a woman's birth,
of Finnish and Swedish trad and new tunes, a swingy reel
entrapment and quest for her own life. Stark and magnificent;
and a folk-rocky song. the intertwining voices, moving between silky and hard-
edged, of Tellu, Sanna Kurki-Suonio. Liisa Matveinen and Pia
Minna Raskinen Rask, with Outi Pulkkinen, Anita Lehtola and Swedish per-
cussionist Tina Johansson.
Raskinen, like many of the Pokela-inspired new genera-
uses most of the Finnish kantele types in
tion of players,
performance. She draws on both the tradition and her Troka
own compositions, some of which show Japanese and Another new twist in the Kaustinen dance combo tradi-
Celtic influences.
tion, with a lively spring from top young players: fiddlers
Ville Ojanen and Matti Makela, accordionist Minna Luoma,
SSI Paljastuksia/Revelations (Olarin, Finland).
bassist Timo Myllykangas, with the new-pelimanni emi-
Her own pieces for the concert kantele. A fine, melodic expo- nence grise, Timo Alakotila, on harmonium.
sition of the instrument and its possibilities - harmonics are
vibratoed koto-like, bent notes played while the levers are S3 Troka (Olarin, Finland; NorthSide, US).
moving sing through the deep-chiming resonance of strings Traditional material as well as some written by members,
plucked, hit or brushed. interesting winding, fresh melodies with a Balkanish whizz in
places.
Tallari
State-salaried Kaustinen-based group formed in 1986 to Vimpelin Vainamoinen
display the styles and instruments of Finnish folk music. The remarkable Eeli Kivinen (1900-1990) from Vimpeli; a
Leading singers and musicians pass through it, joining man with a unique, eccentric personal tradition using the
core members Antti Hosioja, Ritva Talvitie, Timo Valo and kantele to accompany his extraordinary, graphic singing.
Risto Hotakainen.
3S Vimpelin Vainamoinen (Love, Finland).
3S Komiammasti (KMI, Finland).
Sadly hard to find, on a legendary but defunct Finnish label,
The tenth anniversary album; and new material, with kan-
old and no CD re-release as yet.
tele player Anna-Maija Karjalainen and the rich vocals of Pia
Rask. and also the infrequent, but heart-touching singing of
Varttina
fiddler Hotakainen.
Finland's best-known roots band, Varttina produce a
Lunastettava Neito (KMI. Finland).
high-energy runo-song-based sound. They comprise
1990 album illustrating the range of Fmno-Ugrian musics, and energetic women singers plus a skilful band.
featuringone of Wimme Saari's most magnificent recorded
Vihma
moments, his soaring joik accompanied by a magical
(BMG/Wicklow, US).
arrangement of bowed strings over shifting harmonium and
bass drones. In this 1998 release, the Varttina approach comes together tri-

umphantly - much-developed vocals, including touches of

throat-singing and pygmy hocketing, with strong technolo-
Tellu
gised and acoustic instrumental backings which pick up inge-
Four-member unaccompanied female vocal group formed niously on the rhythmic shifts and interplays within the narrow-
by Tellu Virkkala, ex-Hedningama, to perform Suden Aika range runolaulu which remains central to the band's music.

102 Finland
France
music of the regions
-n
"How can you govern a country with two hundred and forty six varieties of cheese?" asked President
de Gaulle. Equally, how do you sum up the music of a country that boasts almost as many varieties
of bagpipe? The two may even be connected - what better use for a goat when the creature is
finished for making cheese? Yet, unlike the wines and cheeses, French traditional - or, more
accurately, regional - musics are not well known. World Music fans tend to see no further than
Paris, with its hotbed of rai (see p. 41 3), zouk and other immigrant sounds but as Philippe Krumm
and Jean-Pierre Rasle contend, it's possible to take a Tour de France around the renaissance of
traditional music.

w
estern Europe in the 1960s and 70s saw turn-of-the century melodies and a bland overuse
a strong folk revival movement which, of the piano accordion. But the musicians involved
in France, was spearheaded by musi- are often part of a non-tourist scene, too, and might
cians like Breton harpist Alan Stivell. be found playing a completely different set for a

But French music stretched a long way beyond Brit- regional function or on stage at a major festival.

tany, and right now it is in active revival, as scores

of artists, groups and festivals rework the regional
traditions of the country into contemporary tonus.
Brittany
The strongest of these traditions have survived
either m the more remote or mountainous areas like Like Galicia in Spain, France's westernmost
the Auvergne and Corsica, or in those with a strong province - Brittany (Bretagne) - is a Celtic out-
regional identity like Brittany, the Basque country post. Breton music draws, in its themes, style and
or (again) Corsica. The music of these regions acts instrumentation, on the common Celtic heritage
as a reinforcement of iden- of the Atlantic seabord and
tity and, for years, it has it has been for centuries a
also served to break the unifying and inspiring part
monotony of daily toil of the culture of the
(street fairs from the Rous- province. The clearest
sillon to the Artois), or as an expression of this is at the
expression of religious fer- pan-Celtic extravaganza of
vour (Christmas and Easter Lorient, France's best-
processions in the central known music festival.

provinces, and songs nearly

everywhere).
Traditions
These elements often
overlap and the original rea- Literature in the Breton
son for their existence is language survives from the
often blurred: many outside fifteenth century, but the
events have survived or historical record of Breton
been revived to attract music really begins with
tourists, sometimes creating the publication of Barzaz-
in turn their own versions Breizh, a major collection
of the original traditions. of traditional songs and
Many of the summer poems in 1839. It was
groupes folkloriques perfor- compiled by a nobleman,
mances, in particular, tend Hersart de la Villemar-
to have an emphasis on Breton pipers, arour que, from his conversa-

France 1 Q3
 tions with fishermen, fanners and oyster-and-pan- alternate verses, joining each other at the end of
cake women, and in view of the scarcity of other each phrase. As dances were in the past unampli-
literature in the native language it is seen as a trea- fied, the parts were often doubled up (or more),
sure of Breton folk culture. creating a startling rhythmic sound. The best singers
One of the oldest forms of Breton music is that might also give the dancers the odd break with a
of the bagad. the Breton pipe band. It compris- gwerz, or ballad, again sung unaccompanied.
es quintessential Breton instruments: the loud and Over the past couple of decades, these festou-
raucous bombarde (shawm) and biniou (small Bre- noz accompaniments have been supplanted by
ton bagpipe), plus marching drums. Such bands four- or five-piece bands who add fiddle and
30 were an essential component of any procession or accordion, and sometimes electric bass and drums,
festival, and they still appear, though usually with to the bombarde and (less The
often) the biniou.
the larger biniou braz (essentially a copy of Scot- tunes have been updated to give a more rock
The older form of bagad has been recre-
tish pipes). sound, while the ballads have given way to more
Roland Becker and his trio L'Orchestre
ated by folk -style singer-songwriters, with guitar backing.
National Breton who've also elaborated the Purists might regret the changes, but they have
music into theatrical shows with nineteenth cen- probably ensured the survival of festou-noz. They
tury costumes and masks. There are also more have also nurtured successive generations of Bre-
modern bagad incarnations of which the Bagad ton musicians who move on to the festival and
Kemper (w ith jazz musicians) and Kevrenn Aire concert circuit.
Bagad (with forty musicians and ranks of dancers)
are amongst the best known. Stivell and folk-rock
The most rewarding setting to witness tradi-
tional Breton music is undoubtedly a festou-noz It was Alan Stivell who started the ball rolling
(night feast) — a night of serious eating, drinking for the modern Breton music scene with one of
and dancing, similar to an Irish ceilidh. During the the first folk-rock bands in Europe. He was born
summer months, such common, attract-
events are Alan Cochevelou and adopted the name Stivell

ing hoards of revellers from miles around. Though (Breton for 'spring' or '
source') in the 1960s. The
they are often held in barns and halls in the more playing of the telenn or Breton harp had effec-
isolated parts of the region, discovering their tively died out until Stivell's father decided to
whereabouts shouldn't present any problem, as an revive it and his son put it decisively back on the
avalanche of posters advertising them appears map. His internationally successful album. Renais-
everywhere. Once the evening gets underway, the sance of the Celtic Harp (1971) helped introduce
dancers, often in their hundreds, whirl around in Breton — as well Welsh and Scottish —
as Irish,

vast dizzying circles, hour atter hour, sometimes traditional music to a worldwide audience, and
frenzied and leaping, sometimes slow and grace- subsequently stimulated interest in less accessible

ful with their little fingers intertwined. The old- material.

est dances, the an-dro. hanter-dro, rond and gavotte The album that followed, Chetnins de Terre, went
are all line or circle dances. It can be a bizarre further, combining - in a similar fashion to that
and exhilarating spectacle - and a very affordable of Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span in Britain
one too, with modest admission fees. - a rock rhythm section with folk instruments.
The traditional festou-noz music is a couple Stivell played harp, bagpipes and Irish flute along-
de sonneurs - a pair of musicians playing bom- side Dan ArBras on electric and acoustic guitar.
barde and biniou. They play the same melody line, Both Stivell and Ar Bras are still performing
with a drone from the biniou, and keep up a last and recording individually. Stivell remains at his
tempo — one player covering for the other when best accompanying himself in traditional ballads,
he or she pauses for breath. This is defiandy dance w ith the combination of Breton w ords and rhyth-
music, with no vocals and no titles for the tunes, mically plucked metal strings evoking the heart
although there are countless varieties of rhythms, of Brittany. His mo*e recent Stivell projects have
often localised and generally known by the name been more esoteric, and not always Ar successful.

of the dance. „ Bras, who played with Fairport Convention in

There is a purely vocal, and probably older, 1 976, now produces mellow acoustic solo albums.
counterpart to this, known as kan ha diskan. This The other key figure from Stivell's band was (non-
is again dance music, but is performed by a pair of Breton) Gabriel Yacoub, who went on to lead

unaccompanied 'call and response' singers. In its the non-Celtic folk-rock band Malicorne, the
basic form the two singers - kader and diskader — best-known French band of the 1970s and 80s.

104 France
Alan Stivell

Current singers in western Brittany. For the electric festou-noz

and bands sound, complete with full rock drum-kit, the best
exponents are Bleizi Ruz (Red Wolves) and
Folk rock has been just one direction for Breton Sonerien Du (Black Musicians), both active since
music in recent decades. On the concert circuit the 1970s.
the biggest names tend to be the singers, amongst Musically the most adventurous band has been
whom the most famous is Andrea Ar Gouilh. Gwerz who made several records of traditional
Her output includes a return to Breton roots with songs and ethereal instrumentals, using bombarde,
a recording of old songs taken from the Barzaz- biniou, uilleann pipes and guitars. Their singer
Breizh. Yann-Fanch Kemener is celebrated Erik Marchand is one of France's leading figures
amongst Bretons for his powerful voice and unbe- in musical fusion, frequently working with Gypsy
lievably long performances of traditional gwerz. musician Thierry Robin (see Gypsy Music arti-
Youenn Gwernig and Kristen Nikolas are both cle - p. 146) as well as Indian and Romanian per-
idiosyncratic balladeers, while the duo Bastard formers. Marchand is also a fine clarinetist, one of
Hag e Vab (Bastard and Son) have been stalwarts five in the group Quintet Clarinettes who give

of the live circuit for years. a classically oriented but punchy new take on tra-

Festou-noz singers are sometimes accompanied ditional material with inventive arrangements and
by harpists, among whom the best contemporary outlandish key shifts.

Anne-Marie Jan. Anne Auffret, Job

players are New on the scene are Manau and Denez Pri-
Fulup, Ar Breudeur Keffelean (who are virtu- gent - Breton folk-rappers who, after a notable
oso twin brothers), and the mystically bearded solo album, have been mixing techno and dance
Merlin lookalike, Myrdhin. music with traditional and contemporary words
It's the instrumental groups, though, who are over a base of traditional dance airs and ballads
likely to be more immediately appealing for new- remixed by DJs.
comers. A fine festou-noz act to look out for is

Strobinell,
billion, violin, flute
who have a line-up of bombarde,
and guitar and make occa-
Dastum
sional forays into a looser, jazzier groove. The An important resource for those involved in Bre-
trio Tud (a Breton word meaning 'the people )
ton musicis the Rennes-based Dastum organ-

compact ensemble of bombarde or biniou

.ire a founded in the early 1970s. Dastum is a
isation,
with guitar and accordion, who play the festivals Breton word meaning 'to collect' and it has an

France -f05
archive of over 30,000 recordings, 30,000 ly with the Berry group Les Ecoliers de St. Gen-
manuscripts and printed materials, as well as post- est)and Patrick Bouffard, and masters of the
cards and photographs. However Dastun stress- grande bourbotwaise bagpipes such as Philippe
es that its purpose is to use its materials to keep Prieur (also a wine-maker in Sancerre, following
the Breton language and culture a part of the m the time-honoured tradition of part-time musi-
modern world. It has a good computerised library cian and tradesman), Eric Montbel (see Limousin
for research and has become a source of materi- below), Jean Blanchard (with his bagpipe big
al for many of the contemporary bands. (Dastun, bands. Quintette de Cornemuses and La
16 rue de la Sante, 35000 Rennes. «(33) 2 9930 Grande Bande de Conrjemuses). musicians of
9100). * the ensemble La Chavannee, and especially bag-
pipe and clarinet player Frederic Paris, who can
also be found in the Duo Chabenat-Paris. These
players explore new melodies based on the old 2/4
Central France
bourree and also develop mixed polyphonic
The - Berry. Bour-
provinces of central France ensembles - like the Trio Sautivet and the Trio
bonnais. Nivernais. Morvan and the Auvergne Patrick Bouffard.
- form one of the strongholds of traditional music. Several of thenames above - Bernard Blanc,
Thisis the heartland of the bagpipe and hurdy- Jean Blanchard and Eric Montbel — were involved
gurdy and of a dance called the bourree. which in two of the best folk revival groups of the 1 970s,

comes in two rhythms, 2/4 and 3/8, the first heard La Bamboche and Le Grand Rouge, whose
more in the north, lending itself to virtuosity and excellent eponymous albums of Auvergnat and
the second, in the south, to rhythmic improvisa- Limousin music were groundbreaking in com-
tions on both instruments. bining ensemble and solo playing.
Berry is home to the annual festival at St.

Bagpipes and Chartier (near Chateauroux), where players and

makers of bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies gather for
Hurdy-gurdys concerts, workshops and networking. The festival
France claims a greater variety of bagpipes (cowe- - perhaps the most enjoyable of all French music
muses) than any other country, and the stars among festivals - has a strong regional focus, but also

them are the grande cornemuse from

and chabrette includes international groups. It's become a place

the old provinces of Berry and Bourbonnais: of pilgrimage for bagpipe (and roots music) afi-

these date back to the seventeenth century and cionados the world over.
are often works of art in their own right. It's in In the a wooded area east of the cen-
Morvan,
this centralregion that most modem bagpipe play- tre, Faubourg de Boignard with its
the group
ers are found, many of them within stringing dis- piper Raphael Thiery has revived old melodies
tance of the 'Stradivarius of the bagpipe', Bernard and taken them on a more muscular path with the
Blanc. addition of a rhythm section and occasional stream-
The region is also a stronghold of the hurdy- of-consciousness poetry.
gurdy or vielle-a-roue; indeed it once had a whole Some of the most thorough collecting of songs
town (Jenzat in the Auvergne) involved in hurdy- was completed here and in the next province, the
gurdy manufacture. Although also found in Spain, Nivernais, in the early part of this century by
Hungary and Russia, it was in France that this Achille Millien. and this repertoire is being
instrument reached its most elaborate design with revived by the groups Les Menetriers du Mor-
a curved oval body decorated with mother-of- van and Achille.
pearl, a row of black and white keys and a dis-
tinctive curved handle. It is placed on the player's The Auvergne:
knee and the handle turns a revolving wheel which
bows the strings, which are stopped with the keys
Cabrettes
- a cross between a violin and piano accordion. The Auvergne, further south and dominated by
The sound is coloured by a number of drones and the Massif Central, is mountainous and
largely
hidden sympathetic strings and there's also a move- remote, especially the Pare des Volcans nation-
able bridge controlling an extra string to give it its al park, dotted with the plugs of extinct volcanoes.
characteristic 'buzzing' sound. The volcanic ash has made some of the lower-
Among the region's notable musicians are lying areas rich and fertile; on the mountains
hurdy-gurdy players Gilles Chabenat (original- though the land is poor, fit only for grazing sheep

106 France
 The Bal-Musette
The Eiffel Tower, whisps of smoke from a Gitane and the cabrette was eventually relegated to the role of sec-

the sound of an accordion wafting through the night ond fiddle, so to speak, and eventually was only
air. Black and white pictures and rather scratchy sound, remembered by the title of the dance-halls.

but classic Paris. That accordion sound - evoked in The earliest bal-musette recordings date from the
the chansons of Edith Piaf and the cliche of travel films early years of the twentieth century and document the
today - belongs to the bal- 'masters' of the cabrette -
musette. Leon Chanal (1864-1912),
The music arrived in Paris Antoine Bouscatel (1867-
from the Auvergne, a poor, 1945) and Martin Cayla
mountainous region where (1889-1951). Cayla also built

life was tough. And ironical- and played accordions, but

ly it was the poverty of this the man who is credited with
mainly agricultural area that creating the bal-musette
led to the creation of the sound is accordionist Emile
Auvergne's greatest cultural Vacher (1883-1969). Play-
export - at least to the rest ing small diatonic accor-

of France, the Bal-musette, dions, his light rhythmic style

literally, the smallpipes with a characteristic tremelo

dance. These events started defines the genre. Alongside
up as migrant workers from the accordion the dance
the Auvergne met up in bars bands often included piano,
of the Paris suburbs at the banjo, double-bass, clarinet
end of the nineteenth centu- or sax and the old style
ry. By 1 880 there were some dances endured until World
150 dance halls in and War II after which larger
around Paris specialising in accordion-led orchestras
Auvergnat music. The evolved.
Auvergnat publicans cum Today, there's something
coal-merchants - the famous of a revival in the bal-musette

Cafe-Charbons - were tradition, although the pre-

also often the pipers, leading ferred location is the more
the dance, like the most Martin Cayla rural guinguette, with a
famous of them all, Antoine dancefloor, tables outside
Bouscatel. He was the man who allegedly invented and wine and music liberally flowing. On a sunny Sun-
the pairing of Auvergne smallpipes and Italian accor- day afternoon the popular Guinguette de Pile du
dion, in which the latter originally acted as accompa- Martin-Pecheur on an island in the Seine close to
niment, before fashion reversed the relationship, and Paris takes you back to another era.

and goats. And those goats are a vital part of the beautiful, slow ritual airs (regrets) full of melan-
story of the music of the Auvergne. The cabrette - choly. The cabrette was also the humble origin of
'little goat' in Auvergnat dialect — is a droneless France's famous bal-musette tradition (see box).
bagpipe made of goatskin, 'blown' by a small pair

of bellows pumped by the elbow, like the Limousin

Northumbrian pipes or Irish uillean pipes. The
sound is bright and shrill: one of its original play- To the west, the Limousin repertoire is being
ers, Joseph Ruols, would tell his students: "Make explored by the Lyon-based Eric Montbel. With
sure that the little goat sings; that's what makes the hisgroup Ulysse (and before them, Lo Jai),
sound beautiful." Montbel has tried out combinations of local instru-
Today, many players are following in Ruols' ments, including the chabrette (Limousin bagpipe),
footsteps, notably Michel Esbelin, Jean Bona the pifre (the very short old army fife) and the
and Dominique Paris, all experts in the typical melodeon. He has been particularly instrumental
3/8 dance music of the area, which also has some in the rediscovery and revival of the chabrette,

France "107
 uncovering older musicians with unusual playing Languedoc
techniques (like the use of the chanter as a sort of
'wah wah' effect). Languedoc too has some strange local instruments:
Limousin, and particularly the Correze plateau, traditional oboes like the graille and the aboes, often

is also known for its violin music, in particular played alongside the bodega, the local bagpipe.
the Trio Violon and Francoise Etay. In the The latter is a very striking instrument with a huge
region a great deal of work has gone into carrying bag made of an entire goatskin (the process involves
the traditions on to a new generations of fiddle decapitating the animal and breaking its bones so
players such as Jean-Francois Vrod. Olivier that the flesh and bones c^in be removed through
Durif, Jean Pierre Champeval and Francois the neck), and a single large shoulder drone. Carv-
Breugnot. ings and murals show it was already in use in the
o
m On the hurdy-gurdy, there are some radical fourteenth century. It has a bright low sound.
musicians like Valentin Clastrier who has an The bodega and oboes are used in the regional
electroacoustic instrument fitted with nearly 30 ensembles Calabrun. Trencavel and Trioc.
strings and makes surprising musical journeys Oboe Laurent Audemard was the inspi-
player
between traditional, jazz and contemporary music. rational figure behind the group Une Anche
Dominique Regef and Pascal Lefeuvre are two Passe (a punning title involving involving a reed,
other hurdy-gurdy players forging new sounds in an angel and a pregnant pause), which has com-
contemporary music and don't confine themselves bined a love of Languedoc-style oboes with relat-
to music from the central region. ed instruments from elsewhere. Besides the
Languedoc oboes, their line-up might include a

Catalan gratia, Basque gaita, Italian pifferos plus sax-

ophones and
The South brass.

In the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwest Rousillon

France, there are strong regional traditions and
languages - Occitan and its dialects, Gascon and Southwest French definitely has a reedy tenden-
Bearnais, and of course Basque and Catalan. cy and it extends to the Catalan region of France,
Singers like Rosina de Peira and Jean-Luc centred on the city of Perpignan and the region
Madier have revived the old songs in the Occ- of Rousillon. As in Spanish Catalonia, the nation-
itan language, derived from the Provencal of the al dance is the sardana, most commonly played
twelfth-century troubadours. by brass and wind bands or cobles. The instrumen-
tation is predominantly reedy with three sorts of

Gascony oboe in the bands - the tible, the tarota and the
The
tenora ranging from top to bottom. little flabi-

Perlinpinpin Folc was a leading group of the tra- ol flute tends to preface each of the dances with
ditional revival in the 1970s and their seminal an introductory melody. Several French bands,
album Musique Traditiotmelle de Gascogrie was impor- however, have revived the older timbres with
tant in cultivating the cultural identity of Gascony. shawms and bagpipes. Amongst the traditional
They have since evolved into an extraordinary ensembles, look out for La Cobla de Joglars, La
band called Tenareze, named after the region Cobla els Montgrins, Els Ministrels del
famed for Armagnac. Led by Christian Lanau. Rossellano and the Cobla Mil-Lenaria.
the group features clarinet, violin and a variety of This area, and the Camargue at the Riione estu-
traditional 'created' instruments, made from
and ary, are where most of the French Gypsies are

vacuum cleaners and assorted bits of

plastic tubes, based. They have a strong musical tradition of their
plumbing. They are great at festivals and, what- own (seeGypsy Music article - p. 146).
ever instruments they're playing, the musicianship
shines through.
Gascony also has some pretty arresting small
Beam
pipes in the form of the boha or bouhe, with a In the Beam region of the Pyrenees, the star voice
unique rectangular chanter and drone combina- is Marilis Orionaa, and one that is making waves
tion. The sheepskin bag with the fleece showing internationally. Orionaa's debut album Ca-i!
gives it an eerie animal-like appearance and old (named after a local cow-call) hangs on her agile
photographs show shepherds living in the swamps voice, with minimal accompaniment on guitar,
of the area, playing them on stilts! percussion and bass. One of the most memorable

108 France
Marilis Orionaa on the road

songs, sung in the Bearnais dialect describes the The old province of Savoie has strong links
south wind which conies and leaves women preg- with the Italian valleys of Aoste and Piedmont,
nant, like a thief in the night. Another song "Etno- harking back to the times when these regions were
cide" is about the encroachment ot mainstream a single political unit straddling and communicat-
France, but her work is rarely political: "I'm more ing via the high mountain passes of the Alps. Here
interested in Bearnais the language than Beam the a specific repertoire explored by La Kinkerne
place," she says. "The language is my country!" reminds us that the hurdy-gurdy was the instru-
mental emblem of this area for centuries.

Pays Basques
The most famous figure in the French Basque
music scene is singer Benat Achiary - though it
Corsica
must be said that his overwrought performances One of the great rediscoveries of traditional music
and arrangements with operatic stylings make the been Corsican poly-
in France has definitely
Basque music in Spain (see p. 292) an altogether phonic singing. Polyphonic song has survived in
more attractive proposition. The same might be other French mountainous areas - the Basque
said of the forty-strong choir Oldarra, based in Pyrenees and the Alps - but the tradition is
Biarritz. nowhere as strong as on Corsica (or the neigh-
bouring Italian island of Sardinia where there is a

Provence related tradition).

The typical Provencal sound is that of a duo with Polyphonic Song

fifre (the fife, a small transverse flute) and drum,
or from ensembles of galoubets-tambourins, The Corsican songs are usually sung by men in
three-holed pipes. Both are played with drums and three parts. The siconda, the middle voice, carries
used for street processions. But since the folk the tune while the bassu holds the bass and the terza
revival, virtuosos like Andre Gabriel, Patrice (the highest voice) completes the harmonic struc-
Comte and Yves Rousguisto have enlarged the ture with ornamentations over the top. The slow
instrumentation and repertoire. moving harmonies and the clashing parts create a
In the Alpes Maritimes area there is a choral tra- strong musical architecture and there's a gorgeous,
dition that spills over into the Piedmont and Lig- sustained process of slowly passing through dis-
urian regions of Italy, with the group Corou de cords to a satisfying resolution at key moments
Berra and La Compagnie Vocale being the best throughout a piece. The songs may be secular (the
examples. Further North, Patrick Mazellier and paghjella), poetic (the terzetti or madrigale) or sacred.
the groups Drailles and Rigodon Sauvage have But with half a dozen men, usually grouped in a
revived the violin tradition and its local dance, the circle, hands cupped over ears, it's some of France's

rigaudon of the Dauphine province. most beautiful music.

France -|
09
 French Roots Festivals
For information on French traditional music, check out Festival de la Sardane, Foment de la Sardane de
the Association Francaise d'Action Artistique Ceret, Casa Catalana de la Cultura -
(AFAA), which has a good Website (www.afaa.asso.fr) Mairie, 66400 Ceret. « 33 4 6887 4649.
with information about regional festivals and organi- Sardana and Catalan culture. End of August.
sations. The most important music festivals include: Les Rencontres de St. Chartier, Comite Gerorge
Festivalde Cornouailie, 41/43 rue de Douarnenez, Sand, 5 place du Marche, 36400 La Chatre.
30
BP 1315, 29103 Quimper. « (33) 2 9855 5353. * 33 2 5406 0996.
^
Regional Breton festival. End of July. Great meeting of hurdy-gurdy and bagpipe maniacs.
Festival Interceltique de Lorient, 2 rue Paul Bert, Mid July.

56100 Lorient. o (33) 2 9721 2429. Les Rencontres du Sud, Suds, 17 rue Jouvene,
Brittany's international Celtic festival. 13200 Aries, s 33 4 9096 0627.
First fortnight of August. Music from the south. End of July.

The major groups are Canta u Pop-

traditional employ a range of styles outside the confines of
ulu Corsu and Chjami Aghjalesi, and from these rai. Notable among them are the singer Rachid
have sprung newer subgroups like Tavagna, A Taha, who has unleashed Arabic techno-trance
Filetta, Voce di Corsica and the media-aware on the nation, with huge success, and the
Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses. One of the Orchestre National de Barbes, who take their
most successful groups, also breaking down the name from their home base — the North African
male hegemony, is the female quintet Donnisu- Barbes quarter of Paris.
lana. Some new groups — including A Filetta and The Orchestre National is led by Algiers-born
the very commercial I Muvrini — also mix singing Youcef Boukella, who came to France in the mid-
and instrumental. 1980s to play with Cheb Mami and
rai superstar
kabylia group Takfarinas. Other members of the
band have histories in other Maghrebi sounds —
Algerian classical music, Moroccan chaabi (pop),
and gnawa music. Like that of Taha, their music is

a kind of voyage through the Maghreb taking in

all these sounds and more, something that would
never happen back home. The band is driven by
the raucous sound of gnawa clappers and includes
an extravagant line-up of keyboards, sax, guitars,

bass, drums and many vocalists.

Amongst other eclectic fusion musicians, Gypsy
guitarist and oud player Thierry Robin is a world

class musician who's been making interesting col-

laborations with musicians and musical styles from

round the world (see Gypsy Music article, p. 146).

And in a more rock/roots domain, the 1980s

unleashed the great French-Spanish band Mano
Negra (named after an Andalucian anarchist organ-
isation). Influenced by The Clash and punk ethics

well as global sounds, including rock, rap,

New France as

and flamenco, Mano Negra was led by Spanish

rai

vocalist Manu Chao and included other Spanish

As mentioned in the introduction to this tour, musicians, plus north Africans and Frenchmen
France also has a very active music scene among recruited amongst buskers on the Paris metro. After

its communities of North African origin. French- four albums the band more or less dissolved, but

based rai singers — including the superstar Khaled Chao re-emerged in 1999 with a stonking new
- covered in the Algeria/Rai article (see
are album, Clandestine, which ranges widely in its lan-

p. 413). But there are a number of new North guages and musical styles and keeps his character-

African bands and artists coming through who istic cool and subversive attitude.

110 France
 O
rn
Lo' Jo

Another group that's recently attracted a lot of melancholy and emotional, as the title suggests, and includes

attention is Lo'Jo - although they've actually been mainly vocal tracks from all areas of France with highlights
from La Cobla el Montegrins, Trio Violon, Donnisulana and
around for over a decade, living as a sort of multi-
singer and trombonist Alain Gibert's quartet. Shame there's
ethnic musical collective in Angers on the Loire. no information about performers or the music.
Led by the energetic and eccentric Denis Pean,
£S Cabrette: L'Age d'Or de la Cornemuse
Lo'Jo did a lot of work with street performers, cir- d'Auvergne (Auvidis/Silex, France)
cus artists and dancers, but suddenly achieved inter-
The most fascinating of the recent reissues of historic record-
national success in 1998, the same year as France ings, from a cylinder recording of 1895 to the 1976 track of the
had a World
multi-ethnic football triumph in the last of the great masters, Jean Bergheaud. The roots of the Bal-

Cup. It was warm,

a fitting parallel: Lo'Jo music is
musette are all here, with the fledgeling start of the piano-accor-
dion as humble accompaniment to the cabrette. With Chanal,
danceable and compelling and draws heavily on
Bouscatel, Cayla etc the real sounds of the Auvergne in Paris.
North African sounds, plus Gypsy and Caribbean
ingredients, to create a fitting template for the future.
Cobles: Gammes en sang et or
(Auvidis/Silex, France)
"There's nothing more fascinating than Lo'Jo in
'Scales of Blood and Gold' is the title of this splendid load of
France right now', said the paper Liberation in 1998.
cobles from French Catalonia. The four groups featured are
La Cobla els Montgrins, La Cobla de Joglars, Grallers
Montonec and La Cobla Principal de la Bisbal. Great tunes,
discography played with a robust reedy swagger.

83 Corsica/Sardinia: The Mystery of Polyphony

The two key French labels are Ocora, which has some
(World Network, Germany).
excellent recordings of traditional material, and
Auvidis/Silex, which has a very good catalogue of new A good disc for comparing and contrasting the vocal
traditional music. Breton music, new and old, is well polyphony of neighbouring Corsica and Sardinia. The latter
served by Keltia Musique, 1 Place au Beurre, 29000
,
sounds a more rugged and rough hewn. Groups include
lot
Quimper - Breizh, France; »33 2 9895 4582; email: Canta u Popolu Corsu, A Filetta and Donnisulana from
keltia@eurobretagne. fr Corsica and various groups including the Tenores di Bitti from
Sardinia. Luigi Lai on launeddas is an added bonus.

Compilations S3 Musiques, Chants et Danses de Bretagne

(Keltia, France)

S3 Anthologie de la Chanson Francaise: A fine compilation album showing the range of contemporary
La Chanson Traditionnelle (EPM, France) Breton music from the leading Breton label.

A monumental set of recordings (14 CDs) covering every 83 Musiques en France (Auvidis/Silex, France)
aspect of French song over 5 centuries. Mostly revival
arrangements with a wide range of collaborators, including A more leisurely survey of French music than the single disc
singer-songwriter Gabriel Yacoub of Malicorne fame, who below. There are four discs (available separately) covering the
supervised the project. four areas where the music survives strongest, Brittany,
Central France, the South and Corsica. TheMark of the Celts
83 L'Ame de I'Auvergne (Sony, France)
(Brittany) includes vocal and experimental styles with Erik

A recent compilation gathering a wealth of original recordings Marchand and Bagad Kemper; Music from Central France is
for piano-accordion, cabrette and hurdy-gurdy, with a strong mainly instrumental with strong offerings from Eric Montbel,
1920s flavour, containing some of the original sources for Jean Blanchard, Patrick Bouffard and Jean Francois Vrod;
many revival groups. Couleurs Sud is a mixed bag including Catalan Cobles, Une
Anche Passe, Benat Achiary and Perlinpinpin Folc. Music
32 Blues De France (Auvidis/Silex, France)
from Corsica is of course principally vocal with a selection
As the leading label of new French traditional music, Silex has from the island's excellent polyphonic choral groups. Central
put together some good samplers. This is predominantly France and Corsica are the strongest.

France 111
 Musiques Traditioneltes Aujord'hui the instrument. He
-.. j'i ii-:; Francei

Sixteen tracks representing the Desi ntroaucttor to the new Musiques pour Vh a Roue - But
music of France on the Silex label Not all winners
traditional (Ocora/AMTA, France
but good offerings from Qurntet Ctarmettes. Tno Vioion, La A nvetmc vovage rrt: tne -ijsica woir t one or tne oes"
3nav/amee "ai/agns DomisjanE anc Tne Z-ataia" Loots eiE —
exoonems cf tns exraordman, nstrjmen". ne ijxtaoosrtior
Montgrms. or Tradrto'e ano new -neooes a nsorrgo

La Vielie en France Auvidis'Silex. France

A cornpamon dec to tne oaorette one featuring great players

Maim Chao
of trie hurdy-gurdy from uau a i l France from 1930-1991 . An os- wnz neaoeo afte--

acquired taste, though, with a strong 1920s flavour JB6-94. Including ns

C5
Artists

Une Anche Passe oooa influences

A group formed in praise of the humble reed, led by

Laurent Audemard on the piercing local Languedoc

oDoes Dthe- memoes & tne te'-sr-on; Dan; oia> relate:
E (Virgin. France/Palm Pictures JK.

Moving freely between Spanish. English French ana

reeas. sax. brass, accordion and percussion.
Portuguese lyrics, the title track of this 1995 album refers
E Entre tarentelke et sardane .Ajvidis/Silex France) back to Chao s earlier incarnation and more tn=«anis»c Man:
negre ciandestna ^eruanc otanotestmo African: canosstrrrc
The title suggests some son of meelmg Petween Italy (and Mariiuana Mega, inventive ano comoJSive.
the tarantella) and Catalonia (and the sardana). Both those
are there plus some great come touches m Tempo Itaianc
Tango Sense and many others. A wary inventive album that
La Chavannee
really grows on you. c ol* tne ..natsa.
DID*

Jean Blanchard

important folk revival groups in central France — La

Bamboche. Beau Temps, and later La Granoe Bands de
Comemuses and Le Quintette de Comernuses He now runs
oes Mjsoues "raditonnelies Rhone-Arpes wit- (Siie> Mosaiaje -ranee
Eric Montbef with whom he has recorded twe frne alo ums.
One of many beautiful recordings by the most conststant of

Musiques pour Comernuses fOcora c rance) groups from Central France essential for its tasteful arrange-
"nents usmc al the standard instruments of the i

Arguably the best of the "New Tradition' solo recordings,

showing a juxtaposition of supers new compositions with a
selection of wonderful melodies from the central provinces
La Compagnie Vocale
Uncompromising m its simple arrangements but pfaved by a ia cIl
modem master of the mstrument

Menagerie .Ajvidis'Etnnic c rance

Jean Blanchard's Quintette de Comernuses which actualiv

^lysrtoniaue:
includes lust four bagpipes - Bianonan: Robert Amyot. Enc
(Ins. France,
Montbei and Raphael Tfnery - plus Max Di Napoli on percus-
sion. One of the most imposing bagorpes ensembtes Music from Provence. Piedmont Beam and Auvergrie. The
Provencal song of shepherd struggling across the mountains

Les Brayauds to brmg cheese to the baby Jesus s cttarmirtg

Through the organisation of the same name based in

Donnisulana
Saint Bonnet-pres Riorr. tne various musicians of the
Quintet of five Consicar singers takinr nate onsse-ve
and whtmo ther own matena.

(melodeon and Per Agata - Polyphonies

lAuvidisSilex. France
and Eau Forte.
Beajtifully recorded m
a Corscap monastery, tns dsc fea-
Eau Forte Ocora. France*
tures traditional and materia and Donrnsutana brmg
new l

A album from past masters at creating timeless

classic arresting new timbres and harmonies Id the music.
arrangements of traditional themes with bagpipes, hurdy- alburr is dedicated to a colleague who died ti au maHy young j

gudies and meiodeons and ends witT a reamerr prayer

Gilles Chabenat Lo'Jo

One of the most advent ie new gene
hurdy-gurdy plavers. he ires new waj

112 t~ raiici
period working extensively with circus artists and acro-
bats. Currently the band has a strong line-up with two
Rachid Taha
north Africans (including the striking Yamina Nid El French-Algerian Rachid Taha is a top star, up there in the
Mourid on sax), violin/kora, accordion etc. Latest plans pantheon with Paris-based Algerian rai singers like
have involved working with musicians in Mali. Khaled. He sings rai himself, but only a couple of num-
bers a show or album, and, having started out as a rocker
ii Mojo Radio (Emma Productions/Night & Day, France).
with the group Carte de Sejour, is now producing techno
One of the most talked about roots albums of 1998 which flavoured albums with producer Steve Hillage - one-time
kicks off with the gravely voice of Pean and then the catchy hippy guitarist with Gong before reincarnation in the
title track. Slipping between several languages, this is a very 1990s with techno-ambient band, System 7.
contemporary-sounding album with diverse instrumental
sounds that manage to keep a distinct sense of identity.
8S Oye Oye (Barclay, France).

Late-night chill out music. With this album, Taha revealed the
tion with Hillage
first fruits

and a brand new sound as contemporary

of his collabora-
>
Orchestre National de Barbes and shocking (to North African Paris) as the peroxide cut he
sports on the cover. Always the revolutionary, he sticks his
This twelve-piece band, basedin Paris, have taken the
neck out with a hitherto unheard mix of sampled and
North African and French music scenes by storm in sequenced backing tracks peppered with Arabic flavours and
recent years with their powerful mix of rai, chaabi, his own rough and rasping vocals. Arabic techno trance was
Moroccan gnawa and European rock-funk. They are led indisputably on the map.
by bass player and vocalist Youcef Boukella and
include mainly north African musicians, plus French diwan
guests. (Barclay, France).

En Concert Again produced by Hillage, this is Taha's 1998 masterpiece -

(Virgin, France). not only because the pairing of tradition and technology so
boldly attempted on Oye Oye reaches maturity but because a
The ONB are very much a live band and so tight that it's hard myriad of styles from Morocco, Algeria, the Sahara and Egypt
to believe that this, their first recording, was made at a single are unified by a single overriding approach - and keep their
concert (in a Paris theatre in 1996). Highlights include their individual charms and flavours. The opening song, "Ya
trademark welcome "Salam", the chaabi-influenced "Ma Rayah" was a huge hit in France and Lebanon.
Ychali" and Gnawa celebration "Labou". Raucous and not
too slick, seems to hit the mark.
it

Tud
Marilis Orionaa Tud (the word is Breton for 'people') come from
Cornouaille (or Kerne in Breton) in the west. Three musi-
The voice of the Beam region, Orionaa makes rather a lot cians, Thierry Beuze (melodeon), Franck Le Rest (guitar
of her mysterious sylph-like mountain presence and and bouzouki) and Eric Ollu (bombarde, biniou) playing
strong, but breathy voice. A unique figure in French folk. strong, rootsy acoustic Breton dance music.

3C Ca-i"! (La Voce, France) 83 Musique a danser de Bretagne (Escaliber, France)

Don't let the opening title track put you off with its reverberant A good sample of the sort of small ensembles that ply the
multitrackings, the second song about the south wind is Breton festival circuit. Includes local gavottes des mon-
extraordinary and there's more where that came from. Subtle tagnes, dans plinn, hanter-dro etc.
accompaniment on guitar, bass and percussion.

Emile Vacher
Jean-Pierre Rasle
Once the accordion took over from the cabrette in the
Rasle is He has run
the UK's resident French bagpiper. bals-musette, Vacher (1 883-1 969) was the star of the new
the Cock & Band, specialising in Anglo-French dance
Bull style. He didn't write music, but kept hundreds of tunes in
music, for over 20 years and six albums. He also has a his head and played with a light and rhythmic agility.
bagpipe ensemble, the Dancing Drones and is a full-time
member of Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart. > Createur du genre Musette (Auvidis/Silex, France)

Recordings of popular dances - javas, polkas, valses - from

Cornemusiques (Celtic Music, UK)
1927-39. A piece of history and a wonderful interview with
Traditional music from the Berry and Auvergne plus French Vacher, full of personality, in the notes.
Renaissance and Baroque tunes on a cornemuse 20 pouces,
musette Bechonnet, cabrette and musette de cour. Rasle Desaunay
Christian Vesvre and Serge
also sings the vocals on this album.
Duo ofbagpipes and melodeon/accordion from Central
France. Vesvre also works with Patrick Bouffard (hurdy-
Alan Stivell
gurdy) in the Duo Bouffard-Vesvre playing music from the
Breton harpist who
the French folk revival,
kicked off Bourbonnais area, and the three of them with Francois
no less. From work for Breton music in
his pioneering Breugnot (violin) in the group Carre Croise playing tradi-
the early 1970s and almost twenty albums, he's ven- tional music from Central France
tured more recently into some rather unappealing
world fusion with Youssou N'Dour, Khaled and Paddy
'

Musiques Pour Cornemuses et Accordeons -

Moloney. Matins Gris (Ocora/AMTA, France)

A new twist on an age-old combination: Vesvre and

Renaissance of the Celtic Harp (Philips, UK)
Desaunay create delicate atmospheres with new composi-
The 1971 album that began it all. tions showing unexpected uses of the instruments.

France 113
Germany
kraut kaunterblast
Germany's roots music scene is scarcely known abroad, yet it is actually quite a success story,
ranging from the traditional to the radical, with innumerable detours en route* Ken Hunt is so
enthused he's dreamed up a festival of the top acts playing just for him.

— the big surprise first. German roots experiencing a Bliitezeit — a heyday, a folk flow-
Okay music is a lot of fun. It is not serious ering. Its days of slow death on TV and in tourist-
nurturing of dusty folk traditions but trap as oompah cliches and lederhosened
vibrant, danceable and unruly. There thigh-slapping are history.
are tew wilder roots excursions in Europe than,
say. musical subversives like Hundsbuam Mis-
Reunification and
erablige doing their "Hoizhakka Pogo'" (Wood-
chopper's Pogo), hollering out their Bavarian
Renaissance
attitude to a backdrop of screaming electric gui- Until October 1990 when the two Germanys
tar,trombone and accordion frills. They would reunited. Germany supported two folk congrega-
top my bill in a dream German roots festival. And tions. One of the
least fanfared fall-outs of the

playing on the same program would be a real feast political process was the formulation of the
Deutsch-Deutsche Folkszene - as the
amalgamated folk scene was dubbed. Uni-
fying the Qssi (East German) and Wessi
(West German) scenes coincided with folk
song and dance acquiring a new "sexiness'.

Folk's denominations of lapsed church-

goers began returning to the fold, mingling
with a new host of celebrants.
Today's renaissance is multi-faceted. It

embraces diverse linguistic voices, such as

Swabian (Thomas Felder). Bavarian

(Hundsbuam Miserablige) and Mecklen-
burger Low German (JAMS), folk dance
bands such as Die Hayner and Horch, New
Wave outfits such as Hoelderlin Express and
JAMS the Merlons and Old Guard survivors
Fraunhofer Saitenmusik, Liederjan and
of the regions. There would have to be JAMS - Wacholder. Borrowings from other cultures have
whose "Fischshanty" is improbably sung as Low also led to a truly world-class World Music scene,

German hip-hop; and Wacholder. playing "Alte in the form of the Jewish and Yiddish music-mak-
Berliner Moritat" - a potboiler of political intrigue ers AufwincL the Godfathers of World Beat Dissi-

and star-crossed lovers reminiscent of denten. or the Kurdish-German alliance Nure.

Brecht/Weill; and Thomas Felder. moaning Representing bygone traditions is Thuringia's
"So Bern" a lapsed Catholic word-jazz catechism Mandohnenorch ester Wanderlust which has kept
whipped on by piano and hurdy-gurdy; and the flame of the mandolin orchestra alight since
multi-kulti fusionists Dissidenten slipping a hip 1919 and the bandoneon preservation league Ban-
in time to "Lobster Song " wailed in English by donionfreunde Essen. Borrowings from the Lie-

theirCuracao-born singer Izaline Calister and in dcrmachcr (songmaker) and Kobarett traditions have
Tamil by Manick Yogeswaran. also added intellectual substance and barbed wit.
Make no mistake. Volksmusik (folk music) is Critical to folk's regeneration has been the emer-

114 Germany
 -

Kabarett and Liedermacher

Shadowing the German folk scene are two separate enough ammunition for today's satire boom and Berlin

but related movements, the urbane roots of which are still toasts a thriving Kabarett club scene.
tangled up in Europe's cross-bred cabaret, literary and There is a somewhat blurred line between Kabarett
bohemian movements. Intertwined at some points, they and the Liedermacher movement (literally, song-
have cross-pollinated and influenced. The first is world makers), which, since its craft lies in the words, has
famous. Talk of Kabarett and conversation instantly received inevitably curt treatment outside the German-
turns to the interwar Berlin of Christopher Isherwood speaking countries. Its finest writers were able to take
and his kind with images provided by Bob Fosse's film the French cult of the song and infuse it with a Ger-
m
Cabaret (1972). man sensibility. Although they were as far from folk as 30
Kabarett, in the Weimar Republic, inhabited a murky Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited was from folk protest,
world of late-night clubs in which sexuality was opaque, Wolf Biermann and Franz-Josef Degenhardt
petit bourgeois conservatism denounced and political- remain spectral godfathers to the German folk scene.
satirical cabaret thrived. Foremost composers and lyri- Their candid, crafted material both set standards for
cists were Mischa Spoliansky, Friedrich others to aspire to and suggested alternatives to the
Hollaender, Kurt Tucholsky and Marcellus Schif Anglo-American mire into which the German folk scene
fer while performers such as Marlene Dietrich, looked like sinking. Instead of looking to America for
Margo Lion and Karl Valentin were household inspiration, they looked to the French-language chan-
names. The satire was insightful, but the most popu- son tradition of Brassens and Brel.

lar subject was sex, often of a surprisingly liberal hue. Liedermacher singer, Joana Emetz, for example,
Schiffer's "Wenn die beste Freundin" (When the Spe- had her first hit in 1 964 with a cover of Piaf's "Non, Je
cial Girlfriend), first performed by Margo Lion and Mar- Ne Regrette Rien" while Degenhardt himself produced
lene Dietrich in 1928, became the unofficial anthem of an entire album of Georges Brassens' material in 1986
the German lesbian movement. Commenting years called Junge Paare Auf Den Banker) (Young Couples
later, Lotte Lenya (the Austrian singer, wife of Bertolt On Benches). Biermann remains especially important.
Brecht's librettist Kurt Weill and Dr. No actress) clari- He really suffered for his art, being stripped of his East
fied, "People often think was all left wing, but of
it German citizenship in 1976 - an act at the time seen
course much of was non-party and purely satirical."
it as the GDR's equivalent of excommunication.
More than a century on from Brecht's birth in 1 898, As their notable contemporary Christof Stahlin
and as Germany slouches towards what the right-wing admits: "Back then, in the 1960s, we thought we'd dis-

perceives as multicultural bedlam, Kabarett still retains covered a new profession. In the 1970s this movement
its reputation as 'the Muse with the sharp tongue'. The was worldwide. There was a great expression of sup-
former East German scene produced work of great polit- port from the public. We all believed, whether promi-

ical subtlety wielding irony and ambiguity to get past nent or not, that it was all for us." The Liedermacher
censor and Stasi (secret police). Equally importantly, movement has gradually declined in popularity com-
Ossi acts such as Barbara Thalheim and Duo Son- pared to the mid- to late-1960s when Degenhardt's
nenschirm produced work after the Wall came down Spiel Nicht Mit Den Schmuddelkindern (Don't Play With

which packed the punch of Brecht or Tucholsky. Inequal- The Grubby Children) was essential listening, but its

ities between the two-in-one state, environmental and key figures are still making music and performing their

sexual issues and politics' perennial absurdity provide intellectually stimulating songs.

gence of a considerable festival scene. Chief among and - as reflected in its tantalizing Folkfestival

these is the Tanz&FolkFest Rudolstadt. whose Kaltenberg: Highlights 1982-1997 retrospective

origins go back to 1955 when it had only been is adept at selecting a range of German and Euro-
able to offer acts from comrade states for foreign pean acts (see box on p. 118).
colour beside East German proletarian Kultur.
Since 1991 Rudolstadt has blossomed, attracting Folk Manipulation
droves of festival-goers with the lure of its many
stages in castle, park, town, theatre, church and By 1984 Florian Steinbiss's book made it official:

on cobbles. Now it is the press and media show- Gennan-Folk: In search of the lost Tradition. And if ever
case for international acts wishing to break into a folkculture had been impaled on its it own past,
the German market. At the other end of the scale, was Germany's. Since the 1950s, Anglo-American
the Kaltenberg festival is newer, more intimate, folk music had had much more currency than its

Germany 115
Bavarian group c 1920s

lukewarm domestic variant, an image that was real- der schonen Rosenzeit" to "The Horst Wessel
ly only thrown off in the 1990s. Song" (the classic Nazi marching song) took a few
For much of the twentieth century German easy lessons and before long jolly campfire singa-
folk-music served as a gambit in the politicians' longs chorused party lines.
propaganda Kriegspiele - decoy culture deployed The legacy of the Nazi era was twofold. A
in thename of national identity or party political haemorrhaging of the tradition had occurred. The
purposes when preaching the cultural high ground. slaughter of German menfolk, the postwar dis-
Furthermore, asserting the cultural primacy of High placement of German communities and minori-
German had enforced central state supremacy and ties with the knock-on effect of diluting local
deliberately enfeebled dialect culture. The Ger- tradition, the memory of Volksmusik as a propa-
man experience boomed the dangers of misap-
ganda tool - all of these elements rent holes in the
propriating 'National Music' for nationalistic
folk fabric.
purposes.
Folksong as ideological weapon did not cease
'Get them young' has long been a folkie rally-
with the toppling of the Nazis, however. The
ing cry. In Germany between the wars, this had
Communist East German regime trumpeted
more sinister overtones. The so-called Jugendbe-
Volksmusik as the cultural expression of the pro-
wegung (youth movement) dated back to 1900 and
letariat. It became the state-approved voice of the
was on pioneering youth organisations such
built
worker, in an attempt to reclaim it from its recent
as the Wandervogel (birds of passage), which
Nazi manipulation. Festivals reinforced this. Stadt-
championed the great outdoors and the concept
feste up and down East Germany rammed home
of healthy minds in healthy bodies. After rambling,
they would end the perfect day with campfire sing-
how folk music was people's culture. West Ger-

songs to zupfgeige (guitar) accompaniment and many was only different in the detail. Right-wing
dance folk dances. Soon after attaining power in parties appropriated Volksmusik during campaigns

1933, the Nazi party began tapping the poten- and party faithful get-togethers. The common pur-

tial of Germany's youth organisations, and by 1940 pose, as ever, was to bolster political credibility

Hitler Jugend Youth) membership was

(Hitler and legitimacy and to reinforce a cultural identi-

compulsory. Volkslieder and Volkstanze (folk ty. It similarly allowed Bavarian right-wingers to
dances) made for innocent indoctrination to state tap a sense of regional identity. Cultural paralysis
ideology. Going as it were from the rosy-cheeked followed cultural manipulation. Folk's credibility
good life and the headiness of rose blossom of "In was shot to ribbons. Or so it seemed.

116 Germany
Resuscitation On the other side of the border, folklorists
laboured away - Wolfgang Steinitz being the prime
The European and American folk movements of figurehead - and their work would illuminate Ger-
the 1950s and 60s were in part a distancing from many's folk revival. But by the 1970s, there was a

the commerciality and banality of pop music. Many really thriving independent Ossi folk scene, based
Germans, who could find no way back to their around clubs, folk-workshops, a circuit of Tanz-
own folk roots,embraced Anglo-American folk Htiuser (dance houses comparable to Hungary's
and folk-blues idioms instead. But there were Ger- tanchaz scene) and the inevitable Stadtfeste. Such
man initiatives, both East and West. was the level of interest, organisation and infras-

In the West, a low-key wave of new folk acts tructure that JAMS -
one of the country's finest
emerged. Ougenweide embraced early music tra- roots bands, formed around 1980 - could com-
ditions. Lilienthal explored a German branch of fortably play 150-180 gigs a year.
folk-rock which, in Britain, Fairport Convention, After the Wall came tumbling down, JAMS
Steeleye Span and the Albion Band pioneered. were the first East German band to play both
Liederjan became early champions of singing in Britain and the United States. Their music was
German with their witty, punningly comic songs compellingly danceable and in no sense dependent
- a tradition they continue. Acts such as Fiedel on language - and it stood up brilliantly on disc.
Michel, Werner Lammerhirt, Hannes Wader They were not alone. East German acts such as
and Zupfgei-genhansel were also part of this Bierfiedler, Folklander and Wacholder, given
movement. to jamming like everyone else, developed fearsome
Interestingly, a different music culture continued levels of professionalism. Iron Curtain seclusion
around the industrial heart of West Germany. In made them not only musically hungrier, it also
the Ruhr, bandonion orchestras have survived forced them to rely on alternative sources of reper-
to the present, as exemplified by the Bandonion- toire. West German archives and libraries were large-

freunde Essen - a formidable army of massed ly denied them because of travel and currency

accordions from Essen. Heinrich Band's invention restrictions. As a result, folkies looked to Gesellen-
defined working-class German culture along with lieder — songs of the 1848 Revolution — and alter-

pigeon lofts, allotments and the Schalke 04 football native sources including Steinitz's research.
team just as bandoneon defined Argentine culture, Wacholder, a word-orientated band, fashioned a

whorehouse entertainment and tango music. particularly interesting repertoire using texts from
Heinrich Heine. The Nazis had denounced (the
Jewish) Heine's work as unpatriotic (and when they
had to publish it, published it as 'author unknown').
It was not lost on Wacholder that, even though
Heine was reinstated politically, his work still glint-
ed with wicked barbs with descriptions of Germany
as a "land of oaks and stunted minds".

Performing live was the key to Ossi success.

Unlike their Wessi counterparts, they had few
opportunities to record and any repertoire had to
be approved before going into the studio.
Wacholder, for example, started auspiciously,
receiving their radio debut in May 1978, a month
Bandonion Freunde after forming. It took until 1983 to release their
debut album, Hen Wirt, so losche unsre Brdnde (Land-
Essen lord, that's how we put out our fires) and until

1989 to release the follow-up. Consequently, very

few Wessis had vinyl experience of the Ossi scene
• U A
until the first bands began to cross the border.
(J

Regional Voices
In common with English and Spanish, German
pays little a 'standard tongue' as its
deference to
regional voices confirm - whether dialects from

Germany 117
 Stadtfeste and Folk festivals
Germany is a country rich in the tradition of Stadtfeste nent, in 1998 banjo and Portugal. And in contrast to
(town festivals). These may be an outgrowth of some Kaltenberg's intimacy, Germany's largest world music
earlier country fair or merely a good excuse for frivoli- festival takes over Rudolstadt, with give-or-take four-
ty, barbecued meat, beer and a chance to inspect the teen stages set up in the Heidecksburg (the castle
local fire engine. But even the fiddliest Nestfest (ham- towering over the town), the marketplace, the baroque
let festival) may field a folkloristic troupe hoofing it in church, in side streets, boulevards, squares and park.
regional costume (Tracht) like some
o
m throw-back to when each rural commu-
30 nity dressed differently and Tracht dis-

tinguished them. Indeed it still does in

J>
z
-<
Bavaria.
Alongside,
vals are increasing
commercial folk
in popularity with
festi- RUDOLJTADT'98
Kaltenberg and Tanz&FolkFest Rudol-
stadt leading the way. Kaltenberg, some
30 minutes west of Munich by car, was
first held in 1982. Taking place on the
last weekend of June, the festival, orig-

inally dedicated to Southern German folk

and art music, is intimate and low-key,
but musically compelling. Its booking
policy features North and East German,
Italian, Austrian, Swedish, Czech and
other European acts.
Rudolstadt, about 30 minutes south
of Weimar in Thuringia, is an old town
with cultural associations aplenty -
including Goethe, Schiller and Wagner.
It held its first Fest des deutschen Volk-
tanzes (Festival of German Folk Dance)
in 1955, an event extolling the German
Democratic Republic's ideological
stance on people's culture. The festival,

not always annual, was still lurching on

when the Wall came down. In July 1991
a mixture of Ossis and Wessis put
together the first Tanz&FolkFest
Rudolstadt and Germany was on the
DAS PROGRAMM
way to getting its showcase festival. While it has pre- Kaltenberg Festival, Schulstrasse 2, D-86949
sented acts as different as Fun<Da>Mental (UK), the Windach. +49 8193 95 00 34
Bisserov Sisters (Bulgaria) and U. Srinivas (India), glo- Tanz&FolkFest Rudolstadt, Stadt Rudolstadt, Kul-

riously it retains much of its East German flavour turdezernat, Markt 7, D-07407 Rudolstadt.
(including a sprinkling of acts from the former social- b: (49) 3672 486401 email TFFRudolstadt
;

ist states). Each year the festival picks an instrumental @saale-net.de Website www.rudolstadt.de
and a regional theme to sit beside the remainder of PROFOLK (Germany's umbrella organisation for folk

the billing. In was mandolin and South African

1995 it and World Music), Rathausstr. 9, D-10178 Berlin;

music, in 1997 saxophone and the Indian subconti- tf (49) 30 2472 2145 Website www.PROFOLK.de

Bavaria, Saxony or the Saarland. Furthermore, along in folklore. Acts such as Hannes Wader and
the Baltic and North Sea coasts and further south Piatkowski &
Rieck tapped into Plattdiitsch's
another language is spoken. Plattdutsch (Low oral and written culture while JAMS' "Fisch" pro-

German or Plattdeutsch in High German) is a salty, ject breathed new life into the often vilified shan-
earthy, predominantly working-class tongue, rich ty form, affirming its vigour and relevance.
 In the Nazi and East German regimes, dialect
artists and Mundarten (dialects) were deemed abject-
ly uncultivated or questionable and often fell foul
of officialdom. The songstress-poet Lene Voigt
from Saxony, for example, was in effect silenced

by the Nazis. Yet what was once banned is now

being feted, and in a nation where received pro-
nunciation has long prevailed, the rediscovery of
people singing in their natural voices works like

mental floss. Hearing the likes of Swabian song-

writer Thomas Felder's captivating language or m
Saure Gummern's blues drolleries delivered SO
direct from the Hesse delta has generated political

debate. Some voice the concern that here art might

be hymning the break-up of the Federal Repub- -<
lic. But it hymns different, not separatist.

Born in 1953, Thomas Felder grew up being

taught that High German was the proper way to
talk, but in 1975 experienced a personal epiphany
m London. Thumbing through the records at the
Goethe-Institut, he happened upon an Austrian
dialect singer. It connected him with dialect art-
forms and soon afterwards he began writing in
dialect tongue. Felder's Schwaebische Vesper remains
a pinnacle of dialect composition and eerie tran-
scendence. One minute he is delivering a mass on
a theme of flux, egged on by sublimely simple
hurdy-gurdy, the next he is yelping along in "So
Beni".
In a similar way to Thomas Felder, it was Aus-
tria that inspired the Alpine band Hundsbuam
Miserablige to work in their native Bavarian.
Their model was the punkish-roots Austrian-
Alpine group, Attwenger. The Hundsbuam take
on Alpine music is pure Bavarian and unmistak-
ably their own. Their debut album, Hundsbuam
Miserablige, begins with quacking ducks on the
pond. All of a sudden searing guitar and choppy
rhythms shatter the bucolic idyll. (See Alps arti-
cle, p. 7, for more on Hundsbaum, Attwenger and
Alpine bands).

Alternative Postcards
Talk to even university-educated Gennans and the
likelihood is that the name of one of Germany's
longest-established minorities will still turn up a
blank. The Sorbs are a Slav minority around
Bautzen in the southwest, long pressured to relin-
quish their culture, but at last, perhaps experienc-
ing an artistic resurgence. It's not before time for
the likes of the Serbski Ludowy Ansambl
Budysin (the Sorb National Ensemble of Bautzen),
which celebrated its forty-fifth anniversary in 1997.

But growing numbers of young Sorbs are living Thomas Felder

Germany 119
 Dissidenten and the Art of WeldBeat
Travelling around the world, gathering sound-bites on who was born in The Maharajah of Gondagaon's
DAT, jamming and recording with local musicians and palace, way back at the beginning of Dissidenten's
releasing CDs to preserve the experience for posteri- amazing peripatetic adventure.
ty has become something of a standard road to trav- Dissidenten's story was very much a part of the late

el for the globally oriented, tum-of-the-millennium music 1970s German rock scene, which was more experi-
maker, but Dissidenten are a group who've been at mental and far more global in outlook than that of Britain
it longer - and into it deeper - than most. Their co- or the US. The krautrock band Caj\ had been playing
m founders, Uve Mullrich and Friedo Josch, had made, with global rhythms in the late 1970s and their elec-
one of the earliest 'world fusion' albums with the prog- tronics wizard Holger Czukay mixed a stunning fusion
rock band Embryo, and in 1980, together with ex-Piri
Piri drummer Marlon Klein, they spent a charmed
year in the palace of the Maharaja Bhalkrishna Bharti
of Gondagaon recording material with the Karnataka
College of Percussion. The results were unleashed in

1982 as the first Dissidenten album, Germanistan.

This German trio of musicians, with their love of trav-

el and the oriental world view, became the nucleus of

a moving musical adventure which they kept in a con-
stant state of mutation, recording in different corners
of the globe, with different collaborators, exploring dif-

ferent roots and approaches. Their sojourn in Tangier

and Spain - from 1 983 to 1 989 - resulted in the clas-

sic album Sahara Elektrik, on which they shared the

billing with Moroccan group Lem Chaheb. Released
in 1985, during the salad days of the 'world beat' explo-
sion, it made a huge impact, setting the standard for
future fusionistic endeavours.

A single, "Fata Morgana", taken from Sahara Elek-

trik, climbed to the top of the charts in Spain and sold
by the container load in Brazil, Europe and Canada.
The band went on to tour the world, and to produce
two further Arabic flavoured albums, the second of

which, Out of This World (1990), featured members of

the three major Moroccan supergroups of the era -

Lemchaheb, Jil Jilala and Nass El Ghiwane - as well

as the string section of the Royal National Orchestra

of Morocco.
In 1992 the Dissidenten caravan moved from Berlin,

home-base since late 1989, back to India where The track, "Persian Love Song", on his album Movies (1 980),

Jungle Book album was recorded with input from per- using a radio recording of an unknown Iranian singer.

cussion guru Trilok Gurtu and many others. In 1994 Such experiments presaged Brian Eno and David
the tapes of the album were handed over to the Kaiser Byrne's seminal My Life In The Bush of Ghosts (1981),
of German trance techno, Sven Voth who produced a which used tapes from across the globe, and after that,

single called "Jungle Book Part II" and introduced Dis- the deluge.
sidenten to European ravers. An album's worth of Jun- Yet whereas many musicians have tinkered with the

gle Book remixes appeared on Dissidenten's own label, global experiment, Dissidenten have always plunged
Exil Musik, in 1996. into it whole-heartedly, living for long periods at the
Hitherto Dissidenten's album projects have tended heart of various musical cultures, listening, learning,
to focus on one distinct comer of the globe but their fraternizing and recording ceaslessly. Their next chap-
latest opus, Instinctive Traveller (1997), is a truly world- ter promises an aural safari to New Zealand and
wide affair with its tendrils in Native American, North Micronesia. No visa necessary, just an open mind and
and South Indian, Hawaiian and blues music. The album healthy pair of ears.
introduced the voice of Uve Mullrich's daughter, Bajka, Andy Morgan

1 20 Germany
in both cultures, which promotes the need to dis- 33 Munchen (Trikont,Germany);
cover their Sorb identity. S3 Bayern (Trikont, Germany).

In the former East Germany, opportunities for Compared to, say, Topic's Voice of the People series taking
the music of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales back to
experiencing other cultures were limited. In prac-
the people and Document's comprehensive programme for
tice this meant folkies had to look to the states on disinterring Austria's folk music, the paucity of historical
their own side of the Iron Curtain. For instance, German folk releases is glaringly apparent. Trikont 's Munchen
(Munich) beacon volume draws on shellac releases from
Aufwind, who've explored and researched the
1902-1948 from Volkssanger (folk singers) such as August
post-Holocaust world ofJewish and Yiddish music, Junker, Liesl Karlstadt and Karl Valentin. The Bayern (Bavaria)
visiting Hungary, Poland and Romania. KJezmer volume does the same for Volksmusik recorded between
1906-1941 by assorted ensembles and soloists.
(covered in Tlte Rough Guide World Music: Vol-
ume 2) naturally figures in their repertoire,
to

but S3 Tanz&FolkFest Rudolstadt 1996

o
m
(HeiDeck, Germany). 3D
their's is distinct from the more familiar klezmer
as transplanted and played on American 1991 the Rudolstadt held 1955, went

One act which took a very different path

soil.

is Dis-
In

national.
festival, first in

From 1991 Rudolstadt inaugurated the cunning ruse

inter-
>
of releasing an annual fund-raiser from each year's festival.
sidenten (see box opposite), who began as a spin- -<
One of the best Rudolstadt souvenirs with contributions from

off from the Krautrock group Embyro, famed for the Hundsbuam, Austria's Deishovida, Cathrin Pfeifer & Topo
Gioia and the Euro-collective supreme Freyja.
a seminal album, Embryo's Reise (1980), recorded
in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Dissidenten took
the journey further, fusing traditions through rvQfOtK
immersing themselves in North African and Indi-
an life, and taking location recording to new heights.

The Future
World Music is often criticised for being mere
musical tourism. In musical terms Germany will
probably remain well off the main tourist routes
- which may well be its saving grace. What is hap-
pening in Germany is a counterblast. Acts are no
longer trammelled by the past. The Folkszene has
IT'S
FOLK/ SON
already illustrated that, proving that German folk
has snapped out of its long nightmarish dream.

discography Artists

Bandonionfreunde Essen
Compilations
At the turn of the century the bandonion was extremely
rjTj It's only Kraut ... but I like it popular around the Ruhr, a region famed for heavy indus-
Oil (Profolk, Germany). try and mining. As Kari-Heinz Beckedal, the band's leader,
puts it: "If one was a civil servant, one had to have a piano

An excellent general introduction to the German scene, com- in order to demonstrate one's position - whether one
piled by PROFOLK, Germany's lobbying organisation for folk
could play it or not. For the little man it wasn't obligatory
and World Music. It mixes commercially available and hitherto
and a bandonion was affordable and one could accommo-
unreleased live recordings from Hundsbuam Miserablige, date it far more easily." Essen's Friends of the Bandonion
JAMS, Wacholder, Saure Gummern and others. preserve a playing style from a time when the bandonion
was an ensemble instrument, not a soloist's ticket to fame.
Folkfestival Kaltenberg
(HeiDeck, Germany). S3 Tango dei Gruga (Satiricon, Germany).

The Kaltenberg festival is held on the last weekend in June Imagine the impact of big band bandonion in the style of the
each year. This salute, subtitled Highlights 1982-1997, old-time mandolin or balalaika orchestras in a 17-piece
assembles a remarkable spread of artists, a high proportion orchestra plus conductor. Literally like nothing on earth, the
of whom are from the German-speaking lands. Seventeen last of the Ruhr's famed bandonion orchestras.
acts contribute including Switzerland's choicest Appenzeller
Space Schottl, Austria's Broadlahn, the festival organisers
Bierfiedler
Fraunhofer Saitenmusik, the Czech Republic's unique
Jablkofi, JAMS, Liederjan, the Schal Sick Brass Band and an Bierfiedler were one of East Germany's best-loved
English performer long resident in Germany, Colin Wilkie. groups. Their history is complex even if only talking about
Another fine compilation. personnel to-ings and fro-ings. An Ossi Who's Who.

Germany 121
 a dialect that would bamboozle people from Oberbayern
S3 Bierfiedler (RUM Records, Germany).
• (Upper Bavaria), let alone mere mortals in the other feder-
Folk-rock German-style circa 1997 from a pool of eleven Even before a gist of what they are singing gets
al states.
musicians. They define the very texture of Ossi folk as many across, what communicates loud and clear is the band's
remember it and perceive it nowadays and nowhere better raw energy and musical iconoclasm.
than on this album.
Hundsbuam Miserablige
(BMG/Lawine, Germany).
Folklander
After a chorus of barnyard beasts, the Hundsbuam (Curs)
Folklander grew out of rehearsal sessions in Leipzig in
blast in with one of the great, all-time album openers,
January 1 976. The group went on to become one of the
"Hoizhakka Pogo" (Woodchopper's Pogo). This highly
East's most important folk-rock bands although
coloured 1996 debut slashes a dividing line between what
Folklander and Bierfiedler were a classic example of Ossi
had gone before and what is to c^ome. Kow-towing to
intertwining. Band members came and went like bees at
nobody and tattooed with black humour, they pull off the
an orchard hive on a sunny day but with that entomologi-*
dangerous balancing act of mad dogs savaging Bavarian
cal nightmare tendency to return to the wrong hive.
conformity while remaining vehemently Bavarian. A crash-
Jiirgen B Wolff, later of Duo Sonnenschirm fame, later
course in the contemporary Bavarian aesthetic.
graphic artist for Rudolstadt, conducted research that
would greatly inform Folklander's repertoire. S3 Hui (BMG/Lawine 1997).

j Folklanders Bierfiedler (RUM Records, Germany). Humour got more savage, still on Hui. "Mei Liab" (My Love) is

fatal attraction terminated with extremest prejudice. Doffing

An exemplary anthology gathering tracks from radio broad-
its deathcap to Hitchcock and blood-and-cochineal murder
casts originally released on Frisch auf ins weite Feld (1979)
ballad, its narrator knows a way to keep his obsession's love
together with studio recordings from Wenn man fragt wer
forever. "Heit" (Today) by contrast is tranquillity in the eye of
hat's getan (1981) and FolksTanzHaus (1985).
the hurricane.

Die Hayner
JAMS
Die Hayner have been together since 1978 surviving
unscathed with unusually few personnel changes. They
Darlings of the GDR dance scene that they were, in 1 997
specialise in regional dance music played on hurdy-
JAMS - taking a lead from Hundsbuam Miserablige -
unveiled Plattdutsch (Plattdeutsch or Low German) songs
gurdy, melodeon, flute, fiddle, accordion, recorder and a
within its already strongly northern German-flavoured
dozen or so other instruments.
repertoire. Low German is, for many in Mecklenburg, their
; Cimbria (Verlag der Spielleute, Germany). language. East Germany's northernmost federal state
first

happens to be their leader Jo Meyer's birthplace.

This1 996 album captures the flavour of their act admirably.

They concentrate on material from Hesse. An utterly central S3 Fisch (John Silver, Germany).
German dance experience.
Too busy to record because of a full diary, after a personnel
revamp, the discovery of their own voices and the realisation
Hoelderlin Express that the Low German contingent was now a quorum, they
Friedrich Holderlin (1770-1843), the German poet who changed tack. Shanty, polka, waltz and hip-hop ferry these fish-

made his home in Tubingen, would unwittingly donate his erfolk across the briny. Truly innovative. One of the most out-
name to the group who won the Folk Newcomers standing folk albums of 1 997 - in a global, not German sense.

Competition at Rudolstadt in 1993. At the heart of the

group's appeal is its front row - Elke Rogge's electric Liederjan
hurdy-gurdy and Olav Krauss's sonic cascades on violin.
In 1994, at the time of their debut album, they were still
It is nigh-impossible to over-estimate the way the north

spelling their name as the poet had. They became the

German group Liederjan shook up the scene. Along with
Zupfgeigenhansel, pre-Reunification they were one of the
lower case, less German-looking Hoelderlin Express.
few Wessi acts who caused Ossi ears to prick up. Simply
83 Holderlin Express (Akku Disk, Germany). too original to ignore, with a succession of unapologeti-
cally German repertoires they have no need to court for-
An impressive debut marked by outstanding original compo-
eign audiences. A
catalogue of national traits as riddled
sitions from what would become one of the consistently most
with wordplay as Jorg Ermisch's "Brigitte" renders trans-
exciting groups on the German folk scene. "Der Yeti", a major
lation pointless. Either one speaks German or is damned
stepping-off point for live improvisation (comparable to
to have no Liederjan in one's life.
Fairport Convention's "Sloth") is straight out of the folk avant-
garde. Nobody does Himalayan howls and yeti wails better.

S3 Electric Flies (Akku Disk, Germany).

1996's Electric ushered in a simplified name - simplified

Flies
for foreigners, that is - and a new four-piece line-up after

Johannes Mayr's departure. The group now consists of Ralf

Gottschald (percussion/drums), Olav Krauss (violins), Jorgen
W Lang (guitar/low whistle) and Elke Rogge (electro-acoustic
hurdy-gurdy). Another strong collection of material synthe-
sized from folk-rock's avant-garde tradition.

Hundsbuam JMiserablige
The Hundsbuam have polarised opinion since bursting
upon the scene in 1996. Assertively Bavarian, they sing in Liederjan

1 22 Germany
 Die Wirrtuosen (Stockfisch, Germany). S3 Unterwegs (John Silver, Germany).

This album's title puns on virtuoso and Wirr (confusion). As Celebrating twenty years into the game in 1998, Unterwegs
shorthand for their mission statement of providing "Satire, (On the road) is an authoritative statement of their music.
Irony and Profound Meaning" is perfect. Tracks include
it Seeboldt is confirmed as the most consistently seductive
"Online Shanty" and the BSE-garnished lunchtime greeting female vocalist of the German folk scene, whether singing
"Mahlzeit" and a reworking of Colin Wilkie's "If Knew How" I unison vocals on the title track, working miracles on Heine's
("Wusste Ich Nur Wie"). "Karl I" or the Berlin dialect-inflected "Ik hebbe se nich up de
Scholen gebracht".
Saure Gummern
The farcically named Saure Gummern (pickled cucumbers Liedermacher and Kabaret
or gherkins) hail from the central German state that gave
English the word and fabric hessian. They began singing
Artists
o
m
the blues the local Hesse dialect and met with a posi-
in
3D
tive response. Mir Speela De Blues is an historic or anar-
chic overview of Hesse's little-known blues genre. Wolf Biermann
33 Nei Poor Schuh (Dickworz Bladda Verlag, Germany). The rebel writer who made it uncomfortable for the East

German regime. Tit for tat, they made it uncomfortable for

The songs on this album are witty and droll. The English- Biermann. Far worse was to befall him before he settled
German "Albino Blues", a lament by a German blues fan
inthe West. An iconic figure on the German scene and
called Mississippi Mojo Meier (although his mother calls him
one of Germany's finest ever Liedermacher.
Karlheinz), includes a rallying cry for blues footwear fetishists
everywhere from the hootchie gootchie man. "Awwer isch S3 Chausseestrasse 131 (Zweitausendeins, Germany).
schwitz" is a manifesto proudly preaching the gospel of total
The cover of the original release on Wagenbach's
underachievement.
Quartplatten in 1969 showed a mustachioed Biermann star-
ing impassively at the photographer/listener. Back then
Trio Grande Chausseestrasse was a street in East Berlin but for the songs

The original group began life in 1 984 although there have emanating from that apartment Biermann paid for their

been personnel changes over the years. Their sound is a thorny, politically embarrassing content by having the East

blend of hurdy-gurdies, accordion, guitar and percussion. German authorities strip away his citizenship, his so-called
Ausburgerung in 1 976.
S3 Bagage (Verlag der Spielleute, Germany).
S3 Susses Leben - saures Leben
One of the scene's most accomplished and versatile instru- (Zweitausendeins, Germany).
mental groups. Tunefulness personified with especially mem-
orable melodies geared to a dance audience and for listening A visionary flow streaming from his adopted town of Hamburg.
pleasure both. Biermann's poetry deserves the respect and attention accord-
ed another great German writer, the centenary of whose birth

was celebrated in the year of its release (1998): Bertolt Brecht.

U.L.M.A.N.
The Leipzig-based U.L.M.A.N. stands for Un Limited Franz-Josef Degenhardt
Music And Noise. In 1994 Johannes (aged 18) and
Andreas Uhlmann (aged 17) came first at the German Folk Degenhardt, born in 1931 in Schweim, Westfalia, ranks as
Newcomers Awards. The group that eventually coalesced one of the figureheads of the German Liedermacher
draws on friends and family loyalties. They play a Central movement with clarity of vision and a linguistic precision

European-accented dance music with contemporary - he is a doctor of law. His complete output was released
colourings from jazz and rock. in 1981 on 12 CDs,

S Acoustic Power (RUM/Lbwenzahn, Germany). S3 Spiel nicht mit den Schmuddelkindern

(Polydor, Germany).
A most assured debut deploying, amongst other instruments,
hurdy-gurdy, accordion, brass, violin, bagpipes, trombone, First released in 1965, time has given no cause to view this

whistles, fiddle, and percussion. The new blood of Germany's album as other than a masterpiece. It made him one of the
folk renaissance. most important voices in the German counter-culture.

Wacholder Thomas Felder

Wacholder (Juniper), founded in April 1978 in Cottbus, Swabian had a long tradition, but was the poor
dialect
grew to become a Deutsch-Folk (East-German Folk) insti- relation of HighGerman. Felder: "I wanted to make serious
tution, epitomising the Ossi folk scene. They marshal poetry. There wasn't any model in Swabian." His music
Gesellenlieder (apprentice or traveller songs), 1848 turns apprehension into appreciation. "It's the sound that
Revolution songs, tongue-in-cheek barbs from Heinrich gets across, that communicates," he explained in 1997. "If
Heine and the Moritat tradition, and assorted folk, it depends on understanding the content then don't need I

Kabarett and democratic songs. Wacholder's core line-up to sing a song: can give a lecture."
I

is Scarlett Seeboldt, Matthias Kiessling and Jorg Kokott.

S3 Sinnflut (Musik & Wort, Germany).
S3 In der Heimat ist es schon (Stockfisch, Germany).
Sinnflutpuns on Sintflut - the Biblical flood - to translate as
The title of this 1994 album translates as 'It's Beautiful In The 'Sense Flood'. Vocally Felder bends notes till their eyes pop
Homeland' (1994), social satire guying straight society's con- out. For fans of footnotes, this album also contains Buffy
formity. German is essential to get the point of their political Sainte-Marie's little-known Swabian period protest song
laments, lampoons and lays since the music more often than "Hald Ao Soldat" which she later translated into English for
not functions as messenger of their word-based repertoire. Donovan as "The Universal Soldier".

Germany 123
 -3
Fusion groups
•x
o
Artists

Aufwind
The. main focus for Aufwind (Up-current) is Eastern
European Jewish and Yiddish music. Their repertoire
reveals considerable originality, remarkable disquisition
and inspiring musicianship. The current line-up comprises
Jan Hermerschmidt (vocals/clarinet), Claudia Koch
(vocals/violin/viola), Hardy Reich (vocals/mandolin/guitar),
Andreas Rohde (vocals/bandoneon/guitar) - the last three
of whom founded Aufwind in 1 984 - and Heiko Rotzscher
(bass).

M Awek Di Junge Jorn (Misrach, Germany).

As Ossis they accessed sources behind the Iron Curtain, talk-
Tango" exemplifies
ing to survivors of the Holocaust. "Jidisch
their highly distinctive, unorthodox vision. A world-class
klezmer album, nothing less.

Schwaebische Vesper
Dissidenten
(Musik & Wort, Germany). Dissidenten grew out of the German progressive rock
movement, starting life as a side shoot of Embryo. Light
Co-conceived with Michael Samarajiwa, this suite was
years removed from the World Music tourist experience,
debuted in 1995 on the fiftieth anniversary of Dresden's oblit-
the intensity and authenticity of their music dazzles, the
eration by British bombers. Felder delivers a series of
product of steeping themselves in various cultures -
inspired performances ranging from what he calls the
notably those of Morocco and India. The core line-up
Klangerlebnis (sound experience) of "Pappmaschee" (Papier comprises Friedo Josch (flute/soprano sax/keyboards),
mache) which begins with mimicked air-raid sirens before Marlon Klein (drums/percussion/keyboards/vocals) and
going surreal, to the tender "Deine Nahe" (The Nearness of Uve Mullrich (bass/guitar/vocals). The latter was replaced
You) and the uplifting "Dag" (Day). There is no need to work in 1997 by Izaline Calister from Curacao, unexpectedly
hard to like Felder's Swabian Vespers. His voice and hurdy- taking the group's repertoire to still greater heights.
gurdy shatter the language barrier.
55 Sahara Elektrik (Exil, Germany).

Ute Lemper Partly recorded in the old Sultan's Palace in Tangiers, this
1984 collaboration with Moroccan musicians gave a new
Lemper's career took off when Andrew Lloyd Webber dimension to the word 'fusion' and demonstrated the huge
selected her for the Viennese production of Cats. She potential of North African music to evolve in weird and
then moved on to the Sally Bowles character in Cabaret. unforeseen directions. Hugely influential, it put Dissidenten
She's recorded many of the Brecht/Weill collaborations firmly on the map.
and recently starred in the London production of
Chicago.
S3 The Jungle Book (Exil, Germany).

By 1 993 Dissidenten were distilling many of the experiences

Berlin Cabaret Songs (Decca, UK)
and ideas they had picked up during their long globe-trotting
Part of Decca's Entartete Musik series of composers banned career, with street sounds and other aural atmospherics
by the Nazis, this is an idiomatic selection of wonderful Berlin woven in tightly funky grooves. The group employ German
cabaret songs from the 920s and 1 930s performed with the
1
folk idioms alongside those of India, exploring what they call

Matrix Ensemble conducted by Robert Ziegler. Includes the the 'Global Esperanto' - the common language of all indige-

best of Spoliansky, Hollaender, Tucholsky and Schiffer with nous music. The disc was given an inspirational dance remix
as 1998's SS Mixed Up Jungle (Exil, Germany).
English translations included.

Instinctive Traveler
Barbara Thalheim (Exil, Germany).

Leipzig-born, Thalheim found her craft and metier in This 1997 album found Dissidenten casting their cultural net
she moved to when she was four. Her first
Berlin, the city the furthest yet. Arabic, Hawaiian, Native American, North
album Lebenslauf appeared in 1 978. Her work grew ever Indianand Tamil influences ripple through the songs. The
more confident, honed and pertinent. More than an result no stylistic Tower of Babel, rather a NASA-like time
is

essential voice of the East German literary revue scene, capsule of musical cultures and styles blasted into space.
she is a coup de theatre mothertode. Bajka Mullrich, daughter of Dissidenten's bassist, turns
"Lobster Song" and "Instinctive Traveler" into two of
S3 Neue Reiche (Deutsche Schallplatten, Germany). Weldbeat's catchiest ever tracks.

This revue, recorded in March 1990 in the Landestheater

Eisenach, is the stuff of history, capturing the anxieties and
Embryo
torn loyalties experienced by East Germans with Reunification Embryo, cult darlings of German prog rock, evolved into
looming. With a timeless topicality, it articulates a society in something with a still lower profile: even Germans are sur-
transition. prised to leam that they still exist! The collective includes

1 24 Germany
 and
Dieter Serfas (percussion/drums), Christian Burchard Germany to flee Turkish persecution in Kurdistan. An elo-
Edgar Hoffman (woodwinds), ail of whom were together quent mouthpiece for the Kurdish cause, Erdogan fronts
as far back as 1963 in the Contemporary Trio 'playing the all-woman quintet, they mix saz, electric guitar, saxo-
music from Bartok to nowhere'. phone, clarinet, electric bass and percussion.

S3 Embryo's Reise (Schneeball, Germany). S3 Rasthatin/Begegnung (Sacco & Vanzetti, Germany).

One World Music albums, predating the term's

of the earliest Kurdish music from Berlin, circa 1994, mixing Kurdish protest
adoption by a decade. In late 1978 Embryo set off for and dance tunes. Its four-piece line-up evolved into today's
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India playing Goethe-lnstitut, Marika Falk (percussion), Cindia Knoke (electric bass), Nure
maharajah's palace and impromptu settings, filming and (vocals), Veronika Vogel (saz/ electric guitar) and Tina Wrasse
being filmed, all the while gathering recordings. Embryo's (clarinet and saxophone).
Reise traces that musical pilgrimage. Local musicians
throng. Schal Sick Brass Band en
S3 Ibn Battuta (Schneeball, Germany). Rather different from your usual oompah band, this m
Cologne-based big band ranks as one of the most excit- 3D
Embryo's gypsy genes kept them moving musically. This
album, named after an Arabic explorer whose journeying sup-
ing World Music groups on the German scene. Brass fig- S
ures to the fore, and in their Persian vocalist Maryam £>
posedly
jazz
exceeded Marco Polo's, blends World Music and
far

grooves and voicings. "Komet 41", for example, employs

Akhondy they have someone who adds something extra Z
-<
to their sound.
the un-Teutonic 41/8 time signature.
S3 Majnoun (Network, Germany).
Nure Persian songs given the treatment. They begin traditional,
Berlin is home to Nure's Kurdish vocalist, Aynur Erdogan, with the love themes "Majnoun" and "Leyla" and then pro-
and to an expatriate Kurdish community settled in ceed to mutate.

Germany 1 25
 Greece
songs of the near east
Greek music, like Greek food, has had a bad press for years - Nana MouskhourUmuzak versions of
"Zorba's Dance" and interminable 'Souvenir from Greece' bouzouki cassettes are largely to blame.
But looking beyond the cliches, Marc Dubin and George Pissalidhes assert that Greek music, both
historic rembetika and contemporary folk, is as rewarding as any in the world, with its unique mix of

m European and Middle Eastern influences.

music, like most aspects of the coun- ed and rock instruments since the 1970s.
Greek try, is a fortuitous mix of east and west.
electric

Purists argue that much of it is heavily vulgarised

The older songs of the folk (or dhimotikd) and it is perhaps true that, as the oral transmission

tradition are invariably in Eastern- of technique from older master players has broken
flavoured minor scales, with antecedents both in down, musicianship has declined. Certainly, few
Byzantine religious chant or secular song, and in shows appear to match the skill and spirit shown
Turkish and Iranian music through the centuries on CD re-releases of old archival 78s material. But
of Ottoman rule. The flavour of the Orient is even there are some superb revival groups, attempting
more immediately evident in the blues-like rem- to recapture the musicianship of the old-timers.
betika music, which had its heyday in the 1920s
and '30s, and has been revived at various intervals Island Music
since.

Western music had surprisingly little impact until The arc of southern islands comprising Crete,
well into the twentieth century. Almost all the Kassos, Khalki and Karpathos is one of the most
native Greek instruments are also found through- promising areas of Greece for hearing live folk
out the Islamic world, though it's an open ques- music at any season of the year. On Crete, in par-
tion as to whether Byzantines, Arabs or Persians ticular, there is a network of music clubs (kendra)

first constructed them, or indeed how they spread; in the main towns.
some Greek musicologists claim their original The dominant instrument on these islands is the
descent from now-lost melodies and dances of lyra, a three-stringed fiddle directly related to the
ancient Greece. To this broadly Middle Eastern Turkish kciiiai(e. It is played not on the shoulder
base, Slavs, Albanians and Italians have added but balanced on the thigh, often with tiny bells

their share to various of the Greek regions or island attached to the bow, which the musician can jig-
groups. The result is an extraordinarily varied gle for rhythmical accent. The strings are metal,

repertoire, with local and national traditions still and since the centre one is just a drone, the play-
very much alive in both music and dance. er improvises only on the outer two. Crete's undis-
puted lyra late Kostas Moundakis,
master was the
who was widely recorded. One of the finest liv-
ing lyra players is Andonis Xylouris, who performs
Folk Music under the name Psarandonis.
The most promising opportunities for live folk The lyra is often backed by one or more laou-
music are at the numerous summer paniyma (saints' to, similar to the Turkish/Arab oud but (espe-
day festivals) — or more tourist-oriented cultural cially on Crete where the Venetians ruled for
programmes - when musicians based in Athens or several centuries) more closely resembling a man-
city clubs during winter tour the islands and vil- dolin. These are rarely used to lead or solo, but
lages. These tend to be very public and commu- a virtuoso player will find the harmonics and
nity-based performances, often using town or overtones of a lyra piece, coaxing a pleasing,

village squares or monasteries. chime-like tone from the instrument. In several

Such music is essentially traditional, though as places in the southern Aegean, notably northern
throughout the world, groups have steadily adopt- Karpathos, you also find a simple, droneless bag-

1 26 Greece
pipe - the ask6mandn or tsamho&na. And if you Island folk songs - nisiotika - feature melodies
recall Kazantzakis's classic Cretan novel, Zorba, that, like much folk music the world over, rely heav-
his hero played a sandouri, or hammer dulcimer ily on the pentatonic scale. Their lyrics, especially

- an instrument introduced to the islands by on the smaller islands, touch on the perils of the sea,

Greek refugees from Anatolia. Today, accom- exile and thwarted or forbidden love. Among its

plished sandouri players are few and the instru- best known singers are the Konitopoulos clan
ment tends to be used in a supporting role. from Naxos, while older stars like Anna and Emil-
On most of the Aegean islands, particularly the ia Khatzidhaki, Effi Sarri and Anna Karabesi-
Cyclades, you'll find the lyra replaced by a more ni - all from the Dodecanese archipelago - offer a
familiar-looking violf, essentially a Western vio- wanner, more innocent delivery.
lin. Accompaniment was provided until recently
30
by laouto or sandouri, though these days you're Mainland Folk Music
more likely to find a rhythm section of bass, gui-
tar and drums. Amongst violi players, Stathis Many of the folk songs of mainland Greece -
Koukoularis, born on Naxos, and two young fid- known as dhimotika tragoudhia - hark back
dlersNikos Ikonomidhes and Nikos Hat- to the years of Ottoman occupation and to the
zopoulos stand out. War of Independence; others, in a lighter tone,
The island of Lesvos occupies a special place in refer to aspects of pastoral life (sheep, elopements,
terms of island music. Before the turbulent decade fetching water from the well and so forth). Their
of 1912-1922, its Minor rather
'mainland' was Asia essential instrumentation consists of the klarino
than Greece, its urban poles Smyrna and Con- (clarinet), which reached Greece during the 1830s,
stantinople rather than Athens. Accordingly, its introduced either by Gypsies or by members of
music more varied and sophisticated than the
is tar the (imported Bavarian) King Otto's entourage.
Aegean norm, having absorbed melodies and Accompaniment is traditionally provided by a

instrumentation from the various groups who lived group or koutnpcwi'a comprising kithdra (guitar),

in neighbouring Anatolia. It is the only island with laouto, laoutokithdra (a hybrid in stringing and tun-
a vital tradition of brass bands, and virtually every ing) and viol!, with toumberleki (lap drum) or dcfi

Greek dance rhythm is represented in its local (tambourine) for rhythm.

music. Many mainland tunes are dances, divided by
rhythm into such categories as kalamatiano (a line

dance), tsdmiko, hasaposeruiko or syrto, the

LESBOS AIOLIS quintessential circle dance of Greece. Melodies

SONGS AND DANCES OF LESBOS that aren't danced include the slow, stately kleftiko,

which relates, baldly or in metaphor, incidents or

attitudes from the years of the Ottomans and the
rebellions for freedom.
on old recordings
Stalwart vocalists to look for
include Yiorgos Papasidheris and Yiorgia Mit-
taki, both of whom were Arvanites - descendants
of medieval Albanian settlers. Among players, clar-

inettists Vassilis Saleas, Yiannis Vassilopou-

los and Yiorgos Yevyelis are remarkable; all

three of them are Gypsies, who dominate instru-

mental music on mainland Greece. Other note-

worthy instrumentalists, not of Gypsy origin,
include Nikos Saragoudas (oud) and Yiorgos
tlON St PIKVIMIlN MKHS ItlllNVMIWl I

Koros (fiddle).
The folk music of Epirus (Ipiros) exhibits strong

By way of contrast, the Ionian islands - alone connections with that of northern Epirus (now in

of all modern Greek territory - never saw Turk- Albania) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of
ish occupation and have a predominantly West- Macedonia, particularly in the polyphonic pieces
ern musical tradition. Their indigenous song-form sung by both men and women. The repertoire
is Italian both in name - kantadhes - and instru- tends to fall into three categories, which are also

mentation (guitar and mandolin). It's most often found further south: miroloyia or laments (the
heard these days on Lefkadha and Zakynthos. instrumental counterpart is called skfoos); drinking

Greece 127
 songs or tis tavlas; and various danceable melodies
as noted above, common to the entire mainland
Rembetika
and many Most famous of the Epirot
islands also. Rembetika began as the music of the Greek urban
Soukas and
clarinettists are the late Vassilis dispossessed — criminals, refugees, drug-users,
Tassos Khalkias. and the younger (unrelated) defiers of social norms. It had existed in some form
Petros-Loukas Khalkias. in Greece and Constantinople since at least the
turn of the century, but it is as difficult to

define or get to the origins of as jazz or blues

- genres with which (tenuous) comparisons
are often made, not sojrnuch for the music
themes and tone.
as for its inspirations,
30
m
m Rembetika songs tell of illicit or frustrated
o
m
love, drug addiction, police oppression,
death — and their delivery tends to be res-
ignation to the singer's lot, coupled with
defiance of authority.
Musically, rembetika is bound in with the
bouzouki - a long-necked, fretted lute
derived, like the Turkish saz, from the Byzan-
tine tambouras. It has become synonymous
with Greek music but early in this century,

prior to the popularisation of rembetika, it was

used by only a few mainland musicians. As to
the term 'rembetika', its derivaton is uncer-
tain, the favoured candidate being the old
Turkish word 'harabat,' whose meanings cover
both 'shanty town', 'drunkard' and 'bohemi-
In the northern Greek regions of Thrace and an' — all definitely aspects of rembetika culture.
Macedonia, whose bewilderingly mixed popu-
lation were under Ottoman rule until the begin-
ning of this century, the music can sound more
Origins: Cafe-Aman
generically Balkan. Owing to the huge influx of At the beginning of the twentieth century, in the

Anatolian refugees after 1923, the region has been Asia Minor cities of Smyrna and Istanbul (Con-
a rich treasure-trove for ethnomusicologists seek- stantinople), music-cafes became popular. Owned
ing to document the old music of Asia Minor. and staffed by Greeks, Jews, Armenians and even
Kdlanda (Christmas carols), Carnival dances, wed- a few Gypsies, they featured groups comprising a
ding processionals and drinking songs abound. violinist, a sandouri player and a (usually female)
Noteworthy singers include Khronis Aidhonid- vocalist, who might also jingle castanets and dance.
Xanthippi Karathanasi - both still alive
his and The songs were improvised and became known
and active. as cafe-aman or amanidhes for the frequent rep-

Among Thracian instruments, the kavali, or etition of the exclamation 'aman aman' (Turkish
end-blown flute, is identical to the Turkish and for 'alas, alas'), used both for its sense and to fill

Bulgarian article, as is the drone bagpipe, or gaid- time while the performers searched their imagi-
ha. The zournas, a screechy, double-reed oboe nations for (often earthily explicit) lyrics.

similar to the Islamic world's shenai, is much in Despite sparse instrumentation, cafe-aman was
evidence at local festivals, in combinatiuon with an elegant, riveting art song, and one requiring con-
the deep-toned daouli drum, a typical Gypsy siderable skill. It harked back to similar vocalisation
ensemble. The klarino is present here as well, as in the Ghazals of Persia and the East. Some of its
are two types of lyras, but perhaps the most char- greatest practitioners included Andonis 'Dalgas'
acteristic melodic instrument of Thrace is the outi (Wave) Dhiamantidhis, so nicknamed for the
(oud), whose popularity received a boost after undulations in his voice; Rosa Eskenazi, a Greek
refugee players arrived. Jew who grew up in Istanbul; her contemporary
An oddity in western Macedonia are the brass Rita Abatzi from Smyrna; Marika Papagika
bands, introduced in the nineteenth century by from the island of K6s, who emigrated to Ameri-
Ottoman military musicians. ca where she made her career; Agapios

128 Rembetika
Rembetes at Piraeus, 1937

Tomboulis, a tanbur and oud player of Armenian sit on the floor around a charcoal brazier, passing
background; and Dhimitris 'Salonikiyeh' Sem- around a nargiles (hookah) filled with hashish. One
sis, a master fiddler from Strumitsa in northern of them might begin to improvise a tune on the
Macedonia. The spectrum of nationalities for these baglamas or the bouzouki and begin to sing. The
performers gives a good idea of the range of cos- words, either his own or those of the other dervis-
mopolitan influences in the years preceding the es (many rembetic terms were a burlesque of those
emergence of 'real' rembetika. of mystical Islamic tradition), would be heavily
The 1919-1922 Greco-Turkish war and the laced with insiders' argot. As the taximi (intro-
resulting 1923 exchange of populations were duction) was completed, one of the smokers might
key events in the history of rembetika, resulting rise and begin to dance a zeibikiko, a slow, intense,
in the influx to Greece of over a million Asia introverted performance following an unusual
Minor Greeks, many of whom settled in shanty- metre (9/8), not for the benefit of others but for
towns around Athens, Pireas and Thessaloniki. himself.
The cafe-aman musicians, like most of the other By the early 1930s, several key musicians had
refugees, were, in comparison to the Greeks of the emerged from tekedhes culture. Foremost among
host country, extremely sophisticated; many were them was a Piraeus-based quartet comprising
highly educated, could read and compose music, Markos Vamvakaris and Artemis (Anestis
and had even been unionised in the towns of Asia Delias) — two great composers and bouzouki-play-
Minor. Such men included the Smyrniots Van- ers — the beguiling-voiced Stratos Payioumtzis,

gelis Papazoglou, a noted songwriter, and and, on baglamas, Yiorgos Tsoros, better known
Panayiotis Toundas, a composer who headed as Batis. They were a remarkable group. Stratos,

the Greek divisions of first Odeon and then the lead singer, went on to perform with other
Columbia Records. But the less lucky lived on the great rembetika stars, like Tsitsanis and Papiannou.
periphery of the new society: most had lost all they Artemis, the son of a sandouri player from Smyr-
had in the hasty evacuation, and many, from inland na, was a remarkable lyricist and composer, who
Anatolia, could speak only Turkish. In their mis- lived a rembetika life of hard drugs, and died in

ery they sought relief in another Ottoman insti- the street (as his song "The Junkie's Lament" bad
tution, the tekes or hashish den. predicted), aged 29, outside a tekes with his
bouzouki in his hand.

Vamvakaris Vamvakaris, however, was the linchpin of the

group. Born on the Aegean island of Syros in 1905,
and the Tekedhes he is often described as the 'grandfather of rembeti-
In the tekedhes of Athens and its port, Piraeus, or ka'. He had a tough childhood, leaving school at eight

tlx- northern city of Thessaloniki , a few men would and, at fifteen, stowing away on a boat for Piraeus.

RembAtlka 129
 As time went on such lyrics got
cleaned up. The most common-
ly heard version of this song,

from the 1 950s, for instance, sub-

stitutes "Play us a fine bit of
bouzouki" for "Fix us a fine
nargile", and so forth.

Tough Times
O This 'Golden Age of Rem-
SO
m
m
betika' - as indeed it was,

o
m
despite theunhappy lives of
many performers — was short-
lived. The association of the
music with a drug-laced under-
world would prove its undoing.
After the imposition of the puri-
Markos Vamvakaris (right) tanical Metaxas dictatorship in
1936, rembetes with uncompromising lyrics and
Within six months of arrival, he had taught himself lifestyles were blackballed by the recording indus-
bouzouki as a way out of a particularly grim job in a try; anti-hashish laws were systematically enforced
slaughterhouse, and was writing songs and playing in and police harassment of the tekedhes was
the tekedhes with Stratos, Artemis and Bads. stepped up. In Athens, even possession of a
At first, Vamvakaris did not consider himself a bouzouki or baglamas became a criminal offence
singer, leaving the lead vocals to Stratos, but when and several of the big names served time in jail.
Columbia wanted to release a record by him they Others went to Thessaloniki, where the police
persuaded him to have a go, and were pleased chief Vassilis Mouskoundis was a big fan of the
with his metallic, hash-rasping sound. Subse- music and allowed its practitioners to smoke in
quently, he went on to sing on nearly all his private.
records and his gravelly style became an archetype For a time, such persecution — and the official

for male rembetika singers. His bouzoiiki playing encouragement of tangos and frothy Italianate love

also set a standard. songs (which had a much wider audience) — tailed
Lyrics about getting stoned, or mastouriakd, were to dim the enthusiasm of the manges (wide boys)
a natural outgrowth of the tekedhes. One of the who frequented the hash dens. Police beatings or
most famous, composed by Batis and first record- prison terms were taken in stride; time behind bars
ed in the mid-1 930s by Vamvakaris, commemo- could be used, as it always had been around the
rated the exploits of the quartet: Aegean, to make skapto (dug-out) instruments. A
baglamas could easily be fashioned from a gourd
On the sly went out in a boat
I cut in half or even a tortoise shell (the sound box),
And arrived at the Dhrakou Cave a piece of wood (the neck), catgut (frets), and wire
Where saw three men stoned on hash
I for strings, and the result would be small enough
Stretched out on the sand. to hide from the guards. Jail songs were composed
It was Batis, and Artemis, and became popular in the underworld.
And Stratos the Lazy. However, the rembetes suffered from all sides,

Hey you, Strato! Yeah you, Strato! incurring the disapproval of the puritanical Left as

Fix us a terrific nargile, well as the Right. The growing Communist Party
So old Batis can have a smoke of the 1930s considered the music and its habitues
A "dervish" for years he's been hopelessly decadent and politically unevolved.
And Artemis too, When Vamvakaris was about to join the leftist
Who brings us "stuff" from wherever he's been. resistance army ELAS in 1 944, he was admonished
He sends us hash from Constantinople not to sing his own material. The Left preferred
And all of us get high; anddrtika (Soviet-style revolutionary anthems).
And pressed tobacco from Persia Like most ideological debates, it was largely aca-

The mangas smokes in peace. demic. World War II with its harsh Axis occupation

130 Remb&tika
of Greece, and the subsequent 1946-49 civil war, - huge, barn-like clubs, where Athenians paid
put everyone's careers on hold, and the turbulent large sums to break specially provided plates and
decade erased any lingering fashion for hash songs. to dance flashy steps that were a travesty of the
When Greece emerged in the 1950s, its public were simple dignity and precise, synchronised footwork
eager to adopt a softer music and new heroes. of the old-time zeibekika. The music was largely
- Khiotis,
debased: virtuoso bouzouki players

Tsitsanis Yiorgos Mitsakis and Yiorgos Zambetas -

assisted by kewpie-doll-type female
and Cloudy Sunday vocalists.

rhe major figure of post-war rembetika was

undoubtedly Vassilis Tsitsanis. Born in Thes-
30
saly, was a very
the son of a silver craftsman, he
different personality to Vamvakaris, whose man-
tle he took on as both the most significant com-

poser and bouzouki master of his generation. A

shy man, with sad-looking eyes, he made rem-
betika sound softer and more mellow, and its words
more pleading than defiant.
Tsitsanis embarked on his career in Athens, just

before the war, cutting his first record for Odeon,

at that time directed by rembetic composer Spy-

ros Peristeris, in 1936. After military service, he

w as released from the army
1940 and sang in
through the 1940s bar in Thes-
in his own ouzo
saloniki. The period gave rise to his most famous
song, "Synefiazmeni Kyriaki" (Cloudy Sunday):

Cloudy Sunday, you seem like my heart

Which is always overcast, Christ and Holy Virgin!

You're a day like the one I lost my joy.

Cloudy Sunday, you make my heart bleed.
When see you
I rainy, I can't rest easy for a moment;
You blacken my life and I sigh deeply.

Although it wasn't recorded until 1948, the song

became widely known after its composition in
1943, and became a kind of anthem for the dis-
possessed, occupied Greeks.
After the war, Tsitsanis obliged a traumatised
public with love songs and Neapolitan melodies.
This new rembetika enjoyed, for the first time,
something of a mass following, through top female Vassilis Tsitsanis
singers such as Sotiria Bellou, Marika Ninou
and Ioanna Yiorgakopoulou. Tsitsanis himself
remained a much-loved figure in Greek music
Rembetika Revivals
until his death in 1 984; his funeral in Athens was Ironically, the original rembetika material was res-
attended by nearly a quarter of a million people. cued from oblivion by the colonels' junta of
If Tsitsanis's 'softening' of rembetika was a first 1967-1974. Along with dozens of other features
key change to the music, a second, perhaps more of Greek culture, rembetika verses were banned.
dramatic, was the innovation in 1953 by Manolis A generation of students growing up under the dic-
Khiotis of a fourth pair of strings to the bouzou- tatorship took a closer look at the forbidden fruit
ki. This allowed it to be tuned tonally rather than and derived solace, and deeper meanings, from the
modally. In its wake came electrical amplifica- nominally apolitical lyrics. When the junta fell in

tion, over-orchestration and maudlin lyrics as a 1974 - and even a little before - there was an out-
crest of popularity led to the opening of bouzoiikiti pouring of re-issued recordings of the old masters.

Rembetika 1 3 -J
 Over the next decade live rembetika also spirit and nostalgic mood of the original. Theodor-
enjoyed a revival, beginning with a clandestine akis, a disciple of Tsitsanis, included zeibekika tunes
1979 club near the old Fix brewery in Athens, on his earliest albums, with Grigoris Bithikotsis or
whose were validated when it
street credentials Stelios Kazantzidhis on vocals and Manolis Khio-
was raided and closed by the police. These smoky tis as bouzouki soloist.

attempts to recapture pre-war atmosphere - which The>entekhno of Theodorakis and Hatzidakis

led to dozens of rembetika clubs in the early 1 980s combined rembetic and Byzantine influences with
— saw performances by revival groups such as Ta Western ones, but - more memorably — fused
Pedhia apo tin Patra, Rembetiki Kompania Greek music with the country's rich poetic tradi-
and Opisthodhromiki Kompania (featuring tion. Among Theodarakis' yearly albums were
Eleftheria Arvanataki), and the performers Khon-» Epitafws (1963), based on poems by Yiannis Rit-
dronakos and Mario. In the northern capital of sos, and To Axion Esti (1964), a folk-flavoured ora-

Thessaloniki, a leading figure was Agathonas torio incorporating poetry by Odysseas Elytis.
Iakovidhis with his group Rembetika Synkro- Hatzidakis countered in 1965 with a recording of
tima Thessalonikis. Matomenos Gamos, a version of Garcia Lorca's
A feature film by Kostas Ferris, Rembetiko (1983), "Blood Wedding" translated into Greek by poet-
attempted to trace the music from Asia Minor of lyricist Nikos Gatsos, and also tried his hand at ren-

the 1920s to Greece of the 1950s, and garnered dering Elytis in song.
wide acclaim in Greece and abroad. These days, Together, these works changed Greek percep-
however, the fashion has long since peaked, and tions of bouzouki-based music, popularised Greek
only a handful of clubs and bands remain from the poetry for a mass audience and elevated lyricists

1980s revival heyday. such as Gatsos and Manos Eleftheriou to the sta-
tus of bards. The downside was that the sophisti-
cation and Western classical orchestral arrangements

New Waves distanced the music from

in particular, the modal
its

scale
indigenous roots, and
which had served
Alongside folk and rembetika, post-war Greece Greece so well since antiquity. The genre suffered,
developed its own forms of 'art' (entekhno) and too, from the demands of the film industry, who
pop (laiko) music, while since the late 1970s the commissioned many entekhno works as sound-
scene has broadened to include roots-minded rock tracks. At its worst, it was muzak.

and fusion experiments, and even new explo- Theodorakis and Hatzidakis paved the way for
rations of Byzantine forms. successors who were generally less classicising and
more pop-leaning, such as Stavros Xarhakos,
The Entekhno most famous abroad for his soundtrack to the film
Rembetiko; Manos Loizos, who gave George
Revolution Dalaras his start in 1968; the Cretan Yiannis
The 'Westernisation' of rembetika that had begun Markopoulos, the most folk-based, and most
with Tsitsanis and escalated with the electric accessible to foreign audiences; and Stavros
bouzouki craze paved the way for the entekhno Kouyoumtzis and Dhimos Moutsis, who col-
music of the late 1 950s. Entekhno (literally 'artis- laborated with a galaxy of stellar vocalists during
tic') encompassed an orchestral genre where folk the early-to-mid- 1970s - in retrospect, the Indi-

instruments, rhythms and melodies, where pre- an summer of entekhno.

sent, would be interwoven into a symphonic fab-
ric, still recognisably Greek to a greater or lesser Laiko:Son of
extent. and most famous, practitioners were
Its first,

Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis, Rembetika

both classically trained musicians and admirers of Diametrically opposed to entekhno was the
rembetika. authentic laiko or 'popular' music of the 1950s
Already in 1948, Hatzidakis defended rembeti- and '60s, its gritty, tough style a direct heir to rem-
ka in a lecture, suggesting that Greek composers betika, undiluted by Western influences. Laiko
be inspired by it, rather than bow to the prevail- used not only zei'mbekika and hasapika time sig-

ing left-wing/middle-class prejudice against it. In natures but also the tsifteteli - another age-old
a period when most Greek tunes imitated West- rhythm from Asia Minor mistakenly labelled as
ern light popular music, he had transcribed rem- 'belly-dance' music abroad. Once again, 'debased'

betika for piano and orchestra, keeping only the oriental influences dominated Greek pop, to the

132 Greece
 ful, but he too has made
noteworthy albums with
Dalaras, Bithikotsis and
Stratos Dhionysiou as
well as Kazantzidhes.
Although lai'ko and
entekhno represented
opposite poles of the
Greek music world, the
extremes sometimes met.
Entekhno composers
such as Yiannis Markou-
los hired lai'ko singers for

hand
o
m
dates, or tried their

at writing in lai'ko style.

A good example of the

latter was Dhimos Mout-
Stelios Kazantzidis & Marinela c.1966 sis' and Manos Eleftheri-
ou's 1971 album Ayios
chagrin of the bourgeois classes and Greek Left, Fevrouarios, which made singer Dhimitris
who also objected to the apolitical, decadent, Mitropanos a star overnight. But these syntheses
escapist song content. This orientalising reached were increasingly exceptional; after the success of
its high - or low - point during the brief mid- Epitafios and Axion Esti, Greek record labels tried

1960s craze for indoyiftika, Indian film music lift- to marginalize laiko, a trend accelerated under the
ed straight from Bollywood and reset to Greek military junta, when the greater portion of laiko
chief culprit was the Gypsy singer Mano-
lyrics; was banned from the radio as being too 'oriental'

lisAngelopoulos. and 'defeatist'. In these conditions, the genre turned

The most influential laiko performer in the into elafrolaiko (light popular), in which more
1960s was Stelios Kazan tzidhis. whose volcanic, honeyed voices were preferred. However, the stage
mournful style was often imitated but never was emergence of singer-songwriters —
set for the

matched. His work, frequently in duets with many of them from Thessaloniki — and groups of
Marinella (Kyriaki Papadhopoulou) and Yiota Lid- folk-rockers, who together arrested the descent of
hia, immortalised the joys and sorrows of the post- Greek music into anodyne pap.
war Greek working class which
faced a choice of life under the
restrictive regimes of the time, or
A PORTRAIT 1 HEMISPHERE I

emigration. A trio of other rising George Dalaras

stars in this period were (George)
Yiorgos Dalaras, still the top-sell-
ing Greek pop singer, who had
already attained gold sales status by
1971; and Yiannis Parios and
Haris Alexiou, both of whom
emerged on albums by the com-
poser Apostolos Kaldharas.
Two other major lai'ko com-
have been
posers, in recent decades,
Khnstos Nikolopoulou and Akis
Panou. Khristos Nikolopoulos,
a young bouzouki virtuoso, worked
with Kazantzidhes in the early
1970s, and went on to mega-sell-
ing co-efforts with Dalaras and
Alexiou. Akis Panou has been less

prolific and commercially success-

Greece 133
 Singer-Songwriters of Savvopoulos, the most outstanding of whom is

Nikos Portokaloglou who

and Folk-Rock laiko-rock group Fatme.
started his career with

The first significant musician to break out of the As an independent producer and (briefly) head
bouzouki mould was Thessalomki-based Dhion- of Lyra records, Savvopoulos gave breaks to
ysis Savvopoulos. who burst on the scene in numerous younger artists, many of them also from
1966 with a maniacal, rasping voice and elliptical, northern Greece. The first of his proteges were
angst-ridden lyrics, his persona rounded out by Nikos Xydhakis and Manolis Rasoulis. whose
shoulder-length hair and outsized glasses. Initially landmark 1978 pressing, Iy Ekdhikisis tis Yiftias (The
linked with the short-lived neo kyma (new wave) Revenge of Gypsydom), actually embodied the
o movement — a blend of watered-down entekhn© backlash of laiko culture against the pretentious-
30
m
m
and French chanson performed in Athenian boites ness of 1960s and '70s entekhno. Its spirited, defi-
— Sawopoulos's - with Nikos Papazoglou handling
o soon closed down by
work soon became impossible
the colonels
to piegeonhole:
ant lyrics
many of the vocals - and tsifteteli rhythms were
equal parts twisted Macedonian folk, Bob Dylan both homage to and send-up of the music beloved
and Frank Zappa at his jazziest is a useful approx- by Greek truck-drivers.
imation. Though briefly detained and tortured, he As with mainland folk instrumental music. Gyp-
was able to continue performing under the junta sies have been disproportionately important in
and was a symbol of opposition for many. laiko, both as performers and composers, though
Out of Savvopoulos* "Balkan rock' experiments some go to considerable lengths to conceal the
sprung a short-lived movement whose artists alter- fact. For every assimilated personality, however,
nated electric versions of traditional songs with there are others, such as Eleni Vitali, Makis Khris-
original material. Few left much trace, except for todhoulopoulos and Vassilis Pai'teris who make no
the folk updater Mariza Koch, the Gypsy protest bones about their identity.

guitarist-singer Kostas Hatzis. and folk-entekhno

performer Arietta,
various degrees.
all of whom are
During the 1980s and
stifl active to
"90s other
New Laiko
singer-songwriters emerged under the influence During the 1980s, Xydhakis went on to pursue
independent career, creating a style
a successful

that hard-core laiko fans dismiss as koultouriarika

(high-brow stuff), for its orientalised instrumenta-
tion and melody. His most successful venture in

this vein was the 1987 KondaDhoxa mia Stigmi

sti

with Eleftheria Arvanitaki guesting on vocals.

Arvanitaki. who is currently the leading Greek
woman singer, went on to participate in a host ot
entekhno and laiko sessions.

Other performers to emerge from the Thessa-

loniki scene included the group Khimerini
Kolymvites; laiko composer Yiorgos Zikas
and most recently Papazoglou disciple Sokratis
Malamas.
Back in Athens entekhno and other Western-
ising trends took longer to relax their grip, under
the aegis of composers such as classically trained
Thanos Mikroutsikos. briefly Minister ot Cul-
ture after Melina Mercouri's death, who worked
with Alexiou, Dalaras and top laiko/entekhno
Dhimitra Galani. The composer Stama-
vocalist

tis lyricist and producer Lina Niko-

Kraounakis,
lakopoulou and female singer Alkistis
Protopsalti made a splash with a number of hit
albums stretching into the 1990s, exploring the
boundaries between rock, jazz-cabaret and
ikos Papazogloi entekhno.

134 Greece
 Eleftheria Arvanitaki
There's no doubt about it, the hot name internationally

on the Greek music scene is Eleftheria Arvanitaki.

Her voice has a clarity and emotional depth that regis-

ters whether or not you understand the words, and the

music she sings has a lyricism and instrumental sophis-
tication that sets it apart. Her performances at WOMAD
festivals in 1 998 marked a transition from performing to
Greek communities round the world to a new audience
of World Music fans. They weren't disappointed.
Of course Eleftheria had long been a familiar figure

in Greece. She was 'discovered' in 1979 by a couple

of rembetika revivalists when she was singing for friends

in a taverna, and joined the group Opisthodhromiki

Kompania. Since then, she's followed a career embrac-

ing rembetika, many of the leading names in Greek

music, and notably the New York/Armenian musician
Ara Dinkjian who, with Mihalis Ganas, composed
the songs for her most beautiful and successful album of it. Rembetika is an important part of our history. It

The Bodies and the Knives (Ta Kormia keh ta Maheiria). describes how the people lived when they came from
It's a recording that thrillingly exemplifies one of her Asia Minor and what they had to face. It was a very
musical ambitions to create a real Mediterranean sound important time in my life when I re-discovered our music.
and Greece's crucial location between two worlds. Like many Greeks, I was a big fan of Dylan and the
"Greece is one of the few countries in Europe that Rolling Stones, but suddenly we found our own music."
has kept its own traditional music," she says. "Perhaps Eleftheria is always keen to renew her contacts with
because we have very deep roots in music and in his- her musical roots and her latest recording (Ektos Pro-
tory, of course. Because we are between the West and grammatos) returns to rembetika repertoire: "I play with

East we know very well the music of Europe and Amer- my band some traditional songs and classic rembeti-
ica, but we know the music of Asia as well. We are ka - not the big hits of rembetika, but great songs, by
well-positioned to take the best from both worlds, but Vamvakaris, Tsitsanis and others, with something deep-
we keep doing our music in our own way." er behind them. Songs from the 1920s up to the '60s,

That meeting of two worlds also lies behind rem- plus traditional songs from the mountains. Through this

betika, whose 1 980s revival gave Eleftheria her break. music we can understand the history of our country."
"After the fall of the Colonels, this music came out
through the students and people started to take notice Simon Broughton

On the more commitedly laiko side, Khristos Byzantine traditions. Influential in this was the
Nikolopoulos, Kostas Soukas and Takis Mousafiris musicologist and arranger Khristodhoulos
ignited the 1980s, writing dozens of hits for a range Khalaris, who produced a version of the Cretan
of singers including Eleni Vitali, Stratos Diony- epic Erotokritos, showcasing Nikos Xylouris and
siou, Dimitris Mitropanos and Pitsa Tania Tsanaklidou, and followed it with the riv-

Papadopoulou. Younger promising laiko names eting Dhrossoulites, which featured Khrysanthos,
to watch out for include the vocalists Eleni a high-voiced male singer of Pontic descent, on

Tsaligopoulou, Melina Kana, Yerasimos alternate tracks with Dhimitra Galani. He has gone

Andhreatos, Manolis Lidhakis, Andhreas on to more speculative and less musically suc-
Louridhas and the singer-songwriter Orfeas cessful ventures in Byzantine song.
Peridhes. Ottoman rather than Byzantine Constantino-
ple was the inspiration for Vosporos, a group co-
ordinated in Istanbul from 1986 to 1992 by
Byzantine psdltis

(church-chanter) and kanomiki-phycr Nikiforos

and Folk Revivals Metaxas to explore Ottoman classical, devotion-
An offshoot of entekhno during the late 1970s aland popular music. In the late 1990s, the group
and early 1980s involved combining folk and reformed as Fanari tis Anatolis, with Greek and

Greece 135
 Folk/Traditional Music

Compilations

83 Kritiki Mousiki Paradhosi, ly Protomastores

1920-1953- 10 CDs (Aerakis, Greece).

This is the definitive compilation of early Cretan recordings.

The 10-CD set is a tad prohibitive for casual exploration, and
some volumes are of specialist interest, but fortunately discs
are available individually. Go for Vol 1 (Rodhinos and
Baksevanis. lyra and small orchestra); Vol 4 (Stelios
{75
Foustalieris, the last master of the tambur-like voulgari,
3D
m
m
knowledge of which died with him); Vol 5 (Yiannis
Demirtzoyiannis, guitarist and epic singer) and Vol 6 (Yiorgis
o
m Koutsourelis, on melodic laouto).

Fiji Lesvos Aiolis: Tragoudhia keh Khori tis

IBZl Lesvou/Songs & Dances of Lesvos
(University Press of Crete, Greece).

Two decades' worth (1974-1996) of field recordings of the

last traditional music extant on the island, a labour of love
Turkish singers alternating Greek folk material supervised by musicologist Nikos Dhionysopoulos. The quali-

with Anatolian songs or mystical Alevi ballads. ty and uniqueness of the instrumental pieces, and the lavishly
illustrated booklet, merit the expense.
Ross Daly, whose interests and style overlap
3E Seryiani sta Nisia Ma, Vol 1 (MBI. Greece).
slightly with Vosporos, also merits catching on
disc, live in Athens clubs or touring abroad. An excellent retrospective of vintage nisiotika hits and artists,

mostly from the 1950s. A highlight is Emilia Hatzidhaki's ren-

English-bom but Irish by background, Daly has dering of "Bratsera".
updated both Greek and Turkish folk material. He
SI Songs of . . . (series) (Society for the Dissemination
plays a dozen traditional instruments and has of National Music - SDNM, Greece).
absorbed influences not only from Crete, where
A thirty-disc-plus series of field recordings from the 1950s
he was long resident, but from throughout the through 1 970s, each covering traditional music of one region
Near East; his groups have featured sitar and Egyp- or type. Quality can vary, but they're inexpensive, and all con-
tain notes in English and are easily available in Athens in LP,
tian ney. Other Cretans reworking folk material
cassette or CD form. Good choices include Thrace 1, Epirus
include mandolinist Loudhovikos Ton 1 , Peloponnese, Mytilene and Chios, Mytilene and Asia
Anoyion. and the six-member group Ha'inidhes. Minor, Rhodes, Khalki and Symi, and Kassos and Karpathos.

both of whom produce accessible and exciting Takoutsia, Musiciens de Zagori

music. A dryer, more scholarly approach under- is
(Auvidis/lnedit, France).

taken by Domna Samiou. who has collected and Dnnking songs, dance tunes and dirges performed by one of
the last working clans of itinerant Epirot Gypsy musicians.
performed material from every comer of the Greek
Lots of fine fiddle and clarinet, with an all-acoustic kompania
world. providing support.

Other, newer performers attempting to explore

neighbouring influences on Greek music include Artists
Notios Ikhos. led by Ahilleas Persidhis; the inno-

vative young clarinettist Manos Akhhalino- Khronis Aidhonidhis

topoulos; Armenian oud player Haig Yagdjian;
Bom in the Evros valley of western Thrace, Aidhonidhis
and the versatile vocalist Savina Yiannatou. moved to Athens in 1950 where he fitted recording and
livebroadcasting sessions around a civil service career.
He is unquestionably the greatest male singer of material
from Thrace and western Asia Minor.

discography T'Aidhoni
(Minos, Greece).
tis Anatolis

That rare thing - a folk collection of sterling matenal flawlessly

produced, this 990 session features Yiorgos Dalaras guesting
1

The best selection of Greek discs is to be found at the

on 4 tracks, and Ross Daly in charge of a traditional orchestra.
London shop Trehantiri. For details of this, and shops in
Athens and Thessaloniki, see the 'Shops' listings, at the
end of this book. For ideas on current sounds, check out
Banda tis Florinas
Dhifono, a music and arts monthly magazine, which usu- Brass bands are unique (in mainland Greece) to western
ally comes packaged with a Greek CD. Macedonia. This is probably the best of them all.

136 Greece
 though technically an island lies firmly in the mainland
S3 Banda tis Florinas
cultural sphere. Thus he was also known as an intepreter
(Ano Kato-Rei, Thessaloni'ki, Greece).
of rembetika.
Wonderfully twisted brass-band music, verging into ethnic-
jazz territory with a nudge from guest saxophonist Floros S3Yiorgos Papasidheris Tragoudha Spania
Floridhis, one of the foremost personalities on Greece's Dhimotika Tragoudhia (FM, Greece).
avant-garde/improvisational scene. An interesting, if rather scratchy, re-release of sides - some
sung in Arvanitika, a dialect of medieval Albanian - from the

Xanthippi Karathanasi 1 930s.

From Macedonia's Khalkidhiki Peninsula, Karathanasi is one S3 Demotika Anthologia No. 1 (EMI Regal, Greece).
of the foremost interpretators of northern Greek folk material.
A more standard sampler, released in the early 1970s.
S3 Tragoudhia keh SkopiMakedhonias/ tis
Songs and Tunes of Macedonia Nikos Xylouris 30
(University Press of Crete, Greece).
This Cretan singer (who died young in 1 980) lent his golden
High quality, like all UP Crete releases; the only possible quib- voice to entekhno endeavours as well as accompanying
ble is that the sidemen are so good that they threaten to over- himself on the lyra on Cretan material.
shadow Xanthippi's vocals.
S3 O Arkhangelos tis Kritis, 1 958-1 968
(MBI, Greece).
Petro-Loukas Khalkias (Chalkias) S3 Ta Khronia stin Kriti (MBI, Greece).
Born in Epirus, near the Albanian border, in 1934, clarinet-
These are the best two retrospectives, with copious notes;
tist Khalkias lived in America for twenty years before
the first covers his initial decade of recordings.
returning to Greece in 1979 to commence his recording
career. Since the deaths of Vassilis Soukas and Tassos
Khalkias, Petro-Loukas he has become the most sought- Rembetika
after session player in the country, injecting new life into
the tradition in the best possible taste.
Compilations
Petro-Loukas Chalkias and Kompania
(World Network, Germany).
S3 The Greek Archives - multiple volumes
Khalkias is at his best on this superbly recorded disc, as are (FM Records, Greece).
his kompania (group), the traditional backing of laouto, violi,
Luxuriously packaged (though skeletal notes in English), this
kithara and percussion. There are meaty oud solos by
multi-disc series is uneven but generally worthwhile. Discs are
Khristos Zotos and fiddle licks by Petro-Loukas' brother
arranged in two batches, each title devoted to a theme or
Ahileas. which realise the true sense of the kompania: tight
particular artist. From the first, twelve-volume series, choose
co-ordination, but clearly articulated instrumental voices.
from among 1: Rembetico Song in America 1920-1940; 6:
Women of the Rembetico Song; 7: Unknown Smyrna; 8:
Konitopoulos Family Armenians, Jews, Turks & Gipsies; and 9: Constantinople in
It's hard to keep track of all the siblings and generations Song. From the second, unnumbered batch, Anthology of
of this musical family, originally from Naxos; basically, the Rembetiko Songs 1933-1940, Anthology of Smyrean Songs
late George played fiddle, Vangelis plays laouto, while 1920-1938 and Songs of the Sea are wonderful.
Angeliki and daughter Stella sing. The other sister, Irini Greek-Oriental Rembetica
Konitopoulou-Legaki, is a star in her own right.
(Arhoolie, US).

S3 Thalassa keh Paradhosi (Columbia, Greece). A superb rembetika collection spanning 191 1-1937, featuring
the singers Rosa Eskenazi; Rita Abatzi, Marika Papagika and
Standard party and taverna aural fare across the islands -
Dhimitris Semsis. Good sleeve notes and lyric translations.
and a better-produced disc than the host of bootleg tapes
beloved of Greek bus drivers. S3 Historic Urban Folk Songs from Greece
(Rounder, US).
S3 Anefala Thalassina (Lyra, Greece).

The above-cited artists, plus many more on terrific selections,

This is Irini off the club stage: a riveting, intimate perfor-
mostly from the 1930s; complements the Arhoolie disc well,
mance, with accompaniment by octogenarian Dhimitris
with no duplications.
Fyrogenis on tsambouna and backing vocals.

S3 ly Megali tou Rembetikou 10 volumes

Yiorgos Koros (Margo, Greece).

Considered Greece's foremost fiddler, Koros (born 1922) This collection actually comprises over twenty albums,
has been playing since childhood, and appeared at arranged by composer, though only the first ten are on CD
paniyiria at the age of 17. His discography spans three (and worthwhile). Pick of the bunch are No. 1 Early
decades, unfortunately little of it on CD Performers, No. 3 Vassilis Tsitsanis, No. 4 Yiannis
Papaioannou, No. 7 Stratos Payioumtzis, No. 8 Kostas
S3 To Magiko Violi (BMG, Greece). Roukounas and No. 9 Spyros Peristeris, but showcasing
Markos Vamvakaris on vocals.
Thiswelcome re-release of an out-of-print 1982 disc features
daughter Katerina and Yiannis Kondoyiannis. both of the S3 ly Rembetiki Istoria - 6 volumes
Rembetiki Kompania, on vocals. (EMI Regal, Minos, Greece).

This series was among the first rembetika material re-issued

Yiorgos Papasidheris after the junta fell, and is still a good start to a collection.
Papasidheris (1902-1977) lived on Salamina, which No.1 and 4 are mostly Smyrneic/Asia Minor songs; No. 2 is

Greece 137
 mostly from the 1930s; while No .3 and 6 stress Tsrtsants and
other 1950s material. No.5 is the runt of the ftter.

Lost Homelands: The Smymaic Song in Greece,

1 928-1 935 (Heritage. UK).

Like al the Heritage releases, this has excellent sound quafty

and edrtng, plus nteSgent notes. It features lots of Dalgas
the two great peers Rosa Eskenazy and Rita Abatzi, and
Tental improvisations.

Artists
a
30
Rita Abatzi
m
m Bom in Smyrna in 1914, Rita Abatzi came to Greece as a

o chid and began singing at She had a huskier, more

sixteen.
textured voice than her great rival Eskenazi. and seemed to
gravitate toward meatier lyrics as wel - though she often
worked with the same sjdemen: Semsis, Tournboufs, et aL

E f«ta Abatzi 1 933-1 938 (Heritage, UK).

S rata Abatzi (Mros-Arkhew, Greece)

The only jsrvely to Abatzi; as usual,

the Hem with its outstarxing instru-

Sotiria Bellou
Bom in Ewia in 1921, Bettou lived in Athens from 1940 until

her death Though her forthright lesbianism, left-

in 1997.
Rosa Eskenazi
wing pofbcai views and addiction to garnfatng sometimes
drew more attention than her artistry, there's no denying
that on a good night she could sing the socks off most
contemporaries with her searching, no-nonsense voice.
Roza Eskenazi 1933-1936
32 (Heritage. UK).
Sotiria Bellou 1946-1956
Superb renditions with her usual sidement Semsis.
32 Tomboulis, plus J_ambros on kanonaki. extremely varied
Nc 5 n . the series ty Megat tou Rembebkou. the is vrtuaty selection of standards and rare gems make this the best of
the onfy dec under her own name without the electric back- several colections avaiabte.
ing of later years: here she performs mostty with Tsrtsane.
Includes the original of the n^tf^r *Ta Kavocrakia". Marika Ninou
Bom in 1918 in a Greek community of the Caucausus,
Dalgas Ninou came to Greece as a child and sung with Tsitsanis
Bom in Constantinople in 1892, Dalgas had established from 1 948 until her premature death from cancer in 1 956.
himself as one of the premier amanes singers prior to She was more obviously feminine in demeanor and deliv-

arriving in Athens in 1 922. ery than Bellou. but no less the artist for it

Andonios Dhiamandidhis 1928-1933 5 Stou Tzimi tou Khondhrou/At Fat Jimmy's

(Heritage, UK). (Venus-Tzma, Greece).

The best dec devoted entirety to I

Poor sound quality since it was a clandestine wire recording,
but st* a classic. Performing with Tsitsanis at their habitual
club in 1955, Ninou gives it her ail, including two cuts in
Elleniki Apolavsi
Turtash. Wel worth rooting out.
Among the half-dozen or so rem bet ka revival groups of
ii Marika Ninou & Vassilis Tsitsanis
the early 1980s, this was perhaps the grittiest - and
stands up well with the early masters, twenty years on.

Apagorevmena Rembetika 2V 3 -Falirea. Greece).

A welcome re-release on CO. this is an atmosphenc record-

ing, withample Asia-Minor material (and instrumentation, Marika Papagika
ndudrxj tzouras. saz. oud and tournberleki).
Bom on Kos in 1890, Papgika emigrated to the US in
1913, where she performed with her husband Gus
Rosa Eskenazi between 1918 and 1 937, for the considerable and nostal-
Though bom in Istanbul around the turn of the century, gic Greek community in New York.
Eskenazi moved to Greece before the 1 922 disaster and
Greek Popular and Rebetic Music
then lived in Athens until her death in 1980. Her voice
in New York 1918-1929 Alma Criolla. US).
inimitably combined innocence with the come-hither
sensuality that was supposed to be intrinsic to all the Marika Papagka's best work, with Gus on sandouri; ndudes
hanumakta (bar girls) from Asia Minor. an affecting, rare kantadha duet with Marika Kastrouri.

1 38 Greece
 2

Vassilis Tsitsanis Artists

One of the giants of rembetika, mellowing and popularis-
ing the style, Tsitsanisbegan his recording career in Haris Alexiou
Athens but spent the critical war years running a small
Born in Thebes in 1950, Haris Alexiou reigned virtually
club in Thessaloniki, where he performed live and accu-
unchallenged as the queen of Greek laiko (pop) through-
mulated the material that was to make him a household
out the 1970s and 1980s, her unschooled but incredibly
name. A shy, nattily dressed man, he never quite lost the
expressive voice gracing the albums of improbably varied
air of the law student he'd once briefly been.
composers.
S3 Vassilis Tsitsanis 1936-1946 (Rounder, US).
S3 Dhodheka Laika Tragoudhia (Minos, Greece).
A fine first disc to begin exploring Tsitsanis. It features mostly S3 Ta Tragoudhia tis Haroulas (Minos, Greece).
male singers, but includes
touriaka with Yioryia Mittaki.
his reputed first recording, a mas-
These discs, the first mostly rembetika, the second with lyrics a
by Manolis Rassoulis and Manos Loizos, secured Alexiou's 30
position.
S3 Dhi'skografia Tsitsani Vols 1-4 (HMV, Greece).

Four Cds - available separately - encompassing his best

early work from the mid-1 930s to 1955.

Markos Vamvakaris
The 'Grandfather of Rembetika', Vamvakaris was born on
Siros into a poor Catholic family in 1905, stowed away on
a freighter bound for Pireas at age 15, and worked odd
r
jobs around the port before discovering bouzouki and
hash - more or less in that order. The rest is Greek musi-
cal history.

Markos Vamvakaris, Bouzouki Pioneer

(Rounder, US).

Excellent sound quality, good notes and unusual material -

not a trace of his hackneyed and over-covered "Frangosyriani"
- make a top choice.

*4
this

S3 Afthentika Rembetika tis Amerikis No.

(Lyra, Greece).

Mostly Markos, and wonderful; title's a wild misnomer, as

Vamvakaris never went to America, though some 78s may
have been simultaneously issued there and in Greece.
QAEI0 HPQA0Y TOY ATTIK0Y
S3 Rembetica in Piraeus 1933-1937, Vols 1 &2 TAPTH niOYAlOYY 300 in £ P
If 9 1
l

(Heritage, UK).

- and smoked - together,

LA A fVlT- A A
The gang that played in top form:
Markos, Batis, Statos and Artemis, plus lesser-known

Stavros Xarhakos
figures.

MAUR0B0LT
P0Y
33 Rembetiko (CBS, Greece). t
Soundtrack to the namesake film, available as a double LP
or, in somewhat edited form, on one CD. Virtually the only
Laiko superstar Haris Alexiou
'original' rembetika to be composed in the last 40 years, with
lyrics by Nikos Gatsos.

Eleftheria Arvanitaki
New Waves The wondrous Arvanitaki (see feature box on p.1 35) began
her career as a rembetika revivalist, moved on to frequent,
effective collaboration with Nikos Xydhakis, and is now
Compilations considered the leading all-round female vocalist in the
E The Dance of Heaven's Ghosts country.

(EMI Hemisphere, UK).

The Very Best of, 1989-98
A well-balanced compilation of the most accessible (and (Mercury, Greece).
slickly produced) laiko, with tracks from Haris Alexiou, Yiannis
This draws largely on a trio of albums - Meno Ektos (1991),
Parios and Eleni Vitali, among others.
Ta Kormia Keh ta Maheiria (1994), Tragoudhia yia tous
Mines (1996) - all of which went gold or platinum in Greece.
3i Songs of Greece's Gypsies (FM Records, Greece).
They are discs that engage whether you understand the lan-
A good introduction to self-identified gypsy laiko performers, guage or not. Refined instrumental arrangements exquisitely
including Makis Khristodhoulopoulos, Eleni Vitali, Vassilis support Eleftheria's extraordinary voice, which is both gutsy
Paitens, and Kostas Pavlidhis. and ethereal.

Greece 139
 33 Ektos Programmatos (Mercury, Greece).

Eleftheria revisits her roots, interpreting much-loved old laiko

and dhimotika songs on this two-CD set of live, mainly

accoustic sessions. Recorded in 1998, it is an irresitable gal-

lop through Greek music of the past fifty years.

Yiorgos (George) Dalaras

Born in 1950, the son of a Piraeus rembetika player,
Dalaras has appeared on nearly 80 recordings since his
1968 debut, spanning the range of Greek music from
Anatolian, dhimotika and entekhno; in effect he has
worked with everybody who's anybody on the Gre«k
30 music scene. Virtually a national institution, Dalaras has
always - even during the junta years - remained a
staunch supporter of popular struggles, giving benefit
concerts for various worthy causes. In his commitment to
quality muscianship, he has scrupulously avoided the
more banal extremes of the pop scene.

S3 Peninda Khronia Rembetika Tragoudhi

(Minos, Greece).

The 1975 disc that helped kick-start the rembetika revival.

Manos Hatzidhakis
SB Seryiani sto Kosmo (Minos.Greece).
Even more than Theodhorakis, Hatzidhakis (1925-1994)
Dalaris's appearance with Yiannis Markopoulos - plus the suffers from being categorised as a composer of movie
material's merit - guaranteed this disc's best-selling status. soundtracks and Greek elevator music. But there's much
to enjoy, especially on his earlier discs.
S3 A Portrait: George Dalaras (EMI Hemisphere, UK).

'Best-of sampler with both live and studio work spanning his
S3 Matomenos Gamos: Paramythi khoris Onoma
entire career.
(Columbia, Greece).

Nikos Gatsos-translated lyrics, with Lakis Pappas singing.

Ross Daly
S3 O Megalos Erotikos (Lyra, Greece).
Alone or with his floating workshop-group Lavyrinthos,
A 1972 outing, with Dhimitris Psarianos on vocals, and lyrics
Daly has recorded strikingly contemporary interpretations
based on Greek poetry from Sappho to Seferis.
of traditional pieces, as well as original compositions.

S3 Selected Works (Oriente, Germany). Apostolos Kaldharas

A representative compilation from several earlier, out-of-print Born in the central Greek town of Trikala in 1 922, the late
albums (a chronic problem with his work). composer Kaldharas regularly tipped his hat to rembetika
and entekhno.
S3 Mitos (World Network, Germany).
S3 Mikra Asia (Minos, Greece).
1991 concert recordings with Spyridhoula Toutoudhaki singing.
A disc which marked Haris Alexiou's 1972 debut and, with
Glykeria vocals from George Dalaras, helped spark the rembetika
revival of the mid-1970s.
Bom near Serres in 1953, Glykeria (Kotsoula) was one of
the most popular and versatile laiko singers and rembetika S3 Vyzantinos Esperinos (Minos, Greece).
revivalists of the 1 980s, and is equally accomplished when
From 1973, with more of Haris and less of Dalaras.
exploring dhimotika and nisiotika.

IJJI Me ti Glykeria stin Omorfi Nhykhta Stelios Kazantzidhis

OSi (Lyra, Greece).
A great bear of a man, born in 1931 of Asia Minor parent-

All the above styles get a look-in on this endunngly popular age, Kazantzidhis an incredibly versatile performer,
is

1983 album. with a repertoire ranging from rembetika to mainland folk,

and the ability to sing in Turkish if needed.
Hainidhes S3 Kazantzidhis 3, 1959-1962 (EM I -Regal, Greece).

Hai'nidhes an old Turko-Cretan word meaning bolshy

is
This is the quintessential early laiko classic that made him a
layabouts; this all-acoustic group has turned the slur on its national institution.
head, their rebellion if anything is against the ossification
of Cretan lyrics and music. S3 Ena Glendi me fon Stellara (MBI, Greece).

S3 Kosmos ki Oneiro ineh Ena (MBI, Greece).

Stelios celebrates his birthday around a taverna table with
S3 Hainidhes (MBI, Greece). acoustic sidemen. An earthy and intimate session.

The group's first (and most would say best) discs. Unlike
Khimerini Kolymvites
many other 'revival' groups, they feature mainly all-original

lyrics and compositions on traditional instruments. Led by architect Arghyris Bakirtzis, this engaging northern

1 40 Greece
Greek group has pursued various directions in the 1 980s
and '90s. Yiannis Parios
;» Khimerini Kolymvites (Lyra, Greece).
Bom on Paros in 1946, Parios is George Dalaras's only
serious rival for the title of Elafro-laiko King.
Their debut album quickly acquired cult status with its blend
of rembetika, laiko and a dash of island melodies on plucked 33 Ta Nisiotika Vol 1 (Minos, Greece).

and bowed strings. This 1981 release, with the Konitopoulos family accompanying,
became Greece's most successful disc ever, with nearly a million
S3 Okhi Lathi Panda Lathi (Lyra, Greece).
copies sold to date. Though a curious chimaera - authentic folk
After disappointing subsequent efforts, a welcome return to instrumentation, laiko-style vocals - it obviously tapped a vein.
form with this live 1997 album, shared with Banda tis Florinas.
Nikos Papazoglou
Loudhovikos Ton Anoyion Born in Thessaloniki in 1948, Papazoglouwas the first to O
(Yiorgos Dhramoundanis) successfully blend lai'ko and Western-style rock, as
30
opposed to the folk-rock endeavours of the early 1 970s.
Born in 1951 in Anoyia, Crete, as his pseudonym sug-
gests, Loudhovikos was one of Manos Hatzidhakis' pro- S3 Haratsi (Lyra, Greece).
teges at the Seirios label.
Alternates introspective ballads with hard-driving electrics.
Si! O Erotas stin Kriti ine Melangolikos
(Seirios, Greece).
SB Synerga (Lyra, Greece).

Gentler, even mystical, more in the mould of later Xydhakis.

His second album restored the mandolin - downgraded in

Crete to the role of rhythm laouto - to its rightful place.

Dhionysis Sawopoulos
33 Pyli tis Ammou (Mylos, Greece).
Despite a modest discography - he took early 'retirement'
A later evolution in a larger group, with guest appearances by in the late 1980s after his much-publicised return to reli-
Malamas, Papazoglou and Nena Venetsanou. gious Orthodoxy - it's difficult to overestimate
Sawopoulos' effect on subsequent guitar-based song-
Yiannis Markopoulos writers; the credit (or much Greek folk-rock and
blame) for
folk-jazz can be laid at his door.
Born in 1939 in Iraklio, Crete, Markopoulos began record-
ing in the mid-1960s and hit his peak a decade later. S3 To Fortigo (Lyra, Greece).
Certainly the rootsiest of the entekhno composers, he has
His neo kyma-style 1966 debut, alone with his guitar.
been fortunate in the range of quality artists who have
sung for him: Yiorgos Dalaras, Nikos Xylouris, Lakis S3 Ballos (Lyra, Greece).
Khalkias, Tania Tsanaklidhou and Kharalambos
Garganourakis among others.
The radical, electrified Balkan folk release that set off the brief
folk-rock movement.
Thiteia
S3 Trapezakia Exo (Lyra, Greece).
(EMI, Greece).
The best of his later work, more digestibly folky, with a
With lyrics by Manos Eleftheriou, many consider this - with
hits like "Malamatenia Logia" - Markopoulos's best effort.
cameo by Eleftheria Arvanitaki.

33 Anexartita (EMI, Greece). Mikis Theodhorakis

This is also a strong contender, featuring an incredible range After his overplayed, over-covered 1965 soundtrack for
of talent, and the original live version of the bitter "ly Ellada", Zorba the Greek, Theodhorakis shunned Byzantine/
recorded just after the junta fell. folk/rembetic influences in favour of overtly political
symphonic works and film soundtracks dictated by his

Khristos Nikolopoulos then-Communist affiliation.

Bom in northern Greece in 1947, Nikolopoulos is the most S3 Epitafios and Epifania (EMI Columbia, Greece).
prolific and arguably most influential lai'ko composer of 33 Axion Esti (EMI Columbia, Greece).
the past three decades.
These are Theodhorakis's most influential, reputation-justifying

35 Yparkho (Minos, Greece). works. Be sure to get the original versions only: second-rate
instrumental covers abound.
With Stelios Kazantzidhis singing, this represents both of
them in peak form.
Vosporos/Fanari Tis Anatolis
S3 ly Sythetes kai ta Tragoudhia tous No. 4
Vosporos was a pioneering group led by Nikiforos Metaxas,
(Minos, Greece).
consisting largely of Istanbul musicians, and strictly orches-
A definitive collection of his songs that changed the course of tral. In 1992, Metaxas formed Fanari tis Anatolis, showcas-
Iaik6 for the 1 980s. ing Greek singer Vassiliki Papyeoryiou and (often) Turkish

artist Melda Kurt in untypical renditions of Greek and

Anatolian folk songs, plus instrumental interludes.
Aids Panou
Panou is a versatile composer, lyricist and bouzouki whiz. VOSPOROS
35 Ta Megala Tragoudhia (EMI, Greece). Vosporos (HMV, Greece).

The 1 993 retrospective is one of the best possible starts to a The original group demonstrated their 1987 debut's pertinence to
laiko collection. Grecophiles with the album subtitle Greek Composers of The City

Greece "J 41
 (ie Constantinople), highlighting the contribution of Greek and offers a particularly beguiling blend of folk, Byzantine and Asia
other non-Turkish musicians to the Ottoman courtly tradition. Minor styles.

FANARI TIS ANATOLIS Savina Yiannatou

E Ellenika keh Asikika and Balkania Oneira It's hard to classify Athens-born Savina, whose two
(MBI, Greece). decades of versatile recordings have taken her from

Hard to choose between these two albums, the best of the entekhno to folk revival by way of children's lullabies
group's recent output.
and avant-garde classical suites. Her high, penetrating
voice, like those of several other female vocalists cur-
rently the rage in Greece, can take some getting used
Nikos Xydhakis to.

Birth (1952) and early childhood in Egypt seems to have

S3 Anixi sti Saloniki (Lyra, Greece).
£73 predisposed Xydhakis to oriental influence; critics say
30 that since 1989 his albums all sound the same, but if you Re-settings of Sephardic songs in Ladino, with Middle
get hooked on the sound, you'll want them all. Eastern instrumental backing arranged by Kostas
Vomvolos; the most recent of several such efforts by vari-
m A
SI ly Ekdhikisi tis Yiftias

groundbreaking 1978 debut which

(Lyra, Greece).

effectively rehabilitated
ous artists.

laiko in Greece.
S3 Songs of the Mediterranean (Lyra, Greece).

Encouraged by the critical and commercial success of

Konda sti Dhoxa mia Stigmi
and with the same musicians and arrangers.
Anixi...,
(Lyra, Greece).
Savina broadened her scope to include not only songs
This classic 1 987 album with lyrics by Thodhoros Gonis, and from the Aegean but Italy, Sardinia, Albania and North
guest appearances by Ross Daly and Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Africa.

1 42 Greek music
Greenland
sealskin hits
It was Red who gave Greenland its unlikely name after he 'discovered' in 982 AD. It was a
Erik the it

deliberate attempt to make the place sound appealing to settlers from Iceland - and it worked.
33
According to the chronicles he "gulled twenty-five ship loads of men, women, serfs and animals and
off they sailed." It must be one of the earliest PR successes on record and Greenland can boast many
such surprises - including the world's most successful record label. Etienne Bours fills in the details.

Z
town of Sisimut, just north of the accessible to the outside world and developed O
The Arctic circle, boasts 5000 Eskimos, 3000 more rapidly. Now Greenland, like the rest of
dogs and a twenty-four track recording the world, is a place of fast communication, and
studio. This is the home of ULO, who new music reaches every small community.
could be legitimately described as the world's The ancestral Inuit drum dances are played
most successful record label. Their least success- by one or two people on a small oval drum with
ful recordings sell the equivalent of four times a wooden frame covered with a bear-bladder

platinum in Europe. Their biggest sellers move and struck with a stick on the frame rather than
over 10,000 units to a population of 50,000. the skin. It is drums of
related to the Inuit
That equates to sales of twenty-five million in Canada and Siberia, although smaller in scale
the States. The company was created by and played more intimately.
Karsten Sommer, a Dane, and Malik Hoegh, The Inuit used to sing and play the drum for
an Inuit musician from the group Sume in 1976. many occasions: feasts and gatherings, to tell sto-
"ULO can only function," says Sommer, ries, to play games and to tease or charm part-
"because people in Greenland love to listen to ners. Personal songs or pisiq (the word comes
their local music. Greenland is the biggest island from Canada) are bound up with daily life
in the world, stretching half the length of Africa. events — something like a Sami joik. The singer
Fifty thousand Inuit live in towns or villages, far is the owner of the song and if somebody else

from each other, and the only connection sings it, the song is often named after its original
between people is by ship or plane. The CD and author. A song can be passed on and be sung
the cassette, therefore, have become the link practically unchanged in 1909 and in 1984 — as

between people all over Greenland. And

music is the medium for new poetry. Rock
and pop present thoughts and feelings, tell
stories and ideas to Greenlanders. They repay

us by buying CDs in quantities that make the

island one of the hottest music markets in the
world — if you compare the sales figures with
the number of inhabitants."

Drum Songs
Greenland now sustains awide range of
music from daim dances to hip-hop. ULO's
biggest sellers are rock and pop groups like
Sume and Zikaza, but they also make a
and release traditional
great effort to record
Inuit music. This has survived best in the
northeast (Thule) and east of the country
(Ammassalik). The south and west were more Greenland polka dance

Greenland 143
 Polka, Rock and Hip-
Hop
The Inuit always liked and dance. So
to sing, play
when the new settlers soon adapted
arrived, they
the instruments brought by the Whites. Danes
colonised the island over two hundred and fifty years
ago and there were visiting whalers from other parts
of the world, so the influences were diverse. From
the missionaries the Inuit learned to sing hymns;

o
30
from the whalers they leamefl to play accordion and
fiddle; from the Danes they learned the polka.
m
m This new music had a dramatic effect and the
TRADITIONAL results were something new again - like the Inuit
r— REENLANDIC polka, the kalattuut. This Inuit music was danced
at feasts and passed down from generation to gen-
MUSIC eration like the drum dance before. The musician's
relationship with their instrument is often very
you can hear on the Traditional Greenlandic Music and passionate. People talk, for
physical, joyful
CD. Some personal songs don't use words, just example, of the late accordion player Louis
vocables — ay-ay-a. That's why some people call Andreasen who would talk and laugh to his
these chants ayaya. instrument when playing.

The drum was also the instrument of the A

younger generation took to the guitar and
sung about their life between two worlds. Their
shaman (angakkog) who brought luck for hunt-
folk songs, rock and blues can sound like a pale
ing and made magic. It was even a kind of judi-
imitation of Western music, but it's the words that
cial weapon maintaining the social order. When
are important. The young groups tend to avoid
somebody's behaviour was causing problems,
ancestral instruments like the drum, but with gui-
communi-
instead of a sanction against him, the
tars, keyboards, bass and drumkit they've sung their
ty sometimes organised song duel between a own experience and dared to say that the forefa-
the offender and the victim. The problem was thers knew the way and that even the sound of
brought in front of the group. The spectators the drum should be heard again:
were the court, determining the winner by their
shouts, exclamations and laughs. The one who
Be aware of the power of nature
made the audience laugh the most won. Here's
because it is the very source of life
an example:
You yourself have to revitalise

the fading sound of the drum.

/ long to answer him who stands before me
I am married, I am not like you The song "Inngerpalaaq" by the group Silamiut.

Maybe you would like to try them again

Some modern musicians have in fact sampled Inuit
Try those up in the tent
drums, or used a traditional perfonner in their music.
I will tell who you have visited
Another singer, Rasmus Lyberth, one of the
You have visited my wife
most powerful voices of the Arctic, sings about
You lay with her as I have lain with her
the experience of trying to eek out a living in Den-
But you got tired of that. Toruka got tired mark as an economic migrant:
How strange that I should sing about that.

(Recorded in 1 961 on Traditional One evening alone with my thoughts,

Greenlandic Music). I think of my land, so far away.
Memories of my childhood
Even if this system is now obsolete, some singers make me want to go back,
are keeping the tradition of drum songs alive, main- But here I am, homeless
ly in the northern and eastern parts of the country. with no work and no money.
They maintain a repertoire of old songs, extracts from
contests, games and personal songs. Drum songs are But in Greenland itself it is cultural identity that
performed on stage, too, and this is a way of keep- is important and music is major part of that, as
a
ing the tradition alive and attracting new interest. ULO recognises: "We must supply Greenland with

144 Greenland
 ;

recordings of the best music that exists there, and Nuuk Posse
then try to urge the most gifted musicians to look
Literally 'The gang from Nuuk' the capital of Greenland.
deeper into their tradition." who combine hip-hop and rap with
Six singers traditional
One of die most successful of contemporary groups, drum dance and the sound of whales, etc.
the Greenland rappers, Nuuk Posse have sampled
Nuuk Posse
drum songs from ULO's own catalogue and have (ULO, Greenland).
their own messages about Greenlandic identity:
This debut CD was a big success in Greenland - and in

Japan. It is the voice of a new musical generation: "We're

Greenlanders, Arctic rappers, Northern funkers, Greenland
The city is a jungle with hunters and prey rap is here to stay." Move over, Compton.
Pale riders passing by I'm trying to find my way
Sick and tired of street signs Silamiut
Written in a language that's not mine This Inuit rock group was among Grenland's most popular
I want to write in Greenlandic in the 1980s.

Be proud of who you are and open your mind. 33 Inuugujoq (To my Friend) (ULO, Greenland).

"Oqariartuut" by Nuuk Posse. This disc from 1987 features female singer Vivi Nielson
backed by guitars, keyboard, bass and drums. A good exam- D
ple of Greenlandic rock - the lyrics are more important than
the music. Songs about the Inuit, the traditional drum, life, lib-

discography erty and identity.

Sume
ULO Greenlandic Music can be contacted at PO Box 184, Sume (Where?) were Greenland's first pop group releasing
DK-391 1 Sisimiut, Greenland = (299) 1 86581 1 their first record, Sumut (Where To?) in 1973. It was
fax: 86581 2; www.ulomusic@greennet.gl bought by twenty percent of the population and kick start-
ed the Greenlandic pop industry. They re-united in 1994
for another hit album Persersume (Snowdrift). Their songs
Compilations have always looked at the cultural confusion of Inuit life.

S3 Traditional Greenlandic Music (ULO, Greenland).

A cross section of traditional styles from the different areas of

Greenland. Shaman songs, drum songs, epic songs and
singing games etc. Recordings from 1905 to 1987. Not an
easy listen, but fascinating. Good notes.

HS Kleemannikkut 4 (ULO, Greenland).

For accordion fans, Joergen Kleemann and his family playing

kalattuut-polka music on various accordions, bass and drums
- sounding rather like a Scottish ceilidh band. Also some
songs accompanied by guitar. An important part of contem-
porary Inuit music.

Qavaat: Music from South Greenland

(ULO, Greenland).
S3 Sume 1973-1976 (ULO, Greenland).
Old and new music from the south. Traditional drum songs,
Some songs from various line-ups around com-
of their best
fiddle, accordion and mouth organ for polkas and square
posers, singers and guitarists Malik Hoegh and Per
dances, plus contemporary pop songs. Features fifteen tunes
Berthelsen. "It's time to live again as Inuit and not as
from accordionist Louis Andreason.
Westerners" says the song "Nunaqarfiit" (Restoration).

Artists Zikaza
Greenland's most popular group. Seven musicians with
guitars, keyboards, sax, bass and percussion producing
Rasmus Lyberth sophisticated rock.
Greenland's most popular folk singer has been singing for
Miki Goes To Nuussuaq
over twenty years now. He is at his best accompanying
(ULO, Greenland).
himself on guitar or joined by a couple of fellow musi-
cians. ULO's most successful album, which won the band a
'Sealskin disc'. Zikaza sing about generational conflicts in the
S3 Emingaa (To my son) (ULO, Greenland). Arcticwhere young and old don't necessarily live in the same
Lyberth's debut CD. Simple, but effective, songs about life,
world. It's time to be careful to stay masters of their own

work, love, his forefathers and snow. country or it's going to be the end of their culture.

Greenland 145
 Gypsy Music
kings and queens of the road
El Camaron, Django Reinhardt, the Taraf de Haidouks, The Gipsy Kings: the words Gypsy and music
CI
< appear together with astonishing regularity throughout Europe and the Middle Past, as exponents of
popular styles from belly dance to flamenco*. Gypsies - or Roma, as they call themselves in the
C/5 Romani language - are important practitioners of the music in many of the articles in this book -
•<
notably in Spain, Hungary, Romania, Macedonia and Turkey - yet the Gypsy music of these regions is
only a partial glimpse ofia wider story of migration only scantily researched. Simon Broughton traces
the Roma journey from India to Spain and listens out for unifying threads in the music.
£2

great flamenco singer El Camaron Wherever they have ended up, it seems that
The de la Isla sings a
panied by a sitar,
Lorca poem accom-
not the expected Span-
Gypsy musicians have an unfailing ability to absorb
local styles and make them their own. Among folk

ish guitar, on the opening track of World musicians they tend to be much more open to new
Network's compilation of Gypsy music, sounds and influences than the 'indigenous' locals,

Road of the Gypsies. It makes an impressive and retaining a kind of nomadism of musical taste.
appropriate connection between the beginning International tunes - the "Lambada" is a popular
and end of the Gypsy trail, one that stretches from favourite in eastern Europe - get reworked as part
roots in Northern India to Andalusian flamenco. of a local tradition, and as professionals, Gypsy
In a similar way Hameed Khan (not himself a musicians essentially play what is popular.
Gypsy), who leads the group of Rajasthani Gyp- This drives folk music 'purists' to despair, as cen-
sies, Musafir. has brought his Indian ear to fla- turies-old traditions are 'corrupted' in the time it

menco music and plans a collaboration with takes for The Gipsy Kings to record, say, Frank
Andalusian musicians after feeling the musical Sinatra's "My Way". Yet by the very voracious-
affinities for himself: "I heard two guitarists play- ness of their borrowing, Gypsy musicians have
ing in Cordoba. I took out my labia — they'd never kept, and are keeping, living, traditional music
seen one before — and played along with them. I alive into the twenty-first century.
could feel their rhythms and a Gypsy girl got up
to dance. There is definitely a shared musical lan- Dom, Rom, and Rights
guage."
These examples are deliberate attempts to forge The word Gypsy, and its equivalent in other
links between India and Spain as a statement of European languages - the German Zigeutier, French
identity and common culture. It's difficult to pin Tzigane and Spanish Gitano — is often thought to
down specific links between the various types of be pejorative. It derives from the word 'Egypt',

Gypsy music in Europe, the Middle East and where the Gypsies were assumed to have come
India. Clearly, they share characteristics: an from at one time, though they in fact originated
upfront, declamatory, raw singing style is evident in India. Dom - of which Rom is thought to be

in flamenco, Rajasthani Gypsy music and much a corruption - refers to a lower caste group doing
of the Gypsy music of eastern Europe, and each menial work in India today, but in the past it just

of these musics share a tendency to make exag- meant 'man' which is also the meaning ot 'Rom'
gerated slides between notes, wringing out the in Romani, the Gypsy language.
emotion. But perhaps more intersting and more It's probable that theft were several migrations

important is the way the Gypsies in all these of Rom from India into the Middle East and Europe
regions have become the leading folk musicians, - today, there are an estimated 1 2 million Gypsies
practising music as a trade, just as they do other outside India with about eight million in Europe.
caste-professions as blacksmiths, horse-traders, Linguistic differences divide the Indian Gypsies into

peddlers, and bringing to it a distinctive show- various subgroups, and once they'd arrived in
manship and display. Europe the dispersals got ever more complex as per-

146 Gypsy music

 were given corn, oxen and donkeys so they could
Opre Roma (Rise up Roma) become tanners, but ate the oxen and corn and
returned after a year starving, whereupon the angry
I've travelled, travelled long roads
Shah told them to fit their instruments with strings
Meeting with happy Roma
of silk, put their possessions on their donkeys and
Roma where have you come from
wander the world.
With tents on fortune's road?
It's not known which tribe or tribes of nomads
Roma, o fellow Roma
might have made the voyage to Persia, but the
links between Romani and Indian languages such
Once had a
I great family
as Hindi, Punjabi and Sanskrit make it pretty cer-
The Black Legion* murdered them
tain that is where the Rom originated. It's prob-
Come with me, all the world's Roma
For the Romani roads have opened able that several migrations occurred at different

Now's the time, rise up Roma, times, given the Muslim invasions of northwest-
We shall now rise high ern India from the eighth century, but linguistic
Roma, o fellow Roma. specialists think the Gypsies must have left India
before 1000AD.
Romani anthem, written by Jarko Jovanovic; Northwest India, and Rajasthan in particular,

(* Black Legion refers to the Nazi SS) still has a high concentration of nomadic tribes and
Gypsies, many of whom have specific professions:
the Gadia Lohar are blacksmiths (a profession asso-
sedition forced movement one way and then anoth- ciated with Gypsies everywhere), the Kamad are
er. In virtually every European country there has travelling jugglers, the Bhat are puppeteers, the
been popular or state persecution against the Gyp- Sapera are pipe-playing snake charmers and the
sies, culminating in the extermination by the Nazis Langa, Manganiyar, and Bhopa storytellers are all

of an estimated half a million during World War II. musician castes in Rajasthan (see on 'Folk
article

Since the fall of Communism in eastern Europe, and Tribal music in India' in Volume Two of this
there has been a resurgent and violent racism against book). Acrobats, and magicians:
fakirs, illusionists

Gypsies, with communities forced in fear from Slo- all arts seem to have informed the showman-
that
vakia, in particular, and, most recently, from Koso- ship and manner of Gypsy music.
vo, following the Serbian war. Of the many professional musicians of Rajasthan,
On a positive front, however, since the 1970s, the Manganiyars, who operate in the Thar desert
there hs been a growing awareness of Gypsy iden- around Jaisalmer, seem the closest to European
tity and culture, and moves to establish
political Gypsy musicians; they have low social status and
rights. The popular Balkan Gypsy song "Djelem, are always on call to provide a party. Typically they

Djelem" (I've travelled) was chosen as the Romani play the kamayacha, a bowed fiddle with four
anthem (see above), and in 1979 the UN recog- strings and a large skin-covered circular belly carved
nised the Roma as a distinct ethnic group. out of mango wood. Like most folk musicians from

Rajasthan
Music Roots
Arab and Persian historians
describe how Shah Bahram
Gur, who ruled Persia from 420-
438 AD, invited musicians and
dancers from northwest India to
entertain his people. One source
says four thousand, another
twelve, but they were spread
throughout the kingdom and left

dark descendants 'who are experts

in playing the flute and lute'. A
later Persian history, written by
Firdausi in 1011, tells a story
about how the Shah's musicians

Gypsy music 147

 the region they play and sing music which has the the cross trushul, the same word they used for the
essential Gypsy qualities of declamation, emotion trident carried by the Hindu god Shiva in India.
and ecstasy,but unusually, for percussion, they use The migration of the Gypsies often seems to
pairs of khartal - hard sal wood clappers used just have been connected with Muslim invaders, for
like flamenco castanets. Who knows if the Man- whom they often took on the role of playing music
ganiyars, or their ancestors, are the proto-Gypsies? (as Muslim musicians were not encouraged by the
The castanets may be coincidence, but they are as religion), but by whom they were often persecut-
strong a musical connection as you'll find on the ed for their lack of a monotheistic faith. Gypsies
Gypsy road. in Turkey have long been a part of the rich eth-

en nic mix of Istanbul and are still an important part

-<
The Baluchi Osta of Turkey's musical life toctay (see opposite).

(/>
From Constantinople the Gypsies crossed into
•< Spread out over a vast territory of Pakistan and Europe in advance of and after the Ottoman con-
Iran, and a part of Afghanistan, are around ten quest of the city in 1453. From the fourteenth and
million (traditionally nomadic) Baluchi people. fifteenth centuries there are records of Gypsies in
GO Within Baluchi society, the osta caste are the the Balkans - Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Roma-
O music makers and share a fairly low status with nia and Hungary, all countries where they have
other categories like blacksmiths and carpenters. made a huge contribution to the music and still
They have been cited as possible descendants of do so today.
the musicians cast out to wander by Bahram Gur, In Turkey and the Balkans the pairing of zurna
but they have absorbed so many different ethnic (wooden shawm) and davul (barrel drum) is fre-
groups (who have adopted their language and cus- quently heard outdoors weddings and festivi-
at

toms) that it's hard to come up with hard evidence. ties. The insistent wailing of the zurna, usually
Like all the musician castes of the region the osta played with continuous 'circular breathing', and
are fiery performers with declamatory voices and the driving rhythms of two furiously wielded sticks
great instrumental virtuosity. The most important on the drum
slung round the neck is strongly asso-
instrument is the bowed sorud (fiddle) carved into ciated with Gypsy musicians and this shawm and
a complicated skull-like shape with four playing drum duo is found stretching back along the
strings a number of vibrating sympathetic
and Gypsy route through Iran and into Central Asia,
The instrument has a soft, but edgy tone
strings. India and China.
with wonderful colours - often used to accompa- The names of the instruments remain virtually
ny songs and epic chants, but also as a solo instru- unchanged across this vast territory. The word
ment and for trance music. The tanburag lute 'zurna' originates from the Persian shahnai (from
often gives a rhythmic drone accompaniment. shah, king and nai, flute), which bears the same
name in India, becomes sornai or soma in
The Road to Europe Afghanistan, suona in China and zurna (in Turkey);
the Persian dohol becomes davul in Turkey and
Linguistic ingredients in the Romani language Greece. Similarly the Persian santur (hammer dul-
indicate prolonged periods in Persia and Arme- cimer) was probably brought by the Gypsies to
nia. There are still groups of Indian origin in Iran Greece (sandouri) and Hungary (cimbalom), where
and the Middle East today, but it seems likely that it's long been a favourite in Gypsy bands.
the Gypsies that ended up in Europe left before While many Gypsies went west through Turkey
or shortly after the Arab conquest of Persia in the and into Europe, others left Persia and went south
seventh century. Persian absorbed many Arabic into the Arab lands and then on to Egypt, reach-
words but very few are to be found in Romani. ing as far south as Sudan in the fifteenth century.

There are, though, a large number of Armenian Musicians from Gypsy families have played an
words which suggests that Armenia was the next important role in Arabic music, in both the folk
stop after leaving Persia. and classical fields. The late Matar Muhammad,
From the fringes of the medieval Byzantine for example, was one of the great buzuq player of
Empire the Gypsies were attracted to the capital, the Arab world. The buzuq, a long-necked lute,

Constantinople (now Istanbul), where from 1050 is a popular instrument amongst Gypsy families of
on there are references to fortune tellers, acrobats, the Middle East.
snake charmers and bear trainers who are thought There are still Gypsies - called Nawar - in

to have been Gypsies. In their wanderings, the Upper Egypt and they are frequently entertain-
Gypsies encountered Christianity and they called ers, acrobats, dancers and musicians, playing rebab

148 Gypsy music

or rcbabalt (upright fiddle), tambourines and those staple entertainment in cabarets and nightclubs,
tell-tale castanets. Egypt's best-known group of more or less erotic depending on the venue. Less
traditional players, The Musicians of the Nile, showy and professional versions of the dancing can
includes Gypsy or Gypsy-related musicians. still be seen at Gypsy weddings, particularly, in

It's possible that, with a migration across north Thrace (the European part of Turkey towards Bul-
Africa, it may have been Egyptian Gypsies that garia) where many of the best Gypsy musicians
arrived in Moorish Spain, but most evidence sug- come from.
gests they came from the north. Clarinettist Mustafa Kandirah, the Erkose
brothers and the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble,
Turkey led by Burhan Ocal, are among the top Turkish
- -
O
Gypsy performers (see Turkey article p. 409 -<
In Turkey today, the vast majority of restaurant for more on them). o
to
and gazino (nightclub) musicians are Gypsy (called -<
Roman in Turkish). They are also widely employed Greece
and for pop and arabesk
in the radio orchestras
C/5
recordings. However, the style of music with As throughout Turkey and the Balkans, Gypsies
which Roman are inextricably linked is fasil (light in Greece - known as Yiftoi ('Egyptians') - have
classical) and belly dance. long been involved in music as well as other typ-
With the virtuosity and panache that charac- ical Gypsy professions - horse-traders, acrobats,
terise Gypsy bands everywhere, these fasil musi- bear-trainers and Karagoz shadow puppeteers.
cians are masters of the Turkish clarinet (klarnet They are found almost exclusively on the main-
- a metal instrument usually pitched in G), vio- land and especially the Peloponnese; they are not
lin (kaman - typically played with yelping and part of the musical scene on the islands (where
screeching glissandos to attract attention), kanun the communities have perhaps been too small to
(lap-top zither lending a lacy texture to the sustain them) and played little role in rembctika
ensemble) and darbuka (goblet drum). The uci music which was dominated by Greeks from Asia
(lute) and ciimbiif (a type of banjo) are also com- Minor.
mon. The fast fasil tunes are driven by the dar- Traditionally Greek Gypsies played instrumen-
buka while clarinet and violin weave melodies on tal music and rarely sang. There were two types
top with furious runs and impossibly long sus- of ensemble, the ubiquitous zurna and davul
tained notes. The slower melodies and songs are duo and the more refined koumpaneia music,
highly ornamented, with lyrics of love, betrayal, the equivalent of Turkish fasil, frequently heard in
poverty and drink. the coffee house or Cafe Amdn, and at weddings,
Gypsy musicians were already in Con- parties, and funerals. The clarinet is the lead instru-
stantinople (Istanbul) before the arrival of ment along with violin, lute or accordion.
Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453. Throughout Koumpaneia music was frequently played by
Anatolia, they were folk musicians and they were Jews until World War II, but with the devastation
also involved in the Karagoz shadow theatre of the Greek Jewish communities it became the
— which is thought to have been brought from province of Gypsy musicians. The city of Ioanni-
the east, and may even be about a Gypsy char- na in Epirus has long been an important centre of
acter as karagoz means 'black eye'. Turkish his- this style.

torians relate that Mehmed

brought Gypsy More recently, with the growth of the Greek
musicians to Istanbul and into the court orches- popular music industry over the past thirty years,
tras. Ottoman music was sustained by a multi- Gypsy singers like Yiannis Saleas and Kostas
cultural range of musicians who were organised Pavlidis have become popular commercial artists.
into guilds according to their ethnic group. There
were guilds of Turkish, Armenian, Greek, Jew- Eastern Europe
ish and Gypsy musicians.

The belly dance grew out of the professional It's estimated that 47 percent of Europe's Gypsies
and courtly entertainments which included the live in the Balkans which makes the region the
raks dance in which female dancers, clicking fin- densest concentration of Gypsies in the world.
ger cymbals, moved the belly, shoulders and other Throughout eastern Europe, Gypsy musicians have
parts of the upper-body while dancing. During the been primary carriers of the folk tradition since
twentieth century Egyptian influences were the nineteenth century; indeed, most of what we
absorbed into the dance and the style became the think of as east European folk music is almost

Gypsy music 1 49
 exclusively played by Gypsies. But the forms and names. Nonetheless, they remain a distinct group,
sound of the music vary from place to place as the and Bulgarian Gypsy musicians are important in
Gypsies have adapted to local styles; even the same local wedding band music.
band wiU vary its repertoire and instrumentation
depending on who it is playing for. Romania

Albania and Macedonia In Romania it's string bands that predominate

and the lautari (Gypsy musicians) are the princi-
In south Albania it's essentially the Epirus-style pal players. In Wallachia, the south of the coun-

C3 o£ koutnpaneia music that's played on the clarinet, try, a typical ensemble, called a taraf (the word
-< violin and accordion or The same sort qf
lute. comes from Arabic through Turkey, has fiddles,
-o music is called calgia in Macedonia w here it also accordions and/or cimbaloms and a double bass.
C/5
-< exists in a modernised electric form largely played There are long accompanied ballads and furious
by Gypsies. In Macedonia and Serbia, it's the dances, the lead fiddle carrying the melody, accom-
brass band that is predominant. panying violins and the rippling textures of the
CO Emir Kusturica's film The Time of the Gypsies cimbalom filling out the middle parts, and a rhyth-
was shot in the Macedonian Gypsy suburb of mic plucked bass. Almost every village will have
Shuto Orizari (or Shutka), the largest Gypsy its taraf, but the best-known internationally is the

town in the world. The music from the film (by Taraf de Haidouks who have recorded and
Goran Bregovic), and particularly the hit song toured extensively. Their strength is that they are
"Ederlezi", a traditional tune (reputedly of Alba- a real village band, used to regular wedding gigs,

nian origin) catapulted to international populari- and not some tolkloric ensemble. They are a loose

ty by the film, is now a staple for Gypsy brass bands group ot around a dozen musicians who also break
of the region and other groups in the
Balkans and Turkey (where it became a

hitperformed by Sezen Aksu). Hindi

film soundtracks are also a popular
source of music. The tunes are often
reworked into cocek forms far from the
original, but they reflect an important
awareness of Gypsy ethnic origins.
Amongst the leading Macedonian
Gypsy musicians are the brass Kocani
Orkestar, the great saxophone and
clarinet player Ferus Mustafov, and
the singer (usually in Romani) Esma
Redzepova. Her voice, often with the
ensemble led by her late husband, clar-
inetist Stevo Teodosievski, is one that
takes you back the thousands of miles to
the Gypsies' origins with its raw power Kalotaszegi fiddler Sandor Fodor
and declamatory emotion.
Many of the east European Gypsy female down into smaller units of three or four players in
vocalists like Redzepova, Slovakia's Vera Bila the way they might for different sized weddings
and Hungary's Mitsou have a paradoxical but in their home village of Clejani, near Bucharest.
winning combination of childlike innocence and In Transylvania, northwest Romania, within

long-suffering world-weariness. That could be the sweep of the Carpathian mountains, Gypsies
almost a defining quality of the typical Gypsy voic- are still the principal musical providers, but the
es in eastern Europe and beyond. instrumental line-up and musical style is slightly
different. Here it's a trio or quartet of lead fiddle,

Bulgaria over the strong rhythmic base of one or two

accompanying violins playing off-beat chords and
Bulgaria's large Gypsy population was during the a strongly-bowed double bass. Accordions and cim-
Communist period, like the country's Turkish baloms are rather less common. Transylvanian music
population, pressurised into Bulgarianising their has a more central European harmonic structure

ft

1 50 Gypsy music
 Changing Styles: Taraf de Haidouks
Right across eastern Europe the Gypsies have, by complex walking bass lines and instrumental solos that

default, helped preserve the local musical cultures, by show a growing familiarity with stage performance and
maintaining its function and life, particularly in places jazz.

such as Greece and Romania. Ironically, though, Gypsy While the group's success may have brought a
musicians are rarely purist in their approach - they will faster change into their music the process is noth-
borrow tunes and instruments voraciously and they're ing new and the Romanian musicologist Constantin
frequently accused of diluting the traditions. But the Bra'iloiu noted in the 1930s how the Gypsies were
en
fact is, they have an ear for what their clients want and grafting on new dance rhythms and introducing ele- -<
this is what keeps their music in demand. In the record- ments from popular urban culture. That is one of the

ings of the Taraf de Haidouks, the most recorded defining features of Gypsy music, and it's a process
CO
-<
Gypsy band of them all, you can hear the way the that works two ways. The Taraf de Haidouks' veter-
music has altered over the course of twelve years from an violinist Nicolae Neascu creates an extraordinary
their first disc (Romanie: Les Lautari de Clejani on sound by tieing a horse-hair to the bottom string of CO
Ocora) recorded
(Dumbala
in 1986 through
Dumba on CramWorld)
to their

in 1998.
most recent the violin and playing
it
it by rhythmically pulling
with his resin-coated finger and thumb. The sound
it at
o
The first Haidouks disc, before the band had played is like a deep cry from the earth (you can hear it on
much beyond their immediate region, includes a lot of "The Wife of the Innkeeper" on the Ocora recording
long ballads and some furious dance numbers from the and, most famously, the "Ballad of the Dictator" on
pure Wallachian tradition. The more recent discs bring their first disc for CramWorld). The group have
in Bulgarian and Yugoslav-style tunes from further afield, recently been recording with the Kronos Quartet
played by younger musicians in the group. There's a who've adopted the idea in their own music - a new
more self-conscious showiness and celebration of vir- technique entering the Kronos' high art Californian

tuosity in the younger musicians' playing, as well as sound world.

and sound, which is strikingly beautiful. Of the Bfla, now resident in the Czech Republic (see p. 54).

countless village Gypsy musicians, the Palatca Small in height, wide in girth, Bila has a powerful
band is well-known and the Kalotaszeg fiddler almost male-sounding voice that can really swing
Sandor 'Neti' Fodor is recognised as one of the with her band Kale, as she expresses (in Romani)
last great masters of the old style. Maramure§, to the hardship and tragedy of Gypsy life. Her song
the north, also has its share of great Gypsy fiddlers, about drinking herself to death because her lover's
but as the territory rises into the Carpathian moun- left her, "Te me Pijav Laches Rosnes" has extraor-
tains Gypsy musicians thin out and 'indigenous' dinary grief-stricken sliding between pitches.
musicians take over. (See Romania article - p.237
- for more on these styles). Hungary

Poland Hungary has been famous for its Gypsy music

since the end of the eighteenth century, although
Generally, Gypsies are found on the lowlands and Gypsy musicians were already mentioned in the
in urban areas, rarely in the highlands. They are sixteenth century playing 'in the Turkish manner"
not active in the rich folk tradition of the Tatras, for the Pashas occupying Hungary and 'in the
tor example, the heartland of folk music in Poland, Hungarian manner' for the Hungarian princes in

although the country has Gypsy communities. Transylvania standing out against the occupation.
Again Gypsy musicians can be seen caught up in

Slovakia both sides of a Muslim invasion.

The first celebrated Gypsy band leader was
Slovakia has Gypsy communities, although
large Czinka Panna (171 1-1772) - a woman, very
there are few musicians or singers who've become unusually, then as now. The most famous, though,
widely known. The Slovak singer Valerie wasjanos Bihari (1764-1827), who was known
Buchacova appears on Network's Road of the Gyp- as the Napoleon of the fiddle. Bihari's band usu-
sies compilation, but the greatest voice of the Slo- ally consisted of four strings plus a cimbalom, the
vak Gypsies - indeed, one of Europe's most hammer dulcimer the Gypsies probably brought
remarkable Gypsy voices - is the formidable Vera with them from Persia.

Gypsy music 151

 Many of Bihari's pieces are still in the repertoire, Russia
of Hungary's restaurant ensembles today. The most
celebrated fiddlers now playing in this style come In Russia Gypsies became popular performers in
from the Lakatos family - notably Sandor Lakatos the late eighteenth century, during the reign of
and his nephew, the young Roby Lakatos - said Catherine the Great. It's said that Count Orlov
to be direct descendants of Bihari himself. Their heard Gypsy musicians in Moldavia and in St
repertoireis essentially the light classical music of Petersburg assembled a Gypsy chorus from his
Brahms and Monti's Csardas played with lots
Liszt, Romani serfs. In 1807 he freed them to form the
of exaggerated rubato and up-front virtuosity. first professional chorus in Russia. They sang Rus-
o
-<
More slick than soul, but technically impressive. sian folksongs, but enlivened with a romanticised
There's a completely different style of music that Gypsy spirit. Tsiganschina (Gypsyness), meaning a
the rural Gypsies in Hungary (and Romania) play wild, untamed quality, became a preoccupation
-< amongst themselves. Oddly, considering the skill of and stereotype in Russian literature (for instance

the Gypsy musicians, it hardly uses instruments at Pushkin's Tlie Gypsies), however far from the truth
all. It comprises slow songs called, in Romani, loki it may have been.
c/j
and dance songs, khelimaski djili. Though there
djili During the course of the nineteenth century
o areno instruments, many of these songs are accom- Gypsy choral singing gave way to romances and
panied by rhythmic grunts, the tapping of sticks and urban songs which were hugely popular at themed
cans and imitations of instruments in a 'doobie-doo- restaurants, like Yar on the outskirts of Moscow, to

bie-doobie' sort of way called oral-bassing. which it was customary to drive in a troika in win-
These 'rolled songs' and dance songs, which ter. While the Gypsies propagated a romanticised

have a wild, improvised sound are hard to hear view of Gypsy life, they probably also created the
without a personal invitation to an event, though stereotyped image of the Russian soul with sad
some of this music features on the Duuibala Dumba songs, fiery dances and devil-may-care drinking.
album of the Taraf de Haidouks and it has also The 1917 revolution was a blow to the Russian
provided raw material for some of Hungary's pro- Gypsies and most chose to leave. Their aristocrat-
fessional Gypsy groups, notably Kalyi Jag (Romani ic patrons had gone, they were persecuted as enter-
for Black Fire) and Ando Drom (On the Road). tainers of the bourgeoisie, and the Bolsheviks
Both have added guitars and other instruments to introduced bans on nomadism. Even so, the love
the vocal and percussion line-up and both groups of Gypsy music didn't go away. "Dark Eyes", one
have strong dark-voiced vocalists singing in of the most popular Gypsy songs was taken up by
Romani - Gusztav Varga and Jozsef Balogh 'folk' ensembles and Red Army choirs. Romen,
in Kalyi Jag and the extraordinary female singer a Gypsy theatre, was established in Moscow in
Mitsou in Ando Drom (see Hungary article - 1931 and still survives today.

p. 161 - for more on these groups). One of the most popular Russian emigre per-
formers, from the 1930s through to the '50s, was
Pyotr Leschenko, not himself a Gypsy, but a cel-
ebrated singer of Gypsy songs, romances and tan-
gos. His recordings were smuggled into Soviet
Russia and were avidly danced to and cried over
round the gramophone. In Bucharest, he set up a
themed restaurant with Tiffany lamps and a mural
of a Russian troika harking back to the romantic-

days of Yar. In 1951 Leschenko was arrested on

Gypsy dress and died three years later
stage in his
camp near Bucharest.
in a penal
The Russian Gypsy violinist Jean Goulesco
(who played for the Tsar for many years) left St
Petersburg in 1917 with his newly born daughter
Lida Goulesco and settled in Paris where she
became another of the great Russian Gypsy voic-
es in exile.

Currendy the best-known Russian Gypsy group

is Loyko - two classically trained Gypsy violinists

with guitar accompaniment (based in Ireland). They

152 Gypsy music

 .

The Gipsy Kings

The sound of The Gipsy Kings, and their mega-hit song singers, joined with their cousins, the Baliardos, who
"Bamboleo", seem so redolent of tapas bar nights in were guitarists. The music they play is rooted in the
the late 1980s that it's hard to imagine they might be popular, rhythmic Rumba Gitana style of southern
the real thing. But they are Gypsies, from Aries and France and northern Spain.
Montpelier in the south of France, and they are kings, Legend has it that the band were busking in St
from the Reyes (Kings) fami- Tropez when they were spot-
ly

to
who migrated from Spain
France during the Spanish
IPSY KING ted by Brigitte Bardot
invited them to perform at a
who
<
Civil War. Jose Reyes, the celebrity party. Their fans
father of lead singer Nicholas soon included Elton John,
CO
Reyes, was a celebrated fla- Peter Gabriel, Duran Duran,
menco singer and his children Francois Mitterand, Princess
were brought up to follow in Diana and Eric Clapton. Now CO
the tradition.
"There's a Gypsy legend,"
with eight
credit
albums to their
- some of them broad-
o
Nicholas Reyes recounts, ening or diluting the music,
"that says when an old Gypsy depending on your point of

singer or guitarist is going to view, with accordions, syn-

die, he will sing or play for a thesisers, strings and a Latin

pregnant woman. Then the horn section - The Kings are

child that is born will inherit frequently to be found in the
his gift." It's that easy. The Reyes children formed a Billboard World Music Charts and their Greafesf Hits
group called Los Reyes and The Gipsy Kings were album is said to be the biggest-selling World Music
formed when the four brothers, who were essentially album of all time.

continue the prerequisites of the Russian Gypsy There have been flowerings and declines in the
tradition - heightened emotion, impulsiveness, fire music since then, but districts like Triana in Seville
and breathtaking virtuosity. still retain something of the traditional character.
One of the things that characterises flamenco is

Spain thedominance of emotion over text. Often the

words are broken up and obscured by sighs and
The most celebrated Gypsy music is, of course, emotional outbursts; vowels are often extended
flamenco, born of the fusion of cultures in into long oriental-sounding melismas which take
Andalucia, southern Spain. Flamenco isn't Gypsy flight as the conveyed through the per-
emotion is

(Gitano, in Spanish) in origin, but — as with most formance - the singing of Pastora Pavon, known
of the music in this survey - it's a style Gypsies as Nina de Los Peines (1890-1969), is renowned

have made their own for this. It is tempting to liken this declamatory
Gypsies were first recorded in Spain in 1425 and styleof singing with the other Gypsy styles in
following on from the Christian re-conquest of northwest India and eastern Europe - and indeed
Spain in 1 492 the first anti-Gypsy (and anti-Mus- flamenco and the eastern European vocal styles

lim and anti-Jewish) legislation was introduced. share the expressive outbursts of "ai" and "yai" in
Nonetheless, Gypsy communities grew in Spain the performance of the music.
over the following century, particularly in There is an extended article on flamenco else-

Andalucia, where many migrated - from Europe, where in this book (see p. 279).

perhaps also from North Africa — to fill the gap left

by the expelled Moors. France and Catalonia
Over the years a tradition of leading flamenco
families grew up in the main Andaluian cities - Gypsies were first mentioned in France, near the
Granada, Cordoba, Seville - and in the nineteenth Rhine, in the early fifteenth century, but these
century, with the rise of flamenco cafes and juer- days the main areas of concentration are in the
gas (private gatherings), Gypsies and flamenco south - in the Camargue at the mouth of the
became firmly linked in the popular imagination. Rhone and around Perpignan (Roussillon).

Cypsy music 153

Bratsch

The Perpignan Gypsies have moved back and jazz swing. He formed the Quintet Hot Club de
forth from Spanish Catalonia over the years and France in 1931 with violinist Stephane Grap-
the music to be heard on both sides of the border pelli and, after the war, embarked on hugely suc-
- in Barcelona and Perpignan - is Rumba Gitana cessful international tours. A dynasty of French
(Gypsy Rumba), made most famous by The Gypsy musicians, notably Angelo Debarre, has
Gipsy Kings. It grew from the Gypsy music of continued Reinhardt's style of Gypsy swing.
Catalonia, but with a melange of flamenco, north The most interesting Gypsy musician working
African music, Cuban and rock grafted on. Its in France today is guitarist and oud player Thier-
essence, though, is virtuoso guitar players, some ry 'Titi' Robin. He began playing in the Rumba
agile clapping and those formidable declamatory Gitana style but his bands these days frequently
Gypsy vocals - in Catalan or Spanish. draw in great flamenco artists or, harking back to
In Spanish Catalonia, the big star is Peret who Indian roots, such musicians as Rajasthani singer
opened the Barcelona Olympics, while the late Gulabi Sapera and tabla player Hameed Khan. His
Gato Perez was one of the best-known stars of recent recordings have also explored north African
rock-rumba, and Antonio Gonzalez keeps to and Sub-Saharan music - always with sensitivity

the rough and tumble rose in the teeth and glass and musical depth.
in the hand style of this music's roots. In France, Although not Gypsy at its core, the Paris-based
alongside The Gipsy Kings, who grew out of an group Bratsch should be an honourary Gypsy
earlier group called Los Reyes (see box on previ- band. They can be a dream wedding band in any
ous page), look out for the Espinas family and number of styles along the Gypsy road and are fre-
Chico & the Gypsies, led by former Gipsy King, quently joined by Gypsy guest artists.
Chico Bouchikhi. There are two important French Gypsy festi-
An earlier French-based Gypsy star was the jazz vals. In the Camargue there's a vast gathering at
musician Django Reinhardt (1910-1953); he was Saintes Maries de la Mer where Gypsies from
actually bom in Belgium, but spent most of his life France and Spain congregate to celebrate the
working in France. He was working as a guitarist, feast day of their patron saint, Sara, on May 24th

aged eighteen, when a fire broke out in the cara- and 25th. Here the music is predominantly fla-
van where he was sleeping. His left leg and third menco in style with a large number making the
and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt, pilgrimage from Andalucia. A secular music fes-
but guitar therapy led to him adopting his partic- tival, Mosaique Gitane takes place each July
ular playing style and a hugely sucessful career in in Aries.

154 Gypsy music

Britain and Ireland strong Greek and Turkish contributions.
disappointing, but this is an essential first
The notes are a
buy.
little

Gypsies reached the British Isles around 1500 India/Middle East

and there are estimated to be approximately
100,000 in Britain today. The Irish 'Tinkers' are
Compilations
probably not of Rom origin, but indigenous folk
who took to a travelling life. S3 Inde - Rajasthan:
The music of the British Gypsies is very much Musiciens professionnels populaires (Ocora, France).

part of the common folk heritage, although there The best introduction to the various caste-musicians of
Rajasthan, including Langa and Manganiyar performers.
are some trad songs ("The Squire and the Gypsy",
There's more than a hint of Gypsy-style showmanship in O
-<
for example) about the Gypsy way of life, and a many of these tracks. Good photos and notes.
-o
few that include elements of the Romani language.
Sfi The Mystic Fiddle of the Proto-Gypsies: Masters
Popular instruments are those commonly found -<
of Trance Music (Shanachie, US).
in traditional British music - the violin, mouth-
A haunting collection of instrumental numbers from veteran
organ, melodeon and spoons. Most contemporary Baluchi sarod players who live in Pakistan. Playing of great
British Gypsy songs seem to follow Country and intensity and power, whether they are Proto-Gypsies or not.

Western styles.

llddU oj the jbtoto-tfaptles

discography
There is a mass of Roma information - including disc

reviews - available at www.geocities.com/~patrin/

General compilations

Gypsy Queens
(World Network, Germany).

A daughter of Network's Road of the Gypsies collection (see

below), this 2-disc set focuses on sixwomen singers - Esma
Redzepova and Dzansever (from Macedonia), Romica
Puceanu and Gabi Lunca (from Romania), Mitsou of Ando
Drom (from Hungary) and La Macanita (from Spain). It's pas-
sionate and emotional stuff and, as ever with Network, nicely
packaged with a full-colour booklet.
S3 Sulukule: Rom Music of Istanbul
83 Late ho Drom (Caroline, France). Oraditional Crossroads, US).

The soundtrack for Tony Gatlif's rather ramshackle film about A splendid selection of instrumental numbers and songs that
Gypsy music features fine contributions from Rajasthan to really evoke the earthy character of Turkish urban Gypsy
Spain, with stops en route in Egypt, Turkey, Romania, music. The band is led by Kemani Cemal (named after his

Hungary, Slovakia and France. Aural connections are pretty instrument, the violin - keman). There are good notes about
self-evident. the history of Turkish Gypsy music and translations of lyrics.

B The Rough Guide to Gypsy Music

(World Music Network, UK). Artists
Ifyou want a single disc on gypsy music, this compilation will
do nicely. Alongside obvious choices such as Taraf de
HaTdouks and Musafir, there are more surprising selections
Istanbul Oriental Ensemble
from Greece, Albania, Finland and the UK. This ensemble of Roma musicians, led by percussionist
Burhan Ocal, are Turkey's best Gypsy recording artists.
Road of the Gypsies
They feature a traditional line-up of clarinet, violin, oud,
(World Network, Germany).
kanun and darbuka drums.
This 2-CD set of Gypsy music, stretching from Rajasthan to
Gypsy Rum
Spain, is could perhaps have
a superlative compilation, It
(World Network, Germany).
included more from that western end but makes up for with it

Camaron's excellent homage to the Gypsies' Indian roots Fourteen tracks of tight instrumental playing. Emotional twists
and a fantastic range of tracks from eastern Europe including and lightning virtuosity have your belly dancing - and lis-
will

Goran Bregovic's film music, the wonderful Esma Redzepova ten out for the screaming shrieks from Fethi Tekaygil's violin.
(singing the Roma anthem, here titled "Szelem Szelem"), the If you're hooked, there's a follow-up, 33 Sultan's Secret
Taraf de Haidouks, Hungary's Kalyi Jag and Ando Drom, and Door (also World Network, Germany).

Gypsy music 155

 arghul (a double clarinet that can be extended to alter the
Mustafa Kandirah pitch). There's also strong rootsy singing and playing on the
Born in Kandirah in 1 930, this Gypsy clarinet player toured rababah with lots of overtones.
the Middle East, Soviet Union and the band US as a fas/7

leader in the 1960s. In the US he had his formative Nedim Nalbantoglu

encounter with jazz, which earned him the nickname of
'Turkey's Benny Goodman'. Charlie Parker would not be a
Turkish violinist Nalbantoglu was born into a musical fam-
bad comparison either. Kandirah's performances have a ily and plays classical, jazz and Turkish music. His playing
quiet radicalism to them and the melodic invention of his
has all those difficult-to-define elements of exaggeration,
improvisations blend seamlessly with the restless, dance dynamism, kitsch and staggering virtuosity.

tunes.
33 Miizik kime aittir (Al Sur, France).

S3 Caz Roman (World Network, Germany). The title translates as 'Who the music belongs to' - which
This is the epitome of instrumental fasil, including some of the could be hard to define as this is"contemporary roots fusion,
genre's best-known instrumentalists - Ahmet Meter (kanftn), albeit witha strong Gypsy character. The line-up features
Metin Bukey (ud) and Ahmet Kulik (darbuka). The final section Romanian accordionist Roberto de Brasov, plus guitar and
of dance tunes was recorded live at a 1 984 concert. percussion, and tracks include a great version of a Bulgarian
tune made famous by Ivo Papasov, here reworked as "News
from Constantinople".
Kar§ilama
A group of Istanbul Gypsy musicians led by Selim Sesler
on clarinet, with Canadian vocalist Brenna MacCrimmon.
Eastern Europe, the Balkans
and Russia
83 Karsilama (Green Goat, Canada; Kalan, Turkey).

Rom music from western Turkey and the Balkans, played

with real panache. It's especially good to hear some of the
Compilations
vocal repertoire - gleaned from archive recordings and
manuscripts - so expertly sung. 33 Greece: Epirus - Takoutsia, musicians of Zagori
(Inedit, France).

Matar Muhammad Lovely recordings of an old-style koumpaneia Gypsy band

Matar Muhammad (1939-1995) was born into a Gypsy from Epirus in northwestern Greece. Various members of the

family in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. He took up the Kapsalis family feature an ensemble with clarinet, violin,
in

buzuq aged seven and made his professional debut in the lute and tambourine. The disc opens with a rare recording of

early1960s on the BBC's Arabic programmes. With per- elaborately ornamented funeral music, plus dance music and

formances at the Baalbek Festival he became celebrated drinking songs.

throughout the Arab worlds, but sadly partial paralysis

S3 Gypsy Music of Macedonia and Neighbouring
stopped him playing for the last twenty years of his life.
Countries (Topic, UK).

S3 Hommage a un mattre du buzuq (Inedit, France).

A good disc for those wanting to explore the characteristic
Recordings of some of Muhammad's last performances live Gypsy duo of zurna and drum in the Balkans and beyond. Its

in the Beirut Theatre in 1972. What makes him a remarkable title is rather misleading as one track from
it features only
musician is the free-wheeling imaginative fantasy of his Macedonia, but plenty more from Kosovo, Romania, Greece
improvisations within the classical Arabic modes. There are and Turkey. Wild stuff recorded in the 1970s and '80s.
four such here, and the exclamations and applause of an
S3 Music of Greece's Gypsies (FM Records, Greece).
appreciative audience add to the extraordinary atmosphere.
A great disc recorded live at a concert featuring some of

Musafir Greece's top Gypsy performers. Very strong vocals from

Eleni Vitali, Kostas Pavlidis, Yiannis Saleas and others plus
Musafir is a loose group of mainly Rajasthani Langa musi-
masterly instrumental playing, notably on zurna and clarinet.
cians put together by tabla player Hameed Khan. The
Some songs are traditional in character, others more modern.
group perform Gypsy and folk repertoire alongside spec-
Bregovic's "Ederlezi" inevitably appears.
tacular circus and fakir displays.

83 Rom Sam Ame! (Fonti Musicali, Belgium).

33 Musafir: Gypsies of Rajasthan
(BMG/Blue Flame, Germany). A Gypsy songs
specialised, but excellent survey of authentic
from towns and villages in central and eastern Hungary -
six
Good professional performances of folk music, Sapera snake
vocals, in Hungarian and Romani, with accompanying
charmers' music and devotional songs to Baba Ramdev.
spoons and struck pots and tables. Gypsy music for Gypsies.
Instrumentation includes several flutes and pipes, sarangi and
Excellent photos and notes.
harmonium.

The Musicians of the Nile Artists

A group of fine traditional musicians from Upper Egypt
with links toGypsy families, although these things are
hard to ascertain in Egypt. They are led by singer and
Ando Drom
rababah (upright two-string fiddle) maestro Metqal Ando Drom are currently the most successful of
Qenawi Metqal. Hungary's professional Romany ensembles. The band
have been around since the early 1980s, led by Jeno
83 Luxor to Isna (RealWorld, UK).
Zsigo, and have transformed the rural Gypsy traditions
The ensemble play dry deserty music on the zumarin (the into a dynamic concert music featuring the swarthy
Egyptian version of the zurna), with drums and an unusual vocals of Monika 'Mitsou' Juhasz Miczura.

156 Gypsy music

33 Phari Mamo (World Network, Germany). 35 The Greatest Living Gypsy Voice
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
This is, as the subtitle says, 'magnificent Gypsy music from

Budapest' - and not the schmaltzy cafe variety. Ando Drom, Despite the absurd title, this is a great disc with excellent
with a vocal and percussion line-up, has real soul and a vocals and some wild instrumental playing, notably from Ion

melancholy edge. They are backed on this recording by violin Trifoi on violin and Remus Kiroaci on sax in a band that also

and accordion players from the French group Bratsch. includes piano accordion, guitar and synth.

Vera Bila/Kale Roby Lakatos

an extraordinary Slovak Gypsy singer, now resident
Bila is Bom in Roby is one of the younger members of the
1965,
inthe Czech Republic. With her band Kale - guitars, famous Lakatos dynasty of professional Hungarian Gypsy
backing vocals and hand-claps, with occasional guest musicians. He learned in the family tradition as well as at
musicians on sax, piano, violin - she has recorded two the Budapest Music Academy. He has lived in Belgium
albums in Romani on the Czech BMG subsidiary, Ariola. since 1985 where he's expanded his style to include jazz •<
and Stephane Grappelli-style violin. The Hungarian cafe- "O

® Kale Kalore
(BMG/Ariola, Czech Republic).

This 1998 ablum, Bila's second CD, is the more Gypsy in

style is often sneered at, but Lakatos makes it work.

83 In Gypsy Style (M&W, Netherlands).

CO
<
The violin swoops and sighs with the characteristic rippling of
band have also picked up Latin and
character, although her
Rumba Gitana ingredients. Catchy tunes and some tragic- cimbalom and strings on these Hungarian, Russian and
Django Reinhardt melodies, along with the inevitable Gypsy
sounding tracks - "Te Me Pijav Laches Rosnes" Always (I

standard, "The Lark". Inventive arrangements, great virtuoso

Drink) - in which Bila's dark voice reaches into the depths.
playing plus a strong personality.

Sandor 'Neti' Fodor

Pyotr Leschenko
Neti (born 1922) is the most respected Gypsy fiddler of
Leschenko was a hugely popular Russian exile singer
the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania.
from the 1 930s through to the '50s, when he was arrested
53 Hungarian Music from Transylvania: and imprisoned in Romania. He was not a Gypsy, but was
Sandor Fodor (Hungaroton, Hungary). famed for his Gypsy songs and tangos.

A compelling disc of both Hungarian and Romanian music 83 Gipsy Songs & Other Passions (Oriente, Germany).
from Transylvania, played with real energy and bite, by an old
Atmospheric performances recorded (in England) in 1931
master.
and containing the best of Leschenko's Gypsy related
material, plus the odd tango and waltz. Good remastered
Kocani Orkestar recordings. There are several other such reissues on
Oriente.
This Macedonian Gypsy brass band is led by trumpet
player Naat Veliov and comes, as you might expect, from
the town of Kocani. The line-up features two trumpets, Loyko
three tubas, sax, clarinet, zurla (shawm) and drums.
A band comprising Russian Gypsy fiddlers Sergei
Erdenko and Oleg Ponomarev, the first more traditional,
S3 L'orient est rouge (CramWorld, Belgium).
the second more experimental, with guitarist Vadim
The title comes from the Chinese Communist anthem - totally Kulitsky. All were classically trained in Moscow, though
transformed into a Balkan dance - which opens the album. they are now based in Ireland.
Other cuts include a radical arrangement of the popular
"Ederlezi' tune, with an endless slow taksim (improvisation)
83 Road of the Gypsies (World Network, Germany).

on trumpet and zurla leading into a frenetic dance, and the A mixture of newly composed and traditional material, catchy
Romani anthem "Djelem, Djelem". Full-bodied and brash. and virtuoso, with a sound that seems a whole lot bigger than
an acoustic trio.
Lida Goulesco
Bom in Petrograd in 1917, Goulesco was taken by her
Ferus Mustafov
violinist father when he fled Russia after the revolution to and sax player Mustafov is one of the top
Clarinettist
Pariswhere she grew up in an atmosphere of decadent band leaders in Macedonia and has worked for the
Russian Gypsy parties in restaurants and cabarets. Romani language radio and TV in Skopje.

53 Chants folkloriques tziganes 83 King Ferus (GlobeStyle, UK).

(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).
An excellent collection of dances and songs in catchy and
This is probably as close as you can get to the music played seemingly unplayable rhythms. Good-time music for your
at decadent restaurants in Moscow and St Petersburg Shuto Orizari style wedding.
around the end of the nineteenth century. Goulesco's husky
voice speaks volumes, guitars and fiddles provide the right Palatca Band
accompaniment and lots of drunken-sounding guests make it

into a party. Palatca are one of the best Transylvanian Gypsy Bands,
from the Mezoseg region. They feature two violins, two
accompanying violas playing chords, and a string bass.
Nicolae Gutsa
'
Bare - Magyarpalatka (Fono, Hungary).
Nicolae Gutsa was born near Petroseni, Romania, in 1967
and now works in Timisoara in the Banat region. A very The third disc in Fono's Uj Pdtria series of traditional
popular singer, he performs traditional music in a contem- Transylvanian music. It's the real thing, with dodgy but
porary style. idiomatic intonation. Powerful stuff with exquisite slow

Gypsy music 157

 dances, songs and furious fast csardas dances where the "Nana del caballo grande" (Lullaby of the big horse). It is per-
bows really lay into the battered instruments. haps the most clearly 'Gypsy' of Camaron's many albums.

Taraf de Haidouks Bratsch

A loose ensemble of Romanian Gypsy musicians from the Bratsch are a new wave French roots, Paris-based, five-
village of Clejani near Bucharest. Some of the most gen- piece band featuring guitar, violin, accordion, clarinet,
uine, inspiring and skilled Gypsy musicians in Europe. double-bass and vocals. They are not Gypsies but play
post-modern Gypsy and Gypsy-style repertoire, often
Dumbala Dumba
with Gypsy singers and musicians as guests.
(CramWorld, Belgium).

The Taraf's 1998 outing, which includes the sort of music S3 Rien dans les poches (World Network, Germany).
the Gypsies play for themselves with percussion and vocal-
o
-<
isation as well as their spectacular mix of old- and new-
An entrancing 1998 album with gyest Bulgarian, Iranian and
Hungarian Gypsy (from Andro Drom) musicians. The opening
style repertoire,performed with a brace of fiddles, c*m- track plays on slow moving improvisations and clashing har-
"T3
baloms, accordions and bass. For the purer style try their monies which finally trip over into a Balkan style dance. A
C/)
first disc - recorded in 1986 before they acquired the
-< couple of klezmer-style tracks underline the connections
Haidouks name SB Roumanie: Les Lautari de Clejani between Gypsy and Jewish repertoire plus one of the best
(Ocora, France). versions of the ubiquitous "Ederlezi" on record with searing
vocals from Mitsou of Ando Drom.
GO
Western Europe
o Espinas Family
Compilations Three brothers, Jeremie, Moi'se and Salomon Espinas,
plus uncle Jerome from a family of Perpignan Gypsies.

33 Early Cante Flamenco: S3 Tekameli: Chants Religieux Gitans

Classic Recordings from the 1930s (Arhoolie, US). (Long Distance, France).

Great recordings from the seminal early flamenco artists, Devout Catalan style rumba canticles for the evangelical
including Pastora Pavon "La Nina de los Peines"; her younger Catholic church. Strong, passionate voices, guitars and clap-
brother Tomas Pavon, one of the greatest Cante Gitano per- ping palmas. A rootsy Gipsy Kings sound in the pews.
formers; the flamboyant voice of Manolo Caracol; and Manuel
Vallejo, one of the first non-gypsy singers hailed as king.
The Gipsy Kings
SE My
Father's the King of the Gypsies: Music of Has anyone missed The Gipsy Kings? It seems unlikely,
English & Welsh Travellers & Gypsies (Topic, UK). given their dominance at bars and cafes worldwide in the
Volume 1 1 of the extraordinary Voice of the People antholo- late 1 980s/early '90s. They are basically a Catalan Rumba
of British folk music, this comprises mainly unaccompa- group, with lead singer Nicholas Reyes providing a nicely
gy
nied songs, plus melodeon and stepdance tunes. Most of rough edged sound and harmonies, handclaps and guitar
the repertoire is not specifically Gypsy. And it's not easy lis-
from other members of the Reyes and Balliardo families.
tening. They diluted their original sound somewhat on the early
'90s albums Esfe Mundo and Love & Liberie, but returned

m (Nascente, UK).
to rootsier music with 1996's Tierra Gitana.

The subtitle proclaims 'fiery

Catalonia',
rhythms from the heart
which means the Rumba Gitana style popularised
of
m Gipsy Kings
(A1,UK/Nonesuch, US).

World superstardom beckoned for the Gipsy Kings on this

by The Gipsy Kings. This is a good, budget-priced compila-
tion beginning with Antonio Gonzalez who sounds like a 1998 album, with its bouncy and unforgettable rendering of
down-home, husky version of The Gipsy Kings, and moving "Bamboleo" and the soaring vocals of "Djobi Djoba". had It

through more commercial styles from Peret and Gato Perez fine guitar playing, infectious melodies and rhythms, and just

to Los Lachos' seductive rumba version of Mory Kante's hit the one questionable MOR track - "A mi Manera" (My Way). If
"Yeke Yeke" - a real World Music number. you want to hear a slightly different selection, gs Best of the
Gypsy Kings (Nonesuch, US) is a good alternative.
El Camaron de la Isla
Thierry Robin
Spain's greatest flamenco singer of the second half of
the twentieth century, El Camaron de la Isla (born Jose French Gypsy guitarist 'Titi' Robin was inspired initially by
Monje Cruz) had a voice of unrivalled passion and flair, the singing of El Camaron and the oud playing of Mounir
and was unsurpassed in his interpretation and tone. He Bachir. He has been at the centre of several cross-cultur-
died, aged 41, in 1992 and was mourned throughout al music events and recordings and is one of the most
Spain, with all the national newspapers devoting their interesting musicians on the French World Music scene.
front pages to his life (troubled by drink and heroin) and
Gitans
career.
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
Soy Gitano
Of Robin's several recordings, this 1993 album is the one
(Phillips, Spain).
with the strongest Gypsy character, featuring guest musi-
A 1989 recording with the London Royal Philharmonic cians from India and Spain on top notch arrangements. 83
Orchestra and regular guitar accompaniist Tomatito, amongst Kali Gadji (1998) is another good outing, though less Gypsy
others, this begins with the dramatic and confessional "Soy in character, ranging into North African music with powerful
gitano" (I am a Gypsy) and ends with the song to Lorca lyrics sax playing from Renaud Pion.

158 Gypsy music

Hungary
a musical mother tongue
Of all the countries in Eastern Europe, Hungary probably has the most accessible folk music scene.
This is Gypsy music, but because as Hungary has
not because there are villages bursting with
transformed itself into a modern urbanised country it has created a lively movement of players,
dancers and enthusiasts who are in touch with the music's roots and play it continuously in Budapest.
And it's out of this scene that Hungary's best-known performers, Marta Sebestyen and Muzsikas,
have developed. Simon Broughton tells the story.
>
-<
t's crucial for us Hungarians to play our
music, dance our dances and know our
musical mother tongue. Without these
things we lose our identity." So a music
researcher told me in Transylvania, and his senti-

ments are echoed by most people involved in Hun-

garian folk music. In Eastern Europe everybody's
music stands as a national label, but it has an espe-
cially potent force for Hungarians.
The Magyars - like the Romanians to their east
— are a cultural island with a distinctive language
unrelated to the sea of Slavs around them. Like
the people, the music is now thoroughly "Euro- Bartok with his cylinder recorder in 1908
peanised" but it remains highly distinctive. In very
large part, this is down to the Hungarian language, they were the most famous and influential. On
which is invariably stressed on the first syllable, their collecting trips with a phonograph at the turn
lending a strongly accented dactylic rhythm to the of the century, they revealed the 'real' Hungarian
music. Its infectious sound has been surprisingly folk music — as opposed to the popular salon tunes
influential on neighbouring countries (thanks per- played by Gypsy orchestras that were taken to be
haps to the common Austro-Hungarian history) folk music until then. Both men were fine ethno-
and it's not uncommon to hear Hungarian-sound- graphers as well as composers and by using folk
ing tunes in Romania, Slovakia and southern material in their own work they not only found
Poland. their individual voices but brought the folk music
In Transylvania (Romania) and southern Slo- to the attention of an international audience. They
vakia there are also large Hungarian minorities were also responsible for recognising the Asiatic

where village music is still a living tradition - far roots of Hungarian music.
more so than in Hungary itself (see Romania arti- Kodaly's interest was in Hungarian music and
cle p. 237). In these areas the music as well as the the creation of a truly national style. Bartok's con-
mother tongue are crucially important in main- cerns were more international, rooted in the peas-

taining that all-important sense of identity. ant music of all the nationalities of Eastern Europe
and beyond. By the time the First World War
Bartok, Kodaly and brought his expeditions in Eastern Europe to an
end, he had collected over 3500 Romanian tunes.
Roots East 3000 Slovak, 272 1 Hungarian, plus Ruthenian,
Bela Vikar started collecting Hungarian folk music Serbian and Bulgarian pieces.
as early as1895 with an Edison phonograph What Bartok and Kodaly discovered on their
machine, so the composers Bela Bartok and expeditions to remote Hungarian villages was a
Zoltan Kodaly were not the first to systemati- music that was earthy, fresh and hitherto unknown.
cally investigate the peasant music of Hungary. But More than that, it was distinctly Hungarian and in

Hungary 159
its oldest layers stretched back to the Magyars' new Gypsy orchestras, and the medieval-style
roots on the fringes of Europe or beyond. Exact- drone accompaniment gave way to the central
ly where the Hungarians originated is still debat- European harmony of the string bands. Just as bag-
ed; but they are not of Indo-European stock like pipes mean Scotland, so Gypsy bands mean Hun-
most Europeans, but belong - with the Finns and gary in the popular imagination. When nationalist
Estonians — to the Finno-Ugrian linguistic group, composers like Liszt composed their "Hungarian
whose ancestors lived over 4000 years ago in the Dances" and "Rhapsodies" in the latter part of the
Ural region and southwest Siberia. nineteenth century they took as their models the
Much research has been done to see if there are music of the urban Gypsy orchestras much as you
musical connections between the Hungarians and can hear it in Budapest restaurants today. Most of
Finns but virtually none have been found; not sur- this repertoire, often showy and sickly sweet, was
prising, perhaps, as the tribes are thought to have composed in the nineteenth century.
split around 4000 years ago. Kodaly, however, Following Bartok's lead, folklorists tend to dis-
found a link between the. oldest Hungarian songs, miss this urban Gypsy style in favour of authentic
with their pentatonic (five-note) tunes and "peasant music". Yet the music the Gypsies play
descending pattern, and songs of the Mari people, is no less Hungarian, and it has more in common

a Finno-Ugrian group who still live close to the with peasant music than the folklorists like to admit.

ancestral home around the Volga and Kama rivers Hungarian folk song was often an influence on
in Russia. Kodaly came up with a substantial num- popular songs, and even in the remotest parts of
ber of Hungarian tunes that had direct equivalents the country urban songs have become part of the
in these eastern territories: musical fossils appar- oral tradition and serve the function of folk songs.
ently dating back to a shared past 2500 years old. In the Transylvanian village of Szek you can still

"Time may have wiped away the eastern features hear a csardas, which pops up in Brahms' "Hun-
from the face of the Magyar community," he con- garian Dances", often cited as prime examples of
cluded "but in the depths of its soul, where the Gypsy-style fakery.
springs of music lie, there still lives an element of Gypsies (or more correctly Roma) were first

the original east, which links it with peoples whose recorded in Hungary in the fourteenth century,
language it has long ceased to understand, and who and the country's Gypsy musicians became famous
are today so different in mind and spirit." from the eighteenth century on. "The Hungari-
For those seriously interested in the music of an has a musical score which can compete with
this little-known area of Russia and the links with that of any nation . . . This score lives and travels

Hungarian music, there's a CD of Finno-Ugrian in the form of the Hungarian Gypsy," wrote one
and Turkic melodies from the Volga-Kama on the observer in 1858. Most of the early Gypsy bands
Hungarotron label. seem to have been located in western Hungary
and were often invited to perform at aristocratic

'New Style' celebrations.

In addition to society gigs, the Gypsies also per-
and Gypsy Bands formed at recruiting ceremonies where young lads

The Hungarians' musical history evolved as they were enticed into the army with verbunkos music
settled in the Carpathian basin (around 895—902 (from werbung — the German word meaning
AD), adopted Christianity (under the canonised 'recruit'). The Hapsburgs only introduced uni-
King Stephen who ruled from 1000 to 1038) and versal conscription in 1868, so before that the men
began to come under the influence of European were lured with dancing, music and the promise
culture, before Suleyman the Magnificent put a of a carefree life. Vebunkos music is strongly rhyth-
stop to that in 1526 and Hungary endured one mic, consisting of a slow dance followed by a fast
hundred and fifty years of Turkish rule. But most one. The steps were developed from the showy
of the Hungarian music familiar today has its roots men's dances of the village. Probably the most
in the eighteenth century when the country rebuilt famous verbunkos tune is the Rakoczi Song, which
itself as part of the Hapsburg Empire. The close later evolved into the Rakoczi March - featured

contact with central European culture brought in compositions by Berlioz and Liszt.
'new style' music with a regular metric structure The Hungarians, always searching for a musical
for dancing and marching instead of the free speech identity, found it in the verbunkos music and it

rhythms of the old style. typified the Hungarians abroad. A German officer

Solo bagpipers used to play these tunes for vil- saw the dance in 1792: "It expresses the character

lage dances but they were gradually replaced by the of the nation in an extraordinary way. The true

160 Hungary
Hungarian dances have to begin really slowly and Gypsy Folk
then continue faster. They are much more becom-
ing to a serious moustached face than to a young So if the music played by Hungary's ubiquitous
ladno matter what forced capers they do. The Gypsy bands is Hungarian, what's the Gypsy
whole art of the dancer is to be seen in the artistic music? Oddly enough, considering the number of
movement of his legs and the rhythmic clicking of Gypsy instrumentalists, the music of the Roma
The slow and fast dances of verbunkos
his spurs." themselves hardly uses instruments at all. Most of
music have been seen as the two contrasting aspects the Gypsy musicians who play in the urban bands
of the Hungarian character and in the nineteenth don't actually live amongst the (generally poorer)
century, Liszt felt unequivocally that the Gypsies Gypsy communities, they play exclusively for a
were Hungary's national musicians and verbunkos non-Gypsy audience and often they don't know
was the inspiration for his "Hungarian Rhapsodies" the traditional Gypsy repertoire. There's a big dif-
(including the Rakoczi March). ference between the urban and rural sounds.
Amongst the most celebrated Gypsy perform- Rural Gypsy music includes slow songs about
ers of the "golden age" were the female primds the hardships of life and faster dance songs. The >
(lead violinist) Czinka Panna (1711-1772) and music is not intended for others, and is only per- -<
Gypsy musicians from the town of Galanta — both formed at Roma gatherings. When a Roma dies,

celebrated in pieces by Kodaly. The most famous for example, his friends gather to sing his favourite
Gypsy band leader was Janos Bihari. bom in 1764 songs and "draw the strength from his soul" as they
and known as the Napoleon of the fiddle! "Like say. Although there are no instruments, many of
drops of some fiery spirit essence, the notes of this the songs are accompanied by rhythmic grunts,
magic violin came to our ears", wrote Liszt. Bihar- the tapping of sticks and cans and imitations of
i's band usually consisted of four strings plus a cim- instruments in a 'doobie-doobie-doobie' sort of
balom, the hammer dulcimer so common in Gypsy way called 'oral-bassing'.
bands, derived, it's thought, from the Indian san- These 'rolled songs' and dance songs have a wild,

tur and brought with the Gypsies. improvised sound and though they are hard to hear
The most celebrated fiddlers now playing in this for real without personal access to Gypsy com-
style come from the Lakatos family - notably munities they have provided the raw material for
Sandor Lakatos and his nephew, the young Roby some exciting professional Gypsy groups per-
Lakatos — said to be direct descendants of Bihari forming in Hungary and on tour. Kalyi Jag
himself. Their repertoire is essentially the light clas- (Romany for Black Fire) and Ando Drom (On
sical music of Liszt, Brahms and Monti's Csardas the Road) have added guitars and other instru-
played with a showy verve and abandon. There is ments to the powerful vocal and percussion line-
lots of exaggerated rubato and up-front virtuosi- up. Both groups have some strong dark-voiced
ty. More slickness than soul, but technically very vocalists — Gusztav Varga and Jozsef Balogh in
impressive. Kalyi Jag and the extraordinary female singer Mit-
Sadly these days in Hungary it is very hard to Ando Drom. The Gypsy group Romanyi
sou in
find real village music in the way Bartok and Rota (Gypsy Wheel) play in a similar style and
Kodaly did. The music was already disappearing have a regular tanchaz in Budapest.
in the early years of the century although it per- The jazz guitarist Gyula Babos (from a long
sisted up to the 1960s and beyond. Today, the best line of Gypsy musicians) has taken rural Gypsy
areas to try- at traditional weddings and so on - music in a different direction in his Project
are Szabolcs-Szatmar county, out on a limb in Romani with a jazz and avant-garde twist.

the northeast, and southwest Transdanubia in (See Gypsy Music - p. 146 - for the wider con-
the south of the country bordering Groatia. text of Roma music in eastern Europe).

A more fixed event, with a guarantee of music-

making, is Busojaras Carnival in Mohacs at the The Tanchaz
beginning of March. The music played in Mohacs
isbasically Serbian and Croatian. The celebrated The Hungarian capital Budapest is one of the best

Bogyiszlo orchestra was until recently the best places in Europe to hear really good folk music,
in the region but is, alas, no longer active. and the place to go is a tanchaz - literally a 'dance
There's also a rich tradition of Serbian music house', named after traditional village dancing
from the communities in Szentendre and Pomaz places (see box on p. 164). The atmosphere at a
north of Budapest where the excellent group tanchaz is a cross between a barn dance and a folk
Vujicsics is based. club but without the self-conscious folksiness of

Hungary -J 61
 Marta Sebestyen

575
>

Marta Sebestyen (centre) with Muzsikas

I first met Marta Sebestyen
/ffl in the late 1 970s when she Malta's mother, an energetic music teacher and
was already a rising star on the Budapest folk scene. She pupil of Kodaly instilled in her daughter a passion for
took me to a wedding in Transylvania - an overnight folk music and the urge to hear it first hand. "When she
train journey, a morning mist around the eerie spires of got pregnant with me, my mother was studying eth-
Dracula's birthplace Sighisoara, a couple of bus journeys nomusicology at the Liszt Academy. In her stomach I

and finally a trudge up a track deep in mud to a village heard those lessons and the words of Zoltan Kodaly."
in the Carpathian Mountains. There was lots of mud, lots Some of the first songs Marta learned came from her
of plum brandy and wild music played on battered instru- mother's transcriptions of field recordings, like the Haz-
ments which went on for a couple of days. Exhilarating afele tune from southwest Hungary on her Kismet
stuff, particularly as we were staying illegally in peasant album. Marta, in turn, has done her own collecting in

homes and were fearful of Ceausescu's Securitate police. northern Hungary and, of course, Transylvania. "Even
I became hooked on Transylvania and its music. when knew many of the songs from field recordings
I

Since then Marta has gone on to become an interna- it was amazing to go there personally and hear the

tional star at what she does best - singing Hungarian songs in different forms, with different ornaments. It's

and particularly Transylvanian music. Her voice, other like a living river, you never put your legs in the same
worldy, yet human and vulnerable, was used singing a water. It's not simply the melodies, but everything
simple, but evocative, Hungarian folksong for the Oscar- around them - the customs, the personality of the
winning film, The English Patient. And there's a lot more singer, the life. Each song is a gem for me - it's part

besides. Her traditional repertoire includes several other of somebody's life which is given to me."
traditions and languages, she's performed in a Hungar- "Szerelem, szerelem" (Love, love), the sad love
ian rock musical and prominently featured on the Gram- song that she sings in The English Patient, she learned
my Award-winning Deep Forest Boheme album. But if from the local cantor (priest) from the Transylvanian
there's one thing that drives her, it is her love and faith village of Magyarszovat. "I first recorded that song
in the traditional music she sings: "It's silly to lose some- years ago, when was going through a
I difficult peri-

thing that has survived for so long. It's important to take od in my life and it had a real personal meaning for
care of nature and the environment and also to look after me. It's interesting that years later this song was used
music. It's not simply nostalgic, but also contemporary. to reflect other peoples' problems (in the film). And
Now we have TV and video but the human soul still needs people all over the world respond to it. I think that's

to sing and play. We still have emotions, thank God." The what folk music is all about. It is about universal feel-

power this faith gives her is impressive. I once saw her ings. You can use it when you need it and you can
silence a restive and rowdy crowd audience at a rock pass it on."
concert with a simple unaccompanied folk song. Simon Broughton

1 62 Hungary
its Western counterparts. The dress may be blue with a fast and furious csardas. It's the priinas, the
jeans and trainers with the odd Transylvanian jack- first violinist of the band, who keeps an eye on the
et or skirt, but for the most part the clientele - dancers and judges when to make the move and
teachers, doctors, lawyers — know the music and tempo change into the next dance. When it's done
car dance it well. Once again tins is a statement well it's thrilling.

of identity. In a world where everybody wears the The csardas is the most famous Hungarian
same blue jeans or Benetton clothes, this music dance tune and you won't spend five minutes at

and dance comes with a Hungarian designer label. a Budapest tanchaz (or a Transylvanian wedding)
The tanchaz movement started in the 1970s as without hearing one. They can be fast or slow,
a reaction to the regimented folklore of the state 'whirling', 'quivering' or 'leaping' — and there are
ensembles. Following in the footsteps of Bartok all sorts variations. All of them are cou-
of regional
and Kodak, musicians like Ferenc Sebo and Bela ple dances which can reach great virtuosity, but at
Halmos collected music from the villages, learned their most basic it's two steps left, two steps right
it and brought it back to Budapest. But whereas followed by a turn. The music has a regular four-
Bartok and Kodaly had been interested mainly in square rhythm with a distinctive spring.
songs, this new generation was interested in the Internationally, the best-known names in Hun-
instrumental music and traditional dances - Gyor- garian music emerged from the tanchaz scene:
gy Martin and Sandor Timar were the principal Marta Sebestyen (see box opposite), a truly
dance researchers. The idea w as to bring the music remarkable singer (and not just of Hungarian
back to the grassroots rather than present it on stage music) and Muzsikas, the group she has often per-
and. despite the urban setting, keep it closer to its formed with. As a band they have succeeded in
original form. keeping the fine balance between a profession-
Even though it had virtually no official support, alised approach on stage and the raw gutsy sound

themovement grew from strength to strength. For of the village. Regularly playing the music as a
many years it also had a political dimension. The functional thing in their tanchaz can only help that.
wellspring of Hungarian tanchaz music was in They have recently explored the links between
neighbouring Romania where the Hungarian Bartok's music and the authentic village tradition.
minority of Transylvania has kept a living folk Other top musicians to watch out for include
tradition to this clay (see Romania article, p. 237). fiddler Csaba Okros and his ensemble and the
Tanchaz musicians often travelled there in very Kalamajka, Teka and Janosi groups who spe-
difficult circumstances to collect music and dances. cialise in the Hungarian and Transylvanian reper-

Since the fall of Communism there's been a reg- toire, and Vujicsics, who play fantastic tambura

ular flow of great Transylvanian village perform- music from southern Hungary and the former
ers to the tanchaz of Budapest bringing a welcome Yugoslavia. Other notable singers are Eva Fabian
rough-edged note of authenticity. and Andras Berecz.
Tanchaz music falls into two types. One is music The virtuoso Gypsy cimbalom player Kalman
from Hungary proper which, with less of a living Balogh is frequently collaborating with many of
tradition, has usually been learned from archive drawn on wider influ-
these musicians and has also
recordings or written collections and arranged by ences from Balkan, Latin and American music.
the groups in the manner of folk bands all over Clarinettist, saxophonist and cimbalom player
Europe. But the most popular music comes direct- Mihaly Dresch pursues a much more experi-
ly from the village tradition means Tran-
and that mental line in a jazz/folk quartet with violin, bass

sylvania (or occasionally the Hungarian and percussion which probably doesn't do a lot

communities in Slovakia). The basic instrumen- for the dancers in the tanchaz, but appeals to anoth-

tal line-up is a lead fiddle, an accompanying vio- er clientele. The young virtuoso violinist Felix
lin (kontra) playing chords and a bowed bass - Lajko Hungarian from Subotica in Serbia) is
(a

there's often a cimbalom included as well. If at first classically trained, but with his group Zenekara

the tunes all sound similar, keep listening. The bet- plays a rhythmic and infectious concert music
ter you know this music the more rich and varied drawing on Hungarian, Balkan and Middle-East-
it becomes. In the right hands it has a beauty unri- ern traditions. Great playing and definitely a name
valled in Europe. to watch out for.

Tanchaz dances are played in sets, generally As Hungary modernised in the 1 97()s, the local
moving from slower tempos to fast - beginning folk music styles gradually lost their context to com-
perhaps with a verbunkos or Lad's Dance, giving mercialised music. Today, as Romania makes up
the chance for the men to show off, and ending for lost time, and the older generation of village

Hungary 163
 Tanchaz in Budapest
A grimy bar in the basement of the Budapest Sport Hall A DANCEHOUSE DIARY
(Nepstadion) seems an unlikely Mecca for lovers of Hun-
garian fiddle, but every year on a Sunday in the middle Budapest has a great variety of Dance Houses includ-
of March this is the place to be. Here fiddlers from Tran-
ing some for Greek, Balkan and Irish music. Below is

a list and other East

of the principal clubs for Hungarian
sylvanian village bands mix it up - over watered beer and
European styles. The venues are 1970s style
usually
home-brewed plum brandy - with the young hotshots culture centres, although the Gyoker Club is a cut above
from the Hungarian tanchaz scene. Jam sessions like the rest. There is always a ba^and snacks are usually
this aren't rare in the Hungarian folk music scene, b#ut at available. There is often dance instruction before the

the annual Tanchaztalalkozo (Meeting of the Dance tanchaz really gets underway, usually from around 8pm
to midnight. Entrance fees are minimal.
Houses or just plain National Folk Festival) it's the sheer
numbers of fiddle virtuosi that get you. Village bands from
TUESDAY
all over the Carpathian basin come to Budapest for the
Gypsy Music
festival, do a fifteen minute performance on the main Romanyi Rota
stage, and then drift into the bar behind the stage for a Almassy teri Szabadidokozpont
drink or three and a tune or fifteen. 1077 Budapest, Almassy ter 6. » (36) 1 352 1572
Over Friday, Saturday and climaxing on Sunday, some WEDNESDAY
of the great Transylvanian Gypsy bands will be sawing The Final Hour Club
away all afternoon and evening in the bar, interrupted only Hosted alternately by the Okros or Tukros band
by their brief stage appearance. The Codoba Family Fono Budai Zenehaz
1117 Budapest, Sztregova u. 3. » (36) 1 206 5300
Band from Palatka, the Szaszcsavas Band, Neti San-
dor's Band from Kalotaszeg, and others were all there Gyimes and Moldavian Music
in 1 998, showering their young urban fiddle proteges with Guzsalyas Tatros Dance House
Marczibanyi teri Muvelodesi Kozpont
big sloppy Gypsy kisses after each tune. The lead fiddlers
1022 Budapest, Marcziba nyi ter 5/a. « (36) 1 212 0803
from the established Budapest bands crowd the tables
and greet each other with the old time peasant courtesy THURSDAY
that has long gone out of fashion in modem Budapest. A Hungarian and Transylvanian Music
Muzsikas Club
couple twirl in a csardas near the stairs. The bar reeks
Marczibanyi teri Muvelodesi Kozpont
with the signature aroma of Transylvanian music - sweat,
1022 Budapest, Marczibanyi ter 5/a. » (36) 1 212 5504
plum brandy, and cheap cigarette smoke.
Hungarian Folk
The Dance Houses are still a feature of Budapest
Vasmalom Club (every second Thursday)
social life, although attendance has shrunk in recent
Gyoker Klub-Restaurant, 1 067 Budapest, Eotvos u. 46.
years. Back in the days when the Party Line dictated o (36) 1 302 4059
culture, the pursuit of folk music and dance was con-
FRIDAY
sidered an affront to proletarian internationalism and
Hungarian and Transylvanian
the Dance Houses were meeting places for dissidents,
Teka Dance House
samizdat editors, and daring college students. Even I.Keruleti Muvelodesi Haz, 1011 Budapest,
so, about a dozen regular Dance Houses operate Bern rakpart 6. » (36) 1 201 0324
weekly in the capital, sponsored by bands like
Hungarian and Transylvanian
Muzsikas, Teka, Meta, and others. Meta Evening
One new thread of Hungarian tanchaz music emerged Gyoker Klub-Restaurant, 1067 Budapest, Eotvos u. 46.

in 1 990s: the music of the 30,000 Csango Hungar-

the •b (36) 1 302 4059
ians living in the Seret Valley of Moldavia. Under SATURDAY
Ceausescu the Csangos were subject to heavy assimi- Hungarian and Transylvanian
lationist pressure and research among them was forbid- Kalamajka Dance House
den. Their Moldavian culture and archaic dialect strongly
Belvarosi Ifjusagi Haz, 1056 Budapest, Molnar u. 9.

»(36) 1 117 5928

differentiate them from the Hungarians of Transylvania.

Today young Csangos come to Budapest to find work, SUNDAY

and many meet at the Tatros Group's dances on Wednes- Hungarian and Transylvanian
Meta Dance House
day night where it is hard to tell the Folk from the folkies.
Jozsefvarosi Klub
Csango dance music makes even Transylvanian string
«
1085 Budapest, Somogyi B. u. 13. (36) 1 118 7930
band music seem tame, played on throaty flutes (one
Current information about Dance Houses is available
'growls' into them while playing to increase the volume)
at www. datanet. hu/tanchaz/thmain. htm
fiddles, drums, with the Moldavian koboz lute providing

the rhythm. Bob Cohen

164 Hungary
musicians pass away, the music of Transylvania faces
the same danger in a world filled with music videos
discography
and discolights. Growing out of the tanchaz A lot of Hungarian recordings feature music from
Transylvania (Romania) - played by tanchaz ensembles
movement, the ambitious Utolso Ota (Final
as well as real village bands. Some of the most important
Hour) project aims to record the best of Tran- Hungarian tanchaz groups playing Transylvanian reper-
sylvania's traditional bands before they inevitably toire are included below, while the local village bands and

disappear. The (who play not only

selected bands 'New Patria' recordings will be found in the Romanian
discography (p.245).
Hungarian, but Romanian, Gypsy, Saxon and
also

Jewish repertoire) are invited to Budapest for a

week where academic study of the music is done Traditional Compilations
and recordings are made. This ancient music is
made accessible to a modem audience at a week- 33 Elueszett Eden (Lost Eden) (Etnofon, Hungary).
ly tanchaz in the Fono club - and once the danc-
A specialist, but important collection featuring archive record- 2J
ing begins the atmosphere is strictly traditional - ings of Hungarian music mostly from 1970s-1990s although ffi
sweat, palinka, smoke. some are earlier. Singers, instrumentalists and bands. The ^
first disc includes recordings from Hungary, the second from
The plan, supported by the Hungarian Acade-
Transylvania. Moldavia and Carpathian Ukraine.
my of Sciences, the Ethnographic Museum and
the Soros Foundation amongst others, is to pro-
O Hungarian Folk Music 3 (Hungaroton, Hungary).

duce 45 CDs. The series is called Uj Pdtria (New Four-album boxed set devoted to the ancient layers, the new
European style, instrumental music, and folk customs. The
Patria) named after the important Patria record-
best overall introduction to the music, well presented with
ings, mainly of vocal music, made by Bartok, translations and transcriptions of the material plus some
Kodaly and others in the 1930s. The first record- good photos. It hasn't yet made it to CD.
ings have already been released on the Fono label.

® Hungarian Instrumental Folk Music

(Hungaroton, Hungary).

A fine 2-CD set covering the typical sounds of Hungarian folk

music from cow bells and horns, through bagpipes, hurdy-
gurdy and zithers to various sizes of Gypsy band.

33 Traditional Music from the Carpathians

(Harmonia Mundi/Quintana, France).

A variable selection of Hungarian, Gypsy and other music

from communities over the border in Ukraine. Made before
the political changes and the information and notes are
scanty.

Gypsy Music and Gypsy Bands

Compilations

33 Hungarian Folk Music from Szatmar Region

(Hungaroton, Hungary).

A great CD of four traditional Gypsy bands from villages in the

northeast of the country playing Hungarian dance music plus

some Jewish repertoire. Terrific stuff.

1 Descendants of the Itinerant Gypsies:

Melodies of Sorrow and Joy (Multicultural Media, US).

Field recordings of variable quality made by Japanese

researchers in Gypsy music in Hungary
the 1980s of rural
and village bands in Transylvania. Musicians and bands are
not identified (although the Transylvanian band from Palatka
appear on the cover and sound like they're featured on a
couple of tracks). The rural Gypsy music, though, is the real
thing and hard to find elsewhere.

Rom Sam Ame! (Fonti Musicali, Belgium).

A Gypsy songs
specialised, but excellent survey of authentic
from towns in central and eastern Hungary - vocals, in
six

Village dance in Kalotaszeg Hungarian and Rom, with accompanying spoons and struck
pots and tables.

Hungary 165
 the band were recording the infamous (thanks to
Elvis) Sun
Artists in

Studios for this excellent debut album. Wonderfully raw

instrumental playing of Hungarian and Balkan dances, songs
Ando Drom sung in Hungarian, Romanian and Romany, including a
haunting example by Kalyi Jag's Josef Balogh. Some very
Ando Drom are currently the most successful of unusual repertoire, well played and strongly recommended.
Hungary's professional Romany ensembles. The band
have been around since the early 1 980s led by Jeno Zsigo
and have transformed the rural Gypsy traditions into a
Kalyi Jag
dynamic concert music featuring the swarthy vocals of Another fine ensemble forging new music out of rural
Monika 'Mitsou' Juhasz Miczura. Gypsy sounds, led by singer and guitarist Gusztav Varga.

Phari Mamo S3 Gypsy Folk Songs from Hungary

(World Network, Germany). (Hungaroton, Hungary).

The title Romani, is the song of a son missing his

track, in This 1994 collection is catchy and representative - traditional songs
mother and the she has to look after. This is, as the
family gwen the 'Black Fire' treatment with the guitar and mandolin of Jozsef
subtitle says, 'magnificent Gypsy music from Budapest', but Balogh. Several of these have since become Roma 'standards'.
not the schmaltzy cafe variety. Ando Drom, with a vocal and Translations of the lyrics are included.
percussion line-up, has real soul, a melancholy edge and on
this recording idiomatic instrumental contributions on violin
and accordion from the French Gypsy group Bratsch.
Roby Lakatos
Bom in 1 Roby is one of the younger members of the
965,
famous Lakatos dynasty of Gypsy musicians. He learned
Kalman Balogh
in the family tradition as well as at the Budapest Music
Balogh, from a family of Gypsy musicians, is one of Academy. He's lived in Belgium since 1985 where he's
Hungary's leading cimbalom players and is regularly expanded his style to include jazz and Stephane
pulled in to play along with most of the leading groups. Grappelli-style violin.

S3 Roma Vandor (M&W, Netherlands). 83 In Gypsy Style (M&W, Netherlands).

A really wild recording made live at a festival of Gypsy music The violin swoops and sighs with the characteristic rippling of
in Amsterdam in 1994. You can feel the audience holding cimbalom and strings. Hungarian, Russian and Django
their breath as Balogh cranks up the pace and the hammers Reinhardt melodies in inventive arrangements, plus the
justskate at lightning speed across those strings. The band inevitable Gypsy standard, "The Lark". Great virtuoso playing
brings in Balkan, Spanish and rock 'n' roll sounds - with plus a strong personality.
some cracking trumpet playing from Ferenc Kovacs.

Ferenc Santa and his Gypsy Band

Santa trained at the Music Academy in Budapest and has
led a Budapest Gypsy Orchestra since the 1970s.

BALOGH S3 Csardas: Hungarian Gypsy Music

(Naxos, Hong Kong).

While Santa amongst the best-known of Gypsy bandlead-

isn't

ers, this budget Naxos collection includes many of the

favourites of the Budapest Gypsy orchestras like Monti's
CIHBAtOM Csardas and the popular encore, "The Lark". Typical of its type.

BAND
Tanchaz Groups
ROMA
vAndor Every year the Budapest Tanchaz Festival releases a CD
of selected groups from the Festival. This gives a good
overview of what's happening on the Dance House
scene.

Compilations

S3 Musiques de Transylvanie (Fonti Musicali, Belgium).

One of the best introductions to Transylvanian music featuring

Csokolom mostly Hungarian repertoire. Includes great music from
Small, three-part ensemble of violin, kontra and double Kalotaszeg, Mezoseg, Gyimes, plus Romanian dances from
bass led by violinist Anti von Klewitz. Born in Yugoslavia, Bihor and Moldavia. Performances by the best musicians of
she is now based in Berlin and Amsterdam. She has Budapest's tanchaz scene. .
played classical and jazz music as well as this idiomatic
Hungarian and Gypsy material. Csokolom (pronounced
Chokolom) is an old Austro-Hungarian greeting. Artists
83 May Kiss Your Hand: Hungarian and
I Gypsy
Fiddle Music and Songs (Arhoolie, US). Ghymes
Arhoolie's Chris Strachwitz was behind this recording when An excellent five-piece band led by Tamas Szarka and
he heard Csokolom live in Memphis, Tennessee. Days later based in Slovakia. Growing out of the tanchaz movement

166 Hungary
the band occasionally add saxophone and drum kit to their
line-up to create a more jazzy or contemporary sound. Okros Ensemble
Csaba Okros a tremendous fiddler and his traditional
is
SD Uzenet (Message) (Ghymes, Slovakia).
ensemble of the best - working regularly with some
is one
An impressive collection of some traditional and more experi- of Transylvania's best village musicians in concert and on
mental material - the title track includes some impressive record. They've recorded a number of excellent CDs of
bagpipe, cimbalom and percussion. Transylvanian music on small labels.

Transylvanian Portraits
Bela Halmos \SzI (Koch World, US).
Singer and violinist Bela Halmos was one of the leading With its is the most widely avail-
international distribution, this
figures in the early days of the tanchaz movement and
able of the Okros discs and contains a beautiful selection of
remains so today. traditional Hungarian music from different regions of
Transylvania. Csaba Okros demonstrates his extraordinary
89 Az a szep piros hajnal (Hungaroton, Hungary).
violin technique in the traditional 'shepherd who's lost his
A strong collection of Transylvanian music - mainly from the sheep' piece and Marta Sebestyen sings.
central region of Mezoseg. Joining Halmos are some of the
best names on the Hungarian music scene, singers Marta
Marta Sebestyen
Sebestyen and Andras Berecz and Zoltan Juhasz. en
flautist
Hungary's most celebrated female vocalist - bringing her >
distinctive qualities to the soundtrack of The English 30
Muzsikas -<
Patient, the popular concoctions of Deep Forest and a
Now over a quarter of a century old, Muzsikas have Hungarian rock musical amongst other things. A strong
established themselves as Hungary's leading tanchaz and searing voice at its best in traditional Hungarian and
group, and often feature the singer Marta Sebestyen. Transylvania repertoire.
The quartet of Mihaly Sipos (lead violin), Peter Eri (con-
tra, tambura etc), Daniel Hamar (bass) and Sandor gS Marta Sebestyen (Hannibal/Ryko, UK).

Csoori (bagpipe and contra) survived until the latter's A 1988 album of Hungarian and Transylvanian music with
recent departure. They have researched and performed Muzsikas - featuring a beautiful "morning song" from
Jewish tunes of Transylvania as well as music from Kalotaszeg (Transylvania), one of her specialities.
western Hungary to the eastern outpost of Gyimes.
They have recently been exploring the folk roots of m Kismet (Hannibal/Ryko, UK).
Bartok's music in their excellent 1999 release, The
A much more wide-ranging album including Bulgarian,
Bartok Album.
Bosnian, Hindi and Irish songs. Not traditional in the pure

Morning Star sense, but beautifully produced by Nikola Parov.

(Hannibal/Ryko, UK).
Vujicsics
All of Muzsikas's albums come recommended, but this
highly
1997 disc more than any other has the freshness and rough- One of the best groups anywhere playing Serbian and
edged feel of the village. Great songs too from Marta Croatian music - a six-piece ensemble with guitars, tam-
Sebestyen. buras and bass from the South Slav communities north of
Budapest.
ti Blues For Transylvania (Hannibal/Ryko, UK).
E Vujicsics (Hannibal/Ryko, UK).
An earlier 1990 recording of mainly Transylvanian repertoire
that stands up well including some wild dance music and A great collection of fast and furious kolos and other dance
beautiful slow songs. tunes. Vocals from Marta Sebestyen and others.

Hungary 167
 Iceland

waiting for the thaw

While the other Nordic countries have experienced an upsurge in their roots music, Iceland has been
the exception. Despite a strong sense of national and cultural identity, a language very close to old
Norse, a rich musical tradition (not just of the famous sagas but also of songs and ballads) and a
thriving performing and recording scene for classical, pop and other global forms, what would seem
to an outsider to be obvious roots possibilities are largely ignored in contemporary Icelandic music.
o
m Andrew Cronshaw investigates.

is probably the best known Icelander Stephensen brought Iceland its first pipe organ, and
Bjork
— and certainly the country's most pop- in 1801 he published a new hymn-book. Reyk-
ular musical export. Though she's clear- javik Cathedral led the way in
new instru-
using the
ly a rock musician, and for much of her ment and the new hymns with their
Danish-style
working life has been based in Britain, her dis- formal rhythms and harmonisations. By the end of
tinctive approach might be at least pardy ascribed the 1 870s most churches had bought harmoniums
to her origins. She has made Icelandic-language and the old styles which were judged cacophonous
versions of her songs, and on French keyboardist and old-fashioned were relegated to the home. The
and producer Hector Zazou's album Songs of the arrival of radio in 1930 completed the 'enlighten-
Cold Seas (an impressive project in which he builds ment', affecting not only religious music but the
powerful soundscapes around leading singers from whole musical taste of the population. The folk
the world's northernmost countries) she sings a rejected their previous folk music.
traditional song. A printed anthology of folk melodies collected
A few Icelandic musicians do draw on the tra- by Bjarni t>orsteinsson was published between
dition, but few specialise in it. The best-known 1906 and 1909, but much of what was distinctive
folk group, and the only one whose recordings are - the sound and style ot the singing — is hard to
distributed abroad, is Islandica Its repertoire and convey on paper. At that time the first sound
rather staid approach cannot be described as 'the recordings were made of Icelandic folk song, and
real thing' nor as a modern Icelandic tradition- more have been made episodically throughout the
rooted music, however. Most songs described as twentieth century, but neither print nor record-
Icelandic folk songs are poeticworks of the nine- ing can fully convey the context and musical world
teenth and twentieth century set to tunes from of those days. In addition, dancing displeased the
other parts of Europe (including, for example, island's nineteenth-century religious authorities,
"Eldgamla Isafold", set to the tune of the British so the old ballad-dancing died out, to be replaced
national anthem). They're folk songs in the sense by more universal European fashions when peo-
that the folk sing them, but they're very different ple eventually started dancing again.
from the old musics. Used in the playing of hymns, but nevertheless
falling into disuse in the nineteenth century, were

Religion and Decline two stringed instruments considered to have

distinctively Icelandic -
been
soundbox with
the fidla, a
The decisive factor in breaking the traditional musi- strings stretched from a perpendicular upright, and
cal thread seems to have been the influence of the the langspil. a wedge-shaped fretted zither akin
church. Iceland has been Christian for a millenni- to a Norwegian langefcik or Swedish hummel.
um, and until the nineteenth century church singing
- based on translated German protestant hymns,
Sagas and Ballads
but by Icelanders such as Hallgrimur
later written

Petursson (1614-1674) - had a strong Icelandic Iceland is famous for its heroic ballad-poetry, the
character, often in the lydian mode, with parallel sagas. These were passed down orally for many
fifths and augmented fourths. But in 1 800 Magnus centuries, but with Christianity came literacy, and

168 Iceland
Langspil player, 1835

they began to be written down as long as a thou- archive of the main institution for Icelandic culture,

sand years ago, so becoming fixed and perceived the Ami Magnusson Institute, part of the Uni-
as poetry rather than song. versity of Iceland. Though mainly dedicated to
A tradition of sung ballads, rimur, continued medieval manuscripts which have recently been
alongside, however. These are epic heroic songs transferred from Denmark (Iceland was under Dan-
whose lyrics use both alliteration and line-end ish rule until 1944), the Institute houses a collection
rhyme. Performance is usually solo; the word for of about 2000 hours of recorded folklore material,
the singer - or perhaps more descriptively the including rimur and folk stories collected both in
chanter - of a rima is 'kvaedanadur'. The melodic Iceland and among the Icelandic population in Cana-
somewhere between speech and song,
style falls da. Its folklorist and librarian is Rosa t>orsteinsdot-
and there's always a pitch dip on the last note of tir« (354) 525 4020/4010; rosat@rhi.hi.is
the phrase. The tradition has just about continued
to the present day, mainly through the efforts of
two
who
societies dedicated to the preservation

have made some archive recordings.

of rimur, discography
Very little of the quantity of recordings of Ice-
Compilations
landic traditional music in archives, however, has
been made available in commercial form. Publi- fslensk Alpydulog: Icelandic Folk Songs
;

cation and fieldwork related to rimur and other (FD, Iceland).

traditional music has virtually no financial back-

Very little Icelandic roots material is released, but this is gen-
ing; it's not seen as important by either govern- erally reckoned the most interesting available on CD.
ment or media, whereas there's a great deal of ~ I'slensk Pjodlog, Kvaedi og Salmar
research and published material about the sagas. It (Skogar Folkmuseum, Iceland).
is, says Smari Olason (who in 1 990 released a cas-
Obtainable from Skbgar
Field recordings of singers.
sette of field recordings), "a sad situation". Most Folkmuseum. Ytri-Skogar IS-861 Hvolsvdllur, or Smari
of the handful of researchers, such as Olason and Olason, Hraunteig 24, IS— 1 05 Reykjavik; smari@rhi.hi.is

the late Hreinn Steingrimsson, have worked at

H3 Voices (Ami Magnusson Institute, Iceland).

their own expense.

Selections of singing and chanting from the Institute's
There may be signs of a new beginning. In 1998 archive, from the first-ever recordings, made back in 1903,
a CD was released of vocal recordings from the up to 1973.

Iceland 169
 Ireland

dancing at the virtual crossroads

One of the great figures of Irish legend, Fionn MacCumhaill, asked to define great music, replied: "the
most beautiful music is the music of what happens". Irish traditional music, through alternate cycles of
rapid change and complete stagnation, has remained faithful to Fionn's dictum. And, as Nuala
O'Connor reports, is Europe's most commercially successful traditional music, dominating the global
it

villageand sustaining large communities of players - from the thousands of music sessions taking
place every night in Irish pubs to the glitz of international shows like Riverdance.

A stunning aspect of traditional

is its survival as a fully living form.
had no shortage of folksong-academics,
collectors and societies (from the 1850s
Irish music
It has
This traditional dance music was not in any
sense a 'performance'. There was
ment, no expectation of a 'show', and music and
dancing were two elements among
rarely

a
any pay-

number of
real

onwards), but essentially it still belongs to the peo- other activities that could include singing, story-
ple, in both cities and countryside, at home and telling, card-playing, game-playing, and so on. It

in communities abroad. was above all a participatory activity with all the
Because Ireland remained a largely agricultural informality and unevenness of skill that that
country until the 1960s, and perversely because of implies. Little is known or recorded of tradition-
three centuries of emigration, its traditional music al music and dance before the seventeenth cen-
managed to make a successful transition from rural tury but it seems clear that the traditional repertoire

to urban, feeding into whatever prevailing modes current today is between two and three hundred
required. Thus Irish music can accommodate 'pure' years old.
sessions and players and singers in trad pubs or at Ornamentation, decoration and embellishments
dances, and any number of mutations, whether it are the ways in which musicians continue to
is Van Morrison's reshaping R & B, Moving Hearts breathe life into traditional music. It's a kind of
doing the same with rock, The Pogues fusing Irish controlled extemporisation in which the player
airs and punk, or the Afro-Celt Sound System, at recreates the tune with each performance. Tech-
the end of the 1990s, bringing Irish traditional music nical mastery is neccessary, of course, but the skill

into a worldly meeting with African and techno with which a musician decorates a tune is the
rhythms. The music of what happens: for sure . . . measure of creative power, and often even accom-
plished players will play the settings of established

Turning a Tune: master players, reproducing their particular phras-

ing, decorations and intonations.
Traditional Dance Nearly all Irish tunes conform to the same basic
Music structure: two eight-bar sections or strains, each
of which is played twice to make a 32-bar whole,
Most instrumental Irish traditional music heard at which is then repeated from the top. In a session
sessions and concerts originated as dance music. one tune is followed without any appreciable break
It was the repertoire of the rural working people by another, and after a brief pause for refreshment
and was part of a communally expressed cultural the musicians might break into another selection
life. Traditional music was played to accompany of two or three tunes. The change or 'turn' in the

dancing at celebrations - usually performed in tune communicated through gesture —

is a nod or
houses and barns or out of doors when weather wink or movement of some kind.
permitted — including weddings, fairs, saint's day The majority of these dance tunes are reels and
observances known as 'patterns', and wakes. For jigs, but most musicians will also draw on horn-
centuries it was the recreational and social expres- pipes, polkas, slides, mazurkas, scottickes and high-
sion of Irish people and it has not entirely died out lands. At the last survey (in 1985) the number of
in this form yet. jigs, reels and hornpipes in the national repertoire

1 70 Ireland
From Crossroads Dancing
to Lords of the Riverdance
Until well on into this century the house dance or its debut, composer Bill Whelan, with choreographer
crossroads dance was the most popular form of Michael Flateley, developed and expanded Riverdance
entertainment in rural Irish communities. The dances into a full show, with singers, instrumental solos, and
were either group dances, now known as 'sets', based an eighty-strong chorus-line of Irish dancers liberated
on quadrilles where two sets of two couples danced from the constraining folk uniforms and rigid upper
facing each other, or solo dances performed by the body posture of traditional dance.

best dancers in the locality. Rural depopulation, church The dance tradition on which the show is based is

interference, the commercial dance halls, the radio and competitive step dancing as taught to generations of
the record-player nearly killed the custom off. Since Irish children and the children of Irish emigrants. Per-

the early 1980s, however, the country witnessed quite formed by Flately and Butler - both competition cham-
a phenomenal revival in 'set dancing' - a revival that pions - the themes explored through the dance are
went global with the success of Riverdance (see below). universal folk celebrations based on the seasons, emi-
The crossroads dances did not themselves reap- gration, exile and the Irish diaspora, and man's fun- o
pear but from the 1980s, increasing numbers of pubs damental humanity expressed in the metaphor of the
and local centres made space available for dancers. River. The expanded show first opened in Dublin in

The dance tunes they use are the jigs, reels and horn- 1995, went on to London, and has now grown into

pipes known to every traditional player - though dur- three touring companies performing worldwide. Flate-
ing a dance it is the dancer and not the piper who calls ly, meanwhile, who had a much publicised dispute with

the tune. Playing for dancers requires special skills. the show's producers, went on to devise Lord of the
The beat must be rock steady, the tunes are played at Dance - a broadly Celtic extravaganza with music writ-
a slower tempo than is usual in a session, and the play- ten by the Irish composer Ronan Hardiman. As with
er is restrained from excessive improvisation and per- Riverdance, the show features traditional musicians,
sonal expression. Nonetheless, the popularity of but not traditional music as such.
set-dancing has involved
more people than ever in

an active relationship with

traditional music. Anyone
who knows the steps is

welcome to join in step-

dancing sessions, and if

you're a beginner it's

always possible to turn up

at a class and learn from
scratch.

The show that, of

course, really fired interest
in set dancing was River-
dance, which famously
began life as an act for the

interval of the 1994 Euro-

vision Song Contest in

Dublin. Its alchemical mix

of virtuoso Irish dancers
from the electrifiyng stars
Michael Flately and
Jean Butler, and the inte-
gration of Flamenco and
Eastern European dance
influences with Irish tradi-

tionswas an immediate
phenomenon. Following Crossroads

Ireland 171
stood at over 6000. The tradition is largely an oral ditional music, pub sessions became a feature of
one, with tunes being handed on from player to the informal or fringe events around the organ-
player in performance, and the repertoire is con- ised concerts and competitions. As the Fleadh
stantly changing as new tunes are added and oth- Ceoil moved from town to town each year the
ers shed. Although tunes and technique are practice spread and very quickly publicans realised

formally taught, once a player is out on his or her the opportunity presented by the session. These
own the arena in which this music takes place is Fleadh Ceoil sessions were and still are 'the real
known as the session. thing'. They are spontaneous, unplanned, and
depend only on the desire of the musicians to
Pub Sessions make music. Professionals? non-professionals and
semi-professionals meet up and play and the atmo-
and Crack sphere is one of kinship and deep respect for the
In Ireland today the pub is widely regarded as the music.
most authentic locale for the traditional music By contrast, little of what passes for tradition-
session and the purveyance of 'crack'. Indeed, the al session-playing in Irish pubs nowadays corre-
whole Irish pub session phenomenon has become sponds to an authentic session. This
is not to say

a global commodity, to be found in almost any that good music cannot be heard in
traditional
city you care to mention. The 'crack', of course, pubs: many excellent young and not so young
can't be produced to order, but when good music, traditional and more modern musicians earn their
good company and drink combine in the right living in pubs, and in places like Donegal, espe-
proportions then a sort of critical mass is achieved cially,you can still find a great session erupting.
and crack ensues. If it is really there, then not only But the pub session is essentially a business driv-
will the music be memorable and the musicians en by tourism and the drinks industry. The music
on form but those present will have felt them- may be viewed as just another facility, like pool
have been celebrants, not mere specta-
selves to tables or slot machines, and may well have to
tors or consumers. compete with them. Pub musicians, in fact, have
Pubs actually came into the traditional music always had to compete with noise and clatter and
picture in Ireland as late as the 1960s. Before then the ringing of tills and have developed a kind of
traditional music was played in a domestic set- pub repertoire as a result - amplification, a pre-
ting or at loosely organised community events. ponderance of reels played fast and loud, almost

The first pub session, as we now know it, took no traditional singing, and no unaccompanied
place not in Ireland at all but in The Devonshire singing.
Arms in London's Camden Town in 1947. The The real session is by definition something that
players were Irishmen, all traditional musicians, cannot be scheduled, so the pub which guaran-
all immigrants working in the building industry tees a session is in fact offering a formal tradi-
on the post-war reconstruction of London. tional music gig, where the musicians are paid
Packed into lodging houses and living in a city and expected to turn up at a certain time, and
for the first time, away from their families, the finish at a certain time. In a real session, differ-
old ways of music-making were not available to ent conventions apply, usually none of the above.
them. Pubs offered the opportunity to meet and Where musicians frequent a pub because the
play with other musicians with the informality owner is into the music they are not paid, but
required by players and listeners alike. This devel- neither are they under any obligation to play or
opment had long-term implications for traditional even to turn up. It's possible to arrive at a pub
music. It took it out of the domestic or commu- known for its sessions only to find that on this
nity environment and further separated it from particular night no one is in a playing mood. The
dancing, which was not allowed in most pubs. It venues of sessions are as changeable as their per-
also brought drink, publicans and ultimately the sonnel, and situations change constantly. A new
drinks industry into an influential relationship landlord, a difference of opinion, or too many
with traditional music. crowds can force the musicians out to other
Within a decade the pub session idea had spread meeting places.
to Ireland and by the 1960s there were Irish pubs At first sight sessions may seem to be rambling,
that were synonymous with traditional music — disorganised affairs, but they have an underlying
O'Dotwghues of Merrion Row in Dublin being order and etiquette. Musicians generally com-
one of the best known (and still in business). At mandeer a corner of the pub which is then their
the Fleadh Ceoil, Ireland's annual festival of tra- sacred domain. They also reserve the right to invite

172 Ireland
 Johnny Doran: Last of the Travelling Pipers
Johnny Doran worked as a travelling piper throughout made a commercial recording, he played on a hand-
Ireland during the 1930s and '40s, until his untimely death, ful of 78s made by the Comhairle Bhealoideas Eire-
aged forty-two. He has had a huge influence over almost ann (Irish Folklore Commission) and re-issued by them
every subsequent Irish piper, including several modern on a cassette, The Bunch of Keys.
players such as Davy What's special about
Spillane, Finbar Furey and Doran's playing is the
Paddy Keenan. rhythmic backing that sup-
Doran was born into a ports the melody. His
piping family and grew up in rhythms are continually
the village of Rathnew, Co. varied and masterfully
Wicklow. He moved with his accentuated and the two
30
family to Dublin and in his recorded versions he left of m
r—
early twenties embarked on "Rakish Paddy" reveal the
the life of a travelling piper, truth that traditional musi-
>
setting out each spring in a cians never play the same o
horse-drawn caravan to play thing twice. The Bunch of
at crossroad dances, fairs, Keys also includes record-
races and football matches. ings of reels, jigs, horn-
It was that caravan that pipes and airs, all played
caused his death, crushing with astonishing virtuosity.
him after a wall collapsed on As an outdoor player, he
its roof; Johnny was left played in a legato or open-
crippled and died two years pipe style, although as the
later, in 1950. music historian Brendan
Doran was recognised Breathnach observed, his

as one of the greats in his style was essentially per-

lifetime, and his arrival in a sonal: "It always strikes me
village was treated as a he was playing for himself,

considerable honour. As in response to some innner

one writer of the time put Johnny Doran (right), with Pat Cash and son urge or feeling, and he
it, he was "a man of tremendous personal charisma went over and over the tune until he got the whole thing
and capable of sending out a musical pulse which out of his system."
utterly captivated the listener". Although Doran never Simon Broughton

selected non-playing friends to join them there. any combination of these:it all depends on who's

The session is not open to all comers, although it in the company and where their musical bias lies.
might look that way, and it's not done to join in Singers may gang up and keep the musicians from
without introduction; a newcomer will wait to be playing or vice versa.
asked to play, and may well refuse if they consid- All of this traditional music was originally an
er the other musicians to be of a lower standard unaccompanied form. Usually a single fiddler,
than themselves. piper, flute-, whistle- or accordion-player played
In the summer, during or around local fleadhs for the dancers. The single decorated melody
or festivals, you also find all-inclusive sessions line was the norm in playing as in singing, and
when large numbers of musicians congregate in the music had no rhythmic or harmonic accom-
one place. These can be terrific occasions when it paniment. Nowadays there are few traditional
seems the music just couldn't get any better and musicians who play exclusively solo and unac-
no one is willing to put an end to it. During the companied, but all good players can and will play
Fleadh Ceoil or the Willie Clancy Summer School solo on occasion. However, Western ears are
held in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare every July, now attuned to playing and singing with a
such sessions notably abound, with space in the chordal backing, and over the past fifty years this
pub at a premium. Sessions can feature group play- has inevitably found its way into traditional play-
ing, solo playing, singing in Irish and English or ing and singing.

Ireland 173
 Instruments and Players
We've included mention of the best instrumentalists
on the Irish music scene in this round-up of tradition-
al instruments. If you get a chance to see any of them

at the festivals, don't miss it.

The Harp
There are references to harp playing in Ireland as early
as the eighth century. Irish legend has it that the harp is

credited with magical powers and has become sym-

it

bolic of the country (as well as of Guinness!). The old Irish

harpers were a musical elite, serving as court musicians
to the Gaelic aristocracy, and had a close acquaintance
with the court music of Baroque Europe. The hundred
or so surviving tunes by the famed, blind eighteenth-
century harpist Turlough 6 Carolan - which provide
much of the repertoire for today's harpers, and is often
heard in orchestral or chamber music settings - clearly
reflect his regard for the Italian composer Corelli.

The harp these players used was metal-strung and

played with the fingernails. Today's Irish harpers play
(with their fingertips) a chromatic, gut-string version,
which one of its best exponents, Maire Ni Chatha-
saigh, describes as 'neo-lrish'. Maire has been notably
Seamus Ennis and Jean Ritchie, 1952
successful in dance music for the harp,
adapting Irish

drawing on her knowledge of and love for the piping Some of the most acclaimed traditional musicians
tradition. Another outstanding player, who has brought this century have been pipers: Seamus Ennis, Willie
the instrument into traditional session playing, is Laoise Clancy, and brothers Johnny and Felix Doran. Today
Kelly; she is also a member of the Bumblebees, an all Liam O'Flynn is regarded as one of the country's fore-
woman traditional four-piece band. most practitioners and has pushed forward the possi-
Beware that there is also a bland, prissy irish harp bilities for piping - initially as a member of the mother

tradition, associated with anodyne tourist versions of of all trad bands Planxty, and later through his asso-
Ireland, often as accompaniment to ersatz medieval ciation with classical composers Shaun Davey and
banquets. About as trad as green beer, it should be Micheal Suilleabhain.
given a wide berth.
The Bodhran
Uilleann Pipes The bodhran is an instrument much in evidence at tra-
'Seven years learning, seven years practising, and ditional sessions, and a recent addition to the dance
seven years playing' is reputedly what it takes to mas- music line-up. It is not universally welcome, partly
ter the uilleann (pronounced 'illun') pipes. Perhaps the because it looks like an easy way into playing - and it
world's most technically sophisticated bagpipe, it is isn't; the great piper Seamus Ennis, when asked how

highly temperamental and difficult to master. The a bodhran should be played, replied "with a penknife".
melody is played on a nine-holed chanter with a two- The bodhran is a frame drum usually made of goatskin
octave range blown by the air from a bag squeezed and originally associated with 'wren boys' or mummers
under the left arm, itself fed by a bellows squeezed who went out revelling and playing music on Wrens
under the right elbow. As well as the usual set of Day (Dec 26). It looks like a large tambourine without
drones, the uillean pipes are marked by their posses- jingles and can be played with a small wooden stick
sion of a set of regulators, which can be switched on or with the back of the hand.
and off to provide chords. In the hands of a master Since it was introduced into mainstream traditional
they can provide a sensitive backing for slow airs and music in the 1960s by the great innovator Sean 6
an excitingly rhythmic springboard for dance music. Riada there has been a huge surge of interest in the
The pipes arrived in Ireland in the early eighteenth bodhran and in percussion generally. Accomplished
century and reached their present form in the 1890s. players like Johnny 'Ringo' MacDonagh Donal
Taken up by members of the gentry, who became Lunny, Mel Mercier, Tommy Hayes, Jim Higgins
known as 'gentlemen pipers', they were also beloved and Frank Torpey have brought Irish traditional per-
of the Irish tinkers or travellers, and two different styles cussion to a highly developed state of expertise. In
evolved, the restrained and delicate parlour style their hands, and those of a skilled player, the bodhran
exemplified by the late Seamus Ennis, and the trav- sounds wonderful, a sympathetic support to the run-
eller style which, designed as it was to coax money ning rhythms of traditional music. Christy Moore is a
from the pockets of visitors to country fairs, is highly notable player, too, and was one of the first to use the
ornamented and even showy. instrument to accompany his own singing.

174 Ireland
 Bouzouki and Guitar
Atfirst sight might seem odd
it to include the bouzou-
ki on a list of traditional Irish instruments. Nevertheless,
its light but piercing tone makes it eminently suitable both
for melodies and providing a restrained chordal backing
within an ensemble, and since its introduction to the
island by Johnny Moynihan in the late 1 960s, and sub-
sequent popularisation by Donal Lunny, it has taken
firm root. In the process it has lost much of its original

Greek form, and with its flat back the Irish bouzouki is

really closer to a member of the mandolin family. Along

with other string instruments like the guitar and banjo,
which provide supporting harmonies in a 'folky' idiom,
bouzoukis crop up at sessions all over the country, and
some of the best accompanists are bouzouki players.
The guitaris still the most common accompaniment

in music and over the decades a traditional

traditional
style has grown up around the instrument. A guitar play-

er of genius is Steve Cooney, partner to the west Kerry

The Bodhran (left) as played by De Dannan box-player and singer Seamus Begley, whose individ-

ual style - a blend of rhythm and syncopation rooted

Flutes and Whistles in the dance tradition of that area - has influenced a

It's the wooden flute of a simple type that is used in whole generation of younger musicians. Other out-
Irish music, played mostly in a fairly low register with standing players include Arty McGlynn, Alec Finn of
a quiet and confidential tone which means that it's not De Dannan, and Donal Lunny.
heard at its best in pub sessions.
The master flute player of his generation is Matt Accordions and Concertinas
Molloy from Roscommon. He is also well known as a The box or accordion is an important instrument in Irish

member of The Chieftains and in the 1970s was the traditional music. Despite being derided by 6 Riada as an
flute player with the never to be forgotten Bothy Band. ugly sounding import it - or the smaller melodeon fea-
He and his wife own a pub (Molloys) in Westport, Co tures in most traditional ensembles. Sharon Shannon is
Mayo, renowned for its music sessions. At the younger the big name at present amid a cast that perhaps has more
end of the spectrum, also from Mayo, is Emer May- outstanding players than any other instrument except the
ock, an accomplished traditional player and a gifted Jackie Daly, Mairtin O'Connor, Dermot Byrne,
fiddle.

tune maker. Desi Wilson and Paul McGrattan are Joe Bourke, Josephine Marsh, Tony MacMahon,
superb players in northern regional style and repertoire. Breandan and Seamus Begley, Paul Brock and Dave
While anyone can get a note, though not necessar- Hennessy are just a few who spring to mind.
ily the right one, out of its little cousin the tin whistle, The concertina - also free reed - was a popular
it can take a long time to develop an embouchure capa- instrument in country houses in the last century, par-
ble of producing a and so piper Finbar Furey
flute tone, ticularly in Clare, which produced some exemplary
has introduced the low whistle, which takes the place players like the renowned Mrs Crotty. Mary Mac-
of the flute when there is no proper flute player around. Namara and Noel Hill carry on the tradition of fine
In the right hands, those of Packie Byrne or Mary Clare concertina playing today while Niall Vallely from
Bergin, or The Chieftains' Paddy Moloney, for exam- Armagh, the front man of Nomos, is one of the most
ple, the whistle itself is no mean instrument, but it's also innovative traditional players around on any instrument.
suitable for the beginner. you're interested, make sure
If

you get a D-whistle, as most Irish music is in this key.

Fiddles
The fiddle is popular all over Ireland and many areas
still retain particular regional characteristics in style and
repertoire. Donegal fiddle style is melodic but with live-

ly bowing techniques, whereas the Sligo style, exem-

the playing of the great Michael Coleman,
plified in

is more elaborate and flamboyant. The Donegal reper-

toire would incline towards reels, flings, highlands and

tunes with a Scots influence while in Kerry the reper-

toire does not feature reels so much as polkas, jigs and
slides. There are literally hundreds of fine fiddle play-
ers: Tommy Peoples, Kevin Burke, Eileen Ivers,
Liz Carroll, Frankie Gavin, Sean Keane, Paddy
Glackin, Martin Hayes, Paul Shaughnessy and Matt
Cranitch are but the tip of the iceberg. Sharon Shannon with a melodeon

Ireland 175
Airs and Groups in West Cork, renowned for its singers and pas-
sionate devotion to music, O Riada hit on the idea
The instrumental repertoire is, as already described, of ensemble music-making using traditional instru-
made up mainly of dance tunes. But there is also a ments like the pipes, fiddle and whisde. It was a bril-
group of instrumental pieces known as Fonn Mall liantly obvious innovation and, over the next three
(slow airs) played without accompaniment. Most decades, The Chieftains developed the concept of
of them are laments or the melodies of songs, some ensemble playing to the point where it became uni-
of such antiquity that the words have been lost. versally accepted. In addition, O Riada brought his
The uilleann pipes (see instruments box) are par- genius for interpretation to bear on choral, liturgi-
ticularly well suited to the performance of airs, as cal and orchestral music. The choir he founded in
their plaintive tone and ability to perform complex the 1 960s is still in existence and can be heard every
ornaments cleanly allows Sunday in the church in Cuil
them to approach the style of Aodha as well as at sessions and
sean nos (unaccompanied) concerts.
singers, but most good play- The most prominent solo
ers, regardless of their instru- traditional player to go the
ment, will have a repertoire ensemble route
is Sharon
of airs. Shannon. A precociously
Playing airs offers the musi- skilled accordion player with a

cian challenging expressive dazzling technique and a

possibilities. Just listen to the unique and much-copied per-

great box (accordion) player sonal style she an accom-
is also

Tony MacMahon on "Port plished fiddleand whistle

na bPucai" (The Ghosts' player. Her home county of
Tune), a haunting and Clare remains a stronghold of
exquisite air supposedly taught traditional music and of a par-
to fishermen in the Blasket ticular regional style, and has
Sound by fairy musicians at produced some of the greatest
the dead of night. Or listen to players of this century includ-
Davy Spillane, one of the ing Willie Clancy, Bobby
top contemporary pipers, Casey,Micho Russell, Mar-
reworking the conventions of Sean 6 Riada: tin Rochford and Paddy
the slow air in his own com- the genius of Irish traditional music Canny, to name but a few.
position "Equinox", which After a spell playing with Mike
incorporates electric guitar and low whistle. To lis- Scott and the Waterboys, and with Arcady, Sharon
ten to a solo player, whatever their instrument, is went on form her own band, while guesting
to
to get close to something old and fundamental in Donal Lunny's Coolfin. She mixes
occasionally with
the tradition. well-known Irish traditional tunes with Cajun,
Playing in groups or with accompaniment is a Swedish and North American material, even Reg-
prominent feature of traditional music performance gae. More than any other traditional musician she
today. Most concerts that charge for entry feature at has an uncanny feel for the apropropriate mix of
least two musicians playing together, and frequent- styles in the right proportions. Her energetic, driv-
ly more plus a singer or two. Altan (see box on ing and highly melodic personal style hits the Irish
p. 180) is perhaps the exemplary group in this mode, Zeitgeist head on making her probably the most
a combination of 'pure' tradition and contemporary popular traditional musician in the country.
accompaniment. The band moves easily between A quieter but perhaps equally significant course
the base traditional repertoire and modern arrange- has been charted over the past couple of decades
ments and all the combinations in between. by Mfcheal O Suilleabhain, who has created a
best-known traditional band, The
Ireland's fusion of Irish traditional, Classical and jazz music,
Chieftains, carry on the virtuoso tradition, too. developing a unique piano style. O Suilleabhain is

This group was the spearhead of the 1960s revival also a significant figure in Irish music through his

of Irish traditional music - indeed, the revival is work at the pioneering Limerick University music-
largely down to the efforts of the group's founder, department, which offers courses in traditional Irish

composer and arranger, Sean O Riada. Living in music and has an associated World Music Centre
the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) of Cuil Aodha, (for more on which, see wuw.ul.ie/~iumic/).

1 76 Ireland
 Clancys and Dubliners
The guitar revolutionised not only the presentation of The ballad group fashion eventually petered out, but

instrumental and folk/traditional material in Ireland, but it had laid the foundations for a revival of interest in

also changed the singing tradition. The guitar was the popular folk singing that has remained solid. Another
instrument of the 1950s and made possible harmonic great group of this era, one still going strong, was The
chordal accompaniment formerly provided by the Dubliners. As well as fielding two unique singers, Luke
unwieldy and immobile piano. Kelly (who died in 1984) and Ronnie Drew, they boast-
Singing folk songs to instrumental accompaniment ed two fine traditional players: banjoist Barney McKen-
became universally popular in Ireland in the 1 960s with na and fiddler John Sheehan. The Dubliners were
the triumphal return from America of The Clancy Broth- resolutely urban and their repertoire and approach to

ers and Tommy Maken. The Clancys had taken New performance was gritty, energetic and bawdy.
York's Carnegie Hall and the networked Ed Sullivan Show Songwriter Elvis Costello once remarked of north
by storm and they were welcomed home to Ireland as London Irish folk-punk band The Pogues that their
conquering heroes. Their heady blend of rousing ballads music was "the promise of a good time", and this was
accompanied by guitar, harmonica, and five-string banjo ever the case with Dubliners. No surprise then to see
revitalised a genre of folk song that had been all but the two bands coming together in 1 987 to record "The
scrapped. Hundreds of sound-alike ballad groups decked Irish Rover" which stands as one of the most thor-
out in a motley selection of ganseys - The Clancys' hall- oughgoing deconstructions of a bowdlerised oirish bal-

mark was the Arran sweater - sprang up. lad ever to be recorded.

The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem, 1963

Sean Nos and the tradition which died out in the seventeenth cen-

Vocal Tradition tury with the demise of the old Gaelic order and
may also have connections to the sacred music of
Songs in the Irish language are at the heart of Church in Ireland. Sean nos
the early Christian
the Irish tradition, freighted with significance as makes heavy demands on both singer and listener.
one of the few fragile links to the culture of Gael- The former requires the skill to vary the interpre-

ic Ireland. The most important of them belong to tationof each verse by means of subtle changes in
a repertoire known as sean nos (old style) - an tempo, ornamentation, timbre and stress, while the
unaccompanied singing form of great beauty and latter needs to possess the knowledge and discrim-
complexity. It is thought to derive from the bardic ination to fully appreciate the singer's efforts.

Ireland 177
 Different areas have slightly differing sean no? Visiting singers have often remarked on this side
styles although there are songs common to all to Irish gigs and enjoy playing in Ireland because
regional traditions. The songs of Connemara, for of it. Singers in pubs, however, have had to strug-
example, have elaborate melodies that he within gle to be heard in recent years as publicans have
a small vocal range, whereas those from Munster opted to refit with bigger rooms for amplified
are simpler but have a wider range. The sean nos groups. To hear traditional singing, you need to
repertoire is made up of long songs which have an look for sessions promoted by singers' clubs (which
allusive and delicate poetic style. There are also hire rooms), or to find a singers' session at one of
many less complex songs, ballads, love songs, lul- the festivals.

labies, children's songs, comic songs, and local One of the highpoints of the sean nos singers'
songs of all sorts. In addition, most sean nos sing*ers year is at the Oireachtas, the great gathering of
have English language songs in their repertoire: the Gaeltacht community to promote and encour-
ballads of great antiquity such as "Barbara Allen" age traditional culture, when the prestigious Coirn
or "False Knight On The Road", as well as Irish Ui Riada competition is held. The winners bring
m songs composed in English - love songs, carols, acclaim not only on themselves but also on their
emigration songs, and rebel songs. region, as most singers come from one or other of
The tradition of informal singing is still a the Gaeltachts. In Dublin, there is also a singers'
strong one in Ireland. The spectacle of four or movement, Sean Nos Cois Life, who organise
five thousand Irish people singing along word per- an annual festival in the city and run workshops
fect at, say, a Christy Moore gig is not unusual. and sessions.

Afro-Celt Sound System: Sean Nos Grooves

The Afro-Celt Sound System was conceived in 1996 shown that you can have a dance mix appealing to
at a RealWorid Recording Week - a week of concerted club culture that doesn't destroy its components,
recording and musical collaboration at the label's Wilt- Indeed, among the highlights of the albums are the
shire studios that follows each summer's WOMAD fes- ways in which the bodhran drives a groove with African
tival at Reading. The idea sounded distinctly half-baked, percussion, and the way that O Lionaird's meditative

nightmarish even: to combine Celtic and West African vocals emerge from the ambient sounds of kora and
instruments and vocals with state of the art dance pro- sequencers. Live, meanwhile, they're something else,

duction. But, steered by producers Simon Emmerson with a full-on sound that can make leaps from tradi-

and Martin Russell, and fired by a group of virtuoso tional Irish material to hard-core techno.
talents, it worked surprisingly well on
disc - Volume One: Sound Magic
(1 996) - and even better out on the
road.

In 1999 the Afro-Celts returned

with a new album, release, Volume
Two: Release, and an enhanced line-

up, featuring, on the Irish side, sean

nos vocalist larla 6 Lionaird uil-

lean pipers Michael McGoldrick

and Ronan Browne, and a certain
Sinead O'Connor. West Africa con-

tnbuted the griots (master musicians)

N'Faly Kouyate (vocals, kora, bal-
afon) and Moussa Sissokho (talk-

ing drum), while other Celts included

the Breton harpist Myrhdin

The group and its discs have
been outstandingly popular and,
amazingly, critically well received,
for such fusions don't often come
off. Yet the Afro-Celt approach has Afro-Celt sean nds vocalist larla C Lionaird

178 Ireland
Moving Hearts

Less obvious, perhaps, is the influence of sean Moving back, however, to the 1960s and '70s,
nos on Irish rock singers with the vocal confidence when rock was emerging as a force, a revival of
on unaccomapanied material, among them
to take interest in traditional music and singing was also
Sinead O'Connor, Van Morrison, Dolores O taking place. Ireland is a small country so it was
Riordan of The Cranberries, and - above all - inevitable that a certain amount of crossover took
Liam O Maonlaf of Hothouse Flowers (who is place, although the traffic was mostly in one direc-
an accomplished sean nos singer in his own right). tion, as rock musicians raided the storehouse of
Their raw, stripped-down singing style and a devel- Irishry to lend a Celtic air to their songs. The most
oped range of vocalisations derives in part from influential figures in blending rock with traditional
exposure to folk or traditional material. The huge- music, from the 1970s on, have been bouzouki
ly popular Irish singer-keyboard player Enya also and keyboard player Donal Lunny and singer
owes a large debt to sean nos in her Gaelic-New Christy Moore, the founders, with Andy Irvine,
Ai^c styled music. She actually began her career of Planxty, a band which really changed the way
singing with the roots-oriented group, Clannad. young Irish people looked on the old folk reper-
Most recently sean nos has had an unlikely toire. Their arrangements of old airs and tunes,

implosion with African and dance rhythms through and Liam O'Flynn's wonderful uillean piping,
the Afro-Celt Sound System, a RealWorld opened a lot of ears and inspired a lot of the new
fusion groupwhich features the Donegal singer Celtic groups of the last two decades.
Iarla O Lionaird (see feature box opposite). In 1981 Lunny and Moore made a more radi-
cal attempt to fuse traditional and rock music with

Shamrock'n'roll the launching of Moving Hearts. Their objec-

tive was to bring traditional music up-to-date by
Since the 1960s Ireland has had an indigenous rock drawing on all the apparatus of rock, yet without
scene which at owes little or nothing to tra-
times compromising the folk element. It was a tall order,
ditional music. However, even a band like U2 — but they came as close as any Irish band has ever
who once rejected traditional music as part of the done, using rock and jazz to rethink the harmon-
repressiveness of Irish culture - have incorporat- ic and rhythmic foundations of Irish music. The
ed its strands in recent years. And London-Irish line-up was led, remarkably, by pipes and saxo-
iconoclasts The Pogues emerged in the early phone, with backing from bass and lead guitars,

1980s playing a chaotic set of 'Oirish' standards electric bouzouki, drums and percussion. Their
and rebel songs, bringing a punk energy to the gigswere feasts of music that seemed both famil-
Irish ballad. They were also blessed with one of iarand new at the same time, while the lyrics,
the finest Irish songwriters of recent years, Shane unusually in (southern) Ireland took on politics
McGowan, who, in his subsequent solo career head on, with a commitment to the rights of the
with The Popes continues to capture the state of dispossessed - in Ireland and beyond. They lost

Irish exile in a series of raw pain-filled ballads. momentum when Christy Moore departed for a

Ireland -J 79
 Altan
In the 1990s, Altan, along with the Bothy Band and and instrumentation while retaining regional and local

De Danaan, were the flagbearers for the Irish traditional coherence to a remarkable degree.
band scene, taking the place of the old guard of The A winterschool and festival in the Gaeltacht region
Chieftains and Clannad. A band who have always mixed of Gaoth Dobhair in Co Donegal is held shortly after
group numbers with traditional solo playing, they were Christmas in Frankie Kennedy's memory. This has
forged by fiddler and singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh become a winter highlight of the traditional music year
from Donegal and the late, much-missed flautist and and regularly turns in memorable concerts, sessions
*
whistle-player Frankie Kennedy from Belfast. and workshops.
Kennedy, who was struck down in his thirties, was a
huge talent, helping to shape the group's classic Island
Angel, a landmark albdm for contemporary traditional
music, reworking traditional songs and airs in a rock-
infused format. On the traditional side, a strong infouence
was the music of Donegal - a county strongly associ-
a ated with the fiddle (Mairead's father, Proinsias, is a well-
known fiddler in the Donegal tradition). Since Kennedy's
death, the band have consolidated this regional bias -
and their traditional firepower - with the addition of vir-
tuoso Donegal box player Dermot Byrne.
The group's sound, for all its crossover success,
was and is resolutely traditional. They play within tra-
ditional structure, and although they play Scottish tunes
(notably from Cape Breton Island), they don't try and
incorporate blues or Cajun (of which they are fans).

They don't plan their albums a lot either, taking songs

and airs from the oral tradition in time-honoured fash-
ion. And their roots are reinforced by the fact that
Mairead sings mainly in Gaelic - naturally enough, as
it's her first language. Altan's albums, as a result, incor-

porate all the elements of contemporary arrangement Atlan's Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh

solo career in 1982, and folded in 1984, but they the Four Men classified their very danceable and
had created a space for future Irish groups to fol- likeably unclassifiable mix, forged by such players
low. Each of their chief players, too - Christy as Conor Keane on accordion and veteran guitarist
Moore, Donal Lunny, Declan Sinnott, Davy Artie McGlynn, whose career takes in the Clan-
Spillane - have remained influential solo and cys, Planxty and a spell with top 1980s band
group players through the 1980s and '90s. Patrick Street. Ron Kavana, who is responsible
Another hugely influential group, through the for the series of trad re-issues on the GlobeStyle
1990s, have been Altan (see feature box above), Irish label, has a somewhat different approach,
who achieved the rare success of fusing a rock sen- combining Irish material and instruments (includ-
sibility on traditional music without compromis- ing pipes) with African and Latin rhythms, and an
ing the latter. Midway through the decade, they energetic delivery hailing back to his R&B days.
were joined by a new Donal Lunny supergroup, Newer groups include Goats Don't Shave,
Coolfin, featuring Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill on featuring singer Pat Gallagher; Nomos, a Cork-
vocals, Nollaig Casey on John McSherry
fiddle, based four-piece ensemble, who present a mix of
on pipes, and Sharon Shannon on box: a stunning contemporary traditional music and Irish and
band, on disc and especially live. English language material by singer-songwriter
Other groups working in the borderlands of John Spillane; and the Dublin band Rfla. who offer

rock in the 1990s included Alias Ron Kavana an eclectic and beguiling and danceable melange
and Deanta, and the sadly extinct Four Men and of trad, rap and funk. And then there is the afore-
a Dog, each of whom maintained a traditional mentioned Afro-Celt Sound System (see box
core repertoire, using rock mainly for its image on p. 178), mixing Irish sounds with those of Africa
and sound. "Traditional music with balls" is how and the techno dance scene.

180 Ireland
 CD
discography has been (well)

musical styles to be found

more experimental attempts
chosen to illustrate the diversity of traditional
in Irish music as
at fusion with
well as some
both Western classi-
of the

cal and global traditions.

For ease of reference, reviews below are grouped first
into general compilations (and series), followed by sec-
tions on singers, instrumentalists, and groups. Singers

General compilations/series Artists

33 Claddagh's Choice:
Begley and Cooney
An Anthology of Irish Traditional Music:
Vols 1 and 2 (Claddagh, Ireland). The matchless partnership of West Kerry box player and
singer Seamus Begley with Australian guitarist Steve
The prestigious has been releasing the cream of
Irish label
Cooney has to date produced one classic album.
traditional music since the1950s and this double album
late

is both a marvellous trawl through its back catalogue and a Meitheal (Hummingbird, Ireland).
S3
fine introduction to the genre.
A glorious life-affirming recording of Sliabh Luachra repertory:
GlobeStyle Irish Series: Treasure of My Heart polkas, slides, jigs, reels, and three 'big' regional songs ten-
(GlobeStyle, UK). derly sung and beautifully accompanied.
This is a fabulous sampler of GlobeStyle's Irish Series - a
series of compilations of material taken from the extensive Dominic Behan
archives of the Topic record label by musician Ron Kavana.
Brendan Behan's younger brother, Dominic was a drama-
Each of the main series CDs has a thematic angle and there's
tist,too, and a successful satirist, balladeer and singer.
not a duff track to be heard throughout.
His ancestors were Fenians and his uncle, Peadar
Available in the main series are:
Kearney, penned the Irish National Anthem. His voice was
'«>]
Leaving Tipperary: Irish Music in America
not the best, but there was a force to his singing which
S3 The Gentleman Pipers: Classic Irish Piping
perfectly matched the rebel songs he recorded.
S3 In the Smoke: Irish Music in '60s London
S3 The Rushy Mountain: Music from Sliabh Luachrar Easter Week and After (Topic, UK).
S3
S3 The Wandering Minstrels: Irish Dance Music
S3 Hurry the Jug: Songs, Lilting and Storytelling The ultimate rebel song album, on which Behan sings sixteen
A Living Thing: Contemporary Classics songs telling the tale of the IRA from the Easter Rising to the
S3 The Coolin: Irish Laments and Airs late 1950s - from Erin Go Brath (Ireland So Fine) by Peadar

S3 Happy to Meet: Traditional Irish Dance Music Kearney to Behan's own famous "The Patriot Game" inspired
Sleeve notes on these are admirably copious, too, provid- by an abortive IRA attack on the RUC's Brookesborough
ing an excellent overview of the various strands of Irish music. Barracks in 1957.

H Beauty an Oileain: Music and Song of the

Blasket Islands (Claddagh, Ireland). Mary Black
The The Blasket Islands - islands off the
rich folk culture of Ireland's most popular female singer, Mary Black has
southwest coast of abandoned in 1952 - has been
Ireland, been performing and recording since the 1970s, includ-
well documented and this album reveals that also produced it
ing spells with her brothers and sister Frances (herself a
a remarkable traditional music culture. Sourced from a variety star in Ireland) in The Black Family and also with De
of recordings, from the 1950s to the '90s, these songs, tunes Dannan. Her solo career really took off when she
and airs are moving evocations of island life. Accompanying teamed up with Moving Hearts' guitarist Declan Sinnott
notes are particularly informative. as her producer and arranger. Her 1993 album Holy
Ground went platinum in Ireland on the day of its
Bringing It All Back Home (Hummingbird, Ireland).
release.
Music from a TV series which documented the journey,
S3 Shine (Grapevine, UK).
development and influence of traditional music overseas.
Songs in Irish and English, dance tunes, airs, laments, group Though this, Black's latest album, was produced by Larry
and solo, country, contemporary, traditional and classical. Klein in California, it still bears all the hallmarks of her sound:
a powerfully emotional voice backed by a mixture of rock and
Dear Old Erin's Isle (Nimbus, UK).
traditional instruments.

Superb recording of a 1992 Cork festival which brought

together some of America's best Irish musicians, including Luka Bloom
old-timers Joe Shannon and melodeon player Tom
like piper
Doherty, and young fiddlers like Eileen Ives and Liz Carroll. Christy Moore's younger brother Barry achieved greater
success afrer he changed his name to Luka Bloom (after
Tv Our Musical Heritage Suzanne Vega's song and Joyce's protagonist in Ulysses)
(Funduireacht an Riadaigh, Ireland). and travelled to record in America. More rocking than
With accompanying book, this three-cassette anthology of
its
Christy, but sharing the same percussive guitar style, he

singersand instrumentalists, compiled by Sean Riada from is also a lyricist of some poignancy.
1960s radio programmes, is an indispensable guide to all
S3 Riverside (Reprise, US).
aspects of Irish traditional music.
Bloom's debut and still his best album, this includes two of
A River of Sound: The Changing Course of Irish
his most notable songs, the wistful "Dreams in America", and
Music (Virgin, UK).
the more boisterous "You Couldn't Have Come at a Better
With its genesis in another television series, the music on this Time", featuring Eileen Ivers on fiddle.

Ireland 181
 There Was a Maid
Paul Brady
Singer-guitarist Paul Brady was a member of folk group
m (Claddagh, Ireland).

"Seven Yellow Gypsies" is one of many highlights on Keane's

The Johnstones before replacing Christy Moore in
best traditional album, recorded in the late 1970s, and exem-
Planxty in the mid-1970s. Subsequently, he changed
plifying all the brio and ornamentation that are synonymous
tack and enjoyed a successful career in mainstream
with her singing style.
rock, his songs being covered by Tina Turner amongst
others. However, Brady retains the respect of traditional
musicians and pops up occasionally on their own
albums.

S Hard Station (Rykodisc, UK/US).

Brady's first venture into the rock world, and arguably still

his best, this includes his incisive account of the experi-

ences of Irish emigres to London - "Nothing But the^Same
Old Story".

3D E Molloy, Brady, Peoples (Mulligan. Ireland).

m
r—
A
p
largely successful 'supergroup' outing featuring Brady's
voice and guitar. Matt Molloy's flute and the sadly under-
recorded Donegal-style fiddle of Tommy Peoples on a grand
a selection of jigs, reels and songs.

Karan Casey
Casey is a fine young singer, originally from Waterford but
long resident in the US, and is the vocalist with prominent
American-Irish trad band Solas.

E Songlines (Shanachie. US).

This solo album features mainstream traditional English and

Irish language matenal. Casey's singing displays a very finely

tuned senstivity to the vocal tradition.

Dolores Keane and Mary Black
Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill
Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill is one of Ireland's most accom- Sean Keane
plished traditional singers. Her repertory is sourced in the
Dolores's brother Sean (no relation to the fiddler in The
Donegal through her family, particu-
tradition transmitted
Chieftains) is also a superb singer.
larly her late aunt Nellie Ni Dhomhnaill. She started out in

the 1 970s with the highly-rated band Skara Brae and cur- All Heart, No Roses (Cross Border Media, Ireland).
rently sings with Donal Lunny's band Coolfin and also
After building a formidable reputation, Sean Keane finally
with her sister Triona.
released this debut album in 1 993 - a fine collection of songs
No Dowry recorded with able assistance from Jackie Daly on accordion.

ISiJ (Gael Unn, Ireland).

Here is Ni Dhomhnaill in wonderful voice, singing in Irish and

Christy Moore
English, both unaccompanied, and accompanied with Kildare-bom singer Christy Moore is an Irish institution,
understated skill and sympathy by Donal Lunny. notable both for the strength of his political commitment
and massive stage presence. He was a founding member
of first Planxty then Moving Hearts before revitalising his
Joe Heaney
own solo career in the 1 980s. Long acclaimed for his sen-
From Carna in the Connemara Gaeltacht, the late Joe sitive yet highly personal interpretation of others' material,
Heaney was one of the greatest singers of the pure tradi- he recorded an album of his own songs, Graffiti
finally
tional style called sean nos. His powerful voice led some- Tongue (Columbia), in 1 996, before announcing his retire-
one to say of him, "he opened his mouth and the voice ment in 1 998 after a period of ill-health.
came out like an iron bar".
: Ride On (WEA, UK).
53 Irish Traditional Songs In Gaelic and English
Moore's 1984 breakthrough album contains many of his
(Ossian. Ireland).
most popular songs and remains a prime showcase for the
This cassette selection includes classics of the sean nos breadth of his material which here ranges from the pensive
repertoire as well as Irish traditional material in English. romanticism of the title track to the jubilation of the Spanish
Civil War song "Vive La Qfcnta Brigada", as well as his satiri-

cal take on the music scene in Usdoonvarna.

Dolores Keane
The possessor of perhaps the purest voice in Irish music,
Christy Moore At The Point Live
(Grapevine, Ireland).
Dolores Keane sang with De Dannan before embarking on
an increasingly successful solo career. In recent years her This great album captures all the vitality and contrasting
live

choice of material has drifted close to MOR and light moods Moore concert, including his tremendous distaste
of a
Country, which many feel unsuited to such a fine inter- for hecklers and his ability to have his audience (literally) rolling

preter of traditional songs. in the aisles with numbers like "Joxter Goes to Stuttgart".

182 Ireland
 Lillis O Laoire S3 Causeway (Tara, Ireland).

6 Laoire is one of the best young sean nos singers to Inspired by The Giant's Causeway, this is a parson's egg of

emerge from the Donegal gaeltacht in recent years and an album with some highly memorable moments, including
twice a winner of the prestigious Com Ui Riada. Nollaig Casey's solos and Arty McGlynn's wonderful applica-
tion of a jazz guitar style to a traditionally inspired backing,
Blath Gach Geag da dTig though it at times comes close to sinking in an ambient mire.
(CI6 lar Chonnachta, Ireland).

A showcase of Donegal regional song and style lovingly col- Maire Ni Chathasaigh
lected from old singers (particularly from the Tory islands).
and Chris Newman
Harpist Maire Ni Chathasaigh and guitarist Chris Newman
Iarla 6 Lionaird
are figures from the more classical and arranged side of
larla 6
Lionaird, another superb contemporary sean nos Irish music.

singer, has consistantly sought to push out the frontiers

of his art, both in his solo work and with the Afro-Celt
S3 The Carolan Albums (Old Bridge Music, Ireland).

Sound System (see 'Groups', p.185). Guitar and Irish harp join together on arrangements of harp
music by the great Turlough 6 Carolan, the so-called 'last of
The Seven Steps to Mercy
the old Irish harpers'. 6 Carolan's music interfaces the old
(RealWorld, UK).
Irishharp repertoire with the Baroque music popular in
Although sean nos has a a quite a reputation for being diffi- Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These

and inaccessible, the ambient settings and relaxing superbly and precisely arranged tracks sparkle with life.
cult
sound of the arrangements on this album make accessible O
many of the great songs of the tradition. Michael Coleman
Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman has been probably the
Instrumentalists most musician of the twentieth century.
influential Irish
Although he moved to the US as a teenager, the record-
ings that he made there fed the imagination of genera-
Compilations tions of musicians back home.

33 The Drones and the Chanters Vol 2 Viva Voce: Michael Coleman 1891-1945
(Cladagh, Ireland). (Gael Linn, Ireland).

A collection of well-known and less well-known tunes by a Wonderful recordings of the great Sligo fiddler at his best,
selection of mainly young pipers paying tribute to and re- digitally remastered on a superb double CD.
interpreting the tradition, with especially good contributions
by Gay Mc Keon and Ronan Browne. A good introduction to
Seamus Creagh
current developments in the field of Irish pipering.
Seamus Creagh is one of the best-kept secrets in Irish
33 Fiddlesticks (Nimbus, UK). fiddle playing. In the 1970s he was a partner of box virtu-
This CD, recorded at a festival of Donegal fiddlers in 1991,
oso Jackie Daly.

gives a more than decent view of recent developments in

V Came The Dawn (Ossian, Ireland).
Irish fiddle playing. As well as forceful ensemble playing, it

also features solos from Siobhan Peoples (daughter of the Creagh's long-awaited solo album is a gem; he displays in
legendary Tommy), Seamus and Kevin Glackin. equal measure superb techinique, subtle, beautifully judged
playing, and an expressiveness which defies attempts to
describe it.

Artists
WITH JACKIE DALY
Mary Bergin Jackie Daly and Seamus Creagh
(Gael-Linn, Ireland).
Mary Bergin is Ireland's most accomplished tin whistle
and pipe player. An exemplary traditional player she is This 1977 album of fiddle and box is, simply, one of the best
also a member of Dordan - the all woman Galway based Irish duo albums of all time.
group (harp/fiddle/whistles/vocals) - with whom she plays
a beguiling mix of hibemo-baroque and trad. WITH AIDAN COFFEY
33 Feadoga Stain 1 and Feadoga Stain 2 Seamus Creagh/Aidan Coffey (Ossian, Ireland).
(Gael Linn, Ireland).
Creagh has been partnering young Co. Waterford and ex-De
Bergin's two solo albums are accompanied
classics. She is Dannan accordionist Aidan Coffey since 1992, and this stun-
on both recordings by longtime collaborators Johnny 'Ringo' ning 1997 collection shows the partnership in full flow.
McDonagh on bodhran and Alec Finn on bouzouki, and There's an exuberance to their music that transports you to
Dordan feature on one track on Volume 2. their weekly session in Cork City . . . and Coffey turns out to
be a wizard at the polka.

Nollaig Casey and Arty McGlynn

Partners both marriage and music, Casey and McGlynn
in
Johnny Doran
are two of the most respected musicians on the tradition- Johnny Doran, one of the last of the travelling pipers, was
al circuit and beyond. Cork-bom Casey is a talented fid- and compelling approach to his
feted for his wild, unique
dler while guitarist McGlynn has played with Van Morrison music. He only recorded once in his life, shortly before his
and was a member of Four Men and a Dog. His talents as death; these few precious fragments have an almost leg-
a producer are also heavily in demand. endary status among connoisseurs.

Ireland 183
 ' .

our r *.noct<naeree Dour** t^e— -iil an i

tc a etrour o* ser-oancara fts sasso' o

Trie classic 1 940s recordings of Doran on jiliea* dose. l J_ cacrtjree tne ra-< ar-i:>sane-e xz oar-recto-

Seam us Egran
rr fiodie- - a* :

21 areaci wo- al- ai*eao> amo-i; tne r tne ousine

iens - ar imprese- luopec oarance nerwee' raditior anc -
m

I Wild Btue (jresr _rme-. JS.

Jnanachie JS. Slow are anc alestnfying parlor niannea cr oance tunes
aoouno on the Tsmriabie 13B7 album. 1 ne coenrnc Tract.
Saa—le £gar, recoroec ths atPurr an 20 and there s a Shar- "Zr -to-saoac*' ts

actertsticahv youthfu vigour 1

m hs ir i torpie iatiors a* assotec
jigs an- rests, fougr ne snows a oeiicaTe true tec espe-
cially m ns ftute-DEiying on the ar "Dart Senear Boy'. U2>;

— t- soa'Kinc antnoioo» facnr ue-s KexneT r:>- -e

Seam us Fnnis cb^s as a sruoerr ar li/iatr MuMtnil' 5 cetaoratec ficrdie strroo

-ciioe* anc
r Wesr -imero tc tne soutiu r iBj ad 1
cr Tradmona are
-tar "_a~e-r tc- SaKer I'valace' sicjic cmc Tesa-s t: an>-

lOBl
onesevss
: cn

-setu — t; -inaa - - re,3~i: 5-otne*cr Sea' :o'dions: James

Keane payee wit!
This magnificent sirvev of Ennis s lr*e ano wcru cowers raditiona r=im,3
recordings made wner ne was Qareu, m ms Twsrmtes xf a
coupe of ".ears Detore ns aaaf m the earn 1 93Ds A ponus
s the ndJsiT zf some zf ns snornc tndisoansiDie to- any- Witt _ 1 i •i-i.i ^lanacnie la,
one wnc wants to understand how a grant n* tnsn muse
•^ea-ie -errj—ec t: >/!sr reianc r tne Ene-" 39 js anc tms s a
Dei/eooec hs higrrlv personal style.
gtorroLS souwsnr of hs sta«.' fitree' TracKE rnciudnc a cou-
ple by the accordionist hrmsetv tsaturmo the frddtes rf
Paddy -"acids SiaoKir ano Tonim* -^eopies. tne ooes anc fure cr
Lram D Flyrm, Vfatt Wtolloy and the lifting iocs of feir
Cormeff

r ^jl and.

Or, the enpyaPeCD Sfeokn s jomad P\ ootners Kewr anc -:-r30tr>> r.a-i: :n:e' -anc' «.f«-.a- :s r tns cornier cr
Seamus or fiddle and Rcipoe f-errror or >ea- proas The .
ma-- fir p'satesr i'l'inc esoonen" cr tne jiliea* ciioe;.
atPum alsc penefte tron- the arrangement ano accompan»-
mam stalls of Donai j_onnv
On the hs "frrsi atOurn. Keenan was amrrrnoanec ch to
Martin Haves orcifte- .ion- Iciano anc "nomas 'wnste, aionc wrr ^aoo'
hs T«OtE lie rr 'Ir - -.a-r
" SaoKir or v/iolrr. The Tesutirng pre» was ar Itst ctessi:
rr nis tatne' a" wns re fie cic>5 : 3"ic fadi3" s sha'SJC — lasTri'v cr narmomcs
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Ki Keer Affair Her lo- -a JS.

Tns tbobto ouimg Keenan 5 "first solo

decade. prr»/ac wall worm the wait ft

trom great orayars young and DEL mcuoinc fiddlers Tunim»

i^eooies anc Saamus Oaacr. anc 'Uial i/akarn conce-ina c
^Bcordnc ojalri rs a v-anaoe pj- fie oe>mc 5 magniftcer
Hayes found a true soul-mate m America' guitarst Damns throughout AvaiHPIe p» rraji order ont« TrorTi ftor Cteyou 2S
3anil. wnose sensitive accompanrmarTt provides a solid tour>- Bants Sfeer. Suite r Jamo'ioae wu. X" 3£ JS
datior tor the fiddler £ nsprrec eKtemporsatior; The snl
qurte up tc tnerr stupendous h«/E snows, out it's not tar off.

Noel Hill and Tony MacMabon

lonce-tna wrca'C Noe —Iil owes must tc theDOin; Mm-
A Tony Macttahor
"-Bdrtiona
is one o* trie fine* exponents erf to insttr
Ciaociacr. t'eiand.

~ns cohecio' tr soios wif ousts wrr fade-

s art" to tne gracertj rrtar
r-tecooac one memorapte nigrn at a sess on in Dan ConnaM s

184
 the edges, but a vibrant testimony to the West Clare musical
Josephine Marsh embodied
tradition in the three brothers - Gussie and the late
A wonderful young box player from Co. Clare, Josephine Micho and Pakie.
Marsh is also an acomplished maker of tunes - some of

which feature on her sparkling debut album. Sharon Shannon

S3 Josephine Marsh (Claddagh, Ireland). Virtuoso Sharon Shannon is one of the brightest stars on
the traditional music horizon, whose accordion and fiddle
A fine first album. Well worth seeking out.
playing brings a questing, unpredictable intelligence to
re-interpreting the tradition.
Matt Molloy
S3 Out of the Gap (Solid, Ireland).
Matt Molloy, a flute player from the Roscommon/Sligo
region, is a musician of consumate sensitivity. He plays Several of the tracks on this. Shannon's second album, were
and tours with The Chieftains, is the landlord of a well- produced by famed dub producer Dennis Bovell, and it
known music pub in Westport, Co. Mayo, and commands shows to good effect as the accordionist turns her hand to
great respect as a player from the critically demanding traditional Irish versions of reggae tunes in addition to her

traditional hard core. usual spirited renditions of traditional melodies.

Shadows on Stone Sharon Shannon

(Virgin, UK). (Solid, Ireland/Philo, US).

solo album for a number of years justified all the A sparkling 993 album featuring tracks from traditional Irish
Molloy's first

used to describe his playing. A must for any Irish

1

to Cajun, French Canadian, and contemporary arrangements. 2

superlatives
music collection. The contributions of some fine trad and not-so-trad musi- O
cians (including Adam Clayton of U2) adds to the fun.

Li am O'Flynn
Davy Spillane
One of the most versatile musicians of his generation and
a master piper of impeccable traditional credentials, Uillean piperDavy Spillane was a focal member of Moving
O'Flynn excels both as a solo and ensemble player - the Hearts and, since their demise, his outstanding solo tech-
latter both with Planxty and accompanying a symphony nique and sensitive accompaniment has been in much
orchestra in "The Brendan Voyage".
demand on sessions for everyone from Kate Bush to
Steve Winwood.
S3 The Piper's Call (Tara, Ireland).
83 Out of the Air (Tara, Ireland/Cooking Vinyl, UK).
All of O'Flynn's piping skills are on display, magisterial solo
playing on the airs, one arranged by Micheal 6 Suilleabhain Spilliane has never released his own live album, but this is the

and played with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and by contrast nearest thing to it. Half consists of sessions for BBC Radio
a gritty soulful air accompanied by Mark Knopfler. One and truly captures the sheer verve of his then (1988)
touring band, while the remainder adds the guitar and electric
sitar of famed (and, sadly late) Donegal blues-man Rory
Brendan Power (!)

Gallagher. Spillane's low whistle duet with Gallagher's driving

New Zealand-born harmonica player, Brendan Power acoustic guitar is an eclectic gem.
adds his name to a small but illustrious list of harmonica
master players. In his case virtuoso technique combines
with a sympathetic approach to traditional music
Groups
informed by jazz and blues. All the bent or blued notes
are effortlessly expressed, while the ornamentation intrin-
Artists
sic to traditional music is perfectly executed.

S3 New Irish Harmonica (Punchmusic, Ireland).

Afro-Celt Sound System
If it has to be done at all, it might as well be done like this.
A fusion project to end them all, the Afro-Celts mesh Irish
(and Celtic) music with West African and techno rhythms
Micho Russell/Russell Family - and to surprisingly good effect, with sean nos singer

Micho Russell, master of the tin whistle and of the Co. larla O Lionaird, especially, shining through.

Clare tradition, both musical and folkloric, played in a

S3 Volume 2: Release (RealWorld, UK).
plain and direct style, with tremendous charm.
The band's second (1999) album reflects an easier approach
S3 Ireland's Whistling Ambassador to the material, forged from some hard gigging. The disc
(Pennywhistle Press, US). includes some wonderful Irish singing and piping, and a guest

Recorded shortly before his untimely death in a car crash at spot from Sinead O'Connor.

the age of seventy-nine, and including further material, this

CD, along with its handsomely produced and informative Alias Ron Kavana
accompanying booklet, stands as a fitting memorial to a
Now back as a solo artiste, guitarist Ron Kavana's 1 990s
much loved figure.
band produced some of the most eclectic music of the
decade, drawing upon influences as wide as blues, cajun,
THE RUSSELL FAMILY
country and, of course, Irish music.

SC Traditional Music from Doolin, Co. Clare From Galway to Graceland (Ark, Ireland).

(Ossian, Ireland).
Kavana's finest album wears its heart on its sleeve, a mixture of

Recorded in O'Connor's pub in 1974, this is music as used it his own compositions, interpretations of some traditional tunes
to sound in Doolin before the tourists arrived, rough around and an extraordinary traditional cover of The Rolling Stones'

Ireland 185
 '

"19th Nervous Breakdown". This must be the only album ever fiddler Kevin Burke, flute virtuoso Matt Molloy, piper
dedicated to both Micho Russell and Champion Jack Dupree. Paddy Keenan, and the visionary innovator Donal Lunny
on bouzouki and guitar.
Alton S3 The Best of the Bothy Band (Green Linnet, US).

Altan have been a key band of 1990s traditional music,

This representative selection of material from the band's
taking the place of the old guard of The Chieftains and career probably the best place to
is start.
Clannad. They had recorded the landmark Island Angel
when flute player and musical lynchpin Frankie Kennedy
died tragically early (in his 30s). The Band rallied from the
Calico
blow, adding virtuoso Donegal box player Dermot Byrne, This young instrumental foursome created a storm with
and remain a major force on disc and live. their debut album, and uilllean piper Diarmaid Moynihan's
material has already been covered by Liinasa and Deanta.
Island Angel
ISBJ (Green Linnet, US). 55 Celanova Square (Ossian, Ireland).

The classic album, before Kennedy's death, saw the band A grand mix and Breton tunes, and
of traditional Irish
tap into the deep roots of the Ulster tradition, particularly that Moynihan's own, played with panache and no small sense of
of Donegal, for a set that was, both coherent and fresh. Their humour with pipes and Tola Foley's fiddle well to the fore.

m re-interpretation of regional style

informs this set of great tunes and
contemporary idiom
in

songs from
five beautiful
Donncha Moynihan (guitar) and Pat Marsh (bouzouki) are no
mean accompanists, either.

Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, who also plays masterfully on fiddle.

55 The First Ten Years: 1986/1995

The Chieftains
(Green Linnet, US). Under the leadership of piper Paddy Maloney the
Chieftains, undoubtedly one of the best-known and most
The sheer breadth music is well-represented on this
of Altan's
entertaining of all Irish groups, have filled the role of semi-
magical collection of highlights from the first decade of the
ambassadors for Irish music for the past thirty years.
official
band's recording career and includes Mairead's fabulous
Their music ranges from the almost purely traditional to
interpretation of "Donal Agus Morag", a wedding song from
lengthy suites that owe much to Western classical music,
Rathlin Island.
but they rarely lose their gift for presenting accessible
music without compromising their dedication to tradition.
Anam
Chieftains Four
Anam is Irish for 'soul' or 'life' and it's an obvious factor in
(Shanachie, US).
the music produced by this young mixed Irish-Scottish-
Comish quartet whose sparky blend of self-penned and tra- This all-time favourite is a classic slice of Chieftains, dating

ditional material has proved popular as far afield as Japan. from 1973. It was the band's international breakthrough
album and the first to feature harpist Derek Bell.
S3 First Footing (JVC, UK).
55 Santiago (BMG/RCA Victor, US).
The addition of Cornish bouzouki player Nigel Davey has
added an extra dimension to Anam's sensuous sound while In recent years The Chieftans have done some collaborative

Brian 6 hEadhra's songwriting skills are strongly in evidence. concept albums. This 1 996 recording makes a sort of imagi-
nary pilgimage to Santiago de Compostella forging links
between the Celtic music of Ireland and Galicia. Guest artists
Anuna include Linda Ronstadt with Los Lobos, Ry Cooder, and
Michael McGlynn formed and directs this well-respected Galician pipe player Carlos Nunez, 'the seventh Chieftan'.

22-voice mixed choir whose material ranges from tradi-

songs to Latin requiems via polyphony and
tional Irish WITH VAN MORRISON
McGlynn's own compositions in Irish.
S3 Irish Heartbeat (Phonogram, UK).
S3 Omnis (Danu, Ireland).
Van employs his legendary Irish soul to wonderful effect on a
The choir's voicescombine and contrast to great effect on set of largely traditional material.

this uplifting recording over an atmospheric backing of

chants, drones and occasional percussion. Clannad
From the Donegal Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking area),
Bohinta Clannad take their name from a words Clann
conflation of

English-based Bohinta are a loosely-knit group led by as Dobhair meaning 'family from Dobhair'. Originally com-
singers Martin and Aine Furey (of the famed Furey family) prising three siblings - Maire, Paul, and Ciaran Brennan,

who mainly perform their own material - strangely ethere- and cousins Noel and Padraig Duggan - they have always
al lyrics in a traditional setting.
been a strongly song-based band, reworking regional
repertoire in a fresh, inventive manner. They were the first
Bohinta (Velo. UK). band to have a No 1 in the UK with a Gaelic language
song - "Theme from Harry's Game".
This debut album spanned six years of recording and six dif-

ferent studios as the band sought a record label, but it's hard <i Dulaman (Gael Linn, Ireland).
to spot the cracks in the delicate treatments of these songs
and Martin and Aine Furey possess two of the most haunting A 1976 album of syncopated, jazz-influenced arrangements
from this highly influential band.
voices in contemporary Irish music.

Macalla
The Bothy Band (RCA, UK).

The Bothy Band, the template band of the 1970s and Clannad's sound changed indelibly in the mid-1980s and this
breeding ground for a whole tribe of musicians, featured is the transitional album which many still regard as their finest

1 86 Ireland
Van Morrison and The Chieftains, 1988

hour. Certainly, all subsequent releases have been based on De Dannan

the same characteristic elements: Maire Ni Bhraonain's ethe- LSU (Polydor, Ireland).
real voice, multi-tracked and blending with lush (and increas-
The mighty Galway band at their awe-inspiring best. Flying
ingly synthesised) arrangements of traditional and Celtic-
dance music and great singing from Mary Black, Dolores
inspired music.
Keane and Maura O'Connell.

Cran Dervish
Individually, Cran's three members have been around for
Formed in the 1980s, Dervish are one of Ireland's most
some time (singer/bouzouki player Sean Corcoran record-
interesting bands, always tasteful and musical, without
ed an album as long ago as 1977), but the band itself was
the breakneck 'look three hands' approach of some of the
only formed in the mid-1990s. Corcoran, Ronan Browne
better-known musicians, and with the plus of the remark-
(pipes) and Desi Wilkinson (flute and whistles) produce
able voice and musicianship of Cathy Jordan, whose
exuberant music with an astonishing degree of technical
singing in both English and Gaelic is mature and expres-
accomplishment.
sive.

SB Black Black Black (Claddagh, Ireland).

83 At the End of the Day (Whirling Discs, Ireland).

It's difficult to imagine how Cran could possibly surpass their

Dervish's best album to date. While the debt they owe to
debut album, a marvellous concoction of music and songs theirpredecessors is clear and freely acknowledged, they
with an occasional Breton influence, produced by the band
have managed to break free of the lurking cliche to find their
themselves with the surprising assistance of American rock own voice. Some wonderful singing is backed by skillful
legend Shel Talmy. arrangements, beautifully played, and the dance tunes aren't
half bad either.

Deanta
Deanta, a band of young, mainly women virtuosos from Goats Don't Shave
County Antrim, bring a subtle sense of musicality and The Goats are currently on an extended furlough, while
cunning to the performance of Irish classics. Pat Gallagher explores solo projects. Catch
singer/lyricist
them live you'll rarely hear a finer, more raucous
and
3£ Ready for the Storm (Green Linnet, US).
blend of traditionally inspired contemporary music.
The group's second album, a thoughtful tapestry of voice and Undoubtedly, the best band ever to come out of Dungloe,
instruments, demonstrates that the delicate approach pays Co. Donegal.
dividends.
S3 The Rusty Razor (Cooking Vinyl, UK).

De Dannan The Goats' finest hour contains twelve of Gallagher's songs,

including the infectious "Mary Mary", satirising the Mary from
There have been many changes in the line-up of De Dungloe festival, and "The Evictions", a moving account of
Dannan band but the two central figures of fiddle player the events that took place in 1861 in nearby Derryveagh.
Frankie Gavin and bouzouki player Alec Finn remain the
drving creative force behind the band. Gavin is one of the
Horslips
stands as a pio-
finest players of his generation while Finn
neering player of the bouzouki, his playing characterised Horslips singlehandedly invented 'Celtic Rock' in the
by elegant counter melodies and an exquisitely devel- 1970s and the band is still remembered fondly for its
oped sense of timing. treatments of Irish myths in a rock setting.

Ireland 187
 with their punk-rock influenced approach to Irish music.
Hi The Tain (Oats, Ireland).
MacGowan remains a singer to be reckoned with his cur-
The first and the best of the band's mythological concept rent band, The Popes.
albums sees them taking on "Tain Bo Cualighe" (The Cattle
Raid of Cooley). the centrepiece of the Ulster cycle of Heroic 85 Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (Stiff, UK).
Tales. The story is as the band draw inspira-
told inventively
This early Pogues album was a perfect rendering of their
tionfrom traditional tunes. This was probably also the first
London Oirish punk-roots sound.
album ever to feature the uillean pipes in a rock setting.

The Saw Doctors

Kilfenora Ceili Band
The band that put Tuam, County Galway on the map with
Hailingfrom the North Clare village of Kilefenora, this Ceili
their infectious and quintessential^ Irish blend of folk and
Band has been going since the 1920s (with changing
rock, still worth seeing for their jubilant stage act.
membership, of course) and its distinctive style has
gained both widespread popularity and an unprecedented 85 If This is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back
seven all-Ireland championships. (Solid, Ireland).

85 Set on Stone (Tore, Ireland). The Saw Doctors have never matched this priceless debut,
containing the hugely successful Useta Lover" "I (sic) and
The core of the Kilfenora BarfrJ's unique sound are its three
their Galway eulogy and Route 66 parody "N17".
fiddlers - and they're prominent in this dynamic collection of
dance tunes. Listeners are defied to stay immobile.
Sliabh Notes
Moving Hearts Sliabh Notes are three individually acclaimed musicians
who combined to produce their interpretation of West
Moving Hearts were yet another of Donal Lunny's projects,
Cork's Sliabh Luachra music. The band consists of Donal
which he started with a view to marrying traditional (and not
Murray (accordion), Tommy Sullivan (guitar and songs)
merely Irish) music with the rhythmic energy of rock, to con-
and Matt Cranitch (fiddler and one-time member of Na Fili
siderable success. The contribution of piper Davy Spillane
who recorded a number of albums in the 1980s.
(who took his first steps on the road to iconhood with this
band) was vital to the sound of this wonderful band. 85 Gleanntan (Ossian, Ireland).

85 The Storm (Son, Ireland). There is an easy lilting quality to the Sliabh Luachra style of
music which belies the ability to play as tremendously well it
This instrumental compilation released after the band broke
as this trio, supported on a couple of tracks by the Sliabh
up boasts a heady mixture of traditional and contemporary
Notes Trad Big Band. There's a fair smack of tunes from the
tunes on a grand collection of instruments: saxophone,
area, too, mixed in with jigs and reels from around the coun-
pipes, percussion, electric guitar, bouzouki and bodhran.
try and a couple of fine contemporary songs.

Nomos Solas
A Cork-based group featuring the explosive talent of Niall
Vallely on concertina and Vincie Milne on fiddle, This Irish-American quintet has already forged a
formidable reputation for its tight ensemble playing, cen-
enhanced by the lyrical songwriting skills of bass player
tred on the multi-instrumental talents of Seamus Egan,
John Spillane, the driving percussion of Frank Torpey,
and Gerry McGee on bouzouki. and delicious vocals of Karan Casey.

I Won't Be Afraid Anymore 35 Summer Spells and Scattered Showers

(Solid, Ireland).
(Shanachie, US).

An impressive debut, voted 1995 Album of the Year by Folk A gand mix of songs, airs and dance tunes - Karan Casey's
Roots magazine, this is the cutting edge of contemporary tra-
vocals on the opening track "The Wind That Shakes the
ditional music. The words daring, risky, and dangerous all
Barley" could melt butter.

apply. A an iconoclast's dream, outstand-

purist's nightmare,
ing playing throughout, and featuring on fiddle the Donegal The Waterboys
player Liz Doherty (now a member of the all woman group The
Bumblebees).
Some cynics claim that Scotsman Mike Scott decided to
give Irish music back to the Irish when he set up camp in

Spiddal, County Galway in the late 1980s, but his impact

Planxty can't be underestimated. Formerly a purveyor of epic rock
Most those that served their apprenticeship with
of anthems, Scott drew an assortment of traditional musi-
Planxty - Andy Irvine, Christy Moore, Liam O'Flynn and cians to his band's new incarnation and for a while turned
others - have gone on to become household names. The Spiddal into a musical magnet. He's since moved on,
refined and cunningly balanced sound that they pio- found God, and moved on again.
neered remains attractive to this day.
Fisherman's Blues (Ensign, UK).

The Well Below the Valley

The Waterboys' tour de force included two songs that have
(Shanachie, US).
subsequently entered theTanon of Irish music (as Scott
Although every Planxty album has something to recommend remarks in a later song, "City of Ghosts" - "Dublin is a city full of
it, this is perhaps the pick of the bunch. The title song alone buskers singing old Waterboys hits"): the lazy swing-along,
is practically worth the price of admission. sing-along title track, dominated by Steve Wickham's tasteful
fiddle: and the upbeat "And a Bang on the Ear" where Scott
catalogues his ex-lovers supported by a backing band including
The Pogues
De Dannan's accordionist Mairtin O'Connor.
The Pogues, with their unpredictable lead singer Shane
McGowan, became immensely popular in the late 1980s Thanks to Geoff Wallis for revising this discography

188 Ireland
Italy

tenores and tarantellas

Italy only became a 1860 and its constituent parts still retain their regional - and
unified country in
often much more local - Yet while regional specialities in food and drink are justly
identities.
celebrated, Italy's regional and roots music awaits wide recognition at home or abroad. Alessio
Surian sets out on a giro of the regions.

2>
Traditional music isone of Italy's best kept established in the early 1960s to research and doc-
secrets. You hear it in the hip-hop of ument Italian oral culture and traditional music. It
5
Almamegre tta one of the most
, thrilling of also spawned the group Nuovo Canzoniere Ital-
Neapolitan bands, and in the soundtracks iano, which has brought together traditional musi-
of Ennio Moricone, but it gets little recognition cians such as Giovanna Daffini (from Reggio
from the Italian press or even its music industry. Emilia) and young composers and singers from dif-
Indeed. Italy's mainstream record industry has lit-
ferent regions such as Paolo Pietrangeli (Rome)
tle idea of 'roots' music beyond TV events like the
and Gualtiero Bertelli (Venice). Among its lead-
Sanremo national song contest, preferring to play
ing figures was Giovanna Marini who, combin-
safe with its staple of singers — the jazzy Paolo
ing traditional music and protest songs, literally
Conte, or poppier artists like Lucio Dalla, Clau-
documented Italian history in the 1960s and '70s.
dio Baglioni and Pino Daniele, who can attract a
Between 1962 and 1980 the group produced
hundred thousand people to a concert and sell a
276 records, mostly for the Dischi del Sole label,
million copies of a new CD. Like many Italians,

they probably haven't heard of most of the musi-

and played about 3500 concerts. Their live works

cians in this article, who flourish on what at pre- included Ci ragiono e canto (1966 and 1969) which

sent is a lively but very local and independent roots brought together young musicians and tradition-
music scene. al groups, including the striking voices of Aggius
(from Sardinia) under the direction of Dario Fo.

Rescuing the Past He added a theatrical dimension to the interpre-

tation of a traditional repertoire ranging from Pied-
Franco Coggiola, who did extensive research mont to Sicily.
into regional music until his death in 1996, said Fo's show was one of the few attempts to unite
he 'd like to disguise himself as a peasant in a remote traditions from various Italian regions, which oth-
valley and wait for an ethnomusicologist so as to erwise can be loosely divided into four areas - the
confuse him by singing songs in a dozen different north, centre, south, and the island of Sardinia.
styles. He and other collectors such as Alan Broadly speaking, northern Italian music has
Lomax (the American Library of Congress many features in common with Celtic music, a
archivist), Diego Carpitella and Roberto Leydi
dominance of the major mode, and songs in a nar-
made important field recordings in Italy from the
rative, ballad-like style. The south of Italy shares
1950s on, when many regional styles and tradi-
many (minor) modes with the Middle East and
tions could still be found. Carpitella also captured
generally favours melody over words in its chants;
Italian musical traditions on film, including such
its traditions are most active in Naples. The cen-
events as the Montemarano Carnival, Holy Week
tral region combines northern and southern musi-
in different parts and the possession
of Sardinia,
cal elements, though it retains some original
rituals ofPuglia. In the 1950s he teamed up with
features, for example singing in endecasillabo, a song-
anthropologist Ernesto De Martino for ground-
breaking work on the magical aspects of traditional form based on phrases of eleven syllables. And then

culture — particularly Puglia's tarartlolati. there is Sardinia, which more than anywhere else

The Istituto De Martino, named after Ernesto in Italy retains a strong and autonomous cultural
and based in Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence, was and musical identity.

Italy 189
 .

Sardinia Tenores
A mountainous, isolated island off the west coast Sardinia's polyphonic chant, especially that of
of Italy, Sardinia has retained and a distinctive the tenores from the rural areas in the centre of
archaic musical culture. This includes striking and the island, is an equally startling sound. Is ori-
acrive traditions of polyphonic singing - a tenore gins are probably shared with the triple-voice
- performed by singers in a circle, and launeddas shepherds' paghjella from neighbouring Corsica.
piping. Most Sardinian dances, too, are circle In Sardinia, though, there are usually four male
dances, rotating in the direction of the movement voices: boghe (leader and soloist), mesa boghe (mid-
of the sun. They may well have prehistoric roots, dle), contra (counter) and bassu (bass). The lead-
dating right back to the nuraghi, the fortified stpne er begins with an introductory phrase and then
houses dating back to 1 500 BC, probably the era the other voices enter with a rich chordal har-
from which much of this music originates. mony. It has a soulful appeal akin to the Geor-
gian male (or Bulgarian female) voice choirs,

r; Launeddas although
nant. Its
its harmonies tend to be more conso-
repertoire includes evocations of rural
Launeddas are like a set of bagpipes without a life as well as religious, love, and satirical songs,
bag: three different-sized reeds played by means sometimes in verse.
of circular breathing. The instrument is peculiar The most distinguished contemporary group
to Sardinia and very ancient, appearing on votive is the Tenores di Bitti who have been togeth-
statues from the eighth century BC. er tor over twenty-five years and enjoyed a fair

It is played during religious processions or to bit of international exposure. Recently they have
accompany su ballu (popular dances), which today
offer the best chances to hear them. It is played using
a complex technique which allows the player to pro-
duce infinite variations on the basis of few melodic
phrases. One song can last over an hour and include
several melodic motives. Their sound is one of the
most elemental and resonant in European music.
The village of Samatzai, in Cagliari province, is

famed as the birthplace of the best launeddas play-

ers of the last two centuries and it is there that

Dionigi Burranca was born in 1913. He studied

the instrument with Peppe and Francischeddu
Sanna, the two last masters of the school of Figus,
established in the seventeenth century. Burranca
was playing the launeddas professionally by the age
of fourteen and went on to work with Ravi
Shankar and jazz composers Ornette Coleman and
David Liebman. After an outstanding career draw- Tenores di Bitti
ing international attention to the instrument, he
dedicated his last years until his death in 1995 to started a school to ensure their art is passed on to
his school-workshop in Ortacesus where today the the next generation. Daniele Cossellu, one of the
association Sonus de Carina continues his work. group's lead singers remembers how in the first
Tw o other important launeddas players of this years after the second world war everybody in
century were Antonio Lara (1886-1979) and Bitti, a village of 3000 people, would gather in
Efisio Melis (1890-1970), masters from the the evening to sing a tenore, both the youths and
Sarrabus region.A professional player from the age grown men, but he fears the art could easily be
of sixteen, Melis made some of the best record- lost with emigration* and TV unless the school
ings of the instrument, including an exceptional takes root. Other fine a tenore groups include the
duet with his musical 'rival', Antonio Lara in 1961 Tenores de Oniferi and Tenore "Su Cun-
The two were the teachers of today's most out- cordu" de Orosei, from two villages near
standing player, Luigi Lai who has enriched the Nuoro (with a different approach to the bass
Sarrabus tradition with his own virtuoso approach. sounds), and the Tenore Antonia Mesina, from
He teaches the launeddas in Suelli. Orgosolo.

190 Italy
 The vocal traditions of Sardinia also include the Canzone napoletana
gozos - sacred songs. This polyphonic singing can
be heard during the Christian rituals of Lent, Holy There is a song from 1839 - "Te voglio bene
Week and Christmas. The best-known choir (which assaie" (I love you so much) - which is still very
also performs secular songs) is Su Cuncordu 'e su popular in Naples and throughout Italy and has
Rosariu from Santulussurgiu; it was founded in been re-interpreted by countless people. It is often
1605. Many other male choirs perform throughout considered the starting point of canzone napo-
Sardinia and can have up to thirty voices; Coro letana (Neapolitan Song), the unique mix of pop-
Ortobene and the Coro Gabriel are notable. ular and classical elements that cuts across Naples'
social classes and musical styles.

Singers and Groups Canzone napoletana has roots in the villanella of

the sixteenth century, a rural style which influ-
Sardinia's leading female vocalists are Maria Carta enced the cultivated Neapolitan composers with
and Elena Ledda. In a career of over twenty-five its polyphonic vocal harmonies and often satirical

years, Maria Carta has sung various Sardinian tra- lyrics. The writers and composers of the urban
ditions from ancient chants to religious music and canzone napoletana were poets and intellectuals as

popular lullabies. Elena Ledda, working with com- well as un-trained popular authors. Some of their
poser, guitar and mcmdola (a cross between the gui- songs achieved international fame thanks to per-
tar and mandolin) player Mauro Palmas, has gone formances from tenor Enrico Caruso
further, combining traditional music and jazz (1873-1921) onwards.
improvisation in the group Suonofficina and, In recent years this vast repertoire has found
more recently, with their own compositions and sober and yet passionate new voices in Sergio
new arrangements of traditional songs, in the group Bruni and Roberto Murolo, who interpret the
Sonos. traditional songs as well as new compositions such
In a region with a strong living tradition it's not as "Carmenla" (Sergio Bruni and Salvatore Palom-
surprising to find one of Italy's best regional ba) and "O ciucciariello" (Roberto Murolo).
organetto (accordion) players, Totore Chessa Through the popular themes of canzone napole-
(see Organetti feature box). And on the Sardinian tana they sing of the everyday life of Naples - a
contemporary music scene, Alberto Balia, Mas- city of many faces, with a strong musical language
simo Nardi and Gesuino Deiana have been able and many dialects.

to bend guitar techniques to the specifications of

Sardinian styles. Together they perform as Abbane-
gra, sometimes including the launeddas of Carlo
Sepe and
Mariani, a former pupil of Dionigi Burranca. Each
Roots Groups
of them also has his own group. Deiana's Cordas While Murolo's canzone napoletana shows the
et Carinas has been together for almost twenty city's traditional face, Daniele Sepe and his
years performing material rooted in Sardinian tra- group's cosmopolitan sound represent Naples'
ditions, with rock and jazzy elements.
Some interesting instrumental explorations com-
bining Sardinian traditional forms and jazz have
also come from composer and sax player Enzo
Favata, composer and trumpet-player Paolo
Fresu, and the Meta Quartet led by Antonello
Salis on piano and accordion.

Naples
Naples is another part of Italy rich in live roots

music, from sentimental song to roots-rock re-

interpretations of traditions. As elsewhere in south-
ern Italy, it's a place that is at its best arond events
like saints' days, or Holy Week, when the devo-
tional music and dances bring together pagan and
Christian roots. Danielle Sepe

Italy 191
musical versatility. Sepe is a classical flautist, jazz between improvised music and Neapolitan tradi-

saxophonist and percussionist. What is mdst tions, including the great classics of canzone napo-
remarkable though, is his ability to find protest letana. Another distinctive trend is the
songs from Italian and world traditions and to neomelodici. the pop-oriented love and satirical
attract to his musical projects the most inspired songs which are making singers such as Ciro Ricci
musicians from the Neapolitan scene. and Ida Rendano the new stars of weddings and
Sepe began playing in the 1970s with Gruppo street parries.

Operaio di Pomigliano d'Arco (also known as In the Neapolitan area and in much of southern
E' Zezi). At that rime, he recalls, two
"there were Italy there is still of dancing and
a living tradition

different views on popular music. One of them singing to the accompaniment of a frame drum -
was for more or less philological research. For oth- the large tamura or tamtttorra and smaller tamburel-
ers, such as E' Zezi, traditional music was less'seri- lo. This has been adopted and updated in the music

ous so we were convinced it was legitimate to of groups such as Nando Citarella. Tamburi del
create new texts and new sounds. It was a more Vesuvio and Tammurriata di Scafati. or that of
political way of interpreting things." Nuova Marcello Colasurdo. previously with E' Zezi.
Compagnia di Canto Popolare. founded in Another leading tamburello musician is the Sicil-
1967 by Roberto De Simone, was in the other ian (but largely Naples-based) Alfio Antico. He
camp, a roots music group who kept things pure. learned to play frame-drums — which are also a
They have achieved national fame and are still common feature ot Arabic and Sicilian music -
active today with the powerful voices of Fausta from his shepherd grandparents and has developed
Vetere and Giovanni Mauriello, while De Simone a technique which bridges many styles, including
continues to pursue his own research, often as a the widespread tarantella.

source for stage productions. The tarantella - a lively 12/8 dance - is com-
Other contemporary sounds come from jazz mon to many regions of southern Italy and has many
pianist and composer Rita Marcotulli and singer local forms. It can have a syncopated rhythm, smooth
Maria Pia De Vito. who recently toured and modulations into different keys, and can be accom-
recorded the project "Nauplia", a marriage panied by melodic variations on the organetto.

192 Italy
Organetti - Italy's accordions
For anyone who's seen Fellini's film Amarcord, the theme of circus life, and the band's members interact

melodies of the blind organetto player will evoke the on stage with the theatrical clown Augusto.
mood of Italian celebrations and intimate storytelling. Also based in Rome, Mario Salvi has been playing

This little diatonic accordion or melodeon has become organetto and tamburello for over twenty years and has
one of the most popular instruments in Italian tradi- specialised in the various forms of tarantella. He
tional music, some- can play dozens of
time substituting for, different traditional

or teaming up with, tarantellas and has

instruments like the composed several
zampogna (bagpipe), himself. Although his

launeddas or violin. own recordings are

It is especially wide- fairly recent, he can be
spread in

and southern regions

the central heard on
record by Riccardo
the first
5
of the country Tesi in 1 983 where he
though even in the plays tamburello, the
north many tradition- frame drum which he
al groups have also teaches, drawing
adopted it. It's used from the techniques of
by most of the new different parts of Italy.

fusion groups and The virtuoso player

even rock bands and is Riccardo Tesi, who
singers have intro- has collaborated with
duced it on some of French mandolin virtu-

their records. oso Patrick Vaillant and

The first organetto the jazz reeds of Gian-
player they usually luigi Trovesi. Based
think of inviting to join in Pistoia (Tuscany), he
them is Ambrogio is a great interpreter of
Sparagna. The son the repertoire of the
of traditional musi- Apennine mountains
cians from Maranola between Tuscany and
(Latina), Sparagna Emilia, usually involv-

made field recordings ing violin and organet-

with the late Diego to ensembles. In 1995
Carpitella, Italy's lead- he gathered together
ing ethnomusicolo- outstanding folk, clas-

gist. A virtuoso sical and jazz musi-

organetto player, in cians for a project
1 984 he founded the centred on the Mscio,
Bosio Big Band, an Ricardo Tessi a dance born in the
orchestra of thirty wake of nineteenth-

organetti and percussion. Following Roberto Di Simone's century waltzes and polkas, which is probably the only
example of "La Gatta Cenerentola" Sparagna has com- style which can be found in all Italian regions.

posed several theatrical works for the orchestra includ- Amongst organetto players working in regional tra-
ing "TrillilH", "Giofa" and "La via dei Romei", featuring ditions, one of the most accomplished is Totore Ches-
the voice of the famous Rome-based songwriter sa from Irgoli in Sardinia, where the instrument was
Francesco De Gregori. first introduced around 1870 and has partially replaced
One of the most gifted pupils of Ambrogio Sparagna wind instruments such as the launeddas. Chessa has
is Clara Graziano. A member of the Bosio Big Band, mastered organetto styles from different parts of the

she has teamed up with outstanding jazz players such island and develops the heritage of the virtuosi of the

as Toni Germani (reeds) and Giovanni Lo Cascio (per- recent past, such as Francesco Bande, Pietro Porcu
cussion). The compositions she writes for her group, and Tonino Masala, supporting the melodies with his

Circodiatonico, are all instrumentals centred on a extraordinary talent on the bass parts.

Italy 193
Sicily lamentazioni and monodic chants called alia carrct-
tiera (a chant sung coming back from the fields rid-

More riches here: from religious song to roots jazz ing a mule in the evening), which they heard as
and new compositions from Franco Battiato. children.

Devotional Song Shamal and Battiato

Holy Week is the best time to visit Sicilian vil- Sicily has some of Italy's best instrumentalists,

lages to hear music traditions. In Montedoro, for thanks to a lively jazz scene which interacts with
example, devotional songs connected with the the local musical traditions. Based in Palermo,
passion of Christ are sung a cappella by m«le Enzo Rao (violin, electric bass and oud) is a skilled
singers, with moving four-part harmonies. Brass composer and musician. His group Shamal (aka
bands (baride) are also a frequent feature of reli- Ettna), with Glen Velez (percussion) and Gianni
gious festivities and they have developed a rich Gebbia (saxophones) has drawn on Sicilian tradi-
repertoire often based on compositions from the tions and the Arab influence which is so much part
late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A of the island's history. They are a kind of Italian
collection of Easter and funeral marches from couterpart to the Spanish group Radio Tarifa.
southern Italy was recently recorded by the twen- Another significant musicianand composer is
ty-piece brass band, the Banda Ionica, includ- the Catania-born Franco Battiato, whose work
ing some of the best Sicilian musicians led by bridges classical, traditional and rock music. He
Rosario Patane and Roy Paci. came to fame in Italy with a pop-oriented trilogy
But religious singing has never been confined - L'era del cinghiate bianco, Patriots and La voce del
to churches and processions. Along with Puglia, Padrone (1979-81) - which sold over one million
Sicily has been for a long time 'Italy's granary' and copies. Battiato demonstrated his talent for co-opt-
traditionally harvest times have brought togeth- ing traditional music through his long-term co-
er religious and work songs as reapers gather from operation with virtuoso musicians such as violinist

different parts of the island. Polyphonic singing in and composer Giusto Pio, and through his work
the devotional style of "Sarvi Rigina" and "Razioni in such diverse fields as sacred music and opera
di lu Metiri" blend with party songs such as "A (notably "Gilgamesh" in 1991). He is a radical

Nicusiana", often accompanied by guitar or humanist. In the aftermath of the Gulf War, he
organetto. took an orchestra to Baghdad to play together with
the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra — an

Storytellers attempt to try and break through the wall of hatred

and indifference.
and Songwriters
The guitar and sometimes a series of drawings have
been the working tools of the traditional storytellers
Calabria and Puglia
and popular historians such as Ciccio Busacca
who have been singing until recently of the island's Calabria is the 'boot of Italy' - a region where
social struggles. Busacca worked with Dario Fo on agricultural cycles and festivals remain very much
a stage show, but his art was probably at its best in a part of life.
his setting of the poems of the late Ignazio Buttit-
ta, a poet with a genuine passion for the Sicilian
Bagpipes
language who has remained a source of inspiration
not only for traditional groups but also for new and Languages
bands such as Agricantus from Palermo (check An instrument which occurs throughout the south-
their electric version of Buttita's "Li vuci de l'o- ern (and central) Italian regions is the zampogna
mini") and the seminal Kunsertu from Messina, a (bagpipe). comes in different varieties and in
It

group open to many world beats and languages, Calabria alone - where it is usually called ciaramedda
featuring the superb voice of Fahisal Taher. — there are five different types.
Listen out too for the voices of the Fratelli Ettore Castagna and Sergio di Giorgio of the
Mancuso, the two brothers Enzo and Lorenzo group Re Niliu (King of Wax) have been active-
from Sutera who continue to develop a Sicilian ly documenting and reviving the tradition since
tradition with exclusively acoustic instruments. 1979. The group has its roots in the music of Cal-
They draw upon vocal styles such as the peasant abria, which retains a strong agricultural life and a

194 Italy
large number of festivals, both religious and secu- makes some Christian chapels a favoured place for
lar, an as well as bagpipes, they have researched and the healing ritual. The tarantolati - usually women
revived the lira (ancient Calabrian violin) tradition. believed to have been bitten and poisoned by the
More recently, they have concentrated on origi- poisonous tarantula - are healed through long
nal compositions featuring acoustic and electric hours or even days of dancing to the insistent
instruments, with brilliant lyrics in Calabrese, as rhythms of the tarantella or tarantata. The music is

well as in ancient Greek and Albanian - the minor- usually performed with tamburelli (small frame
ity immigrant languages still spoken in Calabria. drums) and guitar, organctto or violin, depending
Another group which makes use of different on the local ensemble.
languages for their lyrics is Al Darawish, a mul- Its modern master of ceremonies is Antonio
ticultural outfit from Han, Puglia, on the east Infantino who founded the group Tarantolati
coast. A very energetic, electric live act centred di Tricarico in 1975 to perform and further
on the voice of Palestinian Nabil Ben Salameh, explore this possession music, alternating the obses-
they were probably the best-known roots band sive percussive patterns of tarantella with more
from this region, although they have recently soothing melodies.
divided into two separate groups. Also mixing 5
traditional roots with modern sounds and instru-
ments is Tavernanova. while other groups have
Central Italy
explored specific local traditions such as Can-
zoniere di Terra d'Otranto (Salento) and As you would expect, the more cosmopolitan and
Uragniaun, with the moving voice of Maria sophisticated central Italian provinces have less m
Moramarco. the way of roots music. But there is an interesting
vocal tradition — ottava rima — and some roots

Brass and Jazz revivalist bands.

Puglia also has a lively brass band tradition, prob- Ottava Rima
ably best represented by the Banda Ruvo di
Puglia, an ensemble which sometimes collabo-
and Saltarello
rates w ith the iconoclastic jazz trumpet-player and The medieval tradition of ottava rima is a way
composer Pino Minafra. They play compositions of singing widespread Tuscany and the
in Lazio,

during Holy Week of great beauty and slow pas- Abruzzo. Sometimes called the chant of the pocti
sion, with rhythm, as Minafra puts it, "practically contadini (peasant poets), it can be based on the
suspended" and "a sweet, spiritual sound, with poetic texts of Homer, Dante and Ariosto, it can
sweeping melodies, where there is no crisis of address social and political issues, or it can be total-
doubt or sceptiscism, because this music is addressed ly improvised, often as a competition between two
to believers." singers. The singers take turns in improvising a
In recent years, the passion for brass bands has new eight-line stanza. But the difficulty lies in hav-
involved many other outstanding jazz players — ing to begin the new stanza with the last rhyme
Enrico Rava, Battista Lena, Eugenio Colom- of the previous singer.
bo and even Daniele Sepe, who felt a brass band The saltarello, a rather solid 4/4 dance, is prob-
was essential for his passionate arrangement of ably more ancient still. The most widespread dance
"Padrone mio" by Matteo Salvatore. Salvatore, in central Italy, it is traditionally accompanied by
who was born in Foggia in 1925, was a seminal zampogna and tamburello. Among its different
folk song revivalist, having learnt, revived, and forms, the saltarella from Alta Sabina (Lazio) is con-
popularised a canon of traditional songs - some sidered the liveliest and most complex. It is usu-
perhaps dating back to the thirteenth century, as ally structured in four different parts to be danced
a child. in couples.

Tarantolati The Folk Revival

Traditional music from Puglia is best known for The saltarello and other local traditions are well

the healing ritual of the tarantolati, a complex captured by various new folk groups in central
tradition which can still be witnessed today. It has Italy, and especially by some outstanding organet-
ancient roots and many syncretic elements, cen- Riccardo Tesi, Ambrogio
to players such as
tred around the figure of Saint Paul, a fact which Sparagna and Mario Salvi.

Italy 195
Rural revivalists La Ciapa Rusa

The roots scene here, however, was perhaps Acquaragia Drom, based in Rome, is a group
more move-
active during the Italian 'folk revival' focusing on Gypsy music which adds to the basic
ment at the end of the 1960s. The best-known of line-up of voice, organetto, guitar and violin other
the groups formed at this time was Canzoniere traditional instruments such as the tammorra.
del Lazio, who worked closely with filed-recordist
Sandro Portelli. Their versions of central Italian
traditions on the classic Quando nascesti nine includ-

ed popular and political songs. Their vocalist, Piero

The North
Brega, went on to form, with Demetrio Stratos of As in central Italy, most northern Italian folk and
the fusion group Are, Carnascialia, an explosive dance traditions disappeared as the twentieth cen-
mix of young jazz and traditional musicians who tury progressed. However, here, too, there have
played roots material and original nines in an almost been revivalists, often recreating the music and tra-
entirely acoustic setting. ditions — mainly on stage at festivals — from the
Other folk revival voices are still active today, tales of old folk and musicians. And Genoa has its

including Gastone Pietrucci, the leader of La own tavern-song tradition.

Macina (Ancona) and Sara Modigliani, today
with La Piazza (Rome). Their arrangements are Rural Revivalists
often based on the repertoire of traditional singers
such as Pietro Bolletta for La Macina, and Italia Based in Padua, the group Calicanto grew out of
Ranaldi for La Piazza. La Piazza has also per- the research and field recordings of multi-instru-
formed original music by Giovanna Marini, mentalist Roberto Tombesi. After five records pre-

who brings together contemporary music and senting for the most part the traditional repertoire
popular traditions — as well as a passion for poly- of the Veneto, their recent concerts and record-
phonic singing in her own female vocal group, ings feature new compositions open to other
Quartette Mediterranean influences.
A member of Giovanna Marini's Quartet for In Piedmont, La Ciapa Rusa, founded by
seventeen years, Lucilla Galeazzi has gone on to Maurizio Martinotti (hurdy gurdy) and Beppe
work in two outstanding trios: one with Carlo Greppi (organetto), has been active since 1977
Mariani and Massimo Nardi, integrating different mixing northern Italian traditional music and orig-
Italian and Sardinian roots elements, and a second inal material, latterly as an all-acoustic group.
named II Trillo with the virtuoso percussion play- The folk and political song traditions of Lom-
er Carlo Rizzo and Ambrogio Sparagna, explor- bardy (and neighbouring regions) are well captured
ing different types of traditional song-formats. by Baraban, a group which has been active for over

196 Italy
fifteen years, slowly introducing electric instruments. Today, the Porto Franco bar, on Via Sottoripa under
As the Associazione Culturale Baraban (AO J) they the arcades of the port, hosts the leading group,
have promoted extensive research ranging from the La Squadra - Compagnia del Trallalero, led
chants of rice-field workers to the dances collected by Francesco Tanda and La Squadra di Canto
by Compagnia Strumentale Tre Violini which Popolare di Valpolcevera.
reminds us of the importance of the violin in the Recently, a female singer has found her way to
dances and styles of the Po Valley region. Another break the male-monopoly over the trallalero. It
group with deep roots in the tradition of this region took the passion and the powerful voice of Laura
and in the Emilian Apennine is Piva dal Carrier Parodi to do so but she is now accepted by fel-
(Bagpipe), an acoustic ensemble which is rapidly low male trallalero singers, and also sings with La
establishing a reputation on the Italian folk circuit. Rionda, a group that borrows its name from the
The Piedmont region has a dynamic and mul- hallo tondo which was traditionally played in Genoa

ticultural young group, Mau Mau, mixing the during the Carnival.
Piedmont language and organetto patterns with Genoa is also thehome of some of the best 'mod-
world beats and particularly African percussion. em' ballads, written by the likes of Gino Paoli and
The region offers a wealth of excellent and diver- Fabrizio De Andre. De Andre knew national
sified musical traditions and interpreters, from the tame back in 1968 through the interpretation of his
singerVincenzo 'Ciacio' Marchelli, the heart song "La canzone di Marinella", by top woman

of Tre Martelli, a group with deep roots in the singer, Mina. Many more of his songs became clas-
Lower Piedmont area, to La Cantarana, whose sics and often served as a poetic means to raise aware-

repertoire draws from the Pinerolo Valleys which ness on social and political issues. His collaboration
are close to the French border and open to the with multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger
influences from Occitane and the French Alps. Mauro Pagani brought together the Genoese lan-
But many northern Italian groups' repertoires guage with various Mediterranean traditions.

cut across different regions. The group Sentiero Genoa is home, number of young roots
too, for a

del Sale have a repertoire of Genoese and Lom- groups seeking new directions, from the dub of
bard songs, while suonatori delle quattro
I Sensasciou to the vocal gymnastics of Le Voci
province and Voci del Lesima draw from the Atroci.
traditions of four northern Italian provinces: Pied-
mont, Liguria, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.
Voci del Lesima take particular inspiration from
Bogli, a village that gives its name to the buiasche,
a way of polyphonic singing which is called fermo
(still) as it lacks a clear beat.

Genoese Songs
Genoa, the great seaport on the Ligurian coast with
its twenty-two kilometres of docks, has a tavern
song tradition called trallalero — an onomatopoeic
name from the 'tra-la-las' of the songs. It is again
a polyphonic vocal style, possibly related to the
nearby Sardinian and Corsican varieties, involving
a complicated counterpoint by five male voices:
tenor, baritone, alto, chitarra (guitar) and bass. The
'guitar' singer imitates the sound of the instrument
by singing in a nasal voice and putting the back of
his hand over his lips. The sound of trallalero is one
of the most ornate and haunting in the Mediter-
ranean. And it's unusual amongst polyphonic
singing styles for being urban rather than rural.
Trallalero thrived in the taverns where the men
met after work and in its heyday in the 1920s over
a hundred groups existed in Genoa. At that time La Squadra - Compagnia del Trallalero down
the cafe-bar Tugini's was a famous trallalero venue. at thedocks

Italy 197
 who adds
discography Diego Carpitella and Roberto Leydi
and liner notes. It includes the organetti of Pietro Porcu, the
accordion of Raimondo Vercellino, the launeddas of Dionigi
terrific photos

Burranca, Luigi Lai, and Aurelio Porcu.

Compilations

Atlante di Musica Tradizionale: Vols 1 &2 Artists

(Robi Droli, Italy).

There are two of these sampler releases from Robi Droli and Antonio Lara and Efisio Melis
both give an excellent introduction to Italy's acoustic and
roots groups. Vol 1 includes Baraban, Calicanto, La Ciapa Considered the two greatest players of the Sardinian
Rusa, La Piazza, Re Niliu, Ritmia, Tenores di Bitti, Tre Violini, launeddas this century and the masters of the Sarrabus
and others. 33 /fa//a 2 (even stronger) includes Aquaragia region. Both from Villaputzu, Antonio Lara (1886-1979)
Drom, Totore Chessa, Efisio Melis-Antonio Lara, La Piva del always remained faithful to the old tradition while Efisio
Carner and, once again, La Piazza and Tenores di Bitti. Melis (1890-1970) was more inclined to innovation.

33 Folk Music and Song of Italy (Rounder, US). 33 Launeddas (Robi Droli, Italy).

Recordings made in 1953 by Alan Lomax and Diego The best introduction to the instrument, both as traditional
Carpitella from the Alps to Sicily when regional traditions were solo instrument and in rare duets. The oldest recordings date
still very much alive. back to 1 930 and on each track the launeddas play a differ-
ent cunzertus (tonality).
33 Italie: Musiques populaires d'aujourd'hui
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).
Tenore de Orosei
One of the best current Italian compilations giving a good
survey of music both north and south. Includes La Ciapa Four relatively young voices devoted to an ancient local

Rusa, Calicanto. II Trillo, Riccardo Tesi, Daniele Sepe, Fratelli

tradition: Patrizio Mura (voche), Salvatore Mula (mesu
Mancuso, E' Zezi and others. Recommended. voche), Luca Frau (cronta, and Mario Siotto (bassu). They
grew up in the 1970s learning to sing a tenore from the
S3 Italian String Virtuosi (Rounder, US). unique voice of Vissente Gallus in Orosei (Nuoro). In this
village the more cultivated religious (Cuncordu) singing
Ever wondered how that Captain Correlli actually sounded on
his mandolin? Well, this is a pretty authentic soundtrack: 25
and the popular a tenore style have always borrowed
tracks, recorded in Italy and the US, of mandolin, banjo and from each other.
guitar virtuosi from the 1920s and '30s.
33 A su primu ispuntare (CNI, Italy).

S3 Zampogne en Italie (Auvidis/Silex, France).

Recorded in an Orosei cellar by Enzo Favata in 1996, the six

An impressive anthology of different types of zampogne (bag- tracks are dedicated to traditional songs and dances from

pipes) from central, southern Italy, Sicily and of the piva from Orosei. The CD begins with a moving rendition of one of the
Istria by the ethnomusicologist Roberto Leydi.
(Croatia) edited most difficult a tenore singing styles and includes "Voche e
With twenty-four field recordings from between 1969 and notte antica" (the Song of the Ancient Night), by one of the

1990 and examples of both the 'double oboe' and the 'dou- greatest Sardinian poets of the nineteenth century, Luca
ble clarinet' families of zampogne. Cubeddu.

Sardinia Tenores di Bitti

Founded 974, the group is a cornerstone of Sardinian
in 1

traditionalmusic with outstanding recordings for Robi

Compilations Droli (1986 and 1990) and Amori (1993). It includes the
voices of Piero Sanna, Daniele Cossellu, Tancredi
Ballos Sardos: An Anthology of Sardinian
;
Tucconi and Mario Pira who recently replaced Salvatore
folkdances, Vol 1 (Ethnica/Robi Droli, Italy). Bandinu after his death. The official name of the group is
Remunnu 'e locu, after a satirical poet who lived in Bitti in
A fine sampler featuring some of the most outstanding
the nineteenth century.
Sardinian musicians, often recorded during ceremonies and
dances, between 1987 and 1996 by Giuseppe Michele mama
village

Gala. Twenty-five different types of

ers, the launeddas of Dionigi Burranca, the
dances and, among
organetto of
oth- m S'amore 'e
(Real World, UK).

Totore Chessa, the tenores groups from Oliena and Oniferi,

Producer Michael Brook captured one of the finest Sardinian

and a bena solo by Antioco Pinna. tenores at home in Bitti in 1995. Excellently recorded in

churches, bars, the countryside and an ancient nuraghe.

S3 Corsica/Sardinia: The Mystery of Polyphony
(World Network, Germany).
Naples
A good disc for comparing and contrasting the vocal
polyphony of neighbouring Corsica and Sardinia. The latter
E' Zezi
sounds a lot more rugged and rough hewn. Groups include
Canta u Popolu Corsu, A Filetta and Donnisulana from Neapolitan folk music and a working-class revolutionary
Corsica and various groups including the Tenores di Bitti from message are theelements which have made E' Zezi
vital
Sardinia. Luigi Lai on launeddas is an added bonus. a cult group both and France with a variable
in Italy

ensemble usually featuring some fifteen musicians and a

53 Sardaigne: Les Maitres de la musique
large number of percussion instruments. Reluctant to par-
instrumentale (Al Sur, France).
ticipate in the market economy, E' Zezi have only pro-
A unique sample of old field recordings by Gianni Secchi, duced three CDs in over twenty years.

198 Italy
 Auciello ro mio: Posa e sorde (Tide Records, Italy) ft Sutera. La tradizione musicale di un paese della
£ Pummarola Black (Lyrichord, US). Sicilia (SudNord, Italy).

Two different names for the same disc, first released in 1 994 A thrilling and varied sample of the Sicilian rural repertoire,
to celebrate the band's twentieth birthday. Ten tracks swim- drawing from the traditions which are still alive in the village of
ming in Naples' diversity of sounds and featuring the sax of Sutera. Featuring Enzo and Lorenzo Mancuso, Nono
Daniele Sepe and the voices of Raiss (Almamegretta) and Salamone and traditional singers and choir singing religious,
Marcello Colasurdo in a most inspired tribute to Vesuvio. labour and love songs.

S3 Zezi Vivi ( II Manifesto, Italy).

ft Violini e Serenate a Canosa
(Ethnica/Robi Droli, Italy).
If you a smashed glasses and marketplace atmosphere
like

don't miss this recording that captures Zezi live in Napoli at One of the most beguiling of Robi Droli's traditional "Ethnica"
the end of 1 996, with a breathtaking sequence of trance-like series featuring mainly string band (violins and chitarra bat-
tammuriatas. tente - folk guitar) music from Canosa in Puglia. Waltzes,
quadrilles and the occasional tarantella mostly recorded in

Roberto Murolo the 1980s in a beautiful down-home style.

Bom in 1912, the son of the poet Ernesto, Roberto Murolo

is a veteran interpreter of the canzone napoletana reper-

Artists
toire in a style that is both restrained and moving.

S3 Roberto Murrolo (Ricordi/BMG, Italy).

Banda Ionica
A 1995 compilation that provides a concise introduction to
the art of Murolo. Twenty-piece band actually made up of musicians from
four traditional Sicilian brass bands formed and directed
by members Turin group Mau Mau.
Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare of

Since 1967 the group has changed many of its members Passione (Dunya/Robi Droli, Italy).

but still retains a powerful frontline with the voices of

Funeral marches for religious processions in southern Italy
Fausta Vetere and Giovanni Mauriello and the guitar and
idiomatically played. A good example of the Italian brass
arrangements of Corrado Sfogli.
bands' tradition.

ft Incanto Acustico (CGD, Italy).

Live recording, entirely acoustic, celebrating almost thirty

Antonio Infantino e i Tarantolati
years of Neapolitan music with an outstanding balance di Tricarico
between traditional songs and original compositions.
In the region around Taranto (Puglia) lives the infamous
tarantula spider. The poison left by
can only be over-
its bite
Daniele Sepe come by means few know
of trance-like dancing, but only a
Sepe's relentless musical and poetic search brings together the right tarantella. Among its best interpreters is Antonio
Gato Barbieri and Matteo Salvatore, Tacit and Mayakovsky. Infantino (guitar and voice), active since 1975. His group
With a sound training as classical and jazz flute and saxo- currently includes five percussion players and vocalists.
phone player, and a passion for traditional songs and
instruments, his albums are never less than compelling. ft- Tarantella Tarantata (Amiata, Italy).

Vite Perdite
Recorded in 1996, these nineteen tracks are a thrilling intro-

duction to the tarantella rhythm with the five percussionists

(Piranha, Germany).
beating out rhythmic ostinati. The music is closely connected
This where you want to start your Italian trip. Meet the icon-
is with the taranta ritual, with tunes such as "Psatura" intended
oclastic Naples music scene in Sepe's visionary and fascinat- to modify the heartbeat.
ing patchwork featuring the hip-hop of Bisca and 99 Posse,
the tradition and political commitment of E' Zezi, the vocal
abilities of Quattro Quatti and Mariapia De Vito, the sixteen-
Kunsertu
piece roots orchestra of Tuba Furiosa and many more. Based in Messina (Sicily), Kunertu has been active since
the mid-1980s staging a front line with two powerful
singers, Pippo Messina and Faisal Taher, a funky rhythm
Sicily/The South
section and a passion for opening up Sicilian traditions to
numerous other Italian and world beats.
Compilations ft Shams (NewTone/Robi Droli, Italy).

Melodies from southern Italian and Middle-Eastern traditions.

ft Calabre: Musiques de fetes (Inedit, France).
Lyrics in Sicilian, Sardinian, Neapolitan, Italian, Arabic and
Atmospheric field recordings of traditional festivals in Calabria Wolof with an energetic beat and a mix of traditional and rock
between 1983 and 1993. Processions, tarantellas and reli- instruments. Recorded in 1989, it captures the group in a
gious music with plenty of zampogna, organetto and drums. funky 'Mustaphas' mood.

ft Sicily. Music for the Holy Week

(Auvidis/Unesco, France). Re Niliu
Songs, chants and laments in Sicilian, Latin and Italian, Based in Catanzaro (Calabria), Ettore Castagna (strings
played and sung by different traditional ensembles reflecting and toothbrush), Sergio Di Giorgio (vocals and reeds) and
the living tradition of Sicilian ceremonial music. Polyphonic fellow musicians have been researching, documenting,
chant (which some may find hard-going), brass bands and teaching, performing and innovating Calabrian traditions
vocals with harmonium with a real sense of occasion. for twenty years.

Italy 199
 S3 Pucambu (Pontesonoro, Italy). The North
After two records dedicated to Calabrian traditions, Re Niliu

perform their own compositions finding a delicate balance Baraban

between roots and innovation, minority languages and vision- A sextet which has been active since 1983 researching
ary texts, subtle irony and plenty of energy.
and performing the roots music of Lombardy: Guido
Montaldo, Paolo and Diego Ronzio (wind instruments),
Shamal Vincenzo Caglioti (organetto), Aurelio Citelli (guitars and
mandolino), and Giuliano Grasso (violin).
and bass player Enzo Rao from Palermo brings
Violinist
together Gianni Gebbia (saxes) and Glen Velez (frame E Live (Robi Droli, Italy).
drums and percussion). Rao draws on native Sicilian
music plus jazz and Arabic influences which are strong in
A selection of sixteen live recordings from 1 989-1 993, includ-
ing Apennine dances, carnival 4unes, narrative and religious
Sicilian culture.
• songs, mixing the original acoustic traditional sound with a
E Acqua di Mare (Pontesonoro, Italy); discrete use of electronics.
E Ettna (Music of the World. US).

The same (1993) disc unde* different names. Partly Sicilian

Calicanto
jazz, partly Mediterranean fusion, this album has some strong Padua-based band led by multinstrumentalist Roberto
dance rhythms alongside somewhat New-Age doodlings. Tombesi. Very active since 1981 in field research, they
have made several albums of largely traditional Veneto
music and since 1986 have started generating their own
Central Italy
repertoire.

E Diese (Robi Droli, Italy).

Compilations
An anthology of some of the best arrangements of traditional
repertoire from the first five Calicanto recordings, featuring
E La Saltarella dell'Alta Sabina
Commedia dell'Arte theatre groups and
the collaboration with
(Ethnica/Robi Droli, Italy).
the use of ancient instruments such as piva (traditional
This disc brings you to the mountains of the Central Veneto and Istrian bagpipe), concertina and popular strings.
Apennines, for centuries a region of cultural exchanges,
beginning with the salt road between Rome and the heart of La Ciapa Rusa
the Apennines. The saltarella is the region's most characteris-
Led by Maurizio Martinotti (hurdy-gurdy, percussion, vio-
tic folk dance and it is performed here by zampogna.
lin,vocals) and Beppe Greppi (organetto, vocals), this
organetto and tamburello. Almost eighty minutes of twenty-
group has been researching and performing traditional
four field recordings from 1989-1992.
Piedmont and original music for over twenty years, estab-
lishing itself as one of Italy's leading roots bands.

Artists S3 Antologia (Robi Droli. Italy).

A selection of twenty tracks from the first four records of La

Giovanna Marini Ciapa Rusa. entirely acoustic and dedicated to the rich tradi-
tional music repertoire of the Piedmont region, from rice-
Based in Rome, Giovanna Marini is by far the most impor- fields chants to epic songs.
tant singer of the last three decades of Italian roots music,
always combining her research, teaching and performing
activities with concern and personal involvement at the
Compagnia Strumentale Tre Violini
social level. She has specialised in polyphonic singing, with The violinists Bernardo Falconi, Giuliano Grasso (also with
new compositions especially suited for female quartet. Baraban) and Giulio Venier are three outstanding perform-
ers from Lombardy and Friuli, supported by the guitar of
E La vie au-dessus et en-dessous des mille metres Oliviero Biella and the bass of Paolo Manfrin.
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
E Matuzine (Robi Droli, Italy).
Traditional roots and contemporary compositions rendered
with passion and ability by this exceptional female vocal quar- A convincing anthology of northern Italian violin repertoire.

tet including Lucilla Galeazzi. Patrizia Bovi and Patrizia Nasini.

Fabrizio De Andre
La Piazza Bom in Genoa in 1940, De Andre recorded his first songs
The group produced its first CD in 1993 as a quartet cen- in 1958. His voice and compositions are still a point of ref-

tred around the voice of Sara Modigliani, former member erence within the Italian music scene.
of Canzoniere del Lazio. Over the years it has turned into
E Creuza de ma (Ricordi, Italy).
a septet.
An exciting musical trip, sailing from Genoa to other shores of
S3 Milande (Robi Droli, Italy).
the Mediterranean. Seveh original tracks with the arrange-
This 1 997 album achieves a good balance between tradition-
ments of Mauro Pagani and offering a poetic rendition of the
al songs and original compositions, including the opening, Genoese language, a turning point for the Italian roots scene.
striking track written by Giovanna Marini "Pi lontano di cosi".
with a reference to a traditional song from Calabria. The La Squadra
repertoire is rooted the traditions of the Lazio region
in

though it features also some 'classics' which cut across dif-

(Compagnia del Trallelero)
ferent Italian traditions such as "Mampresa". "Donna In trallaleri, most members of La
the best tradition of
Lombarda", "La Pastora e il Lupo". Squadra are or were Genoan dock workers; they have no

200 '*a'y
formal music training and an average age of sixty. Led by Artists
Francesco Tanda they have revived this Genoan tradition
with a repertoire of sixty songs.

Italy: Genoese Polyphony Totore Chessa

(Buda/Musique du Monde, France). Bom in 1 959, Totore Chessa is considered today the best
The manual workers of the Genoa docks know their tavern
player of Sardinian organetto, a style characterised by
tra-la-las. Haunting vocal harmonies in traditional trallalero.
acrobatic finger work and powerful bass lines, with the
instrument usually featuring eight to twelve bass notes.
Chansons Genois
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France). 33 Organittos (NewTone/Robi Droli, Italy).

Composed songs in trallalero style from the 1920s, record-

A selection of virtuoso solo dances, though the disc also fea-

ed a wine celler a few kilometres away from Genoa. The

in
tures three guests: Annamaria Puggioni (voice), Luigi Lai

'sixth voice' in this polyphony is supplied by a popping

(launeddas), and Nicola Loi (jew's harp).
cork.
Mario Salvi
Squadra di Canto Popolare di Born in Rome
in 1956, Mario Salvi has been active for

Valpolcevera over twenty years researching, interpreting and teaching

southern Italian musical traditions.
Based in Campomorone, a small town northwest of
Genoa, the seven members of the Valpolcevera specialise S3 Caldera (Finisterre, Italy).
5
in the oldest songs of the trallalero repertoire. They
A mature work presenting both traditional songs and original
formed in 1983 as heirs to the legendary Nuova
compositions. Featuring classical tarantellas such as "Pizzica
Pontedecimo and Vecchia Pontedecimo groups.
Pizzica" and "Tarantella di Montemarano", and a wide range
S3 Trallalero (NewTone/Robi Droli, Italy). of traditional and electric instruments such as the flutes of
Cristina Scrima, the powerful tammorra of Raffaele Inserra
Eighteen classic trallaleri from one of the most representative and the bass of Erasmo Petringa,
groups.

Ambrogio Sparagna
Voci Del Lesima
Born in Maranola (Lazio) in 1957, the son of traditional
Six male voices from the northern Apennines in the musicians, Sparagna has always combined his activities
Bogli vocal style with two soloists, Attilio 'Cavalli'
as musician and composer with field research and took
Spinetta and Stefano Valla, also a member of the his MA in ethnomusicology with Diego Carpitella in 1982.
Valpolcevera.
S3 Invito (BMG, Italy).
S3 Splende la luna in cielo (Robi Droli, Italy).
Produced in 1995 after numerous live performances, this disc
A lively trip to Bogli, on the borders of Piedmont and Liguria,
offers some of the best composition by Sparagna and his
where history is written in the buiasche (popular polyphonic
organetto with various instrumental collaborations ranging from
chants), reminiscent of the Genovese vocal style, with deep Carpegna Polyphonic Choir directed by Anna
the Villa Rita
drones sung in parallel fifths and the higher voices imitating
Colaianni to the thirty organetti of the Bosio Big Band. Also featur-
string and wind instruments.
ing the powerful voices of Lucilla Galeazzi and Nando Citarella.

Organetti Riccardo Tesi

Italy's leading organetto player has mastered styles as
Compilations different as Central Italy's saltarello, Southern Italy's
tarantella and Sardinian ballu tundu, and produced the
first of a series of brilliant recordings in 1 983.
S3 Organetto e Tarantelle (Ethnica/Robi Droli, Italy).

53 Un ballo liscio (Auvidis/Silex, France).

Edited by Giuseppe Michele Gala, this includes field record-
ings made between 1979 and 1991 in the southern Italian Tesi brings unexpected new
to the neglected liscio dance
life

regions of Basilicata and Campania where the organetto tra- style. An between the organetto and the
inspired interaction
ditionally performs various tarantellas and other dance rest of the twelve-piece ensemble featuring diverse instru-
rhythms. Also featured are traditional songs of the shepherds, mentalists such as jazz and classical pianist Mauro Grossi
carnival, and courting repertoires. and mandolin player Patrick Vaillant.

Italy 201
Macedonia
tricky rhythms
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - to give it its official title - is one of the musical
powerhouses of the Balkans, with unstoppable sounds and rhythms coming from a prodigious mix of
nationalities. Sometimes known as Vardar Macedonia, after the river that runs from north to south, the
Republic is, in fact, a part of a much larger area that bore the name Macedonia during the Ottoman
occupation, which was divided between Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece by the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest.
To the south, is bordered by Aegean Macedonia (part of Greece), and to the east by the Bulgarian
it

territory of Pirin Macedonia. Kim Burton looks at the mix of ingredients that are the essence of
Macedonian music.

down at a cafe in Skopje, Macedonia's jigging happily to rhythms that are quite baffling
Sit capital,and you will hear conversation to the unfamiliar ear.
switching between Macedonian, Albani-
an and Turkish as people join or leave the Signatures for Swing
company. For a state of under ten million popu-
lation, Macedonia has an amazing cultural and eth- As usual in Eastern Europe, the music of the towns
nic diversity. It contains a large Albanian minority differs considerably from that of the villages, but
(considerably increased during the 1999 war in there is in common: an extraor-
one thing they have
Kosovo), as well as Turks, Cincars (Vlachs), Roma dinary complexity of rhythm. Much music
(Gypsies), Serbs, Greeks and others — even a small around the world, whatever its origin, can be under-
group who claim Egyptian origin. Around 65 per- stood as combinations of equal beats or of long and
cent of the population, however, are of Slav 'Mace- short beats in the ratio of two to one. But in Mace-
donian' stock: a people only recognised afterWorld donia (and to a lesser extent in neighbouring coun-
War II when the new Yugoslav Communist gov- tries) there are many more ways of dividing a bar.
ernment created a Macedonian Republic, declared In western music, a bar of triple time - such

that its language was separate and distinct, and as a waltz - has three equal beats; but in Macedo-
decreed a Macedonian nationality. nia it may be a bar of 7/8 divided up as 3-2-2 (eg.
Naturally, the ethnic mix finds its reflection in the dance tune "Potrcano oro") or2-2—3 ("Staro
the musical make up of the area. Macedonian Alba- Komitsko Oro") or 2-3-2 ("Baba Djurdja") and
nians take part in the mainstream of Albanian music so on. The dance song "Pominis li libe Todoro"
(see p.l); the Turkish minority maintains it own is in 22/16 played as 2-2-3-2-2-3-2-2-2-2!

repertoire, often with a strong local accent; and As well as this, some of the older musicians have
there are significant contriburions from the Roma, a habit of playing in slow tempos in a fashion
or Gypsy, communities. The music of the Mace- which subtly stretches the time, so that one beat
donians themselves, meantime, has a startling rich- lasts fractionally longer than it would if counted
ness and range of mood. Many of their folk songs stricdy. The feeling of suspense and tension impart-
are historical — mournfully referring to the coun- ed by this technique is hard to describe, but can
try as Jadna Makedonija (Sorrowful Macedonia), or be heard on older recorded performances of such
dealing defiantly with heroic deeds from the past dance melodies as "Ibraim Odza" and "Berance",
- but just as many are love songs, while others where it generates a swing that answers perfectly
have a lightness of touch and a humour that on the demands of the dancers.
occasion tips over into the bawdy.
Old-style dancing remains an important social Instruments
activity, even among the young urbanites who
frequent the techno clubs of downtown Skopje,
and Ensembles
and at weddings or village celebrations everybody Macedonia's quintessential, or more accurately,
from toddlers to grannies ends up in a big circle traditionally sanctioned village instrument is the

202 Macedonia
gajda bagpipe, as proverbs such as 'Without a gajda tially clarinet and accordion bands - narodni orkestri,
-

it's no w edding bear witness. Although at one or folk orchestras.

tune very widespread, it's now rarely heard out- At least one source for the sound of these bands
side concert presentations and the majority of is the traditional urban music performed by the
younger players are schooled — and conscious of groups known as calgii. The classic line-up of a
their part in preserving the tradition. Many of them calgia is violin, clarinet, kanun (Turkish plucked
are one-time pupils of Pece Atanasovski, until zither) and ut (lute), with a percussion section of
his recent untimely death the finest gajda player def (a. large tambourine with jingles) and tarabuka
in the country, and leader of the very fine Radio (small hourglass drum). Providing entertainment
Skopje (now Macedonian TV-Radio) ensemble, for the urban merchant class, who sometimes built

the Ansambl na Narodni Instrument^ with low stages on their verandas for calgii to perform
which he recorded frequently. on, and later in cabarets similar to the Greek cafe-

Other traditional village or small-town instru- aman, where they would accompany cocek dancers
ments include the double-course tambura, a or play the slow tunes known as na trapeza (at the
Balkan variant on the strummed string instrument; table) intended for listening, calgii were the Mace-
the rim-blown kaval flute, slenderer and longer donian version of a type of ensemble found from
than the Bulgarian model and made of a single Albania to Istanbul.
piece of wood; the supelka. the kaval's baby The calgia sound is romantic and passionate,
cousin; and almost extinct now, the fiddle-like sometimes tinged with a typical Macedonian
cemane with its three strings, bowed and held melancholy, sometimes fiery and mysterious, and
upright on the knee. the melodies are either adaptations of Macedonian
Particularly in the eastern and southern parts of folkloric melodies (versions of zurla tunes are not ni
the country festivals and weddings are often marked uncommon) or point back toward a Turkish clas-
by the appearance of wild-sounding (and gener- sical or light-classical origin, with plenty of room
ally Gypsy) ensembles of two zttdi and a tapan. The for improvisation. Macedonian Radio and Tele-
zurla is a large but simple oboe with a piercing vision still maintains a calgia of the old style, as do

nasal sound at its best in the open air. The Mace- some of the folklore groups, but despite the beau-
donian variety is large, and relatively deep in tone. ty of the music, today it's pretty much on a life-

Always played in pairs, the first plays the lead while support system, and modern instrumental groups
the second accompanies, normally holding a drone, have a quite different sound.
but sometimes joining the first in a rough unison. One of the few clarinettists to have performed
The tapan, a large cylindrical drum played with successfully both with a calgia and in the more
a heavy stick in one hand and a light switch in the modern Tale Ognenovski, born in 1922
style is

other, drives the dance along with a flurry of syn- and one of the most influential musicians of the
copations. Towards the end of a party, young men post-war era. He was a member of the Tanec
carried away by drink and emotion approach the group during the 1950s and lead clarinet of the
musicians, press bank notes upon them and kneel Radio Skopje calgia. The composer of many tunes
so that the zurla can be played directly into their that have become standards, he is today the lead-
ears. er of his own group, and a master of the more
After World War II the state sponsored the cre- Westernised style that became prominent in the
ation of professional ensembles — such as the Radio 1940s and '50s. This is the style that still holds sway,
Skopje ensemble mentioned above and the group and which is the basis for Macedonia's own new-
of instrumentalists connected with the Tanec composed folk music.
Ensemble — which performed arranged versions
of folk melodies. Local folk groups,
KUDs, were also formed under
known
state aegis. Unlike
as
New Folk Music
similar ventures elsewhere in eastern Europe, the The narodni orkestri or folk orchestras have a
arrangers took care not to introduce a harmonic line-up of clarinet (more recently saxophone),
language unsuited to the genre, allowing the orig- accordion, guitar, bass and drum kit, with synthe-
inal rhythmic drive and emotional directness of siser and drum machine becoming ever more com-
the songs to come through. Some urban and vil- mon. They have a more direct and less dark-hued
lage KUDs - the KUD Niko Pusoski and the sound than most calgia, which to many ears is less

Ansambl Pance Pesev are good examples - fea- 'oriental', although like most modem Balkan music
ture small instrumental groups to accompany it gathers material and influences from all sorts of
singers, but the majority of the KUDs are essen- places. Their music is hugely popular and a vast

Macedonia 203
 number of ephemeral cassette releases ser\ e the r
Electric Gypsies
needs of cafe habitues, bus and taxi drivers and
hard-pressed radio programmers. Musicians arrive The Gypsies are thought to have arrived in the
and disappear from the scene with frequency but Balkans about 600 years ago, originating from
clarinettist Miroslav Businovski and brilliant Rajasthan in the Indian subcontinent (see Gypsy
accordionists Milan Zavkov and Skender Music article p. 146). They seem to have swiftly
Ameti. the latter with a striking command of any established a reputation as skilled and adaptable
number of idioms, are names that look to be fix- musicians, and they hold a musical reputation that
tures for years to come. is out of all proportion to their numbers. In some
As well as the enormous body of folk song col- places they are practically <he only musicians avail-
lected from the villages and still sung in someming able for weddings and feasts, and more or less hold
like its pristine form, either solo or by a group of a monopoly over musical life.

singers in a simple drone-based polyphonic tex- This is particularly true of Macedonia where
ture, Macedonia has a 'thriving industry based on Gypsies are a substantial minority. The settlement
arrangements of such songs, either using folk instru- of Shuto Orizari outside Skopje - the setting for
ments or factory-made ones. Singer Vaska Ilie- Emir Kusturica's film Time of the Gypsies — is the
va has made a very successful career performing largest Roma town in the world, and there is a
such arrangements, although she is probably at her Romani-language newspaper as well as radio and
best as a singer of slow, highly decorated ballads TV broadcasts.
like "Air da ne storis, Majko" to the accompani- The Gypsies owe their commanding position

o
m
ment of a pair of kavals.
Ilieva. along with her male counterpart Alek-
first to their undoubted skill as

secondly, and regrettably, to their low social sta-

pertormers, and

o
o sander Sarievski, is also one of the best-loved
singers of newly composed songs based on a folk
tus. As foreigners of suspect origin they were forced
into jobs thought to be dim- or dangerous, either
idiom. These parallel the novokomponovana music physically or for magical reasons or both: for exam-
of Serbia (see p. 273) and have followed the same ple executioner or metalworker. Music is a job in

pattern of development, becoming harder edged the second category, the magical. In the Balkans
and nowadays drawing on the rhythms ot house as in many other parts ot the world, instrumental
and techno music. musicians are considered to be in contact with the
Anastasia. a trio who are able to play a wide unseen and risky world ot spirit forces, and a trav-

variety of folk instruments and are competent elling musician is still more of an outsider. The
singers as well, have chosen yet another direction. status of being a traveller and professional, how-
They seem to have litde interest in preserving folk- ever, had benefits. Gypsy musicians were first to
lore but instead transform it, using the resources adopt the clarinet and violin — instruments that
of the recording studio and an impressive dramat- require more time and skill to master than was
ic sense to produce a sort of Macedonian Gothic, available to the peasants — and their relative lack
well-represented by their soundtrack for the Mace- of ties to land or territory allowed them to travel

donian film Before Tlie Rain. from place to place as the need for musicians ebbed
The new-composed music exists alongside a or flowed. One authonty estimates that in the hey-
well established Macedonian tradition of local rock day of the calgja 65% of the musicians were Roma,
bands. By tar the most important of these is Leb 35% Macedonian and 5% Turkish.
i Sol, a group founded in the late 1970s and still These days, in the bars of Shuto Orizari (known
active, who leaven their basic rock instincts with affectionately as Shutka) you can hear different
a yeasty brew of local rhythms and scales. Their styles of Gypsy music, especially on Gjurgjevden,
version of the traditional "Uci me, Karaj me", with the sixth ofMay and the feast of St. George, which
rock guitar laid out over a grandiose keyboard riff, the Roma have adopted as the most important of

stands good comparison with the mass of pro- their festivals. The typical orchestra is fronted by
gressive music that has influenced them. a singer, backed by electric guitar, synth or elec-

The audience for such groups is and has been tric organ, drum kit, and maybe a saxophone or
since their inception, the children of the urban clarinet. Highly coloured, passionate, even erot-
professional classes — many of whom are now par- ic, the music may sound very Indian, particularly
ents themselves. On the other hand, professional in vocal quality and phrasing. The Romani lan-
music-making, when it comes to providing enter- guage is related to Hindi, and Indian film musi-
tainment for the average Macedonian, is over- cals are popular with the Gypsy population; some

whelmingly in the hands of Roma, the Gypsies. songs have firmly entered the repertoire.

204 Macedonia
 an increasing part of the musi-
cal landscape. Once again,
many of them are Gypsy,
although not exclusively so.

One band that has made it

beyond the borders of the

country and into the World
Music scene is the Kocani
Orkestar. Drawing on popu-
lar song, traditional melodies,
and Bollywood film tunes this

band from Kocani, a town

about 70 kilometres east of
Skopje is typical in its deter-
mined swing and readiness to
adapt melodies from all over
Esma Redzepova to its purposes.
The most intriguing singer
The most Macedonian Gypsy style
traditional to have emerged over the last decade or so is

is associated with Stevo Teodosievski and his Dzansever, a woman who first came to promi-
wife Esma Redzepova. Clarinettist Stevo died nence in the 1980s, and who unusually writes her
recendy, but Redzepova remains Macedonia's most own words to most of her songs. She has a mag-
Gypsy performer. She has a powerful and deeply serious and eclectic
celebrated
voice and vast repertoire, and an undoubted pas-
nificent voice,
approach to her art;
a

unlike most of her predeces-

o
sion and ability, sometimes undermined by her sors she gives short shrift to the idea of simply being
glossy cabaret approach. an entertainer. She has also made an impact on the
A much more modem approach is employed by Turkish market, and has recorded a couple of CDs
the clarinettist, saxophonist and composer Ferus singing Turkish songs, which she also does
Mustafov from Strumica - arguably the greatest superbly.
Macedonian virtuoso. He
comes from a musical fami-
ly: his father Ilmi Jasari reput-
edly introduced the
saxophone to the southern
Balkans, and the young Ferus
was classically trained, turn-
ing professional in his late
teens and soon establishing a
reputation as a brilliant,

adaptable instrumentalist. His

music is a fascinating fusion

of Macedonian, Turkish and

Gypsy influences and many
of his tunes have become
standards. He can frequently
be found playing in and
around Skopje. Although
sometimes his accompanists
fall short of his high standards,
in the right company he is

unrivalled.

Although brass bands

have not taken root in Mace-
donia to the same extent as

they have in Serbia, they are Kocani Orkestar

Macedonia 205
 discography remains close to the village tradition, but her experience
of cafeperformances and big festival stages brings her a
confident professionalism. Her voice is still unrivalled in
traditional and 'newly composed' folk song.
Compilations
S Zemljo Makedonsko (MRT, Macedonia).

Anthology of Macedonian Folk Song This excellent and resonant selection of love songs, folk
(Mister Company, Macedonia). . melodies, and historical songs illustrates the emotional range
of Slav Macedonian music.
These 20 songs are absolute classics, and include examples
by some of the finest singers of the last 30 or more years.
Highly recommended. Kocani Orkestar
This is one of Macedonia's best brass bands - largely
S Folk Music of Yugoslavia (Topic, UK).
Gypsy, typically rumbustious.^nd featuring zurla as well
A splendid choice of village music from all over former- as the brass. They are from a town in eastern Macedonia
Yugoslavia collected and annotated 1969 and 1970 by in and are led by Naat Veliov.
Wolf Dietrich. includes some startling Macedonian tracks -
It

L'orient est rouge (Cramworld, Belgium)

the Robanovski brothers on clarinet and violin, and fine gajda
bagpipe playing by llija Poljakot who also sings while playing, This is the disc to go for - a vast improvement on their first

"having drunk half a dozen glasses of good, home-made red album (on Long Distance). It is a collection of traditional
wine". The survey also includes Croatian diaphonic songs, a dances and song melodies, mostly Macedonian although
Serbian kolo and some sweetly romantic Bosnian singing. from as far afield as China, and concluding with the Romani
anthem Djelem, Djelem.
K Gypsy Music of Macedonia and Neighbouring
Countries (T opic, UK).
Ferus Mustafov
For fans of the typical outdoor duo of zurna and drum, this is

^ the essential compilation. But its title is rather misleading as it

Clarinettist and saxophonist Ferus Mustafov, a breathtak-
O features only one track from Macedonia, but plenty more
from Kosovo (Serbia). Romania, Greece and Turkey. Wild
ing performer with a seemingly inexhaustible flow of
inspiration, is the leading figure in modern Macedonian
stuff recorded in the 1 970s and '80s.
Gypsy music.
O
Z 83 Gypsy Queens (World Network, Germany).
m King Ferus
(GlobeStyle, UK).
^ This double CD set includes fine Gypsy music from Hungary,
Recorded in Berlin with a top class band, this is a splendid
Romania and Spain, as some of the best recent
well as
collection of old and new favourites.
recordings from Esma Redzepova, and marks the first

HI
it

appearance in the western market place of the brilliant

younger singer Dzansever, recorded on top form with a hot
band and some splendid Romani songs.
TV C»
E Makedonski Folklor so Zurii i Tapani, Svadbeni
Obicai (Mister Company, Macedonia).

Ifyou feel like developing a taste for the wild sounds of zurla
and tapan (it may take time, but it's well worthwhile), this is

the place to start. Featuring the great Mahmut Muzafer and

companions, this is a collection of melodies traditionally
played during the wedding festivities, including an over-
whelming version of the long and intricate showpiece (for

dancers and musicians alike) "Teskoto".

Artists

Anastasia
Anastasia combine a decent understanding of popular
western music with a thorough grounding in traditional
styles. Their dramatic flair has led to them being involved
in a number of theatrical performances.

Before the Rain (Philips, Greece).

Esma Redzepova
This film soundtrack, using bagpipe, kaval and kanun among Esma Redzepova remains the reigning queen of Romani
other instruments supported by keyboards is atmospheric,
song, a stirring performer whose voice is still capable of
the subtlest inflections and wildest passions.
evocative and effective.

3S Songs of a Macedonian Gypsy (Monitor, USA).

Vaska Ilieva
The 21 tracks on this disc are mainly Romani, including the
Singer Vaska Ilieva is one of the older generation, who fabulous and deservedly popular Caje Sukurija, but they also
came to prominence following World War II. Her style include Macedonian songs.

206 Macedonia
Netherlands

tilting at windmills
The Dutch have a tendency to embrace every other music but own. There is a lively World Music
their

scene in all the main cities of the Netherlands - including some music from the former Dutch
interesting
colonies - but these days, outside of the province of Friesland, you can count yourself lucky if you hear
one single original Dutch melody. Nonetheless, Wim Bloemendaal tiptoes through the surviving
remnants and revivalists.

in Britain and Germany, the Nether- include singers like Piter Wilkens, Doede Vee-
As lands
1
had a folk revival

960s, as groups like

of sorts in the
Wolverloi and Fun-
late man, Ernst Langhout
groups like
or Doede Bleeker and
Reboelje, Briquebec, Sebeare, Om
gus, and singer Gerard van Maasakkers 'e Noard and Adri & Each of the six hun-
Sa.
(who sang in Brabant dialect), explored the songs dred inhabitants of Nylin has a role in Aaipop and
of a pre-war generation. These had been collect- the festival is attended by close to three thousand
ed and championed by radio producer Ate Doora- people each year.
bosch, who had for years broadcast them in his Since 1955 the village ofjoure has organised
programme Onder de groene litide (Under the Green an annual revival of a traditional Frisian farmer's
Lindentree), and by Cobi Schreijer, who played wedding on the Wednesday in July. While it's
last 30
r—
event - with everyone
host to Dutch folksingers and musicians in his De obviously an artificial

nineteenth-century costume - it's been

>
Waag club in Haarlem. Both, however, are long dressed in
retired. a focus for the revival of the Frisian skotsploech (tra- o
c/»
ditional music and dance group). There are now
Frisian Folk around ten skotsploegen in Friesland with the Ljouw-
erter Skotsploech now fifty years old. They can
As the folk movement lost momentum, and rock feature from two to six musicians (playing fiddles,
took over, many Dutch performers began per- accordions and percussion like a 'stamping stick'

forming in English. However, the trend was or rommelpot) and up to thirty or more dancers.
bucked somewhat in the northern province of The music dates from the nineteenth century,
Fryslan (Friesland), where a handful of folk groups when the rise of national feeling amongst the
continued to express themselves in Frisian - a sep- Frisians developed, and includes popular European
arate language, older than Dutch and related to dances like the wals (waltz), polka, galop and par-
Anglo Saxon. In the mid-1970s, the group Irolt ticularly the skots (schottisch). There's also a sur-
(named after a Frisian mythological figure), influ- viving fiddle and old-style melodeon scene on the
enced by British bands like Fairport Convention island of Terschelling - off the northern coast of
and Steeleye Span, created music based on Frisian Fryslin.
stories and folktales.

Nanne Kalma, one of the founding members Dutch Revivalists

of Irolt, remains a driving force behind Frisian folk-

lore, and there are today quite a number of active There is hardly any other original Dutch roots
groups and soloists singing in Frisian. It is, music left elsewhere in the Netherlands. Howev-
inevitably, though, a small scene. Since Frisian is er, there is an active if low-key revivalist scene,
only spoken in Fryslan (by around half a million with bands singing in Dutch or a regional dialect,
people) the music is largely confined to that recreating old forms.
province. One of the surprise roots hits of 1 998 came from
For a sample of Frisian music, worth head-
it's the band Torf (Turf) in Groningen, featuring bag-
ing for the litde village of Nylin (between Sneek piper Flip Rodenburg. They discovered some tunes
and Bolsward) on Easter Monday when the from the early nineteenth century and recreated
Aaipop Festival takes place. Performers might them in an imaginative and refreshing way on

Netherlands 207
 bagpipes, bazouki, accordion and euphonium. Holland has even more substantial communi-
Another lively group is Twee Violen en een Bas ties from the former colonies of Dutch Antilles
who play dance music from Dutch pubs of the and in particular Surinam (a historic part of the
1700s, on violins and a sawing bass, in a popular, Dutch West Indies but actually on the northeast
earthy style. coast of South America). The dominant music
Other roots revivalists include the quartet Folk- frdm Surinam is known as kaseko - an energetic
corn, centred on Jitze Kopinga and multi-instru- and irresistible fusion of marching band. New
mentalist Laurens van der Zee, who sing and play Orleans jazz, diverse Caribbean styles, and West
dance music, songs, ballads and madrigals from the African influences (the latter rooted among the
Low Countries. Another group reviving traditional maroons - the colony's one-time African slaves).
Low Countries music is Pekel, five musiciarfs led Several of the top kaseko groups are resident in
by Theo Schuurmans playing bagpipes, guitar, the Netherlands - which has over a quarter of the
accordion, hurdy-gurdy and other assorted instru- Surinamese population - including groups led by
ments. They take their* source material from writ- Carlo Jones and William Souvenir. Their music
ten collections and music recorded by collectors is joyously infectious. Jones also plays in a group
in the 1950s, but their arrangements are a little called De Nazaten van Prins Hendrik (The
over-scholarly. Offspring of Prince Hendrik), a lively Dutch-Suri-
There's also been something of a revival in nam outfit that promote themselves as 'purveyors
bagpipe playing. The dotdelz&k, pijpzak or of bastard music'.
piepzak has an honourable history in the Low
Countries, as can be seen in the sixteenth- and
seventeenth-century paintings of Brueghel and
Steen with chubby peasants clutching bagpipes
discography
m Bagpipes feature heavily in Tdrf
at village fairs.
Compilations
30 and Pekel's music and there's an annual bagpipe
P-
tesnval in June. Achterhoekse harmonikamuziek
X>
One good sign for those interested in the sur- (MW Records, Netherlands).
D
CO
viving traditions of the Netherlands is the new Melodeon music from Achterhoek, a region in the east
seriesof CDs started by Music & Words (MW Netherlands. Old-style dance music from veteran players like Jan

Records). They've released a disc of archive and Klein Hesseling and Gerrft Klompenhouwer. Polkas, waltzes,
mazurkas with some German influences from over the border.
contemporary accordion players, followed by songs
of traditional netmenders from Vlaardingen. Future E If s Dawning in the East: Bagpipes of the Low
Countries (Pan, Netherlands).
plans include dance music with fiddles and
For those interested in the lesser-known bagpipes traditions
melodeon from Terschelling.
of Europe. Bagpipe music of the Low Countries from five of
the best soloists and ensembles of the current revival.
Moluccans E Jouster Boerebrulloft (Pan, Netherlands).

and Surinamese This is a recording of the Farmer's Wedding festival in Joure.

What has most enhanced the Dutch roots music

scene is the influx of people from the former
colonies, particularly the Moluccas (Indonesia) and
Surinam (Dutch Antilles).

The Moluccan Islands are a largely forgotten

international issue. They were due to be a feder-
al state of Indonesia in 1950 but Suharto reneged
on the agreement, the South Moluccans declared
independence, and their uprising was crushed. The
Netherlands has a sizable exile community, whose
Jouster
music has Polynesian
ences.
as well as Indonesian influ-
They include a strong choral tradition, car-
ried on by bands like Tala Mena Siwa, and a
P1 i^'Boerebrulloft

more pop-based music, whose best exponent (until

his death in a plane crash in 1988) was guitarist Kamiers
's
\\
"<\/i/m»
Eddie Lakransy and his Moluccan Moods in Joure
Orchestra.

208 Netherlands
It's inevitably artificial - people in nineteenth-century costume
33 Nea Foar Altyd/Never for Always
playing at serious folk revival - but introduces music from
(Marista, Netherlands).
Ljouwerter Skotsploech (from Leeuwarden), Snitser
folklore group
Skotsploech (from Sneek) and Aald Hielpen, a Recent album containing "Fryslan moat stikken", about devel-
going back to 1912. opers who ruin Fryslan's beautiful countryside.

S3 Zingt zo lekker weg (MW Records, Netherlands).

Ljouwerter Skotsploech
Songs female netmenders from the fishing town of
of
The skotsploech dance team of Leeuwarden, half a cen-
Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam. Recorded at a reunion where tury old, are one of the vintage groups of Frisian dance
they sang spontaneously all the songs they used to sing - music. They feature fiddles and accordions and focus on
popular and religious. wedding music from the mid nineteenth century.

S3 Ljouwerter Skotsploech (Pan, Netherlands).

Artists
This includes historical material, plus a version of Fryske Trou,
a musical play written around the turn of the century depicting
Doede Bleeker traditional Frisian life and customs.

Frisian singer-songwriter Doede Bleeker earned notoriety

in 980s making fun of bourgeois types. He comes
the late 1
De Nazaten Van Prins Hendrik
from the city of Staveren where he owns a fish shop. Prins Hendrik (1876-1934), thehusband of Dutch Queen
Wilhelmina, was infamous
promoscuity and this
for his
S3 Mengde Gefoelens/Mixed Feelings band of Dutch, Surinamese (Carlo Jones - see overleaf -
(Marista, Netherlands).
is a member) and Antillean musicians is named after his

On this 1997 CD, Bleeker shows he can write and perform bastard offspring. With a line-up of saxes, trombone, gui-
emotional material as well as the satire for which he is known.
tarand percussion, they explore music from all over the
Dutch-speaking/colonised world.

Folkcorn 33 Kownu Boy E Dansi (The Prince is Dancing)

(Pan, Netherlands).
Formed in the early 1970s, this quartet - Jitze Kopinga,
Anneke Rot, Marja van der Zee and Laurens van der Zee - This is adance record, mixing influences from the Dutch
fine
perform at historical parties and give educational perfor- Antilles, Creolemusic, dixieland and even a combination of
mances at home and abroad. They get their material from Balinese gamelan and Surinam kaseko. As inventive a World 3D
Dutch collections like the Haarlems Lietboek and the Music fusion as you could hope to find. r—
Oude en Nieuwe Hollantse Boerenlieties.
•>
Torf
H Jan de Mulder (Clipsound, Netherlands). o
This Groningen band including bagpipes, guitars, bouzouki,
The group's 1997 album is perhaps the best of their output,
accordion,cowhom, whistle and euphonium. They play real
featuring a wide collection of dances from Holland and over-
Dutch music, imaginatively re-worked.
seas, plus sailors' songs.
Torf speelt Beukema
Irolt (Torf, Netherlands).

Active from 1974-86, Irolt were Fryslan's most successful

This is the best Dutch roots record yet - a recoding of dance
group, led by Nanne Kalma with a shifting cast in support. tunes by one Jakub Pietrs Beukema (1782-1859), arranged
from a manuscript discovered by Torf bagpipe player Flip
SB ler of Let/Early or Late Rodenburg on the piano of an open-air museum. (Available
(Universe Productions, Netherlands). from Visserstraat 19A, 9712 CR, Groningen, The Netherlands).

A four-CD collection of all of Irolt 's recorded music, together

with a book including lyrics and music - in Frisian!
Twee Violen En Een Bas
Hans Troost, Jos Koning and Willem Raadsveld started in
Kikstra Brothers 1978 under the name Knerp (Creak). They began playing
nineteenth-century music, but then started digging deeper
Wytze Pieter and Jan Foeke Kikstra started playing into history.
melodeons in 1985 when they were respectively fifteen
and thirteen years old. Their first inspiration was the S3 Amsterdam 1 700 (Syncoop, Netherlands).
accordion music of the Frisian island of Terschelling; later
Instrumental repertoire as it might have been performed in
they made their name in Scandinavia, as the Broderna
the city's pubs in 1700. The tunes come from rural, classical
Kikstra, playing music from Norway and Sweden.
and theatre traditions.

De
Boerenbruiloft (The Farmer's Wedding)
(Syncoop, Netherlands). Gerard van Maasakkers
On mid-1990s disc the Kikstra Brothers play - with
this Van Maakakkers is an enduring (and funny) singer/song-
companions on fiddle, clarinet, guitars, bass and percussion writer, who released his first album in 1 977.
- waltzes, polkas and mazurkas plus music picked up by
20 Jaar Liedjes Live! (I.C.U.B4.T, Netherlands).
sailors from Scandinavia and the British Isles. Includes a few

songs in Frisian and Dutch. A double CD recorded in concert featuring fresh arrangements
of his classic songs with a fine band.

Ernst Langhout
Langhout originally sang in English, but is now one of
Doede Veeman
Fryslan's best singer/songwriters in his native language. Veeman lives in rural Fryslan, earns his living by teaching

Netherlands 209
 Dutch and sings Frisian songs in his spare time. The emi-
33 Sae Ena (MW Records, Netherlands).
nence grise of the Frisian folkscene, he is a real old-time
performer, full of songs and anecdotes. is much more traditional than the Moluccan
This material
Moods Orchestra above, based on romantic or moralistic
Huske/Outhouse and c Frustraasjebloes kapata songs and epic fegoe songs.
(Universe Productions, Netherlands).

Both these dialect albums are extremely funny - though you

need to understand the language. Vocals and guitar with
Dutch-Surinamese
occasional guest musicians.

Piter Wilkens
Carlo Jones & the Surinam Troubadors
Surinam-born saxophonist Carlo Jones has played music
Wilkens, a former-carpenter, is now one of the best-
since childhood, graduating through police and military
known performers in Fryslan. . brass bands at home. Now settled in the Netherlands, he
leads the Surinam Kaseko Troubadors, a highly seductive
S3 Timmermants joender/Carpenter Magician
big band, whose line-up includes alto sax, sousaphone,
(Achterdyk Produksjes, Netherlands).
trumpet, trombone, banjo and marching drums.
These are peculiarly Friesiarf songs - for example, about the
Carlo Jones and the Surinam Kaseko
sheep that live on the dykes with their legs shorter on one
Troubadors (SPN, Netherlands).
side than the other to stay upright.
A compulsive initiation into the kaseko sound, this has a real
humour and bounce that owes a good deal to New Orleans.
Dutch-Moluccans Carlo takes the lead with squealing sax, but there are won-
derfully agile and punchy sousaphone riffs from Andre Jones,
Moluccan Moods Orchestra and it's all powered on by the marching drums.

A band of South Moluccan expatriates, led by guitarist

Eddie Lakransy until his death in 1 988.
William Souvenir
Souvenir was born of Aucan and Saramaccan parents, in
S3 Wakoi (Piranha, Germany).
the Paramaribo area of Surinam. A self-taught guitarist,
An addictive disc of Moluccan songs given a contemporary he has played in kaseko and calypso groups, and is much
jazz-funk treatment by Holland-based expatriates. Guitar, influenced by Haitian music. He moved to the Netherlands
keyboards, sax, flutes and percussion plus some wonderful in 1970 and has worked with Mighty Botai, Surinam's

harmony singing from the three female vocalists. foremost calypso singer.

A tin tele (MW

a Tala Mena Siwa
83 Records, Netherlands).

GO A 1990 retrospective of Souvenir's varied but always highly

A ten-piece band of expatriate South Moluccans based in danceable sounds, including zouk, merengue, kaseko and
Nijmegen. Their name means 'a breakthrough' and fea- calypso. The songs - mostly love songs, but also addressing
tures rich, choral-style singing from the six women. environmental concerns - are in Sranang Togo dialects.

210 Netherlands
Norway
fjords and fiddles
In Norway some of Europe's most distinctive traditional music and innovative musicians meet face to
face. Many might have learned their craft listening and playing American music, but they have now
turned their attention towards home, meeting their equals among fiddlers, traditional singers and Sami
new Nordic jazz and rock forms. These often draw in ideas, sounds and musicians
joikers to evolve
from other world traditions, particularly those which derive their energy not from Western classical
harmony but from the interweaving of linear melody and rhythm which is at the heart of the old and
new Nordic music. Andrew Cronshaw explores Norway's burgeoning scene.

music Norway experiencing

in the more Danish-rooted Bokmal prevails in the
Roots
surge popularity and media coverage,
in
is a

cities and many other country areas.

all

but it is not exactly mainstream. Many Despite its former Danish and Swedish links,

Norwegians seem to regard such things Norway has always had a distinct culture, or rather
as Hardanger fiddling as a bit hokey in a modern, patchwork of cultures, which are
oil-rich nation. When asked if they had any Nor-
a

of its mountainous topography. The high tops of

largely the result
O
30
wegian roots music, the head of A&R at the Oslo the Scandinavian spinal mountain range discour-
office of a major label replied: "No, but there's
this American singer who records over here with
age east-west communication across the border
with Sweden, and north-south travel isimpeded
5
Norwegian musicians - he's very good, like Bob by a corrugated pattern of steep valleys. Water has
Dylan." And when I mentioned to a TV compa- been more convenient route, and styles and fash-
a

ny marketing manager the magnificent Lilleham- ions from outside have tended to spread up the
mer 1994 Winter Olympics opening spectacular fjords from the west and south, not always pene-
- skiing Telemark fiddlers, music from Knut Reier- trating the remoter areas.
srud and Iver Kleive, Bukkene Bruse, Nils Aslak a result, forms of music very different from
As
Valkeapaa and others - his response was "Hmm, the European mainstream have persisted among
too many fiddles." He went on to enthuse about the rural population of Norway, and their isola-
Cajun music. As musician and Norwegian Radio tion even from one another has resulted in greater
producer Leiv Solberg, editor of NRK/Grappa's divergence. Much fiddle-playing and traditional
important ten-CD archive set Norsk Folkemusikk singing shows the influence of the natural scale
- Norwegian Folk Music, says: "It's what we call 'The and may use non-fixed and microtonal intervals;
Norwegian Problem'". it can sound either out of tune or exquisitely 'on

the edge' to those accustomed to twelve mathe-

Borderlands matically equal semitones. There's also an appre-

ciation in Norwegian music, particularly apparent
Nearly half of Norway lies north of the Arctic Cir- in the sound of hardingfele (fiddle) and seljefleyte
cle, but the majority of its 4.5 million population (flute), of the high, silvery frequency ranges.
lives in the southern part. The country borders Indeed, there's generally an open, airy sound to
Finland and Russia in the far north, but the thou- much Norwegian roots music. As in Sweden, calls

sand-mile south-east border is with Sweden, with such as lokking (cow-calling), and laling (vocal sig-

which Norway was politically united until 1905. nalling) are striking features still used by singers,
A much longer union with Denmark - Scandi- though no longer needed in their original envi-
navia's dominant power in the Middle Ages - last- ronment - the high summer pastures.

ed from 1380 until Napoleon's defeat in 1814.

Since 1917 there have been two official Nor- Kveding
wegian languages. The 20 percent minority
Nynorsk, based on Norwegian dialects, is found in The overall word for Norwegian traditional vocal
inland valley and mountain communities, while music is kveding (kvede means 'sing'). Short songs

Norway 211
known as stev, some dating from the middle ages, Fiddles
are still sung, particularly in Setesdal, where they're
still being improvised. The much longer narrative The best-known Norwegian instrument is the
ballad is a major part of Norway's song tradition hardingfele or Hardanger fiddle (see box) with
and it's likely that these songs of epic and magical its distinctive high-ringing sound. It gets its name
tales were once danced, as they still are in the from the Hardanger area of southwest Norway
Faroes. where it originated, though exactly when is
Some of the old ballad stories were printed as uncertain. It seems to have been in use by the
broadsheets, skillingstryk, which were sold in middle of the seventeenth century, while the
Norway as in other Nordic countries from the sev- present-day form evolved in the mid-nineteenth
enteenth to the beginning of the twentieth cen- century.
tury. Other skillingstryk were topical, and many Hardingfele territory is roughly to the west of
of the last published (before they were replaced by Oslo as far as the sea and as far north as Alesund,
records) related to the late nineteenth and early with the triangle made by inner Hordaland, Val-
twentieth century emigration of about 75,000 Nor- dres and Telemark usually regarded as the instru-
wegians to North America. ment's heartland. In other areas the prevailing fiddle
Norway has its share of traditional lullabies (bdn- remained the vanleg fele (ordinary fiddle), also

suller), children's songs and work songs, and called the flatfele because of its longer neck and
also of hymns which managed to maintain a good lower tuning. Sometimes, even ordinary fiddles
deal of their traditional melodic characteristics have their necks shortened and bridge flattened,
despite the introduction of harmonium or organ making it possible to play in a hardingfele style.
with their equal temperament scales. Others are fitted with resonant strings, making
Trailing is the equivalent of Scottish or Irish what's now known as the Setesdals-fele. Players
'diddling' - vocalising a dance tune - with the dif- of vanleg fiddle, like Hardanger fiddlers, use a vari-
ference that it isn't only a vocal substitute for the ety of tunings, and in the solo styles of both there
instrument but is performed by some fiddlers as an is much ornamentation and little vibrato.
accompaniment to their playing. The name derives Like the hardingfele, ordinary fiddles reached
from the predominant 'tra-la' vocables. Norway in the seventeenth century, and both suf-

fered a setback as a result of religious

revivals during the nineteenth century.
Fiddles were seen as instruments of the
devil, and in western Norway many
were destroyed or hidden away. Fortu-
nately, fiddle-burning was by no means
universal.
The hardingfele attracted more musi-
cal converts later, when its players were
seen to be winning in the competitions,
kappleikar. which began at the end of
the nineteenth century. These gave a
new lease of life to fiddling, and the
many and the national
local kappleikar
contest, the Landskappleik, remain a
major feature of the fiddle scene today.

They are rather formal guardians of the

tradition, with judging systems which
are geared more to past than present
innovations. Until recently the hard-
ingfele wis inseparable from its tradi-
tional repertoire, and anything outside
that was considered a degradation.
Well-known and progressive hard-
ingfele player Annbjerg Lien, who
always lost the points assigned for play-

ing a tune from one's local tradition

212 Norway
 Hardingfele
A hardingfele is a beautiful object, usually with black The 'non-standard' tunings change the apparent
pen-drawn acanthus patterns on the body, mother-of- tonal centre of a tune and therefore its whole feeling.

pearl inlay on the fingerboard and a carved head, often The playing styles of different regions favour particu-

in the shape of a lion or dragon. Compared to an ordi- lar modalities, and so use particular tunings. Some
nary fiddle, the neck is shorter, and the bridge flatter. In have mood associations, and are named to match -
addition to its four playing strings, it has four or five res- for example, grilysing (dawn; A E A C# - one of the
onating strings passing under the fingerboard and bridge. 'troll' tunings). Another, gorrlaus (very slack) - in which
Such sympathetic strings were found on the English the A is tuned right down to F and so wows in pitch as

viola d'amore in the seventeenth century - it's thought it's bowed hard - is associated with the three Setes-
the idea came from the East where several Asian instru- dal Rammeslag (strong tunes) only resorted to by a fid-

ments feature them. They ring unchecked even when dler in times of extreme emotion. Reidar Sevag, in his

the bowed strings have been damped, so the hard- notes to a CD on which Vidar Lande plays these
ingfele generates a ringing, silvery high overtone drone, Rammeslag, describes the effect:

while the fingered strings can produce a lower "Discomfort and horror would strike both listeners
unstopped drone or a double-stopped effect; the flat and fiddler, and the latter would bow like a madman
bridge facilitates the bowing of two or more strings at until somebody cut the strings or ripped the bow from
once. The tuning itself is drone-oriented. There are said him. Then he would cry ... it is evident that the fid-
to be twenty-four different tunings; the standard is A dlers did not resort to Rammeslag until alcohol had
DAE (starting with the lowest string), with the res- its effect and unless somebody had annoyed or teased

onating strings D E F# A. them."

because her family home just south of Alesund Dance Fiddling 5

wasn't in hardingfele territory, nevertheless sees
the value of a strongly defended tradition: "Some Though in concert performance the music of solo
fiddlers don't want to play in competitions, but fiddlers may be highly expressive, it is virtually all
it's there you find young people starting to play based on dance rhythms. The rhythms can be
the Hardanger, and it's there they get their inspi- stretched and complex, but the player's footstamp
ration, so it's a pity if the best players don't show is a guide. In some recordings players have been
up. Competitions are good young players, who
for discouraged from stamping, in case it swamped
can then move on to concerts, and they're one the recording levels. Well-recorded though, in a
way of keeping the musical dialects alive. If there nicely reverberent space, the footstamp is a key
weren't some kind of rule, so that you have to component.
play at least one traditional tune, you'd probably Norwegian folk-dance music can be divided
find them gradually disappearing." into two ages. The old dances, known as
Lien herself is no stranger to disapproval; she bygdedans, are done to an older stratum of tunes
received a mixed reaction to her first major album, known as slattar, and these make up most of the
Annbjerg, made in 1989 when she was eighteen, solo repertoire of hardingfele and fiddle. Slattar
which surrounded her hardingfele and nyckelharpa subdivide into two-beat dances, including hatting,

(Swedish keyed violin) with arrangements by Helge gangar, mil, bturmarsj, and three-beat, which include
Forde (of category-crossing brass and reeds band springar, springleik and pols. The hailing is a male
Brazz Bros) for reeds, percussion and Frode Fjell- solo dance involving displays of prowess, includ-
heim's synths. Nevertheless, the album won many ing kicking a hat from the top of a stick held by a
friends for the hardingfele, and Annbjorg contin- woman standing on a chair - the sort of thing
ues to make connections, including regular col- beloved of dance-display teams. The rest, apart
laboration with the brilliant and equally dynamic from the stately brumtarsj (bridal march), are nor-
Shetland fiddler Catriona Macdonald. (Shetland mally couple dances.
fiddling has much in common with Norwegian, The old, straightforward way of playing the tunes
a fact recognised in the 1983 album project Ring- is as a short series of themes, each repeated, with
ing Strings,which united Shetland's Tom Ander- small variations but nothing very elaborate. But
son and his young pupils Catriona Macdonald and during the nineteenth century some players began
Debbie Scott with Norway's Knut and Hauk Buen to play in a more personally expressive way, explor-
and Vidar Lande.) ing and developing the themes, turning them from

Norway 213
35 Hallvard T. Bjorgum with a hardingfele
s
dance tunes into more evocative works. The lead- Fiddlers frequently acknowledge the influence
ing name in this progression was Myllarguten of preceding maestros and they'll often play a tune
(Torgeir Augundsson, 1799—1872), from Telemark, in the style of a particular predecessor. Of course,
who was a great innovator and also travelled a good intentionally or not, subtle touches of their own
deal spreading his ideas. Though he did play for creep in. That's the nature of this deeply expres-
dances, he was one of the first masters of hardingfele sive music, and one of its most alluring aspects.
to perform in a concert situation, to a non-
dancing audience.
Ole Bull recognised
The Norwegian
his skill,
classical violin-

and they sometimes

Gammeldans
ist

shared a concert platform. Bull was also influential

and Accordions
in the musical education of composer Edvard Grieg During the nineteenth century increasing num-
(1843—1907), who incorporated hardingfele music bers of people moved from the country to the cities
in works such as the piano piece "Slitter", based on where they had fixed working hours and regular
transcriptions of the playing of Knut Dahle leisure time. Before long, new dances, such as vals,

(1834-1921). Another frequent visitor to Hardan- reinlender, masurka, polka, polkett, skotsk, englis, ham-
ger was Ola Mosafinn (1828-1912) from Voss, and burger, galopp, sekstur, hopsa, fandango and feier
his creative developments of Hardanger ideas, par- became fashionable. These were collectively called
ticularly his springar style, had considerable influ- when the
runddans (round, or turning dance), but
ence on fiddling back in his home area in the west. next new wave arrived in the 920s runddans 1

The tradition has continued unbroken from the became known as 'old dance' - gammeldans.
famous fiddlers of the nineteenth century, and Gammeldans is still popular, and its music is

today fine players of hardingfele are legion. Lead- dominated by the trekkspel (accordion), an instru-

ing present-day players include Knut and Hauk ment that also first appeared in the nineteenth cen-
Buen. Hallvard T. Bjorgum. Hakon H0ge- came
tury and to an extent ousted the fiddle. First
mo, Knut Hamre. Leif Rygg and, moving the diatonicenrader or torader (one or two-row
increasingly into the creation of new material in melodeon) and later the bigger chromatic forms.
different styles, Annbjorg Lien. Notable players A typical modem gammeldans band may or may
Hans W. Brimi,
of ordinary fiddle include not have a fiddler, but it will certainly have accor-
Susanne Lundeng. Per Saemund Bjorkum and dion (usually chromatic), probably double or elec-
Arne M. Solvberg. All of these, and many more, tric bass and perhaps guitar. Accordions -
have recorded CDs. particularly these large ones when insensitively

214 Norway
played - tend to make fiddlers pack up and walk above the first octave, so the tone is high and
away. Not only are the fiddle's tone and most of whispery, with a playing style of tonguing and fast

us stylistic turns obscured by volume, but the fixed- shivering grace-notes.

pitch and equal temperament tuning, and the fre- Like many of the new Norway,
ideas reaching
quently used musette detuning of reeds to create the first European recorders arrived bysea., and

a thicker, beating effect, are in direct conflict with that's probably how the sjofloyte (sea-flute) - a
the subtleties of the 'floating-tone' scales of the old huskier-toned whistle with many of a recorder's
fiddling, in which the exact pitch of some notes design features - got its name. It was considered
varies according to the feel of the piece and more on the side of the angels than fiddles, and so
whether the phrase is ascending or descending. survived when they were suppressed. Notable pre-
Largely outside the gammeldans scene, howev- sent-day players of Norwegian folk-flutes include
er, there are sensitive modern accordionists work- Steinar Ofsdal, Tellef Kvifte, Hans Fredrik
ing harmoniously with fiddlers (for example, Jacobsen and Per Midtstigen.
Kristin Skaare on Susanne Lundeng's CD Drag, Various clarinets have been used in Norwe-
or Jon Faukstad playing with Hans W. Brimi), gian folk music - an unkeyed shepherd's instru-
and others are coming to understand the subtlety ment known as the Meraker clarinet, the
necessary for a good relationship. A whole other tungehorn made from an animal horn, and ver-
approach to accordion is taken by the witty and sions of the orchestral instrument. Herders' instru-
eclectic accordion and drumkit duo Fliflet/ ments included a range of trumpets, among them
Hamre Energiforsyning and the stunning play- the long lur and smaller ones made from animal
ing of Farmers Market's Stian Carstensen. horn. The bukkehorn (goat-horn), with finger-
holes, is occasionally used again in contemporary

Other Instruments music - for example by saxophonist Karl Seglem

in the powerful trio Utla.
Although the hardingfelc gets most of the atten- Alongside the drum tradition that was a spin-

tion, Norway has other distinctive instruments. off from military drumming into the civilian pop-
The langeleik is a variant of long box zither, bear- ulation -just drums, beating out rhythm tunes,
ing melody strings which run over frets and unfret- traditionally played at weddings and other social

ted drone accompaniment strings. Dating back to events - Norway also has a distinctive sound in
the sixteenth century or earlier, it was once itscontemporary percussion styles. Utla percus-
widespread, with regional forms including the dra- sionist Terje Isungset (now also a member of
matic Telemark design which has a high head scroll Swedish roots band Groupa) - whose fascinating
reminiscent of the prow of a Viking longship. The organic kit throbs like an animated pile of jetsam
instalment has been undergoing a renaissance, but — is a prime example of this new Norwegian
the only unbroken tradition of slattemusik played approach to percussion. Isungset's kit ("I wanted
on the langeleik is in Valdres, where the best- something I couldn't buy in a shop") takes advan-
known player today is Elisabeth Kvsme. tage of the hands-free machine of bass drum and
There has also been some revival in the play- hi-hat pedal, but the bass drum is not rock music's
ing of the elegant, clean-lined, metal-strung Nor- tight, damped thud but a huge, heartbeat-boom-
wegian harp, led by singer/harpist Tone ing item, evocative of a fiddler's footstamp. The
Hulbaekmo. Her partner in many musical pro- hi-hat itself is replaced by a tangle of bells and jin-
jects is multi-instrumentalist Hans Fredrik gles, attached by string to lines bearing slates,

Jacobsen, who is a particularly fine player of sel- wooden boards and barked-stripped branches.
jefloyte. The word 'selje' means 'sallow', and Other prime exponents of the emerging new styles

that's what the flute - earlier called borkfleyte (bark- are Mari Boine band drummer Helge Nor-
flute) - was originally made from, by animal- bakken (who sadly seems to have forsaken the
herders here and in other north and central bucket of water which was previously part of his
European countries. In Norway it was particu- kit) and Paolo Vinaccia.

larly used in the high pastures where animals were Guitarist Knut Reiersrud's musical grounding
moved for summer grazing.no finger-
There are has been in American music but, particularly in
holes - the flute, or really whistle, plays two har- the music on his first album Tramp, based on the
monic series of overtones, one made with the end footstamp of its title and featuring Vinaccia and
open, the other, a tone or less lower, made by African musicians, he shows how even the guitar
covering or part-covering the end with a finger. can develop a sparse, spacious Norwegian sou ml
Thus a natural scale is playable; it's only complete in which chords aren't the key.

Norway 215
 Church Connections suchas Agnes Buen Garnas and Mari Boine in

some of his musical explorations. He's far from

Norway is unusual in that there's a great deal of alone, in the creation of new Nordic and Euro-
connection between folk music and church music, pean musics which use the jazz approach of twist-
and on into art music, new contemporary song ing and turning a thematic idea but are no longer
and settings of poems. It's hard to find parallels in American blues or even bebop
tied to roots. Anoth-
other countries for a singer such as the resonant-
er leading inhabitant new nordic-jazz world
of this
voiced tenor Sondre Bratland, who moves
is bassist Arild Andersen who has collaborated in
between all three (and a recent album shows him
particular with the majestic-voiced Kirsten Br a ten
exploring Indian and Irish sean-nos stylistic ideas).
Berg, sensitively and atmospherically working with
He's often accompanied by the likes of Reiepsrud
and Vinaccia, Hardanger fiddler Einar Mjolsnes.
And then there is Chateau
traditional themes.

Hans Fredrik Jakobsen and Oslo Kammerkor Neuf Spelemannslag, a swingy folk big-band,
(chamber choir). A younger singer following a with hardingfele, a reed section of saxes and clar-

similar path is Arve Moen Bergset, who as well

inets, plus accordion, guitar and a rhythm section,

as his solo work has made two albums and high- with trailing group vocals.

profile appearances singing and playing hardingfele Norway is also home to a number of leading
in the group Bukkene Bruse together with musicians from other parts of the world. The Fra
Steinar Ofsdal and Annbjorg Lien. Senegal Til Setesdal group combines the voic-
Equally hard to categorise is Ola Bremnes, es and instruments of kora player Solo Cissokho,
whose works include setting the religious texts of Kouame Sereba on mouth-bow and djembe,
seventeenth-century pastor Petter Dass to original with Kirsten Braten Berg and Bjorgulv
and folk tunes, with choral, rock and folk-instru- Straume playing an instrument that has been made
ment arrangements. and used in Setesdal for a thousand years - the
5 The voices of several
folksong, too, such as
leading female singers of
Tone Hulbaekmo or
Jew's harp. (When not performing, Braten Berg
continues another Setesdal metalwork tradition,
Sinikka Langeland (who comes from the old
that of fine silversmithing).
Finnish enclave of Finnskog, and plays a Finnish
Another leading roots fusion band is Farm-
concert kantele with high technique and energy),
have more of the ers Market, who feature 'speed/Balkan/boo-
a hint sort of voice production
gie' and the music of the invented islands of
to be found in classical or choral music than is usu-
ally to be found among contemporary European Hybridene. The group are four Norwegians and
folk-rooted singers. a Bulgarian and they indulge in rapid-fire flick-
Another link with the church work of
is in the ering between Bulgarian sounds (sometimes with
two organists, Iver Kleive and Kare Nordsto- guests from the Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares
ga, both of whom use the church organ inaccom- ensemble) and a myriad of other forms, includ-
panying fiddlers (Kleive with Annbjorg Lien and ing snatches of corny pop classics. It is all played
others, Nordstoga with Per Saemund Bjorkum) and sung with unerring accuracy and switches
Kleive in particular takes the organ into new ter- so quickly and often that the mind approaches
ritories, combining its mighty sound with Ham- multi-cultural meltdown.
mond organ, piano, the electric, acoustic and slide
guitars of Knut Reiersrud (with whom he very
regular performer) and thunderously reverberat-
is a
The Sami
ing percussion from Vinaccia or from Jan Garbarek
Samiland spreads across north Norway, Sweden
percussionist Marilyn Mazur.
and Finland, and on into northwest Russia. A
unified section on the remarkable Sami musical
Jazz and culture, distinct from but influential in much
World Connections modern Nordic roots music, is to be found in a

many separate article (see p. 255). Norway, with the

There's a healthy respect between tradition-
al and jazz musicians of one another's musician- largest Sami population, is the home of such lead-

ship, and collaborations are between equals, not ing musicians and bands as Mari Boine, Berit
simply a borrowing of one another's clothes. The Nordland, Ailu Gaup, Orbina and Transjoik
jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek has included Nor- as well as leading Sami record labels DAT and

wegian and Sami musical references, and singers I6ut.

216 Norway
 (flutes & reeds), plus Swedes Ale Moller (bouzouki and synth)

Festivals and Events and Per Gudmundson (fiddle and bagpipe) with ten tracks
from her 1980 first album and three from Slinkombas
albums.
The main international folk music festivals, with a lot of

Norwegian traditional and progressive roots music, are WITH ARILD ANDERSEN
Forde (four days at the beginning of July) and Tele- SB Arv (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway).
marksfestivalen (at Bo in Telemark, four days at the end
A 1993 album featuring traditional songs from Braten Berg
of July and/or beginning of August). among slowly unfolding shapes of double bass, sax, key-
There are numerous regional kappleikar throughout the boards and percussion.
summer, and going to one of these is an excellent way to
get the feel of the local music. For example, Setesdals- Hallvard T. & Torleiv H. Bjorgum
kappleiken is at the end of June, Buskerud at the begin- Father (the late Torleiv) and son, from Setesdal - both
ning of September, and Porsgrunn in Telemark has its prime exponents of the essence of hardingfele.

Folkemusikkdagarna (Folk Music Days) at the end of Dolkaren

August. The Landskappleik, the national competition, (Sylvartun, Norway).

moves to a different area and date each year. There's also

A fine display of the strong Setesdal tradition, and recom-
a national gammeldans festival, and the World Music fes- mended as a pathway into the sound, depth and uniqueness

tival Varlden i Norden at the end of October. ofunaccompanied Norwegian traditional music. Solos from
each on hardingfele, plus some ordinary fiddle, Jew's harp
The national folk music magazine is Spelemanns-
and singing from Torleiv.
bladet (Hellandtunet, 3800 Bo in Telemark tr (47) 35 95
35 50; fax 35 95 15 93).
Per Saemund Bjorkum
Bjorkum's playing of ordinary fiddle is rooted in the tradi-
tion of Vaga in Gudbrandsdal.

33 Den Vare Fele: The Delicate Fiddle

discography (Heilo, Norway).

Music based on the playing of Bjorkum's mentor Pal Skogum

(1921-1990). Solo, and accompanied by prominent Norwegian
5
modern roots musicians: Knut Reiersrud, Kare Nordstoga, Jon
A UK/international supplier of most of the recordings Faukstad, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, Bjorn Kjellemyr.

below is ADA, 36 Saturday Market Place, Beverley,

E.Yorkshire HU17 9 AG, w/fax 01482 868 024. Kari Bremnes
Bremnes is a world-class singer with a voice roughly in
Compilations Judy Collins' territory and a large catalogue of albums of
intelligent music to her name, including settings of poems
by artist Edvard Munch.
Meisterspel (Heilo, Norway).
S3 Spor (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway).
Twenty-three players of hardingfele accorded the title of
Master, recorded solo between 1937 and 1997; includes the Released in 1991. Not tradition-rooted as such, but neverthe-
Buens, the Bjorgums, Leif Rygg, Knut Hamre, Hakon less a prime example of the new Norwegian music, and fea-
Hogemo, Eivind Mo, Torleiv Bolstad, Alf Tveit, Sigbjorn turing such ace cross-disciplinary musicians as Knut
Bernhoft Osa and many more. Reiersrud, bassist Stan Poplin, accordionist Kristin Skaare
and percussionist Finn Sletten.
SB Norsk Folkemusikk (Grappa, Norway).

A ten-CD series of recordings, dating from the 1930s to the Knut Buen
1990s, from Norwegian Radio's archives of instrumental and
The Buen family Telemark has been musicians for gen-
of
vocal traditional music. Vol 1 is an overview from before
erations. Brothers Knut and Hauk are leading players of
WWII, and each of the others deals with a different county.
hardingfele, and their sister, Agnes Buen Garnas, is a
Notes in Norwegian and English, written by regional experts.
leading traditional singer. Hauk also makes the instru-
ments, and Knut's Buen Kulturverkstad company releases
Artists hardingfele CDs and books.

3S As Quick As Fire (Rounder/Henry Street, US).

Kirsten Braten Berg A compilation from Knut's albums on Buen Kulturverkstad.

Includes such classic tunes as "Fanitullen", "Nordfjorden" and
A singer rooted in the Setesdal tradition, Berg was a "St.Thomasklokkene pa Filefjell". Largely solo, but some
member in the late 1970s and early '80s of the group accompanied on church organ by Kare Nordstoga, and one
Slinkombas, and a regular collaborator with leading jazz
with Erik Stenstadvold's lute.
bassist Arild Andersen. She has also worked with the
Norwegian-Senegalese group Fra Senegal til Setesdal.
Agnes Buen Garnas
S'C Min Kvedarlund (Heilo, Norway).
A singer with a deep tradition, one of the first traditional
CD reissue of 1988 album featuring Slinkombas members performers to blend her art with that of jazz musicians in
Hallvard T. Bjorgum (hardingfele and fiddle) and Tellef Kvifte the creation of the new Nordic-rooted music.

Norway 217
WITH JAN GARBAREK
Drag
33 Rosensfole (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway). (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway).

A 1989 collaboration with the great Norwegian saxophonist Polsdanses, stately bridal marches, compelling hallings, and

on a set of traditional songs, largely ballads, with occasional hypnotic, ecstatic pieces such as her own classic "Hav", as

all with a spacious, drifting, lyrical sound. Buen

herding-calls, unexpected serene singing, and an
well as occasional,

Garnas also appears in later Garbarek projects including underlying subtle Equally recommended, and with the
wit.

1993's album 33 Twelve Moons (ECM. Germany), while same basic approach and sound, is her most recent,
her solo works include 33 Draumkvedet (Kirkelig S ^Ettesyn (Kirkelig Kulturverksted. Norway).
Kulturverksted), an epic treatment of a ballad with brother
Knut's hardingfele, plus organ, Celtic harp, flute and sax. Knut Reiersrud
A guitarist and singer who might be put loosely into the
Oslo Kammerkor Ry Cooder category, but with^ery much his own voice,
Choirs, church music and folk song link up linking slide guitar and blues with Norwegian traditional
in Norway.
Oslo Kammerkor has collaborated regularly with the roots and west African musics, and a distinctive session player
mafia. on many albums.

33 Dam (Kirkelig Kulturverksted). 33 Tramp (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway);

remixed as Footwork (Shanachie, US).
Featuring soloists Sondre Bratland and Berit Opheim in
choral arrangements of folk songs - no, don't stop reading. Dedicated to the footstamp - a beautiful airy, powerful
After the rather unpromising jolly trailing opening track there's recording, perfectly and naturally crossing textures, grooves
much here of drifting, misty beauty, and of the shape and and cultures with Alagi M'Bye's kora and vocal, Juldeh
tonality of Norwegian music. Camara's vocal and riti (African fiddle), Iver Kleive's church
organ and Hammond, percussionist Paolo Vinaccia, bassist
Audun Erlien, plus the Five Blind Boys of Alabama et al. Full
Iver Kleive of wit and surprise.

Kleive is probably the world's rockiest church organist,

combining the big pipes with Hammond 33, piano, Paolo Tango For 3
Vinaccia's resounding percussion, Knut Reiersrud's guitar
and hot gospel choirs, as well as accompanying hard- Yes, Norwegian tango - it didn't only take root in Finland
- and in the hands of Tango For 3 it has a dazzling virtu-
ingfele and many other musical forms. He and Reiersrud
typify the best Norwegian crossing of disciplines.
osity, ingenuity, strength and lightness of touch. Odd
Hannisdal (violin), Per Ame Glorvigen (bandoneon), Sverre
33 Kyrie (Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Norway). Indris Joner (piano), Steinar Haugerud (bass).

An extraordinary, massive-sounding album, largely recorded 33 Soledad (Majorselskapet, Norway)

in Odense cathedral, using Norwegian traditional and other
church music and some enormous grooves, stinging slide
Argentinian and new-composed tangos, and the splendidly
witty "Gringos" - an acute tango take on three of his tunes
guitar, soaring vocals and power percussion.
that Grieg hadn't envisaged.

Annbjorg Lien
Uda/Karl Seglem
Lien, from Sunnmore, first recorded at the age of thirteen;
five years later in 1 989 she made Annbjerg, her first major
Saxophonist Seglem is a prime example of the transfor-
album, controversial but widely appreciated. She has mation of Norwegian jazz by musicians drawing on roots
become a prominent figure in the increasing popularity of Hakon Hogemo and percus-
traditional music. He, fiddler

hardingfele among a younger audience.

sionist Terje Isungset are collaboratorson a series of
projects which explore the rawness and airy beauty at
Prisme the heart of the Norwegian tradition, a music not of
83 (Grappa, Norway; Shanachie, US). chords and vertical harmony but something much older.

Lien's 1996 third album. The material here isn't from the tra-
UTLA
ditional hardingfele repertoire but is virtually all her own tunes,
showing her to be a richly melodic composer drawing on a 53 Dans (NOR-CD, Norway).
wide range of influences. Full of exuberance and elegance, it
The most recent album by the tno. in which the hardingfele of
features guitarist Roger Tallroth and viola player Mikael Marin
Landskappleik winner Hogemo, occasionally kicked into
of Swedish band Vasen, keyboardist/arranger Bjorn Ole
screeching Marshall overdrive, unites with Seglem's soaring
Rasch, percussionist Rune Arnesen and Hans Fredrik
sax or bukkehorn and Isungset's extraordinary organic per-
Jacobsen on flutes and bagpipe.
cussion. Ideally this is a band to experience live, enveloped
by the full primitive hypnotic energy, the spirit of Rammeslag.
Susanne Lundeng
Lundeng, from north of the ArcticCircle, is an outstanding KARL SEGLEM AND SOGN-A-SONG
player of the ordinary fiddle with silky smooth tone or
33 Rit (NOR-CD, Norway).
huge drive as the tune demands and an engagingly
eccentric and energetic stage manner. Her first album, An new Norwegian jazz and traditional
archetypal meeting of
Havella (Heilo, Norway) was solo fiddle; for the following music. Wide airy sounds, floating modal tunes, Berit
two, Drag (1 994) and /Ettesyn (1 997) she brought in top Opheim's singing, Seglem's yearning sax, Isungset's rattling
cross-cultural musicians on wonderfully subtle accordion, percussion, plus bass, keyboards, electric guitar and
organ, bass and percussion. Hogemo's hardingfele.

218 Norway
Poland
hanging on in the highlands
Traditional music in Poland isn't exactly widespread. The country has Westernised rapidly and the
memory of Communist fakelore has tainted people's interest in the genuine article. But there are
pockets of Poland that boast some of the most distinctive sounds in Europe, and the experience of a
gorale (highland) wedding - fired by furious fiddling, grounded by a sawing cello and supercharged
with vodka - is unforgettable. Simon Broughton outlines the background and highlights some of
the new developments.

n Poland, as elsewhere in eastern Europe, an Nonetheless, there was just about enough slack
interest in folklore emerged in the nineteenth in the system for local bands to keep some gen-
century, allied to aspirations tor national inde- uine traditions going.
pendence; folk music and politics in the region
often have symbiotic links. The pioneering col-
over the coun-
Polish Dances
lector of songs and dances from all

try was Oskar Kolberg (1814-90). His principal Thanks mainly to Chopin, the mazurka and
interest was in song; it's thought that instrumen- polonaise (polonez) are Poland's best-known dance
tal music was fairly primitive until towards the forms and stand at the core of the folk repertoire. -o
end of the nineteenth century. From the 1900s Both dances are in triple time with the polonaise O
r—
on progress was rapid, fueled by gramophone generally slower and more stately than the mazur- >
recordings. However, the wartime annihilation The polonaise is particularly associated with the
and shifting of ethnic minorities in Poland severe-
ka.

more ceremonial and solemn moments of a wed-

o
ly disrupted folk traditions, and postwar, the Com- ding party. It was taken up by the aristocracy from
munist regime, throughout eastern Europe,
as a slow walking dance (chodzony), given a French
co-opted folk culture as a part of its own ideolo- name identifying it as a dance of Polish origin and
gy, as a cheerful expression of healthy peasant then filtered back down to the lower classes.

labour. In addition to these triple-time dances, which

are associated with central Poland, there are some

Communist Folk characteristic five-beat dances in the northeastern

areas of Mazury, Kurpie and Podlasie. As you move
The Communist espousal of folk music was a near south,somewhere between Warsaw and Krakow,
killer blow for the traditon. Both folk music and you find duple-time dances like the krakowiak
traditions were sanitised almost to irrelevance, and polka. Generally speaking the music of cen-
emerging mainly through presentation by profes- tral Poland is more restrained and sentimental than

- most famously the Mazowsze

sional folk troupes that of the south, which is more full-blooded. The
and Slask ensembles - who gave (and still give) krakowiak is named after the city of Krakow and
polished virtuoso performances with massed strings the polka is claimed by both the Poles and the
and choreographed twirls, whoops and foot stamp- Bohemians as their own, although it was in
ing. Their repertoire was basically core Polish with Bohemia that it became most widely known.
a slight regional emphasis (the Mazowsze territo- Of course, these dances are not confined to their
ry is around Warsaw, the Sl^sk around Wroclaw), native areas, and many have become staples across

but the overall effect was homogenisation rather the country and abroad.
than local identity.
Smaller, more specialised groups, like Stowian- Folk Music Today
ki in Krakow, were also supported and kept clos-
er to the roots, but for the most part the real stuff Today, with the notable exception of the Tatra
withered away as the image of folk music became region and a few other rural pockets, traditional
tarnished by the bland official ensembles. music has virtually ceased to function as a living

Poland 219
tradition and has been banished to regional folk good, active regional bands are the Franciszek
festivals. Several of these are very good indeed, Gola Band in Kadzidlo (Kurpie): the Kazimierz
with the Kazimierz Festival at the end ofJune Meto Band in Glina and the Tadeusz Jedynak
foremost amongst them (see p.223). Band in Przystalowice Male (Mazowsze); the
But the best way to hear this music is out in the Edward Markocki Band in Zmyslowka-Podle-
countryside, at the son of occasion it was designed sie 2nd the Stachy Band in Haczow nad Wislok-

for — a village harvest festival (dozynki), for iem (Pvzeszowregion); the Kazimierz Kantor
instance, or a wedding (wesele). At such occasions, Band Glowaczowa (Tarnow region); the
in
livery tunes are punched out by ad hoc groups com- Swarni Band in Nowy Targ; the Ludwik Mry-
prising (nowadays) clarinet, saxophone, accordion, narczyk Band in Lipnicai the Trebunia Fam-

keyboard and drums. At country weddings there ilyBand in Poronin and the Gienek WUczek
is often a set of traditional dances played for the Band in Bukowina (Podhale).
older people, even when the rest of the music is

modem. In the rural areas people tend to be hos-

Podhale
pitable and welcoming and, if you've shown an
interest in music, a wedding invitation is often Podhale. the district around Zakopane, which has
extended. the most vibrant musical tradition in the country,
Typically, the areas where the music has best has been one of Poland's most popular resorts for
survived tend to be the remoter regions on the years — so it defies the rules, being in no way

fringes - Kurpie and Podlasie in the northeast, remote or isolated.

around Rzeszow in the southeast (where the cim- The Podhale musicians are familiar with music
baty — hammer dulcimer — is popular in the local from all over the country and beyond, but choose
bands), and the Podhale and highland regions in to play in their own way. This sophisticated
the Tatras along the southern border. Among approach is pan of a pride in Podhale identity
which probably dates from the late nineteenth cen-
tury when several notable artists and intellectuals

(including the composer Karol Szymanowski:

1882—1937) settled in Zakopane and enthused
about the folk music and culture. Music, fiddlers

and dancing brigands are as essential to the image

of Podhale life as the traditional costumes of tight
felt trousers, broad leather belts with ornate metal
clasps and studs, embroidered jackets and black
hats decorated with cowrie shells.

Podhale music has more in common with the

peasant cultures along the Carpathians in Ukraine
and Transylvania than the rest of Poland. While
traditional music in lowland Poland has tended to
keep its simple drone accompaniment (where it
survives at all), in Podhale there's a strong chordal
harmony — probably a result of the intellectual
presence.
The typical Podhale ensemble is a string band
(the clarinets, saxophones, accordions and drums
that have crept in elsewhere in Poland are much
rarer here) comrising a lead violin (prym), a cou-
ple of second violins (sekund) playing accompany-
ing chords, and a three-stringed cello (bazy). The
music is immediately identifiable by its melodies
and playing style. The tunes tend to be short-wind-
ed, angular melodies in an unusual scale with a
sharpened fourth. This is known to musicians as
the 'Lydian mode' and gives rise word
to the Polish
lidyzowanie to describe the manner of singing this
Mato polska fiddler augmented interval.

220 Poland
 A Podhale Wedding
Believe it or not, gorale weddings are often held in who wanted different sorts of music. But no, is typi- it

the local fire station. There's room enough for feasting cal of the way music is performed in these circum-

and dancing and it provides useful extra income for stances and the tensions between the instrumental
the fire brigade. was to one such station on
It the out- music and song are obviously calculated.
skirts of Zakopane that was invited. I Among the dances the local ozwodna and krzesany
There the family assembled and the couple were figure highly, begun by one of the men strutting over to
lectured by the leader of the band on the importance the band and launching into the high straining vocals
of the step they were taking that cue the tune. The man
- an indication of how inte- then draws a girl onto the
gral the band is to the event. floor, dances a few steps
Then came the departure for with her before handing her
the church in a string of over to the man on whose
horse-drawn carriages - the behalf he originally selected
band in one, the bride in her. All this is part of a care-
another and the groom fol- fully structured form which
lowing in another behind. At culminates late in the
the front, the pytacy, a pair evening with the ritual of the

of outriders on horseback, cepiny (or cepowiny as it's

were shouting rhymes to all known in Podhale), the 'cap-

and sundry. The band ping ceremony'. This is one

played the couple into the of those peasant rites of

wooden church and (uncon- passage, which happens all

ventionally) played "Krywan" over Poland, when the bride

from the gallery inside the has a scarf tied round her O
church while communion head symbolising her pas-
was taking place. Then it sage from the status of a
was back to the fire station single to a married woman.
for the party. The music whirls on
The incredible thing was throughout the night and
the way the band kept going extends well beyond the
for hours, substituting dif- Podhale repertoire. There
Podhale wedding band outside the church
ferent players from time to are romantic waltzes and
time to give themselves a short break. Quite unexpected mazurkas, fiery polkas and czardasz - tunes that you
until you get used to it is the way the gorale dances and might hear in northern Poland, Slovakia, Hungary or
songs are superimposed, often with no relation to each Romania, but always given a particular Podhale accent.
other.A fast up-tempo dance will be in progress when The gorale people are famed for keeping themselves
suddenly a group of women will launch into a slow song to themselves and mistrusting outsiders, but there's
seemingly oblivious to the other music. was putting I it no puritanism. They take and enjoy what they want
down to the vast quantities of vodka consumed or per- from outside, confident and proud of the strength of
haps a serious underlying quarrel between family groups what they have.

The fiddlers typically play these melodies with (zbojnicki) which are the popular face of Podhale
a 'straight' bowing technique — giving the music culture - central to festivals and demonstrations
a stiff, angular character as opposed to the swing of the music. Danced in a circle by men wield-
and flexibility of the usual 'double' bowing tech- ing small metal axes (sometimes hit together
nique common in eastern Europe and typified by fiercely enough to strike sparks), they are a cel-
Gypsy fiddlers. The straining high male vocals ebration of the gorale traditions of brigandage -
which kick off a dance tune are also typical. fullof tales of colourful robberies, daring escapes,
At the heart of the repertoire are the ozwodna festivities and death on the gallows for anti-
and krzesany couple dances, both in duple time. feudal heroes. "To hang on the gibbet is an hon-
The first has an unusual five-bar melodic struc- ourable thing!" asserted the nineteenth-century
ture and the second is faster and more energetic. gorale musician Sabala, "They don't hang just
Then there are the showy Brigand's Dances anybody, but real men!"

Poland 221
 The songs you are most likely to hear in more World War II saw the effective extermination
tourist-oriented performances are those about of Jewish lite and culture in Poland along with
Janosik (1688-1713), the most famous brigand of the exuberant and melancholy klezmer music for
them all. Musically these are not actually Podhale weddings and was part of it. The
festivals that

in style, but are lyrical ballads with a Slovakian feel; music had its distinctive Jewish elements, but drew
countless tales of the region'smost famous char- heavily on local Polish and Ukranian styles.
acter are sung on both sides of the border. The Thanks to emigration and revival, it now flour-
most played songs are "Idzie Janko" - whose tune ishes principally in the US (it is covered in depth
seems to be used for many other Janosik songs — in The Rough Guide to World Music \ olume 2) and
and "Krywan", which is a celebration of one of is barely heard in Poland except at the annual Fes-
the Tatra's most famous mountains. tival of Jewish Culture in Krakow. The city is,

The mountain regions around Podhale also though, home to its own klezmer band, Kroke.
have their own, less celebrated, musical cultures. This trio, led by violinist Tamasz Kukurba, start-

To the west there is Orawa, straddling the Pol- ed off playing schmaltzy standards, but has evolved
ish/Slovak border and the Beskid Zywieckie to into an inventive and exciting band who've
its north, with an annual festival in the town of proven their ability on tour (at WOMAD, for
Zywiec. To the east of Zakopane, the music of example). Two of the band's members are Jew-
the Spisz region has more Slovak bounce than ish, although one of them didn't discover the fact
the Podhale style and boasts an excellent fiddle- until they'd been playing klezmer for several years

maker and musician in Woytek Lukasz. Even if - which says something about the pressure to
you don't make it to a highland wedding, music assimilate in post-war Poland.
is relatively accessible in Zakopane. Many of the
restaurants have good bands that play certain nights

of the week; there are occasional stage shows; and

Revival and New Music
there's the Festival of Highland Folklore in August. It is perhaps not over-optimistic to sense a pick-
ing up of interest in Polish traditional music as the
exhortations of the Communist troupes slip fur-

Ethnic Minorities ther into the distance. In the western region of

Wielkopolska there's been something of a revival
Post-Communism, there's been something of a in bagpipe (kozio — 'goat') playing, a tradition

revival in the music of some of the national reaching back to the Middle Ages in Eastern
minorities living in Poland. There is now a more Europe. And few years a number of
in the last

liberal climate in which to express national differ- good contemporary folk groups have emerged.
ences and travel is easier across the borders between Not surprisingly, some of the most interesting
related groups in Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. developments have come out of Podhale - in par-
Poland's Boyks and Lemks are ethnically and ticular the Trebunia family band of Poronin. Here
culturally linked to Ukranians and the Rusyns of
Slovakia, and their music betrays its eastern Slavon-
ic leanings in its choral and polyphonic songs.
Recently some fascinating work has been done by
the Kresy Foundation based in Lublin, who have
gathered diverse groups of musicians from sever-
al territories to play together and compare their
music in informal gatherings. Boyk and Ukraini-
an groups are now also a regular feature of the
Kazimierz Look out for the group led
Festival.
by singer Roman Kumluk who, with fiddler
Wolodymyr Bodnaruk, performs music of the
Hucul people of the Carpathian mountains. You
can hear the common heritage with types ot
Romanian, Ukrainian and Jewish music. The
singer Maria Krupowies, boni in Vilnius, Lithua-
nia, but raised in Poland, has sung Lithuanian,
Belorussian and Polish songs exploring the con-
nections and differences between them. Polish reggae with the Trebunia family

222 Poland
 .

the stem fiddler Wladilaw Trebunia

Krzysztof are both preservers of and experimenters
arid his son discography
with the tradition, as well as being leaders of one
of the very best w edding bands around. In the early
An excellent survey called Sources of Polish Folk Music
has recently been issued by Polish Radio. With record-
1990s they joined up with reggae musician Nor- ings from the 1960s to the mid-90s, many of them record-
man 'Twinkle' (.rant to produce two albums of ed at the Kazimierz Festival, the series currently runs to
ten volumes. Each disc focuses on a different area and
Podhale reggae, or perhaps more accurately, reg-
comes with good notes in Polish and English on the char-
gae with a Polish backing. Surprising as it might acteristics of the region, the vocal and instrumental music
seem, once you get used to the rigid beat imposed and biographies of the musicians. Vol 1: Mazovia; Vol 2:
on the Polish material, the marriage works rather Tatra Foothills; Vol 3: Lubelskie; Vol 4: Malopolska
Polnocna; Vol 5: Wielkopolska; Vol 6: Kurpie; Vol 7:
well. In 1994, the Trebunias teamed up on anoth-
Beskidy; Vol 8: Krakowskie Tarnowskie; Vol 9: Suwalskie
er project with one of Poland's leading jazz musi- Podlasie; Vol 10: Rzeszowskie Pogdrze. Contact: Polskie

cians, saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski. Here Radio SA, Biuro Promocji Handlu, al. Niepodleglosci
I

77/85, 00-977 Warszawa, Poland. Fax (48) 22 645 5901

the usual gorale ensemble meets saxophone, piano,
bass and drums in an inventive romp through clas-

sic Podhale hits such as Zbojnicki tunes, "Kry-

fj iPOXOGiTiS
wan" and "Idzie Janko".
Elsewhere, contemporary folk bands to look out arn64188 Danses
for include Orkiestra Sw Mikolaja and, partic-
ularly, the Kwartet Jorgi. Based in Poznan, the
latter group takes its music from all round Poland
and beyond, with many of the tunes coming from
the nineteenth-century collections of Oskar Kol-
berg. The group's leader, Maciej Rychry, plays an
amazing range of ancient Polish bagpipes, whis-
tles and flutes which are sensitively combined with
O
r—
guitars, cello and drums. The music is inventive >
how o
and fun and shows
music can escape the legacy of fakelore.
In a similar spirit, following the
dancehouse movement
contemporary Polish

(see p. 161) a
Hungarian
Dom Tanca
folk

9^
has been started in Warsaw to play and teach
authentic Polish folk dances. This is the place to Compilations
go to learn your mazurkas and obereks.
Polish Folk Music: Songs and Music from
various Regions (Polskie Nagrania, Poland).
With thanks to Krzysztof Cwizewicz
An excellent cross-section of Polish Radio recordings from
eight different regions all over the country, from Kaszuby in

the north to Podhale in the south.

Festivals and Events S3 Poland: Folk Songs and Dances
(VDE-Gallo/AIMP, Switzerland).

Kazimierz Dolny. This Festival of Folk Bands and A more hardcore selection of field recordings compiled by
Singers, held on the last weekend in June, is Poland's Anna Czekanowska. Includes some recent recordings of
music by ethnic minorities, and informative notes.
biggest traditional music festival. Contact: Helena Werem-
czuk, Wojewodzki Dom Kultury, ul. Dolna Panny Marii 3, HS Polish Village Music:
20-010 Lublin, Poland. » (48) 81 532 4207; fax 81 532 Historic Polish-American Recordings 1927-1933
(Arhoolie, US).
3775.
Recordings from old 78s of Polish bands recently arrived in
Meeting of Folk Bands in Przysucha (Radomskie). A the US. Most still have a great down-home style. Gorale fid-

more down-home festival held over the the first weekend dler Karol Stoch ("Last Evening in Podhale") was the most
highly regarded of hisday and the first to record commercially.
in June.
His music sounds astonishingly similar to that which can still
Dom Tahca (Dance House) in Warsaw takes place every be heard in the region today. Not true for the bands from else-
where in Poland. Very good notes and translations.
Thursday evening (except during the summer) and main-
ly focuses on the central traditions of Mazowsze, Malopol- Pologne: Danses
(Arion, France).
ska and Roztocze. Warszawski Osrodek Kultury, 12
Elektoralna Street, Warsaw. « (48) 22 870 0384. The cover suggests one of those fakelore ensembles, but

Poland 223
this is actually a very good collection of instrumental
E Songs and Music from Rzeszow Region
polkas, oberek and other dances from southeastern
(Polskie Nagrania, Poland).
Poland. Two family bands from Rzeszow district and the
third, the celebrated Pudelko family, from Przeworsk. A wonderful disc of authentic village dances - sztajereks,

Includes several solo tracks on the cimbaly hammer waltzes, polkas and slowies. Sometimes strings and cym-
dulcimer. baly. some tracks with clarinet. The 1970s recordings are
rather harsh, but splendid all the same. Sadly, the band is no
Pologne: Instruments populaires . longer playing.
(Ocora, France).

Predominantly instrumental music ranging from shepherds' Trebunia Family Band

horns and flutes, fiddles and bagpipes to small and
Without doubt, one of the leading bands of Podhale
medium-sized ensembles. A compilation, by Maria
based in Poronin near Zakopane with four or five fiddles
Baliszewska. of field recordings of the real thing in the best
and basy. Fiddler Wtadystaw Trebunia is the father-figure
Ocora tradition. .
and the band includes his son Krzysztof (who often leads
Sources of Polish Folk Music 5: Wielkopolska in his own right), daughter Hania and several other family

(Polish Radio Folk Collection, Poland). members. They play for local weddings, make recordings
and have an adventurous spirit for collaborations.
The area of 'Greater Poland' wound Poznah is famous for its
bagpipes and you hear a good many of them on this disc, Music of the Tatra Mountains:
solo and in bands. Some of the ensembles, like the Krobia The Trebunia Family Band (Nimbus, UK).
Band of bagpipe and violin, sound quite medieval and out-
An informal gathering recorded in their home village of
landish. The notes profile the region's celebrated pipers,
Poronin. Dances with stamping feet, whistling and seemingly
although few actually appear on the disc.
spontaneous outbursts of song. Real interplay between
Sources of Polish Folk Music 8: Krakowskie - dancers and musicians. Includes examples of all the core
Tamowskie (Polish Radio Folk Collection, Poland). gorale repertoire plus some lighter waltzes, polkas and tunes
from neighbouring Spisz. Good notes.
The discs with a good dose music tend to be
of instrumental
the more accessible in this
series. This features music from
TWINKLE BROTHERS AND TREBUNIA
the areas of southern Poland around Krakow and Tamow.
Lots of krakowiaks. of course, and other dances from string E Twinkle Inna Polish Stylee: Higher Heights
bands often with added clannets or trumpets. (Ryszard Music, Poland).

Sources of Polish Folk Music 10: Rzeszowslie - Reggae musician Norman Grant is the Twinkle Brother bnng-
Pogorze (Polish Radio Folk Collection, Poland). ing the reggae ingredient into this supnsingly infectious collab-
oration. The strong backbeat sometimes threatens to destroy
Not surprisingly music from the south-
this disc, featuring the the Trebunia's music, but on the whole
intrinsic flexibility of
eastern region of Rzeszow, kicks off with the famous Sowa this "goralstafananism" works. Fans can also try the equally
Family Band (recorded in 1976) but includes many other successful E Comeback Twinkle 2. (Both available from
local bands such as the Pudelko family and cymbafy players. Poland's Caston distribution (48) 27 642 3221).
Mostly peformances at the Kazimierz Festival.
WITH Z. NAMYStOWSKI JAZZ QUARTET
Artists — Z. Namystowski Jazz Quartet & Kapela Goralska
(Folk, Poland).

The Trebunias meet Zbigniew Namystowski. one of Poland's

Kwartet Jorgi
leading jazz saxophonists, with piano, bass and percussion.
Strangely enough the Jorgi quartet usually seems to have Pleasant jazz versions of Podhale s dances and famous
just three members: Maciej and Waldemar
(the leader) songs - "Idzie Janko" and "Krywan". The cassette is readily
Rychty with Andrzej Trzeciak. Maciej plays an astonishing available in Zakopane, but probably hard to find elsewhere.
range of old Polish pastoral instruments, pipes and flutes.
His classical background is evident in the arrangements
Gienek Wilczek
of tunes from all over Poland.
The Gienek Wilczek was bom in 1943, but seems
fiddler
(Jam, Poland). older. He was taught
at a young age by the woman-brig-

The release from 1990 remains

and Dziadonka, the only recognised woman-musician in
quartet's first their best CD.
the area. He has worked mostly as a shepherd, but spent
featunng lots of old tunes collected by Kolberg. (Available from
Jam Phono Co. (48) 22 830021).
much of his free time playing the violin.

Music of the Tatra Mountains: Gienek Wilczek's

Sowa Family Band Bukovina Band (Nimbus. UK).
A famous, family band (with over 150 years of history) An eccentric peasant genius, Wilczek's style is idiosyncratic,
from the village of Piatkowa in the Rzeszow region in ornamented and sometimes wayward, but has all the depth
southeast Poland, this was led for many years by and excitement of a real, intuitive peasant musician. This is a
Wojciech Sowa (1911-1977), one of Poland's great disc to savour once you've absorbed the basic charactenstic
peasant fiddlers. His brother Jozef Sowa (1904-1983) of highland music. Like the other Nimbus disc above, record-
played second violin or cymbaty and Piotr Sowa ed at an informal party which includes "Oh. Susanna" like
(1911-1997) played bass. you've never heard it before. A real treat.

224 Poland
Portugal

traditional riches, fate and revolution

Musically, Portugal is best known as the home of the passionate and elegant vocal and instrumental
fado of the cities of Lisbon and Coimbra, but its regions boast varied traditional musics that show
attributes reaching far European history, and the country forged a politically influential new
back into
song movement before, during and after the 1974 demise of the Salazar dictatorship. Today's
evolving musics draw on all these strands, as well as that of the former colonies, notably the fado-like
morna of Cabo Verde's Cesaria Evora (see p. 451). Below, Andrew Cronshaw explores Portuguese
roots and developments, while Paul Vernon tells the story of fado.

seventeenth century, but continued in use in the

Regional Traditions fields and villages long and in some cases
after that,

up to the present day. While for the nobles these

Social and economic change has removed much songs were just polite amusements, for the rural
of the role for Portugal's old traditional musical population they had a vital function, including reli-
cultures, but there's a surprising amount that con- gious celebrations, festivals and work, particularly
tinues in its original context and which also pro- the work of harvesting.
vides a wellspring for new Portuguese musics. Insome of the ballads found in Tras-os-Montes
there persists the old language of Mirandes, derived O
3D
Tras-os-Montes possibly from an early language of Spain's Leon or
from Low Latin. An interesting aspect is that spe-
One area in particular, that of Tras-os-Montes in cific ballads are associated with specific canonical
the northeast - as its name says 'behind the moun- hours, giving fixed points dividing up the reapers'

tains', a sum-
ravine-carved high plateau of burning long back-breaking day.
mers and icy winters - still retains ways of making Portugal came into existence as a country in the
and hearing music which survive in few other twelfth century, but its language, and aspects of the
regions of Europe. Neither
the bagpipes found there
(gaita-de-foles), nor the older
traditional unaccompanied
singers, use the equal-tem-
perament scale of equal
semitones which has come
to dominate the musics of
the world.
The songs of Tras-os-
Montes, and some of the
other remote areas of the
mainland and also the
Azores, draw on the oral bal-

lad repertoire that was once

widespread across Europe
with stories going back to
the Middle Ages. Iberia has
its own specific group of bal-
lads, the Romanceiro, which
were sung in the royal courts

from the fifteenth until the Tras-os-Montes group with drums and gaita-de-foles

Portugal 225
 Portuguese Instruments
Portugal is home to a remarkable variety of where it meets the neck; these are used in a way sim-
instruments, most of them associated with par- ilar to the high fifth string on an American banjo.
ticular regional traditions.
Cavaquinhos and Bandolims
Guitarra Portuguesa One popular Portuguese stringed instrument has taken
The best-known Portuguese regional tradition is fado, root across the world. The cavaquinho looks like a
and be that the Lisboa or Coimbra tradition its domi- baby viola with four strings, and is played with an inge-
nant instrument is the guitarra. Though somelimes nious fast strum akin to the braguesa's rasgado. It

called the Portuguese guitar, its body isn't 'guitar- spread from Portugal to the Azores and Madeira, and
shaped'; it is a variety of the European cittern, which travelled onwards with Portuguese migrants from the
arrived in Portugal in the> eighteenth century in the form Atlantic islands to Hawaii, where it became, with very
of the 'English guitar' via the English community of few changes, the ukulele. Indonesia has the ukelele,

Porto, where it was used in a style of art-song ballad also called keront jong. Cavaquinho is much-used in

known as modinha which was popular at that time in the biggest Lusophone country, Brazil, and the South
Portugal and Brazil. American charango shows strong similarities.

The instrument caught on in Lisboa, and from there The Portuguese form of mandolin, the bandolim or

spread to Coimbra. Two forms evolved - the Lisboa banjolim, much used; a particularly fine player is
is

guitarra used for accompanying singers, and the larg- Julio Pereira, who is also an expert exponent of
er body and richer bass of the Coimbra version more cavaquinho and the range of violas.

suited to that city's instrumental fado. Both have six

pairs of steel strings tuned by knurled turn-screws on
a fan-shaped machine head. The traditional tuning is

B, A, E, B, A, D. The bottom three pairs have one of

the pair an octave lower than the other, giving a chim-
ing resonant bass supporting the silvery singing vibra-

to and fluid runs of the unison-tuned top three pairs.

"Violas'
In fado, the guitarra is usually accompanied by a six-

string guitar of the Spanish form which, like all fretted

instruments of that waisted body-shape, is known in

Portugal as a viola. Though the viola de fado is usu-

ally a normal Spanish guitar, there is a remarkable range
of other specifically Portuguese violas found in regions
of the mainland and islands. They're virtually always
steel-strung, and most have soundboards decorated
with flowing tendril-like dark wood inlays spreading

from the bridge, and soundholes in a variety of shapes. Julio Pereira on a bandolim
The version encountered most often, particularly in

the north, is the viola braguesa, which has five pairs Hurdy-gurdys and pipes
of strings and is usually played rasgado (a fast intri- The sanfona (hurdy-gurdy), fell out of use in the early

cate rolling strum with an opening hand). A slightly twentieth century but it is now being built and used
smaller close relative, from the region of Amarante, is again by such present-day groups as Realejo and
the viola amarantina, whose soundhole is usually in Gaiteiros de Lisboa. The rabeca or ramaldeira of
the form of two hearts; a similar soundhole pattern is Amarante and Douro is a short-necked folk rebec, and
found on the viola da terra of the Azores. in Madeira the extremely primitive one-stringed bex-
Other varieties include Madeira's viola d'arame, a igoncelo functions as a bowed bass with a pig's blad-

kind of slim guitar; the ten or twelve-stringed viola der as its soundbox.
campanica alentejana which has a very deeply The gaita-de-foles is the Portuguese bagpipe (the
indented waist, almost like a figure of eight; and the word fole means "bag"). Its chanter uses a double reed,
viola beiroa, which is distinctive in having an extra while its normally single drone has a single reed. It is

two pairs of strings, besides its other five pairs, which the main melody instrument of Tras-os-Montes music,
run from the bridge to machine heads fixed on the body accompanied by bombo and caixa. Many European

226 Portugal
 bagpipes use a scale different from modern equal tem- on edge and tapped with the fingers, it's played by
perament; the chanter of the gaita-de-foles diverges women, often in groups, to accompany their singing.

more than most, and each bagpipe is likely to be tuned Also found in several traditions is the clanking ferrin-
in its own way, as it can afford to be, since it's not hos (triangle), played pretty much as in Cajun music.
played ensemble or with other pitched instruments. As Bombo, caixa, adufe, pandeiro (small drum) and
revival groups have taken up the gaita-de-foles they pandeireta (tambourine) or occasionally cantaro
have had to decide whether to alter its scale or to give com abanho (a clay pot struck across its mouth with
it its own pitch freedom within the band and allow it to a leather or straw fan), provide the thump of Por-
speak for the old ways. tuguese traditional music, while the clatter comes from
The flauta pastoril (three-hole whistle) and tam- the likes of the cana (a split cane slap-stick), tran-
boril (tabor drum with snares) are played together by canholas (wooden 'bones'), castanholas (cas-
a single musician, the tamborileiro, particularly in Tras- tanuelas, or in Madeira a chain of ten flat shell-shaped
os-Montes and eastern Alentejo. The three-hole whis- boards), reco-reco or reque-reque (a scraped ser-
tle is sometimes called pifaro, a term that also applies rated stick), conchas (shells rubbed together), zacli-
to a fife or whistle, an instrument found in several tracs (a form of rattle), genebres (a wooden
regional traditions including that of Beira Baixa, where xylophone hung from the neck, a feature of the danga
it's accompanied by caixas and bombo in groups called dos homens (men's dance) in Beira Baixa) and, lost
zes-pereiras. from the mainland but still found in Madeira, the
briquinho, a cluster of wooden dolls each with a Cas-
Drums tanet on its back, mounted in circles on a pole.
A feature of Beira Baixa music, and found elsewhere In Alentejo there's a grunt, too - that of the sarronca.
too, is the adufe. Introduced by the Arabs a millenni- a friction drum made from a clay pot with skin stretched

um ago, it is a square double-headed drum usually over the mouth; rubbing a stick set into the skin produces
containing pieces of wood or pebbles which rattle. Held the sound, as with the higher-pitched Brazilian cuica.

culture of its northern parts, show its even longer notes he's joined, in the ponto's pitch, by the full
©
connections with Galicia to the north. The gaita- chorus, overwhich the alto sings an ornamented
de-foles and the Galician gaita are closely related harmony line. As the song (moda) proceeds the
forms of bagpipe, and several dances, such as the powerful group vocal alternates w ith expressive
murinheira (milkmaid) are found in varying forms solo verses from the alto and sometimes the ponto.
on both sides of the border. There are also links Essentially, this is spontaneous rather than choral-
across the eastern border into such Spanish regions ly directed music-making, but there exist named
asZamora - for example, in the occurrence of the performing ensembles, and it is these that most
danca dos paulitos. a stick dance for men only, available recordings feature. They may be organ-
which like several Iberian dances is strongly remi- ised to a degree, but they're not professional enter-

niscent of an English morris-dance. Such dances are tainers, they're the real thing.

typically played by a gaita accompanied by a bombo

(bass drum) and caixa (snare drum), or alternative- Ranchos Folcloricos
ly by a solo musician (tamborileiro) playing with one
hand a three-hole whistle and with the other a small The strongest survivals of old-rooted material in
snare drum (tamborit). In the absence of instalments Portugal are in the rural areas away from the sea
their tunes are sung, using ballad lyrics. such as Tras-os-Montes, Beira in the central east,

and Alentejo, but each region of Portugal has its

Alentejo distinctiv e living traditional tonus and instruments.

Quite number of villages and towns have folk-

a

The south of Portugal has a very different singing known as ranchos folcloricos.
lore ensembles
style. In the province of Baixo Alentejo there is These were encouraged by the dictatorship as
a surviving tradition of polyphonic vocalgroups exemplars of the happy colourful peasantry, and
- a vibrant Mediterranean sound comparable to were therefore somewhat disapproved of by musi-
that of the vocal ensembles of Corsica and Sar- cianswho were opponents of the regime.
dinia. The ensembles are usually male. A solo singer Emerging from those associations, the ensem-
(the ponto) delivers the first couple of verses, set- bles continue to exist, and indeed in the last cou-
ting the song and pitch, then a second singer (the ple of decades they have increased in number. Most
alto) takes over the theme, usually singing it a third are a worthwhile and genuine part ot folk culture

above the ponto's preamble. After only one or two and its festive occasions.

Portugal 227
 Fado part of Portuguese culture in the early nineteenth
century. The popular folk quatrain was used in
The dictionary' definition of the word fado is 'fate'. many forms by a largely rural community to cel-
The meaning invested in this small word by the ebrate calendar events, preserve folk wisdom, tell
Portuguese, however, is deep and complex.
rich, children's stories and declare undying love - all
The music, at least in Lisbon, could be defined as the usual concerns - and it served as the lyrical
style and parallels can be drawn with
an urban cafe genesis of the fado, taking over from the strong
Greek rembetika, American blues and original lyrical meat of its old African precursors.

tango. Like rembetika, its subject matter is life's These three basic ingredients — dance, modhi-
harsh reality, and its instrumental accompaniment na and quatrain - supplied rhythm, form and con-
is largely stringed - in this case the Portuguese gui- tent. At some point lost in the fog of history the
tarra and Spanish guitar. But unlike rembetika its parts gelled together and matured to form the fado.
approach is more about the graceful acceptance of
destiny than a garrulous resistance to it. The fado
Early Fado:
speaks with a quiet dignity born of the realisation
that any mortal desire or plan is at risk of destruc-
Maria Severa
tion by powers beyond individual control. Maria Severa is where the enigmas really begin.
According to most dependable contemporary
Fado Origins accounts, she was the first great exponent of the
fado and the originator of the female fadista tradi-
There are many theories of fado's origins and tion of wearing a dramatically draped black shawl
almostall of them contain some essential truths, while performing. Born and raised in the Alfama
for the fado is an old tree of music, with deep and district of Lisbon, she and her mother ran a small
tangled roots. They are bound in Portugal's early tavern in which the embryonic music was per-
^ which ensured that the home
imperial expansion, formed. In 1 836, her fado was heard by the Comte
country was exposed to a broad wedge of other de Vimioso and they entered into what observers
cultures, principally African. The Portuguese style of the time referred to as a 'tempestuous love affair".

of imperialism was an odd mix of arrogance and The impact on Lisbon society of this scandalous,

^ humility — arrogance in assuming that parts of the high-profile 'mismatch' was considerable, with the
world were just waiting to become Portuguese, result that the fado received widespread public
humility in Portuguese readiness to settle, to mix attention for the first time. Sheet music was pub-
and to leave the home country for good. Inter- lished, newspaper articles were written and the
marriage was common and the goal of Portuguese whole matter was hody debated. The controver-
citizenship through achievement — becoming assim- sy was similar in essence to the emergence of the
ilado — was a permanent fixture in the culture of tango in Buenos Aires.
Portuguese-colonised peoples. For how long before these events the fado had
By the beginning of the nineteenth century a been an identifiable song is uncertain. There is

substantial African and mixed-race population, some evidence to suggest it was known in Brazil
often from Brazil (which became independent in a few years earlier, in 1829, but it is clear that the
1 822 and was soon substantially richer and more fado we hear on record from at least as far back as

important than Portugal), was firmly ensconced in 1910 - the fado that is still nightly practised in
the Alfama district of Lisbon. The dances most Lisboa - is the same fado that emerged from this
commonly associated with this cultural group were nineteenth-century scandal.
the Jofa and the lundum, a song and dance exchange It is still possible to hear the older styles of Lis-
for a couple in which lewd comments, expressions bon fado if you take the trouble to look. Ignore
of desire and outrageous insults were traded. It was the expensive restaurants offering evenings of 'fado
described with contemporary horror as 'the most and folclorico', they are ersatz experiences that will
lascivious thing I ever saw". Later, elements of lun- disappoint. However, in a back street of the Alfama
dum and fofa came to be known as the fado, which district, tucked away at the edge of a courtyard, at
in this proto-form seems to have been a guitar- Beco de Espirito Santo, stands the Perreirinha de
accompanied and essentially African dance. Alfama, a restaurant owned and run by the
A second factor in fado's creation was the long redoubtable Argentina Santos. It has been there
Portuguese tradition of poetry and literature, both from 1 952 and ever since it began Argentina has
academic and folk. Both the quatrain (rhyming taken time, every evening, from running her busi-
couplet) and modhina. or ballad tradition, were ness to sing fados for the patrons. Even now, in her

228 Fado
seventies, her voice retains remarkable timbre. Hers Fado must possess saudade to be considered gen-

is the authentic sound of traditional professional uine: a singer will not last long before a Portuguese
fado and she is a direct descendant of the great cafe audience without it. Audience behaviour is crucial
singers of the first half of the century. to a live performance and the rules for the

You can hear her and audience are at least as strict as

immerse yourself in mat tor the singer. In the typ-

tradition for the price of ical Lisbon situation, the

a decent meal, and it's audience will not suffer a

one of the unmissable poor performance to the

experiences of this end, nor tolerate inter-
ancient and beautiful ruption during a good
city. one. Noisy patrons are
Other hunting physically josded from the
grounds could include room, and poor singers
the oldest fado house in rudely halted in mid-song.
Lisbon, A Severa, at Rua At the end of a song it is

das Gavaes 5 1 , and Sen? perfectly acceptable to

hor Vinho, at Rua das indulge in applause,
Pracas; these are both whistling, stamping,
upmarket restaurants but shouting, table-banging
book good and authen- and beer-spilling. Indeed
tic singers for local afi- they're all expected. For
cionados. Elsewhere you especially fine renditions
might find people like the phrase "fadista!" (pro-
Carlos Zel singing in nounced "faaadeeshta") is

one of the old flagstone- acclaimed. O

3D
floored bars tucked away The term fadista has
down narrow cobbled deeper layers of meaning
streets of the Bairro Alto, than 'singer of fados'.
that old proletariat quar- From the mid-nineteenth
ter that sits above the century until at least the
Rocio, or in the ancient early 1900s it was a term
Mourariadistrict. At some applied to a picaresque sec-
barsyou can maybe find an tion of Lisbon society. Fadistas
impromptu early-evening session were the Portuguese counterparts
conducted not by professionals but by of Athenian manges - people whose
working folk, who simply find that a drink dress, attitude and pocket knives spoke elo-
and a fado are the two classic ways to unwind from quently of their disdain for ordinary society. A con-
their day. If you're lucky enough to catch such a temporary description is worth noting for its refined
session, you'll have an ideal insight into what the sense of outrage: "Fadistas wear a peculiar kind of
fado actually means, and its function as a kind of black cap, wide black trousers with close-fitting
catharsis in Portuguese life. jacket, and their hair flowing low on the shoulders
— they are held in very bad repute, being mostly

Saudade and Fadistas vauriens of dissolute habits". (Lady Jackson in Fair

Lusitania, 1874).
There is a Portuguese word, saudade, that has
no direct equivalent translation in English. The Coimbra Fado
closest definition is 'yearning'. It is that spirit which

lies at the very heart of the fado. Its emotional There is another side to the fado story - the fado
parallel is the Spanish duende, but the direction it of Coimbra, which shares the origins and keeps
takes is different. It's perhaps the Portuguese the basic form, but is recognised by both devotees
equivalent of whatever it is that fuels deep Mis- and critics alike as essentially divorced from the
sissippi or Texas blues - a measure of the under- barrel-house style of Lisbon. Among the narrow
standing that passes between performer and streets of Coimbra, Portugal's old university city,

audience. a tradition of literature, song and poetry has been

Fado 229
 quietly and lovingly nurtured for more than five - everyone is an amateur - the musical experi-
centuries. The fado and the guitarra were brought ence could be good or mediocre but the cultur-
here from Lisbon in the second half of the nine- alexperience will be enlightening. Students sing
teenth century by students. of the beauty of Portugal, their love of poetry
The attitude of Coimbra fado is markedly dif- and academia, their longing for the unattainable.
ferent from that of Lisbon, and those who prac- Their style, pioneered in the 1890s by Augusto
tise the fado de Coimbra are a very different breed Hilario, remains completely unaltered. It's a time
from the bus drivers, barbers, labourers and w arp that co-exists surprisingly well with the pre-
shoeshiners who use it in Lisbon for release. It has sent.
been called a more refined strain of fado, but this
empty phrase does not accurately reflec t the majesty Fado Stars
and emotional summits - like a fusion of blues and
opera - that
a good singer can reach. However, a Fado is not just about star perfonners, but the music
Coimbra fado would be deemed unseemly if it has produced anumber of key singers - and none
were not highly rehearsed and stylised. Rodney more so than Amalia Rodrigues. w ho has had
Gallop, writing in 1936, succinctly defined the dif- an immeasurable impact upon the direction of the
ference: "It is the song of those who retain and fado through her recordings. Like Maria Sevcra
cherish their illusions, not of those w ho have irre- (who never had the chance to record her art),

trievably lost them". Rodrigues was born (in 1920) into the poverty of
While in Lisbon the guitarra's main role is that the Alfama district of Lisboa. In a long career that
of accompanying singers, Coimbra, and in partic- started m 1939, she not only sang but acted in a

ular its university, also has a strong tradition of its number of films. Her style has defined and crys-
use in instrumental pieces, usually called gtiitarradas, tallised the fado and if you've had only a passing

inwhich one or two guitarras are

accompanied by one or two Span-
ish guitars. This tradition flowered
most famously in the 1920s and '30s
around a group focused on Dr
C5
Antonio Menano that included
Edmundo de Bet-
singing doctors
tancourt and Lucos Junot and
guitarristas of astonishing virtuosity
such as Jose Joaoquim Cavalheiro
and Artur Paredes (1899-1980).
They drew on fado and also inter-
preted other Portuguese song forms
from rural regions such as the Beira
Baixa and Alentejo. Coimbra fado
was also at the root of the hugely
influential music of singer Jose
Afonso (of whom more below).
There have emerged from Coim-
bra such luminary players and com-
posers for the guitarra as Antonio
Portugal (1931-1994), and Pare-
des' son Carlos Paredes (b.1925),

and their legacy is strongly upheld by today's most acquaintance with the music, it's likely to be hers
prominent guitarra soloist and composer Pedro you have heard. The later, more popular pieces
Caldeira Cabral. whose music reaches far out- with orchestral accompaniment can be a bit mid-
side fado into semi-classical territories. dle of the road; there are, however, early record-

The tradition of student fado also continues ings that not only illuminate the roots but also
in Coimbra. You can go to the Bar Diligencia on reflect the heights to which a real fadista can rise.

Travessa da Rua Nova or the Cafe Santa Cruz at Intense, heartfelt, deeply traditional and striking-
Praca 8 de Maio, tuck yourself in a corner and ly innovative, they represent a pinnacle of devel-
just observe and listen. Depending on who's there opment in fado's history.

230 Fado
 Rodrigues, however, is in semi-retirement these
days and the need tor a new fado icon has been
obvious for some time. Perhaps it's a shade early
to begin drawing conclusions as to who that might
be, but Misia is a clear front runner in the current

stakes. Born of a Portuguese father and Catalan

mother, she lived in Porto for the first twenty years
of her life before moving to Barcelona. Now, hav-
ing absorbed both sides of the Iberian cultural coin,
she has chosen Portugal as her home and the fado
as her life's work. That work is refreshingly dif-
ferent. Her music is still very obviously fadistic,

but displays the influence of a wider experience.

Beginning in 1991, with her first CD for EMI Por-
tugal, she has now moved through the BMG sta-
ble to Warner, developing her style at every turn.
She looks set to be the first major fado star of the
twenty-first century and. along with others like
Mafalda Arnauth - a fine and underrated singer
who deserves wider recognition - should ensure
that the fado has a future in the new millennium.

Jose Afonso
Tudo isto e Fado (All this is Fado)

You asked me the other day

Jose Afonso, New Song
If I knew what fado was.

I said I didn't know,

and Modern Fusions
You said you were surprised.
In the second half of the twentieth century, and
Without knowing what I said,
particularly in the years following the Portuguese
I lied then,
revolution of 1974, fado combined with other
And said I didn't know.
influences - folk, rock, Latin American nueva can-
cion - to form a style of 'new song'. The great fig-
Vanquished souls,
Lost nights,
ure in this movement was Jose Afonso. From the

Strange shadows 1970s onward, too, groups have emerged in Por-

In the Moorish quarter. tugal re-exploring and fusing regional traditions

A whore sings, with jazz and rock influences.

Guitars weep,
Ashes and fire,
Pain and sin.
Jose Afonso and New
All of this exists,
Song
All of this is sad, The giant of twentieth-century Portuguese pop-
All of this is fado. ular and roots music. Jose Afonso was born in
1929 in Aveiro, later moving to Coimbra. He had
If you want to be my man
a classic soaring fado voice and his first recording
And always have me by your side, (with Luis Gois in 1956), Fades de Coimbra, was,
Don't speak to me of love as its title suggests, fado, though it included two
But tell me about fado. of his own songs. During the years to and through
Fado is my sentence,
the 1974 revolution he was the leading figure in
Iwas born to be lost. -
the reinstitution of the ballad in the sense of a
Fado is everything I say,
set of artistic, poetic, usually contemporary lyrics
And everything cannot say. I
set to music.
Amalia Rodrigues, composed by Anibal Nazare was Afonso's songs, and his choice of songs
It
F. Carvalho, translated by Caroline Shaw.
by others, and his evolving musical framework
drawing on regional traditional musics and fado.

Portugal 231
that provided a rallying point in the development Salome brings in the Arab influence of the south
not only of new Portuguese musics but also of a of Portugal. Both are well known as solo per-
new democratised state. In the final years of dic- formers, and for performances with Jose Afonso,
tatorship, censorship and the restriction of per- and together they have performed intermittently
forming opportunities caused some songwriters to with the vocal group Lua Extravagante.
move and record abroad, but Afonso remained, Fausto's first album appeared in 1970, and he
when necessary masking social and political mes- has gone on to become a major songwriting force,
sages with allegory. Though he died in 1987 his using traditional forms and instrumentation as well
albums keep his music and ideas very much in the as a rock sensibility in such major projects as 1984's
forefront of Portuguese musical thinking. double LP about the voyages of Fernao Mendes
The work of Afonso and his contemporaries Pinto, Por Este Rio Acima. This and a string of other
such as Sergio Godinho (b.1945) and Luis Cilia, albums feature many other leading musicians,
working both individually and often in collabora- including Julio Pereira, who began as a song-
tion, came to be called nova cancao (new song) writer, played with Jose Afonso, and has become
After 1974 there was a need for songwriters to a fount of knowledge and skill on traditional Por-
move from protesting under oppression to explor- tuguese stringed instruments.
ing the needs and possibilities of the new democ-
racy; nova cancao evolved into canto liure (free song)
Roots Groups
and other categories and sub-movements.
In shaping the new forms songwriters drew on It wasn't just individual songwriters who drew on
influences from both within and outside Portugal. Portuguese traditional musics. Groups began to
Vitorino's lyrics, and particularly his titles, often form which devoted their attention
in the 1970s
have a surreal tinge, suggesting the work of such either to the research and performance of tradi-
South American writers as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, tional music from one or more regions, or to the
while his music is strongly linked with the tradi- construction of new musics with folk roots. While
tions of his native Alentejo. His brother Janita sometimes such work is viewed as a quest for a lost
ruralism, in a newly democratised state it is often
an important part of self-rediscovery.
Portugal's rich rural musical traditions were, and
to varying extents still are, alive and functioning,
so the gathering of material involved a trip not to
dusty archives but to the villages. Ranches folclori-
cos might have had the residual scent of dictator-
ship-approval, but the new groups were closer to
the spirit of nova cancao, and their members often
appeared on the recordings and in the bands of the
singer-songwriters.
This socially-aware connection is seen most
obviously in the name of the pivotal roots-with-
evolution group Brigada Victor Jara, formed in
Coimbra in 1975. Today it contains none of the
original members, but it continues to be a major
force, and former members have gone on to cre-
ate new projects. In finding material the band col-

laborated with a man who did a huge amount to

document traditional music and make it available

to listeners, ethnomusicologist Michel Gia-

cometti (1929-1990), who together with Fer-
nando Lopes Graca made a large amount of field
recordings throughout Portugal which were
released on various labels from the late 1950s
onwards.
Some bands such as Brigada Victor Jara have
been a fairly steady presence, while others wax and
Fausto wane, almost disappearing from view and then

232 Portugal
Brigada Victor Jara
O
30
returning with a new line-up or new album. crucially, a year later of seventeen-year-old fado-
Notable names over the years include Raizes, style singer Teresa Salgueiro, completed the
Ronda dos Quatro Caminhos, Trigo Limpo, sound. Early success was later boosted further by
Terra a Terra, Trovante, Grupo Cantadores a central role for the band, playing themselves and
do Redondo, Almanaque, Romancas and creating the music in Wim Wenders' 1994 film
Toque de Caixa. Lisbon Story. There has been a line-up change since
Today's leading traditional-roots groups include then, and only leader Pedro Ayres Magalhaes and
Brigada Victor Jara, Vai de Roda and Realejo. Teresa Salgueiro remain of the original members.
All have moved on to a more detailed exploration Exploring new compositions for an instrument
of sound and the possibilities for development than widespread in Europe but used distinctively in
that which prevailed in the first wave. A power- some Portuguese traditions, such as those of the
ful and innovative recent arrival is Gaiteiros de Minho region, is the diatonic accordion quartet
Lisboa, based around the sound of gaitas and other Dancas Ocultas, which draws music not just from
wind instruments with drums and Alentejo-style the reeds of the instrument known in Portugal as

vocals, bypassing the Western tradition of chordal concertina, but from its less obvious aspects such as

music and making a modern context for the much the panting of the bellows.
older layer of music that's
still to be heard in Tras- A former member of Brigada Victor Jara and,
os-Montes and some other Portuguese traditions briefly, Trovante, as well as of studio project Banda
which is governed not by harmony but by rhythm do Casaco, singer Ne Ladciras went solo in 1983,
and melody free from the rigidity of the equal tem- and has made a string of notable albums in both
perament scale. pop and roots genres since then, including one
With a different approach - closer in sound and devoted to Tras-os-Montcs music and another -
spirit to bound by its traditions - is
fado but not her most recent - featuring the songs of Fausto
the very popular Madrcdeus (a band which gets (one of her strongest influences) and drawing them
its name from the Lisbon neighbourhood of Madre closer to traditional instrumentation and feel.
de Deus where it rehearsed and where its first Also moving between pop and largely fado roots
album was recorded) which set out in 1985 to isone of Portugal's current biggest stars Dulce
make new compositions for classical guitars and Pontes. That her credibility doesn't seem to have
synthesiser. The addition of an accordionist, and, been damaged by representing Portugal in the

Portugal 233
 Eurovision Song Contest
example, by her appearance on Euskal
is demonstrated, for
trikitixa
discography
player Kepa Junkera's 1 998 major double album
project Bilbao 00:00h.
General Compilations
Misia is, as mentioned earlier, a major fadista,
Both the compilations listed here are very listenable and
and is being heard increasingly widely abroad as a give a good range, but they commercial end -
reflect the

strong Portuguese contribution to the World Music they contain virtually no regional so they
traditional material,
don't give any sense of the differentness of such traditions
cast list. Somewhere between the fado tradition as Tras-os-Montes, nor show Alentejo polyphonic singing
and nova cancao in terms of song content, and (the Smithsonian box is good on this, though, and even bet-

both with fine fado voices, are Amelia Muge and ter on Tras-os-Montes is the Qcora). Compiled largely from
material on the major Portuguese labels EMI-Valentim de
Teresa Silva Carvalho. Carvalho and Movieplay, the Hemisphere and Rough Guide
Gaiteiros de Lisboa member Rui Vaz, a name discs also miss out on such major forces as Gaiteiros de

watch new roots music, produced the 1996 Lisboa, Fausto, Pedro Caldeira Cabral and Julio Pereira,
to in
and singers such as Paulo Braganca or Amelia Muge.
Amai album, released on David Byrne's Luaka Bop
label, by fado singer Paulo Braganca. Braganca f77\ Music from the Edge of Europe
LSli (EMI Hemisphere, UK).
doesn't have the breadth in his voice of the great
An excellent taster, with the limitations noted above. Includes
fadistas, but the project, patchy as it is, shows that
one or more tracks from Madredeus, Carlos Paredes,
fado can move far from its traditional instrumen- Vitorino, Dancas Ocultas, Amalia Rodrigues, Sergio Godinho,

tation and still project a unique identity. Ala dos Namorados, Trovante, Ne Ladeiras, Lua
Extravagante, Antonio Pinho Vargas.
On the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the
Azores there are also signs of new interest among 3S The Rough Guide to the Music of Portugal
(World Music Network, UK).
musicians in their cocktail of musical traditions, which
show influences not only from Portugal but also With tracks taken from the catalogue of the Portuguese record
company Movieplay this fills some of the gaps in the Hemisphere
from Africa and from just about any musical sailor
o who passed through on
compilation, with Jose Afonso, Dulce Pontes, Ronda dos Quatro

o
3D example, the recent establishing of the record
a trade ship. In Madeira, for
label
Caminhos, Realejo, Vai de Roda, Terra a Terra, Teresa Silva
Carvalho, Carlos Paredes and others and a clutch of fine fado
singers including Amalia Rodrigues, Carlos Zel and the magnifi-
Almasud has created a new outlet for musicians such
cent Maria Teresa de Noronha and Maria da Fe.
as those in the roots-fusion band Almma.
Meanwhile, of course, transnational pop is as
Regional traditions
all-pervading in Portugal as elsewhere. It's not all
S3 Les Acores - The Azores (Auvidis/Silex, France).
— the rap-based music of Porto-
import, though
Azorean music is a blend of south-west European and north-
bom Pedro Abrunhosa has sold hugely at home
west African roots. The most obvious flavour in the cocktail is
and internationally. Portuguese: there's a caressing, passionate vocal style, and
instruments include the specifically Azorean version of the
viola, the twelve or fifteen-stringed viola da terra, whose use

was dwindling but is now reviving somewhat. In 1994

Some contacts Jacques Erwan recorded individual singers and musicians,
music at traditional celebrations, dance music, a brass band,
and organised folklore groups.
Discantus/Mundo da Cancao Rua Duque de Saldan-
BE Musical Traditions of Portugal
ha 97, 4300 Porto. » (351) 2 51 93-100, fax: 2 51 93 109,
(Smithsonian Folkways, US).
email discantus@mail. telepac.pt Promoter of roots and
This 2-CD box has recordings (plus substantial notes) of a
World Music events such as the Festival Interceltico in
selection of regional traditions: from Braganga in the north-
Porto. Also distribute and retail Portuguese roots CDs. east there are dances with gaita-de-foles or flauta and tam-
boril with caixa and bombo, and a solo ballad; from
Etnia, Calgada Marques de Abrantes 10-3 esq., P-1200 Monsanto in the central east ritual songs and chant accom-
Lisboa. «/fax (351) 1 396 1355. Arts organisation pro- panied by adufes; from the village of Cuba in the Alentejo
moting Portuguese roots music and bringing other world secular and religious songs. The Quarteto de Guitarras de
Coimbra plays instrumental compositions by Artur Paredes,
roots performers to Portugal.
Antonio Portugal and others, and three ranchos folcloricos
from the Tejo valley and the north-west show that there's
Portugal 600, Palingswick House, 241 King St., London
much more to them than colourful costumes.
W6 9LP. Tel: « (0)20 8748 0884, fax: 8748 4187;
email mail@portugal600.demon.co.uk Website www. 83 Musica Tradicional: Vol. 6 - Terra de Miranda
(Tecnosaga, Spain).
portembassy.gla.ac.uk/info/port600.html An organisation
for the promotion of Portuguese arts in the UK and A follow-up rather than first buy. Songs and romances, and
instrumentals on gaita-de-foles with caixa and bombo, or on
Ireland, connected to the Portugal-based Calouste
and tamboril, from the Miranda region, north of the
flauta
Gulbenkian Foundation. It publishes an English-language Douro on the eastern edge of Tras-os-Montes. Notes in
magazine, Cultura. Castellano and Portuguese.

234 Portugal
 Portugal - Tras-os-Montes: Chants du ble et Carlos Paredes
cornemuses de berger (Ocora, France).
Born in Coimbra in 1925, the son of famous guitarrista
The ever-reliable Ocora gets to the heart of the differentness and instrumental fado composer Artur Paredes, Carlos in
of Tras-os-Montes music with recordings (with notes in turn became a leading guitarra virtuoso, further develop-
French and English) made in 1978 of a. fine spread of the ing the scope of the instrument. As well as solo perfor-
regional traditions gaita-de-foles with caixa and bombo, flau-
-
mance, and the recording of, for such an important musi-
ta and tamboril, and songs, including several romances going cian, relatively few albums, he played and recorded with
back to the Carolingian Cycle and other medieval bodies of Jose Afonso (see below).
tales. Lest any consider that the gaitas are just 'out of tune',
listen to the remarkable pitching of the overlapping duet WITH CHARLIE HADEN
singing by Antonio Evangelista Marao and Antonio das Horas
de Sousa of "O Conde de Allemanha" - an education in the 33 Dialogues (Antilles, UK).

old music of Europe. A late surprise, a duet album with jazz bassist Charlie Haden.
For a view of Paredes' talent in a less shared context, try any
album
Fado and Guitarra of his you can find.

Julio Pereira
Though they may require some searching out, there are a
Virtuoso stringed instrumentalist, and producer of the
large number of recordings of fado available on CD, many
recordings of others within and outside Portugal.
on international labels including an archive series -
Arquivos do Fado (Heritage, UK) - and a series of more 83 Acustico (Sony, Portugal).
recent recordings - Un Parfum De Fado (Playasound,
France) - and a whole lot of Amalia Rodrigues and other
After exploring the uses of synthesisers and other musical
technology, Pereira has in recent years tended to focus on
fadistas on a range of labels. Plunge in and listen: as with
flamenco, if it moves you that's the fado for you.
the acoustic sound. This 1994 album comprises his compo-
braguesa, cavaquinho, guitarra and bandolim,
sitions for
sometimes solo and sometimes multitracked or with guitarist
Compilations Moz Carrapa and singer Minela.

Amalia Rodrigues
Portugal - The Story Of Fado
(EMI Hemisphere, UK). The most famous singer of fado, Rodrigues has forged a
star-crossed path, recording 'standards' as well as fado,
A widely available and well-chosen collection that makes an and turning for a while to film acting. But the two albums
excellent introduction. below show why she surpassed all others.

33 A History of the Portuguese Fado

B3 The First Recordings (EPM, France).
(Ashgate Publishing Ltd., UK).
Beautiful, soulful performances that redefined the genre in the
Actually a 140-page book, by Paul Vernon (author of the post-war era. Some might say that this was her truest period,
Fado section of this article), which includes a 24-track CD before she branched out into other instrumentation and
compilation of classic vintage-era fado. material, but many of the greatest musicians are not slaves to
someone's idea of their tradition - they carry it with them into
whatever they do.
Artists
The Art of Amalia
MU (EMI Hemisphere, UK).
Pedro Caldeira Cabral Early in the 1950s, already a big star, Amalia was signed via
Cabral is a dazzlingly skilful guitarra virtuoso (and multi- Valentim de Carvalho to EMI, where she remained, so
instrumentalist) who has worked as accompanist and Hemisphere had the run of most of her catalogue. Here are
arranger with the likes of Vitorino, Fausto, Sergio Godinho, eighteen well-chosen tracks, in which she's finely accompa-
Luis Cilia and Julio Pereira. nied by guitarra and viola, from sessions between 1952 (at
Abbey Road) and 1970.
S3 Variacoes (World Network, Germany).

A live recording of a concert in Koln for WDR in 1988 New Song and Roots Groups
(released 1992), featuring largely his own compositions,
accompanied by Francisco Perez on guitar. The two of them
Jose Afonso
make a very full sound.
The giant of Portuguese popular song, Afonso died in

1987 but his huge influence lives on in recordings and in

Misia
the work of present-day musicians. He was the figure-
Misia is the 'new voice' of the fado, increasingly being head of nova cancao, which bridged the change from dic-
taken to the heart of the World Music touring circuit. tatorship to democracy and was a focus of Portuguese
social and political thinking during that period. A fine
Garras Dos Sentidos
singer and innovative musician, even for a non-speaker of
OSi (Erato/Detour, France).
Portuguese his music - drawing together the romance tra-
Wonderful contemporary renderings of classic songs and dition, fado, regional tradition and European songwriting -

themes. They feature, among other musicians, Manuel Rocha is highly accessible and perpetually contemporary.

& Ricardo Dias of Brigada Victor Jara (violin & accordion - a

S3 Cantigas do Maio (Movieplay, Portugal).
sound used in fado at the turn of the century), with Custodio
Castelo on guitarra. An influential album from before the revolution.

Portugal 235
 S3 Fados de Coimbra e Outras Cancoes S3 Bocas do Inferno (Farol, Portugal).

(Movieplay, Portugal).
The second album in 1997 shows them exploring the new
A revisiting of the musical territory where he began. sounds of invented instruments such as the plumbing-tube
serafina in more traditional and new music, and also wrap-
ping kazoos, panpipes, trumpet and another invention, the
Brigada Victor Jara
orcjaz, round a tune by the Portuguese/German-American
A leading roots band since its formation in Coimbra in J. P. Sousa.
1975, and showing no sign of weakening. The musical
paths of many leading musicians pass through this band. Madredeus
33 Dancas e Folias (Farol, Portugal). Widely known Portuguese band led by Pedro Ayres
The 1995 album. By now none of the original members are
Magalhaes, centred on twp guitars and the voice of
among its Lead vocals are by Aurelio* Malva
eight musicians.
Teresa Salgueiro.
and guests Margarita Miranda and the wonderfully gruff Jose S3 O Espirito Da Paz
Medeiros (who sings the balho "A Fofa", from the Azores to (EMI Valentim de Carvalho, Portugal).
an accompaniment reminiscent of the style of Cesaria
Evora's band). The materfal comes from Braganca, Douro Released in 1994, the year the band and its music featured
Litoral, Terra de Miranda, Azores, Gandara, Beira Litoral, pivotally in Wim Wenders' film Lisbon Story. Changes since
Beira Baixa and Estremadura. then have left only Magalhaes and Salgueiro from the original

line-up.

Gaiteiros de Lisboa
Ne Ladeiras
Gaiteros are a constantly innovative band making the
links from roots to new Portuguese musics, using mag- A member of the original Brigada Victor Jara, and briefly

male singing (comparable

nificent, vibrant Alentejo-style of Trovante, singer Ne Ladeiras has a serene voice
with a
to, and to a degree influenced by, Corsican vocal hint offado passion. In the course of a range of projects
groups), with drums and gaitas de foles or Galician bag- she has combined her fondness for traditional musics
pipes. These are sometimes played together, with a with elegant arrangements, while retaining the sounds
non-standard intonation that nevertheless feels in tune, and skills of traditional instrumentalists.

plus trumpet, fliigelhorn, and ethnic flutes played per-

S3 Traz os Montes
cussively. There are no chordal instruments, no stringed
(EMI-Valentim de Carvalho, Portugal).
TP instruments except sanfona, which anyway sits more
© comfortably with pipes. Both albums are excellently
recorded, upfront, modern and impeccably powerful.
A 1994 album devoted to traditional songs from Tras-os-
Montes, giving them modern settings without losing their
3D
melodic essence. Features former Brigada Victor Jara col-
Invasoes Barbaras
leagues Ricardo Dias and Manuel Rocha, plus Fausto and
(Farol, Portugal).
others. Several of the songs are to be found as field record-

The band's 1995 debut album. Material from Ribatejo. ings on the Ocora album above, and the final track here con-

Alentejo, Tras-os-Montes, and by band members J.M. David, sists of that album's recording of Adelia Garcia singing "A

Carlos Guerreiro and Rui Vaz. Fonte do Salgueirinho".

236 Portuguese music

Romania
taraf traditions
Wild, raw, exuberant, tragic and fuelled by litres of home-brewed plum brandy: that's the essence of
both Romania and music. Despite the (half-witted) political and industrial schemes of the
its

Ceausescu years, the country remains predominantly a rural, village-based society - one with a
peasant economy and deeply rooted customs. Musically, this means a strong showing for roots, and
with its village faraf ensembles, and its large minority populations of Gypsies and Hungarians,
Romania has riches to rival anywhere in Europe. Simon Broughton explores a resolutely living
tradition.

of the regimes in eastern Europe has Romania lies across a geographical, historical
Each left its legacy and Nicolae Ceau§escu's and cultural barrier that separates central Europe
twenty-five years of dictatorship are still a from the Balkans. The line is that of the Carpathi-
dark shadow over Romania. As the coun- an Mountains, which sweep across the country
try struggles to catch up with the rest of Europe, and sharply divide the musical styles. In Transyl-
the effects of a centralised economy and a feared vania, in the northwest, the music is audibly cen-
secret police are hard to shake off. tral European, on the other side of the mountains
The legacy extends, too, to the country's folk it is distinctly Balkan. Of course, such borders are
music, which was manipulated to glorify the dic- not impermeable; the same Latin-based Romani-
tator and present the rich past of the Romanian an language is spoken on either side and there are
peasantry onwhich Ceau§escu's future was to be plenty of musical cross-fertilisations.
built. The regime
created huge shows called
Ctntarea Romaniei (Singing Romania), which
involved thousands of peasants dressed in traditional
garb being bussed out to picturesque hillsides to
Transylvania
perform songs and dances. These were filmed, People sometimes imagine that Transylvania, the
appallingly edited, and shown on television every land of Dracula, is an imaginary location. Lying
Sunday. The words of songs were shorn of any- within the sweep of the Carpathians, it was an
thing deemed to be religious or which questioned independent principality back in the sixteenth and
the peasants' love of their labours and replaced with seventeenth centuries, while Hungary and Roma-
bland patriotic sentiments or hymns to peace. nia were under Turkish rule, and then became part

This gave folklore a pretty bad name amongst of the Hapsburg Empire. Its more
character is thus
the educated classes, though the peasants were central European than other parts of Romania and
hardly bothered. They just did what they were Transylvanians consider themselves more 'civilised'
told for Cintarea Romaniei and got on with the than their compatriots in Moldavia and Wallachia.
real music in the villages. Today, traditional music The belong to the Austro-Hun-
architectural styles

still flourishes throughout Romania - and perhaps garianEmpire and the medieval Gothic buildings
more than anywhere else in Europe. The isolation come straight out of the world of Grimm's fairy-
of the country and its almost medieval lifestyle pre- tales. The music of Transylvania feels equally exot-
served traditions that have been modernised out ic, though it is recognisably part of a central

of existence elsewhere. European tradition.

As Romania now catches up with the West, just If you want to experience a living European folk

how long its amazing musical culture can survive tradition, there is no beating Transylvania. Home

is a thorny question. However, the music is not to an age-old ethnic mix of Romanians, Hun-
ready to wither away just yet, and its joy is its spon- garians and Gypsies, the region's music is extraor-

taneity and authenticity. It has a life, function and dinary: wild melodies and dances that are played
identity all its own, and it can absorb outside influ- all night (and beyond) at weddings and other par-
ences with ease. ties. Music is still a part of everyday life the way it

Transylvania 237
 must have been hundreds ot years ago all over the bass are the accompaniment and rhythm sec-
Europe. The older men and women know the old tion of the band. The contra (also known as bran)
songs and still use them to express their own per- has only three strings and a flat bridge so it only
sonal feelings. plays chords on and it's the deep saw-
the off-beat,
The Hungarian composers Bartok and Kodahr ing of the bass and the rhythmic spring of the con-
found Tiansylvania the most fertile area for their tra that gives Transylvanian music its particular

folk song collecting trips in the first decades of the sound. Often the bands are expanded with a sec-
century, and they recognised that the rich mix of ond violin or an extra contra to give more volume
o nationalities here had a lot to do with it. For the at a noisy wedding with hundreds of guests. The

communities of Romanians. Hungarians. Saxons. dances are generally strung together into suites, last-

z Gypsies and others, music forms a part of their inch

vidual identity, as weD as that of Trans\Tvania as a
ing anything from five to twenty minutes, gener-
ally starting slow and increasing in speed towards
distinct culture. The Romanian music of Transyl- the end.
vania is closer to the Hungarian than it is to the
Romanian music outside Transylvania. And the Wedding Parties
Hungarian music ot Transvtvama sounds much more
Romanian than the music of Hungary proper. Music in Transylvania fulfils a social purpose —
In fact within Transylvania the Romanians and nobody would dream of sitting down and listen-
Hungarians share many melodies and dances. ing to it at a concert. In some areas there are still
A particular melody may be described as Hungar- regular weekly dances, but everywhere the music
ian in one village and Romanian in another vil- is played at weddings, and sometimes at funerals
lage over the hill. The Romanian dances often and other occasions, as when soldiers go off to the
have a slighdy more irregular rhythm than the army.
Hungarian, but often the only difference between Wedding parties last a couple of days and if

one tune and another is the language in which it you're lucky you'll find yourself in a specially
is sung. There's a recording of an old man from constructed wedding 'tent' built from wooden
the village of Dimbau (Kuk ullodornbo ) singing an beams and tree fronds. The place is strung with
example of a song with the first half of each line ribbons and fir branches, rabies are piled high with
in Hungarian and the second half in Romanian? garish cakes and bottles of plum brandy and var-
The traditional ensemble is a string trio — a vio- ious courses are brought round at regular inter-
lin, viola (called a contra in Romanian, kontra in vals. There's a space cleared for dancing and a
Hungarian) and a double bass, plus a cimbalom in platform is erected for the band of musicians saw-
certain parts of Transylvania. The pnmas. the first ing and scraping away at battered old fiddles and
violinist, plays the melody and leads the musicians a bass making the most mesmerising sound. The
from one dance into another while the contra and bride and groom, stuck up on their high table.

Transylvania
look a little fed up while everybody else has the Gypsy Bands
time of their lives.

The wedding customs vary slightly from region Most of the Romania are Gyp-
village musicians in

to region but generally the band has to start things sies. Gypsy communities all tend
In the villages,

oft at the bride's or groom's house, accompany the to live along one particular street on the outskirts,
processions to the church and possibly play for one and it's amazing how often you find these streets
of the real emotional high spots, the bride's farewell are called Strada Muzicanfilor or Strada Lautari -
song (dntecul miresex) to her family and friends. both of which translate as 'Musicians' Street'. The
Whilst the marriage takes place inside the church, Gypsy musicians will play for Romanian, Hun-
the band plays for the young people, or those not garian and Gypsy weddings alike and they know
invited to the feast, to dance in the street outside. almost instinctively the repertoire required. Chil-
Once comes out of the church there's
the couple dren often play alongside their parents from an
another procession to wherever the wedding feast early age and grow up with the music in their
is being held - either in the village hall or the 'tent' blood.
erected at the house of the bride or groom. There There's no doubt the Gypsies have some spe-
the musicians will have a short break to get some- cial aptitude for music, and perhaps the job suits
thing to eat and then play music all Saturday night, their social position on the edge of village life.

alternating songs to accompany the feast and dances Playing music, too, can be an easy way to earn
to workoff the effects of the food and large quan- good money. The best bands command handsome
titiesof plum brandy. There are even particular fees, plus the odd chicken and bottles of plum

pieces for certain courses of the banquet when the brandy 'for the road', but they certainly have their
soup, stuffed cabbage or roast meat are served! work cut out over the weekend. It's also an indi-
Late in the evening comes the bride's dance (Joail cation of the value of music in this society that the
miresei) when the guests dance in turn with the musicians are not only well rewarded but also well
bride and offermoney. Things usually wind down respected. When the old primas of the Palatca band
by dawn on Sunday; people wander off home or (one of the most celebrated of the traditional bands)
collapse in a field somewhere and then around died, all the people he had played for in the vil-
lunchtime the music starts up again for another lage came to pay their respects.
session until late in the evening. It's difficult to highlight the best bands - there
With the trend toward larger weddings and an are dozens of them - but in addition to the Palat-
influx of new music, all sorts of instruments have ca band you can hear great music from bands in
started to find their way into the bands. Most com- the following villages of central Transylvania (the
mon is the piano accordion, which, like the con- names are given in their Romanian form with the
tra, plays chords, though it lacks its rhythmic spring. Hungarian, where appropriate, in brackets): Mera
Very often you hear a clarinet or the slightly deep- (Mera), Almasu (Varalmas), Vaida-Camaras (Vaj-
er and more reedy taragot which sounds wonder- dakamaras), Suatu (Magyarszovat), Soporu de
ful in the open air. Sadly, as young people have Cimpie (Mezoszopor), Singeorz-Bai (Olahszent-
moved away to work in towns, they also often gyorgy), Ceuas (Szaszcsavas) and Sic (Szek), a vir-
demand the guitars, drums and electric keyboards tually 100 percent Hungarian village and one of
of the urban groups - along with appalling ampli- the great treasure houses of Hungarian music.
fication, which is increasingly brought in, too, by A glance at the engagement book of one of these
traditional acoustic bands. bands will show them booked for months ahead.
Some band leaders might regret this trend but Yet most of them confine their playing to quite a

they are obliged to provide what the people small area as travel is relatively difficult. Some tunes
demand. With the newer instruments the quality are widely known right across Transylvania but
of the music is often lost, and, paradoxically, the many are distinctly local and a band playing too
combination of guitar and drum kit is far less rhyth- far from its home village will simply not know the
mic than the contra and bass in the hands of good repertoire. It will be interesting to see what hap-
musicians. It's still possible to hear first-rate tradi- pens now that local bands are travelling to Hun-
tional bands, but they are probably now a disap- gary and beyond on tour. Foreign audiences
pearing phenomenon. The 'Final Hour' project demand a variety of styles which sophisticated
and Fono Records, based in Budapest, Hungary groups like Muzsikas from Budapest can readily
(see Hungary - p. 159), aims to record and docu- supply. But if the village bands from Transylvania
ment the remaining traditional bands in Transyl- start doing the same thing then the music's strong
vania before it's too late. local identity could easily break down.

Transylvania 239
 The Hungarians in the sophisticated minor-key accompaniment — a
development of only the last twenty or thirty years.
There are about two million Hungarians in Tran- Kalotaszeg is famous for its men's dance, the kgSnyes
sylvania and seven million Romanians, but it is the and the slow hajnali songs performed in the early
music of the Hungarian minority that has made most morning as a wedding feast dies down. These have
impact outside the region. The Hungarian group a sad and melancholy character their own. One
all

Muzsikas have recorded and toured extensively and of the best of all recordings of Transylvanian music
have been the leading ambassadors of Transylvani- includes both these forms, featuring the Gypsy primas
an music. During the Ceau^escu years the Hungar- Sandor 'Neti' Fodor from the village of Baciu
ians consciously promoted the culture of their (Bacs). There is also some^fine Romanian music in
brethren in Transylvania to highlight their suffering. this area, particularly in the Salaj district, around the
Transylvania has always held a very special place town of Zalau.
in Hungarian culture as it preserves archaic tradi- Also in western Transylvania in the Bihor
tions that have disappeared in Hungary itself. While region around the city of Oradea there's a strange
Hungary was occupied by the Turks for one hun- hybrid instrument to be found, the vioara cu goama
dred and fifty years and its villages destroyed, Tran- (violin with a horn). This isn't a cow or ram's horn,
sylvania remained an independent principality with but a hom from an old gramophone. Often there's
its own cultural identity. The old medieval settle- no body to the violin at all, just an old-fashioned
ment patterns changed very little under Ceaus.es- acoustic pick-up which transmits the vibrations into
cu's isolationist policies and much of it seems like the horn. It's thought the instrument was devel-
a lost world. As a minority, the Hungarians in Tran- oped in the 1930s (as you might expect from the
sylvania felt threatened, and there was a deliberate technology involved) so that violins could com-
move to wear their traditional costumes, sing their pete with the louder wind instruments like clar-

songs and play their music as a statement of iden- inets. The sound is rather harsh and wiry, but it

tity, even protest. These days, national costume and certainly cuts through the dancing feet, particular-
dances are much more visible amongst the Hun- ly when you get three or four playing together.
garian minority than the majority Romanians. Probably the richest area for music, and where

39 The regular visits of folklorists and tinchaz musi- many of the best bands come from, is known to
O cians have also helped reinforce the musical cul- the Romanians as Cimpia Transilvaniei and to
s ture. Transylvanian music is the staple diet of the the Hungarians as Mezoseg. This is the Transyl-
Budapest tanchaz clubs (see p. 161), and once the vanian heathland, north and east of Cluj, a poor,
peasants saw these educated city folk taking an isolated region whose music preserves a primitive
5 interest they took more of an interest themselves. feel with strong major chords moving in idiosyn-
Now there are two opposing trends at work in cratic harmony.
Transylvania: the continuing interest in this unique Further east is the most densely populated Hun-
traditionand the inevitable effect as the country garian region, Szekelyfold. The Szekelys, who
catches up with the times. speak a distinctive Hungarian were the
dialect,
defenders of the eastern flanks of the Hungarian
Regional Styles kingdom in the Middle Ages, when the Romani-
ans, as landless peasants, counted for little. Rising
Within the overall Transylvanian musical language up towards the Carpathians, their land becomes
there are hundreds of local dialects: the style of play- increasingly wild and mountainous, and the dance
ing a particular dance can vary literally from village music is different once again with eccentric orna-
to village. But there are some broad musical regions mentation and very often a cimbalom in the band.

whose styles can be quite easily distinguished. For Hungarian speakers the songs are fascinat-
Bartok gathered most of his Romanian materi- ing as they preserve old-style elements that survive
al in the area around Hunedoara. The area is still nowhere else. In one village I heard a ballad about
musically very rich though, strangely enough, a a terrible massacre of the Szekelys by the Hapsburgs
recent musical survey found that virtually the entire in 1 764, sung as if it had happened yesterday. Flee-
repertoire had changed. Surprisingly litde is on disc. ing this massacre, many Szekelys escaped over the
Further north is the area the Hungarians call Carpathians into Moldavia, where they preserved
Kalotaszeg, and which is home to some of the most music and customs that are no longer found in

beautiful music in the region. This area lies along Szekelyfold itself. In those outer reaches the string
the main route to Hungary and central Europe, and bands of Transylvania have given way to a solo vio-
the influence of Western-style harmony shows itself lin or flute accompanying the dances.

240 Transylvania
 On the eastern side of the Carpathians, and actu- The music, while recognisably Transylvanian,
ally outside Transylvania in western Moldavia, live sounds closer to that of Romanians outside the
the Hungarian-speaking Csangos whose songs Carpathians. As often happens in the highland
leave Hungarians misty-eyed for their distinctive- regions of Romania,it is played predominantly by

ly archaic language and expression. The Csangos Romanians, not Gypsies. The instrumental group
living in the high valley of Chimes (Gyimes) also is a trio of violin (locally called cetera), guitar (zeu-

play an ancient instrumental music on the remark- gma — with only four or five strings tuned to a
able duo of violin and gardon - an instrument major triad) and drum (doba - usually an old mil-
shaped like a cello but actually percussive and itary style drum with a little cymbal on top struck

played by hitting its strings with a stick. The 'pipe with a screwdriver). The music has a fairly prim-
and drum' nature of the music suggests Molda- itive sound, lacking the beguiling harmonies of
vian, pastoral origins. The fiddle playing is highly elsewhere in Transylvania, and with a repeated
ornamented and the rhythms complex and irreg- chord on the zongora played as a drone. Hundreds
ular, showing the influence of Romanian music. of years ago all the music of Europe probably
One of the most celebrated musicians is the vet- sounded something like this.
eran fiddler Mihaly Halmagyi in the village of There are many extraordinary fiddlers in the
Lunca de Jos (Gyimeskozeplok) who was accom- region and in 1997 there was a French and Belgian-
panied on gardon by his wife until her recent death. organised festival, Maramuzical, which took place
in different villages highlighting the local violin tra-

Maramure§ ditions and inviting other musicians from Roma-

nia and abroad. Whether it will become a regular

In the far north of Transylvania, sandwiched event is unknown, but it was repeated in July 1999.

between Hungary, the Carpathians and the The Oa§, to the northwest, is
small district of
Ukrainian border, is Maramures one of the most separated from Maramures by a range of hills. Here
extraordinary regions of Europe. It has beautiful the musical style is even more outlandish. The
wooden churches, carved gateways, watermills and ensemble is reduced to a duo of fiddle and zongora
villages perched in the rolling foothills of the — the violin strings are tuned up several tones to
Carpathians and a living traditional culture.
. . . make the sound project better and the melodies are
Village costumes are worn for everyday life and all played 'double-stopped' on two strings at the O
music forms an accompaniment to every stage of same time. The sound is high-pitched and harsh,
life, from birth, through courtship and marriage as is the local singing style. It takes some getting
to death. There are magic songs and spells of incan- used to, but has captivating power and unsettling,
tation against sicknessand the evil eye, and you tragic quality. There's still a regular Sunday dance
still Sunday afternoon village dances, either
find held in the early evening on a wooden platform in
on the streets or on wooden dance platforms. the village of Certeze.

Village dance in Maramures

Transylvania 241
 Taraf de Haidouks

Lowland Romania At the bottom is the double bass, ferociously

plucked rather than bowed Transylvanian style. In
O Outside the Carpathians, Romania is for the most the old days you'd always find a cobzd (lute) in such
part fertile lowland. There are three broad cultur- bands but their place has given way to tambal, gui-
al regions: Banat in the west, Moldavia in the tar and accordion. Both the cobza and tambal prob-
northeast, and Wallachia in the south, around the ably came to Romania from the Middle-East, the
capital, Bucharest. It is Wallachia that is home to latter with the Gypsies. Never slaves to tradition,
the quintessential Romanian band, the taraf. the young Gypsies, in particular, are always keen
to try new instruments and adopt modish styles.

The Wallachian Taraf Whereas in Transylvania the bands play exclu-

sively dance music, the musicians in the south of the
As in Transylvania most village bands in Wallachia country have an impressive repertoire of epic songs
aremade up of Gypsies: the groups are generally and ballads as well. These might be specific mar-
named 'Taraf of the village name. The word taraf riage songs or legendary tales like "Sarpele" (The
comes from Arabic and suggests the more orien- Snake) or exploits of the Haidouks - the Robin
tal flavour of this music, which sounds altogether Hood brigands of Romanian history. One of the
different from that of their Transylvanian coun- instrumental tunes you hear played by lautari all over
terparts. Songs are often preceded by an instru- Romania is "Ciocarlia" (The Lark), which has also
mental improvisation called taksim, the name again become a concert piece for the stage ensembles.
borrowed from the Middle-East. The staple dances Reputedly based on a folk dance (although attribut-

are the hora, sirba, seven-beat geamparale and brtu — ed by others to composer Grigoras Dinicu;
all of which are danced in a circle. 1889-1949), it is an opportunity for virtuoso display
The taraf lautari (musicians) are professionals culminating in high Squeaks and harmonics on the
who play a vital function in village life at weddings violin to imitate birdsong, followed by the whole

and other celebrations. The lead is, as ever, pro- band swirling away in abandon on the opening
vided by the fiddle, which is played in a richly theme. It was incorporated by George Enescu
ornamented style. The middle parts are taken by (1881-1955) into his first Romanian Rhapsody.
the tambal (cimbalom), which fills out the har- Internationally, the best-known Romanian
mony and adds a plangent rippling to the texture. group is the Taraf de Haidouks, from the vil-

242 Lowland Romania

lage of Clejani, southwest of Bucharest. These abroad as the Fanfare Ciocarlia (named after that

musicians were first recorded in 1988 on the tune), pretty much the last in active service.
French label, Ocora, and, enthused by this disc, Typical Moldavian dances are the batuta
Belgian Gypsy music enthusiasts Michel Winter (stamping dance) and rusasca (Russian), both cir-

and Stephane Karo went to the village in 1990 and cle dances, as well as the strba, hora and geamparale
struck a lasting relationship with the group. They popular elsewhere in Romania.
have successfully produced the Taraf into a first-

class recording and touring ensemble of about a The Banat Beat

dozen musicians - all of them Gypsies. They
remain, however, a real working band, playing The Banat, in Romania's western corner, is eth-
wedding music for locals. So often this music is nically very mixed, with communities of Hun-
stultified or just picturesque when it reaches the garians, Serbs, Germans and Gypsies living
stage, but the Taraf bring it off They sub-divide alongside the Romanians. The province's largest
into small ensembles for different parts of their town, Timisoara, is famed as the birthplace of the
stage show and the traditional-style of the old men revolution that brought down Ceausescu, and the
contrasts with the flashier playing of the younger protests there were due largely to the presence of
musicians who also bring in jazz-style walking these ethnic minorities.
basslines and tricksy Bulgarian or Turkish rhythms. The Banat has developed a modern-sounding
The band's success has brought a new lease of urban music with clarinets, saxophones and brass.

life to the old musicians, too. The bright-eyed It is a fast, exciting, virtuoso style - well exempli-
singer and tiddler Nicolae Neascu, now in his late fied by the Silex CD of the Taraf de Carancebes
seventies, had virtually retired until his ornament- — and has absorbed much from the novokompono-
ed riddle style brought him international attention. vana (new folk) music of neighbouring Serbia. It is

His party piece is to tie a length of horse's hair to extremely popular, played all the time on the nation-
the lower string of the violin and pull it rhythmi- al radio stations and byGypsy bands everywhere.
cally through the fingers of the right hand creat- Other traditions are to be found, too. Working
ing a very moving, deep gutteral sound. The in Timisoara is the fine Gypsy singer Nicolae
Kronos Quartet, who have worked with the group, Gutsa who's become a very popular performer in
30
have since used the technique. Romanian and Romany working with a band of O
Other noteworthy Gypsy bands — who might stunning players. Their music is modernised to a

equally have accomplished the Haidouks' fame - degree, but grows unmistakably out of the Roma-
can be found in the Wallachian villages of Mirsa, nian and Gypsy tradition.
Dobrotesti, Sutesti and Braila

The Doina
Moldavia
The doina is a free-form, semi-improvised slow
The culture of Moldavia extends across the bor- song heard all over Romania. With poetic texts
der to the former Soviet Republic of Moldova. of grief, bitterness, separation and longing, it's the
Both places share similar Romanian traditions and nearest Romania gets to the blues. Dor, in Roma-
are largely pastoral. No surprise, then, that you nian, is a pleasant feeling of melancholy which this

often hear a shepherd's flute in place of a fiddle, music tends to evoke. Its melodies usually follow
as lead instrument in an ensemble. a descending pattern, and very often different texts

There is also a Moldavian tradition of brass are sung to the same melody, which may then take
bands. They derived from the Hapsburg and on a contrasting character.
Turkish military bands (nichtcr) and are part of a
brass band tradition right across the Balkans, notably
in Serbiaand Macedonia. The bands (banta,
although now
the French term fanfare is more com-
mon) became popular in the 1940s, replacing the
traditional fiddle groups. They feature clarinets and
saxophones, trumpets, tenor and baritone horns
and a tuba or euphonium, and the same drum with
a little cymbal found in Maramures. The tradition,
sadly, has rapidly declined in the last few years,
with the band from Zece Prajini, who've toured Taragot player from Taraf de Carancebes

Lowland Romania 243

 Doina is essentially private music, sung to one- songs for the celebration of the mid- winter solstice:

self at moments of grief or reflection, although Christ does not feature, and the tales instead are of
nowadays the songs are often performed by pro- such things as legendary batdes between folk heroes
fessional singers or in instrumental versions by and lions or stags. What is remarkable is that so
Gypsy bands. Old doinas of the traditional kind many of the pagan texts have survived undisturbed.
can still be found in Oltenia, between the Olt and Ill performance they have a fiery character rather

Danube rivers in the south of the country. This than a pious or religious one and are sung with a

one is typical: strong, irregular rhythm. The tradition predomi-

nates in the western half of the country.
/ don't sing because I know how to sing The coming of New Year is traditionally cele-
But because a certain thought is haunting me brated with masked dances and the capra or
I don't sing to boast of it
goat ritual. The goat is both a costume with hair
But my heart is bitter and horns and a musical instrument as the animal's
I don't sing because I know how to sing
wooden muzzle is articulated so its jaws can clack
I'm singing to soothe my heart
together in time with the music. The ritual goes
Mine and that of the one who is listening to me!
back, like similar customs all over Europe, to
ancient fertility rites as the old year suffers its death
Lost Sheep agony. The noise of bells and clappers was sup-
posed to frighten evil spirits and drive them away.
The pastoral way of life is slowly disappearing and The goat is also mirrored in the devil figures paint-
with it the traditional instrumental repertoire of the ed in local churches.
fluier (shepherd's flute). But there is one form — a The
goat dances are most thriving in Moldavia
sort of folk tone poem — that is still regularly played where the custom has expanded into full-scale car-
all over the country: "The shepherd who lost his nivals with music, costumes and political satires
sheep". This song was referred to as early as the bringing its message very much up to date. In the
sixteenth century by the Hungarian poet Balint towns, groups of costumed youths have taken to
Balassi. I've heard it on the flute in Moldavia, the leaping on board trains and intimidating passen-
violin in Transylvania and on the violin and gar- gers with performances.
don in Gyimes. It begins with a sad, doina-like tune
as the shepherd laments his lost flock. Then he sees The Pipes of Pan
his sheep in the distance and a merry dance tune
takes over, only to return to the sad lament when Romania's best-known musician on the interna-
he realises it's just a clump of stones. Finally the tional stage is Gheorghe Zamfir, composer of
sheep are found and the whole thing ends with a the ethereal soundtrack of the film Picnic at Hang-

lively dance in celebration. ing Rock. He plays nai, or panpipes, which are
Some of the professional bands have adopted thought to have existed in Romania since ancient
the lost sheep story and embroidered it so that dur- times - there's a famous Roman bas-relief in Olte-
ing his search the shepherd meets a Turk, a Jew, nia. The word nai, however, comes from Turk-
a Bulgarian, and so on. He asks each of them to ish or Arabic, so perhaps an indigenous instrument
sing him a song to alleviate his suffering and existed as well as a similar one brought by profes-
promises to pay them if they succeed. No one suc- sional musicians from Istanbul where they were
ceeds until he meets another shepherd who plays used in classical ensembles.
a ciobaneasca (shepherd's dance) and cheers him up. In the eighteenth century, Wallachian musi-
In the end he finds his sheep devoured by wolves. cians were renowned abroad and the typical
ensemble consisted of violin, nai and cobza. But
Rituals by the end of the following century the nai began
to disappear and after the First World War only
Many of the ritual customs that survive all over a handful of players were left. One of these was
Romania, particularly around Christmas and New Fanica Luca (1894-1968), a legendary nai play-
Year, have their origins in pre-Christian rites. er who taught Zamfir his traditional repertoire.
Carol-singing takes place just before Christmas Nowadays, Zamfir plays material from all over the
as bands of singers go from house to house with place, often accompanied by the organ of French-

good-luck songs (colinde). The custom is something man Marcel Cellier (of Bulgarian mystery voices
like wassailing in Britain but the songs are nothing fame). In other hands, the nai has become largely

like the religious carols of the West. These are pagan associated with tatty urban orchestras.

244 Lowland Romania

 83 The Edge of the Forest: Romanian Music from
Festivals Transylvania (Music of the World, US).

There are two good Music of the World discs of Romanian

Bucharest Sarbatoarea muzicii (Musical Feast). 21 June music, this one covering Transylvania and the other
at the Muzeul Taranului (Peasants Museum). Although the Wallachia. Included here are dances from southern districts
of Maramures (Codru and Chioar) where the style belongs to
idea of a festival in the capital is rather artificial the music is
the central Transylvanian tradition, several lyrical songs and a
always good, as Speran{a Radulescu, who works at the Peas- couple of tracks from Maramures proper and Oas.
ants Museum, is the leading Romanian ethnomusicologist
33 Fiddle Music From Maramures (Steel Carpet, UK).
and knows the best musicians. Details: fax (40) 1 31 2 9875
An excellent survey of different fiddle players of the Mara
Regional Festivals: There are numerous regional festi- Valley, recorded by Lucy Castle who is playing and studying
vals, although many verge on the kitsch. Information the music of the region. Real peasant fiddlers, recorded in

their own homes - a great way inside this musical micro-

should be available from the Centrul de Conservare a
cosm. (Steel Carpet Music, 190 Burton Rd., Derby DE1 1TQ
Traditjilor; fax (40) 1 222 7706 w 01332 346399).

33 Magyarszovat - Buza (Fond, Hungary).

A double CD featuring Hungarian music performed by village

musicians and singers from two villages in Mezoseg. It fea-

discography tures dance sequences and many unaccompanied songs

which are, perhaps, more of an acquired taste.

83 Musiques de Mariage de Maramures

(Ocora, France).
General Compilations
A good selection of Maramures dance music, captured at

Romania: Musical Travelogue three village weddings.

£E
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
83 Musiques de Mariage et de Fetes Roumaines
An excellent disc in music from Banat.
this series with (Arion, France).

Maramures, and Wallachia. incldues good examples of a

It
Here is the largest selection of the extraordinary music from
'violin with a horn', some ethnic minorities music, and beautiful
Oas on disc played by the Pitigoi brothers. Also a good
cobza playing by Dan Voinicu: the disc is weak, however, on
selection of music from Maramures and Bihor.
the main Transylvanian and Wallachian styles.
Musiques de Transylvanie (Fonti Musicali, Belgium).
Romania: Wild Sounds from Transylvania,
Wallachia & Moldavia One of the best introductions to Transylvanian music featur-
(World Network, Germany). ing a mostly Hungarian repertoire played by the best musi-
cians on Budapest's tanchaz scene. Includes great music
Number 41 in Network's global survey, this is the best overall
from Kalotaszeg, Mezoseg, Gyimes plus Romanian dances
anthology of Romanian music. It includes a few examples of
from Bihor and Moldavia.
rather arranged Communist-style performances, but there are
greatensembles from Transylvania and Wallachia (including Romania: Music for Strings from Transylvania
the Tarafde Haidouks). the Moldavian Fanfare Ciocarlia, and (Chant du Monde, France).
samples of taragot and a 'violin with a horn'.
A great collection of dance music played by village bands
g» Village Music from Romania from the CTmpia Transilvaniei, Maramures and Oas. Excellent
(AIMP/VDE-Gallo, Switzerland). notes and photos, too.

A three-CD box produced by the Geneva Ethnographic S3 La Vraie Tradition de Transylvanie

Museum. Archival recordings of specialised interest made by (Ocora, France).
the musicologist Constantin Brailoiu in 1933-43 on his travels
around Moldavia, Oltenia and Transylvania. A pioneering disc when it was first made in the 1970s as it

highlights real peasant music from Maramures and

Transylvania when sanitised folklore was prevalent. It features
Transylvania some excellent ensembles, bagpipes and a violin with a horn,
and from Maramures there's a track from Gheorghe Covaci,
Fond Records Budapest (fax (36) 1 206 6296, email
of the son of a fiddler Bartok recorded in 1913.
fono@mail.c3.hu) have a series of discs called 'New
Patria', documenting the last remaining Hungarian
Transylvanian bands. Artists

Compilations Budatelke Band

The village band from the village of Budatelke (Budesti in
S3 The Blues at Dawn (Fono/ABT, Hungary). Romanian) in northern Mezoseg, led by loan 'Nuncu'
A produced CD of the slow, melancholy hajnali
beautifully Hartet.

(morning songs) from Kalotaszeg. They are sung by two

33 Budatelke - Szaszszantgydrgy (Fond, Budapest).
native Kalotaszegi singers with guests Marta Sebestyen and
Andras Berecz from Budapest. The excellent fiddler Sandor The second of the New Patria series archiving Transylvania's
'Neti' Fodor leads the band. village bands. The band play mainly Romanian repertoire plus

Romania 245
 Hungarian. Gypsy and Saxon tracks. Includes a version of the
ubiquitous shepherd searching for his sheep. • Okros Ensemble
Csaba Okros is a tremendous fiddler and his traditional

Sandor 'Neti' Fodor ensemble is one of the best Budapest tanchaz groups. They
often work together with village musicians from Transylvania.
Neti Fodor (bom 1922) is the most respected Gypsy fiddler
of the Kaiotaszeg region. Transytvanian Portraits (Koch, US).

® Hungarian Music from Transylvania:

Sandor Fodor (Hungaroton, Hungary).
On the compeing disc of both Hungarian and Romanian music
A survey of Transytvanian music from one of Budapest's
fine

best groups, the Okros Ensemble, with vocals by Marta

Sebestyen. Mainly Hungarian repertoire including violin and
gardon music from Gyimes and Csango songs. The fiddle-
from Kaiotaszeg. Neti plays with some of the best tanchaz
playing of Csaba Okros on the last track (The shepherd los-
musicians from Budapest - who've become his disciples. The
ing his Sheep") is stunning.
energy and bite is fantastic. One of the essential Transyh/arian
records. •
Palatca Band
Mihaly Halmagyi Probably the most celebrated band of central
Transylvania, led by members of the Codoba family in the
Halmagyi is a veteran player of Csango violin music vilage of Magyarpalatka.
from Gyimes. He plays a five-stringed fiddle, the extra
string running under the playing strings to add over- Magyarpalatka - Hungarian Folk Music from the
tones and fill out the sound. He was for years accompa- Transytvanian Heath (Hungaroton, Hungary).
nied on the gardon by his wife Gizella Adam, who
A beatutjful selection of traditional dance sets recorded over
recently died.
the years by this seminal band. Their typical Sne up compris-
Hungarian Music from Gyimes: Mihaly Halmagyi es two fiddles, two contra and bass.
(Hungaroton, Hungary).

Dance, wedding and funeral tunes played on fiddle and gar-

Soporu Band
don. Strange and wild music. A great performance of the Soporu are one of the fine Gypsy bands from the Cimpia
shepherd and his lost sheep. Transilvaniei, led by $andorica Ciurcui.

Taraful Soporu de Cimpie

Iza (Buda/Musique du Monde, France).
This Maramures-based group led by zougora-player loan
Several suites of dance tunes and songs sung by Vasile
Pop, with various fiddlers and drummer loan Petreus, is
Soporan
trying to keep the traditional style intact

Christmas Maramures Szaszcsavas Band

o in
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).
Szaszcsavas (Ceuas in Romanian) is a predominantly

Although recorded in Bucharest, this disc has all the flavour Hungarian village in the Kis-Kukullo region of
of a real Maramures occasion. It comes with excellent notes Transylvania. Their Gypsy band, led by Istvan "Dumnezu"
and Jambor, is one of the best in the region.
5 translations.

Folk Music from Transylvania:

The Macsingo Family Szaszcsavas Band
(Quintana/Harmonia Mundi, France).
One of the important musical Gypsy families from central
Transylvania based in the villages of Bare (Barai in This is a great recording of a real villageband with a wide
Romanian) and Deva. Gyorgy Macsingo leads the band. dance repertoire, including Hungarian, Romanian, Saxon and
Gypsy tunes.
Bare - Magyarpalatka (Fono, Hungary).

Of the "New Patria' recordings released so far this is the Varalmasi Band
place to start. It may be too raw for some tastes - the bass
This band from Varalmasi (Almasu in Romanian) was one
saws, grates and often slides onto its notes and the lead

fiddle is heavilyornamented drawing energy and emotion of the last old-time groups of the Kaiotaszeg region.
out of every note - but this is the real thing. The band com-
Varalmasi Pici Aladares bandaja (Fond, Budapest).
prises two fiddles, two contras and bass and offers up
Hungarian, Romanian and Gypsy dance sets plus a couple The first recording in the New Patria series of 'Final Hour'

of songs. recordings of Transytvanian bands. Includes Hungarian and

Romanian dances plus a bizarre Jewish tango. Zagor Aladar,
the primas (leader), died shortly after the recording was made
Muzsikas in October 1997.
Hungary's leading tanchaz band and the leading ambas-
sadors of Transytvanian music. See Hungary discography
(p.1 65) for more recommendations.
Lowland Music
Maramaros - The Lost Jewish Music of
Tansytvania (Hannibal/Ryko, UK). Compilations
Music from a vanished people
tragically in Transylvania
Romania: Wedding Music from Wallachia
revived with the help oftwo veteran Gypsy musicians who
(Auvidis/Ethnic, France).
played alongside Jews before the war. For more on this and
the Jewish music of eastern Europe see the Ktezmer article in A selection of songs and dance tunes from various bands
The Rough Guide to World Music Volume 2. including members of the Taraf de Hakjouks and more urban

246 Romania
 .

repertoire from Ion Albesteanu. The Music of the World disc style songs and dances and wild Geamparale and Turceasca
below covers similar repertoire and is more attractive. from the new generation.

SC Taraf: Romanian Gypsy Music 83 Roumanie: Les Lautari de Clejani (Ocora, France).
(Music of the World, US).
This was the disc that started it all off, recorded in 1988.
Companion to the Transylvanian disc above and a very good Great songs, doinas and dance music before the taraf were
selection of tracks from various Wallachian Tarafuri including sharpened up by international touring.
members of the Taraf de Haidouks. Mostly small ensembles
of a couple of violins, tambal and bass. The cobza lute
Fanfare Ciocarlia
appears on a couple of tracks.
This brass band from the Moldavian village of Zece Prajini
are perhaps the last representatives of a tradition.
Artists
SI Radio Pa cani (Piranha, Germany).

A frenetic romp, punchily recorded, through some fearsomely

Ion Albe§teanu fast dance numbers - rusasca, sirba, batuta, geamparale and
Albesteanu (bom in the 1 930s, died 1 998) was bom into a a wonderful foxtrot plus "Nicoleta" which sounds like it's

and learned to play all the instru-

large family of lautari
straight from the repertoire of Serbian or Macedonian bands.

ments, although he became known as a violinist and And of course Ciocarlia, from which they take their name.
singer. He worked in Bucharest in the officially promoted
The pace occasionally breaks for a doina.
folklore of the Ceausescu period, but was also able to
Oil Zece Prajini's Peasant Brass Band
maintain the genuine style. Good notes.
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France)
H The Districts of Yesteryears This more traditional set, with a slightly different line-up, is
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France). also pretty good.

The pieces on this disc aim to recreate the music of the out-
lying districts of Bucharest in the years 1920-70. Albesteanu Nicolae Gutsa
isa good singer, with a pleasant and idiomatic voice, an
A Gypsy singer, Nicolae Gutsa was bom near Petroseni in
expressive fiddler and is accompanied by a good band of
1967 and now works in Timisoara in the Banat region of
musicians with beautifully textured tambal, accordion and the
western Romania. A very popular singer, he performs tra-
finecobza playing of Marin Cotaoanta. "At the Reed House",
ditional music in a contemporary style.
sung in an intimate, "head voice" is quite beautiful.
H3 The Greatest Living Gypsy Voice
Taraf de Caransebes, (Auvidis/Silex, France).

A five-piece Gypsy band from a town in the Banat region Despite the absurd title, this is a great disc with excellent
the western region of neighbouring Serbia, led by saxo- some 30
in

phonist Constantin Ciurariu.

vocals and
Trifoi on violin
wild instrumental playing, notably from Ion
and Remus Kiroaci on sax in a band that also
O
Musiciens du Banat
includes piano accordion, guitar and synth. 2
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
Trio Pandelescu
Z
Some stunning virtuoso playing of dance tunes which is

enough to explain the popularity of the Banat style. The line- Vasile Pandelescu (bom in 1944) is a virtuoso accordion-
up includes saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, accordion and ist who
played for many years in a group with Gheorghe
Zamfir. His trio includes double bass and Vasile's son
bass, plus occasional taragot and nai.
Costel on tambal.

Taraf de Haidouks SE Trio Pandelescu (Auvidis/Silex, France).

Romania's most recorded Gypsy band from the village A really attractive disc recorded live with high-quality, intimate
of Clejani near Bucharest. In a succession of discs playing, delicate moments of real poetry, and all the requisite
from 1988 to 1998 you can trace the dynamic develop- fire. It includes a couple of beautiful solo tambal tracks.
ment of Gypsy music in Wallachia as new styles are
absorbed without ever diluting the distinctive flavour of
Gheorghe Zamfir
the taraf.
Bom in Bucharest in 1 941 nai panpipe player Zamfir must
,

Honourable Brigands, Magic Horses and Evil be Romania's most recorded musician. He has literally
Eye (Crammed Discs, Belgium). dozens of albums with panpipe arrangements of anything
It's hard to choose between any of the Taraf's discs - every from Vivaldi to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
one has its strengths: 1998's Dumbala Duma for its contribu-
H3 The Heart of Romania (Pierre Verany, France).
tions from the Ursari Gypsies with their vocal percussion and
female vocalist Viorica Rudareasa, and 1991's Taraf de Easy-listening, Romanian style. Zamfir's music has little to do
Haidouks with its inimitable "Ballad of the Dictator" and old- with the traditional music of Romania, but his arrangements
style playing of Nicolae Neascu. But the 1994 release, of doinas and folktunes have an ethereal beauty.
Honourable Brigands is most essential, for its beautiful old- Accompanied by Marcel Cellier on the organ.

Romania 247
Russia
music of the people
"Music is created by the people, we artists only arrange it." said the nineteenth-century Russian
composer Mikhail Glinka, a sentiment taken to
nationalist extraordinary^lengrths by Communist
ensembles like the Red Army Choir to make a national music. has little to do with the
This, of course,
people's real music - the songs that grew naturally out of their lives, their dances, shamanistic rituals,
bylinas and epic songs. Amazingly, some of that deeply rooted music has survived seventy years of
Communism and stafe interference - and there's a growing interest in ethnic and regional sounds in
concert. Simon Broughton and Tatiana Didenko chart the uneasy relationship between the
people's music and the state.

t's hard to generalise about the music of a There is and distinct musical tra-
also a strong
country that stretches about 7500 km from St dmon autonomous republic of Tuva, which
in the

Petersburg in the west to the icy Kamchatka lies within the Russian Federation, though its cel-
peninsula in the east. But the very size of this ebrated music and overtone singing - hugely suc-
terrain is perhaps the chief reason why more than cessful on the World Music circuit - is Central
remnants of authentic traditional music endured Asian in character. (It is dealt with in an entry on
through collectivisation, industrialisation and sev- Mongolia and Tuva in The Rvugh Guide to World
enty years of Communist ideology. Music Volume 2).

The of the Soviet Republics, music

traditions
included, had an obvious political dimension and Roots and Composers
were pressed into service by the state, from the
revolution on. But the rural customs of Russia You're very unlikely to encounter any of the real

itself were less pressured. You can go out into the Russian traditional music unless you arrange to go
Russian countryside today — and all Russians will with somebody who knows when and where to
tell you that the countryside is the real Russia — find it. What you can hear easily enough, on a visit

and find groups of babushkas singing seasonal songs or on disc, are the versions of Russian folk played
at village parties or local folk ensembles, much as by professional groups. These are by no means
they did a century ago. There are even a few folk all Communist fakelore; indeed, they have a sur-
instrumentalists to be found, playing traditional prisingly long pedigree of their own. rooted in the

melodies on flutes, horns, violins and accordions, whole development of Russian music - folk, reli-

though the dominant strand of Russian folk music, gious and classical.
however, is choral singing - usually by women. Going back to medieval times, the first chorda
This singing takes on different styles depending singers who turned into 'composers* and used a

on the region; the voices tend to move together primitive hook-like system of notation for their
in the north and divide into solo and chorus in the chants were the same rural people who were cre-
south. The repertoire ranges from plaintive laments ating the folklore. These original composers start-

(plachi). wedding songs and lyrical songs to the ed their "professional" composing equipped with
humorous and satirical dustushki. often with back- the modes and intonations they inherited from cal-

ing from accordion or balalaika, while the chief endar and ntual songs.
dances are the funky, foot-stomping khorovodi This is why the modal structure of monophonic
round-dances. church singing is so similar to that of folk tunes. Such
The areas where the strongest regional tradi- "professional" musicians traveDed a*, their lord 1-
serfs

tions survive are southern Russia (the districts of to distant lands and brought foreign influences into
Belgorod. Voronezh and Kursk); the north around their tunes, performed on tradioonal instruments like

Archangelsk; the central Volga region; and Siberia wooden pipes and gush (a folk zither or psaltery C>ui
(see box on p.252), where extraordinary shaman- of this came the first "professionally trained" Russian
ist rites and musical styles persist. composers like Maxim Berezovsky (1743-1777).

248 Russia
 Most of the famous Russian composers of the It's sad that this attitude to tradition - servile to

nineteenth century maintained close ties with the officialdom - prevailed despite a profound per-
rural tradition - this is true of Glinka, Balakirev, ception of folk music by Russian composers and
Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Musorgsky and ethnomusicologists. At the end of the nineteenth
Stravinsky. Well-to-do children tended to spend century oral musical tradition was attracting the
their summers in the country, immersed in the attention of both practising musicians and music
natural sound environment of folk tunes, and in scholars. The advent of the phonograph made it

the nineteenth century country people were reg- possible to document the music of Russian peas-
ular visitors to city markets and fairs. Each of these ants in its full authenticity. From 1899 expeditions
composers' experience was strongly enriched by resulted in field recordings which were regularly
a substantial stream of folklore. published with academic commentaries. But
despite this, the gap between genuine folklore and

State Ensembles its official presentation was growing and the gen-

uine forms, having been plundered for their

As early as the mid-nineteenth century Russian melodies, were increasingly left out in the cold.
folklore came under the guardianship and protec-
tion of the state as part of the so-called 'national Reviving the Tradition
revival' and Count Uvarov's patriotic campaign
of Orthodoxy- Autocracy-Nationality. Luckily, an interest in the revival of the real tra-
At the end of the century, in the wake of this dition did not have to wait for the fall of Com-
national cultural revival, the musician Vassily munism, although perhaps the death of Stalin in
Andreyev founded the first professional orches- 1953 helped things along. In 1958 a young singer
tra of traditional Russian instruments. He'd heard called Vyacheslav Shchurov came back from a
a balalaika (the three stringed triangular guitar) field trip with his teacher Anna Rudneva, a folk

in a village somewhere and decided to reconstruct researcher. A gifted singer with a strong voice,
it. He made a few models in different sizes, taught Shchurov was so charmed by the singing of
a company of grenadiers to play the instrument Arkhangelsk peasants that he took it up himself.
and took them to Paris to display Russian exoti- He joined forces with two friends who put on per-
ca. The repertoire of Andreyev's orchestra was formances as a trio and, without quite realising
based on his arrangements of Russian folk songs what they were doing, instigated a small revolu-
and dances. tion of authenticity.
This was not authentic folk music performed by In 1966, Shchurov, who by then had become
peasants, but arrangements performed by musi- a professional ethnomusicologist, organised a series
cians far from the genuine tradition. As such it was of concerts in the Composers' House in Moscow
a direct antecedent to the Communist 'fakelore'. to which he invited authentic singers from all over
Indeed, the famous Red Army Choir which Russia. In 1968 he went on to create his own
(vocally) conquered the world in the 1960s and ensemble with graduates of the Gnesin Musical
'70s was a fairly logical development from Institute in Moscow. They were all involved in
Andreyev's Orchestra. recreating authentic singing and performed songs
In the early 1900s Mitrofan Pyatnitsky - a from various regions of Russia.
great connoisseur and admirer of Russian
folk song - formed what was later to
become the Pyatnitsky Choir. This orig-
inally recruited only genuine peasant singers
and its repertoire and performance was a
reflection of a vibrant and living musical
culture, but in time it became just anoth-
er state ensemble performing compositions
By the 1940s such pseudo folk
a la russe.

music was institionalised and the country

was flooded with folk music and dance
ensembles singing "Kalinka", "Katyusha"
i ti 1
and the "Volga Boatman" - popular Rus-
sian songs taking their place alongside the

ubiquitous Matriozhka dolls. The Dmitri Pokrovsky

Russia 249
 Sergei Starostin and a Trinity Sunday Trip
An overnight train southwest from Moscow with musi- it. Even When there are more spontaneous musical
cologist Sergei Starostin and TV-producer Tatiana events it's usually members of the folklore collectives
Didenko to hear music over the who are responsible. Also,
weekend of Trinity Sunday in the Starostin says, the influence on
Kaluga district. In the country- the repertoire has been a lasting
side there's no mistaking one: "The authorities always had
Russia's expanse - the endless a view about what you should
forests and plains, baking in sing in a village, in a city or in a
June sunshine under a vast sky factory. For the village they cre-

with puffy clouds. We stop in a ated kolkhoz (collective farm)

wooded glade beside a small songs about the wide fields,

pond. I've never seen so many beautiful rivers and how well they

mosquitoes in my life. While I'm were living thanks to the Party,

swotting them off my face and etc. It may seem strange, but
neck, Sergei pulls out a pocket many of these songs became
knife and cuts young branches very popular in the villages - and
from a 'wolf berry' tree. He cuts still are - although they have
away at the branches to find the nothing to do with the tradition-
right one to make a reed for the al or local styles. In fact, because
rozhok, a cow's horn he has in Russia is so vast the styles of
his pocket. Shaving the reed singing vary enormously. Some-
down to the right size, he inserts times in neighbouring villages
it and the horn sounds bright they do not sing the same way
and strong - a sound that has Ser 9 ei Starostir and between southern and cen-
echoed across these lands for centuries. Starostin plays tral Russia there may be no points of contact at all,

a wonderful assortment of home-made horns and flutes, except the type of song."
as well as one of the oldest instruments of medieval The Trinity celebrations took place in a lush meadow
CO Rus, the gusle, which he also made himself. beside a river. There was a market with bread, cheese,
CO
During the Soviet period many of these seasonal drinks and trinkets sold from the backs of vans. At the
events managed to continue, Starostin explained to me. climax a young birch tree was launched into the river

"Very often they just changed the names, so instead of and wreathes of yellow flowers thrown after it. This was
a 'Trinity celebration' it was called the 'Birch tree cele- the farewell to spring and the beginning of summer.
bration'. This is the time of year when the new leaves Away from the festivities we listened to small groups of

are appearing on the birch trees. The irony is that many old ladies singing the songs - in their wooden houses,
years ago religious festivals of in the fields, ina coach. It was
the Orthodox Church often coin- extraordinary. There was a grand-
cided with the older pagan ones, motherly love for, and familiarity

with the result that a great many with, this music and the singing
Russian traditions have Christian often broke into hilarious laugh-

names, but pagan contents. For ter. It was an important reminder

seventy years

Christmas and
the Communists
it was
cult to actively celebrate Easter,

Trinity

Maslennitsa (Shrove Tuesday)

really diffi-

- although
tolerated
r of just

to that presented
how different this music is

thing Starostin links to the

bolic importance of the

Russian culture: "The
on stage, some-
sym-
circle in

circle is the

because it was purely pagan.

On the tour bus basis of most Russian dances
Now a lot of folk festivals have appeared around Chris- and songs. The circle holds the energy of the perfor-
tian events. Just in the Kaluga district there are seven mance and it is directed towards the centre. The audi-
Trinity festivals." ence is the performers themselves. On stage you need
Although a good deal of music seems to have sur- to face the audience - then you break the circle, the
vived the Soviet system, the state system has had far- energy goes away and practically nothing is left."

reaching effects. For years music has been organised

by 'folklore collectives' and they continue to organise Simon Broughton

250 Russia
 Shchurov paved the way for the
Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble which
was formed a few years later. The
Ensemble's repertoire consisted of Rus-
sian peasant songs brought back by its

members from their field expeditions.

Pokrovsky's musicians talked to peas-

ant singers, recorded their singing and
transcribed their songs. By immersing
themselves deeply in the authentic
scene, they drew upon its wealth and
were able to transfer the genuine folk
tradition onto the professional stage.

The Pokrovsky Ensemble also influ-

enced other spheres of music. There

were memorable collaborations, for
instance, with jazz groups Arkhangel-
sk, Arsenal and the Ganelin Trio.
Musicians of different persuasions
instantly found a common language,
not in the a la russe cliches, but in the
spirit of collective improvisation.
In the 1970s and '80s the Dmitry
Pokrovsky Ensemble was very active.

The new wave of 'singing' ethno-

musicologists, initiated by Shchurov,
gave birth to a new trend among
young urban intellectuals. First infor-

mally and then on a more organised

level, folk ensembles went out to
CO
CO
research folk music in the countryside Pesen Ze
and came back to recreate it in the
cities. In Moscow these ensembles united into the authentic folk music. The leaders of Narodnyi
Union of Amateur Folk Ensembles. The Prazdnik, Ekaterina Dorokhova and Evgenia Kosti-
movement remained grassroots and made no na, are professional ethnomusicologists who each
attempt to make it onto the professional scene. year embark on expeditions to research and record
At the same time another generation of profes- folk songs in the regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Bel-
was gaining prominence with
sional 'folk artists' gorod, transcribing songs and later including them
state backing. These ranged from out and out kitsch in the repertoire of their ensemble. Most impor-
— chief offenders here included Lydmila Zykina, tandy, they sing together with authentic folk singers.
Russkaya Pesnya Ensemble, and Zolotoye Koltso It's amazing that the authentic tradition still sur-
- through ensembles who kept a respectful atti- vives, but it does, particularly in these regions, and
tude to their material. The latter included Evge- it's likely that the revivalists are saving the tradi-
nia Zosimova's Karagod, Gennady Rudnev's tional songs. Even in the countryside there are less

Slavichi, Maria Chekareva's Slavyanskaya and less people who remember and sing the gen-
Kumirnia, Marina Kapuro's Yabloko and Evge- uine folk music.
nia Smolianinova, all of whom managed to retain The Pokrovsky Ensemble is also slowly com-
the charm of genuine and authentic musicmaking. ing back to life. After the untimely death of its lead-
er the musicians split into two halves, led by Tamar
New Russia Smyslova and Olga Yukecheva, and these have since
led to further offshoots. They include Andrey Kotov
In the late 1 980s two more authentic-minded groups and his group Sirin who specialise in recreating
appeared on the scene: Pesen Zemli (aka Narod- early religious Russian Orthodox singing, as well
nyi Prazdnik), and Kazachy Krug, specialising in as non-religious songs such as the so-called 'spiri-

Cossack songs. Both based their work on studies of tual verses'. Another former member of the

Russia 251
 Pokrovsky, singer and instrumentalist Boris Another current name on the folk-rock scene is
Bazurov, is an exceptional connoisseur of old Rus- Inna Zhelaniya, who again has recorded and
sian instruments. He develops and expands the pos- toured abroad. Her songs cut a path between archa-
sibilities of these not just as a musician but as ic Russian singing and the spirit ofJoan Baez. The

an instrument-maker. He ethnic beauty of her band is

restores old instruments he strongly enhanced by specif-

can find, and also recon- ically Russian instrumental
structs instruments known arrangements with Sergei
only through reminiscences Starostlh on various flutes
and descriptions. Bazurov and pipes (see box on p.250).
writes music for his own One of Russia's leading
group Narodnaya Opera folk instrumentalists, Starostin

and provided music for the is also a singer, arranger and

soundtrack of Andrey Kon- member of the Moscow
chalovsky's film Kurochka Art Trio (with pianist
Ryaba. Mikhail Alperin and French
Far removed from the tra- horn player Arcady Shilk-
ditional revival is the Terem loper). He's also been behind
Quartet from St Petersburg several fusion projects such
who have played great con- Folk rock singer Inna Zhelaniya as the collaboration between
certs at WOMAD events Tuvan group Huun-Huur-
and recorded for the RealWorld record label. Their Tu and the Bulgarian female choir Angelite (see
music doesn't try to be authentic or traditional. It's Bulgarian discography), and the multi-ethnic group
just wild, eclectic and great fun. The four members Vershki da Koreshki.
of the band trained at the (then) Leningrad Con- Sasha Cheparukhin, a promoter staging World
servatoire and play their instruments - accordion, Music gigs in Moscow, is optimistic about this new
two domras (a three-stringed mandolin and the fore- scene, and has noticed a change of attitude and
runner of the balalaika) and a huge bass balalaika - new openness to this music: "There used to be a
with astonishing panache and virtuosity. Their reper- Moscow arrogance and chauvinism. They would
CO toire includes Russian popular songs, pastiches, clas- be interestedin John Zorn, Michael Nyman or
go
sical arrangements and their own compositions. Nick Cave, but not in something from a remote

Siberia's Indigenous World

There are over twenty ethnic groups living in tundra animals they hunt. They drink too much and have a high

(steppe) and taiga (forest) in the north of Siberia and suicide rate, but they keep on singing of their lives.

on the Sakhalin islands. They number less than half The 400,000 Yakuts (or Sakhas) live in a republic
a million in an area of nearly 17 million square kilome- the size of India and are the biggest indigenous group
tres amongst a Russian population of twenty-five mil- in Siberia. They are famed for playing the khomus (Jew's

lion. Some of the ethnic groups comprise no more than harp) and for their olonkho epic songs. The Buriats in

two or three hundred people. south Siberia, the other large group, sing unacom-
The Soviet system relocated the Siberian villages, panied songs and play a stately spike fiddle related to
brought universal education and collectivised the rein- central Asian instruments. The various Tungus peo-
deer farming, breaking the traditional way of life. The ple in the far east can produce extraordinary imitations
music, as elswhere, was 'folklorised' and 'desacralised' of animals and nature with voice, horns and drums.
as much of it was connected to shamanism which was And the Nganasan in the far north are best known for

forbidden. But shamanism is still very much a part of their shamanistic practices.
life here, as an enactment of the traditional relationship Over the past few years the French musicologist
between nature and its inhabitants. People worship their Henri Lecomte has been working on a series of record-

environment through singing and drumming. They defy ings for the Buda label, presenting a detailed musical
the permafrost, wind and thunder through songs, drums survey of Siberia's ethnic groups; it runs so far to six
and instruments. With their voices and simple accom- CDs.
paniment they are the best imitators in the world, recre-
ating the sounds of the forest, the steppe and the Etienne Bours

252 Russia
 composer Mikhail Alperin,
Sergei Starostin, jazz pianist and
undeveloped region of Russia. In fact, folk music and classical French horn player Arkady Shilkloper. As a
is much more popular in Moscow than I thought group they've worked with Tuvans Huun-Huur-Tu and
other groups.
and we've filled the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall for
these fusion events. I'd say there's a revitalisation 3S Prayer (Auvidis/Silex, France).

of interest in a diversity of music." A slightly New Age evocation of the ancient depths of
Russian music - Starostin plays some of his home-made
This article is in memory of Tatiana Didenko flutes, a slow Russian melody on the horn emerges over a

who died in 1998. She devoted so much of her jazz piano ostinato and Russian folk singers and Tuvan throat

time and energy to bringing Russian traditional singers also get in on the act.

music to a wider audience through her 'Global

Village' series on Russian TV (which was always Pesen Zemli Ensemble
under threat from the bosses) and always knew
This ensemble (the name means Voices of the Earth) was
how to make the most of the good things in life.
With thanks to Alexander Kan for the translation. founded Moscow in 1982 by Ekaterina Dorokhova and
in

Evgenia Kostina. Where possible, the ten (or so) women

members of the choir learn the songs directly from the
village singers.

discography 3E Russia: Polyphonic Wedding

(VDE-Gallo/AIMP, Switzerland).
Songs

It's indicative of just how difficult it is to get good quality field

Compilations recordings in Russia that this label (which usually features the
has gone
real thing) for a trained ensemble. But these wedding
songs are very hard in Russia now - and here there's a
to hear
83 Chants des femmes de la vielle Russe
good spread from western, northern and southern Russia.
(Inedit, France).

Women's choirs from Bryansk (in the west), Kieba (in the north)
Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble
and a village in Siberia near Lake Baikal where the women are
descendants of prisoners exiled in Tsarist days and who have Founded 1973, the ensemble led by Dmitri Pokrovsky
in

kept a rich harmonic music distinct from the surrounding Bunat (until hisdeath a few years ago) was the best-known
people. Strong unaccompanied performances. group of revivalists trying to recreate an authentic village
style. Pokrovsky also released an interesting disc of
ii Old Believers: Songs of the Nekrasov Cossacks Stravinsky's "Les Noces" (The Wedding) including village
(Smithsonian Folkways, US). songs musically related to the score.
Liturgical songs, spiritual verses, bylinas (epic songs), Faces of Russia
laments, wedding and lyrical songs from an amazing group of
(Trikont, Germany).
Don Cossacks who fled Russia (as Old Believers) during the
religious reforms of the seventeenth century and returned to This recording has the edge over the RealWorld disc (below),
their current home near Stavropol in southern Russia in 1962. for its wider repertoire - including Cossack songs, harvest
The recordings, of male and female singers, made by and wedding songs, religious music and a bizarre instrumen-
Margarita Mazo in 1989 and 1 990 are by no means easy lis- tal of jew's harp, whistle and clanging rhythms hammered out
tening but are of great historical and musical importance, and on a sickle.

accompanied by a detailed booklet.

83 The Wild Field (RealWorld, UK).
l Sigrai, Vanya: Play Vanya (Pan, Netherlands). Another good recording, but one with a limited repertoire,
A pretty rare recording of Russian traditional instrumental concentrating on vocal music from southern Russia.

music played by village musicians. Folk flutes, pipes and horns

from the south, a couple of violinists from Smolensk district, Vyacheslav Shchurov
and balalaika musicians playing dance tunes, chastushki and
Shchurov (born 1937) was a pioneer in creating a choral
so on. Good notes, but a shame that the cover photos on
group to perform Russian music with some fidelity to the
these two Pan discs seem to have got mixed up so that the
original folk style. He took the recordings or transcriptions
full-throated babushkas appear on the instrumental disc and
of the village songs as and refused to arrange
his score
the accordionist on the vocal one.
them or beautify them as other ensembles did. He started
3D Tarn Letal Pavlin: A Peacock Once Went Flying his group Solovka (Nightingale) in 1968.
(Pan, Netherlands).
Solovka
The second of a pair of discs of the vocal and instrumental (Pan, Netherlands).
music of southern Russia. This features vocal music sung by
A collection of Melodiya recordings from 1978-85, plus new
various local groups from the Belgorod region invited to record
tracks recorded in 1995, principally of south Russian and
in Moscow by Shchurov. Outdoor songs for festivals, Christian
Siberian Russian choral songs and some good Chastushki.
ritual songs, wedding songs and songs for evening gatherings.
Shchurov sings lead and solo on several tracks. Real village
singing can be quite demanding to listen to, so this makes a

Artists good introduction. Several tracks can be found in authentic,

village-style performance on Pan's other Russian discs.

Moscow Art Trio Terem Quartet

The Moscow Art Trio unites three musicians from three dif- Created in 1986, the Terem Quartet's four instrumentalists
ferent musical disciplines: folk singer and instrumentalist were first spotted on a talent show on Russian TV. Andrei

Russia 253
 Sergei Starostin on various conventional and folk winds.
Includes a rocked up version of a Christ has Risen Easter
song and some much more quirky numbers with distinctive
woody and reedy contributions. Worth exploring.

Siberia and Other Minority

Groups

. Compilations

BE Korjak Kamchatka:
Dance drums from the Siberian Far East
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).

This perhaps the most accessible of Henri Lecompte's

is

Siberian series, with its physical dance music from the

Kamchatka peninsula in the far east. None of these discs are

exactly easy listening but they are well recorded and docu-
ment music otherwise unavailable to the wider world. Of the
The Terem Quartet work out other volumes:
Vol 1 features shamanistic and narrative songs of the
Konstantinov plays soprano domra, Igor Ponomaremko Nganasan.
alto domra, Andrei Smirnov accordion and Mikhail Vol 2 Yakut songs, epics and some delicate and skilful
Oziudze the huge bass balalaika.
overtone playing on the khomus.
Terem Vol 3 songs of nature and animals from people of the
S3 (RealWorld, UK). Kolyma river in the northeast.
Vol 5 shamanistic songs from the Amur basin.
Post-modern Russian music - the stereotypes and cliches of
Vol 6 music from the island of Sakhalin, north of Japan.
Soviet style folk music turned on their head. Instead of a vast
balalaika orchestra, here is an inventive, witty and nimble Mother Volga: Music of the Volga Ugrians
chamber group racing through traditional and professionally (Pan, Netherlands).
composed Russian music. Typically St Petersburg.
Music of the Finno-Ugrian Mari people and Turkic Chuvash
living in the Kazan district on the Volga. Some really archaic
Volnitza Ensemble
instruments, notably the gusle zither and various bagpipes -
A small group based in Rostov collecting Cossack songs valuable ethnographic stuff.

C/5 in Russian and Ukrainian in the Don region.

CO S3 Musiques de la Toundra et de la Taiga
SI Chants Cosaques (Inedit, France).
(Inedit, France).

There's no mistaking that these are formal stage performers,

A selection recorded in Paris of music from the Buriat, Yakut,
but this disc has a good and committed
varied repertoire per-
Tungus, Nenets and Nganasan peoples of Siberia. Includes
formances, including some percussion accompaniment.
some stirring Yakut jew's harp playing, and Tungus music
imitating the forest and shamanistic tracks.
Inna Zhelaniya
S3 Songs of the Volga (Auvidis/Ethnic, France).
The current folk-rock star of Russian music. She has a
strong, warm voice with a cutting edge. Songs and accordion music from the Turkic Chuvash people
and polyphonic songs of the Finno-Ugric Mordvin people
3S Inozemetz (Farlanders) (Green Wave, Russia).
from the Volga region. Recordings made in situ with local
A more adventurous album than her debut Vodorosl, with groups. Includes good notes and lyric translations.

254 Russian music

Samiland (Lapland)
joiks of the tundra
In just about every European country there's a region where things are seen as distinct and somehow

more in contact with nature. In Britain it's the Celtic areas. In the Nordic countries they look north to
what was known by foreigners as Lapland and is now more usually called Samiland or Sapmi. Not
only is the Arctic tundra here one of Europe's most extreme environments but there's the indigenous
Sami people, with their reindeer-centred lifestyle, and their music which - as Andrew Cronshaw
finds - can at its most traditional seem so minimalist it could almost be avant-garde, or in the hands of
a modern singer like Marie Boine can rock with the best of them.

last couple of decades have seen a flow- defining feature of the Sami; indeed in Sweden
The ering of Sami music, both traditional and the Sami are the only ones legally allowed to own
boldly progressive. This and the equally the animals.
unique visual art are strong foci of mod- The several Sami languages, spoken today by
ern Sami identity, both for the people themselves about 20-30,000 people, are Finno-Ugrian, relat-

and for foreign perceptions. Despite the relative- ed to Finnish but not understandable to a Finn nor
ly small number of Sami, their art, indeed their even necessarily to one another — they fall into
very existence, has a far-reaching influence. three mutually non-comprehensible regional
groups. The majority speak North Sami, a lan-

The Land guage of the Central group.

There has never been Sami nation with own
a
and the People political identity, but there is a considerable sense
its

'Sami' is the name for their people used by Sami of solidarity and communication, with a Sami Par- C/5

themselves. The word 'Lapp' is thought to derive liament in each Nordic country, and the cross-bor-
from an archaic Finnish word with connotations der umbrella organisation of the Nordic Sami
of 'outcast'; was used by foreigners but not the
it Council. Norway has the largest Sami population
people themselves, and its use is diminishing. of about 40,000, the majority living in its north-
The Sami arrived in the far north, it's thought, ernmost county, Finnmark. (Yes, to add further
from the eastern fringes of Europe at least two confusion, the Norwegian word for Sami is 'Finn'!).

thousand years ago, probably long before. A thou-

sand years ago they still populated most of Finland,
who moved
The Joik T—
>
but Finnish tribes, Sami in like the
from the southeast, displaced them from the While individual Sami might play instruments such
southerly territories. Present-day Samiland includes as fiddle or accordion — and nowadays also draw
most of the areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and on the whole contemporary instrumental range —
the Kola peninsula of northwest Russia that lie there is no tradition of Sami instrumental music,
north of the Arctic Circle, and also territory well nor any traditional instruments except for the
south of that in Norway and Sweden. By no means drum (see box overpage).
everyone who lives there, though, is Sami. Esti- The musical focus is on song — lavlu or laavloe
mates vary, but there are 50-75,000 people who in Sami. The most characteristic type of singing is

might claim that distinction in terms of heredity, the improvised joik, also called in North Sami iuo-

lifestyle or language. hti or in South Sami vuolle. It's hard to give a water-
These days the traditional occupation of rein- tight definition of a joik — there are wide regional
deer-herding is followed by far fewer people, differences and it is perhaps more definable by what
and the movement with the herds from winter to it isn't than by what it is. It's not a rhyming, for-
summer pastures and annual roundups are accom- mal structured song. The tune can wander, usu-
plished to the roar of snowmobiles. Nevertheless, ally with some phrases recurring. A singer
the relationship with reindeer is still an iconic improvises a joik to go with whatever he or she is

S£miland 255
 The Sami Drum
The word 'shaman' originates The practices of the pre-
with the Tungus people of ceding religion were firmly dis-

Siberia but what is generally couraged by the propagators

accepted as shamanism is of Christianity, so by the eigh-

found in many parts of the teenth century most of the

world, and drums are widely drums had been destroyed,
used to induce the trance and the remainder spread
under which the shaman across the world in ethno-
makes a spirit journey. graphic collections; only about
In Sami custom, there is a seventy of these still exist.

second use of the drum, found Nowadays many new ones

in few other shamanic traditions are being made, but their use
- that of divination. The skin of is musical or symbolic rather
the oval single-headed drum than religious.
(kobdas, or in South Sami Sami graphic art has a
gievri) bore pictographic sym- very strong identity, and
bols drawn in the red juice from artists frequently use symbols
chewed alder-bark. The layout from the drums. One, the sun
of these varied regionally. A and moon circle usually
small bone or metal pointer, drawn in the centre, is the
sometimes with attached basis of the Sami flag, which
chains and charm-shapes, was uses the bright colours of the
laid on the skin, which was striking traditional costume.
Sami drum skin
vibrated with a small T- or Y- The flag was adopted in 1 986
shaped hammer so that the pointer moved across it, and - as was the national anthem, a setting by Arne Sor-
the shaman (najde or noaite) drew conclusions from its lie of Isak Saba's 1 906 poem Same soga lavla (The

movement relative to the drawn symbols. Song of the Sami Family).

CO

doing or thinking, or performs it about a person, child grows up. A joik is like life". Though large-
an animal or a place. Sometimes it'll be a one-off, ly expressive, joiks could also have a function, for
z sometimes parts of it will be remembered and example making a sound to discourage wolves
o repeated on another occasion and it will become from attacking the herd, or attracting a girl across
-
I
more fixed in form. The singer explores vocal tex- the marketplace.
> tures - low - normally using just
thin, thick, high, The joik isn't a creature of the concert hall; its

r- a few different notes, sliding between them, chop- natural environment is outdoors, sung by a person
ping them with glottal stops. Sometimes there will alone while working or travelling, or perhaps over
be words, perhaps just one, a name for example, the usual Sami drink - coffee - at the fireside. When
repeated from time to time, its sound explored and Matts Arnberg, Hakon Unsgaard and Israel Ruong
reinterpreted. There aren't usually a lot of words, were recording joiks for Swedish radio in the 1950s
or a story, but then again there can be. There are and '60s (see discography), it was clear, as it had
no absolute fixed rules - self-expression is the key. been to others before them (sound recordings were
Though a joik may be sung to or for another made as far back as 1906) that as far as possible they
person, it's not a performance in the modem sense. had to take their bulky equipment to wherever the
A singer will make one which somehow typifies singers felt most comfortable if the stream of con-
a person, living or dead, and helps remember them. sciousness was to be prompted.
It's a difficult concept to grasp, but joiks are usu- As with many folk forms, researchers have reg-
ally said not to be about their subject, but rather in ularly been told that joiking is dying out or is already

some way to be the subject. A joik may be a gift, dead in a particular district. It's true that religious
for example to a new-born baby. As a leading fundamentalism - in northern Samiland largely
modern joiker, Wimme Saari, explains: "The Laestadianism, which still has its adherents - often
mother or do it. Then, as the child grows
father can took a dim view of a custom which once had asso-
up, more is added to the joik - it grows up as the ciations with magical, shamanistic practices. Lars

256 Samiland
Levi Laestadius of Karesuando, who preached in with the stars. Sometimes it's colours and shapes,
the nineteenth century - though mostly targeting and I'm following them with my voice. What do I

fiddling and other modern pleasures - sometimes is the same as the older joikers did, but I'm in the
condemned joiking, partly because of the type of sound world of the instruments, and I must listen."

joik that tended to emerge under the influence of Since the 1 name of poet, designer, artist
970s the
drink, and many followers regarded it as sinful. and singer Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa, otherwise
Overall, Sami art and music these days is a strong known as Aillohas, has been at the forefront of
force, and been widespread
a central feature has Sami joik and other aspects of Sami contemporary
interest in joiku. The main focus has been on North culture. He on its minimal-
has focused attention
Sami luohti, while Swedish South Sami vuolle has ism, simultaneouslymodern and archaic. His musi-
diminished, and the music and culture of the East cal collaborators have been saxophonist Seppo

Sami of the Russian Kola peninsula are close to 'Baron' Paakkunainen, Esa Kotilainen and
extinction. Wimme Saari, who comes from Kelot- other members of the Finnish exploratory-roots
tijarvi in northwestern Finnish Samiland, describes band Karelia. Being traditionally a largely out-
the situation: "In the border areas like ours where door activity, several recordings ofjoiking feature
there are more Finns and Swedes, joiking has a ten- the natural or contrived sounds of nature. Aillo-
dency to vanish, but in the middle, in Sami areas has has incorporated them as accompaniments, and
like Kautokeino, naturally it has been able to sur- on 1994 album Goasc Dusse (The Bird Sym-
his

vive better, and it's very strong with young people phony) they constitute the whole piece. In 1992
too. Since we've been doing the new modem styles he produced Johan Anders Baer's album of per-
more young people have paid attention, and it's son-joiks - Mdhkaravju - which had the contin-
opened their eyes to the old joiking too." uous accompaniment of a noisy gannet-colony.
Wimme himself had to piece together his own
working at the Finnish
family tradition: "I started
Broadcasting Company in 1986. There I found
some tapes including my uncles joiking. With the DAL VELEAIKKA T
help of those tapes some of the old tra-
learned
I
WINTERGAMES
dition. Although my mother comes from an old
joiking family, the direct connection from one
generation to another had already been broken. CO
Due to religious fundamentalism there was no joik-
ing at home."

New Developments
What Wimme Saari learned was the North Sami
tradition of luohti, in which the joik normally
describes a specific person or animal and the
o
melody sticks fairly rigidly to a pentatonic scale.
Since then, however, he has also moved into a
freer form, and also joiks over instrumental and
electronic textures and rhythms. He has had col- These and many other recordings are on one of
laborated in this with Finnish traditional band Tal- the leading Sami record labels, DAT, based in
lari, Swedish/Finnish roots-rock band Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino) in Norwegian Sami-
Hedningarna, and predominantly with Finnish land, which has an ever-growing catalogue of both
saxophonist Tapani Rhine and members of his progressive and traditional unaccompanied joik
ambient techno band RinneRadio where the recordings by Valkeapaa, Baer, Ingor Antte Ailu
sound of the instruments becomes an environment Gaup, Inga Juuso and others
within which to joik: Also working with powerful modern instru-
"When working with musicians, often I close mentation is the best-known Sami singer (though
my eyes and listen to what comes from the instru- not ajoiker Mari Boine (see box over-
as such),
ments and samples. Then it's like a building, a leaf). Other Inga Juuso - a for-
singers include
dream building in my mind. can perhaps see a I mer journalist with NRK Sami Radio and
lake, or a tree, or I'm underwater like a fish, swim- ex-member of the Sami theatre company Beaiwas
ming against the stream. Sometimes I'm in space, — who has recorded an album of solo joiks and is

Sdmiland 257
 Mari Boine
The only way to fully experience Mari Boine is live. Her and then there were only a few children who learned
figure in the centre of the band's spacious sound the language. These days, there are many more."
becomes magnetic - the intense bright focus, her wheel-
Your songs are not traditional joiks - but is it a
ing dance with outstretched arms evocative of a glid-
major influence on your music.
ing bird. Her on-stage persona, the culture she reflects,
'

the sound of her North Sami language, her joik-rooted "It's always there. Influences from joik and influences
exploration of vocal sounds and the powerful, vibrant from the Christian hymns (I was brought up in a very
minimalism, rock-stripped-bare, of the band all con- Christian family), and I like this mixture. Actually we
tribute to her distinctive position in European music. made a new piece out of six Christian hymns, and then
Boine belongs very much to the radical Nordic I mixed it with a shamanistic beat, because I like this

remodelling of jazz and rock and its open relationship meeting, when things that you'd expect to be very dif-

with traditional music: a move that involves a shift from ferent, to find the meeting points."
the harmonic, chordal structure which has prevailed in
'Shaman' seems to be a word that blurb-writers
Europe for so long, back towards forms drawing their
utter whenever a Sami bangs a drum.
richness from the texture and shape of the note, and
their energy from rhythmic stresses and balances. It "Yes, I feel that. I also was afraid of the word shaman-
pulls in ideas from other traditions, many of them fun- ism, and see I this stereotype. But want to
I fill this word
damentally linear, predominantly monophonic or duo- with meaning, because think through I my music I learn

phonic, and there are glimpses in the Boine band's to understand, a bit of it, and to get in touch with the
instrumental work - only fleetingly discernible and never spirituality that was in our culture before. I think you
creating a detour - of Indian, Arabic and Native North can find elements of the shamanistic tradition, of

and South American musics. shamanistic music, in my music - the beat, the spiri-

Mari Boine came to the notice of a non-Nordic audi- tuality. This trance, or this good feeling that I'd call it,

ence when the album Gula Gula was licensed by the it's a way ... if you go there you can get new energy,
Sami label Idut to Peter Gabriel's RealWorld. About but it's not something you just play with.
the same time she was a part of a live worldwide TV "For me, I want to have this down-to-earth rela-

musical special. But, as she told me, that wasn't the tionship with the shamanism, because this is what my
CO beginning: people had, and also other people who had this reli-

gion. I don't want to let it be something mysterious,

"I started in the late 70s, and I think I started to sing
not able to be caught, not able to be understood. There
and make music as a therapy for myself. I never planned
are some very healing parts in this religion, and learned I

to be an artist; sometimes, when I think about it, it's

something about my music but can't
this in I express
crazy that I'm here, and I'm touring, and I'm doing what
it in words, I am expressing in my music." it

I'm doing.

"I think I realised, at teachers' training school, that

I felt that the culture that I came from, the Sami cul-
ture, was not good enough, so wanted I to be Norwe-
gian or European, I wanted to forget the culture. And
then I had to ask myself 'why is this, and what does all

this come from?' And after that came a lot of songs.

Actually made my first lyrics to John Lennon's "Work-
I

ing Class Hero"! At that time I don't think I quite under-

stood what he was singing about, but there was

something in the music, and I think also my uncon-
scious understood, and I wrote a song about how it

was for Sami children to be placed in the Norwegian

school and learn to hate their own background."

But that's changed now hasn't it - there are Sami

schools?

"Yes, there aresome Sami schools, and there is more

room for the Sami culture in the schools. can see I

many changes in a good direction. was working in a I

school in the Sea Sami area before started to sing, I Mari Boine on the drum

258 Samiland
 member of Sw edish sax and flute player Anders
.1
Dagny Biti Green
Hagberg's band, which draws on Sami and Dagny Biti Green is a female joiker from Karasjohka in

Swedish traditional tonus and Nordic jazz. She northern Norway.

also guested on the album by Orbina, a joik-rock 83 Bavttajohka (DAT, Norway).

band featuring three Man Boine band members Twenty-nine solo person-joiks, recorded beside the sea.
which formed as a result of the meeting in a There's an increasing tendency to record traditional joikers
outdoors; as the producer put it - "in a studio the voice
Beaiwas project of singer Leif Isak Eide, Mari
becomes narrow."
Boine guitarist Roger Ludvigsen and Norwe-
gian keyboardist Bjern Ole Rasch. Johan J. Kemi, Mark Berit Baer
There are meetings of joik and jazz, too. The
and Berit Inga Baer
Frode Fjellheim Jazz Joik Ensemble bridged
the distance between joik and a Miles Davis kind S3 Dejoda (DAT, Norway).
of approach to jazz-rock with tremendous success. One man and two women performing pentatonic solo joiks.

Now moved in a more

renamed Transjoik, it has Recorded in Norway in 1 993, outdoors.

ambient-groove direction. Johan Sara Jr. leads a

joik-rock band which includes a West African per- New Sami Music
cussionist. Pal Torbjorn Doj joiks in South Sami
on Swedish roots techno-rock band Garmarna's Artists
Gitds Speleman album.
Annel Nieiddat/Angelin Tytot (girls of Johan Anders Baer
Angeli), originally a trio of young Sami women
Baer is a joiker who has collaborated in many Nils-Aslak
singers, now consisting of sisters Ursula and Tuuni Valkeapaa projects, and is emerging as a strong voice in
Lansman with guitarist Alfred Hakkinen, per- contemporary joik.

form an audience-rousing mix ofjoik-influenced S3 Guovssu (DAT, Norway).

and more conventional rhyming-structure songs. Hefty modern sounds involving musicians, including other
Former member Ulla Pirttijarvi has gone on to Valkeapaa collaborators, whose long work with joik forms has
given them considerable experience of ways of blending
solo work featuring members of Transjoik and
instruments with the elusive essence of joik.
leading Swedish saxophonist Jonas Knutsson.

Mari Boine C/J

Mari Boine (Persen) is performer and a

a riveting live
modern Sami figurehead, both outside and within
discography Samiland. She makes no claim to perform joik, but her
songs and voice are replete with its spirit. Her band is a
real powerhouse, featuring Roger Ludvigsen (guitars),
Hege Rimestad (violin), Carlos Quispe (South American o
There's more to traditional solo joik than just the way it
notch flutes and charango), Gjermund Silset (bass, hack-
sounds, and hard to get a real sense of from a stu- r—
dio recording.
it's

Accompanied
it

joik isn't the heart of the tra-

brett), Helge Norbakken (percussion).
>
dition, but it can make a much easier access point. If you Eallin
r—
have difficulty obtaining the discs, try ADA (36 Saturday (Antilles, UK; Sonet, Europe).
Market Place, Beverley, Yorks HU17 9AG, UK; w/fax
This is the best introduction: a 1996 live album, with her
01 482 868 024), or Digelius (see Finland), or Rotspel or
splendid, intense band. It includes the popular title track of
Multikulti (see Sweden).
the first of her albums to be released worldwide, 1990's
S3 Gula Gula (Idut, Norway; remixed for RealWorld, UK).
Unaccompanied Joik
Frode Fjellheim Jazz Joik Ensemble/
Compilations Transjoik
The Ensemble (now renamed Transjoik) are an effective

SB Yoik: A
Presentation of Saami Folk Music meeting of gutty joik with jazz-rock, heartbeat grooves,
(Caprice, Sweden). pinched harmonics, strength, subtlety and variety of tex-
ture. They comprise keyboardist/vocalist Fjellheim, gui-
This is unrivalled as a window on the essential nature of joik:
tarist/vocalist Nils Olav Johansen, Havard Lund (reeds),
a boxed set including a 300-page book Swedish and in
bassist Torbjorn Hillersoy and percussionists Snorre
English and a triple CD containing all the recordings made on
Bjerck and Tor Haugerud.
two field trips to Swedish Samiland in 1 953 for the Swedish
Broadcasting Company by Marts Arnberg, Hakan Unsgaard FRODE FJELLHEIM JAZZ JOIK ENSEMBLE
and Israel Ruong - 195 joiks, all in all, from 33 Forest and
Saajve Dans
Mountain Sami. The book puts all in context and reveals
it
(Idut, Norway).
much of the beautiful imagery of the joiks and their insights
into the old ways of life. From almost inaudible to threatening, from limpidly melodic to

samiland 259
 tortured, touching many bases including Miles Davis territory. Knutsson, cellist 0rnulf Lillebjerka, and bassist/producer
Largely based on joiks transcribed between 1910-1913. Not Manne von Ahn Oberg.
rooted exclusively in Sami music, but too classic to miss.

TRANSJOIK Wimme Saari

S3 Mahkalahke (Warner/Atrium, Sweden).

Wimme a fine traditional joiker who re-learned the art
is

upon hearing recordings of his uncles. His recorded and

The new band has less eccentricity, personality, variety and live work, with the ambient and techno approaches of
surprise, and more emphasis on heavy ambient grooves. RinneRadio and his own band, have made considerable
waves in Scandinavia.
Annel Nieiddat/Angelin Tytot 33 Gierran (RockAdillo, Finland).
from Angeli, now two - Ursula
Originally three tytot (girls)
This 1997 album is a robust and meaningful interaction
and Tuuni Lansman (vocals and drum) - with Alfred between voice and strong sounds, with more varied joiking
Hakkinen on guitar and drum. They are joik-imbued, but and less drifting ambience than its 1995 predecessor
essentially Sami folk-pop. Wimme.
'Si Skeaikit (Mipu, Finland).

The group's album features some straightforward,

third
Johan Sara Jr. & Group
singing, but has more technological influence than before, Sara's group are a five-piece and use largely non-chordal
with the keyboards and programming of producer-engineer instruments and percussion to accompany traditional and
Kimmo Kajasto (of RinneRadio). Also hints of native North new joiks.
American music.
S3 Ovcci Vuomi Ovtta Veaiggis (DAT, Norway).

Orbina The instrumentation flows into the joiks, drawing out rhythmic
motifs and giving a contemporary accessibility, without clutter-
Orbina are joiker Leif Isak Eide, Mari Boine band guitarist
ing their freedom.
Roger Ludvigsen, and Sissel/Annbjorg Lien keyboardist
Bjorn Ole Rasch.
Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa
S3 Orbina (Idut, Norway).
Valkeapaa is a major figure in Sami music, poetry and

Big, spacious joik rock on new and traditional themes. With visual art, and a pioneer of the current creative climate.
saxophonist Bendik Hofseth. guest joiker Inga Juuso, Man His regular collaborators have been Finns Seppo
Boine band rhythm section et al. Paakkunainen and Esa Kotilainen, who surround his joiks
with sound textures of woodwind and reeds, subtle synth

Ulla Pirttijarvi and trickling, rattling percussion.

This singer was originally the third member of the group Dalveleaikkat: Wintergames (DAT, Norway).
Angelin Tytot, and now has a solo career. A good gathering together of what Aillohas and associates
CO
have been evolving over the years. With Paakkunainen and
S3 Ruossa Eanan (Warner/Atrium, Sweden).
Kotilainen, and fellow-joiker Johan Anders Baer. Centred
An impressive and appealing album with support from a trio on music they made for 1994's Lillehammer Winter
from Transjoik, plus leading Swedish saxophonist Jonas Olympics.

260 Samiland
Scotland

from strathspeys to acid croft

Scottish music is in better health than for decades, with a bedrock of Celtic groups - the likes of
Boys of the Lough, Silly Wizard, Tannahill Wavers, and Runrig - storming through traditional material
in a blaze of bagpipes and flying fiddles. Pete Heywood and Colin Irwin survey a new roots culture
that seems to have finally shaken off the image of Andy Stewart and Jimmy Shand, with their
accordions and sentimental songs of the highlands.

the 1980s and '90s saw

Scotland through current in rural outposts, or the old travelling
an explosion of roots and dance music, singers - people like the Stewarts of Blair-
and, at the same time, a renewal and revis- gowrie, Isla Cameron, Lizzie Higgins, and the
iting of traditions that had seemed per- them
greatest of all, Lizzie's mother, Jeannie
ilously close to the edge. As the '90s close, there Robertson.
are a half a dozen Scottish labels devoted entirely On the instrumental front, there were fewer
to local music; there's a monthly roots magazine, obvious role models despite the continued pres-
the aptly titled Living Tradition, and there's a real ence of a great many people playing in Scottish

sense of a scene - from Glasgow up to the right dance bands, pipe bands and Strathspey and
Shetlands. A new generation of bands and musi- Reel Societies (fiddle orchestras). In the 1960s
cians can wear their Scottishness on their sleeves, the action was coming out of Ireland and the
confident that this is a music at last commanding recorded repertoire of bands like The Chieftains
as much respect as the traditions of Ireland, or even became the core of many a pub session hi Scot-
England. land. Even in the early 1970s, folk fiddle players
That Scots music had been troubled in the years were rare, although Aly Bain (see box overleaf) CO
o
of Anglo pop and rock dominance was in
perhaps, due to its nature. A precision is
part,
required
made a huge impression when he came down from
Shetland, and soon after, Shetland Reels started to
o
in traditional Scottish performance - especially in creep into the general folk repertoire.
piping - that irons out much of the individual flair The 'Celtic Folk Band' was a creation of the
of a solo player. But the broadening of the music 1960s. Previously the art of a traditional musician
in the new roots scene, with 'non-traditional' influ- was essentially a solo one. These days, there is a

ences coming from Ireland in particular, and from more or less standard formula with a melody lead
the folk scene in general, has allowed the virtuos- - usually fiddle or pipes - plus guitar, bouzouki
ity of individual artists to come through. and a singer. The singer is often just another sound
in the band whereas before it was the song that

The Celtic Folk Band was the

was
focus. Instrumental in these
Glasgow folk group, The Clutha, who in
developments
a
Arrives a folk scene dominated by singers and guitarists,
As in much of northern Europe, the story of Scot- boasted not one but two fiddlers, along with a con-
land's roots scene begins amid the 'folk revival' certina, and four strong singers - including the
of the 1960s - a time when folk song and tradi- superb Gordeanna McCulloch.
tional music engaged people who did not have The Clutha were hugely influential and became
strong family links with an ongoing tradition. For even more successful when Jimmy Anderson
many in Scotland, traditional music had skipped a introduced a set of chamber pipes into the line-
generation and they had to make a conscious effort up. Jimmy was not only a great piper but was also
to learn about it. At first, the main influences were a pipe maker and he 'invented' a set of pipes to be
largely American - skiffle music and people like- played in the key of D and which sounded much
Pete Seeger - but soon people started to look to quieter than the highland pipes. This was essen-
their own traditions, taking inspiration from the tial at that time, as virtually all the venues were
Gaelic songs of Cathy-Ann McPhee, then still acoustic and sound systems were not up to the job

Scotland 261
 Aly Bain and Shetland Magic

Boys of the Lough with Aly Bain (2nd from le

Aly Bain has been a minor deity among Scottish musi- old fiddlers gradually faded and died, and Shetland
cians for three decades. A fiddle player of exquisite music seemed destined to disappear too.

technique and individuality, he has been the driving That it didn't was largely down to Aly. After a spell
force of one of Scotland's all-time great bands, Boys with Billy Connolly (then a folk artist, before finding
of the Lough, throughout that time, while latterly diver- comedy success as a professional Glaswegian) on the
sifying roles as a TV presenter and author. In these Scottish folk circuit, Aly found himself working with
guises, he has been instrumental in spreading the wings blues iconoclast Mike Whellans, and then the two of
of Scottish music to an even greater extent. First and them tumbled into a link-up with two Irishmen, Robin
foremost, though, Bain is a Shetlander and his great- Morton and Cathal McConnell, in a group they called
est legacy is the inspiration he has provided for a thriv- Boys of the Lough. The last thing Aly Bain imagined
ing revival of fortunes for Shetland's own characteristic was that he'd spend the next quarter of a century
tradition. answering to this name. But he did, and his joyful

Aly was brought up in the capital of Shetland, Ler- artistry, unwavering integrity and unquenchable appetite
wick, and was enthused to play the fiddle by Bob Dun- and commitment to the music of his upbringing kept

can - who endlessly played him records by the Shetland music alive in a manner he could never have
strathspey king Scott Skinner - and later the old mae- imagined. Even more importantly, it stung the imagi-
stro Tom Anderson. Duncan and Anderson were the nation of the generation that followed.
last of an apparently dying breed, and the youthful Aly These days, Shetland music is buzzing again, with
was an odd sight dragging his fiddle along to join in its own annual festival a treat of music-making and
with the old guys at the Shetland Fiddlers Society. Play- drinking that belies the impersonal industrialisation of
ers like Willie Hunter Jnr and Snr, Willie Pottinger and Shetland. There are young musicians pouring out of
Alex Hughson were legends locally, but they belonged the place, and a plethora of bands of all styles, includ-

to another age and the magic of Shetland fiddle play- ing pop-oriented groups such as Rock, Salt & Nails
ing - one inflected with the eccentricity of the isolated and more recently Red Vans. The pick of the roots
environment and the influence of nearby Scandinavia. players, currently, is Catriona MacDonald - who was
By the time the teenage Aly was persuaded to leave also taught by Tom Anderson, in his last days. She is
for the mainland, Shetland was changing by the minute, adept at classical music, and is fast becoming an
and the discovery of North Sea oil altered it beyond accomplished mistress of Norwegian music, and her
redemption, as the new industrial riches trampled its mum went to school with Aly Bain - which in Shetland
unique community spirit and sense of tradition. The these days counts for an awful lot.

262 Scotland
of balancing out the sounds of pipes, fiddle and of several important piping clans, among which
voices. Such a development was to come later, in were the MacArthurs, MacKays and MacDonalds,
the late 1970s, with bands like Battlefield Band, and others. In the seventeenth and eighteenth cen-
The Tannahill Weavers and Ossian. turies, through the influence of the British army,
Key, too, to developments were The Boys of and strathspeys joined the repertoire and a
reels

the Lough, a Scots-Irish group led by the Shet- of military pipe bands emerged. After
tradition
land fiddler Aly Bain (see box) and The World War II they were joined by civilian bands,
Whistlebinkies. Developing in the Glasgow folk alongside whom developed a network of piping
scene alongside The Clutha, both these groups competitions.
took a strong instrumental line, rather than The The bagpipe tradition has continued uninter-
Clutha's song-based approach. These two bands rupted, although for much of this century under
were in many ways Scotland's equivalent to The the domination of the military and the folklorists
Chieftains and through their musical ability and Piobaireachd Society. Recently, however, a num-
recognition outside the folk clubs, played an impor- ber of Scottish musicians have revived the pipes
tant part in breaking down musical barriers. in new and innovative forms. Following the lead
The Whistlebinkies were notable for employ- of Clutha, The Boys of the Lough, and The
ing only traditional instruments, including fine Whistlebinkies, a new wave of young bands began
clarsach (Celtic harp) from Judith Peacock. How- to feature pipers, notably Alba with the then-
ever, the most important, and defmingly Scottish, teenage Alan McLeod, the Battlefield Band,
element of all three of these bands was the pres- whose arrangements involve the beautifully mea-
ence of bagpipes. Clutha had piper Jimmy sured piping of Duncan McGillivray, and Ossian
Anderson; the Whistlebinkies featured Rab Wal- with Iain MacDonald. These players redefined
lace, who had a firm background in the Scots pip- the boundaries of pipe music using notes and fin-
ing scene; while The Boys also had an experienced ger movements outside of the traditional range.
piper in Robin Morton. They were pioneers for They also showed the influence of Irish Uillean
what was to become a revolution. pipe players (particularly Paddy Keenan of the
Bothy Band) and Cape Breton styles which many
Pibroch: Scots Pipes claim is the original, pre-military Scottish style.
In 1983 Robin Morton released A Controversy
Bagpipes are synonymous with Scotland yet they of Pipers on his Temple Records label, an album
are not a specifically Scots instrument. The pipes featuring six pipers from folk bands who were also

were once to be found right across Europe, and top competitive players in the piping world. Up
pockets remain, across the English border in until this point, pipers in a folk band could be con-
Northumbria, all over Ireland, in Spain and Italy, sidered second class by some in the piping estab-
and in eastern Europe, where bagpipe festivals are lishment. This recording made a statement and
still held in rural areas. In Scotland, bagpipes seem soon the walls began to crumble!
to have made their appearance
around the fifteenth century, and
over the next hundred years or so
they took on several forms, includ-
ing quieter varieties (small pipes),
both bellows and mouth blown,
which allowed a diversity of play-
ing styles.

The highland bagpipe form

known as pibroch (piobaireachd in
Gaelic) evolved around this time,
created by clan pipers for military,
gathering, lamenting and march-
ing purposes. Legend among the
clan pipers of this era were the
MacCrimmons (they of the famous
"MacCrimmon's Lament", com-
posed during the Jacobite rebel-
lion), although they were but one The Battlefield Band

Scotland 263
 Alongside all this came a revived interest in tra- mid-1960s Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was at

ditional piping, and in particular the strathspeys, Clive's Incredible Folk Club, in Glasgow, that The
slowairs and reels, which had tended to get sub- Incredible String Band made their debut, led
merged beneath the familiar military territory of by Mike Heron and Robin Williamson. They
marches and laments. The century's great bagpipe took an unfashionable glance back into their own
players, notably John Burgess, received a belat- past on the one hand, while plunging headlong
ed wider exposure. His legacy includes a master- into psychedelia and other uncharted areason the
ful album and a renowned teaching career to ensure other. Their success broke do"\vn significant bar-
that the old piping tradition marches proudly into* riers, both in and out of Scotland, and in their
the next century. wake came a succession of Scottish folk-rock
crossover musicians. Glasgow-born Bert Jansch

Folk Song launched folk super-group Pentangle withjacqui

McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson,
and the Club Scene and the flute-playing Ian Anderson found rock
Whilst the folk bands were starting to catch up on success withjethro Tull. Meanwhile, a more tra-
the Irish and integrating bagpipes, folk song was ditional Scottish sound was promoted by the likes
also flourishing. The song tradition in Scotland is of Archie, Ray and Cilia Fisher, who sang new
one of the strongest Europe and in all areas of
in and traditional ballads, individually and together.
the country there were pockets of great singers The great figure, however, along with MacColl,
and characters. In the 1960s the common ground was the singer and guitarist Dick Gaughan, whose
was the folk club network and the various festi- passionate artistry towers like a colossus above three
vals dotted around the country. decades. He started out in the Edinburgh folk club
The great modern pioneer of Scots folk song, scene with an impenetrable accent, a deep belief in
and a man who it is perhaps no exaggeration to the socialist commitment of traditional song, and a
say rescued the whole British tradition, was the guitar technique that had old masters of the art hang-
great singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl, bom ing on to the edge of their seats. For a couple of
in Perthshire in 1915 (see feature box). He record- years in the early 1 970s, he played with Aly Bain in
ed the seminal Scottish Popular Ballads as early as The Boys of the Lough, knocking out fiery versions
1956, and founded the first folk club in Britain. of trad Celtic material. Gaughan became frustrated,
After MacColl, another of the building blocks of however, by the limitations of a primarily instru-

the 1960s folk revival were the Aberdeen group, mental (and fiddle-dominated) group and subse-
The Gaugers. Song was the heart of this group quently formed Five Hand Reel. Again playing
— Tarn Speirs, Arthur Watson and Peter Hall were Scots-Irish traditional material, they might have been
all good singers - though they were also innova- the greatest folk-rock band of them all if they had-
tive in using instrumentation (fiddle, concertina n't just missed the Fairport/Steeleye Span boat.
and whistle) without a guitar or other rhythm
instrument to tie the sound together.
Other significant Scots groups on the 1 960s
scene included the Ian Campbell Folk
Group, Birmingham-based but largely Scots
in character (and who included future Fair-
port Daves, Swarbnck and Pegg, as well as
Ian's sons, who went on to
Aly and Robin,
form UB40). They flirted with commercial-
ism and pop sensibilities - as virtually every
folk group of the era was compelled to do —
and were too often unfairly bracketed with
England's derided Spinners as a result. So too
were The Corries, although they laced
their blandness with enterprise, inventing
their own instrumentation and writing the
new unofficial national anthem, "Flower of
Scotland".
Other more adventurous experiments grew
out of the folk and acoustic club scene in

264 Scotland
 Ewan MacColl: The Man from Auchterarder
The most gifted, influential and inspirational
single Initially MacColl made his mark in the theatre ('apart
figure modern British folk song was a man from
in from myself, he is the only man of genius writing for the-

Auchterarder, Perthshire, called Ewan MacColl atre in Britain today' asserted George Bernard Shaw), and
(1915-89). He was enthused with the unique spirit later moved to the BBC, where he allied his theatrical lean-

and dignity of Scottish music by his parents, both ings with his love of folk music in a series of documen-
lowlanders, and became a tary dramas in which the lives

BLACK AND WHITE

superb ballad singer, devot-
ing himself to the

such zeal and

music with
political sense
IE WAN
MACCOLL
of people

were
in different

illustrated

interspersal of his
industries

by the shrewd
own songs,
The Definitive Collection
of purpose that it still colours written in a folk idiom for the

people's thinking years later. series. These eight 'radio bal-

He is perhaps best lads' were major breakthroughs

remembered now as a glo- for folk music, and from that

riously evocative songwrit- point on MacColl was a cen-

er - with the ability to switch tral figure in the evolution of

from tender love songs to British roots music. He contin-

crushing political venom ued to perform with his Amer-
without apparent change in ican wife Peggy Seeger almost
demeanour. But it was his to his death in 1989, his hatred
revolutionary championing of the Thatcher government
of indigenous folk song that inspiring him to ever greater
caused such a furore, and played such a fierce role heights of savagery in his songwriting.
in the preservation of folk song wherever it came Elvis Costello made debut down
his public the bill

from. Singers and musicians, decreed MacColl, at a Ewan MacColl gig. Shane MacGowan of The
should only play music of their own country: a rule Pogues says the only time he ever set foot in a folk
he gained much notoriety for imposing at his own clubwas when MacColl was appearing. And both Elvis
folk clubs. It seems a ludicrous notion in hindsight Presley and Roberta Flack recorded one of his songs
but with American music sweeping the world in the - the superlative "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". CO
late 1950s/early '60s may well have saved large They should be thinking about building some kind of o
swathes of
it

traditional British folk music. statue up there in Auchterarder.

o

Leaving to pursue an independent career, Gaelic Rocking

Gaughan became a fixture on the folk circuit and
made a series of albums exploring Scots and Irish
and Fusions
traditional music and re-interpreting the material Scottish music took an unexpected twist in 1978
for guitar. His Handful o f Earth (1981) was perhaps with the low-key release of an album called Play
the single best solo folk album of the decade, a Gaelic. It was made by a little-known ceilidh group
record of stunning intensity with enough con- called Runrig, who took their name from the old
temporary relevance and historical belief to grip Scottish oil field system of agriculture, and worked
all generations of music fans. And though sparing primarily in the backwaters of the highlands and
in his output, and modest about his value in the islands. The thing, though, that stopped people in
genre, he's also become one of the best songwrit- their tracks was the fact that they were writing
ers of his generation. original material in Gaelic. This was the first time
Oucial contributions to folk song came, too, any serious Scottish working band had achieved
from two giants of the Scottish folk scene who any sort of attention with Gaelic material, although
were probably more appreciated throughout Ossian were touching on it around a similar time,

Europe than at home - the late Hamish Imlach as w Mah-Oganaich.

ere
and Alex Campbell - and from song collec- Runrig have since marched on to unprecedented
tors and academics such as Norman Buchan, heights, appearing in front of rock audiences at
with his hugely influential songbook, 101 Scot- concert halls around the world where only a par-
tish Songs, and Peter Hall, with The Scottish tial proportion of the audience are jocks in exile.

Folksinger. Their Gaelic input is marginal these days, but they

Scotland 265
 started a whole new ball rolling, chipping away at in the Gaelic language after years of it being regard-
prejudices, adopting accordions and bagpipes, ever ed in Scotland as moribund and defunct.
sharper arrangements, electric instruments, full- Of course, not everyone applauds. Critics point
blown rock styles, surviving the inevitable per- out" that many singers using the language are not
sonnel changes and the continuous carping of critics native Gaelic speakers and only learn the words
accusing them of selling out with every new mar- phonetically, while further controversy has been
ket conquered. They even made a concept album, caused by the 'sampling' of archive recordings for
Recovery, which related the history of the Gael in use in backing tracks. For many people these songs
one collection, provoking unprecedented interest* are important and personal, and in the case of some

Ceilidhs, Festivals and Contacts

Dances, Ceilidhs and Festivals tin whistle or accordion have now begun to form bands
Scottish dances thrived for years under the auspices and teach others. And the sheer numbers of young
of the RSCDS, the Royal Scottish County Dance Soci- people coming through the Feis throughout the High-
ety. Their events tended to be fairly formal with dancers lands has resulted in more and more communities
who were largely skilled but in the 1 970s and 80s more holding workshops and ceilidhs. In small communi-

and more Scottish dances, or ceilidhs, adopted the ties there are great economic spin-offs for instrument
(English bam dance) practice of a 'caller' to call out the makers, music shops and for teachers of traditional
moves. Nowadays there are two types of traditional music.
dance events: ceilidh dances, usually with a caller Tuition projects have not been limited to the High-

and perhaps a more folky band, and Scottish Country lands. In Edinburgh Stan Reeves has made remark-
Dances, usually with a more traditional Scottish dance able progress with The Scots Music Group within
band line-up and an expectation that the dancers will The Adult Learning Project, leading to several hun-
know the dance forms. dred people learning traditional instruments and an
Scottish music festivals range from the Celtic annual festival of fiddle music. In Glasgow, The Glas-
Connections Festival (January at The Glasgow Royal gow Fiddle Workshop under the guidance of Ian
Concert Hall) where you can catch many of the top Fraser, has made similar progress and is starting to
C/5
O names in the Celtic music world
cert setting, to lots of smaller festivals
in a comfortable con-
which offer a
widen its brief beyond fiddle tuition.

mix of concert, ceilidh and informal sessions. In recent Feisean Nan Gaidheal: Nicolson House, Somerled
years there has been an increase in the number of fes- Square, Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9EJ;
tivals where teaching takes a central role. Many of these « 01478 613355, fax 613399.
are in the Highlands and Islands where the Feisean Adult Learning Project/Scots Music Group:
movement has introduced thousands of people to tra- 184 Dairy Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2EP;
ditional music-making. tr 0131 337 5442, fax 337 9316.

The Feisean Movement The Living Tradition

Scottish bands such as Capercaillie and Runrig feed The Living Tradition is a traditional music magazine
the notion that folk music can be exciting, electric and published from Ayrshire. It covers music from Britain
diverse, without losing sight of its roots. However, the and Ireland, with a focus, obviously, on Scotland. They
survival of traditional music depends on support from also run a mail order service for traditional recordings,

young players: they need to play it, listen to it, and take and their website offers a reasonable starting point for
it forward. In Scotland, change is coming from a grass- issues arising from this article.

roots Feisean Movement (feis is Gaelic for festival). The Living Tradition, PO Box 1026, Kilmarnock,
These festivals, held during summer months and school Ayrshire KA2 OLG; » 01563 571220; email living.
holidays, involve children receiving tuition in tradition- tradition@almac.co.uk Website www.folkmusic.net
al music, drama, art, dance and Gaelic singing, with
evening gigs in local venues. The teachers (and per- The Piping Centre
formers) are often leading musicians. The place to visit for anybody with an interest in piping.

The idea began on the island of Barra, in the south- They have an exhibition, a teaching programme, con-
ern Hebrides, in 1981 and has spread to many parts cert space, cafe and even a hotel.

of the Islands and Highlands. Its results have been The Piping Centre: 32 McPhater Street, Glasgow;
remarkable. Beginners on the fiddle, clarsach, guitar, w 0141 353 0220, fax 353 1570.

266 Scotland
 ly Capercaillie and Shooglenifty. The former,
based on the arrangements of Manus Lunny and
the gorgeous singing of Karen Mattheson, rose
from Argyll pub sessions to flirt with mass com-
mercial appeal, reworking Gaelic and tradition-
alsongs from the West Highlands. Shooglenifty
meanwhile captured the imagination of a new
audience with a style they described with their
tongues in their cheeks as 'acid croft'.

Snooglenifty
'/

of the religious singing, they

this use was in bad taste.
felt very strongly that
discography
Nonetheless, the popularity of Gaelic roots bands
In addition to the disc reviewed below, see the box over-
undeniably paved the way for 'purer' Scots musi-
leaf for details of theremarkable Scottish Tradition Series
cians and singers: clarsach player Alison Kinnaird, of CDs and more information, check out
cassettes. For
for instance; or singers Savourna Stevenson, the 'Scottish Music Links' at www.netreal.co.uk - a won-
derful site with links to many label and artist pages, and
Christine Primrose, Flora McNeill, Cathy-
even a gallery of Aurora Borealis photos!
Ann MacPhee, Heather Heywood, and Jock
Duncan; or the Wrigley sisters from Orkney - General Compilations
who started out as teenagers playing traditional
music with technical accomplishment and attitude 33 The Caledonian Companion (Greentrax, Scotland).

and are now the core of the band Seelyhoo. A 1975 live recording of four of Scotland's most respected
traditional, north-east musicians - Alex Green, Willie Fraser,
And among the ranks of the roots or fusion
Charlie Bremner and John Grant - featuring solo fiddle,
bands, each with their own agendas and styles, mouth-organ, whistle and diddling.
have passed many - perhaps most - of Scotland's
IJJI The Rough Guide to Scottish Music
finest contemporary musicians. Silly Wizard, Lili (World Music Network, UK).
especially, featured a singer of cutting quality in
A terrific compilation, this is strongest on the new roots
Andy M. Stewart (and did he need that M.), bands - with good selections from Battlefield Band,
while Phil and Johnny Cunningham have gone Capercaillie and Wolfstone, among others - but also delves it t/i

on to display a pioneering zeal in their efforts to iinto folk (Dick Gaughan) and traditional singing (Catherine-
Ann McPhee, Heather Heyward)
use their skills on accordion and flddle to knit Scot-
tish traditional music with other cultures. 83 The Nineties Collection (Greentrax, Scotland).

Mouth Music, were innovative: a Scots-

too, Sixteen artists, including four pipers and well-known names
origin (but recently Canadian) duo of Martin
such as Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham play all-new tunes in a O
traditional style. Also available, is a companion book containing
Swan and Talitha MacKenzie, who mixed Gael- over 200 tunes (Canongate Books, Scotland).
ic vocals (including the traditional 'mouth music'

techniques of sung rhythms) with African percus- Traditional

sion and dance sounds. Talitha MacKenzie later

went solo, radically transforming traditional Scot- Singers

tish songs, which she clears from the dust of folk-
lore with wonderful multitracked vocals and the
Jock Duncan
characteristic Mouth Music African rhythms.
Duncan is an authentic bothy ballad singer from Pitlochry
Another development was the fusion of tradi- who gets to the heart of any song. He made his recording
tional music and jazz by bands such as The Easy debut aged seventy on the album below, backed by musi-
Club and the duo of piper Hamish Moore and cians including his son, the piper Gordon Duncan.

jazz saxophonist Dick Lee. Moore has since come 83 Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan (Springthyme, Scotland).
full circle, now taking his inspiration from a par- Some of the traditional singing on this album is truly remark-
allel Scottish culture which has developed in Cape able and the production from Battlefield Band founder Brian
McNeill is impressive, too, creating an atmoshphere that
Breton. Scottish interest in Cape Breton music
only falls a little short of the experience of a live performance.
(covered in Tiie Rough Guide to World Music Vol-
ume 2) has also led to the more or less lost tradi-
Heather Heywood
tion of Scottish step dancing being reintroduced.
Heywood, from Ayrshire, is reckoned by many Scotland's
At the end of the 1990s, however, the two foremost traditional singer of her generation. She per-
most interesting Scottish roots groups are sure- forms largely core Scottish ballads and songs.

Scotland 267
 The Scottish Tradition Series
Scottish traditional music - in its deepest, darkest man- Music from the Western Isles (Volume 2) is anoth-
ifestations - has been superbly documented in a series er intriguing disc: Gaelic songs recorded in the Hebrides,
of archive recordings produced by Peter Cooke and including some great examples of 'mouth music', the
others at Edinburgh University's School of Scottish vocal dance music where sung rhythms are employed
Studies. The highlights of this collection have found to take the place of instruments There are pibroch
their way onto a series of a couple of dozen cassettes songs on this disc, too - the vocal equivalent of the
and/or CDs, which, if you're seriously interested in the pipers' airs and laments. On Volume 3, Waulking Songs
roots of many of the musicians covered in this article, from Barra, you enter another extraordinary domain,
are nothing less than a treasure trove. that of Gaelic washing songs, thumped out by women
The first volume in the series, Bothy Ballads, is to the rhythms of their cloth pounding. If you were played
one of the most important and fascinating. These nar- this blind, you could imagine yourself to be thousands
of miles from Scotland. More amazing vocal traditions

SCOTT1SH are unleashed on Volume 6, Gaelic Psalms from Barra,

TRADITION with their slow, fractured unison singing.
1
An equally compelling vocal tradition is that of the
feOTlj? I3ALLADS
Scottish Travelling Singers, showcased on Volume
Music from the North-Last
5, The Muckle Sangs. This is a delight, including vir-
r*j|
tually all the greats, Jeannie Robertson, Lizzie Higgins
and the Stewarts of Blairgowrie among them.
Fiddle music is also outstandingly represented in

the series, with several volumes devoted to the art.

Volume 4, Shetland Fiddle Music, features classic

players such as Tom Anderson and George Suther-
land, who were to exert such influence on the likes

of Aly Bain and Catriona MacDonald (see box on Aly

Bain on p. 262). Volume 9, The Fiddler and His Art,

school, of sconlsl) SRiOiest uNiwnsic y of eHNbunch is a fine overall compilation, showing the different
styles prevalent around the country.
rative songs were composed, sung and passed Finally, as you'd expect, the Scottish Tradition has
around the unmarried farmworkers accommodated recordings of some of the finest pibroch pipers, among
in bothies or outhouses in late-Victorian and Edwar- them George Moss (volume 15), and pipe majors
dian days. The songs were often comic or satirical, William MacLean, Robert Brown and R.B. Nicol (vol-
such as warnings about skinflint farmers to be avoid- umes 10, 1 1 and 12).

ed at the hiring markets. Under the bothy system,

workers would move on from farm to farm after six- The Scottish Tradition Series discs are available on CD
month 'fees', so the songs were in constant circula- and cassette from the Scottish label Greentrax (Cocken-
tion and re-invention. They include some gorgeous zie Business Centre, Edinburgh Rd, Cockenzie, East
ballads and instrumentals. Lothian EH32 OHL; «01 875-81 41 55).

By Yon Castle Wa' Canan Nan Gaidheal (The Language of the

(Greentrax, Scotland). Gael) (Greentrax, Scotland).

A 1993 disc of epic ballads and contemporary songs, pro- This superb 1980s recording, re-released on CD, shows
duced by Battlefield Band founder Brian McNeill. mature traditional singing from one of the best of the current
Heywood's forte is traditional song which she usually sings a generation of Gaelic singers.
McNeill
cappella. makes the album accessible, without
compromising the basic style, with the addition of accompani-
ment, including pipes - something which is difficult to do in
Gordeanna McCulloch
live performance. This was a landmark recording in the tradi-
The lead singer of seminal 1960s band, The Clutha,
tional area.
Gordeanna McCulloch is another of the great voices of
the Scottish Folk revival.
Catherine-Ann MacPhee
83 In Freenship's Name (Greentrax, Scotland).
Catherine-Ann MacPhee, from Barra, has a warm yet
strong voice and her Gaelic has the soft pronunciation of Gordeanna's voice is a strong, sweet and flexible instrument,
the southern islands of the Outer Hebrides. capable of a variety of tones. Here, she is at home among

268 Scotland
some great Scots songs, all traditional, bar one, and backed Scottish music. The friends include Boys of the Lough,
by some of Scotland's top musicians. Capercaillie, Hamish Moore and Dick Lee, and zydeco star
Queen Ida and her Bonne Temps band.

Jim Reid
TOM ANDERSON AND ALY BAIN
With Arbroath's Foundry Bar band, Jim Reid was for
many years a weel kent face at festivals and ceilidhs
throughout Scotland. One of our finest singers. S3 The Silver Bow: The Fiddle Music of Shetland
(Topic, UK).
ggi Saw the Wild Geese Flee (Springthyme, Scotland).
This collection of Shetland fiddle tunes was notable for bring-
A selection of songs ranging from his own compositions to ing together Bain with his old teacher. Tom Anderson. They
traditional ballads. Jim's version of "I Saw the Wild Geese played both individually and together on the album and the
Flee" alone, makes this re-issued album a classic. effect is never less than enthralling.

Margaret Stewart WITH PHIL CUNNINGHAM

and Allan MacDonald 83 The Pearl (Whirlie, Scotland).

Lewis-bom Margaret Stewart is a talented Gaelic singer; Bain teams up with Scotland's finest accordion player for
AllanMacDonald is one of the famous piping family from some fabulous tunes from slow airs to Shetland reels reflect-
Glenuig - his brother was the piper with Ossian and ing the incredible range of styles which this duo have mas-
Battlefield Band. tered. Phil composed almost half of the tracks and he plays
five of the six instruments featured.
83 Fhuair Mi Pog (Greentrax, Scotland).

This is a fascinating CD of music and Gaelic song that works

John Burgess
as terrific entertainment; lovely singing and great tunes, some
of the best written by Allan himself. The century's greatest exponent of traditional bagpipes.

v King of the Highland Pipers (Topic, UK).

Jane Turriff
The maestro demonstrates his art to devastating effect
Jane a legendary song carrier. Born into the
Turriff is through piobaireachd, strathspeys, hornpipes, reels and
Aberdeenshire Stewart family in 1915, she grew up in a marches. Not for the faint-hearted!
travelling family.

SSingin is Ma Life (Springthyme, Scotland). Pete Clarke

A must for anyone interested song style. Content
in traditional A great fiddle player whose skills with slow air playing
ranges from the 'big' ballads such as 'Dowie Dens of Yarrow" also makes him in greatdemand as a song accompanist.
through to the classic C&W song "Empty Saddles".
83 Fiddle Case (Smiddymade, Scotland).

Sheena Wellington An hour of top-notch traditional music - not all Scottish fiddle C/)
though - there are tunes from Europe and the US and even a o
Broadcaster and radio presenter, Sheena Wellington
Fife Council's Traditional Arts development officer
is

and
couple of songs. There's a classical feel to some of the o
pieces with cello and flute parts which works well.
one of Scotland's leading traditional singers.

S3 Strong Women (Greentrax, Scotland). Gordon Duncan

A live recording showing what Sheena does
off best, commu- Gordon Duncan, the son of bothy singer Jock, is one of
nicating traditional song to an audience. Scotland's younger generation of pipers who is stretching
the boundaries with some breathtaking solo piping.
Mick West The Circular Breath
Well-known as a session singer, West is now rated at (Greentrax, Scotland).
home and abroad as one of the country's finest tradition- As well as performing on the Great Highland Bagpipe,
al singers.
Gordon plays the practice chanter and low whistle. He is
J ; Fine Flowers & Foolish Glances (KRL, Scotland). joined by banjo-player Gerry O'Connor, Ian Carr on guitar,
Ronald MacArthur on bass guitar, Jim Sutherland playing clay
One of the most successful albums using jazz musicians with pots (!) and Andy Cook on Ugandan harp.
a strong traditional singer. It may prove to be a classic.

Alasdair Fraser
Instrumentalists
A master fiddler,renowned for his slow airs and now for
his leading of The Skyedance Band whose members pro-
vided music for the film Braveheart.
Aly Bain
Shetland-bom Aly Bain (see box on p. 262) is one of the i Dawn Dance (Culburnie, Scotland).

great movers in Scottish music's revival, through his

An album of completely self-penned tunes in the traditional
band, Boys of the Lough (see p. 270), and a panoply of style which bounces along, defying you to sit still while you
solo and collaborative ventures.
listen! Fraser has a rare clarity of playing, without sacrificing
the feel and enthusiasm essential to traditional music.

m Aly Bain and Friends

(Greentrax, Scotland).
Mac-Talla
One of the bestselling Scottish albums of modern times,
compiled from a TV series Bain produced on traditional In 1994 this 'Gaelic supergroup' made a small number of

Scotland 269
 concert appearances and one spectacular recording
'New Roots' Groups
before settling back into their own individual paths having
'made the statement'. Mac-Talla's members included
singers Arthur Cormack, Christine Primrose and Eilidh
Battlefield Band
MacKenzie plus Alison Kinnaird [clarsach - small harp), The Battlefield Band have been one of the enduring top
and ex-Runrig musician Blair Douglas. groups of the last thirty years. Evolving line-up changes
have kept a continued freshness with the constant being
Mairidh Gaol is Ceol
skilled musicianship and excellent songwriting.
(Temple, Scotland).
Rain, Hail or Shine
The one and only album from a 'Gaelic Supergroup' with
(Temple, Scotland).
impeccable credentials. Glorious harmony and solo singing?,
accordion and harp - you can hear the spirit even if you don't All Band trademarks are here in force - dis-
the Battlefield
understand the language. tinctive keyboard playing, well-chosen pipe tunes, guitar
and bouzouki injecting excitement and tension, fine
singing, and John McCusker's sharp fiddle-playing is a joy
Willie Hunter and Violet Tulloch
throughout.
WillieHunter was one of the all-time greats of the
Shetland fiddle and Violet Tulloch is one of Shetland's Boys of the Lough
leading piano accompanists.
With the virtuoso talents of Shetland fiddler Aly Bain and
K The Willie Hunter Sessions (Greentrax, Scotland). singer/flautist Cathal McConnell at the heart of the band,
The Boys have been a benchmark of taste for thirty
A set of recordings made over several years including Scots
years.
and Shetland strathspeys, reels and slow airs. 'Traditional
chamber music' of the highest order. i The Boys of the Lough (Shanachie, US).

This was the group's 1973 debut - and remains one of their
William Jackson strongest sets, powered by contributions from Dick Gaughan
Jackson is one of Scotland's best-known traditional
Billy and piper Robin Morton.
composers. He wrote some - and arranged most - of the
S3 The Day Dawn (Lough Records, Scotland).
music for folk band Ossian, and now works solo.
Quality, taste,superb singing and the relaxed easy style that
Inchcolm (Linn Records, Scotland). comes from musicians with years of experience. Along
skilled

with the concertina and mandola of Dave Richardson, Aly on

This album brings Billy's harp playing to centre stage. It is a
collection of largely unrelated tracks with some orchestral
fiddle and Cathal on flute, whistle and vocals, this album fea-

and forays tures singer and uillean piper Christy O'Leary.

interludes into Early and Eastern musics.

Hamish Moore Capercaillie

o One of Scotland's finest contemporary pipers, Hamish

The hugely influential and successful Capercaillie have
taken Gaelic music to a worldwide audience in a mod-
Moore plays Border pipes, Scottish Small pipes and the
ern contemporary style from a traditional base. They
great Highland Bagpipe.
have in Karen Mattheson one of the best singers around
ES Stepping on the Bridge (Greentrax, Scotland). today.

Inspired by the Scottish culture he discovered

Breton, Moore
panists to produce a
plays Scottish pipes with
lively glimpse of
in

Cape Breton accom-

what piping may have
Cape
® Beautiful Wasteland
(Survival Records,

Flute, whistle and uillean

Scotland/Green Linnet, US).

pipes pop up all over the place and

been like before it became regimented.
a whole host of things are happening with fiddles, bouzoukis,
keyboards and percussion, too.
Iain McLachlan
lain McLachlan is a well-known and respected accordion Ceolbeg
player who also plays fiddle and melodeon.
Ceolbeg were not a full time band but produced some of
the finest albums of the genre, featuring some fabulous
S An Island Heritage (Springthyme, Scotland).
songs from their singer, Davy Steele.
From the writer of "The Dark Island", real traditional music
from the Western Isles played on accordion, fiddle, melodeon E An Unfair Dance (Greentrax, Scotland).

and pipes. An impressive collection of tunes played on a huge variety of

instruments, with a great sense of light and shade.
Scott Skinner
Skinner was a legendary, Victorian era fiddler - Deaf Shepherd
formidably kilted and moustachioed. Following in the footsteps of the Battlefield Band, Deaf
Shepherd are a passionate 1990s band, rooted in the
O The Music Of Scott Skinner (Topic, UK).
Scottish tradition, and getting more skilled all the time.
An and authentic
essential roots album, featuring rare
]L Synergy (Greentrax, Scotland).
recordings by the elusive genius of the fiddle - and the
weird strathspey style in particular - dating from 1908. A really varied album, including traditional and new material,

Some of the quality is understandably distorted, though the and jumps from reels to jigs and back, invoMng vigorous fid-
collection is supplemented by modern interpretations by Bill dle playing and powerful bouzouki. Poignant guitar, fiddle and
Hardie. whistle counter-melodies smoothly with the vocals.

270 Scotland
 The Easy Club Seelyhoo
An admirably ambitious and sadly underrated group, the The Wrigley from Orkney have made their own
sisters
Easy Club took the baton from the more thoughtful Scots statement with their recordings. On this album they
own
bands of the 1 970s and ran with it at a pace, injecting tra- are joined by several other musicians in a band which
ditional rhythms with a jazz sense. came out of the Edinburgh session scene.
< Essential (Eclectic, Scotland). :
Leetera (Greentrax, Scotland).

Essential it is. MacColl's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" A really fresh approach to traditional tunes and Gaelic song
never sounded like this before. using fiddle, guitar, bass guitar, accordion, whistle, keyboard
and percussion. Vibrant music from some of Scotland's

Mouth Music young rising stars.

Gaelic nonsense songs - puirt-a-beul - met ambient'

dance, funk keyboards and African sampling in Talitha
Shooglenifty
MacKenzie and Martin Swan's Mouth Music. Shooglenifty are a innovative band who have
brilliant,
made their mark well beyond the Scottish roots scene
S3 Mouth Music (Cooking Vinyl, UK).
with their grafting of Scottish trad motifs and club culture
Talitha MacKenzie has gone on to a solo career but this first trance-dance. Live, they are unstoppable.
Mouth Music disc remains her finest hour - one of the best
Celtic fusions committed to disc, featuring stunning rhythms,
A Whisky Kiss
(Greentrax, Scotland).
funk, Gaelic sea shanties and puirt-a-beul.

The album that coined the term 'acid croft', with elements of tra-
Ossian ditional music and house. A sound here, a strange sound there,

a sequence played in an odd way. There's nothing else like it.

This groundbreaking band, formed in the mid-1970s, have

recently reformed with a new line-up featuring lain
Maclnnes on pipes and Stuart Morison on fiddle along- Silly Wizard
side founder members Billy Jackson on harp and Billy SillyWizard were a key roots band, featuring Andy M.
Ross on guitar and dulcimer. Stewart (vocals, bouzouki, guitar), Phil (accordion, etc)
SC The Carrying Stream (Greentrax, Scotland).
and Johnny (fiddle)Cunningham. Their albums are full of
fresh, lively takes on the whole traditional repertoire.
A fine album, signalling the welcome return of Ossian's
quintessential^ Scottish sound. This is a collection of terrif- S3 Live Wizardry (Green Linnet, US).

ic tunes - first rate jigs and reels, both traditional and con-
The band at their zenith in 1 988, playing traditional and self-
temporary, blended with songs in English, Scots and composed dance tunes and narrative ballads.
Gaelic.

ANDY M. STEWART, PHIL CUNNINGHAM

C/J
Runrig AND MANUS LUNNY
o
This band of Gaelic rock pioneers were formed in North Fire In The Glen o
-H
Uist, Outer Hebrides, in 1973 by brothers Rory (Shanachie, US). J—
(bass/vocals) and Calum MacDonald (drums/vocals), with
Two J>
singer Donnie Munro joining the following year. They former members of Silly Wizard combine with an
z
worked their way up, over fifteen years, from ceilidhs to
stadiums, going Top 1 in the UK charts in 1 991 They are .
Irishman in a formidable celebration of Scottish traditional
music. Phil Cunningham's brilliance as an accordion player is
o
perhaps at their very best live, with memorable tunes and demonstrated on any number of albums, but it's especially

vocals, and well-honed, subtle musicianship. impressive placed against the wonderful, wonderful singing of
Andy M. Stewart.
Alba (Pinnacle, UK).

An excellent 'best of compilation of this most dynamic Gaelic The Whistlebinkies

band.
One of the founding folk groups in Scotland - often
dubbed the 'Scottish Chieftains' - the Binkies are still

playing music with a difference.

S3 A Wanton Fling (Greentrax, Scotland).

An album that has all the freshness of early Whistlebinkies

recordings - a combination of lowland pipes, clarsach, flute,
concertina and fiddle.

Wolfstone
Wolfstone play folk-rock from the Highlands - "stadium
rock meets village-hall ceilidh" said one reviewer - full of
passion and fire.

S3 The Half Tail (Green Linnet, Scotland).

This is a more subdued progressive sound than usual for

Wolfstone, featuring amongst other tracks, a classic whaling
song "Bonnie Ship the Diamond", "The Last Leviathan" and
Mouth Musician Talitha MacKenzie catchy instrumental sets.

Scotland 271
Folk/Singer-songwriters Walking In Time (Greentrax, Scotland).

Includes four re-workings of traditional songs, three by

Artists other writers and seven of Laing's own songs, accompa-

nied by his own Spanish Producer Brian McNeill's
guitar.
multi-instrumental talents are also in evidence on most of

Eric Bogle the tracks.

Bogle emigrated from Scotland to work in Australia as an

accountant but when he returned home he was hailed for
Ewan MacColl
writing one of the great modern folk songs, "The Band MacColl was, simply, one of the all-time greats of British
•
Played Waltzing Matilda". folksong (see feature box on p.265).
33 Something of Value (Sonet, UK/Philo, US). In Black and White
Bogle's singing doesn't quite match his songwriting, but he (Cooking Vinyl, UK/Green Linnet, US).

has all-star support. Includes the number above. Thisposthumous compilation, lovingly compiled by his family,
showcases MacColl's superb technique as a singer, his gift
Archie and Cilia Fisher for choruses ("Dirty Old Town"), his colourful observation as a
lyricist ("The Driver's Song"), and his raging sense of injustice
The Fisher family - Archie, Ray and - were main- Cilia
("Black And White", written after the Sharpeville Massacre of
stays of the 1960s/70s Scottish folk club scene, reviving
old ballads and creating new ones.
1963). A fitting epitaph.

ARCHIE FISHER Dougie MacLean

One time member of The Tannahill Weavers, Dougie
S3 The Man With A Rhyme (Folk Legacy, US). MacLean is now carving out a successful solo career as a
Archie's finest hour - 14 tracks from 1976 with the Fisher singer-songwriter.
voice and guitar backed by concertina, banjo, dulcimers,
35 The Dougie MacLean Collection (Putumayo, US).
cello, fiddle and flute.

A good selection from Dougie's extensive recorded output

CILLA FISHER AND ARTIE TREZISE including perhaps his most famous song, "Caledonia".

SI Cilia and Artie (Greentrax, Scotland). Adam McNaughtan

Released in 1979, this still retains an ease and freshness - Adam McNaughtan has written many songs rich in
and Cilia's imperious rendition of the late Stan Rogers' "The Glasgow wit including one which has travelled the world,
Jeannie C" is worth the acquisition in itself. "Oor Hamlet", a condensed version of Shakespeare's
"Hamlet" to the tune of "The Mason's Apron". He has a
Dick Gaughan deep understanding of the tradition and is one of
Scotland's national treasures.
Singer/guitarist/songwriter, Gaughan is one of the most
charismatic of Scottish performers - an artist who can S3 Last Stand At Mount Florida (Greentrax, Scotland).
make you and explode with anger with every
laugh, cry
twist and nuance of delivery. His new material is still up Adam's comic songs are masterpieces and here he is in

there with his classic albums of the 1980s. excellent voice, accompanied by fellow Stramash members -
Finlay Allison, Bob Blair and John Eaglesham.
Handful of Earth
(Sonet, UK/Philo, US).
Brian McNeill
This is Gaughan classic: a majestic album of traditional
the
A man of amazing one time fiddling founder of
talents, the
and modern songs, still formidable a decade on. When Folk
the Battlefield Band a multi-instrumentalist and a song-
is
Roots magazine asked its readers to nominate the album of
writer of some substance.
the 1980s, it won by a street - and deservedly so.
S3 No Gods (Greentrax, Scotland).
Robin Laing An album showing the broadening of McNeill's writing talent
Robin Laing one of the best songwriters and perform-
is both in song and tunes. He is joined by ten backing musicians
ers to emerge out of the Scottish folk scene in the 1 990s. including masterful guitarist Tony MacManus.

272 Scotland
Serbia and Montenegro

balkan beats
The and Montenegro, linked in an uneasy federation, make up the only Yugoslavia
states of Serbia
that is and - at time of writing - find themselves driven to the verge of break-up, due to the
left,

policies of Slobodan Milosevic, the Federal President. War with NATO, crippling sanctions, and the
burden of a vast influx of ethnic Serbs displaced from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, has,
unsurprisingly, created a mistrustful, inward-looking society. In this climate, music is alternatively an
opiate, a malleable means of political influence, or simply a means of asserting human dignity. Kim
Burton reports.

w
hile Westerners tend to associate Still, just as is the case with Country and West-
'folk music' with traditional tunes ern, there are true gems to be found, and ephemer-
sung by revivalists, in societies that al as these songs may
some are masterpieces in
be,
retain something of their ancient Saban Saulic, Saban
miniature. Miroslav Ilic,
mores and social relationships, it can equally Bajramovic, Semsa Suljakovic, Vesna Zmi-
mean a modern tune sung by ordinary people janac and Hanka Paldum are not only great stars

as a part of their lives. The state of 'folk music' but also fine singers, and some are distinguished
(narodna muzika) in Serbia illustrates this in a interpreters of the noble tradition of sevdalinka (see

very direct way. It's possible to find, in more Bosnia-Herzegovina, p. 33).

remote areas, survivals of ancient songs and At the pop end of the spectrum is Lepa Brena,
dances from some half-understood ritual, yet whose posters stare down from bedroom walls all

when most Yugoslavs talk about narodna muzi- over the Balkans. She presents herself as a girl of the
CO
ka they usually mean songs written this year or people made good, and remains popular inside the m
last,and performed in nightclubs or on TV by country and beyond. Like many of her colleagues 30
singers wearing glittering and often skimpy cos- she is of Bosnian origin. Indeed it is from urban
tumes. This novokomponovana narodna muzika Bosnian music, with its Turkish influences, that
(newly composed folk music), with its high modem novokomponovana draws much of its style, fio

media profile, its stars and scandals, hit-parades to the enduring displeasure of the self-appointed
and its own magazine, Sabor, is an extremely guardians of Serbian national and artistic purity.

important strand in Serbia's (and to a lesser As in Croatia, the rise of nationalist feeling -
extent Montenegro's) musical life. neverfar below the surface if truth be told — has

been mirrored in Serbia's music, and its (often

Country and Eastern racist) expression made more acceptable under the C5
30
From the outset of the war
Novokomponovana has transformed tradition-
guise of 'patriotism'.
in Yugoslavia, songs associated with the royalist
O
al village and small-town songs into a music that and anti-Communist resistance of the Second
answers the needs of urban working-class life - World War that had remained underground, and
particularly that of rural immigrants — and under- could not have been sung in public without fear
writes a huge recording industry. It is comparable of arrest, began topping the charts, and new ones
in some ways to Country and Western music in were written to accompany them.
the US. Both use a band of traditionally sanctioned Later, as the fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina
instruments — accordion and clarinet in the case of reached ,1 new intensity and rendered Serb soci-
one, fiddle and steel guitar in the other; both use ety - treated as a pariah by the Western public —
a formalised performance practice derived from yet more paranoid and inward-looking, the pro-
true folk roots; both have lyrics dealing mainly duction of songs overtly calling for slaughter
with love and its betrayal; and finally, the vast increased, part of the machinery of war. The same
majority of both genres is superficial and written process continued during the war with NATO
to order. over Kosovo.

Serbia and Montenegro 273

 Turbo-Folk
Many young Serbs have had an equivocal
relationship with this music. Although some
entered whole-heartedly into playing the
pan prepared for them, others took refuge
in a further development of new-composed
folk music. In the early 1990s the youth of
Belgrade and other industrial towns took
the modernisation a stage further with the
invention of what was soon dubbed
Turbo-folk. The beat grabbed influences
from garage, house and jungle, producers
jumbled sampled guitar riffs, spaced-out
synth sounds and heavy bass-lines behind
singers whose melodies and turns of phrase
owed something to rock and soul, but more
to the age-old sound of the village, or the
sentimental urban song of the 1950s, '60s
and '70s. The grooves got faster, the beats
more aggressive and the samples more
eclectic, while the costumes shrank to
.WHXULES
become, if possible, yet skimpier. COM POSITIONS DE OIVCRS WT€URS.
The sound of turbo-folk is at its best in
noisy company with some form of alcohol 100 Serbian Dances, c 191
abuse and, if chronologically feasible, the
angst of puberty. But if you want to wallow, the Traditional Styles
names of Ceca. Dragana. Sneki and Nino are
ones worth remembering. Their lyrics, on the When divorced from the political arena, Serbian
CO
whole, eschew nationalism for pop's eternal sub- music is generally cheerful rather than stately, joy-
ject — love and its probable failures. But the apo- ful rather than lamenting (although it has its own
litical aspect of the music is not necessarily reflected satisfyingly miserable sevdalinka tradition) and is

in the lives of the performers. Ceca, one of the well represented by the fast two-beat dance called
better and certainly more popular female singers, the kolo, meaning a wheel or circle. As its name
is married to the notorious warlord (and arraigned suggests, this is danced by
group of people in a
a
war criminal) Zeljko Raznjatovic-Arkan, com- ring, clasping each other's hands and wheeling
mander of a vile paramilitary unit active in the from right to left and back again. The upper body
conflicts in both Croatia and Bosnia. She gave a hardly moves the hard work is done below
at all: all

much publicised nation-rousing concert early in the knee and the feet weave the most intricate pat-
the war with NATO. terns. A kolo is liable to break out on most social

On the other side of political life, although there occasions and is obligatory at weddings, whether
has been no protest music as such, a few Serbian the music is being supplied by a live band, a sin-
groups have used folk-based forms in a mocking gle musician or just recordings. At one time the
way, implicitly criticising the hijacking of the music village bagpiper was essential, but nowadays there

by nationalists. Others reject folk altogether, some- are few, if any, to be found, and his place is usu-
times for similar reasons, adopting straight West- ally taken by an accord^mist or keyboard player

em rock modes. with a more or less clumpy drum machine.

There are also a few groups who stand outside The most typical peasant instrument today is the
of all these strands. Moba. for example, are a high- fhda, a small recorder-like flute, which can be played
ly committed and skilled group of women singers with considerable skill. It was originally a shep-
— many with an academic background — who sim- herds' instrument with a pure and piercing tone
ply try to keep the older tradition of village singing used for pastoral improvisations and to accompa-
alive. Without an overt political stance, they draw ny dancing. Its place is now occupied by the accor-
on their experiences as folklorists and performers dion, which has become the foremost national
to show that the value of such music is universal. instrument since its introduction shortly before

274 Serbia and Montenegro

World War L Most families have one tucked away orchestra six times since 1979 in the annual brass-
somewhere, often a child's size. The most usual band festival held in late August/early September
type has five or more rows of buttons, allowing in the village Many of the
of Guca, near Cacak.
rapid trills, slurs and repeated notes reminiscent of best musicians are Gypsies and their sound has
the articulation of the frula. Modern virtuosi play inspired the scores written by one-time pop star
with breathtaking velocity and precision. Goran Bregovic for Emir Kusturica's award- win-
One of the most extraordinary Serbian accor- ning films Tiie Time of the Gypsies and Underground.
dionists is Mirko Kodic, who plays with great
skill and passion, and is not afraid to mix the frula
Montenegro
with the synthesiser and sa-sa (a more syncopated-
rhythm than kolo, of southern origin) with rock
and Epic Poetry
music. A less iconoclastic but equally fine player The epic figure of the blind travelling minstrel
is Ljubo Pavkovic of the Narodni Orkestar of accompanying his tales of past heroes on the gusle, a

Radio-Television Belgrade, while an older gen- type of one-stringed fiddle, features prominently in
eration is represented by Tine and Radojka Serb art and literature as a symbol of national iden-
Zivkovic. New stars appear and disappear with tity and culture unbroken by five centuries 'under
remarkable speed. the Turkish yoke'. Like all nationalist myths there's

In the area bordering Croatia and Hungary, the a fairamount of truth in it and, although even this
Vojvodina (with its capital Novi Sad), large tam- particular tradition may only stem from the sixteenth

burica orchestras of the Croatian type are com- century in its present form, it deals with legends from
mon. The sound of the bands with their complex the remote past as well as historical events dating as
running countermelodies and driving backbeat, or far back as the fourteenth century.
tear-jerking tremolos is much the same, although Although the tradition of the sung epic
the repertoire is different, drawing on local folk- flourished throughout Croatia and Bosnia-
song and the cafe music of nineteenth- and early Herzegovina as well as Serbia, in this century it
twentieth-century Belgrade (the so-called staro- has become particularly identified with the moun-
gradske pesme). One fine singer from the area is tain fastness of Montenegro, where independence,
Zvonko Bogdan. isolation and an old-fashioned patriarchal society
provided the conditions in which it could con-
tinue to flourish. The vast majority of present-day
Brass Bands guslari come from Montenegro.
The poems, which may be thousands of lines
The southern areas of Serbia were freed from Turk- long, are intoned in a strained and pinched voice
ish control considerably later than Belgrade, and the rather than sung. The melody is more a set of pat-
music and dance of towns like Leskovac and Vran- terns to carry the words and aid the performer's
je have a much stronger oriental flavour than the memory than it is a tune, and a listener who does-
purely Slav music of northern and central Serbia. n't understand the words will come away with
Vranje is also the centre for one of the main the impression of unvaried and wearisome
schools of brass band music in the country (other monotony. But it is in the words that the inter-
ex-Yugoslav states have their own brass-band tra- They speak of entirely legendary subjects,
est lies.

ditions), the other two being in the Vlach country or historical figures become legendary, like the
(see overleaf) and around the town of Cacak in cen-
tral Serbia. These loud, energetic bands of trumpet,
euphonium, sousaphone-like bass, and snare and
bass-drum, sometimes augmented by saxophone or
clarinet, are now the most popular village ensem-
bles and have replaced the traditional instrumental
groups. They normally play local music, the straight-
forward kolo, or the more complex and syncopat-
ed Hocek dance. They also usually play recent hit

songs, along with the Lambada and Macarena.

The most famous bandleader, Bakija Bakic,
died a few years ago but his son carries on the fam-
ily tradition and has recently regained the status of
number-one band from Fejat Sejdic, voted top Jova Stojiljkovic and his Brass Orkestar

Serbia and Montenegro 275

 prince Kraljevic Marko whom they transform prophetic trances — a custom which is rumoured to
from minor nobleman of doubtful loyalties into
a still take place in private gatherings.
a mighty warrior against the Turks, aided by his The, funeral rites known as Pomana are the most
horse Sarac, who could speak and drink wine like common expression of old Vlach culture;
a man; or the hajduks, eighteenth- and nineteenth- designed to comfort and provide for the departed
century bandits who took to the hills and swept on their long journey to the other world, they are
down to rob and murder rich travellers, at the deeply emotional and rich in musical content. The
same time providing an unofficial resistance to French record company, Ocora, has released an
Ottoman rule. excellent recording of village music from the Kra-
The most important texts are a loose cycle of jina which includes funeral, wedding and dance
poems that cluster around the battle of Kosovo music from ensembles that range from bagpipe and
Polje when were conquered catas-
the Serbians fiddle duets to large brass bands.
trophically by the Turks in 1389. These tales of Modern Vlach popular music of the sort used
fate, heroism and treachery set the agenda for much in everyday life for dancing and other forms of enter-
of Yugoslav literature, and were one of the first to tainment bears a strong resemblance to that of Wal-
be pressed into service with the outbreak of war. lachia in southern Romania in its rhythm, harmony
Their themes of Islamic conquest and oppression, and modality. Dance music is energetic and speedy,
coupled with the view of Serbia as a 'heavenly often in a rapid 6/8 time, but with a melancholic
country' - favoured by God yet eternally a victim aspect that is more evident in the songs. Vlach music
of betrayal and falsehood — were vastly effective is very popular, not only among the Vlachs them-
in bringing about the state of mind that justified selves, and most Serbian musicians find it worth-
the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo. In Bosnia, each while to have several tunes in their repertoire.
of the Bosnian Serb gun crews shelling Sarajevo
had its resident guslar who regaled them with epics
as they watched the city burn.
Cassettes of guslars continue to be produced, and
deal with such diverse subjects as the death of promis-
discography
ing young footballers, the progress of the war, and
Compilations
the careers of notorious Belgrade gangsters. They
have probably found a wider audience in the 1 990s Folk Music of Yugoslavia (Topic, UK).
than at any time since World War II.
A splendid choice of village music from all over former-
Yugoslavia collected and annotated in 1969-70. It includes

Bo
The Vlachs some startling cuts, including a Serbian kolo.

5D Guslari I and II (RTS, Yugoslavia).

The northeastern corner of Serbia, an area known
A collection of some of the better-known historical and mythi-
as the Vlaska Krajina (the Vlach Marches), is home
cal epic poems intoned in traditional fashion to the the
to a little-known people, the Vlachs. Formerly accompaniment of the one-stringed gusle.

m nomadic shepherds, they speak a language closely

FJJI Yougoslavie 1: Les Bougies du Paradis
m related to Romanian but their origin remains LSEJ (Ocora, France).
C5 obscure. They may or may not be related to the This is a selection of music from the Vlach minority in the
30
O Vlachs of the border regions of Macedonia, Greece
and southern Albania, who also speak a version of
northeastern corner of Serbia, featuring energetic dances,
contemplative ballads, and music from the rituals of the dead.
A rare recording, of striking power, it is a wonderful introduc-
Romanian; the word Vlach originally had the sim- tion to the region's extravagant musical riches.
ple sense of foreign. In general their musical cul-
ture is practically identical with that of their
Artists
surrounding ethnic groups, but they retain a dis-

tinct sense of separate identity, even in Greece, Jova Stojiljkovic Brass Orkestar
where assimilation has gone the furthest. The Vlachs
The Orkestar are a nine-piece Gypsy brass band from the
of Serbia retain a unique mixture of customs, some village of Golemo Selo in the Vranje region of south
of which are clearly pre-Christian and connected Serbia. Their leader, Jova Stojiljkovic, is from at least the
third generation of musicians in his family.
with ancient cults of the forest and the sun and
moon, and many of the rituals connected with the 83 Blow 'Bedir Blow (GlobeStyle, UK).

customs involve music. At the Whitsuntide festival

Dance music with lots of cocek and plenty of kolo, giving a pretty
of Rusalija, for example, women used to fall into good idea of what you might hear at a wedding or all-night party.

276 Serbia and Montenegro

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Slovenia

flie sound of austro-slavs

Slovenia was the first member of the Yugoslav Federation to secede, achieving de facto (later fully

recognised) independence in July 1991 ,

following. a ten-day war which left sixty dead. This secession,
benign by Balkan standards, was largely thanks to the (again, relative) cultural homogeneity of
Slovenia compared to the other Yugoslav republics and its irrelevance to the plans of the major
players in the conflict, Croatia and Serbia. Kim Burton introduces the sound of music in this new
Austrian-Slavic nation.

(and always was) the most In Slovenia practically every other 'national pop'
Slovenia is

'Western European' part of former band conforms to their style and copies their line-
Yugoslavia. Itemerged from the federa- up of accordion, trumpet, clarinet, guitar and brass

tion with a relatively liberal outlook and bass, with a vocal trio. Such bands perform at wed-
a well-developed industrial base. Its music, too, dings and other celebrations and, during the sum-
much to the West. In
looks very the last days of mer, at the gasibke veselice (Bremen's merrymaking),
Communism, the Slovene capital, Ljubljana, pro- events held at weekends and holidays at local fire

duced the avant-rock band Laibach, while today stations,where there is some space to set up stalls
rave and hardcore are dominant in the clubs. There selling food and drink and enough open ground

is also a distinctly mainstream and rather uninspired for dancing. As well as local tunes old and new,
'national pop music' — domaca zabavna glasba - many also play arrangements of Western chart
based on more traditional sounds from the coun- music, from 1950s rock'n'roll and Beatles tunes to
try's links with the Alpine region and German- contemporary pop. The singers Zasavci and
speaking world. This party-time genre encompasses Irena Vrckovic have both recorded examples of CO
r—
cheerful waltzes and polkas played by accordion- this rather camp kind of Slovenian music. o
ists, guitarists, trumpeters and clarinettists in knee-
breeches, and romances sung by women in dirndls,

with harmonised melodies. und mw Original Oberkrainer

Nonetheless, it's not all beer-and-sausage cliches,
and there are a few interesting old-time styles and
revivalists.

The Avsenik Sound

Slovenia's musical (and historic) roots are in the
Austro-Hunganan Empire, to which it belonged
until 1918. As Slovenian conscripts were posted
far from home, they leamt tunes from soldiers from

Vienna, Prague, or Budapest, and towards the end

of the last century, the accordion, clarinet and gui-
tar made their appearance.
Slovenia's dominant style of arrangement and
performance, however, was more or less invented
by the Avsenik brothers, Slavko and Vilko, in

the 1950s. Their band attained immense popular-

ity at home and over the border in Austria and
southern Germany, where local musicians cover
their songs in German translation; still very active,
they regularly appear on the radio and TV. Slavko happy troupe

Slovenia 277
Old Styles and Revivals performing the songs and dances of the Istrian
peninsula (the northernmost part of Istria lies in
The popularity and commercial strength of domaca Slovenia, around the town of Koper), which have
zabavna glasba has swept aside other, older styles a strong Italian tinge in the melody, and texts in

of music, although there are some remnants, for the local dialect of Italian (related to Triestino).
instance the so-called velike goslarije (big bands) They play some of the area's older instruments,
of cimbalom, stringed instruments and woodwind. including the droneless double bagpipe called the
In this small field, the best exponents are Marko meh and the sopile folk obo» (also to be found in
and Beltinska Banda from the northeast. Croatian Istria) as well as the more familiar but-
Traditional unaccompanied harmony singing, ton accordion, mandolin and violin.
once very widespread, can still be found in the vil-

lages, and there are a few players of older tradi-

tional instruments such as thebowed zither and
the panpipes - although numbers dwindle by the discography
year. However, there is a movement which seeks
to preserve and revive these more ancient forms
of music. The work of Mira Omerzel-Terlep Compilations
and her husband Matija Terlep, who collect and
rebuild old instruments, research old songs and Das Bleiche Mond/Bledi Mesec
perform them, was perhaps the earliest example of (Trikont, Germany).

this making a series

kind of initiative. As well as These recordings of (mostly) instrumental music are not as

of field-recordings, some of which have been old as they sound. Made under what seem to have been
sometimes challenging circumstances by musician and musi-
released by the German company Trikont, they
cologist Mira Omerzel-Terlep in 1974, they give a fascinating
have recorded a series of four discs for the Slove- insight into the range of musical forms once widespread in
nian company Helidon which, although re- the Slovenian heartland, even at a fairly recent date. Polkas,
waltzes, csardases from cimbalom bands, panpipes, zithers
creations, are well worth listening to.
and more, including a barrel organ Blue Danube. The title
song "The Pale Moon" is a homespun panpipe duet as
Revival Bands extraordinary and outlandish as the 1930s bird quills on the
Anthology of American Folk Music.

Since the beginning of the 1990s there has been a S3 Slovenie: Musiques et chants populaire
rapid growth in the number of such revivalist (Ocora, France).

groups. Katice are a group of eleven female singers The most interesting of these recordings, drawn from the
archives of Radio Slovenia and mostly recorded in the 1 980s
with a faintly academic bias and a sweet-toned
and early 1 990s, are the various examples of unaccompanied
vocal timbre who perform a cappella songs from choral singing drawn from various areas of the country. The
all over the country recovered from published folk- instrumental music is less powerful, although the melodies

They have played on church bells have a certain charm.

song collections and field recordings.

made a couple of pleasant albums and add a little S3 Super Veselica (Sraka, Slovenia).

local colour to some records by the pop-oriented With a strong bias towards the modern commercial side of
Roberto Magnifico. folk, some of which may prove a little bland to non-Slovene

group with ears, this 'Super Party-time' compilation contains some fine
Another well-established revival a
virtuoso accordion playing from Toni Iskra and Tine Lesjak, as
stronger instrumental bias is Trinajsto Prase, a
well as some startling bluegrass-tinged zither from the young
trio of conservatoire-trained musicians whose out- virtuoso Karli Gradisnik - hear it and believe it!

look has something in common with the Hun-

garian tanchaz movement. Their accordionist Tine Artists
Lesjak has recorded some of the dance, song and
military repertoire from the days of Austria- Bratov Avsnik
Hungary in an attempt toshow how these tunes The Avsenik brothers are the most influential expo-
gradually took on an ever more Slovenian tinge. nents of Slovenia's cheery and sentimental domaca
zabavna glasba (national pop music) and are hugely
Tolovaj Mataj, a trio/quartet, take an energetic
popular throughout the Alpine region and southern
approach to many forms of Slovenian music, and Germany.
are also well worth catching live.
S3 40 Let 40 Hitov (Helidon, Slovenia).
These groups have a repertoire that draws on
The brothers have kept up an unchanging standard for over
music from the whole of Slovenia, while others
forty years now, and this compilation ('40 years, 40 Hits'
have a strong regional bias. Musicante Istriani claims the title, which seems anything a little modest) is as
if

are a revivalist trio dedicated to researching and entertaining as anything .they have ever done.

278 Slovenia
Spain |
Flamenco

a wild, savage feeling

Flamenco is one forms of Europe, with a history and repertoire that few traditional
of the great musical
or folk cultures can match. Twenty years or so ago, however, it looked like a music on the decline,
preserved only in the clubs or pehas of its aficionados, or in travestied castanet-clicking form for
tourists. But in the 1980s and '90s, flamenco has returned to the Spanish mainstream, with styles
infused by jazz, salsa, blues and rock making their way in the charts and clubs, and a new respect for
the old 'pure flamenco' artists. Jan Fairley investigates the state of play.

a hot night in Andalucia, even on Frontera album. This time flamenco was given a
Scratch
much-maligned Costa del Sol, and treatment encompassing both rock and blues.
the
you'll find flamenco. "You carry it inside These developments were not always welcomed
you", said a man in his sixties sitting next by flamenco 'purists', who had kept (and contin-
to me at a concert in the local municipal stadium ue to keep) old-time flamenco alive in their pehas
in downtown Marbella. There was not a tourist or clubs. But the new Spain was a much bigger
in sight, it was 2am, the sky was deep blue-black, audience. These days, on radio and on cassettes
patterned with stars, the stadium cluttered with blaring from market stalls across the country, you
most pleasant hours of the
families enjoying the hear the typical high-pitched treble tones of com-
Andaluz summer, flapping their fans until dawn, mercial flamenco singers like Tijeritas. And the
children asleep on laps. music has found a fresh market abroad, too, spurred
Flamenco is undoubtedly the most important by the global success of the flamenco-rumba of the
musical-cultural phenomenon in Spain, and its huge Gipsy Kings, a high-profile gypsy group from
resurgence in popularity has seen its profile reach- southern France (see p. 153).
ing out far beyond its Andalucian homeland. It owes The 'flamenco nuevo' revolution, however,
this in part to the emigration from that province, had begun at least a decade earlier, towards the
which has long meant the flamenco map encom- end of the 1960s, with the innovations of gui-
passes Madrid, Extremadura and the Levante — tarist Paco de Lucia and, especially, the late,

indeed, wherever Andalucian migrants have settled. great singer El Camaron de la Isla (see box on
And it perhaps owes something to Spain's uncon- These were musicians who had grown
p. 283).
scious desire, having joined the European Union, up learning from their flamenco families but
to establish its national identity. whose own tastes embraced international rock,
But flamenco's resurgence in the last two decades jazz and blues. Paco de Lucia blended jazz, salsa
is more than anything else down to the musicians
- to the vitality and attitudes of a younger gener-
ation of traditional flamenco clans. In the 1980s,
the Spanish press hailed the group Ketama as cre-

ators of the music of the 'New Spain', after the

release of their first album which fused flamenco
with rock and Latin salsa. They then pushed the
frontiers of flamenco still further by recording the
two wonderful Songhai albums - still perhaps the
highpoints of world music fusion - in collabora-
tion with Malian kora-player Toumani Diabate
and Danny Thompson.
British bassist
Another young group, Pata Negra ('black leg'
- the tasty bit of an Andalucian leg of smoked ham
- and an everyday term used for anything good),
caused an equal sensation with their Blues de la Camarbn, Paco de Lucia and Juan Pena El Leb

Flamenco 279
 and other Latin sounds, including those of Afro- Flamenco, from its been associated
outset, has
Peruvian music (particularly its percussion), onto closely with the Gypsy - — clans of
gitano
the flamenco sound. Camaron. simply, was an Andalucia. although the singers and players are not
inspiration — and one whose own idols (and fans) exclusively Gypsy in origin. Nonetheless, its whole
included Chick Corea and Miles Davis, as well development and preservation was probably made
as flamenco artists. possible by the oral tradition of the Gypsy clans.
Irs power, and the despair that its creation over-

Origins and Laws comes, seems also to have emerged from the gitano
experience — from a people surviving at the mar-
The roots of flamenco have evolved in southern gins of society and which offers them litde or no
Spain from many sources: Morocco, Egypt. India. social sums. Flamenco reflects a need to aggres-
Pakistan. Greece, and otfier pans of the Near and sively protect self-esteem.
Far East. How exacdy they came together as fla- These days, there are as many acclaimed payv
menco is a subject of great debate, though most (non-Gypsy) as gitano arrises. However,
flamenco
authorities believe the roots of the music were for both sets of arrises, the concept of dynasty is
brought to Spam by Gypsies arriving in the fifteenth fundamental. The veteran singer Fernanda de
century. In the following Utrera. one of the great
century, it was fused with voices ot the tradition,
elements of Arab and was bom in 1923 into a
Jewish music in the Gypsy family in Utrera.
Andalucian mountains, one of the cantaora (fla-
where Jews, Muslims and menco singer) centres.
pagan" Gypsies had taken She was the grand-
refuge from the forced daughter of the legendary
conversions and clear- singer "Pinini". who cre-
ances effected by the ated her own individual
Catholic kings and the flamenco forms, and with
Church. The main fla- her younger sister

menco centres and fami- Bernarda. also a notable

t/i lies are still to be found singer, has inherited her
today in quarters and flamenco, as they say.
towns of Gypsy and with her genes. This
refugee origin, such as concept of an active
Alcala. Jerez, and Cadiz, inheritance has not been
Utrera and the Tnana lost in contemporary
barrio of Sevilla. developments: even the
There are various the- members of Ketama. the
ories about the origins of Madrid-based flamenco-
the name flamenco. One rock group, come from
contends that Spanish two Gypsy musician
Jews migrated through clans — the Sotos and
trade to Flanders, where Carmonas.
they were allowed to Legendary gypsy singer Manolo Caracol It is generally agreed
sing their religious chants -
that flamenco's "laws*
unmolested, and that these chants became referred its forms of expression and repertoire - were
to as flamencoby the Jews who stayed in Spain. established in the nineteenth century. From the
Another agrees on the derivation from the Span- mid-nineteenth into the early twentieth cen-
ish word for Flemish but suggests the word arrived tunes the music enjoyed a Golden Age. the tail-
to describe the Gypsies who had served with dis- end of which is preserved on some of the earliest
tinction in the Spanish war in Flanders and were 1930s recordings. These original musicians found
allowed to settle in lower Andalucia- A third argu- a home in cafe cantantes - bars which had then-
ment is that the word is a mis-pronunciation ot own groups of performers (cuadws). One of the
the Arabic words fetag (fugitive) and mengu (peas- most famous was the Cafe de Chinitas in Malaga,
ant), a plausible idea, as Arabic was a common lan- immortalised by the Granada-born poet Garcia
guage in Spain at the rime. Lorca.

Flamenco
 Duende
Duende is one of those mystical, indefinable words
that goes deep to the heart of Spanish culture. Gar-
cia Lorca wrote that duende could only be found in
the depths of abandonment - " in the final blood-
filled room of the soul". Its power is likened to a
moment which transcends time - a moment of

immortality.
Mario Pacheco, founder of the best contemporary
flamenco label, Nuevos Medios, says: "Some artists

have it, others don't. It's a quality that has nothing

to do with training or technique. It's dragged crying
and spirting from the bottom of the soul - a very brief

moment of pure communication that takes you out

of time. That moment is part of Spanish culture: the
audience waits for it in flamenco as they do in the
bullfight. The artist becomes what they are singing,
they are there, but at one moment they disappear,

they are not there - it's beyond words, impossible to

describe. You are totally taken up by it then. It's that

powerful." Carmen Linares

Flamenco, Lorca asserted, was a way of break- The Art of Flamenco

ing out of social and economic marginality, and
this was clearly shown in 1922 when he was pre- In addition to tablaos, flamenco is played at fies-

sent, with the composer Manuel de Falla and the tas, in bars, and at juergas, which are informal, more
guitarist Andres Segovia, at a legendary Concur- or less private parties (see box overleaf). The fact

so de Ccwtc Jondo (Competition of Deep Song). that the Andalucian public are so knowledgeable
A Gypsy boy singer, Manolo Caracol, report- and demanding about flamenco means that musi-
edly walked all the way from Jerez and won the cians, singers and dancers performing even at the
competition with the voice and the flamboyant most humble local club or festival are usually very
personality that was to name through- make his good indeed.
out Spain and South America. The other key fig- At that local fiesta in Marbella mentioned at the
ure of this period, who can be heard on a few beginning of this article, Tina Pavon from Cadiz
recently remastered recordings, was Pastora sangfandangos and alegrias (literally happinesses) and
Pavon, known as La Nina de Los Peines, and malaguefias from Malaga: light cante
part of the
popularly acclaimed as the greatest woman fla- chico and intermedio repertoire which pave the
menco voice of the twentieth century. way for cante jondo (deep song). The latter is

In the 1950s several crucial events in flamen- the profound flamenco of the great artists, whose
co history took place, establishing for the music siguiriyas and soleareas are outpourings of the soul,
a culture beyond its aficionados in the cafe can- delivered with an intense passion, expressed
tantes. In 1954, the Spanish label Hispavox through elaborate vocal ornamentation. Tina
recorded all the flamenco greats on the Antologia Pavon's improvised sculpting of phrases, which
del Cante Flamenco; two years later the first draws attention to certain words and the emotions
national contest of Cante Jondo was launched in they evoke, had people on their feet shouting
Cordoba; then in 1958 a Chair of Flamencolo- encouragement.
gy was established at Jerez. Each of these events To invoke such a response is essential for an
brought media attention (and deserved artist, as this 'talking it up' lets them know they
respectability) and they were accompanied by are reaching deep into the emotional psyche of
the appearance of numerous tablaos (clubs - heirs their audience.They may achieve the rare quali-
of cafe cantantes), which became the training ty of duende -
total communication with their

ground for a new and more public generation of audience, and the mark of great flamenco of any
singers and musicians. style or generation.

Flamenco 281
 Recording a Juerga
The word juerga has no exact equivalent in English but Jose de la Tomasa from Sevilla; Maria la Burra and
implies a get-together of flamenco singers, guitarists Maria Solea from Jerez; Manuel de Paula and Miguel
and aficionados: an informal occasion, with an atmo- Funi from Lebrija; Gasper de Utrera from Utrera; and
sphere of spontaneity, exuberance and gaiety, in which Chano Lobato from Cadiz. After some warming up,
some of the most inspired and cathartic flamenco can both sessions went with a typical juerga swing. Like
be experienced. It is quite the opposite of a performance good jazz musicians, flamencos of this calibre are so
or 'act'; indeed, the distinction between performers and immersed in their art that there is no need for rehearsal

listeners blurs as all involved contribute, if only by shouts or trying out arrangements, even though they might
of encouragement. not have worked together before.
When an opportunity came to record a juerga in The recording equipment used was an unobtru-
Andalucia for the Nimbus label, I jumped at the chance. sive portable DAT recorder using a single point sound-
I'd been hooked on fla-

menco for several years

and had amassed a large

collection of records and
cassettes. And with few
exceptions the recordings
that seemed to give the
best impression of flamen-
co's richness and intensity
were not studio recordings
but those rare and much-
copied tapes generated by
some unknown soul who
had set up a cheap cas-
sette recorder in a bar or
backroom where a juerga
was happening.
My Nimbus At the Pefia Flamenca in Moron de la Frontera
> tor, Phil Slight,
collabora-
had been intimately involved with the field microphone for Cante Flamenco and spaced
flamenco scene in the town of Moron de la Frontera. omni-directional mics for Cante Gitano; there was to be
He contacted Paco del Gastor, one of the most no mixing, no re-takes, no editing, nothing to freeze out

sought-after accompanists, and found him immedi- the essential elements of spontaneity and surprise. Apart
ately enthusiastic about the idea of a juerga recording from some re-ordering of songs the CD that emerged
in Moron, his home town. Paco arranged for the use (Cante Gitano) is just as it happened, captured on the
of one of the flamenco pefias (clubs) and started recruit- wing in the Andalucian night.
ing Gypsy flamenco singers from across Andalucia to

take part in our two planned juergas. They included Robin Broadbank

Duendc is an ethereal quality: moving, profound tainment. Before singing he reportedly meditated
even when expressing happiness or deep sadness, in Church and listened to the monks intoning
in one sense mysterious but nevertheless felt, a psalms in Gregorian Chant.
quality that stops listeners in their tracks, and it can For the musicians, this fullness of expression is

have a profound emotional effect, reducing peo- integral to their art, which is why for as many
ple to tears. Many of those listeners are intensely famous names as one can many other
list, there are
involved, for flamenco is not just a music; for many lesser known musicians whose work is perhaps just
it is a philosophy that influences daily activities. A as startling. Not every great flamenco musician gets

flamenco is not only a performer but anyone who to be famous, or to record, for flamenco thrives
is actively and emotionally involved. Flamenco most in live performance. Exhilarating, challeng-
was and is still regarded by many as a sacred music. ing and physically stimulating, it is an art form
It is said that Tomas Pa von, brother of La Nine de which allows its exponents huge scope to impro-
los Peines, would not sing cante jondo as an enter- vise while obeying certain rules.

282 Flamenco
The Repertoire to by their place of origin: malaguenas (from
Malaga), for example, granadfnos (from Grana-
There is a classical repertoire of more than sixty da), or fandangos de Huelva. The Andaluz
flamenco songs (amtes) and dances (danzas) — some provinces of Cadiz, Sevilla, Malaga and Granada
solos, some group numbers, some with instru- are responsible for most of the palos, although
mental accompaniment, others a cappella. contributions came from other parts of Andalucia
These different styles or palos of flamenco and from the bordering regions of Extremadura
singing are grouped in families according to more and Murcia. Certain conies have achieved promi-
or less common melodic themes. The basic palos nence by their link with individual singers, for
are soleares, siguiriyas, tangos and fandangos, exmaple, solea with Tomas Pavon and siguiriyas

but the variations are endless and often referred with El Maholito.

El Camaron de la Isla

Jose Monge Cruz - known throughout his career as El and match cadences in astonishing ways, yet always
Camaron de la Isla - died on July 2, 1992. Flags were making the song appear as if it was composed for

immediately dropped to half mast in his home city of exactly that manner. To his guitarist-collaborator, Paco
San Fernando, near Cadiz, and that morning every sin- de Lucia, the voice "evoked on its own the desolation
gle Spanish newspaper, even the ;
of the people. My soul left me
Basque journal Egin, which held < each time heard him - he gave
I

little love for the then socialist i

to flamenco a wild, savage feel-

stronghold of Andalucia, carried i ing." It was a verdict echoed

Camaron's photo and obituary 1

elsewhere in almost Christ-like

on their front pages. The lead- terms. As one of the obituaries
ing Madrid daily, El Pais, devot- put it: "Camaron's despair was
ed no less than four pages of our consolation. His despera-
homage to his memory. tion soothed us. The infinite

"Camaron revolutionised fla- sadness of his voice gave us

menco from the point of abso- tranquility. He suffered for us.
CO
lute purity", it concluded. His generosity liberated us from o
3=>
Only forty-one years old when misfortune."
he died, El Camaron (the nick- Of mythical standing in his
name referred to his bony frame, lifetime, Camaron has become
likened to the delicious shrimps a kind of flamenco saint, for he
- camarones - of the small seemed to live out the very
peninsular island where he came myths of the music that sprung
from, near Cadiz) was acknowl- from him. The anguish of his
edged as a genius almost from singing dogged his life and he
the moment he first sang pub- supported it through enormous
licly at the end of the 1 960s. His quantities of cigarettes, hashish,

high-toned voice had a corro- cocaine, and then heroin. His

sive, rough-timbred edge, crack- death has left an unfillable void

ing at certain points to release in the flamenco world which

an almost ravaged core sound. even now continues unas-
This vocal opaqueness and inci- suaged, as vividly expressed by
sive sense of rhythm, coupled Paco de Lucia in the song
with an at times near-violent "Camaron" on his disc Luzia
emotional intensity, made him (Polygram, Spain):
the quintessential singer of the
con lo mucho que yo queria
times, with a voice that seemed
se fue para siempre,
to defy destiny.
Camaron, Camaron
Even at his gentlest, Camaron's
voice would summon attention - (with all my love for him,

"a fracture of the soul", critics he went forever,

called it - and he would phrase Camaron, Camaron)

Flamenco 283
 In all of these palos, the most common beat The sevillana originated in medieval Sevilla as
cycle is twelve - like the blues. Each piece is exe- a spring country dance, with verses improvised and
cuted by juxtaposing a number of complete musi- sung to the accompaniment of guitar and castanets
cal units called coplas. Their number varies (these are rarely used in other forms of flamenco).
depending on the atmosphere the cantaor (creative El Pali (Francisco Palacios), who died in 1988,
singer) wishes to establish and the emotional tone was the best-known and most prolific sevillana
they wish to convey. A song such as a cante por musician. He combined an unusually gentle voice
solea may take a familiar 3/ 4 rhythm, divide phras- and accompanying strummed guitar style with an
es into 4/8 measures, and then fragmentally sub- enviable musical pace and ease for composing the
divide again with voice ornamentation on top of popular poetry of the genre. In the last few years
that. The resulting complexity and the variations dancing sevillanas has become popular in bars and
between similar phrases constantly undermines clubs throughout Spain, but their great natural
repetition, contributing greatly to the climactic habitats are Sevilla's April Feria and the spring
and cathartic structure of each song. Romeria del Rocio - a pilgrimage to a shrine
near Huelva. It is during the Sevilla feria that most
Songs new recordings of sevillanas emerge.
Another very important but specifically sea-
Flamenco songs often express pain, and with a sonal form is the saeta. These are songs in hon-

fierceness that turns that emotion inside out and our of the Virgins carried on great floats in the
beats it up against violent frontiers. Generally, the processions of Semana Santa (Easter Week),
voice closely interacts with improvising guitar, the and they are, traditionally, quite spontaneous. As
two inspiring each other, aided by the jaleo - the the float is passing, a singer will launch into a
hand-clapping palmas, finger-snapping palillos and saeta, a sung prayer for which silence is necessary
shouts from participants at certain points in the and for which the procession will come to a halt
song. This jaleo sets the tone by creating the right while it is sung.
atmosphere for the singer or dancer to begin, and
bolsters and appreciates the talent of the artist as
Singers
they develop the piece.
Aficionados will shout encouragement, most com- Camaron - or more fully El Camaron de la Isla
monly "jole!" - when an artist is getting deep into (see box) - was by far the most popular and com-

a song - but also a variety of other less obvious phras- mercially successful singer of modern flamenco.
es. A stunning piece of dancing may, for example, Collaborating with the guitarists and brothers Paco
be greeted with "jViva la maquina escribir!" (long de Lucia and Ramon de Algeciras, and latterly,

live the typewriter), as the heels of the dancer move Tomatito, Camaron raised cante jondo, the vir-
so fast they sound like a clicking machine; or the cry tuoso deep song, to a new art. He died in 1992,
may be "jagua!" (water), for the scarcity of water in having almost singlehandedly revitalised flamen-
Andalucia has given the word a kind of glory. co song, inspiring and opening the way for the
It is an essential characteristic of flamenco that current generation of flamenco artists.

a singer or dancer takes certain risks, by putting Among those regarded as the best contempo-
into their performance feelings and emotions which rary singers are the male singers Enrique
arise direct from their own life experience, expos- Morente, El Cabrero.Juan Peha El Lebrijano, the
ing their own vulnerabilities. Aficionados tend to Sorderos, Fosforito, Jose Menese, Duquende, and
acclaim a voice that gains effect from surprise and El Potito, and the women Fernanda and Bernar-
startling moves more than one governed by recog- da de Utrera, Carmen Linares, Remedios Amaya,
nised musical logic. Vocal prowess or virtuosity and Carmen Amaya.
can be deepened by sobs, gesticulation and an Enrique Morente, in particular, is considered
intensity of expression that can have a shattering one of the great artists of his generation through
effect on an audience. Thus pauses, breaths, body his renovation and adaptations of modern and clas-

and facial gestures of anger, pain and transcendence sic poets. Similarly, Carmen Linares has been a

transform performances into cathartic events. Sigu- major female figure of the 1990s, commanding all

which date from the Golden Age, and whose

iriyas the cantes and her deep, rich voice expresses
theme is usually death, have been described as cries melodies with complex attack and searingly intense
of despair in the form of a funeral psalm. In con- emotion. Rigorous and uncompromising, like
trast songs and dances such as tangos, sevillanas and many other great artists of her generation, she
fandangos capture great joy for fiestas. works by innovating from within the tradition.

284 Flamenco
Enrique Morente

Commentators are always searching for the suc- the flamenco guitar is a diapason placed across the
cessor to El Camaron and El Potito, twenty-four strings to enable retiming. This was an important
years old, has been tipped as one of the voices to development for the relationship between gui-
watch, as have Duquende andRemedios Amaya. tarist and singer, for before its introduction a singer
often had to strain to adapt to the guitarist's tone.

Flamenco Guitar
Guitarists
The flamenco performance is filled with pauses
and the singer is tree to insert phrases on the spur The guitar used to be simply an accompanying
of the moment. The guitar accompaniment, instrument - originally singers themselves played
while also spontaneous, is precise and serves one — but in the early decades of this century it began
major purpose - to mark the compos (measures) of developing as a solo form, absorbing influences
a song and organise rhythmical lines. Instrumen- from classical and Latin American traditions.
tal interludes which are arranged to meet the needs The greatest of these early guitarists was Ramon
of the cantaor (as the creative singer is called) not Montoya, who revolutionised flamenco guitar
only catch the mood and intention of the song and with his harmonisations and introduced a whole

mirror it, but allow the guitarist to extemporize variety of arpeggios - techniques of right-hand
what are called falsctas (short variations) at will. playing adapted from classical guitar playing. Along
When singer and guitarist are in rapport the inten- with Nino Ricardo and Sabicas. he established
sity of a song develops rapidly, the one charging flamenco guitar as a solo medium, an art extend-
the other, until the effect can be overwhelming. ed from the 1960s on by Manolo Sanlucar,
The flamenco guitar is of lighter weight than whom most aficionados reckon the most techni-
most acoustic guitars and often has a pine table cally accomplished player of his generation. San-
and pegs made of wood rather than machine lucar has kept within a classical orbit, with no
heads. This isproduce the preferred bright
to influencesfrom jazz or rock, experimenting instead
responsive sound which does not sustain too long with orchestral backing and composing for ballet.
(as opposed to the mellow and longer sustaining The best-known of all contemporary flamenco
sound of classical guitar). If the sound did sustain, however, is undoubtedly Paco de
guitarists,

particularly in fast pieces, chords would carry over Lucia, who made the first moves towards 'new'
into each other. The other important feature of or 'fusion' flamenco. A payo, or non-Gypsy, he

Flamenco 285
 won his first flamenco prize at the age of fourteen, As previously noted, Paco de Lucia set new
and went on to accompany many of the great tra- parameters of innovation in guitar-playing, and
ditional singers, including a long partnership with commercial and he was followed by oth-
success,
Camaron de la Isla. He started forging new tim- ers includingLole y Manuel, who updated the
bres and rhythms for flamenco following a trip to flamenco sound with original songs to huge suc-
Brazil, where he fell in love with bossa nova, and cess; Jorge Pardo, Paco de Lucia's sax and flute

in the 1970s established a sextet with electric bass, player, and originally a jazz musician; and Sal-
Latin percussion, flute and saxophone. A trip to vador Tavora and Mario Maya, known for their
Peru introduced him to the Afro-Peruvian box - flamenco-based spectacles.
the kind of crate played, seated, between the legs Meanwhile, Enrique Morente and Juan Pena
- which he also incoporated into flamenco. El Lebrijano both worked with Andalucian
Over the past twenty years Paco de Lucia has orchestras from Morocco, while Amalgama
worked with jazz-rock guitarists like John recorded with southern Indian percussionists,
McLauglin and Chick Corea, while his own reg- revealing stylistic unities. Another interesting fusion
ular band, featuring his other brother, the singer of forms came with Paco Pefia's 1991 Misa Fla-
Pepe de Lucia, remains one of the most original menca recording, a setting of the Catholic Mass to
and distinctive sounds on the flamenco scene. Of flamenco forms with the participation of estab-
his fusion, he says: "You grab tradition with one lished singers like Rafael Montilla 'El Chaparro'
hand, and with the other you scratch, you search. from Pefia's native Cordoba, and a classical acade-
You can go anywhere and run away but must my chorus from London.
never lose the root, for it's there that you find fla- The encounter with rock and blues was pio-
menco's identity, fragrance and flavour." neered at the end of the 1 980s by Ketama and Pata
Other modem-day guitarists have equally iden- Negra. Ketama, as noted before, used rock and
tifiablesounds and rhythms, and fall broadly into Latin sounds, and added a kind of rock-jazz sen-
two camps, being known either as accompanists sibility, a'flamenco cool' as they put it. Pata
or soloists. The former include Tomatito Negra, band led by two brothers, Raimundo
a

(Camaron's last accompanist), Ma nolo Franco and Rafael Amador, introduced a more direct rock
and Paco Cortes. Among the leading soloists are sound with a bluesy electric guitar lead, giving a
the Habichuela brothers, Pepe and Juan, from radical edge to traditional styles like bulerias.
CO Granada; Rafael Riqueni, an astonishing player These young and iconoclastic musicians became
who is breaking new ground with classical influ- known in the 1990s as nuevo flamenco: a movement
ences; Enrique de Melchor; Gerardo Nunez, associated, in particular, with the Madrid label
Vicente Amigo; and Jeronimo Maya. Nuevos Medios. They form a challenging, ver-

satile and musically incestuous scene, in Madrid

Nuevo Flamenco and Andalucia, with musicians guesting at each
others' gigs and on each others' records. Members
One of flamenco's great achievements has been to of Ketama crop up, for instance, along with the
sustain itself while providing much of the foun- astonishing guitarist Tomatito on an album by
dation and inspiration for new music emerging in Duquende, another powerful singer of flamen-
Spain today. In the 1960s rock largely displaced co's 'new wave'.
traditional Spanish music, like everywhere else.
But the work of Camaron de la Isla (see box on
p. 283) began a revival of interest in flamenco and

in the 1980s flamenco almost reinvented itself,

gaming new meaning and a new public through
its absorbtion of influences from Brazilian music

and Latin salsa, blues and rock. For Jose 'El Sordo'
(Deaf One) Soto, Ketama's main singer, there were
implicity connections: "our music is based on clas-
sic flamenco that we'd been singing and listening

to since birth. We just found new forms in jazz

and salsa: there are basic similarities in the rhythms,
the constantly changing harmonies and improvi-
sations. Blacks and Gypsies have suffered similar Pata Negra brothers Raimundo
segregation so our music has a lot in common." and Raphael Amador

286 Flamenco
Flamenco Dance
Most popular images of flamenco dance - twirling bod- in the 1920s, and with her choreographic innovations
ies in frilled dresses, rounded arms complete with cas- flamenco dance came of age, working as a narrative
tanets - are sevillanas, the folk dances performed at in its own right. Another key figure in flamenco histo-
fiestas and, in recent years, on the disco and nightclub ry was Carmen Amaya, who from the 1930s to the
floor. 'Real' flamenco dance is something rather dif- 1 960s took flamenco dance on tour around the world,
ferent and, like the music, can reduce the onlooker to and into the movies.
tears in an unexpected flash, a cathartic point after In the 1950s, dance found a new home in the
which the dance dissolves. What is so visually devas- tablaos, the aficionado's bars, which became enor-
tating about flamenco mously important as
dance is the physical places to serve out a
and emotional control public apprenticeship.
the dancer has over the More recently the
body: the way the head demanding audiences at

is held, the tension of local and national fies-

the torso and the way it tas have played a part.

allows the shoulders to Artistic developments
move, the shapes and were forged in the 1960s
angles of seemingly by Matilde Coral, who
elongated arms, and the updated the classic
feet, which move from dance style, and in the
toe to heel, heel to toe, 1970s Manuelaby
creating intricate
Dance engraving by Gustav Dore Carrasco, who had
rhythms. These rhythms such impact with her
have a basic set of moves and timings but they are fiery feet movement, continuing a rhythm for an intense
improvised as the piece develops and through inter- and seemingly impossible duration, that this new style

action with the guitarist and singers. was named after her (manuelas).

Flamenco dance dates back to about 1750 and, Manuela Carrasco set the tone for the highly indi-

along with the music, moved from the streets and pri- vidual dancers of the 1980s and '90s, such as Mario CO
vate parties into the cafe cantantes at the end of the Maya and Antonio Gades. These two dancer-chore-
nineteenth century. This was a great boost for the ographers have provided a theatrically inspired stag-
dancers' art, providing a home for professional per- ing for the dance, most signifcantly by extending the
formers, where they could inspire each other. It was role of a dance dialogue and story - often reflecting on
here that legendary dancers like El Raspao and El the potency of love and passion, their dangers and
Estampio began to develop the spellbinding footwork destructiveness.
and extraordinary moves that characterise modern fla- Gades has led his own company on world tours but
menco dance, while women adopted for the first time it is his influence on film which has been most impor-
the flamboyant bata de cola - the glorious long-trained tant. Carmen Amaya in Los Taran-
He appeared with
dresses, designed to show off the the sensuous move- ros in 1963, but in own trilogy with
the 1980s began his
ments of the upper torso, and which cut high at the film-maker Carlos Saura: Boda de Sangre (Lorca's play,
front, today expose fast moving ankles and feet. Blood Wedding), Carmen (a reinterpretation of the
Around 1910, flamenco dance had moved into Span- opera), and El Amor Brujo. The films featured Paco de
ish theatres, and dancers like Pastora Imperio and Lucia and his band, and the dancers Laura del Sol
La Argentina were major stars. They mixed flamenco and Christina Hoyos - one of the great contempo-
into programmes with other dances and also made dra- rary dancers, who has herself created a superb ballet,

matic appearances at the end of comic plays and silent Suenos Flamencos (Flamenco Dreams).
movie programmes. A period of theatre flamenco, with The top flamenco dancer of the moment - and a
lightcomedy dramas known as Sainetes (one act farces) real phenomenon, reaching completely new audiences
offered brief moments of flamenco song and dance. across Europe and the US - is Joaquin Cortes.
In 1915 the composer Manuel de Falla composed Rather in the manner of a flamenco Michael Flately
the first flamenco ballet, El Amor Brujo (Love (Rlverdance), Cortes has introduced a new balletic and
Bewitched), for the dancer Pastora Imperio. La jazz-dance element into the flamenco repertoire. It is

Argentina, who had established the first Spanish revolutionary stuff - and quite stunning. He is also, of

dance company, took her version of the ballet abroad course, exceptionally cute.

Flamenco 287
 Radio Tarifa

Flamenco is now also a regular sound in night- discography

clubs,through the appeal of young singers like
Aurora, whose salsa-rumba song "Besos de
In addition to recommendations below, enthusiasts
Caramelo". written by Antonio Carmona of Keta-
should be aware of four major series: EMI-Espana's
ma. was the first 1980s number to crack the pop Antologia de cantaores (25 volumes), the Hispavox
charts, while pop singer Martirio
(Isabel Quihones Magna antologia del cante flamenco (10 volumes), RCA
Gutierrez) one of the most flamboyant person-
is
Espana's Gran antologia flamenco (10 volumes), and the
French label Chant du Monde's Grandes Cantadores du
alities on the scene, performing dressed in lace
Flamenco (1 2 volumes). Discs in each of these series are
mantilla and shades, like a cameo from a Pedro available individually, and between them they cover most
C/5 Almodovar film. Martirio has recorded songs that historic figures, styles, and epochs.

are Almodovar-like, too, with their ironic, con-

temporary lyrics, full of local slang, about wom- Compilations
en's lives in the dries. One set of sevillanas revealed
a splash of music hall style, delivered with a pow- Cante flamenco (Nimbus. UK).
erful passionate voice.
The best of both worlds: five recordings of an intimate, emo-

Marririos producer. Kiko Veneno. who wrote tionally intense juerga. an informal meeting of singers, musi-
one of Camaron's most popular songs. "Volando cians and aficionados, followed by a full-scale public recital.

See the feature box about this recording on p.282.

voy". is another key artist on the scene. His own
material is basically rock music but it has a strong- ; Cante gitano (Nimbus. UK).

ly defined sense of flamenco, as has that of Jose de la Tomasa, Maria la Burra. Maria Solea and Paco
Rosario. one of Spain's top woman singers, who and Juan del Gastor recorded live at a juerga. Again, these
brought a flamenco sensibility to Spanish rock are exemplary atmospheric performances.

music. Duende: The Passion and Dazzling Virtuosity

Other more idenrifiably nuevo flamenco bands ofFlamenco (Ellipsis Arts. US).
and singers to look out for include La Barberia This is a terrific introduction to flamenco: an excellent and
del Sur (who add a dash of salsa); Wili Gimenez a succinct introduction to the
well illustrated booklet offering

with Raimundo Amador (of Pata Negra fame), tradition, genre, singers and musicians, and 3 CDs covering

pretty much the full range of artists from La Nina de los

and Jose El Frances, from Montpelier in France.
Peines to Radio Tarifa.
In the mid-1990s Radio Tarifa emerged as an
Early Cante Flamenco: Classic Recordings from
exciting group who started out as a trio, expand-
the 1930s (Arhoolie. US).
ing to include African musicians. Mixing Arabic
and medieval sounds onto a flamenco base, they A great selection of the earliest recordings of seminal artists
of the first half of the twentieth century, including La Nina de
also have a fine feeling for the popular song side
tos Peines, her youger brother Tomas Pa von. Manuel Vallejo.
of the genre, bringing flamenco to an even wider one of the firstnon-Gypsy singers hailed as king, and the
World Music audience. great voice of the flamboyant Manolo Caracol.

288 Flamenco
 [<? Los jovenes flamencos: Volumes 1-5 BE Camaron Potro de Rabia y Miel (Polygram, Spain).
(Nuevos Medios, Spain).
The disc includes a heroic poetic tribute to Camaron from
From a pioneering label, the very best of the innovative young Joaquin Albaicin which really states just how significant the

artists on the 990s scene who have brought jazz, blues and
1 singer was for flamenco. This, one of his last recordings, is

a rock sensibility to the flamenco tradition. Each artist can be for many the most cherished.
followed up through their own various solo albums.

The Story of Flamenco (EMI Hemisphere, UK).

El Indio Gitano
H3
El Indio Gitano has a voice like bitter chocolate that can
The songs on this budget-priced CD were chosen as a
deal with anything from tangos to granadinas.
'primer for beginners'. As such, it succeeds brilliantly well
with examples of all the major styles performed by a selection Naci gitano por la gracia del Dios
BE
of splendid singers and virtuoso guitarists.
(Nuevos Medios, Spain).

El Indio is accompanied here by the jazz-sensitive guitar of

Artists Gerardo Nunez.

Remedios Amaya Ketama

One of the hottest female singers of the late 1990s, One of the cutting edge groups of the 1980s. Obliquely
Remedios Amaya has a contemporary but essentially tra- named after a North African village, centre of the hashish
ditional style. network, these guys rocked and Latinised flamenco with-
out losing its roots, bringing it right into the late twentieth
BE Me voy contigo (EMI Hemisphere, UK). century to inspire rock and pop audiences. The group
This was one most popular flamenco discs of 1998, with
of the
have also collaborated with Malian kora player Toumani
Diabate, bassist Danny Thompson and others to produce
Vicente Amigo, Carlos Benavent and others accompanying the
startling voice of Amaya.
the two Songhai discs - the most sensitive and satisfying
of all World Music crossover projects.

Agustin Carbonell 'Bola' S3 Ketama (Ryko/Hannibal, UK).

Bom 1967 into a family of flamenco artists (related to

in This innovative, groundbreaking album never fails to suprise
Sabicas), Carbonell has accompanied singers Enrique with its confident use of blues and rich themes and textures.
Morente, Chocolate, Rafael Romero 'El gallina' and 'El
chato de la isla', and bailores such as 'El Guito', Manolete WITH TOUMANI DIABATE AND OTHERS
and Farruco. Already one of flamenco's top new solo gui-
tarists, he has a cool, innovative style often backed by
Songhai and 2I

piano, double-bass and violin.

(Nuevos Medios, Spain; Ryko/Hannibal, UK).

For Songhai I Ketama get together with kora player Toumani

S3 Carmen (Messidor, Spain).
Diabate and British bassist Danny Thompson, exploring all
CO
Modern, often experimental playing of great
by other instrumentalists and singers.
skill, accompanied sorts of string sounds and African-Spanish interconnections.
Songhai 2 features Malian singer Kassemady Diabate, jazz
o
basist Javier Colina (in place of Thompson) and flamenco's

Duquende first violinst, Bernardo Parilla. Both discs are treasures.

Duquende is one of the singers most often described as a

successor to El Camaron.
Carmen Linares
Linares one of the top contemporary female singers, a
is
83 Duquende y la guitarra de Tomatito counterpoint to El Camaron with a fierce edge to her voice, a
(Nuevos Medios, Spain).
passion that borders on anger and fury before catharsis. Her
Duquende is accompanied here by Tomatito, Camaron's last concerts are a stunning live experience, not to be missed.
accompanist, and one of Spain's most respected young fla-
S3 Cantaora (Riverboat, UK)
menco guitarists.
BE La luna en el rio (Auvidis, Spain).

El Camaron de la Isla It is difficult choose between these two albums. Both

to feature
rich, emotional and dynamic flamenco singing.
Spain's greatest flamenco singer of the second half of the
El Camaron de la Isla (Jorge Monge
twentieth century,
Lole y Manuel
Cruz)was unsurpassed for interpretation, tone, and for
pushing flamenco into new areas. With a voice of unri- Lole and Manuel are scions of long-established flamenco
valled passion and flair, he died tragically in 1992 at the families and were harbingers of the current generation in
age of forty-one. All of his discs are worth hearing, from their challenge to the traditonal scene in the 1980s.
pared down voice-and-guitar to those with orchestral Hugely successful as traditional musicians, they were
accompaniment. inspiring in their crossover experiments - moving flamen-
co into a kind of singer-songwriter mode. Lole's voice is
Autorretrato (Self-Portrait) replete with register and power, yet retains an undeniable
(Philips, Spain).
contemporary attitude and sensibility.
A compilation showing Camaron's genius at both ends of the
S3 Lole y Manuel (Gong Fonomusic, Spain).
flamenco scale - the deeply traditional and infectiously com-
BE Grandes Exitos (CBS, Spain).
mercial. It includes the fabulous tango "Soy gitano" am a (I

Gypsy) with the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra, as well as The first was a groundbreaking record which firmly launched
some heart-stopping unaccompanied solos such as "Las the duo onto the scene; the second is an album of their great-

doce acaban de dar" (Twelve has just struck). est hits, including the seductive "Tu Mira" (Your Look).

Flamenco 289
 Martirio
Va lfriu (Isabel Qunones Goberrez) is a pop singer who Live - One
Spain).
has haled with flamenco and sewflanas, appearing in «-

~ a~' arc a a a a
—a: :
.1 .• • • .

Native recording that tor al is faston wih

the new Span. x, and fts big concert audence. sM cap-
Estoy mala a.- : Sevillanas de k>s Woques y a. ~\a" c : :.ar be. fl you prefer
sturJa plump tor BJSolo quiero cami-
(Nuevos Meows. Spain).

~-e vcs
aarocse the ItdrtttJ^i and frustrations of we {partuxr
art xr *o~er a: the margns of Spansh society and ihe _-
.'.
--:z ==vi
"•cccttsi r oar rczpaos sccer. arc Z-aa-aicsr- r -na-
tion to both women and the female experience. Using Dobte (Phwps. SpainL
j^*ansa;3SCi6 cca sang wtft great verve and humour.
Twc of the great gutansts of the* generation join farces.

Federico Garcia Lorca Enrique Morente

and La Argentina Enrique Morente is considered one of the great artists of
Lorca, the poet and playwright Hted by Franco's men, fas generation as a result of his renovation and ddapUatons
- a - :: - - :"
— aaa - aaa
a ; a aa " a a:: a ~ a a a a a> a a :a: a." a : : ac-a'a

who worked hard to win intellectual respect for this

| Megra, si tu supieras tecfos. SpainL
unique genre and whose iiwumj* brought ft to new audi-
ences in the 1930s. ry various important

-
•
: : a
~- 5-5 :-s
-ere 3arc;£ ^.zrzs. acocmoanes snger La Argenena on pane
.v~ a -acertDre asr a%2ssc Scans'" sonjs. rcuorc 3a-
York and Granada
—ercc -u~cers- -sccoec r "93 V IBMaSpatnl.
The was one of Sabcas s last recordrigs - and an restart
Paco de Lucia a:oa>S'C

Spain's leadmg and best known flamenco guftarist Paco

de Lucia has a unique intuitive style, wlmWm playing sofa, Gerardo Nunez
dixonajMi ying. or working out on jazz- or Lawn-inflected Generado Nunez, from Jerez, is one of the great guitarists
material with his sextet. He worked closely with El of the present generation. He studfed in the 1960s at the
Camarbn and has often coflaborated wflh jazz guitarists _ : a: : • a
- a- : : a
such as Al di Mcota. John McLaughin and Pat MrJhcny.
C/5
S IwSC t
(AuJuaftdha. Ramencos SpainL ,
Sc-a.-
Nunez shows ras stunning technique tfiere are tow taster
guitar runs to be heard on any dtec

Luzia -*olygram. SpainL Pata Negra

The recent (1998) solo outrg £ a -eOECc-.e arc DO"err set ~- a --aaa -
;-::-a — "a - -=.— = :
-a~ a- -a - a. a - -a; a
mdudmg pieces inspired by the memories of the late a ' a
— a:~ ~ a "
aa~. a
-
a a ca — a . a a : a a ~ a " a . '"a
Zarsrzr arc p, is cw- r-Tccner. ', .gy. best sfrce of tocafly cured hamL In the 1970s they worked
together at the luwJttVu edge of new flamenco before
goingl

4erJos. SparvHanribat UK).

The cast of Pata Negra s MHiflwaf dtsc incorporating an

ntoxjcatng mot of blues and rock sensibJtty. reads Dee a
who s who of nxisoans who would later emerge in the new
flamenco movement-

El Pele
— a a ;aa>
Poeta de esq i -as-cr Spain

a"~">: =.rorc ~.r" - -e-e arc a^cer accc* - earn—era

the talented, young Vtcerte Amgc

Juan Pena "El Lebrijano'

4 Gravel voiced singer Juan Pena. from a fanwy of Gypsies
from Lebria. has long been one of flamenco s most impor-
tant voices. He's a good guftarist. too.

Flamenco
WITH THE ORQUESTRA ANDALUSI DE TANGER 3D La Nina de los Peines: Antologia de cantaores
Vol. 3 (EMI, Spain).
Encuentros
(Ariola/GlobeStyle, UK). An important archive compilation.

At the end of the 1980s, Juan Pena joined forces with the
scratchy strings of the Arabic Orchestra of Tangier to explore Paco Pena
flamenco's Arabic roots, reuniting the musics of Andalucia
Cordoba-bom Paco Pena is a largely London-based gui-
and the Maghreb. An enchanting disc, as is its 1998 follow-
tarist, though he still organises the annual Cordoba guitar
up, SE Casablanca (EMI Hemisphere, UK).
festival. He plays
in various guises: with Paco de Lucia,

with his friend and colleague, the classical guitarist John

Manuel Soto 'El Sordero' Williams, with his own music and dance company, and on
occasion with Chilean group Inti lllimani. He is also
Manuel Soto is another great flamenco voice.
reported to have given flamenco guitar classes to British
35 Grandes cantaores du flamenco: Manuel Soto Prime Minister Tony Blair. Through it all, he has retained
'El Sordero' (Chant du Monde, France). an intense, classically-inspired style.

This is music to bring tears to your eyes and features a S3 Azahara (Nimbus, UK).
breathtaking recording of a Holy Week saefa.
A disc that shows Pena at his striking and solo best.

Tomatito SE Misa Flamenca (Nimbus, UK).

Virtuoso guitarist Tomatito remains best-known for having A beautiful and arresting flamenco-mass performed by Pena
been El Camaron's last accompanist, which is reason with a host of extraordinary singers and guitarists and the
enough to cast him as one of the most fluent, imaginative choir of The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
and fiery contemporary guitarists.

SE Barrio negro (Nuevos Medios, Spain).

El Potito
El Potito is another young singer tipped to be following in
A superb solo album.
the footsteps of El Camaron.

Fernanda and Bernarda de Utrera Andando por los caminos

Grand-daughters of the legendary 'Pinini', the two Utrera
S3 (Sony, Spain).

sisters are fabulous both live and on disc, with a natural, The raved-about debut album demonstrating Potito's aston-
earthy passion and lyricism. ishing vocal skill.

Cante Flamenco
(Ocora, France).
Radio Tarifa
Radio Tarifa draw on the entire Mediterranean region and
These briliant recordings made for French radio include
medieval sounds for their sultry Arab-influenced take on
the Cantinas de Pinini, plus siguiriyas, bulerias, por solea
flamenco. Their first self-produced disc, Rumba Argelina,
and fandangos, with Paco del Gastor accompanying on
guitar.
became one of the World Music hits of the mid-1 990s.

SE Rumba Argelina (World Circuit, UK).

Pastora Pavon
Radio Tarifa's sensitive excursion into flamenco's roots with
Pastora Pavon - aka La Nina de los Peines - was one of rumba and Arabic rhythms, exploring Spain's popular music
flamenco's most important early twentieth-century past. The record, made under their own steam, first brought
singers, indeed reckoned by many to have been the them to everyone's attention. They continue in much the
music's classic female voice. same vein on SS Temporal (World Circuit, UK).

Flamenco 291
 Spclin |
Regional musics

a tale of celts and islanders

•

Spanish music is flamenco but - popular though it is - for many of the

known almost universally for
country's musicians (and listeners) strain. The 'new Spain' of the 1990s and
it's an exotic, almost alien
beyond is very much about its regions, and music is an integral part of the country's multiple
identities. There are bagpipes and Celtic sounds to be heard in the northwest; accordionists in
Euskadi, the Basque provinces; and, dotted around, fine singer-songwriters like the Catalan Lluis
Llach or Mallorca's Maria del Mar Bonet, and even a raft of medieval revivalists. Jan Fairley takes a
tour, with thanks to Manuel Dominguez.

is in some ways a rather closed world: regular summer scene of local festivals in the
Spainthan less in the years of Franco, of course, Basque country, Asturias and Galicia. Spain's Celtic

but still remarkably resistant to Anglo-US musicians also take an active role in pan-Celtic fes-
And as you go down a level, to
culture. tivals across Europe.
the autonomous regions, the resistance steps up Galician music is in particularly fine fettle, root-

a gear in rejecting the dominance of Madrid. As a ed in ensembles ot pipes, bagpipes and drums. The
result, there is quite a healthy tradition of local best-known of such groups is Milladoiro, who
music, particularly where its preservation is a mat- are regulars on the European festival scene. The
ter of political and cultural significance, notably in music of Galician bagpiper Carlos Nunez (see
Euskadi (the Basque provinces) and Catalunya. box) and Xose Manuel Budino and exemplifies
Spain also has a tradition, as in Latin America, of that of a new generation who have grown up
political song, forged in the 1970s in opposition steeped in tradition and adopted wider influences.
CO to Franco, which has a legacy in singer-songwrit- Nunez served a kind of touring apprenticeship with

> ers like Lluis Llach. the Irish super-group, The Chieftains, and con-
The regions have in many cases centuries-long stantly searches out collaborations which bring out
traditions of folk song and dance. Some dances - different aspects of Galician music.
such as the jota, fandango and seguidilla - cut across Other Galician musicians who have helped re-
several regions. Others are unique to (and often vitalise the scene include Na Lua (who combine
emblematic of) particular communities: for exam- saxophones with bagpipes); Doa, Citania,
ple, the inuineira for Galicia; the zortziko for Basque Trisquell, Fia Na Roca and Xorima (all tradi-
country; the sardana for Catalonia. These have tional and acoustic); Palla Mallada (hyper-tradi-

acquired a certain mythology of 'ancientness', tional), and Alecrin, Brath and Matto Congrio
although in fact they are not so old as people like (electric folk). Emilio Cao switches back and forth
to think. Still, the new regional councils are recep- between traditional folk and more modern singer-
tive to supporting or reviving their own folklore songwriting.
traditions and the country has an unrivalled con- A Celtic movement also exists in the neigh-
centration of fiestas, all vigorously popularising tra- bouring province of Asturias. Most groups there
ditions, and well supported by their 'exiles' who are fairly traditional, but Llan de Cubel can be
return to their villages to take part and celebrate challenging. There are also some talented Asturi-
familial and historic bonds each year. an harpists, among them Herminia Olivarez and
Fernando Largo.
Galicia and Asturias
Euskadi
Currently, folk or regional music at its most
developed in the northwest, in the region stretch-
is
(Basque Country)
ing from Galicia to Euskadi - Celtic Spain. The Euskadi (as Basques call their land) is home to an
Festival del Mundo Celta at Ortigueira has accordion music called trikitrixa (literally 'devil's

played a leading role in this revival, and there is a bellows') - a traditional pipe music transposed for

292 Spain - regional music

Carlos Nunez
Bagpiper Carlos Nunez is an ascend-
ing star in the firmament of Galician
music. His 1 997 A Irmandade das Estrel-

las (Brotherhood of Stars) album went

platinum in a matter of months in Spain
and included guest performances by
North American guitarist Ry Cooder,
Cuba's Vieja Trova Santiaguera, and Ire-

land's The Chieftains. Nunez is at the

forefront of a generation of musicians

gaining world-wide fame as a result of

his exceptional technique, talent, pas-

sion and inspired attachment to his Gali-

cian and Spanish roots.

A great enthusiast, Nunez's pivotal

achievement has been to reconstruct the
Galician piping tradition. Convinced
that Galician and Scottish pipes were the
same a few centuries ago but have devel-
oped differently, he has restored the
nuance and detail to Galician playing by
listening to Irish and Scottish players:

"The origin and sound is basically the

same. Nowadays, we Galicians use the

normal scale but the old pipers used the
modal scale, like the Scots, just as they
used the close-fingered way of playing.
And old bagpipes in Galicia had a big- CO
ger interior diameter which made them
more powerful, with a deeper sound,
tuned like the Scottish ones.
"But essentially, what was missing
was the ornamentation. More or less
Carlos Nunez
from the time of Franco's dictatorship,
traditional music became folklore, con- With Galicians scattered all over the world, Nunez
sidered quaint, and the tradition of bagpipes being a had the opportunity in Havana to meet the oldest piper
professional instrument - the piper playing for a living in the world, Clemente Brahas, over one hundred years
- was broken. The chain of tradition was broken. What old, playing pipes made from a rubber inner tube. The
we are seeing now, with the help of other Celts, is the visit made a deep impression: "The Galicians took their
rebirth of it all." bagpipes with them when they emigrated to Cuba and
Nunez has revived Galicia's Celtic background, their music is steeped in the music of the island. That's
including in his repertoire Irish tunes possibly brought how I play 'Para Vigo me voy' - it's Cuban but our
by Irish regiments to Pontevedra, which have been pipers always played it."

reconstructed with flute and fiddle with the help of Nunez has recently worked with a pandereta (tam-
members of The Chieftains. Having learned flute and bourine) group and singers, Cantegueiras Xiradella,
bagpipe from the age of eight, followed by studies of from near La Coruna on the Galican coast, reviving tra-

Baroque music at the Madrid Conservatory, he has an ditional work songs and jotas sung by old women in the
astonishing ability to move fluently from one instru- countryside, some of them with coplas verdes
ment to another in concert, often at an extraordinarily (picaresque verses with double meaning). His current
fast pace, without losing pitch. "They complement each project is a collaboration with flamenco musicians,
other like fire and air, full of sensations," he explains. exploring the age-old links between these two key
"Now am I applying the ornamentation and grace notes musics of Spain through a repertoire of traditional tunes,

of the bagpipe to the flute." and with vintage nineteenth-century bagpipes and flutes.

Spain - regional music 293

Kepa Junkera

the accordion. Trikitrixa maestro, Josepa Tapia, Catalunya

who was taught the instrument by his uncle and
who now plays with patidercta (tambourine) play- Catalunya shares with French Rousillon the roots
er Leturia in the Tapia et Leturia Band, is one of a language and a number of music and dance
of the most popular stars in this genre. Kepa styles, including Rumba Gitana (Gypsy Rumba),
Junkera has taken trikitrixa further afield, work- made famous by the Perpignan-based Gipsy Kings
ing with Carlos Nunez, and in 1998 playing five, (see p. 153). Catalunya's top star in the genre is

and creating an exciting disc, Bilbao 00:00 hrs, in Peret, who opened the Barcelona Olympics. The
collaboration with musicians from Madagascar, late Gato Perez was also hugely popular, pro-
Sweden and beyond. ducing a kind of rock-rumba.
The best-known Basque roots band, Oskorri, The province also has a couple of national (and
are a politicised electro-acoustic group. They were indeed international) stars - Llufs Llach and Joan
instrumental in keeping Basque music publicly Manuel Serrat. Serrat sings in both Catalan and
of Franco and have since
alive in the latter years Castilian, and enjoys a huge reputation in both
gone from strength to strength. Also impressive Spain and Latin America. Llach started out in a

are Ganbara and Azala and the singer-songwrit- group called Els Setze Jutges before going solo
er Benito Lertxundi, whose energies are gener- as a singer-songwriter, and was a political writer
ally devoted to traditional Basque music but who in the late Franco years, composing songs in the
has also recently experimented with the Celtic repressed Catalan language - songs such as the clan-
sounds of the northern coast. Ruper Ordorika destinely distributed "Pais Petit" (My Small Coun-
is another singer-songwriter, with a rock edge, try). He lived out four years of exile in France.
who has recently worked on a collaborative ven- These days he leads a village life and his lyrics have
ture using the poetry of Bernardo Atxaga (the an acute political awareness of the problems of life
first Basque to win Spain's National Prize for Lit- in rural areas, notable in his 1997 suite of songs,
erature). Atxaga has written lyrics previously for Porrera. He tours with a superb group and mixes
rock and folk bands. elements of jazz and rock in his arrangements.
There is Basque tradition of
also a thriving Catalonia also has a number of orchestras who
bersolari — improvising rural poets — and now a play traditional dance music: some closer to salsa
younger generation move freely between village like the Orquesta Plateria and the Salseta del

and city, encouraged by Basque radio and TV Poble Sec, others more traditional like Tercet
competitions and festivals. Treset and the Orquesta Galana.

294 Spain - regional music

 Bonet's most popular songs include Mallorca's
unofficial hymn, "La Balanguera", as well as live-
ly dances like "La Jota Marinera" and the apoca-
lyptic medieval "La sybilla", sung only on
Christmas Eve in certain churches in Mallorca.
Some of her arrangements of Mallorcan work songs
have been choreographed as ballets. "Mallorcan
songs are rooted in nature, partly because in the
past each job had its rhythm", she explained.
"There is music for sowing, harvesting olives and
grapes, getting water from the well, for all sorts of
fiestas, religious and secular, and lullabies. When
people worked alone they sang of their body as

they worked, accompanied by the sound of the

animals. People came to work from all over and
songs were brought from southern France,
Catalunya and Andalucia in the last century. They
sang in the fields: "Mcgusta coger la aceituna - I love
to pick the olives, hold firm friends, life cannot be
bought with money. ("Tonada de cuillir olives")."

Bonet has delved into Mallorca's Mediterranean

connections, into what Turkish poet Omar Zulfu
Livaneli has decribed as the 'sixth continent', link-
ing all the countries embraced by the sea, from
Mallorca to North Africa and the Maghreb, Sar-
dinia, Sicily, Italy, Greece. As well as recording
Livaneli's' songs, she has worked closely with
Lluis Llach Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis.

The emblematic sardana dance remains impor- C/3

tant, too, in every local festival, as does a tradition

of popular singing knownas habanera which

thrives today on the summer festivals, Unk-

coast in
ing Catalonia with Cuba. The maritime connec-
tions through merchant seaman and the navy have
been strong throughout the nineteenth and twen-
music of ida y vuelta — coming
tieth centuries, the

and going, of greeting and farewell.

Mallorca
In Catalan-speaking Mallorca singer-songwriter
Maria del Mar Bonet was, with Llach, a part of
the 1960s singer-composer group Els Setzejutges,
and a prominent figure in the nova tango (new song)
movement which incurred the displeasure of Fran-
co's censors: "At that time the sheer fact of singing
in Catalan was a political act in itself," she recalls.

"If you spoke Catalan in public the dictatorship

treated it as an act of disobedience. But in gener-
al songs weren't directly social or political. They
were poetry, mostly love songs, for our country.
What united us in Els Setge Jutges was our desire
to use our language - on the streets, on radio, in
literature, in theatre." Maria del Mar Bonet

Spain - regional music 295

 Other Mallorcan musicians of interest include
the superb guitarist Joan Bibiloni who embraces
discography
folk, jazz and picking styles, and the singer-song-
Compilations
writer Tomell Penya, always disguised wearing
a cowboy hat. 7l Hent Sant Jakez (Shamrock, Austria).

Ruz (Brittany, France), Leilia (Galicia, Spain), La

Bleizi

Andalucia Musgana (Castille. Spam) - three groups join together to map

the European journey of pilgnms to Santiago de Composteia
in music and song, patterning the journey of souls, the stars
Andalucfa home not only to flamenco. Musi-
is
of the milky way (those who make the journey after death)
cians like Kiko Veneno and Joaquin Sabina. from Brittany through the Vendee and Landes through Spain
for example, play a witty, catchy rock with lyrics to Santiago. A superb disc.

younger musicians identify with. Andalucia also

has two further significant singer-songwriters, the Artists
popular Carlos Cano. who has revived the tra-
ditional Andalucian copla, and Javier Ruibal.
Habas Verdes
Sephardic (medieval Iberian Jewish) music is also
Based in Zamora, this is an interesting new group explor-
to be found in the region— a cross between folk
ing their local music on cavaquinho, zanfona, rabel,
and traditional styles. Rosa Zaragoza and Auro- dulzaina, pipes and more.
ra Moreno are two female singers who have pro-
S3 En el jardin de la yerba buena (Gam. Spain).
duced interesting work in this field, as has the
Habas Verdes' debut disc has established quite a reputation
outstanding musician Luis Delgado (see article on
for the band.
Jewish Sephardic music on p.370). Moreno has also
recorded Mozarabic jarchas (Arabic-Christian verse Kepa Junkera
set to music), while the groups Els Trobadors and
The virtuoso accordion player of Basque trikitrixa is
Calamus have, like Radio Tarifa (see Flamenco unusual for achieving success while not being a native
article) experimented with medieval traditions. Basque speaker.

E Bilbao 00:00 Hr (Resistencia, Spain).

Elsewhere The trikitrixa ace successfully collaborates with veteran

Basques Oskorri. Portuguese singer Dulce Pontes, The
C/J Other renowned singer-songwriters dotted across Chieftains' Paddy Maloney. Swedes Hedningarna and
Madagascar's Justin Vali.
^
~
the country include Luis Eduardo Aute. based
in Madrid, who has enjoyed a wonderfully cre-
Leilia
ative relationship with Cuban trovador Silvio
All-women group Leilia are reviving the Galician rural tra-
Rodriguez, and the long-standing partnership of dition of pandeireta (women tambourine players) and their
Asturian Victor Manuel and Ana Belen Belen's repertoire of dance songs, many with double-entendre. A
songs — popular settings of the poems of Cuban band with great energy and sense of innovation.

poet Nicolas Guillen — are unsurpassed, her mobile, £ Leilia Exuberant (Discmedi, Spain).

lively voice forging a new Spanish-Cuban style. A and mazurcas, with the original six
disc of jotas, muineiras
From Valencia. Al Tall is an interesting band whose women joined by various guests including the six-man
last major project was a joint effort with the Moroc- Pandeiromus group.

can Berber group, Muluk El Hwa. From Aragon, roots

Lluis Llach
groups include Hato de Foces. Comamusa and the
Orquestina del Fabriol. while the Zamora-based Uach is a key singer of Catalan nova canco (new song)
who has succesfully moved from embodying the spirit of
Habas Verdes perform spirited, vivid versions of tra- opposition to Franco to success with new themes and
ditional tunes on instruments such as the hurdy gurdy, audiences in the 1 990s.
the dulzaina, as well as cello, organ and guitar.
fJ7\ Ara, 25 anys en directe
Maria Salgado deserves a mention.
Lasdy, singer LSU (Picap, Spain).

She who has made fine recordings of the habanera Rivaling Bonet. this is a concert celebrating twenty-five years
tradition found outside Catalunya, and has worked in the music business. It includes most Llach classics and

on La sal de la vida (The Salt of Life) with two other many love songs, celebrating jazz-rock influences while still

producing songs of integrity with a political conscience, root-

women musicians, Uxia from Galicia and Rasha ed in the Catalan way of life.

from the Sudan, exploring the similarities and dif-

ferences of each other's cultures through recordings Llan de Cubel
of largely unheard songs from Galicia and Asturias, A band headlining the Celtic movement in Asturias with
from lullabies to songs of leaving for Havana. challenging versions of traditional music.

296 Spain - regional music

 83 L'otru llaou de la mar (Fono Astur, Spain).

A lively introduction to this exciting group.

Maria del Mar Bonet

The Mallorca Maria del Mar Bonet celebrated thirty years
singing in 1997, and continues to go from strength to
strength.

El cor del temps

(Picap, Spain).

A superb live recording of Bonet's 30 Years anniversary con-

cert held in Barcelona's Palau San Jordi for a public of
14,000, with guests Serrat, Llach, Martirio, Ensemble de
Musique Traditionnelle de Tunis, Paco Cepero, Lautaro
Rosas, Nena Venetsanou, Joan Ramon Bonet.

Milladoiro
Galicia's band extraordinaire with many years' experience
of pioneering the Gallego sound on a multiplicity of pipes
and other instruments.

m As fadas de estrano nome

(Green Linnet, US). Oskorri singer Anton Reixa
Recorded live in April 1995 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to an
audience including many Argentme-Gallegos. A brilliant set of Maria Salgado
invigorating tunes and rhythms.
One of mainland Spain's most interesting, contemporary
singer-songwriters.
Carlos Nunez
Galicia's -and Spain's - foremost bagpiper and flautist, WITH UXIA AND RASHA
Nunez has a feel for the diaspora of Spanish and Galician
S3 La Sal De La Vida (NubeNegra, Spain).
music reaching to Cuba and back.
Castilian Maria Salgado, Galician Uxia and Sudanese singer
A Irmandade das Estrelas Rasha come together to sing their own traditions and
(Ariola, Spain).
exchange songs.
C/>
A superb disc of and moving melodies with a great
lively

band and terrific arrangements, this established Nunez's Joan Manuel Serrat
potential for worldwide fame.
Serrat is one of Spain's key singer-songwriters with a
huge international following in Spain and Latin America.
Ruper Ordorika
83 Nadie es perfecto (Ariola, Spain).
Ordorika is a Basque singer-songwriter with a fine ear for

language and melody who embraces rock influences. A 994

1 live album that found Serrat in exuberant, serenading
form.
83 Hiru truku (Nuevos Medios, Spain).

An excellent introduction to this poetic songwriter. BELEN, RIOS, MANUEL, SERRAT

83 El gusto es nuestro (Ariola, Spain).

Oskorri
Ana Belen, Miguel Rios, Victor Manuel, Joan Manuel Serrat:
Oskorri are the Basque country's essential folk group, four of Spains's top singers joined together for an exciting
forging a clear musical identity for themselves at home world tour with songs including stunning covers of American
and abroad over the past couple of decades. 1960s rockers, revealing their true eclecticism.

83 Badok hamahiru (Elkar, Spain).

Tapia Et Leturia
Just one of Oskorri's many excellent discs.
This is a Basque trikitrixa duo - the masters of the genre,

i carrying on and revitalising the tradition.

Port-Bo
Port-Bo are one of several Costa Brava groups singing 83 Nueva Etiopia (Colleccion Led el Europeo, Spain).

the surviving habanera tradition which links these Sub-titled 'Songs, Conversations and Poems', this is an
Catalonian fishing villages with Cuba. exerting collaboration, with texts by Basque and Spanish
national prize-winning author, poet and lyric writer Bernardo
83 Arrel de tres and Canela y Ron (Picap, Spain).
Atxaga. Music from Tapia, Leturia, folk-rocker Ruper
Celebrated in annual festivals held on the beaches of Ordorika, giant Basque singer Mikel Laboa, Itoiz and Gari.
Catalonia these are old and new. mostly romantic habaneras. Inspiring medieval troubadour music.

Spain - regional music 297

 Sweden
a devil of a polska
Sweden has made more of an impact on the global pop/rock scene than the other Nordic countries, but
its new roots music begun to find an international audience.
only recently has balances an image of It

legend with dynamic modernity, has rich fiddle traditions and distinctive uses of the voice,
folkloric
alongside jazz, multi-ethnic fusion and the wildest of folk-rock. Pervading much of it are the devilish
polyrhythms of polska. Andrew Cronshaw takes a journey of discovery.

elsewhere in Europe, it was the youth within a hundred years, though it suffered a set-

As radicalism of the late 1960s that sparked

a revival of interest in Sweden's roots
back
result
in some areas in the nineteenth century as a
of religious fundamentalism; some preach-
music. A new wave of young musicians ers saw music and dancing as ungodly and fiddles
took up the fiddle and other instruments histori- especially so.
cally used for traditional music, in particular the The styles of individual fiddlers were major shap-
characteristic Swedish nyckelharpa (keyed fid- ing factors in the way Swedish fiddling evolved.
dle). Many of them joined a spel- Notable fiddlers of the nineteenth
manslag (traditional musicians' club) century, whose names are still asso-
or started new ones, learning where ciated with particular tunes or ver-
possible from exponents of the tra- sions, include Lapp-Nils (Nils
dition; courses were established for Jonsson, 1804—1870) from Jamtland,
playing and making traditional instru- Lejsme-Per Larsson (1822-1907)
ments; and roots music began from Mailing, and Pekkos Per
C/> increasingly to appear live and on (d.1877) of Bingsjd.
radio and TV. These fiddlers' music is only known
By the 1 980s there was a thriving from reputation and the playing of
scene of Swedish roots bands and those who knew them, but the next
musicians. Their emphasis was on generation lived into the era of sound
instrumental music, centred on the recording. Most famous by far was
country's dominant folk dance form, Hjort Anders Olsson, (1865-1952),
the polska, but during the 1990s who came from Bingsjd and played
singing became more popular. Pow- many of Pekkos Per's tunes. His suc-

erful, original and influential bands Veteran Swc dish cess in a fiddle competition launched
have emerged, many of them com- fiddler Hjort Anders his concert career, and he became
prising Swedish-traditional stylists who draw freely well known in Stockholm as the resident player at
on musical ideas from outside to create new per- Skansen outdoor museum. And it is Hjort Anders'
spectives. striking figure in long black coat and wide-brimmed
From a traditional standpoint, Sweden is a patch- hat that forms the logo of Sweden's largest folk fes-
work of regional styles of dance and music, with tival at Falun in Dalarna. He made many radio
varying degrees of intercommunication depending broadcasts, and a numbe^ of records. The next gen-
on the topography. The most famous fiddling region, erational link in the chain was his grandson Nils
for example - and still the area of most intense folk Agenmark (1915-1994), who regularly travelled
music activity - is Dalarna, and in particular the to visit his grandfather, and tried to reach back in

townships of Rattvik, Boda and Bingsjd. his playing to the style of Pekkos Per.
Anther highly influential old-time player - still

- Pakkos Gustaf (b. 1 9 6), who con-

Fiddling active is 1

tinues to draw many modern players to his home

The fiddle in its present form arrived in Sweden in Bingsjd. Gustaf is the subject of a brilliant mod-
in the seventeenth century and was widespread ern wood-sculpture in Falun's Dalarnas Museum

298 Sweden
 Per Gudmundson and the Polska
Between sets performed by Norwegian folk big-band hesitating walk and wide-stepping turn, and then a
Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag and high-energy Haitian- world of satisfaction, understanding and possibility
Swedish dance-band Simbi in Falun's Grand Hotel dur- opens up.
ing the Norrsken conference, Per Gudmundson plays The music itself works at various levels: be it solo

solo fiddle - unassuming, skilful and subtle. Before long, fiddle, two fiddlers interlocking lines and rhythms, or
a large circle of couples gathers in front of him, includ- the enormous sound of the amplified bands, the dance
ing leading musicians, swirling in a quiet polska. Here, is still there. Indeed one of Swedish roots music's
in this shared moment between musician and audience, strongest aspects in terms of wide-world appreciation
is the heart of Sweden's present-day roots music. is that however far it's taken into heavy rock (and in

Polska's unsettling polyrhythms make perfect sense some cases that's very far indeed, into realms much
when you dance them. Though there are endless vari- wilder and all-out than anything in British folk-rock) it

ations to the form, it's not hard to accomplish the basic still retains its character.

which deserves to be on a list of the world's great land. It is also depicted in murals in late fifteenth-

artworks for capturing the essence of the old fid- century churches in Denmark and Uppland. The
dlers, their work-hardened hands pouring out oldest preserved nyckelharpa is dated 1526: its

music of great subtlety and complexity. body shape is waisted like a guitar's, but during
Unlike many countries, there is no rigid folk the seventeenth century the boat shape came to
tradition and many of the best-known present- prevail. The sympathetic strings were added in
day fiddlers play or have played in progressive the eighteenth century.
roots bands and projects, as well as in traditional The county of Uppland has been a nyckelharpa
music. One such performer Ola Backs trom
is stronghold right through to the twentieth centu-
from the Dalarna region. He has moved back and ry, and is also the centre of the instrument's mod-
between Den Fule's heavy rock outfit,
forth ern renaissance. The best-known nyckelharpa
Simon Simonsson's Kvartett, the traditional spelman of the nineteenth century was Byss-Calle
and new music trio Triptyk, the Anglo-Swedish (Karl Ersson Bossa, 1783-1847) from Alvkarleby.
quartet Swap, and duets with veteran Pakkos In 1925 fiddler August Bohlin built a chromat-
Gustaf.
Forms of fiddle with drone-enhancing sympa-
ic nyckelharpa; player and
(1912—1986) of Tobo made further developments
maker Eric Sahlstrom o
m
thetic strings - modem developments of the viola and so emerged the form of the instrument now
d'amore akin to the Norwegian hardingfele - with most commonly played. Whereas the old forms
various names including stakeftol and lat fiol, are had an arched bow - with the tension adjusted by
used increasingly by such present-day players as thumb pressure making it well suited to bowing
Mats Eden and the dynamic fiddle duo Magnus several strings at once to create drones - this new
Stinnerbom and Daniel Sanden-Warg. one uses a straight, violin-type bow which picks
out a clearer melody with occasional double-stop-

Nyckelharpa ping or chords.

This more flexible instrument created new
The folk revival was the perfectly-timed salvation enthusiasm, crucially boosted by Eric Sahlstrom's
of Sweden's most distinctive indigenous instru- energetic ambassadorship for it - he organised and
ment, the nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle). In size and led players' and makers' courses and displayed the
construction, some way from a standard fiddle
it's nyckelharpa's possibilities in his very skilful, flu-

— more hurdy-gurdy without a

like a thinner ent playing. However, despite his work, the num-
wheel; it has a long, boat-shaped soundbox taper- ber of social occasions at which the instrument was
ing to a thick neck bristling with rows of keys needed were diminishing by the end of the 1960s
operating tangents which press against one or more — it was becoming an old curiosity only seen at

of the bowed strings. Its sound is enriched by a set competitions organised to keep traditions alive.

of sympathetic strings which produce a sustained Then along came the "fok vogue" and keen new
ringing. makers and players went to learn from Sahlstrom,
The first depiction of the instrument is a carving who received a state artist's salary from 1977. Play-
of circa 1350 on a gate at Kalunge church in Got- er numbers have risen from probably under twen-

Sweden 299
 Vasen trio: Roger Tallroth, Olov Johansson and Mikael Marin

ty in the 1960s to tens of thousands worldwide, which is built around the wild amplified sounds
and the level of skill continues to escalate. the instrument can make.
The best-known nyckelharpa-powered band is Others include the all-nyckelharpa band named
Vasen. w hich features Olov Johansson with viola inmemory of Sahlstrom, the Till Eric Group, a
player Mikael Marin and guitar/octave man- new power-chamber-music of exciting complex-
dolin/bouzouki player Roger Tallroth, recently ity, with a rich low end from Hedin's tenor ver-
augmented by percussionist Andre Ferrari. Apart Asa Jinder made several
sion of the instrument.
from their own dance-compelling new polska, popular CDs with nyckelharpa in a more com-
m Vasen took the nyckelharpa to a long stay at the mercial keyboard-oriented setting, and played with
top of the Swedish pop charts as members of the Secret Garden in Norway's Eurovision-winner.
group Nordman. Other leading players include Peter Hedlund
Anders Norudde (aka Anders Stake) of leading and, using the nyckelharpa in a Baroque/classical
roots band Hedningarna has made a series of instru- context, Kersti Macklin.
ments which he calls moraharpor — based on the old
1 526 nyckelharpa but extending the principle as tar

as a bass model — and their exciting sound has been Piping

a major feature of the band since its inception. Sev-
eral other players have also turned for a thicker, deep- Playing of the Swedish bagpipe (sdckpipa) per-
er, more dronal sound to older variants of the sisted longest in Dalarna; the unbroken tradition
instrument, such as the silverbashaq>a (so named finally expired with the death of Gudmunds Nils
because of its silver-wound gut bass string) and the Larsson in 1 949. revival gathered steam when
Its

contra-drone. These instruments give more meaning the construction work of Per Gudmundson and
to old tunes written before the chromatic nyckel- Leif Eriksson resulted in a reliably playable instru-
harpa was invented, and their deep drones and raw- ment, which includes the innovation of a tuning
ness suit the feel of much new Swedish roots music. slide, a feature absent on the dozen or so old pre-
The field of fine play increases constantly. Trio served instruments. Dalarna pipes, which have a
Patrekatt show s the powerful blend of nyckel- fairly sweet reedy tone, are small and simple,
harpa, in the hands of Johan Hedin and Markus mouth-blown with a cylindrical-bored chanter
Svensson, with Annika Wijnbladh's driving cello. and a single drone, both having single reeds made
Svensson's nyckelharpa also takes what would of a tubular section of reed with cut tongue. There
probably otherwise be the fiddle's place in roots are now a number of able players, among them
band Kalabra, while Hedin leads his own band Anders Norudde, always a champion of raw,

300 Sweden
wild sounds, who when playing with Hedningar- ings to his credit, was immensely popular in the

na prone to wave the chubby little bagpipe

is first half of the twentieth century and remains Swe-
around like a squealing piglet. den's most famous accordionist.
The spelpipa or spilapipa is a small wooden All types of accordion (dragspet) have often been
whistle, usually with eight equal-sized, equally viewed with suspicion in folk music revival cir-
spaced fingerholes; it's one of the instruments asso- cles, but even the most distrusted, the big shiny

ciated with animal herders on the high summer chromatics, feature in spelmanslag ensembles, and
pastures, and they would normally play alone for they remain at the heart of gammaldans bands.
their own amusement. It persisted longest in Dalar- Playing of one and two-row more
diatonics gained
na, and since the 1 970s has been taken up by new acceptability, and in 1970 their popularity led to
players. Until the 1950s Harjedal had a tradition their being allowed in auditions for the Zorn
of playing a cylindrical-bored spelpipa with six fin- Badge, the award given to folk musicians - who
ger-holes. Its leading present-day player is the then merit the title riksspeltnan. The first musician
multi-talented Ale Moller. playing diatonic accordion to become a riksspel-
Another pastoral whistle is the salgpipa (wil- man was Mats Eden in 1 979, and since then Erik
low pipe), the no-holed overtone whistle origi- Pekkari, in particular, has emerged as a fine sen-
nally made by sliding the bark off a willow stick, sitive player.

cutting a notch, and re-inserting a short length

of the wood with make an air-
a slice removed to
Singing: Kulning
way to the notch. It was played in Sweden and
Norway into the twentieth century, and its nat- and Ballads
ural scale and wild sound fit well with the return Song was the most prevalent traditional folk music
to dronal music. Anders Stake made many of in Sweden, accompanying ceremonies, work
those played today from plastic plumbing tubing (including songs of the railway navvies and Swedish
and he and Moller also use longer 'drone-flute' versions of sea shanties), religion, dancing games,
versions. drinking and the enforced sedentary occupations
on the hills for amuse-
Pastoral instruments used of long dark winters. Singing was unaccompanied
ment, predator-scaring or communication had lost until the advent of such instruments as the chord
their role until taken up in the revival. Others zither, harmonium, piano, guitar (used in the home
include the finger-holed goat-horn cow- or long before the folk revival) or accordion. e/>

trumpet, and birch-bark trumpets (nciverlur) Two particular styles stand out among today's
related to the bronze lurs found by archaeologists. singers. One is impossible to miss. The penetrat-
m
o
Striking sounds and textures are characteristic ing, high-pitched kulning was originally a cow-
of modern Swedish roots music. Instruments calling cry on the high summer pastures, and was
known in Swedish tradition and now reborn still to be heard in some areas into the 1970s. In
include hammered dulcimer (hackbrade) jew's harp
, its revival, kulning has become one of the most
(mungiga), hurdy-gurdy (vevlira), bowed lyre of contemporary Swedish vocal
striking elements
(strakharpa), shawm (skalmeja), chord zither (acko- music - show-stopping in performance and a
rdcittra) and hummel (a strummed zither related to socially-sanctioned opportunity to let fly an expres-
Norwegian langeleik and Appalachian dulcimer). sive, cathartic sound. by women;
It's practised
indeed most of the notable singers in Swedish
Accordions and roots music are women, the foremost being Lena
Willemark.
Free-reed Instruments The other prominent vocal tradition is the bal-
Free-reed instruments made their appearance in lad. Sweden has its share of variants of the great
the nineteenth century. The first harmonicas and ballad stories found across northern Europe, many
accordions, both invented by C.E.L. Buschmann of which are traceable back to the middle ages or
in Berlin,were expensive, but mass-production earlier, with such eternal themes as love, heroic
brought the price down, and large numbers of both exploits and magic. Old ballads regularly appeared,
were sold in Sweden. They became the dominant together with topical songs and whatever else
instrument here, as in Norway, for playing the would sell, in the precursor to the record - the
popular dance tunes of the turn of the century - printed street-ballad, skillitlgtryck, sold throughout
the music now known as gammeldans. Carl Norden until as late as 1910 by itinerant ballad
Jularbo (1893-1966), a very skilled player with mongers. Tunes used for a particular ballad story

1500 compositions and vast numbers of record- varied according to singer and region.

Sweden 301
 Lena Willemark & Ale Moller:
Bringing the Big World Home
Singer and fiddler Lena Willemark learned the old singing, Ale Moller has extra quarter-tone frets on
ways of traditional music as a child in Dalarna, and his flat-back mandola/bouzouki. It's an instrument
has taken them right to the heart of new Swedish which evolved during the Celt* revival of the 1960s
music. Her wide-ranging work embraces the strong- and '70s but is natural for him to use. He studied from
ly tradition-rooted trio Frifot with Ale Moller and Per 1976 with bouzouki player Christos Mitrencis, and for

Gudmundson, the ballad-centred Nordan project, several years played rembetika and more modern
the fusion-improvising Enteli. and the more main- Greek music, including shows with Mikis Theodor-
stream-jazz piano-led Elise Einarsdotter Ensem- akis. His current mandola includes more of his spe-
ble. With her voice moving from mellow breathiness cial requirements, such as extended bass strings and
to ecstatic soaring or hovering on microtonal ledges, stud-capos for individual pairs of strings. Moller's a

she exemplifies the uniqueness of her tradition, and genuine multi-instrumentalist, a skilled player of a

the fresh power it can bring to range of instruments including

other musics, as for example hammered dulcimer, keyboards,
when her kulning is chased by accordion and wind-instruments
saxophonist Jonas Knutsson's such as whistles, shawm, cow-
soprano, like two birds tumbling horn and trumpet, and his play-
in a windblown sky, the two ing and his tunes crop up all over
sounds becoming almost indis- the Swedish and wider Nordic
tinguishable. music scene.
The daughter of a forester, hers He was born in Sweden of a
was an early-to-rise rural child- Norwegian mother and Danish
hood, growing up in those tradi- father. "I'm from the town, from
Frifot: Lena Willemark
tions and speaking a dialect which Ale Moller (left) Malmo, and grew up with rock-
even now causes the occasional and Per Gudmundson and jazz has always
'n'roll,

Swede to think she's some kind lot to me because

meant a was it

CO of foreigner. "I grew up in the northwest of Dalama, in the music of my teenage years. Then became pas- I

a village called Evertsberg. spent a of time sionately love with Greek culture, and from that
m little

with old people, strong personalities

I lot

who meant a lot I learned

in

how important it is that people have some

to me and have beenmy teachers - for example, Marta kind of pride in their own history, and self-confi-
Eriksson, who taught me singing, tales and kulning, dence that doesn't have to lead to picking on those
and Ekor Anders Andersson, a truly original person, that are different. That way I first became theoret-
both fantastic and strange, a painter as well as a musi- ically curious about Swedish folk music, and had to
cian, a 'life-artist'. search for it. When I finally met it I, luckily, fell in

"So it was how to call

very natural for me to learn love with it. But it was a music that I almost didn't
for the animals, or to take the fiddle and sit down with know existed."
Anders and learn a polska; and at the same time then I Modem Sweden is a multicultural society, home to
went home and painted my eyes turquoise, tuned in leading musicians from other cultures, and Ale is active

to Radio Luxembourg to hear Wings and went out to in the creation of new cross-cultural links in the
go berserk with the kids in the village. So there were Swedish music of today. Currently amongst his major
two worlds that were both very natural to me. projects is the 14-piece Stockholm Folk Music Big
"I moved to Stockholm when was eighteen, when I Band led by Moller and Jonas Knutsson and involv-
I went to music school where studied I for some years. ing local musicians from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin

During that period I lived together with a jazz musician America.

who played records by Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek and "If you look at other folk music groups, like for exam-
Miles Davis. It was like another door opening for me. ple Norrlatar, they too have travelled a path beginning
Later I met people at the school working with jazz with a local musical language and later increasingly

music, and played with them. And about this time, the reaching out into the world. we have a power- I think

late '80s, I met Elise Einarsdotter, who I've worked with ful longing to bring the big world home to Sweden. Folk

a great deal." music isn't much interested in borders on maps drawn

An aspect of Swedish traditional music is the use by politicians and generals; influences creep in, even
of micro-tones. In order to fit with those in Lena's in traditional music."

302 Sweden
 In the 1970s and '80s some of the new folk ern northern Swedish bands in particular, Nor-
music bands began to introduce songs between the rlatar and the fiddles-and-harmonium JP Nys-
instrumental dance tunes. Folk och Rackare, trdms, show distinct Finnish characteristics.
partly inspired by ideas emerging from the British Despite official pressure against the Finnish lan-
folk-rock scene of the time, was one of the first to guage on the Swedish side of the border until
concentrate on ballad material. Echoes of that well into the twentieth century, it persisted in
approach to ballads can be heard in such present the home. The religious fundamentalist follow-
day bands as Garmarna and the Finnish-Swedish ers of such nineteenth-century preachers as Lars

Gjallarhorn. Garmarna singer Emma Hardelin is Levi Laestadius of Karesuando discouraged the
also a member of the acoustic vocal, fiddle and use of instruments for entertainment, and also to
harmonium trio Triakel, again with a strong quota
of ballads, and Susanne Rosenberg brings them
to the repertoire of the trio Rotvalta and her larg-

er vocal and bowed strings group Rosenbergs

Sjua, as does Sjua member Ulrika Boden to Salta
and Kalabra.
Written collections are a major ballad source,
as are the recordings of twentieth-century singers,
most notably Svea Jansson (1904-1980), the
source of over 600 songs and ballads, Lena Lars-
son (1882-1967) and Ulrika Lindholm
(1886-1977), all three recorded by Matts Arnberg
in the 1950s and '60s.

As Lena Willemark and Ale Moller, speaking at

the first press conference of their Nordan ballad
project, put it: "Many of these songs had hundreds
of verses; must have taken hours to sing them,
it

without instruments, so the stories must have

meant a great deal to people. They entice one into
a new world, one which doesn't feel completely some extent supppressed radio and records, dimin-
unfamiliar because there are things that still con- ishing modern influences on singing. Conse-
cern us today - man in relation to nature, to life quently, there persisted a joik-like gutturalness
and to the other worlds one should care about. in vocal style, audible in field recordings and in
You don't think 'this is important because it's old' the singing of former Norrlatar member (and now
- it's born anew each time you sing it." a presenter of folk music on Swedish radio) Hans
Alatalo.

Swedish Finland, Samiland spreads across north Norway, Swe-

den and Finland, and on into northwest Russia.
Finnish Sweden The remarkable Sami musical culture, distinct from
and Samiland but clearly influencing much modern Nordic roots
music, including that of Sweden, is covered in a
Svea Jansson was born in the slew of islands off separate article (see p. 255).
the Finnish city of Turku/Abo, and later moved
to its western neighbour in the Gulf of Bothnia -
the self-governing Finnish archipelago province of
New Roots Bands,
Ahvenanmaa/ Aland. Both of these areas, and some
Fusion and
parts of the western Finnish mainland, are mainly Multiculturalism
Swedish in language and culture. Music that had
disappeared from the Swedish mainland has been Swedish folk music had inspired classical composers
collected and recorded there from Svea and others in the past, and in the 1960s some Swedish jazz
throughout the twentieth century, and has been a musicians began to explore the possibilities of using
source for both Swedish musicians and the Vaasa- folk songs and dance tunesas themes. The most

based Finnish-Swedish band Gjallarhorn. influential of these was pianist Jan Johansson
Conversely, there are Finnish-speakers in a (1931-1968), whose work, capturing the nuances
large area of the far north of Sweden. Two mod- of live traditional performance, was the path into

Sweden 303
 traditional music for many of today's folk-influ- Both put together the likes of fiddle and flutes
enced jazz musicians. with bouzouki or lute, trumpet and the deep honk
Coinciding with and intensifying the folk music of bass clarinets and baritone or bass sax in very
vogue of the early 1970s, a series of enthusiast- muscular, danceable and intricate polskas and
run, admission-free, all-music festivals in Stock- hallings. 1990 s Folkmusiktaltet — a touring cir-
holm launched what came to be known as the cus-tented show new roots music
presenting the
Swedish Music Movement, in the course of tor both listening and dancing — pitched camp
which new, largely musician-run recording labels around Sweden. It featureckthe core of Sweden's
dedicated to Swedish rock and roots music came roots scene, including Moller, Willemark and
into being. They included many of today's folk- Hedningama.
oriented record companies. As the 1 990s progressed the ideas and live and
Since learning a tune*by ear usually involves recording innovations intensified. Hedningama
playing with another fiddler, duos become a nat- gained two Finnish singers, a hugely powerful
ural performing unit — not simply playing unison technologised sound and a wide, mcreasingly inter-
but finding lines and parts to draw from the tune national audience. Together with Hoven Droven
— adding complexity sound and sharing a
to the (of which founder member was ex-Groupa
a
musical communication. Fiddle duos emerging in trumpeter Gustav Hylen). Den Fule and Gar-
the 1970s included Pers Hans Olsson & Bjorn mama, they demonstrate how electrifying can
Stabi. and Mats Eden & Leif Stinnerbom (a be the meeting between the power of technolo-
duo which expanded in the '80s into Groupa). gy, the raw textures of amplified traditional instru-
Some fiddlers worked with jazz or rock musi- ments and the wild, syncopated drive of Swedish
cians. Rock band Contact's collaboration with traditional dance or the differentness of the old
fiddle trio Skaggmanslaget resulted in a num- ways of song.
ber one hit for them. Kalle Almlof, Ole Hjorth. In today's scene many of the aforementioned
Aim Nils Erson. Pers Hans and Bjom Stabi all musicians and bands are still to the fore, but it's
played at various times with Hammond organist not a case of plodding on with the same formu-
Merit Hemrningson's "Svensk folkmusik pa beat' la: there are constant developments and new for-

band. Influential improvising band Arbete & mations, and a flow of emerging new names. New-
Fritid's flexible line-up included Kalle Almlof innovative bands, fully formed and impressive,
C/3 and Anders Rosen and saxophone players Kjell such as Kalabra and Salta are constantly emerg-
Westling and Roland Keijser — the saxophone was ing. Enteli and the work of saxophonists Jonas

q to become a strong factor in later roots bands. Knutsson and Anders Hagberg show the links
Even Abba 'a Benny Andersson. returning to with the new Nordic roots jazz. Moller and Wille-
his roots, wrote a set of tunes which he recorded mark's Nordan project takes the oldest Swedish
with great success in a collaboration, continuing music and words, in particular ballads, into a new-

today, with Orsa Spelman (a leading Dalarna international territory, while the nyckelharpa is

fiddle club). taking more and more of a leading role in the

Folk och Rackare. Swedes Ulf Gruvberg and hands of such as Olov Johansson and Johan
Carin Kjellman with Norwegians Trond Villa and Hedin
Jom Jensen, picked up on the approaches of such Links with other worid musics have produced the
groups as Britain's Steeleye Span in their pathfind- Swedish-Indian Mynta. die Haitian high-energy of
ing treatments of ballads. The touring collective Simbi. the Balkan sounds of Orientexpressen. the
band Kebnekajse. with Kenny Hakansson on lead Eric Steen Flamenco Fusion, the tango of
electric guitar, delivered largely instrumental rock Katzen Kapell. and many more. Sweden has
arrangements of traditional dance tunes. become a meeting place for musicians from all over
From the north came Norrbotten's Norrlatar, the world, sometimes, as in the pan-South Ameri-
founded on the Finnish-accented styles of the can Cressento, developing new sounds not heard
north, Vasterbotten's Burtraskar'a. and the fid- in their native countries. In the making of new-
dles and harmonium band with a Finnish Swedish roots music immigrant musicians are
Ostrobothnian sound. JP Nystroms. Vastergotland embraced and welcomed, as in the fourteen-piece
trio Forsmark Tre whole new direc-
inspired a Stockholm Folk Music Big Band led by Ale
tion for the Finnish band JPP. influencing the Moller and Jonas Knutsson. There's a strong feeling
Finnish revival at the beginning of the eighties. among leading musicians that today's living Swedish
In the 1980s Filarfolket and Groupa made tradition cannot be a recreation of the past but must
another major click of the evolutionary ratchet. draw on present-day multicultural society.

304 Sweden
 Festivals discography
Gatherings of spelman for individual and ensemble con-
Good sources for Swedish roots releases are Rotspel
certs and informal music are called spelmansstammor, (Tulegatan 37, 113 53 Stockholm =/fax (46) 8 16 04 04;
and there are many of them, mostly in the summer, all
www.rotspeLa.se) and Multikulti (St. Paulsgatan 3, 1 1 8 46
Stockholm w/fax (46) 8 643 61 29; http://home3.
over Sweden. The biggest is at Bingsjo (Dalarna) in early
swipnet.se/~w-3932); or Digelius in Helsinki (see Finland).
July, which attracts about 10,000 people for its 24 hours. In Britain, ADA and Direct Distribution represent a number
Others include Delsbo, in Halsingland (also early July) of labels.

and Ransater in Varmland (early June). The dominant

instrument is usually fiddle, with nyckelharpa and other Compilations
instruments according to region and event. Space, and
a quiet place, is often made for singing. 3D Musica Sveciae: Folk Music in Sweden -
Vols 1-25 (and growing!) (Caprice, Sweden).
Rattvik Folklore Festival in Dalama in late July gath-

ers musicians, dancers and singers beside Lake Siljan. This series is one of the most comprehensive surveys of any
national music, a remastered CD reissue of LPs covering the
It's primarily a festival of customs and costumes rather
whole gamut of Swedish traditional music (excepting the pre-
than a folk festival in the usual present-day sense of bands sent-day roots/fusion scene), using archive recordings and
and international names. Nearby Falun hosts Sweden's some new The plan was for 25 volumes, but looks
material. it

like growing beyond

that. Those already released are:
largest international folk music festival for five days in
1-2 The Medieval Ballad: recordings from the 1950s and
mid-July, with performances by a large number of the '60s by Swedish and Finland-Swedish traditional singers.
new roots bands, and some others from abroad, plus a 3 Traditional Folk Music: archival and contemporary
recordings.
lot of spelman and sessions. Falun Folkmusik Festival
4 Adventures in Jazz and Folklore: interpretations of tra-
also organises the January Norrsken/Nordic Lights ditional themes by some leading Swedish jazz musicans.
Nordic and Baltic roots music conference. 5 Folk Tunes from Orsa and Alvdalen: featuring Dalarna
fiddlers born in the 1870s and '80s. 6 Rhymes and Lullabies.
Further north Urkult Folkfest vid Namforsen at
7 Harmonica and Accordion: on the dance floor and at home.
Nasaker in early August is a World Music festival includ-
8 Ancient Swedish Pastoral Music: including lockrop
ing Swedish and Nordic roots bands, Finally, at the end herding calls, flutes and horns.
of February there's the Umea folk music festival, which 9-10 Three Traditional Folk Singers: Lena Larsson,
Ulrika Lindholm and Svea Jansson recorded 1952-63.
features performers mainly from Sweden and the other
11 Fiddlers from Five Provinces: featuring Eric
Nordic countries in indoor venues. Sahlstrom and others from the 1 950s. CS)

12 Songs of Tornedalen: the meeting of Swedish and

Finnish cultures.
13 Nordic Folk Instruments: including bowed lyre, bag-
Contacts pipes, kantele, langeleik etc.
14 Folk Tunes from Jamtland performed by two did-

Information about musicians and events can be found in

dlers, a clarinetist and five fiddlers.

15 Songs of Sailors and Navvies.

the bi-monthly Lira magazine, Tullkammaregatan 1 , S- 16-17 Folk Tunes from Rattvik, Boda & Bingsjo
791 31 Falun, « (46) 23 633 77, fax 23 638 88; www. 18 Folk Tunes from Dala-Floda, Enviken & Ore.
Iira@lira.se Also worth checking is Izzy Young's small mag- 19 Blood, Corpses and Tears: featuring bloodcurdling
broadsheet ballads.
azine Folklore Centrum: with useful listings and adverts
20 Folk Songs and Tunes from Boh u si an
for folk music events, tour-lists, radio broadcasts and the 21-23 Joik - A presentation of Sami Music: with 195

like, it is published eight times a year by Folklore Cen- joiks recorded in 1953.
24 Chorales & Wedding Music from Runo: an island off
trum, Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 2, S-1 1 8 50 Stockholm, «/fax
the coast of Estonia.
(46) 8 643 46 27. 25 Folk Music in Transition: including jazz and orchestral
The quarterly magazine for members of SSR {Sveriges arrangements and Hedningarna.

Spelmans Riksforbund) gives information on spel- Arsringar

mansstammor and other spelman-related doings. RFoD (MNW, Sweden).
(Riksfdreningen for Folkmusik och Dans) publish- This double CD compilation gives a very clear overview of
es a biennial directory of organisations, institutions, musi- Swedish roots music 1 970-90, compiled from many labels by
Ale Moller and Per Gudmundson. includes many leading
It
cians and teachers called Folkmusik Katalogen,
fiddlers plus Filarfolket, Simon Simonsson's Kvartett, Lena
distributed by Svenska Rikskonserter, Nybrokajen 1 1
Willemark, Folk och Rackare, JP Nystroms, Trio UGB, Orsa
S-1 11 48 Stockholm, » (46) 8 407 16 00, fax 407 16 50. Spelman with Benny Andersson, Arbete och Fritid, Groupa,
The early Hedningarna and much more.
Katalog is also searchable online, at

www. rfod. se/fkatalog. html 3S Nordic Roots (NorthSide, US).

Many relevant Internet site links are to be found at
A great budget-priced 1998 sampler from this US label spe-
www. home3. swipnet. se/~ w-33552/links/folk_svJinks, htm cialising in licensing prominent Nordic new-roots music. It's

Sweden 305
 largely Swedish - Vasen, Hedningarna, Hoven Droven, Den (flutes and bass sax), Henrik Cederblom (guitars), Stefan
Fule, Swap et al - plus some Finns and Norwegians. Bergman (bass) and Christian Jormin (drums).

S3 Traditional Folk Music (Caprice, Sweden). S3 Skalv (Xource, Sweden).

This volume three of the Musica Sveciae - Folk Music
is in S3 Quake (NorthSide, US).
Sweden outlined above and is particularly recommended. A Skalv is the 1 995 album; Quake is a US compilation of it and
rich selection includes lockrop herding calls, Sami joiks,
predecessor Lugumleik.
nyckelharpa, accordions, lots of fiddles and today's groups
Frifot and Hedningarna. Recordings from the 1940s to the
'90s.
Garmarna
Garmarna specialise in ballads and instrumental with a
Xourcism! •
wild, dense pulsing bowed-string and sampling drone-
(Xource, Sweden).
based foundation. Singer/fiddler Emma Hardelin with
Much has happened since Arsringar (above) was compiled, a viola, guitars, hurdy-gurdy and drums.
substantial proportion of it released by Xource/Resource. This
is a 1 997 which folk-rock and polska/halling
label sampler in
- ;
Guds Speleman
Bands include Garmarna,
driven groove features strongly. (Massproduktion and Xource, Sweden; Omnium, US).
Hedningarna, Hoven Droven, Vasen, Trio Patrekatt, Dan
The second album, with a guest vocal on one track from
Gisen Malmquist, Urban Turban, Folk & Rackare. Kenny
Sami singer Pal Torbjorn Doj.
Hakansson, JP Nystroms et al.

Gjallarhorn
Artists Gjallarhom are actually a Finnish band, but from Finland's
Swedish-speaking minority, and play Swedish music from
Ola Backstrom the archipelagos of the Gulf of Bothnia and other
Backstrom is a leading modem Dalama fiddler who began Finlands-Svenska regions of the western mainland.
playing in the 1970s and moves freely between the old
Ranarop: Call of the Sea-Witch
tradition and modem
bands, exemplifying the continuity
(Warner Finlandia Innovator, Finland).
between the old masters and new evolution.
Strong melodies, finely poised microtonal singing from Jenny
SI Ola Backstrom (Giga, Sweden).
Wilhelms with and
viola dancing together over rippling
fiddle

and new tunes, playing solo and with Carina

Traditional didgeridoo and deep percussion. An exquisite balance
Normansson (his fiddler colleague in the English/Swedish between beauty and guts.
quartet Swap). The Giga label focuses almost entirely on fid-
dlers, particularly solo,and includes a 3-CD set of all Hjort Groupa
Anders' recordings. It's fair to say that some of this music
played solo by the old masters can be difficult listening for Groupa have always been trail-blazers, their changing
CO inexperienced ears; Backstrom's album, varied with duo and line-up comprising prime movers in the new music over

§ ensemble items as well as fine classic solo playing, is both the years. The current members are Mats Eden, Jonas
Simonsson, Rickard Astrom, Norwegian percussionist
TT\ the real thing and an accessible entry point.
a Terje Isungset and, new in 1998 and opening up yet

g Mats Eden another interesting phase, singer Sofia Karlsson.

The memorable, shapely tunes written by Mats Eden of Manskratt

Groupa, the Nordan Project, etc., have become widely (Amigo, Sweden).
played in the new Swedish music and also picked up by
A classic 1990 album, featuring Lena Willemark. For me per-
foreign musicians.
sonally, a turning point Swedish music; the
in listening to

S3 Stalling (Amigo, Sweden). extraordinary wild intensity of Willemark's singing with Mats
Eden's driven bow, Totte Mattsson's furious lute, Gustav
Largely Eden compositions; he plays and stakefiol, with
fiddle
Hylen's cornet, the grunting block bass of Bill McChesney's
fiddler Ellika Frisell, percussionist Tina Johansson, Rickard bass clarinet and Jonas Simonsson's bass sax, over Tina
Astrom's synths and Stefan Ekedahl's cello.
Johansson's energetic percussion.

Filarfolket Hedningarna
This was a band which, with Groupa, marked a transition
- Anders
Hedningarna began as an instrumental trio
in the 1980s for Swedish roots music. included Ellika It
Stake, Totte Mattsson, Bjorn Tollin - then added two
Frisell, Katarina Olsson, Ale Moller, Sten Kallman, Dan
Finnish singers - Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Tellu Paulasto
Gisen Malmquist, Lasse Bomgren, on bowed strings,
(now replaced by Anita Lehtola), and now also bass lute
saxes, bass clarinets, trumpet, flutes, harmonica, bouzou-
player Ulf Ivarsson. A massive-sounding band, they com-
ki, guitar, bass, percussion etc. in polska frenzy.
bine the raw, wild sound of amplified old instruments,
83 Vintervals (Resource, Sweden). unique sample-expanded percussion, and Finnish
Tollin's
vocal, linguistic and melodic input, with dynamic stage-
A compilation from the band's series of albums still richly
and high-tech production.
craft
melodic, energetic, fresh and relevant.
Tra (Xource, Sweden; Northside, US).
Den Fule Fire (Sony/T ri-Star, US).

Hefty, brooding rock-polska, with hints of Arabic feel. Kaksi and Tra, the band's second and third albums, delivered
Henrik Wallgren's vocals, fiddler Ellika Frisell or later Ola the full-blown and overpowering Hedningarna sound. Fire is a
Backstrom, Sten Kallman (saxes), Jonas Simonsson compilation of 1 3 tracks from 7ra and Kaksi!

306 Sweden
 ous projects, all finely-wrought and richly interesting. Try
anything with their names on it.

FRIFOT

Jarven
(Caprice, Sweden).

Frifot are a trio of Moller and Willemark with Per Gudmundson,

a master Dalarna fiddler and bagpiper. This, their second
album (1996) of tunes and songs, traditional and by Moller
and Willemark, exemplifies the rhythmic and melodic excite-
ment, skill and open-ended possibilities of Swedish traditions.

NORDAN
S3 Agram (ECM, Germany).

The Nordan group, formed for ECM, comprises Moller,

Willemark, fiddler Mats Eden, saxophonist Jonas Knutsson,
bassist Palle Danielssonand percussionist Tina Johansson.
Agram second (1996) album,
is their in which traditional

music combines with spacious Nordic jazz developments,

centred around Willemark's compelling singing of ballads and
Mbller-composed and traditional music.

Hoven Droven Norrlatar

Hoven Droven are a stunning, screamingly high-energy An band from Norrbotten in northern Sweden
innovative
rock-polska band with deep traditional skill; Kjell-Erik formed 1972 and achieving breakthrough album sales
in

Eriksson (fiddle), Jens Comen (saxes), Bo Lindberg (gui- with ever-changing approaches. Founder-member Hans
tars), Pedro Blom (bass), Bjorn Hoglund (drums). Alatalo, who left in the mid-'90s, is from the region's
Trumpeter Gustav Hylen left in 1 998, and was replaced by Finnish-speaking population.
Janne Stromstedt on Hammond organ.
S3 En Malsvelodi (MNW, Sweden).
S3 Grov (Xource, Sweden). A classic album, from 1990. Huge quirkiness. wit and variety,
S3 Groove (NorthSide, US). wide instrumentation, unusual vocals in Swedish and Finnish.
Grov is the 1996 second album; Groove is a US-licensed
compilation of and predecessor Hia Hia with two extra
it live Orsa Spelmanslag
tracks. Either serves up the raw meat.
A famous Dalama fiddling club, a sub-group of which is
CO
the fiddles, clarinet, guitar, accordion and bass group
Kalabra Orsa Spelman which is even more famous for collabora-
m
This
live,
is a fast-rising, ingenious young band, particularly
featuring singer/flautist Ulrika Boden, saxist
good
Amanda
tions with Abba's Benny Andersson.
o
m
S3 Orsa Spelmanslag 50 ar (Giga, Sweden).
Sedgwick, nyckelharpor Markus Svensson with Eric Metall's
bass guitar, Sebastian Prinz-Wemer's percussion and Simon The Orsa polskas and other tunes, the big silvery-
distinctive
Stalspets' harmonica, salgfldjt, jew's harp and bouzouki. ringing sound of the full group plus items by Orsa Spelman,
duets, solos by Bjorn Stabi. Jonny Soling, Olle Moraeus and
S3 Kalabra (Caprice, Sweden). others, and three herding tunes on willow pipe and horn. The

Songs and dance tunes traditional and new-made, a varied, spelmanslag's 1998 50-year anniversary album.
flexible open sound with great lift and swing whose instru-

mental aspects continue on the trail blazed by the likes of Trio Patrekatt
Filarfolket and Groupa.
This nyckelharpa-dominated trio comprises Markus
Svensson and Johan Hedin (nyckelharpas and tenor
Jonas Knutsson nyckelharpa) with Annika Wijnbladh (cello).
Knutsson is a leading new-Nordic-jazz soprano saxist
- Adam (Xource, Sweden).
with strong traditional connections in Enteli, Nordan,
Stockholm Folk Big Band etc. The rich deep ringing counterpoints of nyckelharpas and cello in
ingenious bow-driven traditional and new tunes - in no way din-
S3 Vyer: Views (Caprice, Sweden). would make waves the classical world too.
ner-jacketed, but it in

An album that demonstrates just how far the new Nordic jazz
forms have diverged from American music - airy and slowly Vasen
unfolding, with influences from Swedish tradition. Sami joik and
Icelandic poetry.
Vasen are a very popular instrumental trio from Uppland :

Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa), Mikael Marin (viola) and

Roger Tallroth (1 2-string guitar, bouzouki, octave man-
Ale Moller and Lena Willemark dolin), now joined by percussionist Andre Ferrari.

Ale Moller is a multi-skilled instrumentalist: mandola with

Varldens Vasen (Xource, Sweden) or
quarter-tone frets, trumpet, wind instruments, etc. Lena
Whirled (NorthSide, US).
Willemark is a unique, magnificent, intense singer and a
dynamic fiddler. Separately and together - in the groups Acoustic, but as thick and powerful as rock, with furious
Frifot and Nordan - they are constantly involved in numer- Swedish dance swing and drive.

Sweden 307
 Ukraine
hi

the bandura played on

•

Ukraine, the largest of the non-Russian states to emerge from the wreckage of the Soviet Union, has a
vast heritage of traditional music. Much has been lost in the twentieth century as war, collectivisation,
and rapid industrialisation have taken their toll on the social fabric of the Ukrainian village, but all
across the country there are places where unique regional vocal and instrumental styles survive.
Alexis Kochan and Julian Kytasty, continuing a tradition in exile, explore the roots of their music.

Ukraine's position, not surpris- Hutsul Melodies

Given
ing that it
it's

shares Carpathian musical tra-

ditions to the west with Romania and The prairies aside, the best place to hear real
Poland, and rich polyphonic song styles Ukrainian roots music is in the Carpathians, where
with southern Russia to the east. But it also has the Hutsuls, a mountain people speaking an archa-
music uniquely its own, notably the impressive ic Ukrainian dialect, have clung tenaciously to their
bandura - a cross between a zither and lute - and distinctive music. This is the home of the kolomey-
its associated bardic repertoire. A strong village ka (named after the town of Kolomyya), a
instrumental tradition also persists in the west- widespread circle dance in duple time, and in the
ern part of the country, although the customary highland villages around the towns of Rakhiv and
ensemble of fiddle, tsymbaly (hammer dulcimer) Kosiv, the full assortment of Hutsul instruments
and drum - a combination known as troista can still be heard.
muzyka - is rapidly losing ground to drum These include not only hddle and tsymbaly, but
machines and synthesisers. a bewildering array of flutes (sopilka,frilka,Jloyara,

At the turn of the century a wave of emigrants tylynka) reflecting the Hutsuls' traditional pastoral
from western Ukraine brought the troista muzy- occupation. The trcmbita, a long mountain horn,
ka tradition to North America, where its most has a repertoire of calls used for signalling between
famous exponent was Pavlo Humeniuk, 'King mountaintops. The melody instruments play in a

of the Ukrainian Fiddlers', who recorded in New wildly ornamented unison over the rhythmic
York Even today on the Canadian
in the 1920s. underpinning of the tsymbaly, creating an instant-
prairiesno Ukrainian wedding band is complete ly recognisable sound.
m without a tsymbaly, and a small local recording Many of the ensembles in this region - as else-

industry there continues to produce cassettes of where in Ukraine — are organised around multi-
hybrid troista-country bands. generational families of master musicians. Among
them, the Tafichuk Family ensemble from
Bukovets is especially highly regarded.

Choirs and Rituals

Elsewhere in Ukraine, vocal music predominates.
'Bring together two Ukrainians and you have
another choir' - so goes an old Ukrainian saying
- and despite everything that the twentieth cen-
tury threw at the country, those choirs have sur-
vived, or are sprouting anew.
In Polissia, a region of forests and swamps north-
west of the capital Kyiv (Kiev), an archaic repertoire

of seasonal ritual songs daring back to pre-Chris-

tian times has been preserved. In western Ukraine
choral singing is in unison, while in eastern and

308 Ukraine
central Ukraine there's a rich tradition of, mainly Turkish captivity, daring escapes and the deeds of
two-part, folk polyphony, sung mostly by women. Cossack heroes. Their performance was the spe-
In the latter tradition, the beginning of a verse cial province of the kobzari, blind singers formed
is often sung by one or two singers (the zaspiv) and into secretive guilds. The bandura was the accom-
then the verse, or chorus, is taken up by the rest panying instrument of choice, though at leastone
of the choir(pryspiv). The solo lines are more orna- prominent nineteenth-century kobzar still used
mented and sometimes improvised, while the the older lute-like kobza, whiled hurdy gurdy
lower choral lines take the melody. The traditional players - lirnyky - performed a similar repertoire
singing style is strong and open-throated and the of dumy and religious and moralistic songs.
harmony quite bare. At the turn of the century urban musicians took
Sadly, the elderly grannies heard on today's field up the instrument and by the time of the Russian
recordings are in most cases the last carriers of the revolution there were professional ensembles in
tradition in their village and will have no succes- Kyiv and Poltava performing choral music with
sors. However, recently several excellent ensem- bandura accompaniment. The subsequent history
blesof university folklore students have begun of the bandura is a case study in the way the cul-
performing and recording recreations of regional tural politics of the Soviet regime could shape and
vocal styles based on fieldwork and archival record- deform the development of a musical tradition.
ings. Drevo from Kyiv and Hilka from The one or two blind singers who survived the
Kirovohrad can be heard on the French label Silex, Stalinist terror of the 1 930s (there is considerable
and both also have locally produced recordings. evidence of a Congress of Traditional Singers from
Eastern Ukrainian polyphonic singing was also which the participants did not return) paid for their
exported, to the Kuban region in southern Rus- survival with pseudo-dumas about Stalin and Lenin.
sia, by descendants of Ukrainian cossacks
settled Meanwhile, the Kyiv and Poltava ensembles were
from the eighteenth century. Striking examples lumped together into a State Bandurist Chorus
can be heard on the recordings of the profession- performing party anthems and merry folk ditties.

al Kuban Cossack Chorus, which had profes- After World War II the bandura, like other folk
sional status in the Soviet era. instruments in the Soviet Union, was 'developed
Another big Soviet group, based in Ukraine, and improved' to a standard 60-plus string chro-
was gathered by folklorist and composer Hryho- matic instrument with complex and bulky key
ry Veriovka, who in 1944 followed the advanc- change mechanisms. Conservatoire courses in Kyiv
ing Red Army westward across Ukraine, picking and Lviv trained many technically proficient play-
the best singers from the ruined villages for a State ers, but neither the instrument nor the playing

Folk Chorus. For forty years, this group - known technique - still less the repertoire, heavily ori-
after the founder's death as the Veriovka State ented towards classical transcriptions - has much
SO
Folk Chorus - was practically the only recorded connection with the earlier tradition.

source of Ukrainian traditional music, showcasing In fact, a more traditional take on the instru-
stunning examples of women's polyphonic singing ment can be heard today in Detroit or Cleveland.
and brilliant instrumental soloists. There, an instrumental style evolved out of the
Singer Nina Matvienko began her career as a style of exile players from the Kyiv ensemble. The
soloist with the choir in its heyday in the 1970s. Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus, a group con-
She has gone on to record on her own and with most of Ukraine's best surviving players,
taining
her vocal trio Zoloti Kliuchi on the new Ukraini- made its way west in an incredible wartime
an Symphocarre label. odyssey that included forest concerts for Ukraini-
an insurgents, close calls from Allied bombing,
The Bandura and hungry months in a Nazi labour camp. Com-
ing to the US in 1949 and settling in Detroit, the
The bandura, a kind of zither, is unique to group maintains an unbroken performance tradi-
Ukraine and is considered the national instrument. tion going back to the original Kyiv and Poltava
Unlike the Scandinavian and Baltic zithers, it is ensembles and has issued a steady stream of record-
plucked held upright and has a lute-like neck for ings (over twenty at the last count) beginning with
the longest bass strings. albums of 78s in the 1940s and now including
The bandura owes its special position in Ukraini- several CDs.
an culture to its association with a tradition of epic The long-time director of the group Hryhory
songs - dumy - that survived into the twentieth Kytasty (1907-1984) and other original members
century. Most of them were historical tales of trained a generation of North American-bom play-

Ukraine 3Q9
Heorhiy Tkachenko (3rd left) with students at his 90th birthday concert

ers. Today's North American bandurists cultivate Since independence, Chervona Ruta has been
a repertoire and a style of playing based on the repeated, each time in a new city, at two-yearly
professional school of the 1920s and '30s and intervals. Although in recent yean the protest songs
markedly different from that taught in Ukraine. of 1989 have given way to a predominance of
New York-based Julian Kytasty, a third gener- techno-oriented dance genres, the organisers of
ation bandunst, has built on his great-uncle's work the festival continue to seek out and showcase new
to create new music for the instrument. He has music that connects to traditional roots. A 1997
made several recordings including a recent inde- prize-winner was the Kharkiv based group
pendently produced CD of Hryhory Kytasty 's solo Radoslav. which bases its vocal style on an
music. authentic treatment of local polyphonic singing.
In terms of re-discovering an older style, the Another recent laureate, Katya Chilly, combine
Smithsonian Folkways Institute is carrying out drum-and-bass with vocals from the ancient ritu-
restoration work on a priceless archive of wax al songs of Polissia.
cylinder recordings of kobzari from the turn of the Today the most interesting traditional music is

century and there work being done on record-

is happening where efforts are being made to bridge
ings of Zynovij Shtokalko (who died in New the gaps and disruptions of the Soviet period: for
York in 1968), arguably the one bandurist of this example, the revival of the epic singing tradi-
century who achieved a professional standard of tion. This is centered on the single performer who
performance without in any way classicising the carried its unbroken thread into the 1990s: Heo-
instrument or the music. rhiy Tkachenko (1898-1993), who learned the
art of duma singing in his youth from blind kobzari.

New Ukrainian Music In his old age, he passed

authentic style of accompaniment
on his songs and an
on a tradition-

The contemporary Ukrainian pop scene was al twenty-one-string bandura to several students.
in the space of one
conjured into existence The movement has since spread to include sever-
September week in 1989 in Chernivtsi. The al informal kobzar schools and workshops build-
occasion was Chervona Ruta (named after a ing traditional banduras and other ancient
red flower in the Carpathians that is said to instruments. The best performers are Tkachenko's
bloom just once a year), the first festival of mod- student Mykola Budnyk and limyk Mykhailo
ern Ukrainian music. Surmounting considerable Khai (who can both be heard on the Silex CDs),
obstruction from the authorities — performers and kobza player Volodymyr Kushpet.
had to thread their way to venues through rings Some of Ukraine's minorities have been
of military checkpoints - the festival assembled engaged in bridging formidable cultural disruptions

hundreds of musicians from every corner of the of their own. A Jewish cultural revival is under
country, performing in genres ranging from way, but the music of the Jewish towns and shtetls

singer-songwriter to heavy metal. (villages) in western Ukraine did not survive the

310 Ukraine
Holocaust.
ly an urban
New Jewish culture in
phenomenon in
Ukraine
Kyiv and Odessa.
is large-
discography
In 1944 the entire Crimean Tatar nation was Mykhailo Khai at the Ukrainian Experimental Laboratory
of Folklore in Kyivhas produced a series of cassettes of
loaded into cattle wagons and deported to Uzbek-
field recordings of both vocal and instrumental music.
istan and other parts of the Soviet Union. Since Everything from old babushkas singing, to Hutsul fiddlers
Ukraine's independence in 1991, hundreds of and bandura revivalists. Each cassette (there are currently
seventeen) focuses in depth on a specific region, group
thousands have returned to the Crimea, many liv-
or performer. Ukrainian Experimental Folklore Laboratory,
ing in shanty towns outside their ancestral villages. Ukraine 252143 Kyiv, vul. Metrolohichna, 6, apt. 89.
C )ne of their number, Enver Ismailov, a brilliant

self-taught guitarist, has toured in Europe and made

Compilations
several recordings, recently teaming up with wind
player Narket Ramazanov and percussionist
>'
Diakouyou (Auvidis/Silex, France).

Rustem Bari in jazz-tinged compositions based on A rather wonderful contemporary fusion album with three
vocalists from theDrevo ensemble accompanied by French
Crimean Tatar melodies.
percussion group Baron Samedi. Village polyphony interwoven
Bridges of a different kind have been built by a with a raw, rhythmic interplay.
new generation of Ukrainian musicians in the dias-
Musiques Traditionelles d'Ukraine: Vols 1 & 2
pora by fusing Ukrainian music with Western
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
styles. These include the British group The
These two CDs of recent field recordings (mainly by Hubert
Ukrainians which was formed by musicians of Boone) provide a valuable picture of traditional music in
Ukrainian descent from the rock band The Wed- Ukraine today. Vol 1 includes polyphonic singing from central
ding Present. They adopted traditional instruments, Ukraine including the Hilka choir, excellent Hutsul music from
the Tafichuk family and string bands from western Ukraine.
alongside a rock rhythm section, and went back
Vol 2 features excellent tracks by the Drevo choir, various old
to old recordings of Ukrainian country dances and singers, the rare sound of the lira (hurdy gurdy) and intimate
melodies for inspiration. old-style bandura playing by Mykola Budnyk.

Other musicians, from the larger, North Amer- 33 Ukrainian Village Music:
ican Ukrainian community, include the mandolin Historic Recordings 1928-1933 (Arhoolie, US).

virtuoso Peter Ostroushko, and Canadian bom Down-home recordings by fiddlers and bands fresh off the
jazz pianist John Stetch, who draws on the Hut- boat from western Ukraine: polkas, kolomeykas and the odd

sulmusic of the Carpathians in his improvisations Jewish number.

and original compositions. Another Canadian,

singer Alexis Kochan, discovered the depth of Artists
the Ukrainian tolk song tradition while on a six-
month internship with the Veriovka State Cho- Cheres
rus. Her recordings have combined seemingly Cross the soul of a village musician with Conservatoire-
trained musicianship and that's the Cheres ensemble. 30
contradictory elements, putting together Ukraini-
Leader Andriy Milavsky (sopilka and various winds) spent
an musicians from the Canadian prairies and the
his childhood traipsing between village weddings in
Carpathian mountains, and more recently work- western Ukraine with his musician grandfather, then
ing with bandura player Julian Kytasty alongside trained at the Kyiv Conservatory as a folk instrument
specialist. Along with tsymbaly player Alexander
jazz and African drums.
Fedoriuk, he formed this ensemble dedicated to the
(then-revolutionary) idea that folk instrumental music
sounded better in its original troista muzyka instrumenta-
tion than in the lush orchestration of Soviet Folk
Instruments Orchestras.

S3 From the Mountains to the Steppe:

Village Music of Ukraine (Cheres, US).

Now based in New York, Milavsky and Fedoriuk add a fiddle

and bass to recreate the raucous textures of the Carpathian
village bands they grew up with. The CD's four vocal tracks

are a marked contrast, featuring the haunting folk-style vocals

of American-born Lilia Pavlovska over the ensemble's mimi-

malist soundscapes. (Available from Cheres, 24 5th Ave. No

919, New York, NY 1001 1 CheresCD@juno.com)
;

Ensemble Berehynia
The Berehynia are a Ukranian-based ensemble of singers
British band The Ukrai }t back to and instrumentalists. Their name refers to a woman who
their roots preserves hearth, home and traditions.

Ukraine 311
 instrument they are informed by the modes, ornamentation,
S Vorotarchyk (The Gatekeeper) (Pan, Netherlands).
and textures of the kobzar tradition. A nice unmannered vocal
A good sample of songs, rituals and instrumental pieces - style too.
although some tracks are rather over-polished. Bandura play- Available from: Julian Kytasty, 138 2nd Ave, New York, NY
ing by Roman Hrynkiv, various flutes, and several Cossack _
10003.
songs, including a spirited finale.

Nina Matvienko
Pavlo Humeniuk
Originally a soloist from the Veriovka State Folk Chorus,
Born western Ukraine around 1884, Pavlo Humeniuk,
in Matvienko now pursues a solo career as the diva of
"*
'King of the Ukrainian Fiddlers', left over 250 recordings Ukrainian folksong.
by his death in 1965. He went to America around «902
and started recording 'village style' music in 1925. M Zolotoslov (Symphocarre, Ukraine).

Pjrji King of the Ukrainian Fiddlers Features a contemporary choral composition from Kyiv com-
(Arhoolie, US). poser Lesia Dychko, and twenty-one unaccompanied folk-
\S!i
songs. The interpretations are unrivalled.
These are recordings made for Columbia and Victor in New
York in the 1 920s. Quite a few include urban instruments like

piano or trombone, but the best, with tsymbaly and double

Peter Ostroushko
bass or violins and accordion, are classic examples of the old Mandolin, guitar and fiddle player Ostroushko was bom in
village style.
northeast Minneapolis to parents from Ukraine. For many
years he was a regular performer and then music director
Alexis Kochan of Garrison Keillor's radio show, A Prairie Home
Companion. A fine mandolin player, he blends American
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, singer Alexis Kochan has a
and Ukrainian sensibilities.
particular interest in the older layers of Ukrainian song.

33 Paris to Kiev (Olesia, Canada).

O Down the Streets of My Old Neighbourhood
(Rounder, US).
An unlikely but successful fusion. Kochan puts together musi-
A 1986 recording in tribute - loving, humorous, sentimental -
cians from the Canadian prairies with others who grew up in
the Carpathians to come up with some fizzing polkas, marches to the people, food and music of his immigrant neighbour-

and kolomeykas. hood. Some Ukrainian love songs, a drunken polka, and the
memorable "B-O-R-S-C-H-T" dedicated to the women of the
Paris to Kyiv Variances local Orthodox Church.
(Olesia, Canada; Ladyslipper, US)
S3 Sluz Duz Music (Rounder, US).
Music from the deepest layers of the Ukrainian tradition - with
a contemporary twist. Kochan and bandurist Julian Kytasty Marginally less Ukrainian, perhaps, but available on CD.
weave a multi-layered fabric of voices and instruments, incor-
porating pre-Christian ritual songs, fragments of medieval John Stetch
chant, jazzy improvisations and African drumming.
Olesia productions, PO Box 2877, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C Born in Edmonton (one of Canada's strongly Ukrainian
4B4. n/iax (204) 338 3385. cities) in 1966, jazz pianist Stetch grew up in a Ukrainian

musical environment. He currently lives in New York.

Kuban Cossack Chorus S3 Kolomeyka Fantasy (Global Village Music, US).

The Kuban state choir, under the Ukrainian director Victor Carpathian polkas and other tunes in solo piano arrange-
Zakharchenko, used the freedoms of the 1 990s perestroi- ments (with some bass and drums), and with excursions into
ka era to stretch the boundaries of the form. They spent a Bartok, boogie-woogie, blues and impressionism.
lot of time in the villages collecting material and stimulat-
ing a revival of village singing in the region. In their own
work, the Chorus had an intensity and commitment that
The Ukrainians
occasionally allowed one to forget that it was a show Active in the early 1990s, The Ukrainians were a British
song and dance chorus like all the rest. band, led by guitarist Pete Solowka, that evolved from
rock band The Wedding Present. Their albums featured
S3 Inthe Kuban: Folk Songs of the Black Sea and
Linear Cossacks (Melodiya, Russia).
songs inspired by old-style dances, and used a mix of tra-
and rock instruments. The songs are in Ukrainian,
ditional
Ukrainian folk song repertoire of the Black Sea Cossacks with sometimes using traditional melodies, and sometimes
Nina Matvienko as a soloist on two of the cuts. their own authentic-sounding compositions.

The Ukrainians
Julian Kytasty
ISiJ (Cooking Vinyl/BMG, UK).
Julian Kytasty an American-Ukrainian bandura player,
is

Based in New York, he

actively exploring the old tradition.
The band's first eponymous album was their most Ukrainian
is the grand-nephew of Hryhory Kytasty, the great ban-
in style, with some furious dances tunes (like "Hopak" fired by

durist who emigrated to the US after World War II. Solowka's mandolin) as well as more rock numbers. "The
Glory of the Kobzar" with its bandura sound also harks back
Hryhory Kytasty: Music for Solo Bandura/Songs to the tradition.
(Kytasty, US).
83 Kultura (Cooking Vinyl/BMG, UK; True North, Canada).
A tribute to Hryhory Kytasty. these works develop the ban-
dura style of the first generation of professional players of the A 1994 album provided a more cynical and contemporary
1920s and '30s which was subsequently lost in Ukraine. look at corrupt politicians and the issues of Ukrainians at
Although composed for a classicised chromatically-tuned home and in exile.

312 Ukraine
Wales
harps, bards and the gwerin
Welsh music tends to conjure up images of miners raising the roof of their local chapel - and, indeed,
despite the near-obliteration of the mining industry, male voice choirs remain a dominant, if declining,
feature of life across the Valleys and ruralWales (mixed choirs are in the ascendant today). But Welsh
music extends out into village halls, clubs, festivals and pubs, where Saturday nights often resound
with impromptu, but naturally-understood, harmonies. In quieter venues, harp players repay their
musical debt to ancestors who accompanied from
the ancient bards, while modern folk draws directly
the broader Celtic musical tradition. There's an exciting new
success buzz, too, spurred in part by the
of new Welsh rock bands, in a nation whose music has too often been commercially over-shadowed
by the Celtic giants of Ireland, Brittany and Scotland. William Price reports from the valleys.

Welsh word gwerin, the closest approx- Today, the Welsh language is spoken by half a mil-
The imation of 'folk', has a much wider mean- lion of the country's 2.5 million population, and
ing than its English counterpart, taking in the national attitude to the language has undergone
popular culture as well as folklore. At a a remarkable renaissance in the past twenty years.
gwyl werin (folk festival), you're as likely to In some parts of the anglicised south, up to 33 per-
encounter the local rock band as the local dance cent of children now attend Welsh-language schools
team, and the whole community will be there - and their monoglot parents are rushing to evening
not just the committed specialists. If you're roam- classes in a bid to keep up.
ing around Wales, look out, too, for the word Rock and folk are both great pillars of the Welsh
twmpath on posters — it's the equivalent of a barn language, but English speakers have not received
dance or ceilidh and is used when Welsh dances the same encouragement to explore their own her-
are the theme of the night (in the west and the Welsh framework. The preserva-
itage within the
north the calling is likely to be exclusively in tion and nurturing of Welsh-language songs,
Welsh, too). Some of the best twmpathau can customs and traditions is vitally important, but the
approach the hedonism of a Breton festou-noz. folklore of English-speaking Gower and South
It's often said that the Welsh love singing but Pembrokeshire and the rich vein of industrial mate-
ignore their native instrumental music. Certainly, rial from the valleys is actually in much greater
Welsh folk song has always been close to the heart danger of being lost to posterity.

of the culture, acting as a carrier of emotions, polit- The most exciting move of recent years has been
ical messages and social protest, while traditional the emergence of Fflach Tradd, a label devoted to
m
CO
Welsh music and dance have had the difficult task capturing the key roots sounds of Welsh music and
of fighting back to life from near-extinction fol- giving it the same international profile as that enjoyed

lowing centuries of political and religious suppres- by the Celtic giants. A string of excellent albums has
sion. Unlike their Celtic cousins in Ireland, Scodand been released and actually made it on to the shelves
and Brittany, folk musicians in Wales largely learned of shops in Brittany and elsewhere in the Celtic
their tunes from books and manuscripts rather than world, to the delight of musicians who have been
from older generations of players, although in recent frustrated at the lack of sales outlets for their work
years a surprising and encouraging series of links outside Wales. At last, the inward-looking estab-
with 'source' performers has been revealed. lishment has been challenged and the world may
Language has traditionally been more of a well get a chance to find out about Welsh music.
divider in Wales than in other Celtic countries, and Sadly, though, the biggest-selling Welsh-language
the picture for many years has been that of a Welsh- act of all is country-and-westem duo John Ac Alun.
speaking 'Taffia' controlling many key areas of life The inflections of this noble, ancient tongue simply
in the country to the exclusion of the English- do not sit happily on the metrical simplicities of
speaking majority, who have felt disenfranchised Nashville. Equally bizarre, but much more fun, is

and debarred from their national culture as a result. the Welsh-Louisiana music of Cajuns Denbo.

Wales 313
 Welsh Harps
Historically the most important instrument in the folk
repertoire, the harp has been played in Wales since at

least the eleventh century. In recent years craftsmen

have recreated the ancient crwth (a stringed instru-
ment which may have been either plucked or bowed),

the pibgorn (a reed instrument with a cow's horn for a

bell) and the pibacwd (the primitive Welsh bagpipe).
Some groups have adopted these instruments^ but
their primitive design and performance means they
rarely blend happily with modern instruments.
The simple early harps were ousted in the seven-
teenth century by the arrival of the triple harp, with its

complicated string arrangement (two parallel rows sound-

ing the same note, with a row of accidentals between
them), giving it a unique, rich sound. The nineteenth-
century swing towards classical concert music saw the
invasion of the large chromatic pedal harps that still

dominate today, but the triple, always regarded as the

traditional Welsh harp, was kept alive, as a portable
instrument, by Gypsy musicians. It has been making a Ar Log with Welsh harpists Dafydd Roberts
mighty comeback in gwerin circles over the past decade. (left) and Gwyndaf Roberts.

Bards and Eisteddfods forerunner of today's eisteddfod societies. These

days three major week-long events dominate the
The bardic and eisteddfod traditions have long calendar: the International Eisteddfod at Llan-
played a key role in Welsh culture. Medieval bards gollen in July, the Royal National Eisteddfod
held an elevated position in Welsh society and in the first week of August and the Urdd
were often pure composers, employing a harpist Eisteddfod, Europe's largest youth festival, in
and a datgeiniad, whose role was to declaim the May. The National and the Urdd alternate
bard's words. The first eisteddfod appears to have between north and south Wales.
been held in Cardigan in 1176, with contests Eisteddfodau have always tended to formalise
^ between bards and poets and between harpists, Welsh culture because competitions need rules,

players and pipers. and such parameter-defining is naturally alien to

It was a glorious but precarious tradition. Henry the free evolution of traditional song and music.
VIII's Act Of Union in 1536 — designed to angli- When Nicholas Bennett was compiling his 1896
cise the country by stamping out Welsh culture book Alawon Fy Nghwlad, still an important source
and language — saw the eisteddfodau degenerate, of Welsh tunes, he rejected a great deal of good
and the rise of Nonconformist religion in the eigh- Welsh dance music because it did not conform to
teenth and nineteenth centuries, with its abhor- the contemporary high art notion of what Welsh
rence of music and merry-making, almost sounded music ought to sound like. Despite this often-heard
the death knell for Welsh traditions. Edward Jones, criticism, eisteddfodau have played a major role in

Bardd y Brenin (Bard to the King), observed sor- keeping traditional music, song and dance at the

rowfully in the 1780s that Wales, which used to heart of national culture.
be one of the happiest of countries, "has become Today a host of non-competition festivals cham-
one of the dullest". pion Welsh music alongside the best from around
Folk music, however, gained some sort of the world, including Mid Wales May Festival
respectability when London-based Welsh Soci- at Newtown (last weekend in May), Gwyl Werin
eties, swept along in a romantic enthusiasm for all
y Cnapan at Ffostrasol, Dyfed (second weekend

things Celtic, revived it at the end of the eigh- in July), Sesiwn Fawr at Dolgellau (third week-

teenth century. Back in Wales, in the 1860s, the end in July) and Pontardawe International
National Eisteddfod Society was formed, the Music Festival (third weekend in August).

314 Wales
Gwerin Sounds
In terms of world popularity, two
Welsh names stand out today -
Robin Huw Bowen and the group
Fernhill. Triple harpist Bowen is the
most influential traditional Welsh
musician of recent years, reviving
interest in the instrument with
appearances throughout the world
and doing tremendous work in mak-
ing available unpublished manuscripts
of Welsh instrumental music. He
started out in the late 1970s with a
pioneering roots band called Mab-
sant, who introduced a jazz sensi-

bility to the Welsh folk tunes he

unearthed, before concentrating on
a solo career. He also works, mainly
abroad, with the quartet Cusan Tan. Mabsant (Robin Huw Bowen centre)
Fernhill is a gloriously eclectic

quartet which sprung out of the ashes of Saith Within the Welsh language scene, bands can be
Rhyfeddod, featuring singer Julie Murphy, hugely popular without ever breaking through to
pipers Ceri Rhys Matthews and Jonathan Shorland, the wider world outside. Ar Log, with the won-
plus ubiquitous young English diatonic accordionist derful harp-playing brothers Dafydd and Gwyn-
Andy Cutting. They sing in Welsh, English, Bre- daf Roberts, were the first to cross the divide more
ton and Gallo and strip well-known songs down than twenty years ago, and their occasional con-
to the bare bones, refurbishing them ready to face certs today can still whip up a fury even if the orig-

a new Millennium. inal bleak wildness of their sound has been replaced
by a smoother big-band approach. Dafydd and
Gwyndaf were taught by the legendary Nansi
Richards, and another triple harpist who has recent-
ly started to excite UK-wide attention (in her late
fifties) is Llio Rhydderch, also a pupil of Nansi's.
In north Wales, Bob Delyn A'r Ebyllion led
by the enigmatic Twm Morys, plough a unique
path fusing Welsh, Breton and rock influences,
fascinating, visionary and uncompromising. Other
>
northern bands include Moniars, who have a rau-
m
C/5
cous electric bass-and-drums approach to Welsh
language song, and Gwerinos, descendants of the
late lamented Cilmeri, who have produced a cou-
ple of great albums and who play for concerts and
for twmpathau. Southern bands breaking through
to an international audience from the Welsh-lan-
guage scene include Cardiff-based Carreg Lafar
and Ammanford dance band Jac y Do.
On the more traditional gwerin scene, the
acknowledged father of Welsh folk is politician,
songwriter and Sain Records founder Dafydd
Iwan. He began as a singer-songwriter in the
Dylan/Pete Seeger mould in the mid-1960s and
has been popular and prolific ever since, provid-
ing a musical voice for the nationalist movement.
Bob Delyn From the same school, singer-songwriter Meic

Wales 315
 Dawns, Dawns
Traditional dance in Wales has been revived over showy; while the theatre show "A Tale Of Two Rivers"
the past fifty years after a long period of religious sup- has given birth to the exciting, stage-oriented Dawn-
pression. It plays a big part in the folk culture of Wales, swyr Taf-Elai.
and the top teams are exciting and professional in their Dawnswyr Gwerin Pen-y-Fai, from Bridgend,
approach. Dances written in recent years, often for always come up with a good twmpath night, while
eisteddfod competitions, have been quickly absorbed Anglesey-based Ffidl Ffadl also boast an excellent
into the repertoire. musician in fiddler Huw Roberts, formerly with the early
Cwmni Dawns Werin Canolfan Caerdydd, 1980s bands Cilmeri and Pedwar yn y Bar. Dawn-
Cardiff's official dance team, are the leading group, swyr Brynmawr also have a capable band who play
and their recommended for a hearing as
musicians are for twmpath dances as Taro Tant.
well. Dawnswyr Nantgarw from the Taff Vale village The major dance festival is Gwyt Ifan, held in Cardiff

that was the source of the country's romantic and on the closest weekend to midsummer's day with dis-
raunchy fair dances, have turned Welsh dance into a plays and special events held across the city and at
theatrical art form: concise, perfectly drilled and very the Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans.

Stevens has consistently produced good work Harmony songs in three or four parts were a

on the borderlines of folk, blues and acoustic traditional feature in mid-Wales, where the ply-
rock. gain carol-singing tradition still survives at Christ-
Singer/harpist Sian James, from Llanerfyl in mas. Small parties of carol singers, each with its

mid- Wales, has produced three albums which have own would sing in church from mid-
repertoire,
won the acclaim of Welsh and English speakers night to dawn on Christmas morning. The group
alike and have now been released in Japan. Her Plethyn, formed in the 1970s to adapt this style
influences are wide-ranging and her pure-voiced to traditional and modern Welsh songs, still per-
harp pieces were always offset by sporadic appear- form occasionally and singer Linda Healey has also

ances with the rock-orientedBwchadanas. She developed a solo career.

even cropped up playing harp with the London Wales' busiest and furthest-travelled band is

roots-reggae band, One Style. Rich-voiced singer probably Calennig, from Llantrisant in Glamor-
Siwsann George, from Rhondda, appears more gan, who blend fiery Welsh dance sets with
often in her own right these days than with her English-language songs from the Valleys and
band Mabsant. Another quality Welsh-language Gower, much of it stemming from their own
singer is Cardiff-based Heather Jones who works research. They tour regularly in Europe, Ameri-
solo and alongside fiddlers Jane Ridout and Mike ca and New Zealand and have helped to popu-
Lease, uillean piper AJan Moller and harpist Chris larise Welsh dance worldwide with a punchy

Knowles in the five-piece Hafren. collection of twmpath tunes and up-front calling
from Patricia Carron-Smith. They are also mov-
C/5
ing into the fields of theatre and new music cre-
ation, with a string of shows that are winning
critical praise such as "A Tale Of Two Rivers"
and "Caradog: The First Welsh Hero!"

SIAN led
On the straight folk
by broadcaster,
circuit, The Hennessys,

TV personality and songwriter

Frank Hennessy, still have a huge and well-
deserved middle-of-the-road following in the

JAMES south, twenty-five years after joining the pro-

cession of Irish-influenced trios in the folk clubs.

cysgodion Frank, too, has done great work by bringing

Welsh and other Celtic music to mainstream
karma
attention with his various radio and TV pro-
grammes.
Singer-songwriters Huw and Tony Williams,
SCD 4037 from Brynmawr in the Gwent Valleys, are popu-
[ado] lar on the folk cirucit across Britain, though their

316 wales
 album of Christmas carols from a surviving mid-Wales tradi-
following, like other English-language performers, tion is a gem.
isgreater away from home than it is inside Wales.
Ffidil
Huw's songwriting, notably songs like "Rosemary's (Fflach Tradd, Wales).
Sister", has been embraced by Fairport Conven-
An in-depth look at the work of thirteen of Wales' leading fid-
tion and string of other big-name performers. In
.1
dlers, almost all of excellent quality. The range of styles, from
Wales, he is best known for his Eisteddfod-win- north to south and from old to innovative, stands out particu-
larly well.
ning clog dancing.
The guitar and fiddle playing Kilbride Broth- HSGoreuon Canu Gwerin Newydd: The Best of New
ers trio, long an institution in Cardiff ceilidh bands, Welsh Folk Music (Sain, Wales).
have released a highly acclaimed CD and started Sain, the biggest record label in Wales, has released many of

playing far and wide outside Wales. Other notable the better-known Welsh artists and bands, and this compila-
tion of eighteen tracks from Ar Log, Aberjaber, Calennig and
performers have never been recorded, such as the
less well-known names such as Ogam and Pigyn Clyst, is a
Welsh-Irish couple John and Briege Morgan, Bar- good place to start if you're interested in the field.

goed songwriter Jeff Hankins and Cardiff harpist

Elonwy Wright.
Artists

Contacts Aberjaber
Celfyddydau Mari Arts: Research, information, edu-
Aberjaber was formed by Cardiff jazz/rootsAvorld musi-
cian Peter Stacey, Swansea harpist Delyth Evans and
cation and creation of new work based on traditonal Welsh
Oxford music graduate Stevie Wishart (viol and hurdy-
themes. Studio 4, Model House Craft and Design Cen- gurdy),and reformed in 1997 with Stevie replaced by Ben
tre, The Bullring, Llantrisant CF72 8EB. a/fax 01443 Assare on African percussion.
226892; email mari.arts@argonet.co.uk; Website
B3 Y Bwced Perffaith (Sain, Wales).
www. argonet. co. uk/users!mari. arts
Experiments with traditional music from Welsh and other
COTC (Cymdeithas Offerynau Traddodiadol Cymru):
sources plus a swathe of original writing.
Celtic
The Society for the Traditional Instruments of Wales. Good
for information on the ever-growing number of regular
Ar Log
Welsh music sessions around the country. 8 Bron Arfon,
Ar Log, originally put together artificially in the 1970s to
Llanllechid, Gwynedd LL57 3LW.
play at the Lorient Interceltic Festival when Wales could-
Taplas - the Voice Of Folk In Wales: Magazine pub- n't raisea group, went on to give Welsh music its first
lished every two months, £1 .50 from Keith Hudson, 182 major foothold on the world scene. They have remained
Broadway, Roath, Cardiff CF5 2YQ. « 029 2049 9759, the kingpin band within Wales ever since.

fax 2048 4882. Ar Log VI

TRAC (Traddodiadau Cerdd Cymru/Music Tradi- (Sain, Wales).

tions Wales): Newly formed body aiming to be a point

The band's sixth album celebrated their twentieth anniversary
of contact enabler, pointing enquirers in the right direc- by gathering together all their members old and new to pro-
tion and keeping nationwide information exchanges up- duce a party-atmosphere trawl through a familiar selection of
to-date and on the songs, spiced up with some sparkling tune sets given extra
ball. Contact Phil Freeman, 1*01686
P-
688102.
lift by the unusual amount of new material. Members include

fiddler lolo Jones, who deserves a medal for services to

m
Welsh music - he not only contributes a large amount of new
tunes to the repertoire but also plays for Calennig, The

discography Hennessys, Siwsann George and Mabon as well.

Bob Delyn A'r Ebyllion

For Welsh music by mail order, try Cob Records in
Porthmadog =01766 512170. Bob Delyn, led by Twm Morys and Gorwel Roberts, blend
Welsh and Breton influences with rhythms and attitude
fostered from rock and roll.
Compilations
3S Gwbade Bach Cochlyd (Crai, Wales).

ft Bias (Fflach Tradd, Wales). Celtic harp meets the bardic beatbox on the band's most
recent album, which has won praise from many corners,
The new face of tradition in Wales, fourteen tracks from pro- much of it from English-speaking reviewers.
jects like Ffidil (fiddles), Datgan (female voices) and Pibau
(bagpipes) and from artists including Bride and
Rhydderch. Scintillating stuff.
Kil LI io
Robin Huw Bowen
Harpist RobinHuw Bowen is not merely a virtuoso on the
3S Carolau Plygain (Sain, Wales).
national instrument of Wales, but also a researcher
Few CDs are available of Welsh 'source' performances, the responsible for bringing much dormant music into the
older generation who handed down their songs, but this light through his own publishing company.

Wales 317
 S3 Telyn Berseiniol fy Nghwlad Cusan Tan
S3 Hela'r Draenog (Teires, Wales).
This quartet, including Robin Huw Bowen, are a vehicle
These two self-produced albums contain dance music and for the highly-individual songs of Ann Morgan-Jones and
airs for the triple harp, the latter examining the gypsy tradition
Sue Jones-Davies.
and including tunes from the still-living Cardiff triple harpist
Eldra Jarman. SB Yr Esgair (Sain, Wales).

Floaty, etherealand hypnotic lyrics and tunes with a real

Calennig sense of mid-Wales earth consciousness about them. But do
Calennig, from Glamorgan, are both a fiercely propulsive not file under New Age Hippie Nonsense there are some
dance band and concert performers with a long interna- challenging ideas here.

tional record, known worldwide for their research work in

the South Wales folklore field. Delyth Evans

SB Dwr Glan (Sain, Wales). Aberfaber's harpist, from Swansea, is in great demand as
S3 Trade Winds (Sain, Wales). a solo performer for events of many different kinds in
Wales.
Two very different albums. Rocky Welsh dance sets rub
shoulders with songs tinged with Breton and Galician influ- S3 Delta (Sain, Wales).
ences on the first, while Trade Winds is part of an on-going
research project into the sea songs and shanties of the Music for the Celtic harp from Wales ^nd other parts of the

sailors of the South Wales ports.

Celtic world, an entrancing blend of traditional material and
new tunes.

Fernhill
Femhill are an adventurous, multi-lingualband which devel-
oped out of Saith Rhyfeddod. They have only one Welsh-
bom member, but Essex-bom Julie Murphy sings strongly
and confidently in Welsh (and in Gallo, Breton, French and
English as well). Bagpipe experts Ceri Rhys Matthews and
Jonathan Shorland are joined by diatonic accordion master
Andy Cutting to produce a sound which is refashioning
familiar Welsh songs and giving them a stark new beauty.

® Llatai (Beautiful Jo Records, England).

Ca' Nos (Beautiful Jo Records, England).

Two musical adventures which approach Welsh music from a

new direction and slot it into place alongside material from
other sources. Destined to raise the profile of Welsh music
outside the country but likely to be too revolutionary (and too
linguistically wide-ranging) for the internal Welsh market.

Siwsann George
George is a Rhondda-born singer who has worked with

the trio Mabsant as well as in her own right.

S3 Traditional Songs of Wales (Saydisc, England).

Part of a series of albums music which saw

of British
Siwsann working alongside Ray Fisher and Jo Freya in a
series of 'Songs Of Three Nations' concerts around the UK.

Calennig
Gwerinos
Gwerinos are the descendants of Cilmeri, equally at home
playing for concerts or for twmpath dance nights. The
Carreg Lafar
seven-strong Gwynedd band includes Tudur Huws Jones,
A young Cardiff band which has taken off with the city's one of the major contributors to Welsh music over the
hip community and has also made it to America. past two decades.

S Ysbryd Y Werin (Sain, Wales). S3 Seilam (Sain, Wales).

Strong female vocals make up for a lack of weight in the A rumbustious package of songs and tunes which isn't afraid

instrumental department. to have fun, including a wonderful reggae-style treatment of

one of Wales' favourite sea anthems. Another band which is

Cilmeri writing prolifically and usefully.

Sadly defunct Gwynedd band which was the first to put a

harder, Irish-style edge on Welsh music.
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan, the godfather of Welsh folk music, is a
S3 Cilmeri (Sain, Wales).
singer-songwriter who has played an important role in the
Thoughtful, politically edged songs and tune sets driven arts wing of the nationalist movement. His performances
along by insistent fiddle, guitar and bodhran. are basic yet charismatic.

318 Wales
 hip second singer, a drummer and a percussionist all
M Dafydd Iwan ac Ar Log: Yma Hyd (Sain, Wales).
backing the powerful vocals of the redoubtable Arfon
This compilation uses material from two great mid-1980s Wyn.
albums which celebrated legendary joint tours around Wales
by these performers. HS Y Goreu O Ddau Fyd (Sain, Wales).

Can't-go-wrong party selection from the band's first two

Sian James CDs. Lots of thrashing, heads-down fun with hints of cajun,

Classical and and keyboard

traditional harpist, singer hillbilly and jazz thrown into the Welsh mix.

and at times spine-tingling voice.

player with a wonderful
Her atmospheric music has won her deserved praise Tudur Morgan
beyond Welsh-language circles.
A founder of bands like Cilmeri and Pedwar yn y Bar,
SS Distaw Tudur Morgan has brought a range of new ideas and pro-
as Gweini Tymor (Sain, Wales).
jects to Welsh music.

Very different albums, Distaw offering some challenging new

SS Branwen (Sain, Wales).
songs and Gweini Tymor concentrating on well-known tradi-

tional songs, both presented with silky, cabaret-style feel. Songs and music based on the Mabinogi legend, produced
by Irish musician Donal Lunny and featuring a glittering col-
Kilbride lection of Welsh names including Linda Healey.

The three Kilbride brothers from Cardiff have played

widely in different bands and musical fields
in different Pedwar Yn Y Bar
over the years, and now they have teamed up to create a
Anglesey four-piece which arose from the ashes of
powerful new force on the Welsh music scene. Bernard
Cilmeri and added American and other international influ-
and Gerard's flailing fiddles get a firm foundation from
ences to Welsh music. The band included Tudur Morgan,
Danny's inventive guitar.
Tudur Huws Jones and highly-entertaining Llangefni fid-
SS Kilbride (Fflach Tradd, Wales). dler Huw Roberts.

Storming trip through a welter of tunes from Wales and from O Byth Adra (Sain, Wales).
other sources which they picked up from their parents and
along the way. One for playing loud at parties. The band's second and last vinyl outing matched excellent

playing with a creative approach which was ahead of its

time.
Meredydd Evans
Evans has been a lifelong activist for Welsh song, in col-
laboration with his American-born wife Phyllis Kinney. He
Llio Rhydderch
has always resisted the fusty, antiquarian attitude that Rhydderch is a triple harp player who is at last being
surrounded folk song in Wales for many years and has recognised for her remarkable talent - in her fifties. Her
done much to further its cause, both through his former vibrant, rhythmic style comes straight from her teacher,
work at the BBC and outside. the late, great Telynores Maldwyn.

O Mered (Sain, Wales).

Llio Rhydderch
From the 1970s, but still a wonderful and enlightening lesson (Fflach Tradd, Wales).
in the art of unaccompanied singing. Sounds as fresh today
A must for those who treasure the long-deleted vinyl album of
as it did then.
Nansi Richards and for anyone who still believes that the harp
is a classical and not a folk instrument. An enthralling trip
Moniars round a range of styles and including a contribution from
Moniars are quirky, visual folk-rockers from Anglesey with Llio's young pupils - the next generation in the Celtic world's
P"
the world's shortest fiddler, a blind sax player, an ultra- only unbroken harp tradition. m
CO

Wales 319
 TWO

Middle East

Arab World/Egypt - Classical -

_v

Armenia 332 Egypt - Popular/Street Music 338 Georgia 347 Gulf & Yemen 3! i Iran 355
Israel 363 Jewish Music - Sephardic 370 Kurdish Music 378 Palestinian Music 385
Syria, Lebanon & The Levant 391 Turkey 396
 30
Arab World/Egypt |
Classical 00

partner of poetry
O
-<
Egypt - and, specifically, Cairo - is the heart of the Arab musical world. For an Arab singer (and it is

singers are accorded overriding respect) to make it, she or he must do so in the Egyptian capital.
who
And so has been since the 1920s, when the gramophone and radio meant that the Arab World, with
it

its shared language, religion and culture, was once again listening to the same music. Below, David

Lodge and Bill Badley look at the traditions of Classical Arab song, and profile its superstars.

the elevated place given to the melancholy tones, dwelling on the themes of trag-
Because ofArab - forbidden - beck-
word
culture, where poetry
in the is ic fate, or love or unrequited
highest of all art forms, the role of the oning the listener to wallow in metaphor and listen

singer has always been to take the word as the lyrics unfold to the story of his or her own
to the people. Arab song and musical expression As the greatest of all Arab singers,
life. Umm
reached its first golden age between the eighth and Kalthum, sang in "Enta Umri" (You Are My
twelfth centuries, followed by a long period of Life):

stagnation and Turkish influence under Ottoman

rule. It was reborn this a back-
century against Your eyes brought me back to my lost days.
ground of nationalist fervour and political insta- They have taught me how
bility, and developed amid a modern age of radio, to regret the past and its wounds.

films and cheap cassettes. What I experienced before my eyes

The Arab world's singers and writers, through saw you is wasted time.
the language and emotional power of popular song,
How could they count it as my age?
have been influential in determining the identity
You are my life, whose morning
started with your light.
of nations, expressing the hopes of their people
You are, you are, you are my life.
and on occasions threatening their states. Music
has retained a unique power in the Arab world, (Lyrics by Ahmed Shafik, music by

and it offers listeners a window to its personality. Mohammed Abd el-Wahab, 1 965).

The survey that follows looks at the region's shared

classical music, and its superstars. Shared Roots
Love, wine, gambling, hunting, the pleasures
Classical Arab Music of song and romance, the brief pointed
elegant expression of wit and wisdom.
Classical Arab music is enjoyed throughout Arab These things he knew to be good. Beyond
society and transcends all ages and social barriers. them he saw only the grave.
It is a musical arena that, ever since the first record- Arabic original, anonymous
been dominated by a small coterie of
ings, has
pan-Arab superstars, adored by the masses. Their From a thousand years or more before Islam, the
popularity has given these giants of the stage enor- nomadic Arab tribes had firmly established the
mous cultural significance. They have been, in hedonistic character of their music. In nomadic
their time, more influential than presidents - sway- days, music was primarily a job for women. Female
ing the moods of society at large by touching the singing slaves were brought to the cities to enter-
lives of almost every individual with their poignant tain the noble houses and caravanserais, both as
lyrics and sultry melodies. From humiliation in prostitutes and artists.

military defeat to the personal wounds of love, These women singers would accompany war-
their music has provided sustenance during long riors onto the battlefield, banging duff and tabla and
periods of pain and introspection. singing war songs of rajaz poetry while the com-
Typically, Classical Arab singers will perform bat ensued, and en route would be always at the

pieces up to an hour in length, in highly charged ready to stir the spirits of the soldiers. At tribal

Classical Arab music 323

30
Koranic Recitation: the Non-music of Islam
00

In Egypt, a Koran reciter who wants to broadcast on strictly to the rules of reading, and tajwid. which
o the radio will first have to be judged worthy by a com- musically elaborate and involves intricate melodic and
is

30
mittee of religious scholars. He is tested on the com- cadential formulae and ornaments. Here there is room
plexity and subtlety of the maqamat, and in his agility in enough for individual styles, and many popular reciters

dispensing, through it, the words of God. By protecting have crossed over to pursue very profitable careers in

the Arabic 'scales' throughout the ages in this way, a reli- the secular field (most notably Sayed Darweesh -
-<
gion which shuns music has in effect kept the music alive. see p.327).
Today Islam's 'non-music' still plays this role by contin- Religious, but non-Koranic, devotional chanting
uing to demand only the most perfect rendition of ancient lies between the secular song and Koranic recitation.

Arabic modes from the most able voices - a sure defence A musical ensemble will be led by a Western-style con-
against encroaching Western influence. The full reso- ductor, and the solo singer of the secular field is

nance of the call to prayer from some of the finest and replaced by a chorus of twelve men. Religious chant-
most accomplished singers in the world is sheer delight. ing is performed during Ramadan"! at local weddings
There are two types of Koran recitation: tartil, a and at Sufi celebrations around mosques on the
musically simple rendition of Koranic text adhering birthday of the saint.

nuptials the women singers and musicians led the not comprehend. Koran recitation is an act of

celebrations, and they were there too on the haj compliance and does not involve innovation."
toMecca - which was in those pre-Islamic days a To induce tarab - enchantment - through deliv-
pagan pilgrimage - where they would sing and ery of the Koran is a sin, indicative of the fear
dance around the kalabba. in Islam of the influence of music on human
The principal male performers of the time were nature. Music in most of the Islamic Arab world
mukhanathin — transvestite slaves - from whose is a singularly secular pursuit. (Although a very
ranks came the majority of male musicians well different view prevails in Pakistani/North Indi-
into the early days of Islam. They suffered the an qawwali: see The Rough Guide to World Music
wrath of the more orthodox Muslims, and ridicule Volume 2.

from society at large, but their skills were nurtured Denied figurative expression in Islamic art, the
in the protective courts of certain less pious caliphs Arabs reserve special importance for their language,
who appreciated their outrageous antics at feasts which has been the control point of their culture
and banquets. throughout history. In pre-Islamic nomadic times,
With such decadent roots, it is hardly surpris- the poet was magnificent; a spokesman on policy,
ing that when Islam arrived in the seventh cen- judge in dispute, a voice to praise heroes and scorn
tury, the singing and the playing of musical enemies. As cultural ambassadors, the Arab poets
instruments were considered sins, and swiftly wrested the limelight from the brilliant cultural

banned. Yazid noted Umayyad caliph,

III, a centres of Baghdad and Damascus. With the arrival
warned in 740 AD: "Beware of singing for it will of Islam, the Koran's rich language, rhythm and
steal fill you with lust and ruin your
your modesty, rhyme struck a chord with the Arabs, and it
virtue." Unlawful instruments were destroyed, became the textbook of artistic creation. Today
singers were considered unworthy witnesses in the special place of poetry in Arab music is
court, and female slaves who turned out to have proudly guarded. Songs are judged primarily on
a vocal inclination could be taken back to market their words, and music without them is consid-
and exchanged. Still today in the practice of Islam ered a 'religion without a scripture.'

there no music. The call to prayer by the

is Soon after the birth of Islam, Arab music gained
muezzin, while being a supreme example ot the a suitor from an unexpected quarter. The Arab
complex maqamat, the Arabic scales on which Arab musical world was under the protection of the
music is based, is not itself considered music. caliph's court in Baghdad, where away from the
This is because the emotional input of a sheikh jurisdiction of the Islamic purists, enjoyment and
in the recitation is guarded by strict rules about creativity reigned. This was the hedonistic world
pitch and tempo. A celebrated Cairo court case of Harun el-Rashid (786-809) and the Thousand
in 1977 ruled: "The Holy Koran contains the and One Nights. The environment proved to be a
words of God, who recited it in a manner we do highly productive one, nurturing such visionaries

324 Classical Arab music

is the musician and theorist Ishaq al-Mawsjli modernity shook the Arabs out of a deep-rooted
>
30
(767-850), famed for knowing every line of poet- complacency.
ry ever written in Arabic, and whose antics are cel- Egypt, fired by nationalism after 2000 years of DO
ebrated in fable. It is said he once found himself foreign rule, emerged to lead the quest for an Arab
in the charge of a previously deaf and dumb con- renaissance, and soon was recognised as Arab cul-

sul, whom he succeeded in inciting to tears at the tural heartland and the focus of musical innova-
beauty of his voice. tion. Turkish sounds dipped out of favour and
This was an age of great advances for the Arabs, Arab music was heard again in the streets and the-
£75
an era of intellectual order and discovery that atres. In attending this rebirth of music and song, -<
abounds with tales of superhuman feats, and which and attempting to bring Arab music into the mod-
pushed Arab culture to the forefront of medieval ern age, the Cairo music scene struck a dynam-
art and science. At a time when Europeans were ic balance between tradition and the seductive
clubbing each other on the dark plains of Chris- promise of Western advances.
tendom, the Arabs were living their golden age, Arab culture was vulnerable to the sophistica-
worrying about the power of imagination and the tion and technical know-how of Europe. Despite
effects of music on the human soul. having invented a musical notation as early as the
ninth century, Arab music was rarely written

Emerging Traditions in down, and by the late 1800s musicians had moved
a long way from established theory. In 1932 at
the Twentieth Century an extraordinary pan-Arab conference in Cairo
The brass bands marching at the head of colonial (supported by the composer Bartok, an enthusi-
advances into Egypt in the 1850s, and the tanta- ast for Arab music), Arab musicians gathered to

lising operas of Verdi and Mozart playing in the take stock of their musical output. They found a
new Cairo Opera House, were a rude awakening wide diversity from one end of the Arab world
for an Arab world that had, for 500 years, been to the other. Thus began a campaign to rekindle
shrouded under the Ottoman mantle. Intellectu- an interest in tradition, and to search its roots for
al and artistic life ignited as this sudden clash with guidance.

Theory, Scales & Rhythm in Classical Arab Music

The musical knowledge and theories of the Ancient ers elsewhere. This wide range of modes means an
Greeks have come to us largely through the surviving Arab singer has a highly complex job and it is this wide
works of early Islamic writers. Chief among them was spectrum of musical colours that makes Arab music
Abu Nasr Al Farabi - one of the greatest philosophers so infinitely fascinating.

and scholars in Islamic history. Born in Transoxiana Rhythm theory is complex but easier to get a fix

around the year 872, he studied and taught in the three on. Perhaps the most basic rhythm is rajaz - the metre
cities that are to this day the exalted triumvirate of clas- of a camel's hooves on sand. With this beat nomadic
sical Arab music: Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus. He Bedouins developed al-Huda, the caravan song, capa-
wrote on numerous subjects but is best known for the ble of distracting their beasts from the burden of heavy
Kitab al-Musiqa al-Kabir (Grand Book of Music), a work loads so effectively that, so the story goes, the animals
which sets out tonal systems (maqamat), metrics (iqa), would arrive frisky after a long journey to the rhythm
different kinds of melodies (alhan), instruments {al-alat of the drum, and then drop dead of fatigue.
al-mashhura) and their tunings (taswiya). Centuries of music have produced a sophisticated
Much of what he wrote is still relevant. Melody is range of rhythms, and the old camel song is no longer
still organised into a series of maqamat (melodic very high up the list. Today, rhythm patterns vary great-
modes), any given one of which (maqam) has a dis- ly in length, from two beats to 88 beats. Of the 111
tinctive scale which is based around 24 quarter notes rhythms, or iqala, recorded in the Middle East and Egypt,
- as opposed to the twelve semitones of Western only about ten are commonly used. Among these are
music. Each mode then has its own ethos and is often the matsoum in 4/4 time, the most broadly used rhythm
associated with a particular mood, season or body in pop music, where it is frequently slowed down, mid-
humour: Safi el-Din, in the ninth century, devised one song, to make the masmoudi rhythm, which is 8/4.

for every hour of the day. Today there are estimated You'll hear both of these in Egyptian al-jil (street music).

to be about forty in use in Egypt, and about twenty oth- Classical song tends to use the samaai, a 10/8 rhythm.

Classical Arab music 325

 The West was seen as a source of inspiration. imitation. Foreign themes were woven into dense
Composers were keen to make the most of West- layers of drones, unisons and parallel octaves of
em advances, many of whose root ideas had passed the lush Arab orchestra, and the Eastern feel was
from Arab hands a thousand years earlier - like the maintained.
which had evolved into the violin, or
rabab fiddle Despite these modernising trends, many tradi-
the concept of harmony, which gradually crept •
tional themes remain in Arab music from its dis-
back into Arab composition. Entirely new instru- tant heritage. Arab music still centres on the
ments were greeted with unguarded enthusiasm. singer, whose vocal ornamentation and impro-
For example, the introduction of the cello - which visation skills enrich the song from 'merely a
one Western musician at the conference thought chicken, without the nice fat which gives it taste',
would overwhelm the Arab ensemble and bring as one 'local saying puts it. The live hafla (party)

on tears - was welcomed by Egyptian musicians atmosphere, with repeated shouts of praise and
who thought that was the very reason to have it. demands for encore from the audience, is still vital

As the century progressed, oboes, the double to the performance. Music continues to be the
bass, and electric guitars were added to the tradi- partner of poetry, while viJjrant rhythm, fine
tional five-piece Arab takht (ensemble), which melody and ancient instruments remain pivotal to
soon became were
a full-blown orchestra. Studios the sound. Ironically, in the computer world of
re-equipped with the latest technology, and com- today's generation of 'classical' composers, sam-
posers plagiarised melodiSs from Beethoven to pled sound and Arabic programs are maintaining
Bartok, giving them form with a jazz back-beat the traditional character in their contemporary
or Hollywood rumba. In many songs of the 1960s music, and manage to fool even the critical Arab
there is a strong hint — a kind of proto-sampling listener.
- of Western classical melodies, notably in the Along with technical advances came the
works of Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab and his media, which has played a dominant role in the
poet-mentor Ahmed Shawki. Yet this was no music of the Arab world. The big Western music
companies moved in on Cairo early in the cen-
tury, and before long entrepreneurs were tout-
ing village cafe-goers with the new phonograph,
which they would operate for a fee. The pierc-
ing voices that emerged from the whirling con-
traptions at their feet seemed to pronounce that
life was never going to be the same again. Yet

the three-minute phonograph was hardly suited

to the tradition of the long Arab song, and music
had to wait for radio in the late 1920s before it

discovered the new opportunities offered by tech-

nology. Film, and later television, provided a stage
for popular song, which found an expanding
record-buying public.
By the 1920s more or less the whole Arab world
was listening to the same Arab music for the first
time. With its mass appeal, a superstar industry
developed fast. Through these publicly adored
giants of song arose the cult-hero poet-lyricists
Ahmed Ramy and the 'prince of poets'
like
Ahmed Shawki, spreading revolutionary new
messages that implied the right to personal fulfil-

ment and expectations alongside the duties of fam-

ily and Islam.

But what proved the most revolutionary of

media innovations was the least spectacular. The
tape cassette appeared in the early 1970s and put
the music industry into the hands of the public,
turning its control from businessmen to the streets
Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab (though the men in suits have been staging

326 Classical Arab music

 in
something of a comeback lately). Suddenly every- British nationalism for the masses, like "Bilaadi
3D
one could make music, and it sometimes seemed Bilaadi" (My Country, my Country), which J>
nearly everyone did. Coinciding with a period of became the national anthem. CO
dramatic social change - the 1980s arrival of Arab
youth culture and pure pop music - the cassette My country my country,
offered a format for a new wave of popular aspi- my love and heart is for you.
rations and opened the floodgates to songs mov- Egypt, the mother of countries,

ing away from acceptable musical standards. It You are my wants and desire,
allowed the working class for the first time to voice And your Nile has given
-<
their discontent, and with a contemporary breed so many gifts to your people.

of urban folk music they have successfully embar- After a composing career of just seven years,
rassed traditional Egyptian good taste (for more on Darweesh died of a cocaine overdose, aged 32.
which, see the article on p. 338). Mourned by thousands, he now lies in the Gar-
was not an entirely willing process. In the
It den of the Immortals in Alexandria.
early 1970s, as the new street music took over,
Mohammed Abd el-Wahab, who
for classical song
carried the torch
until his death in 1991, insisted:
Abd el-Halim Hafez
"There should be a distinction between the great Abd el-Halim Hafez (1927-77) was known as

singers, like Abd el-Halim Hafez and Umm the 'Nightingale of the Nile'. In a society that gen-
Kalthum. In Europe, they are not attempting to erally reserves true respect for the old, it surprised
replace classical music with modern." He was quite everyone when Halim Hafez took over the musl-
right, of course. Hafez and Kalthum - and other
Superstars of Cairo — have, through their voices
and personalities, left an imprint on Arab culture
with which there are few parallels anywhere in the
world.

Superstars of Cairo
The Arab Classical musical arena - and Cairo as
its fulcrum - has always been dominated by a
clutch of iconic singers, enjoying huge populari-
ty and influence across the Arab world.
Profiled below are seven of the finest: Sayed
Darweesh Abd el-Halim Hafez
(1891-1923),
(1922-77), Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab
(1910-91), Farid el-Atrache (1914-74), Asma-
han (1917-44), the now-legendary Umm
Kalthum (1904-75), and the woman who carries
her beacon, Warda (born 1940).

Sayed Darweesh
At age 25, Sayed Darweesh (1891-1923) was a
travelling actor fallen on hard times. At 30 he was
hailed as the father of the new Egyptian Arab
music, and hero of the renaissance. He rose to fame "Nightingale of the Nile", Abd el-Halim Hafez
with his controversial 'innovation' musical
movement of the 1910s and '20s, in which he cal arena in his early twenties to became the gold-
blended Western instruments and harmony with en boy of the nationalist revolution of 1952. He
forgotten Arab musical forms and Egyptian folk- came at the right time with short patriotic songs
lore. More importantly, he wrote words for the that pleased President Nasser as well as the young
Egyptian people: dedications for the tradesmen, generation of the day who embraced him as their

operettas for the hashish dealers, and daring anti- spokesperson.

Classical Arab music 327

 By the 1960s his
their distinct melodic
new, short, light songs,
gave way to
with
a part-
Mohamed Abd
nership with
style,

Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab and a

el-Wahaab
return to the long classical form. He was ill with Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab (1910-91) was
bilharzia almost all his life, and involved the nation dubbed the 'artist of generations', as the last remain-
in his ongoing fight for good health with a vul- • ing figure from the old guard, of which he was the
charmed everyone in Egypt. For
nerability that most controversial and respected member. His
men, he offered a rather camp alternative role in achievements spanned a long career from the 1920s
an oppressively macho society. And his little-boy- as a singer, film star and eventually composer — a
lost image had women crooning to mother him. talent crowned when Umm Kalthum agreed to
He died in 1977, perhaps the last superstar of the sing his "Enta Omri", a song which featured an

great artists' era. electric guitar for the first time in her career.
As a composer, Abd el-Wahaab is remembered
Farid el-Atrache and as the moderniser of Arabic music, liberating it, as

his supporters see from the limitations of the

Asmahan it,

takht ensemble and allowing it to embrace West-

Farid el-Atrache (1914-74) and his sister Asma- ern-style tangos, waltzes and instrumentation. Oth-
han (born Amal el-Atrache in 1917, died 1944) ers criticise his music for overt plagiarism. He stood
were born to noble Druze parents in the Syri- by his vision for modernisation of the music all his

an/Lebanese border area ofjebal Al-Druz. Due to life, demanding that "the artist is the creator and
political upheavals in the region, their early years has the full right to introduce new elements into
were spent travelling around the major cities of the his music as he sees fit. We must always be open
Levant, but after their father's death they finally to new ideas and not resist change. Change is

settled in Cairo. Living in new-found poverty, the inevitable in everything."

children received their early musical education in Ironically, in his later years Abd el-Wahaab
this crucible of Arab music while their mother sup- became so contemptuous of other modernisers that
ported the family by playing the oud and singing he took his initiative a step further. In 1990 he
in night clubs. released a classical song into a market awash with
The pair's musical talent was quickly recognised the bleeping synths of the new youth pop. It was
and soon they too were making a living playing the first occasion in 32 years that he had sung his
numerous clubs and radio orchestras.
in Cairo's own composition and the song, "Minrear Ley"
However, it was the birth of the Egyptian film (Without why), was a blatant test of popular loy-
industry in the 1930s that launched them as alty. It was viewed by many as the final gasp of a

household names throughout the Arab world: Inti- wounded musical genre but its immediate success
sar Al-Shabab (The Triumph of Youth) was the went some way to prove that his vision for Arab
first of many films in which they starred, with Farid music lived on.
also writing the music. Their rise was tragically
terminated
-
when Asmahan mysteriously drowned
numerous conspiracy theories, laying the blame
Umm Kalthum
at the feet of everyone from a jealous Umm Umm Kalthum (1904-75) was indisputably the
Kalthum to Allied spies, have circulated since. In Arab world's greatest singer. Stem and tragic, rigid-

the great tradition however, an untimely demise ly in control, this was a woman who, in her hey-
has done nothing to dim her fame and Asmahan day, truly had the Arab world in the palm of her
is still fondly remembered as the tragic femme fatale hand. With melancholy operettas that seemed to
cut down in her prime. drift on for hours, she encapsulated the love lives
Farid's enforced solo career got off to shaky start, of a nation.
but a string of films with his lover, the dancer Rumour had itthat Umm Kalthum inhaled
Samia Gamal, re-established his reputation and gulps of hashish smoke before performing and
he continued to perform to great acclaim right up that the scarf trailing from her right hand was
to the end of his life. His later films, when he often steeped in opium. Her stage presence was charged
appears as an oily old smoothie who ought to by a theatrical rapport with the audience: a slight
know better, belittle the remarkable legacy of his nod of the head or a shake of her shoulders and
earlier work. He was a virtuosic oud player with they were in uproar. She learned to sing by recit-
an alluringly rich voice, and one of the Arab ing verse at cafes in her village, and sometimes
world's most inventive composers to boot. dressed as a boy to escape the religious authorities.

328 Classical Arab music

 not find any one like the other. Iam 30
not a record that repeats itself, I am a >
human being who is deeply touched 09
by what I sing." As ,i childless mother;
her songs were her offspring given to O
3D
the people. For these gifts they returned
total adoration.

Apart from Allah, they say, Umm m

o
Kalthum is the only subject about -<
which all Arabs agree, a fact that has "O
always given her special political sig-
nificance. She embraced Nasser's pan-
Arab ideals and drew Arabs together by
extending a pride to them during their
most difficult period in history. Nasser
used her nationalist songs to keep the
masses behind him, and timed his major
political speeches carefully around her
broadcasts. The less prescient Anwar
Sadat once addressed the nation on the
same day as her concert, and ended up
without an audience, a mistake he only
made once.
She remained a great campaigner for
the traditional Arab song, leaving
behind an orchestra, the Arab Music
Ensemble, dedicated to maintaining
the pure heritage of al turath, from the
eight and ninth centuries.
At Umm Kalthum's funeral in
February 1975, attended by many Arab
heads of state, over three million peo-
ple followed her through the streets of
Cairo. At 10pm on the first Thursday
Umm Kalthum, about whom all Arabs agree of every month, all radio stations still

play Umm Kalthum in memory of her

It was to her training in religious chanting that momentous live radio concerts of the 1950s and
she owed her stunning vocal agility and her mas- '60s. To this day, Israeli broadcasters seduce Pales-
terful command of the complex maqamat. She tinians to their stations with the music of Umm
was educated in the secular field by the poet Kalthum, duly spliced with propaganda.
Ahmed Ramy and of her total output of 286
songs, 132 were his poems.
Kalthum's voice was the epitome of the Arab
Warda al-Jaza'iriya
ideal - saturated with shaggan, or emotional yearn- Although definitely viewed
one of the Cairo
as

ing, and powerful enough on occasion to shatter superstars, Warda more pan-
al-Jaza'iriya's
a glass. In her long career, she specialised in love Mediterranean roots set her apart. Born near Paris
songs that sometimes lasted an hour, improvising in 1940 to a Lebanese mother and Algerian father,
and ornamenting on a theme that would bring the she learned to sing from her mother - who taught
audience to a frenzy. She was once asked to sing her Lebanese songs - and took her first steps to
a line 52 times over, which she did while devel- stardom in her father's prestigious Pans night spot,
oping the melody each time. Of this ability she TAM TAM. This club (named after the initials of
said: "I am greatly influenced by the music found the threeMaghreb countries, Tunisia, Algeria and
in Arabic poetry. I improvise because my heart Morocco) was the meeting place both for the top
rejoices in the richness of this music. If someone names in Arab music whilst passing through the
went over a song which I sang five times, he would city, and for supporters of the FLN (Front de

Classical Arab music 329

 Liberation National, a group dedicated to Algeri- Les grands noms de la musique du monde
an independence from France). Both of these were arabe (NFB, France).
00 to shape her musical identity: it was in this club Another excellent 2-CD set, highlighting the great Arab
was heard by the Godfather of Arab singers. Classical Egyptian traditions are represented by
that she first
tracks from Hafez, Farid el-Atrache, Asmahanm,
music, Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab; and she has Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab, Oum Khalsoum, and Warda.
always been associated with her Algerian roots -
And there are equally strong showings from the rest of the
her name means 'The Rose of Algeria'. Arab world.

m
ffi
When her family was deported from France to S3 The Music of Islam (Celestial Harmonies, US).

-< Lebanon, Warda continued to sing in clubs; but Recently released, this is an extraordinary 1 7-CD boxed set
her real break came with a move to Cairo at the of recordings made over 10 years throughout the Islamic
beginning of the 1960s. Here, through the con- world by New Zealander, David Parsons. Whilst it's worth
remembering that not all Muslims are Arabs - and not all
siderable influence of Umm Kalthum's musical Arabs are Muslims - this is one of the most thorough trawls
collaborators, Mohamed Abd el-Wahab and Riyad through Arab music available. It also includes religious
Al Sumbati, her 'Parisian' style quickly became music from non-Arab countries like Pakistan, Turkey, Iran
and Indonesia. is well recorded and beautifully presented.
It
popular.
For those on a budget, there is an excellent single-CD
Aside from a ten-year break from singing - at sampler.
the insistence of her firsthusband - Warda has
83 Music in the World of Islam (Topic, UK).
remained at the forefront of Arab music. Aided by Vol. 1 : The Human Voice/Lutes
a close team of exceptional composers, lyricists, Vol. 2: Strings/Flutes & Trumpets

musicians and producers, she has built one of the Vol. 3: Reeds & Bagpipes/Drums & Rhythms

most lucrative and long-lasting careers in recent Originally issued LPs - now on 3 CDs - these gritty
as six

years. She has wisely shunned the 'new Umm recordings made by Jean
Jenkins and Poul Rovsing Olsen in
the 1960s and '70s have some great moments, and the
Kalthum' tag - partly out of respect for the undis- discs constitute the best survey of its kind.
puted diva, but also because the comparison is inac-
S3 La Musique Arabe (FNAC, France).
curate: whereas Umm Kalthum's singing has an
This is a useful and instructive sampler from the French
aching intensity that can be quite startling to the
megastore: a booklet and disc, including tracks from
uninitiated, Warda's style is altogether more cos- Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab, Abdel Halim Hafez and Umm
mopolitan and optimistic. Kalthum from Egypt, as well as contemporary sounds from
around the Arab world.

Thanks to Zein al-Jundi for additional

input on the Classical singers Artists

Farid el-Atrache & Asmahan

The and Asmahan - a brother and
late Farid el-Atrache

discography sister team - are claimed by the Syrians and Lebanese

(they were bom on the border), but they are Egyptian by
adoption. Asmahan died tragically young. Farid had a
longer career and is still honoured as 'al-Malek al-Oud'
With the notable exception of Warda - who is still working
(the King of the Oud).
at a furious rate - most of the Cairene superstars record-
ed their best work in the relatively early days of audio
technology. However, though the sound quality may_ leave
FARID EL-ATRACHE
something to be desired, there is often a gripping intensi- Farid el-Atrache: Les Annees '30 (Club du
ty about these live or one-take performances. The longer Disque Arabe, France).
playing time of CDs is far better suited than cassettes to
the extended Arab songs at which these singers excelled, This selection of remastered songs from the 1930s show
and a burgeoning industry of re-issued and re-mastered Farid as a young, potent performer - as opposed to the
collections has sprung up. There have also been a num- smoochy crooner he became in later life. Although many of
ber of good recent compilatuions of Classical Arab music the featured songs (with their then-fashionable strains of tango
on various Western labels. and lush European strings) might now sound quaint, they
were right at the cutting edge in their day. On the basis of this
CD it is easy to see how the melancholy Druze with matinee
Compilations idol looks took the Arab world by storm.

Arabian Maters - Les Plus Grandes Classiques SS Best of Farid el-Atrache Live (Voice of Lebanon,
de la Musique Arabe (Virgin, France). Lebanon).

A double CD set with classic performances by many of the Farid was obviously a phenomenal live performer, and his
legends: Warda, Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab, Abdel Halim often professed love of playing the oud is well to the fore
Hafez & Umm
Kalthum from Egypt, Fairouz from Lebanon, on taqsim (improvisation) at
this collection: the dazzling
Saudi's Mohammed Abdu and the Iraqi Kasim El Saher. As the beginning of his most famous work, "El Rabaii" (The
good a starter pack as you are likely to find - even if the spring) is the standard by which all others are now
explanatory notes are a bit skimpy. judged.

330 Classical Arab music

 .

ASMAHAN the Second World War, aided by a successful career in

the emergent movie business as he struggled against the

SO Asmahan (Baidaphone, Lebanon).
effects of bilharzia. The soundtracks to all his films are at

Few recordings survive from Asmahan's short career but this last being re-released. 00
includes many of her best loved songs. The waltz, "Layalil uns
83 Abd
el-Halim Hafez - Twentieth Anniversary
fi Vienna" (Delightful nights
1930s and is
in Vienna) was a
guaranteed to get old Cairo hands misty eyed
hit in the late
. .
Memorial Editon (EMI Arabia, Dubai). o
00
This double CD includes a disc of early and late material. r—
Sayed Darweesh The former has seven film-score songs from the early o
Sayed Darweesh and died young - the hero and
lived fast
1930s, with classic Egyptian movie orchestration. The
includes his best known song, "karia el-Fingan" (The
latter
m
founding father of the Arab music renaissance. His patri- Fortune Teller). -<
otic "Bilaadi, Bilaadi" (My country, my country) is the
closest thing to a national anthem for Arab brotherhood
and is played by marching bands all over the Middle East. Umm Kalthum (Oum Khalsoum)
No-one has yet come close to Umm Kalthum, who is still
S3 Cheikh Sayed Darwiche - L'lmmortel
considered the Arab world's primary diva. Her dramatic,
(Baidaphon, France).
angst drenched performances may not be to everyone's
Because he died in the early 1 920s, there are only a handful taste, but to ignore her is to disregard one of the world's
of Sayeed Darweesh's recordings in existence. This short 20th century icons.
disc shows his passion rising above the crackly recording,
with three songs full of thrilling vocal improvisation, throwing
in snatches of European flavour that at the time was com-

pletely revolutionary.
® Al-Atlaal
(EMI, Egypt),

This song-album - Al-Atlaal (The Ruins) - is Kalthum's most

acclaimed work, full of melodrama and suspense. For "Enta

Mahmoud Fadl and Samy £1 Bably Omri" (You are my life), she was greatly criticised at the time
on account of its electric instruments.
Egyptian trumpeter Samy
Bably is the only horn player
El

to have mastered the microtonal intricasies of Arabic 80 Hajartek (EMI, Egypt).

music. He has recently teamed up with music director
and drummer Mahmoud Fadl. The (Saudi-spelled) title-song is the centrepiece of this CD -a
passionate rendering of "Hagartak, yimkin ansa hawak" (I've

left you and perhaps will forget your

I love). It is as essential
as anything in the Kalthum canon.

Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab

Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab was the colossus of Egyptian
music from the 1920s until his death in 1991. For 60
late
years, there was hardly a single performer of note
whose career was not in some way blessed by his
magic touch.

83 Treasures (EMI Arabia, Dubai).

The best introduction to Abd el-Wahaab, this is a a double

CD with a selection of pieces from the master's better peri-
ods. Most notable is the astonishing 40-minute "Al Dooa' al

Akhir" (The Last Blessing).

S3 Volumes l-X (Club des Disques Arabes, France).

The godfather of the Egyptian musical revival's huge output is

slowly being released in its entirety on CD: Volume X only
takes us up to 1939 and el-Wahaab lived until 1991 . . .

Mahmoud Fadl
Warda
rjjl The Love Letter from King Tut-Ank-Amen Warda (The Rose') is a true child of the Mediterranean;
kS-J (Piranha, Germany). born in France of Algerian/Lebanese parents, she found
fame Cairo. She is still in good voice, and in fact, much
in
One of those surprise delights that pop up in the World Music
world. Featuring the trumpet of Samy El Bably, with backing
of her more recent work surpasses the bleeping synthe-
siser songs she recorded in the 1 980s. Her recordings are
from oud, zither, accordion and swooping strings, this album
reinterprets Cairo love classics originally sung by Umm legion and pretty easily available worldwide.

Kalthum and Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab. For anyone strug-

Warda
gling to appreciate the subtle nuances of the original
these seductive instrumental are just the job with stimulating
lyrics,
83 (EMI Hemisphere, UK).

rhythmic diversions and great solos. This mid-priced compilation is an excellent introduction to

Warda's more recent work: is hard not to be seduced by

it

Abd el-Halim Hafez the diva's creamy, mature voice.

The pallid 'Nightingale of the Nile', Abd el-Halim Hafez

rose to fame on the wave of Egyptian patriotic zeal after ^ See also the Syria/Lebanon discography.

Classical Arab music 331

I Armenia
the sorrowful sound
An Armenian legend tells of God allocating land to the various peoples of the world. The Armenians

turn up late and God says, "sorry Put all that's left is -this pile of stones', ft is an apt description of
this rugged land in the foothills of the Caucasus - a land that has had an often bleak history,
punctuated by massacres and earthquakes. When Djivan Gasparyan. Armenia's most famous
traditional musician, was asked why so many of the tunes he plays on the duduk sound so
melanchory. he said that it was a reflection of the fate of the people. This 'sornpwful sound* has an
unparalleled beauty and. as Harold Hagopian explains. Armenian music can also demonstrate an
Jiwcsomc vigour and fire.

be Armenian musical heritage spans many body of sacred chants, or sharakans. Medieval
centuries and much of the globe, thanks Armenian musical notation, known as khaz.

T to
pora.
its resilient traditions

Its characteristic
and cultural dias-
melodic elements
can be traced from pre-Christian modal music to
allowed singers to improvise ornate embellish-
ments around established melody types. Some
of the oldest of these melodies can be traced
contemporary middle—eastern pop. and variants of back to pagan times, while new Christian chants
the music can be heard from the Armenian monas- were composed as early as 405 AD by Saint
teries of the Caucasus to local weddings and dances Mesrop Mashtots. the Armenian priest who
in New York. Boston and especially Fresno — the brought literacy to Armenia by inventing the
grape-growing valley of central California where country's unique alphabet, still used today.
many refugees fled after the Turkish massacres of Other notable priests whose music has survived
1915. include Movses Korenatsi (fifth century), Grig-
or Narekatsi (tenth century) and Neses Shnorhah

Religious Music (twelfth century).

One of the most renowned interpreters ot the
Tradinonal Armenian music consists mainly of sharakan is the late soprano. Lucine Zakarian
folk melodies performed by ensembles at com- who served as soloist at the Holy Cathedral of
munity gatherings and celebrations, and religious Etchmiadzin. the seat of the Armenian Church.
chants sung by the clergy.
St Gregory the Illuminator
converted the .Armenian king
to Christianity in 301 AD and
Armenia became the world's

or not the Armenians, who had

bved on the Anatolian plateau
at the base of Mount Ararat

since the eighth century BC,

were descendants of Noah's
son. Hayk. as was churned,
Armenia in the early Christian
period cenamry developed one
of the richest traditions of htnr-
gical music.
Meksmatic chants, each
composed in one of eight
modes, made up the largest e Armenian ensemble

332 Armenia
It you visit Armenia, it's certainly worth the trjp ditional music. It is instead second- and third-gen-
to Etchmiadzin (20km outside the Armenian cap- eration Armenian-Americans who have actively
ital, Yerevan) to hear the Divine Liturgy sung by struggled to preserve this musical heritage. In par-
the choir there, which is made up of Armenia's ticular, the oud Richard Hagopian, born
player
best vocalists. Those willing to head further should in Central California's large diaspora community
venture out to the monastery of Geghard, a in 1937, has endeavored to document and pass on
fourth-century structure carved into the side of a the music of Anatolian Armenians.
mountain. Acoustics within produce a reverbera- Preservation and performance of this music has
tion of up to a minute. If you are lucky you can been complicated by the fact that many Armeni-
catch the local choir but even in their absence it's ans from Anatolia spoke, and sang, not only in
a glorious experience. The Celestial Harmonies Armenian (an ancient language which is its own
CD collection of Armenian music includes sacred branch of the Indo-European language group), but
music recorded there. Turkish as well. This has led to disagreements with-
All Armenian liturgical music remained mono- in the Armenian community itself over what pre-
phonic until the latter part of the nineteenth cen- cisely constitutes its musical heritage.
tury, when the renowned Armenian priest and
composer Komitas Vartabet (1869-1935), who Folk Music
was schooled in Europe, introduced polyphony
and Western-style composition into Armenian All Armenian folk music shares fundamental fea-
music. His arrangement of the Divine Liturgy in tures with its middle-eastern neighbours, includ-
four-partharmony is still considered a master ing modal scales, the use of quarter tones and the
work, maintaining the Armenian spirit within importance of improvisation within the tradi-
the context of Western musical practice. Besides tionally established modes. The melodies are
composing sacred music, Komitas travelled monophonic and played against a continuous
throughout the Armenian countryside from 1 899 drone, rather than chordal harmonies. The
to 1910, collecting and notating more than 3000 attempt to determine the ultimate origin of a par-
some of which he arranged for per-
folk tunes, ticularArmenian melody may be impossible,
formance with Western instruments such as the however, since Kurdish, Turkish, Persian, Arme-
piano. nian and Gypsy musicians of Anatolia all inter-
mingled under the Ottoman Empire for several
The Massacres and hundred
What
years.
can be identified Armenian
as are the styles
the Diaspora of playing instruments such as the tar (short-
It is fortuitous that Komitas researched and col- necked lute), kanon (dulcimer), oud (unfretted lute),

lected that folk music when he did, since a few kamaiuha (upright fiddle), zuma (shawm) and davul
years later the Armenian population of historic (double-headed hand drum), especially the ways
Armenia (now part of eastern Turkey) was vio- in which they have been played in modern times
lently uprooted. The towns of Erzerum, Kars, within the former Soviet Republic of Armenia.
Diyarbakir, Van, and Harpoot were home to Soviet-style conservatoires taught these instru-
more than two million Armenians before the ments with the same rigour as the violin and piano,
1915 Massacres by the Young Turk regime - producing a number of renowned musicians whose
an act of brutal 'ethnic cleansing' preceding the performances are virtuoso, if controlled, versions
formation of the modem by Mustafa
Turkish state of the 'folk' repertoire. Unfortunately, in today's
Kemal Ataturk. After the massacre, most of the Armenia, you are unlikely to see or hear these tra-

Armenian population went into exile.

surviving ditional songs and dances outside of State Ensem-
Today scarcely any Armenians remain in the ble performances. Ironically, Armenians in the US
region. are more likely to dance the traditional dances such

As a result, Armenian
music from this area
folk as shalako (solo dance in 6/8) or the kochare (men's
has been more document than the music
difficult to line dance) at celebrations like weddings or fami-
of the foothills of the Caucasus to the east, the ly gatherings. Nevertheless the choreographed ver-
region of present-day Armenia. Though the Amer- sions produced by Armenia's folk ensembles are
ican-born children of those who fled the massacres stunning to watch. The choir of zumas perform-
preserved some of the Anatolian dance tunes and ing together, though not exactly as it was prac-
wedding songs of their parents and grandparents, ticed in the villages, is one of the most exhilarating
hardly a native recording exists of Armenian tra- sounds you will ever experience.

Armenia 333
 Djivan Gasparyan and the Duduk
m
If there's one instrument emblematic of Armenia, it's Madoyan (1909-1964) and Vatche Hovsepian
the duduk, whose soft, plaintive, reedy tone seems to (1925-1978), but he sincerely believes that the stan-
express the soul of the country and its often tragic his- dard of musicianship is better now than it's ever been.
tory. The most celebrated duduk maestro is Djivan This is one of the effects of the conservatoire training
Gasparyan, bom in 1 928 in Solag - a village close to where study of the instrument was placed on a par
the Armenian capital Yerevan. with Classical instruments. One of the things that dis-

"My was a fine duduk player," Gasparyan

father tinguishes a good player is the ornamentation of the
remembers. "I was his apprentice and taught myself I notes and the oriental colouring of the scale with semi-
at his side." But Gasparyan's initial inspiration came tones and quarter-tones which gives the music its

from the cinema. "I was fascinated by the duduk play- expressive power. Gasparyan gives an impressive
ers accompanying the film. Their ability to play a suit- demonstration of how it's done, by half or fractional-

able melody for a sad or romantic scene and also to ly covering the finger holes.
burst in with vivacious folk dances when the film
•
demanded more dynamism. The film didn't interest me
much. was riveted by the music and its extraordinary
I

ability to express the right feelings through the duduk."

The young boy returned to the cinema day after day,

got in without paying and befriended the old musicians

who explained the process of circular breathing neces-
sary to play the accompanying drone part, or dam. He col-
lected empty bottles and sold them to buy himself an
instrument and joined the musicians at the cinema as a
damkash (drone player). At the age of twenty he joined the
Tatoul Altounian National Song and Dance Ensemble. He
then completed his studies at the Conservatoire, became
a soloist, and started touring internationally in the late '50s.
The duduk has eight holes, plus a thumb hole rather
like a Western recorder. It is made of apricot wood with

a cane reed. no more than an octave, but

Its range is

it is capable - as Gasparyan learned at the cinema -

of the most powerful expression. The instrument goes
at least as far back as the fifth century, although some
Armenian scholars believe it existed more than 1500
years before that. Duduks always come in pairs, or
larger groups, with the soloist playing over a held drone
which occasionally moves, but more usually stays fixed.

The duduk repertoire is made up of instrumental ver-

sions of Armenian folk songs or ashoug songs, spe-

cial duduk melodies, folk dances (usually accompanied Djivan Gasparyan
by a two-headed drum (dhol)) or improvisations.

Not surprisingly, the art of making the instrument is Having taught at the Conservatoire in Yerevan for

a highly skilled one. Gasparyan's prefered craftsman is over thirty years, Gasparyan has recently left to pur-

Karlen Matevossian. "He finds the right apricot tree, but sue a more international career. He has developed a
I choose the particular piece of wood according to its duduk quartet with instruments of different sizes, includ-

size. The wood must be left for two years to dry before ing a large "bass duduk", and has been working with
the master puts it on the lathe. The final positioning of prominent figures in the World Music scene like the

the holes and tuning must be done by the musician him- Kronos Quartet, Peter Gabriel and Canadian guitarist

self. A good instrument can last 300 years. Of course, and producer Michael Brook, with whom he collab-
lots of melodies are dedicated to the apricot tree. In my orated on a 1998 album for RealWorld. "The duduk is

concerts I like to include "Tsirani Tsar" (The Apricot an amazing instrument," says Brook, "it was the sen-

tree)" - a famous folksong collected by Komitas. suous expressiveness and nuance that attracted me."
Of those duduk musicians who have had a major
influence on his playing, Gasparyan cites Levon Simon Broughton, with thanks to Alessio Surian

334 Armenia
 While most of these instruments are common was absorbed into the standard repertoire of late
throughout middle-eastern music, there is one - Ottoman music. The most notable was Kemani
the duduk (double reed flute) - which is indige- Tatyos Ekserciyan (1863-1913), one of the finest
nous to Armenia, and its sound is something of a composers of Ottoman classical music.
symbol of the country. Carved from apricot wood, Armenians (and other ethnic minorities) were
the duduk has a beautiful melancholy timbre, also prevalent in Istanbul's burgeoning nightclub
which has found its way from the Armenian coun- and cabaret scene in the 1920s and '30s - one of
tryside to Hollywood soundtracks such as Peter the greatest being the blind oud master Udi Hrant
Gabriel's The Last Temptation of Christ. Kenkulian (1901-1978). Armenian women,
The best-known and probably the greatest con- joined by other minorities as well as the least intim-
temporary duduk player is Djivan Gasparyan idated Turkish Muslim women, alsobecame pop-
(sec box), although there are other fine players ular nightclub singers in this period - Suzan
such as Gevorg Dabagian and Yeghish Yakar was one of the best known.
Manoukian. The dudk's modem repertoire tends With much of the Armenian community dis-
to be made up either of rhythmic songs and dances, persed throughout America and Europe after 1915,
or slow, suite-like fantasies, perhaps including some of the most innovative interpretations of
improvisation, exploiting the emotive nature of Armenian music have occurred in open dialogue
the instrument. Many melodies that seem mourn- with modern Western genres. The most famous
ful to Western ears, however, just don't sound that twentieth-century Armenian classical composers
way to Armenians. - including Alan Hovhaness and Aram
Khatchaturian - have reworked and incorpo-
Ashoughs rated Armenian musical idioms, while Ara
Dinkjian's group Night Ark has linked Armeni-
Like the Medieval French troubadours and the an folk music and instruments with jazz and New
Turkish Armenian ashoughs travelled the
asiks,
Age styles.
countryside in the seventeenth and eighteenth
There are also various strands of Armenian
centuries carrying news and messages from afar
pop/rock music, the most interesting of which are
through song. The most prolific and celebrated
to be found among the Armenian immigrant com-
of them, Sayat Nova (1717-1795), served as
munities in Los Angeles. They include a rock-
court singer and musician to the Persian Nadir
infused pop music with hints of folk melodies, and
Shah and later to the Georgian ruler Iraklii II. His
a more Arabic-influenced style, favoured by Arme-
favourite instrument was the kamancha and one
nian immigrants from Lebanon. Adiss Harman-
of his most famous songs is dedicated to this instru-
dian has been the top seller in this style for
ment which he said could "console the broken-
twenty-five years.
hearted, cure the sick and be fully appreciated only
Since the break up of the Soviet Union, pop
by a true artist."
culture has also emerged in Armenia itself, as in
Ashough songs are traditionally accompanied
most of the other former Soviet republics, with
by the kamancha, tar, kanon and duduk, and Sayat
musicians and pop groups mimicking American
Nova's songs are still regularly performed today.
styles. This often means a lot of echo and digital
Modern singers of the ashough are highly respect-
delay superimposed upon synthesisers and drum
ed artists who specialise in the genre and hardly
machines - not very inspiring. But there are a
an Armenian citizen exists who does not know
handful of innovators, such as Harout Pam-
the voices of legendary Rouben Matevosian
boukjian, Gagik Gevorkian and a current
and Hovhaness Badalian. They sing songs of
favourite female pop-star known as Gayane, who
love and tragedy, usually accompanied by large
have used older Armenian modal influences with
folk orchestras such as Tatoul Altounian's Ensem-
hip new arrangements. The newest CDs have sam-
ble - one of the most famous in the country.
pled duduk and kanon sounds.

Classical Music,
Cabaret and Pop discography
Istanbul was the intellectual and cultural centre
for Armenians Ottoman Empire, and before
in the
The most comprehensive survey of Armenian music is a
work of a
the nationalist ethnic purification, the six-volume, seven-CD Music of Armenia set from
number of Armenian composers and musicians Celestial Harmonies (US). Vol 1 includes choral and

Armenia 335
church music, anctent and modern; Vol 2 sharakan
chants in beautiful arrangements by Komitas and oth-
Folk Music
ers; Vol 3 focuses on the duduk; Vol 4 is an album of
kanon music; Vol 5 is folk music played by the Compilations
Shoghaken and Sasus folk groups; and Vol 6 features
music from the Armenian-inhabited region of Nagorno- E Armenians on 8th Avenue
Karabagh within Azerbaijan. The discs are well record- (Traditional Crossroads, US).
ed by David Parsons and come with very informative
New York's 8th Avenue was the centre of the city's Armenian
liner notes. As they are available separately, as well as
and Greek communities and a taverna culture thrived there,
in a set, some also feature in the individual recommen-
reaching a peak in the 1 950s. This CD, re-issuing recordings
dations below.
from the 1 940s and '50s, reveals a little-known world of clas-
sical and popular musicians like kanon player Garbis
Bakirgian, oud player Marko Melkon and singer 'Sugar Mary'.
Church Music
A musical curiosity, but a fascinating one.

E Armenie 2: Musique de tradition populaire et

Compilations des Achough (Ocora, France).
E Armenie 1 Chants Liturgiques du Moyen Age
: et A companion disc to the Ocora release above with various
Musique Instrumentale (Ocora, France). folksongs and ashough pieces b^y Sayat Nova and more
The first concentrates on church muse
half of this disc
recent troubadours accompanied by small instrumental

including sharakan by Mesrop Mashtots. Most of it is solo groups and a couple of dubious, Soviet-style big ensem-
bles.
chant, some performed by Lucine Zakarian. The instrumen-
tal folk music features small ensembles of kamancha,
E Haut-Karabagh: Musiques du Front
duduks, zurnas and so on, including duduk player Vatche
(Auvidis/Silex, France).
Hovsepian.
An imaginative musical postcard from the war-stricken
E Music of Armenia: Vol 1 Sacred Choral Music region of Nagorno-Karabagh. Includes laments in a
(Celestial Harmonies, US). cemetary, songs about the struggle and military leaders and
wonderful instrumental groups of clarinets, duduks, accor-
A very beautiful collection of religious music recorded by
dion and drums. Folk music that deals with contemporary
the Haissmavourk Choir (with men and women's voices) in
realities.
Geghard Monastery and Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Some of
the tracks have fantastic clashing drones and harmonies. Kalaschjan: Rural and Urban Traditional Music
The most attractive introduction to Armenian church from Armenia (Schott WergoAWeltmusik, Germany).
music.
A good folk and ashoug music from a con-
cross section of
House of World Cultures in Berlin. There's an out-
cert at the
door ensemble of zurnas and dhol and a more refined
Artists
ensemble of oud, kanon, kamancha, duduk and dhol.

Komitas E Music of Armenia: Vol 5. Folk Music

(Celestial Harmonies, US).
Komitas (1869-1935) was born Soghoman Sogomanian
in Ottoman Turkey and adopted his pseudonym from a A 2-CD set maintaining the high standards of the Celestial

seventh-century Armenian poet and musician. He was Harmonies senes. There are two ensembles, the Shoghaken
orphaned at an early age, studied liturgical music and with a larger ensemble of 'refined' instalments adopting a sort

became a vartabet (priest). He undertook the most of 'early music' approach for a more authentic pre- or post-

important collection of Armenian folksongs and Soviet style (making perhaps less accessible to first time lis-
it

melodies, made musical arrangements of them and teners), and the Sasun group with a more vernacular duduk

worked on his Divine Liturgy for over twenty years. In and dhol line up. Slightly dour performances, but good sleeve
1915, during the Ottoman genocide against the notes.

Armenians he was deported and imprisoned. He escaped

with his life, but much of his work was destroyed and,
after a mental breakdown, he spent most of the rest of
Artists
his life in asylums in France.
Gevorg Dabagian
E The Voice of Komitas Vardapet
(Traditional Crossroads, US). The leader of the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, Dabagian is
one of the best duduk players in Armenia today. Like
Of rather specialised interest perhaps, but these solo record- Gasparyan he learned (and now teaches) at the Yerevan
ings of Komitas singing were made in 1912 in Paris. He has Conservatoire.
a strong baritone voice that is very moving through the
in one of the most beautiful and touch-
crackles, particularly Music of Armenia: Vol 3 Duduk
ing Armenian harvestsongs, "Kali Yerg". At the piano, (Celestial Harmonies, US).
Komitas also accompanies one of his pupils, the rather oper-
A rich variety of duduk music, some of it with moving and
atic tenor Armenak Shahmuradian in some of his song
harmonic drones. Very fine playing which repays careful lis-
arrangements.
tening. Includes a couple of pieces appropriately about the
apricot tree.
Komitas: Divine Liturgy (New Albion, US).

A full-bloodied performance of Komitas' Divine Liturgy from

Djivan Gasparyan
the (all male) Choir of St.Gayane Cathedral. A major work of
Armenian liturgical music. Bom in 1928, Armenia's most famous duduk player (see

336 Armenia
 r

box on p. 334) has pushed the boundaries with his various

collaborations and is still going strong. 30

39 I Will Not Be Sad in This World

(Land Records, UK; Warners, US).

The recording that brought Gasparyan to fame from

Melodiya recordings released in 1983. A beautiful rich tone,
but unremittingly melancholy. The unlikely-sounding title is

actually from one of Sayat Nova's most famous tunes "I Will

Not Be Sad In This World Have You)". Also full of the

(If I

soulful stuff is HMs/c Me No

Questions (Traditional
Crossroads, US). There are more interesting tonal inflections,
but a thinner sound.

Heavenly Duduk
(World Network, Germany).

A great introduction to Gasparyan's art. The opening num-

bers have all the melancholic longing that typifies the
instrument, with some seductive microtones. But there are
also some lively dance numbers with dhol accompani-
ment, songs (Gasparyan has a moving voice), and more
classical arrangements of Komitas tunes for a duduk trio.
Another good balance of meditative and dance music is to
be found on Apricots from Eden (Traditional Night Ark
Crossroads, US).
Four-piece band led by American-born Armenian Ara
Dinkjian. Alongside piano, bass and percussion Dinkjian
WITH MICHAEL BROOK plays oud, saz and kanon and draws on jazz and blues as
well as Middle-Eastern influences. He's also collaborated
Si Black Rock (RealWorld, UK).
with noted singers Elefteria Arvanitaki in Greece and
With some beautiful melodies and transparent arrangements, Sezen Aksu in Turkey.
this collaboration with Michael Brook is the album for those
wary of a duduk solo album. Its impact is diluted by occa- S3 In Wonderland (Emarcy/Polygram, Greece).

sional doodling but there are real highlights in the more tradi-
The disc provides a colourful and tasteful merging of East
tional moments and Gasparyan's singing. and West. What many New Age and World Beat drums try to
achieve is naturally blended here by artists who have been
Richard Hagopian raised with both cultures.

Born 1937 in the grape-growing area of Fresno,

in

California where many Armenians settled, Hagopian

Muradian Ensemble
learned the oud from Garbis Bakirgian (see above) and Armenian folk ensemble led by veteran kamancha player
has extensively studied and played Armenian folk and Hratchja Muradian. They are a typical Soviet-style group,
classical music. with an arranged and polished style, but very compelling.

S3 Armenian Music through the Ages 1271 Muradian Ensemble and Hayastan
(Smithsonian Folkways, US). OZi (PanA/an Geel, Netherlands).

A stylishly performed selection of folk and classical pieces for These two CDs are excellent collections of Armenian folk music
oud, kanon, violin and hand drum. Excellent accompanying at its most accessible. Each have slow meditative duduk pieces

notes. and a couple of songs, as well as wilder, up-tempo dances.

Armenia 337
Egypt Popular/street music

cairo hit factory

Egyptian - and Arabic - music has moved on apace in the 1980s and '90s. The established tradition
of Classical song (see p.323) exploded, mainly through the cassette culture, into the street styles of
shaabi (a kind of blues-folk) and al-jil (Arabic pop). What didn't change, however, was the dominance
of Egypt (and Cairo) in the Arab musical world. Turn on the radio or TV or go to the cinema in any
Arabic-speaking country and it's almost certain to be an Egyptian show on offer. Not all the stars are
Egyptian - there are top Cairene singers from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria and Moroccan - yet working
with Egyptian composers and musicians, and, singing in Egyptian Arabic (the llhgua-franca of Arab
culture) their music is to all intents and purposes Egyptian. David Lodge and Bill Badley take the
pulse of contemporary Cairo, and look at popular Egyptian roots and rural folk traditions.

he size and confidence of the Arab market blissfully unpolluted with Western pop. The rejec-
partly responsible for Egyptians' emphat- tion of things foreign extends somewhat to Arab

T
is

ic rejection of music from other countries neighbours, too; cassettes from the Middle East
- which means the streets of Cairo are (and even Algerian rai) are not common in the
kiosks of Cairo. But the city is a supreme gather-
ing point for Egyptian roots, a musical play-
ground of cross-cutting influences and inspiration.

The brassy jazz of Nubia from the hot African

south plays alongside the haunting clarinet of the
desert Bedouin; comic rap monologues of the
Nilotic Saiyidis mix with the heart-rending tones
of Classical song.
In this unique auditory environment - at venues
ranging from the giant Sufi zikr street festivals to

football stadium extravaganzas, from the raw the-

atre of a working-class wedding to a belly-dance

nightclub down Pyramids Road - Cairo offers

Arab composers an extraordinary atmosphere for
their inspiration. A word of warning, however, to
anyone approaching Egyptian music for the first

time. The scene is so diverse and moves so fast that

almost everything changes by the time you've

heard about it! If you can imagine coming to

British or American music - in its entirety - as a

total novice, you'll have some idea of the vista laid

out before you.

Sufi Music and Trance

W\ien the heart throbs with exhilaration and rapture
becomes intense and the agitation of ecstasy is manifest-

ed and conventional forms are gone, that agitation is nei-

ther dancing nor bodily indulgence, but a dissolution oj

the soul.

Ibn Taymiya, writer and theologian (1 263-1 328)

338 Egypt - Popular/street music

While the religiously orthodox have long worked the congregation, reciting Sufi poetry, guiding
to keep music out of Islam, the Islamic mystics, them from one maqatn mode to another. Bodies
the Sufis, instead sought to harness its power and sway, headsroll upward on every stroke as they

turn it to the service of God. According to the chant religious devotions with spiralling intensi-
ninth-century Baghdad philosopher Abu Suliman ty. The nay (flute), played in a style depicted in
al-Darani, Sufis believe that "music and singing the pharonic tombs, alternates short, two-beat
do not produce in the heart that which is not in pulses on a simple melody line. Lifeless arms dan-
from open mouths, and eyes CD
it",

which
and music "reminds the
it constantly longs".
spirit

They
of the realm for
assert that if you
gle, saliva slaps

without seeing. Men collapse, convulsing,

stare

on the
<
have moral you need have no fear of it.
discipline, floor, while others run to lift them up, reciting
The Arab music
Sufis thus helped to nurture to them verses from the Koran. The beat slows,
through ages when all around were doing their and rows of sweating heads drop their gaze to the
best to suppress it. floor. Slowly, exhausted, the ecstatics return to

This 'heretical' alliance of music and Islam is most the fray.

intensely displayed at the giant mulids - festivals For the practising Sufi clans who have marched
to celebrate the saint of a mosque - when upwards behind their flags and banners all the way from
of a million worshippers and hangers-on gather their village, the event is a display of clan loyal-
together in defiance of fundamentalists and author- ty, piety and pride. For the musicians who roam

ities alike. The union of body and music is encap- from one mulid to another throughout the year,
sulated in the zikr, a dramatic ritual which uses turning popular village songs about secular love
song and dance to open a path to divine ecstasy. into an adoration of Mohammed the Prophet, it
Sufis explain the alarming spectacle of enhance- can also be a good living. In adaptation, these
ment with characteristic spiritual logic: "Music is songs lose little of their earthly sexual passion:
the food of the spirit; when the spirit receives food, "It is he, it is only he who lives in my heart, only
it turns aside from the government of the body." he to whom I give my love, our beautiful
To a binding hypnotic rhythm, heaving move- Prophet, Mohammed, whose eyes are made-up
ments and respiratory groans, the leader conducts with kohl."

Egypt - Popular/street music 339

 Rural Folk Music: the Nile, the Desert
and the Copts
Egypt is a land of many environments. The archetypal Sohar Magdy, Ahmed Mougahid, Shoukoukou
C5 image is that of the crowded towns, villages and farm- and Ahmed Ismail.
-< land of the Nile valley, but mountain wilderness and The folk music known as sawahili comes from the
o arid desert cover 96 percent of the country. The diver- Mediterranean coastal area, and is characterised by the
sity also ranges from the European colour of the north- use of a guitar-like stringed instrument, the simsimaya,
ern, Mediterranean coast lands to the African though the style found in Alexandria features the accor-
resonances of the south. From each geographically dion. Famous sawahili singers include Aid el-Gannimi
distinct area comes a distinct music. from Suez and Abd'l Iskandrani from Alexandria.
Folk music in Egypt still performs a vital role in As well as the various kinds of folk music, Egypt has
recording a popular version of history. With their own two important ethnic musics -»Bedouin and Nubian
characteristic rhythms, instruments and voices, there (see separate box on p.345). Bedouin music comes
is music to accompany almost every event, from the from the western, Libyan desert, and the eastern arid
harvest to circumcisions. There is

social criticism in the rrlonologues

about village goings-on, worship in the
festival songs for Ramadan, and may-
hem in activities at weddings and
mulids.
Saiyidi is the folk music of the
upper Nile valley. Saiyidis (the name
applies to the musicians as well as
their music) are famous for their clever
use of words and for their playful
monologues set to music. The music
features two instruments in particular
- the nahrasan, a two-sided drum hung
across the chest and played with
sticks, and the mismar saiyidi trumpet.
The Musicians of the Nile
The characteristic rhythm of saiyidi, to

which horses are traditionally trained to dance, is one zones of Sinai and the Eastern desert. The main instru-

of the most successful styles used in modem al-jil pop. ment is the bedouin mismar, a twin-pipe clarinet which
Among the best-known of saiyidi stars are Les enables the player to produce a melody line and a drone
Musiciens du Nil. The 'Musicians of the Nile', a name simultaneously. Perhaps the best-known Bedouin
given to them for overseas promotional purposes, are singer is Awad e'Medic.
led by the singer Met'al Gnawi. the charismatic head There is also an ancient liturgical music belonging to

of a Luxor-based gypsy family. The group were unex- Egypt's Coptic Christians - sung in the ancient Cop-
pectedly chosen by the Egyptian government to act tic language. Its melodies and rhythm are closely linked
as Egypt's official folk group abroad. In Egypt he is to that of the felahin, the farmers of the Nile delta who
best-known for the saucy hit "Ya faraula" (My straw- have been toiling the soil for millennia, and it has been
berry); Egyptians are fond of using fruit in sexual alle- suggested that the extrapolated syllables of Coptic song
gory. Another saiyidi star is Omar Gharzawi, known recall the hymns of the ancient Egyptian priests. If this

for his monologues defending saiyidis and their cul- is so, then the melodies passed on by oral tradition, and
ture - they are traditionally the butt of Egyptian the use by the Coptic Church of triangles and small cym-
humour. Other names worth listening out for include bals, are the closest thing to the music of the pharaohs.

tion of spontaneous musical theatre you can wit-

Bride and Home ness anywhere. On Friday and Saturday nights, the
city becomes a patchwork of pulsing coloured light

A working class (baladi) wedding in a cramped and searing noise, as the elaborate ritual of the mar-
alley in central Cairo is possibly the finest exhibi- riage party gets underway.

340 Egypt - Popular/street music

 vides an outlet for the tensions that build up in the
tight-knit community.
It is on these occasions that men may choose to
settle lingering disputes, dedicating their advice,
threats and guarded insults via the stage to their
rivals in a furiously fast interchange. Up leaps a
boy with a fistful of banknotes held high: he makes m
his greeting, echoed by the MC in a rapid, musi-
cal rap. "Greetings to the police, especially the
police of Saiyida Zeynab who are our friends,
greetings to the youth of Alaa, greetings to the
people of Hussein. We want this wedding to be
nice with no trouble." After a stream of appeals to
family and friends, and a short break of music from
the five-piece band lining the back of the stage,

Cairo wedding

First comes the Hassabala troupe, bugles and

trumpets blaring (a style inspired by imperial

British marching bands), who form a circle of up

to 25 thundering wooden drums. Into this vor-
tex of chanting and deafening rhythm go the
whirling dancers and a stick-cracking folklore Belly-dance music
troupe from Upper Egypt. Once the bride and
groom have been escorted away in a cacophony another singer, dressed in evening suit and tie, takes
of noise, the music stops abruptly and the group over, slowly wailing "Ya leil ya ein" (Oh! the
dashes hurriedly into a waiting Toyota van which night, Oh! my eyes!), a wild improvisation that
takes them hooting across town to their next pierces the dark from a deafening, distorted PA.
appointment, possibly their fourth or fifth of the
night.
Music of the Youth
Then the real party begins. A riotously made-
up dancer laden with glittering sequins takes to In Cairo, until as recendy as the late 1980s, from
the small stage, cavorting with the master of cer- every taxi radio-cassette deck and every street cor-
emonies, lifting her dress a little, pushing out her ner kiosk, day and night, emerged the haunting
leg, lying on the floor and gyrating, rubbing up voice of Umm Kalthum or other Classical Arab
against him, playfully controlling the arena. This superstars (see article on p. 323). While this music
is raks sharki - belly dancing. The dancer sings has far from disappeared, it is not as ubiquitous as

with flaying alto vocals - pop songs, classical songs, it once was (though Umm Kalthum is still listened
traditional songs all made raw and raunchy. The to constantly by expat Egyptians in the Gulf).
makeshift stage becomes a platform too for the Today and fast cars are stocked up
cassette shops
guests who wave banknotes in their bids to stay in with other types of music and commercial com-
the limelight, to dance, sing or play the fool, with petition is intense among the hundreds of artists.
unselfconscious bravado and humour. More than The new sounds of Egyptian youth - shaabi and
just honouring the bride and her father, this stream al-jil - are the music of two social revolutions

of musical cameos is all part of the drama that pro- shaping the nation's modern outlook.

Egypt - Popular/street music 341

 Pressure for change in the musical world of Adaweyah. His lyrical irreverence, using the
Cairo had been building up for some time, and rough dialect of the was the essence of his
streets,

the established music order could do little more revolution. This kind of language had never been
than look on as an entirely new Egypt unfurled heard in song before and it came over, essential-
before them. Since the mid-1970s Sadat's 'open ly, as a weapon of the working class, affirming their

door policy' had welcomed Western business, own values while mocking respectable society.
which gave birth to a new enterprise culture in Adaweyah's song, "Setu" (composed by Farouk
the big cites. In addition, the Gulf states and Iraq Salama with lyrics by Hassan abu-Atma), is a good
provided new work for millions of Egyptian example, poking fun at a middle-class lifestyle:
labourers, craftsmen and technicians who sent back
their pay cheques to create, in effect, a new urban Fast asleep he's fasting,
middle class. He doesn't want to bother.
With their new-found spending power, this And his granny and mummy are mothering
rapidly expanding social group has reinvented him
Cairo in their own image, complete with take-out With honey and butter.
**
food stalls, ear-splitting in-car hi-fi, and of course Finally, but not that final,

street-corner kiosks crammed with their music.

He's a weapon without a bullet,

And their music, while taking inspiration from

A failure at school and no good at work.

Arab Classical song, is essentially a reassertion of Full of metaphor and comical twists, Adaweyah's
folk traditions, reaffirming Egyptian identity at a songs stamped shaabi character with the release of
time of momentous and rapid change. every cassette. His lifestyle and personality matched
them; coming from a poor and uneducated back-
Shaabi - Art from the ground, he was a true working-class hero.
Adaweyah's provocative commentaries
Workers social
served to hang Egypt's dirty linen in public, which
The humiliating defeat by Israel in 1967 shattered didn't go down well with the government and rul-
the pan-Arab dream of President Nasser, forcing ing would reinforce the pop-
class, fearful that it

Egyptians to face stark reality. From this abject ular Gulf Arab image of Egypt as an uncultured
poverty and humiliation they escaped into a new society. When in 1991 Adaweyah received a sur-
'light song', which drew on folkloric themes to prise invitation to appear on TV (for the first time),
reassert a proud Egyptian identity. It was a move- his remarks were bleeped out, while songs with
ment away from the serious classical hue of tradi- suggestive lyrics, or those that implied an immoral

tion and towards a more humorous, even salacious lifestyle,were banned.

spirit. At first this was a middle-class initiative, with One 1992 shaabi song, with the lines - "Her
singers like Layla Nasmy and Aida al-Shah pop- waist is like the neck of a violin, I used to enjoy
ularising these forms for the respectable commu- apricots but now I would die for mangoes!" -
nity. But soon it gave way to working-class singers caused an outcry among the middle class, raised
— and words from the present-day. This was on the sung poetry of Umm
Kalthum. The song
shaabi - people's - music, and it found its heart was banned but the cassette was nevertheless avail-
in the working-class areas of Cairo — some of the able everywhere, sold upwards of half a million,
most overcrowded communities in the world. and, with its euphemistic fruitiness, became a
Shaabi singers specialise in the mawal, a freely favourite of the gay community.
improvised vocal in which the singer impresses on Equally unpopular with the censors is the recur-
the listener the depth of his or her sorrowful com- theme of working-class pride. In a driv-
ring lyrical
plaint. It's a form which is found widely in Clas- ing rap on his album Akhar Sa'ar (The Last Hour),
sical Arab music, although in a more refined style, Shaaban Abd el-Rahim affirmed shaabi music
and bears comparison with other 'folk-blues' like as real Egyptian music unadulterated by the out-
fado or rembetika. But shaabi songs aren't all sor- side world. Again, the cassette, and all others by
row: the traditional progression has a fast rhyth- him, were promptly banned. This is an example
mic beat emerging from the improvisation, to take of the lyrics:
the song through chorus after chorus to climax in
a rousing dance tempo. These make the form per- There is foreign music,
fect for both wedding celebrations and nightclubs. We sleep and dream, it's all foreign.
The first shaabi singer to break into the mass If we imitate, it will never help us,

market, in 1971, was the charismatic Ahmed Have nothing to do with foreign.

342 Egypt - Popular/street music

 .

Shaabi Superstars
Shaabi stars tend to break through at local weddings ebrates his rise from ironing man to superstar. Despite

and festivals, then, as they become famous, move on selling upwards of 100,000 copies of each cassette,
to engagements at nightclubs and big private wed- fame has yet to change him. He lives in his 'village' on
dings in Egypt and the Gulf. Below is a round-up of the the outskirts of Cairo, where he maintains a tradition-
main figures and some ideas on al lifestyle and keeps chickens
-<
recordings to seek out. Note and goats on his roof. In his

that although there are many community he is idolised and if

shaabi cassettes (and CDs) you see him in the village or one
available in Cairo, they tend to of the shaabi areas of Cairo, he
be transitory compilations, and is constantly surrounded by a
you usually need to ask for a group of devotees and extend-
particular song rather than an ed family. Of his cassettes,
album title. Akhar Saah (The Final Hour) is

Shaabi's first superstar was highly recommended - but it is

Ahmed Adaweyah, who banned and not easy to get

remains the finest exponent of hold of.

the thick, soulful tones of Amr Diab and Hakim have

mawal. There are also numer- both been very successful at
ous tapes of his with the title taking the raw energy of shaabi
Mawal Adaweyah, each featur : and cleaning it up for mass
ing a lengthy, heart-rending appeal. They have continued
vocal improvisation. Al-Tarik the shaabi tradition of street
(The route) is one of his finest wisdom, but there is also a
cassettes. Another pioneer of worldliness about their songs.
shaabi was Kat Kut el-Amir,
Ahmed Adaeyah - fruity irreverence
Amr Diab, in particular, has
who is remembered chiefly for capitalised on his boyish good
the song "Ya Gazelle el-Darb il-Ahmar" (You Gazelle looks (tastefully set off by billowing silk shirts) and
of Darb il-Ahmar - an old quarter of Cairo), composed thoughtful posturing. For a poor boy from Port Said
for a big private wedding. who arrived in Cairo on the bus he has done amazingly
The working class hero Shaaban Abd el-Rahim well and is a role model for a thousand wanna-bes: he
is famous for rapping wisdoms about his life, as he eel- now flies to his sell-out arena concerts in a helicopter.

Thank God I can't find anyone to copy. As the shaabi stars attempt to reach a wider pub-
Listen to me, my country bumpkin, lic with their increasingly slick product, produc-
comes from the workers,
All art more and more critically assessed.
tion values are
And now all the people are saying, The form has also been 'cleaned up' for
shaabi
Look, the ironing man is singing . .
radio consumption by artists like Amr Diab and
Hakim — the new mainstream Egyptian popular
In the late 1980s, as Japanese VCRs and Amer- artists.

ican films became established in back-alley soci-

ety, so the younger generation was seduced into Al-jil
a world of foreign, modernising values — one where
Shaaban's beliefs might seem no longer appropri- In the 1970s, fed up with listening to the Beatles,

ate. Younger singers developed a fascination with Abba and Bony M in a language they couldn't
the musical gadgetry of the West, and synthetic understand, the youth of Egypt decided they could
sounds began challenging the claim that shaabi was do better. With the aid of samplers and quarter-
the only authentic Egyptian music. In the 1980s, tone programmes, Egyptian pop music - al-jil (gen-
on top of the traditional violins, tabla and squeeze- eration) music - was born. It was a revolutionary

box were added drum kit, organ, synthesiser, sax- development. The dance music that they produced
ophone and electric guitar. In the 1990s, beat boxes bore the hallmarks of the Arab sound - trained,
and samplers became more commonplace than tra- controlled voices sliding through infectious happy
ditional Arab instruments. melodies, and distinctive, clear-as-a-bell backing

Egypt - Popular/street music 343

 chorus - but it was performed to a punchy tech- finds ready markets everywhere from the Adantic
no-Arab beat. to the Euphrates, and by doing so it exports its
Central to the movement was a young Libyan, visions to a wider Arab youth.
Hamid el-Shaeri. Fleeing one of Gaddafi's anti- The singer is crucial to the success of al-jil

Western purges, Hamid came to Egypt in 1974 songs, less these days for a good voice than for
and started working with Egyptians on a new straightforward sex appeal. The singer and musi-
sound. He finally hit golddust in 1988 with the cians typically have little say in the music-making

song "Lolaiki" (the word is meaningless), record- process: there are few singer-songwriters and
-<
ed in a back room, which sold in the
millions. It was sung by a friend, Ali
Hamaida. who to the great relief of
many turned out to be a one-hit won-
der (the song was okay once or twice,
but all over town for a year . . .):

Without you I'd never sing,

Without you I'd never fall in love.
I have nobody without you.
You are my light and my,sight,
My song is only for you,
Lolaiki to to to to to to to to

Lyrical themes of *boy flirts with girl,

girl leaves boy, boy is miserable/finds

new girl' did litde to win over the older
generation, but the popularity of the new
feel-good scene couldn't fail to impress
upon the established cultural guardians
the strength of this new youth move-
ment. The rags-to-riches story of "Lolai-
ki" also impressed the back-street
entrepreneurs, and the new industry
exploded overnight.
To the older generation, the new
music-makers were more than busi- litde

nessmen selling cheap produce in the

market. Gone were the intricate
melodies, beautiful poetry, sympathetic
use of moqamai and natural sounds, and
in came the rasping synthesiser and the
three-minute pop-song format. The offi-

cial media turned against al-jil and, while

Western pop songs were featured on the
radio and TV, the younger generation
were for many years denied media access
Adoptive Egyptian Natacha Atlas
to their own music.
Al-jil singers are the first to admit
they're in the business of entertainment, not art, groups have never caught on. Instead perform-
but that is not to dismiss the genre's importance ers are supplied songs by a producer who has col-
as a cultural force. In many Arab countries, peo- lected the melody, lyrics and rhythm from
ple under twenty-five account for three-quarters different sources and arranged them in a formu-
of the population. More than merely giving peo- la dedicated to the market. The financial rewards

ple a tune to dance to, al-jil music has (like Alge- can be great. From a successful cassette (and
rian rai) become a focus for young people breaking video), the singer may* earn spectacular money
free from the constraints of traditional society. It from headlining at live concerts in Egypt, the

344 Egypt - Popular/street music

Arab capitals and private parties in New York, Chief among them is the work that has been
jects.

I ondon and Paris, where tickets rarely cost less done by Tim Whelan and Hamid Mantu of Lon-
than £200 ($300). don-based Transglobal Underground, who have
The top al-jil stars include Hamid el-Shaeri, immersed themselves in the Cairo music scene to
whose treatment of the highly infectious shown by their production contri-
great effect, as
melodies is unrivalled, and his protege, Ehab butions to Natacha Atlas's CDs and a remix
Tawfik. The almost exclusively men,
stars are album of Hakim's best known songs. Natacha Atlas
although there one exception in Hanan - a
is (whose family is originally from North Africa) has
classically trained singer who began her career herself spent the last few years based in Cairo, soak-

in the Arab Music Institute Ensemble. Her high- ing up the city's music. Her recent albums have
ly controlled, squeaky voice sounds, at its best, developed this West-East synthesis. Never one to
stunningly wild. miss out on a marketing opportunity, Amr Diab
The al-jil scene has also impacted on the Euro- has also put out a dance-remix album based on his

pean dance sc ene, in a number of crossover pro- ubiquitous hit, "Habibi".

New Nubian, old Nubian

Nubian music has its origins in the African south of lems of the wider Arab world - of which he feels Nubia
Egypt, among the now displaced Nubian people. The is a part - such as the future of the Palestinians and
construction of the second Aswan dam in the early the dilemma of Jerusalem. His home audience is dom-
1 960s - which created Lake Nasser, the largest artifi- inated by students who appreciate his lyrics.

cial lake in the world - effectively drowned their civili- In the wider World Music market, Hamza el Din is

sation, as over 100,000 people were forcibly removed. synonymous with Nubian music - in no small part due
In the wake of the flooding, the communities were trans- to the fact that he has been resident in the West for
planted south into Sudan and north into Egypt, includ- the last 30 years. Like Ali Hassan Kuban, his songs are
ing a significant community who moved to Cairo. deeply affected by the sense of alienation that many
Nubian village music remains traditional, with ritual Nubians feel. He has collaborated with a number of

songs supported by a duff and hand-clapping. In Cairo, Western musicians, notably the Kronos Quartet whose
it has deveoped in new directions, forged by two arrangement of his "The Water Wheel" is one of the

opposing voices - Ali Hassan Kuban and Mohammed highlights of their delightful Pieces of Africa album.

Mounir - who mirror the diverging paths of the city's A younger Nubian fusionist is Mahmoud Fadl - an
Nubian migrants. incredibly accomplished percussionist. He has worked
The original urban sound of Nubia came about with musicians from varying backgrounds and draws
through the music of Ali Hassan Kuban - who tells on South American influences as well as his own
a story of overhearing a jazz band in a Cairo nightclub, Arab/African roots - an alluring brew that has been par-
and deciding at once to add brass to his then-folk ticularly well received in Europe.
based music. Although unknown in Cairo outside the
Nubian community, Kuban's unique music has taken
him on many European tours and put two CDs onto
the World Music market. In Egypt, he campaigns tire-

lessly for the Nubian language, and insists that mem-

bers of his musicians' cooperative sing in one of the

two Nubian dialects. His brash, urgent musical style

has inspired many others in Cairo, most notably Bahr

Abu Greisha and Hussein Bashier. They specialise
in wild, wailing brass which lends a New Orleans feel

to their sound.

Mohamed Mounir is a modern Nubian, who has

produced some of the most sophisticated modern pop
music in Egypt. He came to study in Cairo in the 1970s,
already speaking Arabic as his first language, and con-
siders himself an Arab Egyptian. Indeed, he is highly

critical of the popular Nubian movement for a return to

the homeland. His songs look for solutions to the prob-

Egypt - Popular/street music 345

 discography (Slam Records, Egypt).

Although Hakim's image is that of a cheesy, boyish pop star,

To get contemporary Egyptian releases, you'll need to you can certainly hear the street 'shaabi' origins of his style
check Arab-owned stores in major cities, or, of course, on many of these tracks.
buy in Cairo. Even so it's hard to make recommendations
as they tend to be ephemeral compilations.
Les Musiciens du Nil
The Musicians of the Nile, drawn mainly from a Luxor
Compilations Gypsy family, are stars of the rural saiyidi style. They are
C5 regulars on the international World Music festival circuit.
-<
m Egypt - Music of the Nile from the Desert to
the Sea (Virgin, France). E Luxor to Isna (Real World. UK).

A 2 CDs, that sets out to cover

tall-format box-booklet, with The rababa fiddle rasps and strange oboes and clarinets hoot
Egyptian music in aH its forms, historic and present. It does a and buzz through mostly instrumental tracks, interspersed
pretty good job. featuring singers from Umm Karthum to with street-sound interludes.
Hamed. and a good range of instrumentalists, including Ali
Hassan Kuban and the Musicians of the Nile.
Mokhtar al-Said & El Ferka el-Masaya
Srf Safaa: New Music from
the Middle East
Mokhtar al-Said is a top Cairejge arranger; El Ferka el-
and Camelspotting (EMI Hemisphere. UK).
Masaya (Orchestra of Diamonds) have accommpanied
These two sampler discs of pop music from around the Arab many of the great classical singers.
world provide a great introduction to what's hot. EMI Arabia
in Dubai handle many of the finest stars in the region and
E Amar 14: Jalilah's Raks Sharki 2
(Piranha, Germany).
these are well chosen selections - laudable for being wide
ranging (singers from Yemen. Saudi and the Maghreb, as well Raks sharki is belly-dance music, and this is the classic
as Egypt) and reasonably priced. orchestral 'oriental' sound, by turns portentous and playful.

S Yalta! Hit List Egypt (Mango. UK).

This is a terrific introduction to shaabi. al-ji and Nubian styles,

Nubian music
compied in the early 1990s and featuring songs by Mohamed
Mounir. Ehab Tawflk, Shaaban Abd el-Rarnm. Magdy Talaat, Hamza el Din
Hanan and others. It is shamefuty out of catalogue.
A Europe-based fusionist, Hamza el Din's performances
are much more sparse than many of his fellow Nubians.

Artists He has worked with The Kronos Ensemble, and others.

Escalay - The Water Wheel (Nonesuch, USA).

Natacha Atlas S A Wish (Sounds True. USA).
The British-bom singer has been working in Cairo in Both these CDs are fine examples of Hamza el Din's poised
recent years, developing a remarkable fusion sound. oud playing and rich voice.

Gedida (Mantra Records, UK).

Ali Hassan Kuban
This is most deeply Egyptian record to date - and
Atlas's is

buSrJng her a foiowng in both the Middle East and Europe. AliHassan Kuban was a pioneer of urban Nubian music,
introducing brass and other jazz elements. He has
Amr Diab become quite a star on the World Music circuit.

Like him or not, Amr Diab is the contemporary face of From Nubia to Cairo Walk Like a Nubian
Egyptian al-jil pop music. E Nubian Magic (Piranha. Germany).

Habibe Remix (EMI, Arabia). A trio of tough, Cairo-Nubian music releases.

Al the permutations of Amr's hit you could ever wish for -

even if much of it sounds ike the Gpsy Kings let loose in a
Mohamed Mounir
very big recording studio. Mounir is a kind of singer-songwriter, with political pan-
Arab lyrics. He sings in Arabic rather than Nubian.
Soliman Garni! E Wast el-Daira (Monsun-Line, Germany).
Gamil is an avant-garde folk/classical composer who
trained in both Western and Eastern traditions. Mounir at his most intricate and sophisticated.

A Map of Egypt before the Sands

Salamat
(Touch Music/Stems. UK).
A Nubian group featuring Mahmoud Fadl and others,
An instrumental work, with Arab fofc instrumentsand a clas-
some of whom also appear with Ali Hassan Kuban. With
aims to capture the atmosphere of the
sical orchestra, that
lyrics in Arabic, this is a less politicised, more good-time
pharaoric world centuries before the arrival of Islam and the
sound than Kuban's.
Arabs in Egypt.
Mambo El Soudani - Nubian Al Jeel Music from
Hakim Cairo and Ezzayakoum (Piranha, Germany).

Hakim is another million-selling al-jil teen heart-throb, Strong whiffs of Sudan drift through these thumping songs,
with rather rougher edges than Amr Diab. dense with hysterical alto-sax. tenor sax and trumpet.

346 Egypt - Popular/street music

Georgia

a feast of songs
As the locals tell it, when God was distributing land amongst the peoples of the earth, the Georgians
were too busy drinking and feasting to turn up on time. When they arrived there was nothing left. "But a
m
Lord", they protested, "we were only late because we were toasting You." God was so touched by O
this that he gave them the land he was keeping for Himself - warm, fertile and fringed by the 30
spectacularly beautiful Caucasus mountains. With feasting celebrated in a national myth, it's not
surprising that it's the principal occasion for music-making. Simon Broughton raises a glass to >
Georgia's spectacular polyphonic singing and other musical traditions.

their neighbours the Armenians, the announced that one of the things that distinguish-
Like
Georgians were one of the first nations to eshuman beings from animals is the fact that they
adopt Christianity - St Nino of Cappado- remember and celebrate their forbears. This was
cia converted the Georgian king in 330 followed by "Zamtari", a song about winter, the
AD. But unlike the Armenians and the other sur- notion being that we were honouring our grand-
rounding peoples, the Georgians have a rich tra- mothers and grandfathers, people in the 'winter' of
dition of vocal polyphony in both religious and their life. Often the association between toasts and
folk music. As Byzantine music is monophonic, it songs is poetic rather than literal.

seems likely that Georgia's polyphonic church As well as religious songs and specific table songs,
music grew out of its indigenous folk tradition. work songs that were originally for harvesting or
ploughing are now sung around the table. There's

Table Songs a beautiful type of ploughing song, orovela, that is

found only in eastern Georgia. It's not polyphon-

Today, the best place to hear Georgian music is at ic and sounds distincdy Armenian in character with
a feast. The country produces fantastic food and a narrow-range, melancholic solo line over a drone
wine and people will gather for lavish picnics and bass. When I heard it at a feast, it ended in
sung
celebrations at the slightest excuse. And when you chuckles as the last line which should have been
get a group of Georgians round a table, the chances telling the oxen to work harder was changed to
are you'll also get some music.
A proper feast is led by a toast-

master (tamada) who proposes

toasts according to certain
accepted rules and customs.
The first toast is always to God
(not surprising given the
national myth) and if there's
music the first song will be in
praise of God. The second toast

is to long life and goes hand in

hand with the ubiquitous
"Mravaljamieri", a hymn of
praise to life. The alternation
of toasts and songs continues as

the tamada embroiders each

toast with philosophical state-

ments or snippets of wisdom.

After the essential toast to
'our ancestors', our tamada Svanetian singers with Changi

Georgia 347
 one urging everyone to drink more. A demon- it's not surprising that the best table and drinking
stration, if one was needed, of the transposition of songs originate here. Kakhetian singing has two
work song into table song. solo voices intertwining with each other - like
tangled vines - over a slowly moving drone bass

Polyphony sung by the rest of the singers. There are shim-

mering clashes and dissonances, tensions and releas-
Georgian polyphony is usually in three parts and" es, as the harmonies collide like slowly moving
is generally sung by men, although women's groups tectonic plates. "Chakrulo", one of the most beau-
do exist. Mixed groups are unusual since Georgian tiful of Kakhetian drinking songs, was one of the

o
m
music tends to end on
produced with mixed voices
a unison note and the octaves
are usually avoided.
pieces of earthly music chosen to
the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Almost a re-run of
go into space on

o Often the main 'melody' of the polyphony is sung that national myth.
30
by the middle voice with the upper and lower voic- In the Western regions of Guria and Men-
£2
es either supporting it or weaving complex counter- grelia the bass lines are much more athletic and
melodies around it. In a mountainous country the whole style more virtuoso. Here the disso-
where contact is often difficult, styles vary from nances that sound so strange to Western ears and
region to region, but the clearest differences can are so beloved in Georgian music seem even more
be heard between the east and the west. acute. The men sing in a higher 'head-voice" and
The most sonorous style is in the east-
richest, a soloist indulges in a spectacular yodelling called
ern region of Kakhetia, famous for its wine, so krimattchuli with striking leaps and rhythmic pat-

The Georgian Music-o-Gram

On an old winding street above the Metekhi church in office in Tbilisi is here to provide music for weddings,
old Tbilisi there's a place that looks like a cross birthdays - in fact, any sort of celebration.
between a tea-house and a taxi firm. You can't miss The 'oriental' instruments are duduks, clarinets and
it because above the entrance are vivid paintings in drums - instruments the Georgians have picked up
the naive style of Georgia's most famous painter, Piros- from their Transcaucasian neighbours to the east, the
mani. The pictures show musi-
cians with pink and bulging
cheeks blowing into duduks and
striking drums. A notice declares
it to be the "Centre for Players of

Oriental Instruments".
Going in, it's much quieter than
you expect. No puffing cheeks or
wild drumming. Not an oriental

instrument to be seen. Just a few

guys drinking tea, reading the

paper or playing dominoes. A man

at a desk by the door is on the
phone and jotting down notes in
a ledger. But when the call comes
to say, "We're having a little get
together to celebrate my son's
The Burei
engagement. Could you send
some of your lads over to get things going?" these musi- Armenians and Azeris. The tunes range from wild
cians will be round faster than a kiss-o-gram. For Geor- dances on the clarinet and accordion with an insistent

gians, music is an essential ingredient of any celebration. rhythm beaten out on the drum, or soft, reflective songs
You can see them at the weekend dining al fresco in played by a couple of duduks. The instruments them-
local beauty spots and, if they're not bursting out with selves are kept in the wooden lockers that line the walls,

their own homemade polyphonic singing, there'll be an so they can be grabbed quickly when the musicians
instrumental trio wandering from group to group. This are needed in a hurry. •

348 Georgia
terns. The ancient Greek historian Xenophoji used in practice are often used by professional
wrote in the fourth century BC that the Geor- choirs in Georgia who've taken up this repertoire.

gians prepared themselves for battle by singing, The most celebrated and prolific is the Rustavi
and maybe this is the sort of thing he had in mind, Choir, created in 1968 by Anzor Erkomaishvili.
rhese songs, which may include four indepen- He is careful to gather members from all the
dent voice parts, have become favourite show- regions of the country to keep the singing styles
pieces for the professional choirs that perform as authentic as possible. Of course, the perfor-
Georgian songs on the concert platform. There mances are rather polished, but to hear them in
are many historical songs and epics in this west- concert (or on disc) is a surprisingly impressive
ern style. experience - although not quite the same as hear-
£75
In the remote, northern region of Svanetia the ing the music while sampling delicious walnut m
oldest traditions have survived. High in the Cau- chicken (satsivt), shashliks (mtsvadi), cheese bread
O
39
casus and cut off by snow for seven or eight months {khatchapuri) and fresh herbs washed down by
of the year, Svan culture escaped many of the inva- potent wine (gvino).

sions that affected the rest of Georgia throughout

the centuries. The villages of Upper Svanetia still
Suliko
have spectacular medieval-style towers, as well as
/ was looking for the grave of my beloved
customs and rituals that have their origin in pre-
It was difficult to find.
Christian rimes. At a wedding feast here, toasts were
With sorrow in my heart I cried:
drunk from a ram's horn - as depicted in the can-
Where are you, my Suliko?
vases of Georgia's celebrated artist Pirosmani — a

practice that tends to be purely nostalgic elsewhere The nightingale pining away
in the country. The music sounds distinctly archa- Concealed herself in the leaves of a tree.

I asked her in a sweet voice:

ic and severe. The harmony - angular and unpre-
- with the middle voice Is it you, Suliko?
dictable is in three parts

leading. The range of each voice is narrow and all The poetess shook her wings
three parts move together syllable by syllable. Rit- And lightly touched a blossom with her beak
ual songs to the sun George are hugely
and to St Sighing and chirping
popular in Svanetia and the Svans are famous both As if she wanted to tell me: Yes, I am!
for their rhythmic round dances and, in a com- Words by Akaki Tsereteli
pletely different character, their moving funeral
laments. There's also an ancient Svanetian harp
(changui) and a bowed viol {chimin) which are some-
times used to accompany the voices.
Urban Songs
Although polyphonic songs can be heard round the
Professional Choirs table of a high-rise flat in Tbilisi as well as at a vil-

lage wedding in Svanetia, there's a very different

Other old instruments like the three-string lute style of 'urban music' to be heard on every car

(panduri) of eastern Georgia and four-string lute radio-cassette player in Georgia or in the bars of
(chonguri) of Western Georgia that are no longer downtown Tbilisi. Replacing the idiosyncractic har-
monies of Georgian polyphony are sentimental songs
- with infectiously hummable melodies, simple
WORLD
NETWORK Western harmony and guitar accompaniment. The
most famous song of the genre is "Suliko", a sad

ballad of lost love immortalised as Stalin's favourite

song (Stalin was a Georgian and is not unadmired,

even now). Several groups play this style of 'urban
music' and it also appears on a couple of Western
recordings. If you're in town try and pick up a

recording of the Tsisperi Trio, the performers of

'urban music' par excellence.
A rougher and livelier sort of music is played
(and sung) by instrumental groups around Geor-
gia. They often feature a clarinet or a pair of duduks
(duduki, soft reedy oboes of Armenian origin)

Georgia 349
 accompanied by an accordion and a double-head- Oh, Black-Eyed Girl (Pan, Netherlands).

ed drum (doh). The music is wild, raucous and very This disc takes from the name of a song "Shavtvala
its title

compelling. Similar groups can be found through- Gogona". Most of the music is popular and urban in style, but
out the Transcaucasian region. features a wide range of traditional instruments including the
various Georgian lutes, duduk and bagpipes. A good con-
trast to the usual polyphonic tradition, although the inclusion
of theGypsy band favourite The Lark", wrongly attributed to

discography Enescu, was a mistake.

Rustavi Choir
Compilations Georgia's most famous choir (about twelve-strong), the

m iL Georgie: Chants de travail Chants religieux Rustavi is renowned for its professional performances of
o (Ocora, France).
polyphonic songs from over the country. It was found-
all

ed in 1986 by Anzor Erkomaishvili who still leads the

30
Work songs and religious music recorded in 1977. Not easy ensemble.
listening, but the real thing. Rarely heard intensely rhythmic
naduri work songs, hymns and ritual songs from various dis- Georgia (World Network, Germany).
tricts,and Svanetian hymns to the sun and St George as well
Vol 2 in World Network's global survey. It features eigh-
as a funeral lament. The notes verge on the unintelligible. , teen folk and religious songs from various parts of the
E Georgia: Polyphony of Svanetia country, a couple with changui or chonguri accompani-

(Chant du Monde, France). ment. As an added bonus there are six tracks from the
Duduki Trio featuring mainly urban repertoire. A good
Quite a specialised, but fascinating collection of field record- combination.
ings made 1991 by Sylvie Bolle-Zemp. The best survey of
in

genuine Svanetian music on disc with comprehensive notes. Georgian Voices

(Nonesuch Explorer, US).
S The Golden Fleece: Songs from Abkhazia and
Adzharia (Pan, Netherlands). Fourteen tracks giving the best introduction to the various
styles of Georgian singing. A
couple of beautiful church
Rare recordings of music from two distinct regions of Western
chorales, Kakhetia's best drinking song, "Chakrulo",an orov-
Georgia. Recordings made in Abkhazia in 1987 and 1991 with
ela, Svanetia's strange "Lashgvash" march and spectacular
various folklore ensembles featuring instruments and reper-
vocal acrobatics from Guna. All songs a cappella.
toire different from other regions of Georgia. This is the land of
plenty where, according to legend, Jason went in search of S Mirangula: Georgian Folk Songs
the Golden Fleece. The Adzharian repertoire, recorded in (St. Petersburg Classics/Sony, UK).
1971 , is closer to the Georgian style. Good notes.
This collection of eighteen songs takes its name from a sad
Soinari: Folk Music From Georgia Today Svanetian song accompanied here by chuniri and changui.
(Welt Musik/Schott Wergo, Germany). Other songs from Western Georgia are accompanied by
chonguri. Another good introduction to the different styles of
The best collection of 'urban music' available in the West,
Georgian singing.
featuring three ensembles. Soinari play duduks, accordion
and doli drum; Mzetamze is a group of women who perform
"Suliko" amongst other songs; and an excellent
Mtiebi is Tsinandali Choir
group led by Edisher Garakanidze who perform urban songs
A professional ensemble based in Kakhetia, the wine-
as well as traditional polyphonic songs in a less professional,
growing area of eastern Georgia. Tsinandali is one of the
more authentic style.
best white wines of the region.

S Table Songs of Georgia (RealWorld. UK).

Artists
An excellent programme of songs you might hear during the
course of a slap-up feast in Kakhetia from the opening
Kolkheti Ensemble "Mravaljamieri" to the closing spectacular "Chakrulo".
The ensemble was founded in 1 980 by Givi Shanidze of the Actually recorded by Melodiya in 1988, but a great disc of
State Philharmonic Society of Georgia. The seven singers Georgia's richest music. Crack open the wine, settle down
and instrumentalists come from various parts of the country. and enjoy.

350 Georgia
The Gulf & Yemen
sounds of the arabian peninsula
Set against the great nexuses of Cairo, Baghdad and Damascus, the Gulf countries have long
thought of themselves, culturally at as poor cousins. However, economic wealth and a new-
least,

found pride in khaleeji (Gulf) traditions are contributing to something of a renaissance in the region's
its music. And for some decades, the Gulf has been a melting-pot of influences, as
culture, including
the huge numbers of expatriate workers have brought with them their own sounds and tastes. Bill
Badley looks around the traditions and contemporary music of the Gulf States and their more
anarchic neighbour, Yemen. 99

Gulf has its distinctive musical tradi- ing - and Abdu Majeed Abdullah, who has
The and a growing number of artists are
tions become Saudi Arabia's first truepop star.
aware of them; helped by ever improving
marketing and recording facilities, there
are a few names being made, in the region, at least.
The most significant style is khaleeji, which, with
its emphasis on oud ('ud or lute), drums and hand-
clapping, has its roots primarily in the traditional
music of the region's settled, urban populations.
There are other roots influences from the Bedouin
of the desert and the fishing communities along
the coast. With musicians striving to make them-
selves popular to a wider audience, Egyptian pop
can also be heard in many recordings.

Saudi Arabia
>£rf!i.;i«>i.13121-<v<A
Music occupies an uneasy position Saudi Ara- in V/M
bia, as it is considered haraam (heretical) by the
ROM CO
Islamic establishment. As a result, recording stu-
Mohammed Abdu - volume 55!
dios are officially illegal, so the majority of suc-
cessful singers travel to Cairo, Dubai or Kuwait to
Bahrain
lay down tracks. The tiny island of Bahrain has been at the cross-
Despite such strictures, there is a fine musical roads of important trade routes for thousands of
tradition- particularly in the Western province of years and its music reflects the numerous cultures
Hejaz - of which the Saudis are justly proud. The that have passed through and left their mark: East
father of modern music in the kingdom is Tariq African, Persian, Indian and sundry Arab traces can
Abdul Haqim, a distinguished multi-instrumen- all be heard. Along with Kuwait, it is the major
talist who wrote the national anthem and now centre of the sout - a kind of urban Arabian blues.
curates his own museum! Two of the finest exponents of this are the charis-
The most influential Saudi artist in recent years matic Khalid al Shaikh, who has recently start-
is Mohamed Abdu, who with his legion record- ed to blend in other World Music influences, and
ings has done more than anyone to open up the the defiantly traditional Sultan Hatnid.
wider Arab market to Saudi sounds. For religious
reasons, he took a five-year sabbatical from music, Kuwait
but he is now back in business. Presently making
waves in the local scene are Abadi al Johar - One of the less reported tragedies of the Gulf War
nicknamed 'The Octopus' for his virtuoso 'ud play- was the loss of Kuwait's national sound archive,

The Gulf & Yemen 35 -|

 which held a treasure trove of Gulf music record- all Arab countries, there is a pronounced differ-
ings. Massive investment in state-of-the-art record- ence between urban and rural music. In the cities

ing facilities, both before and after the Iraqi a sophisticated tradition of composed poetic songs
invasion, have ensured that the country is one of with 'ud accompaniment dominates, whilst in the

the most important players in the Gulf music scene. country music more closely associated with
is still

The distinctive Kuwaiti style of sout was made ceremonies and work.
popular in the 1970s by Abdul Aziz al Muzaraj, There is an undeveloped professional music
better knownShadi al Khaleej (Bird Song of
as scene, so you may well find that the singer you've
the Gulf). It has younger exponents in Abdullah just been enjoying is actually a postman or tax
Al-Ruisheed, who combines sout with a light collector. Much of the most interesting music
techno-pop, and the rotund, high-voiced Nabeel. making takes place at intimate ghat chews,
Both of them are stars throughout the Gulf. when the mild narcotic inspires performers to
dazzling heights. Ghat chewing takes place after

5 UAE lunch and it appears

ing lorry drivers and the
as though everyone, includ-
traffic police trying to
The United Arab Emirates have traditions of direct them around a major roundabout, is
-< desert Bedouin and fishermen's dance songs. indulging.
They can, frankly, sound rather
dull on record but witnessed live

the music is a revelation - stirring,

muscular, drum-driven spectacles.

The UAE is also notable for
Ahlam, the first woman singing
star in the Gulf. She has had a hard
path to stardom and, even now
she is established, many will deny
that she is Emirati.
The most famous UAE singer
is - or was - Ali Burroghr.
However, he has for some years
been matowr (leading a strict Islam-

ic lifestyle) and, at his request, the

sale of his cassettes was banned.
Following his musical inspiration,

there is an increasing number of

local singers working within their
own and consciously
tradition
shunning the Egyptian model.
Mehad Hamid writes cheery
anecdotal songs that are hugely
popular amongst Emiratis; Al
Ameri (from one of the region's
leading families) is also a name to
watch.

Yemen
Yemen is quite different from the
rest of the Arabian peninsula, not
least because its oil revenues are a
fraction of its neighbours. How-
Early 20th century Yemeni trio
ever, it has one of the most vibrant
music scenes in the region and
musicians from across the Arab world - and Israel, To participate, you'll need to be invited to a
too - acknowledge its profound influence. As in home session, where men or women (seldom the

352 The Gulf & Yemen

two together) meet together in the mafraj - a win- Abadi al-Johar
dow-lined room at the top of the house. Seated Al-Johar ('the Octopus') is a traditional-style singer and
'ud player.
on cushions around the room, the assembled com-
pany pick off the small leaves and chomp them Abadi al-Johanr '99
(Music Box, Saudi Arabia).
into a ball that is kept in the side of the mouth.
Initially the effect of chewing is enlivening: con- Traditional material with some imaginative contemporary
touches. A good first stop on the Gulf music trail.
versation is animated and the 'ud playing can be
furious. However, as afternoon gives way to Abdu Majeed Abdullah
evening a mellowness falls upon the room and the
Abdu Majeed Abdullah is extraordinarily successful and
pace slows until a sublime moment of blue evening much admired by young Gulf women for his sensitive,

light as the sun falls beneath the mountains around smooth renditions.

Sana'a, and the gathering breaks up for the call to E Saleeb Al-Qaleb (Rotana, Saudi Arabia).

prayer. It would be hard to imagine Yemeni music His best-selling release to date.
1—
(or life) without ghat. n
On a
more professional base, Yemeni musicians Kuwait fio
(indeed, Yemenis in general) often travel to other -<
Gulf countries for work. Both the highly regard- Artists
m
Oud Ahmed 2
ed
Osama
player,

al Attar are now

Fathey, and the singer
resident in the United Nabeel
m
Arab Emirates. A big star in every sense of the word: Nabeel is immedi-
ately recognisable for both his high rasping voice and the
fact thathe looks like he has spent many hours in Kuwait
City's numerous burger bars!

discography SE

A good
Nabeel '98 (Rotana, Saudi

year for the big man.

Arabia).

Gulf artists are incredibly prolific, but finding their music Abdullah al-Ruisheed
outside of the region can be hard. Even though many
In recent years, Abdullah has moved further away from
musicians have now moved over
to CD, there remains a
his sout (Gulf blues) origins, to a mixed reception.
refreshingly unfussy approach to packaging and presen-
Nonetheless, he is still a masterful singer and 'ud player.
tation: the majority put out one release each year and
simply call it '99, or whatever, and people are apt to talk S3 Wainak (Rotana, Saudi Arabia).
about them much like wine vintages. There is also a pretty
A fairly roots-style disc.
relaxed attitude to copyright and pressing, with individual
distributors making up their own compilations, so the
exact contents of a CD can come as a surprise. Bahrain

Saudi Arabia Artists

Compilations Khalid al Shaikh

Khalid is Bahrain's most popular singer and his songs are
S Musique de Unayzah: Ancienne Cite du Najd
covered by many of the region's other singers. He is
(Inedit, France).
never afraid to branch out into new directions, whilst
An ethno-musicological recording but not inaccessible - with keeping one eye firmly on his island roots.
some fine Bedouin singing and drumming from central Saudi. 52 Mastaheel (Rotana, Saudi Arabia).
Its clear explanatory notes, and translations of the all impor-
tant poetry, will be useful to anyone wanting to tackle this The title means 'impossible'.

underated genre.

United Arab Emirates

Artists
Artists
Mohamed Abdu
The towering presence of Saudi music, Mohammed Abdu Ah lam
has done more than anyone to raise the profile and confi- Ahlam is the Gulf's first lady of song - not least of all

dence of Gulf music. because when she started there were no others.

3S Abaa'd (Virgin Arabia, France). Ahlam (Funoon Emiraat, UAE).

This is a rare issue of a Gulf artist by a Western record com- Many Emiratis voice the opinion that Ahlam is a good singer
pany - though it is but one of his 1 00 plus discs! who could choose better material but this is pretty good.

The Gulf & Yemen 353

 Al-Ameri Mehad Hamid
Al-Ameri is the Gulf's new kid on the block, with a vocal Mehad Hamid is a very popular, homespun artist, whose
control and imaginative ideas that belie his years. songs are engaging stories of local life.

S3 '99 (Funoon Emiraat, UAE). S3 Wail Qalbee (Funoon Emiraat, UAE).

Al-Ameri fulfills his promise with some great moments. Gulf family favourites.

Yemen
s Artists

Ahmed Fathey
Ahmed Fathey is one of the most impressive oud players
around. He has left his native country for fame and for-
tune elsewhere.

ES La T'saafar (Sidi, Saudi Arabia).

-<
This is a recording of his purely instrumental work.

Hamud al Junayd
The singer Hamud al Junayd was born in the mountain
region of Udayn in 1956 but has lived in the capital,
Sana'a, for the last twenty years. He has slightly updated
the traditional sound but keeps rigorously to its forms.

Hamud al Junayd: Traditional Yemeni Songs

(Nimbus, UK).

In Europe and the US, this is the most widely available and
accessible CD of music from Yemen and, even without a
mouthful of ghat, it makes entertaining listening.

Al Ameri's 1999 offering

354 The Gulf & Yemen

Iran

nightingales and mullahs

Iranian music presents ancient and modern faces - both highly rewarding. The Persian classical
tradition withits mystical and contemplative melodies is no concert hall heritage music but an intimate

part of the culture, performed with an almost blues-like intensity. It is currently in revival at home,
while in exile there is an equally vibrant Iranian pop scene, highly distinct with its pulsating dance
rhythms. As you'd expect from a huge and predominantly rural region, ranging from the mountains of
Iranian Azerbaidjan, through desert expanses to the Caspian Sea, there are also numerous folk
traditions. Laudan Nooshin takes the pulse.

ranians often say that their music is imbued nightingale. Their typical sound is that of a soul-
with a sense of the vast desert, the mountain ful and intense, slightly nasal solo voice projecting
landscapes and the very ancient and turbulent a highly ornate melodic line, accompanied by one
history of the country. It is certainly imbued of the classical instruments. The result is a mes-
with politics. The 1979 Iranian Revolution, which merising arabesque, as voice and instrument speak
created the Islamic Republic, was cultural as well to each other in turn.
as religious, and was accompanied by a strong Poetry and music go hand in hand in Iran,
'return to roots', and a re-awakening of interest in and much of the classical music is set to the words
Iranian traditions. In the backlash against Western of medieval Persian mystic poets such as Jalal-e
culture, directly after the revolution, pop music Din Rumi (1207-73) and Hafez (1325-1389).
was banned - some of own pop musicians
Iran's Music is an important medium through which
eventually found a new home base abroad. But people experience this ancient poetry, whose
Iran's classical music has experienced an extraor- messages are often seen to have contemporary
dinary renaissance - as have many of the arts - significance. Poetry in turn gives music a

bringing new life and ideas to a musical tradition respectability, since the written word has a high-
that goes back centuries. er status within Islam; in fact, much of the Islam-
This article focuses on main types of
the three ic proscription of music is directed towards
Iranian music: classical, regional folk musics, and instrumental music. Today, it's still unusual to
pop music at home and in exile. hear performance of Iranian classical music
a

without a vocalist, although there have been

moves in the past decades to emancipate music
from words and to give instrumental music a
Classical Iranian Music
validity in its own right.

Musiqi-e assil (classical music), which in Persian

means 'pure' or 'noble' music, was originally a From Courts to
royal or aristocratic entertainment. Some people
trace its origins back several thousand years,
Cassettes
although there isn't much evidence before Until the beginning of the twentieth century, clas-
medieval times. For Iranians, it is an important sical music was heard mainly at the royal courts
symbol of their culture - an intense, private expres- of the Qajar monarchs who ruled Iran from 1794
sion, refined, contemplative, historically rooted, to 1925, and in the homes of wealthy amateur
and with a close relationship to poetry. players. This intimate music, with its close rela-
Classical pieces range through slow, quiet, tionship to mystical Sufi poetry and philosophy,
contemplative passages - usually in the lower part was well-suited to such gatherings, and it remained
of the singer's range — to melismatic displays of sheltered there until the 1900s.
virtuosity known as tahrir. These are very fast and The decline in the influence of the royal
ornamented passages, usually high in the vocal courts, in the 1900s, coincided with the open-
range and often compared with the singing of the ing up of classical music to a wider audience,

Iran 355
 Classical Iranian Instruments
The* hci"c "
; 2 cu -=irs I'i'-ere 2 srecrerr ictt ": "11 ser arc
zt rsrj~e~ rx cle Ease -ecr- Nb animals to «Me away te fine.
tourrc ~.~'r i- : ~-e so_-c r re -e ; : e- - • r ce 2 2. er
"r "s sec era "jo :~ re '2*: ~rr- c~ * .•.
2s
Tar and Setar : 2rc ris raze s jsec 2s 2 Si'-co •:
— eracrcr rr
~~e 3r S"c e "= re can of separator re c.ec
;
.' 2*2 ;•:
:
" :
-
" r-: • r-: _ t e
~
: = e ~-r- :~e rere
=r"CS l i Z -C'rC ~T>Z ST. eC "e '2' S 2';e' 2s 2:rr"es:sec r. re rcer -lt~i r 2 .'.e?i-- •re*'' -erse
i'i'T" 2 "riisl' i
"3'_i O-C — Cr "rSCr.2rr 2TC "-2TCi SO-TC :
_
:e: "s '_ rer r —e ~e\. 2s - ;ce2.«2 ; _s "r
_
: : re :el'. r re rsr_r-err ;r hhct re res rr 2c.2.-r secararcr
rrcce -esrs s
— .2 re ss«:r "3re!*r.2r mccc? arc re
:•"

seres are : 2
— sr2 rer - - - ~e so_rc and noin 1

:' re se"_2' z~ re :re^ ~.htc 2 zr<z "=rec m U

The ka an mih is a buwid juam. fcfcl, played in
- _
s"ccci re sor- r
s : e : ": '=ri£i lsc a~c feint of the inEDan, on Ire z

t Id hear ma I •oar. has a very dstancftwe taut nasal sound, raner

_ —
e re s ~c ~c sre -e.2.*c - :" _
. e 25 s 2 : : :

-.5 : :f -
a e -c E.-:-
Santur pww viotn was Ihreatenng to nullum 9. but snce
'
r~r re « 2.-.2.-C -e- -.23 e;.2.-e: rs poputanty. The
>'<Z ' : "CC- 2.' " S "C 'ei2.'ZeZ 2.5 5T '2-

~ia~ rsrj~e" r rs : - « -earz ess z~v

r ceo- =>"• '
in classical performances tnan it was in the 1880s
arc *
?~Is
is not puaftiJ
—errs ~"is <c

amuse Mhos ~z> 02/» c rsrr s 2 zcoet ztjt~ Z'.z^z " . _ e

«and soul" c r :cr -arcs arc "ec :ao:"2".
ers 2r c car's

MtopiJtartitapL >andy pkws as a aoto inato*-

se: r "
- s :" re — . ; z m r 2 'e; . 2"

~-e -e. ; 2r erc-cic.- -.re >«— 2 .er, so.r. arc :~ :.2- : 2 .er ;sr cer;. 2 =r_rr
_
;

zrri" soj~c s^.c r -.2>e reer 2 srec- tr-cres 2rc .rrs 2rc " ; ;e: :.
—e
henfs mstrument. When you hear it rs not hanJ to ><sr. Z'ZC>. I- :
;err_ri nr e rr ^-rc zrrr 2<rri:e
-e re .as: =->: :
" e •
5 • : 2- ses :
• zeser ; - 'Z'
~

througfa recordings and W«tern-sryle public

Post-revolutionary
concerts, and evenniaDy through die important
medium of radio. A further boost came with the Revival
amvjj ot cjs*eties- from the 1 96*.*s. which iiirjia Culturally, the mmednte pos-revotunonary peri-
that music could be carried around discreetly — od was an esxraordinary nme. and for Gbakal ba-
an important consideration in Islamic society. nun munc was uudaug snort ot a nanasance. The
The rapid pace or Westernisation, however, naiwiiiiia wualedby aiaaisSri rfbnainty) yisaayr
meant that by the 1970s Hasaral music was sdD miraram. many of whom ace snfl acme performers
a minority taste. There was a reeling that it and composers. What's more, they weren't willing
belonged to a past age and was out ot'step with to follow tradition for its own sake and wanted to
the modernismg nation state. drama rrirTTT tr t
rrraVrrlraii T""**!
" 1

Prominent classical musicians ot pre-nrv oJu- ence. They mduded the male smgers Mohammad
nonary Iran mdude the smcer Gholam Hosseoa Rexa Shajariaai (see feature box opposite) and
Bana. probably the most-recorded voice m the Sbaram Nazeri. female vocabst Parisa: and the
country prior so 1979. and a wi i a inaaWs Ahmad i
•-g t: -s.— Mohammad Reza Lod zs crr
Ebadi setar Faramarz Payvar ((santuxl and
1 . Hoasein AKzadeh fraaTttetar). Parviz Vfanhkartan
Abol Hassan Saba I viobn. setar. santur> . sannir.Jamsbic .\=daEH Kayhan Kalhor

356 'ran
 Mohammad Reza Shajarian

Mohammad Reza Shajarian is the nightingale

supreme of Iranian music, a living legend whose superb
technical skill, warm vocal style and vast knowledge
of classical Iranian poetry have made him the most
successful classical singer in the country.
Bom in Masshad (northeastern Iran) in 1940, Shajar-
ian comes from a family with a long musical tradition. He
began his singing career at the age of eighteen with the

local radio station in Masshad and moved to Tehran eight

years later where he performed regularly on Iranian Radio
30
until 1986 (many of these broadcast programmes were
subsequently released as commercial recordings).
Following his appearances on national television in

the early 1 970s, Shajarian become a household name.

But it was the musical renaissance which followed the
1979 Revolution, and his close creative work with other
musicians at this time, which consolidated his position

as the foremost musician of Iranian classical music.

Shajarian has given concerts around the world and
worked closely with the most prominent contemporary
classical musicians such as Mohammad Reza Lotfi and
Parviz Meshkatian. As well as his busy performing and
recording career, he devotes a considerable amount
of time and energy to teaching and to his beloved
research into the music of his native Khorasan. Shajarian (left)

(kamancheh), and the (Kurdish) Kamkar family cians. Although there have been important
who have toured widely. female classical singers in the past, the instrumental
While there was a spirit of optimism surround- tradition was almost exclusively a male one. That
ing this revival, and opportunities for recording isnow changing, and it is no longer unusual to
and live performance, it all happened largely in see a woman classical instrumentalist. Since the
spite of the official policy. Whilst more moderate landslide election of the moderate President
politicians cautiously welcomed the return to tra- Khatami in May 1997, women musicians have
ditional culture, the conservative elements viewed also been allowed to sing in public for the first
even classical music as a potentially corrupting time since 1979 (but still only to female
influence. New laws also limited women's public audiences).
musical roles. Women singers were not allowed Another recent development is a new satel-
to perform in public and could only be heard (but lite television channel, Jam-e-Jam, which broad-
not seen) on TV and radio. Oddly, though, casts from Iran to Iranians abroad. Its
women instrumentalists were allowed to perform. programming schedule includes classical music
The situation for musicians became particular- performances.
ly difficult during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88)
when it was felt that live musical performance and
the associated expression of joy was inappropriate.
Since the early 1990s, however, there has been a
How to Listen: Modes
renewal, with the emergence of many young musi-
and Improvisation
cians and an even wider audience for classical music Iranian classical music is a largely improvised music,

than before. and this improvisation is based on a series of modal

One significant development has been the scales and tunes which musicians spend many years
increased number of women classical musi- memorising as part of their long training.

Iran 357
Traditionally, there was a very close relationship There are also significant differences between
between a pupil and his master or ostad (a word Iranian classical music and its neighbouring tradi-
which, along with other Persian words, was also tions. There are no rhythmic cycles in Iranian
taken up by musicians in North India) and teaching music as there are in Arabic and Turkish (and the
would usually take place in the ostad's home. Dur- even more distantly related Indian), and much of
ing the course of the twentieth century most teach- the unmeasured material of Iranian classical music
ing was taken over by conservatoires and universities. is based on the metrical structure of the poetry that
The music is largely an oral tradition and its is being sung (or implied in the case of the instru-
emphasis is still on strict rote memorisation. mental accompaniment).
Musicians never perform from notation, since When listening to this music, bear in mind
each individual performance is a spontaneous that it is the intricate beauty and ornamentation
expression by the musician - but one firmly root- of the solo melody line (usually with no regular
ed in the memorised repertoire. In other words, metric pulse) that is of the utmost importance,
a unique 're-creation' of the tradition at each inviting more of a philosophical than physical
performance. A metaphor for this is the nightin- response. The musical interest is almost totally lin-
gale, a bird regularly encountered in the visual ear — there is no harmony and only a light drone
arts and poetry of Iran. According to popular serves to ground the music from time to time. Peo-
belief, the nightingale (bolbol) has the most beau- ple often draw parallels between the highly detailed
tiful voice on earth as it sings for its unrequited melodic fines and the intricate designs of Iranian
love for the rose (go/), a flower which has grown carpets. As in the carpets, the movement is mean-
in Iran for hundreds of years. Moreover, it is dering, as the musician exhaustively explores the
believed that the nightingale never repeats itself melodic potential of a defined area before moving
in its song. In practice, of course, both nightin- on to the next.
galesand Iranian musicians do repeat themselves The length of a dastgah performance is large-
in performance, but the metaphor is important ly up to the musician, taking into consideration

for its ideal. the particular context of performance. Each indi-

The repertoire is a collection of some two hun- vidual gusheh, which in the studied repertoire
dred pieces collectively known as radif (series), might last thirty seconds, will be expanded in per-
and the training of a classical musician essentially formance to last for several minutes, and often
involves memorising and being able to play these longer. A complete dastgah performance can last

pieces precisely. The individual pieces of the radif for several hours in informal settings, although
are known as gusheh (corner) — a short piece or nowadays something between thirty minutes and
melody, lasting from as little as fifteen seconds to an hour is more usual.

as long as two minutes, with its own modal iden- Until the 1960s, a typical performance would
tity and often particular turns of phrase. It is these have comprised a voice and a solo instrument,

individual gushehs that are memorised by strictly the latter supporting the vocal sections and play-
musicians and after many years of training form ing short instrumental interludes, with the
the starting point for creative improvisation in per- addition of a tombak for the sections with a reg-
formance. The gushehs are in turn arranged into ular pulse. In the last thirty years or so, it has
twelve dastgah (systems) These are ordered col-. become common for performances to be given
lections of modally related gushehs (rather like a by an ensemble of musicians, usually including
Baroque suite), and a performance will usually be one of each of the main classical instruments,
in one of the twelve dastgahs. each musician taking it in turn to accompany the
Each of the two hundred or so gushehs and the solo voice and to play solo interludes between
twelve dastgahs of the complete radif repertoire the vocal phrases. It's also become common for
are individually named. Some of the names indi- performances to begin and end with a pre-
cate a particular sentiment or emotion while oth- composed ensemble piece with a regular pulse.
ers are names of towns or regions of the country. These pieces provide a frame for the main part
Some of these names are also found in the maqams of the performance, which is usually unmeasured
or makams of Arabic and Turkish music, the two and improvised.
other important classical traditions of the Middle Simplifying somewhat, a typical classical
East. Historical contact between these cultures has performance begins with the opening (dara-
resulted in cross-influences in the modes and their mad) section of the chosen dastgah, followed by
names, as well as in the instrument types already a progressive development of the material of
mentioned. each individual gusheh. As the performance

358 Iran
continues, there is a gradual increase in pitch ious other types of percussion, such as the large
and tension each gusheh is based around a daff frame-drum. Particularly rich musical regions
slightly higher pitch range than the preceding are Khorasan in the northeast and Kurdistan in
one - until the music reaches the climax or owj the west.
of the dastgah. At this point there is usually a In Khorasan you can still hear traditional
descent and return to the opening pitch area and Turkoman epic poets who perform in local tea
home' mode of the dastgah as heard at the houses (the article on Central Asia in this book has
beginning to conclude the performance. There more on this) and who accompany themselves on
may also be a concluding ensemble piece to long-necked lutes like the tanbur or dotar (closely

round the performance off. One of the best-

related to the classical setar).
The important things to listen out for are the known professional folk music singers is Sima
rising pitch level and the resulting overall arch Bina, who has performed widely, as well as being
shape of the performance, the alternating (or an active folk-song collector. Her songs from Kho-
answering) of instruments and voice, and the rasan have a true earthiness about them, speaking
explorations of the musicians reinterpreting the of the harsh life of the nomadic horse people of
underlying tradition each time they perform. this region.

Kurdish music is another important regional

tradition, including energetic compositions for the
famous
Folk Music circle dances. Typical instruments for
music are the double-reed duduk which has a beau-
this

Iran has numerous ethnic minorities, each with tifully languid sound, and the daff. Musicians to
their own exam-
language, culture and music. For listen out for are singer Aziz Shahrokh and the
ple, Iranian Kurds live in the west of the coun- Kamkar family (for more on these traditions, see
try (bordering on Iraq and Turkey), Iranians of on Kurdish music — p. 378).
the article
Turkish origin live in Azerbaidjan in the north- Another very distinct regional music is that
east, and Baluchis live in the southeast area (which found on the southwestern coast. This is a fusion
borders on Pakistan). Even among the Persian- of African rhythmic patterns and Iranian melodies
speaking population, there are many regional vari- played by the descendants of African slaves now
ations in dialect, lifestyle, culture and music, one fully assimilated into Iranian society.

example being the nomadic Bahktiari people.

Regional folk music is the least-known music
of Iran and the few recordings available were
almost all made before the Revolution.
Iranian Pop
In the early twentieth century, there were various
Regional Musics types of traditional urban music styles in Iran, but
from the 1950s musicians began adopting West-
In contrast to the mainly urban classical music, ern musical styles and instruments. By the 970s 1

musiqi-e mahali (regional musics) tend to belong a strong pop industry had emerged - along with

to agricultural or nomadic herding communities a core repertoire of nostalgic love songs - and this

who comprise a substantialproportion of the pop- was the music that most people listened to at a
ulation- 46 percent of Iranians live in rural areas time when classical music was generally regarded
and 25 percent of the working population are as out of touch with a modernising country.
involved in agricultural work. pop music drew — and draws — on ele-
Iranian
It is difficult to generalise, since each region ments from folk and classical traditions but using
has its own styles and instruments, but the music Western instruments such as electric guitar, key-
is often associated with dancing (particularly group boards, bass and drums. Its stars are exclusively
dances), with events in the agricultural year (such singers, and their repertoire comprises largely love
as harvest time), with the life cycle (birth, mar- songs and nostalgic ballads.
riage, death), or with religious ceremonies. The With the banning of all pop music (both Irani-

instruments are different from, but related to, an and Western) after the 1979 Revolution, many
those heard in classical music, and include the Iranian musiciansabandoned the country and set-
long-necked lutes of Khorasan, the ney (reed tled in Europe or North America. The biggest
flute), the ney-anban (bagpipe), and zurna-type influx was to Los Angeles - Tehrangeles to the
instruments, usually played outdoors and accom- million-strong immigrant Iranian population -
panied by the double-headed dohol drum and var- where a thriving music scene has developed.

Iran 359
Pop Artists These days, Iranian pop music - old style bal-

lands and new wave alike — reaches audiences across

The most popular pre-Revolution pop singer was the exile communities, and also back in Iran via
awomen called Googoosh — who has chosen to the black market and satellite television, as does
stay in Iran even though she is unable to perform. the music of Western pop stars.

Other important singers, who went into exile in

Los Angeles, and have kept the old ballad tradi-
tion alive in performance and on cassette, include
the women singers Homeirah, Hayedeh and her
sister Mahasti; and male singers Shahram,
discography
Morteza and Hodi.
You may need to go direct for discs to the US labels
Alongside them, a new generation of LA- Kereshmeh Records (12021 Wilshire Blvd #420, Los
based musicians (many of whom have never Angeles, CA 90025, US «• (310) 470 5177, fax 470 5117;

been to Iran) have created more up-tempo songs www.kereshmeh.com); and Caltex Records (9045A Eton
Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91 304, US » (81 8) 700 8657, fax
with driving rhythms, or experimented mixing 700 0285) is more promising for pop.
Iranian styles with rap and dance music. Their For discs, in Europe, try Shahram Video (13a Hereford
instruments are all Western, except for occa- Road, London W2 4AB, UK o/fax (020) 7221 6296 or
Markaz Nava (Stolberger Str 1 , 50933 Koln, Germany »
(49) 221 546 5657, fax 221 546 5658).

Classical

Compilations
IS Classical Music of Iran: The Dastagh Systems
(Smithsonian Folkways, US).

Short performances recorded in mid-1960s by

Iran in the
some of the principal performers of the classical music at
that time (including Ahmad Ebadi), featuring a range of
modes and musical instruments. This was the first record-
ing of all the twelve dastgahs, intended to illustrate the tra-
dition to non-Iranians, although it doesn't give a good idea
of what an extended performance really sounds like - the
extracts are just too short to convey the feeling of the
music.

33 Iran:Persian Classical Music

(Nonesuch Explorer, US).

A select group of musicians, including female vocalist

Khatereh Parvaneh, plus tar, kamancheh and led by one of
the most important santur players, Faramarz Payvar. A disc
made in 1973, aimed at demonstrating a range of modes and
The much-loved Googoosh instruments to a non-Iranian audience, but with more conti-
nuity than the Smithsonian recording.

sional use of an Iranian drum, but the rhythms Iranian Music: Saz-e
(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).
are often based on folk and popular Iranian
rhythms, and it is this, as well as the melodies An excellent single disc with stunning instrumental playing
from Alizadeh on tar, tanbur and sefar plus a couple of ghaz-
and lyrics, which gives the music its particular-
als to words by Rumi sung by one of the finest female vocal-
ly Iranian feel. It is music to dance to, charac- ists, Afsaneh Rassa'i. Music full of exciting instrumental tex-

terised by pulsating, hip-moving rhythms, and tures and a pure, meditative vocal quality.

it forms an essential ingredient at any exile Ira-

nian social gathering. Artists
American-based singers and groups to listen out
for include Siavash, whose production is always Hossein Alizadeh
good, although he tends to overdo the synthesised Born in Tehran in 1951, Alizadeh began his professional

sounds; Moeen, always a favourite with his warm career at only fifteen years old. He is considered one of
the most important figures in contemporary Iranian music
vocal sound; and Andy, strongly influenced by
and is also a composer, writing both for traditional instru-
Western pop, as are the more recent Black Cabs ments and for combinations of traditional and Western
and The Boys. instruments.

360 'ran
 BS Improvisations (Buda Musique du Monde, France). Iran: Sharam Nazeri &
A double CD recording of a concert given in Paris in 1994. Ensemble Alizadeh
Alizadeh plays tar and setar in the dastgahs "Nava", "Bayat-e
Tork" and "Homayun" with Majid Khaladj on tombak.

3? Ney Nava (Kereshmeh Records, US).

"Ney Nava" one of Alizadeh 's most popular compositions -

is

a one-movement concerto for ney (played here by Jamshid

Andalibi) and orchestra.

Kayhan Kalhor
Kalhor was born in Tehran in 1963 into a musical family
and studied Iranian classical music with some of the great
masters, as well as Kurdish folk music in Kermanshah.
He's performed with top musicians such as Alizadeh,
Shajarian and Nazeri. He now lives in the US.

Scattering Stars Like Dust

(Traditional Crossroads, US).

Kalhor's innovative approach to the kamancheh - this

recording starts with novel pizzicatos - gives his debut disc a Hossein Omoumi
freshness and verve. A whole kamancheh (and
disc of solo
Born in 1944 in Isfahan, Omoumi started studying the
tombak) can be daunting, but the intensity and drama here is
ney at the age of fourteen. He taught at the National
captivating. Some unusual time signatures come from
Conservatoire and at the University of Tehran. Since
Kurdish music and the album's title from a poem by Sufi
1984 he has worked in France as a performer and
mystic Jalal-e Din Rumi.
teacher.

Mohammad Reza Lotfi SC Persian Classical Music (Nimbus, UK).

Bom in 1947 in Gorgan, northern Iran, he studied at the Stunning performances recorded in France in 1 993. Omoumi
National Conservatoire in Tehran. Regarded as one of the performs in dastgahs "Homayun", "Dashti" and "Chahargah"
greatest contemporary masters of the far and sefar, he accompanied by Majid Khaladj on tombak. Good notes.
has taught many of Iran's leading young musicians.

SC Mystery of Love, Live in Copenhagen

Mohammad Reza Shajarian
(Kereshmeh Records, US). Bom 940 in Mashad, Khorasan province, Shajarian (see
in 1

feature box on p.357) is the undisputed master of Persian

One of Lotfi's finest performances accompanied by tombak
traditional singing - technically flawless, powerful and
and daf. In his notes to the recording, Robert Bly writes:
emotional. A major source of inspiration in Iranian music.
"Lotfi is a great musician. He pours his intense, astonishing

music into the spiritual ear."

WITH ENSEMBLE AREF

Parviz Meshkatian IJJI Iran: Mohammad Reza Shadjarian and

WEJ Ensemble Aref (World Network, Germany).
Born in 1955 in Neyshabour northeastern Iran,
Meshkatian is the best santur player of the post- A live recording of a concert in Germany in 1987 with
Revolutionary period. His unrivalled technique is simply some Meshkatian
of the finest Iranian musicians: Parviz
extraordinary - he moves the hammers with such speed (santur), Dariush Pirniakan (tar), Ardeskir Kamkar
and subtlety that they can hardly be seen. What's more (kamancheh) and Jamshid Andalibi (ney). Dastgah
he looks like a prophet. He was a founding member of the "Chahargah". Listen out for excellent contributions from
celebrated Aref Ensemble with whom he's performed Meshkatian and Andalibi who produce a light, translucent
extensively throughout the world. sound on their instruments. Strong folk influences in the
lively ensemble sections framing the central section where
Pegah (Dawn) the solo voice is accompanied in turn by each of the main
(Kereshmeh Records, US).
instrumentalists.
Dazzling performances dastgahs "Segah" and "Homayun"
in

with tombak players Nasser Farhangfar and Jamshid Mohebi. WITH MOHAMMED REZA LOTFI
82 The Abu-Ata Concert (Kereshmeh Records, US).
Sharam Nazeri & Ensemble Alizadeh
A great performance by two of the finest musicians in
Sharam Nazeri, born in Kermanshah in 1949, is one of Iran: Mohammad Reza considered the best tar
Lotfi is
Iran's top classical/Sufi singers, famed for his warm vocal and setar player of the post-Revolutionary period. The
styleand technical mastery; he is generally considered concert took place in 1981 at the German Cultural Centre
second only to Shajarian. Ensemble Alizadeh is one of the in Tehran, one of the few performance platforms in Iran at
best groups of instrumentalists in the country.
that time.

Nowruz: Traditional and Classical Music

(World Network, Germany) Dariush Talai
Most of the music here is Persian classical music along with Born in 1 952, Talai is a tar and setar player and has spent
a few Kurdish tunes andl folksongs from Nazeri's native much of the post-Revolutionary period in France where
region. A fine recording all round. he has been active in promoting Iranian classical music.

Iran 361
 BS Iran: Les maitres de la musique traditionelle Vol 1 Kamkars
(Ocora, France).
Kamkars are a Kurdish family of seven brothers and a sister
ThisOcora series is one of the best of Iranian music released from Sanandaj in western Iran. They were taught by their
on a Western label. Talai, on tar, performs with Mohammad father, the late Ustad Hassan Kamkar, one of the master
Musavi (ney) and Majid Kiani (santur) - three leading virtuoso musicians of the region. They play both Kurdish folk and
musicians of the younger generation. Iranian classical music and have brought some of the folk
modes and instruments into the classical tradition. They
have toured extensively and appeared at WOMAD festivals.
Folk Music
Nightingale with a Broken Wing
(RealWorld, UK).
Compilations
The album takes its title from a melancholy and beautiful
BE Baloutchistan: Bardes du Makran song, one of four songs about nightingales in this collection.
(Buda Musique du Monde, France). Reflective love songs and energetic dance pieces giving a

who some good sample of Kurdish folk music, well performed.

A wonderful survey of the music of the Baluchis,
believe to be the ancestors of the Gypsies, invited to play

music for the Persian Shah Bahram Gur. Instrumental Pop Music
music on the expressive sorud fiddle, plus epic songs and
ghazals.
Artists
BE Iran: The Music of Lorestan (Nimbus, UK).

Rousing dance music from the southwestern province of Dariush

Lorestan, featuring the loud outdoor instruments: soma, like
Famed for his nostalgic songs, Dariush's best work dates
the zurna and dohol drum common throughout the Middle
from before 1979, although he is still recording in Los
East. Played by Shahmirza Moradi and his son Reza.
Angeles.
O Folk Music of Iran (Lyrichord, US).
BE Sal-e-Dohezar (2000 Years) (Caltex, US).
Recorded in 1 972 by Verna Gillis, the recording includes solo
This is Vol 6 of a collection of Dariush's greatest hits - a mix
singing and dance music from the regions of Lorestan and
of pre-and post-Revolutionary songs, including the beautiful
Fars. The latter is the birthplace of the Persian language and
"Khouneh" (Home).
home of the classical poets Hafiz and Saadi.

: Music of the Bards of Iran: Northern Khorasan Googoosh

(Kereshmesh Records, US).
Googoosh was Iran's most popular singer of the pre-
The bardic tradition of Central Asia extending into northeast Revolutionary period but, living in Iran, she has recorded
Iran. Performed by Haj Ghorban Soleimani (vocals and dotar nothing since the Revolution in 1979.
lute), and singers. A
part of a long line of epic story-tellers
BE Pol (Bridge) (Taraneh. US).
mixture of solo instrumental pieces and songs with Alireza
Soleimani on dotar. Googoosh has a lyrical, breathy voice accompanied by soft

strings and an easy listening beat. The title track here is one
of her most celebrated love songs in a good collection of hits.
Artists
Siavash
Sima Bina
A young singer popular among teenage Tehrangeles. The
Bom in BirjandSima Bina was the daughter of a
in 1944, music is Westernised Iranian pop.
leading classical musician. She collects and performs
folksongs from Khorasan in the northeast, but also sings BE Hamsayeh Haa (Neighbours) (Caltex, US).

classical repertoire. In 1994 she was the first Iranian One of his best recent CDs with cheerful up-tempo songs,
woman singer to tour Europe and the US since the
plus the more ballad like "Dokhtar Irani" (Iranian Girl).
Revolution.

SS Sima Bina (Caltex, US). Moeen

A live recording (in Germany) of some of the most beautiful Moeen is a forty-something singer with a modernised
folk songs from the Khorasan and Lorestan region, acoustic backing, including traditional instruments like
accompanied by kamancheh, dotar, ney and percussion. violin, tar and dombak.
The kamancheh player, Faraj Alipour is a master folk musi-
3E Panjereh (Window) (Taraneh, US).
cian in his own right. Bina's more classical-style record-
ings on Nimbus and Musique du Monde are also recom- 1997 album representative of his popular, but distinctively
mended. Iranian, style.

362 ""an
Israel

a narrow bridge
"The whole world is a narrow bridge and the most important thing is not to be afraid," said the
eighteenth-century Polish Rabbi Nahman. The whole world is also a global village (was it Rabbi
Marshall McLuhan?) and in the small state of Israel you can find Jewish immigrants from 127 countries
allround the world. They started to return in 1882 after two thousand years of exile in the Diaspora,
and they brought with them their traditions, languages and, of course, their very different traditions of C/5
music. Israel, asserts Dubi Lenz, is the natural home of global fusion.

Altneuland in Israel was the dream and time, and the best of them are known to every-
The Zionist vision of Theodor Herzl, fulfilling one: for example, the Hebrew version of the
the long yearning for a 'promised land'. famous Russian song "Katyusha".
From 1882 the waves of immigration start- For political reasons, those new Israeli songs
ed, mainlyfrom Eastern Europe, but also from were written Hebrew - the language of the new
in

Yemen, North Africa and Asia. With the declara- country. Yet Hebrew was also the holy tongue,
tion of the State of Israel in 1948 the influx esca- sacred and honourable and for many it was
lated, and there were countries - Yemen, Libya, unthinkable that songs about mundane human
Iraq, Bulgaria - from where the whole Jewish affairs should be sung in the language in which
community (or what remained after the Holocaust) men and women communicated with their God.
came as one to their old-new homeland. In the Nonetheless, from 1948 there was a deliberate pol-
fifty years since then, Jews have continued to make icy to encourage Hebrew at the expense of the
aliya (from the Hebrew word 'to go up'), partic- languages of exile that the immigrants brought
ularly when circumstances grew difficult in their with them - principally Yiddish and Ladino,
old homeland.Most recendy, thousands have come from the Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities
from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. respectively.
Today it's hard to find an Israeli musician ded-
Songs of the Good Old icatinghim or herself to Yiddish or Ladino songs,
although some of Israel's best singers have released
Land occasional albums in Yiddish (Chava Alberstein,
An Israeli born in Israel is called a sabra (literally Mike Burstein) or Ladino (Y ehoram Gaon, Lolik,
the fruit of the prickly pear cactus - prickly on the Esther Ofarim). However, the main exponents of
outside and sweet inside) and conventional wis- both the Yiddish and Ladino musical traditions are
dom has it that if, on you put a
a Friday evening, not working in Israel (for more, see the article on
guitar in a sabra's hand, a harmonica in their mouth 'Sephardic music' following; and for more on the
and add an accordion, song will fill the air. Those traditions of Klezmer music, see the US section in
songs are known Hebrew as Shirei Eretz Israel
in Volume 2 of this book.
Hay'shana VeHatova- Songs of the Good Old In the early years of the state of Israel, attempts
Land of Israel. The words 'old' and 'good' are were made to forge a specifically national style as
synonymous here - it is nostalgia which fills the well as a language of expression. It was said that
throat (not that old times were much better - but Israeli music should be a bridge between the many
then that's the nature of nostalgia). These are songs musical cultures that had arrived on these shores,
born of the youth and kibbutz movements, songs and it was felt that a new music should emerge

thick with the dust of the road, redolent of suf- freefrom the smack of exile. Deliberate attempts
fering and, of course, love. were made to integrate Eastern and Western
Many of these Hebrew songs are set to Slavic music, but the results were somewhat forced —
and Russian melodies adopted by the earliest oriental (Middle Eastern and North African)
Israeli songwriters from Eastern Europe. Most of rhythms and motifs not lending themselves easily

the songs of the youth movement date from that to orchestration in a classical Western style.

Israel 363
 Chava Alberstein: Israel's Joan Baez
Chava Alberstein has been an important figure in Israeli standing the words. And she is a powerful performer on
music since the 1960s when she modelled herself on stage, thanks, she says, to her years of military service.

American singer-songwriters like Joan Baez and Pete "We have groups of artists in the army. I did my military
Seeger. "It was part of my growing up as a human being," service and sung with a guitar, three or four times a day

she admits. "From a distance, I was involved with all for soldiers. We performed everywhere. Sometimes it

kinds of rights movements in America. In my soul was I was for five soldiers in a small place in the desert, or
there. In the eternal argument about whether an artist sometimes in the dining hall of a horrible camp where
should actively take part or sit in their room and write they just wanted to laugh at you - a frightened girl with
about lofty things, I've always believed in taking part." big glasses and a guitar. You had to make them listen

Alberstein started to get involved in politics at home to you. The army was a great school for me."
when Egyptian President Sadat first visited Israel in 1977 Alberstein was bom in Szczecin, Poland where her par-
CO
30 to begin peace talks and she became a vocal part of the ents spoke Polish and Yiddish, and arrived in Israel as a
Peace Now movement, a tendency which takes her baby. "We came in 1950 to Haifa ^nd were brought to a
beyond the arts pages of the camp - it was a very poor camp
Israeli newspapers. During the < with tents and it reminded many
years of the Palestinian intifada people of the concentration
she wrote "Chad Gadya" (One g camps they'd been in during the
Goat), a song the authorities tried o war. It was very frightening for
to ban from the radio: "I based it c them because this was supposed
on a traditional song we sing at ™ to be a new country and a new
Passover when we sit down to p beginning, but the beginning was
eat together. It is something like very sad and hard. One of the first
"The Woman Who Swallowed a songs wrote was "Sha'ar Haalia"
I

Fly". In this version a dog bites a (Gate of Immigration). My story is

cat, a stick beats the dog, fire the story of many new immigrants
bums the stick, water puts out - combining the vision of both
the fire, an ox drinks the water, a outsider and insider: Part of my
butcher kills the ox and then the subject in music is the fact that
Angel of Death comes, and so I'm a mixture of Diaspora and
on. It is a circle of violence, and Israel. I've been described as the
I wanted to make a modem song 'most Jewish of Israeli singers'.

about this, and how you can get Israel is a new nation in the world,
drawn into violence. Israeli sol- but in my music it is always the
Chava Alberstein
diers in the occupied territories past and future together."
were behaving very brutally towards Palestinian women For many years Alberstein has performed and
and children which was something new and shocking in recorded Yiddish songs. "People always think of Yid-
Israel. This wasn't necessarily the soldiers' fault - it was dish as a language for humour and making jokes, but

the fault of the situation. To stop these people behaving they don't realise there is a wonderful world of litera-

like animals the occupation needed to be stopped." ture and poetry." She recently recorded The Well, a

This is a song that Alberstein still sings at every con- ground-breaking collaboration with New York klezmer
cert as that circle of violence is still turning. "The terri- group the Klezmatics featuring new settings of Yiddish

ble assassination of Prime Minister Rabin was like the poetry. On the other side of the culture, she also sings
climax of what was afraid we could become. The only
I old Hebrew nigunim (religious songs), which brings her
solution is to let the Palestinians have their own coun- into conflict with the Orthodox community: But, she
try and this will happen in the end. Most of the Left in says, "For me Hassidic and religious songs are not a
Israel - and I am one of them - feel guilty now about not ritual thing, but part of my heritage and collective mem-
supporting Rabin and his government more vociferously ory. I need them like I need Beethoven, Mozart and
because we were so sure that everything was going to Shakespeare. It is very beautiful poetry and I get sad
be all right." Alberstein dedicated the song "Artzi Artzi" when Orthodox people want to restrict it to their own
(Oh My Country, I Suffer So), on her 1996 album Horaof religious use. Judaism doesn't only belong to the Ortho-
Bimvi (Stage Directions), to the memory of Itzhak Rabin. dox people, it belongs to me also."
Alberstein sings with a voice that is soft, but precise
and clear, a pleasure to listen to even without under- _ Simon Broughton

364 Israel
 The more
successful composers in this 'orien- songs that cover both religious and secular sub-
talist' were Mordechai Ze'ira, Moshe
style jects and are performed at weddings and other
Wilensky and Sasha Argov - all of whom were celebrations.
immigrants from Russia. Noa's music has an interesting take on the
Yemenite tradition, combining elements of jazz
Yemenite Songs with a marvellous voice and musicality; she has
worked with Sting, Zucchero and Pat Metheny.
From the 1 930s to '50s, real oriental singers, For Boaz Shar'abi influences include Western
most of them Yemenite - such as Bracha Zefi- music and Songs of the Good Old Land of Israel,
ra, Esther Gamlielit and Shoshana Damari - as well as the Yemenite musical tradition.

began to play an important part in Israeli music.

Yemenite singers have been hugely important Roots and Fusions
in the development of Israeli music — the Jewish

community in Yemen kept its tradition and way Yemenite roots were not the only ones to resur-
of living longer than any other community in the face in the 1 980s and '90s, as a new sabra genera-
Diaspora (from the first century AD until the end tion looked to air their inherited music beyond
of the nineteenth century). Immigration from the synagogues or family celebrations. Many musi-
Yemen began in 1882 and concluded between cians started to record 'hard core' oriental music,
1948 and 1950. The Jews in Yemen had a very often cheaply produced on small independent
rich musical tradition. They sang on every occa- labels, as an alternative to mainstream Israeli rock
sion - in moments of sorrow and joy, songs of and pop. A semi-underground cassette culture
everyday life and prayer. Families used to gather developed for their music, along with a few ded-
and sing the old traditional songs with beautiful icated pirate stations.
clear voices, mostly unaccompanied, as musical Many major Israeli artists started their careers

instruments were banned by the Muslims of the on the indie labels, being taken up by the main-
Arabian peninsula. made it. Their number
stream labels once they'd
In contemporary Israel, Yemenite Jews are include Zehava Ben, Chaim Moshe, Margalith
amongst the leading popular artists. Current stars Zan'ani. the late Zohar Argov, Eli Luzon,
include Noa (Achinoam Nini), Gali Atari, Avner Gedassi and the Israeli-Arab violinist and
Boaz Shar'abi, Zohar Argov, and Ofra Haza singer Samir Shukri.
- the best-known singer outside of Israel, through For many of these and other contemporary
the success of her traditional Yemenite Songs album Israeli artists, a fusion of Eastern and Western ele-
ments is a natural part of their creative processes
and family history. Ehud Banai
and his cousin
Me'ir Banai rhythms and melodies from
offer
their Iranian heritage. Yehuda Poliker - one of
the most popular rock artists in Israel - adds his
Greek roots to his music, while Miki Gavrielov,
who has written some of the best-known Hebrew
songs, incorporates his Turkish ancestry. There is

a particularly rich strain of musicians proclaiming

their Moroccan heritage, among them Sfatayim,
Tanara, Sahara, Marakesh, and the singer Yose-
fa, who mixes her family's musical heritage (a
Yemenite father and Moroccan mother, both born
in Israel) with modern dance music.
Other notable fusionists include the viloinist and
oud player Yair Dalai and his group AJ Ol (see
box overleaf), who have forged a successful mix
of Jewish, Arabic and other traditions; the Trio
Wlftii <6ate.s Sf ^Wisdom Yemenite Som Ziryab (comprising oud, violin and Arabic per-
cussion), who explore the traditions of Arabic and
(1985) and her soundtrack for Spielberg's Prince Turkish classical music; and Tea Packs, who with
of Egypt animation (1998). Haza's recordings leader Kobi Oz, create an oriental pop akin to
drew on the Diwan repertoire - devotional groups like Les Negresses Vertes. Then there is

Israel 365
 Yair Dalai: Israeli Oud
Composer, violin and oud player, Yair Dalai is one of cal music from Iraq. But in Israel all our education
the leading Israeli musicians making new music from directs you towards the West so you need to have the
the diverse roots of the country's population. His own self-confidence to say 'I left something behind' and it's

parents immigrated from Iraq and, he explains, "I used beautiful."

to hear Iraqi and Arabic music in my house and my Dalai took up music as a career in 1 982, after play-
father took me to the synagogue where heard liturgi-
I ing music with the bedouins in Sinai: "I played the vio-
lin while they played the rabab (spike fiddle). And was it

very strong and they were amazed how knew their I

songs - the same traditional songs as in the desert of

Iraq." What he plays today, however, with his Al Ol
ensemble, has evolved from those traditional roots into
CO
something more global - drawing on the music of
neighbouring countries like Turkey and the Middle East
"and of course a large part of our Jewish tradition like

klezmer from one side and Iraqi from the other side.
But I don't know if I ever thought about combining it

all together - it just came out like it is."

In 1994 Dalai was invited to Oslo to perform at a cel-

ebration of the first anniversary of the Peace Accords.

His song, "Zaman el Salaam" (Time for Peace), was
performed by fifty Palestinian children, fifty Israeli chil-

dren, Norwegian children and the Norwegian Philhar-

monic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta. "Shimon
Perez and Yassar Arafat were there, but they weren't
speaking. After hearing the song they signed a con-
tract they hadn't signed before. Perhaps it's a bit naive
to believe that music can influence the Peace Process,
but I believe it."

Simon Broughton (with thanks to Roger Short)

the cantor Emil Zrihan who combines the Arab- people were raised on Western music), but they
Andaluz Hebrew liturgy; Dana
tradition with the have become one of the most influential forces in
Eliya singing the Kurdish songs of her father; the Israeli culture. Shlomo Bar, the group's moving
Alayev Family blending the music of Tajikistan spirit, is an eclectic spirit. He sings texts from the
with Israeli songs. Nash Didan perform ethno- Old Testament and contemporary protest songs
ambient music sung in the biblical Aramaic lan- about the government's attitude towards new
guage that Jesus spoke (preserved for two thousand immigrants from North Africa.
years by the Nash Didan Jewish tribe on the bor- A much more recent ensemble following a sim-
ders of Azerbaidjan, Iran, Turkey and Russia). ilar line is Bustan Abraham (Garden of Abra-
Shlomo Gronich sings Israeli-Ethiopian songs ham), founded in 1991 by Avshalom Farjun.
with the Sheba Choir. Atraf even have a Hebrew The group combines seven distinguished Israeli
take on Latin salsa. musicians - both Jews and Israeli-Arabs - who
The most significant fusion group, however, draw on oriental, Indian, classical, jazz, flamenco
active for the past Habr-
twenty or so years, are and American folk music in an original and com-
era Hativeet (The Natural Gathering). They pelling way. They are a group who are not only
shook up Israeli music in the 1970s by forging a building musical bridges between East and West,
mix of Moroccan, Yemenite and Hassidic songs, but creative bridges between Arabs and Jews.
and over the years have added influences from Others have thrown even more ingredients
Africa, Blues and Classical music. They had to into the melting pot - Esta have added jazz and
struggle for acceptance (the majority of Israel media melded country and western with Hasidic chant.

366 Israel
Bustan Abraham

And Yisrael Borochov's East West Ensemble 83 World Music in Israel (Fremeaux, France).

has embraced pretty much everything from West- A collection of music from various immigrant groups recorded

ern classical to rock and jazz to Far Eastern music. in Israel by Deben Bhattacharya in the late 1950s. Includes
traditional music from Morocco, Yemen, Uzbekistan plus
What's going on underlines the riches that Israel
Ashkenazi liturgical music, Sephardic songs and a police
has within its borders from over a century of immi- band playing, amongst other things, Israel's most famous
gration. Unlike Paul Simon, David Byrne or Hec- tune "Hava Nagila".

tor Zazou, Israeli musicians have no need to travel

very far to find their inspiration — everything is on Artists
hand. What's more, the fire under the melting pot
is getting stronger and stronger. It's a matter of Chava Alberstein
time before Israel wins recognition as one of the The "First Lady of Israeli Song" was bom in Poland and
came as a baby to Israel. Strongly influenced by American
most fruitful sources on the World Music scene.
folk singers like Joan Baez, she has been a dramatic
force on the music scene for over thirty years, and
Israeli

a political one, too, as a vociferous champion of the

peace process.

discography Crazy Flower A Collection (Shanachie, US).

Yiddish Songs (EMI Hemisphere, UK).

These two internationally released compilations of

Alberstein'smusic are equally good. The Shanachie collec-
Compilations tion includes her classics "Ghad Gadya", "Old Violin" and
"Song Chases the Darkness Away". The EMI disc is a new
Homeland: 22 Beautiful Songs of the Land of
selection of Alberstein's Yiddish songs.
Israel (NMC, Israel).

A compilation of Israel's best-known stars doing the ever- WITH THE KLEZMATICS
green Songs of the Good Old Land of Israel. Typically soft, a
S3 The Well (Green Linnet/Xenophile, US).
bit melancholy and in a minor key, they are love songs - to
people or to the land of Israel and its landscapes. Everyone in Chava has been back to her roots in five albums of Yiddish
Israel knows them and can join in from beginning to end. song, but here she teams up with the cutting edge New York

Israel 367
 klezmer band, the Klazrriatjcs. n brand-new musical settings Tadpastan) playing the dora frame drum and accordion. A
of classic Yiddish poetry. Excetent. tasty blend of classical, oriental, jazz and Jewish styles.

Zehava Ben Esta

Zehava Ben is an Israeli vocalist of Moroccan heritage, The four-piece world-beat/jazz-fusion explorers Esta
bom in 1 970 and brought up in a poor neighbourhood in combine Middle- East em and Mediterranean modal styles
the southern city of Beersheba. She started her career with elements of jazz. Celtic music, rock, and funk.
recording many low budget 'Indie' albums ignored by the*
media, but recently she's become one of Israel's biggest
S Mediterranean Crossroads (NMC. Israel).

stars. Her voice is mesmerising. A remarkably successful music from such a rarJcal mix. 'Go-
Go* corntxnes Scottish music and funk, whJe "Deror Ykra" is
Zehava Ben sings Umm Kalthum (HeScon, Israel).
a Yemenite song with Celtic touches.
Accompanied by the Haifa Arab Music Orchestra conducted
by Suheri Raduan, Zehava Ben wins over even the fanatic Yehoram Gaon
fans of the Egyptian singer Umm Kalthum.
Yehoram Gaon was bom Jerusalem fifty-odd years ago
in

He was a member
to a Sephardic family of Turkish origin.
V) Bustan Abraham of the two most famous vocal groups of the 1 960s - The
Established in 1991 by Avshalom Farjun, Bustam Roosters and The Yarkon-Bridge Trio - and has recorded
Abraham (Garden of Abraham) is made up of seven Israeli dozens of albums
of romantic** love songs and songs
Jews and Palestinians. Instrumentation includes oud, about as well as making occasional roots excur-
Israel,
kanun. Arabic percussion, flute, violin, banjo, classical sions into Lad no ballads. He is one of Israel's most loved
i

and flamenco guitar and more - all combined with great singers - almost the country's Frank Sinatra.
musicaJrty.
£ Sung in Ladino (NMC. Israel).

: Fanar
Judeo-Spanrsh bafads from the last five hundred years. Love
(Nada Productions, Israel; Crammed World. Belgium).
songs for Zxxi. the Promised Land and Jerusalem. These
Bustan 's fourth afcum and the most varied. The compositions have had such a strong impact in Israel that many have
members' different musical orientations as
clearly reflect the become part of the reigrous heritage and are sung in prayer.
wet as the cohestveness of working together for six years. Gaon is accompanied by a symphonic orchestra
Among the special guests are the Indians Zatdr Hussan and
Hanprasad Chaurasra. and Israel Yemenite anger Noa with Habrera Hativeet
Gi Do (her musical partner and guitarist).
been at the
Fort over twenty years, Habrera Hativeet have
music - and one of the
forefront of Israel's melting-pot
Yair Dalai
country's most consistently inspiring bands. They've
Composer, violin and oud player Yair Dalai was bom in gone through a series of incarnations but their leader
Israel in 1955 to parents from Iraq. His musical skills Shkxno Bar has always imprinted his open-minded per-
range from European classical music to jazz, blues and sonality on the music.
Arabic music. He's a strong advocate for peace in Israel
Origins i ~z s: s-se
and has been actively involved in a number of Palestinian
music projects. He works with his own AJ 01 Ensemble. The group's first album was pretty revolutionary for Israel
SheshBesh (a quartet of classically trained musicians mustc. Shlomo Bar and three other members (percussion.
exploring oriental music) and with a wide range of musi- Indian viofn. guitar and cefto) ptay trarjrbonat Yemenite Jewish
cians around the world. song (Deror Ykra) along with original songs about Jewish He
in Morocco, and Hassxic tunes.
Silan
(Najema Music,

The
Israel; Annata. Italy).

ensemble (vwSn/oud. flute/cfcmet. gutar. tatxa and

Al 01
percussion) kicks off with the very catchy *Acco Malca*
m Barefoot
(Hed Am, Israel).

Thar nmthafoum (1996) n when they reach anew phase of ther

(Queen of Accoj. a aty where Jews and Arabs *fcve together muscal develcpment with sex members and three guest players.
in harmony". Other treats include a wonderful Turkish-style Written under the transcendental influence of Bar's visit to
klezmer fantasy and an equaty inventive treatment of a tune Morocco, i includes songs from Morocco. Yemen, Hassclc and
by qawwai master. Nusrat Fat eh Al Khan. Israel poetry, wth asyrrrnetnc rhythmic acoomparwnent plus the

influence of Africa. Btues. Jew-sh sou) and dasscal muse.

5 Vagaa S'ae

In the 1999 release Dalai plays with musroans of the Azazme

Ofra Haza
bedouin in the Negev desert. A rare chance to hear the ds-
appeanng tradrbons of a people margjnaised in Israel soci- Ofra Haza was bom in 1 957 in Israel (her parents emigrat-
ety. ed from Yemen) and as a teenage pop singer represented
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest Her incisive voice
and slightly ornamented singing style project her
The East-West Ensemble Yemenite songs with great power, but her success in
A really mum-ethnic group - which changes personnel Israel was built on poppy love songs, and in Israel that is
from album to album - combining all sorts of musical how she is still best known.
styles. The driving force is Yisrael Borochov who plays
syrrth, bass guitar, tabta and various percussion.
ta Yemenite Songs
ISSl (Hed Ana. Israel; Shanachie. US).
Zuraa (TTM, Israel).
A classic Israel roots/Tustqa afcum. featuring songs from the
Named after the Central Asian oboe that is found from China Yemenite Drwan repertoire - most of them with lyrics by six-
to the Bakans, this recorrjng includes the Alayev famJy (from teenth-century SepharrJc Rabbi Shalom Shabazi expressing

36c Israel
love for God. love for the Promised Land and just love. •>•
Your Life in Laffa (Hed Arzi, Israel).
"Galbi" and "Im Nin'alu" were the most successful tracks that
got re- mixed for the dance clubs. Laffa is a kind of pitta bread - and you can put your whole life

with your troubles, with your happy moments into it, to taste
and to see you This album from 1 995 is their best -
Minuette it if like it.

a touch like the French group Mano Negra.

One of Israel's best jazz groups, Minuette employ flutes,
saxophones, guitars, bass and percussion of all kinds.
Yosefa
They tend to play their own material, but in the past few
years they've discovered oriental material and are per- Yosefa Dahari was bom in 1971 of a Yemenite mother and
forming miracles with it. Moroccan father. She began singing, like many Israeli
musicians, while in the army. Most of her songs are in
35 The Eternal River (MCI, Israel).
Hebrew, and she adds 1 990s dance rhythms and produc-
The fusion all began for Minuette with an innovative project at tion techniques to her dual inheritance.

the Jewish-Arab Music Festival in Jaffa, for which they were

35 The Desert Speaks EMI Hemisphere, ( UK).
asked to perform arrangements to the famous Egyptian com-
poser Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Egypt's best-known com- An undemanding blend and Western styles includ-
of Arabic
poser. This is the record that came out of it. ing music by Alon Oleartchik and Shlomo Gronich. Traditional
instruments rather swamped by synthesisers and electronics.
V)
30
Amal Murkus An evocative title track about the end of a relationship.

Amal means hope in Arabic, and 29-year-old Israeli-Arab

m
singer Amal Murkus is full of it. She's already performed
and recorded with Israel's best artists, appeared on TV, in

filmsand is now doing the new Israeli-Palestinian

Sesame Street' collaboration.

35 Amal (Highlights, Israel).

"A white dove, a flower in its beak, in its eyes an unbreakable oath
- never to let blood be shed between people" - lyrics from one of
Amal's songs in her marvellous first album collaborating with the
best Israeli musicians (Jews and Arabs). Reason enough to hope
for peace love and understanding. Warmly recommended.

Nash Didan
Nash Didan (Our People Have Arrived) was established to
preserve the group's Aramaic language. 1929 immigration In

started from their villages on the borders of Azerbaidjan,

Persia, Turkey and Russia and this community of 30,000
people came to Israel on camels, donkeys and by foot.

Nash Didan Idaylu (Phonokol, Israel).

Ifyou want to dance to the old language spoken in the Bible

- well, here it is. Mysterious voices, sounds mixed with oper-
atic voices and instruments reaching back two thousand Ziryab Trio
years.
A spin-off from Bustan Abraham - a trio of first class
musicians from Arabic and Turkish backgrounds. Oud
Sfatayim player Taiseer Elias leads the ensemble, with Nassim
Sfatayim Hebrew) come from the southern immi-
('lips' in Dakwar (violin) and Zihar Fresco (a very great percussion-
grants' village of Sderoth.They play traditional music ist in international demand).

from Morocco and original songs in Moroccan style.

S Oriental Art Music (Nada Productions, Israel;

fl Moroccan Party (Phonokol, Israel). Crammed World, Belgium).

The very danceable greatest hits of Sfatayim. A real Clear textures and sensitive playing of music by Tanburi Jemil
Moroccan Hafla with traditional and Western instruments. Bey and twentieth-century Egyptian composers in a live con-
Sung mostly in Moroccan Arabic. cert. The trio are joined by Avraham Salman on kanun and
Emmanuel Mann on bass for one of the most compelling
recitals of classical Arabic and Turkish music around.
Tea Packs
Another group from Sderoth who make everybody smile
with joyous lyrics (about love, life and politics) and with
^
^ see
more on Jewish music from
For
the following articleon
outside Israel,
Sephardic Music,
their Mediterranean-North African rhythms. Kobi Oz, the and for Palestinian Music, see p. 385. The
group's leader (of Tunisian origin) is one of the most predominantly American revival of Klezmer Music
colourful of Israeli artists. is covered in Volume 2.

Israel 369
 Jewish Music I Sephardic

ladino romance
There are two great diaspora traditions of Jewish music - Klezmer and Sephardic - the first bom in
Eastern Europe and largely recreated in the US (see Volume 2 of the Rough Guide), and the latter bom
in Spain and developed in exile in other parts of the Mediterranean. The roots of Sephardic music are

popularly thought to be the music and romances of the Spanish Jews, prior to their expulsion in 1492.
However, the story is more complex than that as different cultures and layers of history have left their
mark. The word Sephardic itself refers to the Biblical Sefarad. traditionally thought to be the Iberian
c_
m Peninsula, though the place actually mentioned in the Old Testament (Obadrah 1:20) was probably
somewhere else. As Judith Cohen explains, the making of Sephardic music involves the recreation
CO of several traditions and the creation of a few myths in the process.

CO
m marked the final Christian
year 1492 we'll concentrate on the original meaning, and
The of what is now Spain, when
reconquista songs in Judeo-Spanish/Ladino.
Ferdinand and Isabella's troops took
Granada, the last Moorish stronghold. In
La yave de Espanya (The Key of Spain)
the same year, they proclaimed the Edict of
Where is the key that was in the drawer?
Expulsion of the Jews who had lived in the Iberi-
My forefathers brought it with great pain
an peninsula for over a millennium. Jews were
From their house in Spain
CO given three months to arrange their affairs, sell
Dreams of Spain
o off their homes and goods, and leave — or con-
Where the key that was in the drawer?
vert to Catholicism and stay on as conversos or is

'New Christians' — in danger of being denounced My forefathers brought it with great love.

as secret Judaisers by the Inquisition and tortured,

They told their children, this is the heart of

imprisoned or burned at the stake. No one has our home in Spain.

Dreams of Spain
really figured out how many left but historians
estimate the Jewish population in Spain just before Where is the key that was in the drawer?
the Expulsion as somewhere between My forefathers brought it with great love.
100—200,000. Five years later the process was They gave it to their grandchildren for them to
repeated in Portugal, where a number of the keep in the drawer.
Spanish Jews had moved. Dreams of Spain
Most of the exiled Sephardim made their way Music and lyrics by Flory Jagoda (1 984)
to establish communities in northern Morocco
or the Ottoman cities of Constantinople. Thes-
saloniki and Jerusalem. There they continued to
speak their language, now known as Judeo-Span-
Musical Crosscurrents
ish or Ladino (though strictly speaking the latter Sephardic songs reflect the same mixture of cul-
refers to a word-for-word translation from Hebrew tures as the language itself. Those songs which the
religious texts). The language and the name given exiles took with them were adapted and changed
to it differs from one place to another, but it gen- over the centuries, often absorbing melodies from
erally includes archaic forms going back to local Greek. Turkish or Moroccan songs. Songs
medieval Spanish languages (Castilian, Catalan. were also borrowed from these new environments
Gahcian-Portuguese). mixed in with bits and pieces and, of course, new ones were composed. The
of Hebrew, Greek. Turkish. Arabic, and later on. story of Sephardic songs is further complicated by
Italian, French and modern Spanish. the fact that some of the nmosflf and their descen-

These days 'Sephardic' is often used to refer to dants left Spain and Portugal much later than the
almost any Jewish group which is not Ashkenazi Expulsion, not as Jews but as Christians who then
(basically, of Eastern European origin), but here resumed their Jewish identities. Other Sephardim

370 Jewish Sephardic music

actually returned to Spain, either for business or. Sephardic proverb, but actually the repertoire across
to stay on as New Christians. Thus the songs of the diaspora is markedly different.

the Sephardic tradition don't necessarily hark back Sephardic wedding songs in Turkey and Bul-
to medieval Spain - andmany of them have trav- garia may be sung 9/8
to a typically Balkan
elled from one Jewish community to another. rhythm (2-2-2-3), while Moroccan Jews adopt-
Some song texts, especially romances (narra- ed a local 6/8 rhythm and the women trilled the
tive ballads) and wedding songs, can indeed be high-pitched ululation common throughout the
traced back to medieval or Renaissance Spain, Middle East and much of Africa. In Turkey,
but their tunes are not often medieval. Some melodies from the older genres were often sung
Sephardic romance tunes share musical traits with in tnaqam, the Turkish modal system, and (espe-
ballads in the cancioneros (Spanish courtly songs) cially romances) in a melismatic style with one syl-

of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but lable stretched out over several different pitches.
as a group, the tunes are exuberantly eclectic, In both eastern and western repertoires, the vocal
reflecting five centuries of exile. They include style was usually similar to that of the host culture
adapted melodies and styles from classical - Turkey, Greece or Morocco - though in recent
Ottoman maqamat, Moroccan rhythms, Argen- decades, especially among younger singers, it has
tine tangos, Istanbul Gypsy and gazino songs, become more Westernised.
CO
Greek operettas, Maurice Chevalier tunes, the Women have been the main carriers of the song
Charleston, popular nineteenth-century Spanish tradition - it's a predominantly domestic reper-
CO
melodies. One of the best-known songs in the toire. The older among them generally sing in a m
Ladino repertoire "Adio querida" ("Farewell
is fairly low range (sometimes higher when they're
my love; life has lost its attraction for me, you've younger), in a strong, focused voice, with rapid, >
made it bitter"). Its tune appears to have come but clear vocal ornaments. Judeo-Spanish songs 30
from the "Addio al passato" in the last act of aren't harmonised, though in this century Bosni-
O
Verdi's La Traviata. an Sephardim was sometimes sung in parallel thirds.
o
Very broadly, Judeo-Spanish songs can be divid- Sadly, one now.
rarely hears the old styles 3
ed into three groups: the romances, songs for most songs are unaccompanied -
Traditionally, CO
religious and life-cycle occasions, and lyrical,
topical or recreational songs. There are also
women's hands were busy with various domestic
tasks while they sang -wedding songs,
except for
o
Sephardic religious songs sung in Hebrew, often which the women accompanied on percussion
to melodies from the Judeo-Spanish/Ladino tra- (usually tambourines). One of the few things we
dition. Most scholarly work has concentrated on know about Jewish women singers in medieval
the romances, with their tantalising ties to old Spain is that they played various kinds of hand per-
Spanish literature. But most of the songs featured cussion: a chronicle of the Expulsion even tells us
in concert and on disc are canticas - lyrical songs that the rabbis told the exiles to sing and play their
and love songs, most of them from the eastern tambourines and frame drums. When men per-
Mediterranean, rather than Morocco, and dating formed the songs, they usually added local stringed
to the second half of the nineteenth century. instruments such as the oud (lute) or kanun
Contemporary composition in Judeo-Spanish (plucked zither). Today, recording artists experi-
has been scanty: the only ones which have really ment with instruments from all sorts of traditions
entered the folk repertoire are in a light tradition- - medieval and Renaissance, Middle Eastern,
by Bosnian Flory Jagoda, a gifted musi-
al style Western Classical, jazz and folk.

composer and grandmother living in

cian, singer, The eastern repertoire is far better represent-
Washington DC. ed on commercial recordings, and it's the one most
people with a casual knowledge ofJudeo-Spanish

Western and Eastern songs have heard. The early twentieth century
commercial recordings of Sephardic songs were
Traditions from Turkey and Greece, and the first Israeli
The two main areas where Judeo-Spanish song singers to popularise the repertoire came from
flourished over the centuries were northern Sephardic families in Jerusalem. The popular lyric
Morocco - often called the Western tradition - songs never really developed in Morocco.
and the former Ottoman lands of Turkey, Musically, Eastern lyric songs are quite differ-
Greece, the Balkan countries, Jerusalem and ent from the older genres (the romances and life-

Alexandria - the Eastern tradition. "Whichever cycle and calendrical songs). They're much
wagon you get on, sing the same song" runs a shorter than the narrative ballads, their melodies

Jewish Sephardic music 371

 are often influenced by Western European music, simply left Spain much later than the Expulsion,
and their texts are usually romantic or amusing. or were composed
one area and then learned
in
They were probably easier on unaccustomed ears from travellers in others. The well-known "Cuan-
(before the World Music scene turned our do el Rey Nimrod" (When King Nimrod) about
notions of the familiar upside down) and easier the birth of Abraham, with other Biblical episodes
to adapt for concerts and recordings. As the most mixed in, is probably one of these relatively recent
recent part of the repertoire, it's ironic that travelling songs.
they're often assigned exotic medieval Spanish
associations.
Portugal: the Crypto
When songs exist in both the Moroccan and
eastern repertoires (usually with different melodies),
Jews
tempting to conclude that they go back to pre-
it's The community of so-called Crypto-Jews of
Expulsion Spain. In some cases - certain ballads Portugal (also known as Marranos although this
and wedding songs - the words do go back carries pejorative connotations) were the result
(although not the tunes). But often these songs of the 1497 Expulsion which turned out to be

CO

CO
m The Three Main Types of Judeo -
o the Sephardic Repertoire
Some of the Sephardic 'Spanish' Romances go Turkish, Greek. The bride in one Moroccan wedding
back to the early Middle Ages, others derive from later song compares life in her father's home ("I looked in

broadside ballads or later still, were adapted from the the mirror") with life in her husband's ("I look in his wal-

local (for example, Greek) repertoire. The older ones let") but concludes on a sincerely pious note of praise.
CO tend to feature queens, kings and other members of Other songs describe the dowry and trousseau, and
o the old nobility, or famous historical characters such some include erotic references ("clouds wander through
as El Cid, and stories of encounters among the three the sky and the groom gets wet"), especially those tra-

cultures, Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Love, seduc- ditionally sung among women only.

tion, rape, heroism, poisoning, rescue, sailors and such There are also a few birth songs, which privilege
familiar figures as the warrior maiden and the disguised the birth of male babies; "Cuando el Rey Nimrod", about
husband home from the wars abound. There are also the birth of Abraham, is often used as a birth song.
Old Testament romances. Some are still sung in Spain, Laments (endechas) were traditionally sung only on
Portugal or Latin America; others have been kept in suitable occasions of mourning; otherwise, it was con-
oral tradition only among the Sephardim. Most of them sidered bad luck to sing them. The calendar cycle songs,
are in a standard form of an indefinite number of eight- mostly known as coplas, follow the religious year,
syllable lines all sharing the same assonance. although several are on religious themes but not asso-
The romance "Gerineldo" one of the best-known ciated with any one holiday. Songs for Purim are espe-

Moroccan Judeo-Spanish songs, is still heard in Spain cially popular in both Judeo-Spanish repertoires.
and Portugal (now very rarely, if at all, in the eastern Lyrical, love and recreational/topical songs
Judeo-Spanish repertoire). Briefly, a princess invites are mostly from the eastern repertoire. Many devel-
one of the king's pages, Gerineldo, to sleep with her. oped in the mid-to-late nineteenth century or after-
The king finds them and - in the Jewish version - wards, as love marriages, rather than arranged
decides against the more common Hispanic solution marriages, became a possibility. Some are from Spain,

of killing one or both of them to maintain honour, and but not medieval or Renaissance Spain; some are adap-
instead marries them off to each other. This has led to tations from Turkish or Greek songs, some are even
the unique Moroccan Sephardic expression, "el mazal translations from tangos, operettas and other 'mod-
de Gerineldo", the good luck (from Hebrew mazal - em' sources. They range from the very romantic ("Yo
star, fortune - as in Mazal tov! - Congratulations!) of m'enamori de un aire" - 'I fell in love with an air') to

Gerineldo. local events such as the Great Fire of Salonica in 1917

Wedding songs (in the eastern repertoire known ("Dia de Shabbat, mi madre") to out-and-out gossip

as 'canticas', in Morocco 'cantares de boda') are by ("Esterina Sarfatti's in love..."), and satire ("Me vaya
far the most numerous and popular of the life-cycle kappara" talks about the fashionable Andalusian min-
songs, and tend to pick up local rhythms - Moroccan, eral springs for liver ailments).

372 Jewish Sephardic music

more of a forced baptism (some 20,000). These and wedding songs from women in the Moroc-
instant New Christians were not permitted to can town of Tetouan in 1956); Edwin Seroussi
leave the country and many continued to iden- (Turkish and Bulgarian singers in Israel); and most
tity with Judaism, or practice it in secret. Since extensively by Shoshana Weich-Shahak (who's
1996, the author of this piece has been working recorded both eastern and western repertoire -
with these communities as part of an ethnomu- including the Moroccan singer Alicia Bendayan,
sicology project. Their songs are in Portuguese, who'd appeared on Yurchenco's recordings of a
rather than Ladino or Hebrew, though they have quarter of a century earlier). These have all found
learned some songs and prayers in these two lan- CD re-issues.
guages from visitors. Their prayers, and some
Old Testament Biblical ballads on themes of Sephardic Performers
escape - Jonah, Isaac, Daniel, the crossing of the
Red Sea - are now mostly recited rather than Ironically, many of the most popular singers of
sung. The very few songs in Portuguese which Sephardic music are not themselves Sephardic, but
are specifically theirs were probably composed anumber of important performers are. Several of
in the early twentieth century. Once again much them modify the traditional style - often they've
of this repertoire is more recent than is popu- skipped a generation of direct oral transmission,
CO
larly imagined. and have learned their songs in other ways — but X
all the same, these performers tend to stick to the CO
Archive Recordings repertoire of their own community. m
Amongst singers from the eastern tradition,
With its historical roots going back half a milleni- Gloria Levy in New York exerted considerable
um, it's all too easy to think of Sephardic music as
dead enjoying revival. But in the dias-
influence over later performers. She learned her
songs from her mother, Emilie Levy, who grew
O
a art

pora communities hung on

fact,

to their traditions tena- up and continued, well into her

in Alexandria,
o
ciously and their singers maintained a living and coach aspiring per-
eighties, to sing in a choir

tradition into the twentieth century. A good num- formers of Judeo-Spanish song. Her songs are CO
ber of singers are still performing, and many oth- mainly quite modern lyric songs, in a la franca o
ers have been captured on disc. (European, as opposed to Turkish) style, per-
As with Klezmer music, the first 78rpm record- formed with guitar and mandolin accompaniment.
ings of Sephardic music appeared in the early years Another major influence and teacher has been
of the century - mainly in Turkey. The artists Flory Jagoda. Known as 'La Nona', Flory per-
were mostly men, usually singing with ud or forms with her three grown children, and her
kanun accompaniment; the same men were often recording La Nona Kanta (The Grandmother
also respected performers of Turkish classical Sings) is aimed affectionately at children. In
music, and sometimes synagogue cantors. Among Turkey, the best-known group is the Pasharos
them were Haim Efendi, Jack Mayesh and Sefardies (Sephardic Songbirds). Karen Gerson
Yitzhak Algazi (many of the latter's virtuoso and Izzet Bana infuse the quartet's lively perfor-
performances were re-issued on cassette in the mances with characteristic expressions and ges-
1980s by Israeli ethnomusicologist Edwin Serous- tures, and are accompanied by traditional string

si). The principal woman recorded was Victo- instruments. Their repertoire consists largely of
ria Rosa Hazan, born in 1898 in Turkey. She late nineteenth-century lyric and topical songs,

emigrated to the US in 1920, and continued to often learned from older members of the Istanbul
advise and coach aspiring singers of Judeo-Span- community. Jak and Janet Esim also perform
ish song. Roza Eskenazi, who despite her name similar repertoire.
was also a Sephardic Jew, was one of the best- There are few performers of Moroccan
known Greek rembetika singers of the 1920s (see Sephardic descent and the western tradition is

p. 128), although she didn't actually record any principally represented by the Montreal, Canada-
Judeo-Spanish repertoire. based group Gerineldo, led by Oro Anahory-
Written collections of Judeo-Spanish songs Librowicz, of which Judith Cohen is the only
were made early this century by Manuel Manrique non-Sephardic member. Gerineldo's songs, sung
de Lara, Alberto Hemsi and other musicologists in in traditional style, are from their own field record-
the eastern and western areas. Since then impor- ings and family memories, and mostly of the
tant documentary recordings of living singers have endangered species of older romances and wed-
been made by Henrietta Yurchenco (romances ding songs. The name 'Gerineldo' is taken from a

Jewish Sephardic music 373

 romance whose story goes back to Carolingian These pieces are usually prayers, piyyutim (songs
times (see box on p. 372). of praise) or other religious texts. The tradition has
Israel considers Judeo-Spanish song as part of continued with Moroccans — like Jo Amar,
its heritage and for a long timemost performers Haim Louk and recently Emil Zrihan — func-
learned their repertoire principally from Isaac tioning as cantors for their own congregations. In
Levy's four-volume anthology. Levy, himself from the right hands, the music has that heightened
a Jerusalem Sephardic family, collected a huge cor- intensity that characterises much devotional music
pus of songs, pioneered Judeo-Spanish music on round the globe. Zrihan's backing includes oud,
Israeli radio, and also performed and recorded the violin, accordion and darabouka (goblet drum) giv-

songs. His performances and transcriptions are ing the music a real Moroccan sound and, like
Westernised, sacrificing the oriental maqam to well- many cantors, he's successfully taking it into the
tempered piano accompaniment and often simpli- concert hall.

fied rhythms. He has probably been the single most A particularly convincing Israeli performer from
influential figure in the revival ofJudeo-Spanish outside the tradition is Ruth Yaakov, who spe-
song, while the best-known Israeli performer is cialises in Balkan and Turkish Sephardic songs. She
Yehoram Gaon, an Israeli singing star from a is one of the rare singers who combine Western
Jerusalem Sephardic family. Gaon's records have conceit training with a traditional style, in her case
CO
X played a central role in disseminating songs from a clear, low-to-middle range timbre with a strong

the eastern lyric and light religious repertoires, usu- edge. She performs with a trio of Middle-Eastern
CO
m ally backed up by a small Western orchestra. musicians based in Israel.

Many of the early performers recorded on

78rpm such as Yitzhak Algazi also sang in Hebrew. Spaniards and Fusions
Spanish singers often see Judeo-Spanish song as

part of their own heritage and have recorded much

of the material. The first Spanish artists to record

CO Judeo-Spanish songs were both women trained in

o Western concert music: Sofia Noel, and the

renowned Victoria de los Angeles. Folklorist
Joaquin Diaz was the first to record the reper-
toire in a non-classical style, in the 1 970s. His vocal
technique wouldn't be mistaken for Moroccan or
Turkish, but his warm voice and extensive back-
ground in regional Spanish folk traditions have
influenced many other singers.
Folklorist Angel Carril and the groups Raices
and La Bazanca (led by Paco Diez) have exper-
imented with Spanish traditional singing styles
and a mixture of Spanish and Middle-Eastern
instruments. Rosa Zaragoza has recorded com-
binations of songs from the 'three cultures' of
Spain (Jewish, Muslim and Christian). Definite-
lyworth noting are two recent recordings (Arbol-
era Iand II) by Spanish singers Jose-Manuel
Fraile and Eliseo Parra. These are directed by
Israeli Shoshana Weich-Sha-
ethnomusicologist
hak, who coached the singers in
plays kanun,
authentic performance style, and brought an
intriguing selection of songs from her own field

recordings.
Several groups performing Sephardic music have
ignored the living tradition and have chosen to re-
invent an 'historical' one. This has been fertile ground
for early music specialists from the Western classical

Emil Zrihan tradition and their 'Medieval-Sephardic fusion'

374 Jewish Sephardic music

 1 '

comes from romantic misconceptions about a body In Europe, there's a large crop of French singers

of music going back to Medieval Spain. Alia Musi- - including Jacinta, Helene Engel, Francoise
ca in Spain, Accentus in Vienna and Altramar in Atlan, Sandra Bessis and Esther Lamandier;
tbe US are among tbe groups who perform this sort Liliana Treves Alcalay is working in Italy, and
of material. They're good musicians, and have done Jana Lewitova in the Czech Republic; while
reasonable research, but the main part of the tradi- popular Greek artist Savina Yannatou has record-
tion is vocal, and that's where they fall down, rely- ed Greek Judeo-Spanish songs with appropriate
ing on classical training even if they do try to modify instrumental accompaniment.
it, so that it contrasts even more oddly with the The future ofJudeo-Spanish/Ladino/Sephardic
instrumentals. They tend not to have fun with those songs probably depends on these performers from
songs which invite it; and overall they're short on outside the tradition. Over the past few years, their
warmth and spontaneity. choices of repertoire and approach to singing styles
While there are many well-established Sephardic
have become quite open and flexible. And though
communities in North America, the best-known the language is spoken by very few young people,
performers ofJudeo-Spanish songs there are rarely
the songs seem to have taken on a life of their own
Sephardic. One group currently specialising in
in a series of new voyages and diasporas.
Judeo-Spanish songs is Voice of the Turtle,
CO
whose director, Judith Wachs, has worked with
CO
discography m
o
VOICE OF I II I TIRT I I
>
llnlluiu Vistas 'Spanish Dreams For details of record labels and developments,
PATHS 1
EMI.E1

i n v M SERIES. V(HI,ME 111

there's an interesting Sephardic music website at
www.geocities.com/Paris/6256/pizmonim.htm

Compilations CO
S3 Chants judeo-espagnoles (Inedit, France).

These are unaccompanied solo recordings of two elderly

women - Berta (Bienvenida) Aguado and Loretta (Dora)
Gerassi - made in Israel in 1993. Aguado, born in Turkey in
1929 is an especially subtle performer of the old Ottoman
Judeo-Spanish tradition. Gerassi was born in Bulgaria in
1931 and sings in a more Westernised style. The songs
range through old romances, holiday songs, wedding songs
and love songs. Informative notes, though only a few of the
songs are translated.

Cantos Tradicionales y Romances Judeo-

espaiioles de Oriente and Cantares y
scholars and documentary sources to develop a
Romances Tradicionales Sefardies de Marruecos
wide repertoire across the various Sephardic tra-
(Tecnosaga, Spain).
ditions. The quartet uses an eclectic assortment of
Since the late 1970s, Israeli ethnomusicologist Shoshana
medieval, Renaissance, early music and Middle Weich-Shahak has collected and Sephardic songs, mainly
Eastern instruments, though their vocals give lit- using elderly traditional, Israeli -resident singers. The per-
tle what a traditional Sephardic male or
idea of formers are mostly women, a cappella except for some
percussion on wedding songs. The Oriente disc here com-
female singer would sound like.
prises Romances and wedding songs, plus some liturgical
Other US groups include Alhambra, led by songs which are models for mode (maqam). ornamenta-
Isabelle Ganz, and David Harrison's Voices of tion and vocal timbre (i.e. expert singing without the inter-
Sepharad, both of whom combine classical and ference of classical training.) The Moroccan disc is the real
stuff, including Tetouan romances sung by Alicia
cantorial training and independent research. Har- Bendayan and a medly of wedding songs. Notes are in
rison's singing is backed up by a flamenco Spanish.
guitarist an eclectic percussionist and a dancer/
S3 Duelas y Alegrias de la Novia (Global Village, US).
dance scholar, Judith Brin Ingber (although there
These 1 956 recordings by Henrietta Yurchenco are important
is no such thing as specifically Sephardic danc-
early documents. They include good a cappella singing from
ing). The singer Judy Frankel has also record- women (including Alicia Bendayan) in Tetuan. Notes are mini-
ed Sephardic songs. mal but song texts and translations are included.

Jewish Sephardic music 375

 Artists v
Flory Jagoda
One of the most influential figures in the renaissance of
Rabbi Isaac (Yitzhak) Algazi
Judeo-Spanish song, Jagoda was born in Sarajevo,
Yitzhak Algaziwas a Turkish Sephardic singer, revered for Bosnia and is now resident in the US. Her repertoire is
his virtuosoperformances of synagogue singing, Judeo- from the eastern Mediterranean tradition; her own com-
Spanish songs and Turkish classical music. He died in positions have entered the folk tradition.
Uruguay in the 1 960s.
33 La Nona Kanta (The Grandmother Sings)
fS?l Cantorial Compositions, Piyyutim, (Global Village, US).
and Judeo-Spanish Songs (Renanot, Jerusalem).
Flory Jagoda is joined by her adult family.Few of the old bal-
Reissued 78s, on two cassettes, accompanying the book lads or life-cycle songs, but a musical window on pre-war
The Life and Music of Rabbi Isaac Algazi from Turkey by Jewish Sarajevo.
Edwin Seroussi published in 1989.

Los Pasharos Sefardies

Arbolera
This Turkish Sephardic group, based in Istanbul and
An group made up of Spanish singers and
intriguing directed by Karen Gerson with vocalist Izzet Bana, have
instrumentalists Jose-Manuel Fraile Gil and Eliseo Parra been influential in disseminating the lighter Turkish
m with Israeli specialist Shoshana Weich-Shahak directing
the recordings and playing kanun. •
Judeo-Spanish repertoire, and in setting new composi-
tions by Israeli Sephardic poet Avner Perez.

co 33 Arbolera I & 2 (Tecnosaga, Spain). 33 La Romanza de Rika Curiel (Gozlem, Turkey).

3E Two recordings drawing on Weich-Shahak's extensive field Very little of the old romance and life/calendar cycle reper-
CO recordings. The first volume covers various genres (with male toire, but engaging Turkish style music with santur and oud.
m
-o
vocals), while the second (featuring romances) is let down by
a rather anodyne female vocalist. Good instrumentals (kanun,
David Saltiel
> oud, saz, percussion) and thorough jacket notes.
David Saltiel, in his sixties, was born in Salonica and
39 never left it. He is probably the last singer in the old
Henriette Azen Salonica style, harking back to the old 78s released
Azen a veteran Paris-based singer from the Moroccan
is between the wars. Subtle ornamentation in the vocal
Judeo-Spanish tradition. delivery, and the modes and rhythms are those of the
early twentieth century, well before the commercialisation
'

DesdeNacimiento hasta la Muerte

el
of Judeo-Spanish song.
to (From Birth to Death) (SacemA/idas Largas, France).
o 1991 recording of a cappella renditions from Mme Azen's
Jewish-Spanish Songs of Thessaloniki
(Oriente, Germany).
family repertoire.
This is the recording of Judeo-Spanish music from Salonica

and the wider Ottoman tradition. Saltiel is accompanied by

Joaquin Diaz
expert Greek musicians on oud, qanun, violin, lyra and frame
musician and author Diaz is Director of his
Folklorist, own drum - perhaps heavier instrumentation than would originally
Ethnographic Museum, northwest of Madrid. have been used. Life-cycle songs, calendar songs, love
songs and topical humorous songs - no ballads/romances. A
33 Kantes judeo-espanyoles (Tecnosaga, Spain).
few well-known songs such as "Morena me llaman" and "La
A 1 996 recording of many well-known songs, others less so serena" as they're meant to sound, as well as less familiar
from the Ottoman and Moroccan repertoires. Some a cappel- ones, from moving stories to sly double-entendres. Excellent
la others with guitar. It's not a Sephardic vocal style, but notes and song texts in English, Spanish and Greek.
warm, subtle vocals, based on decades of working with tradi-
tional village singers.

Gerineldo
Formed in 1981, Gerineldo is the only performing group
specialising in the Moroccan Judeo-Spanish repertoire
and performance style. The quartet is led by Oro
Anahory-Librowicz, including Kelly Sultan Amar, Solly
Levy and Judith Cohen. Their repertoire is learned from
oral tradition, backed up by extensive research.

Me Vaya Kappar
(Tecnosaga, Spain).

The best introduction to the Moroccan repertoire. A cappella

performances with occasional oud and percussion.

33En Medio de Aquel Camino

(Midway Along the Road) (Gerineldo, Canada).
Includes both western and eastern repertoire, including differ-

ent versions of the same romance, wedding and religious

songs. Also includes Charly Edry on oud, violin and darabou-
ka (goblet drum).

376 Jewish Sephardic music

 Her ensemble consists of Armenian oud and saz player
Voice of the Turtle Juan Carlos Sungurlian, Albanian violinist Shkelzen Doli
Voice of the Turtle are probably the best-known group and Turkish percussionist Levent Tarhan.
performing Sephardic repertoire - a Boston-based quar-
33 Shaatnez: Sephardic Songs of the Balkans
tet directed by Judith Wachs with Lisle Kulbach, Derek
(Piranha, Germany).
Burroughs and Jay Rosenberg. On the scene since the
early 1980s, they have released a well-planned Paths of Good strong vocals and excellent instrumental contributions
Exile series including music from Turkey, Morocco, the make this a compelling collection of songs (and a couple of
Balkans and Jerusalem, all with lyrics, translations, and instrumental pieces) from Turkey and the Balkans. Several
good notes. songs taken from the repertoire of Berta (Bienvenida) Aguado
and 78rpm recordings. Lyrics and translations.
S3 Balkan Vistas: Spanish Dreams
(Titanic Records, US).
Emil Zrihan
Repertoire from Yugoslavia and Bulgaria based largely on
collections by Shoshana Weich-Shahak, plus the Flory Born in Rabat, Morocco in 1954, Zrihan moved to Israel
Jagoda song "La yave de Espanya" (Dreams of Spain). as a child where he has become a successful cantor and
performer of sacred and secular music in the Moroccan
S3 Full Circle: Music of the Spanish Jews of tradition.
Jerusalem (Titanic Records, US).
Ashkelon
The Jerusalem repertoire means it includes songs from dif- (Piranha, Germany).
ferent parts of the Sephardic diaspora except Morocco.
The disc includes more of their own collections and mixes Named after the city in Israel where Zrihan lives, and one of

old favourites ("Adio kerida") with lesser-known songs ("Yo the oldest in the world. A brief introduction on the oud, then
era un leoniko") and a rarely recorded romance the darbouka drums
kick in, and wave upon wave of ecstatic

("Delgadina"). praise-music Moroccan, Arabic and Hebrew follows. Zrihan

in

has a voice that cuts and soars and the ensemble of oud,
violin, flamenco guitar, accordion, percussion and backing
Ruth Yaakov vocals drives this music in an unstoppable frenzy. The disc
From Jerusalem, Ruth Yaakov's considerable training in includes both Moroccan folk repertoire and Judeo-Moroccan
Western concert music hasn't stopped her from develop- religious mawals, a compelling juxtaposition of the
ing a clear timbre with a satisfying traditional edge to it. Mediterranean and the Orient.

Jewish Sephardic music 377

 Kurdish Music

songs of the stateless

To the Kurds, the world's largest nation without a country, cultural identity is the essence that fuels
the struggle for survival. An ethnic and historic entity since the 7th century BC, and a territory as large
as France, Kurdistan was in 1923 divided up amongst its neighbours - Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the
Soviet Republic of Armenia. Ever since, thirty-five million Kurds have become all too familiar with the
techniques states can deploy to suppress language and culture to make a people disappear. Eva
Skalla and Jemima Amiri listen to the sounds that give a voice to the Kurdish people.

Kurdish identity - The

Music
and
is integral to
there are few places on earth where
cians. feudal structure of society, however, in
which every feudal lord would have his dengbej
C/5
it more meaning, as an assertion and
has and would compete with fellow lords for the best,
expression of a culture. Historically, has changed greatly in this century. The system-
too, it has a central role in Kurdish society. In a atic destruction of Kurdish villages by the Turk-
C/J land of mountains and high plateaux, lying between ish, Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian governments has
O the Black Sea, the Iranian Plateau and the steppes resulted in a considerable movement to the towns
of Mesopotamia, music has for centuries been the and cities where a different kind of music scene
means of oral transmission of chronicles, epics and has evolved. Nonetheless, the majority of Kurds
lyrical poetry. In a non-country, whose language are still rural people, and some are still nomads.
and literature is suppressed, everything is sung and In Kurdistan one sings, if not of heroic deeds,
put to music to be committed to memory, to be then of unhappy, unrequited love, and unusually
passed down. it is thewoman who compose and sing the songs
The music sings of the joy and sorrow of every- of love, at least within their own village or val-

day life, gives rhythm to the labour of the field, ley, before the wandering minstrels - men — take
magnifies mystic and erotic rapture, and helps the up these songs and perform them on their travels.
listener to relive the tales of the wars and insur- The repertoire of these stranbej also includes erot-
rections that still punctuate the life of the Kurds. ic poetry, which is passionate and direct despite
The Kurdish prince Salahaddin - the Saladin of the Islamic culture. These singers are judged by
the Crusades — is one of the principal heroes whose their creativity, the beauty of their poetry and their

exploits feature in epic songs, though other sung ability to stir emotions.
events date back to the time of Alexander the is also a strong body of work songs, used
There
Great, and seem scarcely less current than those to accompany spinning wool and weaving rugs,
describing the Gulf War. The epic song is a con- or the threshing, winnowing and herding that is
stant call to battle and a glorified, nostalgic reminder part of agricultural life, or the shearing of sheep
of the past, arming its listeners against the harsh and the birth of lambs that puntuates nomadic fife.
realities of modem life, and defending their beliefs In addition, music is central to weddings, births,
and identity. Even today when a peshmerga (Kur- funerals and feasts. At all such events, young
dish freedom fighter) dies in the hills, his comrades and old dance for hours — men and women togeth-
sing and dance, long into the night, to express their er in long lines, arms linked. There are hundreds
grief and say their farewells. of different dances and they vary from region to
region. The music is provided by village musicians

Bards, Minstrels, and who newly created songs,

sing traditional or
accompanied on the zurna (wooden shawm), dhol
Songs (drum) and bloor (flute).

Traditionally Kurdish folklore is transmitted by A celebration of great importance to the Kurds

dengbej (bards), stranbej (minstrels) and chi- is Nawroz, the New Year, held on March 21st.

rokbej (story tellers), usually from families of musi- Bonfires are lit in every village, picnics are eaten

378 Kurdish music

and everyone dances till dawn. The lighting of ever, all the different types of modal schemes which
fires harks back to the pre-Islamic times and the are found in Persian traditional, classical and folk
Zoroastrian religion, which together with its fore- music also exist in Kurdish music in Iran; in fact,

runner, the ancient Yazidi religion, still survives it has been suggested that Kurdish music is one of
amongst the Kurds. Yazidis are found both in Iraqi the roots on which Persian classical music has been
Kurdistan - around their sacred shrine of Shekan built. As so much has been made of the influence
Baazra - and in Armenia, where there is relative of surrounding nations on the culture of the Kurds,
freedom for Kurds. Their religious music, mostly it is important to consider how much the influ-
no recordings are
sacred chants, survives although ence has been the other way. Kurdish musicians,
currendy available. There is religious music, too, especially within the diaspora, emphasise the inde-
among the various dervish and Sufi cults that pendence of Kurdish music from Persian or Arab
proliferate amongst the mountain valleys; hypnotic music, whilst national authorities prefer to
and trance inducing, its origins are ancient and marginalise Kurdish music as being a local species
predate Islam. As elsewhere, the daf (frame drum) of another nation's music.
and shimshal are used by Kurdish Sufis as part of
their ceremonies in order to induce trance.

Partition States
Instruments and O
Since partition in the 1920s the culture of the
Rhythm Kurds has been strongly disrupted. Travel between CO
The voice takes the leading role in Kurdish music the various Kurdish regions has been — and is
-
so instruments are secondary. Most of them are severely restricted, while mass media has helped
also found in the neighbouring musical traditions to impose dominant national languages even in CO
of Turkey and Armenia to the north, and Iran and the furthest-flung villages. Music has undergone o
Iraq to the south. The duduk (soft reedy oboe) different changes in the different countries, though
and bloor are more common in the north and in it has remained in clandestine circulation between
the mountains, as are the doozela (double reed them through smuggled and copied cassettes.

flute) and the shimshal (ney, long flute) - both

very much folk instruments. Amongst the stringed Turkish Kurdistan

instruments the tenbur (saz) is more common in
the north whilst the kamanche (spike fiddle), Until recently, in Turkey, all songs in Kurdish
which is thought to originate from Kurdistan, is were banned on pain of imprisonment, torture or
more of a southern instrument. The oud also fea- death, both for musicians and listeners. Through-
tures in the south as do the santur (zither) and tar out the last seventy years the Turks have been the
(lute) in more urban sophisticated contexts. most ruthless in their attempts to destroy all Kur-
While the content of Kurdish music and songs dish culture. Many musicians have been impris-
is very varied, the words are usually set to one of oned, killed or have fled into - such
exile; others

five different rhythmic patterns. One is based as the popular Arabesk singer Ibrahim Tathses -
on a Zoroastrian chatta (chant) with either eight have taken the easier path of singing in Turkish.
or ten syllables in each line. The other four styles Despite the risks, Kurdish pirate radio stations
are simply three verses with lines of eight syllables, have flourished, mostly run by partisans in the
or two verses with lines of seven, ten or twelve mountains, and a huge underground market for
syllables. The form containing two verses with tapes of forbidden singers, passing from hand to
lines of ten syllables is the most frequently used. hand, smuggled through from one part of Kur-
Songs which are based on these five rhythmic pat- distan to another, has grown up. It is in this atmo-
terns are considered to constitute the most ancient sphere that Sivan Perwer (see interview box
and traditional part of the repertoire. The melod- overleaf), themost famous and popular Kurdish
ic line is simple, its range consisting of only three singer today, came to the fore. Born in Urfa in
or four notes, which are repeated as the different Turkish Kurdistan, into a family of musicians, his

verses are sung. The form of the songs is strophic earliest memories are of songs of loss and of long-
- one identical line of poem and music recurs at ing, always filled with the desire to live in a land

theend of each stanza like a refrain. freefrom persecution. From an early age his wish
Kurdish music is modal, with the mode or was to be the best dengbej and already as a child,
maqam known as Kurdi throughout the Arab world composing his own songs, he was singled out for
being, as you might imagine, predominant. How- his remarkable voice.

Kurdish music 379

 §ivan Perwer
As a passionate defender o^h!s*peopie anci th*efr'
music, Sivan Perwer travels the world an untir- in

ing effort to make

music heard - the myth-
his
ical minstrel of an entire people. Political song

forms a good part of his repertory but it is in tra-

ditional, epic and love songs that he excels,
accompanying himself on the tenbur (saz); his
repertoire now includes nearly five hundred
songs, drawn, to some degree, on poetry from
the seventeenth century. He has made the ten-
bur he plays the symbol of the struggle and in
many homes a tenbur hangs on the wall mak-
ing a clear statement of defiance. Simon
*
Broughton talked to him:
c
30 What does it mean to be 'The Voice of the Kur-
O dish People'?
CO We have problems with politics, freedom, human rights

and democratic rights. When you are a Kurdish singer

or artist you have to talk about those. They affect your
life and you cannot separate them from what you do.
CO
You need morals and do
o strength to this.

Is it your role to draw attention to the Kurdish

problems?
Itry to bring a message into every song, for example

human rights, equality, justice, freedom, peace. Not

just about Kurds, but for everybody in the world. I'm !j>ivan Perwer
from Turkish Kurdistan, but I never wanted the Turks
and Kurds to fight each other. I hate war and I want
to the Kurdish people. I am telling Turkish people don't
them to live together in brotherhood.
kill your friends, because that is what they are required
Is that a message that you try and give to the to do in the army. Don't kill human beings. A Turkish
Kurdish people? mother is the same as a Kurdish mother. I would never
Yes. In Turkey, the government promotes very nation- condone killing Turks.
alistic ideas and tells the people to be proud they are
Now that Kurdish music can be played in Turkey
Turks. In my songs I tell the Kurdish people you have
[the government has legalised Kurdish language
to be proud to be a good human being. You have to
'in private', legalised sale of some tapes, and set
respect people and love them, then you can strive for
up a state radio station broadcsting in Kurdish],
peace and be a good human being. No matter what
would you go back?
language and culture you grow up with.
I have been nearly twenty three years in exile. Imagine
So you would never sing a song against the what that's like. I am a well-known singer and people
Turks? would love to hear me, but can't go. I It's just not safe.

No never. I just sing songs against the government, The government has killed Kurdish businessmen and
because they occupied, colonised and killed Kurdish other visitors. They might pretend to welcome me, but
people. I give a message to the Turkish people saying they would never let me sing my songs there. The sale
this government makes you guilty by what it is doing of Kurdish cassettes is just for show.

$ivan rose to fame rapidly in 1972 at Ankara charismatic and controversial figure with a
University, at the time of the Kurdish uprising breathtakingly beautiful voice, sing live, always
in Iraqi Kurdistan. Cassette tapes made on the illegallyand often at gatherings of peshmerga
simplest equipment were smuggled into Iraq and before they went into battle. In 1976 he had to
to Iran at great risk. Thousands were inspired lis- escape Turkey and fled to Germany, where he
tening to his songs, thousands came to hear this continued recording.

380 Kurdish music

 Sivan came to world notice when he took papt music; schools, universities and music schools,
in the Simple Truth concert at London's Wemb- teaching in Kurdish, were established; and there
ley Stadium in 1991, an event he organised with was a prolific output of cassettes. However with-
Peter Gabriel and the Red Cross to raise funds for few years the situation deteriorated,
in just a
the Kurds in the aftermath of the Gulf War. Kurds would not abandon the idea of indepen-
It is remarkable that Sivan should have such great dence and when one of the Kurdish political par-

popularity in all parts of Kurdistan and with the ties sided with the Iranians in the Iran-Iraq war,
Kurdish diaspora as well as with Azeris, Turks and wooed by hopes of independence, the Kurds
Persians given he banned from radio and tele-
is experienced the horror of chemical bombing.
vision across the whole region. Possession of one During the Gulf War thousands of villages were
of his political cassettes can lead to a long prison destroyed and their menfolk 'disappeared' by
sentence in Iran or Iraq, and only a few (of tradi- Saddam's secret police.
tional songs) are permitted for sale in Turkey. Since the establishment of the so-called Safe
Haven, after the Gulf War, the Kurds have had
Iraqi Kurdistan more freedom, but in a climate of full economic
sanctions and constant internal struggle and tur-
Until the emergence of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi moil there are no funds for developing an infras-
Kurdish musicians had a better situation than in tructure for recording. The radio and TV stations, 3D
Turkey. Urban Kurdish musicians were able to run by the different political factions, each cham- O
study music in Baghdad and perform on Baghdad pion and promote 'their' artists. CO
or Kirkuk radio, and they were permitted to take
a limited part in the cultural life of Iraq as long as
Iranian Kurdistan
there was no hint of anything political. CO
One of the great names of the century was the In Iran subsequent regimes have dealt harshly with o
legendary Ali Mardan (1914-1980) from Kirkuk, any Kurdish attempts at politics, whilst allowing
an urban musician, singer and composer whose Kurdish language newspapers and radio stations.
music sometimes showed Arab influences (he Musicians have at times been imprisoned, as else-

played with Arab orchestras), but was much appre- where, but there is a rich tradition in this region
ciated and played by many other Kurdish musi- and some of the most sophisticated musicians have
cians. Other important musicians include the first always come from this part of Kurdistan.
two Kurdish women singers to be recorded and A leading figure of recent decades has been Has-
to work on Baghdad radio, Ayse San and san Kamkar, who collected and arranged over
Miryem Xan; and Mohammed Arif Jesrawi, four hundred songs from the villages, founded a
another influential figure, whose music was taken school of Kurdish music in Sanandaj and trained
up by Kurds not only in Iraq but also in Iran. many of the musicians, including his eight chil-
In time, simple recording facilities became avail- dren, who have been in the forefront of urban
able, although a government licence was neces- musical tradition. The Kamkars are unique. Keep-
sary to make any recording. Getting this licence ing well clear of any political involvement, they
could take several months as the poetry was heav- have made a considerable name for themselves in
ily scrutinised by the censors for any political ref- the mainstream of Iranian music, playing and com-
erences, and so a highly symbolic language posing within both Iranian and Kurdish traditions.
evolved, a flower or a beautiful girl would sym- The exceptional singer of Iranian classical music,
bolise Kurdistan, the partridge the struggle for Sharam Nazeri is also Kurdish and frequently
freedom. Many were recorded illegally
cassettes includes Kurdish material in his performances.
on portable equipment and distributed clandes- Other important figures include the singer-
tinely with the result that numbers of musicians composer Said Asghar Kurdistani, who con-
and poets were imprisoned or put to death for tributed much to Iranian classical music; the singer

their defiance. Karim Kaban from Sulemaniyah and poet Abbas Kamandi; and Hassan Zirak,
was hanged, Tasin Taha was blown up, Tahir an genius who composed over a thousand
illiterate

Tafiq 'vanished'. Famous for his often erotic and sensual lyrics
songs.
In 1974, after a popular uprising that cost many coming straight out of the village tradition, Zirak
thousands of lives, the Kurds managed to win a travelled all over Kurdistan in the 1960s and '70s
degree of autonomy. They were allowed to pub- and rare recordings of his, from various radio sta-

lish in their own language; the radio stations in tions, have survived. Hama Mamie and Aziz
Erbil, Sulemaniyah and Kirkuk played Kurdish Shahrokh are also renowned for their remarkable

Kurdish music 381

The Kamikars

voices. Mamie is now in his eighties, but Aziz Britain, France, USA and Australia. Among the
Shahrokh is still singing and is considered a living exiles is a considerable musical community. At
legend, perfoming his own music and also some of every major gathering of Kurds whether for
the songs of an earlier generation, in particular the Nawroz, weddings or political events, musicians
music ofjesrawi. play and people dance their traditional dances.
Audiences are eager to hear singers from all regions

Syrian and Armenian of Kurdistan.

In Paris the Kurdish Institute, set up with the
Kurdistan help of the Mitterands, does much to promote
Only in Armenia have the Kurds been free of the Kurdish culture. It has an archive of old record-
fear and restriction that pervades elsewhere, ings and has re-issued many of these as well as some
although their numbers are small. In Yerevan, there new recordings. In Sweden where several musi-
is a Kurdish faculty at the university where research cians including Sivan have settled, there is a thriv-

has been done into Kurdish music, and there is a ing musical community. It is here that young
flourishing Kurdish radio station with a rich archive musicians have started to experiment, adding ele-
of recordings. ments from Western pop, Western classical, jazz,

In Syria, the Kurds are an isolated and sup- and Indian music to traditional Kurdish music.
pressed minority. Sivan's later records reflect these influences as
does the music of Naser Razazi and his wife
The Diaspora Marzia, exiles from Iran, with a big following at

Nawroz parties and gatherings. Najmeddin Ghu-

Faced by repression, war and destruction, over half lami is another urban singer who has settled in
a million Kurds have been forced to flee their Scandinavia. He has produced several recordings
homelands — many of them in 1974 and 1991 — using traditional instruments, but also experiments
but also on a continuing basis. The largest con- with other formations and has recently introduced
centrations are in Germany, followed by Sweden, a synthesiser to his line-up.

382 Kurdish music

 against the Turkish Republic in 1938. However, this is just
Ciwan Haco, originally from Turkish Kurdis- excellent singing and saz playing with some wild dances
tan, now living in Norway and playing with Nor- thrown in. Authentic and listenable.

wegian musicians, sings in Kurdish, and with some SI De Soran a Hawraman - Songs from Kurdistan
reference to Western rock music (Bruce Spring- (Al Sur, France).

steen springs to mind) draws his inspiration from Mostly traditional and folk music recorded in France by musi-
traditional music of Northern Kurdistan (Turkey). cians from both Iran and Iraq, featuring the kamanche, tan-

The up of strictures in exile has led to a

freeing
bur, daf, ney and duduk. Good notes in French and English,

generation of women singers becoming established. S3 Kurdish Music (Auvidis/Unesco, France).

In traditional Kurdish society they were unable to Field recordings made in Kurdish villages in Syria with instru-
make music a profession. Besides Marzia Razazi, ments that include the tanbur (saz), zorna (shawm), zil (cop-
per cymbals used by Kurdish nomads) and tabalak (clay ket-
there is Gulestan, Sivan's wife, who has record-
tledrums). Interesting notes in English.
ed and performed with him but is now making

her own records of traditional and new songs

accompanied on the saz. Meanwhile, two new- Artists
comers worth mentioning are Nilofar Akbar,
Dilshad
whose operatic training has influenced the way she
Considered by many in Iraqi Kurdistan to be a significant
performs, and Naze, who lives in Denmark, whose
influence on contemporary Kurdish music, Dilshad stud-
first record mixes traditional instruments with syn- ied violin and composition in Eastern Europe and then
thesiser and guitar more successfully than most. returned to Kurdistan to encourage development in music O
education. He now lives in Austria and has composed and CO
Gulestan also has a show on the new Kurdish
arranged for many other musicians including Sivan.
satellite TV station, MEDTV, which has a head
office in Brussels and others inLondon and Stock- H3 Kurdish music for Violin (Stran Music, Sweden).

holm. Although threatened with closure on a num- This recording, of Kurdish melodies on the is a good
violin,
CO
example musicians - including the Sulemaniah
ber of occasions through pressure from the Turkish
of
(Sulemaniah Orchestra) - playing Kurdish music
Tipi
in Western o
government, the station has become a major influ- classical style.
ence over the last five years with transmissions all

over the world. Most of the musicians based in liana Elia

Europe and the US have played on MEDTV and liana is a singer, the daughter of a Kurdish/Jewish musi-
the recordings of these shows have become a valu- cian from Iraq, and now lives in Israel.

able archive. These transmissions reach Kurdistan 83 liana Eliya (MCI, Israel).
where they feed new ideas into a young genera- liana attracted much attention with this, her first record, in
tion of musicians. 1 996. She sings in Kurdish accompanied by an ensemble of
musicians playing oud, saz, ney, zurna, cello, clarinet, flute,

dhol and keyboards.

Ciwan Haco
discography A refugee from Turkey, Ciwan has settled in Norway and

is one of the bright stars of contemporary Kurdish pop.

A few recordings of Kurdish music (Sivan, the Kamkars
SS Duri-Carcira (SES Plak, Turkey).
and the French anthologies) are now available from the
megastores, but the majority can be found only at spe- Ciwan plays with Kurdish and Norwegian musicians on this
cialist outlets and in Kurdish organisations, and then debut album which has been a big hit with the younger
mostly on cassette, although the numbers of CDs is Kurdish audience.
growing all the time. Stran Music in Sweden and Bahar
Video in Green Lanes, London (see p. 727) are useful, The Kamkars
while in Turkey SES Plak (WMC Blok No. 6410,
Unkapani, Istanbul, Turkey; » (90) 212 527 5261, fax (90) The Kamkars are a group of seven brothers
and a sister
212 513 5087) has an extensive selection of Kurdish pop from Sanandaj in and are certainly the
Iranian Kurdistan

music. most polished of Kurdish musicians. They are considered

Kurdish music information and discs are available online amongst the very best of musicians in Iran today for both
at the Global Heritage Website: www.terranovamusic.com their classical Persian and Kurdish repertoires. Many of
the group members play several instruments, they are
gifted soloists in their own right and prolific composers.
Compilations They are responsible for bringing Kurdish music into the
mainstream in Iran.
5 Yaslilar Dersim Turkuleri Sbyluyor
(ADA Muzik, Turkey). Nightingale with a Broken Wing
(RealWorldAWOMAD Select, UK).
The means 'Elders Sing Dersim Songs', and the tape is
title

made up of a number of excellent field recordings of amateur A good and instrumental tracks showing
collection of vocal
performers from the town of Dersim (known in Turkey as the group's virtuosity on oud, rabab, kamanche, tar, santur,
Tunceli) where there was one of the biggest Kurdish revolts setar, daf, gaychak and tombak. Instantly appealing music

Kurdish music 383

 with exuberant and joyful dance rhythms plus some lilting and Kurdish music with Western influences that is popular at
reflective songs. Very polished. parties.

83 Living Fire (Long Distance, France). S3 Ax Kurdistan (Own label, Denmark).

This live has a darker feel and

recording, recorded in Paris, Naze and Newroz head up Oriental Mood, the group of
perhaps more atmosphere and intensity. There are many Kurdish and Danish musicians featured on this recording
otherKamkar CDs available, including their classical perfor- playing a collection of traditional and new songs composed
mances, in Persian music shops in many large cities in by Naze and Newroz.
Europe, the US and Australia.

§ivan Perwer
Adnan Karim The whole generation of young musicians,
inspiration of a
Adnan Karim is one of a generation of musicians who Sivan was government as the voice
exiled by the Turkish
developed their style in Iraqi Kurdistan but fled the of a people demanding their independence. He is noted
oppression of the Iraqi government. He has now settled in for his emotive and passionate style. At least half of his
Sweden. Turkish CDs on SES Plak, the label with the best collec-
tion of Kurdish pop, are banned in Turkey. While most of
S3 The Longest Night (Stran Music, Sweden) Sivan's discs are traditional in style, others have him
Adnan is the singer and composer of most of the songs on experimenting with synthesisers and electric guitars. He
this recording in the traditional style. was made tours constantly and is based in Sweden.
It in
Sulemaniyah (Iraqi Kurdistan) by the music group ofjhe
S3 Chants du Kurdistan (Auvidis/Ethnic, France).
Kurdish Fine Arts Society and remixed in Sweden.
This collection of mostly traditional songs is a good introduc-

o Hama Mamie tion to §ivan's earlier music, accompanying himself on saz.

From a traditional family of musicians, now in his eighties Kirive Volumes 1 &2
and considered one of the great old singers, Mamie is 83 (SES Plak, Turkey).
renowned for his beautiful voice. He was deported by the Sivan has sixteen CDs on SES Plak and these volumes are
Shah's regime and now lives in Sweden. best of collections and a good place to start. They include

many of his most famous political songs and some folk

S3 Zemane (Stran Music, Sweden).

o A collection of classic recordings on which he is accompanied

songs. Sivan accompanies himself on the saz, other instru-
ments include duduk, bloor, oud and kanun.
by violin, flute, santur, tar, oud and zarb (tombak drum).
Naser and Marzia Razazi
Sharam Nazeri & Ensemble Alizadeh Both Naser and his wife Marzia were born in Iranian
Sharam Nazeri, born in Kermanshah in 1949, is one of Kurdistan and fled at the time of the Iranian revolution.
Iran'stop classical singers and the Ensemble Alizadeh Very popular among the Kurds in Europe, they live in
one of the best groups of instrumentalists in the country. Sweden and have made several recordings of dance
Nazeri is famed for his Sufi singing. melodies and folk songs, accompanied on traditional
and electric instruments. Nazir is now talking of return-
33 Nowruz: Traditional and Classical Music ing to his acoustics roots and moving away from his
(World Network, Germany) synthesiser.

Most of the music here is Persian classical music plus various

S3 Piroz (Stran Music, Sweden).
Kurdish tunes, including several folksongs from Nazeri's
native region. A fine recording nevertheless. This album (or equally Be, Gome Sin or Nayale Cudayi) gives
you the inside track on dance music, a very important feature,
at every Kurdish party.
Naze & Newroz
Both young musicians, Naze and her husband Newroz are Many thanks to Hooshang Kamkar, Arsalan Kamkar,
refugeesliving in Denmark. She has a rich, dramatic voice Sivan Perwer, Kendal Nizam, Ahmed Nejad, Newroz and
and their music is a good example of new popular Sheri Laiser for their help in preparing this piece.

384 Kurdish music

Palestinian music

the sounds of struggle

As an uneasy peace between the Palestinian National Authority (which administers the Gaza
persists
and Jericho territories Israel) and the Israeli Government, Palestinian music is still as much
vacated by
a statement of identity as it's ever been. In the years of the Intifada, music played a substantial part in
the movement, but today the beginnings of a more stable musical life are underway. Andy Morgan
and Mu'tasem Adileh chart the background and explore the current Palestinian music scene.

the creation of the state of Israel in who sang traditional accompanied by tradi-
airs,
Before
1948, Palestine comprised a multifaceted tional instruments such as the shababi and ney
collection of creeds, religions and races, (short flute and long flute), the mijwiz and
all of whom had coexisted in relative yarghoul (shawms), the labia and duff (drums),
peace for hundreds of years — at least until the turn rcbab (fiddle) and oud.
of this century. Christiansfrom Nazareth and Certain songs became so ingrained and
Galilee, Druze people from the Lebanon and the widespread that they mutated into distinct song-
Golan Heights, indigenous Jews, nomadic tribes forms with fixed melodies and verse structures over
who roamed the great deserts between the which new lyrics could be improvised. In terms
Mediterranean and the Gulf, Arab farmers and of their rooted structure and versatility, these song-
>
townspeople, Egyptians, Turks, Cypriots and forms are comparable to the twelve-bar blues or
C/J
Greeks - all were part of the cultural crossroads of even, lyrically speaking, to the limerick. The most
the Holy Land. common types of song-form, then as now, were
the dalauna and the meyjana. Singers were
Rural Songs: Dabka judged as

vocal prowess.
much by their word-play skills as by their
The ability to juggle words and
and Qawaali phrases to fit the form brought local fame.
Although the great city ports of Jaffa and Haifa Nowhere are these skillsmore pronounced than CO
were already sizeable commercial centres in the in the art of the qawaali or zajal. The singers who o
first half of the twentieth century, most Palestini- practise this art engage in a kind of musical debate,
ans were rural people who had either settled to each participant often representing one of the fam-
become felahin (farmers), or who still pursued a ilies at a wedding where they would discourse on
nomadic, Bedouin lifestyle. The music of the the virtues and qualities of their patron families,
felahin comprised mainly functional songs for har- or argue over the relative merits of dark- or light-
vesting, tending the flocks, fishing, grinding cof- skinned women. These punning, rapping, word-
fee or making olive oil. There were also epic songs tussling sessions were always sung rather than
about old heroes and legends sung by itinerant sto- merely recited.
rytellers or improvisers — zajaleen — who trav- In recent times certain qawaali and zajal, most
elled from village to village with their box of tricks notably Abu Haddaji Rajih el-Salfiti and
Leil,
and retinue of players. Mousa Hafez, have achieved fame across the
The most important occasions for music and Palestinian communities.
merrymaking were weddings and their associ-
ated feasts. After the immense platters of meat Songs of Partition
and rice had been cleared away the party-goers
would sing and dance. The dances were collec- The tumultuous events of the late 1940s which
tively known as dabka, which literally means led to the partition of Palestine and the creation
'foot-tapping'. They consisted of precise steps of Israel in 1948 did not destroy the culture of the
and jumps performed by linked chains of dancers. felahin. The many thousands of Palestinians who
The music was provided by village musicians fled to the refugee camps of the West Bank and

Palestinian music 385

Gaza Strip took* their musical traditions with them Kurd, whose cassette release Kullee Atrial (Full of
and kept them alive in their hostile new sur- Hope) enjoyed fervent popularity all over Pales-
roundings. The Arabs who stayed behind and con- tine in the early 1970s. He sang of the daily suf-
tinued to live in the new state of Israel, collectively fering of the Palestinians living under occupation,
known as 'the Arabs of the 48', also clung tena- using a radical new concoction of local folk forms,
ciously to their heritage. Egyptian and Lebanese pop and Western rock.
Around the period of partition, the songs and The dearth of recording studios and commer-
dances of the felahin did not form part of the cial infrastructure accessible to Palestinians in Israel

commercially exploited and recorded body of Ara- and the Occupied Territories meant that the
bic popular music. This area was dominated by
the great Egyptian and Lebanese singers and song-
writers of the day such as Kalthum, Umm
Mohamed Abd el-Wahaab and Sayed Darweesh
(see 'Arab World' article, p. 323). The felah music

was a hidden heritage, a common cultural bond

among the Palestinian people completely unknown
outside their own sphere of existence.
Nevertheless Palestine did have a musical scene
of sorts based in the northern Israeli towns of Haifa
and Nazareth, the only active, cosmopolitan cen-
tres for Palestinian music-making until the early
1970s. In these towns, songs were composed, per-
formed and recorded. This urban genre of music
was performed by small groups consisting of a
singer and a few instrumentalists and was far
removed in its complexity and sophistication from
the country of the felahin. Instead, these
'folk' style

city musicians were attuned to the sounds coming

from Damascus and Cairo, where the intricate art
of classical Arabic music was still revered and prac-
tised as it had been for centuries.
It was the versatility of the song-form that
allowed the roots music of the felahin to survive
the political upheavals of the late 1940s and devel-
op a stage further. In the new climate of fear, anger
and alienation, the gist of the improvised lyrics
Mustapha Al Kurd, full of hope in the 1970s
that accompanied the dalautia and the meyjana
began to reveal a harder edge. Instead of songs
about the slender stalk of wheat swaying in the growth of modern Palestinian pop was slow and
wind like the lithe body of the dancing woman, arduous. At first, singers found their concerts and
the newly dispossessed sang about the power of recordings subject to censorship but eventually the
the gun and the dream of nationhood. Heroes and Israelis gave up trying to control the clandestine
martyrs of the struggle such as the great Arab lead- Arab cassette industry and recordings became read-
er Cheikh L'Hezedin el-Kassam - who vowed to ily available even if they had to be sold under the
be the first to shoot the God of the British colo- counter. In the late 1970s and early 1980s a new
nialists - were lauded in popular song. Even non- movement of political theatre began to make its

Arab figures like Che Guevara became part of the mark. Playwrights were often forced to use high-
new folklore. Every significant event in the life of ly symbolic language to convey their defiant mes-
post-partition Palestine - the Six Day War, the sage, and theatrical performances were subject to
Yom Kippur offensive, Arafat's speech to the UN much closer scrutiny than the playing of music,
in 1974, the belligerence of Saddam Hussein and which continued more or less unheeded in the

the Intifada - has at one time or another been cel- privacy of Palestinian homes. These theatre com-
ebrated or mourned in song. panies made much use of music and foremost
The first singer to score a hit with a collection among them was the group El-Funoun, found-
of essentially Palestinian songs was Mustafa Al ed in 1979.

386 Palestinian music

 After Al Kurd's success in the early 1970s, Pales.- zither),oud, buzuk (strummed instrument related
tinians had to wait until the end of the decade to the Greek bouzouki) and guitar.
before other groups made a similar impact at home Much Intifada music was simple, disposable and
and abroad. One of the most successful pop acts worked like a newspaper, but it was effective. One
was Al Ashiqeen (The Lovers), who achieved of the most important figures was the songwriter
tame all over the Arab world, a rare thing for a Suhail Khoury: "It was a very powerful time, a
Palestinian artist. The theme of their most famous very revolutionary time. People were in the streets
cassette release, Sirit Izz Deen El Kassam, was the every day. Ordinary people were fighting the occu-
colourful life of holy man and freedom fighter El pation. And music was a part of this. I did a tape
Kassam. This period also saw the creation of called Sharrar (Spark). The lyrics were very pow-
Sabreen which has become the most interna- erful, talking about things that had happened just
tionally successful Palestinian group. Founded by a few days before. How they'd kicked the Israelis

Said Murad in 1980, 'Sabreen' means 'People who out of Nablus and so on. It was describing the daily

are Patient' - a precondition for Palestinians. life of the Intifada and it was a very powerful tool."
After making the tape Khoury was stopped at a
The Intifada checkpoint in his car and arrested. The car and the

tapes were confiscated. "Somehow one tape leaked

The energy devoted to music-making intensified out to the community and it was copied in tens

in the mid-1980s, especially among the youth of of thousands, one to another. We estimated that
the occupied territories. The Intifada uprising, at least 100,000 were made. A big number in a
a youth-led, stone-throwing revolt initiated in the small state. And good mar-
the Israelis did quite a
Gaza strip in December 1987, fuelled the desire keting service for me because they announced on
to express political woes in song, and groups like the radio and TV that I was arrested for making
El-Funoun and Sabreen carried the hard-edged music and could be imprisoned for ten years. So
sentiments of revolt to a receptive audience. everybody wanted to know what kind of tape that
Sabreen's album Mawt a'nabi (Death of a Prophet) was. Of course, I'm laughing now, but I was tor-
isone of the lasting musical products of that time. tured for twelve days. They wanted to know who
c/>
"The Intifada started while we were in the studio composed, who sang, who played. I didn't tell
making this album", remembers Said Murad. "We them anything and I was sentenced to six months
saw young men throwing stones — and people got imprisonment."
killed for that. We felt these people were the Most of the music was unsophisticated
Intifada
— usually based on well-known folksongs — but it
carried great power in spreading the feeling of
opposition amongst the people. One of the most CO
important tapes was Doleh (Statehood), produced o
in 1988 during the first year of the Intifada. The
key figure behind it was Thaer Barghouti (him-
self a zajjal improviser) and it was a collection of
songs by various singers recounting deeds of the
Israeli soldiers and everyday events of the rebel-
lion. The title track became very popular because
it coincided with the announcement that the Intifa-

da would not stop until there was a state.

Beginnings of a State
In a Declaration of Principles was signed by
1993
Israeland the PLO, and in May 1994 the Pales-
tinian National Authority was set up in the Gaza
Strip and parts of the West Bank with Yasser Arafat
prophets of our new history and we named this as its President. As the turmoil of the Intifada sub-

album after album is very

them." Musically this sided and the situation stabilised, it became easier

strong, with urgent, mournful vocals and a rich, for musicians to work. For instance, wedding
plangent plucked accompaniment on instruments bands reappeared, having been put out of busi-
of the classic Arabic tradition: kanun (plucked ness during the fighting. Using shababi and mijwiz

Palestinian music 387

 El Funoun - Palestinian Art-Music
The road to success is never easy for folkloric ensem- and we all knew that we faced being arrested every time
bles anywhere in the world. They won't see their videos an Israeli patrol passed by." Over the past two decades,
on MTV, and young musicians in most countries are numerous members of the ensemble have been arrest-

generally more interested in trying to be the next ed. El Funoun's co-founder Muhammad Atta has been
Madonna, Spice Girls or Pearl Jam than learning the jailed four times "for posing a security risk and inciting

music of their grandparents. In Palestine, these obsta- violence", says Barghouti. "Still, life continues, and we
cles seem trivial. Since their inception in 1979, El adapt. Not just us, Palestinians in general. Local con-
Funoun (The Arts) have faced repeated border clos- cert prganisers know that they are taking a risk when
ings, the arrest of many of its members, travel restric- they arrange one of our concerts."
tions, and even bans on public performances. Why risk Border closings have become a fact of life in the
arrest simply to sing and dance? For El Funoun, the Palestinian territories. After scores of accolades and
awards, the group has still never played
in Gaza or to m£hy Palestinian commu-
nities within Israel. As Barghouti says:
EL-FUNOUN "We've played in the United States,
Spain, Sweden, throughout the Middle-
East, and even Expo '98 in Portugal, but
I think we'll get to perform on Mars
before we ever get permits to go to Gaza.
Even dancing itself is controversial to
some - you see, traditionally, in our cul-
ture, dancing is for fun, for happiness.
T3 People used to say, 'we are working so
hard to defend ourselves against the
occupation. Two people died yesterday,
t/i
and you are dancing?' But we dance
because we want to express ourselves."

In addition to the Israeli occupation,

El Funoun faces countless obstacles in

age-old local traditions. "The purpose of

C3
ZAGHAREED El-Funoun
just to
is

Their 1997 project,

to challenge traditions, not

preserve them," says Barghouti.

Zaghareed (Ulula-

tions), tells the story of a modern Pales-

answer was easy. They realised that half a century on tinian wedding, where a young woman confronts her
the losing side of history has left many Palestinain folk father as he discovers that she has a lover. The argu-
arts facing extinction. ment gets heated as she wants to break with tradition
The group of fifty singers, dancers, and musicians and defy her parents' wishes for an arranged marriage.
began with a mission to revive regional folklore as a "Everyone is entitled to the right to choose, (a marriage
form of Palestinian identity. El Funoun's early works partner)," explains Barghouti. "This was very contro-
were the result of extensive research in Palestinian vil- versial when we first performed it, but we are used to
lages, preserving centuries-old songs and dances, defying traditions."
including the dabke using traditional Arab instruments Zaghareed is the cry of joy that Arab women make
(oud, nay, and kanun). "This was very controversial," during weddings and each region in Palestine has its

explains El Funoun's Omar Barhgouti. "According to own particular style. For their production El-Funoun

the Israelis, we were supposed to be a people without collected ululations from Acre, Safad, Ramallah,
a culture. Over the years, we have faced numerous Jerusalem and Bir Al Sabe. The ululations, they say,
attempts to suppress it." represent the unity of Palestinian culture, despite the
"During the Intifadah, our rehearsals were clandes- disunity in Palestinian geography - the PNA adminis-
tine," Barghouti remembers. "We would rehearse under- tered areas, Israel, and the refugee camps in Lebanon,
ground. We had to play the music quietly. Imagine, Syria and the rest of the diaspora.

trying to play music as quietly as possible. Everyone

would whisper. At the time, these activities were banned, Daniel Rosenberg

388 Palestinian music

alongside modern instruments, they generally perr dance. They started out with folk dances, but their
form the most popular songs of Egyptian and choreography now includes non-traditional mixed
Lebanese singers - happy, good-time music. Some (male and female) dances. Their theatrical pro-
of the Intifada singers faded away with the estab- duction Haifa, Beirut wama ba'ad (Haifa, Beirut and
lishment of the PNA, and Al-Ashiqcen disband- Beyond) was an interpretation of the Palestinian
ed. But Suhail Khoury and Sabreen have continued experience and its extrapolation into the future,
making music, and Mustafa al Kurd is still com- while their latest, Zaghareed (Ululations) moves
posing songs, albeit without the profile or impact away from folklore and tries to appeal to a younger
he had in the 1970s. audience. Another group, Yuad, led by compos-
er Nabil Azer, turned towards stage productions

The Doves are Coming in 1997 with a musical, Katr e Nada, about the
Palestinian's suffering under fifty years of Israeli
Your food is a locust
oppression. Based in Galilee (Israel), this is one of
Dipped in a drop of honey
the few groups still performing resistance music.
Your dress, burlap and camel hair
The most interesting contemporary Palestinian
Your shoes are thorns,
group, though, remains Sabreen who, since the
Your path is thorns, its flowers few.
1980s, have been adding elements of jazz, West-
O moon on the outer edge
O prophet exiled ern classical and Indian music to Arabic forms.
Calling in the wilderness: They are fronted by the charismatic Galilean sopra-
Widen the roads no Kamilya Jubran and their instrumentation
For the deer of love and peace includes oud, kanun, buzuk, Arabic percussion and
Widen the roads, drums, plus violin, guitar and bass. Like many
The doves are coming from the mountain, groups in Israel they are concerned with building
The doves are coming. a bridge between East and West and making peace.
Lyrics by Hussein Barghouthi of Sabreen In Said Murad's words: "In the East you have to
be in the music — it's not on paper outside you.
When you play the oud or the mijwiz you impro-
C/J
A new post-Intifada addition to the music scene vise, you make your own music yourself. This is
was the 'chanson' soprano Tania Nasser who the philosophy of Eastern music. In Western music
returned from Jordan in 1993 after nineteen years you have to be organised and the score is outside
in exile with her husband Hanna Nasser, a former you. They are two different ways of thinking.
member of the PLO executive committee and What we are trying to do is find a common lan-
now President of Birzeit University near Jerusalem. guage between both. Our message from the begin-
Her first appearance before the Palestinian people ning was how to make people live together." CO
after returning was with songwriter Rima Tarazi. One thing that still inhibits the production of o
As a feminist and political activist, Tarazi's songs Palestinian music is the total lack of proper record-
are mostly true stories of the struggle and those ing studios and facilities — Sabreen's studio in East
involved in it. Similarly Reem Banna, a Jerusalem is the only one. The options open to
singer/songwriter musically educated in Russia, Palestinians wishing to study the Arab musical tra-

focuses on the Palestinian-Israeli struggle. She has dition were, until recendy, also very limited. Trav-
a distinctive, ethereal voice and while her melodies el within the Arab world can be difficult,

are clearly Arab in character, the arrangements are particularly for Palestinains from Galilee who have
mostly in popular Western style. no option but to hold Israeli passports.
One interesting, if short-lived group was One remarkable gifted young oud player from
Washem (Tatoo), named after the decoration fre- Nazareth, Samir Joubran, succeeded in attend-
quently used by Bedouin women. They made a ing the renowned Abd el Wahaab Institute in
strong album, Ashiqa (Lover — of one's country Cairo. Since his graduation in 1993, he's begun
and freedom), with an Arabic/Western fusion to build a career with concerts in Palestine, Jor-
sound and vocals by soprano Reem Talhami. The dan and France and a solo CD, Taqsim. He's
songs, composed by group member Suhail Khoury, already been acclaimed as one of the important
were about prison, the popular revolt and the siege new oud players in the Arab world. Another
of east Jerusalem which is still going on. notable oud player who went abroad to study —
Continuing in the political theatre tradition, El this time in Baghdad - is Adel Salameh. Born
Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe in Nablus, but now resident in the UK, he is a

(see box opposite) draws on traditional music and distinguished performer of classical Arabic music

Palestinian music 389

 who has taken the oud into new areas, forming
Artists
interesting collaborations with Indian sarod play-
El Funoun
er Krishnamurti Sridhar and flamenco guitarist
El literally means 'the arts' and the group was
Funoun
Eduardo Niebla. He has toured widely and played
founded in 1979 to present Palestinian song, music and
at WOMAD festivals. dance. They are one of the country's leading theatrical
The founding of the National Conserva- and musical ensembles.

toire of Music in 1 993 was an important devel- Zaghareed (Sounds True. US).

opment for Palestinian musicians. The first of its The title of this show means 'ululations', the traditional cry of
kind in Palestine, the Conservatoire was estab- celebration, and the music and lyrics describe the various
stages of a wedding ceremony. feels a rehearsed
lished to give the opportunity to a new genera-
It all little

and on acoustic instruments like

formal, but the musicianship
tion of students to receive a high standard of oud. buzuq, mijwiz and others is excellent and it adds up to
musical instruction. Originally based in Ramal- one of the better examples of traditional Palestinian music.
lah, but now with branches in Jerusalem and
Bethlehem as well, it has an enrollment of some
Sabreen
four hundred students and is still growing. It's Formed in 1980, the Jerusalem-based Sabreen are still

the best Palestinian band and the most internationally

hoped that home grown musical talent in the famous. Music by Said Murad, lyrics by Hussein
West Bank will rapidly develop as students fin- Barghouthi and the ravishing vocals of Kamilya Jubran.
ish their studies and start groups and musical Like many Israeli bands they have drawn on a range of
cultural sources for their music - tabla and reggae as well
careers. This has already begun with the creation
as Arabic music. They have always been at the forefront
of the Oriental Music Ensemble at the Con- of the Palestinian peace movement, and also perform

servatoire, a group re-establishing the Palestini- music for films and theatre.

an contribution to classical Arabic music - Death of the Prophet

something that has suffered in the last fifty years. OZi (ACT-AIN. Japan).

Comprising six professional musicians with The CD features early songs from the 1980s. Wild oud play-
ing by Murad and a tone to Jubran's vocals - in "A
tragic
acoustic, instruments hand-made by Palestinian
Song for Childhood", for example. Very musical and very
craftsmen, it s led by Khaled Jubran, teacher of
m
C/5 Arabic music at the NCM
and a virtuoso oud
expressive.

Z Here Come the Doves (Sabreen, Palestine).

and buzuk player. It also includes nay player
The title of their most recent (1994) album suggests a longing
Suhail Khoury. Intifada singer, turned director forpeace, but the title song is enigmatic. Less passion and
of the NCM. more slickness than the album above, but a combination of
Arabic and Western influences that is quirky, but powerful
when it works.

Thanks to Roger Short,

£2 Bill Badley and Suhail Khoury
Adel Salameh
Bom in Nablus in 1966, Salameh spent time learning the
Fragiond style in Baghdad and has become a leading
player. He is now based in the UK and has taken the oud
into new areas with collaborations with Indian sarod play-

discography er Krishnamurtri Sridhar (RealWorid)

tarist Eduardo Niebla.
and flamenco gui-

Mediterraneo (Riverboat. UK).

Discs below are available from: Popular Art Centre (PO

Many consider the Spanish guitar to be descended from the
Box 3627, El-Bireh. West Bank, Palestine; Arabic lute, so there's an enjoyable musical anachronism in
pac@palnet.com); Sabreen (PO Box 51875, 91517 this lively collaboration with flamenco guitarist Eduardo
Jerusalem) and Washem (PO Box 1 91 06, Jerusalem). For Niebla. Salameh's disc of traditional improvisations in Arabic
information on new developments, check the Website of music E Solo (Pastorle, Japan) is also recommended.
the Jerusalem Festival of Arabic Music {www.
yabous.org).
Washem
Washem are a seven-piece band led by nay, sax and
Compilations piano player Suhail Khoury with vocalist Reem Talhami.

Traditional Music and Song from Palestine Ashiqa (Washem, Palestine).

(Popular Art Centre. Palestine).
A 1995 album that's an intriguing combination of Arabic
The best introduction to Palestinian fofc music, thirteen tracks melodies. Western harmonies, plus a touch of the operatic
from recorrjngs made by the Popular Art Centre in FJ-Bireh from lead singer Reem Talhami. The songs talk of Palestinian

on the West Bank. The disc includes frve tracks featuring the resistance, expressed in the traditions of Arabic poetry:
powerful voce of Mousa Hafez, the leading Palestinian poet- "Jerusalem, where is the soul? Where is the open-ended
smger, who Sves in the refugee camp in Jineen. expanse? This space is in fnx".

390 Palestinian music

Syria, Lebanon & The Levant
europe meets asia
The Levant - Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq - has for centuries been described as the
crossroads between Europe and Asia: a fertile basin for musical influences. Syria, ever the dominant
power in the region, has a respected Classical tradition. However, for popular song, this century, it is
Lebanon that has been most influential. civil war of the 1970s, Beirut rivalled Cairo as a
Before the
centre for Arab music, and in Fairouz, the country produced the superstar who took over from Umm
Kulthum. Bill Badley and Zein al Jundi take a look at the Levant's past glories and its diverse
contemporary scene.

Syria Aleppo is assured success elsewhere. The city has

a tradition of singers specialising in the Andalous

Damascus has been considered one of the Arab muwashshah (decorated) - sung poetry that draws
world's great cultural cities since the early days on the Levantine mawlawi sufi ideology. Its chief
of Islam, and members of the older generation exponent is octogenarian Sabri Moudallal, a
reminisce wistfully about its classical tradition of national treasure with an extraordinary vocal tech-
music. Modern visitors to the city are liable to nique. Any chance to see him in action should not
be disappointed, however. Even though there are be missed.
some fine players living in the city, there are few Aleppo is also home to Sabah Fakhri (born in

opportunities for them to perform. The old 1933), who is considered Syria's pre-eminent singer
Andalusian repertoire with its complex rhythmic
and melodic patterns has largely given way to CO
Egyptian style al-jeel dance music, played on main-
<
ly electric instruments. Long musical apprentice- ROtnrta
ships and vocal training have lost out to looks and
charisma.
In popular Arab song, the biggest Syrian star in 00
recent years is the singer George Wasoof —
though he made his reputation in Beirut (in the

early 1980s) and he has subsequently set up base

in Cairo. He draws upon Syrian and Levantine
folk melodies, however, mixing them with clas-

sic Egyptian song.

Two younger, Damscus-based performers are
m
Nur Mahana and Mayada el Hennawy. Nur's
infectious pop sound, exemplified by his hit
"Jameel al Ruh" (Beautiful Soul), has made him
a widely travelled star, entertaining Syrian com-
munities all over the globe. Mayada's style is truly

shamee (Syrian): shades of Egypt and Turkey com-

bine with a home spun glamour that is instantly
recognisable to anyone who has spent a few days
in the country.

Syria's sophisticated northern second city Alep-

po has a reputation for fine musicians; its soirees

in the 1920s and '30s were legendary and it is still

said that any singer who meets with approval in

Syria 391
 Shei ;mble Al-Kindi

- and is the major Syrian musical export to the biggest living star in the Arab world — see feature
Arab world. He done more than
has also probably box opposite), Sabah, the singer and oud player
anyone alive to keep the flame of traditional Wadih al-Safi. and the Syrian-bom George Was-
CO Andalusian music alive, with his abundant record- souf (see previous page).
-<
30 ings of nagham al ams (melodies of the past), and During the terrible seventeen-year civil war,
his international tours. the Lebanese music scene moved largely to Cairo
After Fakhri, the most active exponent of Syr- and Pans. However, since 1992, enormous effort
ian classical music in recent years has been the has been put into rebuilding Beirut, and it is sure-
03 Jalal Edinne. a Frenchman (born Julien Weiss) ly regaining its reputation as the pleasure dome of
> who converted to Islam and has studied the qanun the Levant. French influence has always been very

O (arab zither) to a very high standard. His discs and strong in Lebanon and there is a Gallic smooth-
tours with Ensemble Al-Kindi, sometimes fea- ness to much of the city's music. Stars tend to
00 turing the singers Sabri Moudallal or Sheikh come and go according to the whims of the night
Hamza Chakour, and whirling dervishes, are as Walid Tawfiq (who sings
club audiences, though
fine a representation of Syrian art music as you are in a mix of Arabic and French) and Rageb
presently likely to find. Alama (who is best at poppy rather than Classi-
Out in the villages, both Syria and Lebanon share cal Arab songs) are two that have stayed around
the muscular dabka dance-song tradition: an ener- for a while.
getic communal celebration with strong Turkish
overtones. Jordan
Lebanon Jordan's Bedouin heritage is the primary influ-
ence on the local music. Travellers in the coun-
In its heyday after World War II, Beirut was tryside are likely to hear the improvised poetry of
known as the 'Paris of the Middle East': a chic. zajal songs accompanied by the mijwis or yaghul
Eurocentric home to artists and intellectuals escap- reed pipes or the single-stnnged rabab.
ing despotism elsewhere. This cosmopolitan cen- The young Bedu pop singer Omar Abdullat
tre produced an intense, glamorous scene, in which scored a rare homegrown hit with his patriotic

the great stars were the woman singers Fairuz (the "Hashemi, Hashemi". His style owes as much to

392 Leba dan

 Fairuz and the Rahbanis
The Arab world superstar Fairuz (Huhad Haddad) was to the orchestration, combining the piano, guitar, vio-

born in 1934 to a Christian Maronite family in Beirut. lin and acordion with the ney and Arab percussive
While a teenager, the tender quality of her voice brought instruments. They even created hybrids with tango and
her to the attention of the newly founded Lebanese rumba, and produced an Arabised version of Mozart's
Radio Beirut, which she joined as a chorus singer. 40th Symphony. No Arab composer before or since
There, she soon became a leading solo singer, known has been quite so innovative. But the trio's most
for her interpretations of Classical Arab song. There, remarkable achievements were the huge musical plays
that they mounted together
at the Baalbek Festivals -
elaborate, operatic specta-
cles that drew heavily on the
folk culture of rural Lebanon.
Certainly the region has
seen nothing on such a
scale before or since, and
these productions became a
recognised showcase for
other emerging Lebanese
talent.

During the civil war,

Fairuz's refusal to leave
Beirut even during the worst

of the conflict became a

symbol of hope, and her first
peacetime performance in

the city was hailed as a land-

mark. She remains hugely
popular with Lebanese dias- CO
Two of the many faces of Fairuz pora communities all over -<
the world, and she can fill

too, she met the bothers, Asi and Mansour Rahbani, any concert hall in Europe or the US, where there are
struggling composers who at the time were earning Lebanese or Arab communities.
their living as policemen. Fairuz and the two brothers Fairuz and Asi parted in the early 1980s (Asi died in
CO
(Fairuz and Asi married in 1 954) worked together for 1986) but she has continued to work with Ziad, the son
>
the next thirty years. Asi composed the music; Man- from their marriage, as her musical director. Their 1 990s z
sour wrote the words - which in the early part of her collaborations have brought a new, more adventurous o
career were largely nostalgic and romantic; Fairuz sung, direction to her career. Ziad Rahbani (born 1 957) has
sweeping all before her. pioneered his own particular brand of Arab Jazz, a dis-
The Fairuz/Rahbani team was incredibly prolific and tinctly Lebanese synthesis of East and West. He has
diverse. They reinterpreted Classical Arab song, bring- also continued the family tradition of music and drama,
ing in Western and Eastern European styles (and keys) scoring the music for several plays and films.
m

the Arabian Peninsula as to the Levant - though aware and proud of; indeed many of the most
this is hardly surprising, as traditionally the Bedouin promising young players from all over the Mid-
have moved throughout the region with scant dle East still come to study at the Baghdad Insti-

regard for national boundaries. tute. In recent years, Iraq's musical profile was
kept in view chiefly by the virtuoso oud player,

Iraq Munir Bashir This master-player did more than

anyone else to champion Arabic classical music
Iraq is the historic home of deep, Classical Ara- in Europe and the US, and in this respect it would

bic music, a cultural heritage that Iraqis are very be valid to compare him to Ravi Shankar. His

Lebanon/Iraq 393
 3S Ail Palais des Congres
(Club du Disque Arabe, France).

Recorded live In 1978. this gives a good account of Sabah's

masterful control of melody, which has enchanted the Arab
world for decades.

Mayada el-Hennawy
The woman singer Mayada is the toast of Damascus'
flashy post-civil-war night clubs.

Bayent al-Hob Alaya (EMI Arabia, Dubai).

This album (I declared my love to him) is Mayada's most pop-

ular release, and widely available around the world.

Nur Mahana
Nur Mahama is Damascus's king of good time pop.
Though extremely popular in Syria, his cassettes can be
tricky to find outside the country, and hard to identify if
you don't read Arabic. Look out for the dapper, bank-
manager-as-pop-star covers!

E Hafla Amreeka (Various cassettes available).

Munir Bashir This 'American Concert' recording shows Nur on fine
form and includes most of his hits. It gives a good idea of
what you can expect in Damascus's more upmarket
death in 1997 robbed the Arab world of a major nightclubs!
figure.
Iraq has also produced a major contemporary George Wasoof
star in popular Arab song - Kazem al Saher. who Having flirted with a rough-hewn, George Michael
islauded throughout the Arab world. However, image, Wasoof has gone MOR and is now firmly
entrenched in the Cairo hit factory. He is perhaps rather
he was forced to leave the country in the early
less interesting for it, though still a voice to be reck-
1990s, and remains in exile; when he tried to return oned with.
recently, he was shot and wounded.
35 Kalem al-Nas (Relax In, Kuwait).
CO
< A recent, Cairo-recorded album but one that still retains
some charming Syrian touches.

discography Lebanon

> Syria Artists

o Rabih Abou-Khalil
Artists Rabih Abou-Khalil is very much in the modem Lebanese
fio tradition of East/West pick'n'mix. An inventive oud player,
Ensemble Al-Kindi he has teamed up with an international band of jazz musi-
French-born Muslim Jalal Eddine heads up a brilliant
cians to play his own compositions.

ensemble in Syria, exploring Classical Arabic music in

S3 The Sultan's Picnic (Enja, Germany).
collaboration with the region's top singers.
Rabih's compositons take the oud into previously uncharted
gg The Allepian Music Room - The Art of Classical territories here, and there's no doubting the calibre of musi-
Arab Singing (Le Chant du Monde, France). cianship on display.

A lavish CD package, presented with photos that will make

you want to jump on the next plane. Jalal Eddine and his Fairuz
ensemble accompany the dazzling Sabri Moudallal and Omar
Fairuz the reigning queen of Arab song - the successor
is
Sarmim in a selection of wasla (suites of songs and improvi-
sations).
to UmmKalthum. Her work harks back to the folk song of
her native Lebanon and has touches of jazz and Western
classical music thrown in, with intentional disregard for
Sabah Fakhri authenticity.

The Syrian master of traditional Arab song, Sabah began de

35 Le Cristal I'Orient (Virgin Arabia, France).
singing on Damascus Radio in the 1940s. He has made
hundreds of recordings and is also notable for his place in A newly issued collection of early recordings, including some
The Guinness Book of Records - he once sang non-stop songs by Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab, that show a youthful
for 10 hours. Fairuz at the peak of her powers.

394 Syria/Lebanon
 Kifak inta ( Relax In, Kuwait). S3 Le Paris Bagdad (Buda, France).

This is one of Fairuz's jazz tinged projects with her son, Ziad. Fawzy's quirky material is mixed here with a dignified rendi-

The new direction divided her traditional fans but the album tion of the traditional muwashshah song, "Layali".

remains a landmark in her career.

S3 The Legendary Fairuz (EMI Hemisphere, UK).

Munir Bashir
Bashir (who died in 1 997) was an oud player, considered
These live recordings from 1 990s shows are ample proof that
the supreme master of the Arab maqamat scale system.
the great lady is still in good voice.

Live in Paris
FAIRUZ AND SABAH (Harmonia Mundi, France).

Dabke - Folk songs & Dances from Lebanon This disc really launched Bashir on the international scene,
(Voix de I'Orient, Lebanon). and if you are going to only ever buy one oud CD, it is the
one above all others to go for.
The contrast of Fairuz's plaintive voice, Sabah's throaty
roar and the Rahbani Brothers spirited arrangements
make this performances required listen-
anthology of live
Kazem el Saher
ing. There's probably no better introduction to Lebanese Kazem el Saher is considered by many to be the best
young singer in the Arab world. His virtuosic technique
and easy style is wholly Iraqi, though his arrangements
Matar Muhammad tend towards Egyptian synth pop.

Matar (who died in 1995) was from Lebanon's small S3 La Ya Sadiki (No, my friend) (Virgin Arabia, France).

Gypsy community and played buzuq (Arab bazouki). In comparison to some of his more recent releases, this tour

33Matar Muhammad Hommage a un Maitre du de force performance of "La Ya Sadiki" - clocking in at over
Buzuq (Inedit, France). 40 minutes - is a better reflection of Saher's true vocal talent.

Recorded live in Beirut in 1972, this is a wonderful memo-

rial to a rare talent - and one of very few solo buzuq
Jordan
recordings.

Compilations
Ziad Rahbani
33Bedouin Songs, Wedding Songs, Fisherman's
Opinion seems divided between those who feel that the Songs from Aqaba (Inedit, France).
scion of Fairuz and Asi Rahbani is a genius, and those
who just think he's crazy combining jazz with Arab This ethnological disc is not easy listening but it has intriguing

song. textures which techno-samplers as well as those interested in

the roots of Arab song might find inviting.

33 Houdou Nisbi (Relax In, Kuwait). CO
This music, from a play performed at the height of the Beirut
<
Artists
conflict, is typical of Ziad's Arab-Jazz style.

Omar Abdullat
Iraq
Jordan's only home grown, household name, Abdullat is
an admirable singer. His songs have a strong Bedouin 00
Artists flavour - reminiscent of the Gulf - laced with a typical >
2
Jordanian fusion of pan-Arab popular culture. It may be
difficult to get his music other than on a cassette. O
Fawzy al-Aiedy
S3 Haan Waqt al-Safar (Al Zarabia, Jordan).
2
Fawzy's highly individual compositions are delightfully
dotty; Arab songs in the classical mould, with sundry 'The Time Has Come to Leave' is the title of this collection. It

European influences - from Ravel to cabaret - flying in is at times quite roughly recorded but the Bedu spirit of this

from left field. young singer shines through.

Iraq/Jordan 395
 Turkey
sounds of anatolia
Outside the country, Turkish music is known mainly for its Mevlevi (Whirling) Dervishes and for
laughably unsuccessful efforts in the Eurovision song contest. Yet it has been highly influential in the
eastern Mediterranean, and the music is widely popular with the Turkish and Kurdish diaspora.
Martin Stokes shows the way in to an enticing variety, from refined classical forms to commercial
arabesk, from rural bards to wild Gypsy ensembles.

music a battlefield. The "state the weight of national culture. "The capacity of a
Turkish is

invested great efforts to construct a unitary country to change is demonstrated by its ability to

national culture since the establishment of change its music", he once said, and he set about
the modern Turkish republic in 1922 by doing exactly that: he prohibited the circulation
Kemal Atatiirk. Great stress was laid on Turkish of Arabic language musical films, and initiated a

ancestry in Central Asia and, conversely, on the process of collecting, archiving and recording
cultural distance of Turkey from neighbouring orchestrated versions of exemplary folk musics
Middle Eastern and Arab countries. It was an exer- from the Anatolian countryside, known as halk
cise that involved some far-fetched flights of his- music. A generation of musicians was trained to
torical imagination and the often brutal repression propagate it, through the Turkish Radio and Tele-
of rival claims to legitimacy within the Turkish vision station (TRT) and elsewhere.
state - particularly those associated with Kurdish This policy ran aground. The classical art music
nationalism (see p. 378) or, to a lesser extent, Sufic genre known as sanat (or klasik — or just Turk
Islam (whirling dervish sects). Musikisi), associated with the cosmopolitan
Although privately an aficionado of Turkey's Ottoman cities of Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa, under-
urban classical music, Atatiirk and his ideologues went a process of regeneration, culminating in the
deemed it too tainted by 'Arab' civilisation to carry foundation of the State Conservatoire in Istanbul

m
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Sufi musicians, early 20th century

396 Turkey
ill 1976, where Turkish classical musicians were driving rhythms, and a deep, soulful voice singing
given the same quality of training as the previously a tiirkii (folk song). Current exponents include
privileged folk musicians, and they gained an Giiler Duman. A slightly older generation,
increasing share of radio and television airtime. including charasmatic and highly talented musi-
Then ill the 1980s, the liberal President Turgut cians such as Ibrahim Can (from the Black Sea)
Ozal deregulated the media. Pop, rock and arabesk and Nuray Hafiftas (from the Central Eastern
(a supposedly Arab-inspired popular genre) began area), record and appear on TV.
to fill the private FM radio stations, satellite and Played as a solo instrument accompanying the
cable TV channels. The TRT made efforts to singing voice, the saz has an intricate, silvery
update their large orchestral formats, too. And at tone, providing not just notes and rhythmic pat-
the more end of things, Kurdish-language
radical terns, but an ambience; it's a partner in a com-
folk music could for the first time be heard in pub- plex dialogue with the singer. Listen to Ali
lic - even in cafes in Istanbul's entertainment dis- Ekber Cicek's "Haydar Haydar", an old record-
and purchased in recorded form.
tricts, ing by a TRT musician, a complex and dramat-
So too could religious and Sufi music. In 1923, ic creation largely of his own inspiration, but
Mustafa Kemal Atatiirk, the founder of the Turk- anchored in the expressive techniques of the asik
ish Republic, had closed the lodges of the Sufi and Alevi mysticism (see overleaf). It's hard to
sects, amongst them those of the Mevlevi order saywhether the instrument is accompanying the
whose members had been great patrons of music voice, or vice versa. And then listen, for con-
across the Ottoman empire. Overnight, a

widespread base of dynamic classical music was

lost, and for many years the Mevlevi ayin (the
mam ritual musical form) was 'performed' in pub-
lic only as a kind of tourist attraction in the home
of the order, Konya, in Central Anatolia.

Under Ozal's policies, which allowed Islam a

public face in Turkey, the Mevlevi were signifi-
cant beneficiaries. In Istanbul, they now perform
to touristsand interested Turks in their newly-
restored lodge at Galata, and even in the Byzan-
tine cisterns in Sultanahmet.

30

Turkish Folk
Turkish folk music is domianted by the music of
the saz, a long-necked lute with a varying num-
ber of strings, also known as the baglama. It's played
in a wide variety of styles and constitutes the old trast, Talip Ozkan's intricate and idiosyn-
to
'official' folk music of Turkey. embracing a variety of Anatolian
cratic solo style,

tunings and plectrum techniques, but with each

Saz Music and the TRT musical phrase embellished and nuanced to the
utmost degree.
Sound There are those who favour playing saz with a
Large orchestras of the saz, heavily miked to boost plectrum and those who play without (selpc), plus
the body of its sound, dominate the TRT folk many regional styles (tauir - attitudes) of playing
music style. Performers associated with this and and tuning (duzen - orders). Some players strive
the urban popular folk music market may release to maintain the regional tavir, others support a
up to two cassettes a year - often the same record- national style. Though a simple instrument, the
ings heard on the radio, but with a few Western saz is capable of enormous variety.

rock instruments grafted onto the commercial mix.

These can be found in their hundreds in music Regional Folk
shops and mobile street stalls. All bear the mark of
Belkis Akkale's tremendously successful style of Despite the heavy colonisation of saz-based
the mid-1980s; large, buzzing, busy saz orchestras, music by the TRT, many other varieties of folk

Turkey 397
 music exist in Turkey today, recognisable large- All around the country there are contemporary
lyby the instruments and the dances associated musicians updating and re-inventing the local styles.

with them. Many of them are of only local interest, but oth-
Outside the large cities in the west of Turkey, ers are making very fine music like the Laz kemenfe
or in their squatter suburbs (gecekondu) one can , player, Birol Topaloglu from the Black Sea coast
hear the quintessential rural Turkish ceremorji- who has collected local songs and arranged them
almusic combination, the zurna and davul (the into a striking album.
shawm and drum duo to be found in Turkey and
the Balkans and as far afield as Central Asia and Asik Music
China) at almost any wedding or circumcision cel-
ebration, their enormous, unamplified volume There are said to be twenty million Alevis in
indicating to all and sundry that something impor- Turkey today (in a total Turkish population of 63
tant is taking place. million), so it is little surprise that the best-known
Away from the city centres, any weekend, keep regional music is associated with the asik, folk
your ears open, follow the sound, and you will bards from these heterodox Muslim communities,
almost certainly find yourself the object of v^ami originally from the central northeastern provinces
hospitality (language no barrier) and treated to a of Sivas, Tunceli, C orum ana Erzincan.
"

display of regional dance styles in somebody's house A$ik sing a repertory of songs of mystical quest,
or backyard, or at wedding salons rented for the interspersed with invocation to the Alevi saints,
occasion (known as diigiinsalonu) . and to Mohammed's brother-in-law, Ali, whom
of the country this will most
In eastern areas they regard as the rightful heir to the Prophet's
usually be the stately chain dance known as the spiritual tradition (this is the belief of the Shia Mus-
halay (arms linked or on shoulders); on the Aegean lims, although they have different practices from
coast the macho zeybek, and elsewhere, and more the Arab or Iranian Shiites.).
or less everywhere, the cifte telli and karsilama, Traditionally a$ik favour the three-string saz for
both dances for couples. its symbolism of the trinity of Allah, Mohammed
You will know
you are among Black Sea
if and Ali and they sing to the solo saz, which is vir-
Turks or Laz people if you hear a small upright tually a sacred object to the Alevi, rich in spiritu-

fiddle (kemen(e), the bagpipe (tulum), or a smaller al significance. Many of the asik's songs have words
and shriller version of the zurna and davul. They by or about Pir Sultan Abdal, an asik martyr of
will be dancing the horon, whose quick move- the sixteenth century executed for his involvement
ments are said to imitate the wriggling of the hamsi with a rebellion against the Ottoman authorities.
- the anchovies that are such a conspicuous fea- His birthplace, the village of Banaz near Sivas, is

m
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ture of their diet. a place of pilgrimage.
Most of Turkey's rural population (approxi- Today's flourishing asik revival was encour-
mately half of the total) know, at least passive- aged in the early 1970s by the opera singer Ruhi
ly, these regional dances, and the music that goes Su, a fine saz player. He was not an Alevi, but
with them. In provincial cities, the elektrosaz was forcefully left-wing and lost his job at the
and darbuka (goblet drum) constitute the main opera as a result. While the mainstream performers
proletarian musical fare for ceremonial occa- had to compromise he demonstrated another way.
sions, and electric keyboards are now quite His albums sold in large numbers, and still do
widespread. although they remain banned on state radio.
Cassette recordings of all of these kinds of music Today's top names - Arif Sag, Yavuz Top,
can be picked up from roadside stalls and the stall- Musa Eroglu and Muhlis Akarsu - have made
owners are usually well informed on the current- excellent recordings both as a group, Muhab-
ly highly-rated, local musicians. Regional genres bet, and solo. A fire in Sivas, started by ortho-
and instruments are well represented in this local dox Sunni extremists during an Alevi festival in
cassette culture: look out for the music of the sipsi 1993, killed several distinguished musicians,
(a plaintive double reed instrument) in the south- including Akarsu.
west; the mey in the southeast (lower and more Asik music has always had a political edge. Ali
mellow than the sipsi, like the Armenian duduk); Izzet and Mahsuni §erif brought out its latent

accordion music played by Circassian migrants in political protest in songs which ranged from pas-
the northeast; and Gypsy music to the sound of sionate denunciations of social and political injus-

darbuka, metal clarinet, violin and (umbii$ (a metal- tice to gentle satires on Turkish football. They
bodied lute) from the west. were lionised by the urban Turkish left in the late

398 Turkey
r><>Os. Feyzullah (,'mar is a slightly more recent- They make their living as entertainers and story-
representative of this tradition. tellers in cafes of the cities of the northeast. Audi-
The politics of others has been more collabo- ences particularly enjoy the ritualised exchange
rative. Asik Veysel, a blind troubador from of insults, which follows a preordained rhyme
Sivrialan, ill the province of Sivas, is a house- and musical scheme. No detail of appearance or
hold name in Turkey. His most famous songs, character is spared and the event ends when one
such .is "Dostlar lieni Hatirlasin" (May My musician is too tongue-tied to come up with a
Friends remember Me), and "Uzun Ince Bir Yol- witty riposte, which, by the end, is often graph-
dayim" (I'm on a Long and Difficult Journey) ic sexual innuendo.
c irculated widely around the country both in Few recordings of these events are available,
written and recorded form, and are still well even in Turkey, but contests can be observed every
known. In comparison to §erif and Izzet, he sang year in the Giilhane Park festival in Istanbul involv-
a gentler poetry expressing humanistic sentiments. ing some of the very best performers, such as Asik
Like many Alevi he endorsed the secularist pol- Seref Tashova. Murat Cobanoglu, also from
itics of the Turkish state, and participated heav- the area, is perhaps the most widely recorded of
ily in the state's efforts to teach and disseminate these musicians, and you can visit his a^ik's cafe in
Anatolian music in Anatolia. His fellow singer Kars. Even if you can't follow the words, it is
Asik Ihsani, rigorous about his principles, said of worth seeking these events out just to enjoy the
Veysal "he was born one of us, but died one of sense of occasion, and the tears of laughter rolling
them." down the cheeks of the listeners.
A$ik music is generally easy to identify, even to Ajik's still have a role in the regular Alevi reli-

those unfamiliar with Turkish music. It is one of gious ceremony (cetn) which includes prayers,
the few studio recorded genres featuring only the recitations, singing and culminates in a circular
voice and the saz though there is a small number dance, the semah. Alevi music (and the whole ori-
of experimental orchestral versions, notably by entation of the sect) is far more rural and folk-like
Yavuz Top and Arif Sag. The saz is tuned differ- than the more classical, high art Mevlevi. It's pos-
ently, resulting in a particularly somber and intense sible to attend cem services at the Sahkulu Sultan
sound, with complex chord patterns emerging from (Merdivenkoy) and Karacaahmet Sultan (Uskii-
the shifting drones. Elsewhere, the instrument is dar) mosques in Istanbul on Sundays and Alevi
tuned in open fifths, and played with more atten- holidays. Recently several cafes featuring singers
tion to flamboyant melodic lines. with saz or a small band have appeared in Istan-

Two exceptions are worth mentioning, one of bul, off Istiklal Cadessi in Beyoglu, notably the Jas-
which is music associated with Alevi communi- mine Cafe Bar in Arkasi Akarsu sok. and others in
ties in Western Anatolia, notably a form of free Hasnun Galip sok.

rhythm, semi-improvised declamation of scorch-

ing emotional intensity, somewhat akin to fla-
menco, and known bozlak. The singer sings,
as
Classical Traditions
literally, at the top of his voice, and the saz is

tuned in the 'open fifths' manner, allowing for Urban Turkish musics divide into three genres:
dramatic melodic flourishes, and a sparse, astrin- religious (sema), classical (klasik or sanat), and
gent sound. Perhaps the greatest exponent in nightclub (fasti). Definitions are, of course, not
recent years was Neset Ertas, from Kir$ehir, a watertight, and they have overlapping repertories
cult icon amongst folk music enthusiasts in of song and instruments (urban and Middle East-
Turkey and the son of Muharrem Erta$, anoth- ern instruments quite different from those found
er bozlak singer of mythic reputation. Ekrem in the countryside), and share the compositional
Celebi is perhaps the best known of a younger rules known as makam.
generation of bozlak musicians, and an extraor- The makam are musical modes or scales (with
dinary virtuoso. associated rules governing melodic flow and promi-
The asik tradition takes on a second distinct nent notes) in which the musicians compose their
form in the far northeast of the country, in the songs and instrumental pieces, and, more impor-
city of Kars. Here, the singers are considered to tantly, weave taksim (improvisations) which
their

have fallen into a trance in which they receive are central to classical music performance. The
giftsof musical and spiritual knowledge, and makam currently practised in Turkey have a lot in
henceforth wander the countryside in search of common with those of the Arab world; the Irani-
their lovers, revealed to them by the prophet Elias. an dastgah are more distantly related.

Turkey 399
 The Tradition musical world ot the nineteenth and early twen-
tieth century. It would be hard to imagine the
The taksim improvisation usually precedes, and contemporary classical repertoire without the work
also punctuates, long suites of music which of Tatyos Efendi (1863-1913) or Lavtaci
begin with an instrumental prelude (pesrev), end Andon, or the extraordinary contributions to
with a postlude (saz semaisi), and consist main- contemporary instrumental performance styles of
ly of songs, known as $arki Most of those sung Udi Hrant or Siikru Tunar.
today date from the late nineteenth
century, and the time of one of the
great songwriters, Haci Arif Bey.
Some are much earlier, though. The
tradition dates back at least to the
fourteenth century and its theoreti-
cal base took shape at the end of the
seventeenth century, when a Roma-
nian princely enthusiast, Demetrius
Cantemir, was resident in Istanbul
and began to notate it.
These classical genres are, essential-
ly, chamber genres, where the instru-

ments play as a loose collection of

soloists, each taking turns at improvis-
ing taksim, and each elaborating the
melodic and rhythmic line as they see

fit.Songs and instrumental numbers

thus differ greatly from performance to
performance.
Typical instruments are the ud
(lute), the ney (end-blown flute), the
tanbur (long-necked lute, with frets),
the kanun (a zither, played on the
knees), and klamet (a metal clarinet appropriated Classical Stars
from military bands at the end of the nineteenth

m
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century) . Usui (rhythm) is provided by the def (a The theory and history of classical Turkish music
frame drum, sometimes with small cymbals is taught in private conservatoires, of which per-
attached, as on a tambourine) or the darbuka (the haps the most highly esteemed is the Uskiidar

omnipresent goblet drum) . Many famous virtuosi Musiki Cemiyeti in Istanbul. There are others
are associated with particular instruments, and in most major cities and musicians gather there to
recordings of them can be found Tanburi easily: socialise or give regular public concerts. Many, if
Cemil Bey (1871-1916) and Necdet Yasar (bom not all. of the top echelon ot recording artists are

1930) on the tanbur; Yorgo Bacanos (1900- conservatoire-trained, and singers, too, tend to
1977) and Udi Hrant (1901-1978) on the ud; have at least passing connections with the con-
Siikru Tunar (1907-1962) on the klamet; Ahmet servatoires.
Meter aka Halil Karaduman (bom 1959) on the The voice lies at the heart of all classical genres.
kanun. Since the rime of Miinir Nurettin Selcuk (191 1
'-

Many instrumentalists and composers inhabit 1981), 'the Turkish Umm Kalthum', singers have
the world of professional secular music making, assumed most of the trappings of the Western star
whose association with the profanities of drink system. Miinir Nurettin Selcuk was the first solo
and dance led this music to become the preserve artist to stand up at the front of the stage, with the
of Istanbul's Armenian, Greek and Jewish other instrumentalists reduced to a backing role.
minorities, and others, notably Gypsies, who He is now undergoing a major nostalgic re-
could operate comfortably outside bourgeois Mus- appropriation by the Turkish intelligentsia, after
lim respectability. A list of Armenian, Greek and being somewhat forgotten. A dashing figure, his
Jewish musicians would include a very large pro- exquisite bel canto style was the perfect comple-
portion of all significant names in the Turkish ment to his dandified Western dress sense.

400 Turkey
 Zeki Miiren, perhaps the highest-rated vocal- lar religious expression in Turkey. Versions of the
ist in the latter half of this century, studied with Mevlevi repertory can be heard at the lodge of the
Refik Fersan and Serif Icli, and worked extensively Halveti-Cerahi sect, with a heavier emphasis on
with composer Miizaffer Ozpinar, who, in
tin.- the practice of zikr, a trance-inducing repetition
turn, was trained at the Eminonu conservatoire. of various of the ninety nine names of God, and
Miiren made his name with versions of Egyptian the collective singing of ilahi (hymns). This prac-
and ebanese musicals, and with performances in
1 tice has been freed from the censorship of earlier
Istanbul's burgeoning gazino clubs in the 1970s. years but is still somewhat clandestine, although
He made a decisive turn to arabesk (see p. 403) one of the greatest Halveti-Cerahi sheikhs, Miizaf-
with "Kahir Mektubu" in the early 1980s, but fer Ozak made a superb recording of Mevlevi
throughout his career turned out austerely classi- ayin with Kudsi Ergiiner in the late 1970s.

cal recordings.

Biilent Ersoy, Turkey's most famous trans- Gypsies and Fasil

sexual, studied with Muzeyyen Sennar. She
continues to produce songs in a restrained clas-
Music
sical idiom: her recent Orkide recordings are par- As so often, Gypsies (Roma, or Roman as they
ticularly fine examples, following on from her are called in Turkish) are an important presence
reinterpretation of the turn-of-the-century reper- on the music scene, and they are responsible for
toire in a striking recording, Alaturka 95. This some of Turkey's most thrilling sounds - a music
caused outrage to devout Muslims in Turkey for often referrred to as fasil.
the inclusion of a real call to prayer on the open- This has sleazy associations with gazino night-
ing track sung by Biilent herself- the association clubs and belly dancing but it is also performed
of religion with this outrageous figure was too in more respectable restaurants. Down market gazi-
much for some. nos can be found anywhere, particularly around
Recordings of classical songs often add lavish Beyoglu, in Istanbul. Their seedy reputation has
accompaniments, often heavily harmonised, and changed in recent years as a result of the Islamist

with the metallic ticking of drum machines replac- municipality's efforts to 'tidy up' Istanbul but it is

ing the lively rattle of the darbuka. Metin Milli still best to stick to the clubs around Istiklal Cad-
and Zekai Tunca pioneered this style in the desi. The renovated Qcek Pasaji and the clubs
1980s;more recent exponents include Mustafa around it are well worth a visit. Here, the music
Keser, whose crooning, silky style also takes in incorporates recent songs, and makes less effort to
songs from the arabesk and folk repertoire, and stick to classical formula. This is, after all, music
Ebru Giinde§. to drink and dance to. 3D
Though many areas of nightclub repertory over-
with what you might hear in
Mevlevi: Whirling lap a radio concert,

or in the conservatoire, this is a very different kind

Dervishes of music. The classical values of precision and duti-
Classical religious music is almost the exclu- ful respect to past times are replaced by a demon-
sive preserve of the Mevlevi (whirling) dervish- strative, present tense music. The klarnet and
es. Whilst the order has no official existence, public darbuka dominate and many if not all of the most
performances are put on, as indeed they were in noted instrumentalists are Gypsies from nearby
Ottoman times, for foreign observers in Konya, Tarlabasi. They play with great skill and passion.
and at the Galata lodge in Istanbul. Tunes are tossed around with breathless ease, long
Mevlevi performances consist of long ayin - notes are held on the klarnet for extended yet
complex yet delicate compositions. They are pre- exquisitely poised moments during improvisation,
ceded and followed by instrumental and vocal kanun and violin decorate and interrupt; noise and
pieces with words from the thirteenth-century Sufi gestural energy flow across the musical event like
poet Jelaleddin Rumi (Mevlana), the order's a torrent, carrying all before it. Violinists spice the

founder, and interspersed with taksim, particular- music up with lightning fast glissandos that swoop
ly on the ney, the end-blown flute. and squeak, and clarinettists favour the low G-clar-
Major musicians associated with the Mevlevi inet which has a really throaty sound that gives this

order, notably Kudsi Ergiiner (born 1952) and music its special character.

Necdet Ya$ar (born 1930), record outside Perhaps the most famous of all fasil musicians is

Turkey, and their CDs reflect Western interests in the clarinettist, Mustafa Kandirali (bom 1930), the

Sufi and Ottoman high culture more than popu- so-called 'Benny Goodman of Turkey'. He worked

Turkey 4Q1
 Amongst the Dervishes
I'm sitting amongst eighty or so dervishes in a small, the translator I was with looked shocked and refused to
hidden mosque in Istanbul as they begin to lean for- continue translating. Later he told me that the Sheikh
ward together rhythmically and chant the name of AHah. had quoted a poem from the fifteenth century which was
It's one of the most powerful sounds I've heard and in detail what he had dreamed about the previous night.

speeds up like an express train to paradise. There's a The ceremony is called a zikr, which simply means
violin weaving through the sonic picture and a kanun 'remembrance' and the ceremony is not about enter-
(zither) doing runs that send chills down your spine. Out tainment or aesthetics, but about spiritual purification

of nowhere comes a solo voice - similar to the muezzin's and reconnection to the divine. Officially, the zikr is ille-

call from the minarets - that is so full of longing it breaks gal in Turkey. The Sufi sects were suppressed by
your heart open. This is serious blues music. Ataturk in his creation of a secular state. But the

Just when you think you can't take any more, twelve dervishes are also mistrusted by the fundamentalists,
dervishes file into the room and take off their black cloaks as they don't toe the strictest Islamic line - in their use
- they're wearing white robes underneath - and jn uni- of music for one thing - and appeal to many artists,

son they start spinning with incredible lightness and grace. intellectuals and bohemian types.
This angelic whirling is a perfect counterpoint to the earthy There are some dervish performances, however,
chanting. As a spectacle photographs can't prepare you which are legal and can be seen easily. The largest of

for the disorienting feeling that the dervishes are defying them is the celebration of the death of Jelaleddin Rumi,
gravity. It takes months of training before you learn not the founder of the Mevlani sect, who called the night of

to get dizzy. Like much of Sufism, the performance works his death (December 1 7th) his wedding night; this takes

on different levels and is heavy with symbolism. The fune- place every year in sub-zero temperatures in Konya.
real black cloak is a tomb which the dervishes cast off But none of the zikrs had the beauty of the one in Istan-

with all worldly ties. They spin with their right arms extend- bul. I asked the Sheikh there for the meaning of the cer-

ed to heaven and the left to the floor - grace is received emony and he said "The purpose of life is to remember
from Allah and distributed to humanity. The dancers them- Allah. Every electron and proton is whirling round a nucle-
selves represent the heavenly bodies circling the sun, us, the planets whirl about the sun - and all of them are
personified by the Sheikh, the spiritual leader. chanting for Allah. Even your heartbeat - and here he
The Sheikh of this gathering possessed a quiet author- thumped his chest - is chanting All-lah, All-lah".

ity and many have stories about them which suggest

highly developed psychic powers. After the ceremony, Peter Culshaw

30

m
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Whirling Dervishes

402 Turkey
tor the TRT and has recorded widely. No fasil play- stall. If you visit Turkey, look out for concerts and
er approaches his knowledge of the repertoire and festivals, like one held in Istanbul's Giilhane
the
tk i\ impro\ isations which wring every possible tonal Park on a weekend in late August; it attracts artists
nuance. Other celebrated ( iypsy musicians include like Ferdi Tayfur or Musliim Giirses and crowds
the Erkose brothers (clarinettist Barbos Erkose is of up to 80,000 from some of Istanbul's poorest
still performing), violinist Kemani Cemal and suburbs. Alternatively, just keep your ears open in
Burhan Ocal, renowned for his epic darbuka solos. taxis, or buses: you'll be listening to arabesk.
There's more of the wider concept of Roma music
in the Gypsy music article on p. 146.
Oriyental Roots
Arabesk hasits roots in Egyptian 'Oriental' dance

music - Raks Sarki, or Oriyental, often mis-

leadingly known as 'belly dancing' music - which
has been of enduring popularity in Turkey. It was
introduced in the 1940s by Haydar Tatliyay
(1890-1963), who had worked in Egyptian groups,
and returning to Turkey set up a large dance
orchestra as used in Egyptian film. When the Turk-
ish state attempted to ban Arabic language music
and film in 1948, and began in earnest to establish

a national alternative through the TRT, people

voted with their radio dials, tuning to Radio Cairo.
Turkey's nascent recording and film industry
subsequently invested heavily in recording ver-
sions of Egyptian hits, particularly those associat-
ed with Mohammed Abd el-wahaab and Umm
Kalthum and later the Lebanese star Farid al-
Attrash. Zeki Miiren and Miinir Nurettin
Selcuk made their names, initially as film stars, in
this way in the 1940s and '50s, singing, in front of

large string-based orchestras, dramatic solo vocals

of unrequited love.
Arabesk is not simply derivative Egyptian music, m
-<
however, and from the 1940s its songs addressed
Burham Opal's Istanbul Oriental Ensemble
specifically Turkish problems such as rural-urban
migration. Many popular films, particularly those
of Baha Gelenbe, began to deal with themes of
accompanied by music, and
Arabesk and Pop rural life,

urbanised rural genres began to appear in the

rural
cities

and on record. Diyarbakirh Celal Giizelses and

Arabesk - Turkey's dominant popular music -
Malatyak Fahri Kayahan were amongst the ear-
draws on folk, classical and fasil traditions, though
liest to record popularised folk-based forms for an
it takes its name from its predominantly Arabic
urban audience, drawing heavily on the musical
rather than Turkish melodies. Turkish nationalists
styles and repertories of the southeast.
made strenuous efforts to exclude Turkey's 'Arab'
history and cultural links, but for most people
Ahmet Sezgin took this one step further,

Arabesk is simply Turkish music in its most basic

bringing urban and rural styles into a creative mix
and appealing form. in the mid-1960s. Recordings from this period

Arabesk is a working class and to an extent out- illustrate the enduring Turkish fascination with the

siders' music which addresses everyday realities and art of vocal improvisation, or gazel. Singers such
the problems of the gariban, the poor and oppressed. as Hafiz Burhan Sesiyilmaz and Abdullah

Its CDs and cassettes outsell any other genre by far Yuce, both with electrifying voices, did much to
- a star name will reckon on selling a million cas- popularise the genre, which otherwise did not find

settes in a year - and fill a good half of any street much favour amongst the reformist intelligentsia.

Turkey 4Q3
Arabesk Goes Big Time Muazzez Abaci, Nese
notably Biilent Ersoy,
Karabocek and most recently Muazzez Ersoy
In the 1960s Turks bought into Anglo-American and Yilmaz Morgiil continue to drift in and
rock music, and some singers adopted elements out of Arabesk. Many in Turkey assumed that
into their music. The first figure of interest to do with legitimacy and patronage in high circles,
so was Orhan Gencebay, born in 1944 on the Arabesk would disappear. But, if anything, the
Black Sea coast, who began his career with Ahmet reverse is the case. Arabesk shows absolutely no
Sezgin. His first solo recording, "Bir Teselli Ver" signs of going away.
(1969) related to the classical form, but the sob-
bing intensity of the voice owed much to the gazel, Rock, Pop and Ozgun
and frank lyrics addressed the plight of the lonely w
lover - from the heavy metaphors and
a far cry Rock and pop have leapt to enormous promi-
archaic language of the classical song style. A more nence since 1990, as part of the liberal revolu-
eclectic set of references, including rock and fla- tion that has transformed Istanbul and Ankara.
menco, was in evidence by his 1975 album Bats- But they had long been^influential. Turks have
in Bu Diinya, and a creative and playful eclecticism always made versions of 'international' genres:
has marked his career to date. He is also a top saz Tango was enormously popular from the 1930s
player and a leading film actor. to '50s; French chanson (Jacques Brel had huge
Despite Gencebay's eolossal status, it is the voice influence in Turkey) had Turkish exponents such
which defines Arabesk aesthetics, and those of as blonde bombshell Ajda Pekkan (who still per-

ibrahim Tathses, Muslum Giirses and Ferdi forms); and Elvis Presley spawned a wave of imi-
Tayfur - again, these are also film actors — are tators in the late 1950s, most notably Erol
the most significant. Their songs tell of self-pity Buyiikbiirc.
and humiliation in the big city, experiences close Somewhat away from the mainstream, a num-
to most Turkish hearts. Another noted Arabesk ber of musicians began to try to reconcile Anato-
singer and actor, Ibrahim Tathses, himself and Western rock. Most of these musicians
lian folk

migrated from the impoverished southeastern were from the bourgeoisie, and despite the phe-
town of Urfa, and many of his films and song- nomenal difficulties involved in procuring instru-
texts allude to his story. He was a huge star in the ments and recording, an Anadolu (Anatolian) Rock
mid- to late- 1980s, with a series of albums fea- movement gathered pace. The music was banned
turing well-drilled orchestras, danceable tunes and from the official media, and became increasingly
his electrifying voice, heard to best effect in the politicised. When the generals took over in 1980,
rural uzun hava (long, semi improvised pieces, most of the groups promptly disbanded, and Cem
accompanied by a solo saz) that have an almost Karaca - who had worked with nearly every sig-
ritual place on every cassette. Ferdi Tayfur's voice nificant Anadolu rock band - fled to Germany,
also has strong resonances with southeastern vocal returning only in 1987.
styles, and his reputation, like that of Tathses', Cem Karaca was and is the most interesting
rests heavily on his portrayal of a poor villager voice of the genre, combining rock histrionics with
made good in the big city. Muslum Giirses is still a cultivated art music bel canto; live, his voice
adored by his fans mainly for his older hits, mourn- sounds capable of filling an entire auditorium with
ful, fate-obsessed numbers inviting the listener to or without amplification. His songs combined a

light another cigarette ("Bir Sigara Yak"), to pour taste for highbrow literature with social realism -
another glass ("Bir Kadeh Daha Ver"), and to curse Dervisan's Safmaz, recorded in 1979, was a kind
the world ("Yeter Allahim"). of rock opera about a poor girl's struggle with hon-
Arabesk was legitimised by Ozal's government, our and blood feuds. He has also superbly record-
as part of a general back-tracking on the repub- ed the poetry of Nazim Hikmet (who died in exile

lican political tradition, and many Arabesk stars in the Soviet Union) and Orhan Veli. Today, he
were quick to take advantage. Private FM radio performs in small clubs in Beyoglu, with his old

and TV gave the music a new lease of life, and accomplice Ugur Dikmen at the keyboards.
it is now possible to see classic Arabesk films from Karaca's political reputation, for many, was
the 1970s on a more or less daily basis. Some undermined by his accommodation with Ozal's
younger stars are getting a lookof in, too. Sales regime, and he doesn't command the attention
Mahsun KirmiziguTs "Tarn 12'den" almost he once did. However, the group Mogollar,
doubled those of Ibrahim Tathses's "Klasikler" formed and reformed under his direction, have
in 1995. Singers with classical backgrounds, kept a political edge very much to the fore, along-

404 Turkey
side an up-tempo stadium rock style. Others who the refusal of the judiciary to investigate the 'dis-
have kept a counter-culture tag include Yeni appearance' of their sons. Her CDs anticipate
Tiirkii and Bulutsuzluk Ozlemi (longing for the political Zeitgeist, and each one, in recent
blue skies). Yeni Tiirkii, inspired by the Latin years, has been a national media event. When
American New Song movement, were one of I$ik Dogudan Yukselir /Ex Oriente Lux came out
the first groups to use traditional Turkish instru- in 1995, evoking the cultural mosaic of Anato-
ments in rock, and enjoyed great popularity lia in gentle feminist terms, at a time of inter-

amongst the intelligentsia towards the end of the communal religious rioting in Istanbul and the
1980s tor their versions of old Istanbul songs and worsening crisis in the southeast of the country,
Greek rembetika numbers. Zen, another band the album's release was the first item on the
drawing on indigenous styles and instruments, as TRT's evening news programme. On the disc,
well as technological bric-a-brac and avant-garde Aksu brought her idiosyncratic vocal style to
theatre, are interesting, too. bear on regional songs, popular urban dance gen-
Other established groups, worth checking out res and the religious repertoire. Her recent
on cassette or CDs include Erkin Koray, MFO album, Dtigiin ve Cenaze, is a collaboration with
(one of the few to survive the generals), Okay Bosnian Serb musician Goran Bregovic, rework-
Temiz. Edip Akbayram, and Hans Manco. ing popular tunes currently circulating around
In the mid-1980s, there was a radical impulse the Balkans.
connected with mainstream Arabesk which com-
bined rural melodic forms with guitar-based har-
monies and an intimate, mellow vocal style,
dubbed ozgtin (original) music. The austere fig-
ure of Ziilfii Livaneli - best-known outside
Turkey for his work with Greek composer Mikis
Theodorakis and singer Maria Farandouri for the
music to Yilmaz Giiney's film Yol - dominated
the genre. As befitted the time, the lyrics were
politically cautious, but the Kurdish-born Ahmet
Kaya's renditions of the work of banned leftist
poet Nazim Hikmet had enormous resonance
amongst the Turkish left. The gentle, literary lyri-
cism of Kaya's thoughtful and social-realistic love
songs, however, was not enough to sustain the
genre and, despite some quite popular Kurdish m
-<
practitioners, notably Hasan Hiiseyin Demirel
and Umut AJtin9ag, ozgiin has practically disap-
peared from circulation.
Turkish pop, on the other hand, is resolutely
mainstream. At the heart of Turkey's indigenous Aksu's 'students' dominated the pop scene at

pop music is one figure: Sezen Aksu. She trained the end of the 1980s and early 1990s. Levent
as an art music singer in her native Izmir and her Yiiksel, a multitalented instrumentalist and singer,
current prominence owes much to her partner- has produced carefully crafted CDs which connect
ship with the late Onno Tunc:, an Armenian quite explicitly with indigenous Turkish traditions
church musician who embraced soul and jazz in and Turkish literature. More recently the singer
the 1960s, and had the challenging task of over- Candan Ercetin has drawn on a wide range of
seeing Turkey's Eurovision song contest entries in Anatolian, Balkan and Mediterranean styles.

the 1980s. Aksu's soulful voice, owing much to In recent years, a newer genre of pop has come
traditional Turkish urban music, and Tung's elip- to the fore, with driving rhythms and a melod-
tical arrangements and keyboard-based harmonic ic style that is, if anything, close to arabesk, but
style, made for a winning combination. with an attitude of hedonism. Mirkelam,
Aksu is also a political figure, embracing con- Tarkan, Rafet el Roman, and Mustafa San-
cerns and campaigns, including Bosnia, femi- dal produce energetic and danceable music in
nism, ecology and human rights, and particularly this idiom, while Volkan Konak has come up
the plight of the Cumartesi Anneleri, 'Saturday with an engaging hybrid for the Black Sea com-
Mothers' - a Turkish women's protest against munity in Istanbul.

Turkey 405
 Rapping in Germany Music and Throat Playing of the Yoruk
An atofia (Kalan, Turkey).
in

The music of the Urge Turkish diaspora in Ger- Kalan have several discs of minority groups 1

many erupted in Turkey itself with rap group,

Cartel's 1995 CD. Cartel's lyrics explicidy equate
the Turkish and Black American ghetto experi-
ences, sampling Anatolian sounds (saz, zurna and
davul), parading the Turkish flag, and appropriat-
ing the hyper-macho posturing of their US mod-
els. They rap in Turkish, German, Spanish and
Saz
English and are a multicultural group, though their
of the various types of saz
message is very clear: that Turks in Germany rtd beyond to Greece. The
should unite hand of brotherhood is extended
(a rrgyz komuz. Kazakh dom-
to Kurds, Circassians and Laz) against German . various Turkish varieties
9 "Haydar* on the tag drvan
racism. Cartel galvanised debate in Turkey and
saz. A useful and fcst€ yey with photos and a few
received, disturbingly, a warm welcome from notes in EngSsh.
Turkish fascists on their Istanbul debut.
Song Creators in Eastern Turkey
Other Turkish-German rappers, for example the (Smithsonian Folkways, US).
Frankfurt based DJ Mahmut. DJ Volkan and
Four asiks from Kars and Erzurum in north eastern Turkey
KMR. pursue a style which is simultaneously mel- recorded in as*s cafes in the early 1990s. Excetent notes
low and avant-garde, mixing German and Turkish about the sngers. trarJtJon and repertoire, with translations.

in complex lyrics which are more about urban dis- Turkey: Anatolian
location than racial conflict. Aziza-A, based in (VDE-GalkVAIMP. Switzerland).
Berlin, raps on feminist issues. Arguments will con- A good recordngs - music from vlage festi-
selection of field
-

tinue to rage about what is and what is not Turk- vals, 'personal repertoire and women's music. Includes
zurna and davul. a nor on dance on the kemence from the
ish, and what is and what is not 'mere' imitation;
Black Sea, several uzun hava, an asfc's song, lulabies and
what is appropriately 'political' and what is not. love songs. Great notes and photos.
Turkish rap poses the question in stark terms, but
Turkish '

also indicates the inventive dynamism that is going (Nonesuch/Explorer. US).

to take this music into the next century, and beyond.
There are plenty of field recordings of Turkish rural musics,
but this is the best, recorded by ethrxxrtusicologist Laxmi
With thanks to Ferhat Boratav Tewari in two viages in North West Turkey. The asfcs' songs
are heart rerxkng. and represent the repertore as heard and
performed ri viages - a long way away from the TFfTs idea
m
-<
of what it should sound like. The disc also contains good
examples of zurna and davul.
discography E Turquie: Asik (Inedit. France).

This is probably the best introduction to as* muse, featumg

three singers including the celebrated AS Ekber Cicek and
In Turkey the leading label for folk and classical record- one few female asfcs Nuray Hafiftas plus a spectacular
of the

ings is Kalan (IMC 6. Blok No. 6608, Unkapani, Istanbul) saz solo from Anf Sag. Good notes and translations.

who release an unrivalled range of archive recordings of Turquie: Musiques des Yayla (Ocora, France).
classical instrumentalists, contemporary folk and popular
singers, asik bards and the music of minority groups in Jerome Cter's excellent recordings from a mountain village

Turkey. Outside Turkey, Traditional Crossroads (PO Box in the south west of the country. Instrumental dance tunes
20320 Greeley Sqare Station, New York, NY 10001-9992 on various types of saz and violin predominate, ranging
USA) has an excellent catalogue of archive and contem- from the sprightly "teke zortlatmasi". representing the
porary recordings. One of the best record shops in skipping of mountain goats, to the ponderous and macho
Istanbul is Lale Plak, Tunel. Galipded Caddesi No.1, "zeybek".
80050 Beyoglu, Istanbul («(90) 21 2 293 7739).

Artists
Folk and A§iks
Belkis Akkale
Compilations Akkale is a TRT (Turkish Radio) vocal artist specialising in
the Alevi repertory, though she is not herself from this
E Gaziantep Turkuleri (Kalan, Turkey).
community. She set the agenda for an entire decade of
An idiomatic collection of songs and instrumental music from popular folk music recording in the 1980s with "Turku
the Gaziantep region of south Turkey performed by local Turku Turkryem", and a style characterised by an earthy
musicians on vocals, saz, zurna and davul. voice, and driving saz rhythms.

406 Turkey
 ~ Guvercin (Raks/Midas, Turkey).
a traditional musician, but an intellectual and fine
player who's mastered many of Turkey's different
This 1986 recording contains perfect examples of her rendi- types of saz.
tions of the popularised Alevi repertory, poised, grave, and
passionate in tone. Note the brief excursion to Azerbaijan in
L'art vivant de Talip Ozkan
(Ocora, France).
"Bu Gala Dasli Gala", characterised by a 6/8 rhythm unusual
in western or central Anatolia. Eight great tracks covering different regional styles and
instruments from the large divan saz to the small cura
Ibrahim Can baglama.

Bom Besikduz, Trabzon, Can (pronounced Djan) is one

in

of the younger TRT singers who has done most to render Bayram Bilge Toker
the folk genre meaningful to contemporary listeners. He Toke is a singer and saz player from Yozgat province in
studied at Trabzon Lycee, and was recruited into the central Anatolia.
Istanbul TRT in the early 1980s, since when he has estab-
lished himself as a major recording artist, specialising in Bayram: Turkish Folk Songs and Sufi Melodies
the music of the Black Sea area. (Music of the World, US).

Bir Avuc Turku A strong collection of turku folksongs, improvisations, dances

(Coskun Plak, Turkey). and Sufi ritual songs like "Haydar, Haydar". Idiomatically per-
formed.
His efforts to reconcile the kemenge of his native Black Sea
music, rock and mainstream Turkish popular music on this
Birol Topaloglu
1996 recording are utterly compelling.
Born in Rize on the Black Sea in 1965, Topaloglu is an
Ali Ekber Cifek engineer who had no formal musical training, but learned
kemenge, the local instrument.
Cicek isan asik from Erzincan in eastern Turkey, famed
for his singing and saz playing. S3 Lazuri Birabape Heyamo
(Kalan, Turkey).
3E Haydar Haydar (Mega Muzik, Turkey).
A very listenable album of vocalists from the Black Sea
A collection of classic songs. Haydar is the name given to Ali
Laz minority, Topaloglu on kemenge and musicians from
meaning the 'lion of God'. the popular Grup Yorum. The title track is a well-known
work song and sounds like it could be Bulgarian in this
Ne§et Erta$ arrangement.

Son of bozlak genius, Muharrem Ertas, Neset, resident in

Germany, set down his own hat with some haunting com- A§ik Veysel
positions and passionate bozlak improvisations. The The paradigmatic Turkish asik, who was bom in Sivrialan,
street language and blunt emotional style of arabesk is Sivas, in 1894 and died there in 1974. Veysel, blind from
never far away (he directly addresses German migrant birth, became a national institution, and was awarded a
experience). He has always been held at some distance pension for his services to the state in 1965. His songs,
from the state's media machine, but versions of his songs mystical contemplations on the human condition, are thus
have been recorded by an astonishing number of singers. known throughout Turkey.
SI Kova Kova
(Raks/Muziksan, Turkey).
Indirdiler Yaziya Voyages d'Alain Gheerbrant en Anatolie (Ocora, m
-<
France).

The song on the second side is one of a number of clas-

title Veysel recorded widely, and studio-recorded cassettes of his
sics on this recording. Three vocal improvisations (two uzun music, simply called 'Asik Veysel' can be found on street cas-
hava and a bozlak) take the rural genre to extremes. The rural sette stalls almost anywhere. These field recordings, made by
Turkish expression for singing is 'to burn', and this recording French musicologist Alain Gheerbrant who travelled with him
leaves one in no doubt as to why. in 1957, are a chance to hear him more natural setting,
in a
and include one of his emblematic songs "Bulbul" (The
Erkan Ogur Nightingale).

and saz player Ogur grew up in eastern

Vocalist, guitarist
Turkey and listened to the local asiks as well as Jimi Classical/Religious Music
Hendrix on the radio. He studied ud before building him-
self a fretless guitar and working in the rock and folk
scene. Compilations
53 Guliin Kokusu Vardi (Kalan, Turkey).
53 The Bektashi Breaths (Cemre, Turkey).

A delicate and rather aescetic disc of traditional songs from The Bektashi are a Turkish sect with musical rituals and
all over Turkey with fellow singer and instrumentalist ismail H.
dances in which the hymns are called nefes, breaths. This
is an extraordinarily powerful disc which exudes a real ritu-
Demircioglu and other guest musicians. Exquisite instrumen-
al solemnity and power. The melodies sigh expressively
tal playing and good listening even if you don't understand
with an ensemble of ney, kemenge, kanun, ud, cello and
the lyrics (which are not translated). The title track (The Rose

had a Smell') regrets the lost riches of tradition.

drum.

"
Istanbul 1925 (Traditional Crossroads, US).
Talip Ozkan Despite the title, this covers the early years of the Turkish
Born in 1939 in southwest Turkey, Ozkan worked for recording industry up to the 1950s. It features excellent
many years at TRT before settling in France. He is not examples of popular classical instrumentalists, (Udi Hrant,

Turkey 407
 Kemani Tatyos Efendi (1863-1913). With an ensemble of ney.
kanun, clarinet, ud. tanbur and drum, this disc includes
violin,

Tatyos' complete instrumental music, while a second volume

includes his sarki songs.

Biilent Ersoy
Singer in the art and arabesk genres; student of
Muzeyyen Senar. Underwent sex change surgery in
London in the early 1 980s, and spent much of this decade
resident abroad, unable to perform in Turkey. Since her
return, Bulent has been associated primarily with the
recording company Raks, who have done much to engi-
neer her megastar status in Turkey today.

Alaturka 1995
(Raks, Turkey).

The singer's interpretation of the popular classics from the

1 880s to the
1 950s and '60s. Conceived as a tribute to her

mentor, Muzaffer Ozpinar, this is definitely Bulent's best

recording in recent years. The*CD contains some gazels of
scorching intensity, marking the comeback of this semi-
improvised classical vocal genre.

§ukru Tunar) and the precursors of arabesk (Mahmut S3 Secmeler (Raks, Turkey).

Celallettin, Kemani Haydar Taltliyay).

If you're hooked by the disc above, this is a collection of all-

time greatest hits from Bulent Ersoy's prolific Arabesk output,

S3 Gonul Telimizi Titreyenler (Coskun Plak, Turkey).
including "Biz Ayiilamayiz", "Geceler", and "Sevgi Istiyorum".
A compilation from the old Turkish-HMV catalogue, working
from early recordings by one of the first female vocalists,
Udi Hrant
Safiye Ayla to pre-Arabesk club stars of the 1950s and '60s,
notably Zeki Muren, Munir Nurettin Selcuk and Suat Saym. One of the most important players and composers on the
Turkish ud. Hrant (1901-1978), from an Armenian family,
E Mevlana (EMI Hemisphere. UK). was bom blind and started playing cafes before making it
A good example music for the Sufi Mevlevi
of the classical on the radio. He became one of the most popular per-

ceremony re-issued from Turkish Kent recordings. Four formers in Istanbul's nighclubs and toured widely.

hymns in different makams an introductory taksim

featuring
S3 The Early Recordings Vol. 1
improvisation on ney (played by Suleyman Erguner), a selam
(Traditional Crossroads, US).
with soloist Nizeh Uzel, and preludes and postludes for an
ensemble of ney. rebab, tanbur, kemence and drum. This might seem a specialised disc of tracks from early
78rpm recordings, but there are storming and touching per-
33 Women of Istanbul (Traditional Crossroads, US).
formances (some including the celebrated $ukru Tunar on
30
A companion selection to Istanbul 1 925 an archival
featuring clarinet) that leap out at you. Exemplary remastering and

collection of the greatest female singers from the golden era good notes, photos and translations of lyncs. There are two
of cabaret-style nightclubs from 1920 to the mid-'40s. other volumes of later recordings on the same label.

Excellent notes and photos.

Zeki Muren
Artists Bom in Bursa, Zeki Muren (1 931 -96) first came to public
attention through his radio concerts 1 950s as in the early
an interpreter of the contemporary art music, although his
Kudsi Erguner repertoire also covered Turkish versions of Tango,
Erguner was bom in Istanbul in 1952 and is one of the Chanson, and the work of Arab singers such as Umm
leading Turkish ney players, from a long family tradition. Kulthum and Ferid al Attrache (notably his version of the
He learnt from his father Ulvi, who was music director at latter's "Zennube"). His fame was established by some
Radio Istanbul for many years. He settled in Paris in 1 975. eighteen musical films, from Beklenen Sarki in 1953 to
Ruya Gibi in 1971, and by his live performances in
E Dervisches Tourneurs de Turquie (Anon, France).
Istanbul's gazino clubs, characterised by their elaborate

A serious recording of the music of the Mevlevi (Whirling) decor and Muren's increasingly camp costumery.
Dervishes, a genre with which Erguner is closely associated.
With the voice of the now deceased Sheikh of the Halveti
E Kahir Mektubu (Turkuola, Turkey).

order. Muzaffer Ozak.The recording covers the ceremony as Originally recorded in 1979 this was composed, by Zeki's
a whole, including parts other recordings often miss out, long term associate Muzaffer Ozpinar, as a result of a forma-
such as the opening recitation in praise of the prophet (the tive encounter with Egyptian star Umm Kulthum's later, mon-
Na'at-i Mevlana). the entire sequence of vocal sections (the umental style. Simultaneously vast in scope and intimate in
selams), and the recitation of the Koran. style, it was a landmark in Arabesk's history.

The Works of Tatyos Efendi E Turk Sanat Muzigi Konseri (Coskun Plak, Turkey).
(Traditional Crossroads, US).
Remastered from the old HMV catalogue, this recording is a
One of the best discs available of classical Ottoman music. near perfect example of Zeki's elegant mastery of the classi-
Music by Armenian composer and violinist to the Sultan, cal lyric style.

408 Turkey
1

section of dance tunes is from a live recording at a concert in

Miinir Nurettin Sel^uk Dusseldorf in 1984.
Born Istanbul 1900, died 1981 Selcuk was dubbed 'the
man who put Turkish music in Western dress'. He estab- Karsilama
lished the idea of the star vocalist in Turkish popular
music in a concert given in the French Theatre, Istanbul, A group of Istanbul Gypsy musicians led by Selim Sesler
on clarinet with Canadian vocalist Brenna MacCrimmon.
in 1930 but was famous primarily for his recordings,
which ranged from light classical to tango. Karsilama (Green Goat, Canada; Kalan,
S3 Turkey).

S>] Bir Ozlemdir (Coskun Plak, Turkey). Roma music from western Turkey and the Balkans, played
with real panache and good to have some of the vocal reper-
One of a series of re-issues of old HMV recordings of the bel
toire - gleaned from archive recordings and manuscripts -
canto master of the Turkish classical style. Bir Ozlemdir con-
tains some of the enduring classics: "Aziz Istanbul",
expertly sung. Recommended.
"Kalamis", "Enduluste Raks" (a Turkish view of Flamenco),
and an electrifying improvised gazel, "Aheste Qek Kurekleri".
Arabesk
Fasil/Gypsy Music Ibrahim Tathses
Tathses' poverty stricken life in Urfa in the far southeast
Kemani Cemal of the country, his mixed Arab-Kurdish family back-
Bom Thracian Turkey, the heartland of Turkish Roma
in
ground, and his turbulent domestic life, is a matter of
music 928, Cemal learnt music from his father special-
in 1
public mythology in Turkey today. His early recordings
ising in the violin (keman). He has played in many of (many associated with films) alternated traditional folk
Istanbul's nightclubs and gazinos. and Arabesk; many have circulated widely outside Turkey
as well.
S3 Sulukule: Rom Music of Istanbul
(Traditional Crossroads, US). Fosforlu Cevriyem
(Emre, Turkey).
A splendid selection of instrumental numbers and songs really

evoking the earthy character of urban Roma music. Good This live recording is a rare chance to hear what Arabesk
notes and translations of lyrics.
sounds like in the flesh, with some of his all-time favorites
("Beyaz Gul", "Kirmizi Gul", "Fosforlu Cevriyem", "Beyoglu",
"Yesil Yesil"), and some superb uzun hava. was a huge hit
Erkose Ensemble in Turkey in 1990, and gives some sense
It

of Tathses' phe-
One of the veteran Turkish Gypsy musical families, three nomenal vocal presence.
brothers and two cousins on clarinet, kanun
violin, ud,
and darbuka. The clarinet player Barbaras Erkose now Musliim Giirses
performs with his solo band.
Gurses, like many Arabesk singers, is from Adana, in the
S3 Tzigane: the Gypsy Music of Turkey southeast of the country, but has lived in Istanbul, where
(CMP, Germany). he records, makes films and has run a gazino for many
years. His Arabesk has stood for many of its critics as an
An instantly appealing welcome into the fiery world of fasil
extreme manifestation of the lugubrious self-pity inherent
music with a tight virtuosic ensemble.
in the genre, and his fans are drawn from the poorer and 3D
younger ranks of Turkey's urban proletariat. His complete
Istanbul Oriental Ensemble discography would be impossible to compile.
This ensemble of Roma musicians, led by percussionist
S3 Insaf/Kahire Resitali (Ugur, Turkey).
Burhan deal, is currently top of the pile as far as record-
ings are concerned. The traditional line-up of clarinet, vio- Gurses's collaboration with Egyptian musicians, billed as his
lin, oud, kanun and darbuka drums. 'Cairo recital', but in fact a tight studio recording. The inspi-
ration of Egyptian dance orchestra musicians on the genre
njl Gypsy Rum as a whole is immediately obvious from this recording.
L9JEi (World Network, Germany).
Contains perfect examples of his intense vocals and
Fourteen tracks of tight instrumental playing. Emotional twists despairing lyrics.

and lighting virtuosity will have your belly dancing - listen for
the screaming shrieks from Fethi Tekaygil's violin. Once Orhan Gencebay
you've move on to their follow-up album,
tried this, H3 The
Sultan's Secret Door (World Network, Germany). Gencebay was bom Samsun, northern Turkey in 1944;
in

receiving a musical trainingin folk, classical and Western

art music genres. He was associated with Arabesk's

Mustafa Kandirah emergence as a popular genre addressing rural-urban
Bom in Kandirah in 1 930, this Gypsy clarinet player toured migrant experience. Most of his early recordings accom-
theUSSR and USA as a band leader in the 1960s, and panied musical films, and most can still be found in either
there had his formative encounter with jazz, which earned cassette or CD form.
him the nickname of 'Turkey's Benny Goodman'. Charlie
S3 Yalniz Desilsin (Kervan, Turkey).
Parker would not be a bad point of comparison either.
Kandirali's performances have a quiet radicalism to their This recording, one of his most recent, demonstrates his
melodic invention and improvisations. unflagging and wide-ranging musical curiosity, taking in

Middle Eastern, European and American popular and classi-

33 Caz Roman (World Network, Germany).
cal genres in a magisterial sweep. His own virtuoso saz play-
This is the epitome of instrumental fasil, includingsome of ing, as ever, is to the fore. Listen out for the thunderous belly
Turkey's best known fasil instrumentalists, Ahmet Meter dance number ("Gencebay Oriyentali") and a mock baroque
(kanun), Metm Bukey (ud) and Ahmet Kulik (darbuka). The last overture ("Nihavent Uvertur").

Turkey 409
 traces his experiments through a variety of Western pop and
Pop, Rock and Rap rock genres, and his emerging political radicalism. The story
of Turkish highbrow rock, in its entirety, on one disc.

Compilations
Ahmet Kaya
H3 The Best of Turkey (Atoll, France).
Since the early 1980s, Kaya has been one of the main fig-
Just what it says, acheap and cheerful compilation of Turkish ures associated with so-called 'independent' ('ozgun')
pop featuring ibrahim Tatlises, Baris Mango, Cem Karaca and music; a guitar-oriented genre with radical aspirations,
Zeki Muren. and much reference to indigenous traditional musics
(especially that of the saz). Kaya is a Kurdish Jacques
H3 The Other Side of Turkey (Feuer und Eis, Germany).
Brel, and the blend of saz and guitar with Kaya's deep,
A good 1991 compilation of music from Bulutsuzluk Ozlemi, melancholy voice and the political tone of the lyrics has
Mozaik and Bulent Ortaggil and Erkan Ogur. an enduring appeal amongst many of the Turkish and
Kurdish intelligentsia to this day.
83 Turkish Hip Hop (Looptown, Germany).
83 An Gelir (Tag, Turkey).
Produced by musicians heavily involved in Frankfurt's multi-
cultural underground scene, these Turkish rappers (DJ Plangent saz, and up-tempo Halay dance numbers, radical in

Mahmut, DJ Volkan, DJ Murat) escaped the hype that have gesture, but social-realist weltschmerz in content. Nothing
surrounded rappers such as Cartel and Aziza A. Sampling that Kaya did subsequently lived up to the enormous vitality

from Turkish classical music to cool jazz, they rap mainly in and lyricism of this early album. ^
Turkish, in a thoughtful and esoteric manner. .

Ztilfii Livaneli
Artists Composer, saz player and vocalist, born in the eastern
Black Sea region. As a leftist intellectual he spent several
Sezen Aksu years in exile in Sweden where he hooked up with the
like-minded Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. Since
Aksu trained in the classical genre in her native Izmir. She his return to Turkey he's been an important opinion maker
has dominated the world of Turkish pop since the mid- and one-time candidate for mayor of Istanbul. Recently
1970s, but her distinctive style emerged through her sub- he's been through a New Age phase, but his 1 998 album
sequent collaboration with Onno Tun?. She has recently Nefesim nefesime (Breath to Breath) showed him back on
begun to explore musics outside of the Turkish popular better form.
mainstream, notably Anatolian folk genres, and Balkan
music. Maria Farandouri Soyluyor
(Raks, Turkey).
If ik Dogudan Yukselir/Ex Oriente Lux
(Foneks, Turkey). From the early 1 980s, this is one of the great Turkish albums
of all time, Maria Farandouri sings Livaneli. Beautiful melodies,
The release of this album made headline news in Turkey. exquisitely sung in fine arrangements, in Greek and Turkish,
Despite the hype, is an intriguing CD, from the overblown
it
but equally appealing if you understand neither.
orchestral opening (worked out with Onno Tung), to the inti-

mate and sparse style which characterises all of her recent

work. It makes playful reference to a variety of urban and
Mirkelam
rural Turkish genres, some self-consciously 'authentic' in Mirkelam a foremost representative of the newer gener-
is

spirit, others in a more abstract and allusive style. ation of Turkishpop stars (including Tarkan, Rafet el
Roman, Mustafa Sandal, Izel).
Dugun ve Cenaze (Raks, Turkey).
S3 Mirkelam (Istanbul Plak, Turkey).
A collaboration with Yugoslav musician Goran Bregovig,
music from Emir Kusturica's films, The Time of
translating the Featuring the song that launched Mirkelam in 1995, "Her
the Gypsies and Underground into Sezen Aksu's distinctive Gece", this CD illustrates, for Turkish listeners, all of the
idiom, with a Serbian brass band thrown in for good mea- virtues and vices of contemporary Turkish pop. It is, effective-
sure. A superb slow tango kicks off a successful experiment ly, turbo-charged Arabesk, with a distinctly Turkish sound to

and engaging curiosity. the melodic line and vocal style, but with a pounding
dance/techno pulse.
Cem Karaca
Yeni Turku
Born in Bakirkoy in Istanbul in 1945, Karaca has been a
leading figure in Turkish and 'Anatolian' rock through his The group's name means 'new song' and betrays the
work with bands such as Apaslar, Kardaslar, Mogollar influence of South American groups like Inti lllimani and
and Dervidan. His work became progressively more radi- Greek musicians like Manos Laizos. Since the late 1970s
cal throughout the 1970s and he left Turkey in 1979, their music has been characterised by fine instrumental
shortly before the military coup, and returned, after a big arrangement featuring traditional Turkish instruments. The
public display of reconciliation with the liberal-rightist key musicians have been Derya Koroslu (lead vocal and
regime of Turgut Ozal in 1 987. Whilst (some would argue) saz), Murat Buket (vocals and ud) and Selim Atakan (key-
his politics have lost their way, his music has lost none of board and guitar), but the group has now reformed with
its jagged intensity and literary intelligence. new members under Derya Koroslu. They have many
excellent releases on BMG.
Cemaz ul-Ewel
(Kalan, Turkey). 33 Her Dem Yeni [New Every Time] (BMG, Turkey).

This is a retrospective of all of Karaca's major work with his The greatest hits album with twenty of their songs. Excellent
early groups, particularly Apaslar and Kardaslar, and thus listening even if you don't speak a word of Turkish.

410 Turkey
 —

THREE

"1
(

Tunisia
~-^>
Sicily

Crete' Cyprus'^
Lebanon j^l
V
Morocco
^X. Israelii/
Iran

\ ,vi
l
Jordan
i J-
^-^v
^
.

^
- i

Algeria Kuwait ,

Western
Sahara :

Cape
Verde
Senegal

The Gambia
Burkina

Guinea-Bissau-
J- 7>- 'I /' F|s °

Guinn

Algeria - Rai 413

Algeria- Kabylia425 Togo

omalia.
Angola 428 Benin & Togo 432 Cameroon -

PYGMIES
Ugan.

Burkina Faso 437 Cameroon 440 Equatorial Guinea

Kenya

Cape Verde 448 Congo 458

Cote d'lvoire 472 Equatorial Guinea 477
Ethiopia 480 Ghana 488 Guinea-Bissau 499 Seychelles

Indian Ocean 505 Kenya 509 Madagascar 523

Malaw 533 Mali/Guinea - Mande Music 539
Comoros
& Western Sahara 5 3 Morocco 567
Mauritania 1

Mozambique 5 79 Niger 585 Nigeria 588

Pygmy Music 601 Rwanda & Burundi 608
Sao Tome & Principe 6 3 Senegal
1 & The Gambia 617
Sierra Leone 634 South Africa - Popular Music 638 Madagascar
Mauritius
South Africa - Gospel Music 658
South Africa - Jazz 600 Southern Africa - Archives 669
Sudan 672 Tanzania - Popular Music 681
INDIAN OCEAN
Swaziland
Tanzania/Kenya - Taarab 690 Uganda 698
Zambia 702 Zimbabwe 706
This map is drawn on the Peters'
projection which shows the correct
relative size of countries
 P-
Algeria |
Rai en
m

music under fire

Like almost every other aspect of life in modern Algeria, music has been caught in the fire of civil war
in recent years. The blood of several famous musicians has been added to that of politicians,
journalists, clerics, union leaders and ordinary citizens, victims of a vicious conflict between the
military-backed regime and terrorists who kill in the name of fundamentalist Islam. The horror of this
war hasn't managed to annihilate musical activity entirely and many varied styles with long histories
and deep cultural associations continue to thrive within the borders of this huge country - as well as in
exile in Paris and elsewhere. Andy Morgan takes a look at two of the most important: rai and (in the
following article), the music of the mountainous region of Kabylia.

ndulge in a little lateral thinking and it's easy wince when they hear words like 'bitch' and 'uzi'
to draw parallels between Algerian rai and coming from the mouth of a rap artist, so the cul-
that other hugely successful and influential style tural muftis of the Maghreb turn red when they
of late twentieth-century urban music with hear tales of drunkenness, despair, sex and hedo-
which it shares all but one letter. American rap nism from the lips of a teenage cheb (youth).
and Algerian rai are both styles bom out of a strong
local culture which use the language of the street
Oran:
to express opinions about They value
lyrical
street life.

improvisation and 'borrow' musical ideas

Where it all Began
from many sources if and when necessary. They Wind your way back in search of the roots of rai
antagonise the values of 'decent' society and the and you'll find yourself in the west of Algeria with
cultural mainstream. They are the musical styles its lush cultivated coastline and harsh arid interi-
most favoured by the dispossessed in their respec- or,peppered with the towns whose names echo
tive countries, by those who have little to loose throughout the history of the genre; Ain
and a lot to say. And for both, their paths to inter- Temouchent, Relizane, Saida, Tlemcen, Mosta-
national fame have been littered with controver- ganem, Sidi bel Abbes, Mascara and, of course, the
sy and misunderstanding. Just as folk who live where it all started and whose name
city is syn-
comfortably within the cultural pale in America onymous with rai itself, Oran.

Khaled

Rai 413
 Oran is a modern seaport and the capital of the populist form of poetry known as melhun, set to a
colonial province of Oranie in western Algeria. very basic two- to three-chord rural music with
Known as the 'little Paris' of North Africa, it has strong pounding beats. While they sang the long

^ had a reputation for being one big fun-house ever. epic sagas of the melhun canon they would bang
since the Spanish invaded it centuries ago and kept out the beat on a small metallic drum called the guel-
women there to entertain the troops. Before Alge- lal. accompanied by two players of a hard rosewood
rian independence in 1962, the city was divided desert flute called the gasba. Their stage was any cafe
into separate quarters - French, Jewish, Spanish and in the Arabic quarter (the Cafe Bessarhraoiti was a
Arab - each with its own atmosphere and music. favourite haunt), a marriage, a circumcision cere-
The Jewish quarter was known as the Dcrb mony or any busy marketplace such as the tahtaha
where Jewish musicians like Saoud L'Oranais. of Medina Jdida where they performed among
Larbi Bensari and Reinette L'Oranaise per- magicians, story-tellers, political agitators, beggars,
formed every night in the cafes and cabarets of the teeth-pullers, snake-charme«rs and the rest of the

quarter. The Spanish, mostly fisherman w hose motley crew that frequented such places.

numbers were swelled by refugees after the fall of The music of the cheikhs was known as bedoui,

the Spanish republic in 1939, lived in Sidi el gharbi (meaning 'from the West') or folklore Oranais.
Houari. Spanish songs and melodies have always The cheikhs guarded their skills jealously and their

been tightly woven into the musical fabric of the circle was a hard one to enter. The works of the
city. The French lived in the best accommodation great melhun poets like Zenagui Bouhafs or Mest-
the old town had to offer and went to the Jewish fa ben Brahim were long, complex and difficult to

cafes to get their shot of oriental dancing and learn. The aspiring bedoui artiste would have to
maybe something else. The old Muslim
a little suffer a long apprenticeship under the strict super-
quarter was known as Medina Jedida (new tow n). vision of a 'master' and then pass a test before he
Muslims were forbidden by the French adminis- could grace name with the title 'cheikh'. The
his

tration to sell alcohol in their own cafes so they cheikhs, men as Cheikh Hamada. Cheikh
such
crossed to the Jewish and Spanish quarters to get Khaldi. Cheikh Mohamed Senoussi (who made
it. The various communities, between whom the first bedoui recording in 1906), Cheikh Madani
music was often the best point of contact, coex- or Cheikh Hachemi Bensmir were somewhat
isted peacefully enough, hustling for their daily stuffy and retro. They were from society's 'guardian'

bread, watched overby their French rulers. class, men with strong standards of morality and
At the end of World War I, Arabic music in decency. Despite the fact that the French authori-
western Algeria was dominated by two main ties distrusted melhun, with its eulogies to the great
strands. The stricdy regulated 'classical' style known muslim saints and freedom-fighters of yesteryear,
as al-andahus, which was imported into North they looked benignly on the activities of the cheikhs
Africa from southern Spain after the expulsion of who they considered to be a healthy bulwark against
the Moors way back in 1492, had evolved into lewd talk in the local arts.

various local hybrids: hawzi (from the Tlemcen Many cheikhs were refined city-dwellers who
area), aaroubi (from Algiers) and mij/w/(ffom Con- led a comfortable coexistence with their French
stantine in the east). This was the music of the elite overlords and were even collaborators, generally
performed by painstakingly trained musicians who loath to step out of line. Hamada, to be fair, was
were taught to respect the rigid melodic and tonal an exception, and became a stem critic of the colo-
structures of classical arabo-andalusian music over nial administration. One of his sons was executed
which they sang in the refined and symbolic lan- by the French. The cheikhs were popular but their

guage of classical Arabic poetry. Between the wars, language was not populist.
many of the stars of hawzi were women and the
roll-call of the gratides dames of this genre includes
Maalma Yemna, Cheikha Tetma, Myriam
Women, Dock-workers
Fekkai, Fadila D'zirya and the aforementioned
and Street Urchins
songstress, Reinette L'Oranaise. The early decades of the century were a time of
Meanwhile out in the streets, music with its roots great change and social upheaval in Algeria. The
in the age-old rural chants of the local bedouin tribes traditional patterns of society, based on land and
was being performed for the masses. Dressed con- tribal allegiance, had been broken down by the
spicuously in long white jellabas and turbans, the land-grabbing policies of the colonists which result-
cheikhs (the word 'cheikh' is a venerable ride mean- ed in a new urban underclass of poor factory work-
ing something like 'honourable sir') used a more ers, for the most part illiterate and rootless.

414 Rai
 rhe venerable cheikhs seemed unprepared to For a woman who found herself on the dan-
sing about the stresses of poverty, rural immigra- gerous periphery of society, membership of a med-
tion, colonial misrule,unemployment, over- dhahate group offered companionship, support and
crowding, crime, prostitution and other daily a meagre means of survival. Although most med-
^
concerns of this new group of people. This job dhahate groups kept a low profile, only perform-

was left to the street poets who sang zendanis (from ing 'standards' and never their own material, some
zendan meaning 'cellar') or bar songs which stitched medh singers like Soubira bent Menad, Les
together snippets of melhun, bawdy rhymes and Trois Filles de Baghdad and the great poetess,
patches of improvised street wit covering every Kheira Essebsadija, did acquire notoriety in the
topic of momentary concern in the community of inter-war years. Meddhahate groups still exist today
the dispossessed. and, at the last count (1988), more than three hun-
The musicologist, Jules Rouanet, writing for La dred were registered with UNAC (Union
Revue Musicale in 1905, described these forerun- Nationale des Arts Culturels) in Oran.
ners of rai music damning terms: "The
in these The crucial link between the 'low-life' zendani
zendani are the musical airs which can be found songs and modern rai however is not the med-
right at the bottom of the Arabic musical reper- dhahates but the cheikhas. These women were
toire. Any self-respecting musician does not sing generally the daughters and wives of peasants or
the zendanis. He leaves them to women, dock manual labourers, or orphans who had survived
workers and street urchins, and the people take the harshest of upbringings and opted for the life

their revenge by giving themselves whole-heart- in music as the only way to keep on living with
edly to the culture of this pariah style. They pep- some kind of dignity. Known as the 'women of
per these short melodies with all kinds of lyrics, the cold shoulder' - because they had a Maddon-
fugitive improvisations and, in moments of inspi- na-esque approach to clothing and were beyond
rational weakness, with 'ahs' and 'ya lallas' ... suf- the pale of 'decent' society - they had a lot to say
ficient to fill the gap." and very little to lose. They adopted the rural
He might also have mentioned that these inspi- bedoui style of the cheikhs, mixed it with the style

rational hiatuses were often filled with the cry 'ya of the meddhahates and came up with a truly indi-

rai' or 'errai errai'. The word rai covers a vast vidual, rough-neck, free-speaking and generally
expanse of meaning and loosely translates as an 'shocking' approach to poetry and music.
opinion, choice, advice, or point of view. Momen- Whereas the meddhahates performed only for
tarily stumped for the right phrase or rap with women, the cheikhas would sing for all and sundry
which to continue, the singer would simply intone and especially for men, in the steamy world of hash
this all-encompassing word as if to say "This is dens, cantinas, Moorish cafes, bars and bordellos in
how I see the world." Oran and other towns. Quickly ditching the clas-
In the topsy-turvy society of 1920s Oran, Mus- sical and poetic language of the cheikhs, which was

lim women were the exploited of the exploited. purely men's talk anyway, the cheikhas adopted a
If you had the misfortune to be born poor and patchwork of Oranian street slang, interwoven with
female you had to learn survival in hostile sur- bits of French and cliches of the melhun canon.
The constant struggle to preserve female
roundings. The music of the cheikhas is considered to be as
honour was lost by many unsuspecting young far removed from what might be politely described

women and social ostracism was the usual result. as 'family entertainment' as is feasibly possible. When
If a young female had a mind to pursue a career they 'went public' they severed all ties with their
in singing or dancing then polite society would previous existence and gave up their family name.
usually turn its back on her. Traditionally, a women They shrouded themselves in a carefully woven veil

who had lost her ticket to social respectability, for of mystery and anonymity, never allowing their
whatever reason, or who simply craved the oppor- images to be portrayed on the covers of records or
tunity to sing for a living, could join one of the cassettes, adopting colourful nicknames which often
groups of itinerant female singers who sang the alluded to their place of origin and travelling from
tnedh — popular poetic songs in praise of the village to town to village with their male retinue of
prophet performed on a bed of basic pounding gasba players and a berrah, a kind of MC who per-
percussion and sometimes accompanied by a flute formed the introductions and shouted dedications
or violin. The meddhahates would tour the region, to members of the audience in return for money.
strictly supervised by their leader or rn'allma, and Cheikha Remitti el Reliziana from Rczil-
perform to female-only audiences at marriages, iana (see box overleaf) is the most notorious, out-
ramadhan gatherings and circumcision feasts. spoken and oldest surviving member of the

Rai 415
r—
o Cheikha Remitti
Cheikha Remitti, the grandmother of Algerian rai visation. Inspiration comes to her at night and, in her
music has spent most of her bitter-sweet existence words, "like a swarm of bees attacking my head." She
walking on the wild-side of life. This seventy-six-year- sings about the pleasures of booze ("Some people
old mother of ten was already a school-of-hard-knocks adore God. I adore beer"), the repugnant attitude of
graduate when she recorded the infamous "Charrag old men towards their young brides ("Who would bring
Gatta" for Pathe Marconi in repugnant old saliva togeth-
>
1954. The title of the song ™ er with sweet young saliva"),

means 'Tear, lacerate!', a ? the pleasures of sex ("He

completely unveiled mes- m scratched my back and I

sage to female virgins to do S gave hjm my all"), about

the deed. ° cars, telephones, the TGV
Remitti's orphaned child- co and the homesick agonies
hood the western Algeri-

4
in of the emigrant.
an town of Relizane not onty All this verbal wizardry is

taught her how to survive, belted out in a voice that

but to do it with style and could grate the hide off a
panache, sleeping rough in rhinoceros, a deep souful
hammams (local Arabic rasp that pulsates to the raw
bath-houses) and the tombs rhythmic trance of the metal-
of local marabouts, singing lic guellal drums and inter-

with groups of itinerant weaves with the swirling

female musicians called barren wail of the gasba (a

meddhahates, or dancing rosewood desert flute). On

past exhaustion through until stage, Remitti flirts outra-
dawn at all-night wa'adat, geously with her audience,
the local marriage or saint- distilling all the sexual power
day feasts. The young Saa- of an Elvis groin thrust into
dia (The Blessed or Happy i the rhythmic hike of her eye-
One), as she was then Cheikha Remitti brows and the flutter of her
known, earned her nick- shimmying shoulders, the
name in a bar-tent at the annual festival of Sidi Abed. glint of her gold teeth vying with the wicked sparkle in

When her entourage suggested that she buy a round her eyes.
for her assembled fans, many of whom were French, Despite enjoying a respect and love that unites Alge-
the singer overcame her dire ignorance of the language rians in this present era of murder and political chaos,
of the colonial masters by singing the words of a pop- official recognition has been painfully slow in coming.
ular tune to the bewildered French barmaid "Remettez Remitti maintains that her "lust for life" sits easily with

panache madame, remettez!" (Another shandy barmaid. heart-felt religious convictions. She has performed the
Another!), and she was baptised Cheikha Remitti sacred duty of pilgrimage to Mecca and earned her-
Reliziana. self the respected title of hadja. Official acceptance of
Remitti is the greatest of all the cheikhas, the women her music had to wait until 1994 when she performed
singers of western Algeria who sing and improvise their at the temple of all things culturally acceptable in the
raunchy lyrical snapshots of daily low-life in a thick, Arabic music world, the Institut du Monde Arabe in

highly flavoured dialect unique to the country around Paris. Later that year her collaboration with Robert
the great sea-port of Oran. Her notoriety is founded on Fripp and Flea (of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) on the
her remarkable skill with words, her acute improvisa- album Sidi Mansour proved that her mojo doesn't only
tional abilities and her fearlessness. Only those ears work on her fellow Arabs, but a much wider range of

tuned in to the cheeky and comical patois of Oranie cultures and ages. If rai is the blues of North Africa,
can appreciate her razor sharp talent for satirical impro- then Remitti is the Bessie Smith of the genre.

cheikhates and claims to be el ghedra (the root) of young Cheikha Djenia (from
the comparatively
modern rai. She is the visible tip of the cheikha phe- the word Cheikha Kheira
djinn, or evil spirit),
nomenon, which is peculiarly Oranian and much Guendil, Cheikha Grelo (cockroach) el Most-
misunderstood, even maligned in other parts of the ganmia (from Mostaganem), Cheikha Bachitta
country. Behind her are other great cheikhas, like de Mascara (from the town of the same name)

416 Rai
who caused a scandal in the forties by wearing Ever since the early 1930s, the battle for an inde- J—
trousers and a cap, Cheikha el Ouachma (tattooed) pendent and free Algeria had been gathering pace.
el Tmouchentia (from Am Temouchent) and In the mid-1950s the volcano of revolutionary fer-

Cheikha Zohra el Reliziana. vour erupted and insurrection gripped the country.
At the inspirational source of the cheikates' art The cheikhas and the urban wahrani stars were quick
is the concept of melma which has close affinities to add Some,
their voice to the protesting chorus.

to the elusive duende, so cherished by the great like BlaouiHouari and the outspoken Ahmed
singers of Flamenco. Cheikha Djenia gives this Saber, ended up in jail whilst others like Ahmed
definition of mehna: "Mehna is hard and terrible. Wahby escaped to Tunisia to join the FLN (Front
Mehna is strong and dangerous. She who has never de Liberation National) in exile.

experienced it is lucky. It's better for her, for her In the words of Remitti: "The FLN didn't have
peace of mind. Mehna is the love that hurts, the to contact me. Straight after the uprising of Novem-
love that sickens. Mehna, God preserve us, is like ber 1 , 1 954 I began to sing about the armed strug-
a tumour, an evil that envelopes your being. That's gle. For we, the generation of cheikhs Hamada and
mehna, that's suffering, that's life. A woman's Madani, were prepared for the armed struggle." In
mehna is different from that of a man. A man, even the bitter heat of the war of independence many rai
if he suffers from it, will never show it". artists managed to make their first records. The French
company Pathe, who seem to have dominated the
Independence music industry in Algeria until the late 1950s, gave
Blaoui Houari, Ahmed Wahby and Cheikha Remit-
and the Jazz Age ti their first breaks during this period.
In the 1930s, the underground agitators and muja-
heddin of the emerging independence movement Hick Music Goes Pop
considered the rai of the cheikhas anti-revolu-
tionary and a-political, drugging the people with With the eventual capitulation of the French under
retrograde thoughts of debauchery and alcoholic De Gaulle and Algerian independence in 1962
oblivion. Remitti and others could not have cared there was a brief period of nationwide jublilation,
less and continued defiantly to expound the every- street partying and riotous merrymaking. Very
day woes and occasional pleasures of the workers soon, however a cloud descended on the young

and peasants who flocked to the cafes where they nation. The Marxist theoreticians of the Boume-
performed. Around 78rpm records
this time, too, diene regime were not partial to outspoken liber-
by the great Egyptian artists Umm Kalthum and tine musicians championing sexual freedom and
Mohammed Abd el-Wahab were beginning to the good life. Their cultural policy was to promote
find huge popularity all across the Maghreb and a respectable 'national' musical genre and not sur-
new styles of city music were evolving. prisingly they opted to place the classical andalous
In Oran the Egyptian sounds were blended with style mixed with a little of the local chaabi music
a little classical andalous and a measure or two of of Algiers on this vaulted pedestal. Rai was, after
rai and the result was wahrani, a new urban hybrid all, hick music, sung by a bunch of hooligan yokels

whose greatest exponent was Blaoui Houari. with stiff Oranian accents who were unworthy of
Sailors fresh in port would come and sell records any role in the sacred Algerian patrimony.
in Houari's father's cafe featuring the latest French In Oran, things were seen a bit differently. One
pop tunes by the likes of Edith Piaf Tino Rossi artist in particular, Ahmed Saber, continued to
and Josephine Baker. These sounds became very parody the shortcomings of the new government
popular with young urbanites and this popularity in songs like "El Khaine" (The Thief- a diatribe

grew stronger in the period when American troops against official corruption) or "Bouh bouh el

were stationed in Oran during the World War II. khedma welat oujouh" (Oh, oh, you get a job by
Seduced by the music and culture of the jazz age, pulling strings) which mixed rai, wahrani, jazz and
Houari and a group of talented contemporaries a little rumba. He dared even to criticise Ahmed
including Ahmed Wahby, Djelloul Bendaoud, Ben Bella, Algeria's first President and the hero of
Maurice El Medioni and Mohammed Belar- the revolution, and spent several periods in jail,

bi incorporated Western instruments like the piano eventually dying in poverty in 1967. Boumedi-
and accordion into the local musical language. enne, Ben Bella's successor, shut the regional TV
Wahby's song "Ouahrane Ouahrane" (Oran Oran), station of Oran, prohibited alcohol and put a ban
became a classic anthem of the new Oranian folk- on large concerts or gatherings of rai musicians.
lore, or bedoui citadinise as it was also known. Rai was locked behind closed doors.

Rai 417
 Redding. This was the hey-day of 'Ye
on beat-
Ye', that particularly French twist
mania and the youth of Oran, Algiers and
other big cities were rolling and shaking
with the rest of the world.
Rai had to be made danceable to retain
its appeal. Bouteldja, abas 'Le Joselito', hit
the big time in 1964 at the tender age of
fourteen, taking songs from the cheikhates
and melhun repertoire and spicing them
up with modern instrumentation and
arrangements. Messaoud started experi-
menting by substituting the gasba with sax
or trumpet and the small guellal with the
much larger, booming tabla drum. Around
the same time, Bouteldja was customising
an accordion so that it could play the quar-
ter-tones so characteristic of Arabic music
in general.
The post-revolutionary generation of
young musicians, which included Belle-
mou, Bouteldja, Boutaiba Sghir and
Benfissa started to formulate a modern
pop-rai. Their influences ranged from
rock to flamenco, from jazz to bedoui and
the rai of the cheikhas. Spanish artists had
Bellemou Messaoud been visiting Algeria for decades to play
for the large Spanish community of Oran.
This was not an unfamiliar place for rai to find Their music was very popular, especially with the
itself. Rai was always most comfortable in small young Bellemou who had studied at the Spanish
gatherings such as marriages, circumcision feasts music school in his hometown of Ain
or simple family get-togethers in which the singer Temouchent.
would improvise stories about the lives of the peo- After a few years testing their new sounds on
ple present, all of whom she or he knew person- the Oran wedding, cabaret and cafe circuit, Belle-
ally, and the berrah would go around cajoling tips mou and Bouteldja had achieved local fame, not
out of the audience. In these surroundings rai could to say notoriety. Trumpets, saxophones and accor-
be poured out uninhibited without fear or recrim- dions in rai music? They left audiences speechless.
ination. Apart from anything else, the gasba flutes Cheikha Remitti, jealous and proud by nature,
and guellal drums of the traditional rai orchestra was furious at her baby being stolen from her. "I
were totally unsuited to large concert halls. built the house and they stole the keys and moved
This fact hadn't escaped the attention of the right in", she declared angrily.
younger generation and especially of two young In the slip-stream of Bellemou's and Bouteld-
musicians from Oran, multi-instrumentalist (but ja's success a new generation began turning to the
mainly trumpeter) Bellemou Messaoud and rai hybrid to provide a soundtrack to their lives.

singer Belkacem Bouteldja. Independently, both Among these 'midnight' children were two child
dreamed of updating the rai sound to make it more singers from Oran who were becoming a popular
suitable for the youth of the mid-1960s who were wedding and circumcision feasts — the
attraction at
gettinghooked on the latest sounds from Europe singers who were to become known as rai's biggest
and America. The French beau mec Johnny Halli- stars, Chaba Fadela and Cheb Khaled.

day played the Regent cinema on Oran's corniche Fadela Zelmat's family house in the seedy for-
or seafront strip and dozens of hopeful 'rocker' mer Jewish quarter was a stone's throw from the
combos - with names like The Students or The municipal theatre and she had always had her heart
Vultures (the latter fronted by the Ahmed broth- set on a stage career. Nicknamed 'Remitti sghira'

ers, later key rai producers) - began boogying to (little Remitti) by the theatre's director, the young
the beat of The Beatles, James Brown and Otis Fadela starred in Mohamed Ifticene's 1976 film

418 «ai
 >
I—

Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sahraoui

Djalti at the green age of fourteen, where she al radicalisation of Third World culture which was
played the role of a smoking, drinking, bikini and implicit in the musicof Bob Marley, the Moroc-
mini-skirt wearing local girl. She also performed cannew wave and the plight of the Palestinians.
as a backing vocalist on various recordings by The mid-1970s also witnessed another devel-
Boutaiba Sghir and Cheikha Djenia. opment that was to be crucial to the pop-rai boom
Khaled Brahim came from the Echmuhl dis- of the 1980s. For decades, record producers in
trict in Oran's new town where his father was a Algeria had released their material on 45rpm vinyl
mechanic in the local police garage. Like all his singles which were relatively expensive to pro-
contemporaries, Khaled was mad for the sounds duce. After 1974 cheap cassette recorders became
of the Moroccan new wave, groups like Nass el available and the vinyl era rapidly ended. Produc-
Ghiwane andjil Jilala who were busy moulding a ers, or editeurs as they're known in French, sprang
hard, modern style of Arabic music and becom- up like flowers after a freak flood, ranging from
ing popular all over the Maghreb. With his Nass two-bit sharks with a microphone and a beaten-
el Ghiwane sound-alike group Noujoun el up cassette player, to the likes of brothers Rachid
Khams (The Five Stars), Khaled would play any- and Fethi Baba Ahmed who ran a studio and
where and everywhere, beginning the evenings production centre in Tlemcen, or the talented
with Moroccan and rock influenced songs and arranger-producer Mohammed Maghni, all sur-
later, when only the intimates were left in the vivors of 1960s rock groups who strove to devel-
house, finishing off with some down home rai. op new sounds and styles.

The 1970s were a bad time for the youth in

The previous decade had exacerbated the
Algeria.
Cassette Chebs
problems of poverty, homelessness and unem-
ployment which had plagued the country since For the emerging generation of chebs and chebas,
independence. When President Chadli took over royalties were unheard of. Candyfloss contracts were
from the long-standing leader Boumedienne in confected and then ignored. When Cheb Khaled
1977, corruption became almost endemic. The eventually hit the big time, a number of producers
young people of cities like Algiers and Oran, too claimed to have an exclusive deal with him. His
old for school and too young for military service, reply was: "My only contract is with God".
existed in an aimless limbo, denied sexual freedom The cassette revolution allowed rai to circum-
or the chance to travel abroad, and continually vent the traditional disinterest and elitism of the
preached to about religion and morality by the state-run media giant RTA (Radio Television Alge-
authoritarian central government. Frustrated as rienne) with whom many of the young rai singers

they were, they were not oblivious to the gener- had a love-hate relationship. On the one hand they

Rai 419
despised the haughty indif- Not every singer was pre-
ference of the media cadres pared to jump on the cheb
far away in Algiers, and on bandwagon, however. The sil-

the other they craved the ver-tongued exponent of

fame and potential fortune 'clean' rai, Houari Bench-
which might result from TV enet, whose popularity rivalled
coverage. that of Cheb Khaled's in the
According to Bouziane early 1 980s, resolutely refused
Daoudi and Hadj Miliani, the to adopt the cheb moniker and
authors of L'aventure Rai, one preferred the more socially
of the few books on the sub- palatable and elegant wahrani
ject, it was a desire on the part style to the new rai.

of the musical scene in Oran Nevertheless, without any

to be considered on a par officialsanction from gov-
with the lucky few who ernment or media, rai con-
appeared on television that tinued to grow in popularity.
the title 'cheb' - meaning In 1983, Chaba Fadela
'young' or 'charming' — was teamed up with the talented
adopted. The presenters of classically trained musician
musical shows on TV would and arranger Mohamed
intone a formula to introduce One of the first Khal Sahraoui to record "N'sel
the next act which consisted Fik" (You're Mine), one of
of the anodyne phrase "Wa el an nouqadim lak- the anthems of modern rai, under the supervision
ouni ech-cheb..." (And now please welcome the of producer Rachid Baba Ahmed. Shortly after-
young ...). The editeurs in Oran, in a calculated wards the pair got married and became the most
game of one-upmanship - and also, it must be said, famous man and wife team in Arabic music. Cheb
to differentiate their young recording stars from the Hamid, whose singing style owed a lot to fla-

cheikhs and cheikhas of old — persuaded and cajoled menco, scored huge hits in the early 1980s with
all and sundry to become cheb this and chaba that. "El Marsam" and "Maandiche maa" before going
The modern era was born when Chaba
rai back to his job as a hospital technician.

Fadela recorded "Ana ma h'lali ennoum" Another burgeoning star was Cheb Mami, who
(Sleep doesn't matter to me any more) in 1979. was only fourteen when he burst onto the scene
The song was a hit, and more importantly, a hit in 1982 after coming second in a televised talent
all over the country. It was the first time that rai contest and went on to blaze a trail of firsts — first

had gone out beyond its western Algerian

really to move to France in 1985, first to play at Paris'
stronghold and seduced the whole nation. All the most prestigious rock venue L'Olympia in 1989,
elements that had made the rai of the cheikhas so first rai singer to perform in the USA three months
controversial - the plain speaking, the realism, the later and first to record an album outside France
love of life, the lack of concern for accepted mores or Algeria (Let me Rai, 1990, produced by Hilton
- were at its heart. Rosenthal in Los Angeles).
1986 was the year when rai became a truly
international phenomenon. The more progres-
of the French cultural media like the
sive organs
magazine Actuel or Radio Nova had been giv-
ing the phenomenon some scant coverage in the
early years of the decade. Meanwhile back home,
the Algerian establishment had finally relented
(in summer 1985) and the first ever official fes-

tival of rai was staged in Oran. Cheb Khaled,

already a superstar in his own country, was
crowned King of rai. In the summer of 1986 the
cultural organisation Riadh el Feth, led by the
ubiquitous Lieutenant Colonel Hocine Snoussi,
stageda Festival of Youth in Algiers at which

many of the emerging Algerian 'World Music'

420 Rai
stars performed. Rai was represented at the fes- invited onto chat shows and sells out the massive
tivalby the group Raina Rai, from Sidi bel Zenith venue in Paris for two to three nights in
Abbes, a weak choice in the eyes of the- hard- a row.
m
20
core rai congnoscenti at the time who consid- It's as if there was only ever room for one North
ered the group to be a pale imitation of the 'real' African to become a name in French households
- although these days their album Hagda is
rai (and beyond) and Khaled, with his radiant smile and
now universally included amongst the great happy-go-lucky unthreatening demeanour, earned
recordings of the genre. himself the job. The other big names of the genre,
With World Music becoming a force in the Mami, Fadela and Sahraoui have had to content
French and international music scene the stage was themselves with fame amongst the World Music
set for rai to join the party. In January 1986, the cognoscenti in addition, of course, to their huge
working class Parisian suburb of Bobigny staged a and abiding popularity amongst North Africans.
festival of rai which showcased the talents of Cheb Many people back in Algeria who had followed
Khaled, Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sahraoui, Raina and idolised Khaled throughout the 1980s felt
Rai, Cheikha Remitti and others to an intrigued that he lost touch after his departure for France
and delighted audience of north African immi- and seemed intent on fuelling his rapid rise to
grants and French journalists. The word was out internationalfame with rehashed versions of old
and the word was rai. worn-out standards rather than producing a new
and exciting material. His departure left a vacu-
Khaled, the King of Rai um which was eventually filled to overflowing
by the Casanova of rai-sentimentale, Cheb
In spite of the successes of Cheb Mami, Fadela and Hasni. Hasni's sweet-as-syrup language of love
Sahraoui, Cheb Tati et al, no one has achieved proved to be even more popular than Khaled and
fame and fortune on the international stage to rival his cassettes sold in their tens of thousands. Iron-
Khaled. When still known as Cheb Khaled he ically, two of his most famous songs, "Baraka"
was signed in 1 99 1 to a worldwide recording deal which launched his career in 1989 and "N'chaf
by the legendary French label and Polygram sub- Lhaziza", also known as "Visa", are amongst the
sidiary, Barclay. most crude and real of pop-rai. However, his
When Barclay took on the challenge of spread- fame rests on his seductive celebrations of love
ing the rai-gospel throughout the world, the idea and women. Together with Cheb Nasro and
of investing large amounts of cash in the career of Cheb Tahar, he dominated the rai scene in the
an Algerian singer was viewed huge risk by
as a early 1990s.
many. In the event, the pay-off was handsome.
Their first album release, Khaled (1992), produced
by Don Was and featuring the smash hit "Didi",
went gold in France (over 100,000 sales) and sold
respectably in many other countries. The follow-
up, N'ssi N'ssi (1993), featuring songs from the
soundtrack of Bertrand Blier's film 1-2-3 Soleil,
sold less well but compensated by earning Khaled
a Cesar (the French equivalent of the Oscar) for
best soundtrack album.
In 1996 Khaled released his third Barclay album,
Sahra, which featured a song co-written with
France's answer to Neil Diamond, Jean-Jacques
Goldman, entitled "Aicha". This innocuous love-
ballad, dedicated to the younger of Khaled's two
daughters, was a huge hit in France, far outselling
anything the stars of variete Francaise had to offer

at the time.
Although Khaled's international progress has
been patchy - astounding success in India on the
one hand and slow, arduous development in the
USA on the other - in France he's a one hun-
dred percent crossover success, a name who gets

Rai 421
p Courage Under Fire surviving and rearing families in the suburbs of Oran,
C5 Algiers, Paris, Lyon and Marseilles. The next gen-
This where the story of rai crashes into the
is eration, bom and bred in France, have litde time for
tragedy that is modern Algeria in a terrible and the record-em-quick-and-sell-'em-cheap philoso-
dramatic head-on collision. On 29 September phy of the editeurs in Barbes, the African 'ghetto'
1994, Cheb Hasni was gunned down by com- of Paris. They're too busy getting down to the break-

mandos of the Armed Islamic Group near his home beats of the French rap explosion and, more impor-
in Oran. His death, and that of the legendary pro- tantly, they expect to buy well-produced and
ducer Rachid Baba Ahmed in similar circum- well-packaged music on CD.
stances a few months later, dealt a blow not only Faudel, the latest rai sensation to hit France, is

to rai but to Algerian culture in general that many typical of this new generation. Born and bred in
continue to feel deep inside. the charmless Parisian suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie,
The irony of these events is painful. Here was a he demonstrates a concent for quality, both in
young singer, at the height of his fame, who terms of recording and musicianship, totally out
preached in the language of earthly love and paid of keeping with the old values of the editeurs. "I
for it with his life. In many ways sym-
Hasni's death grew up in the quartiers of funk and rap, which
bolises the struggle that rai has been engaged in changes everything," he says. "The Barbes circuit
throughout its existence. Intensely hedonistic and doesn't interest me. It's a closed world which eaten
apolitical by nature, rai has always
been ensnared in politics despite itself.

Whilst the zendani crooners, the

cheikhas, the masters of wahrani and
the chebs have concentrated on
singing truthfully and passionately
about the life which they lead, warts

and all, a cultural polemic has raged

all around them led by the self-

appointed guardians of tradition,

morality and the 'spirit' of Islam.
Speaking only months after the
riots which shook Algeria in 1988,
Cheb Sahraoui put rai in its proper
perspective: "There's absolutely no
connection between rai and the vio- Faudel
lence of last October. Rai does not
incite revolt. It's just a youth thing designed to let only for North Africans." His debut album, Baida,
you have fun and forget your troubles. Rai is all was released to huge critical acclaim in 1 998 before
about partying and nothing to do with politics." he'd even reached his twenties. Similarly, Parisian
But in a country like Algeria — torn between reli- star Rachid Taha (who notably shared a super-
gious fundamentalism, social traditions and the gig stage with Khaled and Faudel in 1998) plays
glare of modernity - having fun can all too often rai as just one of many styles, given a techno gloss,

be in itself a political act and a singer of rai can, with sampled backing vocals.
without intention, be considered a political ani- The old-style producers thus face a change-or-
mal, suitable for brutal and senseless elimination. die ultimatum which few show signs of heeding.
Considering the horror of Hasni's death it is Ask any of the Arab cassette-shop owners in Paris
extraordinary that rai continues to be performed and how business is going, and you get bowed heads
recorded in Algeria. New stars like Cheb Hassan, and tales of woe. Nevertheless, it is with the few
who performs in a suave tuxedo to rapturous audi- younger beur (children of North African immi-
ences, accompanying himself on a single solitary grants) producers and musicians who are aware of
synth-keyboard, or the latest female rai sensation, the need for change — who can adapt rai's sound
Kheira, are keeping the genre alive and the cassette to the tastes of the new generation, and take on
vendors in business. Nevertheless, there is a sense of board the notions of proper investment in record-

crisis in the scene. The generation of Khaled and ing, marketing and publicity - that hope must lie.

Fadela are now in their thirties, long past their "cheb" As one prominent rai producer said recendy: "The
phase and struggling with the mundane realities of beurs are rai's best hope."

422 Rai
discography Faudel >
r—
Born of Algerian parents and brought up in the grim o
m
There's a fair amount of on CD these days,
rai available Parisian suburb of Maintes-la-Jolie, Faudel looks set to
though many of the latest releases still appear first (and in inherit the mantel of 'rai boy-wonder' which has passed
33
some cases only) on cassettes issued in France or from Joselito to Cheb Mami to Cheb Anouar. Faudel
Algeria. If you want to track these down, get yourself to shuns ways and values of the traditional rai 'ghetto' in
Paris and scour the cassette shops near the Barbes France and sets his sights firmly on seducing "le grand
Rochechouart metro station, or the shops Bouarfa (32 rue publique" in the manner of his childhood hero, Khaled.
de la Charboniere) and Laser Video (1 rue Capiat).
See also the France discography (p.1 11) for 'not quite Baida
rai' French-Algerian artists such as Rachid Taha and BE (Sankara/Mercury, France).
Orchestre National des Barbes. "To warn people of the worst, that's my mission", declares the
young and precocious Faudel who reaped plaudits from both
the French and North African media with this his first release.
Compilations The musicianship and arrangements here are excellent and
Faudel's voice, nurtured from an early age on both North African
S3 Maxi Rai (Declic, France). and Western influences in equal proportions, is a joy to hear.

A bumper four-CD collection of pop-rai sounds featuring the

who's who of pop-rai with the conspicuous exception of Cheikh Hamada
Khaled. Some great songs including a couple of classics from One of the greatest, if not THE greatest of all the roots rai
the incomparable Chaba Zahouania. male vocalists, Cheikh Hamada made his first recording in
the 1920s and continued to record in Algeria, Paris and
IE Pop-Rai and Rachid Style
Berlin until his death in 1 968. He has left a rare and price-
S3 Rai Rebels (Earthworks, UK).
less body of material which is one of the best illustrations
These two compilations feature the work of the late Tlemcen- of modern pop-rai's ancestral roots.
based producer Rachid Baba Ahmed, in whom many hoped
they had at last found the Lee Perry of rai. Although Rachid S3 Le Chant Gharbi de I'Ouest Algerien (Les Artistes
didn't fulfil his early promise before his tragic and untimely Arabes Associes, France).
death there are some
seminal tracks here including Fadela Roots rai in all its rough and ready Hamada's raucous
glory.
and Sahraoui's standard "N'sel Fik" (on Pop-Rai) and
rai
wail jerks along over the rhythmic wail of the gasba flutes and
excellent contributions by Cheb Khaled and Cheb Anouar. the guellal drums. This is no slick hi-fi experience and one for
people who like their rai raw, rootsy and unadulterated.

Artists
Cheb Hasni
Hasni Chekroune was the leading figure of so-called 'soft
Cheb Anouar rai', featuring amorous and romantic lyrics directed at

The young Anouar - whose contribution to the female and family-oriented audiences. He'd released a
prolific 150 cassettes before his death, gunned down by
Earthworks' compilation Pop-rai Rachid Style (above)
stood out a mile - has always been among the most fundamentalists, in 1 994.

promising artists from Rachid's stable.

S3 Lover's Rai (Rounder, US).
S3 Laaroussa (Etoile d'Evasion, Algeria). An excellent 'best of collection with translations of lyrics and
full notes.
A charged recording, on which Anouar's husky singing style
is aptly accompanied by a simple violin-driven backing-track.
(Cheb) Khaled
Cheb Djellal Khaled was crowned 'King of Rai' when he was still a cheb,
much underrated Moroccan singer from
Oran in 1985. Since then he has
at the first rai festival in
Djellal is a rai

Oujda, close by the Morocco-Algeria border. continued to extend his dominance, not only over the rai
genre, but also over Arabic music in general. He is rai's only
53 Le Prince de la Chanson Maghrebine true crossover star, loved and respected both by North
(Boualem, Algeria). Africans and by the wider French and international public.

This set demonstrates to full pared down and

effect Djellal's Hada Raykoum
menacing Moroccan-rai hypnotic call and
style with its (Triple Earth/Stems, UK).
response vocal arrangements, without a tacky synth sound in
This is raw mid-1980s state with Khaled singing
pop-rai in its
earshot. Absolutely captivating.
like the rebel he was reputed
to be. Although the sound of his
music became slicker in his later productions, the raw sound
Chaba Fadela and Cheb Sahraoui of the Maghreb blues was never better showcased than on

This husband and wife team was one of the most endur- this seminal release.
ing names in pop-rai and was responsible for many clas-
S3 Fuir mais ou? (MCPE, France).
sic recordings of the genre. Now separated, they are both
still live active on the international concert circuit. Recorded in 1991, when tensions in Algeria were reaching
dangerous new levels, this album found Khaled in a fiery and
S3 You Are Mine (Mango, UK). thought-provoking mood.
The best of a pair of albums recorded by the duo for Mango
Khaled
in the UK. On this solid collection the duo perform one of
(Barclay, France).
their many versions of "N'sel Fik". The other Mango disc is

Fadela 's Hana Hana. Produced by Don Was this album blew rai wide-open for

Rai 423
 1

thousands of non-Maghrebis throughout the world. Featuring

the bombastic bass-driven "Didi", which was rai's first inter-
Maurice El Medioni
the strictest sense of the word.
m national 'hit' in As a young Jewish piano-player in pre-independent
Algeria, Medioni made the clientele of a pied-noir bar in
S3 N'ssi N'ssi (Barclay, France).
Western Algeria swing. He is now an esteemed veteran
Although many of the songs are old rai standards, the pro- living in Marseilles.

duction of Don Was and Philippe Eidel is of the highest quali-

Cafe Oran
ty with beautiful lush string sections recorded in Cairo.
(Piranha, Germany).

3
r
Sahra (Barclay, France).
Marvellous revival of the post-World War hey-day of El II

This lushly produced 996 outing divided fans. is Khaled at

1 It
Medioni with his captivating blend of indigenous Andalusian

his most accessible - and at times a little over-easy. But

music and rai', Cuban rumba, and North-American jazz and
there are some gorgeous ballads and one absolute stunner of
boogie-woogie.

a track, "Oran Marseille", opening with the funkiest kazoo

solo known to man. Bellemou Messaoud
The trumpeter Messaoud is one«pf rai's pioneers, having
CHEB KHALED AND CHABA ZAHOUANIA updated it from folk to pop form in the 1 960s.
S3 A Ya Taleb (MCPE, Algeria).
E Le Pere du Rai (World Circuit, UK).

The King has often teamed up with the genre's most

of Rai
As an example of Messaoud, this album should be included in
durable and impressive female star for a quick cassette any self-respecting rai collection, though its fine moments are
release or two. Zahouania is one of the rare singers who has
sadly accompanied by a rather flat production.
successfully mastered both the folk-rai style of the cheikhas
and the pop-rai of thechebs and chebas. This duo recording
is fantastic, rootsy, raw rai, featuring a great tribute to one of
Reinette l'Oranaise
Algeria's all-time heroes "Sidi Boumedienne". The great Jewish diva, Reinette l'Oranaise, loved equally
by Jews and Arabs from her native North Africa, was one
CHEB KHALED, RACHID TAHA AND FAUDEL of the great exponents of hawzi, a hybrid of the Classical
music of the Maghreb known as al-Andalous. Blind from
1, 2, 3 Soleils the age of two, she studied with her mentor, Saoud
(Barclay, France).
I'Oranais, and the two were regular performers in the

The and the Young Pretender shared

King, the Revolutionary, cafes of Oran's Jewish quarter. After Independence in
a stage at the in late 1998 for a gargantuan
Bercy Stadium 1962, Reinette fled the anti-semitic new regime and set-
tled in Paris, where she lived in obscurity until in her 80s,
celebration of rai, peace and Algerianite. The three nabobs
put on an unforgettable show, backed by an orchestra of
when a French journalist tracked her down and she
more than 40 musicians, including a 28-piece Egyptian string relaunched her career. She recorded several discs and
continued to perform until her death in 1 998.
section, all under the musical direction of (Taha's producer)
Steve Hillage. All three delivered their best-loved hits to an
Memoires
ecstaticand riotous assembly of fans, with a devil-may-care (Blue Silver, France).
passion stoked by the occasion. The concert marked the
Reinette's final recording distills both the dark and radiant
symbolic arrival of rai (and Algeria) at the summit of French
pop culture and the CD is a fitting memento. memories of a long, eventful life into five songs full of dignity,
passion and soul. Accompanied by the great Algerian pianist
Mustapha Skandrani, and playing oud herself, she pours out
Cheb Mami her wistful words in a voice too rough for sentimentality and
Since causing a sensation, aged 14, on the Algerian TV too sweet for bitterness. North African blues at its best.
talent show Alhan wa Chabab (Melodies of Youth) in
1982, Cheb Mami has fought hard to earn international Cheikha Remitti
recognition with a string of well-produced releases. His
The diva of folk rai, Remitti is still strutting about the
lyrics have always been less crude and abrasive than
stage, singing deeply suggestive songs, in her 70s. She is
those of many other rai contemporaries, which makes him
a nut with an acquired taste - but hypnotic once cracked.
popular with young women and their anxious parents.
Universally acknowledged as one of the greats of the S3 Rai Roots (Buda/CMM, France).
genre, Mami has suffered from playing the role of 'Prince'
This compilation features Remitti in all her lustful, rasping,
to Khaled's 'King of Rai*.
pounding glory.

S3 Let Me Rai (TotemA/irgin, France).

S3 Sidi Mansour (Absolute Records, France).
The superb voice of Mami is at times here shanghaied by
Who could have imagined this? Remitti - at 70 - recorded in
bland production: at others it's done full justice by subtle use
Parisand LA with youngblood Algerian producer Houari Talbi,
of violins and accordion. A mixed bag, but significant for the
along with Robert Fripp, Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), and a
fact that it reveals the musical ambitions of the most realistic
host of LA sessionmen.
pretender to Khaled's throne.

Meli Meli Cheb Zahouani

(TotemA/irgin, France).
Grim-faced Zahouani has a 'local hard man' look and
An older and maturer prince of rai explores various eclectic sings in a suitably rasping no-nonsense style.
avenues on this 1998 release which features fusions of rai
and rap, rai and flamenco and rai and funk. A collection of S3 Moul El Bar (Bouarfa, Algeria).

fine well-produced tunes. Hardcore rai, set to hard bass-heavy rhythm tracks.

424 Rai
 r—
Algeria Kabylia O
|

bards of immigritude
Since the late 1980s, the immense international success of Khaled, Mami, Fadela, Sahraoui et al has
established as the dominant Algerian musical genre but there's another altogether different style
rai

which has held fast against the hegemony of the chebs and chebas from Oran, especially in the eyes
and ears of North African immigrants in France and elsewhere. This is the music of Kabylia, a remote
and beautiful mountainous region which lies just to the east of the Algerian capital Algiers. Andy
Morgan takes a look.

people of Kabylia are Berbers, descen-

The dants of the tribes who inhabited the whole
L'Hirondelle (The Swallow)
Go beautiful bird
of North Africa before the arrival of the
Arabs in the seventh century. They speak
I'm sending you back to my country
Go and beat your wings
a Berber dialect called 'Amazight' ('Tamazight' in
In the skies of Kabylia
its written form) and their history
one of a con- is
Go, fly over the mountains and plains
tinuous struggle for the survival of their culture
To the country of the Berbers
and language against the Romans, Arabs, French
To the place of Saint Abderrahmene
and most recently both the socialist leadership of
Who looks at the sea
independent Algeria and their violent Islamic fun- Tell him of my pain
damentalist enemies. In this bitter state of exile.
More than an century ago, in pre-colonial times,
Slimane Azem
music in Kabylia was tied to the ebb and flow of
village life. Songs and dances were performed on
a powerful rhythmic bed comprising t'bel (tam- His song "Alouk Tricite" was a creative catalyst for

bourine) and bendir (frame-drum) with added Slimane Azem, a young Kabyle who had arrived
colour from the ajouag (flute) and ghaita (bagpipe). in Paris in 1937 to become a musician. Inspired by
The French colonisers realised that would be
it the work of the great nineteenth century Kabyle
easier to do business with the traditionally demo- poet, Si Mohand Ou Mohand, Azem sought to
cratically minded and liberal Kabyles than with tackle the pain and homesickness of his immigrant
their Arab neighbours and practised a policy of countrymen in plain simple language which often
divide and rule, favouring Kabyles when it came employed imagery from the animal kingdom to
to education, the civil service and emigration to
France. The North African emigres in
earliest
LES GRANDS MAITRES
France were Kabyles and by the 1980s forty-six DE LA CHANSON KABYLE
percent of all Algerian immigrants in France orig- SLIMANE AZEM
inated from the Kabyle provinces of Setifand Tizi
Ouzou.

Exile and Protest

The story of modern Kabyle music really starts

in Paris in the 1930s where a small Kabyle com-

munity was already well established and a network
of cafes run by Kabyles provided a convenient place
for Kabyle musicians to perform. An early pioneer
was Cheikh Nourredine who helped to adapt tra-

ditional Kabyle melodies to modern 'cafe' instru-

AAA 135 Tcxlc dc pnfscnution franfais ct anglais :

A.HAl III I I

ments like the violin, banjo, guitar and double bass.

Kabylia 425
 express deep intense emotion. Like many other Dylan, Joan Baez, Brassens, Sylvio Rodriguez
Kabyle musicians he w as a passionate supporter of and Victor Jara - was a huge inspiration for many
the struggle for Algerian independence and his song young Kabyle singers including a geology stu-
*

J£
'
'Fegh Ay Ajrad Thamourthiou" (Locusts, leave my dent called Idir who recorded a track called "A
Country) delivered a barely veiled message to the Vava Inouva" (My Little Father) in 1973 and
French colonial overlords in Algeria, bringing the scored Kabylia's first international hit, selling pre-
singer into direct conflict with the French police. viously unheard of quantities both in Algeria and
Another big presence in the 1 940s was Cheikh El Europe.
Hasnaoui. nicknamed 'The Bard of L'lmmigri- "
Together with contemporaries Ait Menguellet
tude'whose song "La Maison Blanche" (The White and Ferhat. Idir is one of the great truimvirate of
House) describes the deathly silence of the white- modem Kabyle pop. Whilst Idir is the thinker, Ait
washed buildings in a Kabyle village, emptied of life Menguellet is the poet, who in the eyes of many
by poverty, emigration rfts inherited the man-
and war, and remains a
LES GRANDS MAJTRE DE LA CHANSON KABYLE
tle Mohand Ou
of Si

classic of early Kabyle vol. n Mohand. He still lives

pop- CHEIKH ELHASNAOUI in the village of his
Egyp-
In the 1950s,
tian music took over
the Arabic world and
Kabyle singers began to
&
fk birth in the Djurdjura
mountains, stubbornly
refusing to leave Alge-
ria, despite the tragic
accompany their songs fate of many of his fel-

with lavishly orches- low musicians. On his

trated scores, aided in rare visits to Paris, Ait

Paris by two Arabic Mengullet can fill the
geniuses of orchestra- 6000-seater Zenith hall
tion - Amraoui Mis- for three nights in a
souri! and the Tunisian row. a feat no other
Jamoussi. Singers and Algerian artist, with the
AAA 044 Tear at )»tKWi fnacan ufUn A Hcftc'
composers such as exception of Khaled.
Cherif Kheddam. can hope to achieve.
Alloua Zerrouki and Ferhat is the revolu-
Akli Yahiatene all released hit records and their tionary, who retired from performing in 1989 after

popularity lasted well into the 1970s. a decade in which he had been arrested four times
Cherif Kheddam is an especially influential fig- for subversion.
ure in the modernisation of the Kabyle sound. As In the early '80s, after the momentous events of
presenter on the Kabyle service of Radio Algiers 1980 when the whole of Kabylia rose up against
after independence in 1962, Kheddam helped the Arab socialist government in Algiers in what
new generation of Kabyle
develop the careers of the became known as the 'Kabyle Spring', other artists

singerswho were to put Kabyle music on the inter- like Matoub Lounes. Djamel Allam and
national map in the 1 970s. During the 1 950s the Abdelli stepped into the limelight with ever more
careers of three female singers from Kabylia also ambitious fusions of progressive Western pop and
took to the air, often in the face of considerable traditional Kabyle music. Abdelh was taken up by
hostility on the part of their families who consid- Peter Gabriel's RealWorld, recording a fusion
ered singing ignoble and an anathema to woman- album for the label. In 1986 rai music exploded
hood. Cherifa. Hanifa and Djamilla all made a on the scene with its brash hedonistic stance and
lasting impression on Kabyle song, and their songs stole the limelight. Suddenly the cultural and polit-

inspired contemporary female artists like Malika ical radicalism of Kabyle music seemed unfash-
Domrane and the group Djurdjura. ionable. A Kabyle group called Takfarinas. led
At the end of the 1960s, young Kabyles were by Hassen Zermani, managed to adapt to the
disenchanted with the broken promises and cor- new ethos and their tale of teenage love pangs
ruption of the regimes of Ben Bella and Boume- "Weytelha" (She's Beautiful) was a huge success
dienne, both of whom stifled any moves towards in the late 1980s. Since that first onslaught of rai,
cultural or linguistic freedom for Algeria's Berber Kabyle music has re-established itself as one of the
minorities in the two decades after independence. main musical exports of Algeria. The two styles
The music of counter-cultural revolution - are opposite and complementary, rai expressing

426 Kabylia
the need to party against allodds and Kabyle music songs, fusing modern with traditional styles. The album
includes the songs "Heirs to the future'" - a stirring hymn of
a more radical, socially aware and 'conscious'
the War and "King of the Broom", a poignant
of Liberation,
stance.
tribute to aroad-sweeper replaced by a machine. (Note: this
As with so many chapters in the history of mod- compilation, possibly out-of-stock, draws on songs featured
on a sorrowful note.
ern Algeria, tins one must end in four albums still available under the French Musidisc label:

Le Printemps. Asirem, A Yemma, and Le Defi).

On 27 |une 1998, Matoub Lounes, whose rad-
ical and uncompromising stance was a powerful
Idir
inspiration to Kabyles the world over, was
Idir's lyrical style, which owes more to French
gentle and
ambushed and killed in the mountains of Kabylia.
singers Brassens than to the Egyptian models which
like
His death sparked widespread riots throughout the had held Kabyle music in their tight grip in previous
region and many suspected that the government, decades, was a complete revelation when he emerged on
who were preparing to pass a new arabisation law the scene in the 1970s.

to further curtail the freedoms of the Berber S3 A Vava Inouva (Blue Silver, France).

minorities, were reponsible for this senseless act of It was the title song of this album that launched Kabyle music

brutality. At Matoub's burial service in the village onto the international stage. "A Vava Inouva" describes a win-
of his birth, Taourit Moussa, which was attended ter scene high in the Djurdjura mountains where a group of
villagers huddle around a fire contemplating the stillness of
by thousands upon thousands of mourners, his sis-
the cold snow-bound night and the dangers that threaten
ter Malik said: "The face of Lounes will be missed their existence. The song was a thinly veiled parable about
but his songs will dwell forever in our hearts. the precarious state of Kabyle culture and language. It takes
Today is a day of great joy. We're celebrating the centre stage on this compilation.

birth of Matoub Lounes."

Matoub Lounes
Lounes was one of the big names of kabyle music from
the 1980s until his assassination in 1998. He had an

discography uncompromising commitment to the struggle

Berber people for democracy and tolerance in a
of the
bitterly
divided Algeria.

Compilations 83 Tigri G-Gemma (Blue Silver, France).

The list of song-titles on this album ("The Revolutionary", "The

S3 Les Maitres de la Chanson Kabyle: Widow's Revolt'", "Remorse and Regret", "The Spoils of
Vol 1 Slimane Azzem; Vol 2 Cheikh El Hasnaoui;
War") testifies to Matoub Lounes' commitment to the strug-
Vol 3 Cherif Kheddam; Vol 4 Alloua Zerrouki.
gle. The music is an intelligent blend of Kabyle melodies and
(Les Artistes Arabes Associes, France).
rhythms with Western rock and funk.
This an extensive series covering the roots of modern
is

Kabyle music. The artists covered on the first four volumes

Ait Menguellet
were all crucial players in the development of the music and
the CDs feature compilations of their most important tunes, Bom in 1 950, Lounis Alt Menguellet hit fame after appear-
delivered in the heavily Egyptian influenced style that pre- ing on a talent contest on Algerian TV at age seventeen.
vailed in the 1 950s. He quickly made a name for himself with his heartfelt
poetic lyricism and passionate insights into society and
Planete Kabylie Berber culture. He still lives in the village of his birth high
(Declic, France).
in the Djurdjura mountains, despite the tragic fate of many

A popular compilation of some of the best names in modern of his contemporary musicians, although he refuses to
Kabyle music, appropriately kicking off with Idir's "A Vava perform live in Algeria fearing his appearance might pro-
Inouva" which launched the music internationally. The disc voke a massacre. He is a huge figure not only amongst
also includes Slimane Azem, Cherif a. Ait Menguellet, Ferhat, Kabyles but North Africans as a whole.
Djamel Allam, Matoub Lounes and Abdelli.
Chants & Poesie de Kabylie
(Blue Silver, France).

Artists A compilation which features many of the important moments

in the career of this icon of modem Kabyle music. These are
the songs that have inspired a generation of Kabyles for the
Djurdjura past three decades, and the soul seeps easily into the com-
An all-female Kabyle group, whose lead singer has dedi- prehension of a non-Kabyle listener. Ait Menguellet's rough
cated herself to the crusade for women's rights. Songs on and ready guitar vocal style is very well showcased here. You
this album are dedicated to "all women deprived of love, can almost imagine you're hearing a Celtic echo in the way
knowledge and freedom". his moody bluesy voice and rasping single-string guitar
plucking weave in and out of base notes over a sparse metal-
Adventures in Afropea 2:
lic percussion accompaniment. Kamel Hamadi. another big
83 The Best of Djur Djura (Wamer/LuakaBop, US).
name in the Kabyle scene, adds oud and bouzouki parts to
An excellent compilation by David Byrne of hauntingly beautiful some of the songs.

Kabylia 427
Angola
struggle and talent
If you are any Afro-Portuguese music at all, odds are it's that of Cape Verde and its global
familiar with
diva Cesaria Evora (see p. 45). If talent and energy are anything to go by, Angola's musicians are surely

next in line for greater recognition. As Christian Hyde and Richard Trillo discover, Angolan music,
after two decades of isolation caused by civil war and a Marxist regime, is making up for the lost
years, with a crafty variety of style, instruments and voices and if a visit isn't top of your agenda,
. . .

there is a bevy of mesmerising CD issues to prove the case.

feels like the country that Kafka there are certainly enough styles to keep the inter-
Angola withbuilt, its strange brand of order by est up. Distinct Angolan musical trademarks
decree superimposed on chaos. Civil war include an artful leading voice calling on a slow
and nightmarish living conditions are chorus for its sexy or mournful rejoinder; tragedy
enduring, as is a lunatic bureaucracy. This is a sung with defiant joy as well as aching lamenta-
country that has been under siege ever since its tion; and spicy traditional tunes threaded with
independence in 1975, when the democratically percussion backgrounds, guitars and the rasp of
elected MPLA government of Eduardo Dos San- the reco-reco.

tos was militarily challenged by UNITA. A peace On many of the country's releases, you'll find

treaty signed in 1994, known as the Lusaka various national languages featured, most com-
Accords, has led to mostly broken promises by monly Kikongo and Kimbttndu, alongside Angolan-
UNITA to disarm and hand over the 50 percent flavoured Portuguese. Helpfully for an international
or so of the country under its control. But things audience, recent CDs more often than not include
aren't quite as bad as they were. translations of the lyrics.

In terms of music, bright notes are the return

of many Angolan exiles and the end of the gov-
ernment's monopoly on musical production. This
Early Waves
has led to the emergence of some dynamic music The first Angolan musicians to make much of an
studios, including singer Teta Lando's Teta impression outside Africa were the Kafala Broth-
Lando Produces and Kanawa. These might just ers, who toured Europe in 1988 and 1990. Their
allow some new voices to come through, and CD Ngola (from the Kimbundu language for
'King', which gave the country its name) sold
ORQUESTRA modestly well, but enthusiasm for their mournful
OS JOVENS DO PRENDA
Ihe Irresistible
acoustic guitar duets didn't endure much beyond
Ki/omba Bent the brothers' departure. They are, however, said
ol Angola
to be working on a new release.

More promising (indeed the promise was ful-

filled decades ago) was the upbeat, tropical dance
band splatter of the Orquestra os Jovens do
Prenda (the 'Prenda Boys Band' - Prenda is a

poor suburb of Luanda) who were formed in the

mid-60s, peaked in 1971, then disbanded in 1975,

until being re-formed by two original members in
1981. With a large team of musicians, including
four guitars, two trumpets and a sax, and half a

dozen percussionists and drummers, they produced

a generous fast-paced wall of sound, whisded along
at key moments.

428 Angola
 The core of their style, which had much in com- Angolan slaves, transformed there and then
mon with Brazilian samba, was a sound they called brought back to original home.
its

kizomba, rooted in the two-person marimba xylo- Even the narrow stretch of an island which juts o
phone: the four guitars ('solo', 'contra-solo', out across the bay from Luanda, the Ilha do Cabo,
rhythm and bass) played the parts of the marimba came up with its own brand of sound, Rebita, a
to achieve the sound of a single instrument. Mean- rolling accordion and harmonica-packed invita-
while, the trumpets and sax interrupted in fanfare tion to dance which explains why Luanda's music
unison and the pile of drums - tumba, bongo, buita, clubs are bursting at the seams until the small hours.

bate-bate - punched out more rhythms than you More traditional forms of music include those
could keep up with. from the singer Kituxi which, like his cosmopoli-
Orquestra osjovens' lyrics became increasingly tan counterparts, rely on such Angolan favourites
politicised in Portuguese times, but with the sour as conga drums, reco-reco (a bead-wrapped cylinder
background of civil war at the time of their re-for- giving a washboard-like effect), ungo (a one-string
mation, the band's second-incarnation became lyrics instrument shaped like a bow, also known as the
the conventional staples of love and fortune - often berimbau in Brazil), and various shakers.
forcefully expressed, as in the sulky "Manuela": political commitment of sev-
Perhaps due to the
eralAngolan artists, such as Bonga and Teta
You Manuela Lando, both of whom at one time made Paris a
You are very old-fashioned. home-in-exile, a common feature of the latest
Manuela, if you have a good heart, crop of releases is a conscious attempt to show-
Let's go home and talk about it case the variety of Angolan styles, musical lan-
And if you don't like good advice guages and cultural heritage. This effort is apparent,
Then get the fuck out of here. for example, in Bonga's release Ro(a de Jindungo
Nowadays Manuela has changed. (Hot Pepper Plantation), which includes such
She passes and she doesn't songs as a festive mix of traditional Angolan Semba

greet me anymore. rhythms "Potpourris do Semba" (Semba Mix), or

puts on a slow-burning rendition of Rebita in
Mind you, in paranoid Angola, as Portuguese-bom "Rebita H", which features lyrics such as: "Here
Angolan writer Jose Luandino Vieira might put it, we are — Rebita will rise again, we are keeping
even that could somehow be considered political. the tradition alive."
Unfortunately, the Orquestra osjovens do Pren-
da has now disbanded, with some of its members
joining new bands. '%
Memorias
1968 1990
New Styles
While some of its different styles are audibly relat-
ed to popular African sounds such as soukous or to
Brazilian rhythms, Angolan music comes into its

own with distinct home-grown creations. Despite

having to slowly pick up the pieces of a broken
economy and cope with the results of a massive
influx of people fleeing unrest in the vast country-
side, the capital, Luanda, is as much a powerhouse
of musical creation as any city on the continent.
The city has seen the birth of such styles as Kila-
panda (for a sample of which you might try the

band Afra Sound Star), Angolan Merengue and

Semba. Angolan Semba comes from an Angolan
word meaning 'navel' and came to describe the Waldemar Bastos has been playing music
circling dance step associated with that rhythm. since 1961. In the early 1980s hewent to Brazil,
While Semba's name might excusably lead you where he recorded his first album, Estamos Jun-
to believe it is an offshoot of Brazilian samba, tos, in 1986. Although now long based in Portu-

proud Angolans might tell you it was born from gal, his wide-ranging song-writing skills remain
a musical tradition carried over to Brazil by popular in Angola. His latest release, Pretaluz, was

Angola 429
 1

produced in the US with the innovative New Another name to watch for is Carlos Burity,
CD York guitarist Arto Lindsay. whose latest and very popular release was in 1996.
Recent CD issues also include compilations by He is reputedly still going strong, with a new CD
Teta Lando and Carlos La mart in e. both titled expected soon.
Memorias. Here, the aim of the compilation is not
so much to present a 'greatest hits' selection as a
desire to promote the cultural heritage, threading
through songs from the past quarter century, and discography
combining a variety of sounds from Angolan
Semba, such as in the upbeat "Vunda ku Compilations
Muceque" (Jumble in the Ghetto) featuring an
itching mix of voice, percussions, bursts of trum- Angola '90s
pet and guitars against African-Cuban beats, to 83 (Budd, France). ^
such gems as the bolero-flavoured lament, "Africa Excellent compilation of most of the current names mentioned
in this article plus new bloods Pavlo Flores and Simmons.
chora pena" (Africa cries its sorrow).
EE Sea (Luaka Bop, US).
Telling Stories to the
EE 25 anos de independencia (Tinder Records, US).

These two valuable compilations showcase Luso-African

music from Angola, alongside that of Guinea-Bissau, Cape
Verde, SaoTome and Mozambique.

Artists

Banda Maravilha
This group is a get-together of musicians from some of
the major bands of Luanda stretching from the late 1 960s
to the early '90s. It is comprised of Carlos Vieira-Dias,
Moreirao Filho, Marito Furtado and Rufino Cipriano, and
features some renowned Angolan guest musicians.

EE Angola Maravilha (Kanawa, Portugal).

A shaking, snaking, trilling mix of semba, rebita and other

Angolan gems, with the first track "Rebita" a remake of a tune
ANGOLA MARAVILHA originally played by the group Os Merengues in true axiluanda
style - that of the fishermen from Luanda's harbour island.

Musicians from several musical bands from the

come together
1960s to the '90s have to form Waldemar Bastos
Banda Maravilha (The Wonder Band). In addi- Born in 1954 in the northern town of Mbanza Congo,
Waldemar Bastos travelled widely in Angola with his par-
tion to the musicians from the band proper, Car-
ents, and picked up a variety of reigional musical influ-
los Vieira-Dias, Moreiro Filho, Rufino Cipriano ences as he grew up - as well as an acute awareness of
and Marito Furtado, this band includes renowned the country's suffering under the Portuguese.

guest Angolan artists, such as Mestre Geraldo on Pretaluz

the accordion, a legendary figure in the rebita (Luaka Bop, US).

movement. For its first CD, entitled Angola Mar- Bastos's yearning, tremulous voice is beautifully aired on this
band reached into Luanda's ghettos to
avilha, the largely acoustic CD - guitars, percussion and bass - pro-
duced by New Yorker (and honorary Brazilian) Arto Lindsay.
share some of the classics of ghetto gossip and hard
truths, with its cast of miserable husbands and
Bonga
ridiculed spinsters, as in the lightly sardonic "Mana"
Standard-bearer of Angolan artists and political activists,
(Sister), which tells of a woman with a sharp tongue
Barcelo de Cavalho ('Bonga') was bom in Luanda in 1942,
and no friends, or the sad trumpet-introduced and pursued a career in Portugal as a footballer (for Benfica),
chorus-led "N'Zala" (Hunger). The band's empha- and then got on the wrong side of colonial authorities at

on Angolan musi-
home with his anti-Portuguese songs. Forced into exile,
sis culture is also apparent in its
he eventually settled in Paris in the early 1970s. His first
cal rendition of "O meu amor da rua 11" (11th release was in 1 972.
Street Love Affair), a rhythmic, trumpeting song
Roca de Jindungo
based on lyrics by Aires de Almeida Santos, a (Vidisco, Portugal).
revered twentieth-century Angolan poet from the
This is the CD to get if you want a good sample of Angolan

southern coastal city of Benguela. Semba, featuring Bonga's trademark raspy voice and songs

430 Angola
 ,

B Q K! G A
an individual whose family, in the Balombo area, was killed by
the South African army.

Carlos Lamartine O
Already a main figure of the Angolan musical scene in the
late 1 950s, Lamartine came out with his first CD in 1 975 -
and his second (Memorias, below) in 1997. In the '70s, he
shared cultural stage with such artists as David Ze, Artur
Nunes and Urbano de Castro, all of whom were murdered
in 1977, after having been suspected of involvement in
anti-governmental activities. Lamartine is now back in his

native Luanda, apparently working for the Ministry of

Culture.

Memorias
(Kanawa, Portugal).

Twenty-two years after his first release, Angola Ano 1

Lamartine has come out with a masterful compilation, collect-

ing in this CD a rich variety of Angolan styles,languages and
instruments. Semba, Kilapanda, ballads, Angolan Merengues
and African-Cuban beats, among others.

of oppression, including the lament in the Kimbundu lan-

Teta Lando
guage, "N'gongo Jetu" (Our torments), decrying the ongoing Teta Lando from northern Angola, and is now back in
is
misery in Angola. Luanda a decade of exile in Paris. In Luanda, he
after over
runs Teta Lando Producoes, probably the only other sig-
23 Swinga Swinga: the Voice of Angola 1 02% Live
nificant Angolan music production outfit aside from
(Piranha, Germany).
Kanawa (formerly R.M.S.).
Gruff vocals with a variety and exuberance of expression
that's deeply satisfying. The Brazilian influences and counter- 33 Memorias (1968-1990)
(Teta Lando Producoes, Angola).
influences blend seamlessly into the whole.

A musical Lando has put together an impressive col-

activist,

The Kafala Brothers songs in two CDs, showcasing a career

lection of thrity-four
which spans over two decades, with songs in Portuguese,
The 'Brothers Kafala', as they are internationally known, Kikongo and, Kimbundu. One of the more overtly political of
are sons of a pastor assassinated by the Portuguese. features strumming guitars and
the recent crop of records, it

They started singing in the same church choir their mother plaintive tunes, with such songs as "Angolano segue em
conducted. Although their cultural roots are with the frente" (Angolan, keep forging ahead) and "Irmao ama teu
Kimbundu people, the family travelled all over the land. irmao" (Brother love your brother).

S3 Ngola (Anti-Apartheid Enterprises, UK).

Orquestra os Jovens do Prenda
Acoustic guitars back heavy, poetic lyrics, somewhat after
the manner of Agostinho Neto, Angola's first poet-presi- This band, whose musical trademark is a style known as
dent. quilapanga, was formed in 1965, disbanded during the
civil war, reformed in 1981 and again disbanded a few
S3 Identi-kit (Anti-Apartheid Enterprises, UK). years ago. Their album Berlin Fiesta was released by
Their song-ballads, heavily inspired by the nhatcho and kil-
Piranha in 1 990.
ampanga beats are sung either in Portuguese or Kimbundu.
S3 Berlin Fiesta (Piranha, Germany).
Through their harmonies it is easy to observe not only the
pain and sadness, but also the vigour of a people that has Bounces along happily, but doesn't leave much trace in the
suffered thirty years of war. The ballad "Ngola" is a lament of ear of the listener.

Angola 431
s Benin and Togo
>
g afro-funksters
o The neighbouring West African countries and Togo are similar in many respects. Both
of Benin
French-speaking, they also have relatively small populations - 5m and 3.8m people respectively, as
compared, say, to Ghana's 16m. Togo is still lumbered with its tyrant leader of thirty years, while
Benin, one of the forerunners of Africa's democratic movement of the early-1990s, has recently
elected its former dictator as head of state. Music has not been given a high pfbfile in either country,
yet it's there in the people. Witness the exiles: Benin boasts Angelique Kidjo, a veritable superstar on
the World Music stage, while Togo has a past great in Bella Bellow (once a diva in Paris) and a major
talent in the currently Paris-based King Mensah. Richard Trillo takes a look around, with guidance
from Eric Audra.

and Benin's music scenes could be Kerekou's dictatorship (1972-90) in so far as it

Togo utterly different to present realities. In the encouraged them to seek work abroad and to reject

mid-1980s, the Togolese capital of Lome a homeland where artists were only expected to
could boast one of the most sophisiticated praise the revolution and its leaders.
24-track recording facilities in Africa at its Africa
New Sound studio, where records by Abeti and
Dr. Nico were produced. But has become
struggle
life

under President Eyadema's regime, with

a
Benin
social unrest collapsing any semblance of a music From 1960-1972, in the first years of independent
scene at home. Dahomey (as Benin was called before Kerekou
Things aren't so bad for musicians in Benin these changed its name), the music scene was quite
days but the nation's stars — Wally Badarou, Nel vibrant - strongly influenced by Ghanaian and
Oliver, Tohon Angelique
Stan and the superstar Nigerian highlife, Cuban music, Congolese rumba,
Kidjo — probably owe something to Mathieu American soul and French song.

432 Benin
 At that tune, the late Ignacio

Blazio Osho and his Orchestra Las

Ondas could fill any club they played,
while other popular dance groups
included Ignacio de Souza and the
Black Santiago, Pedro Gnonnas y
sus Panchos, El Rego et ses Com-
mandos, Picoby Band d'Abomey,
Superstar de Ouidah, Les Volcans
de la Capitale, and some time later o
Anassua Jazz de Parakou and Poly
o
Rythmo de Cotonou. But with the
Kerekou government, the scene
ground to a halt. There was no more
wild nightlife, as clubs and bars were
forced to observe a strict curfew.
Musicians, when they could, moved
abroad to play, settling in Paris and
elsewhere.

Benin Rockers
The first Benin musician to emerge with
an international reputation was Nel
Oliver, who debuted in France in 1976.
He absorbed a range of Afro-American
influences to create a powerful 'Afro-
akpala-funk', and continues to pound
away a message: "Democratic" was the
title track of his 1997 album, sung in
Yoruba, Goun, English and French. He
has become an important producer in
the 1990s, with a studio in the Benin
capita], Cotonou. His success, howev-
er, does not even compare with that of Angelique and a visit to the famous Bob Marley Tuff Gong
Kid jo (see box overleaf), who started out her career studio. Recently, rap hasalso found its niche with

in Holland, before going solo at the end of the the musical youth. Most groups have a rather
1980s, and cracking the international dance market derivative American-style (with French lyrics),
with "Aye" in 1994. Currcndy based in New York, though the Ardiess Posse do it fresh, adding a
she goes from strength to strength. distinct style of their own.
Among other Benin artists, Pedro Gnonnas
stands out. He joined the Afro-salsa super-band Traditions
Africando in 1995, following the death of its lead
singer and founder Pap Seek. But where are the real and original Benin sounds
Other Benin musicians like Cella Stella, Vivi to be found? Perhaps the one good thing that came
Rego, Ambroise Coffi
1'Internationale, El out of Kerekou's 'Marxist' regime was that artists

Akoha and Bluecky d'Almeida have followed were encouraged to seek their own traditions and
a more mainstream African-pop direction, which make something out of them, albeit for the gov-
eases their way onto radio and TV airplay lists in ernment's benefit. Thus Tohon Stan created his

various African countries, mostly in Abidjan - the tchink-system, a musical style that derives from
gateway to West African (and then maybe world) the local funeral music known as tchiukoume, tra-

recognition. ditionally played with 'water percussion' - half-

Outside influences have also hit Benin in the calabashes sitting in water-filled larger
1990s. Yaya Yaovi planted the rasta seed here, half-calabashes which are whacked with a sandal

launching a reggae group, after a trip to Jamaica or other handy item.

Benin 433
 Angelique Kidjo: Keep On Moving
Life hurlsa welter of different circumstances at the Santana was later to take a guest spot on Fifa).

artistsengaged in creating the CDs found in the World By the time Kidjo was twenty, she was already work-
Music stacks. Some, on the more ethnographic record- ing as one of the country's very few professional female

ings, may be barely aware that their voice or instru-

o mental skills are reverberating in the living rooms of
singers. She moved to Holland to sing with the afro-jazz-
weirdness fusioneers Pili Pili, led by Jasper Van t'Hof,
-4
O the Western world. Others, having secured much and then to Paris, where she first recorded as a solo
o sought-after recording deals, cling to signs of success, artist. Unlike most Benin or Togo musicians based in

and wait for modest royalty cheques. Of the success- Paris, who tend to produce discs of largely roots appeal
ful few, a tiny minority return with Ivoirian and Gabonese
home to reinvest skills and artists, Angelique went for a
money in the local recording crossover music from the outset.
industry, as Youssou Ndour has She put her remarkable vocal tal-
done. Most successful artists, ents to work with a loose and
however, having served their eclectic community of French,
time on the fringes of the^lob- Caribbean, African and American
al recording industry, settle musicians, and over the years
more or less permanently in she has travelled between Pans.
Europe or America, reaping the London and America to record,
rewards of hard work and tal- with musicians of the calibre of
ent and generally giving short Manu Dibango and Branford
shrift to purists who pick holes Marsalis in support.
in their widely acclaimed cross- Although Angelique Kidjo
over productions. keeps a strong note of social
If any female artist embod- concern in her lyrics - hunger,
ies this kind of World Music it's homelessness, AIDS, injustice -
Angelique Kidjo. The diva 'retty: Angelique s debut she always denies being a polit-

from Benin, signed since 1989 ical person. In Africa' s new,

to Island Records, has done more to popularise African multiparty states, most artists are anxious to avoid any
music than any other woman. Her music combines a suggestion of political ambition. Pan-African idealism
broad spectrum of genres from soul to funk-rock, is more her marque. She still rates Miriam Makeba as
always with firm, high-tech production by Parisian pro- a role model, and, fittingly, one of her best songs is

ducer (and Mr Kidjo) Jean Hebrail. The common fac- haunting rendition of the love-song, "Malaika" that
tor is Angelique's angelic voice - a vocal style not so helped make Miriam Makeba famous.
much honeyed as darkly caramelised, and given full With her internationalist outlook, flat-top hairdo,
reinon every album. She has a staggeringly powerful unique, strident voice and exhausting on-stage
voice,coached by jazz training in Paris and the influ- dynamism, Kidjo has become by far the most popular
ence of dim - a blues-like vocal technique from African woman singer. She has an inspired realism,
Abomey, the Fon heartland in central Benin. She still rejecting roots purists who would have music stay with-
sings almost exclusively in Fon, a tonal language, like in its borders, yet continuing to draw inspiration from

the closely related Yoruba. Africa as well as Europe and the US. On her 1998 CD,
albums range widely in style, from her debut
Kidjo's Oremi, she explored musical branches of the black
Pretty,which used Beninois mythms like the gogba- diaspora. "The whole idea of Oremi goes back to my
houn, tapped out with a coin on a bottle, to the 1989 childhood," says Angelique, talking on her website
Parakou (her first international release), to Logozo and (www.imaginet.fr/~kidjo). "Since was a little girl won-
I I

Aye, dancehall fusions tearing away from her roots, and dered how it would feel to explore the African heritage
then the innovative masterpiece of 1996, Fifa, incor- of American Music". Oremi might be sub-titled 'Explo-
porating field recordings in Benin and ranging from taut- rations Volume 1: R&B'. Funky numbers with a whis-
muscle dance tracks to heart-dissolving ballads. per of Africa jostle with melting lullabies and lively
Bom in 1 960, Angelique was brought up in an artis- asides, like the cover version of Hendrix's "Voodoo
tic household in Ouidah (the voodoo capital of Benin) Child". While the sound sometimes strays into the more
by the kind of parents who helped create a quarter latin mainstream R&B territory of, say, Nigerian singer Sade.
image for the country, as the seat of Africa's intellectu- every track includes South African backing vocals
al and creative avant garde. She performed from the age recorded in Johannesburg, adding remarkable texture
of six as an actor and dancer in her mother's theatre to a sophisticated and subtle production.
group, and they provided unusual support for her stage- "Oremi could be the first part of a trilogy would like I

struck ideas. As a child, she listened to James Brown to make", says Angelique, "the second stop being
and the Beatles, and sang her own words, in Fon, to the Brazil, the third Haiti and Cuba. My head is afways turn-

tunes, and when she joined her brothers' band, Simon ing, but will learn and try hard to challenge myself,
I

and Garfunkel and Santana were her favourites (Carlos keep on learning, keep on moving."

434 Benin
 1 veil more traditional, Danialou Sagbohan Togo
has gained a great respect and local success with CO
his intense 'kaka' rhythms. Working on the rich There seems little light at the end of the tunnel for

Goun tradition, he takes hongan and kakagbo per- Togo, where President Eyadema's government
cussion, ritually used by the Zangbeto guardians has been in place since 1967, making life increas-
of the night, and creates new patterns to give them ingly difficult. Since the begining of the 1990s,
expression in the modern world. social unrest and military violence have shaken the
Many artists from the Oueme region, like Adjas- country, hitting Togolese youth in particular. Peo-
^
sa, Amangnon Koumagnon or Gankpon pie who once loved to celebrate now think twice
Gbesse on the Nel Oliver Production catalogue, before having a party at their home, fearing the
carry on the complex Yoruba traditions much as militia's punitive expeditions. The situation has
their fellow Yoruba-speakers do in Nigeria; indeed, hindered the careers of talented musicians on the
they were separated only by the colonial boundaries national scene, many of whom have moved to
instigated at the Berlin Congress in 1885. Europe, or, in recent years, across the border to
Denagan Janvier Honfo has probablydemon- Benin, or to Cameroon.
strated the most exquisite approach tovoodoo tra- The best-known contemporary Togolese musi-
dition in Benin, despite living in Germany. His cian is King Mensah, who in the early 1990s

two CDs, Aziza and Bolo Mimi, recorded with his joined the Ki-Yi M'Bock Theatre in Abidjan. He
group Kelebe, draw on the finest research on toured as an actor and a singer in Europe and Japan
voodoo rhythms, using a wide and colourful range between 1992-1993, then created his own show
of traditional percussion, including numerous rat- in French Guiana and finally settled in Paris where

tles, gourds, water drums, and a kind of thumb he formed his own group, Favaneva.
piano known as guidigbo. Turning to the past, it is impossible to avoid
the aura of light left by the Togolese singer, Bella

Benin in the 1990s Bellow. Often compared to Miriam Makeba,

her West African career began in 1966, when at
The music scene in Benin's capital, Cotonou, has the age of twenty she represented her country
improved considerably since the end of the (orig- at the Dakar Arts Festival. Her soft voice, made

inal) Kerekou regime, with a couple of active stu- for love songs, had a strong seductive power, at
dios again in business. Nel Oliver's studio has its best on slow ballads. With the release of her

been dynamic through the 1990s, while Oscar first single, produced in 1969 by the Togolese

Kidjo, Angelique's brother, built his own upmar- Paris-based producer, Gerard Akueson, she was
ket digital recording facilities in 1997. Other small- invited to perform on French national radio's
er studios use mostly Q-base systems on computers most prestigious musical programme which in
for their productions. Their problem is distribu- turn led to her appearance at the famous Paris
tion. Benin is flooded with pirate cassettes, main- music hall Olympia. Bellow then travelled and
ly from Nigeria, making life hard for the real labels. performed as far afield as Rio. Her death in a car
On the live front, there are a number of good accident in 1973, having just recorded the hit
music venues, including the 2500-seat Halle des "Sango Jesus Christo" with Manu Dibango,
Arts and the long-established So Wliat! jazz club, made her a legend.

run by Loi'c Martin, where these days you can have Bella Bellow's success story inspired many
dinner and even surf the Internet, and a trio of Togolese female singers, such as Ita Jourias,
vibrant dance clubs, La Cabane, Djonke and the Mabah, the 1980s 'sentimental queen', Afia Mala,
upmarket 2001 disco club,where wealthy Benin and the voice of the 1990s, Fifi Rafiatou. who
society gathers. has had some international success, singing in Ife
Music is also beginning to get more media and Ewe dialects.

exposure, through a new private TV channel, Another Togolese voice is that of Jimi Hope,
LC2, launched by ex-professional football player who has forged his own heady mix of rock and
Christian Lagnide, who became the new govern- tropical rhythms. Always a rebel, he is not afraid
ment's minister of Youth and Sports in 1998. The to denounce power abuse whenever necessary
station produces music videos, and hopes to become through his extremely cutting lyrics. An artist in

an important promoter of West Africa's music every sense of the word, his strange paintings and
industry. As a result of Kerekou's new government surreal sculptures express this same desire to break

policy (the old dictator was legally elected in 1997), the bounds of convention and explore new
private music radio stations are also booming. ground.

Togo 435
 discography SS Aye (Island, UK).

Containing the world hit "Agolo", some of this powerful album

was recorded at Prince's Paisley Park studio in Minneapolis.
It includes, of course, the huge hit "Aye" - a dancefloor killer.

Benin S Fifa (Island, UK).

In 1995, Angelique and her husband, bass player Jean

Hebrail, travelled through Benin recording some traditional
Compilations music that inspired the songs on this album.

o
ff) 33 Yoruba Drums from Benin, West Africa
Oremi
(Island, UK).
o (Smithsonian Folkways, US).
This a remarkable disc for Kidjo, exploring the music of the
is
Drum ensembles of bata and dundun (hourglass tension African diaspora - and in particular, American R&B. She cov-
drums) demonstrate the rapid-fire ritual percussion - includ- ers Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child", employs jazz saxophonist
ing plenty of 'talking drum' - of the Yoruba religion. Recorded Branford Marsalis, and generally funks things up big time.
in 1987, with detailed liner notes and analysis. •
With South African backing vocals adding timbre and texture,
her art has never been more mature and sweetly inspired.

Nel Oliver
Yoruba Drums from
A renowned producer, as
Benin, West Africa well as performer, Nel Oliver
has always loved funky music. It inspired his first 1976
recording in France with the American band Ice and still
motivates his music in Cotonou, where he settled back in
1987.

Democratic (Africa Distributions, Benin).

With its 'Afro-akpala-funk' this 1997 production easily reach-

es international standards and gets you dancing instantly.

Cella Stella
Bom inCameroon, Stella has built her career from Benin,
singing Fon, Mina and Douala, as a mainstream vocalist
in

in the 1 970s African style.

INTERNATIONAL i
N ST To
I Tt I 'O* TR*0- r lONAL MUSIC
E Sensationelle Cella Stella Charme & Voix
THE WORLD'S MUSICAL TRADITION'S 8 (Nelric's Production, France).

Produced by Toto Guillaume (a leading Cameroonian figure in

the Paris studios), this album goes from speedy dance tunes
Artists to very melodic songs. No special Benin blend, but a very
professional and slick sound.

Denagan Janvier Honfo Stan Tohon & the Tchink System

Probably because he lives in Europe, far from his beloved With his wild stage act Stan has led his Tchink System to
country, Honfo takes Benin's percussion tradition very popularity all over West Africa, since the late 1 970s.
seriously and pushes it to an exiquisite refinement.
S Tchink Attack (Donna Wana, France).
Bolo Mimi
may some spontaneous power
S3 (DJH, Germany). This lack
System's stage performances, but
of the
it's
of the Tchink
a vibrant disc,
This is Honfo's second, very nicely self-produced CD, adding nonetheless, with some very interesting rhythms on the hit
some vocal polyphonies to the subtle polyrhthmics he already song "Devaluation".
developed on his previous outing, Aziza.

Angelique Kidjo Togo

Brought up in an artistic household in Ouidah by parents King Mensah
who provided unusual support for her stage-struck ideas,
Angelique Kidjo made her name first of all in Paris. Now Mensah Ayaovi Papavi has performed on stage since he
settled in New York, she is probably the most popular was nine years old. A singer with Les Dauphins de la
woman singer on the World Music stage (see feature box Capitale, he is also a story-teller, has been part of the Ki-
on p.434). Yi M'Bock Theatre in Abidjan, and is today the most pop-
ular musician in Togo.
Logozo
(Island, UK). Madjo
(Bolibana, France).
On this, her second international CD, Kidjo shows the extent
of her vocal range. With tributes to Minam Makeba ("Malaika") Driven by powerful percussion deeply rooted in African tradi-
and Bella Bellow ("Senie"), she shows that she is firmly up tions, King Mensah's music, moving from Afrobeat to reggae,
there among the great international singers. is also strongly influenced by jazz and jazz-rock.

436 Benin/Togo
 :

Burkina Faso
30

hidden treasure
Even African music enthusiasts are hard-pressed to name a band from Burkina Faso - an omission
o
due in part, perhaps, to the richness of the music cultures surrounding the country. But it's an
omission nonetheless. Burkina has musics aplenty of its own, reflecting its cultural diversity. Francois
Bensignor uncovers some of these hidden treasures.

phrase 'cultural diversity' is no cliche

The in relation to Burkina Faso (the former
dme
Upper Volta - renamed
olution of Thomas
after the

Sankara). This
country of some sixty different ethnic groups, bor-
dered by the influential nations of Mali, Cote
1 984 rev-
is a
3 NuiTS
d'lvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Niger. The
result, forthe country's music, is that no signifi-
cant national style has emerged. However, there
are some definite national stars, such as Black So
AtYpiqueS
Man, Simpore Maurice, Traore Amadou Bal-
lake and Kabore Roger. Oddly, the Burkinabe
artists who have made an impression abroad —

WOMAD-sponsored Farafina and the Italian-

De f(buDouGOu
based singer Gabin Dabire - would ring few
bells back home.

A Multitude of
Traditions
West and southwest Burkina Faso is mostly
under the influence of Mande culture, which is

shared with both Mali and Cote d'lvoire. The

Dioula people settled their capital there, in Bobo-
Dioulasso, still a strategic commercial and cultur-
al centre. Musically, its strongest traditions are those
of balafon (xylophone) and percussion.
Living in the centre of the country, the Mossi
people represent half of Burkina's population and
have a stronger/of tradition. The Larle Naaba, *\4
traditional head of all the Mossi griot musicians,
still retains his traditional function towards Mossi Du 25 au 29
kings as a genealogist, counsellor, historian and
novembre 1998
musician. He has his own troup and teaches musi-
cians in his own royal court.
The northern part of Burkina is home of the
the
Contact
Fulbe people (also called Fula and Peul), who are Les Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou
closely linked to their cousins across the Mali and B.P. 196, secteur 10, Koudougou, Burkina Faso
Niger borders. Their traditional music is splendid, Tel. : (226) 44 03 89 - 44 03 87 / Fax 44 04 49
:

with incredible voice techniques and fabulous hand

clapping rhythms. There are also strong musical Not your average night out in Koudougou

Burkina Faso 437

00
c
30

CO

Kabore Moussa at Bazar Musique

traditions among the Senoufo, Gourounsi, Bissa These are the country's best known artists - and
and Nankana people in thesouth along the bor- none plays an original sound taken from Burkina's
ders of Cote d'lvoire, Benin and Ghana, but little musical traditions, principally because most of the
is recorded. radio stations play ninety percent foreign music,
This multitude of musical traditions has had its according to Kabore Moussa, director of the record
profile raised through a variety of different Festi- company, Bazar Musique. In 1998 radio DJs were
vals.Every two years since 1983, the Semaine asked by the Minister of Culture to play 38 per-
Nationale de la Culture is held in Burkina's sec- cent local artists but they don't seem ready to do
ond city, Bobo Dioulasso, where traditional and so, and national TV shows include no more than
modern musicians from all over the country come one or two national artists a day among many for-
to compete for awards. Since 1996, the capital, eign bands and singers. People know how to dance
Ouagadougou, has held modern music yearly to Congolese dombolo, or mapouka or zouglou from
awards, Les Grands Prix Nationaux. And last- Cote d'lvoire, but when it comes to music from
ly, there is the Nuits Atypiques de Koudougou, Burkina . . . well, they just can't do it.
held every year in Burkina's third city, Koudougou.
This non-competitive international festival mixes Bazar Musique
traditional and modern acts. It was launched in
1996 by Koudbi Koala, founder of the dance and When founding Bazar Musique in 1989, Kabore
percussion troup, Saaba, with support from French Moussa determined to promote Burkina's culture
and Dutch World Music festivals. and music. For five years, he had imported for-
eign cassettes from Mali, Congo, Guinea, Cuba
All Kinds of Styles and Cote d'lvoire, and sold them all over the coun-
try. He realised that it was almost impossible to
There is view held in the African music business find any Burkina artists' cassetteson the local mar-
that people in Burkina have never really cared to ket so he launched a record company dedicated to
listen to artists from their own country. Stars from national artists. He produced traditional music from
Cote d'lvoire are superstars in Ouagadougou. every region, in every language spoken through-
from Mali
Artists also have a great impact in the out the country — 239 albums by 113 different
west of Burkina. And from every cassette shop, artists in his first ten years.
radio and bar, you can hear the never-ending pulse Following his lead, three other companies have
of Congolese rhythms. followed suit: Sika Sound and
Musique Africa
Pick up the Best of Burkina Compilation CD and in Ouagadougou, and Faso Ambiance in
you will certainly hear all kinds of styles. There is Dedougou. Maybe things are looking up. The
modern Mandingo from Abdoulaye Cisse and main problem, however, remains the very lim-
Burkina Band; Congolese soukous from Thomas ited choice of professional studios. In Oua-
Tiendrebeogo; Cuban dance from Tidiane gadougou there are just two 24-track studios: a
Coulibaly; afro-pop from Pierre Sandwidi and busy one owned by Desire Traore, leader of
Amety Meria; reggae from Jean-Claude Desi et les Sympathiques, the best-known
Bamogo and Black So Man; soul-funk from backing group for afro-pop artists, and another
Georges Ouedraogo and To Finley; and eth- built by local star Nick Domby, equipped with
nobeat from Nick Domby. new technology.

438 Burkina Faso

 Another initiative has come from Seydoni Pro-
ductions, founded in 1993 by Seydou Richard
Traore, a Burkina musician based in Sweden. They
30
have been promoting Cote d'lvoire singer Ai'cha
Kone's shows, organising concerts in Burkina Faso
for other West African stars, and also creating the
first national, live modern music contest (subse-

quently taken over by the government's cultural

C/5
department). Even more crucial, Seydoni set up the
country's first cassette duplication unit, combatting
the flood of pirate tapes. This could well make a big

change to Burkina's music scene at a time when

modern musicians are beginning to use the coun-
ts \ diverse traditions for creating original new styles.

discography
Compilations Japanese imports. ..Farafina at The Cay Club
in Tokyo, 1990

Best of Burkina Compilation

(Bolibana, Burkina Faso/France). t Nemako (Intuition. Germany).

This panorama of Burkina's modern music is a good way to An interesting short, but effortlessly lively set from the con-
get to know the sounds of leading artists like Tidiani summate performers, with a high-tech studio sound. There's
Coulibaly, Georges Ouedraogo, Roger Kabore, Pierre more to please here than skillful percussion, including kora,
Sandwidi, Amadou Balake Traore, Nick Domby. some delicate arrangements and striking vocals.

Burkina Faso - The Voice of the Fulbe

WITH JOHN HASSELL
(Le Chant du Monde, France).
S3 Flash of the Spirit (Intuition, Germany).
These recordings made by ethnomusicologist Sandrine
Loncke in different locations of northern Soum province in An interesting encounter between the talented British trumpet
1992-93 and 1994-95 present the extraordinary voice tech- player and this strongly rooted percussion troupe.
nics of doohi and gude worbe sung by men and jimi rewbe
and gude rewbe sung by women. A very interesting and
Fomtugol
detailed booklet accompanies the splendid music.
This facinating musical and dance troupe from the north-
eastern town of Dori presents a repertoire rooted in Fulani
Artists and calabash are the main instru-
traditions. Lutes, flute
ments accompanying the voices.

Gabin Dabire S3 Haji Pendo (Daqui, France).

Based in Europe - currently Italy - since the mid-1970s, This one of the first CDs presenting this
is beautiful Sahel

this veteran singer-songwriter is a revelation. nomads' music to be distributed worldwide.

83 Kontome (Amiata Records, Italy).

Les Freres Coulibaly
Some of Dabire's work sounds like Uganda's Geoffrey
The Coulibaly griot family belongs to the Bwa people liv-
Oryema in folksie mode, but his more complex choral
ing the north of Burkina. Brothers Souleyman, Lassina
in
arrangements, such as "Mariam a ne Awa", have a carefully
and Ousseni lead a standard percussion orchestra with
architectured beauty entirely their own.
djembe, bara, tama and kenkeni drums, barafile rattle,

balafon xylophone and kamele ngoni harp-lute.

Farafina
5fi Musiques du Burkina Faso & du Mali
The musicians of Farafina have been touring Europe and (Musiques du Monde/Buda, France).
America since the mid-1980s, driving the public to dance
to their complex but clearly structured polyrhythms. This features brother Lassina Coulibaly with his traditional
Members have changed through the years but the music acoustic group Yan Kadi Faso. Beautiful kora playing is the
is still enjoyable. standout, but there's also a great balafon duo "Massoum
pien", complete with wooden 'buzz', a spookily vocal fiddle
Faso Denou (the soukou) on "Bri kamaye" and a flute solo on the affecting
(RealWorld, UK), final track, "Ba mana sa" (The Death of a Mother).

Feel the percussive power of the two balafons (xylophones), Anka Dia (Ethnic/Auvidis. France).
S3
bara-skinned open callabash, doumdou'ba tall drums and

voluble djembe. A good drumming record, well recorded.

Burkina Faso 439

 Cameroon
»
3
© music of a small continent
o
'Africa in miniature' is how people in Cameroon nowhere on the
often describe their country. There's
continent with such abundance of languages, - nor the diversity of Cameroon's
cultures and religions
geography. It has even been colonised by four
nations: the Portuguese, Germans, French and British. All
contributed to the culture, which is nominally bilingual, with French and English as official languages,
although more than 250 ethnic groups speak their own dialects. From fhe francophone side
Cameroonians have acquired an urbanity of style, fashion and smooth musical delivery (witness jazz giant,
Manu Dibango). Jean-Victor Nkolo and Graeme Ewens explore the legacies - and the latest sounds.

Travel around the country and you will find

Cameroon, like other francophone nations
in the CFA currency zone, has had a hard further traditional elements still very much alive.

time in the 1990s, and the faltering econ- There are traditions of kalimba (sanza/thumb
omy has been reflected in its music output. piano) music; talking drums; the balafon (xylo-
At the begining of the decade, things looked bright, phone) and accordion; Islamic music; huge
with Cameroon's pop-makossa style one of Africa's religious choirs; a cappella; traditional horn
hottest dance genres. But makossa got tied into the trumpeters in the Bamoun country. And then
zouk scene in Paris, and when that lost its edge, so there are those pygmies.
did makossa. The craze which followed, bikutsi.
simmered for a while, and helped to inspire Paul LOOKING BAKA
Simon's Rhythms of the Saitits album. But it, too, Cameroon is also the home of the Baka pygmies
seems to have lost its fire. In fact, there's a sense, these — the culture which provided the group Baka

days, of looking back, with few professional bands Beyond with such huge success in the 1990s. For

active at home, and current releases tending to be a separate article on Pygmy music, see p.601

greatest hits, or re-issues of old favourites recorded

However, the and evergreen Manu
in Paris.

Dibango
prolific

goes from strength to strength, albeit based

Recording Roots
abroad, and kalimba-phyer Wes Madiko had a Euro- In the 1930s, various record companies such as

pean chart success in 1997/98, with the platinum Pathe imported primitive equipment and persuaded
single "Alane". Maybe it's all just a lull. local musicians to record; they had to sing in one
There is certainly enough indigenous music and take, after briefly introducing themselves. The
rhythms in Cameroon for a multitude of popular recordings of those early years are so bad it's dif-

styles to surface. Among those already in the pop ficult to know the composition of the band or the
sphere are the tchamassi, popularised by the blind lyrics, or even what type of instrument is being
singer Andre-Marie Tala, and the mangambe, played. You hear somethingme, Thi- like: "It's

a Bamileke folk rhythm popularised in its modern mothe Essombe, from Yabassi, near Douala, and
form by the bass player Pierre Didy Tchak- I am happy, today, in the year nineteen-something
ounte, who had a string of popular album releas- or other, to sing this song for my loved one. La la

es during the 1970s. In recent years mangambe has la Jules et Mambo . . . Thimothe . . . Cherie . . .

been the pulse of a new jazz-fusion notably cham- Jules et Mambo ... la la la". It was all over in less

pioned by Brice Wassy, the drummer who spent than two minutes.
several years at the core of Manu Dibango's always- Back then, Cameroon's urban pop music was
impressive rhythm section. Then there is the Bassa American, French or British, and eventually artists

people's assiko on the coast and a fast, guitar- such as James Brown, the Beatles, Chuck Berry,
based street music called ambasse bey. Many Johnny Haliday and Sylvie Vertan inspired an inter-
Cameroonian musicians also play highlife, souk- nationalism. But in the 1950s the fledgling music-
ous or juju music — styles imported from neigh- industries in Nigeria and Congo had an important
bouring Nigeria and Congo/Zaire. influence as 78rpm discs by highlife and rumba

440 Cameroon
 Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey
Sax-player, composer, singer, pianist and arranger,
Manu Dibango is Cameroon's musical superstar. He
is at heart a jazz player, but he has carried makossa
(and other West African styles) to a world audience, 30
O
and has collaborated with players from Johnny Pacheco
to Fela Kuti, the Fania All-Stars and Don Cherry. He is
O
truly international in his orientation, having gone to col-
lege in France in 1949, and spent periods since then
living in Brussels, Paris, Kinshasa and Cote d'lvoire.

Dibango's early musical influences were jazz, main-

ly from the Brussels jazz-club scene of the early 1 950s.
He forged a career of his own in Congo/Zaire, where
he played with the legendary Kabasele in the early
1960s and ran a band called African Soul. But it was
the release of "Soul Makossa" in 1973 that made his

name and propelled him into the ranks of Africa's big-

name musicians. The song was actually recorded as

a B-side - to "Mouvement Ewondo", a praise song for

Cameroon's football team - but was picked up by

it

a New York radio station, becoming a massive hit

worldwide, with nine different versions in the Billboard
chart at one time. Its rhythm was even adopted by
Michael Jackson on his Thriller album.
Back home, "Soul Makossa" paved the way for a
new generation of artists to combine traditional inspi-
Manu Dibango
ration with hi-tech recording facilities. The public, how-
ever, seems always to have had a rather ambivalent An early buddy and col-
relationship with Dibango. They respect and admire his laborator of Dibango's, in the
international status but his music has never been a reg- jazz bars of Brussels and
ular feature in the clubs or on the dance floors. "Soul was Francis Bebey -
Paris,

Makossa" itself was a very untypical makossa track. Cameroon's other great
Still, Dibango more than paid his dues to Cameroon musical ambassador. A multi-
in the early 1980s when he produced, arranged and talented character, Bebey is

performed on the three-album boxed set Fleurs Musi- a novelist, storyteller, film-
cales du Cameroun, a collection which gathered the maker, and musicologist, but primarily a guitarist and
country's best veteran and new popular musicians, composer. He sings in English, French and Douala,
alongside unsung traditional artists, to give a panoram- experimenting with styles ranging from classical guitar
ic soundtrack to the country. The discs included most and traditional rhythms to makossa and straight pop,
of the diverse rhythms which have informed the 1 980s and has released some twenty albums since 1 969 He's .

and '90s styles of pop-makossa, mangambe, assiko also the author of a seminal music book, African Music:
and bikutsi. A People's Art (Lawrence Hill, US).

artists were being broadcast across Africa on the to hear the latest American swing, or local ver-
radio. Following behind came the traders who sup- sions of it.
plied original discs and later made licensing agree- Singer/guitarists were the first to create some-
ments to re-issue popular records. thing approaching a local sound, with artists such
The only developed city in Cameroon at the as Lobe Lobe, Ebanda Manfred, Nelle
time was the port of Douala and it was low-key Eyoum and Ekambi Brillant among the pio-
compared to its neighbours. Prevailing musical neers. A musically progressive artist, Brillant more
styles included the frenetic guitar action of or less created makossa, and his single "NX ion
ambasse bey, while accordion players bridged Abo" was such a hit that, to this day in Cameroon
the gaps between folk songs and French chansons. it'll have everyone on the dance floor in seconds,

In the international hotels, white clients expected shaking their waists.

Csmeroon 441
 In those days, music was not as politicised or Makossa
tribalised as it has become. Just as Brillant did a
song in the Ewondo language of the Beti people The Doula-based style of makossa has dominat-
from the Yaounde district, so Messi Martin also ed Cameroon's pop scene since the 1960s, and
made attempts to sing, quite beautifully, in the with Manu Dibango's funky hybrid "Soul Makos-
Douala language, thanks to the collaboration of sa" in 1972 (see box on previous page) it briefly
Nelle Eyoum, himself from Douala and another reached an international audience. In its earliest

of the fathers of modern makossa. form, it was a folk dance and music, evolving out
Before independence in 1960 there were no •of die mission schools of Douala, where it was
recording opportunities, although some Cameroo- played on guitars and accordions. Perhaps the best
nians did appear on Congolese and Nigerian labels early exponent was Eboa Lotin, who has been
- such asHerbert Udemba, whose songs were much anthologised on cassette in Doula.
released on the Nigerphone label as 'Ibo minstrel In the early 1970s, makessa became an increas-
style'. The opening of a radio station in Doftala ingly urban, electric style, with a dance rhythm
finally made recording possible. In 1962, Eboa Then in the 1980s
precisely cut for the nightclubs.
Lotin, 'The Lion', made his recording debut for it was transformed into pop-makossa, and pro-

Phillips. His style, based on guitar and harmonica duced largely from Paris. Most of the effective
riffs, was a precursor of makossa, named after a music of this new style was played by the so-called
children's dance. He was followed by Misse National Team of Makossa - a clique of Paris-
Ngoh, a member of Los Calvinos band, who based musicians directed by bassist Aladji Toure
developed a more flamboyant finger-picking style. with Toto Guillaume and Ebeny Wesley.
The most popular form around the time of inde- The best singers of this era were the sophisti-
pendence was assiko. Played on acoustic guitar cated Moni Bile and Moundy Claude (known
accompanied by percussion and bottle, this was a as 'Petit Pays'). For a flavour of the early 1980s,
local variant of palm wine music (see Sierra and some spine-tingling, high-note vocals, you
Leone) with an up-tempo beat. Leading protago- should also check out "Ami", the international
nists were Dikoume Bernard and Jean Bikoko, success by Bebe Manga. And try Ben Decca, or
who recorded a national hit "A ye pon djon ni the elegant makossa mix of the group Esa. Or
me" in 1960 for the Samson label and went on to Prince Eyango, Doleur or Misse Ngoh.
form a forty-strong troupe of assiko dancers. The Other must hears for the full Cam makossa treat-
fifty-year-old Oncle Medjo also found fame with ment are: Sam Fan Thomas, whose African Typic
a similar line-up. collection made him the biggest Cameroonian
name abroad after Dibango; guitarist Toto Guil-
laume, who has backed just about everyone
(including Miriam Makeba) and was one of the
main engineers of the explosive affair between
Antillean zouk and African music; and Lapiro de
Mbanga, who achieved fame with his anti-ruling-
party, pidgin-English vitriol in song, then, to the
bafflement of all, started praising President Biya's
regime.

Bikutsi's
Essential Thrust
Cameroon's dictatorial President Paul Biya is a

great aficionado and dancer of the rival musical

style of bikutsi, which has its power-base in the

city of Yaounde. With his patronage, it has flour-

ished on the (heavily state-censored) radio and TV.
A story that hit the drinking parlours of Yaounde
a few years back - part-joke, part-rumour - went
archbishop of Douala, Monseigneur
like this: the

Jean Zoa, goes to the president's palace, hoping to

get the latest bikutsi song - "The Lift", by the

442 Cameroon
 .

raunchy Katino Ateba - banned. But as the arch- ed the sound and magic of a traditional balafon to
bishop enters the president's living room, he hears a new era, linking together some of the strings of
Biya himself asking his wife to "play that song an electric guitar with lengths of cotton cord, to
again". The Monseigneur has to change his tune give a damper tone and a slight buzz. Other bikut- O
3>
and throw in the towel before uttering a word. si performers soon followed his example, notably
Katino Ateba's songs are often crude, porno- the singer Maurice 'Elamau' Elanga.
graphic and anticlerical. But such themes are the If bikutsi's sound characterised by screaming, as
is
o
essential thrust

lie in a blood-stirring
of bikutsi, whose origins
a style

war rhythm - the music of

clapping, stamping, and balafon-playing (or bala-
style guitar), its acclaimed superiority over makos-
o
vengeance and summon- sa lies in its heavily charged
ing to arms, sounding content: where there's
Ascenseur: Le Secret de I'Homme
through the forest. Tra- bikutsi, there must be
ditionally, it used rattles
Action 69! dance, controversy, social
and drum and the njang The lift, every male's secret debate and sex, either
xylophone or balafon. I like men who are no fools implied or explicit. Messi
And, for decades, if not Those who know how to Martin has been a master
centuries, Beti women press my sensitive button of all that, with his mellow
tricked the Christian The lift, that's every male's secret voice, liberal doses of social
church, as well as their I like man who is no fool
a commentary and eternal
own men, by singing I like a man who will suck me downstairs womanising. When he
bikutsi using complex I like a man who will suck me upstairs too stopped composing and
slang phrases reserved for I like men who sin on earth performing, his younger
like men who sin in heaven too
women. While clapping I
brother Beti Joseph took
out the rapid-fire rhythm, Even the parish priest loves that
over. His "N'Son Anyu"
they sang about the trials
Instead of giving me a private service was a rant against local

and tribulations of every-

He comes home to sin downstairs journalists, who make
And like the priest who sins upstairs
I too
day life; they discussed London's tabloid reporters
And his mass will not be sad
sexuality; and they talked look like angels. Mbarga
as a funeral ceremony
about sexual fantasies and Soukous and a handful of
Because, every male is a boss
taboos. In the middle of others also found momen-
Even in his pyjamas
the song, a woman would But only when he's strong and big
tary fame with overtly
start a chorus leading to a 'pornographic' lyrics.
With his prick as solid as a man's gun
frenzied dance of rhyth- Solid as a church's big candle Gradually, bikutsi musi-
mic foot-stamping and And I'll lick him up and down cians improved the techni-
shaking: shoulders-back- And then, and only then, I'll ask him cal quality of their music
bottom-clap-clap-clap- To press the button in my lift and began to challenge the
clap-clap. The whole Every male's secret. .
commercial success of
thing was accompanied makossa. Maurice Elanga
Katino Ateba
by strident screams and shrewdly added brass in the
whistles. 1970s. Nkondo Si Tony
Many women still perform the old folk dances used electronic keyboards and synthesisers, and
across the sprawling hills of Yaounde city and brought state-of-the-art production to bear. His
beyond to the south. One of the stalwarts of bikut- output on the local cassette market was impressive
si was Anne-Marie Nzie, 'The Queen of and he acquired something of a cult status among
Cameroonian music' who kept the form popular Yaounde youth. Later, the long-established bikut-

from the 1940s until the '80s, recording on the si/rumba big-band, Les Veterans, began to make
Pathe Marconi label. Another historic group was themselves heard in Europe with some bikutsi album
the Richard Band de Zoetele - which releases. It was a man called Mama Ohandja, how-
employed a six- to eight-piece balafon orchestra. ever, who truly popularised the bikutsi in the 1970s,

The inventor of 'modern bikutsi', as a staple of with a string of releases on the French Sonodisc
mainstream Cameroonian pop, was Messi Me label and a touring band called Confiance Jazz.
Nkonda Martin, founder of the band Los In the 1980s, Ohandja's success was followed
Camaroes, whose tunes were played incessantly and surpassed by Les Tetes Brulees, at least out-
on provincial radio stations in the 1960s and '70s. side Cameroon. This was a band who looked great,

Messi Martin came up with an idea that translat- and whose stylish (almost easy listening) appeal

c 443
 1

Burnt-out Heads
Les Tetes Brulees. the first bikutsi band to appear comfortably in the pantheon of African music stars.
on CD, brought a dramatic new global awareness to The Tetes' publicity files filled up early on after the

Cameroonian music. On stage, their wild, cross-cul- release of the well-made Man No Run film of their first

tural appearance - body paint, sculpted hair, layers French tour, directed by the Cameroon-born maker
of clothing and clumpy trainers - comes over as a kind of Chocolat, Claire Denis. And an interesting and rel-

of tribal pantomime. Their initial gigs abroad whipped ativefy young Cameroonian cineaste. Jean-Marie Teno.
up a whirlwind of media attention and earned them made a rather good docudrama on the politics of water
equal measures of censure and adulation at home. in Cameroon, starring Theodore Epeme - aka Zanz-
The name was provocative enough - what could they ibar, founder member of the Tetes - entitled Bikutsi
mean by 'Burnt Heads'? It implied hyperactive self- Water Blues. Tragically, the sensitive young lead gui-
indulgence, bumt-out, blown minds.... they didn't sit tarist committed suicide shortly afterwards.

Les Tetes Brulees in characteristic low-key stage make-u

soon won them festival slots in Europe and the concert musicians in Paris and New York. Oth-
US. Cameroonians were less enthusiastic, in part ers included Sabbal Lecco and Vincent Ngui-
due to the political affiliations of the band (they ni - who made huge (and undervalued) bikutsi
were presidential favourites). But there's no doubt contributions to Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints
that they took bikutsi to a new audience, just as album - and the singer Sissi Dipoko. In
Manu Dibango had done with makossa. Cameroon's musical-political mix, Dipoko, being
More roots bikutsi performers in the 1 980s and from Douala (makossa-land), would not have been
'90s included the experienced musicians Uta Bella. expected to perform bikutsi. But she had exten-
Marilou & Georges Seba and Jimmy Mvon- sive experience singing with Dibango's band and
do Mvele. All of them grew up in the Yaounde her recording "Bikutsi Hit" signalled an easing ot
area, and found work as producers, session and the clash between bikutsi and makossa.

444 Cameroon
Cameroon Now 83 Makossa Connection Vols 1-4 (TJR, France).

Four-hour makossa celebration, with everyone you can think

of and many you won't - Guy Lobe, Emile Kangue, Manulo,
Cameroon was one of the last African countries
Moni Bile, Ben Decca, Salle Jean, Lapiro de Mbanga, Hoigen
to get a TV station — which began broadcasting in Ekwalle, Epee et Koum, Ndedy Dibango and Gilly Doumbe.
l »S5. The guitarist and composer Elvis Kemayo
(

returned from Gabon, where he had been artistic

Artists
director of their TV station, to present the 'Tele-
podium' show which gave exposure to many of the Kotto Bass
country's artists - especially the President's
The late Kotto Bass was a popular, witty and engaging
favourites. It hasn't helped a great deal. In the artist whose soukous fusion provided an antidote to
1990s, the lack of a music infrastructure, economic straight makossa.
decline and the inability of musicians to maintain Soukous Fusion (Kouogueng France).
83 Fils,

working bands, have combined to mute the pro-

This was the second, and last, release, showcasing his nice
duction of home-grown music. Many of the old- voice and round, fulsome sound.
school musicians, including Prince Eyango, Tom
Yom's, Lapiro and Solo Mouna, have left the Francis Bebey
country, while at home, ground-breaking veter- 'Africa's Renaissance Man', Bebey has worked his way
ans are sliding into obscurity and poverty. through jazz and most of his country's roots music. A
multi-instrumentalist and musicologist, amongst other
Which is not to say that nothing new has
things, he defies categorisation.
emerged in the 1990s. Bend-skin is a recent kind
of street-credible percussion-led folk music, pio- 52 Nandolo/With Love: Francis Bebey Works
1963-94 (Original Music, US).
neered pop music by Kouchoum Mbada.
as a
This retrospective features Bebey on bamboo flute, kalimba
Another style which owes something to folk roots,
and acoustic guitar. It is highly, and frequently, commended.
and something to bol (from 'bal' accordion-play-
ing), Bantowbol, championed by Gibraltar
is
Moni Bile
Drakus with Nkondo Si Tony. And then there's
Smooth, suave but excitable, Bile really maximised the
a lesser-known rhythm from Northern Cameroon enjoyment potential of makossa. He was the most influen-
- the nganja - which was exposed in Britain dur- tial artist of the 1980s, whose hi-tech productions outsold
all others.
ing the mid-1980s by the eccentric dancer/singer
Ali Baba and is getting a new contemporary run- 10th Anniversary: Best of ...

out fromLe Groupe Kawtal. There is also a kind (MAD Productions/Sonodisc, France).

of Congo/Zairean 'new rumba', and a makos- Enjoy the mellow growl and revisit those great, dance-floor
stirrers, "Bijou" and "O Si Tapa Lambo Lam".
sa-soukous fusion, popularised by Papillon, Petit
Pays, the late Kotto Bass, and newcomer Jean
Manu Dibango
Pierre Esssome. A dance called the zenge has
The 'makossa man' has maintained his output into the
evolved to accompany this recent beat.
late 1990s and has about a dozen CDs on the market. The
But for all this music, Cameroon desperately perceived 'African' content ebbs and flows but, call it
needs another global hit such as "Soul Makossa" what you will, Manu's music always swings.
to liven things up and restore some confidence, S3 Live '91 (Stern's, UK).
among musicians, producers and listeners alike.
The catalogue of Africa's foremost jazz sax-player is so vast,
it's hard to know where to begin. If you find nothing to please
Thanks to Prince Eyango among the eclectic set on this old but representative CD you
probably don't like him.

Homemade
(Celluloid/Melodie, France).

discography Classic cuts from the 1970s

up his own
when Manu was
kind of Afrofusion into a massive sound. Includes
really blowing

the often reprised "Ah Freak son fric".

Compilations
83 CubAfrica (Celluloid/Melodie, France).
O Fleurs Musicales du Cameroun
Really mellow versions of Cuban classics, accompanied on
(FMC/Afrovision, Cameroon).
acoustic instruments by Cuarteto Patria and Manu's eternal
An authoritative and comprehensive three-album boxed set, guitar partner, Jerry Malekani. As sweet as can be.
produced, arranged and musically directed in the early 1980s
for the government by Manu Dibango, to showcase the
country's musical vitality. Onesongs and two of
disc of folk
Guy Lobe
makossa, mangambe, bikutsi and assiko - and a 12" book- Lobe arrived on the Paris scene in the mid-1980s just as
let. Long since deleted but one to scour the record fairs for. Antillean musicians were 'zouking' up makossa.

Cameroon 445
 Dix Ans Vols 1 & 2 (Tandem/Blue Silver. France). Tribu (Lusafnca, France).

A doubte-baneled cotection of straight ahead, no nonsense Her first solo release: twelve songs which showed off her
makossa that takes you dancing through a decade. superb voice and individual treatment of bikutsi, amongst
other things.
Wes Madiko
S Multi Curb (Tropical, France).
Wes Madiko's career went ballistic when his single
"AJane" sold millions in Europe in 1997, followed by a
Pofehed, soul-inflected, vocal-ted package that represents
chart entry in Britain. The grandson of a griot, he seemed Cameroon's roots music in a worldly, accessible fashion. No
on a mission. sign of the makossa team on this one.

Walenga lEpic/Sony, UK).

music therapy' inducing his platinum hit. Anne-Marie Nzie

fror rf kaSmba player teamed up with French
Known as 'The Golden Voice of Cameroon' and the 'Queen
Deep forest) Sanchez.
Mother of Bikutsi', Anne-Mane Nzie is still pumping out some
pretty robust music with her quavenng Edith Piaf-like voice
Lapiro de Mbanga She made her recording debut 1954 on the Congolese
in

A master of political rap, Lapiro was hugely controversial Opika label, playing Hawaiian guitar, but had only released
- a tough blend of politics, rhythm and hot language one album of her own. Liberie, on the Pathe Marconi label,
made him a big name in Cameroon. between then and 1998.

Ndinga Man Contre-Attaque: na wou go pay? S Beza Ba Dzo (Label Bleu, France).
(Label Bleu, France).
Produced by. and featuring, the drum motivation of Brice
Here - with a hard mix of makossa. zouk, soukous and Afro- Wassy. Anne-Marie's second album renders her folklore-
beat - Lapiro rebuts the cntjcem that he sold out to the powers based material with power and energy. Her semi-acoustic
that be. amalgam of traditional and modem instrumentation, and the
vanety of rhythms and moods make a welcome change
from makossa. Her guests include Manu Dibango, Jean-
Philippe Rykiel and Marcelin Ohanda. guitar maestro of Les
Veterans.

Papillon
Papillon is a popular new makossa singer, bringing a
zenge, zouky, soukous shake-up to liven up the scene.

Homme Fort (Gazon Synthetique/TJR, France).

Sounds more zouky than makossa. and thus a bit of a manu-

factured sound for some tastes.

Paris Africans
This group is the latest creation of Toups Bebey, nephew
of the great Francis Bebey, and fusionist extraordinaire -
a saxophonist who doubles/triples up on keyboards, per-
cusion, vocals, etc. The Parisian element includes accor-
dion and some space-rocky guitar.

E Paris Africans (VEK/Melodie. France).

The PAs provide a good mantra for World Musicians every-

Charlotte Mbango where. "We are nearly stateless, our country is music". Not

surprisingly, given Bebey's first language and instrument, this

A serious makossa who can work just as well with
singer contains many Manu Dibango-isms, and some confounding
other rhythms, Mbango was introduced to international fusions.
audiences in the early 1 990s as part of the Manu Dibango
roadshow.
Petit Pays
Konkai Makossa [Makossa New Form]
As a young artist, PP (aka Moundy Claude) gave to the
(Toure Jim, France).
makossa scene one of its best successes with his first
Backing Mbango, you hear Sissi Opoko. Aladji Toure and work Ca Fait Mai, a great local cassette release.
Toto Guillaume. If you want to know what hi-tech, 1990s
makossa means, venture no further. E Avant Gout (Meiodie, France).

With his band Les Sans Visas. PP gets down a zouk/souk-

ous/ makossa blend, complete with shouted animations.
Sally Nyolo
Le CV de Petit Pays (10 Ans, 10 Hits)
SallyNyolo came out of the Belgium-based, world-babes
(MekxJie. France).
band. Zap Mama (see p. 28), and has been the first of the
group to make a solo breakthrough. Another decade under the bndge on this fine compilation.

446 Cameroon
 SAM FAN THOMAS & CHARLOTTE MBANGO
Les Tetes Brulees
S3 African Typic Collection (Virgin Earthworks, UK).
The Tetes Brulees came to Europe on a high note, just
when the national football team was showing promise in Four Cameroonian songs (and one stray Cape Verdean num-
the 1 994 World Cup. Early reports had them playing foot- ber via Paris) packaged around the mega-hit title song.
ball on stage. They caused a flash of excitement, but sub-

sequently seem to have burnt out. Brice Wassy

Les Tetes Brulees (Bleu Caraibes/France).
Manu Dibango cohort, Brice Wassy is a consummate ses-
SB
sion drummer and a producer with a pan-African CV. His
o
The
to
CD which Stern's licensed by the band that broke bikutsi
the world in 1990, now available on French import only.
own material, like Dibango's, is jazz fusion.
o
depth. 3E Shrine Dance (M.E.L.T. 2000, UK).
Lots of energy but little

Brice draws on a full palette of textures for his second album

with an international jazz line-up. The set includes everything
Sam Fan Thomas from a bikutsi version of Miles Davies to the mangambe and
'Mr Makassi' had a truly phenomenal success with mevum - yet another dance rhythm.
"African Typic Collection" - what many don't know is
that the closing refrain [words and music] is lifted Tom Yom's
straight from a song by Franco, called "Boma
Yom's (yes - that's his name) is a revolutionary part-
I'Heure".
bikutsi artist with an exceptional, high, clear voice,
singing compositions by, among others, Eboa Lotin.
SS The Best Of Sam Fan Thomas (TJR, France).

Thomas ran out a string of sound-alike records following HC Tom Yom's and the Star's Collection, Sunny Days
(TJR, France).
that first and tried to trademark makassi. Here we
big hit

have an hour and a quarter of bright, perky, singalong Ignore the naff packaging and a few duff numbers: Yom's is a
tunes. singer and musician of real power and range.

Cameroon 447
 Cape Verde
o
music of sweet sorrow
Two —
and exactly midway between Portugal and Brazil, lie the Cape
hours' flying time west of Dakar
Verde a unique archipelago adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, and an island group whose population
islands,
is now outnumbered by its overseas communities. Susana Maximo and David Peterson explore

the homeland of World Music superstar Cesaria Evora.

Verdean music has gained quite a high language which blends old-style Portuguese with
Cape profile in the past decade, through the West African languages. In the five hundred years
success of Cesaria Evora, the unlikely of its occupation, Portugal almost totally ignored
'barefoot diva'. She sings the bluesy songs the islands' development. Thousands perished in
known as morna, one of a number of styles famines, went to Sao Tome as plantation work-
unique to her island archipelago home. ers, or emigrated overseas. Of a million people
The Republic of Cape Verde is a group of ten who call themselves Cape Verdean, only about a
islands of volcanic origin, 600km off the coast of third actually live on the islands. The remainder
Senegal. An Atlantic world apart, Cape Verde is are scattered in the US (mostly New England),
an ex-Portuguese colony, independent since 1975, Europe (mainly Portugal, France, Italy and the
not quite African, but scarcely European. Named Netherlands) and Africa (Dakar). There is even a
after Cap Vert, the peninsula of Dakar, this small flourishing community in Cardiff, Wales. Almost
country is anything but green — in fact, for ten every family has relatives overseas.
months of the year, it is dry, dusty and windy, The islands' music is coloured by this history of
essentially a maritime extension ot the Sahel. It is separation and longing, by the Creole culture, and
prone to catastrophic droughts, which, together by the mix of Europeans and Africans. Cape
with the islands' isolation, and lack of opportuties, Verdean music is influenced both by the waltz and
have driven very large numbers to emigrate. the contre-dances of the old continent; and by
The islands were uninhabited when the Por- rhythms from Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean.
tuguese arrived and settled in 1462, but with the There is a variety of unique styles, some of which
arrival of African slaves and sailors, they became have changed little over the centuries. Some, such
quite mixed racially. The bulk of the modern pop- as the morna, sound quite European, while West

ulation is composed of the descendants of African African elements are more to the fore in batuco
slaves; the everyday language is Kriolu — a Creole and funana.

Cesaria Evora: "I only regret my success has taken so long"

448 Cape Verde

 Sodade Nostalgia

Quern mostra' bo Who showed you

Ess caminho longe? This far journey?
Quern mostra' bo Who showed you
Ess caminho longe? This far journey?

Ess caminho This journey 30

Pa Sao Tome. To Sao Tome. o
Sodade, sodade, Sodade, sodade,
Sodade Sodade,
Dess nha terra Sao Nicoloau. For my land of Sao Nicoloau.

Si bo 'screve' me, If you write to me,

'M ta 'screve' be. Til write to you.
Si bo 'squece' me, If you forget me,
'M ta 'squece' be. I'll forget you,

Sodade, sodade, Sodade, sodade,

Sodade, Sodade,
Dess nha terra Sao Nicoloau. For my land of Sao Nicoloau.

Ate dia Until the day

Qui bo volta. On which you return

By Luis Morais and Amandio Cabral (from Cesaria Evora: Miss Perfumado; Melodie, France);
translated by Caroline Shaw.

Music is an essential cultural expression of the of sodade — an intense melancholy - of a people

life of Cape Verdean communities, an integral part who want to stay on in their island home, yet must
of family and social celebrations, and of popular leave to survive.
festivals. Each island is proud to have its own music. As one of the oldest musical genres of the
Brava sees its men emigrate, thus the moma there archipelago - it developed in early nineteenth cen-
is sad and slow; in Santiago people dance as on the tury dance halls - the morna's origins are a sub-
African continent, demonstrating their African ject of ongoing debate. There are theories that it

roots; in Sao Nicoloau, a very religious island, peo- was influenced by the Luso-Brasilian modinha, the
ple sing above all at funerals and for their saints. Portuguese fado or perhaps African rhythms from
Angola. The fado-modinha-morna triangle is so

The Morna clearly drawn that it is obvious they are all inter-
connected.
What tango is to Argentina, or fado to Portugal, In its earliest form, on the island of Boavista, the
the morna is to Cape Verde. This national song morna was a cheerful and satirical musical form. It

form, the most popular of the archipelago, is at developed its classic themes of love, emigration and
least a century and a half old and is part of nearly nostalgia in the hands of the Brava-based compos-
every Cape Verdean band's repertoire. It repre- er Eugenio Tavares (see box overleaf). Later, in

sents the soul of the people. Sao Vicente, with B. Leza and Manuel de
Hovering on the borderline between music and Novas, it changed its tone once again into a live-
poetry, the moma is both a lyrical song with a pro- ly, happier form. The great mornas sung today are

foundly melancholic flavour and a dance. Almost by Tavares, but the form is still actively composed.
always written and sung in Kriolu, mornas are slow Until the advent of electric instruments in the
and have minor-key melodies. The lyrics are the 1960s, mornas were performed by a solo singer
heart of the matter and can stand alone as a poet- accompanied by string ensembles of different sizes.

ic form. They speak of love and longing for one's These consisted of at least one guitar, often a fid-
distant cretcheu (beloved), of the beauty of the dle, and sometimes bass, and a piano or accordion.

archipelago, of departure and separation and suf- The high-pitched strumming that is an identifying
ferings in the new land, of death. It is the music feature of many mornas was provided by the

Cape Verde 449

 Eugenio Tavares: Composer of Morna
o Mora ocm :irri are as mpor- poetry, and the two fel in love,
tant toCape Verdeans as their
oh : baj. y\ m nosTE; but her disapproving fatherither
m singers, and there is huge
respect for the likes of Luis
a : -aac "~r a~a ; ae~ ~ z
one night. Tavares found
"
.

m
3D
O
Rendail Olavo Bilac Abilio
Duarte Manuel de Novas
-
Teofilo Chantre a ; Ramiro
the next morning that she
gone, and set down his
ness in a moma that is still
1
Mendes and espeoaty for B. z~.~~ z-e^z — ec
Leza (Frarxasco Xavier da Cruz), A number of his composi-
who died in the 1980s, having tions also portray the sadness
written sorre 1 700 songs. of those emigrating from the
But the truly greet figure is islands, such as "Mora di BaT
Eugenio Tavares re zz~ (The Hour of Leaving), his
poser of many of Cape Verde's TKSTX DA Mi AD K most famous song. It is a
best-loved momas. Bom in ~: — = :-ar z-s. =..-; a:
: .

1867, Tavares was a native of little Fuma,

dock at in
Brava. and is a romanticised
»*t t t tt«
as people boarded Am
t tt
figure in Cape Verdean lore. bound ships, and it is
Working most of his life as a often sung to signal the end
journalist and civil servant he an evening's festivities.
was a champion of Kriolu lan- On his death in 1930.
guage and culture, and one of Tavares' body was accompa-
the first to compose poetry in nied to its resting place by
- _ 'staaz c - : ". _c _€s-a ciowds of people singing and
Most of his momas dealt : a. ~-z ' s
~z~~3.s -a .'.a; :~a
with the pain and spiritualty of par exceMence of the
interpreter
romantic love. One of his most soul of Brava's inhabitants,
popular, "O Mar Etemo*. is the tale of his romance poignantly exploring the aspidtiuns and feeings of his
with a wealthy young American woman who was vis- people. Momas e Man§as. by Osorio de Ofrvera, is a
iting Brava by yacht She was impressed by Tavares' a-::;
-
aia: - a - :" ~ ; ~ —a :
.
" :s

cavaquinho. an instru- great musician and talent-

ment popular in Portugal ed violinist who died a

and Brazil, from where it tew years back, and Bana.
was introduced to the The latter is a singer with
islands. The cavaquinho a rnagmfioent voice from
is much like a ukulele, Mindelo. the town of Sao
with tour strings, Vicente. He worked for
tuned like the top many years with the dis-
tour strings of a guitar. abled composer B. Leza.
Another instrument used whom he transported
was the twelve-stringed from gig to gig. After
Portuguese or tenor gui- stints in Rotterdam and

tar called the viola, Paris, he is now based in

which is a litde shorter Lisbon and is beginning to
than a standard guitar. Its perform again thanks to a
rhythmic role was sup- helping hand from the
planted by the maracas. Mendes Brothers.
but it used on
is still Other well known
occasion. Contemporary morna singers include
momas make use of lido Lobo. one-time
trumpet, sax. clarinet or leader of the group Os
electric guitar — which Bana. giar na Tubaroes; and the female
often state the melody or singers Maria Alice.
play an instrumental break — backed by a piano, Celina Pereira. Titinha. ar.d Saozinha. Among
synths. a string section, and maybe a jazz drum kit. was the late
instrumentalists, the great virtuoso
Among the most famous performers of moma Travadinha Antonio Vicente Lopes), who was a
l

are Cesaria Evora (see box opposite . Djosinha. a legendary performer on cavaquinho.

450 Cape Verde

 Barefoot Diva in Paris
Cesaria Evora (Cize among her own people), or as Manuel de Novas, Teofilo Chantre, Amandio
the 'Diva aux Pieds Nus' as the French named her, Cabral, and Ramiro Mendes. Her current musical
-o
isthe best-known Cape Verdean artist in Europe. director is the pianist Paulino Vieira, and her band
The niece of the composer B. Leza, Cesaria began includes Morgadinho, the original guitarist from the
performing in her late teens in the handful of bars in Holland-based band A Voz de Cabo Verde.
her native Mindelo, the town of Sao Vicente island, A former whiskey-drinking, cigarette-puffing
30
Cape Verde's liveliest cultural centre. She was
accompanied by the celebrated clarinettist Luis
grandmother, married three times, thrice deserted
and now scornfully independent, Cesaria is an
O
Morais and by the age of twenty was the darling of unlikely diva. Despite her worldwide fame today, she
the local radio station. still leads the simple life she always led. At her age

It was not until her mid-forties that Cesaria she has little interest in the frills and thrills of star-
decided to leave the islands, travelling to Lisbon dom: "I wasn't astonished by Europe and was I

with the singer Bana to give a few performances. never that impressed by the speed and grandeur of
There she met the agent Jose da Silva (known as modern America. only regret my success has taken
I

Djo), who organised for her to tour, together with so long to achieve."
Bana. In Paris Cesaria recorded her first solo album
Distino di Belita on the Lusafrica label, which
brought her some attention in France and Portugal.
But it was her fourth album for the label —
the
acoustic Miss Perfumado —
which achieved global
success, leading to international tours and sales
across Europe and the US.
In concert, Cesaria's trademark is singing bare-

foot. It is her mark of solidarity with those left

behind, with the ragged children of the island interi-
ors for whom even a trip to Praia (the little capital on
Santiago) is just a dream. Her new audiences might
not understand the song lyrics, but they respond to
the passion and bluesy immediacy of her gutsy,
acoustic songs about the country's hardship and her
own heartbreak. She has subsequently recorded a
albums on the Lusafrica label,
string of good-selling
most recently Cafe Atlantico (1999) a collaboration
with Cuban musicians.
Her albums are distinguished by her extraordinary
voice and most include one or more morna compo-
sitions by Uncle B. Leza, as well as composers such

Coladeira enriched this Sao Vicente music genre. The best-

known coladeira group was Os Tubaroes, a

At the more African end of the Cape Verdean six-piece outfit fronted by the vocalist lido
musical spectrum is the coladeira, faster in tempo Lobo. They recorded eight albums, and played
than the morna, less involved lyrically and melodi- in the US and Europe, before finally splitting in

cally, but generally more rhythmically complex. 1994. Other popular performers include the
The form probably derived from the morna, with group Mendes Brothers (currently living in the
some South American input, in the 1930s. US), Cabo Verde Show, Gardenia Benros
Coladeiras are mainly songs of humour, joy and Tito Paris.
and more whimsical (and sometimes
sensuality,
satirical) than the morna, with a tight, sexy Funana
rhythm. They are usually performed late in the
evening, when the atmosphere heats up and Closer still to African mainland roots is funana,
dancers call for the band to play coladeiras. The an accordion-led music and dance where the
term itself refers to the manner of dancing - rhythm occupies a central position. Unlike the
man and woman move as if glued together morna and coladeira typical of Sao Vicente,
('cola' being the Portuguese word for glue). funana is mainly a rural art, typical of Santiago,
The creators of modern coladeira were Ti Joy the most African of the islands. It conveys a

(Gregorio Goncalves), Djosa Marques, Luis strong eroticism through exaggerated dance
Morais and - above all - Frank Cavaquim rhythms, though it can also be just as expressive

and Manuel de Novas, whose texts have as any morna. The words are often about special

Cape Verde 451

 events in local everyday life or the past. Like
Cape Verdean poetry, these texts are based on
double entendres and allusions.
o Again the origins of this music are uncertain:
It was perhaps imported from Sao Tome, where
a similar musical form is performed, along with
the accordion at the beginning of the twentieth
century. Originally, the accordion was accompa-
33
O
m nied by just a metal scraper (ferro or ferrinho), and
this traditional funana bears a very strong
imprint of West African traditions, particularly
in terms of rhythm and vocal technique.
Funana was for a long time looked down
upon by both the Church and the colonial gov-
ernment. Exposed to contempt and prohibitions
because of its "primitivism', it was forced under-
ground until independence. Since then, howev-
er, it has been incorporated, revitalised and in
some cases 'modernised' by many of the pop
bands of the islands in a movement similar to
those in other African countries.
The band who started this was Bulimundo. Kode di Dona
They studied the rhythms and melodic structure
of funana and succeeded in adapting it to elec- Batuco and Finapon
tronic musical instruments, bringing it from the
experience of rural peasants to the towns. In the The batuco is essentially women's music from
following decade, many bands followed their the Santiago countryside. Again considered an
lead, notably Finacon, formed in Santiago in African legacy - there are similar forms on the
the late 1980s by brothers Zeca and Zeze di mainland - it fulfils a ntual role. Traditionally it

Nha Reinalda. The band is no longer around, accompanied the ceremonies of the tabanka (a
but it is remembered for an album produced in processional festival dance), weddings and chris-
Paris with the ground-breaking Congolese tenings. Today every fesrivity is a good occasion
musician Ray Lema, and for the creation of for batuco - women sing together for relaxation
funacola, a mix of coladeira and funana. Another during a break, after work, or at a feast.

very successful group from Santiago is the Ferro The batuco is usually performed by a female
Gaita, a trio playing accordion, ferrinho and soloistwho sings the verse, and a group of other
bass. women who sing the refrain. When the music
The major singer of rural, tradidonal funana is becomes more animated everyone present
acknowledged to be Kode di Dona. Born in repeats a line. Batuqueiras (women who perform
1940 in the heart of Sandago, the 6rst years of his Batuco) are generally illiterate, but witty and
life coincided with the country's worst famine endowed with poetic gifts; they are usually older
which lasted until 1947 and his song "Fomi 47", women, though a noted exception is Nacia
which by many other groups, is
has been covered Gomi who at the tender age of ten demonstrat-
his own testimony to a tragedy ignored by ed her extraordinary talent for poetry. She has
Portugal, which saw people dying at the roadside. become a unique representative of Cape
A working farmer today, Kode is remarkable for Verdean culture and has been selected as her
his talent as a composer and his ability to turn his country's representative at international events
own experience into song. His sense of poetry suchas the 1992 World Exhibition in Seville.

illustrates perfecdy the allegoric spirit of the badiu The batuco performance is made up of songs
peasant culture of Santiago island. His voice is which are nearly always improvisations, with
broken with the misery which is described in his verses satirising or criticising social or personal
songs. Hoarse with (sugar cane) alcohol abuse, it events. The tchabeta, which is the main part of
changes from mumbled pain to lively mockery. the batuco, involves keeping time by clapping
He recorded only one album, Cap Vert, which and beating a rolled-up cloth placed between
was released in 1 996. the legs to form an acoustic box; the torno is a

452 Cape Verde

typical African dance involving the wriggling of and less witty than Nacia Gomi's, he is well
the buttocks in a simulation of the sexual act; known in Santiago and has just recorded his first

and the finacon is the serious moment of the per- album, at the age of seventy.
formance when everybody remains silent and
only the cantadeiras (women singers) are allowed International Stars -o
to sing; it is the moment for them to convey
their particular message. In addition to the major Cesaria Evora
star

The batuco and the finacon, though different (see box on p. 451), a number of
there are
forms, complement each other - batuco is the groups and singers in Cape Verde who regularly
rhythm and finacon the text. Both are African in release recordings on labels in Portugal, France
origin and old musical forms. The finacon and Holland, where most of the music is record-
includes compliments to party-givers, matrimo- ed.Many of them divide the year between Cape
nial advice, condemnation of loose behaviour, Verde and either Portugal or New England,
comments on political issues, criticism against playing to large audiences at independence fes-
those in power, maxims and advice on social tivities held in the Cape Verdean enclaves.
issues, a nd even saucy allusions. The sax-player and clarinettist Luis Morais
The rhythmic support for finacon is provided and multi-instrumentalist Paulino Vieira have
only by hand clappers. The style of singing is produced and played on many albums by Cape
both mumbled and shouted, and the songs are Verdean artists, as well as their own projects.
often of substantial length. It requires a very spe- Vieira, in particular, is a musical explorer who
cial combining musical talent with
lead singer, has brought together various overseas influences
considerable philosophical and poetic qualities. (reggae, country, R&B) and merged them with
Among its most famous performers, alongside home-grown rhythmic and instrumental roots.
Nacia Gomi, were the late Nha Gida Mendi A long-established group of artists that have
and Bibinha Kabral. achieved big success in Paris is Cabo Verde
There is one man known as Denti d'Oro Show, a dance music vehicle for musicians and
(Gold Teeth) who performs finacon, with a singers Manou Lima, Luis da Silva, Serge da
group comprising women, men and children. Silva and Rene Cabral. Often labelled as zouk-
Having had permission from his mother to per- derivative, they say their music was a precursor
form a music mainly confined to women, he of Jacob Desvarieux's Antillean sound, and claim
says he was obliged to play finacon to keep the it was he who was influenced by the sounds of
tradition alive. Although his texts are shorter the islands, rather than the reverse.

Denti d'Oro (right) with his group

Cape Verde 453

 Among other musicians and groups living New England. With the decline of the whaling
abroad in Holland and Lisbon are Gil & the era, many of the
old ships were bought bv Cape
Perfects. Dina Medina. Grace Evora. Djoy Verdeans and sailed back and forth between the
Delgado. Os Rabelados Splash. Dany Silva US and Cape Verde, delivering supplies to the
Tito Paris. Maria Alice and Bana. islands and transporting emigrants to America.
Other current popular musicians on the The emigrants, of course, brought their music
islands include Bau (an excellent violinist and with them, playing it at social gatherings and on
guitarist who plays in Cesaria Evora's band but special occasions. Early Cape Verdean string
who already has albums of his own), Vasco bands included the B-29s. the Cape Verdean
Martins and Simentera (see box below). Serenaders. and groups led by Augusto Abrio
and Notias. Cape Verdeans also contributed to
Cape Verdeans the Big
Oliver's
Band era, with orchestras such as Duke
Creole Vagabonds, and the Don
in America Verdi Orchestra. These groups played mostly
Throughout the nineteenth century, each year the swing music of the day, but also included
saw a few Cape Verdeans escaping poverty by their arrangements of Knolu songs.
fleeing to New England with whaling ships, and At present, there's a good number of groups and
islanders began to move to America in large musicians playing in New England, mosdv based
numbers from the beginning of this century. in Boston. Rui Pin a grew up making drums and

Today there are more Cape Verdeans and peo- singing in the neighbourhood. He was influenced
ple of Cape Verdean descent living in the US by Udo Lobo and Zeca di Nha Reinalda — and
than in the islands themselves. California and later by Prince and Phil Collins. Pina's first album.
Hawaii both have big Cape Verdean communi- Tchika, in 1985, was backed by the Gumea-
ties but by far the largest concentration is in Bissauan group Tabanka Djaz. while his 1992

Simentera: Return to Roots

In 1992 a number of professional artists and musi- Through the different Cape Verdean musical types,
cians gathered together in the capital of Praia, united one is telling the history of Cape Verde's identity for-
by a passionate interest in Cape Verde's traditional mation itself."

music and musical history. The result was the estab- The impact of Simentera on the Cape Verdean
lishment of a permanent cultural group. Simentera music is a source of great pride to its leader.
which began cultivating traditional forms. Since the "Simentera is a turning point in Cape Verdean music".
very beginning, the Mano explained. "Most
organisation was char- recently, we have
act ensed by its innova- revived the funana, and
tive work - new con- we have rescued the
cepts of composition, acoustic instruments.
new techniques for Before, all Cape
musical arrangement Verdean music was
and elaborate research played with electronic
into Cape Verdean instruments. Simentera
music, rescuing musi- is completely acoustic

cal genres and styles and plays old traditional

almost forgotten. themes with modern
The group can now arrangements. It was
look back on a number necessary to return to
of successful perfor- our roots in order to
mances in their own understand and play
country and widely better music, and this
acclaimed international attitude has had a big
tours. In 1994 they recorded an album Music from effect. For example, Cesana Evora recorded three
Cape Verde with other Cape Verdean artists, and a albums with electronic instruments and then a year
year later recorded their first solo album. Raiz (Root) after Simentera's appearance she made Miss
on the Lusafnca label. It was followed by a second Perfumado with acoustic instruments. Nowadays
solo album Sarro e Voz (Clay and Voice) in 1997, a almost every group pays great attention to the vocal
disc which Mario Lucio. the group's leader, work, to the chorus. We*planted the roots and even
described as music which "mirrors the music of our the children are now singing in chorus and using
islands in its various rhythms and ongins, calling up acoustic instruments. Simentera is well aware of its
old folk-songs with both African and European roots. responsibility."

454 Cape Verde

release. Irresistible,

another Boston-based
included contributions from
Norberto Tavares.
artist,
discography
A native of Santiago, Tavares and his group Compilations
Tropical Power play both Cape Verdean and
Brazilian music. Also based in Boston is singer- Cape Verde: Anthology 1959-1992
songwriter Frank de Pina. Born in Cape Verde (Buda Musique du Monde, France).

in the 1950s, he and his brothers formed his first A splendid historic 2-CD compilation, ranging from the first

group, Os Vulcanicos, in 1971. Later, he left for professional recordings in 1 959 to the post-Cesaria boom of
the early '90s, featuring morna, coladeira and funana. It runs
Portugal and, ultimately, the US, where he has
more or less chronologically from early tracks by Fernando
made four albums. Also New England-based are Quejas, through early Bana and Voz di Cabo Verde to the

the Creole Sextet, who specialise in the older romantic violin of Travadinha, the funana of Zeca e Zeze di

Nha Renalda and classics from Cesaria. Bana and Finagon.

Cape Verdean styles, and have been playing par-
Great photos and notes on the history of the music.
ties, benefits and dances in the area for many years.
35 Cape Verde Islands: The Roots
Perhaps the leading names on the US-based
(Playa Sound, France).
Cape Verde scene are the Mendes Brothers, Jo
Mornas, coladeiras, and funanas with cavaquinho. the old-
and Ramiro. Ramiro veteran strings
is a
and accordion. There's also a tune
style viola for the cimbo. a
arranger and producer, having worked on most kind of fiddle used to accompany the batuco. Intriguing CD,
of Cesaria Evora's releases and those of many recorded in 1 990.

otherCape Verdean musicians such as Bana. 35 Funana Dance, Vols 1-3 (Melodie, France).
The Mendes Brothers group display an eclectic Interesting compilation of hi-tech funanas by several different
mix of styles, including explorations of the groups.
Luso-African music of Angola.
35 Music from Cape Verde (Caprice Records,
The brothers also run their own label, MB Sweden).
Records, whose Cape Verdean roster includes Fourteen tracks, on the more rustic side, recorded in Cape
Gardenia Benros, a relatively young singer Verde in 1993. Coladeiras from the group Simentera, batuco

based in Rhode Island, the very danceable Mirri prodigy Nacia Gomi, traditional funana with gaita, accordion
and ferro and some languorous mornas. Good notes and
Lobo, and the morna-singer Saozinha, with biographies.
whom they released a CD of beautiful old
35 Musiques du Monde: Cap Vert (Buda, France).
Eugenio Tavares songs.
A recent collection of traditional Cape Verdean musicians.
Includes Kode di Dona, Augusto da Pina. Mino de Mama and
the group Pai e Filhos.

Festivals jji The Soul of Cape Verde

ml (BMG/Lusafrica, France).
The Baia das Gatas Music Festival on the island
of Sao Vicente has been getting ever more ambitious
since its launch in 1984 to promote musicians from UECABO VhiUJj
A ALMA
Mindelo. These days it hosts artists from across the
islands and the Cape Verdean diaspora, and has the Soul of Cape Verde
grown into Cape Verde's major summer attraction,
with 30,000 people attending for the three days in
August. Many expatriate Cape Verdeans time their
summer holidays to coincide with the festival, and
the area jostles with reunited families and the noise
of long-lost friends bumping into each other. A vil-
lage of wood and sackcloth bars and restaurants
comes into existence (it never rains), buzzing with
merry-makers every night until 3am. The quality of
the music is variable, it has to be said, but anything
from a dozen to twenty local and visiting acts per-
form, so there are always highlights.
In Praia, a smaller - but ever-growing - festival

takes place on Gamboa beach during three days in

May and includes performances by Cape Verdean

musicians from home and abroad.
Other summer festivals take place on almost every
island in August, with music mainly from local artists.
A great introduction to some of the best names in Cape
Those to look out for include: the Boavista festival, a
Verdean music. It opens with a soft sultry track from Cesaria
week after Baia das Gatas, on Cruz beach; the Brava
and follows up with Maria Alice, Bana, Celina Pereira. the bird-
festival in Fuma; the Sao Nicolau festival on Prainha
likevoice of Titina, the exquisitely out of tune violin solo of the
beach; the Santo Antao festival at Ponta do Sol and,
Mindel Band, guitar playing by Bau, Voz de Cabo Verde and
in September, the Sal festival at Santa Maria.
lots more. Melancholy, seductive and highly recommended.

Cape Verde 455

 1

39 The Spirit of Cape Verde (Lusafrica, France).

Gardenia Benros
A slightly less characterful collection than the one above, but
Born in Cape Verde's Gardenia spent her
capital, Praia,
with more of a contemporary feel. Includes Cesaria, Bau, Tito
childhood Portugal and the USA, and
in is currently based
Paris, the up-and-coming singer Fantcha and old favourites
in Rhode Island, the heartland of the American Cape
like Simentera, the Mindel Band, Celina Pereira and Voz de
Verdean community. The first female artist from Cape
Cabo Verde.
Verde to graduate with a professional music industry
qualification, she is in the process of starting her own
label.
Artists
m Mix (MB Records,
30 55 II US).

Bana Gardenia's most recent release encompasses medleys of the

whole range of Cape Verdean styles, including some fine B.
Bana is one most amazing voices from Cape Verde,
of the
Leza mornas.
and a father figure for artists like Cesaria and Tito Paris.
He settled in Portugal in 1975 and invited musicians to
perform with him there giving them international expo- Cesaria Evora %
sure. Now in his late sixties, he still performs at the/jafe
Cape Verde's barefoot musical ambassador, born in
B. Leza in Lisbon.
Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente in 1 941 She began .

3S Bana chante la Magie du Cap Vert singing with her mother (a cook) and father (a musician
(Lusafrica, France). and cousin of moma composer B. Leza). Her father died
when she was seven, she spent time in an orphanage and
In this1993 recording Bana exercises his vocal chords
went on to sing on the streets and then in bars. In 1975,
around a sweet, classic selection of mornas and coladeiras
with the disappearance of nightlife after independence,
with a band that understands the old style.
she gave up singing and raised her children as a single
O Ritmos de Cabo Verde (Movieplay, Portugal). mother. In 1 987 she was invited to Portugal by the singer
Bana and went on to record a series of discs which, with
The best Cape Verdean attempt at soukous you're likely to hear.
the release of Miss Perfumado in 1992, brought interna-
3S Gira Sol (Iris, France). tional fame. Now she has a handful of exquisite albums to
her credit, alongside collaborations with Brazilian
Songs about Cape Verde. After a few years of record-
life in
Caetano Veloso, and seems to revel in her late-flowering
ing inactivity, Bana released this acclaimed CD in 1 997.
fame.

Bau Miss Perfumado

(BMG/Lusafrica, France; Nonesuch, US).
A frequent performer Cesaria's band, Bau is a top
in

instrumentalist on cavaquinho, guitar and violin (he The album which swept Cesaria to international attention. Its

makes many of the instruments himself). appeal lay partly in its acoustic approach, which allowed the
chanson-like mornas to emerge in sharp focus, backed by
S3 Jailza (Lusafrica, France).
some wonderful piano and guitar playing.
Beautiful playing, if slightly soft-centred, on fourteen instru-
Cesaria
mental tracks with that unmistakable sighing Cape Verdean
(BMG/Lusafrica, France; Nonesuch, US).
melancholy.
This 1995 album was Cesaria's follow-up to Miss
Perfumado, and many rate it even higher. "Petit pay", which
opens, is a delicate love song for Cape Verdean music and,
apart from one dud track ("Flor na Paul"), the rest of the disc
complements it splendidly with some great musical arrange-
ments.

Mendes Brothers
The Mendes Brothers are an influential group from Fogo,
now living in the USA, whose music is mainly coladeiras.

33 Palonkon (MB Records, US).

An album named after their home village on the volcanic

island of Fogo, this is a first CD for veteran music-fixer
Ramiro and brother Joao. Unclassifiable, but spends most of

time animatedly on the dancefloor.

its

J \
Os Tubaroes
A group from Santiago known for its coladeiras, its won-
derful vocalist, and lively concerts. Unfortunately, they
stopped performing and recording in 1994.

Os Tubaroes ao vivo
(EMI Valentin de Carvalho, Portugal).

Perhaps the best of the band's eight albums, this is a record-

ing of a live concert in Lisbon in 1 993.

456 Cape Verde

 of Cape Verde, using sponges, cans, water vessels, bits of
Saozinha wood, x-ray negatives, bottles, plastic, bamboo, pods and a
A superb singer of momas living in the US. good number of catchy tunes.

Saozinha canta Eugenio Tavares

(MB Records, US).
Antoninho Travadinha O
Bom Antonio Vicent Lopes, Travadinha was one of
violinist
Saozinha sings classic and beautiful mornas by one of its pio-
the great self-taught instrumentalists of Cape Verde. He
neers - Eugenio Tavares.
started performing at local dances aged nine, but didn't
win real recognition until his forties when he went on tour
Simentera to Portugal. An expressive, sensitive player, he died in

A renowned group of ten musicians living in Santiago, 1987.

Simentera have been instrumental in rediscovering the
H3 Travadinha: The Violin of Cape Verde
country's musical history. They cultivate the traditional
(Buda Musique du Monde, France).
forms, playing only acoustic instruments and presenting
polyphonic compositions. Yearning and nostalgic violin over a shimmering accompani-

ment and cavaquinho. A beautiful disc recorded in

of guitars
Barro e Voz'
1986. He's accompanied by guitarist and cavaquinho player
(Melodie, France).
Armando Tito (who also works with Cesaria) and laid-back
The all-acoustic Barro e Voz (Clay and Voice) confirms the percussionist Micau. Coladeiras, traditional mazurkas, and a
talent of Simentera on a kind of auditory tour of the essence couple of mornas with the soft voice of Ana Firmino.

Cape Verde 457

 Congo
o
o
o
heart of danceness
Congolese music - rumba, soukous, it what you will - has been the core African dance sound for
call

more than about every other African pop style in existence. From Roots
thirty years, influencing just

Rumba to Nouvelle Generation. Graeme Ewens follows the streams and tributaries of Central African
musical culture.

rumba of Congo (or Zaire as it was To delineate musicians and groups, however, is

The known in the aberrant Mobutu years) is a only half the story. Despite severe social, political

musical form that has hit a nerve through- and economic difficulties, the Congolese have
out Africa, animating dancers of all ages maintained a knowing "how to
reputation for
and social classes in a way that no other regional enjoy" - and dance has been a crucial form of self-
style, not even Ghanaian highlife, has come close expression. The early rumba dances such as the
to matching. With its spiralling guitars and hip- maringa and agbwaya were 'cool' expressions of
swinging rhythms, soukous. as it's commonly physical grace involving subde hip moves and shifts
known to the rest of the worli has also had a big- of balance, rather than fancy footwork and pirou-
ger cumularive effect on Western dance floors than ettes, and this understated style has remained the
any other African music. basis, seasonally adjusted with a few new gestures
Since colonial times, Kinshasa (known as or arm movements. The passing of rime can be
Leopoldville in the days of the Belgian Congo) has easier measured by memories of seductive mythms
been the musical heart of the continent, pumping such as the rumba-boucher, kiri-kiri, cavacha, kwasa-
out a flow of life-giving 'Congolese' music by great kwasa, madiaba, sundama and kibinda nkoi, rather
dance bands like African Jazz. Franco's OK than particular song tides.

Jazz, and African Fiesta. And it's an evolving

and current tradition as their descendants
"new generation" - Zaiko Langa Langa
the
from the Rumba Roots
family, who blended rumba with rock during the
and Branches
1970s, or big 1980s/90s stars such as Papa In the aftermath of World War
was sweet II life

Wemba. Pepe Kalle. Bozi Boziana and Koffi for the new Congolese Kin-
urbanites, attracted to
Olomide — consolidate appreciative audiences in shasa by well-paid work, public health and hous-
Europe, North America and the Pacific rim as well ing — and by its reputation as a 'town of joy'.
as across Africa. Following independence from Belgium, the town
quickly grew into the largest French-speaking city
outside France, with a population now estimated
to be over four million. But Zaire, as the second
largest country in Africa became known in 1971,
was never French; it has its own flamboyant iden-
tity subdy different from the 'French' cousins across

the river in Congo-Brazzaville. Musicians from

Brazza may have been heavily involved in many
of the musical of the past thrity years,
initiatives

but Kinshasa has provided most of the Congolese

superstars.
Congolese music is renowned for the stylish
intricacies of electric guitars which combine
melody and rhythm in a way that is both mellow
and highly charged But creative excellence apart,
Zaiko Langa Langa - 1970s 'new generation it has had practical advantages which made it an

458 Congo
 Soukousemantics
There no generic term used by the Congolese American word something O
is really

themselves to describe their music. People speak of African seems doubly

to describe
inappropriate and
distinctively

it's not a term

O
miziki na biso (our music) to distinguish it from import- that any local musician or music fan would ever use. C5
ed sounds, but even that phrase relies on the French The seemingly more politically correct (and sweet- O
word musique rendered into Lingala. African languages sounding) soukous has been the tag of recent years,
have many words for different dances and song forms even since before the existence of that other dubious
but rarely a single term for music. Various styles of Con- handle, World Music, and at least serves to locate the
golese music have been named over the years after music and to some extent identify it for Western ears.
the dances from which they sprang, or which they gen- But in Congo, soukous refers to a particular dance style

erated, but none of them applies to the whole, expan- popular in the late 1 960s; and it's also in use as a footr
sive genre. Western recording industry professionals, ball term, describing when a player feints and dribbles
promoters and marketing people can't stand this sort the ball around an opponent. Using the word soukous
of thing: they seem unable to function without a brand to describe music as different as Joseph Kabasele's
name with which to label their product. The bland classics and Papa Wemba's latest offering is like refer-

rumba-rock, with its suggestion of Cuban accessibil- ring to everything from "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?"
ity, has rather stuck as one catch-all moniker for Con- to "Cop Killer" as twist.

golese styles, but to combine a Cuban word with an Ken Braun

internationally viable popular music. Firstly, it was music. Radio Congo Beige, which started African

'non-tribal': it used the interethnic trading lan- music broadcasts in the early 1940s, provided the
guage of Lingala, a melodic tongue which has promotional medium. While live performance
ideal

been the vehicle for some of the sweetest singing remained more informal, the record companies
voices in Africa. And secondly, the distinctive gui- maintained their own house bands to provide back-
tar style was an amalgam of influences brought ing for singers. The CEFA label employed Belgian
to the lower Congo from the west coast of Africa guitarist and arranger Bill Alexandre, who brought
and the Central African interior, and thus struck the first electric guitars to the Congo and who has
a chord across the continent. been credited with introducing a finger-picking style

The dance format which stormed West and at a time when most guitarists strummed. The rival

Central Africa before and after World War II was Loningisa label recruited Henri Bowane from the
the Afro-Cuban rumba. Itself a new-world Equatorial region, who injected even more colour
fusion of Latin and African idioms, the rumba was into the style.
quickly reappropriated by the Congolese, most The forefathers of Congolese popular music
notably by adapting the piano part of the son mon- included the accordionist Feruzi, often credited
tuno to the guitar and playing it in a similar way with popularising the rumba during the 1930s, and
to the Hkembe or sanza - the thumb piano. the guitarists Antoine Wendo, Jhimmy, and
Although Ghana's highlife beat it to the post as Zachery Elenga. These itinerant musicians enter-

the first fusion dance music with pan-African tained in the African quarters at funeral wakes,
appeal, Congolese music was less influenced by marriages and casual parties. In more bourgeois
European taste than highlife and it was in many- society, early highlife, swing and Afro-Cuban
ways more African, even though Western instru- music were the staples of the first bands to play at

ments were preferred. formal dances where the few members of the elite
The music also appeared in the right place at the 'evolues' could mix with Europeans. While many
The post-war Belgian Congo was boom-
right time. of the pioneers came to Kinshasa from the interi-
ing and astute Greek traders in Kinshasa saw the or, others turned their sights east. One of the first

commercial potential of discs as trade goods to sell guitarists to become known in the eastern regions

alongside textiles, shoes, and household items, includ- was Jean Bosco Mwenda from Katanga, who
ing, of course, record players. Inspired by the suc- was recorded in the field by the South African
cessof the GV series of Cuban records distributed musicologist Hugh Tracey and later made his career

by EMI, the early Congolese labels - Ngoma, in Nairobi.

Opika, CEFA and Loningisa - released a deluge of In the capital, Kinshasa, life was cosmopolitan:
78rpm recordings by semi-professional musicians of French-style variete or cabaret music made its

local rumba versions alongside releases of folklore mark, while other ingredients which combined to

Congo 459
 form the classic Congolese sound included vocal keyboard player Manu Dibango, ensured them-
harmonic skills learned at church and, later, a tra- selves musical immortality with the release in 1 960
dition of religious fanfares played on brass-band of "Independence Cha Cha Cha", which celebrated
instruments. All these elements can be clearly heard the end of colonial rule in the Belgian Congo and
in the last and greatest of the big bands, OK Jazz, became an anthem for much of Africa. Kalle was
£73 while only the horns are missing from the mod- a showman as well as composer and arranger, and
O ern variations of the Zaiko generation, sometimes he created an international-sounding fusion, which
replaced by synthesiser or voices. gradually re-Afhcanised the popular Latin rhythms.
Franco and the school of OK Jazz also started from
The Belle Epoque the same points of reference but their music was
rootsier, drawing on traditional folklore rhythms
The Congolese music scene really came alive in and instrumental techniques, and the songs were
1953 with the inauguration of African Jazz, the more down to earth. *
first full-time recording and performing orchestra,

led by Joseph 'Le Grand Kalle' Kabasele. In

the same year fifteen-year-old prodigy 'Franco'
Luambo Makiadi (see box on p. 462) first entered
the Loningisa studio to play with his guitar men-
ton Dewayon and Bowane. Three years later Fran-
co and half a dozen colleagues from the studio
house band branched out to form Orchestre Kinois
Jazz (a Kinois is someone from Kinshasa) which
soon became known as OK Jazz.
which included the guitar
Kalle's African Jazz,
wizards, Nicholas 'Dr Nico' Kasanda and his
Dechaud, alongside singer Pascal Tabu
brother
Rochereau and the Cameroonian saxophonist and

1970s Congolese single sleeve

During the 1950s and '60s there was a constant

movement of musicians between the Belgian and
French colonies where the proliferation of 'Congo
bars' and a mood of optimism gave the region its

good-time reputation. Across the river, in Braz-

zaville, a founder member of OK Jazz, Jean Serge

Essous, and fellow sax player Nino Malapet,

soon set up the equivalent Congolese big band
institution, Les Bantous de la Capitale, with
Papa Noel, Brazzos and a few others who later
returned to Kinshasa to play with Franco. In the
decade following independence both cities
spawned hundreds of dance bands, releasing 45rpm
singles on dozens of record labels.
By now the music had evolved a stage further
and, thanks largely to the extended playing time
of the 7-inch discs, more emphasis was placed on
the exciting instrumental section known as the
seben, when the slow rumba breaks, singers stand
back and the multiple guitars go to work on the
dancers. Franco was a master of the seben and his
Joseph Me Grand Kalle' Kabasele - style was mimicked (though never matched),
father figure of modern Congolese music throughout Africa.

460 Congo
 For several years the careers of African Jazz and 1970s. In East Africa, too, the likes of Baba
Gas-
OK Jazz ran parallel, but African Jazz disbanded ton, Real Sounds, Orchestra Makassy,
in the mid-1960s after recording some 400 com- Orchestre Maquis and Samba Mapangala's
positions. Pascal Tabu Rochereau, who later took Orchestre Virunga all enjoyed more acclaim O
o
the name 'Tabu Ley', set up African Fiesta with outside the Congo homeland than they might have
z
Dr Nico, whose rich, florid, solo style gained him done in Kinshasa. Musicians from the Brazzavile o
a huge following of his own. What came out of side of the river were more likely to move west, o
the relationship was something new and slightly with from Les Bantous de la Capitale such
artists

experimental, with a greater diversity of rhythm as Pamelo M'ounka and Tchico Thicaya estab-
and melody and occasional hints of Western soul lishing a fan base in Abidjan and feeding into the
and country music. African Fiesta rapidly garnered wider francophone economy.
a rather urbane audience. Regrettably, for the many
fans of this new fusion, they also separated after
two years, but Tabu Ley eventually formed Afrisa,

which maintained the allegiance of a 'sophisticat-

ed' audience and for some time was the only seri-
ous rival to OK Jazz. Both Kalle and Nico faded
during the 1970s, Nico dying in 1982, followed a

year later by Kalle.

Key figures who emerged from the growing
ranks of these great dance bands included the rau-
cous, honking sax player Kiamanguana Verck-
ys, who spent six years with OK Jazz before setting
up Orchestre Veve, and went on to produce
some of the hard-core bands of the new wave.
Others also found varying levels of solo fame after
working in both camps, notably the erstwhile co-
president of OK Jazz, Vicky Longomba, as well
as Ndombe Opetum, Dizzy Mandjeku and
Sam Mangwana.
Mangwana's smooth, sympathetic vocal style

endeared him to followers of both camps and all

ages. He started out in the early 1960s with Vox

Africa and Festival des Marquisards before
joiningTabu Ley's Afrisa. In 1972 he switched
allegiance to OK Jazz for three productive years
before returning to Afrisa. Eventually he set up a
splinter group in West Africa called African All
Stars, with whom
he developed a pan-African
sound with pop and Caribbean rhythmic under-
tones, which has been the basis for a successful
globe-trotting solo career.
A one-time colleague in OK Jazz, the guitarist
Mose Fan Fan was Franco's deputy and co-soloist
for several years, introducing a tougher, rock inflec-

tion to the OK Jazz rumba. In 1974 he took his

fate in his hands and moved to East Africa with
Somo Somo, where he fed the craze for Con-
golese music, before settling in Britain.
By the 1970s, the Kinshasa scene was getting
crowded and many Zairean musicians appeared in
other parts of the continent. Among the first wan-
derers had been Ryco Jazz, founded by Bowane,
who brought Congolese rumba to West Africa and
the French Antilles during the 1960s and early Tabu' Ley Rochereau

Congo 461
 Francofile
o
o The continuity of Congolese music was broken in 1 989
with the death of Franco Luambo Makiadi. leader of
OK Jazz and the last surviving giant of the Belle
Epoque. As well as being a stunning guitar stylist with
a hard, metallic urgency, Franco had a relationship with
his audience that remains unmatched. More than any
other public figure he accompanied his country's
progress from the colonial repression of village society
through independence and statehood to the constricts
of military rule and the first murmurings of democracy.
Born in 1938, Franco had grown up alongside his
mother's market stall, among the 'Yankees' and 'Ban-
dits', and he was always more in tune with the street
people of Kinshasa
songs
who liked their

to deal with day-to-day realities. His

music hard and
first
their

instru-
It 1
ment was a homemade, tin-can guitar with stripped
electrical wire for strings, but at the age of eleven he
was given his first real guitar and came under the tute-
lage of Paul Dewayon, one of the early recording artists ft*/-
who also moved among the market people rather than Franco Luambo Makiadi
the intellectual evolues (literally 'evolved') classes. of allusion covering a subtext or hidden agenda. His own
Franco's fancy finger-picking, his street-cred and constituents, however, have always known exactly who
boyish good looks made him an almost instant suc- and what Franco was criticising.

cess. He was quickly hailed a 'boy wonder' and, by Franco also pumped out standard African praise and
the age of fifteen, was a popular recording star and memorial songs, and covered a whole range of topics
member of the Loningisa label house band, in demand from football to commercial endorsement. But the theme
for modelling the latest clothes, and a heart-throb for to which he constantly returned was the conflict between
the women of Kinshasa. In 1956 he helped found OK men and women, and he couched many of his mes-
Jazz and, although he was only third in seniority, his sages in a soap-opera style. The format reached a peak
organisation and commitment, combined with star qual- in 1986 with the episodic "Mario", about a lazy but edu-
ity, made him very much the leader. cated young man and the older woman he lives with

When independence came to the Belgian Congo in and exploits (until she eventually gets fed up and kicks
1960, the founder of the dance orchestra and
first him out of the home).
acknowledged 'father' of Congo-rumba music, Joseph More than any other African musician, Franco tran-
Kabasele, up a recording deal for OK Jazz in
set scended the boundaries of language, class, nationality

Europe, and through the 1960s the band evolved into and tribal aff iliation. His music was as hugely popular in

the biggest, most effective music machine in Africa. anglophone Africa as in the French-speaking countries,
By then known as the 'Sorcerer of the Guitar', Franco and OK Jazz records have been licensed almost world-
re-Africanised the Afro-Cuban rumba by introducing wide. He also had considerable international succes,
rhythmic, vocal and guitar elements from Congolese though he played only once in Britain and once in Amer-
folklore. Although primarily a dance band, OK Jazz was ica. During a career which lasted nearly forty years, he
also a vehicle for Franco's observations and criticisms released over 150 albums and composed some 1000
of modernising society, and his songs had more infor- songs, while the band's complete repertoire was closer
mation and educational value than other any medium. to three thousand. In mid-life, he developed the bulk to
His sternest morality lecture was "Attention Na Sida" match that reputation, weighing around one hundred and
(Beware of Aids), in 1987. forty kilos (more tan 300 pounds) at his peak. The band
Like many African superstars, Franco had an too was massive, with up to forty musicians on call and
ambivalent relationship with the state. He was a true over one hundred families dependent on their fortunes.
patriot, but he also felt compelled to speak his mind When Franco died after a long illness in October
and, while he was an essential element in Mobutu's 1 989, Zaire spent four days in national mourning, while

authenticity (authenticity) programme, he was also the radio played nonstop OK Jazz. His long-time rival,

reprimanded and more than once and several

jailed Tabu Ley Rochereau, said at the time he was "like a
of his records were banned. Although he was a stern human god". Sam Mangwana said he was the kind of
moralist, he could slip quite easily into obscenity in man who appears only once in a hundred years and
his declared mission to provoke and tell the truth. The compared him with Shakespeare or Mozart combined
meanings of his songs are often opaque, with layers with Muhammad Ali or Pele.

462 Congo
Riding the New Wave
The classic Congolese sound was a rich tapestry
of vocals, guitars and rhythm instruments, embel- O
o
lished with full-blown horn arrangements which
after James Brown visit-
z
became more prominent
ed Kinshasa in 1969 and 1974. During that time, ©
however, a new stream of pop music had sprung
from the students at Combe High School, who
had picked up on the Western rock group format
and, independently of the older-generation musi- Thu Zahina
cians, started doing their own thing. One group
of graduates known as Los Nickelos, was able to totalling over twenty musicians. Following a seri-

experiment and record in Brussels, while their ous rupture in 1988, one group remained with
juniors back home formed Thu Zahina, which Nyoka Longo, who adopted an old ZLL slogan
influenced a w hole generation during its brief exis- Nkolo Mboka (Village Headman), while the
tence. As their early recordings, which have recent- defectors set up Zaiko Langa Langa Familia Dei
ly come to light, show, Thu Zahina were the band (Family of God), which also splintered soon after.

who really took rumba to the edge. Horns were By now Zaiko was a national institution and
- although they
not part of the original live line-up although the prodigals rarely return to the fold,

were used on recordings: they make the band they can always evoke the Zaiko name.
sound like OK Jazz on acid. A host of rival new-wave groups had appeared
The new music, of which Thu Zahina was a in the early 1970s, including Lipua Lipua, Bella
leading exponent, was raw and energetic, with Bella. Shama Shama. Empire Bakuba and
emphasis on spiralling, interactive guitars and rat- Victoria. The music had a rough, sweaty feel,

tling snare drums during the seben, and hardly a while most of the singers, with the exception of
horn to be heard. Taking elements of the anima- husky-throated 'elephant' Pepe Kalle, compen-
tion (shouting) from strident forms of shanty-town honey-toned vocals. Many of the new-
sated with
music, and also from the wordplay used at Bakon- wave bands were promoted by Kiamanguana
go funerals, the new bands brought an extra vital- Verckys, who turned to record production and
ity to the music, adapting traditional dances like created a kind of Kinshasa 'garage-band' sound.
the soukous and inventing new ones such as the From the ranks of these bands and their subsequent
atvacha to accompany the extended seben. offshoots came Kanda Bongo Man, Nyboma, Pepe
The groups which capitalised most on the new Kalle and Emeneya.
wave were Stukas, led by the outrageous show -
man Lata Bembo, who played with a frenetic inten-
sity, and Zaiko Langa Langa. which was to lead

the way for the whole post-independence gener-

ation. Zaiko Langa Langa was founded by conga
player DV Moanda with lead singer Nyoka
Longo. The name was constructed from 'Zaire
ya Bakoko' (Zaire of our Ancestors); Langa Langa
is the name of a people in the Equator region.
They also added the prefix Tout-Choc-Anti-Choc
(aka 'Untouchables').
Within months the band had expanded to take
in a line-up of singers and guitarists who helped
to redefine soukous. Among the early members
were Papa Wemba, w ho eventually formed Viva
La Musica: Evoloko Jocker of Langa Langa
Stars: Bozi Boziana w ho joined Choc Stars
before setting up the rival Anti-Choc; Pepe Feli
Manuaku of Grand Zaiko Wa Wa: and dozens
more. Unlike other bands, Zaiko was not the per-
sonal property of one leader. It was always a group. The hugely successful Pepe Kalle

Congo .463
Mbilia Bel and Rigo Star

Soukous really took hold in international mar- and the angel-voiced Deyess Mukangi. Kinshasa
kets during the mid-1980s when musicians began is also home to TAZ Bolingo, one of Africa's
recording in Europe, and the cleaner Paris sound rare all-female bands, who play a particularly lan-
edged out the less polished Kinshasa variants. guid, smoochy soukous under the slogan 'self-

Among were the Four Stars

the early successes control'. Others who have achieved a degree of
(Quatres Etoiles), whose smooth arrangements international success during the 1990s include
and streamlined presentation offered a direct chal- Yondo Sister and Nimon Toko Lala.
lenge to the more ornate big bands - although the An new-wave phenomenon which
aspect of the
top two orchestras were still thriving, with Fran- brought soukous to international attention was
co and Tabu Ley releasing international albums at the fashion ingredient. Inspired by Papa Wemba,
a prolific rate. the cult of kitende celebrated cloth and cut and
During the mid-1980s Tabu Ley boosted the promoted style consciousness to the rank of a reli-

effectiveness of Afrisa with the introduction of Mbil- gion. Wemba's followers - the sapeurs - took their

ia Bel, an attractive young name from an informal but

singer with a dreamy, creamy highly competitive group of
voice who became one of poseurs who called themselves
Africa's first female superstars. the 'Societe des Ambianceurs
Bel had started her career as a et des Personnes Elegants' (the
dancer with Abeti Masekini, Society of Cool and Elegant
who, along with Vonga Aye, People). Reminiscent of eigh-
had paved the way for female teenth-century dandyism and
singers a decade before. While of the 1960s British mod
the male bands were obliged to scene, the sapeur movement
stick to their winning dance was viewed as the antithesis of
formulas, women artists were hippiedom.
able to experiment with Euro- Although any new-rumba
pean-style ballads and a variety Deyess - a new wave of women music provided the soundtrack
of regional rhythms. One of the singers for sapeurs' fashion battles, the

most versatile and chamiing was main were individ-

style icons

M'Pongo Love. Until her untimely death in 1990, uals such as Wemba, Emeneya and Olomide,
Koffi
Love, 'La Voix Limpide du Zaire', enjoyed a glit- while the deities were Japanese and European
tering career, despite the disabling effects of polio. designers - above all, at least in the early years.
The women's contribution has been maintained Yohji Yamamoto and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Like the
by Tshala Mwana, who debuted as a dancer in mods, the sapeurs' look was adapted by mainstream
M'Pongo Love's band Tsheke Tsheke before find- culture while the main proponents toned down
ing fame as the Queen of rnutuaslii, the funk-folk their flamboyance. The hippest sapeurs have long
rhythm of the Baluba people. A whole string of since publicly claimed "Sape is dead", but true
young women singers has been introduced more believers can still be identified by the way they
recently through Anti-Choc, notably Jollie Detta wear their gear.

464 Congo
Party time in Paris Another guitarist in Kanda's first touring group,
Diblo Dibala, went on to form Loketo, whose
By the end of the 1980s the 'classic' era was over, crossover sound, packaged for young, pop-wise
and the Zairean music business had fragmented. Western audiences, made them dancefloor dar-
©
Of the big three. Franco was dead, Tabu Ley was
semi-dormant (with Afrisa having partially disin-
lings. In

in which
1991, Diblo regrouped with
his devilish licks
Matchatcha
featured even more
z
tegrated), and Verckys' business influence was wan- prominently. Lokassa Ya Mbongo's Soukous o
ing. The Zaiko generation still appealed to Stars offer a similar fast-food version of Congolese
Congolese who weren't even born when they musical cuisine. This type of easy, sleazy medley
started, but international listeners favoured the package was advanced somewhat by Awilo Lon-
more minimal studio sounds coming out of Paris. gomba, son of OK Jazz original Vicky, who
There were more pressing, non-musical reasons, brought guest singers into his line-up and won the
too, for a shift of scene, as Zaire lurched deep into Kora African Music Award in 1996.

anarchy and economic chaos amid the death throes One of the few new bands to make
a real go of

of President Mobutu's corrupt regime. Many bands it Europe was Nouvelle Generation. Com-
in

quit a muted Kinshasa, going on extended foreign prising several defectors from Wemba's Viva clan,
tours, or setding in the US, London, Brussels, Paris the new boys created a dynamic, danceable sound
or Geneva. around voices and upbeat rhythms. They did not
Spearhead of thenew Parisian soukous scene move the music forward a full generation, but did
was Kanda Bongo Man who, with commercial give a pointer to new possibilities. Their record-
foresight, cut back on the fancy choral parts and ings hit the spot, but the band found it hard to
architectural arrangements to create fast-track party grind out a living in Europe.
music which he has brought to audiences around
the world. Other key Paris players included Pepe Kinshasa in the 1990s
Kalle, who found greater album success with spars-
er Paris sessions, and the guitarist Rigo Star who In Kinshasa in the early 1990s, the continuity main-
came out of Wemba's Viva la Musica in the early tained by young bands such as Wenge Musica,
1980s. Star, with his clean, crisp guitar contribu- Rumba Ray, and Zaiko veterans Bimi Ombale and
tion, accompanied Kanda on tour from 1983, and Dindo Yogo was threatened by the social upheavals.
then appeared on countless records, often as With Verckys' Studio Veve inactive, the only oper-
arranger, with a galaxy of star names including ational studio in Africa's music city for a couple of
Wemba, the camp crooner Koffi Olomide, years was the 16-track Bobongo studio. Artists who
Madilu System and Mbilia Bel, with whom he stayed home included Zaiko Langa Langa, Bana
teamed up when Bel quit Tabu Ley's band. OK- the OK Jazz survivors under the leadership
of Simaro Lutumba — and the
Choc Stars' offshoot Big
Stars, led by Defao.These
groups recorded over in
Brazzaville at the revamped
48-track IAD studio.
While the number of
Zairean releases on the mar-
ket slumped during the early

1990s, in December 1993 a

showcase event in Kinshasa

demonstrated that the music

had not been silenced. The
remaining big bands were
brought together with artists

like KofTi Olomide and

Papa Wemba, who had been
recalled from Europe to show
that soukous was alive and
well. An interesting depar-

Kanda Bongo Man - the sound of Congo all over Africa. tures from the established

Congo 465
 Papa Speaks...
o
o Your first group, Zaiko Langa Langa, was formed
in 1969...

Yes, it was a group composed

of students, and we
wanted do what our compatriots were doing, those
to
who pursued their studies in Belgium, and who formed
groups to play in their leisure time. We started out pret-
ty naively, but in our case it became a profession.

And then later you formed Viva La Musica, which

incorporates a lot of Cuban, Caribbean, Rock,
Funk and other influencesr-Tell us about the dif-
ferences between your music with that band and
soukous music.
Well obviously, when you refer to soukous music like

that I have to laugh because we, in Congo, don't know

about soukous music. We know Congolese rumba.
And this rumba started around the 1 950s and was influ-
enced by Afro-Cuban music and the Spanish guitar.
Our first modem musicians incorporated a little of the
rhythms of Cuba, and that's how our modern Con-
Radio journalist Dan Rosenberg talked to Papa golese rumba started.
Wemba Congo's biggest international star, about Soukous was a dance of the late 1 960s, and became it

roots, influences and his country of birth. a style, like a fashion or a trend. We soon forgot the
word. But French journalists applied the word to Con-
Tell us about your earliest singing experiences. golese music that was being created in Paris - music
Istarted singing at my Catholic church, and my moth- with a tempo that was regular from the beginning to
er used to sing at funerals. When was ten, some- I I the end, like Kanda Bongo. In the country at the time
times used to go with her. I've always said she was we didn't know this kind of music. We knew modern
my first singing teacher, and she was also my first Congolese music, which you can divide into three sec-

audience. Whenever made a mistake, she corrected

I tions with different time-signatures. The first is the intro-
me, and when got it right, she was always there to
I duction, second is the verse, with very nice lyrics, the
applaud. refrain, and finally leading into the part you'd call souk-
ous, the part where you really dance hard.
In Zaire in the 1960s, there was a lot of rock-
'n'roll,but Mobutu was imposing his authentic- How did the album Wake Up, with Koffi Olomide,
ity programme. How did that work out? come about?
When 'authenticity' was initiated, many people failed Well, we say that Congolese musicians are never
to understand But a little later, we realised Mobutu
it. together and we were thinking, well, we should try to

was right about rediscovering our traditions. That does- be a above all that, you know. We ought to make it
bit

n't mean we were supposed to live in grass huts, no - understood to music lovers and to all our musician
or dress in raffia skirts. It allowed us musicians to come friends that music is, above all, a tool of our country.
back to our traditional songs and dances and rythms We have to all work in unison. And that's the reason

again. Congo is a huge country, with 450 different peo- why we did that album, my brother Koffi and me.
ples, and each one has its own musical genre. I think
it's the motherland of African music. Does music have anything to say about Africa's
problems?
What did you listen to when you were young? Well, we musicians should speak out about what we
Well, I grew up in an epoch that was a musical cross- think - the things that are just whispered about - but
roads. listened to Franco, Kabasele, Wendo, Afro-
I politics in Africa are still not the politics as practised
Cuban music, black American music from the likes of here West where you really do have freedom of
in the
James Brown, Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Aretha speech. As for me, can't sing bad of my country,
I I

Franklin, plus the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, then here would be seen in a very very bad light by my brothers
in France there was Johnny Halliday, Claude Frangois, - for a start, but also I'd be viewed in a very bad light in

Richard Anthony, and in Africa a huge star was dis- the political sense. But just know that for our children,
I

covered, Miriam Makeba . . . plus of course my own we must try to build a country where they can live in
traditional music. calm and peace, and unity.

466 Congo
 2

Classic Swede Swede - raw folk, electrified

guitar-based line-up was Swede Swede — whose discography

name is cryptically translated as 'mouse hole', but
which could also be the sound of sex. They were Compilations
the rhythm revelation of the early 1 990s, using a
variety of drums, percussion, vocals and harmoni- SS Congo Compil (Syllart, France; Stern's, UK).

cas to created a sound, both postmodern and neo- Part of the Rendezvous series, this compilation contains
tradirional, which recalled the raw, rhythmic charge good examples of Kinshasa kitsch, mostly licensed from
other labels, and not tainted with Syllart's fast-food tag -
of pre-electric music. But to most ears, Congolese
though many tracks share a synthetic keyboard sound.
music should be all about guitars, and Swede Swede Eleven tracks from the likes of Koffi. Zaiko. Kalle. Madilu.
were unable to crack the international market. Wenge, Wemba and Defao put the emphasis on vocal
expression. It's good to hear people like ex-OK Jazz gui-
As Congo enters the 21st century, at last free
tarist/composer Simaro and Choc Stars charmer Carlito get
from the monopolising patronage of Mobutu's another outing, while Emeneya's "Nzmzi" still stands proud.
entourage, the scene has witnessed a gradual revival:
Ngoma: Souvenir ya I'lndependance
Wemba spreading the word globally; Koffi becom- (Pamap, Germany).
ing a household name throughout Africa; indi-
Ngoma was one of the earliest and most influential labels in
vidualists like Ray Lema holding their own in post-World War II Leopoldville - now Kinshasa. This is the
fusion circles; and the star bands reformed, with second of three compilations from the German label contain-
ing the melodies, instruments and grooves moved
Simaro leading Bana OK and Youlou Mabiala
nation through the 1950s - folk ballads, early urban fusions
that the

maintaining the name of OK Jazz. New bands, and proto-rumba, as well as a soul number from Manu
meanwhile, have come and gone, while a raft of Dibango.

re-releases has made almost all the great period Revue Noir a Kin, Zaire '96 (Revue Noir, France).
pieces available on CD. Video, too, has become dark days of Mobutu's
Recorded in the field' during the last
huge, with 'playback' concerts of Congolese stars reign, this release is a compilation soundtrack for issue No 1
finding a ready market in bars throughout Africa. of the prestigious French art magazine. With less emphasis
on rumba but more of the shanty town sound, this just shows
For all its formulaic conventions, Congolese music
how life was bubbblmg away despite restrictions and repres-
remains the only truly pan-African favourite. sion. Raw, urgent and refreshingly unsophisticated.

Congo 467
 EE Soukous Paris (Syllart, France/Stern's, UK) Choc Stars
Collection of hot snacks, best taken with a couple of cold Founded in 1984 by Ben Nyamabo with musicians from
drinks, a cement dancefloor and some heady atmosphere. Zaiko and Langa Langa Stars, Choc Stars developed a

O Although the fast, curly guitar action, simple melodic mantras sound that was mellow yet passionate. The songs are
O and whipcrack drum machines sound a bit dated now, the
line-up includes Lokassa, Dally Kimoko, Diblo, Kanda, Kass
generally slower than other bands' but the arrangements
add up to cool seductive soukous. They faded out in the
Ci Kass, Nyboma, Yondo Sister and the late, lamented Mpongo early 1990s but singer Defao's Big Stars now carry the
o Love. flag.

SI Les Merveilles du Passe, Choc Stars Vol 3

Artists (FDB, France/Zaire).

Verging on the sleazy side of good taste with the right

amount of studio ambience and production values that sus-
Bantous de la Capitale tain the camp delivery. "Celio" is a special fave. This collec-
tion does them proud.
The Brazzaville band, Les Bantous, was formed by ex-
members of OK Jazz in the late 1950s to become virtually
the official Congo-Brazzaville state orchestra. There" is a
Deyess
series of Bantous CD compilations which documents this The former singer with Bozi's Anti-Choc band, Deyess
great Congo orchestra. has one of the great Congolese female voices.

O El Manicero (Soul Posters, France). 33 Little Goddess (Stern's, UK).

This deleted LP is a showcase for Essous and Malapet, subti- Deyess's first solo album after leaving Bozi, produced by top
tled the Best Saxes in Central Africa. Mellow, big-band back- Senegalese producer, Ibrahima Sylla.
ing and some actual 'Latin' rumba, dating from 1970.
rumba anthem "El Manicero" (Peanut Vendor).
Includes the
Mose Se Sengo 'Fan Fan'
Thirty years ago, Fan Fan was playing guitar with Franco,
Mbilia Bel
writing some material and taking his place in rehearsals or
fame with Tabu Ley's Afrisa band, and as a
Mbilia Bel rose to when the big man was unavailable. Following some hits of
solo singer became one of Africa's first women superstars. hisown, he headed east to conquer Tanzania and Kenya.
Since arriving in England in 1984, he's become known
O Keyna (Genidia, Zaire/France).
and loved for his hard-charging guitar style.
Bel at the peak of her career with Tabu Ley - great songs,
creamy vocals and fine dance action. The title song is not a
misspelled tribute to East Africa, although she does sing
about going to Nairobi. At this point in 1985 Bel and Ley
were treated like royalty across the continent. Soon after the
thrill had gone —
and so had she.

Bisso na Bisso
A group of Congo/Parisian twenty-somethings brought
together from different hip-hop crews under the direction
of top French rapper Passi. Their background is
and they're clearly
Brazzaville, rather than Kinshasa, at
the forefront of a new music.

3S Racines (V2, France).

Take some cool Parisian hip-hop beats, soulful voices and

meaningful lyrics, blend them with samples and reworkings of
classic African pop hits from the past and deliver with
panache. Three or four of the 15 tracks here are all-time
great tunes, and there are only a couple of duds. High pro-
duction values and a classy guest list lift this debut release
well above most attempts at finding mainstream approval.
The album scored in a big way in France and quickly inspired
a new generation of African-language rappers. 53 The Congo Acoustic (Triple Earth, UK).

The usual attitude has been moderated, and a more relaxed

Bozi Boziana & Orchestre Anti-Choc Fan Fan delivers contemplative, mellow music with an
unplugged warmth that spreads from low-volume exposure.
After quitting the Zaiko Langa Langa offshoot Choc Stars,
"Sikulu" pays urbane homage to Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, with
Bozi Boziana created Anti-Choc to provide a faster power
horns chirruping politely.
source for his energetic compositions.

E Emenya 'Manhattan' & Anti-Choc 'Sissi Nguema' Franco and OK Jazz

(Ngoyarto, France).
Franco - Le Grand Maitre - is the outstanding figure in
A 1988 Verckeys production from Emeneya, complete with Congolese music, indeed perhaps Africa's greatest star.
radio ad, combined here with one of the best Anti-Choc col- His career (see box on p. 462) encompassed over 150
lections. With bubbling guitars, skippy rhythms and Deyess in record releases, and, since his death in 1989, there have
fine form, "La Sirene" is a real flyer. been more than 60 compilations issued on Sonodisc

468 Congo
alone, many of them bearing the titles of original discs but
with completely different tracks. Below are just a few of Pepe Kalle
the highlights. The 'elephant' brought Empire Bakuba to the verge of
true stardom during the 1980s. One of the most 'typical'
Originalite
(RetroAfric, UK).
Kinshasa bands, Bakuba combined Kalle's husky voice
with the stage antics of his dwarf friend, Emoro, and req-
O
o
A terrific re-release of the very first recordings of OK Jazz. This
was the point where classic rumba began the long journey
uisite wild guitars. Kalle is a crowd pleaser, who remains,
as they say, big in Africa.
z
£75
into soukous. You enter OK. you leave very KO'd.
S3 Gigantafrique (GlobeStyle, UK).
O
S3 Mario & Reponse de Mario (Sonodisc, France).
A collection that packs a double ration of Kalle dance tracks.
A long, soap-opera CD: even without understanding the dia- Now somewhat dated but includes the original and biggest
it

logue the man's charisma is tangible. kwassa kwassa hit "Pon Moun Paka Bouge".

S3 Azda (Sonodisc, France).

Emeneya Kester
This was an advert-disc, for the local VW distributor,
actually
As one of the original new-wave singers, Emeneya was a
hence the unambiguous chorus. Every member of the band
firstgeneration sapeur, playing florid, posey soukous as
got a VW Passat - and in return VW were given the complete
leader of Victoria Eleison.
big-band treatment with wonderful horn arrangements.

Likambo Ya Ngana Z Nzinzi (Gefraco, France).

(Sonodisc, France). At the time this was a major breakthrough for Zairian music.
In a radical departure from the norm, producer Verckeys
A classic 1971 release in which Franco reprised the 1940s
added a 'Zulu' bass beat and hi-tech production to generate
accordion sound of Feruzi, before grinding into some of the
a pan-African hit.
most classic big band rumba. Packed with exemplary guitar
picking.
Ray Lema
S3 Mabele (Sonodisc, France).
Ibrahim Sylla, the ubiquitous Senegalese producer of
A fulsome treatment of folklore dating from 1974, including African music, once remarked in discussing his artists that
the classic title track ballad, composed by 'vice-president' he could not work with this idiosyncratic fusionist: "Ray
Simaro Lutumba and sung by Sam Mangwana. Lema's music is completely denature. He calls it 'open'
but we Africans can't relate to it. It doesn't interest us at
S3 Attention na Sida (Sonodisc, France).
all". Sylla was perhaps overstating the case: Lema, long a

Franco's famous beware-of-AIDS sermon - powerful oratory successful overseas recording artist, may have gone dis-
set against a memorable folklore rhythm. tinctively his own way, but the path is unquestionably
worth following.

83 Stoptime (Buda, France).

Delightfully individual and hyper-inventive set of chansons,

jazz studies and time-signature jokes. All in a very chilled
mode, there are echoes here of Brazil, Keith Jarrett, David
Byrne and, even, occasionally. Congo.

Sam Mangwana
Sam Mangwana formulated his own 'international' sound
in Abidjan after quitting the Rochereau/Franco nexus.
With his African All Stars he took on the world with souk-
ous-based pan-African pop.

Evoloko Jocker
A classy singer with a taste for theatricality, Evoloko was
one of the true eccentrics of the Zaiko Langa Langa fami-
ly, making his mark with Langa Langa Stars. He lost a few

years' momentum when he got stranded in London in the

eartly 1 990s.

Mingelina (FDB, France).

A vocal curiosity so sweet it sticks to you, this was a fine, if

belated, come-back release in the early 1990s.

Congo 469
 band Quartier Latin. Great songs frustratingty truncated to

m Maria Tebbo fit

(Stem's, UK).
a dozen tracks on the CO.

From the first, exerted gurtar licks you're moving. This is

Quartier Latin
delightful, positive, happy music of the first order, recorded n
the late 1970s at a tme when Africa was still going forward.*
Enduring songs.
Ultimatum (Sonodisc. France).

Quartier Latin's 1997 releasecSdn't carry Koffi's name but he

Antoine Moundanda participated and directed everything, and saw that disc
become the last big hit from the country called Zaire. Fast
A consumate master of the giant thumb piano, from
track sebens at the way through.
Congo-Brazzaville, who learnt learnt the instrument as a
therapeutic device for chasing evil spirits out of the
afflicted.
Tabu Ley Rochereau
The man's voice shone out from African Jazz, African
£ Likembe Geant (Indigo. France).
Fiesta and Afrisa, making him the country's favourite
Live showcase for Moundanda s agje thumbs and those of his singer, but Ley's career has slumped recently — especial-
elderly accornpices. The fact that Congolese rumba - soukous - ly following his bust-up with Mbilia Bel and subsequent
originated n part with these lush, equatorial notes, later adapted problems with the old regime. He has since re-opened
to the guitar, signifies no greater reconrnendatjon needed. contacts with the new Congo, so maybe there is a come-
back just around the comer.
Tshala Mwana O En Amour y a pas de Calcul
From dancing girl with Mbilia Bel to Queen of Mutuashi, (Genidia. Zaire/France).
Tshala's career progressed smoothly during the 1980s,
This was Ley's first release on his own label in 1983 - a career
making her the brightest female lead in the country.
highspot for a breathtaking singer and great bandleader.

w Mutuashi
(Stem's, UK).

An outstanding set of mutuashi songs with an rresstibte driv-

Classic tunes,

Ry-Co Jazz
florid arrangements and masterly voice.

ing pulse that pushes the tnpping (in the dance sense) funk- Founded by Franco's first bandleader. Bowane. Ry-Co
folk rhythm of the Baluba people into the realm of Afro- Jazz left Congo in 1959. just before independence, for a
Cuban. It's a whole lot different from the steam-roing guitars tour of West Africa and stayed on the road as a quartet or
of soukous. quintet for 1 1 years.

Mwenda Rumba'round Africa RetroAfric, UK).

Jean Bosco
Ringing guitar and jive action with catchy songs in French.
Bo sco was picking out delicate melodies on his guitar in

his own two-finger style in Katanga province of the Spanish, Ungate and ptdjm English. Ry-Co brought Congo
Belgian Congo in the late 1940s. It is cleaner cut and
music to West Africa and blended it with rock'n'roll and
morer reflective than the Kinshasa style.
Latin/Caribbean grooves.

African Gurtar Legend: The Studio Album Swede Swede

(Rounder, US).
For a while, in 1 989. it looked as if a whole new genre was
This release gives Bosco an audience at last among people about to re-define Zairean music. But Swede Swede fell
who may only have ever heard him on a WOMAD comptetwn
into the familiar trap of splitting up once too often, then
tape from the early days of World Muse': here's that song
hanging out in Europe for too long, ft is hard to sustain a
agam - Masanga. Listen and melt.
Congolese band without guitars but somewhere these
guys are still trying.
Nouvelle Generation
E Toleki Bango (Cram world. Belgium).
Ex-Wemba musicians, keeping the new wave rolling on.
The band was short lived, but their perky, confident han- Theirfirst CO on the Belgian label is stil avaiable. Although

dling of Kinshasa street rhythms brought a blast of fresh thisone doesn't quite capture the rowdy energy of a live
air in the mid-1990s. show it marks an interesting attempt to take a new direction.

S Porokondo <FDB. France). Mokili Etumba

Ther hot debut album stil swings the feet into action. A recorded in London, which added sampled
later release,
marimba/xylophone to their usual percussion in a less rau-
cous, more mature development.
Koffi Olomide and Quartier Latin
Since learning his trade
Koffi
in Papa Wemba's Vrva
has combined a distinctive, smoochy style of singing
la Musica.
Papa Wemba
with dynamic arrangements that are instantly recognis- As a member of the original Zaiko line-up, Wemba helped
able. During the 1 990s he has grown to become probably set the pace of modem music. Then, with the establish-
the most popular artist in Central Africa. ment of Viva la Musica, he refreshed it with hard-core
folklore rhythms and churning guitars, before setting a
V-12 smoother course with his solo career, accompanied by
(Sonodisc, France). his band for the international market. Molokai.

Koffi's tourde force —

he even announced it in 1996 as his
Papa Wemba
last release before retiring (what a wind-up). Here he
(Stem's, UK).
concentrates on vocal delivery and smooth arrangements
with less emphasis on the frenzied sebens served up by his Wemba's unique, yearning, almost hymnal voice is his best

470 Congo
asset. On this stylish 1988 outing, still one of his best albums,
Rigo Star's guitar work bursts through.
Thu Zahina
The new wave started here. Formed in 1 967 by a group of
8>]Dernier coup de sifflet/Epeak Ekomi na
high school students, Thu Zahina was the first 'pop
Douzieme Espiode (Americano/ FDB, France). group' to challenge the big Congo bands. As wild as they
were young, the boys bent the rumba into a pop format.
O
o
A mellow foray with the late Stervos Niarchos - the king and
sapeurs together. Niarchos composed a z
crown prince of
Coup de Chapeau o
couple of tasty rumba ballads on
Recommended but hard to find.
this for his sartorial hero.
(RetroAfric, UK). o
Teenage voices run the gamut of emotion: guitars wail and
Molokai (RealWorld, UK). reverberate, stretching the confines of classic rumba, and the
recently discovered snare drum rattles like a calabash of cowries
Glorious as-live studio set for the World Music market, that
carried by a drunken sorcerer. Seminal, soul-stirring stuff.
shows off Wemba's extraordinary voice, one of Africa's very
best, with mesmerising, slow-burn impact. It opens with a
sweet a cappella number, "Excuse Me", and closes with a
Zaiko Langa Langa
heartstoppingly beautiful arrangement of his signature From the end of the 1960s, the Zaiko extended family was
"Esclave". the driving force of the guitar-powered 'new generation'.

S3 Zaire-Ghana (RetroAfric, UK).

Wenge Musica
Recorded in Ghana back in 1976, this includes "Zaiko Wa
Wenge Musica came to prominence in 1988 under the
Wa", the band's theme song. Raw and sweaty, it was pro-
musical direction of multi-instrumentalist Alain Makaba duced by Bowane with the only example of horns on a ZLL
but never improved on the excitement of their original recording.
release. Moving to Europe, where the band split in two,
was part of their downfall. Jetez L'Eponge
BE (Carerre, France/deleted).
E Bouger Bouger (Natari, UK).
A Kinshasa classic from the madiaba era - 1989 - this is
Their debut album, since re-mastered in England. It's high- Nyoka Longo's response to the Zaiko split-up. Probably their
grade Kinshasa soukous with classy segues, synths and a strongest album yet, with hard guitars, thoughtful arrange-
nice line in shouting.' ment and powerful ambience.

Congo 471
 Cote d'lvoire

P heart of the african music industry

o Bordering Cote d'lvoire's Ebrie lagoon lies the city of Abidjan, a modern metropolis with the rough,
grey Atlantic on one side and cocoa plantations and savannah on the other. The city's fast, noisy
downtown district - Le Plateau - caters to transient business types while the street life of the city
happens in the low-rent Treichville district, with its teeming market, cheap bars and seedy hotels.
Francois Bensignor and Brooke Wentz.check out the buzz of a city at the heart of the West
African music industry (after Paris, of course).

twenty And then there are the established

Abidjan's technically sophisticated studios, years.
— like Alpha Blondy, Meiway,
and the diversity of talent attracted by local artists
them, have established the Cote d'lvoire Monique Seka and Gadji Celi - all of whom
capital as a hub for musical and cultural hold international recording contracts and have their
exchange. Musicians from all over West and Cen- music heard over the airwaves throughout Africa.
tral — Guinea, Mali, Niger, Cameroon and
Africa As if to emphasise Abidjan's pre-eminent posi-
Congo — come to absorb new rhythms and try out tion in the African music industry (a position con-
their own hope of landing a record
beats in the tested only by Johannesburg), the city hosted the
deal. Salif Keita, Kante Manilla and Mory first Marche des Arts du Spectacles Africains (MASA)
Kante all refined their talents playing the Tre- in 1993. This week-long trade fair and showcase
ichville clubs before venturing on to Paris in the event, held every two years, attracted

early 1980s. The sax player and 'Soul entertainment executives from around
Makossa' man, Manu Dibango, the world in February 1999.
directed the Ivoirian TV ______________
orchestra in 1975, and Radio Solo -
four years
another
later
and Mapouka
Every day, from 6.30am to 7.45am,
Soro Solo (he changed his name
from Souleymane Coulibaly
because he wanted to get back to
his African roots) presents the
morning show on the government-
sponsored Radio Cote d'lvoire
(RCI). Soro will play anything
from Roy Ayers, Cameo and
Michael Jackson to the newest
releases of Ismael L6, Femi Kuti,
Youssou N'Dour and Papa Wemba, or
emerging local talent like reggae artist Tiken
Jah, a cappella singing group Kajim and Afro-
zouk star Monique Seka. In between request
spots, Soro reviews concerts, interviews artists and
highlights new releases. It's important to get on
the show. If you don't make it here, you're unlike-
Cameroonian, Moni Bile, ly to progress further.
ventured to Abidjan to record his first album. A bit of a star in his own right, Soro's musical
Malian producer/arranger Boncana Maiga has knowledge is encyclopedic and he's constantly on
been working mostly in Abidjan studios for almost the move, meeting musicians and checking out

472 Cote d'lvoire

the newest clubs in town. Interviewed in 1998, like Toure Sound or Studio Grenier, have now
he pronounced Mapouka to be the big new Cote sprung up in the cheaper Yopougon area. And if
d'lvoire music, with top bands like Nigi Saffand you're looking for the fruits of big studios' labours,

Generation Mot a Mot. "It takes its inspiration every Friday evening, bunch of fresh new pro-
a

from village traditions," he explained, "but it is ductions can be found in the little cassette stalls on
basically an erotic dance. In fact, it was promoted Abidjan's street corners. m
on TV to challenge dombolo, the Congolese rhythm a
danced in an erotic maner all over Africa. People Live and Local
were complaining about the suggestive dance
movements shown on TV, and dombolo and Cote d'lvoire is home
to more than sixty native
mapouka were banned by the government from ethnic groups, and more than a hundred others
the national screen. But some journalists went to that have migrated here. Among them, some carry

the villages and filmed traditional dancers, argu- specific and moving musical traditions.

ingmapouka was directly taken from the Ivorian In the centre of the country, the Baoule, who
They won the battle and mapouka came
traditions. came from Ghana, developed characteristic vocal
back on TV. But there are now two forms of polyphony, famed all over Cote d'lvoire. North-
mapouka: the one they play in private clubs, called eastern Lobi have strong xylophone traditions.
mapouka serrc (close mapouka), which is extreme- In the north, Senoufo have intense initiation and
ly erotic, almost strip tease, and the one they show funeral ceremonies, from which Ai'cha Kone, one
on TV which is much softer." of the local stars for years, has borrowed and mod-
ernised the poro rhythm.
Business In the West, the Dan have a very impressive
mask tradition. From the southwest traditions,
EMI Pathe Marconi was one of the largest and Zagazougou took the gombe polyrhythmics.
most powerful record companies in West Africa, On the southeast coastal area, Appollo people use
but in 1995, when it appeared that EMI Interna- edongole talking drums for their annual ritual
tional was on the verge of creating a huge, pow- abissa purification dance. The musician Meiway

erful network, the decision was taken to shut down has taken up abissa from his people's coastal tradi-

the African branch. In Abidjan, Jat Music bought tions as well as grolo, fanfare and sidder, to create his

EMI shares, while in Bamako they were bought sweet and sensual white handkerchief zoblazo
by AH Farka Toure. EMI-Jat music still signs dance - one of the most impressive stage acts from
local musicians and licenses foreign material from the Ivorian scene. But those attempts to bring up
all over Africa and even Europe, the US and the some real Ivorian traditional sounds into modern
Caribbean. music continue to be subverted by mainstream
Other important players in Abidjan's music Afro-pop and Afro-zouk productions with drum
industry are the recording studios JBZ, Sequence machine and synthesiser backing.
and Nefertiti. JBZ, located in lush, palmy Cocody,
isone of the oldest studios in West Africa. A one-
room facility, this studio has been responsible for
some of the best African recordings, including
releases by Nahawa Doumbia, Pepe Kalle, Sam
Mangwana and Lokassa. American blues guitarist
Johnny Copeland discovered JBZ and recorded
here while on tour in Abidjan; Youssou N'Dour
used it to record some of his early material at a
time when no other facilities were available in
West Africa; and Toumani Diabate's successfully
eccentric "Shake the Whole World" was put
together here too. The more recently established
Nefertiti studio is also worth a visit. Opened by
StevieWonder's engineer of fifteen years,
Abdoulaye Soumare, Nefertiti is in the heart of
the bustling Plateau district.
The big studios may be where most of the
money gets spent, but a lot of new little studios, Le Zagazougou - unplugged and very, very fast

Cote d'lvoire 473

 In the 1960s, with Cote d'lvoire newly inde- in Abidjan, you'll find it in the far northern sub-

pendent, Baoule artists were heard from transis- urb of Yopougon, where it has given birth to the
tor radios in every bar. The twin vocal sounds of fresh zouglou rhythm.
the Soeurs Comoe were partly driven by the
local gbegbe rhythm. Then, in the 1970s, the new Zouglou
dynamism of Sery Simplice and his Freres
Djatys bubbled up, based around the same heavy- The new sound of zouglou emerged in the early

duty gbegbe rhythm. Today's veteran of the local 1990s in the midst of a university crisis perpetuat-
O scene, Bally Spinto, still plays a modern music ed by the aged president Houphouet-Boigny: the
30 strongly rooted in gbegbe. man who spent US$200m building a Vatican-mod-
Among this first generation, some names still mean eled church as a gift for the Pope while students
good music, likeAnoman Brou Felix, Francois were turned into squatters on the university cam-
Lougah or composer Jimmy Hyacinthe, who puses. In the Baoule language, they say 'Be ti le

created the goly. Another celebrity in the 1960s, zouglou' (stacked like a rubbish heap!) to describe
Mamadou Doumbia toured all over West Africa student life in Yopougon where four people share
and even the US. Today, he prefers to live the poor one miserable single student room.
fife of the simple people in Abidjan, rather than use This is the place where the and ironic
satirical

his vocal skills to serve the new rap trend, as some zouglou music began, danced form of appeal
as a

producers urge him to. He has set up a home stu- to some fictitious god, crammed with humorous
dio and continues to help young musicians get start- lyrics exposing the harsh
reality of student life.

ed, charging ten times less for a demo tape than most Didier Bille, the unrivalled zouglou leader, soon
other outfits around town. became the focus of his generation with his caus-

tic, witty songs. Fellow students raised money to

Ziglibithy enable him to record with his band Les Parents

du Campus, who were pushed to a dazzling suc-
The real father of Ivorian modern pop is the inter- when they appeared on the Podium TV pro-
cess
nationaly renowned Ernesto Djedje. He con- gramme.
sciously took a traditional rhythm of the Bete people The most interesting thing in zouglou is that it

as a base upon which to build the giggling, frenzied has created a new language that combines French,
guitar sound of his ziglibithy. putting dancers in a Pidgin and Baoule words given special meanings.
joyous trance all around Africa and further afield. Students have a lot of fun developing their own
Everyone in Cote d'lvoire thanks him for giving dictionary: caillou or peeble - to vandalise proper-
the country its first modem musical identity. ty; coco — a student who lives off his friends; koun

Djedje's teacher, local 1960s superstar Amedee - drunk; Hberer- to liberate, or in other words, to
Pierre, had himself used a strong Congolese rumba dance zouglou.
flavour in his self-titled dope style. But Djedje, The zouglou craze was at its peak in the mid-
whom he cherished as his young guitar player, 1990s, spreading to Burkina Faso and even to Mali.
declared in a radio interview in 1975, seven years Although overtaken now by mapouka in Cote
after he had left Amedee's band Ivoiro-Stars, that d'lvoire, it is still very popular and one of the best-
he didn't like the 'congolisation' of Ivorian music. selling musics in the country, mostly because of its
In 1977, Djedje's album Gnoatitre-Zibote, record- sharp lyrics. Didier Bille remains a major figure
ed in Nigeria, was an instant hit throughout West but with hismove to Paris he has loosened his grip
and Central Africa and crossed the oceans to Paris on zouglou jive. Once very successful, the group
and Montreal. Les Cocos have split, but their singer J Marcial
Ernesto Djedje's sudden death at the age of thir- 'Bobby' Yode is recording good cassettes. The
ty-five, while recording his sixth album, made most popular new zouglou generation are Les
him a legend. A great many musicians have tried Poussins Chocs, Espoir de Yop and Petit
to follow in his footsteps, but none of them have Denis.
achieved quite the same sucess. The late Gnaore
Djimi's
laba
polihet style, or Luckson Padaud's laba
- both deriving directly from ziglibithy and
Reggae
keeping up its traditional Bete spirit in today's For the past fifteen years reggae has played a lead-
society - can still be a great experience for any ing role in Cote d'lvoire's music scene. Alpha
listener or dancer trying to get close to that deep Blondy, who like many of the country's artists

African feeling. If you want to hear this music live sings in the Mande trading language, Dioula, was

474 Cdte d'lvoire

 Rap
Despite the fact that rap was growing among Cote
d'lvoire's youth from the mid-1990s on, local pro-
ducers showed little interest in making albums.
Until that is, a sell-out concert at one of Abidjan's
biggest venues, the Palais des Congres, where the
two local leaders of the rap scene were called to a

challenge. After this event, rap was taken more o

seriously by the local music businessmen and you 30
can find more and more rap cassettes in the stores.
Topping the bill and singing a form of gangsta
rap, or Stezo, in French is All Mighty, who comes
from the Adjame quarter, and who had a big suc-
cess with a song calling the people to protect them-
selves from AIDS. Ange Romain Agou, aka
Angelo, is another player, and includes Ebrie and
Adioukrou rhythms in his rap dogba. His col-
laborations with hip-hop radio DJ M.C. Claver
in 1992 brought him success and his stage act at

the Masa '97 opening concert, with sexy dancing

girls, consolidated things. Angelo now drives a red
Ferrari and presents Rapattack, a Saturday hip-hop
programme on TV2 with music videos and chat.

the first on the African scene to use reggae as a

means to express his concerns
youth. Born Seydou Kone, his
on African urban
life is something
discography
of a legend. He never knew his natural father, and
grew up playing French pop and rock as a teenag- Compilations
er. He discovered reggae when he was twenty at
SE Cote d'lvoire Compil (Syllart, France).
a New York Burning Spear concert and began to
Part of Sylla's grand. 1999 release of a dozen modern African
experiment with the music and rastafarianism.
compilations. Little info can be gleaned from the liner notes,
Taken back to Cote d'lvoire, he was locked up but no less
it's musically recommended and danceable for
by his stepfather, but managaed to escape and and includes tracks by Meiway, Francois Lougha, Jimmy
that,

change his name to Alpha Blondy. In 1983, Ful- Hyacinthe and an excellent Monique Seka number.
"Missoumwa" - a bumper 75 minutes in all.
gence Kassy turned him into an instant young
urban star when he invited Blondy to appear on 55 Anthology of World Music: the Dan
(Rounder US).
his TV programme First chance. Signing with EMI
France in 1984, he recorded in Jamaica at the Tuff Rare insight into the music of one of the country's most cul-
groups - part of the southern Mande
turally exciting ethnic
Gong studio with the Waiters, then gained inter-
language group, famed for their exhilarating mask dances.
national recognition with some powerful stage per- Originally released on vinyl by Barenreiter Musicaphon, the

formances with his band The Solar System. detailed booklet documents their music culture as it was in
the early 1960s. Songs, percussion, and an amazing orches-
Based in Paris for years, Blondy settled back in
tra of six ivory trumpets.
Abidjan in the mid-1990s. His flourishing record
and stage career boosted reggae's appeal in Cote Maxi Ivoire
(Declic, France).
d'lvoire with many reggae singers attempting to
emulate his success. Some, like Ismael Isaac have A 2-CD 1997 showing a wide panora-
compilation released in

ma Moving from Afro-

of Abidjan's productions at that time.
achieved a certain international success; others,
zouk star Monique Seka to king of polihet Gnaore Djimi, it
like Serge Kassy, are well received on the local also includes music from popular young zouglou band, Les
scene. The newest, most popular Abidjan reggae Poussins Chocs.

singer, Tiken Jah, is now making his presence Super Guitar Soukous (EMI Hemisphere, UK),
felt abroad with messages of unity and good
A fine album with a misleading title, as the best tracks are
acoustic arangements. wild Ivorian polihet. Just listen to Zoukunion's "N'Nanale"!

Cote d'lvoire 475

 "

Artists :
. Treich Feeling (Misslin, France).

Having recorded three cassettes with the Kei'ta brothers

(1986-89), Ismael's first CD was produced by Boncana
Angelo Mai'ga on the Sylla label in 1990. A second CD released on
Island in 1993, and a third in 1996, are evidence of his
Angelo is Cote d'lvoire's main rap star - and presenter of
increasing popularity and talent.
the local hip-hop TV show.
m
a Represent (Showbiz, Cote d'lvoire) Ai'cha Kone
Accomplished rap and ragga sung in English and French, ATcha learned the tricks of her trade in the 1970s as a
plus some more interesting material in Adioukou using some
o deep traditional percussion and singing styles.
singer with the Orchestre Radio Television Ivoirienne, ini-
tially under the leadership of Boncana Mai'ga, then Manu

30 Dibango. Influenced by Miriam Makeba, she is one of the

first international female pop singers from Cote d'lvoire.
Nyanka Bell
With her splendid voice, Nyanka - half-Corsican, half-
Touareg - earned the nickname of the 'African Barbara
Streisand' singing as a teenager in the RTT orchestra. Her
®
Recorded
Adouma
(Bolibana, France).

in 1983 under guitarist Jimmy Hyacinthe's artistic

first solo album was released in 1983. She has always
guidance, this album shows a mature artist achieving fulfil-
been influenced by American soul and soft funk. ment among the great performers of African song.

•
Visa (Sonodisc, France). H3 Mandingo Live from Cote d'lvoire
(Weltmusik, Germany).
Nicely produced by Boncana Mai'ga and recorded in Paris,
this album shows Nyanka's wide range, singing in a variety of Very solid set of dancefloor grooves, featuring Miriam
different languages. Makeba's famous paean to pan-Africanism, "Kilimanjaro".

Alpha Blondy Meiway

Seydou Kone was struck by reggae in the early 1980s Originally from the colonial coastal town of Grand-
while living in New York. Back home, he took the name Bassam, Frederic-Desire Meiway, created
Ehui, alias
Alpha Blondy and his first song ever recorded, "Brigadier zoblazo in the early 1 990s, borrowing dance rhythms from
Sabari", was an instant hit in 1983. Since then, he has his Appolo people's traditions, but making abundant use

come to represent West Africa's young generations who of digital instruments. He has created a powerful stage
have never known colonisation, and he is still the leader act with his group Zo Gang.
of a powerful West African reggae stream.
200% Zoblazo
The Very Best Of Alpha Blondy (Sonodisc, France).
(Une Musique/EMI, France). Released in 1991 , 200% Zoblazo was a club and radio power
A real best of, including most of Alpha's personal statements hit all over West Africa and still remains some DJ's chosen
recorded throughout his ten years of success, and showcas- trick to wake up sleepy dancers. Has to be played loud and
ing the diversity of his inspiration.
danced waving white handkerchiefs!

S3 Yitzhak Rabin (Stern's, UK). Monique Seka

Blondy's tuneful 1998 album muddied slightly by dubious
is Making her first appearance on the Abidjan scene in the
'agit-pop' themes, gently espoused in French, English and mid-1980s with her Afro-zouk style, Monique Seka has
Dioula. slowly gained celebrity status not only in Africa but in the
Caribbean and in the African diasporas.
Gadji Celi Okaman (Declic Communication, France).
SB
Former football player Gadji has now secured for
Celi
Released 1995, album earned Seka an African Music
in this
himself a very successful singing career on the Ivorian
Award and a best performance award at Ngwomo '96. has It

showbiz scene.
achieved platinium in her own country.

3D Elephant's Story (Syllart, France).

Le Zagazougou
A funny, gimmicky CD, where every song tells part of Les
Elephants national football team's saga, driven by zouk-like Zagazougou's style derives from a country, happy-go-
Ivorian rhythm. lucky music invented during the first half of the century. In
1990, it was reintroduced, entirely refreshed, to modern
audiences and was as readily adopted.
Ismael Isaac
The day Isaac discovered young Alpha Blondy on TV, he SE Zagazougou Coup (Piranha, Germany).

knew exactly what he wanted to do. He has gone on to Ivory Coast unplugged: all accordions and percussion, and
develop a style of his own with his sweet voice. very, very fast.

476 Cate d'lvoire

 I

Equatorial Guinea

malabo blues O
£>
The problems facing musicians and singers in Equatorial Guinea, rooted in extreme poverty and —
isolated by thirty years of corrupt dictatorship, are countless. There no real is market for cassettes, O
30
few places to perform, and a severe lack of instruments and equipment for recordings. Pretty much
the only concert venue and studio is run by the Centro Cultural Hispano Guineano in EG's capital,
Malabo, which does its best on limited funds. The only radio station is run by the president's close
£75
family and has a playlist of self-congratulatory songs. Still, Spanish record label chief Manuel
Dominguez is undeterred, in part because there is excellent Equato-Guinean music to be heard in
the suburbs of Madrid, where a considerable exile community is based.

There no doubt is Equatorial Guinea,that Fang Traditions

formerly only colony sub-Saha-
Spain's in

ran Africa, has a rich traditional music. Most people in EG speak languages from the huge
You can hear it on the compilation Calks Bantu group. The dominant groups are Fang and
de Malabo, which showcases the music of the Fang Bubi, with smaller populations of Ndowe (on the
and Bubi, Equatorial Guinea's dominant ethnic mainland Annobonese (from Annobon
coast),
groups. And you can hear it in EG's capital, Mal- island), Combe, Bujeba and Bisio. The Fang, the
abo, w here people ease the pain of a repressive largest ethnic group, originally lived only on the
regime with a thriving culture based around beer mainland, but they have emigrated to Bioko in such
and music. Any night after 10pm music of all
kinds thumps out from the city's main nightlife
street. Calle Nigeria,which throngs with bars,
cafes and Discovering just what it
street vendors.

is you're hearing is a little trickier: this is one of

the world's less documented musics, or, come to

that, nations.

Equatorial Guinea is, in fact, a pretty strange

construct, comprising three of Spain's former
colonies in sub-Saharan Africas: Bioko (formerly
Fernando P6), a lush little volcanic island off the

coast ofCameroon; Rio Muni, a strip of main-

land Africa sandwiched between Cameroon and
Gabon; and the tiny island of Annobon, far out in
the Atlantic. All in all, they have a population of
400,000, governed (if that's the word) from Mal-
abo, on Bioko island. For the most part the terri-

tories consist of thick rainforest.

The Spanish handed over power of these

enclaves in 1968 to Macias Nguema. a mild-man-
nered civil servant who rapidly degenerated into
a dictator with few equals. By the late 1970s, a
third of the population had fled the country, dis-
appeared, or been killed. After a coup in 1979,
Nguema senior was replaced by his nephew Lt-
Col Obiang Nguema, who, while not exhibiting
the same genocidal tendencies, has starred in a
number of Amnesty International reports.

Equatorial Guinea 477

 numbers that Fang is now the dominant language heritage has spawned an engaging acoustic music
and culture of the island, while the Bubi. the island's that blends Spanish folk styles and guitar music
indigenous language group, are in decline. with the local fondness for stringed instruments.
The Fang have a vigorous song tradition. The The finest of these acoustic guitar bands is Des-
main local instrument is the mvet. a harp-zither mali y su Grupo Dambo de la Costa. They're
fashioned from a gourd, the stem of a palm leaf now based in Malabo, but they come from the
and strings woven from plant fibre. Mvet-players remote island of Annobon and are legendary
o have evolved a musical notation disclosed only to throughout EG. Desmali's voice is full of delight-

initiates of the bebom-mvet society, a kind of fra- ful contradiction, sweet, but with a ragged edge
H of griots responsible for maintaining folk echoing the pain of exile — especially on songs like
O ternity
traditions. In Fang culture, the mvet plays a sim- "'Lament for our Village". He's also a great guitar
Accompanying percussion, and harmonies
> ilar role to that of the kora in Mali, used for accom- player.
sung in thirds, elegantly complement and fill the
panying epic songs of history. Like the kora,jtoo,
o it has a two-sided bridge with the string plucked songs. Another good acoustic group is Dambo
with both hands. de La Costa, who use a square frame drum, called

Most villages, plantations and urban barrios have the pandero.

a traditional chorus and drum group, the dom- Other Malabo-based artists include Elvis
inant form of traditional music. The style of these Romeo, also from Annobon, who fuses rap and
groups, much of it in call-and-answer form, has a traditional music; the Fang artists Maruja and
choral quality. When performing, members wear Yoli Miski: Lily Afro, who has recently record-
tradidonal, two-piece straw dresses. ed a CD: Chiquitin. who has produced her own
The most important musical figure in the Fang version of Jimmy ClifF s "The Harder they
tradition is Moan Ndong, from Mongomo,
Eyi Come": Ngal Madunga from the mainland Bisio
on the mainland,. On his recommended, locally people; the Bubi anises Luisira. Sita Richy and
available, cassette entided Asongono Scogo. he sings Samuelin (who sings a delirious song about
a series of stories accompanied by the mvet, which polygamy on the Calks de Malabo CD); and Chu-
form a traditional epic. cunene. a young Bubi artist on whom everybody
There is also a CD of this music, Mbayah, is betting.
recorded in theMuseo de Antropologia in Madrid. town of Bata, on the main-
In the backwater
Based on a myth revised by Maria Nsue, "La land, worth mentioning the work being put
it's

leyenda del sauce Uoron", Mbayah is a collabora- into developing Luna Loca. a group who mix
tive effort by musicians from different tribes. song with theatre.
Grounded in a polyrhythmic bass line played on
a host of traditional Equato-Guinean percussion
instruments, it incorporates elements of Catholic
EG in Madrid
and Protestant choral traditions, as well as tribal It is little surprise that EG musicians, if they get
initiation rites. the chance, look abroad to make a living. In the
1980s, a few artists - among them Maele. Bessoso
EG Pop Styles and Efamba - made it to Paris where they record-
ed albums, though they seem to have faded from
Back in EG. there are few opportunities for musi- the scene. Others, notably Malabo's most impor-
cians, traditional or modem. Malabo's three dis- tant backing band, the Bisila Sytem, have left to
cos - and another trio in Bioka's other town, Bata forge their careers in Spain, leaving a real vacuum
- have a highly precarious existence. The one back home.
small beacon for music is the Cenlro Cultural His- The most signifcant Equato-Guinean exile
pano Guineano (CCHG), an old colonial building community is based on the outskirts of Madrid
in the centre of Malabo, which puts on a couple where a small suburb has been named Malabo
of concerts a month, power cuts permitting. In Dos by the Guineans. The community includes
addition, it maintains a small recording studio, and many of the best Equato-Guinean musicians, and
organises, every two years, a contest with awards a real star group in Las Hijas del Sol.
for the best song in a local language and the best With their harmonious voices, Las Hijas have a
song in Spanish. unique beauty, well captured on their 1995 disc,
The dominant style among EG-based bands is Sibeba, a sparse production with just voices, drums
Cameroonian makossa, though Congolese souk- and guitar — the latter from the late, great Super
ous and rock can also be heard. And the colonial Momo (he died in 1996), a guitarist who started

478 Equatorial Guinea

 discography
Compilations
p* Calles de Malabo
83 (Nubenegra, Spain).

Get to know the new generation of musicians in Equatorial

Guinea: Chiquitin, Nona de Macha, Sindy, Elvis Romeo, Pola,
Yoli Miski, Luisira, Nuresu, Samuelin, Aniobe and Chariot
O
Zemba. A variety of modern styles.
-I
S3 CAS Revelations 2000 (Eko Music, Cameroon). o
A production by ICEF and CICIBA featuring Apolonio Mba,
Jose Siale, Paco Bass, Kouki, Isabel Idjabe. Gady Bass and
r—
Hijas del Sol.
o
S3 Mbayah (Nubenegra, Spain).

A CD-ROM compilation of traditional music, interpreted by

amateur musicians and singers from the Fang, Ndowe and m
Bubi peoples, using indigenous instruments. Guest players
include Hijas del Sol, Muana Sinepi and Baron Ya Buk-Lu.

Artists

Baron Ya Buk-Lu
The Baron is a Fang pop artist based in Spain, who in the
1 990s has played in a variety of styles.

83 B.B. Project (Ngomo, Spain).

Disco music with Fang roots.

Las Hijas del Sol

Las Hijas del Sol
Their name means 'daughters of the sun', though the duo
of Piruchi Apo and Paloma Loribo are really aunt and
his career in 1983 leading the Cafe Band Sound in niece. They are Bubi-speakers - native Bioko islanders -
Malabo. On their second, Spanish-produced, CD, and their songs are very different from those of other
Kotto, the Hijas follow Bubiby singing a
tradition tribes due to the isolation of the island from the mainland.

cappella, while also incorporating reggae, makosa E Sibeba (Nubenegra, Spain).

and other rhythms. Their songs deal with themes A brilliant first from EG and very in tune with
international release
such as immigration, racism and the environment. tradition on 1995 debut, with the Hijas' voices stripped
this

Another fine Madrid-based artist, about to down against a jungle of percussion and a little electric guitar
(the latter from Armando 'Super' Momo —
who, alas, died the
release her first CD in Spain, is Muana Sinepi,
year after its release). Extensive liner notes, in Spanish.
who collaborated on the soundtrack for the film
Kotto
Lejos de Africa, made in Equatorial Guinea. Her
(Nubenegra, Spain).
stage name means 'small singer' - she first went
Varied, inventive, constantly surprising in its shifts of rhythm
on stage at the age of nine. Muana usually accom-
and colour, Kottd is a masterpiece with songs in Bubi and
panies herself on guitar, though she has also been Spanish, and traditional rhythms mixed with reggae, makossa
working recendy with former members of the Bisi- and combines the startling vocal talents of the Hijas
bikutsi. It

with ambitious arrangements and pointed lyrics: "You, who

la System in a group. She has a very sensual voice
changed my paradise [by drilling for oil] have a desert in your
with a soft pop tone. heart. Stop to listen to my song before making any deci-
Baron Ya Buk-Lu, a Fang, has had different sions." Fat chance.

luck around the Malabo Dos disco scene. He con-

and
tinues to persevere in his search for a style, Mascara
continues to turn out new, Spanish-produced The Zamora brothers' group from Annobon island are
records. The most obvious pop representatives, expected to make a comeback with a new CD after the

however, are the Zamora brothers, the musicians success of their last release.

who make up Mascara; originally from Annobon S3 Bimole (Twins, Spain).

island, they had a hit back home in the early 1 990s Tradition-laced pop music which had a major impact in EG
with their album Bi Mole. when released in the early 1990s.

Equatorial Guinea 479

 Ethiopia

land of wax and gold

Ethiopia is one most fascinating countries
of Africa's —
musically and in every other respect and —
after years of war and dictatorship it is once again open to foreign visitors. An ancient mountain
civil

kingdom, it is dominated by the Amhara language group - one of the world's oldest Christian
communities. Modern Ethiopian music is dramatic and soulful, based on a* five-note scale, and
irresistible in the hands of key singers like Aster Aweke or Mahmoud Ahmed. Francis Falceto, long-

time aficionado, tours the land of Ras Tafari.

you get off the plane at Addis Ababa, you put overseas visitors through painstaking inspec-

As are greeted
to Ethiopia,
by a sign that reads

Centre of Active Recreation

"Welcome tions
them
of locally bought cassettes before allowing
to leave the country. Little surprise then, that
and Relaxation". It is a sentiment sublime those musicians who could emigrate did so, opt-

in its optimism but perhaps no more or less the ing for a precarious exile in the US, Sudan, Saudi
truth than all of the disaster-laden cliches that have number included Aster
Arabia or Europe. Their
been the currency of Ethiopian reportage for the Aweke, Ephrem Tamru, Kuku Sebsebe, Menelik
two or three decades. And with a new millen-
last Wossenatchew, Teshome Meteku, the producer
nium beginning, the ancient land of Ethiopia could Amha Eshete ... a roll call of the leading artists

just be in line for worldly rehabilitation. The ongo- of the day.

ing dispute with Eritrea, which still sporadically All this has changed and at the close of the 1 990s
simmers into war, continues to cast a pall, but the music feels omnipresent in Addis Ababa, the cap-
country has come a long way since it shed its ital,honking out of battered tape decks in buses
'Marxist' dictorship in 1991 and brought to an end and taxis, drifting from stores and markets and

thirty disastrous years of civil war. pumped up loud at the innumerable little restau-
rants (tedjbets or bunnabets), guesthouses and semi-
° private drinking parlours. These nerve centres of
o national vitality had a buzz about them even dur-
o ing the years of dictatorship - and they have bur-

j geoned since its demise.

>
z

! Trad/Mod and the

s
—
Golden Age
° Traditional music forms the basis of all Ethiopian

J styles. Even the most famous contemporary singing

§ stars like Tlahoun Gessesse. Mahmoud Ahmed
c and Neway Debebe have two repertoires, one
w modern, the other rooted in tradition. Ethiopians
Frew Hayln and The Imperial Bodyguard Band buy modern and traditional cassettes with equal
enthusiasm, and the modernity in question is essen-
The civilwar - and Mengistu's 17 years of dic- tially that of the 'modern' Western instruments

tatorship - had a profound effect on Ethiopia's cul- which have been introduced.
tural and musical life. For most of the Mengistu The first Western imports were brass bands,
years, a continuous curfew deprived a whole gen- brought in by the military under Haile Selassie. Per-
eration of Ethiopians of any kind of nightlife. To formers tried out their instruments on traditional
these restrictions was added a censorship of night- material and by the late 1940s there were full

marish pedantry that picked through song lyrics orchestras to accompany fashionable The
singers.

before recording sessions could be licensed, and first among them were the Imperial Bodyguard

480 Ethiopia
 Aster Aweke
Ethiopia's most successful World Music star, Aster
Aweke was born in 1961 near Gondar, the ancient
capital of the country. In the aftermath of the overthrow
of Haile Selassie in 1974, she was already preparing
herself for a life of music. Strongly influenced by an
Addis musical idol of the time, Bezunesh Bekele, she
sang first in 1 977 with various groups, then went solo
and was 'discovered' by the producer and record shop
owner Ali Tango for whom she released several cas-
settes and a couple of 45rpm singles.

Her exceptional voice became well known, and she

joined the famous Roha Band in 1978. By 1979, how-
ever, the revolutionary climate in Ethiopia had become
intolerable for free spirits like Aster and she fled the

country to the US. She eventually settled among the

diplomatic and African exile community of Washing-
ton DC, where she set about re-establishing her musi-
cal career on the club and restaurant circuit. A
formidable careerist ("I have never been in love"), she
has cleaved a straight path to World Music stardom
by never allowing her superbly vocalised and fiery -
often pretty raunchy - lyrics to be swamped by arrange-
ments. She is currently based in L.A.

Band, the Army Band and the Police Band. Shopping around for CDs - or if you're lucky
trained initially by professionals, often Armenians, enough to visit, for local cassettes — pretty much all

brought from Europe, but gradually private

in the recordings of the 1 960s and '70s pioneers are
orchestras grew up alongside. In Addis, you can worth getting hold of. Premier league names include
occasionally come across the odd back-street shop Tlahoun Gessesse, Bezunesh Bekele, Hirut
full of old 45s from the 970s in which these orches-
1 Bekele (no relation), Mahmoud Ahmed, Ali
tras accompany stars like Tlahoun Gessesse and Mah- Birra,Alemayehu Eshete, Muluken Mellesse
moud Ahmed. And they remain popular, copied to and Ayalew Mesfin. Try to get your hands on the
order on cassette. w five Ethiopian Hit Parade LPs,

The special characteristic

g compilations which comprise,
of Ethiopian music the % is
Grand Dance fii I
apart from the stars men-
use of five-note, penta- J
a
Evening tioned, traditional musicians
tonic scale with large inter- such as Kassa Tessema,
vals between some of the g Mary Armede, Ketema
6-t\ If-fcA
notes, giving an unresolved < Makonnen, Asnaketch
feeling to the music, like g Sunday Worku and Alemu Aga.
waiting for a stone to hit < June 9th Instrumental music also
the bottom of a and £
well, 1968 has its key figure in the
not hearing it. These modes p atHarrar shape of Mulatu Astatke,
c ° Ras Hotel
create an intensity or per- ™ promoter and sole exponent
formance not unlike soul g of Ethio-jazz and the king
music - especially in the of arrangers through this

hands of a singer like the golden, pre-revolutionary

Los Angeles-based exile age. Another superb figure,
Aster Aweke. The limp- though seemingly forgotten
ing asymmetrical rhythm of these days, was Getatchew
much of the music is also Mekuria. a saxophone and
Featuring the new guest star Mulatu Aatattfc?
highly characteristic. Ethiopia's nott famous fast musician fromtTSA clarinet player.

Ethiopia 481
 The main body of Ethiopian records was pro- New Styles
duced in just one decade, from 1969-1978. In all,

some 500 singles, and just thirty LPs were released At the turn of the millennium, with the establish-

in this 'golden age". Pressed first in India, then in ment ot a tragile democracy and the return of free-
Lebanon, Greece and finally Kenya, up to 3000 dom of expression, it's not unreasonable to hope
copies were produced for big hits — serious num- for a creative renewal for Ethiopian music: less of

bers at the time. And by the end ot this period, the one-two beat immediately danceable stuff, and
with the advent of a local cassette industry, there a repewal of inspiration from the old style, ryth-
mically formidable uhik-tchik-ka. with unfet-
o were tape
hits sold
pressings of 20—30,000. while the biggest
more than 100,000. tered lyrics, controlled synthesisers, and supreme
its

horn sections. New talents are already josding in

- Gera Nekatibeb. Fikreaddis.
Wax and Gold •
an exciting field

Solomon 'Houloum zero zero' Tekalegn.

During the dark years of the dictatorship in the
and Hebiste Tiruneh. a brilliant woman singer
tipped as Aweke. A num-
the successor to Aster
1980s, the cassette industry continued, and new
ber of bands, too - the Abyssinia Band, the
singers emerged beside? the veteran artists. Most
Medina Band and the Axumite Band - are
stayed in the country as it had become virtually
waiting in the wings.
impossible to emigrate. The top local stars of the
Also getting a hearing is Tigrinya music from
decade included the singers Ephrem Tamru.
Eritrea and Tigray. It is characterised by repeti-
Kuku Sebsebe. Netsanet Mellesse. Teshome
tive, throbbing, camel-walk rhythms. There was
Wolde and Amelmal Abate, and they shared the
a stunning recent CD, Kozli Gaba, by Abraham
trio of professional orchestras for recording ses-
Afewerki, one of the best singers, released in Italy.
sions. Three historic groups were also important
Don't look for Ethiopian reggae, though. It's
in this era — the Wallias Band, the Roha Band true the word "Rastatan" comes from Ras Tafari
and the Ethio Stars. Makonnen. the tide and surname of Haile Selassie,
In the late 1980s, however, one figure eclipsed the emperor of Ethiopia, but rasta fetishism has
last
them all: the singer Neway Debebe became an no special meaning in Ethiopia, despite the admi-
idol, bringing a new freshness which reminded his ration for Bob Marley common to the whole of
public of the vocal prowess of the early Tlahoun Africa. There is a community ot Jamaican rastas at
Gessesse. Alongside a generation ot young singers, Sheshemene. 200km south from Addis Ababa, but
Neway renewed interest in the poetic sa le of sem- they're viewed as an imported phenomenon. Nor
enna-werq wax and ( gold), an old Abyssinian tra- is there any discernible relationship between
dition of double entendre which half-fooled the Ethiopian music and reggae. This part of the world
censors, or at least allowed a safety valve whose has never fuelled the African diaspora.
presence they could sometimes ignore without
incurring the wrath of the military chiefs. Live in Addis: Azmaris
Wax and gold meanings were carried to the
public through apparendy innocuous love songs. The best live venues in Addis Ababa are the music
Here, for instance, is "Altchalkoum" (Can't take bars or azmaribets. or the local tedjbets - where
any more), created by Tlahoun Gessesse on the led) (honey beer) is consumed. They're to be found
eve of an abortive coup against Haile Selassie (it absolutely everywhere and you can just look in to
was performed by him with the backing of the see if you like the atmosphere. Apart from a dozen
Imperial Body Guard Band, implicated in the coup or so main roads, the streets of Addis have neither
attempt); it fooled nobody and was quickly banned names nor street numbers, and to give directions
- and was banned people refer to a district, then to a handy point ot
again by Mengistu.
reference, like the post office, a pharmacy, a garage
or an embassy. It's difficult, therefore, to be precise
How long are you going to make me suffer?
I can't take any more, I've had enough. about addresses: but the taxi drivers know nearly all

I'm up to here with it, the music places (book a taxi tor the whole evening).
I'm more than up to here. As Ethiopians are absolute strangers even to the
I can 't take any more. music of the rest of Africa, they're invariably amazed
how can I put up with it? when foreigners show interest in their music. You
I can 't put up with your torments can be sure you'll be adopted and guided, and intro-
I don't know what more I can do. duced to all the best sounds and experiences.

482 Ethiopia
 Ali Tango
Every taxi driver in Addis digital recording equip-
knows the location of ment and he has opened
the cramped little Tango a private studio - a high-
Music and Video Shop, WELCOME
w VOU performance set-up,
in the heart of the Piaz-
SMILE ARE ADMS ABABA IM
even if it's not close to
za, the base of Ali European standards.
'Tango' Kaifa, who has The respected and
played an essential role envied godfather of a
in the Ethiopian music passionate industry, Ali

scene over the last two

LIVE fpUSIC Tango has always
decades. defended the freedom of

A smart talent scout expression of singers

and an inventive pro- "Music this way: azmaribet sign" and independent orches-
ducer, Ali Tango pio- tras - sometimes with
neered the cassette industry after having produced some great cunning during the dictatorship. And he enthuses
fifty records, including cult classics like Mahmoud over all the regional rhythms of Ethiopia - Gurague,
Ahmed's "Ere Mela Mela", Muluken Mellesse's Tigrinya, Gondar, Kotu, Oromo - and even takes an inter-

"Jemeregne", Alemayehu Eshete's "Wededkuh Afk- est in Yemenite and Somali music - a rather unusual path
erkush" and Ayalew Mesfin's "Gunfan". He also 'dis- in such a culturally self-sufficient country.

covered' Aster Aweke, Amelmal Abate, Neway Debebe Lastly, but significantly, Ali Tango introduced the
and most recently the teenage singer Hebiste Tiruneh, concept of affordable video rental before anyone else,

the first great success of the post-dictatorship era. An and the Western TV shows he offered proved stiff com-
enthusiast for technology, Ali Tango was the first to use petition to the indigestible diet of TV-Mengistu'.

You'll meet all sorts of musicians in azmaribets In the Kazentchis area you will meet the great-
— players of krar (lyre), masenqo (one-string fiddle), est Ethiopian voices and characters of bolel:
washint (flute) and kebero (percussion), even accor- Abbebe Fekade (Bati Restaurant), Betsat Sey-

dionists. These musicians are azmari, equivalent oum Yordanos Hotel Street), Adaneh &
(in

to the griots of West Africa or the wandering taraf Malefya Teka, Tigist Assefa, Mandelbosh
musicians of Romania, privileged carriers of pop- 'Assabelew' Dibo, Tedje, to name a few of the
ular music, mediators of collective memory. They hippest. In Yohannes Sefer, you'll find musicians
have an ambivalent reputation among Ethiopians in every house on the street. Try also just off Bole
— mix of suspicion at their bohemian life and
a Road, next to Torero Bar and Ibex Hotel, for the
respect for the power of the word. amazing 'sisters' Zewditou Yohannes & Yezin-
Azmari depend on tips — given to sing what one na Negash. In Datsun Sefer, just ask for Admas-
feels deep down, be it sadness, nostalgia, praises or sou Abate. You'll find him: he's modest but he's
veiled criticism. As such, they had a particularly really the blues itself.

hard time during the dictatorship. But since the Whether you find the atmosphere in your
end of Mengistu, they - and the azmaribets - have azmaribet bluesy or not, the alcohol flows freely
had a spectacular return. The clubs sprang up and the atmosphere gets very hot, very quickly.
throughout the capital, with concentrations in the Better put on your seat belt when they unleash the
areas of Kazentchis and Yohannes Sefer, and a eskista — a dance style in which the shaking of
whole new generation of talented, non-conformist, shoulders and chests would melt a statue.
sarcastic azmaris burst upon the scene. Most arrived
in the capital for the first time from their distant Future Shock
provinces, and the style of this new wave became
known as bolel - literally 'car exhaust fumes' - Ethiopian musicians are still in many ways reeling
the putt-putt-putt ofjabbering and nonsense. Bolel from the effects of the changes since the flight of
is mix of azmari traditions (praise or sarcasm at
a Mengistu and the onset of democracy in 1991. The
will, depending on the tip) and of modern urban end of the civil war resulted in a new country on
culture (the country/city divide, TV, international their northern border - Eritrea - and the first taste

references). of personal freedom for a whole generation. Travel

Ethiopia 483
Hanna Shenkute of The Abyssinia Band

is much easier than before, so musicians and bands remarked, "We don't exactly want to be West-
are able to play and record overseas - and return ernised - we're just trying to produce music of
without a problem - and the opportunity to listen equal quality to the rest of the world. We're work-
to other African and European music is beginning ing hard to make the sound richer and change the
to have an effect on their own. traditional arrangements a bit to make them more
Contemporary bands are also influenced in the modern." They are now experimenting with bub-
same direction by the demands of Addis Ababa bling guitar tunes and writing songs in the seven-
teenage culture, keen to make up for lost exposure tone Western scale rather than traditional
to global youth fashions over the last two decades. pentatonic. Ironically, of course, it's pentatonic,
Western music, reggae, rap and the sounds of Kenya polyphonic music that jumps, that the global audi-
and Congo (Zaire) are all increasingly popular. ence is really attracted to, never mind what the
The Abyssinia Band was formed straight after young trendies in Addis yearn for. If Abyssinia
the end ot the war and is currently one of the Band and their like can bridge the two views, that
hottest groups in Addis. As musician Abiy Solomon would be some success to sing about.

Abiyou Soloman of The Abyssinia Band

484 Ethiopia
 Music Shops in Addis Ababa
If you're looking for recorded music in Addis Ababa, Q
CC
you'll find the city full of 'Music Shops' - cassette- o
copying stores where you can get customised tapes
<
for about E1/$1.60. re
o
At the entrance to the Mercato quarter, near the
Great Mosque, the noteworthy Marathon Music Shop
and Alem Music Shop stand out, in an area where 3
o
music stores run to dozens. Not far from Mercato, the
Piazza quarter is also the base for a number of bigger
o
z
o
centres for music production, in particular Tango DC

Music Shop and Mahmoud Music Shop, the latter

belonging to the singer Mahmoud Ahmed, on the cor-

ner of Cunningham Street and Adwa. Close by on the Mahmoud Ahmed,
other side of the square is Ayalew, owned by Ayalew singer extraordinaire and shopkeeper
Mesf in, a singer who was a big star in the 1 970s. He's Ghion Hotel, belongs to the former lead sax-player
always there, ready with anecdotes about the good old from the Roha Band, Fekadou Amde Meskel. The sec-
days and unofficial recordings of wild Ethiopian Radio ond, Selamino, on Bole Road, is owned by the Roha's
sessions available for fans who call by. His group, the former guitarist, Selam Seyoum, a remarkable instru-
Black Lion Band, had one of the most rapid-fire horn mentalist and the living memory of modern Ethiopian
sections on the pre-Mengistu nightlife scene. music (he has written the first study of it for Addis
To close this shopping trip, there are two stores sit- Ababa University). He's a mine of information for any-
uated outside the strategic centres of Mercato and one who wants to know more about the evolution of
Piazza: the first, Ghion Video, by the entrance to the one of Africa's most engaging musical cultures.

discography
Ifyour local record store can't help, the best place to find
recorded Ethiopian music, and have an unusual meal at
the same time, is your local Ethiopian restaurant. If you
don't have one yet, you may not have long to wait - they
seem to be opening all over the world. For Addis Ababa
shops, see the feature box above.

Contemporary

Compilations
33 Ethiopian Groove: The Golden '70s
(Dona Wana/Blue Silver/Stern's, UK; Abyssinian, US).

This 16-track introduction to the golden age of Ethiopian

music brings together artists unheard outside Ethiopia
(Bezunesh Bekele, Hirut Bekele, Ayalew Mesfin, Tamrat
Ferendji) as well as the earliest recordings of Aster Aweke
the uncertain thumb of King Haile Selassie was thrown aside
and two hits from Alemayehu Eshete.
by the arrival of Mengistu's brutal military dictatorship in

S3 Golden Years of Ethiopian

Ethiopiques 1 : 1974.
Modern Music 1969-1975 (Buda Musique, France).
33 Ethiopiques 2: Tetchawet!:
The first of the compilation series executive-produced by the
Urban Azmaris of the '90s (Buda Musique, France).
author of this article, this features Muluqen Mellesse, the
great Mahmoud Ahmed, Seyfu Yohannes, Teshome Meteku Azmaris are the folk musicians of Addis's hole-in-the-wall
and a track from Getachew Kassa. clubs or azmaribets. the dens where alchohol and live music
combine in a smoky atmosphere and the performers work up
Ethiopiques 3: The Golden Age of Modem
a sweat in delivering a richly codified social commentary in
Ethiopian Music 1969-75 (Buda Musique, France).
exchange for the tips which are their only pay. Azmaribets
Volumes 1 and 3 of Buda's superb series feature bands and have proliferated in the capital since the fall of Mengistu's
artists of the early 1970s: the years of flares and afros and regime and this CD features tracks from ten of their most
African unity, before the relatively healthy turmoil of life under accomplished performers.

Ethiopia 485
 Artists

Mahmoud Ahmed
One of modern Ethiopia's greatest voices, Mahmoud
Ahmed has been at the top for thirty years. His sound is

beautiful, sad, and always danceable.

Ethiopiques 7: Mahmoud Ahmed

(Buda Musique, France).

Recorded in Addis in 1975 with the Ibex Band - most of

whose members went on to found the Roha Band - this was
2 the first modern Ethiopian recording to be released in the
West, and became something of a cult album. A classic: one
hit, you're hooked. The same disc is available on all the labels

above, though the Buda release is remastered and has four

extra tracks; Ethiopiques has a further volume, Vol. 6,.also
devoted to Mahmoud Ahmed.

S3 Soul of Addis (Earthworks, UK).

A good compilation of Mahmoud 's work.

Mulatu Astatke and Ethio-Jazz

As a teenager in the early 1960s, Mulatu Astatke studied
music in England and the USA. No other musician in
Ethiopia is anything like Mulatu, and looks like his style will
it

die with him.

S Ethiopiques 4: Ethio-Jazz et Musique

Instrumentale 1969-1974 (Buda Musique, France).

Chronologically, part of the same early- 1970s era as Vols 1

and 3 Buda's series, but the sound here is very different,

of
Krar, drums and washint from the Tukul Band
with two LPs' worth of instrumental tracks from the
superbly brooding, and - unique in Ethiopia - Latin-influ-
enced tones of Mulatu (on keyboards) and his Ethio-Jazz
33 Amharic Hits (Piranha, Germany).
Band.
This CD brings together some of the best instrumentalists in

Aster Aweke the business (particularly Kut Ojulu on bass krar). All pro-
duced by the dynamic Global Music Centre in Helsinki.
The Ethiopian artist (after Mahmoud Ahmed) to
first
crossover into the Western market, Aster Aweke has a
voice that kills you. She emigrated to the US in the late
Netsanet Mellesse
1970s but remains hugely popular at home. Netsanetis from the young generation of artists who have

emerged over the past decade and, with his soulful voice,

m Kabu and Aster (Triple Earth, UK; Columbia,

Ebo (Barkhanns/Stern's, UK).
These CDs, recorded in the US and London between 1989
US);
has become one of the top post-Mengistu stars.

83 Dodge (Dona Wana/Stern's, UK; Shanachie, US).

and 1993, are notably Westernised in the brass section Mellesse's exceptional voice is served perfectly by the
arrangements, but still a formidable introduction to the
sophisticated arrangements of Yohannes Tekola - the trum-
Ethiopian feeling. Aster is perhaps the first choice.
peter and leader of the Wallias Band.

Alemayehu Eshete Roha Band

Alemayehu Eshete introduced the languid poses of rock
For more than twenty years the Roha Band has been the
into his country's music but it's his profoundly Ethiopian,
top Ethiopian group, as well as backing most of the coun-
soul/blues style which knocks out his home audience.
try's recording artists at one time or another.
S3 Alemayehu Eshete Addis Ababa
(Dona Wana/Musidisc Stern's, UK; Shanachie, US). S3 Roha Band Tour 1990 (Aman Int, US).

Recorded in Paris, this CD introduces some of the hits with

Featuring the legendary Neway Debebe, Amelmal Abate and
which Eshete has built his reputation. Listen to the pianist,
Berhane Haile, this is mainly an electric set, with several tradi-

whose keyboard style is unique in Africa. Guest clarinettist is

tional pieces as bonus.
big Ivo Papazov from Macedonia.
Teshome Wolde
Ethio Stars & Tukul Band Born in Shoa province in 1 955, Teshome began his musi-
Two bands one a modern group (formed in 1981)
here: cal career in the Addis City Hall Theatre in the early years
based around the trumpeter Shimeles Beyene and the of the Mengistu dictatorship. Following in the footsteps of
singer Getatchew Kassa, the other a traditional Mahmoud Ahmed, he sings traditional compositions to a
ensemble. modern backing, and also writes his own.

486 Ethiopia
 gist Jean Jenkins. Previously three LPs on the Tangent label,
83 Ethiopian Soul Revue (Rags Productions, UK).
now available on one wonderful, bumper CD.
With the famous Ethio Stars band behind you, it's hard to go
wrong. Teshome Wolde's first CD release (following nine
Eritrea
Ethiopian cassette recordings), presents love songs in various
arrangements, from jazz to funk and rock, but always with a
hypnotic, swinging beat.
Compilations
Folk and Traditional 83 The Best of 1 8 Eritrean Singers in Europe
(Rags Productions, UK).

Compilations With solid, bang-bang-bang beats and an almost Chinese

sound (from the electric krar harp), Eritrean songs, as typified O
T3
by the persistent rhythms of Tigray, have a sparser feel than
Ethiopie: Love Songs neighbouring Ethiopia's more familiar Amhara sound. But
(Inedit, France).
they share that halting, off-beat style that makes you want to
Two male and one female singer perform exquisite songs dance with a limp. Proceeds from sales of this CD go to sup-
accompanied by Krar (Lyre) and masengo (fiddle). Traditional porting orphans and disabled children through The Eritrean

material compellingly recorded in Paris. Relief Association.

Ethiopie: Polyphonies of the Dorze 83 Ethiopiques 5: Tigrigna Music

S3
(Chant du Monde, France).
(Buda Musique, France).

This discography would be incomplete without paying A compilation devoted to recordings from Tigray (northern
province of Ethiopia) and Eritrea, from 1970-75, this includes
homage to one of the most outstanding aspects of the
tracks by a number of artists who joined the anti-Mengistu
numerous 'tribal' musics found in Ethiopia. Part of the World
resistance, and three songs from Eritrean drummer and
Music heritage.
singer Tekle Tefsa-Ezighe which were suppressed when first

S3 Harp of Apollo (JVC, Japan). recorded in 1975 and got their first airing on this 1998
release. As in all the Ethiopiques CDs, excellent, illustrated
Unpromising ethnomusicological packaging, but this repays a
liner notes complement.
good listen: check out the wonderful voice of Tayech
Berhanu on "Gurague Song" and the kebero-drumming of
Getachew Abdi. Also features nice torn (thumb piano) playing Artists
and the young krar maestro Kut Ojulu.

83 Music from Ethiopia (Caprice Records, Sweden). Abraham Afewerki

Recordings made in Addis with Swedish assistance, bringing Afewerki divides his time between Eritrea and Italy (you
together traditional andmodern songs. Includes some beau- can hear it in Paolo Modugno's production). His music is
tiful examples (especially Lemma Gebre Hiwot.
traditional a good introduction to today's Eritrean beat, following in
Alemayehu Fanta and Asnaketch Worku) and unusual cere- the footsteps of the late, great Yeamane 'Baria' Gebre-
monial flute music from Tigray, in which each flute plays only Michael.
certain notes of the melody. The modern songs aren't repre-
sentative of the best of Ethiopia but are still a reasonable 83 Kozli Gaba (Stile Libero/Virgin, Italy).

showcase for what's around. Good accompanying booklet Eritrean music be more precise Tigrinya music) could
(or to
by Anu Laakkonen and Sten Sandahl. merit a chapter of own, so greatly does it differ from
its

Ethiopian - it has a very specific rhythm, intoxicating and

83 Music of Wax and Gold (Topic, UK).
persistent. This disc is the first Western outing for music from
Ethnic field recordings by the late, respected ethnomusicolo- Africa's newest nation.

Ethiopia 487
 Ghana
gold coast: highlife and roots
Ghanaian music dominated Africa at independence with its highlife styles - and it is possibly the best
researched on the continent. But it had a hard couple of decades, as the economy collapsed and the
z bottom fell out of the record industry. Is a long-awaited resurgence at hand? Ronnie Graham and
John Collins check in. *
>
- Ghana's urban, good-time music
Highlife
- has had enormous influence through-
out West Africa, but its roots are firmly
embedded in the clubs and dancehalls of
the colonial Gold Coast. Here, in the early years
of Ghana's independence in the late 1950s, it effec-

tively became the national music, and for the fifty

•years since, it has proved one of the most popular,

enduring, and adaptable African styles.

Roots
Highlife
and Palm-wine
The highlife story begins in the early years of this
century, when various European influences -
church music, military brass band music, sea
shanties - and African influences from along the
1960 s GUITAR BAND HIGHLIFE of GHANA
coast in Liberia were introduced to the Gold
Coast's own local rhythms and idioms. Forms that It's all Yaa Ampansah: classic acoustic highlife
went into the mix included osibisaba (a Fante
rhythm from southwest Ghana); ashiko, original- tra style favoured by the coastal elite (toppers and
ly from Sierra Leone; mainline, fireman and dagom- tails and much ceremony, according to means). The
ba guitar styles from Liberia; and, perhaps most bands were large-scale string and brass orchestras,
important, gombe. Gombe was introduced to playing the full array of foxtrots, waltzes, quicksteps
Ghana from Sierra Leone, which in turn had and ragtimes. At the other extreme were the poor,
acquired it from freed Maroon slaves from Jamaica often rural, guitar bands playing a neotraditional
in the early nineteenth century. All in all, a pret- African style for less Westernised audiences (often
ty complicated picture. dubbed, especially when least respectable, as palm-
Instrumentation depended on what equipment wine music).
was available and, out of a welter of neo-tradi- Initially a coastal music of the Fante people, this

tional variations there gradually emerged a form latter (low) highlife spread inland after World War
known genetically as highlife. The term, coined I and thereafter focused on the Asante, Kwahu and
in the 1920s, is a reference to the kind of Euro- Akwapim areas around Kumasi, Ghana's second
pean-derived evening of dressing-up and danc- city and capital of the Ashanti region. In the early-

ing (the high which the local elites aspired

life), to days the instruments were simple acoustic guitars,
and to w hich new immigrants to the towns of often homemade, plus a tapped wooden box, a

West Africa between the wars were quite unac- beer bottle hit with a stick or coin and, of course,
customed - but which they soon made their own. voices. The vocals were often pitched high and
Highlife has emerged in many shapes, but initial- had a nasal quality. In time, the bands acquired
ly there were two key varieties. At one extreme was electric guitarsand more sophisticated percussion.
the high highlife of the ballroom - a dance orches- Although there's plenty of room for argument

488 Ghana
about which category each Ghanaian artist and With independence, in 1957, Nkrumah's social-
band belongs to, the broad dance band/guitar band government actively encouraged indige-
ist-aligned

distinction quickly took hold, and was given offi- nous music. Apart from funding dozens of state
ci.tl sanction in I960 when separate musicians' bands, the president frequently travelled to neigh-
unions were set up for the dance and guitar bands. bouring countries with a full dance band - often
During the 1930s and '40s hundreds of highlife the Tempos - in his retinue. Ghana's music
78rpms were released and the style spread to Sier- reflected the assertive self-confidence of Ghana at
ra Leone, Nigeria and even as far south as the Bel- the time - newly independent, reasonably pros-
gian Congo where musicians remember it for its perous and widely respected in the pan-African
simple appeal and attractive, two-finger guitar lines. struggle. Showy, dance-band highlife went from
By the end of World War II, highlife was estab- strength to stength. The top highlife orchestras
lished in West Africa and the UK as typifying vir- composed original material in English and all the
tually all modern African dance music. local languages, incorporating traditional rhythms
into new arrangements. This framework was aug-
Dance-band Highlife mented by forays into 'Congo' music, calypso, and
any other style which grabbed the bandleader's
The already exuberant dance-band style was fur- fancy. The result was a lilting, relaxed, sophisti-
ther enriched during the war by elements of swing cated dance style with enduring appeal.
and jazz, introduced by British and American ser- ET Mensah (see box on p. 491) led the charge
vicemen, to produce what many consider to be clas- with his talented Tempos band. A consummate
sic highlife. These dance bands emerged from the musician, equally at home on sax or trumpet, he
pre-war dance orchestras and flourished during the brought a new level of professionalism to African
rapid process of urbanisation and social change dance music and popularised it throughout the region.
unleashed by the nationalist struggle of Kwame ET Mensah took over the Tempos' leadership
Nkrumah. and direction in the late 1940s from the master

Rural Roots
Highlife is far from the only Ghanaian style. The coun- for the local chief - in the Dagomba country each Mon-
try has a strong, living tradition of indigenous rural music, day and Friday. Passing through towns like Tamale
which continues to feed into urban sounds. These and Yendi you might find something going on because
folk/roots sounds include court music played for chiefs, professional musicians, although attached to chiefs,
the ceremonial music of special occasions, work songs regularly perform for the public. Dagomba drummers
to accompany agriculture and domestic chores, as well are always a great spectacle, their flowing tunics fan-
as music played for pleasure when the day is done. ning out as, palms flying, they dance the takai.

In Ghana, although musicianship tends to be inher- In the northwest, the Lobi, Wala, Dagarti and
ited, musical output is not the prerogative of a partic- Sissala make music with the xylophone - either
ular social caste, as it is in the Mande-speaking world played alone or with a small group of drums and per-
to the north and west. However, as in Mali, Senegal cussion instruments. Finger bells and ankle bells are
and Guinea, a particular ethno-linguistic group does often worn by the dancers.
hold cultural sway over other communities - the Akan The Ewe populate southeastern Ghana. Their
language group of central and southern Ghana. Akan music is closer to the traditions of Togo and Benin than
nationalities include Fante and Asante (or Ashanti), to that of other Ghanaian peoples and, with their enthu-
while on the coast of Ghana, the main groups are the siasm for music associations and drum dance clubs,
Ga-Adangme and the Ewe. All are part of a broadly they've developed many different kinds of recreation-
related family of languages. They have an elaborate al music, like the agbadza, which evolved out of a tra-

court music using large drum ensembles and groups ditional war dance in the 1920s or 30s, and the
of horns. Another great spectacle is the huge log xylo- borborbor, which is a fusion with konkoma highlife
phone played in asonko, a form of recreational music. that was put together in the eastern town of Kpandu
Northeastern Ghana is home to a cluster of Volta- in the early 1950s. The leader of the first borborbor
ic-speaking peoples - the Dagomba, Mamprusi and group was the policeman FC Nuatro. His band con-
Frafra In this area the instruments are mostly fiddles, sisted of young musicians, who were also supporters
lutes and wonderful, hourglass talking-drum ensem- of Kwame Nkrumah. Almost inevitably, the band
bles. It's customary for musicians to perform frequently became known as Nkrumah's Own Borborbor!

Ghana 489
 Palm-Wine Music: Buy the Man a Drink
In Ghana, palm-wine music was the forerunner of gui-
tar-band highlife, and it remains the popular street and
house music of the Akan people - a relaxed, rural,
acoustic guitar style. It takes its name (and purpose)
from late afternoon drinking sessions at palm-wine bars
in the bush - usually simple, outdoor affairs under a big
tree. A musician would turn up with his guitar and play
for as long as people wanted to buy him drinks. This is

music purely for entertainment, and such palm-winers,

like the best drinkers anywhere in the world, tendjto be
comedians as well as parodists of the local scene.

Palm-wine guitar music is fast dying out in Ghana,

partly because musicians are enticed into the electric

guitar bands and concert party groups (or overseas if

they're really good, and lucky), and partly due to the

lack of instruments. In many places, still, someone will
be able to point you in the direction of a palm-wine
musician, but you may have to find an instrument for
him to play on. Buy the man a drink and you may well
find your name included in the current number.
In a professional setting, Ghana's long-time palm-
wine star was undoubtedly Kwaa Mensah (no rela-
tion to ET), who was taught the two-finger guitar-picking
style by his uncle, guitar-highlife pioneer, 'Sam' Kwame
Asare. Mensah released hundreds of 78s in the 1 950s,
and a decade later his style (and many of his songs)

were copied by dozens of highlife guitar bands. By then

he had withdrawn from the limelight, though he had a
1 970s, when he toured the US
brief return in the late

Ga roots troupe, Wulomei, and made an album,

with the

Wawo Christo. He died in 1991 The prolific Kwaa Mensah in regal mode

drummer Guy Warren. The young Warren, aka

Kofi Ghanaba (son of Ghana), was a precocious
talent, responsible for introducing hotter Afro-
Cuban rhythms into the more relaxed highlife
groove. Following a trip to London, where he met
Caribbean musicians, he was also responsible for

the introduction of calypso throughout West

Africa, playing it live with the Tempos whilst
widening its appeal on his radio programmes. In
1953 he began to redirect his efforts and moved,
via Liberia, to the US where he released a series

of radical albums combining modern jazz with

African percussion and aiming to reintroduce black
Americans to their African roots - legendary
recordings now worth their weight in gold.

Another major figure in classic era big-band

highlifewas King Bruce, whose trumpeter's taste
was for jazz and swing. He established a stable of
dance bands, which included his own, famous
King Bruce Black Beats, the Barbecues, the Barons and five

490 Ghana
other groups, all beginning with B and mostly formed in 1962 by Hansen and nine other Black
playing 'copyright' - in other words covers. In Beat escapees and eventually consisting of a fully

the mid-1990s King's son, Eddie Bruce, re- professional, fifteen-man line-up. Almost unique-
released two professional quality cassettes of Black ly, they made a living from their shows and records
Beats' evergreens. This was followed by a CD and for nearly twenty years (and, in a second-genera-
a biography (John Collins) jointly released in 1997. tion, Jerry-Junior incarnation, are still going about
Sadly, King Bruce died in September 1997. it in the 1990s).
Yet another B band - the Broadways, led by Yet fashions were changing and
a foretaste of

the guitarist Stan Flange, and not part of the King highlife's decline 1966 with the CIA-
came in
Bruce stable - went on to become the big-band inspired overthrow of Nkrumah and the first in a
Professional Uhuru Band in 1965. Stan is cur- long line of corrupt, military juntas. By the 1970s,
rently the Director of the Ghana Broadcasting dance-band highlife was on the way out, under-
highJife band. mined by new, imported pop styles and the near-
The other big highlife dance band was Jerry impossibility of maintaining large, full-time groups
Hansen's Ramblers International Dance Band, in a declining economy.

ET Mensah: King of Dance-band Highlife

Emmanuel Tettey 'ET' Mensah - the King of High- clips (claves) and maracas, ET and the Tempos cut a
life' - was born into a musical family in Accra in 1919. swathe through the competition with hit after hit, includ-

He learned the fife and played in the huge school band ing "Schoolgirl", "You Call Me Roko", "All For You",
run by the legendary Joe 'Teacher' Lamptey. At sec- along with a variety of calypsos, cha-cha-chas, boleros
ondary school, in the 1930s, he learnt organ and sax and charangas. The band toured regularly and made
before forming the Accra Rhythmic Orchestra. But it was an enormous impact in West Africa.

World War II which When highlife big

marked the turning bands proved impos-

point in his career. In sible to maintain, ET
1941 Accra had the Mensah went into
busiest airport in the musical semi-retire-
world, as the Allies ment, earning his liv-

mobilised forces for ing as a government

the Middle East cam- pharmacist. He was
paign. Thousands of called back into action

European and Ameri- during the mid-1970s

can soldiers (among roots revival, record-
them many musicians) ing several golden
passed through Ghana oldie albums for Afro-

and introduced mod- disia producer Faisal

em jazz and swing into Helwani, and perform-
the indigenous highlife ing regularly in Accra.
style. ET joined forces He made further
with Scottish trum- comebacks in 1982,
peter Sergeant Jack with a trip to Nigeria
No money troubles for ET Mensah (right)
Leopard, who encour- and the release of
aged him to notate his music, tighten up the arrange- "Highlife Giants of Africa" with Nigerian trumpeter Vic-

ments and accommodate new influences. tor Olaiya, and in 1 986 when a batch of original record-

After the war ET joined the famous Tempos, then ings from 1956 were reissued on the London-based
under the joint leadership of Guy Warren and bassist RetroAfric label. Anyone privileged to see one of his

Joe Kelly. ET, with a more disciplined approach to band live performances in London or Amsterdam, perform-
management and a masterful touch with arrangements ing in a wheelchair, the golden tones and classic
(not to mention several armloads of instruments), grad- arrangements intact, couldn't fail to appreciate his
ually assumed control of the band, and by 1952 they contribution.
were ready for their first studio venture. Featuring trum- ET Mensah died in June 1996 from a long and
pet, trombone, saxes, double bass, drums, congas, He was accorded a state funeral.
debilitating illness.

Ghana 491
Guitar-band Highlife
Guitar-band highlife first achieved big popu-
larity in the 1930s, when the top guitar band was
Sam's Trio, led by Jacob Sam (Kwame Asare).
His Trio first recorded in 1928 for Zonophone,
in London, and put out three versions of his famous
song "Yaa Amponsah", the structure of which runs
through many a great highlife number.
A key figure in the music's development was EK
Nyame. In the early 1950s, he was in the van-
guard of the folk-guitar scene. He pioneered singing
in the local language of Kumasi (Twi) and devel-
oped the guitar band repertoire by adding jazz ele-
ments, including double bass and Latin percussion.
As leader of the Akan.Trio, the most popular of
all guitar highlife bands, he also grafted highlife
onto Ghana's popular vaudeville concert shows, or
'concert parties', which, with guitar bands, com-
bined music, dance and drama into an all-night
extravaganza. The trio played stock roles from the
repertoire - 'Bob' (a joker), 'the gentleman', and
'the woman' (a man dressed in women's clothing),
mounting semi-improvised plays (intended to be
hilarious as well as topical), and breaking to take
up their instruments. They were a huge success The African Brothers give it the grand calabash
everywhere they played. In 1975, Nyame record-
ed a set of old numbers to keep for posterity what with new variations on the highlife theme as they
had only been recorded previously on fragile shel- responded to the rising challenge of disco and,
lac. He died in 1977 and was given a state funeral later, reggae.
for his contribution to the nation. An evolving approach to highlife was adopted
In the 1960s, highlife guitar bands all went elec- by a number of bands promoted by the forward-
tric and the rootsier. older styles vanished for a looking music entrepreneur Faisal Helwani. Hel-
decade, until Ghana's Roots Revival of the mid- wani supported innovative fusion groups like
1970s. This adopted several guises but it's hard to Hedzolleh ('Peace-Freedom' in Ga, the language
overstress the importance of the 1 97 1 Soul To Soul of Accra), Basa-Basa (Chaos) and the Bunzus.
festival in Accra which featured Santana, Wilson who dug into Ghanaian culture and presented it
Picket and Ike and Tina Turner on the same bill in a sophisticated package. At the same time, he
as home-grown highlife and drum bands. The pres- tried to repackage giants of the past, promoting
ence of internationally successful black musicians ET Mensah, the Uhurus and the palm-wine acous-
acted as a major stimulus, almost seeming to legit- tic guitarist Kwaa Mensah in a series of weekend

imise Ghanaian musical endeavour. Equally, how- variety shows.

ever, the contrast between the local and the Another initiative came in the form of the Ga
imported, for those who attended, and its subse- cultural revival spearheaded by the neotraditional
quent reverberations through the Ghanaian music cultural troupe Wulomei (Ga for 'Fetish Priest')
scene, looked for a while like wiping out indige- - pop-minded young people "to for-
to encourage
nous sounds altogether and replacing live music get foreign music and do their own thing", in the
on the dance floor with imported vinyl. words of leader Nii Ashitey. They toured with
But the threat acted as a spur. The guitar-band Kwaa Mensah and were soon followed by other
variety of highlife - still a vibrant, popular style in Ga bands such as Dzadzeloi, Blemabii. Abladei
the hands and voices of Nana Ampadu and the and Suku Troupe. These groups were charac-
African Brothers, the Ashanti Brothers, the terised by powerful Ga drumming, sweet female
City Boys, Alex Konadu's Band and dozens of harmonies and exciting floor shows, yet they were
others - received a new lease of life. F Kenya, as comfortable in hotel cabarets as they were in
CK Mann and Eddie Donkor all had big hits downtown Accra compounds. The Ga cultural

492 Ghana
 Classic Guitar-band Highlife
Some of Ghana's greatest bands reached maturity in highly personal, reflective songs, mostly sung in Twi,
the 1970s, creating classic guitar-band highlife. the Asante language. But it's in his charismatic live

Nana Ampadu and his African Brothers Inter- shows that Konadu's "one man thousand/one man
national Band, formed in 1963, are still one of the bulldozer/one man army" personality is most clearly

country's most innovative and enduring guitar groups. released. It is said that he has played in every town
They had their earliest and one of their best-loved hits and village in Ghana and his loyalty to the country

in 1967 with "Ebi Tie Ye" - a plea for democracy in the and to guitar-highlife music is legendary.
dark days following the fall of Nkrumah - and had A third figure in classic highlife was CK Mann, one
released over 1 00 songs on singles before 1 970 and of the most influential African guitarists of the 1970s.
the release of their first LP, Ena Eye A Mane Me. Since He graduated out of Moses Kweku 'Kakaiku' Opong's
then they've made nearly
sixty albums and twice as
many singles. Always a
group to mix street wisdom
with thinly veiled political
comment, they never let
this interfere with good

music, and are forever try-

ing something new.

Unlike most Ghanaian
bands, they play entirely
their own material. During

the 1970s they experi-

mented with a variety of
styles including reggae,
rumba and what they called

Afro-hili, a James Brown-

inspired beat which was a
challenge to Fela Kuti's
Afro-Beat and was sup-
Alex Konadu - one man and his band
posed to embrace all African forms. In recent years band (Kakaiku's) in the 1960s and, in his own band,
they have returned to a more refined highlife with strong Carousel Seven, started composing songs with a close
rhythms and sparkling guitars. version of the traditional osode beat and a single gui-

An early stalwart of the band was the late Senior tar - his own. The slightly melancholy results were enor-
Eddie Donkor, who established his own Simple Seven mously popular and CK more or less had the rootsier
band in the mid-1 970s and had a series of pidgin English end of the Ghanaian highlife market to himself in the
hits like "Na Who Cause Am?" and "Asiko Darling". mid-1970s. But, with commercial success came a
Another major highlife star - and often dubbed a steady dilution of what made the sound really distinc-

purist - is Alex Konadu. He and his band play music tive and, by the mid-80s, CK Mann had retired into rel-

firmly rooted in Ghanaian traditions and he is today ative obscurity. Now based in Canada, he attempted
the uncrowned king of guitar-band highlife, with a to revive his career with the 1995 album, Timeless High-
dozen albums to He has enjoyed massive
his credit. life, and by guesting as a vocalist on the Con Ghana
sales throughout anglophone West Africa with his Cuban release of the same year.

troupes still play in Accra and it is always worth jazz and classical influences. He has been a source
checking a troupe known as Bukotn, led by Bi of inspiraton to Ghanaian musicians trying to graft
Boy Nii Ashitey (formerly of Wulonei). new musical stock onto old roots, and, now in his

Highlife guitar styles were revitalised by Daniel early sixties, continues to perform regularly with
'Koo Nimo' Amponsah. He absorbed the guts his all-acoustic Adadam band. He recently incor-
of his finger-picking, palm- wine guitar style from porated the Akan seprewa harp-lute into his group
Kwame Asare, Kwaa Mensah and EK Nyame, but and arranged for this almost extinct instrument to
learnt classical guitar in his late twenties, and be taught at the University of Ghana's School of
brought in all kinds of European and American Performing Arts.

Ghana 493
 The Highlife Diaspora Jazz (of Ampoumah's Guitar Band) who spent
seven years in Zaire playing with Franco and the
For almost two decades - the golden era of OK Jazz. Later, in the 1970s, he spent two years in

Nkrumah's Revolution - Ghana was the very heart Onitsha, with the Igbo highlife guitar master, the
of Africa and African music. However, with late Stephen Osadebe. Most recendy, TO has turned
Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966 the country began his hand, back home, to highlife-gospel music.
a downward spiral of political instability, corrup- Ghana's relationship with Britain was, of course,
tion and economic collapse. Musicians suffered long established. The folk musician Kwame 'Sam'
alongside everyone else and their livelihoods were Asare had sailed to England 1928 to
as early as

in jeopardy when the clubs and dancehalls began make the first-ever highlife recordings, and dur-
closing, the instruments and equipment broke ing the 1930s all the country's top musicians made
down and the beer dried up. the pilgrimage to Decca's London studios. Ghana-
2 Many musicians left to seek work abroad. ^The ians also started to put down roots in Britain: many
nucleus of Osibisa, for instance, who were the arrived as students and seamen and ended up set-

most prominent African band in Europe in the An early arrival in the 1930s was
tling as musicians.

1970s (see box), left Ghana shortly after the 1966 Cab Quaye, who joined Billy Cotton's Big Band;
coup. Through the 1970s, and particularly during in the 1940s Guy Warren played bongos with
the early 1980s, when Ghana reached an all-time Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists. By the 1960s, a
low, many others joined them, leaving to seek work new generation was arriving, while British tours
in Europe or, closer to home, Nigeria, which was by ET Mensah, Jerry Hansen's Ramblers and even
enjoying a period of booming oil prosperity. theGold Coast Police Band served to keep expat
Many Ghanaian highlife bands flourished in Lagos Ghanaians in touch with home.
and in Nigeria's eastern, Igbo regions. Okukuseku In the early 1980s scores of talented Ghanaian
became the best-known but dozens of others — musicians arrived in Britain to add momentum to
among them the Canadoes, the Opambuas, Odoy- the burgeoning interest in African music, making
wewu, the Kuul Strangers, the Beach Scorpions, their presence felt as sessionists, teachers and ban-
the Golden Boys and Citystyle - also made their dleaders. Important contributions were made by
mark in Nigeria, often recording only one album Kwabena Oduro-Kwarteng, Kofi Adu, Herman
before returning to Ghana. A specific example of a Asafo-Agyei and Sam Ashley, the core members of
well-travelled professional musician was Mr TO Hi-Life International, a successful London-based

Osibisa
In Britain at the end of the 1 960s, pop audiences were home in Ghana, Osibisa became a beacon of hope to

presented for the first time with African music: the musicians struggling to keep body and soul together.
"criss-cross rhythms which explode with happiness" But Osibisa were, perhaps, a decade too early. Crit-

of Osibisa. Formed in London in 1968 by Ghanaians icised by purists for muddling African rhythms with
Teddy Osei. Mac Tontoh and Western rock, but asked repeat-
Sol Amarfio, and with a mixed T iTe BEST O edly by record companies to
African and Caribbean line-up, adjust their style and presentation
Osibisa's 'Afro-rock' singles to the needs of America's bur-
climbed the British charts and in geoning soul and disco markets,
the 1970s three of them - "Dance they switched from label to label
the Body Music", "Sunshine Day" and momentum. By
steadily lost
and "Coffee Song" - made it into when
the early 1980s, at a time
the UK Top Ten (still almost Sunny Ade's undiluted juju was
unheard of for African musicians). making headlines for Virgin

Osibisa took their name from Records, Osibisa's popularity had

osibisaba, a pre-war proto-high- largely melted away.
life rhythm, which they chose to Yet their music was so innova-
reflect the coming-together of African roots and for- tive and influential that ft was a prime candidate for re-

eign pop. They were, for many years, the world's best- release. Between 1995 and 1997 the Red Steel label

known African band and they made a lasting impact did the honourable thing and re-issued the entire eight-

throughout Africa. As the situation deteriorated back album Osibisa canon.

494 Ghana
band with two albums on Stern's. Other Ghanaian Gospel and Reggae
became core members of busy touring and
arrivals

recording groups like Orchestra Jazira and Kab- At home, Ghanaian music entered the 1980s in
bala, while Dade Krama ploughed a lonelier fur- much the same shape as the country itself - hun-
row with an innovative, more arty approach. And gry, revolutionary and weakened by a decade of

there were dozens of other Ghanaian musicians on undermined the motiva-

neglect. Cassette piracy
the session music scene, like guitarist Alfred Ban- two studios had survived
tion to record, while only
nerman, keyboard specialist Jon K and vocalist the degradations of the 1970s. Those musicians
Ben Brako. remaining at home began to organise and lobby for
In the mid-1980s, due to changes in British government support and had some success, with,

immigration laws, Ghanaians began to focus their for example, the criminalisation of tape piracy, and
attentions on Germany. Here, highlife was being state copyright protection. Musically, meantime,
fused with funk and rock to produce a new, hard- gospel and reggae were the new forces.

er-edged, studio sound. George Darko led the With economic decline came a rise in religion,

way and his song "Akoo Te Brafo" (recorded in and especially pentecostal and evangelical church-
Berlin but a big hit in Ghana) gave rise to the term es, and as secular nightlife took a dive, many musi-
'burgher highlife'. He claimed Koo Nimo as a cians were hired by churches to promote the
major influence, although, in taith, it's hard to hear message. By the 1990s, there were an estimated
many traces of the classical/palm-wine guitarist. 800 gospel groups, many of them playing variants
He returned to live in Ghana in 1989. Meantime, of highlife. While few records are made, cheap
members of his band had fomied Kantata in Berlin, cassettes are ubiquitous. Top groups include the
album of dance floor highlife
releasing a successful wonderful Genesis Gospel Singers, one of seven
including the song "Slim Lady", which was a huge bands of the Christo Asafo mission.
success back in Ghana. In the 1990s, computer Ghana's local gospel music now represents
sourced 'burgher' highlife takes a huge slice of the around 60 percent of the country's commercial pop
Ghanaian popular music market, purveyed by lead- output and airplay. Many churches have their own
ing exponents. Daddy Lumba (ex-Lumba Broth- recording studios (note the Jesus Above All studio

ers) and Nana Acheampong. in east Legon, outside Accra) and in 1987 a Gospel
Towards the end of the 1 980s, Canada - in par- Musicians Union was established. An important
ticular Toronto, where there was an established consequence of the gospel revolution was that, for

Ghanaian community - started to attract Ghanaian

musicians. Herman Asafo-Agyei, the bass player,

composer and leader of the Afro-funk outfit Native

Spirit, led the way and he was later joined by drum-
mer Kofi Adu and star vocalists Pat Thomas, AB
Crentsil and Jewel Ackah. Pat Thomas, one of
Ghana's premier highlife vocalists, sang with many
of the country's great dance bands in the 1970s before
going solo in the following decade. He gained inter-

national recognition with 1980s albums such as High-

life Greats. AB Crentsil's band, the Sweet Talks,

was one of Ghana's top highlife groups, and in 1 978
they went to LA to record the classic Holl)mwd High-
life Party. Soon after the group's split, Crentsil fonned
the new Ahenfo Band, which again won interna-
tional acclaim with discs like Tantie Alalia.

In addition, the Ghanaian musical diaspora

includes individual artists based in other countries
- Kumbi Salleh in Holland, Mustapha Tettey
Addy, who commutes between Ghana and Ger-
many, Andy Vans, based in Switzerland and Obo
Addy in the US. And everywhere they go, Ghana-
ians become effective music teachers, planting deep
roots in host communities through their work in

schools, clubs and social centres. AB Crenl

Ghana 495
 the first time, a substantial
entered the popular dance music arena.
number of women
The result
discography
was the rise to prominence of such great voices as
Ghanaian music deserves a lot more CD re-releases. At
Helen Rhabbles, Mary Ghansah, Diana Afci-
present, you may have to hunt specialist vinyl stores for
wumi, the Tagoe Sisters and the Daughters of many classic highlife discs.
Glorious Jesus. In the old days a woman on stage

was considered 'loose', but who could stop their Highlife

daughter or wife from singing for Christ.
Reggae, with its strong appeal for the disen-
Compilations
franchised underclass, understandbly resonated
heavily throughout Ghana in the late 1970s and O Akomko (Afrodisia, Nigeria).
> 1980s, boosted by football stadium gigs from Cote
This compilation of early 1950s items is, despite its poor
Alpha Blondy. The reggae
d'lvoire's reggae star pressing quality, still one of th£ best introductions to dance-
boom shows no signs of abating. Kojo Antwi, and guitar-band highlife.

originally a singer with Classique Vibes, is now a Classic Highlife

successful solo singer specialising in soft reggae (OsibiSounds, Germany).

songs sung in Twi. KK Kabobo sings a kind of A veritable tour de force featuring the very best of late

reggae highlife, also in Twi. Another name to lis- 1980s/early '90s international highlife - Crentsil, Agyeman,
Darko and, almost inevitably, Osibisa. Required listening for
ten out for is the Fish Band. There are even a
anyone who thought that highlife died in the '70s.
few artists beginning to rap in Twi; Daddy
3D Giants of Danceband Highlife (Original Music, US).
Lumba is one, with gospel rap not far behind.
Ghanaian music comes full-circle. A numbers featuring ET
great stack of old dancehall highlife
Mensah, Ramblers and Professional Uhuru, recalling the days
when highlife reigned supreme.
State of the Art 55 I've Found My Love (Original Music, US).

Another top selection, featuring classic guitar-band

At the start of the new Rawl-
century, with Jerry highlife in

a succession of Yaa Amponsah-style rural shuffles.

ings' relatively stable government, and a renewed

entrepreneurial spirit, an atmosphere has been

established in which Ghanaian musicians can look
Artists
to the future. Hopefully, they will get more inter-
national exposure. It seems that the rise of gospel Jewel Ackah
and reggae in the 1980s meant that overseas audi- Jewel Ackah is one of the 'Big 3' contemporary Ghana
ences lost sight of just how much good Ghanaian vocalists, along with Pat Thomas and AB Crentsil. Jewel
served the musical apprenticeship
full in Ghana before
music was around.
travelling the world in search of success.
Highlife is certainly not extinguished. In addi-
tion to stalwarts like Nana Ampadu and Alex O Electric Hi-Life (Asona, UK).

Konadu, there are new quality bands and musi- A personal favourite from 1986 - mellow, melodic and mature
- awaiting CD reissue.
cians such as theWestern Diamonds, Marriots,
NAKOREX, Papa Yankson, (Gyedu) Blay African Brothers
Ambulley, Nana Tuffuor, Golden Nuggets,
Led by Nana Ampadu, the African Brothers have held
and, most crucially, Amekye Dede. Through the sway as the top highlife guitar band for over thirty years.
1990s, Dede rose through the ranks to become the At their peak in the 1970s and 1980s the band recorded
prolif really and toured incessantly.
single most popular musician in Ghana. He start-
ed his career with the Kumapim Royals before O Agatha (BNELP01, Ghana only).

moving to Nigeria in the early 1980s to try his A West African hit in 1981 , this was perhaps their best album
luck with the Apollo High Kings. In 1987 he - although their singles of the mid-1960s and late '70s would
give any band a run for their money.
returned home and released the sensational Kose
Kose which established a truly national reputation
King Bruce & the Black Beats
for theyoung guitarist. Playing in a highlife-reg-
King Bruce (1 922-1 977), was a major figure of the classic
gae idiom which seemed to capture the musical
highlife era, a trumpeter who formed the Black Beats, the
mood of Ghana, Amekye went on to release an first of a string of successful dance bands in Accra, in the
astonishing 15 albums in the 1990s, and made early 1950s.

enough money in the process to set up his own 5EGolden Highlife Classics from the 1950s and
Accra nighclub, the Abrantie Spot, one of the few 1960s (RetroAfric, UK).
venues in Accra that guarantees regular live music. Superb introduction to the sound of Ghana nearly half a century

496 Ghana
ago - all laid-back grooves and claves and slightly pear-
For You
S3 All
shaped horns.
S3 Day By Day (RetroAfric, UK).

AB Crentsil & The Sweet Talks These excellent compilations of 1950s and '60s numbers
were remastered from original 78s. The songs demonstrate
AB Crentsil's Sweet Talks, who split soon after this the full richness of the dance-band highlife idiom, augmented
recording to spawn a host of solo stars, including by forays into calypso, cha-cha-cha and other Latin styles
Agyeman and Frempong, were one of the most popular and performed in a wide range of languages.
highlife acts of the 1 970s, with a string of hit singles and a
successful excursion to the US.
EK Nyame
Hollywood Highlife Party A pioneering musician equally at home in concert party or
(World Circuit, UK). guitar band, EK was enormously influential and highly
Recorded in 1 978, this is beyond a doubt the best Ghanaian respected by colleagues during the 1950s and '60s. His
album of the last twenty years. recordings are now almost impossible to find although a
brief renaissance in the mid-1970s, shortly before his
S3 The Lord's Prayer (Stern's Africa Classics, UK). death, did encourage a new appreciation of his massive
contribution.
Classic reissue of 1970s gospel-style highlife and a serious
lesson in sexy religiosity - the opening bars of the title track O Sankofa (RAL, Ghana).
lift you straight onto your feet. Just great.
The Sankofa (Go Back and Retrieve) collection was put
together to preserve the greatest songs for posterity. It is
George Darko hard to find but repays the effort.

George Darko the original 'Burgher King', acquired his

nickname during a protracted stay in Germany, where he Okukuseku
co-opted funk and rock into highlife, producing a darker,
hard-edged style known as 'Burgher Highlife'. George is a
Formed in 1969, this highlife guitar band from Koforidua
had huge success at home, and then spent many years in
true master guitarist whose overseas success enabled
him to return home and live in some style, performing very
Nigeria when Ghana in the 1970s turned into a curfew
occasionally.
nightmare. They are now back home but rarely perform.

O Highlife Time (Oval, UK). O Take Time (Rogers All Stars, Nigeria).

This 1 983 recording deftly demonstrates the many Igbo high-

A blend of highlife and funk whose hit song "Akoo Te Brofo"
life touches - a top-drawer Ghanaian guitar band at the peak
(Parrot speaks European) made an international impact.
of their powers.

Alex Konadu
Osibisa
Alex Konadu is the uncrowned 'King of Highlife', and
master of sweaty, good-time music. The live shows of the
No review of modern Ghanaian music could possibly be
complete without Osibisa and the 'criss-cross rhythms
'one man bulldozer' are justly celebrated.
which explode with happiness.' In terms of both sales and
83 One Man Thousand Live in London influence, Osibisa's international impact has never been
(World Circuit, UK). surpassed by any other African band. Combining highlife
veterans with Caribbean musicians, they ruled the roost in
No less than what it says - infectious tunes that come back
the late 1960s and '70s, moving on to countless world
to you months later.
tours and a place in history.

Koo Nimo S3 Fire - Hot Flashback Vol 1 (Red Streel, UK).

One of the few remaining masters of the 'palm-wine' style All the hits are here from "The Coffee Song" to "Sunshine

of rural highlife, Koo Nimo is a remarkable all-round gui- Day". If your're too young to remember what all the fuss was
tarist, bringing a wide range of styles, including jazz and about, move heaven and earth for this collection. Red Steel
classical to his astonishing technique. He is equally at have also re-issued all seven original LP recordings on CD.
home playing alone or with his six-piece drum and string
ensemble. The Ramblers
S3 Osabarima (Adasa/Stern's, UK). International Dance Band
This 1976 recording remains Nimo's only commercial release The Ramblers were one of the best and most resilient of

to date, although local cassette recordings are occassional^ the highlife orchestras. They finally called it a day in the
available. early 1980s when leader Jerry Hansen moved to the US.

O The Hit Sounds of the Ramblers (Decca, Nigeria).

ET Mensah and the Tempos
Classic highlife from this fifteen-member orchestra.
ET Mensah learned his trade during the 1930s in the
Accra Rhythmic Orchestra to such effect that when he
joined the already famous Tempos in the late 1940s he
The Western Diamonds
soon assumed control of the band. His first big-band The Western Diamonds, from the twin cities of Sekondi-
highlife recording in 1952 led to a string of hits, and had Takoradi, are the best of the current crop of highlife
an enormous impact on West African musical life. ET dance bands. Formed in the late 1980s by veteran star,
received many awards during his long and illustrious Papa Yankson, they are dynamic stage performers who
career, finally hanging up his horn in 1996, and he was guarantee a good time whether storming Accra or on one
honoured with a state funeral. of their regular European tours.

Ghana 497
 S3 Diamonds Forever (Sterns, UK). Alfred Kari Bannerman
A benchmark album of 1990s highlife.
Bannerman a master guitarist, veteran of a thousand
is

studio sessions and a member of almost every serious UK

Papa Yankson based highlife band since the days of Osibisa.

The lead singer of The Western Diamonds (above) also Ghana Gone Jazz
has a solo career. (Blueprint, UK).

o Wiadzi Mu Nsem (Flying Elephant, UK/Germany). At last a Bannerman solo album: jazzier than one perhaps
expects from his numerous public performances, and an
This fine disc was the critical success of 1996.
absolute essential for any African music collection.

Folk, Roots and other Music Dade Krama

Dade Krama, a short-lived but highly influential London-

> Compilations
based neo-traditional outfit, t«ok the city's African circuit
by storm in the mid-1 980s with their powerful, atmospher-
ic percussion-based sound.

Music in Ghana (PAM, Germany).

S3
O Ancestral Music (Own label, UK).

A carefully chosen representative selection of traditional

A reasonable representation of stunning live show and a
their
styles picked from the archives of the Institute of African
unique reminder of how far Ghanaian music can go to
Studies, Legon, near Accra. The only modern track is, signifi-

Ohoho" by EK Nyame!
explore the frontiers of skill and imagination.
canty, "Bra

Jacob Sam & Kumasi Trio

Artists
Sam and the Kumasi Trio are almost legendary figures
from the dawn of Ghanaian popular music - in fact from
Mustapha Tettey Addy the days when it still figured on classroom maps as the
Gold Coast. These are the true pioneers of the guitar
Mustapha Tettey Addy a master drummer from the Ga
is

tradition of Accra. During a long and illustrious career, he band tradition as this remastered 1 928 recording reveals.
has covered all the bases, from pure Ga percussion to
83 Jacob Sam and Kumasi Trio Vols 1 &2
jazz ensembles and drumming workshops for the thou-
(Heritage, UK).
sands happy to put skin to skin, and barter along with one
of the most infectious rhythmic styles in Africa. He owns a Music from a vanished world. Guitar and percussion music
popular drumming school and hotel at Kokrobite, west of with much more than an academic interest.
Accra.

O Mustapha Tettey Addy (Tangent, France). Guy Warren (Kofi Ghanaba)

This 1972 recording, still widely available, demonstrates the No understanding modern Ghanaian music is possible
of
wide variety of Ga drum styles and why Mustapha is so highly Guy Warren's singular effort. Starting
without reference to
regarded at home and abroad. as the Tempos' drummer and leader in the mid-1 940s, he
gave way to ET Mensah and moved to pursue his jazz
interests in the US. Along the way, he pioneered cu-bop
and released half a dozen classic albums before returning
home and changing his name to Kofi Ghanaba.
Considered by many as Africa's finest drummer, Ghanaba
now performs infrequently and lives on his farm.

O Africa Speaks: America Answers

(EMI Regal-Zonophone, US).

Guy Warren at his cu-bop best. A serious collector's item -

check the archives!

Wulomei
Inthe early 1970s, Ga drumming and folk music under-
went a cultural revival, pioneered by the twelve-strong
Wulomei cultural troupe. Often followed, never surpassed.

O Drum Conference (Phonogram, Ghana).

A bit too 'sweet' perhaps on first hearing and difficult to find,

Mustapha Tettey Addy (centre) but perseverance is rewaVded.

498 Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
the backyard beats of gumbe
Guinea-Bissau a small patch of jungle, grassland and mangroves, wedged between Senegal and
is

Guinea-Conakry. While it is one of Africa's poorest countries - and since 1998, has been embroiled in CD
a civil war* that has made a third of its one million inhabitants homeless - its gumbe music provides a
defiantly upbeat contrast. Gumbe embraces many West African traditions - the kora is said to have
originated here - and has the added bonus of being perhaps the most joyful sound to be heard
anywhere on the African continent. Guus de Klein is completely enraptured. i

c/»

t is a shame that commerce stands in the way Backyard Beats C/5

of wider exposure for Guinea-Bissau's music.

Even African specialist shops have difficulty If you walk a little in Bissau, before the hot sun
unearthing it. How many people know the disappears behind the mango trees, and head off
music heroes of Bissau — or any heroes from the the sidewalks into the bairros, you are almost
country, come to mention it? Maybe some might bound to stumble upon a small backyard where
remember the name of Arrulcar Cabral, one of the fifty or so people have gathered to hear music. A
great men of Africa's decolonisation, killed short- £roup of women will be sitting in a circle, boys
ly before independence. The Bissau bands have and around them. In the centre stands a big
girls

always sung about him, but since most venues have bucket with water and in it a calabash turned
filled

been destroyed in the recent fighting, those few upside down. A boy slides one palm over the sur-
musicians left in Bissau nowadays sing along with face of the calabash, the other hand slaps it; the
the women cooking in the open air, about the sound given off is like an early disco rhythm box.
waste of Cabral's revolutionary heritage by the Soon, other calabashes are being played with
ousted president Nino Vieira. wooden objects, spoons and other instruments
People still cherishsome of the symbols of the resembling cooking implements. At a certain
1974 revolution but what preoccupies them now point the tempo of spoons and wood is about
is Yet the people of Guinea-Bissau are
survival. eighty beats per minute, as if people are waiting
survivors and in the midst of hardship their music for something. And they are. A girl jumps into
has taken on a vital role. the circle and all at once, in time with her danc-
Guinea-Bissau's special music is gumbe. It com- ing — hands low, knees high — the wood musi-
bines a contemporary sound with the ten or more cians double their speed and the spoon-players
musical traditions that survive in the area. Some treble their pace.
compare it to the samba, though it's much more And what do they sing about? They sing about
polyrhythmic. Bissau, the capital, has had a few cars they will never own. They make jokes about
electric bands for some years, but most are the owner of the newest Nissan Patrol ("The chef
unplugged; indeed, at most music venues (and will have to wait like us when the station has run
there are many) there is not a plug in sight. The out of gas, both his Nissan and his Patrol!"). They
lyrics of gumbe are in Kriolu, a Creole synthesis of sing about their hard and about Amilcar
life

African languages and the colonial Portuguese; it Cabral and the Tuga, the former Portuguese
is said to have sprouted on the Portuguese ships rulers. They sing love stories their grandparents
where local sailors worked. Kriolu is an integral sang, and they sing about the irao - mysterious
part of gumbe music. And it has a lot to tell. forces found in trees, water, stones and in certain

individuals. They sing about AIDS and about

*
As much of the Bissau City's infrastructure was their hope that peace will return to the country.
destroyed in 1 998/99 and the country's future was still They know all the songs by heart and have no
uncertain when this book went to press, some elements need to rehearse. The rhythm will change while
of Guus de Klein's enthusiastic description may have the beat keeps steady. Occasionally, a worn-out
ceased to exist.
guitar will add some chords the player has heard

Guinea-Bissau 499
 outside a disco where he hangs around at possible to pinpoint exactly when the modern
night - without money to pay the entrada. And music of Guinea-Bissau started.

whatever they're singing about, there's always It began with the production of the first vinyl
fun in gumbe music. record by a Guinea-Bissau musician: a 45rpm
When they're in town, those few musicians single recorded in Portugal in 1973, just one year
who have a more or less professional status, will before independence. The two songs — gumbe
come and sit down at the outskirts of the circle style with acoustic accompaniment - were sung
and fit in with what is happening. Of course, in Kriolu by Djorcon (Ernesto Dabo), who
when there's electricity, they plug in. And had just left The A-side
the Lisbon marine band.
they'll add some lyrics about the thirty-five- was "M'Ba Bolama" (I'm going Bolama),
a storey buildings they have seen abroad. lyrics loaded with double meaning, speaking loud
to its

and clear to young Africans living in Portugal as

m Ethnic Traditions well as in Bissau and the liberated zones, to declare
> that freedom was coming. One year later, the
Gumbe is a catch-all word for any kind of music
record was used as part of the celebrations of the
in Guinea-Bissau. But technically, it is just one
C/J
country's liberation and independence.
of several Kriolu mixtures of ethnic and modern
The producer of this first record was the poet
culture. In Bissau city you will also find tina and
tinga - more acoustic than gumbe, but very
and composer Ze Carlos (Jose Carlos Schwartz).

Kriolu, with lots of spoons and calabashes. And He was what is recog-
the charismatic leader of

there are other more ethnic styles like kussunde nised as the mother of
contemporary all

Guinea-Bissau bands, Cobiana Djazz. The

and broxa, or brosca, from the Balanta people;
group was already very popular in 1972, inspir-
djambadon from the Mandinga people; and
kundere from the remote Bijagos islands. Like ing a great many school-goers in Bissau to join

gumbe, all these musical styles are performed the liberation forces in the forest. That year, Ze
and shared around the Bissau cooking pots.
Carlos and other members of the band were
The ethnic styles are close - in their musical
expelled by the colonial police (the PIDE) and
structure - to the traditional sounds that bound sent into internal exile on the tiny Ilha das Gal-
up with ceremonial activities: funerals, the inhas. Carlos remembered the happiness on the
calling up of spirits, initiation rituals, and the island in a song called "Djiu di Galinha" (Song

request for good harvests. These very traditional of Galinha), which is also the title of the album
musical styles are precarious, and there have he later recorded in the US at the invitation of
been some efforts (notably by the teacher Joao Miriam Makeba, who had met him when she
Neio Gomes at the Instituto das Artes) to record performed in Bissau after the liberation.

them before they're forgotten. Cobiana Djazz were the first band to achieve
recognition on a With their Kri-
national level.
olu music they literally accompanied the
Music Guinea-Bissau people on their way to freedom.
and Independence In the euphoric post-revolutionary period that
Kriolu music played an important role in the followed, the band was closely associated with
Guinea-Bissau struggle for independence. It the new government which promoted its music
brought people together, perhaps more suc- as the banner of a new national culture. In spite
cessfully than political rallying, and gumbe, as of this, Cobiana Djazz released just one LP, Ze
the common ingredient flavouring the coun- Carlos e Cobiana Djazz, in 1977. It was produced
try's many different dishes, could in some man- in Portugal: there was still no local music pro-
ner be called the voice of unification, the mul- duction or distribution.
ticultural lite which no policy could introduce. Cobiana Djazz did not remain art-of-the-state
With the departure of the Portuguese in for long. Within a few years the socialist gov-
1974, Guinea-Bissau was left with literally no ernment, deprived of the charismatic leadership
musical heritage (beyond ceremonial music) of Amilcar Cabral, slid into incompetence and
aftermore than three hundred years of colonial nepotism. It was criticised by Carlos (then a mem-
domination. Even the fado, which influenced ber of government) in his poetic way, a criticism
so many musicians in the lusophone areas of that led to his falling out of favour and even to a
Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde hadn't new term of imprisonment. He died in May 1977
penetrated the local culture of Bissau. So it is in a suspicious plane crash in Havana, where he

500 Guinea-Bissau
had travelled as a government representative. After by Sidonio Pais, Kapa Negra's vocalist. Ramiro
Ze's death, Cobiana Djazz went downhill and by Naka switched between solo projects and play-
1982 most of its members were abroad. The ing African covers with his band N'kassa Cobra.
group was revived briefly in 1 986 with new musi- In the 1980s, revolutionary enthusiasm was no
cians. longer the only stuff of lyrics but social and polit-
There are remarkable political and musical par- ical concerns seeped into even the hottest dance
allels between Cobiana Djazz and the band Bem- music. There was reason enough for it. The coun-
beya Jazz National (sec p. 547) of neighbouring try was in dire financial straits, the shops virtual-
Guinea-Conakry. Musically, both groups - Bem- ly empty, with hardly enough food to go round.
beya a decade earlier and doubtlessly inspiring The musicians lived through what the people
Cobiana - used their ethnic background as ingre- lived through and have often reflected their con-
dients for the Kriolu musical soup they created, cerns. Ze Manuel, Djombo's drummer, who
adding a strong rhythmic basis in their kabas-garan- recorded "Tustumunhus di aonti" (Yesterday's

di (great calabashes). Politically, both lost faith Testimony) in 1983, was forbidden to perform
with their governments, after having been an inte- in public because of the lyrics of his songs, writ-
gral part of the movement for independence. Huco Monteiro. The singer Justi-
ten by the poet
The other early group to attain star status in no Delgado was arrested for making President
Guinea-Bissau was Super Mama Djombo. Nino Vieira the target of his sarcasm and his
Formed were
shortly after independence, they records became very popular as a result.
accompany-
the icon of the socialist party, even In the 1980s - and even today - professional
ing the president on visits abroad. Their first Bissau musicians probably number no more than
album, Cambartfa, recorded in Portugal and a hundred, so working temporarily with mem-
released in 1980, dazzled the public. The people bers of other bands is the norm. Many perfor-
knew all the songs by heart already but the more mances are simply small projects, while most
sophisticated arrangements on the record, and the recordings can only be done abroad. So the 1980s
electric guitar accompaniment, greatly added to saw Sidonio and Justino Delgado leaving for Lis-

the band's success. bon, and Ramiro Naka and his band settling in

The government, however, was unamused by Paris. The scene was - and is - one of musicians
the lyrics on some of the tracks — and even more more or less commuting between Bissau and Por-
so by the group's follow-up release, Festival. Songs tugal, where they had small contracts and some-

which glorified the PAIGC party were juxtaposed times a gig.

with songs mocking corruption within the very Even the few Bissau producers, notable among
same party, with "Ramedi
titles like ki ka ta kura" them the filmmaker Flora Gomes Jr, are forced
(A Remedy that Does Not Cure). It was hardly to record in Lisbon. In Bissau, there is just one

surprisingwhen the group began meeting with small studio at Radio Difusao Nacional, the state
difficulties - like finding a stage to perform on, radio-station, which produces a few cassettes for
or even a rehearsal room. local release. Instruments and equipment have to
Other bands in the first decade of Guinea-Bis- be bought outside the country, often with help
saun music were less closely alligned to the from cooperantes (development workers) from Hol-
regime. Among the most popular were Africa land or Scandinavia.
Livre, Kapa Negra, Tina-Koia and Chifre
Preto. None of these ever recorded on disc, The 1990s:
Miniamba -
although Saba
1978 with ex-members from almost all the afore-
a group formed in
Survival and War
mentioned bands - did get a vinyl release.
In the first half of the 1990s, things did not
improve much for Guinea-Bissau's economy,
The '80s on a Shoestring despite IMF loans and market liberalisation. Sure,
There was a growing number of solo careers the storesbecame better stocked, but with goods
among this intermingling of groups. Ze Carlos most people were unable to buy. The music
was the first to have his own album, supported scene, however, benefited from a more open mar-
by Miriam Makeba. He was followed by Kaba ket, and had no shortage of inspiration.

Mane, who recorded an infectious kussunde style Most visible was the opening of a cluster of
album entitled Chefo Mae Mae, sung in the Bal- private open-air clubs in Bissau, and a little more

anta language with kora-like electric guitar, and money invested in the discos - Cabana, Capital

Guinea-Bissau 501
 and Hollywood. These played a wider range of
Compilations
music than of old - a lot of soukous and other
SD Popular music from Guinea Bissau
African dance music, a little Stevie Wonder and (Intermusic, South Africa).

salsa. But the main dish here, and on Radio

A decent compilation with songs from Tabanka Djaz, Justino
Pidjiguiti, a new private station, was still gumbe. Delgado and Rui Sangara, Nene Tuty and others, most of
As the decade progressed several of the coun- them interesting, though offset by misleading liner notes.

try'stop musicians became established in France S3 Guine Lanta (Atlantic Music, Netherlands).

- Ramiro Naka and Kaba Mane - and Por- A collective record from the Guinean and Cape Verdean
tugal - Sidonio Pais and Justino Delgado - community Rotterdam (the title means 'Guinea Stand Up'),
in

with Tmo Trimo, Dina Medina and others. It showcases vari-

C5 where they released albums. Their sound grew
ous styles, including rap, and a children's song.
more sophisticated, still narrative, but attuned to
the demand for a faster disco tempo. Back home,
m Tabanka Djaz became the first really com- Artists
mercial band, with a polished sound, while
Gumbezarte, a nine-piece multicultural band Aliu Bari
C/5
led by Maio Coope, brought together different
CO was one of the founders
Aliu Bari of Cobiana Djazz, who pre-
ethnic styles in a funny and exciting Kriolu style. war had seemed a bright hope.
Both toured abroad but recording and distribu-
S3 Tribute ao Cobiana Djazz Nacional
tion, however, remained major problems. Most (Sons d'Africa Portugal).
releases were produced in Portugal, with very
Bari delicately brings some of the group's older traditional
little money, or in Conakry (Guinea) with even sounds to the urban surface, avoiding electronic boobytraps,

less. with a lofty, nostalgic voice and occasional fine electric guitar
solos by Manecas Costa. A worthy tribute to the first band of
In the chaos of the war, during 1998—99, most
independent Guinea-Bissau, released in 1998.
local bands disintegrated and in some cases mem-
bers lost touch with each other. Among the hand-
ful who chose, or were forced, to sit out the
conflict in Bissau were Miguelinho N'simba, Nar-
ciso Rosa and Sidia Baio. Gumbezarte's drum-
mer, Ernesto da Silva, was last heard of in a
refugee camp in Dakar. In Bissau, right now,
there is currently no intact band, and the oppor-
tunities for any musicians left in the capital to
perform for cash have competely dried up.
To Portugal's credit, most Bissauans who could
afford the journey found a relatively welcoming
reception in Lisbon. Here, the musicians in exile
meet every day at the Praca de Figueira, many
of them between shifts on construction sites or
office-cleaning. And they manage to find gigs
here and there, playing together quite frequent-
ly (at the Praca Sony, for example, on the for- Bidinte's Kumura album
mer Expo site, which is quite popular at

weekends).
Bidinte
Meanwhile, back home, the people in the
countryside are somehow holding life together, Jorge da Silva Bidinte was born in Bolama, the old capi-
tal. When he was eleven, he got hold of a mandolin and
receiving refugees from the fighting around the
began to pick out gumbe tunes, to his father's disap-
capital, and reinvoking old ties of family and kin- proval. "In the end", he remembers, "I had to seek refuge
in the church and convert to Catholicism so that could
ship to avert total disaster. I

play the guitar with the priest". Moving to Bissau for sec-
ondary school, he met Maio Coope and began composing
music for Maio's lyrics. He later emigrated to Europe,
played in a band, Docolma. led by Justino Delgado, and
discography was drawn to the flamenco.

IJIJjl Kumura
There are few Guinea-Bissau CDs and cassettes even
the best World Music stores. One specialist on the Web
in

is
MU (Nubenegra, Spain).

Balkon Zuid at www.balkon.zuid@inter.nl.net Subtle and distinctively coloured music reflecting a multiplici-

502 Guinea-Bissau
ty of sources and influences, from David Byrne (who was Check out the super soprano of a then very young Dulce
present through most of the recording) to flamenco, with Neves, who was later to go solo.

melting Kriolu lyrics delivered with tender skill. After this

beautifully produced album - nowhere better than on the Gumbezarte
effortless guitar-and-voice blend of "Ke cu minino na tcho-
(Why does the child cry? with its lyrics, sadly apposite Gumbezarte were the most interesting band to emerge
ra?"
for G-Btoday, by poet Jose Carlos Schwartz) - Bidinte
from Bissau in the 1990s. Led by the witty and inventive
ought easily be able to step into the long-vacant shoes of
Maio Coope, this multicultural group included veterans
former international stars from Guinea-Bissau, Ramiro Naka
from Cobiana Djazz and Mama Djombo (Miguelinho
and Kaba Mane.
N'simba and Narciso Rosa), as well as young talents
like Sanha N'Tamba on bass and Ernesto da Silva on
drums.
Ze Carlos
Gumbezarte Camba Mar
Poet, singerand leader of Cobiana Djazz, Ze Carlos died C5
(Balkon Zuid, Guinea-Bissau; Lusafrica, France ).
at the age of twenty-seven in a mysterious plane acci-
dent, having made albums critical of the regime he had A 1 998 release, with gumbe name and in several of the
in the
supported through the liberation struggle. He was a major songs, but the album an electrifying tour of lesser-
is really

talent, and was persuaded by Miriam Makeba to go to the known music styles, including kussunde and djambadon. No
i
US for a recording session. synths or drum machines; the album was mixed as the group

O Djiu di Galinha (Comissariado de Estado da

wanted it to be, with lovely shifting rhythms. —
CO
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Bissau). CO
Poetic and narrative, with soft American blend - the album
was arranged by
ly out of tune, he
William Salter.
is an inspired
Though Carlos
artist. Makeba
is occasional-
provides the
CUMIEZAtTf
backing vocals.

Cobiana Djazz
Cobiana Djazz were literally 'a revolutionary band' in the
1970s, though not a jazz one. They inspired all modern
Guinea-Bissau bands despite the fact that they only
released one album in 1978.

33 Ze Carlos and Cobiana Djazz

(Comissariado de Estado da Guinea-Bissau,
Guinea-Bissau; Valentim de Carvalho, Portugal,

Only worn-out cassette copies are available, but just about

every adult in the country knows all the songs by heart.

Justino Delgado
Bom on one of the small isles of the Bijagos archipelago,
Delgado has been active in many Bissau bands, but he is

mostly popular for his narrative, sarcastic sung stories. In

the late 1980s he was arrested for offending the presi- Iva & Ichi
dent, but later he made up by performing a song called
Lisbon-based duo with a wide-ranging repertoire of
"Gabi" (former president Vieira's nickname).
styles, and excellent voices - including Ichi's superb fruity
baritone.
O Casamenti D'haos (Vidisco, Portugal).

Rhythmic singing of daily life (the title song is about marriage 53 Canua ca na n'kadja
today).Delgado is surrounded by too many synthesisers but (Nelson Pais Quaresma, Portugal).
an acoustic guitar comes to the occasional rescue. Loads of drive on a musical trip round the whole country.
Listen out, in particular for the title track, which means 'If
S3 Toroco (Sonovox, Portugal).
the canoe doesn't capsize (we'll arrive)' and the 'bush'
Delgado continues the narrative sarcasm of his former (forosca) song from the Balanta, track 12, 'Paga Rabada'. In
recordings in this 1998 album. No great musical develop- spite of the somewhat
irritating electronic base drum, the

ments, but popular for its inside-scoop lyrics - Delgado song is immediately recognisable if you have
style of this
delights his audience by singing as if he were in the Bissau Gumbezarte's CD Camba Mar- compare it with the latter's
presidential palace inner circle. track 4.

Mama Djombo Juntos Pela Guine-Bissau

Mama Djombo, who put gumbe on the World Music map, An ad hoc group of musical refugees currently based in

were a favourite of the first independent government, but Lisbon, including nearly all the big names, as well as
like Cobiana Djazz, soon fell out with them. They were Portuguese and Cape Verdean artists.

never touched by sophisticated producers and their

1 980s recordings still sound remarkably fresh.
33 Mom na mom (Vidisco, Portugal).

Collective wail of grief ('Mom na mom' means hand in hand)

O Festival (Debilo, Min. da Cultura da Republica da GB,
over the destruction of Bissau, including songs and poems -
Guinea-Bissau).
the latter both in Kriolu and Portuguese - and beautifully pro-
Exulting voices, clear electric guitars, and fine compositions. duced by Juca Delgado.

Guinea-Bissau 503
 Kaba Mane Sidonio Pais
Born into the Beafada - a Mande people - Mane is mas- With his early band Kapa Negra, Sidonio Pais was per-
ter of a variety of ethnic styles. He learned the kora when haps the most melodic interpreter of gumbe. The group
young and plays electric guitar in kora style. was marvellous, with a terrific pair of competing guitars.

S3 Best of Kaba Mane (Melodie, France). 53 20 Anos de Capa Negra (Discos, Sido Portugal).

This has good tracks from Mane's delightfully infectious Mainly due to its over-use of rhythm boxes, this 1992 CD
Chefo Mae Mae album - in the kussunde rhythm of the (with the variant spelling of the band) doesn't match the quali-
Balanta people, this was the first to dent overseas charts - ty of the live band.
and its equally seductive follow-up, Kunga Kungake.

Rui Sangara
Ze Manuel
Sangara is one of the angry young men who use gumbe
Ze Manuel is Mama Djombo's drummer - but his solo
for storytelling - without making it less danceable.
effort concentrated on his voice.
33 Sanguis n'consola (Spa, Portugal).
O Tustumunhus di Aonti
(Casa da Cultura, Guinea-Bissau). Eight little gumbe stories, some full of melancholy, like "credi-
fone" about living abroad. Unfortunately, there's little live
E5 The slow songs from this 1983 album are good,
particularly
CO drumming on the album.
politically sharp, poetically soft, guitars mourning without
CO pedal effects, and Manel's terrific voice.
Janota Di Nha Speranca
Ramiro Naka Speranca was involved in an effort to re-establish
Cobiana Djazz in 1 986 and now makes his own records.
Naka an exuberant talent who makes
is gumbe rock with-
out destroying its uniqueness. Though living in Paris, he Senhorio (Atlantic Music, Netherlands).
remains very popular in Bissau.
An album with an autobiographical theme. Janota went to
O Naka & N'kassa Cobra Europe to make a living, with the firm intention of returning.
(N'Kassa Cobra Productions/Volume, France). Being a construction worker in Portugal paid a lot better than

It's heavy, it swings and what's more, with his own little com- being a top musician in Bissau but when money was stolen
from him and he couldn't pay the rent, nor buy a ticket back
pany Ramiro stays out of the hands of the Paris commercial
sound producers. home, he realised that he was no better off than a slave.

Salvador (Mango, UK).

Tabanka Djaz
Showcase album with material ranging from upfront rock on
Bissau's bestselling band, the group started in the mid-
the title track to Kriolu/Cape Verdean inflection on "Tchon
1980s, a Bissau restaurant called Tabanka ('Village'),
in
Tchoma" and "Rabo de Padja" and an appealingly offbeat
and was an instant hit with its customers. Tabanka Djaz
roots sound on "Nha Indimigo".
has since gone on to success as far afield as the USA.
83 Po di Sangui (Naka Production, France).
83 Speranca (Sonovox, Portugal).
Part filmtrack album of the emponymous movie about the
Commercially produced dancehall music, but gumbe none
relation between culture and nature (directed by Flora
the less.
Gomes, and co-starring Naka) and part compositions
inspired by traditional melodies recalled while Naka was on
the film set in eastern Guinea-Bissau. Check out track 8, his Tino Trimo
version of "Canua ca na n'cadja".
Tino Trimo is an artist with the voice - and the ambition -
to cross some borders. To date, however, he's been less
Dulce Neves successful than his colleagues in Tabanca Djaz, whom he
As a teenager, Neves had a bewitching influence on reproaches for stealing some of his songs.

Mama Djombo's music with her extremely high voice. She S3 Kambalacha (MB Records, US).
gets better and better as a solo artist.
An album for gumbe fans - traditional songs played 'live' in
33 N'ha distino (Sonovox, Portugal). the studio. Strong album, great voice.

There have never been many female singers on Bissau

83 Katore (Vidisco, Portugal).
stages and Dulce's voice can compete with the strongest
male ones. This album was one of the hits in Bissau just A nicely-produced, very danceable disc. There's a drum
before war broke out in 1998. machine, of course, but it's unobtrusive.

504 Guinea-Bissau
 »

Indian Ocean
a lightness of touch
The music of tropical islands often seems to have a lightness of touch compared with mainland
forms. Unselfconscious borrowings, sometimes dating back centuries, and disparate influences
which have one time or another been cast ashore, create accessible Creole blends, full of
at
common in their original soil. Nowhere is this
musical demoninators and no longer so firmly rooted
more the case than in the western Indian Ocean, as Graeme Ewens and Werner Graebner
discover.

Indian Ocean washes the coasts of three fessional musician. He sung and played 'ud — twarab
The continents. In its western half, the mon- at this stage was still based on 'ud and violin, with
—
o
o
soon winds once blew the sailing dhows local msondo drum and tambourine at Comorian
in a back-and-forth pattern that took them weddings as far away as Madagascar.
from East African coastal waters to the Gulf and On the islands of Moheli and Anjouan, a

on to India and beyond and then back again. The favourite type of musical entertainment are topi-
old trading routes have made connections between cal songs accompanied on the gabusi (a lute relat-
many varied cultures, and on the thinly dispersed ed to the yeminite qanbus). Boina Riziki from
islands descendants of African, Arabic, Indian, Poly- the Mohelian town of Fomboni is considered to
nesian, Far Eastern and European forebears have be the leading gabusi player on the islands, lead-

lived for centuries with differing degrees of coop- ing a trio with Soubi, who plays the ndzendze, a
eration and assimilation. self-styled box-shaped instrument derived from
the malagasy valiha. Their music is situated some-

The Comoros where between Zanzibar taarab and Malagasy, the

latter most evident in the vocal harmonies.

The tiny Comoros Islands, lying between the

north coast of Madagascar and the mainland, are
one of World Music's minority territories. As in
their dominant neighbour, the former colonial lan-
guage is French, and one of the islands, Mayotte,
INEDIT
remains an outpost of.France. There is a huge
Malagasy influence but the dominant cultural mil-
lieu, especially of the poorer people, is closer to
the Swahili world of East Africa.
Twarab — similar to the taarab of Zanzibar (see

p. 690) - is the most popular music on the islands,

and especially on Grand Comoro. It differs from the

classic Swahili music in having more Western instru-

mentation, in place of the Arabic flavours of qanoon

and violin, resulting in a funkier and very dance-
MM mm
driven sound. The leading groups are Sambeco and
Belle Lumiere, electric ensembles using keyboards,
guitar, drums and percussion. Like most of the local

groups, they are run and backed by village youth

associations, and they play mainly at weddings, occa-
Musiques traditionnelles
sionally in a concert setting. An older twarab artist

- whose hits are being reissued on CD by the Dizim de 1'ile d'Anjouan

label - was Mohammed Hassan. He was a local

star in the 1950s and 60s, and was unusually a pro-

Comoros Islands 505

 Two younger Comoros musicians are Maalesh Sega evolved out of European polkas and
and Salim Ali Amir, both of whom are fusing quadrilles, and is nowadays reminiscent of Haitian
and international styles. Salim Amir
local traditions compas, or something like a thinner version of
leans heavilyon studio production, playing 'all the stomping zouk beat from the French Antilles,
instruments himself and creatively mixing local without the same level of intensity or sophistica-
rhythms and melodies with those of reggae, zouk tion. The evocatively named Les Windblows
or soukous. Maalesh's is a more subtle synthesis; typify the music, combining light-stepping, up-
accompanying his songs by using just one or two beat rhythms with perky Creole lyrics, an acous-
acoustic guitars and quiet percussion, he evokes tic guitar/ accordion/ keyboard feel that resembles
local ngotna melodies and qasida chanting, and Tex-Mex music, and some fruity Central African
incorporates regional musical experiences from his style guitar playing. Playasound have released sev-
time working on the Kenya coast and in Saudi eral CDs of sega, which might be easier to find
Arabia, all resulting in a softly floating style akin than the Tambour releases. Other national stars

to Brazilian cancao. include the slower-paced J-P Boyer and top

o In France, the leading Comoran artist of recent female Marie-Jose Coutonne. A devel-
artist,

years - releasing a series of discs in Paris - has opment of the sega genre has been championed
been the dreadlocked singer-guitarist Abou Chi- by musicians like Ras Natty Baby - no prizes
o habi, who composed the firstComoros national for guessing which genres he combines on his Seg-
o anthem in 1976, but had to flee two years later gae Time album.
following a coup. He plays a style of music known The top Mauritian star of recent years was the
as Variet - an upbeat sound featuring horns, key- dreadlocked singer Kaya, who died, tragically, in
boards and electric bass - that is popular mainly police custody in 1999. His death made interna-
among the francophone middle class, at home and tional headlines in 1999 when it sparked three days
in France. He paid his artistic dues on the African of rioting and looting.
mainland, building up a fund of techniques and
influences to add to his own reggae-tinged deliv- La Reunion
ery. His most recent 1999 release, Swahili Songs,
on the Paris-based Evasion label, is dedicated to The smaller island of La Reunion, which lies to
his father, who played accordion with Orchestre the west of Mauritius, is a departement of France
ACM, bringing together African, Arabic and (like France's Caribbean possessions, Martinique
Western elements. Chebli brought this blend up and Guadeloupe). Reunion is a popular holiday
to date with songs recorded in Marseille. The end destination for well-off French vacationers and
through the francophone con-
result, filtered there are regular international music festivals which
sciousness,would be hard to locate. celebrate francophonie as much as local culture. The
A more identifiable sound is provided by the black population who work the sugar plantations
ambience of tropical birdsong and crickets which are mostly descended from slaves, rather than
introduces Kaul/Word, a recent album by anoth- indigenous peoples. Reunion is also rich in voodoo
er French-resident Comoros artist, Mikidache. tradition and preserved Africanisms but these are
This also features a traditional bow harp, although not always officially approved of, and the creole
the band quickly move into a more orthodox music known as maloya has been in danger of dis-
mainstream type of folk-pop. appearing along with other oral traditions.
Firmin Viry is credited with preserving this

Mauritius African heritage which survived as an underground

expression of faith and communication with the
Further out in the Ocean, Mauritius has yet to ancestral spirits. He plays the kayamb, a shaker made
make much of a mark on the musical map, of a flat wooden box filled with seeds. Drums,
although there has been a series of CDs released musical bow, triangle and female chorists com-
over the past few years by the London-based Tam- plete the sound, which moves to rhythms of Bantu
bour label (these are now hard to find). Mostly origin. His simple songs of love and everyday life
licensed from the island-based Sonolynn Produc- are delivered against a backdrop of 'silent history'

Tambour's catalogue included cultural music,

tions, — subtle references t(^ conflicts with the Malbar cul-
Chutney/Bhojpuri releases for the Indian com- ture of the slave-owners, who are largely of Indi-
munity, and sega, the popular music common to an origin.
Mauritius and Reunion, which is also enjoyed in The 'sorceror', Granmoun Lele, is a truly

Madagascar and Comoros. exotic figure, who also runs his own church. In

506 Mauritius/La Reunion

1998 he released his third CD of" voodoo trance Si Musiques traditionelles de ITIe d'Anjouan
(Inedit, France).
music similar to the tromba spirit possession cult
of Madagascar, and including Tamil expressions Comorians from the island of Anjouan trace their origins
back, like the east African Swahili, to mythical 'Shirazi' ances-
linked with fire-walking rituals. Foreign observers
tors who arrived from Persia in the twelfth century. In fact,
and participants at his maloya ritual performances Anjouan society, like that of a composite, and
the Swahili, is

report a heavy atmosphere involving a good deal musically there is a multitude of references here - to taarab,
not surprisingly, but also to Moroccan milhun songs, and to
of rum. Lele claims ancestry from Zanzibaris, Kil-
Malagasy traditions. Varied, trance-Hike and quite compelling.
imanians (from Quelimane, now Mozambique),
Somalis, Anjouans and Malagasy people. Some-
Artists
times you'd swear the rhythms and vocalising are
direct from Cameroon or Congo (Swede Swede
leaps to mind, especially with the cry of "bouge, Salim Ali Amir
bouge"). Occasionally, in some of Lele's pieces, A young multi-instrumentalist, fusing Comoran rhythms
there is a whispering echo of taarab, the great clas- with reggae, zouk and soukous. Z
sical music of the dhow countries. Taarab uses
Ripvirwa (Studio Comoros).
O
instruments found throughout the Islamic world,
53 1 ,

>
such that similarities can be heard in music not
An interesting and good-time danceable debut outing for this Z
only from the Gulf but also from Uzbekistan and
new Comoran fusion.
O
O
Indonesia. Abou Chihabi m
This guitar-playing Comoran rastaman began with the
The Seychelles Dragons, then moved on to the Angers Noirs, before
forming his own more avant-garde group Folkomor
Ocean, with which he scored a major success in France.
There is little apparent musical identity, these days,
S3 African Vibrations (Playasound, France)
on the islands of the Seychelles, a frail archipela-

go a thousand miles off the East African coast. But Abou fronts a fully-functional, five-piece group, which oozes
sophistication - slightly experimental, perhaps, but nothing
mix of styles and
the islands once had an eclectic
too extreme.
influences, and a form of percussion and vocal
music known as contonbley. An Ocora release Maalesh
of the late 1980s showcased a folklore music with Like Salim Ali Amir, Maalesh is part of a new wave of
elements of Creole, sega, and a host of retentions Comoran musicians, looking to fuse local melodies and

from contredanse (English country dance), polka, rhythms with international styles.

mazurka, Polynesian, French Arcadian and even H3 Wassi Wassi (Melodie, France).

Scottish sources. By the 1970s when the tracks An interesting debut album of this new Comoran fusion, with
were recorded, so-called 'prestige' music was tak- softly floating style akin to Brazilian cangao.

ing over and the plantation workers' folklore was

being repressed as too lewd. Mikidache
One of the few more recent stars of the Sey- Mikidache is a singer-songwriter and bandleader, again
based in France.
chelles was Patrick Victor, whose style of tnon-
tea, mixing Kenyan benga guitar with the folkie, BE Kaul/Words (Long DistanceA/Vagram, France).

vocal, rhythm was pretty hot in the 1980s. Birdsong and insects herald a prelude on bow harp, leading
into some some spirited acoustic guitar interplay, accordion
colour washes, flute and pleasant enough singing, with a
vocal mix that is bright and poppy.

discography Mauritius

Comoros Compilations

Compilations S3 Les Segatiers de 1'ile Maurice:

Mauritius Island Segadance (Playasound, France).

An old-time curiosity compilation from the mid-1970s, which

S3 Chamsi Na Mwezi -
is still available. The intro ballad is extremely turgid, although
Gabusi and Ndzendze from Moheli, Comoros
the rhythms warm up with a string of Creole variety numbers
(Dizim Records, Germany).
and some more African folklore items. Overall it sounds like
This is a lot less impenetrable than the title suggests, featur- the exotic soundtrack of a B-movie comedy. You half expect
ing Boina Riziki and Soubi on several tracks. Bob Hope to come hoofing by at any minute.

Seychelles 507
 Reunion

Artists

Granmoun Lele
Lele, the 'sorcerer' of maioya music, grew up on Reunion
considering death as an occasion to celebrate. Customs
have adapted to modern life, but his gruff, no-nonsense
voice can still span worlds of understanding. His family

group provides the chorus and a drum sound deep in

both tone and meaning.

Namouniman
(Label Bleu/Indigo, France).

Most of Lele's music has evident mainland

roots, sometimes
reminiscent of Congo
Cameroon, but at times here you
or
also hear uncanny echoes of Haiti - a similarly mistreated,

> former French colony (slavery, sugar,

variation of the more sedate East
sea....),
African taarab.
alongside a

Artists Firmin Viry

m
> Credited with keeping maioya alive, Fermin Viry plays
kayamb, a shaker made of a flat wooden box filled with
Jean Uranie seeds, to accompany simple songs which refer to deeper
A singer, arranger and producer from Mauritius. themes. He also runs his own church.

Angeline (Tambour, UK). S3 Ti Marde (Label Bleu/Indigo, France).

Up-tempo dance beats from band Les Windblows, with Drums, musical bow, triangle and female chorists accom-
Uraine's Creole lyrics, and a couple and percussion
of vocal pany Viry's chants, which again echo to rhythms of Bantu
folklore pieces which almost take you back to the Congo. origin. After a short reprise, each song seems to end up
There is also some gaucho-like whistling - another one to with the same encouragement to dance. And it obviously
play 'spot the roots' with. works.

508 Indian Ocean

Kenya
flie life and times of kenyan pop
It's 8am on a Monday morning. Late to be setting off, and the equatorial sun is already shining fiercely

above the highland metropolis of Nairobi. In an alley off River Road, Doug Paterson jumps in a
matatu, a shared taxi, and heads out of the city, first-stop Ukambani, at the start of a musical tour of
Africa's number-one tourist destination - and not a safari suit in sight.

Common
M annus are the
small trucks,
common
Peugeot
vans and minibuses pressed into service
as public transport in Kenya. They're
man's disco, the
station wagons,
Guitars: the
Denominator
There is no single identifiable genre of 'Kenyan <
>
more expensive than the buses, unreliable and dan- pop' but rather a number of styles that borrow
gerous- and they play music. Typically overload- freely and cross-fertilise each other. Many Kenyan
ed, folks don't have much to say about matters of musicians direct their efforts towards their own
comfort or safety in a matatu but they do vote for linguistic groups and perform most of their songs
their favourite music by their patronage. Take, for in one of Kenya's indigenous languages, while
example, the small town of Masii in Machakos Dis- others, aiming at national and urban audiences,
trict, the heart of Ukambani (the region of the sing in Swahili, or the Congolese language Lin-
Kamba people). As one resident explained to me, gala. What is Kenyan music,
defining about
"People here are completely nuts about Katitu Boys though, is the interplay of guitars, prominent
Band". Every day at the bus stand or along the high- guitar solos, and the cavacha rhythm - the Bo
way, it's a battle of the bands as matatu operators vie Diddley kind of beat, popularised in the mid-1970s
for customers, trying to lure them in with the latest by Congolese groups such as Zaiko Langa Langa
sounds from bands performing Kamba styles in the and Orchestra Shama Shama. This rapid-fire per-
Kamba language. Although the music sounds pret- cussion, usually on the snare or high hat, quickly
ty similar from song to song (at least to the untrained took hold in Kenya and continues to underlie a
non-Kamba ear), the words amuse the people wait- great sweep of Kenyan music from the Kalambya
ing. More than that, the lyrics describe events that Sisters to Les Wanyika and Orchestre Virunga.

every Kamba can relate to in some way. The com-

mon person's disco is a commentary on life, and if
the music's right, people will gladly squeeze in.

Throughout Kenya, the scene is reproduced over

and over again from dawn to dusk. Each of Kenya's
major language groups has its own musical style. In
the cities, though, it's a different story. 'People's

music' there is somewhat harder to find. Maybe it's

a status issue or a statement of values, but whatever

the reasons, music in Kenya's local languages is large-

ly absent in the night clubs. It's even difficult to pick

up on the radio, local language music having been Early Kenyan recording artists,
shunted to the obscure vernacular service that devotes Fadhili William (left)and Fundi Konde
just a few hours a day to Kenya's major languages.
In Nairobi, the average disco now plays reggae, Even before 1900, were being played
guitars
Congolese music, or various strands of Euro- Amer- among Mombasa, and by
the freed slaves around
ican pop, meaning that Kenyan musicians and the the 1920s there was a group of quite well-known
music business seem to be in a perpetual struggle for players, including such names as Lukas Tututu,
survival against imported sounds. Paul Mwachupa and Fundi Konde. Their songs

Kenya 5Q9
 Kenya's Tribal Music
All the people of Kenya have tribal (a term used wide- Chuka
ly in Kenya) musical cultures, some of which have sur- Once again, sadly practically extinct, Chuka music from
vived more intact than others into the twenty-first the east side of Mount Kenya -
that of the Akam- like

century. Throughout the country, music has always ba - drumming genius. Your only hope is to catch
is

been used to accompany rites of passage, from cel- the one remaining band, who currently play at the
ebrations at a baby's birth to songs of adolescence Mount Kenya Safari Club near Nanyuki.
and warriorhood. There were songs for marriage, har-

vests, solar and lunar cycles, festivities, religious rites, Gusii

and death. Nowadays, however, the majority of Gusii music is Kenya's oddest. The favoured instru-

Kenyans are Christian, and Gospel now reigns ment is the obokano, an enoYmous version of the Luo
supreme - sadly not the uplifting version of theTjS or nyatiti lyre which is pitched at least an octave below
South Africa, but a tinny, synthesised and homoge- the human voice, and which can sound like roaring
nous form. thunder. They also use the ground bow, essentially a
Gospel has all but obliterated traditional music and large hole dug in the ground over which an animal skin
among the Kikuyu (Kenya's largest tribe) or the Kalen- is tightly pegged. The skin has a small hole cut in the
jin (who comprise much of the government), the old centre, into which a single-stringed bow is placed and
35 tribal music is almost extinct. Elsewhere, to hear any- plucked: the sound defies description. Spread the word
thing you need a lot of time and patience, and often a and you should be able to pick up recordings in Kisii

local family's trust, before being allowed to witness easily enough.

what can still be very sacred events.
The following is a very brief tribe-by-tribe rundown Luhya
of more easily encountered traditional music and instru- Luhya music has a clear Bantu flavour, easily discernible

ments. Obviously, there's much more available if you in the pre-eminence of drums. Of these, the sukuti is

know where to search and what to ask for: essential best-known, sometimes played in ensembles, and still

reading for this is George Senoga-Zake's Folk Music used in rites of passage such as circumcision. Tapes
of Kenya (Uzima Press, Nairobi, 1986). are easily available in Kakamega and Kitale.

Akamba Luo
Best known for their skill at drumming, the Akamba The Luo are best-known as the originators of benga
tradition is sadly now all but extinct. There's only one (for more on which see the main article). Their most
commercial cassette available, Akamba Drums distinctive musical instrument is the nyatiti, a double-
(Tamasha): many styles and can be ordered
it covers necked eight-string lyre with a skin resonator which is

from the Zanzibar Curio Shop in Nairobi. also struck on one neck with a metal ring tied to the

toe. It produces a tight, resonant sound, and is used

Bajuni to generate complex hypnotic rhythms. Originally used
The Bajuni are a small ethnic group living in the Lamu in the fields to relieve workers' tiredness, a typical piece
archipelago and on the nearby mainland, and are known begins at a moderate pace, and quickens progres-
musically for an epic women's work song called sively, the musician singing over the sound. The lyrics

"Mashindano Ni Matezo". One of only very few easily- cover all manner of subjects, from politics and change
available recordings of women singing in Kenya, this since the wazungu arrived, to moral fables and age-
is hypnotic counterpoint singing, punctuated by metal- old legends.
lic rattles and supported by subdued drumming. You
can find it in Lamu, Kilifi or Mombasa. Maasai
The nomadic lifestyle of the Maasai tends to preclude
Borana the carrying of instruments, and as a result their music
The Borana. who live between Marsabit and the is one of the most distinctive in Kenya, characterised
Ethiopian border, have a rich musical tradition. The by astonishing polyphonous multi-part singing - both
Arab influence is readily discernible, as are more typ- call-and-response, sometimes with women included
ically Saharan rhythms. Most distinctive is their use of in the chorus, but most famously in the songs of the
the chamonge guitar, a large cooking pot loosely morani warriors, where each man sings part of a
strung with metal wires. On first hearing, you'd be for- rhythm, more often than not from his throat, which
given for thinking that it is funky electric guitar, or some together with the calls of his companions create a pat-
earthy precursor to the blues. tern of rhythms. The songs are usually competitive
continued overleaf

510 Kenya
 (expressed through the singers alternately leaping as Samburu
high as they can) or bragging - about how the singer Like their Maasai cousins, whose singing is very sim-
killed a lion, or rustled cattle from a neighbouring ilar, Samburu musicians make a point of not playing
community. instruments, at least in theory. They do play small pipes,

The Maasai have retained much of their traditional and also a kind of guitar with a box resonator and loose
culture, so singing is still in use in traditional cere- metal strings - though these are played just for plea-
monies, most spectacularly in the eunoto circumcision sure, or to soothe a crying baby, and are thus not
ceremony in which boys are initiated into manhood to deemed 'music' by Samburu. Listen out also for the

begin their ten- to fifteen-year stint as morani. Most sinuously erotic rain songs sung by women in times of
tourists staying in big coastal hotels or in game park drought. For cassettes, ask around at the lodges and
lodges in Amboseli and Maasai Mara will have a chance campsites in Samburu/Buffalo Springs National
to sample Maasai music in the form of groups of mcrani Reserves, or - better still - in Maralal.

playing at the behest of hotel management. Cassettes

are difficult to find. Turkana
Until the 1970s, the Turkana were one of Kenya's
Mijikenda remotest tribes, and in large part are still untouched
The Mijikenda of the coast have a prolific musical tra- by Christian missionaries. Their traditional music is

dition which has survived Christian conversion and is based loosely on a call-and-response pattern. The
readily available on tape throughout the region. Per- main instrument is a kudu antelope horn with or with-
formances can occasionally be seen in the larger out finger holes, but most of their music is entirely

Akamba, the Mijikenda are superb

hotels. Like the vocal. A rarity to look out for are the women's rain

drummers and athletic dancers. The music is gener- songs, sung to the god Akuj during times of drought.
ally light and overlaid with complex rhythms, impos- Visitors are usually welcome to join performances in

sible not to dance to. Loiyangalani for a small fee.

dealt with secular topics but were similar in form dance bands, and it's a fair guess that if they had been
to church music with several verses and a refrain. in English rather than Swahili, much of his tight,

development, from around the

In a separate melodic, very rhythmic output would have found
mid— 1920s there were several dance clubs in the favour with the pre-rock'n'roll tastes of Europe and
Mombasa area playing music for Christian Africans America.
to do European dancing. The Nyika Club Band
was one such house band,
tars, bass,
a group comprising gui-
banjo, mandolin, violin and sax/clarinet.
Finger-pickin' Good
As for the rest of Kenya, there's little in the his- While Fundi Konde's urbane style was much in
torical record of this period about what was hap- demand, the 'second generation' of Kenyan gui-
pening musically, apart from singing and drumming tarists were making their names, often with a dif-

— and a bit of accordion among the Kikuyu. ferent playing technique - the thumb and forefinger
During World War II, many African soldiers finger style first heard in the music of eastern Con-
were sent to fight in Ethiopia, India and Burma, golese players like Jean-Bosco Mwenda and
and some of the coastal musicians were drafted Edouard Massengo. Bosco's recordings were
into the Entertainment Unit of the King's African available in Kenya from 1952 and by the end of the

Rifles. With a couple of Ugandan recruits, the decade he and Massengo had moved to Nairobi.
group comprised guitars, mandolin, accordion and Finger-style music has a lively, fast-paced
drums, and after the war they continued as the bounce, especially where a second guitar follows
Rhino Band. Based at first in Kampala, they soon the lead guitar with syncopated bass lines. The
worked their way down to Mombasa. After they Kenyan finger-pickers sometimes pursued solo
split in 1948, some of the members formed the careers, but more usually they formed small gui-
distinguished Kiko Kids, and other dance bands. tar-based groups, with two-part vocal harmony
From the early 1950s, the spread of radio and a and simple percussion using maracas, a tambourine,
proliferation of recording studios pushed genuinely wood-blocks or even soda bottles. From the mid-
popular music across wide spectrum of Kenyan
a 1950s, this new sound gained a huge following
society. Fundi Konde was a prominent broadcaster and produced spectacular record sales. ACS, the
and also recorded on HMV's Blue Label series. His African Gramophone Store, one of the bigger
early songs, and especially his chord sequences, were labels, claims to have sold 300,000 copies of John
closely allied to those of contemporary European Mwale's "Kuwaza Sera" 78 rpm,

Kenya 5 -|
-|
 By the mid-1960s, finger-style acoustic
guitar bands were losing ground to other
electric guitar styles. The rhythms of the new
urban Swahili music were also influenced by
Congolese rumba and South African kwela,
or what was locally called twist. Twist's
underlying rhythm is the beat of 'Mbube'
(The Lion), better known internationally as
'Wimoweh' but played faster.
The old styles were absorbed in part into
the new music, and many ideas taken up by
the electric bands were based on the finger-
picking and soda bottle percussion. One of^
the most important groups of the new elec-
tric era of the 1960s was the Equator
Sound Band, first fqrmed in 1959 as the

Jambo Boys, a studio and performing combo

for the East AfricanRecords company. Led
by Fadhili William, they went on into the
i5
1970s as African Eagles and Eagles Lupopo.
Some of the most famous names of the peri-
od - Daudi Kabaka, Gabriel Omolo,
Sylvester Odhiambo and the Zambian emi-
gres Nashil Pichen and Peter Tsotsi - dis-
tinguished the line-up. Typical Equator
elements were the two-part vocal harmony, Abana Ba Nasery (Nursery Boys) strike that Fanta
a steady, often 'walking' bass and a bright,

clean lead guitar. There's often a strikingly Amer- recording industry and was exported to west and
ican feel in the guitar solos and chord formations, southern Africa where it was very popular.
suggesting pervasive rock and country influences. By any measure, the most famous benga group
is Shirati Jazz led by D.O. (Daniel Owino)
Benga Wizards Misiani. Born in Shirati, Tanzania, just south of
the Kenyan border, he been playing benga
has
The late 1960s and early '70s was a time of tran- since the mid-1960s. His style is characterised by

sition in Kenyan music. While the African Eagles soft, flowing and melodic two-part vocal har-
and others continued to play their brands of Swahili monies, a very active, pulsating bass line that derives
music, many top Kenyan groups, such as the at least in part from traditional nyatiti and drum
Ashantis. Air Fiesta and the Hodi Boys, were rhythms, and stacks of invigorating guitar work,
playing Congolese covers and international pop, the lead alternating with the vocal.
especially soul music, in the Nairobi clubs. But it Shirati have been one of the few Kenyan bands
was also at this time that a number of musicians able to make things work as full-time musicians. For
were beginning to define the direction of the most, music is a part-time job in addition to the
emerging benga style, which became Kenya's homestead farm, wage employment, or a small busi-
most characteristic pop music. ness. Nonetheless, other pioneeringLuo benga names
Although benga originated with the Luo peo- include Colella Mazee and Ochieng Nelly - either
ple of western Kenya, its transition to a popular together or separately in various incarnations of Vic-
style has been so pervasive that practically all the toria Jazz and the Victoria Kings - as well as
local bands play variants of it and today most of George Ramogi and his Continental Luo Sweet
the regional or ethnic pop groups refer generally Band. All are still active in Kenya except for Ramo-
to their music as benga. As a pop style, it dates gi who passed away at the end of 1997.

back to the 1 950s when musicians began adapting Another significant Luo musician, who died the
traditional dance rhythms and the string sounds of following year, was Ochieng' Kabaselleh - who
the nyatiti and orutu to the acoustic guitar and later led his Luna Kidi Band through the 1970s and
to electric instruments. During its heyday, in the '80s. His songs were mostly in Luo, but with a sea-

1970s and into the 1980s, it dominated Kenya's soning of Swahili and English, and to benga

512 Kenya
melodies and harmonies he grafted on rhythm gui- Kikuyu:
from the Congolese sound.
tar and horns
Kabaselleh languished in prison for several years
Prayers for the Country
(for 'subversion') but returned to the music world As Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu-
with a flood of releases in the 1990s, and in 1997 speaking people of Central Province and Nairo-
had a US tour and his first international CD release, bi are a major market force in Kenya's music
From Nairobi with Love. industry. Perhaps because of this built-in audience,
few Kikuyu musicians have tried to cross over into

Nursery Boys the national Swahili or English-language markets.

Kikuyu melodies are quite distinct from those
The Luhya highlands to the north of Luo-land are of the Luo and Luhya of western Kenya and their
home many of Kenya's most famous guitarists
to pop manifestations also differ significantly in har-
and vocalists.They include Daudi Kabaka, who monies and rhythm guitar parts. In contrast to Luo
had a renowned early career but struggles today and Luhya pop, women vocalists play major roles
with only the occasional hotel gig; Sukuma bin as many of the top
lead and backing singers and
Ongaro, famed humorous social com-
for his groups have women's auxiliaries - duos and trios
mentary; and Shem Tube, whose music straddles invariably called the something-or-other sisters.

past and present - though it's his past which has Most often, Kikuyu pop takes the form of the
given him a popular following in Europe, follow- benga/cavacha style, but popular alternatives are
ing the 1989 GlobeStyle Records release Abana ba also based on country and western, reggae, and
Nasery (The Nursery Boys), a compilation of songs Congolese soukous.
by Tube and his group in the omutibo style. The king of Kikuyu pop is Joseph Kamaru,
The Abana ba Nasery collection offers a who has been making hit records since the release

glimpse of a musical era of the 1960s and early '70s of "Celina" in 1967, performed, on one guitar and
which has largely vanished. Coming together as a maracas, with his sister Catherine Muthoni. Since
trio in the early 1960s, the group blazed a path for then he has carved a small empire — including his
Kenyan pop While using traditional
to follow. Njung'wa Stars band and the Kamarulets dancers,
Luhya rhythms and melody lines, their two-guitar
line-up and three-part vocal harmonies (and the
KIKUYU
Fanta bottle) were a hint of things to come, con-
taining all the main elements of today's contem-
FOLK
porary pop sound in Kenya. The central position
of the solo guitar in Kenya's electric groups is antic-

ipated in Shem Tube's solos of twenty-five years

ago. Justo Osala's guitar parts in the lower ranges
are like the rhythm and bass parts in today's elec-
tric Even Enos Okola's Fanta rhythms are a
bands.
precursor of the modern drum kit.
While Abana's CD reissue created overseas
interest as a rootsy and very accessible African
sound, the compatibility of their music with strands
of European folk tradition is clear in their 1990s
release, recorded by GlobeStyle in London: Nurs-
ery Boys Go Ahead! Guest
bers of the Oyster
artists

Band and Mustaphas

included
as
mem-
well as
wa: x
Ron Kavana and Tomas Lynch.
Although they've never earned enough money
to

tric
buy their

band under the

and Super Bunyore
own electric guitars

ba Nasery have had a string of local hits

stage
Band
and amps, Abana

names Mwilonje Jazz

(listen, for
as an elec-

example,
mm
to Super Bunyore's "Bibi Joys" on the Nairobi Beat
compilation). If the Nursery Boys have their way,
it won't be long before audiences outside Kenya Joseph Kamaru"s raunchy pop
get a taste of their electric music too. he gave it up for gospel!

Kenya 513
two music shops and a recording studio. He sees camp, though there are special Kamba features.
himself as a teacher, expressing the traditional val- One is the delicate, flowing, merry-go-round-like
ues of his culture, as well as contemporary social rhythm guitar that underlies many arrangements.
commentary, in song. In the early 1990s his record- While the primary guitar plays chords in the lower
ing, "Mahoya ma Bururi" ("Prayers for the Coun- range, the second guitar plays a fast pattern of notes
try"), gently criticised the Kenya government but that mesh with the rest of the instrumentation to
resulted in his shop being raided and the banning fill in the holes. This gentle presence is discernible
of the song from the airwaves. Kamaru takes pride inmany of the recordings of the three most famous
in his lyrics for going beyond trivial matters. "My Kamba groups; the Kalambya Boys & Kalam-
songs are not like other peoples' — 'I love you, I bya Sisters, Peter Mwambi and his Kyan-
love you,' they keep on singing - No, no, no! My ganga Boys and Les Kilimambogo Brothers
songs are not that way. I can compose a love song Band, fomerly led by Kakai Kilonzo.
but very deep, a grown-up loving." These groups dominated Kamba music from the
In the period following "Mahoya ma Bururi," mid-1970s. Mwambi, although he can get into
Kamaru's popularity was steadily on the rise, his some comes
great guitar solos, has a following that
band was fully booked^playing his regular and 'X- largely from within the Kamba community: his
rated, Adults Only' shows to packed nightclub musically simple, pound 'em-out, pulsing-bass
crowds. Thus his announcement in 1 993 that he drum style may not have enough musical varia-
had been 'born again' came as a bombshell for his non-Kamba speakers interested.
tion to keep
fans. Much to their disappointment, Kamaru aban- The Kalambya Sisters are a different story.
doned the pop scene to devote his efforts to evan- Backed by Onesmus Musyoki's Kalambya Boys
gelical activities and gospel music promotion. Band, the Sisters (now disbanded) were famous,
Kamaru may not write songs for teenage lovers even notorious, throughout Kenya and they even
but someone who does, and who became famous had a minor hit in Europe with "Katelina". This
in the process, is hit-maker Daniel 'DK' (Coun- related the comic plight of a young woman,
cillor) Kamau. Kamau released his first three Katelina, who likes to drink the home-brew uki,
records in 1967 while still at school and continued but gets pregnant with annual regularity in the
with a highly successful career through the 1970s. process. The soft, high-pitched, feline voices of
He is regarded as having brought Kikuyu music the Sisters whine engagingly in unison over the
into the benga mainstream, but it was not until delightfully sweet guitar work of Musyoki and the
1990 that he returned to the stage with a new Lulus Boys. After a ten-year absence from the studio,
Band. In Kenya's rapidly changing political cli- Musyoki returned to record "Sweet Sofia" in 1993,
mate, the councillor struck a responsive chord with while founding sister, Mary Nduku, now leads the
his fans and the population at large with his Top Mitaboni Sisters.
Ten hit, "FORD Fever" (about the newly formed To reach a larger audience, a number of local-
opposition party). DK has continued to address language artists have turned to Swahili, which is
political and human rights issues, sometimes in part- widely spoken throughout east and central Africa.
nership with singer-composer Albert Gacheru. Kakai Kilonzo and Les Kilimambogo Brothers
With Kamaru's departure from the pop market, band were always identified as a Kamba band, but
at least part of the void has been filled by one of the once Kakai started recording in Swahili, the group
rare female headliners in Kikuyu pop, Jane Nyam- enjoyed widespread popularity in Kenya. With
bura. Known these days simply as Queen Jane, she's socially relevant lyrics, a good dose of merry-go-
a staunch advocate for the inclusion of traditional round guitar and a solid dance-beat backing, Les
folk forms and local languages within contempo- Kilimambogo were national favourites until Kakai's
rary pop. Her use of tribal languages has limited her death in 1987.
radio exposure (such music is deemed 'tribal' in offi- These days, a generation of musicians, relative
cial circles) but Jane and four of her brothers and newcomers to the Kamba hall of fame, is drawing
sisters now make their living from her band. most of the limelight away from the old guard. The
Katitu Boys Band have come to dominate the

Merry-go-round Style Kamba Leader David Kasyoki, a

cassette market.
former with.Mwambi's Kyanganga Boys,
guitarist

East and southeast of Nairobi is a vast, semi-arid won the 1992 Singer of the Year award for "Cheza
plateau, the home of the Kamba people, linguis- na Katitu" (Dance with Katitu). Other groups of
tically close relations of the Kikuyu. Kamba pop the new Kamba generation include Kimangu Boys
music is firmly entrenched in the benga/cavacha Band, Kiteta Boys, and Mutituni Boys Band.

514 Kenya
 »

Congolese and Swahili: in African music began to emerge in the early 1980s,

Big-name Bands it was these companies with

nections that released the
their international

first, tantalising
con-
sounds
The big-name bands Kenya can usually muster
in from Nairobi. These early Kenyan recordings
sufficiently large audiences for shows in sprawling, released in London were drawn from the big names
ethnically diverse towns like Nairobi, Nakuru or and featured artists such as Super Mazembe,
Mombasa. Unlike the groups with a particular eth- Orchestra Makassy, Orchestre Virunga, Lessa
nic leaning, the national performers can appeal to Lassan, Issa Juma, and Lovy Longomba. Of
a broad cross-section of the population with music these, all but the Tanzanian-born Issa Juma came

which tends to be either a local variant of the Con- from Congo (then Zaire) - there wasn't a Kenyan
golese sound or Swahili music, a Kenyan-Tan- among them - and it was not until several years
zanian hybrid sound, unique to Kenya. later, after Shirati Jazz had done their first British

In both Congolese and Swahili popular music, tour, that Kenya achieved an international reputa-

rumba been a major ingredient. Songs

has always tion for its indigenous benga dance music.
typicallyopen with a slow-to-medium rumba that
ambles through the verses, backed by a light per- Immigration Department
cussion of gentle congas, snare and high hat. Then,
three or four minutes into the song there's a tran- Congolese musicians have been making waves
sition - or more often a hiatus. It's goodbye to in Kenya since the late 1950s. It was the Con- -<
verses and rolling rumba as the song shifts into high golese OS Africa Band that opened Nairobi's
gear. A much rhythm, highlighting the
faster famous Starlight Club back in 1964. But it wasn't
instrumental parts, especially solo guitar and brass, until the mid- 1 970s, after the passing of the Amer-
takes over with a vengeance. ican soul craze, that music from Congo began to
There are some significant points of divergence dominate the city nightclubs. One of the first musi-
in the Swahili and Congolese styles. The tempo of cians to settle in Kenya during this period was
Swahili music is generally slower, even in the fast Baba Gaston. The rotund Gaston had already
section. Swahili music over the last twenty-five been in the business for twenty years when he
years has been particularly faithful to this two-part arrived in Nairobi with his group Baba National
structure although, today, both Swahili and Con- in 1975. A prolific musician and father (he had
golese musicians often dispense with the slow rumba twelve children), he stole the scene until his retire-
portion altogether. While the Congolese musicians ment as a performer and recording artist in 1989.
are famous for their vocals and their intricate har- In the mid-1970s, at about the same time Baba
monies, Swahili groups are renowned for their Gaston was just getting settled in Nairobi, the Con-
demon guitarists and crisp, clear guitar interplay. golese group Boma Liwanza was already on the
While Swahili pop is usually associated with scene at the Starlight Club and the popular Bana
Swahili lyrics, it isn't distinguished by the language. Ngenge were about to leave Nairobi for a year

In fact one of the greatest Swahili hits of all time, in Tanzania. Super Mazembe had just complet-
the Maroon Commandos' "Charonyi Ni Wasi" is ed their migration from then Zaire to Kenya by
not in Swahili but in the closely related Taita lan- way of Zambia and Tanzania, and soon to follow
guage. Similarly, Nairobi's Congolese scene has were Samba Mapangala and Les Kinois.
become less Lingala as it has moved from the near-
exclusive use of that Congolese language twenty-
five years ago to a preponderance of Swahili lyrics

today. Nearly all on the recent Feet on

the songs
Fire CD from the immensely popular Orchestre "
Virunga are in Swahili. helping to guarantee pop-
ularity with a mass audience. As for Lingala songs,

while few Kenyans understand the lyrics, their

mysterious incomprehensibility and a veneer of
them a certain sex appeal.
Gallic sophistication gives

Most of the Swahili and Congolese music pro-

duced in Kenya originated with the multinational
Polygram and CBS/Sony or was put out
giants like

by independent labels run by British or Asian One of Africa's all-time best voices:
Kenyans. When European and American interest Samba Mapangala

Kenya 515
m Vundumuna during their Japan period

1 The latter were an early prototype of Orchestre player Tabu Ngongo have stayed on in Japan play-

Virunga, which Samba Mapangala put together ing African music in BB's groups, Bitasika and
with the Super Mazembe singer Kasongo wa MAMU (Modern African Music), releasing a cou-
Kanema. In 1984, however, Virunga ran into prob- ple of nicely produced CDs in Japan.

lems with work permits, and broke up, leading to The loss of Vundumuna set the stage for the

a new all-star group, Ibeba System, led by ex- return of Orchestre Virunga, and when they took
Virunga guitarist Sammy Mansita. When Ibeba up a residence in Garden Square club in Nairobi in
first took over from Virunga at the Starlight, the 1988 they were greeted with the same abundant
group was a virtual clone of the Virunga sound enthusiasm they had left behind three years earli-

but over several years performing at the JKA Resort er. With a captivating stage show, they played daz-
Club they became one of Nairobi's most accom- zling renditions of all their familiar hits, and new
plished club acts with a good mix of their own compositions like "Safari" and "Vunja Mifupa"
soukous and covers of African pop. joined the list of favourites. Sadly, in 1993, Samba
The ultimate Congolese crossover band in gave up on the local nightclub scene and disbanded
Nairobi, and darlings of Kenya's young elite, were the group, though he still performs for special
Vundumuna. The group formed in 1984 with events in Kenya, tours abroad and makes records.
guitarist Tabu Frantal, Ugandan vocalist Sammy Although the musicians continue to change, noth-
Kasule, and bassist Nsilu wa Bansilu (another ex- ing has altered Samba Mapangala's formula - a

Virunga player), and quickly gained institutional catchy, not over-complex melody, faultless vocal
status at the Carnivore packing in the crowds with harmonies, innovative, interlocking guitar lines
their performances. With equipment in
the best and superbly crafted horns floating over light, high-
the city, they presented a clean, hi-tech sound fus- tensile percussion.
ing Congolese soukous, benga rhythms, and ele- Samba Mapangala was not the only one disillu-

ments of Western jazz. Their flawless horn sioned by the business of music in Nairobi. By the
arrangements blended beautifully with the key- early 1990s, Nairobi's status as an island of oppor-
board-playing of leader Botango Bedjil (BB Mo- tunity for Congolese musicians had fallen flat. With
Franck) and Frantal's guitar. After three LPs and harder economic times, a declining record indus-
riding a crest of popularity, the future was look- try, fewer live venues and restrictive work rules,

ing bright until, once again, the Immigration Nairobi had become a departure point for green-
Department struck. The group played its farewell er pastures rather than the promised land itself.

concert at the Carnivore in late 1986 and since then Some musicians headed to Tanzania and other
have worked abroad in places as far afield as Japan neighbouring countries while others followed Vun-
and Oman. Between jobs, they return to Kenya - dumuna's lead and signed up to play outside Africa.
several band members have Kenyan wives and chil- In recent years, Japan has been a destination for a

dren - and they have been allowed to play short number of Nairobi's Congolese musicians, who
stints as guest performers. BB Mo-Franck and sax form touring groups such as Angusha Band.

516 Kenya
 Since the mid-1990s, however, the Congolese the group has taken a page from the benga hand-
music scene has been on the upswing once again book and quickened the pace considerably —
witha host of new names and new places to work. though the vocal and instrumental parts are still
Congolese names on the current scene include their 'original' sound of great guitars, creamy sax

Senza Musica, Choc la Musica, Station Japan, (on Vol I) and pleasing, listener-friendly vocal lines.

Tshiakatumaba International, and Bilenge For purists interested in their local, live sound, the
Musica. The latter have a CD release called
Rumba albums Haleluya and Mapenzi Ni Damu are more
Is Rumba that, in terms of quality, places them representative.
among the top soukous bands anywhere. The The Wanyika name is famous in East Africa for

vocalist Coco Zigo Mike would have been in several other related bands that emerged from the
this list, too, as leader of Losako la Musica. Sadly, family line. The group's first big split occurred in
he died in 1998 at the age of 39. 'Prince Cocozi- 1978 when the core of supporting musicians
go', as he was known, sang in the late-197()s band around the Kinyonga brothers left to form Les
Viva Makale and, later, in Orchestre Virunga, Ibeba Wanyika. Among those who made the move
System, and Moreno Batamba's Orchestra Moja were rhythm Omari Shabani,
guitarist 'Professor'

One. bass player Tom Malanga, drummer Rashidjuma,

and vocalist Issajuma, who had only joined Simba

Wanyika Dynasty Wanyika

er crucial
a month before. The group added anoth-
member in Tanzanian lead guitar play-
Songs with Swahili lyrics are part of the com- er John Ngereza, who had been playing in Kenya
mon currency of East African musical culture. with the Congolese group Bwambe Bwambe.
Kenya's own brand of Swahili pop music has its After six months' practice, they began performing
origin in the Tanzanian pop styles of the 1970s at Garden Square and soon found fame across Kenya
but, since that time, the Kenyan variety has fol- with their massive hit "Sina Makosa" (It's not my
lowed a separate evolutionary path. In addition to fault). Under Ngereza's leadership, they have
the stylistic features it shares with the Congolese remained one of Nairobi's top bands, distinguished
sound (light, high-hat-and-conga percussion and by imaginative compositions and arrangements, a

a delicate two/three-guitar interweave), the typically lean, clean sound and the delicious blend
Kenyan Swahili sound is instrumentally sparse, of Professor Omari's rhythm guitar mastery with
allowing the bass to fill in gaps, often in synco- Tom Malanga's bass. Their vocals are great, too,

pated rhythms. Trumpets and saxes are common handled by lead guitar player Ngereza, with solid
in recorded arrangements but usually omitted in multipart harmonies from Mohamed Tika and
club performances because of the expense. other Swahili session vocalists.
One of the first Tanzanian groups to migrate to The group was not afraid to adapt to changing
Kenya was Arusha Jazz, the predecessor of what is times. In the early 1990s, as Kenyan tastes

now the legendary Simba Wanyika Original embraced disco music, they were in there with a
(Lion of the Savanna). Founded by Wilson Peter disco medley of their greatest hits, Les Les Non-
Kinyonga and his brothers George and William, Stop '90, a formula carried over into their next
the group began performing in Mombasa in 1971. album, Kabibi - rather dire international disco.
The following year, they began recording for Mercifully, Ngereza abandoned this course on his

Phonogram, making a name for themselves with following cassette releases and, in returning to clas-
single releases, and in 1975, with Tanzanian recruit sic Les Wanyika form, has consistently been in
Omar Shabani on rhythm and Kenyan Tom Kenya's Top Ten charts with each new release.
Malanga on bass, shifted their base to Nairobi and His inclusion as a guest artist on Orchestre Virun-
released their first album, Jiburudisheni na Simba ga's 1997 US tour finally brought him some inter-
Wanyika (Chill Out with Simba Wanyika). Over national exposure outside Africa as well as his first

their twenty-year history in Nairobi, the group international CD in 1998, Amigo. Sadly, 1998 saw
were favourites of the city's club scene and made the death of Professor Omari, who had composed
scores of recordings. They broke up in 1 995 after many of the group's early hits such as "Sina
the deaths of first George (in 1992) and then Wil- Makosa", "Paulina" and "Pamela".
son Kinyonga. An important figure in the Wanyika story is

Interestingly, Simba Wanyika's international Tanzania-bom Issa Juma, who quickly established
releases present a rather different sound from their a name for himself in Kenya as a premier vocalist
typical recordings for Polygram in Nairobi. In both in the early days of the band. Mention his name
Simba Wanyika Original: Kenya Vol I and Pepea, today and many Kenyans will immediately think

Kenya 517
of 'Sigalame', a character from his 1983 single of Hakuna Matata . . .

the same name and now a part of Kenyan vocab-

ulary. Sigalame is a mysterious character who has International influences have always been a part
disappeared from family and friends but *is of Kenyan music but where Kenyan pop meets
rumoured to be living in Bungoma doing 'busi- the tourist industry, at the resorts to the north and
What kind of business? ("Biashara gani?")
ness'. south of earthy Mombasa, another distinct style
With so many illegal activities to choose from, it can be heard in all the hotels. Here, a band can
was up to the listener to answer. successfully make a living just playing covers at

Issa formed Super Wanyika in 1981 and over hotel gigs. Tourist pop bands typically have
the next few years had a series of hits featuring half highly competent musicians, relatively good equip-
a dozen variations on the Wanyika name — Super ment and, overall, a fairly polished sound. In live
Wanyika Stars, Wanyika Stars, Waa-Nyika, performances, the best of them play an eclectic
L'Orchestra Waanyika and Wanyika Super Les selection of old Congolese rumba tunes as warm-
Les. As one of the most productive artists of the ups, popular international covers, a few Congolese
1980s, he released many numbers in the style of from Kenya's
favourites of the day, greatest hits
Swahili-benga fusion heard in "Sigalame". Yet, he past,and then some original material that leans
has been perhaps the most versatile and creative heavily towards the American/Euro-pop sound
of the Swahili artists in his willingness to take his but with lyrics relating to local topics.

music in different directions. With producer Babu The most successful Kenyan group in this field
Shah, some of his songs sound very much like the has been the oddly named Them Mushrooms.
Conglese music of the time. Others are more in Strictly speaking, the Mushrooms graduated from
the old rumba style of Simba Wanyika. the coastal hotel circuit when they moved to
Although the Wanyika bands have been dom- Nairobi in 1987. Their music, however, lives on
inant in Swahili music, it is not their exclusive at the coast, highlighted by their crowning achieve-
domain. Foremost among other Tanzanians and ment, the perennial tourist anthem "Jambo Bwana"
Kenyans performing in the Swahili style are the with its unintentionally ironic refrain, "Hakuna
Maroon Commandos. Members of the Kenyan Matata" — no problems. TM have several differ-

Army, the Commandos are one of the oldest per- ent versions of the song and while they are proud
forming groups in the country. They first came to take credit for this insidiously infectious bit of
together in 1970 and were intitially mainly a cov- fluff, they have much more serious intentions in
ers band playing Congolese hits. But by 1 977 they the world of music.
had come out as a strong force in the Swahili style At the time of their formation, in 1972, Them
with the huge Taita-language hit "Charonyi Ni Mushrooms were a reggae band without an audi-

Wasi." Within their genre, the Commandos do ence. However, as they gravitated toward the hotel
not limit themselves to any sort of rigid formula. circuit for work, they changed their style to a more
Like many of the Swahili groups, they use trum- commercial sound encompassing international cov-
pets and sax liberally but they're also quite exper- ers, African pop standards, a little soca and reggae,
imental and have at various times added a keyboard and some Kenyan variants of benga and the coastal

and innovative guitar effects and, at their most cre- chakacha rhythm. By the time they had moved to

ative, mingle Swahili and benga styles. Nairobi's Carnivore restaurant in 1987, their pol-
ished sound quickly established them as a
among the affluent nightclub set.
favourite
Them Mushrooms are without doubt
Kenya's most active band today with at least

fifteen albums to their credit. Over the best

part of thirty years, they have produced a series

of successful collaborations, highlighting

diverse artists, and including pioneering musi-
cian Fundi Konde, taarab star Malika and the
Kikuyu singer Jane Nyambura. They now
own and operate one of the best studios in
the country, and their recent work has taken
them back to their first love, reggae with the
CD Kazi Ni Kazi (Work Is Work), released
Them Mushn internationally on the Kelele label.

518 Kenya
 The Mushroom's long-time counterpart in the junction with the German label Kelele Records.
hotel circuit, SafariSound, have also joined the Among the first performers releasing CDs with
reggae brigade with another Kelele release called Kelele were Them Mushrooms, Safari Sound,
Matnbo Jamba. This group already has the distinction Hart, Shadz O'Blak, and Hardstone. Harrison
of having Kenya's best-selling album ever in Tlie Best Ngunjiri, alias Hardstone, has been particular-
of African Songs, a veritable greatest hits of hotel clas- ly successful in Kenya with his hit song "Uhiki",
sics that includes Malaika, a beautiful composition from the CD Nuting but de Stone. This appropri-
about ill-starred love, first sung by Fadhili William ates Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and mixes
and rarely given the soulful treatment it deserves. it with Kikuyu folk music and rap — a strange-

combination but one Hardstone pulls off nicely.

Labour of Love The song earned him the "Best New Artist of the
Year" award in 1997, in Nairobi's Kisima Awards.
For the great majority of Kenyan musicians, the Over the last few years, many of Kenya's
music business is a labour of love. This is not to say younger generation of musicians have taken inspi-
they wouldn't love to have money, but that very ration from rap, R&B, house, reggae, and dance-
few can even support themselves and their fami- hall genres, blending elements of Euro-American

lies without other income. Although Kenya has a pop with local Kenyan melodies, lyrics and
rich musical tradition, musicians have always strug- rhythms. There's genuine enthusiasm for local
gled to gain recogni- music in this niche, -<
tion and respect. and a sense of antici-
Kenyans speak fond- pation of much
ly of the great artists greater things to
and songs in Kenyan come. The 1998 CD,
pop, and they relish Kenyan: The First

all the local music Chapter, seems to be

around them on the an expression of such
streets — in matatus, optimism. The disc is

restaurants and bars. a showcase for sever-

On the other hand, WK^B- al of the pioneers in
they often speak dis- this new music. It

paragingly about includes Swahili rap

Kenyan music in from Kala Mashaka,
comparison with Swahili language bal-
music from Tanzania, lads from Nikki and
Congo, Europe or Shadz O'Blak,
America. Institution- R&B from Jimmi
ally, little has been Gathu and the
done to help Kenyan female duo, IN TU.
musicians. Cassette piracy and the unaffordable cost In separate recordings, Pox Pressure (Prechard
of instruments and supplies are two of the major Pouka) has emerged a radio favourite with his Luo
problems. Kenyan radio doesn't give them much language reggae, raggamuffin, and dance hall styles

support either, especially if their songs are record- and, from Mombasa, Malkia Rukia mixes taarab
ed in a local language. and hip-hop in her hit song "Anipenda Naku-
These days, musicians playing benga, Swahili penda" (He loves me, I love you).
pop, or Congolese music face stiff competition on It is difficult to predict where this new direc-

the airwaves and in the music shops from Amer- tion in Kenyan pop will eventually lead and which
ican and European sounds: mainstream pop, hip- of these artists will be around in the coming years.
hop, reggae, R&B, the whole lot. As the audience For the moment, however, it's one of the bright
for these types of music has grown (including in spots in the local scene. With innumerable vari-
its number plenty of Kenyan musicians), many ants of local benga styles, Swahili rumba, Con-
Kenyan artists have decided it's time to bring these golese soukous, international (tourist) music, gospel,
international styles into their own compositions. and the new emerging fusions, Kenya's musical
The Nairobi production company, Synch diversity is both a strength and a problem - as the
Sound Studio, has been active in promoting market for each style is small. Still, there's some
international styles for distribution abroad in con- great music emerging: explore and enjoy . . .

Kenya 519
discography Artists

A number of tape compilations of traditional music are Abana Ba Nasery

available Kenya. CDs below are mostly available from
in
From western Kenya, keeps alive a style of music
this trio
African specialists worldwide.
they pioneered 960s and early '70s. As one of the
in the 1

groups to produce a two-guitar weave, their sound

Compilations first

was innovative. To this they added three-part harmony

and a rhythm line created by scraping the ribs of a Fanta
Before Benga Vol.
m Vol. 2:
1 Kenya Dry and
:

The Nairobi Sound (Original Music,

Both the acoustic collection on Kenya Dry and the
US).

electric
bottle with a metal rod.

3 Abana Ba Nasery: Classic Acoustic Recordings

from Western Kenya (GlobeStyle, UK).
Nairobi Sound provide an excellent cross-section of guitar
These are have Original thirty-year-old recordings - a charming collection of
music from the 1 950s to the '70s. styles that
largely disappeared in Kenya. finger-picking acoustic guitar music from Bunyore, Kenya.

IS Guitar Paradise of East Africa S iNursery Boys Go Ahead! The Guitar and Bottle
33 Kenya Dance Mania (Earthworks/Stem's, UK). Kings of Kenya (GlobeStyle, UK; Xenophile, US).

These two CDs range thrpugh Kenya's various styles, This CD captures the crisp ABN sound in recordings made
although not always featuring the best or most representative on their 1991 tour to the UK. It also places the trio in some
material from the artists. Highlights on Guitar Paradise include interesting collaborations with European artists, some of
the classic hit "Shauri Yako" by Super Mazembe as well as which really get rockin'.
Ochieng' Kabaselleh's "Achi Maria." Kenya Dance Mania
includes Kenyan classics of the 1970s and '80s
like Les
Bilenge Musica
Wanyika's "Sina Makosa" and the Maroon Commandos'
"Charonyi Ni Wasi" (recently revived in Kenya). This group of eight Congolese musicians came together
in Nairobi 1996 under the leadership of Didie Double-
in
E Kapere Jazz Band & Others weight. Individually, they've played with some of Congo's
HI Luo Roots: Musical Currents from Western Kenya most famous musicians and groups including Sam
(GlobeStyle, UK). Mangwana, Koffi Olomide, Viva la Musica, and Tanzanian-
Today's versions of the traditional music of the Luo people, based Maquis Original and Carnival Band.
suggesting the foundations of the benga style.
SE Rumba is Rumba (Kelele, Germany).
E The Most Beautiful Songs of Africa
But for Swahili language lyrics in several of the songs, this is
(ARC Music, UK).
mainstream Congolese soukous all the way - and that's not

The naff title aside, this is a rather good collection of largely bad. The sound is reminiscent of Wenge Musica. Production,
1 970s Kenyan and Tanzanian music. The mix is totally eclec- at Sync Sound Studios, Nairobi, is first-rate, as usual.
tic with the Congolese dance sounds of Super Mazembe

(with "Kasongo" and "Shaun Yako") and Bopol Mansiamina, Oguta Bobo
taarab music of the coast, Tanzanian dance music from Afro
70 and Western Jazz, and a top version by Miriam Makeba of Not much is known about the late Oguta Bobo Otange
the haunting "Malaika" (the version that served as the model but that he's a compelling accordion player from among
for Angelique Kidjo's rendition). the Luo of Western Kenya and his music covered the
gamut of topics from serious social commentary to the
83 The Nairobi Beat: Kenyan Pop Music Today lighter side of love.
(Rounder, US).
S3 Rujina Kalando (Equator Heritage Sounds, US).
First-rate collection of mid-1980s music compiled by the
author of this and showcasing a cross-section of musi-
article A chance squeeze-box fanatics to get some rare record-
for

cal varieties coveringsome of the best examples of regional ings of African accordion with Oguta Bobo singing and play-
benga styles: Luo, Kikuyu, Kamba, and Luhya; plus a couple ing. The songs are traditional in melody and rhythm but con-

of Swahili and Congolese dance tunes for good measure. temporary in lyrics of the time (the 1960s) and filled with
humour for those who understand Luo.
The Rough Guide to the Music of Kenya and
Tanzania (World Music Network, UK).
Sam Chege's Ultra-Benga
Okay - you'd expect us to like but this really is a superb col-
it,

Raised by his grandmother in rural central Kenya, Chege

lection of Kenyan and Tanzanian music, sampling traditional and
received a solid grounding Kikuyu music and oral tradi-
in
popular styles, including taarab from the coastal region. Kenyan
tion before going to study in Nairobi and the US. A music
artists include Simba Wanyika. Victoria Kings, DO Misiani and
journalist by profession, his own music is rooted in Kikuyu
Shirati Jazz,Abana ba Nasery, Henry Makobi, Ogwang Lelo
Okoth with Paddy J Onono. and Zein Musical Party. musical traditions which have been fused with other local
Kenyan and Congolese styles.
S The Secret Museum of Mankind, Music of East
Africa, Ethnic Music Classics: 1925-48 (Yazoo. US). Kickin' Kikuyu-Styte
(Original Music, US).
With selections from across East Africa, this provides a fasci-
nating window onto traditional and popular sounds reflecting Kickin is a great example of Kikuyu benga music with its solid

local styles of the 1930s and '40s. Of the eleven selections pulsing kick drum, interlocking guitars (with seriously delayed
from Kenya, most feature guitar accompanying traditional reverb), providing an interesting contrast to the Luo benga of

songs. On some tracks there's a sense of the precursors to DO Misiani, George Ramogi, or Victoria Kings. Lively, fun

the Luo benga that emerged two or three decades later. music with excellent sound quality.

520 Kenya
 creative groups since 1978, when they were formed by
Hardstone John Ngereza out of Simba Wanyika. Sadly, most of the
Born in 1977, Hardston is a rapper in Kikuyu and other founding members, including the superb rhythm gui-
(Jamaican-sounding) English - one of the new breed of tarist and composer 'Professor' Oman, have now died.

young Kenyan artists. He's a solo performer (with bor-

Amigo
rowed crews) but in studio he works in partnership with
(Clifford Lugard Productions, US).
Tedd Josiah. He won the 'Best New Artist of the Year'
award at Nairobi's Kisima Awards in April, 1997. on cassette and LP, John Ngereza's band
After years of hits
have finally broken through with a CD of classic Swahili
<< Nuting but de Stone (Kelele Records, Germany). rumba with the great guitar interweave and some very cool
horn/sax combinations. Old numbers include such famous
Caribbean ragga, American urban sounds, and African lyrics
tunes as "Sina Makosa", "Pamela", "Paulina", "Afro" and
and rhythms come together in a superbly produced mix, with
"Nimaru". You can check out their early sound on Kenya
many stopping points along the way.
Dance Mania (see 'Compilations' above).

Jabali Afrika
The Magazines Band
This ensemble was
brought together for the
originally
Originally from Nairobi, this quartet migrated to the coast
Kenya National Theatre, whereupon they developed a
in 1 992 to play in the Malindi and Watamu tourist hotels.
repertoire and a following, and formed Jabali Afrika.
Currently based in the US, they have toured extensively in > Muche Marinda (Kelele, Germany).
America and Europe.
Talented musicians play upbeat music with local flavour and
33 Journey (Jabali Afrika, Kenya). plenty of international pop influences.

This is a gem of a CD - entirely acoustic, as is all Jabali's

music. Beautiful harmonies, flowing percussion and brilliant Henry Makobi
sound quality. Vocals are a cross between choir and work (or Makobi is renowned for superb finger-picking guitar - a
play) songs and percussion includes various African drums,
form rarely recorded since the 1 950s.
congas, bells and shakers, as well as drum kit.
H3New Memories: Guitar Music from Kenya
Ochieng' Kabaselleh (MW Records, Netherlands).

& the Luna Kidi Band Recorded in 1991 in a Nyahururu hotel room, Makobi brings
the finger-picking era alive with his fine renditions of old
Kabaselleh (d.1998), from the area around Lake Victoria, George Mukabi, Losta Abelo, Ben Blastus, John Mwale and
was a great Kenyan bandleader whose music was always Jean Bosco songs.
a little bit different - an interesting mix of Luo benga,
and Congolese influences.
Swahili rumba,
Ali Mula Maneno & Grand Magoma
H3 Sanduku ya Mapendo (Equator Heritage Sounds, US). Ali Maneno grew up in Morogoro In Tanzania, the home of

Thiis collection of five 980s is

double-sided singles from the 1
East Africa's most famous musician, Mbaraka Mwinshehe

a fine example of Kabaelleh's fusion of benga, rumba, and

(see Tanzania). He joined Mbaraka's band, Morogoro
Jazz, on leaving school and went on to develop his skills
soukous. with superb guitar, some tasteful horns and sax,
and long tantalising grooves. Beware that is hugely prefer-
it
in several other Tanzanian bands. In 1985, he moved to

able to SC From Nairobi with Love (Equator Heritage

Nairobi, playing with Les Volcano, one of Mbaraka's suc-
Sounds, US), which lacks almost all of its musical variation,
cessor groups. By 1 987, he had released his first LP with
the Nairobi-based group, Isse Isse and since 1 991 , he has
and has annoyingly saccharine keyboards.
led various versions of his own group, Grand Magoma.

Fundi Konde Zetty

(Equator Heritage Sounds, US).
One of Kenya's renowned early guitarists and the creator
of many of what Kenyans consider classics, Konde's hey- AliManeno's first CD release is a cross between classic East
day was the 1950s but he was rediscovered by Kenyans African rumba and the contemporary Congolese sound, with
forty years later through his collaboration with Them keyboards mimicking horns in the style of Quatre Etoiles or
Mushrooms in new releases of his music. Recently, he Soukous Stars, while the guitar retains the local element of

has enjoyed another renaissance performing with the delicate detail. Varied and musically
interesting songs are
Tanzanian veteran musicians, Shikamoo Jazz. complemented by a raw sound, aided in part by
refreshingly
guitars that can't quite stay in tune and Ali's appealingly
8S Fundi Konde Retrospective Vol. 1 (1947-56) raspy, unpolished voice. With heavy bass and solid rhythm,
(RetroAfric, UK). this is great dance music.

Enticing, historical Kenyan pop from one of the country's

most famous and singer-songwriters. Many of his
guitarists Samba Mapangala
tunes are rumbas, though a couple sound like reggae precur-
sors. Imagine a vocal line like a mellow, two-part
& Orchestre Virunga
"Chattanooga Choo Choo"; add a smooth, jazzy electric gui- From their early days at the famous Starlight Club to their
tar, bass and clarinet and you have the ingredients for the triumphant stint at Nairobi's Garden Square, Orchestre
typical Konde recipe. Virunga have long been one of Kenya's most exciting
groups and Samba one of the most gifted talents in
Kenya. Since the early 1990s when he disbanded his
Les Wanyika
group, he has moved back and forth between the low-
Les (pronounced 'lace') Wanyika were the last of the great tech, essentially live, Kenyan sound using East African
Swahili rumba bands in the 'Wanyika' lineage, dating back musicians and a more hi-tech Paris-soukous style, with
to the early 1970s. They have been one of Kenya's most keyboards and programmed percussion.

Kenya 521
 Virunga Volcano George Ramogi
MM (Earthworks/Stern's, UK).
& CK Dumbe Dumbe Jazz Band
Although not representative of Kenyan music, the band's first
CD was in a class of its own - the perfect album. Six, Since the early 1960s, George Ramogi has helped fashion
superbly crafted songs, each like a story allowed to develop the sound of Luo pop with his benga and rumba styles.
over a ten-minute period, exploring different combinations of He started the Luo Sweet Band in 1 965, later renaming it
rhythm, melody, and harmony right through to the finish. As the Continental Kilo (CK) Jazz Band. The nucleus of the
fresh and enticing today as it was when first released on vinyl group performed together, on and off, right up to
back in the early 1 980s. Ramogi's death in 1997 at the age of 52.

EE Feet On Fire (Stern's Africa, UK). S3 1994 USA Tour-Safari ya Ligingo.

(Dumbe Dumbe Records, US).
First-rate Samba Mapangala in the East African groove,
recorded on the 1991 UK tour. In 1994, a group of US Kenyans pooled their resources to fly

Ramogi and band over The recording

to perform. isn't very
S3 Vunja Mifupa (Lusam, US).
polished, perhaps, but authentic benga none the less, with

moments of greatness. *
Samba's latest CD is almost as good as Virunga Volcano. Five
songs were recorded in 1996, the other three in Paris back in
1989. They are in the vein of the group's earlier Nairobi record- Simba Wanyika Original
ings: great guitars, driving rhythms, and the superb saxes of
Rama Athumani and Twahir Mohamed. It's soukous alright, Simba Wanyika were one of Kenya's favourite Swahili
but the sweet East African version. Listen out for "Wabingwa",
rumba bands from the early 1970s up until they stopped
in 1995, after the deaths of both founding brothers,
with cute little guitar riffs evolving throughout its nine minutes.
George and Wilson Peter Kinyonga.

D.O. Misiani & Shirati Jazz Pepea

(Kameleon Records, Holland; Stern's, UK).
One of the founding fathers of benga, Daniel Owino
Misiani has been doing this so long - still playing after Although they recorded many albums in Kenya, this 1992

more than thirty years - it's probably time to refer to him release, recorded Simba Wanyika's only solo
in Holland, is

as a grandfather. CD. It's superbly produced, allowing the band to shine on

some of their biggest hits of the previous two decades.
S3 Benga Blast! (Earthworks/Stern's, UK)
Highly recommended.
A fine collection of songs from the definitive name in Luo
benga, this presents the rough, unpolished sound of the old
Pioneer House studios - and, yes, it's in mono.
Them Mushrooms
Them Mushrooms have sprouted in several forms over
S3 Piny Ose Mer/The World Upside Down their twenty-five-plus years, starting as a reggae band
(GlobeStyle, UK). then working international pop sounds together with local
An original GlobeStyle recording made in Nairobi - clean, pol-
chakacha into their music for a ten-year stint on the
ished, and stereo. While the musical content is pure Shirati,
coastal hotel circuit. Now based in Nairobi, they're also

the mix is unusual for the group. active music production with their own Mushrooms
in

sound The early 1990s found them in interesting

studio.
collaborations with other Kenyan artists such as Malika,
Ayub Ogada Jane Nyambura, and Fundi Konde.
Ayub Ogada has been exploring and bridging cultural
boundaries over the last two decades, mingling cultures in
S3 Them Mushrooms (Rags Music, UK).
his musical productions at Nairobi's French Cultural Centre After the two songs, "Jambo Bwana" and "Mushroom
first
in the 1970s, in the renowned African Heritage Band, which Soup", a set of remakes of classic Kenyan tunes from the
he co-founded in 1979, and in the London scene with the 1950s and '60s. Popular in Kenya with those who grew up
group Taxi Pata Pata in 1 986. He is still at it today, giving with this music, it's beginning to sound pretty cheesy to the
solo performances on the nyatiti, the traditional Luo harp. rest of the world now.

S3 En Mana Kuoyo (RealWorld, UK).

S3 Kazi Ni Kazi (Kelele Records, Germany).
A quiet, largely acoustic CD and cap-
with beautiful melodies
Mushrooms reggae mode, and they certainly sound at
in
tivating rhythms that starts with nyatiti, praise songs and local
home. A CD mainstream material with lots of catchy
of
rhythms. "Chiro" is a new rendering of the popular and lively
numbers and lyrics dealing with everything from women's
Kenyan tune "Western Shilo" (performed by Daudi Kabaka
rights and Rwanda to Italian style, the wonders of Dubai, or
and George Agade's on Before Benga Vol 2 - see come
inviting their "Swiss Lady" to to Africa.
'Compilations', above).

Original Zengela Band Victoria Kings

The Original Zengela are a bit of a mystery group from the Victoria Kings were one benga groups from
of the great
Kenya coast: seven members, all of them unknown in Luo-land. They started 970s with Ochieng Nelly as
in the 1

Nairobi and other places upcountry. bandleader and, joined by long-time musical partner
Collela Mazee, became one of the top-selling recording
S3 Original Zengela Band (Kelele, Germany). groups of the benga's golden age in the late 1970s and
Classic Swahili rumba, with great interlocking guitars and early '80s.
bass meshing with flowing rhythmic grooves, displaying a kin-
S3 The Mighty Kings of Benga (GlobeStyle, UK).
ship with the Wanyika groups, though a couple of the tunes
are delightfully reminiscent of the great Equator Sound Band A on benga (ie not Shirati Jazz) and a
different perspective
era. First-rate production - pity the songs aren't longer. very good compilation of energy-packed hits.

522 Kenya
Madagascar
ocean music from southeast africa
When the island of Madagascar broke away from East Africa many millions of years ago to exist in

relative isolation in the Indian Ocean, it prepared the way not only for separate evolution of its unique
fauna and flora, but eventually for a distinct cultural development as well. Just as the geography of
this huge 'island continent' (it's 1600km long, two-and-a-half times the area of Britain, half as big
again as California) can vary from rain forest to thorny cactus desert, from high, barren mountains to
palm-fringed beaches, so the culture is multifaceted, with around eighteen distinct tribes. The music

sounds like everywhere and nowhere else at the same time, and Ian Anderson, who has been
married into it for nearly a decade, knows he's still only scratching the surface.

an island of puzzles and myriad of other connections to anywhere and

Madagascar is

surprises. Even around the capital, everywhere. Has all the music in the world
the varied landscape and architec- bumped into Madagascar at some time in his-
ture could convince you that you tory? Or did it all start here and wander off D
were Europe, or West Africa, or
in central somewhere else? »
the high Andes, or maybe Asia with its ter-
CO
raced rice fields. You look at the people and Highland Hitmakers o
they could possibly be Indonesian, Asian,
30
African or South American. Then you hear In the 1960s a Malagasy pop group called Les Surfs
the music, which contains little clues, pass- had a string of French chart hits with Francophone
ing sounds, harmonies, riffs, playing styles and covers of Spector and Beatles songs. But they were
instruments that all seem to be related to other a one off, and the first major modern group in
parts of the world. But it is audibly unique. Madagascar was Mahaleo. Emerging at a time of
The island's earliest inhabitants, the Vazimba, student unrest in the early 1970s, they fused West-
were of Malayo-Polynesian origin (as is the con- ern soft-rock with typical Malagasy harmonies,
sonant-rich Malagasy language), arriving, from the rhythms and traditional instruments like the kabosy.

third century AD, via southeast Asia and East Africa

rather than direcdy across the Indian Ocean. There
are still some distant cultural connections with parts

of Indonesia and these racial origins explain the

almost Polynesian harmonies that are found in the

music of the Merina, the highland people.
Undoubtedly more can be traced back to the slave
trade, Arab sailors, Welsh missionaries and the long
period of French colonisation. The proximity of
East Africa and its airwaves has had a strong influ-
ence, too, notably on the coastal styles of electric
guitar dance music called watcha watcha (in the
northwest) and tsapika (in the southwest) which
arc first cousins of Kenyan benga and South
African township music respectively.
But that still doesn't explain why the musi-
cians who accompany the travelling players
called hiragasy - the most popular of cur-
rent troupes being the Ramilison, Razafind-
ramanga and Rakoto Kavia - so puzzlingly
resemble Mexican street bands, or display a Rossy - modern and multi-talented

Madagascar 523
Combined with complex, meaningful lyrics address- melodic vocal harmonies of the Merina, incor-
ing many aspects of the lives of Malagasy people, porating the results into a live act high on ener-
their music became enormously popular and their gy and visual impact. Their three albums to date
songs known by everybody. Though no longer a are notable for songs, particularly those written
full-time band, they occasionally re-form for big by leader Hanitra, which combine controversial
concerts. Their leader, Dama, is still a strong musi- and hard-hitting political subject matter with
cal force, though his music career is somewhat upbeat, danceable music. Tarika have been
restricted by his role as an elected government Madagascar's most successful musical export in
deputy. recent years, topping World Music charts and
Following Mahaleo's lead came multi-instru- touring extensively on the European and North
mentalist Paul Bert Rahasimanana, otherwise American club, concert and festival circuits.
known as Rossy, who formed the group that bears Another important contemporary group are
his nickname. They became the most successful Solo Miral, who play a music they call vakojaz-
band of the 1980s, touring in Europe and evolv- zana — a fusion of vakodrazana traditional music
ing a dynamic, fairly hi-tech stage act that mixed and jazz. They are a quintet of, mainly, brothers
roots styles from the island with the latest trends and their leader, Haja, is and totally
a staggering

in the world's music. Rossy is skilled at tailoring original electric guitarist in marovany style, one of
things to the audience: European pop, Johnny Madagascar's best. The hardworking members of
Clegg and zouk influences for the home crowd, Solo Miral are also often seen in other bands, in
where they have a following from all echelons of demand to accompany many of Madagascar's
society, and conversely a more Malagasy roots domestic superstars. International recognition, long-
repertoire abroad. The band remain powerful at overdue, has eluded them, although they show-
home — the re-emergence as an elected president cased at the 1997 Womex (the annual World Music
of former dictator Ratsiraka, for whom Rossy has industry-fest) in France and finally completed their
publicly campaigned, is unlikely to harm this — but album in nearly two decades — one of the best
first

have somewhat disappeared from the internation- modern Malagasy recordings to date and deserved-
al stage in recent years. ly one of the few to get domestic release on CD

In the 1990s, the biggest name - on the inter- as well as cassette.

national circuit and recently with a series of hits With local newspaper headlines like 'Rickyma-
at home, too - has been Tarika ('group'), who nia!',Ricky (Randimbiarison) has been in the spot-
emerged in 1994 following a split in the well- light for years, though his uncompromising career

respected folk revival band, Tarika Sammy. approach always denied him international recogni-
Fronted, unusually, by women — sisters Hani- tion and his first record deal only came in 1998.
tra Rasoanaivo and Noro Raharimala - this Malagasy singing is usually at its strongest in har-
younger band mix the instruments and styles mony but Ricky is one of the island's best ever solo
from other areas and tribes with the distinctive, vocalists. Locally, he often works with an electric

band who include

the finest musicians in
town, particularly
Toty, who pio-
neered an extraordi-
nary bass guitar style
based on the
marovany, and some
of the members of
Solo Miral. Abroad,
Ricky has toured
with marovany play-
er Matrimbala and a

cappella group Salala,

but his more typical
work is revealed in all

its glory on the recent

MELT 2000 album
Malagasy roots quintet, Tarika Olombelona Ricky.

524 Madagascar
 . I ,

Traditional Instruments
Traditional instruments are a major feature of Mala- or country roadsides playing with the drive of electric

gasy roots bands - and they are stunning in their vari- guitar bands, sometimes even including a larger, bass
ety and imagination, both in look and sound. version. The best-known exponents are Jean Emilien
The most famous instrument is the valiha, a tubu- - who, like many other players, also utilises harmoni-
lar zither made from drainpipe-diameter bamboo with ca on a neck rack - and Babata from the west coast.
around 21 strings running lengthways all around the The jejy voatavo, mostly used by the Betsileo tribe,

circumference, lifted and tuned by small, moveable has a large calabash resonator, a neck with huge block
pieces of calabash. Traditionally the strings were frets and two courses of strings on ninety-degree
strands of bamboo skin lifted from the surface but opposed sides. Its sound can be reminiscent of the

nowadays they tend to be unbraided bicycle-brake Appalachian dulcimer.

cable, giving a sound similar to a harp or the West Finally, the lokanga is a three-string fiddle, once
African kora. The leading player is Sylvestre Randafi- again often with a simply made box-style body, played

son, an almost-classical virtuoso who was once a mainly by the Bara and Antandroy tribes from the south.
member of the celebrated traditional music ensemble Imported instruments have also been adapted for
Ny Antsaly, the first Malagasy group to tour extensively local use. The accordion is found all over, if less so
abroad. Other masters include Zeze (Zeze Ravelo- these days because of difficulties in getting spare parts
nandro, who died in 1992),

Tovo, Rajery, Paris-based

BAN KY FOIBEN
Justin Vali (Justin Rako-
A DAG AS KARA O
tondrasoa), and the late
I I
>
Mama Sana, an incredible
old singer from the west CO
coast who wore coins o
braided into her hair and
>
30
attacked her instrument
with the ferocity of a Mis-
sissippi blues guitarist.

Madagascar's other
zither marovany a
is the
suitcase-like wooden box
with two sets of strings on Traditional flautist it

opposing sides. One of the best and most influential for repairs. The most famous younger player, Regis
players was the late, legendary Rakotozafy, but once Gizavo, now resides in Europe. The piano has long
again it's a common traditional instrument, particular- been an upper-class favourite for accompanying choral
ly in the south. Virtuosos abound among traditional singing, and guitars are found everywhere. Along with
players, including Masikoro musician Bekamby, fiddle and accordion, it's brass and woodwind instru-

Tulear's Madame Masy, Matrimbala from the Antan- ments that are the characteristic sounds for the hira-

droy tribe and younger city players like Tarika's Donne gasy, the popular mixture of street theatre, oration,
Randriamanantena opera and dance. The same brass players make the
The traditional, end-blown flute is the sodina whose joyful noise for Madagascar's extraordinary famadi-
undisputed master is Rakoto Frah. A charming old hana or re-burial ceremonies.
man with an impish twinkle in his eye, he has repre- 'Tourist' instruments, especially valiha and jejy voata-
sented Madagascar all over the world and his picture vo, are offered for sale in the markets, hotels and on
appeared on the local 1 000-franc banknote. Howev- the street. But if you're visiting Madagascar and in the
er, he still lives in a tiny house in Isotry, the capital's market for musical instruments, beware. They look pret-
poorest area. ty hanging on the wall but they are rarely very playable
The kabosy (also known as mandoliny in the south- (and often harbour fearsome Malagasy woodworm).
west) is a small guitar with four to six strings and par- It's better to seek out and buy from a good musician
tial frets. It's a relatively easily made instrument - the or instrument-maker. There's a notable shop run by
body is often just a rectangular box and the strings musician Rajery at Lot IVP3ter Ankadifotsy, Tana 101
fishing line or those unbraided bicycle-brake cables - or you can contact Valiha High, a training scheme for

but it's played to a high standard. It's not uncommon young musicians that is in touch with local makers, c/o
to encounter small groups of boys on street corners Lot VR 103 Fenomanana, Tana 101 , «22 60202.

Madagascar 525
 Half-green and Salegy
The electric dance band music called watcha
watcha. similar to Kenyan benga, comes from the
northwestern coastal region (which like Tulear in
the south receives clear mainland African radio sig-
nals) and is popular in places like Mahajanga. But
the island has a number of other modem dance styles,

including the lilting sega (also common in nearby

Mauritius) and most characteristic and omnipresent

of all, the driving 6/8 salegy rhythm. This is heard
all over Madagascar, though the electric version is

generally connected to the north, particularly the*

Sakalava people in Diego Suarez and Mahajanga.
Back in the 1970s, there was a thriving record
industry in Madagascar, in the course of which
hundreds of salegy and watcha watcha seven-inch
singles of vibrant dance music were produced,
some of which reputedly sold over 60,000 copies.
But the last local singles were pressed by Disco-
Mad in the mid-1980s. The record plants closed
in the deteriorating economic climate, and mas-
a ters have been lost or destroyed. Now, even in the

you can barely find a few very scratchy,

capital,

secondhand copies on market stalls. Yet singles by

Orchestre Liberty. Jaojoby. Jean Fredy or
Abdallah rivalled the recordings of tamo us bands
from mainland Africa. Many have a distinct Mala-
gasy style, a few direcdy absorbing East African
and South African sounds (particularly those pro-
duced by the influential Charles Maurin Poty
There was 1980s and early
a hiatus in the late
1 990s when whole genre of music — known
that
colloquially as tapany maintso (half-green)
because of the half-green labels of the old. long-
defunct Kaiamba label which produced the wildest
of these discs — was in danger of vanishing into
undocumented history. But as production changed
to cassettes, eventually a new generation of record-
ings came onto the market, and in 1 992 Jaojoby
was recorded in Madagascar for a Western-label
CD, and Tianjama (ex-Orchestre Liberty) made
the first successful new salegy cassettes in the clas-
sic style for Mars (DiscoMad's successor).
These days there are more and more regular
local cassette releases by names like JB & Batmen

Music. Miry Clement, the heavily soukous- influ-

enced Dedesse, the wildly raw Lazan'i
Maroantsetra and the first female salegy star
Ninie. Whilst touring regularly in Europe, Jaojo-
by has recorded several more CDs for Indigo in
France, and in 1998, as CDs finally made sufficient
inroads into the local market. Mars released a great
compilation of current bands. So salegy finally
made it to the CD generation. Kaiar jatf-green" single:

526 Madagascar
Njava

Sounds of the South layered with blockbuster township drive, whilst

lead guitarists scatter dazzling, fractured lines over
Although Madagascar is theoretically united by a the top of full--scream female voices.
national language, in practice tribal cultural dif- Tulear was also the place where D'Gary grew
ferences are quite profound and have been main- up — a stunning guitarist who has evolved a com-
tained by vast distances and poor communications plex style based on the sound of the marovany and
— a journey by road from the central capital to other local instruments like the lokanga bara. Mam-
Tulear in the southwest takes several days, and consider that he surpasses other African acoustic
national radio transmissions cannot penetrate the guitar greats such as AH Farka Toure or Jean Bosco o
mountains. In Tulear. as in many distant popula- Mwenda. First recorded by Mars in the early 1990s,
tion centres, the only way to get a tape distribut- he has released a series of mcreasingfy excellent
ed is often to record it yourself and give it to the albums into the international market for some years
many street-market boodeggers to copy and copy now on French label Indigo.
again. The omnipresent sound is of tsapika Njava. a family band from the Antemoro tribe
Leading local bands playing tsapika include in the southeast of Madagascar, have come a long
Orchestre Rivo-Doza. Tsodrano and Safo- way in recent rimes. Evolving from a fairly dull
Drano Their unmistakeable Malagasy groove is electric band, thev relocated to Belgium, went

Famadihana: Reburial Parties

The Malagasy people have enormous respect for their dothes The event wJ last a whole day and invohcj>
.

ancestors, who an a spr-

are considered to exist stii much feasting, dnriong, dancng and meny-mahing by
_
f r" "e c'^r'
"
itual teveL This is reflected in the huge amount of money "E~" arc :ca a :e _ s : t~ 3
.
'.'

that an extended famiy wi invest in their tomb - some- usuaty a hragasy troupe playing nstrunei its Bee trunv
times a far more substantial dwoKng than the house pets. clarinets and drums that can be heard above a
for the living - based on the logical theory that the rowdy crowd outdoors. w# be hred to play nutfetup
amount of time to be spent there w* eventuafy be far to dmre the aftar on. The party wtf process to the tomb,
greater than the nuyiifk,ii< period of passage through dbiiha the remans of the loved one, remap them in
the mortal world. A man is traditionary entombed in fresh doth (tradrbonaty known as Jamba mena — red
his native village, whilst a woman w* be buried with doth — even though it is rarely red these days), carry
her in-laws. them around the area on ther shoulders to see the new
Equally large amounts of money - sometimes local sights, provide them with food and drink, and
stretching a family's resources to the imrts - are spent finafty put them back to rest, reseafng the tomb.
on the tradition a famadihana :- -e-z _- i za." es The whole affair is totafy joyous, not the least bft
These are not held at fixed intervals: perhaps a person macabre, and the music wid and glorious Outsders
is

may ha w expressed a wish as

. to frequency before - if offoafy invited - can be made very welcome. The
their death, or a Irving relative may receive a hint from best fimeof ffie year tor inaunum famarJhana yield is
the ancestor that the tomb is cold and they need new

Madagascar
 Malagasy Guitar: A Word with Bouboul
There is no single, uniform Malagasy guitar style. "When people down here heard that the piano made
Between the almost mainland African lead guitars of a really high sound, they put the capo on their guitars.

the electric sategy and watcha-watcha bands from the When there was a very bassy sound they changed the
north, through courtly, classical highland plateau play- bass strings by re-tuning it into C and G to get what
ing with echoes of nineteenth-century parlour music, we call today Malagasy style. I changed my bass string
Hawaiian slack key and ragtime, to the dauntngty dense into D because it's just too much to change to C. In it

flurries of the marovany-mclined players like D'Gary, Antananarivo, some people would even change that
N'Java s Dozzy. Solo Miral's Haja and the tsapika play- string into a piano wire to get that big bass note.
ers from the southwest, there are major gulfs.
Etienne Ramboatiana aka 'Bouboul' is a legend "Since the piano was used for theatrical pieces, that's

among Malagasy musicians. He was Madagascar's first what guitansts translated onto their guitars. In 1942.

electric guitarist in the early 1 950s. and later toured the these guitansts would go out serenading. They wore
world with a circus. Now a captivating, sparkiing-eyed caps, big clothes and scarves, and girls would come
gentleman m his sixties, he is a mine of information that out. They had to stop around Faravohitra because if

could fill a book about the history of the guitar in Mada- they continued upwards, they would get soaked
gascar and the origins of the hign plateau style m Antana- because people from La Haute would throw dirty water
narivo. The following is a short extract from an interview on them. La Haute is a piano place. Faravohitra was
with Ramboatiana on the subject of Malagasy guitar, the highest area a guitarist could go up to and then
first published in Folk Roots magazine, in April 1998. they had to go back to Ambodin'lsotry where they came
from.
"As we all know, the guitar is a foreign instrument but
in the time of Ranavalona III [the last Queen of Mada- "If you really want to find out about the Malagasy gui-
gascar], the guitar, viola, flute traversiere' and man- tar style, it came from way the Malagasy played
the
dolin all arrived together. The vazaha played those the piano, but the piano was only copying the valiha.
instruments and people just watched. We realised that So the valiha is the origin of it all. then on to the piano
the guitar was only an accompaniment to the mandolin and then on to the guitar.

So the Malagasy wanted the guitar to be independent

We wanted it to sing a song not to only accompany 'Things changed around about the second world war.
The Malagasy sang in harmony a lot. with breathing The Malagasy got some style out of Charlie Kunz's
technique and lots of melodies, so we wanted the gui- songs, a German who ran away to England. Then Ran-
tar to do all these. The Malagasy guitar style was bom! dnananvelo amved. He brought another style of guitar.

Then I amved. One day. around 1951 Harry Hougas- .

'There was a competitive spirit because of the piano sian, a Hawaiian guitar-player and Mounitz (a Jewish
The prano was brought here before the guitar by mis- player) played here in Madagascar. I was really taken
sionaries and its place was always in the royal court. In by their whole way of playing. Harry played one of those
La Haute Ville. people had piano, while "les grand bour- guitars you put on your lap and slide it across and
geois .
in Ambatovinaky and Faravohitra, had harmo- Mounitz accompanied him. [Hougassian was a cele-
nium, saxophone and accordion, and in Ambodin'lsotry brated Armenian player of the Hawaiian guitar, still alive

[the poor part of Antanananvo] they had the guitar wiz- and now running a restaurant in Paris]. Every time a
ards. If you went down still further, what you would find new guitarist amved and brought a new style, others
in people s homes were traditional instruments just took an inspiration from it."

acoustic and back to their traditiona] roots. They emigrating to France in 1 990. he developed a

were one of the hits of the 1 995 Brussels Womex. sophisticated technique on the chromatic button
with a very professional showcase that won them accordion, working sessions with Manu Dibango.
many fans, a lot of subsequent festival work, and Ray Lema, Les Tetes Brulees and Corsica's I

the attention of legendary Japanese producer Muvrini before finally launching his solo career
Makoto Kubota (whose credits include work for with a debut album in 1997.
Shoukichi Kina. Sandii and Detry Kurnia) for their Tirike are the best-known tsapika band on the
debut album released in 1 997. island. Their music hurtles along at a frantic pace,
Regis Gizavo is Madagascar's best accordion with call-and-response lyncs driven by some great
player. With a formidable reputation already in marovany-styled electric guitar, flutey/ township
the bag before winning the RP1 Decouvertes and keyboards and really tight, kicking bass and drums.

528 Madagascar
Their 1 995 cassette was Mars' biggest seller of that machines); and embarrassing mainstream rock
year, though oddly the national label hasn't delved bands like Apostol Rock, Kadradraka 2000
much further into the tsapika genre. (Cockroach 2000), Tselatra and Green.
Tsimihole are a powerful group playing the These days, nearly a decade after the years of
music of the Antandroy people from the far south, isolation ended, it is still the height of chic to ape
and very influential - often copied, but rarely bet- all things European and especially American, and
tered. They were one of the first Malagasy acts to the standard multi-national hits soon find their way
have released independent tapes, though they're onto local radio. Judging by the piped music in
quite hard to find. hotel restaurants in the more remote parts of Mada-
Salala are another Antandroy group. Usually gascar, it sometimes seems as if this is where old
an a cappella trio with strong vocal harmonies — rock albums go to die.

including a lead singer who could be ranked along- Some artists managed to retain a Malagasy char-

side Aaron Neville - they also sometimes appear acter in their music better than others. Charles
as part of an eight-piece band. Their line-up has Maurin Poty's proteges Feon'ala and regional
fluctuated in recent years, but they have still man- groups likeZaza Club from Tulear and Clo
aged to release CDs on German and French labels Mahajanga all released better-than-average tapes.
and to tour Europe on occasions. Tata Rahely, a female singer once in D'Gary's
band, was making a very good job of it, sadly cut

Poopy Pop and Beyond short by her death

ing, the hottest-selling tape
in 1999. At the time of writ-
was by Samoela. a
What happened with music in Madagascar in the younger singer-songwriter straight out of the
1980s and 1990s was a mirror on the whole Dama/Mahaleo Malagasy soft-rock mould, but O
late

culture. With the opening up of the economy, TV with altogether racier lyrics that have polarised
>
beamed Western styles into the wealthier homes, local audiences to his benefit.
V)
while the rich few, making their shopping pil- o
grimages to Paris, brought back synthesisers, drum Back to the Roots
machines and European fashion. Vita Gasy (Made
in Madagascar) had become synonymous with In the early 1 990s, it looked for a while like cur-

'worthless'. tains for Malagasy roots. However, outside influ-

A new breed emerged of rich-kid pop stars and ence has had a beneficial effect. The catalyst was
artists with wealthy patrons. They included Euro- GlobeStyle Records' 1985 recording trip which
pop chanteuses with names like Bodo. Poopy. produced two classic compilations that set the stylis-

Landy. Mbolatina and Tiana; a style of bubble- tic and artistic agenda for other Western produc-
gum salegy (all Mickey Mouse synths and drum ers. Among these were the Henry Kaiser and David

Where to Hear Music in Tana

Finding live music in Madagascar is a hit-and-miss Alliance Frangais (Ampefiloha Andavamamba). Restau-
affair. There are concerts - often open-air - in the sum- rants and hotels such as La Residence (Ankadindra-
mer months, but on the whole it's hard to plan to hear mano Ankerana), Le Palmier (Ankadilalana Tsimbazaza),
music. You may run into traditional performances unex- Misty (Antsakarivo), Le Chapiteau (Ankorondrano), Le
pectedly in the streets, as part of a ceremony or cele- Damier (Ankadimbahoaka Androndra), Hotel Rubis
bration, or simply in someone's home; or you might (Ankorahotra Ampasanimalo) and Cat' Art (Ambaton-
take a daytrip and accidentally encounter wild village akanga) are worth keeping an eye on.
ceremonies with full-tilt electric bands, and kabosy Oddly enough, the best bets for a good selection of

players or hiragasy musicians strolling by the roadside. original (ie non-pirate) cassettes and CDs of local

In Tana, Madagascar's capital, there's a more of music are the growing number of huge supermarkets
an established infrastructure. A good bar venue for sal- that have opened up for the better-off - and you com-

egy bands is the funky Hotel Glacier in the Avenue de pensate for their higher prices by the diminished likeli-

I'lndependance, run by Charles Maurin Poty. More for- hood of having your pockets picked, as may well
mal concerts take place at the Roxy Cinema, Centre happen in the street markets. You can find a good range
Culturel Albert Camus in Analakely, the Cercle Ger- at Magri, Geant Score, Conquette and Champion (near
mano-Malagas, also in Analakely (at the foot of the the central Post Office in Antaninarenina), and stock up
steps leading to Antaninarenina) and at the newly built on other fine Malagasy produce at the same time.

Madagascar 529
 Lindley recording, A World Out Of Time (1992), S3 Destination Madagascar
(Mars, France/Madagascar).
on which the American guitarists played local mate-
rial with many of the island's leading and emerg-
In contrast to the more traditional content of many of the
available Malagasy compilations, this is an across-the-board
ing roots musicians.
selection of current and recent hits from the only national
In thewake of all this, the 1990s saw a consid- label. High on salegy (notably Jaojoby, Jean Fredy, Ninie and
erable amount of international touring, recording Jidhe) and local pop, it is a disc made in Madagascar for the
Malagasy.
by European and American labels, and festival
appearances, spearheaded by Tarika, D'Gary, the Les Grands Mattres Du Salegy
(Sonodisc, France).
Justin Vali Trio, Njava, Jaojoby and Regis
Gizavo. Back home, the message that the West Skittering, up-tempo 6/8 pumped out by bands with guitars,
keyboards, bass, drums and percussion, all made for local
liked all this music helped to reinvest pride in the
consumption and culled from releases by the only national
culture. Traditionally rooted musicians could, sud- record label. Lazan'i JB &
Maroantsetra.^Tianjama, Liberty,
denly, not only aim to make a living from music Batmen Music, Pascal & Jidhe and more. The sound of
Madagascar dancing!
(something almost unheard of before) but travel
abroad as well. So the musical climate changed Madagasikara One: Current Traditional Music
S3 Madagasikara Two: Current Popular Music
again: at the end of the long national strike in early
(GlobeStyle, UK).
1992, one local newspaper pointed out that while
GlobeStyle's two anthologies, recorded by Ben Mandelson
Madagascar was in desperate straits, at least Mala-
and Roger Armstrong in 1985, for most other
led the way
gasy musicians were achieving something in the Western recordists' activities Featured nameslater on.

wider world. included Rossy, Tarika Sammy, Mahaleo, Rakoto Frah, Zeze,
and salegy band Les Smokers. Both sets sound just as fresh
Madagascar's musical individuality is certainly
a today as ever, and have excellent notes.

> not
success
at risk any more. As artists

around the world, playing Malagasy roots

go out and enjoy
Madagaskar 1: Music From Antananarivo
> music, even the snobby rich are beginning to think
S3 Madagaskar 2: Music Of The South
S3 Madagaskar 3: Valiha: Sounding Bamboo

O that Malagasy culture is okay after all. The Mala- S3 Madagaskar 4: Music Of The North
(Feuer & Eis, Germany).
gasy haven't yet got their equivalent of a Youssou
N'Dour Thomas Mapfumo - a national super-
or After GlobeStyle. next to hit the field was the first of these
four fine thematic acoustic sets from Birger Gesthuisen's
star making new music out of traditional styles that
label, now also available as a boxed set. Vol 1 introduced the
translates to the international market. But surely best of remarkable kabosy player Jean Emilien and featured
on a huge island where the most important peo- more Rossy, Sammy, and Rakoto Frah & Zeze together as
Kalaza. Vol 2 went on to showcase the intriguing southern
ple are your ancestors, can it really be impossible
traditions which GlobeStyle hadn't been able to reach, while
to preserve your roots? Vol 3 collected together the very best players of the valiha,
notably Sylvestre Randafison, the stunning Tovo and the last

recordings of Zeze. Vol 4 again fills previously undocumented

Thanks to Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo
areas with some exceptional recordings of Sakalava rapping
and unique instrumentalists.

S3 Madagascar Open Notes - Fruits De Voyages

discography (Musikela, France).

Another two-CD set, one of current tracks by first-rate roots

musicians including a particularly fine duet by Ricky and Solo
Amazingly, there are now well over 100 CDs available of Razafindrakoto, the other of field recordings from 1959-63. A
Malagasy music and the task of recommending a selec- good tour d' horizon of Madagascan sounds.
tion gets ever harder. You can find a complete non-anno-
tated listing at www.froots.demon.co.uk/madagcd.html S3 The Marovany Of Madagascar (Auvidis/Silex, France).

but the following are particularly worthy of investigation.

Staggering, pulse-quickening playing of the local box zither,
Note that the review (and star-rating) of the Tarika the centred on the amazing Madame
well-recorded in field,
album below is the opinion of the editor of this book. The
Masy and Bekamby.
author of this article, Ian Anderson, being married to the
group's leader, opted out. S3The Music Of Madagascar: Music Of The Coast
And Tablelands 1929-31 (Fremeaux, France).

Compilations A double CD, well re-mastered from old 78s originally record-
ed in Madagascar, particularly featuring the golden age of
valiha orchestras, singing troupes and some local field
Big Red: Music of Madagascar
recordings. Plus excellent Hotes, rare photos, recording
(Nascente/MCI, UK).
memorabilia and discographical info.

This an essential, budget-priced sampler of Malagasy

is
S3 Prophet 6: Madagascar (Philips/Kora Sons, France).
sounds, featuring most of the contemporary bands men-
tioned in this article. Released in 1999, it covers styles from Charles Duvelle field-recorded some excellent sets for the
solo marovany, valiha and kabosy to tsapika, salegy and renowned Ocora label in the early 1960s, and this beautifully

vakojazzana. packaged compilation — some really classy photos and

530 Madagascar
good bilingual notes - consists of previously unreleased
gems from the same sessions. First class marovany, valiha,
Njava
lokanga and jejy voatavo players, plus some superb exam- Njava are a family quintet from the southeast, now relo-
ples of hiragasy troupes in full flight. cated in Belgium and a big success on the Euro-festival
circuit.
8S A World Out of Time -
Kaiser and Lindley in Madagascar (Shanachie, US). Vetse
(EMI Hemisphere, UK).
This 1992 recording saw the American guitar duo of Henry
Kaiser and David Lindley playing an accompanying role to A 9991 re-package of their 1 997 Japan-only debut, beautiful-
showcase many of the island greats - Rossy, Tarika Sammy, lyproduced by Makoto Kubota, to bring out every nuance of
Rakoto Frah, Mahaleo, Mama Sana, D'Gary and Voninavoko. Monika's soulful vocals and Dozzy's virtuoso guitar work.

Rakotozafy
Artists
Dubbed 'the Robert Johnson of Madagascar', Rakotozafy
was an equally legendary, mysterious and toweringly
Bemiray influential marovany player - one of the most important
figures in the recent history of Malagasy music.
Bemiray play hiragasy - the style of music which accom-
panies performances by troupes of travelling players. Valiha Malaza - Famous Valiha
(GlobeStyle, UK).
3D Polyphonies Des Hauts-Plateaux (Auvidis/Silex, France).
A lovingly prepared re-issue, taken from surviving Malagasy
A really lively set, including some remarkable a cappella
master tapes, and enhanced by Ben Mandelson's excellent
singing. Notice the inexplicable echoes of Mexico...
sleeve notes.

Dama Ricky Randimbiarison

Dama, leader of the legendary band Mahaleo from the One Madagascar's most inspiring modem male singers,
of
early 1970s, is now out on his own, both as a solo singer,
Ricky backed by a first-rate team of players including
is
and pursuing a political career.
influential bassist Toty and members of Solo Miral. O
Melodies De Madagascar (Playasound, France).
SS
m Olombelona Ricky (MELT 2000, UK).
CO
Beautiful, contemporary, acoustic-guitar singer-songwriter Tracks on this long-awaited international debut (produced by o
music. Airto Moreira) range from the out-and-out rootsy to some with
3D
a strong jazz rock influence, but it's all uncompromisingly
D'Gary Ricky.

The brilliant D'Gary is a guitarist with a dazzling technique

based on the style of the marovany (box zither) and lokanga Rossy
(local fiddle). Madagascar's biggest star of the 1980s is a musical jack-
of-all-trades, with an ability to mould all sorts of influences
Mbo Loza (Label Bleu/Indigo, France).
into music that remains his while consistently hitting the
D'Gary's third album displays his skills to the full. populist button.

Island Of Ghosts
Feogasy (RealWorld, UK).
Feogasy feature various veteran ex-members of Mahaleo
This was a TV film soundtrack, but of the five CDs Rossy has
and Lolo Sy Ny Tariny plus flute man Rakoto Frah. gives probably the most enjoyable across-the-
available, it

board representation of his band's music.

E Tsofy Rano (Les Nuits Atypiques/Melodie, France).

Showcases grand harmonies and the guitar

of Enck Manana.
old-style highland
Mama Sana
Mama Sana was a remarkable, utterly wild valiha player
Regis Gizavo and a fearsome singer - with coins jingling in her hair.

Regis Gizavo is the undisputed squeezebox boss of v The Legendary Mama Sana (Shanachie, US).

Madagascar, up there in the world rankings with the likes Undisputable proof of why she's a legend, and why it is such
of Flaco Jimenez.
a tragedy she passed away before getting the chance to tour
abroad.
S Mikea (Label Bleu/Indigo, France).

Named after his tribe, this CD features Regis accompanied

Solo Miral
by superb percussionist David Mirandon.
The band Solo Miral includes some of Madagascar's
finest modern musicians, including the stupendous
Jaojoby marovany-style guitarist Haja.
Jaojoby the king of kings of salegy and leads one of the
is

world's great live bands - a recent hit. WOMAD Gasikara

(Mars, Madagascar).
Salegy!
The first album in20 years by this renowned band features
(Xenophile, US).
traditional instrumental sounds and local rhythms updated
The first Western-released salegy CD, rough'n'ready but onto electric instruments with skill, taste and imagination.
including versions of all Jaojoby's greatest hits. Truly, the bee's knees!

Madagascar 531
 Andriamalalaharijaona, emerged in the 1980s as a fine
folk revival band of fluctuating personnel, first heard on

the GlobeStyle anthologies. Their most successful line-up

split in 1993, out of which emerged both Tarika (above)
and another Tarika Sammy, led by Sammy.

SS Beneath Southern Skies (Shanachie, US).

A highly enjoyable CD that shows Sammy's latest grouping

returning to their gentler, earlier style.

Tianjama
Alongside Jaojoby, Tianjama is another major veteran
from the golden age of salegy 45s, and still leading a
great current band.

Best Of Tianjama (Mars, Madagascar/France).

Includes most of their recent hits from cassettes made for the
home market.

Tirike
From the dry, thorny south, Tirike produce a bush-party
sound quite different to that from the rest of the island,
Tarika and one which became massively popular across the
island in the mid-1990s.
Formed out of Tarika Sammy (below), this multi-instru-
mental roots dance band is led by sisters Hanitra Hot Tsapiky From The South Of Madagascar
(Rasoanaivo) and Noro (Raharimalala). They have had (Mars, France/Madagascar).
huge success in Europe and the US with their albums and
live shows, and in 1 999 topped the Malagasy charts. A wild electricband driven by speedy marovany-style electric
guitar and, once again, compiled for CD from local masters.
Son Egal
(Xenophile, US).
Justin Vali
"A huge work of fire and zest, blending dance compositions
Valiha virtuoso Justin Vali is based in Paris, from where he
for traditional instruments, guitar and electric bass with the
continues to regale the world with his gifts.
passions of lead artist Hanitra in addressing the issues of
Malagasy corruption and racism." Richard Tnllo, Editor 23 The Sunshine Within (Bush Telegraph, UK).

1999 outing finds him on top form, exploring

Tarika Sammy Valli's latest,

new styles as well as his usual energetic, almost classical

Tarika Sammy, featuring multi-instrumentalist Sammy approach to acoustic Malagasy roots music.

532 Madagascar
Malawi
sounds afroma!
Malawi was the country where visiting gentlemen were asked to shave off beards, ladies had to keep
below the knee and everyone had to measure their jeans for signs of illegal flare. Until 1994.
their skirts
Then, a new, democratically elected government booted out the sagging, apartheid South African-
aligned dictatorship of 'Life President' Hastings Banda. Though the poverty remains - this is a country
where 'as heard on radio' is still more common than 'as seen on TV' - Malawi is once more a free and
vibrant nation - and music is everywhere, as John Lwanda discovered.

hundred and twenty years before the up of rural or semi-rural popular musicians using
One first CDs, in 1859, David Livingstone
heard the xylophone music of southern
acoustic instruments — imagine an acoustic Kanda
Bongo Man or Shirati Jazz and you have an idea
Malawi and, with typical Scots enthusi- of their sounds — and musicians take a pragmatic
asm described it as "wild and not unpleasant" - attitude to instruments, using home-made or
one of the first World Music reviews. Through imported ones as need or affordability determine.
the next century, this litde country has had a strong, Leading groups have included Alan Namoko's
if underrated influence on Southern and East Chimvu Jazz, the Jazz Giants, the Mulanje
African music. You can hear Malawian strands in Mountain Band, the Mitoche Brothers, the
musicians as diverse as Jairos Jiri, Robson Banda, Ndingo Brothers and the Linengwe River
Dorothy Masuka and Devera Ngwena from Zim- Band. Alan Namoko, who died in 1995, was a
babwe; Ray Phiri from South Africa; Sam Mang- great figure — a blind bluesman who turned out
wana from Congo; and Alick Nkhata from a stack of earthy roots music on acoustic banjo,
Zambia, to name just a few. And despite its many guitar and percussion.
problems - cassette piracy, a lack of studios, and
a shortage of electric instruments — Malawi, itself,

has strong traditions, and some individual and

vibrant contemporary bands.

Banjos, Jazz
and the Malawi Beat
Malawians are great travellers and have taken their
music to every city from Nairobi to the Cape.
Malawian soldiers served in Central and East
African British battalions during World War II
and, as well as spreading their music, a number
brought back guitars and new musical ideas. From
the late 1940s to the early 1960s Malawian banjo
and guitar duos were a dominant dance format,
usually with the banjo leading and the guitar play-
ing rhythm. This style was followed in the late
1960s by South African kwela music, popularised
by migrant workers returning from South Africa,
and whose most notable exponent was Daniel
Kachamba and his Kwela Band.
The next craze was 'jazz bands', a tradition
that remains very active. Malawian jazz is not
exacdy jazz in the Western sense. Bands are made

Malawi 533
 Ethnographer's Corner
Malawi is a small landlocked country dominated by the which serve as the accompaniment to their songs of

beautiful Lake Malawi. The country's eleven million lament, blues, gossip or celebration. Popular musicians

inhabitants are packed into a largely rural 94,000 square are influenced by these long-standing traditions and
kilometres - an area little larger than Scotland or Maine although most performers are male, many of the songs
- but there are nine tribal and linguistic groups, of sung by young bands are pamtondo or kumpanda
which the Chewa is the largest and the national lin- songs - music traditionally sung by women as they
gua franca. work or tend their children.

The ethnic diversity means that there are numer- During the Banda period the most popular non-
ous traditional dances and rhythms. These include commercial music in Malawi was also created by

the Chewa and Nyanja masked gule wa mkulu (the women, the mbumba (women) music - songs of cel-
big dance); the Ngoni's ingoma war dance; the lik- ebration and praise with drum accompaniment,
wata and the beni 'military' dance among the Yao; based on traditional dances, sung at ruling party and
the highly stylised and chic rhganda among the Tonga; state occasions and always carefully colour-coor-

tchopa among the Lomwe; the healing vimbuza of the dinated. Mbumba was also played widely on the
Tumbuka and Henga; and the Nyanja's likhuba and radio, but with Banda's demise it is now mostly heard
chitsukulumwe. on hawkers' cassettes. New political parties, how-
Many local songs and dances were recorded in the ever, are showing signs own yel-
of introducing their

1 940s and 50s by Alick Nkhata and Hugh Tracey low-themed (UDF) and blue-themed (AFORD)
(see p.669), and can still be heard in the villages today. mbumba dances, to add to the established red,
> A common source of such songs is women at the green and black mbumba of the former ruling MCP.
mortar. As they pound the staple maize their thump- As the UDF are now in power, expect more yellow
ing produces various complex pamtondo rhythms mbumba music!

In the late 1960s and 1970s, as in Zimbabwe

and Zambia, urban musicians began electrifying
various traditional rhythms. This resulted in the
afroma — — whose best
the afro-rock-Malawi beat
exponents were the band Scene, led by New
Morson Phuka and Daniel Kachamba. Morson
Phuka, who died in 1991, had been the leader
of the Jazz Giants and was a father figure for
Malawi popular music. A talented vocalist, com-
poser and arranger, he trained countless musicians
through his bands. Daniel Kachamba
(1947—1987) was an influential folk guitarist whose
innovative guitar style fused kwela, local rhythms
and his own Chileka ideas into a style he called
sinjonjo.

Other bands - Makasu. Love Aquarius,

Mikoko, Mitondo. Fumbi Jazz and Bernard
Kwilimbe's Rain Seekers - followed in New
Scene's footsteps.

Kwasa Kwasa
and Current Sounds
In the 1980s and '90s Congolese soukous-style
music took hold across Malawi in a local form
calledkwasa kwasa. The kwasa kwasa rhythms
and melodies blended particularly well with local
time signatures. So too did ska and reggae - Alleluya Band

534 Malawi
which also became a popular part of the mix. The formed before the Pope during his 1989 visit - a

current prune exponents are Sapitwa, a band visit that combined with the poverty and misery
led by keyboardist Patrick Tembo and guitarist of the time encouraged a mushrooming of gospel.

Tcpu Ndiche and distinguished by gorgeous But the Alleluyas poppy as well as popey, and
are

vocals. play everything from reggae to soukous and jazz.

The contemporary scene also features Anglo- Their blend of traditional rhythms and melodies
US pop; rural folk groups; guitar-and-banjo singer- with reggae, gospel, soukous and pop, is irre-
songwriters such as Stonnard Lungu and sistible.

Snodden Ibu; jazz groups - the Jazz Giants and The other top Malawian band, through the
A Touch of Class; and big bands like the Army 1 991 Is, has been the Kasambwe Brothers, Isaac

and Police String Bands, both of which are and Frank Chikwata, from the Thyolo district in

well-equipped and would give the increasingly southern Malawi. They started in 1987, singing
techno-dependent Congolese combos a run for and playing home-made instruments and were
their money in live shows. joined in 1989 by their (then) nine-year old cousin,
Perhaps the dominant music, however, is Kennedy Nagopa. Their folk-based material is

gospel, which has been big since independence, startlingly original with strong lyrics (see below)
often employing traditional rhythms and instru- about matters like family life, separation and sur-
ments, and has created the biggest current draw vival, marriage and duty in a matrilineal society -
in 1990s Malawi in the Alleluya Band. Led by and of course love and alcohol.
the multi-talented Paul Banda - a composer and Newer arrivals on the 1990s scene include the
producer, as well as a hot guitarist and pianist - Acacias Band, led by Ben Michael, who have taken
along with his younger brother Lucius, they per- the live scene by storm, playing excellent blues, jazz.

Live in Malawi!
If you're visiting Malawi, check out some of the fol- Lucky Stars Band - a guitar duo formed in 1971
lowing bands and venues: and still playing folk blues and drinking songs - at
Chief Chipoka Band at Nkopola Lodge. An acous- the Shire Highlands and Ryalls hotels. Also Wynd-
tic mixture of pop, reggae and folk against the delight- ham Chechamba, a 64-year-old pianist at the Ryalls
ful Nkopola beach. Hotel.

Bolingo Stars at the Bamboo Bar and Grill in Lilong- Mulangeni Sounds at the Mulangeni Lakeshore
we. Hot live kwasa kwasa music mixed with Malawi Resort.
traditional fare. Also Ethel Kamwendo, a rare female In the more highly populated townships you may find

performer, at the same venue. Robert Fumulani and Likhubula River Jazz Band,
Maurice Maulidi and his Songani Swing Stars, the
Gotani Sounds - ex-Mulangeni Sounds exponents of Ndingo Brothers Band and a host of others.
Malawi home-grown kwasa
kwasa - at Gotani's in Mzuzu.
Kalimba's jazz sessions on Sun-
day afternoons at Lingadzi Inn

and every Friday night at the

Capital Hotel.

The Roots and Masaka at the

Lilongwe Hotel.

A Touch of Class for Malawi

jazz, and Tiakalulu for multi-eth-

nic music, both at the French

Cultural Centre.

Bright Nkhata and Makasu &

the Love Aquarius in hotels
around Blantyre. Chief Chipoka Band

Malawi 535
reggae and Songs from Malawi Pamtonoo UKi
rh\Thm5u Pearson Compilation cassettes of acoustic and electric Malawian
polemical hues and rakes rliyilmi*. from Yao and mus»c. A wide variety of music from the rural guitar sounds o*
the late Dr Dante Kachamba. to the blues trom Alan Namokc
Chewa traditions, as weD as reggae: and Ned Mapi-
and Chimvu Jazz, to more soohisticatec grooves of tec cut
ra. who piavs a bubbling gunar-based afroma music. acts Kakmba ana Masaka.
Female singers have been under-represented in
Sounds Eastern and Southern Ongina Music L)Si
Malawi music, though notables hare included the
Cnichiri Queens of the MBC
Band (the nan an- Ongnai Music's African Acoustic series has two tracks from
Ma law; "Ndtza Fera Chuma" by Srtero Mbewe & Frank
al broadcasting corporation's house band). Mary Mukweza and T3ube" by SR Chitato & the De Ndtrande Piter
Chktzanja Nkhoma Malawi's answer to Mmam Crooners - fantastic name, delightful song.

Makeba.. Rose Jnma Rose Chipembere and

Etnel Kamwendo. The latter two came to promi- Artists
nence in the kwasa kwasa boom. A current star is

Molh Knr-halo who has a strong gospeJ-mfluenced

voice, and performs m a mix of srxies encompassing Acacias Band
ska. South African mbaquanga and rhe Balaka beat. This wen/ popularnew band are versatile stylists, led by
Ben Michaels Tr»eN play an afroma style which, on their
recordings, has a strong reggae !

Thanks to George Claver

for additional information. -lip- Density -leco'OS Malawi)

~ne sojtc y Maiaw a- r>e enc or ne "35js catchy sdj*-

Dus'arroma'reggae rhythms, and songs with social metaphor

discography
ADeluya Band
Maiaw s leading Sane olay mainly etectnc gospel. They
are ted by Paul Banda and his younger brother. Lucius
it.. _

Sounds of Maiaw. Malawi i

Features the awesome "Mudzsankrre njrra* (Choose your

destiny) Crisp, intelligent arrangements, tasty guitar and
heavenly voices

the best
labelPawtonao. 4 Lucius Banda
G71 BTS. Scotland: tax 0169B 854472;
~ir Alieiuyc voeaitsi -.as z soe-ca-ee- as = -eocae artist
onac vituaiave.ne; Aoa v-ott their owr
1-
:
wirr poiemica songs much influenced by Lucky Dube
^amtonac iwhich is run by the author of thts arb-
and Bot Martey He gets brave' by the month.
:asseties frorr time tc time.
Take Over Ze™ioan. Malawi,

A danoaabie and highly political album castigating poor leao-

ership- Features brother Paul producing and piaymg guitar

trom Maiaw
Paul Banda
Parmondo. UK).
Maiaw s answer t; Wonoer Paul Banda is also a
Exceierr cornpiiaiion featurmc jp-to-date array of Maiaw
oroiific soio antist
musicians and styles moludrn Banda
artes Smetre. Paul
Banna the Jupiters
.iraus » Ngumuya Alan Namoko — The Best of Paul Banda .'Sdjios d' Maiaw. Malawi,
_ove Apuanus Kalimba 0\ n ChimombD ana a rare
Sweet voice, ctever and subtle production and a fuM\ digestec
temaie ams: Erne Kamwenac
mixture o* etectronics and Malawi and foregn rhythms.
Mus The Last
Pamtonoc JK.. Brothers and Sisters Choir
Anothe' wide- ranging Maiawiar. sampler, including styles idle tc the Holy
frorrgosoe wrtr me Katawa Singers to 70-year-oic Luka
Maganoi o r the banjo, a tough, etectnc sound from New
Scene anc guitar duos ike Lucky Stars. •d Sisters Choir Vo 1-2 Malawi.

«f Rousng hymns, huge volume^nc = "aige of voca tones wrtr

tAvididtsOnascc c ranoB). van ous Malawi rhythms Irresistible

A CD of rradrtiona when mokioes exam-

music from Maiaw
Chief Chipoka Band
rues of ennmai. tchona mgoma gue wamkutu vimbuza as
wel as bangwe ben. mganda and orthef traditional musical Formerly Makaz< Band and ni id at
Traditions txcetert; value anc oood tntroaucton notes Nkopoia L o dge the Chtpokas t
, I
and

536
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Kasambwe Brothers
One of MatawTs lem i
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"^taacTKa ~arvsz~ set roars; rariccna ^iTrs are

Overton Chimombo
The MBC Band
~- e '' E I =i;i :i"i : i-i: i::" ;-i'
vf has been a haaanej groisid far saany
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Malawi 537
ern instruments, it is streamlined into an afro-jazzy groove by — Umkonde Yesu (Malawi Gospel Sounds, Malawi).
producer Frank Dlamini.
The emotive singing is first -class, backed simply by guitars,
drums and keyboards, plus occasional sax.
Mhango Salvation Singers
A top-notch gospel group from the north of Malawi, active
Saleta Phiri
since the early 1 980s.
Something like Malawi's answer to Zimbabwe's John
— Mhango Salvation Singers Chibadura and the Tembo Brothers, Saleta Phiri's
(Mhango Salvation Singers Vol 1-2, Malawi). Amulamu (in-laws) Band plays ska-coloured, Zomba-beat,
ne'otraditional electric music, full of country music-style
Well arranged, well produced, uplifting gospel, with smooth
social-issue and family lyrics.
and sophisticated harmonies.
— Saleta Phiri and the AB Sounds
Wambali Mkandawire (Saleta Phiri Vol 3, Studio K, Malawi").

Artist,keyboardist and fine vocalist Wambali Mkandawire, Crisp, catchy, country ska and roots rhythms combine wrth
has recorded and travelled widely. He specialises in soul- lyrics of social angst.
ful renditions of traditional tunes and hymns, singing a

cappella or backed by acoustic or electric bands. Sapitwa

Wambali was one of the first musicians to dare to refer to
'departed heroes' in his music 'during the one-party era. Sapitwa, currently Malawi's top home-grown soukous,
manganja and tchopa band are led by keyboardist
— Kavuluvulu (Jump Productions. Scotland). Patrick Tembo and guitarist Tepu Ndiche (the son of the
late Niche Mwarare, a pioneer slide and acoustic gui-
Features hymns, traditional tunes, melodies and rhythms
tarist).
from northern Malawi.
~ Sapitwa presents (SAP 1 , Malawi).
Alan Namoko & Chimvu Jazz Good introduction to Malawian soukous, with crisp guitar,
Blind blues player Nakomo was one of Malawi's major figures lovely singing and frequent rhythm changes, offset by some
of the 1 970s and '80s with his rootsy, acoustic jazz band'. rather slack production.

Ana osiidwa (Pamtondo, UK).

Tiyamike Band
A classic Namoko recording of raw guitar and vocals with tea
Tiyamike is an electric gospel band led by Sydney
chest percussion.
Kapyola and produced by the Alleluya firm at their Balaka
studio.
Allan Ngumuya
Allan Ngumuya a gospel singer and preacher and one
is
S Mudaona Kuwala (Sounds of Malawi, Malawi).

of a staple of artists at Patrick Khoza's Studio K. He is Blistering, as-live, electric gospel. The title track alone is

one of Malawi's most prolific artists. worth the price of this cassette.

538 Malawi
Mali/Guinea I Mande Sounds

west africa's musical powerhouse

The states ofMali and Guinea formed the heartland of the historic Mande Empire and through the
Mande (or Manding) language they have strong cultural and linguistic bonds - not least in one of
Africa's oldest and most absorbing musical traditions. This is a real musical powerhouse, with its
traditions of kora and balafon (xylophone) players, its jeli (or griot) minstrels and wassoulou praise-
singers, and, not least, its mesmerising dancebands. There may be few recording studios or live
venues, and little money to go round for equipment, yet this is a region that has produced some of the
great superstars of modern African music: kora players Mory Kante and Toumani Diabate, golden-
voiced singers Salif Keita, Kasse Mady and Oumou Sangare, supreme dancebands Bembeya Jazz
and the Super Rail Band, and the great river-bluesman AN Farka Toure. Lucy Duran checks the pulse
of Mali's capital, Bamako, and surveys an extraordinary culture.

dusty hugging the banks echo through each other across town kind
Bamako is a city
of the Niger River, and one of the most of random counterpoint. Women
in a
begin the food
musical capitals you could hope to find. preparation for the day and the rhythmic beat of O
Music is as much a part of its scenery as millet-pounding thuds out from every com- GZ
the neo-Sudanic architecture, the haze of red pound, mingling with Radio Mali's morning
dust and wood smoke, the pervasive smell of sounds — haunting Bamana music from Segou,
incense, and the silvery waters of the river. It soaring Mande voices with rolling harmonies
wakes the city up. At 5am, the cries of the accompanied on electric guitars, and punchy
muezzin from the mosques - "God is great!" — rhythms from Wassoulou.

Kandia Kouyate 'la dangereuse' - Mali's most exalted singer

Mande music 539

 Drive through the city on a Thursday or Sun- about partly as a result of differing contacts with
day, and you're bound to come across a wedding various neighbouring peoples, and partly through
party — a crowd of vibrantly dressed women sit- and post-colonial experiences.
different colonial
ting under an awning stretched across the street Thus, today, each of the three languages also
in front of the bride's or groom's house, with, at defines a musical style, with its own repertoires,
one end, an ensemble of amplified guitars, banjo- vocal delivery, lyrics and tunings and preferences
like ngoni or balafon (traditional xylophone) back- for certain instruments.
ing one or more women singers, belting out
arrangements of classic Mande tunes through mas- Maninka
sive amps. These are the jelis (or jalis) - hered-
itary musicians known elsewhere in West Africa Maninka represents the most classical musical style
as griots — who for centuries have monopolised of Mande. It is the style and^anguage of Malian
professional Mande music. singers like Ami Koita, Kasse Mady Diabate
At night, when the dust settles, the fires for and Salif Keita, characterised by a medium tempo
cooking are extinguished, and the air is transpar- with catchy rhythms, ornamental melodies over
ent and soft, Bamako resounds to the voices of a static harmonies, and sweet, long, flowing seven-
host of Malian singers played through a thousand note (heptatonic) vocal lines.

ghetto-blasters and taxi cassette decks. Dance is an important part of Maninka style,

Malians love their own music more than any- and women are the preferred singers. The ngoni
thing, and for sheer beauty of melody, there are lute is the traditional accompanying instrument,
few if any traditional musics to rival it. along with the tamani (talking drum) and
doundoun (cylindrical) drums.
o Mande Culture Maninka is also the style
epitomised by the music of singers
of eastern Guinea,
like Sekouba
The closely related Mande (or Manding) languages Bambino Diabate. In Guinea the rhythms are a

are spoken by peoples who trace their ancestry to little faster, and the music seems to float with more
the Mande Empire, based in the savannah region rolling vocal lines and harmonic changes, creating
of present day western Mali and eastern Guinea a circular, rippling effect. This has something to
from the early-thirteenth to late-fifteenth centuries. do with the local importance of the guitar, and
It was founded by a warrior-hunter prince, Sun- its adaptation of balafon melodies and techniques.
jata Keita, who remains a powerful symbol of The guitar has been the favourite instrument in
Mande culture. The epic song "Sunjata", which Guinea since the late 1940s. Indeed many of the
in its full version tells the story of how Sunjata rose best-known Guinean guitarists, such as Kante
topower by uniting the many small kingdoms into Manilla, came from balafon-playing families. The
one mighty army, is still today the most important guitar has also become widespread in Mali since
piece in every traditional musician's repertoire. All the 1950s. At wedding and child-naming cere-
Mande peoples trace their common ancestry to monies, jelis play the guitar alongside the tradi-
Sunjata and his generals. tional instruments. Since the late 1980s, the electric

The Mande peoples and three major languages guitar has replaced acoustic guitar in these ensem-
are today found in seven West African countries. bles, and it goes hand in hand with drum machines
Maninka is the language of the heartland of Mande and most recently, sequencers.
culture in western Mali and eastern Guinea;
Bamana (or Bambara) is spoken in central Mali Bamana
and is also Mali's lingua franca; and Mandinka is
spoken in The Gambia, southern Senegal and Bamana melodies are more stark, with mostly
eastern Guinea-Bissau. Mandinka, the most dif- five-note (pentatonic) melodies, and tend to be in
ferent of the three, is about as close to Bamana as slow tempo, linking them more closely to music
Spanish is to Italian. of the northern desert regions. The best-known
Maninka, Bamana and Mandinka are often traditional singer of Bamana music is Fanta
used interchangeably in talking about Manding Damba, who was one of Mali's first female jeli
music. It is true that all three cultures are charac- stars in the 1970s. Mah Damba and the late

terisedby the presence of jelis, and they have a Hawa Drame are other well-known female expo-
common origin in the ancient heartland of Mande, nents of the Bamana style. Bands that have spe-
but over the centuries they have developed dis- cialised in it include the Super Djata Band and
tinct musical styles. These differences have come Super Biton de Segou, Mali's oldest dance band.

540 Mande music

 Since Malian independence (I960), Bamana and The subsequent involvement of international
Maninka musicians in Mali's cities - especially in record companies with the music of such artists as

the capital Bamako - have created a synthesis of Salif Keita and Mory Kante, who resettled in Paris,
the regional styles into a form of guitar-based music and Foday Musa Suso, living in Chicago since the
sometimes bajourou after a famous eigh-
called late 1970s, has given the music of Mande jelis world-
teenth-century jeli song in honour of a king, Tutu wide exposure, and they have had opportunities to
[ara. Fanta Damba made this song so famous in the create new fusions with other types of music. Mean-
1970s, that it was nicknamed bajourou - 'mother while, back home in West Africa, locally based
of tunes'. Mande musicians cultivated a more local style for a

local market, at more functional occasions such as

Mandinka weddings and child-naming ceremonies.

At the end of the 1990s, dividing lines - between
The music of the Mandinka people of Senegal acoustic and electric, traditional and popular — have
and The Gambia (for more on which see p. 61 7) become ever more difficult to draw. Increasingly
also has a very distinctive style, determined large- popular in Mali and Guinea are small, semi-acous-
ly by their favoured instrument - the kora. tic ensembles featunng traditional instruments com-
Mandinka music is also increasingly influenced by bined with electric guitars and a drum machine.
the rhythms and drum patterns of neighbouring And venue more important as a marker than
is

peoples like the Wolof (in northern Senegal) and instruments: 'modern' music is that of night-
thejola of Casamance in southern Senegal. Two clubs and restaurants, while 'traditional' music
of the best-known performers of Mandinka music, is heard at weddings and naming ceremonies. But
distinguished by their lively, highly syncopated there are a few almost-rules: 'modern' music tends
and fast, Gambian
hard-driving rhythms, arc the to include horns and is usally fronted by male
duct Dembo Konteh and Kausu Kouyate. singers, while 'traditional' music - even if it
Unlike in Mali, where women are the preferred involves electric instruments — is invariably led by
singers, men do most of the singing in Gambia and women, the famed jelimusolu. ^
Senegal, and their voices are usually high-pitched
and very nasal. Since the mid-1980s, one of the The Jeiis
most influential of the Gambian kora players has
been Jaliba Kuyateh, who has introduced a new Common to all Mande music is its virtually exclu-

type of kora playing which is relentlessly fast with sive performance by a group of professional musi-
a strong Senegalese mbalax influence. cians - - or jelimusolu in the
the jalis or jelis
case of women - who are bom into a social group
Mande Music Meets or caste, and whose musical and verbal art is called
jaliya or jeliya.
the World Traditionally, Mande society is hierarchical. At
With independence (Guinea 1958, Mali 1960), the top are the nobles or freebom (howii), descend-
new political and cultural ideologies, the advent ed from Sunjata Keita and his generals. They are the
of radio, TV
and a local cassette industry, and patrons of the jelis, who are part of a category of
opportunities for perfomnng and recording abroad, craftsmen called iiyamakala, which include heredi-
have brought about many and sweeping changes tary musicians as well as blacksmiths and leather-
in Mande music. workers. Traditionally, the nyamakala are expected
The most exciting developments in the 1970s to marry within their caste and even today those
were the creation of dance bands that drew on born into a jeli family are regarded as jelis whether
the jeli tradition, the two great pioneers being or not they have ever touched an instrument or sung
Bembeya Jazz in Guinea, and the Rail Band in a note. Marriages between jelis and horon are rare.
Mali. These groups made an enormous impact on All the caste professions have surnames. For
the development of local forms of popular dance example, the Kantes are blacksmiths (though many
music. The 1980s was notable, above all, for shifts are also musicians), and the Kouyates are exclu-
in recording locations, from a largely home- sively jelis. The surnames Diabate (spelt Jobarteh
based industry to locations such as Abidjan, Dakar m Gambia), Kone, (a variant ofKonte), Sissokho
and, inevitably, Paris. Consequently, the most suc- or Cissokho (with variants Suso in The Gambia,
cessful dance bands, especially from Mali and and Damba and Sakiliba for women), Kamissoko,
Guinea - countries undergoing severe economic Soumano, Dambele and Sacko are also common-
and political difficulties at the time - moved abroad. ly, though not exclusively, found among jelis.

Mande music 541

 There are many legends of how jelis originated. The jeHs traditionally make their living on the
Some musicians recount how a certain Sourakata. generosity of patrons or jatigui. In precolonial
while mocking the Prophet Mohammed in disbe- rimes, the patrons were kings, or otherwise mem-
lief, was frozen in his tracks three rimes. After the bers of the freebom including farmers, traders and
third time, he realised the power of the prophet, and marabcntts — Muslim holy men. Until independence

his taunts became praises. From then on, the prin- - when jelis were first employed as part of gov-
cipal role of the jell has been that of "praise singer. ernment-sponsored ensembles - they were never
Until the end of the nineteenth century, when paid as such but instead receivedgifts, sometimes

colonial rule put an end to traditional kingship, of extraordinarv generosity, which might include
-

the jehs were attached to the courts of local kings land, animals, a house, cloth, gold, wives and slaves.

(Mama). They entertained the nobility with their Still today, the jelis praise their patrons with phras-
1
epic songs and stories about the major events in es like "the hundred-giver" ^ kemenila). meaning
Mande They guarded the knowledge of
history. someone who gives a hundred of something.
genealogies and the complex 'praise names' Patron and jeh have a close, trusting and mutu-
attached to every surname. ally dependent friendship. In precolonial times, if

Although their status is not as high as the free- the jatigui died, the jeh might even commit sui-
born, skilled jelis have always been and remain cide. "Lanaya soro man cb" (It s not easy to find a

highly respected tor their prowess as musicians and trustworthy person) is a constant refrain of Mande
entertainers, and as trusted messengers and advi- songs, reminding both jell and patron of their dun
WB sors. As the late Gambian kora player Jab Nyama of loyalty to each other.
S> Suso explained: "a member of the nobility will not Those who consider themselves patrons rely heav-
_ talk freely to someone ot the same class, who might ilyon the advice and diplomacy of their jeh. The
be a rival, whereas musicians can be trusted because presidents of Mali. Guinea and Senegal have had
they are no threat ... They're journalists, they inter- thousands of songs dedicated to them. But while
Z pret events ot now and ot the past. The art of the the jehs are praise-singers, their relationship is not

^ jelis lies in their ability to praise, which gave our based on deference. In the words of Jah Nyama
kings the courage to fight batdes." Nowadays, they Suso: "I may have patrons, but no one is my boss."
may sing for politicians or businessmen instead of
kings, but they function in very similar ways.Their The Jeli Repertoire
gift of speech has made them ideal go-betweens -
they patch up quarrels and feuds, arrange marriages, Despite its different regional styles. Mande jehya
and negotiate the most delicate economic and is unified by a basic repertoire of songs that dates
political matters. In the words of Toumani Dia- back to precolonial days and which is common to
bate. one of Mali's most young kora-play-
brilliant all the Mande These serve as the core or
regions.
ers: "They are the needle that sews." classic repertoire, and they are performed for spe-

The jelis operate like a closed trade union, and cial occasions such as the re-roofing of the sacred

guard their profession and knowledge with jeal- hut in the old capital of the Mande empire. Kanga-
ousy- and some secrecy. Until recently it was dif- ba. every seven years.
ficult for a non-jeli to up music
take as a profession, The most important songs in this repertoire are
and in practice very few have done so. One ot the "Sunjata" (which has many variants): "Lambang".
best-known exceptions is Salif Keita. a noble by one of the oldest songs in the repertoire, in praise
birth who chose, against his parents" wishes, to sing of music ("O. jaliya-o. Allah le ka jahya da": 'Ah
professionally and who makes it clear that he is an music! God created music ); and "Tutu Jara", a
artist and does not have the specific social obliga- song composed for an eighteenth-century Bamana
tions of the jeh. king of Segou. The melodies of these songs are
The influence of Mande musicians in West used over and over again in different arrangements
beyond the Mande peoples. Some
Africa goes far and with new lyrics. Older singers such as Fanta
Wolof griots trace their ancestry from Mande. Damba and Tata Bambo Kouyate use "Lambang"
In Sme-Saloum. a region in Senegal just north of and "Tutu Jara" as the basis for a great deal of their
the Gambia River, most of the older traditional music, though they rn^y change the vocal chorus-
griots include the classic Mande songs in their es and the arrangements: to this extent these tunes

repertoire and even sing partly in Maninka. Sene- are more like basic melodic structures for impro-
Youssou N'Dour, who is Wolof.
galese superstars vising rather fixed tunes, a bit like twelve-bar blues.
and Baaba Maal. who is Tukulor, have both Younger singers tend to use newer songs ot twen-
recorded versions of manv Mande tunes. neth-century ongm. Favourites include "Kelefa"

542 Mande music

and "Jula Jekere" (Baaba Maal recorded these on his She then goes on to recite the names of all

album Biuyo): the Malian songs "Kaira" and "Jawu- Zoumano's family as well as his ancestors and all

ra" (a song and dance from Gambian kora

Kita): the his deeds of generosity towards her and other jelis.
song "Alia l'aa ke"; and "Apollo" - named after the The instrumental accompaniment of the
Apollo space missions. A recent version of this can Mande repertoire is a two- or four-bar phrase. This
be heard on Sekouba Bambino Diabate's beautiful riff, as in jazz or blues, serves as the basis for impro-
1 992 semi-acoustic album Le Destin (W orld Circuit) visation and provides the framework for the song.
in the opening song "Ka Souma Man", in praise of The accompaniment is called 'the main way' or

tailors. 'big meeting', and the variations are known in

whether in purely traditional
All these songs, Mandinka as birimintittgo, an onomatopoeic word
versions, semi-acoustic, or accompanied by a full imitating the sound of the kora strings, and in
electric dance band, tend to follow the same struc- Maninka as teretneli, meaning 'to bargain' - in other
ture. The singing is divided into two sections, a words, to take the notes higher and lower.
choral refrain or donkili which is pre-composed,
and improvisation. The Kora and other
Jeli vocal improvisations are formulaic, con-

sisting mainly of praising family surnames and

Jeli instruments
reciting their ancestors. Every family name has an Jeli have three traditional instruments the kora :

epithet or jammu which tells something of its ori- - a cross between harp and lute with 21 to 25
gin. The name Musa, for example, is praised by strings; the lute-like ngoni; and the balafon, a
saying "Jealous and able Musa, four-eyed Musa; wooden xylophone. The kora is by far the most
Bala, the adventure-seeking Musa", which were popular of the three and, unlike the others, is tra-

the praises for Musa Molo, last king of the Mandin- ditionally not played by any other ethnic group.
ka, who died in 1931. The Toures are "The holy With its striking appearance, beautiful ringing
nobles from Mande" and praised with the name sound, and versatility, the kora has also come to
Mandjou. There is a small repertoire of songs in symbolise Mande music abroad. No other African
praise of specific jeli family names — for example. instrument has had the same impact on the inter-
"Tessiry Magan" on Kasse Mady Diabate's album national scene. The work of Foday Musa Suso
Kela Tradition (Stem's) is dedicated to the Kanoutes. with Herbie Hancock and Bill Laswell, the fla-
Proverbs and pithy sayings are also impor- menco and classical crossover albums of Toumani
tant. The lyrics are quite moralistic, warning against Diabate, and the amplified rock style kora of
betrayal, hypocrisy and obsession. Sayings like "Sil- Mory Kante, have all helped to establish it as one
ver and gold cannot good name" permeate
buy a of the world's great solo instruments.
lyrics as Even Youssou
they do conversation. Although some of the most famous kora play-
N'Dour, who doesn't speak Bamana, used the ers arefrom Mali, the kora is said to come origi-
well-known jeli cliche "Saya Man Nying" (Death nally from the area which is now Guinea-Bissau.
is terrible) as the title for a ballad. The Scots explorer Mungo Park reported seeing
Mosdy, the jelis direct their songs at a single per- an 18-string korri played for one of the Mande
opening lines of a song by Kandia
son. In the kings in 1796. But the kora only came into its own
Kouyate, which she recorded in 1986 for in the twentieth century. Although there have
Zoumano, one of her main patrons, she sings many been various innovations, the standard 21 -string
of the standard jeli phrases: kora's most distinctive feature is its wide-notched
bridge dividing the strings into two parallel rows
Zoumano, the hundred-giver, at right angles to the sound table, and a large gourd
Kandia Kouyate is singing for you. resonator.
Don't force me to become someone else's jeli, Two main kora-playing styles are recognised
The life of a jeli patron and that of someone — eastern, from Mali and Guinea, and western,
with no jeli
from Casamance in southern Senegal and The
Are not to be compared.
Gambia, where most of the famous players origi-
Cool down the instruments!
nally came from. The western style is 'hotter'
Don't let the music make me lose my head!
Betrayal is bad, and more percussive, with more cross-rhythm, lots
And so is obsessive thinking. of strumming and pinching of the strings, and
The hundred-givers have not vanished rhythmic tapping of the handles - players talk about
completely, 'beating the kora' (ka kora kosi). Some use up to
But there are certainly very few left. 25 strings to increase the bass range and allow for

Mande music 543

Masters of the Kora
Below are brief notes on some - though by no 1 Va E-re'. se'-tajgrc
means all - of the great kora players, from Mali. he evolved a unque Nghty staccato style and made
Guinea. Senegal and Gambia. For a selection of - 5 -ac-rat as :~e a::t
— :a- s" tt. s ~ze~ -a-'.a
CDs. see the dtscographies at the end of this fea- DanDa —aa " ;.c -
• • _ izvr z*~ ~~<z ~
z~
_
r_-
ture and that of Senegal and The Gambia (p. 629).
~ -a~2 a::'T _ roar
• - .->; a- - -as a" a -:~a T.as-

sc from 1970
Cissoko. Soundk>uk>u E-a-aca - :~ = :

If ouyalf. KaMaM (Senegal. Speciaist in a CasanHnce

style rated *"Yeyengo* (named after a song) with is own
tuning and much stnjrnrnrny on a 23- to 2S-stnng kora.
_
Kuyateh. Jaltba a z~-~z s -as " = a; = ' ~.~

a-'-a-a ~~
-
Sidiki i \ - aa: -<;£.'.:;• Va- ~a a sa~-
" 3".'_ — e~Ta ST. '
bie of percusson. ampffied kora and electnc bass.
a." 1
" i z zz~ r..a woo by his son '

D}eli Moussa Rallake ' -

Toumant
™a so- " r.-~ :* '.'a s z'a'.e-s: •z'- o.a _.=•*= .a ~.a-

D = 2 = *.
a To'uma a" at:?' ".2; z> j~am Dtabate (wfl whom 1

a: :
" sz'j~ era he has recorded kora duets). Bafafce is the regular
acxxDrnparast to singer Kandra Kouyate.

i (Senegal; ded n the late 1970s).

Drame. Lalo Keba Best known of tie super-strung kora players: lis insfcu-
ment had twenty ivc stnngs and he playod in a very
btoesy tuning, with a sti unm ted tecnnique.
sTye ':>• .
- jsca-a = -r-
Sne, Foday Musa The GarntaaJ One of the earfcest
kora masters to qurt Africa n the late 1 970s. when he
ansang Tre Gambia). The fret went to the US and formed the Manotogo Gnot Soo-
Britain, in 1980. Hs lyrical style ety with Don Cherry. More recently, he has been
; reflect hs Makan I nvotved in cnfahorabons with the Kronos Quartet.

Jobarteh. Malamini :f.e so - r Jali Nyama i Gambia; (fed in 1991). One

1970s. Hs of Ihe most Muenti Gambon kora players in the
_
rc O.vS 1960s and 1970s, he ; ~'5 "
-st • z s .a' ": :aa:

in the US. was favou by former President Jawara s

* -st ~e cT'Z a s; o ted the idea for the Gambon
Jobarteh. Wandrjfenc
'»=; c"a -"-a-- a ion of the kora piece, "ffode
A legendary kora play
Kaba"). He was shu 1 after Jawara s dkrorcc and
3a~ o.a s —os* r^-p.;
"

n% z>er~zy~~>ec " I iter years.

i
Mory (Guinea). Origrnaly a bafafon
player, he developed a unique, almost hn-
_
ea' .-. sT.>a T >a • o*a arc ~r<e -'->r>a

-". sc'c '

•
e».e •
a> e ".'cc _>:e-c " s

to the dubs of Europe, givinga robust new

edge to perceptions of roots music.

Konteh, JUhap Bai (The Gambia; (fed in

"
?5«5 1 .'"js: r rre ~ a=.a — .a _ ce :3"irr

arc ~>a Vsr • rra 0:2. ar ".: ".:u' re JS accear-

_
c a" —a i'i ccostco "est 1
, a

Konteh. Demtx imbia). Alup Baj

Konteh s son. hi -as- a r st 1 a
usuafy in duet w other nn-law, the
v a-: ^a-s, K: lory R.ar Barvo to world stag<

Mande music
more change of key. Men do the singing — though leader of Guinea's National Ensemble and a leg-

women may sing the chorus. The eastern style endary virtuoso. The Guinean superstar Mory
is more vocally oriented with a slower, more lin- Kante. a blacksmith by birth from a musical fam-
ear and staccato 'classical* sound, borrowed from ily, famous for his hit song "Yeke yeke", started
the ngoni and balafon. They talk about 'speaking his musical career as a balafon player. Malian singer
the kora' (ka kora Jo), which is seen more as an Salif Keita has also used the balafon in his other-
instrument of accompaniment. Women do most wise purely electric band.
of the solo singing. There are three Mande drums: the tama. or
It is said that all great kora players are likely at variable-pitch drum (talking drum); the djembe.
one point or another to be possessed by djinns or a single-headed goblet-shaped drum with a high-
spirits (much in the way that some blues players pitched tone, played with the hands, which is the
are said to have made a pact with the devil), espe- drum par excellence of the Wassoulou region; and
cially if they play late at night. Jeli folklore is full the doundoun. a large double-headed drum
of stories of players being bewitched or possessed: which is played with a heavy stick, once used to
too much virtuosity is believed to make a musi- announce the arrival of the king.
cian vulnerable to illness.
The ngoni 15 another prestigious
ment, an oblong lute which has three to five
Mande instru-
Dance Bands
Guitars,
strings, a resonator carv ed from a single piece of
and Cuban Sounds
wood, and a skin sound table. In Bamana and After World War II and the return of African con-
Maninka it is called ngotti, in Mandinka konting: it scripts, the guitar quickly became
a symbol of

is also played by griots from other peoples such as Guinea. Kante Facelli.
neotraditional music. In
the Wolof. who call it khalam (xalam) and the Fula his younger cousin Kante Manilla and Sekou c5
and Tukulor. who call it hoddu. The instrument is 'diamond fingers' Diabate forged a local style
an ancient one. The Moroccan traveller Ibn Bat- of playing. They introduced love lyrics and a new

tufa, who visited the court ot Mali during the reign harmonic element of constantly shifting chords
of Mansa Musa in 1352. described such an instru- under strong melodies. Songs like "Tallasa"' (Put
ment, embedded with mother-of-pearl and silver. the light out. my love) and "Lanaya" (The one
West African slaves re-created this instrument in you trust) came out of this period and remain eter-
the New World, as the banjo. nal favourites.
Today, the ngoni — which is technically quite In Mali, in the decade before independence, a
difficult to play, and also a very quiet instrument number ot regional towns, in particular Kita (birth-
— is not often heard in Senegal and The Gambia, place ot many of Mali's best-known musicians)
though it is still extremely popular in Mali and and Segou. had their own dance bands. Kita's
Guinea, where it is usually played with an electric orchestra was led by Boureima 'BK' Keita. Mal-
pick-up asaccompaniment alongside acoustic and i's first professional saxophonist. Kita was an impor-
electric guitars. The electric guitar itself, which tant colonial centre, and every Saturday people
is now the ubiquitous Maninka instrument, is would take the train from Kayes and Bamako to
played with almost exacdy the same technique and hear the town's modern orchestra.
often with a variety of unusual tunings. Another of Mah s early bands was Afro-Jazz
Another instrument reported by Ibn Battuta at de Segou. Founded in 1952. under the leader-
the fourteenth-century Mali court was the xylo- ship of trumpeter Amadu Ba (nicknamed 'Arm-
phone, called balafon or bala in Maninka. The strong' for his admiration of Satchmo). their
balafon usually has 18 to 21 keys cut from rose- repertoire throughout the 1950s consisted of
wood, suspended on a bamboo frame over gourd waltzes, tangos, paso dobles, rumbas, and French
resonators of graduated sizes. It is often played in chansons. By 1 964, they had joined with a rival
pairs, one musician performing the basic riff while band under the name Alliance, and became the
the other improvises. official orchestra of the region. They dropped the

The Susu people of western Guinea, who are ballroom songs and, influenced by Guinean dance
of the Mande family, are experts
linguistically part bands, cultivated a more Afro-Cuban sound -
on this instrument. In the story of Sunjata Keita. then, in pre-Castro days, a dominant influence in
the bala originally belonged to Sunjata's rival jazz and dance music generally.
Sumanguru Kante. king of the Susu people, and As in Guinea, state-subsidised orchestras were
today, the greatest balafon players are from
still aprominent feature of Mali's first years of inde-
Guinea, such as El Hadj Djeli Sory Kouyate. pendence under President Modibo Keita; they

Mande music 545

 Les Amazones de Guinee
£75
were established in Kayes, Segou, Sikasso, Gao and cut, two bits"), may well have been taken to Cuba
Mopti, of which the first three were predominandy by Mande slaves. When dance bands performed
composed of Mande musicians. Modibo Keita also Mande tunes they were almost invariably given
founded the Orchestre Nationale A, Mali's first Latin arrangements, and Latin music has remained
national electric dance band. Led by Keletigui Dia- extremely popular in Mali even today. Salif Keita's
bate on guitar and Tidiane Kone on sax, it had a greatest hit of the 1970s, "Mandjou", has a clear

standard Latin-jazz line-up. Latin tinge. In an interview for 1989 BBC TV in

In Bamako an orchestra was founded for each he remarked: "I used to sing in Spanish - or at
section of the capital. The most popular of these least I think it was Spanish, because I didn't actu-
district bands was Pioneer Jazz of Missira. Jal- ally speak it. I love Cuban music, but more than
imadi Tounkara (today the lead guitarist of the that, I consider it a duty for all Malians to love
famous Super Rail Band) was a member of Pio- Cuban music, because it's through Cuban music
neer Jazz in the early 1960s, his first experience thatwe were introduced to modern instruments."
away from purely traditional Mande music: "At The 1960s were the golden years Guinea's for
that time our bands weren't using folklore, just dance bands. More than a dozen first-rate orches-
Latin American music, some jazz, and some rock. tras sprang up around the country: Keletigui et

I especially liked Chuck Berry and I tried to imi- ses Tambourins, Balla et ses Balladins, Les
Other Malian bands of the time,
tate his style." Amazones de Guinee (West Africa's first all-
like the Harmonie Soudanaise. Sinfonia, woman dance orchestra, recruited from the police),

Fiesta Tropical, and Askia Jazz, were inde- Lanaya Jazz, Horoya Band, Super Boiro - all
pendent, and mainly played cover versions of immortalised on a series of superb LP records on
Latin music learnt from imported records. Like the Syliphone Conakry label.
the state orchestras, disbanded with the down- The majority of their repertoire was Mande, the
fall of Modibo Keita, those early groups are now lyrics political and exhortatory in true cultural-
mostly forgotten. revolutionary style, but the Cuban influence, espe-
Throughout the 1 960s the biggest outside influ- cially in the rhythms and arrangements, was strong.
ence on Malian pop - as in the rest of Franco- It tended to be reinforced by the close political ties

phone Africa - was Cuban dance music. The between Guinean dictator Sekou Toure and Fidel
rhythms and musical structures of Cuban son and Castro, and by the popularity of Congolese
rumba are remarkably close to those of Mande rumba (see p. 462); the Congolese musician Joseph
music: indeed the characteristic clave of Cuban Kabasele - Grand Kalle' - played in Guinea
'Le in

music, or 'Bo Diddley rhythm' ("Shave and a hair- the early 1960s and made a lasting impression.

546 Mande music

 The most important and famous band of 5
the tunc was Bembeya Jazz National. *
*
Specialising in arrangements of Mande clas-

sics, with the rolling harmonies of Guinean

guitar, they featured a Latin-style horn sec-
tion and percussion, with Sekou Diabate
on guitar, and the sweet voice of
Aboubacar Demba Camara. Founded
in 1961 in Beyla (eastern Guinea), they won

Guinea's national Biamale festivals in 1962

and 1964, where regional bands competed
with each other, and in 1966 were declared
the 'National Orchestra'.
The year before, Bembeya had made a

memorable visit to Guba. The well-known

Cuban singer Abelardo Barroso was report-
edly moved to tears by the voice of Bem-
beya's lead singer, Aboubacar Demba
Camara. Tragically, Camara was killed in

a car accident while on

con-his Sekou 'Diamond Fingers' Diabate
way to a

cert m
Dakar in 1973, an event which of Bembeya Jazz dispenses with the amp
plunged Guinea into nationwide mourn-
ing. Bembeya subsequendy went into a decline and imitation Cuban costumes, now replaced by tunics
- combined with increasing political and economic of tie-dyed damask or the black-and-white pat-
problems in Guinea — never quite recovered their terned mud-dyed cloth of the Bamana.
popularity. By 1991 they had dispersed complete- The Super Biton de Segou - a new incar-
m
ly, though Sekouba Bambino Diabate (not to nation of Alliance and Afro-Jazz, and named after
be confused with his older, guitarist colleague Sekou the founder of the Bamana kingdom - won first
Diabate) has now become Guinea's most popular prize twice in a row. The driving dance rhythms
singer of semi-acoustic Mande music. of their Bamana music translated powerfully onto
guitars and horns, creating a new style, refresh-

Return to Roots ingly different from previous Mande pop. "We

made the big changeover in 1970", recalls Amadu
Throughout the 1970s in Guinea, Sekou Toure Ba, Super Biton's trumpeter and founder mem-
continued to subsidise music, organising huge con- ber, now retired. "At first we encountered lots of
certs for state occasions and awarding medals and difficulties because it involved a change of atti-
'National Orders' to preferred singers and instru- tude. It was hard to break with the colonial men-
mentalists. The kora player Sidiki Diabate was tality. Even when we musicians accepted a return
awarded the National Order, and Salif Keita was to a more indigenous style, we had to struggle to
given a gold medal for his concert with the Rail convince our audience. It was a long process but
Band Conakry in 1976. In return, Keita dedi-
in eventually it worked." Super Biton's example was
cated his song "Mandjou" to Sekou Toure - a followed by other bands like Super Djata - led

leader now viewed as a despot. Asked two decades by the percussionist and guitarist Zani Diabate -
later it he regretted having sung a praise song to and Kene Star of Sikasso.
the dictator, Keita was pragmatic: "I don't have Tidiane Kone was another of the major fig-

any regrets, was a

it different time. From the ures in the campaign to 'return to folklore'. His
moment I knew what dictatorship meant, I hated wizardry on the ngoni was legendary - he was said
it. And I never criticise someone who is dead." to play so fast that his fingers disappeared com-
Mali's second president, Colonel Moussa Traore, pletely from sight. But he also learnt to play most
maintained close political links with Guinea and other dance-band instruments, and was the men-
followed its example by encouraging musicians in tor of many musicians. In 1969 Kone set up a new
the Bicnnale festivals to draw on local music. Under band, the Rail Band du Buffet Hotel de la
the entry rules, each band had to perform music Gare, which was to launch the careers of two of
based on local folklore. Thus the search for a West Africa's most internationally successful singers:
more traditional idiom began. Gone were the Mory Kante and Salif Keita.

Mande music 547

The Rail Band v foreign-stylepop - rumbas, foxtrots, French bal-
Cuban and even Senegalese Wolof songs,
Les Ambassadeurs lads,

sung particularly well by their lead singer, Ous-

The distictively albino Salif Keita, Mali's best- mane Dia. Les Ambassadeurs was one of the few
known singer since the late 1970s, has, more than bands who were
not government sponsored.
any other individual, been responsible for fusing Both groups began to attract big followings. And
Mande music with world beats. Being an albino two Guinean musicians now arrived on the scene
carries a stigma in most African countries and Sal- who were to become very important: the singer
if s youth in his native Djoliba, a village west of Mory Kante. a balafon player from an illustrious

Bamako, close to the heartland of the old Mande musical family from Kissidougou in eastern Guinea;
empire, was not easy. On both his mother's and and his cousin Kante Manilla (or Manfila Kante),

father's side he is a Keita and there was no prece- an innovative guitarist who had learnt to play in
dent for someone of such high lineage to take up Cote d'lvoire. Manfila was invited to become lead-
singing as a profession. His mother had a fine voice, er of the Ambassadeurs, while Mory became a sec-
though she never sang in public. His father and he ond singer in the Rail Band. (During the early
communicated litde. Salif trained as a schoolteach- 1970s. Mory also studied the kora in Bamako and
er but poor eyesight prevented him from teach- after he moved to Paris in the 1980s, it was as a

ing and so, despite his family's

as a profession, kora player that he became famous).
disapproval, he began to sing for a living in the In the Rail Band, Mory Kante was immediately
streets and bars of Bamako. seen as a potential They both had pow-
rival to Salif.

erful, inspirational voices and

were adept at praise lyrics. Dur-
ing 1972 Salil made a brief trip
out of the country, and on his
return found Mory doing the
lead singing. Snubbed, Salif s
response was to 'defect' to the
Ambassadeurs, which created an
uproar among his fans and even
greater rivalry between the two
bands.
The relative merits of each
band were soon put to the test.

President Traore - in one of

hismore enlightened pro-
grammes - had launched an
adult literacy campaign called
Kibaru (News) aimed at the vast
majority of rural Malians who
Jalimadi Tounkara, Rail Band lead guiarist were unable to read. In order
to attract attention to the cam-
When Salif was first approached by Tidiane paign, Traore invited the Rail Band and the
Kone to join the Rail Band he refused: "I don't Ambassadeurs to perform in a Kibaru concert to
do modern music, and anyway I'm not supposed be held at the National Sports Stadium.
to sing." But he was persuaded: "My family By morning of what was immediately billed
the
opposed me, but isn't it true that the evolution ot a contest, a huge crowd had gathered outside the
civilisation is marked all the time by revolution? stadium. The atmosphere was as tense as at a major
It was necessary to mark a century that wasn't that footballgame. The Rail Band, fronted by Mory
of the ancestors." Kante, were first to go on. "Our first piece was
In 1971 another band formed in Bamako, Les 'Soul Makossa' by Mani^Dibango", recalls the gui-
Ambassadeurs du Motel, the resident band of tarist Jalimadi Tounkara. "We had really rehearsed

a small hotel in Bamako with a flourishing night- well, so from the first note the public went wild.
club. While the Rail Band was known for its At that rime, singers didn't dance, they would just
Mande roots repertoire, with songs like "Sunja- stand still. It was Mory Kante who started to dance
ta", at least half the Ambassadeurs' numbers were in the modern orchestras." Mory was wearing a

548 Mande music

grand boubou, a traditional robe notoriously diffi- part of a drive to introduce traditional Maninka
cult to dance in; but his performance of the grace- praise-singing to their charanga-style arrangements.
ful jalidong was breathtaking. It drove the audience Their biggest hits were "Nama" and "Fode", a song
to a frenzy. which, in the late 1980s, Kasse Mady re-recorded
Then it was the Ambassadeurs' turn. The line- in Paris for the Syllart label.

up of the band included many of those who have The Rail Band remained the most traditional of
continued to work with Salif Keita even after its the three bands, often inviting guest singers such
break-up - the Guinean guitarist Ousmane as Djelimadi Sissoko to join them for special
Kouyate; Keletigui Diabate, the left-handed recordings. Throughout the 1970s, the Rail Band
virtuoso whose main instrument is the bala; played at the Buffet Hotel almost every night of
Cheikh Tidiane, the keyboard player; and Kante the week and it was always full. On Saturday nights
Manilla on guitar. Salif and Manfila had written you couldn't get in. "But in 1979", recalls lead
a song for the occasion called "Kibaru", starting guitarist Jalimadi Tounkara, "I left for Abidjan with
out with a slow section encouraging farmers and Mory We left because we had asked for a
Kante.
workers to take reading classes, and concluding pay rise and didn't get We were on low wages
it.

with a fast, humorous passage where the word and our fees always went to the Rail company, so
"Kibaru" was broken into syllables, as in a spelling we got discouraged. In Abidjan we formed our
lesson. Later, when this song was recorded, it took own band, the Rail Band International. The atmo-
up the whole side of an LP. sphere in Abidjan was hot!"
Salif Keita, twenty-three years old, came on defl- The Ambassadeurs had also left Bamako for
antly, not in the expected grand boubou but in Abidjan in 1978 to record their album Mandjou.
the traditional garb of Mande hunters: a rough, "Mandjou" had almost become the group's sig-
undyed, home-spun cotton tunic sewn with all nature tune, demanded by their audiences every-
kinds of magic charms. It was a costume that where (though according to Kante Manfila, the
reflected his ancient and noble ancestry, similar to track on the album that the group itself preferred
the one he wears on the cover of Amen. There was was "Ntoma". which reappeared on Salif s Amen
uproar: here was an educated albino of noble ances- album as "M b'i fe"). "Mandjou" was recorded in
try, dressed like a hunter, singing — in the style of the rehearsal room of the Ivoirian TV station, and
the jelis — a song about literacy. transformed Salif into a star overnight.
There was no winner - it

was considered a draw - but

to this day 'the contest' is

remembered as a showcase
event for modern Mande
music and a stimulus for
other bands to look to tradi-
tion for their sources.
The competition between
the two bands continued
throughout the 1970s, turn-
ing Bamako into one of
West Africa's most exciting
cities for dance music. Mean-
time, another band entered
the scene: the National
Badema. formerly the Mar-
avillas de Mali, composed
of a group of musicians
including Boncana Maiga,
who had been studying
music in Cuba for eight
years. They were joined in
the mid-1970s by the singer
Kasse Mady Diabate, ajeli

from Kela near Kangaba, as Kasse Mady enjoys his success

Mande music 549

 Jelimusolu: Mali's Women Singers
Since Mali's independence, the most consistent stars of In many ways Fanta Sacko paved the way for a

the local scene have been the jelimusolu - the famed whole new generation of Mali's women singers. But
women jelis. Their status as local superstars, who take she paid bitterly for her fame when in the early 1 980s
the lion's share of fees and command adoring audiences, she burned herself with skin bleach (many Malian
is unique in West Africa, where in general popular music women singers still believe that pale skin is a shortcut
is male dominated. Their flamboyant personalities and to success). And she was never paid for her record,
independent life-styles have made them the subjects of which is still sold on bootleg cassettes.
intense, often malicious, gossip. "It's brought us many Probably the most respected of all the jelimusolu
problems from jealousy and intolerance", says singer was the late Sira Mory Diabare (Kasse Mady's aunt)

Ami Koita, "but personally I have had no choice but*to from Kela, an imposing, nearly blind woman with a
go ahead anyway; my destiny."
this is moving alto voice, and composer of several famous
One of the first women singers to become popular songs such as "Bani" and "Sara". Unlike many of
after independence was Fanta Sacko from Kita. She today's jelimusolu her voice is low-pitched and leisure-
called her style jamana kura (new age), delivering light, ly, her lyrics more moralistic than praising. In "Sara",
rhythmic and melodious love songs, accompanied on a tune later made famous in a stunning arrangement
two acoustic guitars in non-standard tunings, with a by the Guinean band Balla et ses Balladins, she sings,
capo high on the neck, imitating the kora and the insect- "sara (popularity) who have money,
is not sung for those
like sound of the ngoni. Referred to in Bamana as sara is who keep their word." is a song
sung for those It

bajourou, this represents the most popular trend of about a woman who was forced to marry someone she
guitar-based music in Guinea and Mali since the 1970s. did not love; but at the last minute she decides not to
C5 Her most famous song, "Jarabi" has been recorded in go through with the marriage, and remain faithful to

dozens of cover versions by most of Mali's best-known her true love. Sira Mory had uncompromising princi-

m artists.

"Jarabi"
Apart from being a beautiful minor-key tune,
was a local hit because of its lyrics, which
ples: she was favoured by President Modibo Keita but
neglected by his successor Moussa Traore because
advocate passionate love above all other feelings. she did not sing praise songs for him.

The first Malian jelimuso to tour Europe as a solo

Love is an illness no doctor can cure. artist, in 1975, was the Bamana singer from Segou,
Wait for me, my love, for I cannot live without you. Fanta Damba, who sings in the cool, classic Bamana
Loves knows no father, no mother, style of Segou, accompanied on ngoni, kora and gui-
no brother or sister. tar. Her voice became something of a cult, much
Love is blind and deaf to all this. admired by musicians such as Youssou N'Dour, whose
What counts alone is what you have said to me. song "Wareff" was a reworking of her material.

A World Stage: but audiences at the Buffet de la Gare began to

Salif Keita decline andby the late 1 980s they were only play-

and Mory Kante ing once a week, competing with Bamako's dis-
cos and video clubs. They have since gone
The 1 980s saw a shift of the musical scene - at least independent, following the political upheaval that
for the dance bands — away from Conakry and led to Mali's new democratic regime under Pres-
Bamako, initially to Abidjan, and from 1985 ident Alpha Oumar Konare. There are few other
onwards, to Paris. When Mory Kante left the Rail dance bands in Bamako, though since 1996 the
Band, he was replaced by Lafia Diabate (younger scene has shown some healthy growth.
brother of Kasse Mady), whose lyrical voice is less The Ambassadeurs, renamed the Ambas-
classical than that of his brother and was perfectly sadeurs Internationaux, only survived as a band
suited to the band's new lighter repertoire. until the mid-1980s. In 1980, Salif Keita. togeth-
Renamed the Super Rail Band, they recorded er with Kante Manfila and two other musicians
their superb album Foliba in Abidjan in 1980 (sub- from the Ambassadeurs, had spent four months in
sequently re-released by GlobeStyle as New Dimen- the US making another of their classic records,
sions in Rail Culture). Prinprin, working with local session musicians. But

The Rail Band still survives, but they've not in 1982, conflict between came
Salif and Manfila

had an easy time. They continued to be sponsored to a head with Salif leaving the band altogether
by the Malian rail company through the 1980s, and moving to Paris. Rumours about his health —

550 Mande music

 Another of the women singers of the 1970s
finest and electric guitars with the usual jeli instruments of
was the Guinean Kade Diawara, "the Archangel of kora, ngoni and balafon. Koita has been criticised by
Mande". She had a typically Guinean, open-throated, some Malians for going too far down the line of mod-
liquid-sounding voice. In the 1980s she stopped singing ernisation, something which female singers are not
- the result, so it was said, of witchcraft directed at her supposed to do. For example, she was severely criti-

by rival singers - but in 1 992 she made a strong come- cised for recording an album with the Congolese band
back with her cassette Kade Diawara 1'E.ternelle, with Afrisa International, using soukous-type rhythms.
a semi-acoustic backing ensemble. Malian TV plays an increasingly important role in the
promotion of jelimusolu, as do recordings.
71
"A jelimuso is only as good as her latest

cassette", says Nainy Diabate one of the

most popular of the new generation of

younger singers in Bamako. Her excellent
1992 cassette, Farafina Mousso, showed
a less classical approach, more open to
new styles, with clear nods to Congolese
influence. This trend was followed by oth-
ers of the new generation of jelimusolu,

such as Babani Kone, Yayi Kanoute and

Astan Kida who currently dominate the
airwaves of Bamako's flourishing local
scene.
At the start of the new millennium, how-
ever, it's Kandia Kouyate who stands out
as Mali's class act. She was born and

Tata Bambo Kouyate, praise singer extraordinaire

raised in Kita, the well-spring of so much m
in the classic Mande musical tradition, and,
Of the jelimusolu who have achieved major success by eschewing the pull of stardom she has remained
as soloists in the last two decades, three stand out: close to the hearts of the people. Instead of releasing
Ami who comes from Djoliba, the village where
Koita, one album after another, she has honed and polished
was born; Tata Bambo Kouyate, from
Salif Keita her expressive contralto vocal skills, and concentrat-
Bamako; and Kandia Kouyate from Kita. Ami Koita ed on making exquisite arrangements for the reper-

is the most innovative: her magnificent album Tafa Sira toire. The results finally reached a truly international

became Mali's biggest hit of 1988. Subsequent albums, audience with the release of the highly original and
Songs of Praise and Carthage, combine synthesisers much acclaimed Kita Kan (Voice of Kita) in 1999.

always fragile - began to circulate but in reality he and mirrors). His stunning soundtrack for the
was working on a fusion album - Sow - with French feature film, L'enfant Hon, includes sever-
French keyboardist Jean-Philippe Rykiel and Sene- al tracks based on the 10-string melodies of the
galese producer and impressario Ibrahima Sylla, Maninka hunters' harp.
which was to launch Mande music around the In the mid-1980s, the Mande dance music scene
world. had shifted to Paris. On a parallel trajectory to Salif,

marked the coming of age of Mande dance

Sore but working in a more straightforward techno-
music. With this album, Salif finally abandoned disco mode, Guinean kora player Mory Kante
all of Latin influence, instead working with
trace was moving towards stardom with his alburn Mor)>

contemporary sounds from the world of rock and Kante a Paris. This was followed by the album 10
pop. And he was no longer primarily using the Cola Nuts which, despite its disco beat, still had a

idioms of jeli praise song, but had begun to draw strong Mande flavour, especially in songs like
on the wider world of Mande music, especially "Teriya", a version of the Rail Band's old num-
the melodies of Maninka hunters, which was his ber "Balakoninfi". In 1988, Mory's version of the
real heritage as a Keita. The powerful cultural classic old favourite "Yeke Yeke" (a love song

millieu of Maninka hunters has become increas- from Guinea), first launched on his Mory Kante a
ingly important in Salif s work - he is often Paris album, reached number one on several Euro-
depicted wearing the traditional costume of pean charts and, remixed, became a standard of
hunters (a mud-dyed cloth strung with amulets the early acid house scene.

Mande music 551

Reflective moment for Salif

Many of Salif Keita's original group of musi- Tradition, which includes Mory Kante on kora, is

— some of whom, like Cheikh Tidiane and

cians another all-time classic acoustic album, as is Kasse
Ousmane Kouyate, had been with him since the Mady's stunning 1990 album Kela Tradition.
days of the Ambassadeurs - left after Sow to form Another leading light in the forging of new
their own groups, and a scattering of 'Soro-sound' forms of musical expression in Mali has been the
records came and went, often featuring the same kora player Toumani Diabate. His acoustic
group of musicians. Kasse Mady's excellent album ensemble, the Symmetric Orchestra, brings
Fode, despite his magnificent voice and some fine together some of Mali's finest jeli instrumentalists,
arrangements, did not make the impact it might including Keletigui Diabate on balafon and the
have done had Sow not existed. Ousmane Kouy- brilliant young ngoni (lute) virtuoso Batourou

ate rejoined Salif for the album Foton, which rep- Sekou Kouyate. Their repertoire is loosely based
resented a rootsier, sometimes semi-acoustic return on the established pieces of the jeli, but these are
Mande roots.
to Salif s interpreted with a richly textured jazz format,
The beginning of a 'back to roots' movement whereby each instrument takes it in turn to do a

on the Mande music scene dated back, in reality, solo. This gives the old songs a contemporary feel,

to the mid-1980s, hailed by the release of some of without signifying a break with tradition. Toumani
the best Mande acoustic albums. The first to has influenced a whole generation of young kora
receive international attention was the haunting players in Mali as well as reaching new interna-
1983 Abidjan recording Yasimika, featuring the tional audiences through the two superb Songhai
young Guinean singer and kora player Jali Musa flamenco-crossover albums. Most recently,
Jawara (half-brother of Mory Kante), accompa- Toumani's album New Ancient Strings - instru-
nied on balafon and guitar and with a chorus of mental kora duets with his cousin Ballake Sissoko

three women including Djenne Doumbia and - takes the art of the kora to new levels of virtu-
Djanka Diabate. Kante Manilla's acoustic album osity and expression.

552 Mande music

 Sekouba 'Bambino' Diabate, former lead Love, not Praise:
Bembcya Jazz (never dis-
singer with Guinea's
banded, but hardly functional since the early 1990s)
Wassoulou Music
is one of the major singers on the contemporary In the late 1980s, disillusion with Mali's corrupt

Maude music scene. A jeli from upper Guinea, he military regime at the time, and the severe eco-
began singing professionally in local orchestras even nomic crisis in the country, resulted in a swing
before his teens (hence his 'bambino' nickname). away from praise song, with its built-in expen-
His soaring, romantic tenor voice is nowhere more tancy of reward and its reinforcement of the sta-

beautifully showcased than on his 1997 album tus quo. Instead there was an upsurge of interest
Kassa, in the song "Damansena", for example, a in different styles of Mande music. The strongest
lyrical tribute to Guinea's diamond miners, accom- development was the rise in popularity of the music
panied on piano by the Cape Verdean Paulino from the region of Wassoulou, south of Bamako,
Vieira (from Cesaria Evora's band). which has a completely different social and musi-
One of the newest entries on the Mande music cal basis from that of"the jelis.

scene, a using star both locally and international- The people of Wassoulou are a mixture of
Habib Koite. Though ajeli (from the north-
ly, is Bamana and Fula ethnic groups, originally descend-
west of Mali), he makes a break with the ed from Fula - as shown by their four main sur-
well-worn mould ofjeli-based praise songs, draw- names (Sidibe, Sangare, Diakite and Diallo) -
ing on different ethnic traditions from the whole although they speak a local dialect of Bamana.
country. In his 1998 album, Maya, Habib Koite There are jelis in Wassoulou, but they play a rather

dedicated songs to the Fula and Soninke, using marginal musical role. Instead, anyone who has
their musical styles as well as singing in those lan- musical talent and wishes to sing, dance or play an
guages. He also emulated the songs of hunters (as instrument may do so. To show that they are musi-
in the title track "Maya"). His understated and cians by choice, not birth, they call themselves C
beautiful arrangements give pride of place to the kono - songbird.
acoustic guitar, and he makes no use of synthesis- The music which is now known as 'wassoulou'
er. Habib has created a new category of Malian sounds quite traditional, but actually it only dates
music in the singer-songwriter tradition, with orig- from the mid-1970s named style of music. It
as a

inal compositions and thoughtful lyrics that cover was created in Bamako among migrant communi-
a wide range of social and human issues. ties from Wassoulou, and combines two regional

types of music. One is the

music of the ancient tradi-

tion of songs for sacred

hunters' societies, accom-
panied on a smaller version
of the six-string hunter's
harp, and an iron scraper.
These hunters' songs are

traditionally only per-

formed by men who have
been initiated into the
society, though ironically
in wassoulou music they
have been largely appro-
priated by female singers.

The second source of was-

soulou is an acrobatic
masked dance called sogo-
ninkun, in which women
sing to the male masquer-
ader, to the accompani-
ment of two djembe
drums and a diiiidun (cylin-

drical drum). These two

traditions provide the basic

Mande music 553

 me. They had all that in their heads and were refus-
ing forced marriages. When their parents tried they
refused, but they could not express the pain they
So. now they had someone who could help
felt.

them to cry out what they felt."

The main aural hook in Sangare's music is the
punchy, nervous and funky sound of the
kamalengoni (the youth's harp). This harp was
created in the late 1950s by Allata Brulaye Sidibi.
who appropriated the powerful melodies of
hunters' songs, using them for illicit youth enter-
tainment at night outside the tillage. The kamalen-
goni has a staccato sound which characteristically
drives the rhythm on. punctuated by the scraping
Oumou Sangare - loving, not praising of the karinyan metal scraper. The women play the
fle , a calabash strung with cowrie shells, which they
musical material for today's urban wassoulou, mixed spin and throw in the air at weddings in time to
in with electric guitars and certain more pan-Malian the music. Another Wassoulou dance rhythm is
musical elements. The music is pentatonic, and has the vigorous didadi, performed with a scarf in each
powerful dance rhythms. hand, which is the basis of the music of another
Part ot the appeal of wassoulou music to Malian wassoulou singer, Nahawa Doumbia.
audiences is that it preaches a very different phi- Several male singers have also made names for
losophy from that ofjelis. It is music of social advice themselves as Wassoulou stars - such as Yoro
to the whole community, rather than praise of Diallo. whose style is similar to that of Oumou
individuals and to perform it. the musician must Sangare; and Abdoulaye Diabate. the lead singer
have some birth connection to the region. Many of Sikasso's regional band Kene Star. His album.
of the songs address women's issues. Kassikouu, recorded in Abidjan in 1 990 with Kene
The best-known and most successful performer Star and later released in Paris on the Syllart label,
of this type of music is Oumou Sangare. who features the didadi rhythm on the powerful track
burst onto the Malian scene in 1989 with her best- "Sissi Kouloun". Otherwise, wassoulou music is

selling cassette Moussolou (W omen) , recorded in dominated by women singers. The pioneers were
Abidjan in 1989. Her songs carry a strong message Kagbe Sidibe and Coumba Sidibe. both of
against female oppression. She criticises, either whom specialised in the sogoninkun style, with
overtly or in more indirect ways, polygamy, an emphasis on djembe percussion combined with
arranged marriages, and the ideology whereby electric guitars.
women are slaves to their menfolk. The song Sali Sidibe. another influential wassoulou singer
which rocketed her to local fame was "Diaraby and a former member of Mali's Ensemble Nation-
nene" (Love Fever), an overdy sensual piece about al, has created her own firmly traditional brand of
the shivers of passion which remains to this date wassoulou. Her ensemble includes the large Sen-
her 'fetish' (most solicited) piece. Sangare's subse- ufo bala, the four-string bolon bass harp, and the
quent albums, Ko Sira and Worotan, have expressed single-string Fula horse-hair fiddle, the soku.
increasingly overt attacks on polygamy. Wassoulou music is youth music, a breath of
"Since childhood, I've always hated polygamy," fresh air after the strict conventions of Mande soci-
she explained. "My father had two wives. It was ety. "The jelis direct their singing at a particular
really a catastrophe. From a young age I started to individual," says Sangare. "I sing for everyone,
sing, from nursery school, and I said the day that about things that concern everyone; not for one
I take a microphone in front of a crowd of peo- person to make them feel superior. At first we had
ple, the first thing I'm going to do is deplore the a lot of problems with the jelimusolu, they com-
people who marry four women, who engage in plained that we were not griottes, so we had no
forced marriage. I had a lot of problems at first. At right to sing. Our answer is that all of us in Was-
my concerts at the Palais de la Culture, the men soulou are artists, all our parents are artists. Before,
used to wait in their cars. Their wives went into if you weren't a griot you couldn't sing in Mali.
men stayed outside. But a few
the concert and the It is we, the Wassoulonke, who have turned all

men came inside and now more come. Lots of that around." It's a mood that's well attuned to an
young women understood and really agreed with increasingly confident and democratic Mali.

554 Mande music

 River Spirit Blues: Songs of AM Farka Toure

AN Fark (left) with US bluesman Taj Mahal

Ali Farka Toure, from northern Mali, was born teamed up with musicians from other traditions. But
into a family of noble origins, who trace their while these outings are superbly recorded and well
ancestry back to the sixteenth-century migration produced, and give Ali's music refreshing new per-
from Spain of a Moorish army known as the Armas spectives, nothing can beat the sparse combination
- part Spanish, part African - who crossed the on the early Sonodisc recording of voice, guitar and
Sahara to take control of the trade in salt and insistent rhythm tapped on the calabash. It is this style

gold. He plays guitar with a highly distinctive style that he has returned to on his most recent disc, Nia-

that's earned him the title 'Bluesman of Africa'. funke (1 999), recorded at home with a crew from the
An absolute individualist, his music is a passion World Circuit label.

manner of the
for him, but not a profession in the Niafunke is Ali Farka's hometown and it has charm
He plays as if his fingers had a life of their
jelis. if not much else. There's a dock, shipping office, school,

own, and his conversation, in French, can be market, flophouse and a few thousand people. Life
equally hard to follow. Journalist and broadcast- revolves around the Niger River, especially when the
er Andy Kershaw visited Ali Farka Toure while steamer makes its irregular stops and the riverbank is

recording a series for BBC Radio. shrill with the noise of commerce.
From his sporadic earnings, from royalties and Euro-
I was sent one of Ali Farka's recordings out of the blue. pean tours, Ali feeds an extended family of more than
I put it on and was stunned. I wasn't the only one. Of fifty. His mud-walled compound teems with offspring,
all the records I have ever played on the radio this was second cousins, petit freres, the elderly, the newborn
the one that elicited the most enquiries. With the rhyth- and Ali's one wife.

mic guitar-picking style and the nasal lonesome vocals, Ali didn't touch his guitar once the whole week we
it was the West African version of the delta blues of were in Niafunke. His mother told us that it was beneath
Lightnin' Hopkins or John Lee Hooker. the dignity of her son to play music. "If you want music,"
Ali's musical roots are firmly in the Songhai and she'd say, "go out and hire a musician." Good thing
Tuareg cultures of the region between Timbuktu and she wasn't on the trip to Timbuktu when he played his

Gao, although on his albums, The River (with various ass off, there and back. I'll never forget the searing
Chieftains) and The Source (with Taj Mahal) and most sound of his voice and guitar, floating into the still

famously Talking Timbuktu (with Ry Cooder), he has spookiness of a night on the Niger.

Mande music 555

 and
discography tions swirling
nature of the music
rhythms are
is
similar
unmistakeable.
and the deeply spiritual

Les Ambassadeurs du Motel

Mali
Formed as a resident band at a small Bamako hotel, the
Ambassadeurs recruited Salif Keita and Kante Manfila, to
Compilations become one of the greatest African bands of all time.

O Les Ambassadeurs du Motel (Sonafric, France).

Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa and Beyond
LiU (Elipsis Arts, US). Dating from the mid-1970s before their departure for Abidjan,
this includes three great classic tracks with Salif Keita:
Kora fans looking for a remedy for the blues should snap up "Diandjon", "Wara" and "Kibaru".
this beautiful book-CD package from the company that does
so well. Musically, the discs are a vehicle mainly for Foday
it

Musa Suso, one of the earliest kora masters to quit Africa, in

Fanta Damba ^
*
the 1970s, for the USA. Maitresse of the austere Bamana style of praise singing,
Fanta Damba was a national symbol in the post-
Musiques du Mali: Banzoumana and Sira Mory independence era.
(Syllart Productions, France).

Two boxed sets of two CDs each, named after great singers
O Bahamadou Simogo (Celluloid, France).

and compiling legendary material from the 1970s, including Magisterial vocals and double-tracked ngoni create a powerful
seminal recordings by the Ensemble National Instrumental, impact.
the Rail Band featuring Mory Kante in James Brown mode,
the National Badema with Kasse Mady, Orch National A and Abdoulaye Diabate and Kene Star
other regional orchestras of the period. Essential listening for
anyone interested in Mali's music. Abdoulaye Diabate is a top Bamana singer with his Kene
Star band from Sikasso.
S3 Royaume du Mali and Mali Compil
(Syllart Productions, France). Si Kassikoun (Syllart Productions, France).

Part of Ibrahim Sylla's 1999 12-volume lucky dip release of Rousing electric music, including the didadi dance rhythm
African compilations, thesetwo discs provide an idiosyncratic (from Wassoulou). Recorded in Abidjan, with arrangements

introduction to Mande music culture. Royaume du Mali has by Boncana Maiga.

contributions from Sory Kandia Kouyate, Kasse Mady and
Ami Koita as well as comparative unknowns such as Mory Adama Diabate
Djely and Camayenne Sofas and, from Senegal, Ismael L6
and Coumba Gawlo. Mali Compil is another good crop, with
Griotte AdamaDiabate's name is perhaps the least known
on her first solo CD. She and Makan Tounkara were married
the usual suspects, plus unknowns Haira Arby, Fode Kouyate
in their teens and have worked together for many years.
and the wonderful Amadou & Mariam.

The Wassoulou Sound: Women of Mali and Jako Baye

(Stern's, UK).
The Wassoulou Sound, Vol 2 (Stern's, UK).
Two and female
Swmg-along-a-Mali: a disc that brings rootsy Adama and her
excellent compilations featuring a range of styles
husband Makan Tounkara together with international Malian
voices from Wassoulou. Includes pioneers of the 'Wassoulou
popsters - including the phenomenally talented ex-Rail Band
electric' sound, Kagbe Sidibe and Coumba Sidibe, plus the
man Zoumana Djarra - in a perfect blend.
haunting semi-acoustic style of Sali Sidibe and Djeneba Diakhrte.

Kasse Mady Diabate

Artists Arguably the best contemporary Mande voice, Kasse
Mady Diabate rivals Salif Keita for beauty and lyricism,
but is absolutely rooted in the jeli tradition.
Bajourou
This was a kind of accoustic super group, teaming gui- SB Fode (Stern's, UK).

tarist Djelimadi Tounkara (of Rail Band fame) and Bouba This hi-tech Paris production, directed by Boncana Maiga, is
Sacko, a favourite of the traditional scene with ex-Rail overproduced in places, but saved by Kasse Mady's spec-
Band singer Lafia Diabate. tacular improvisations. Includes his big hits "Fode" and
"Laban Djoro".
S3 Big String Theory (GlobeStyle, UK).

Lilting cadences derived from the kora and ngoni and mellow Kela Tradition
(Stern's, UK).
vocals make for a stunning set.

An almost entirely acoustic studio-produced album, featuring

Afel Bocoum ngoni and balafon as well as guitars, and Jean-Philippe Rykiel
on keyboards. Long, expansive and gorgeous versions of
An associate and protege of Ali Farka Toure, Afel Bocoum
Mande classics like "Koulandjan" and "Kaira". Essential.
(bom 1 955) has worked with the river-blues guitarist since
he was a young teenager. The magical song, "Dofana", on
Ali's The Source is his composition.
Nai'ny Diabate
Nainy Diabate is a popular Bamako-based jelimuso, born
S3 Alkibar (World Circuit, UK).
in 1963, who made her first public appearance with the

Recorded locally, at the same time as Ali's Niafunke album, Rail Band and was one of the first Malian griottes to use
this comes from a smaller, understated mould, but the inflec- television in her career rise.

556 Mande music

 instrument-maker who has paid his dues with Alpha
•> Nafa (Stern's. UK).
Blondy's band Dafrastar and then with the Super Rail
As a follower of the modernising tendency from the Diabate gri- Band, Super Biton and Super Djata.
ots, Nainy's songs have won her a mass audience at home for

their mixing of traditional themes with upbeat arrangements BS Ballad of Manding (Stern's, UK).

and contemporary instrumentation. Nafa is her debut interna- Super-sweet guitar - an all-instrumental album from Mali via
tional release, and displays plenty of examples of Zouk-Mande Holland and Paris.
and Congolese-style Mande. Roots fans may bridle, but this is
the dominant groove of Bamako's streets and airwaves today.
Mamadou Doumbia with Mandinka
Sidiki Diabate, Batourou Kouyate Mamadou Doumbia is another former member of the Rail
Band, who has for some time now forged a career in Japan.
& Djelimadi Sissoko
S3 Independence (JVC, Japan).
Mali's three greatest kora players of the older generation.
A mix and kora with Japanese singers. This is
of hot guitar
O Cordes Anciennes different, wake-up music and experimental in the best sense.
(Barenreiter Musicaphon, Germany). Itdoesn't always work but the kora and Okinawan voices
blend, heaven-like, more than once. you're hooked, check
If
Classic 1970 recording, featuring rippling instrumental duets
out its successor, S Jafa (also JVC, Japan).
by these legendary figures. A privileged view into the past.

Sira Mory Diabate

The late first lady of Mali's female jelis.

S Sira Mori (Syllart, Paris/Mali).

The only published solo recording by this legendary figure.

Includes her famous love song "Sara". A historic recording;
very poor technical quality, but worth acquiring nonethless for
the music and voice.
o
Toumani Diabate
Mali's brilliant kora virtuoso, Toumani Diabate is an ambi-
tious and highly creative and probably the best
artist
young player around at the present time.

IS Kaira (Hannibal, UK).

Instrumental solo kora in the classic style. Exquisite melodies

like "Alia I'aa ke" and "Jarabi" and superb musicianship.
Could hardly be better within its genre.

Djelika
(Hannibal, UK).

On this 998 release Toumani teamed up with some ace contrib-

1
Nahawa Doumbia
utors - Danny Thompson on bass, Keletigui Diabate on balafon A Bamana singer with a pure fresh voice, Nahawa
and Ba Sekou Kouyate on ngoni - to produce one of the essen- Doumbia was one of the first Wassoulou artists to gain
tial instrumental albums from West Africa. A super-good CD. international release.

WITH BALLAKE SISSOKO 5 Nyama Toutou (Stern's, UK).

Paris-produced electric Bambara and Wassoulou music.

SH New Ancient strings (Hannibal, UK).
Slick, but pleasing.
Instrumental kora duets recorded on state-of-the-art
in Mali
equipment, showing the extraordinary artistry of these two Yankaw (Cobalt, France).

young cousins following in their legendary fathers' footsteps. Similar material in a more acoustic vein. Recorded entirely in
Bamako, with superb solos on balafon and djembe, plus a
WITH KETAMA AND OTHERS moving a cappella solo song.

Songhai 1 and Songhai 2

(Hannibal, UK). Alou Fane's Fote Mocoba
Two between Toumani and new
extraordinary collaborations Acoustic trio led by the late Super Djata Band vocalist,

flamenco group Ketama. Songhai 1 (with delicate bass from

exploring hunters' rhythms of the Bamana and
Danny Thompson) created a huge impact on the World Music Wassoulou.
scene in 1987. Songhai 2 is equally worthy of attention and
3S Alou Fane's Fote Mocoba (Dakar Sound, Holland).
includes guest artist Keletigui Diabate on balafon and wizard
ngoni player Ba Sekou Kouyate, with Kasse Mady doing solo Buzzing harp, spiralling balafon and singing that makes you
vocals on two tracks, and the lush choruses of Djanka jump out of your seat. Wild and compelling stuff.

Diabate and Diaw Kouyate. Mali fusion at its finest.

Salif Keita
Zoumana Diarra Mali's golden voice and principal musical modemiser, Salif

Diarra is an exceptionally girted guitarist, composer, Keita remains totally inimitable. It's hard to narrow the recom-

Mande music 557

mendations down, as almost every one of his records remains ty to subject matter and roots. Fans of the Senegalese singer
interesting and enjoyable, as he has traded production ideas and guitarist Ismael L6 will like this a lot.

with collaborators from Carlos San tana to Steve Hillage.

E Inedits 1969-1980 (Celluloid, France). Babani Kone

An essential collection of early material, including the epic praise Babani Kone is a Bamako-based jelimuso. Bom in 1 968 in
song "Mandjou" and the incendiary guitar work-out "NToman". Segou (home of the classical Bamana style), she com-
bines, like many of her generation of griottes, a large
Soro measure of respect for the old traditions (she was trained
(Stem's UK; Mango US). by Farita Damba), with a full-on acceptance of Congolese,
These breathtaking and seamless hi-tech arrangements of Antillean and other popular local influences.

Mande music provided Keita with one of the biggest-selling

aS Sanou Djala (Stem's, UK).
African recordings ever - and a place on the World Music
stage. Guitarist Ousmane Kouyate and French keyboard By the measure of this album (first released on cassette in
player Jean-Philippe Rykiel provided the perfect backdrop to Bamako), Babani is one of the most forward exponents of
some extraordinary vocals. • Mande-pop. Drum machine plugged in, synth set to 'strings',
she steams through a set of souped-up praise songs and bal-
83 Folon: The Past (Mango, UK).
lads, including a lovely tribute to women on the title track.
More spontaneous and funky than anything he'd done since
Ambassadeurs days, this wenf back to Salif's roots in Mande
culture with stunning melodies and vocals. Plus a new more
Kandia Kouyate
jazzy version of "Mandjou". Kandia Kouyate - 'La dangereuse' - has been Mali's top
jelimuso for the past two decades. Her forceful voice
aS L'enfant Lion (Mango, UK).
and choral arrangements (it was Kandia, in the 1980s,
Gorgeous soundtrack to the film (starring the man himself), who initiated the use of those dreamlike female chorus-
co-written by Steve Hillage. Highlights include Salif's stunning es which are now the hallmark of much of the best-
acoustic version of the love song "Cherie" accompanied on known Mande music) are in a similar vein to Salif Keita's,
the Manmka simbin (ten-string hunters' harp). and her working of traditional social and court music has
earned her huge wealth, including a personal jet, and a
aS The Mansa of Mali... a Retrospective (Mango, UK).
status unequalled by any other female artist from Mali.
This includes highlights from the Mango releases, plus Salif's
all-time hit from 1978 with Les Ambassadeurs: "Mandjou". Kita Kan
And it's worth getting the album just for this - one of the (Stem's, UK).
finest Mande praise songs ever, with remarkable guitar solos
This, astonishingly, is Kandia's first international release (and
from Ousmane Kouyate and soaring, passionate vocals.
first CD). The kora, ngoni, guitars and balafon xylophones just
S3 Papa (Metro Blue/Blue Note, France). keep on rolling and there are enough lush studio effects - and
even full orchestral backing - to qualify Kita Kan for any num-
The 1999 album, recorded in Paris, New York and Keita's
ber of radio playlists.
own Studio Wanda in Bamako, holds few surprises in its hi-
tech production values and diverse credits. A deep strand of
melancholy runs through this album, even on the bright "Tolon Tata Bambo Kouyate
Wily" (The Party's On) where Grace Jones adds a dark tone.
Raw-voiced diva of the Bamako wedding circuit.
The title track is a requiem to his father, who died in 1995.
aS Jatigui (Globe Style, UK).
Ami Koita Stunning1 985 album of Mande jeli praise song by one of its
One female singers, Koita combines a
of Mali's top feisty most dynamic female singers. Acoustic accompaniment from
attitude with a strong melodic sense. the full range of Mande instruments plus Fulani flute.

SS Tata Sira (Bolibana, Paris).

Le (Super) Rail Band du Bamako
Semi-acoustic music in the Maninka jeli tradition, with some
powerful and inspiring renditions of classic tunes plus some The Band were the buffet band at Bamako railway
Rail

of her own compositions, for example, "Simba". station, and have served as a school for many of Mali's
finest singers and musicians since 1969, including Mory
H3 Songs of Praise (Stem's, UK). Kante and Salif Keita.
A late 1980s release of semi -acoustic music from two local
cassettes. Slightly more hi-tech than Tafa Sira. but with some LE RAIL BAND DU BAMAKO
belting tunes.
83 Mali Stars: Mory Kante (Syllart, France).

Habib Koite and Bamada The sound of the Rail Band in the mid-1970s, pre-Abidjan.
and relaxed vocals from Mory Kante, with
featuring inspired
Habib Koite is a fast-rising singer-songwriter jeli who goes
well beyond Bamana praise songs to include traditions
one track, "Tie diuguya", by a lesser known but superb
singer, Jalimadi Sissoko.
from across Mali.

Maya LE SUPER RAIL BAND DU BAMAKO

(Putumayo, US).
aS New dimensions in Rail Culture (GlobeStyle, UK).
Koite's first international release puts his acoustic guitar to the
fore and uses no synths. While there are traces of folksiness The legendary band at a peak of mellowness, featuring the
("I like technology but fear for our forest") the musicians deliv- rich, warm voice of Lafia Diabate and the rocking guitar of
er a subtle and intriguing set of songs with a folkloric sensitivi- Djelimady Tounkara. Recorded in Abidjan circa 1981

558 Mande music

 S3 Djanjoba (Camara Productions, France).
Melodias Her third solo CD on the Paris-based Malian label Camara.

Based mainly on the hunters' repertoire with rocking rhythms

ILBAND"! and her inimitable powerful vocals.

du Sali Sidibe
Sali Sidibe is Oumou
Sangare's principal rival as the lead-
ing wassoulou She is a slightly older artist, with a
singer.
wonderfully earthy and emotive voice.

73 Wassoulou Foli (Stern's, UK)

A medium-tech, but enjoyable outing.

Super Biton de Segou

Thiswas a pioneering 1980s roots band in the rocking
Bamana tradition of Segou.

S3 Afro-Jazz du Mali (Bolibana, France).

Hard-driving dances rhythms powerfully translated onto gui-

The train keeps rolling tars and horns create an exciting departure from the more
stately Maninka tradition. Early 1980s recordings.

Mansa Ali Farka Toure

(Indigo, France).
While Ali Farka Toure's spiritual life plays the major inspi-
Immaculately produced French studio set from 1996 that and
rational role in his music, his distinctive guitar style
beautifully captures the Rail Band's effortless, floating style of rough nasal vocals have led to him being dubbed the
Mande dance music. The title track, taking traditional guitar John Lee Hooker - or simply 'the Bluesman' - of Africa.
into psychedlic realms - a kind of Dire Straits injected with He has collaborated with some big names from the West,
African passion - is already a classic. notably Ry Cooder, but always on his own terms.

!3 Radio Mali (World Circuit, UK).

Fanta Sacko
A beautifully produced compilation of radio recordings in Ali's
Fanta Sacko's preference for personal and emotional
swinging, bluesy style, made from 1970-1978, a decade or
themes over standard praise-singing, and her kora-
more before he achieved international recognition, and at a
inflected accoustic guitar backing were revolutionary and
time when, as he says, "I was an absolute fool for the guitar".
highly influential at the beginning of the 1970s.
The World Circuit team painstakingly trawled Bamako's radio

O Fanta Sacko (Barenreiter Musicaphon, Germany). archive and, considering the antiquity of the source material,
the results here are little short of miraculous.
The album (1970) of bajourou music, featuring love and
first

praise songs. The unaffected emotional singing and simple, 83 Ali Farka Toure (World Circuit, UK).

but effective, guitar backing are deeply touching.

Ten all-acoustic songs from 1987, coinciding with the first rush of
Ali Farka fever. Dig the big blues sound on "Amandrai". Essential.
Oumou Sangare
S3 The Source (World Circuit, UK).
Charisma, outspoken views and a stunning voice have
made Oumou Sangare the biggest star of Wassoulou Perhaps almost as essential, this sees Ali link up with Taj
music, while a World Circuit contract has deservedly Mahal, Nana Tsiboe, and British-Asian Nitin Sawney on tabla.
helped to propel her onto the World Music stage. The best of another ten great tracks are "Hawa Dolo" and the
upbeat loping river sound of "Mahini Me".
33 Moussolou (World Circuit, UK).

This album sold 200,000 copies in West Africa and drew

first

worldwide attention to Wassoulou music. Hard-driving semi-

acoustic music recorded in Abidjan.

Worotan
(World Circuit, UK).

On her most ambitious album yet, Sangare defies tradition with

her lyrics ("marry you? why?!"), custom with her musical
arrangements (Pee Wee Ellis and others adding funky horn
grooves) and stereotyping with her range (funky dance num-
bers to moody ballads). There are also two tracks in straight
acoustic hunters' style, as well as the lyrical ballad with acoustic
guitar, "Djorolen" (Anguish). A pretty good CD in other words.

Coumba Sidibe
The queen mother of Wassoulou, Coumba Sidibe was an
early modemiser of the music.

Mande music 559

 Niafunke Mouneissa
(World Circuit, UK). (Label Bleu/Indigo, France).

Recorded in Ali's home town by the label with the Midas Dulcet-voiced and gently lyrical, nine songs to calm the trou-
touch, this is a determined return to roots in every sense, bled spirit, with the big liquid sound of the balafon and the
allowing the world to hear Ali doing his wonderful stuff in his insect-strum of the ngoni creating a delightful fusion.
own backyard. Says producer Nick Gold: "It was done very
organically and very fast - Ali's a one-take man. And he's a
farmer and foremost. He'd go off to see if a water pump
first
Guinea
was working. The crops always had to come first." The
relaxed, but impromptu nature of every track bursts out. "I
don't feel as good anywhere else as do at home" is Ali's
I
Compilations
explanation. The result is a formidable work.
Guinee Compil
(Syllart Productions, France).
ALI FARKA TOURE AND RY COODER
A rare compilation of Guinea'smOdern musicians which con-

®
Topping many
Talking Timbuktu
(World Circuit, UK).

days of release in 1994, this

indie charts within
firms the country's major musical status. Stars like Mory
Kante and Kante Manfila rub shoulders with the excellent and
little known Dourah Barry and others. Fode Kouyate's contri-

Grammy Award winner was a World Music CD out of left bution, "Sokho" is a particular muscular dance track, synths
field. With Ali in seamless slide-blues collaboration with Ry and drum machines to the fore, but not omitting that
Cooder, it a rawness and conviction underlining the
hits with quintessential Mande chorus.
sense that here is simply a group of great musicians listening
hard to one another and playing together in a room.
Artists
Sidi Toure
Sidi Toure is a songhai singer and guitarist from the
Balla et ses Balladins
medieval city of Gao, on the fringes of the Sahara.
One of Guinea's best ever bands, superbly modernising
m Hoga (Stern's, UK).
deep Maninka songs.
Devotees of Ali Farka should not delay in acquiring this from
Reminiscin' in tempo with Balla et ses
another Toure - most of the songs sound like Ali on speed.
Balladins (Popular African Music, Germany).
They also sound as if a lot of sand was blowing around the
studio in Bamako. Atmosphere? y en a beaucoup! II Compilation of greats with the classic Guinea-rumba sound
of the 1960s and 70s. Includes two stunning versions of one
Boubacar Traore of the greatest Mande love songs: "Sara".

Boubacar Traore is a veteran Malian music entrepreneur,

Les Ballets Africains
singer and guitarist from the western city of Kayes.
West Africa's foremost musical ensemble, created in
S3 Kar kar (Stern's, UK).
made many
1952, have international tours and perform a
Traore creates his own unique non-jeli style of wistful acous- spectacular live show.
tic love songs on this album.
S3 Heritage (Buda Musique du Monde, France).

Rokia Traore Recorded in Conakry in 1995, this production ranges across

Guinea's cultural heritage - from the mythical origin of the
Bom in 1 973, Rokia Traore is an innovative young singer- balafon to family totems and bird-chasing in the rice fields. A
songwriter-guitarist who has made a huge impact wherever richly woven sound tapestry.
she has performed abroad, though she is still relatively
unknown at home in Mali. She has forged unusual combi-
nations, for example the balaba balafon of her home region
Bembeya Jazz National
in southern Mali and the dry ngoni of the Bamana jeli. Guinea's greatest band of the post-independence era,
and still the country's defining musical export.

Live: 10 Ans de Succes

(Bolibana, France).

Atmospheric session, recorded in Guinea at their best period

(1971). Some wild solos from 'diamond fingers' lead guitarist
Sekou Bembeya Diabate, and the unforgettable voice of
Aboubacar Demba Camara.

33 Bembeya Jazz National

(Sonodisc/Esperance, France).

Bembeya in the mid-1980s with their classic recording of

"Lanaya", featuring the romantic voice of Sekouba Bambino.

Oumou Dioubate
A griotte of the dancefloor from Kankan in Haute Guinee,
and one of Guinea's most succesful artists, Omou
Dioubate has been based in Paris since the 1980s. She

560 Mande music

earned the soubriquet 'La Femme Chic-Shoc' for her Yasimika
looks and confrontational attitude. In a deeply patriar- (Hannibal, UK).
chal society, her lyrics convey a threat to the establish-
ment. Superbly ethereal, flowing music on guitars, kora and balafon,
with luscious choruses from Djanka Diabate and Djenne
85 Wambara (Stern's, UK).
Doumbia and soaring vocals from Jali Musa himself. Recorded

Stunning melody beats and nice guitar

lines, irrepressible in Abidjan one of the classics of Mande acoustic
in 1983, this is

work mark a set of original songs from a real individual. music and nothing he's done since has matched it.

Oumou's inherited jeli background is the soil in which they're

planted, not the crop itself.
Kaloum Star
Founded back in 1 969 by Maitre Barry, Kaloum Star was
Sekouba Bambino Diabate the last state-run band to be set up during the rule of
The young star of Bembeya Jazz, Sekouba is now Sekou Toure.
Guinea's top male vocalist.
83 Felenko (Buda Musique du Monde, France).
83 Le Destin (Popular African Music, Germany).
Fine, well-developed songs from the veteran Guinean band.
Bambino leads own semi-acoustic band through the
his The title track carries a strong flavour of Fela Kuti's Afro-Beat.
lighter side of Guinea's praise song tradition. A sweet voice
with wonderful arrangements.
Mory Kante
Kassa Band singer modernised the kora
The former Rail with
(Stern's, UK).
breathtaking chutzpah and remains unique in having had
A terrific album produced in Paris by veteran Ibrahima Sylla, an acid house kora club hit.

this includes some hi-tech dance tracks as well as the stun-

ning tribute to Guinea's diamond miners. Sekouba is S3 10 Cola Nuts (Barclay, France).

accompanied on piano by Paulino Vieira (of Cesaria Evora's

band).
Heavy on the drum kit and synthesiser but some superb >
material, including the beautiful "Teriya" (reworked from an
earlier Rail Band song, "Balakoninfi"), plus one song just with

kora. One of Kante's best albums, recorded in 1987.

Akwaba Beach
(Barclay, France). m
Kante's breakthrough album, with his worldwide hit "Yeke
>
yeke". Hi-tech kora music for the dance floor.

S3 Tatebola (Arcade/Missliin, France).

Mory in slightly more mellow mode, with a lovely version of

the classic kora song "Alia I'aa ke".

S3 N'Diarabi (Celluloid, France).

A completely acoustic outing.

Sory Kandia Kouyate

Guinea's greatest traditional singer of the post-indepen-
dence era, Sory Kandia Kouyate's high and unmistakable
voice made him a national institution.

83 L'Epopee du Manding Vols 1 &2

(Bolibana, France).

Praise songs in the Mande tradition, with acoustic accompa-

niment on kora (Sidiki Diabate) and balafon. Recorded in

Guinea, around 1969.

Kade Diawara
Guinea's finest female singer in the Mande tradition. El Hadj Jeli Sory Kouyate
ITT] L'Archange du Manding All the most renowned balafon players are from
(Bolibana, Guinea-Conkary/France). Guinea, and Djeli Sory Kouyate, the former leader of
Guinea's National Ensemble, born in 1918 and cousin
Rolling love songs with acoustic guitar accompaniment.
of Sory Kandia Kouyate, is perhaps the greatest of
Classic 1970s recording.
them all.

L'Eternelle Kade Diawara (AMC, Guinea-Conakry).

83Guinee: Anthologie du Balafon Mandingue/
A brillant 1990s return by Guinea's arc-angel, now in semi- Vol III Le Balafon en Liberie (Buda/Musique du

acoustic vein. Monde, France).

Third of a four-volume set, recorded in 1991 at the Palais du

Jali Musa Jawara Peuple in Conakry, this showcases the luminous talent of the

Mory Kante's kora-playing half brother leads an excellent, master of the Susu balafon, a type of instrument nearly 900
all-acoustic ensemble. years old.

Mali/Guinea 561
 MUSIQUE DU MONDE Kante Manfila
The guitar wizard of the Ambassadeurs, Kante Manfila is

one of Africa's most innovative guitarists.

MOMO E
WANDEL Tradition (Celluloid, France).

SOUMAH Gorgeous rolling acoustic melodies with guitars and balafon.

and kora accompaniment by cousin Mory Kante.

E Kankan Blues (Popular African Music, Germany).

Probably the best of a tno of acoustic offerings on the PAM label.

Momo Wandel
Momo Wandel was a conservatoire-trained saxphonist
who studied jazz and perfo?med with the Orchestre
Keletigui during Sekou Toure's dictatorship.

£ Soumah (Buda/Auvidis. France).

A rich voice to complement a strongly flavoured union of jazz

Guinea : '"Matchowe"
and Guinean music. Mande crossover in the best taste.

c5

562 Mande music

Mauritania & Western Sahara

the ways of the moors

Mauritania is the meeting place of West Africa and the Maghreb - a huge country reaching between
Morocco and Senegal. Most of it is desert - traditionally barren camel and goat-herding country - and
in recent years droughts have caused a steady flow of nomads towards the cities. Now over ninety

percent of the population lives in or around the cities and the population of Nouakchott, the capital,
has increased from around 20,000 in the 1960s to more than half a million today. David Muddyman
and Richard Trillo listen to the music of a country on the far-western shores of the Arabic-speaking
world, and to the related sounds of the Sahrawi refugees from the disputed neighbouring territory of
Western Sahara, occupied since 1973 by Morocco.

Mauritania's name comes from its dom- ancestors. And they would also act as social histo-

inant ethnic group, the Moors (Mau- rians, poets and jokers, in much the same way as

res in French), a people broadly divided the griots of Mali and Guinea, and elsewhere.
into 'white' Bidan (who claim ances- Before the days of radio it was also the job of the
try from north of the Sahara) and 'black' Haratin iggawin to act newscasters, touring the villages
as
—
whose physical ancestry lies in Saharan and sub- and news from the outside world to musi-
reciting
Saharan Africa. The Haratin were traditionally vas- cal accompaniment. And they sang epic songs

sals of the Bidan noble class, though social status which were used as teaching stories for the enter-
in Mauritania is considerably more than a ques- tainment of both children and adults. fio

tion of skin colour. Until quite late in the twen- Today, professional musicians can be employed
tieth century, Moorish society had a strict by anyone in return for money or other gifts. And m
c/>
hierarchical class system. since the advent of recording on tape, it has been
-I
In this system, musicians, known as iggawin, the custom for patrons to record the entertainment m
30
occupied the lowest rung beneath the warriors (Has- for their own use - the recordings passing into
sans), merchants and others. Being a hereditary their ownership rather than the musicians'. Many CO
caste, their skills were (and are) handed down from songs of the iggawin repertoire are Middle East-
generation to generation, from father to son, or ern in character and others are simple enough for
from mother to daughter. Marriages almost always the audience to take up the chorus.
take placebetween people of the same class (the
men always have the word ould between their Instruments
names, meaning 'son of likewise women are mint,
;

'daughter of). Despite the rigid social structure, There are different sets men and
of instruments for
women in Mauritania have more freedom than in women. The traditional male instrument is the
most Arabic-speaking countries, reflecting their tidinit, a small hourglass-shaped lute with four
mixed African and Berber heritage. The Berbers strings — two long
strings on which the melody is
were the indigenous people of Northwest Africa, played and two short ones which provide a drone-
the lords of the land before the great westerly migra- like accompaniment. This is very similar to other
tion of Arabs and Arabic culture that began in the lutes found in West Africa, such as the Wolof
seventh century. khalem or xalam, and the Mande ngoni. In recent
years the tidinit has increasingly been replaced, or
Iggawin Traditions augmented, by the electric guitar.
The main instrument used by women is the
One traditional task of the iggawin was to follow ardin, which looks like a back-to-front kora. It

the warriorson campaigns and raids, extolling their has a body made from a large, skin-covered half-
bravery and encouraging them into battle. At other gourd, through which a curved wooden pole is
times the iggawin would entertain their patrons inserted, onto which anything from to 14 strings
1

with praise songs about the great deeds of their are attached with leather thongs. Other instruments

Mauritania 563
 Dimi Mint Abba
and other artists
One of the most successful musicians to
have emerged from the Moorish tradi-
tion is the female singer Dimi Mint
Abba. Born in 1958 to musical parents
(her father was asked to compose the
national anthem when Mauritania gained
independence from France in 1960), Dimi
sang and accompanied her father and
mother on the tbaLfaom an early age, and,
from the age often, was taught to play
the ardin by her mother.
In 1976 she was invited to sing on
Mauritanian radio, and people first heard
Khalifa Ould Eide and Dimi Mint Abba her stunning voice. This led to her being
entered for the Umm Kalthum Contest
used by the iggawin are the tbal, a large kettle- in Tunis in 1977. Since then she has toured Africa
drum, and, occasionally, the daghumma, a long and Europe and has gained a reputation as one of

hollowed-out gourd covered by a net of beads the Muslim world's greatest singers, while remain-
which acts as a rattle. ing a favourite at home.
During her European tour in 1990 Dimi Mint
Ways and Modes Abba recorded an evocative album for World Cir-
cuit. At the time she was touring with her husband

By tradition, musicians play in one of three 'ways'; Khalifa Ould Eide, who played guitar and tidinit, and
the white way (al-bayda), the black way (al-kahla), two daughters from a previous marriage, Zeyrouz
or the spotted or mixed way which
(l'-gnaydiya), Mint Seylami and Garmi Mint Abba, who dance,
refer implicitly to rank in the Moorish racial or sometimes with remarkable eroticism, and play drums.
quasi-racial social hiearchy and levels of worthi- The song that won the Umm Kalthum Contest,
ness and closeness to God. They also have impli- "Sawt Elfan" (Art's Plume), is included on the
cations of mood: the black way tends to be album. Written by Ahmedou Ould Abdel Qadir,
associated with earthy, masculine qualities, while it tells how the artist's work, in many ways, is more
the white way is more delicate and refined. important than the work of the warriors:
Rhythm and key are critical in distinguish-
Art'sPlume is a balsam,
ing the ways. On commencing a way, the musi-
a weapon and a guide
cal progression consists of five modes (bhor) played enlightening the spirit of men.
in strict order - a sophisticated system derived Indeed, it is the world of truth
from Arabic musical theory but, since as far back living between the flickerings of visions
as the seventeenth century, deeply imbued with and the folds of the imagination.
Moorish cultural connotations and, asmight be Indeed, between the flickerings of visions,
expected, also identified to some extent by colour. the fold of the imagination,

The first four modes, which are called karr, fagu and the eyes of the impossible,
Winged songs in rapture
(both considered black), lakhal and labyad (white)
float aboard a vessel of hopes!
correspond either to a period in the life cycle or
to a mood or emotion. The fifth mode, lebtayt Among other contemporary artists, the most inter-
(white) relates to a higher state of consciousness esting that have been recorded on Western labels

and, by analogy with the life cycle, to the time are Tahra and Malouma, both of whom are female
after death. The system seems complex enough, singers and ardin-players. Tahra recorded a cross-

but is further elaborated by sub-modes, which over album, Yamen Yamen, in 1989, with songs sung
qualify the main mode within the way. Female in Arabic, French and English, and with a hi-tech

musicians, happily enough for them, are not Moorish-tinged backing. Malouma's album, Desert
bound to the same degree by the rules and make Of Eden, released on the US Shanchie label nearly
free with the ways and modes in the same piece a decade later, took the Moorish ways deep into the
of music. land of fusion.

564 Mauritania
Sahrawi Sounds from the Refugee Camps
When the Spanish dictator Franco died in 1975, Spain were recording. Alberto Gambino and Luis Delgado,
lost no time in ridding itself of its colonies. Western the producers, became involved in getting inside the
Sahara (Spanish Sahara), a huge tract of desert musical theories on which music, song, dance and
between Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania, was aban- poetry are based. A brief but hope interesting
I account
doned. The discovery of phosphate reserves, howev- brings us closer to the basis of hawl - a commentary
er, had by then already brought the region to the about poets, successors to the mythical figure of Igag
attention of the UN, as Morocco and Mauritania both Yen and near to the contemporary griot idea.
staked claims, and in 1973 Morocco's King Hassan We've also included a short introduction to the unique
mounted a mass march of Moroccans to lay claim to Sahrawi dances. It's hard to find any comparable styles
their 'ancestral' right to live there. This led to twenty elsewhere in Africa.
years of war and, latterly, a decade of stand-off, as the
UN brokered a ceasefire between Morocco and the There is also an accompanying CD-Rom. What

Sahrawis (the Polisario Front) and attempted vainly to will people find on it?
arrange a referendum to determine the territory's future. I thought it was important to make as complete a
In these years, a generation of Moroccans has grown 'record' as possible, in light of the fact that all over the
up having lived Western Sahara, and a
all their lives in Saharan occupied territory, cultural manifestations have
generation of indigenous Sahrawis have become a been persecuted. The refugee camps are responsible
state-in-exile in camps in southern Algeria. for safekeeping traditional culture, but at the same time,
Musically, the Sahrawis share the Mauritanian Moor- due to the current circumstances, all this tradition will
ish obsession with form - the ways and modes are be forced to undergo sudden changes.
adhered to, though perhaps less rigidly. But the refugee
life has brought significant changes both in the rules of Tellus about the CD called A Pesar de las Heri-
conduct and in the instruments available. Firstly, unlike das (Despite the Wounds).
Mauritanian musicians, who are invariably bom into their It's dedicated entirely to chants by Sahrawi women,
profession as members of the iggawin caste, Sahrawi with and acoustic and electric guitars. Some
tidinit, tbal
artists in the camps come from all backgrounds. Music, Mariem Hassan, Teita Lebid or
of these vocalists, like
which they call hawl, and in particular the expression Hadhum Abeid are simply amazing. They convey the Co
of lyricism, is open
and deeply appreciated, in a
to all, emotional build-up of years and years of suffering.
surprisingly unrestrained and democratic way. More modem, happier, lighter but suppose less reveal-
Secondly, the Sahrawis use fewer traditional ing are the young voices of Aziza Brahim, Serguela
I

m
CO
instruments than their Mauritanian neighbours. An Abdi or Naha Salec. And then somewhere in between, —
uprooted and uncertain life, and dependence on for- you get these splendid voices of Jeirana Embarec and m
as
eign aid, has shaved away some of the more eso- Faknash Abeid. It's a recording that tries to respect
teric items in the traditional instrumental range. The musical tradition.
tbal is still the basic weapon of percussion, but the CO
->
tidinit heard less often and has been replaced by
is What about Sahara, Terra Mia (Sahara, My Land)?
the electric guitar, bringing a harder, funkier edge Sahara, My Land is intended to present a contempo-
to the music that makes it all the more accessible to rary panorama of Sahrawi music. So you get the evo- 30
the untrained ear. lution of traditional structure through the contribution >
Manuel Dominguez, who runs the Spanish label of original authorsand composers and you can easily
NubeNegra, visited the Sahrawi camps in 1997, to hear the key role played by the electric guitar in this
record music at a festival. The result was a three-CD development. Other modern instruments are starting
box set called "Saharauis". Richard Trillo spoke to him to be used more and more frequently, too. Nayim Alal,
about the project. a fantastic guitarist who's also an excellent compos-
er and a talented singer, is the highlight of this CD.
Apart from separate liner notes for each CD,
there's a very detailed booklet to go with the The last CD is Polisario Vencera - 'Polisario Will
whole package. ..what were you hoping to Win'. Do you think they will? What does the future
achieve? hold?
Yes, an important part of the project was to give the This disc is actually a re-issue of a recording I made
images of the desert
listener the opportunity to look at in 1982. It's a collection of epic songs interpreted by
and its people. In these pages we find the beauty of the group Martir Luali, calling the Sahrawi people to
the sandscapes, and we also see the children, women, defend their country and to conquer land illegally taken
men and the old people from the Sahara, the musi- from them. You get to hear younger versions of Had-
cians, their instruments, the dancers and their myste- hum, Teita, Mariem and Mafhud and various others
rious sensuality. who are on the other CDs.
A large part of this booklet is given over to detailed As for who can say? They deserve to.
your question,
descriptions of excursions and tales of what went on Perhaps depends on whatever changes might come
it

during those fifteen days of sun and sand when we in Morocco following the death of King Hassan.

Western Sahara 565

 discography Malouma
Mauritania

Compilations

Mauritanie: Chants de Femmes Nemadi

(Buda/Musique du Monde, France).

A deeply obscure and fascinating recording of women's

songs from a remote corner of southeast Mauritania. The
Nemadi are a hunting caste, whose origins are old and barely
known. Traditionally despised by mainstream Moorish society
for their bush knowledge, oblique approach to Islam agd
close attachment to their hunting dogs, the Nemadi 's way of
life is threatened by drought and the attentions of law

enforcers (hunting is illegal in Mauritania). While the Nemadi

sometimes sing their own versions of the Moorish classics,
Nemadi hunting songs and competitive love songs, in which
two or more protagonists try to outshine each other in elo-
quence and musical skill, are more representative.
Desert of Eden
E Musique Maure (Ocora, France). (Shanachie, US).

A pleasant and diverse, if not exactly earth-shattering intro- This jazz-inflected debutCD is highly accessible and even
duction to the ways and modes. approaches an easy-listening groove on one or two tracks
(echoes of C&W on "Maghrour", for example, and of Motown
S Mauritanie Vols 1 and 2 - Anthologie de la on "Fa Fa Fa Fa"). That may not appeal to all. Nevertheless,
Musique Maure / Hodh Oriental (Ocora, France). the ardin shines through to distinctive effect.

Concentrates on the black and white ways for solo instru-

ments and voice. Tahra
> Bom in Nema in southeastern Mauritania in 1959, Tahra
fio Khalifa Ould Eide and MintHembara is a hereditary griot (her aunt was the
Dimi Mint Abba famed Lekhdera Mint Ahmed Zeidane) who has been
S
m steeped in Moorish musical tradition since the age of
Khalifa and Dimi, together with Dimi's two daughters, ten.
were the first Mauritanian artists to tour in the English-
speaking world, back in the mid-1980s. 33 Yamen Yamen (EMI, France).

Released in 1989, with Jean-Philippe Rykiel on synth, this

Moorish Music from Mauritania
(World Circuit, UK).
was in some ways a forerunner of Malouma's Desert Eden,

C/5 testing the stretchability of classic musical traditions on the

A beautiful and evocative CD -
you haven't seen them on
if world stage. An intriguing album of Mooro-tech: on first hear-
tour then this gives some insight into their special sound. ing anyone would be forgiven for having no idea where this
Notice the flamenco-style hand-clapping. comes from.
30
Malouma Western Sahara
Malouma is in a league of her own, a hereditary ardine-
Saharauis
playing griot and modem singer at the same time, who
(NubeNegra, Spain).
mixes the Senegalese mbalax style with her own Moorish
traditions. While singing exclusively in the Hassaniya A stunningly packaged 3-CD set of music recorded in the
dialect of Arabic, she shows no obedience to Moorish Western Sahara refugee camps in Algeria. Complete with
musical strictures. This individualism, together with her colour booklet, detailed liner notes and recordings old and
endorsement of the political opposition in Mauritania, has new, this is instructive, hauntingly beautiful - and pretty
made her artistic life there uncomfortable. funky at times. See feature box on previous page.

566 Mauritania & Western Sahara

Morocco
a basic expression of life
Wherever you go in Morocco you are likely to hear music. It is the basic expression of the country's
folk culture - indeed to many of the is the sole expression - and in its
illiterate country people it

traditions it covers the whole history of the country. There are long and ancient pieces designed for
participation by the entire communities of Berber villages; songs and instrumental music brought by
the Arabs from the east and Andalucian Spain; and in the 1950s, the struggle for independence, too,
found celebration in song. In addition, Morocco has an important tradition of trance music, from the
gnaouas and other sects; and, since the 1970s it has had a culture of rock-influenced chaabi bands,
which in recent years has mutated through collision with (Western) dance culture. Dave Muddyman
slips on his babouches . . .

Although the most common musical phe- The best-known dances are the ahouach,
together.
O
nomenon that you will hear is the muezzin in the westernHigh Atlas, and the ahidus, per-
formed by Chleuh Berbers in the eastern High 3D
calling the faithful to prayer, amplified
from minarets, most Moroccan music is Atlas. In each, drums (bendirs) and flutes {neys) are
O
O
performed for the sake of .entertainment rather the only instruments used. The dance begins with o
o
than religion. At ever)' weekly souk, or market, a chanted prayer, to which the dancers respond in
you will find a band playing in a patch of shade, chorus, the men and women gathered in a large
or a stall blasting out cassettes they have on sale. ring in the open air, around the musicians. An
In the evenings many cafes feature musicians, par- ahouach is normally performed at night in the patio
ticularly during the long nights of Ramadan. TV of a Kasbah or in a village square; the dance is so
also plays its part, with two weekly programmes complicated that the musicians meet to prepare for
devoted to music, and the radio stations, too, it in a group called a laamt set up for the purpose.
broadcast a variety of sounds.
Festivals are perhaps the most rewarding. Every
popular or religious festival (moussem) involves
musicians, and the larger moussems are always
rewarding. Keep an eye out for cultural festivals,
too, in particular the international Festival of
Sacred Music held at the end of May in Fes (Fez)
which is fast becoming one of the key events of
the World Music calendar. For details, take a look
at its website (unvw.morocco-fezjestival.com).

Berber Music
Berber music is quite distinct from Arab-influ-
enced forms in its rhythms, tunings, instruments
and sounds. It is an extremely ancient tradition,
probably long predating even the arrival of Arabs
in Morocco, and has been passed on orally from
generation to generation. There are three main
categories: village music, riuial music and the music
of professional musicians.
Village music is essentially a collective perfor-
mance. Men and women of the entire village will
assemble on festive occasions to dance and sing Village ahouach in the High Atlas

Morocco 567
 Moroccan Folk Instruments
and a horn at the end for amplification. One pipe pro-
vides the tune while the other is used for adornments.
The most common stringed instrument is the gim-
bri. This is whose sound box is covered
an African lute
irv front by a piece of hide. The rounded, fretless stem

has two or three strings. The body of the smaller treble

gimbn is pear-shaped, that of the bass gimbri (hadjuj
or sentir) rectangular. Gnaouas often put a resonator at
the end of the stem to produce the buzz typical of Black
African music. The lotar is another type of lute, used
exclusively by the Chteuh Berbers. It has a circular body,
also closed with a ptece of skin, and three or four strings
which are plucked with a plectrum.
The classic Arab lute, the oud is used in classical
orchestras and the traditional Arab orchestras known
as takhts. Its pear-shaped body is covered by a piece
of wood two or three rosette-shaped openings. It
with
has a short, stem and six strings, five double
fretless
and one single. The most popular stringea instruments
played with a bow are the kamanjeh and the rabab.
The former is an Iranian which was adopted by
violin

the Arabs. Its present Moroccan character owes a lot

o to the Western violin, though it is held vertically, sup-
ported on the knees. The rabab is a spike fiddle, rather

like a viol. The bottom half of its long, curved body is

covered in hide, the top in wood with a rosette-shaped

opening. It has two strings. The Chleuh Berbers use
an archaic single-stringed rabab with a square stem
and soundbox covered entirety in skin.

kanum. a trapezoidal Arab zither

Lastly, there is the
Moroccan rabab and lotar with over seventy strings, grouped in threes and
plucked with plectra attached to the fingernails. It is

Moroccan folk instruments are very rudimentary and used almost exclusively in classical music.
fairly easy to make, and this, combined with the fact Rapid hand-clapping and the clashes of bells and
that many music cafes keep their own. allows for a cymbals are only part of the vast repertoire of Moroc-
genuinely amateur development. Many of the instru- can percussion. The most common drum is the clay
ments mentioned below are ateo to be found under the darbuka which is shaped into a cylinder swelling out
same or similar names (and with slight variations) in slightly at the top. and has a single skin that is beaten
Algeria, Tunisia. Ubya and even Egypt with both hands. It is used in both folk and classical
There are a great many stringed and percussion music. The taarija a smaller version, is held in one

instruments, mostly fairly baste in design, and a fair hand and beaten with the other. Then there are treble
number of wind instruments The Arab flute, known and bass tan-tan bongos, and the Moonsh goedra.
by different tnbes as the nai. talawat. niraorgasba. is a large drum which rests on the ground. There is also
made of a cane open at both ends,
straight piece of a round wooden drum with skins on both sides called
with no mouthpiece and between five and seven rotes, a tab!, which is beaten with a stick on one side and by
one at the back. It requires a great deal of skill to play hand on the other. This is used only in folk music.
it property, by blowing at a slight angle The ghaita or As for tambourines, the ever-popular bendir is round
rhita, a type of oboe popular under various names and wooden. 40 or 50cm across, with two strings
throughout the Muslim world, is a conical pipe made stretched under its single skin to produce a buzzing
of hardwood, ending in a bell often made of metal. Its sound. The tar is smaller, with two rings of metal discs
rJoubte-reeded mouthpiece s encircled by a broad ring round the frame and no strings under its skin. The duff
on which the player rests his lips in order to produce is a double-sided tambounne. often square in shape,

the circular breathing needed to obtain a continuous which has to be supported so that it can be beaten
note. It has between seven and nine holes, one at the with both hands.
back. The aghanin s a double clarinet identical to the Only two percussion instruments are made of metal:
Arab arghoul. It consists of two parallel pipes of wood garagab. double castanets used by the Gnaouas. and
or cane, each with a single-reed mouthpiece, five holes the nafcous. a small cymbal played with two rods.

568 Morocco
 Ritual music is rarely absent from any rites A rwai performance will start with the astara,

connected with the agricultural calendar - such as an instrumental prelude, played on rabab, giving
mousscms - or major events in the life of indi- the basic notes of the melodies that follow (this
viduals, such as marriage. It may also be called upon also makes it possible for the other instruments to
to help deal with djinn, or evil spirits, or to encour- tune to the rabab). The astara is not in any partic-
age rainfall. Flutes and drums are again usually the ular rhythm. Then comes the amarg, the sung poet-
sole instruments, along with much rhythmic hand- ry which forms the heart of the piece. This is

clapping, although a community may engage pro- followed by the ammussu, which is a sort of chore-
fessional musicians for certain events. ographed overture; the tamssust, a lively song; the

The professional musicans, or imdyazn, of aberdag, or dance; and finally the tabbayt, a finale

the Atlas mountains are itinerant, travelling during characterised by an acceleration in rhythm and an
the summer, usually in groups of four. The leader abrupt end. Apart from the astara and tabbayt, the
of the group is called the amydaz or poet. He pre- elements of a performance may appear in a differ-
sents his poems, which are usually improvised and ent order. The arrangement and duration of the
give news of national or world affairs, in the vil- various parts are decided upon freely by the rwais.
The poet may be accompanied by one
lage square.
or two members of the group on drums and rabab, The Andalous Tradition
a single-string fiddle, and by a fourth player, known
as the bou oughanim. This is the reed player, who Morocco's classical music comes from the Arab-
throws out melodies on a double clarinet, and acts Andalucfan tradition, and is to be found, with
as the group's clown. Imdyazn are to be found in variations, throughout North Africa. It is thought O
39
many weekly souks in the Atlas. to have evolved, around a thousand years ago, in
Cordoba, Spain (then ruled by the Moors), and its
O
O
Rwais invention is usually credited to an outstanding o
o
musician from Baghdad called Zyriab. One of his
Groups of Chleuh Berber musicians, from the innovations was the founding of the classical suite

Souss Valley, are known as rwais; again they are called nuba,which forms what is now known as
professional musicians. A rwai worthy of the name andalous music, or al-ala. There are, in addi-
will not only know all the music for any particu- tion, two other classical traditions, milhun and
lar celebration, but have its own repertoire of songs gharnati, each with a distinctive style and form.
- commenting on current events — and be
again Andalous music, far from being the scholastic
able to improvise. A rwai ensemble can be made relic you might expect, is very much alive, pop-

up of a single-string rabab, one or two lotars (lutes) ular and greatly loved. Television broadcasts night-
and sometimes tiakous (cymbals), together with a ly programmes of andalous classics during
number of singers. The leader of the group, the Ramadan, and people who don't have their own
rayes, is in charge of the poetry, music and chore- TVs congregate watch the shows.
at local cafes to

ography of the performance. Originally there were twenty-four nuba linked

with the hours in the day.
Only four fulland seven
fragmentary nuba have
been preserved in the
Moroccan tradition. Com-
plete nuba, which can last
between six and seven
hours, are rarely performed
in one sitting and are usu-
ally chosen to fit the time
of day or occasion. Each
nuba is divided into five
main parts, or mizan, of
differing durations. These
five parts correspond to the
five different rhythms used
within whole
a suite. If a

e of Rat nuba were being per-

Morocco 569
formed then these five rhythms would be used in Milhun and Gharnati
order: the basit rhythm (6/4); qaum wa nusf rhythm

(8/4); darj rhythm (4/4); btdyhi rhythm ( 8/4); and Milhun is a semi-classical form of sung poetry —
qudddm rhythm (3/4 or 6/8). a definition which sounds a lot drier than it is.

Traditionally each mizan begins with instru- Musically it has many links with andalous music,
mental preludes — bughya, m 'shaliya and tuashia — having adopted the same modes as al-ala orches-
followed by a number of songs, the sana'a. There tras and, like them, it uses string instruments and
can be as many as twenty sana'a within a given percussion. But the results can be quite wild and
mizan although for shorter performances an orches- danceable.
tra may only play three or four before going on to The milhun suite comprises two parts: the taqsim
the next rhythm. (overture) and the qassida (sung poems). The taqsim
The words to many sana'a can deal, albeit is played on the oud or violin in free rhythm, and
obliquely, with subjects generally considered taboo introduces the mode in which the piece is set. The
in Islamic society' like alcohol and sex — perhaps qassida is divided into three parts: the al-aqsdm,
signifying archaic, pre-Islamic and nomadic roots being verses sung solo; the al-harba, the refrains
— although others are 'religious, glorifying the sung by the chorus; and the al-dridka, n chorus
Prophet and divine laws. The fourteenth sana'a of where the rhythm gathers speed and eventually
the basit mizan in Al-'Ushshaq tells of the desire announces the end of the piece. The words of the
for clarity following an active night entirely given qassida can be taken from anywhere — folk poet-
over to the pleasures of sex and wine: ry, mystical poems or nonsense lines used for
rhythm.
Obscure night steals away
Al-Thami Lamdaghri, who died in 1856, was
Chased by the light
one of the greatest milhun composers. He is cred-
that sweeps up shadows
ited with many well-known songs including "Al-
The candle wax runs
Gnawi" (The Black Slave), "Aliq Al-Masruh" (The
as weeping tears of farewell
if
Radiant Beauty) and "Al-'Arsa" (The Garden of
And then, suddenly and behold,
Delight):
the birds are singing
and the flowers smile at us.
Open your eyes
When the Arabs were driven out of Spain, Taste the delights and the generous nature

which they had known as Al-Andalus, the differ- Of this heavenly garden
The branches of the wonderful
ent musical schools were dispersed across Moroc-
trees intertwine
co. The school of Valencia was re-established in
Like two lovers meeting again
Fes (Fez), that of Granada in Tetouan and
And totter about, heady with happiness
Chaouen. Today, the most famous orchestras are
The smile of flowers,
those of Fes, led by Abdelkrim Rais; Tetouan,
Mingled with the tears of the dew
led by Abdesadak Chekara: and Rabat, which
Recall the melancholic exchange
was led by the great Moulay Ahmed Loukili until Of a sad lover and his joyous beloved
his death in 1988 and is now under Haj
Birds sing in the branches
Mohamed Toud. Like as many lutes and rababs.
Other cities, however, such as Tangier and
Meknes, have their own andalous orchestras and The milhun orchestra generally consists of
are just as fanatical about the music. The oud, kamenjah, swisen (a small, high-pitched folk
Orchestre de Tangier have their own clubhouse, lute related to the gimbri), hadjouj (a bass version
in the old city Kasbah, where musicians sit with of the swisen), darbuka and hatidqa (small brass cym-
enthusiasts and play most evenings, in between bals). As well as musicians, an orchestra will nor-
sucking on their mint tea. mally featurea number of singers. Some of the

A typical andalous orchestra uses the following bestknown are Abdelkrim and Said Guen-
instruments: rabab (fiddle), oud (lute), kametijali (vio- noun of Fes, Haj Hussein and Abdallah Ram-
lin-style instrument played vertically on the knee), dani of Meknes, and Muhammad Berrahal and
kamw (zither), darbouka (metal or pottery goblet Muhammad BensaTd of Sale.
drums), and taarija (tambourine). Each orchestra Gharnati, the third music of Arab-Andalucian
has featured unusual instruments from time to time. tradition, is mainly played in Algeria but there are
Clarinets, flutes, banjos and pianos have all been two important centres in Morocco - the capital,
used with varying degrees of success. Rabat, and Oujda, near the Algerian border. As

570 Moroccan music

with .il ala, gharnati music is arranged in suites or The aim is for those present to reach a state of
nuba, of which there are twelve complete and four mystical ecstasy, often through trance. In a pri-
unfinished suites. The gharnati orchestra consists vate nocturnal ceremony called the hadra, the Sufi

of plucked .ind bowed instruments together with brothers attain a trance by chanting the name of
percussion: the usual ouds and kamenjahs supple- Allah or dancing in a ring holding hands. The songs
mented by the addition of banjo, mandolin and and music are irregular in rhythm, and quicken to
Algerian lute, the ku'itra. an abrupt end. Some brotherhoods play for alms
in households that want to gain the favour of their

Sufi Brotherhoods patron saint.

The Gnaoua brotherhood is a religious con-

Music in orthodox Islam frowned upon unless
is fraternity whose members are descendants of slaves
it is singing God's praises. As well as the chants of brought from across the Sahara by the Arabs. They
the Koran, which are improvised on a uniform have devotees all over Morocco, though the
beat, the adhan, or call to prayer, and the songs strongest concentrations are in the south, partic-
about the life of the prophet Muhammad, there is ularly in Marrakesh. The brotherhood claim spir-
another entire range of prayers and ceremonies itual descent from Sidi Bilal, an Ethiopian who
belonging to the Sufi brotherhoods, or tarikas, was the Prophet's first muezzin.
m which music is seen as a means of getting clos- Most Gnaoua ceremonies, or deiceba, are held to
er to Allah. These include the music used in pro- good and evil, who are inhabiting a
placate spirits,
cessions to the tombs of saints during moussems. person or place. They are often called in cases of
mental disturbance or to help treat

someone stung by a scorpion. These

O
rites have their origins in sub-Saha- o
o
ran Africa, and an African influence
is evident in the music. The princi-
o
pal instrument, the gimbri or sentir, is

a long-necked lute almost identical

to instruments found in West Africa.

The other characteristic sound of
Gnaoua music is the garagab, a pair
of metal castanets, which beat out a
trance-like rhythm.
Jilala are another brotherhood,
who are devotees of Moulay
Abdelkader Jilal. Their music is

even more hypnotic and mysterious

than that of the Gnaoua and seems
to come from a different plane of
existence. The plaintive cycling flute
(the qsbah) and the mesmeric beats of
the bendir (frame drums) carry you
forward unconsciously. While in a

trance Jilala devotees can withstand

the touch of burning coals or the
deep slashes of a Moroccan dagger,
afterwards showing no injury or pain.
Nowadays, Gnaoua music can be
heard at festivals and in the enter-
tainment squares of Marrakesh and
elsewhere. Many discs have been
recorded, too, the most interesting
of them by Gnaoua groups led by
Hassan Hakmoun and Mustapha
Baqbou; the latter has been superbly
Gimbri player Mustapha Baqbou recorded by Bill Laswell.

Morocco 571
 Master Musicians of Jajouka
During the late 1 950s and early 1 960s Tangier was as treatments gave what for many was close to a mysti-
Bohemian a city as any, attracting Beats and, in their cal experience - especially when stoned immobile on
wake, rock stars. In 1968 the Rolling Stones paid the kif (grass). For many years this was the only record avail-
first of several visits and their then-guitarist, Brian able of Moroccan music.
Jones was introduced to the Berber Master Musi- •
Although the Rolling Stones returned to Morocco in

cians of Jajouka in the foothills of the Rif Mountains. the mid-1980s to use Jajouka on their Steel Wheels
The Master Musicians are essentially trance musi- album, the Master Musicians' next 'solo' recording did-
cians, producing an awesome sound through a multi- n't emerge until 1 990 when American bassist and com-
tude of double-headed drums and the dark drones and poser Bill Laswell travelled U} Morocco. Using the
melodies of the ghaita, a double-reed pipe or shawm latest digital technology, he produced an album of puri-

similar in sound to the oboe. They are a kind of broth- ty and power. Since then, Jajouka have experienced
erhood, and the leadership of the group is passed down a revival of interest, spurred by the World Music scene,
from father to son. The present chief, Bachir Attar, appearing at festivals around the world. They have
inherited the post when his father died in the late 1 980s. recorded a further CD, and the original Brian Jones
Jones recorded the Master Musicians with the aid album has also been re-released.
of psychedelic sound trickery and produced his strange Another, rival Jajouka group is also in existence and
Pipes of Jajouka album. Its heady concoction of hyp- has made an album and toured. They are not well
notic rhythms, wailing pipes and Jones's heavy sound regarded by the Bachir Attar group . .

o
o

Chaabi weddings. Many towns have cafe-meeting places

where the locals sing songs in the evenings (some
All of the musical forms mentioned so far have cafes keep their own instruments for musicians
had their impact on the most popular music of who can't afford their own) and, at its more basic
Morocco - chaabi, which means simply 'pop- level, chaabi is played by itinerant musicians,
ular' and covers a bewildering mix of styles. The who turn up at a cafe and bang out a few songs.
music that takes this name started out as street These songs are usually finished with a leseb,
music performed in the squares and souks, but which is often twice the speed of the song itself
it can now be heard in cafes, at festivals and at and forms a background for syncopated clapping,

572 Morocco
Jil Jilala

shouting and dancing. Early evening during Hassan Mista, who plays an amplified, fretless
Ramadan is the best time to find music cafes of buzuk. They are rhythmically accompanied by two
bendir players — Moulai Tahar and Abdel Krim
this kind in full swing.
During the 1970s a more sophisticated version Al-Kasbaji — and have recorded with a variety of
O
of chaabi began to emerge, with groups setting Mustapha Baqbou. o
themselves up in competition with the commer-
hadjuj players, including
Nass El-Ghiwane, the most politicised of the
o
cial Egyptian and Lebanese music which domi- three, lay great emphasis on the words of their recita-

nated the market (and the radio) at the time. These tives and verses and chorus. Their music again com-
groups were usually made up of two stringed bines Sufi and Gnaoua influences while the words
instruments - a hadjuj (bass gimbri) and a lute - may lambast a lazygovernment official or talk of
and a bendir and darbuka or tam-tam as percus- social injustices. Originally a five-piece band of banjo,
sion. As soon as they could afford it, groups updat- hadjuj, bendir, tam-tam and darbuka, the band was
ed their sound and image with the addition of fronted by lead singer Boujmia, a man with a soar-

congas, buzuks, banjos and even electric guitars. ing, powerfully melodic voice. He was killed in a

The hadjuj and bendir, however, remained - and car crash in the early 1980s and the rest of the group
remain - indispensable. have continued as a four-piece since. There has been
The new 'group' music was a fusion of Arab, a retrospective cassette from Boujmia's time released
African and modern Western combin- influences, inMorocco on the Hassania label, which includes
ing Berber music with elements taken from the "The Table", the song that made them famous:
Arab milhun and Sufi rituals, Gnaoua rhythms and
the image of European groups. Voices played an
Where are they now?
important part, with the whole group singing,
The friends who sat at my table
Where are they now?
either in chorus or backing a lead soloist. Lyrics
All the friends that I loved
dealt with love as well as social issues, and occa-
Where are the glasses?
sionally carried messages which got their authors
Where are the glasses we drank from?
into trouble with the authorities - even jailed. The
Friendship can be bitter
three seminal groups were Jil Jilala, Lem Chaheb
But it was also sweet to sit at my table
and Nass El Ghiwane, from Casablanca.
all

Jil Jilala (Generation ofjilali) was formed in The third major chaabi group, Lem Chaheb
1972 as a Sufi theatre group devoted to their lead- is probably the Moroccan group best known
er, Jilali. Their music is based on the milhun style, abroad, through its work with the German band
using poetry as a reference (and starting) point. Dissidenten (see p. 120), two of whose members

More recently they have worked with Gnaoua play and record with them. Featuring the virtu-
rhythms and they occasionally use a ghaita in their oso figure of guitarist and buzuk player Lamrani
line-up. The group's central figures are the conga- Moulay Cherif, they are also the most Western-
player and lyricist Mohammed Darhem, and ised of the three big names in electric chaabi.

Morocco 573
 In the 1980s another generation of groups
emerged, combining traditional and modern influ-

ences, this time based in Marrakesh but concen-*

trating on Gnaoua rhythms. The most successful
of these has been Muluk El Hwa (Demon of
Love), a group of Berbers who used to play in the
Djemaa El Fna in Marrakesh. Their line-up is total-

ly acoustic: bendir, tam-tam, sentir, buzuk, garagab

and hand claps. They have recorded an album in
collaboration with the Spanish group Al Tall fea-
turing medieval Valencian music and Andalucian
Arabic poetry, which deals with subjects still rel-

evant today — the whims of rulers, exile, love and

wine.
Another of their contemporaries, Nass El Hal,
formed in 1986, offer two shows — one using a
traditional acoustic line-up with buzuk and vio-
lin, the other with drum kit and electric guitar.

Their repertoire includes peasant harvest and hunt-

ing songs, and religious dances. Two more groups
o
30
with recordings to their name are Izanzaren, of
the Casablanca school, and Shuka, who do every-
o
o
o
thing from Andalous to Gnaoua. Hassan Hakmoun
Other chaabi have remained firmly
o tional in their use
artists

of instruments, but forward-

tradi-

The most successful, perhaps, has been that of the

looking in their musical approach. One such is the Berlin-based Dissidenten. Before their collabora-
sensational singer Najat Aatabou. She is proud tion with Lem Chaheb (see previous page), they
of her Berber heritage and uses traditional Berber had worked with Mohammed Zain, a star play-

rhythms (though she now sings in Arabic or er of the nai (flute) from Tangier who belongs to a

French) and is very outspoken in her lyrics, which Sufi sect, and Gnaoua gimbri players Abdellah El
address the inequality between men and women Gourd, Abderkader Zefzaf and Abdalla Haroch.
and the injustice of traditional family rules. She is Lem Chaheb have placed a gen-
Their albums with
equally capable of writing beautiful love songs. uine Moroccan element into a rock context.
When her ensemble use electric instruments they A number of Moroccan singers and musicians
blend beautifully with more traditional oud and have also crossed over into 1990s dance music, the
bendir. Moroccan-Israeli singer Yosefa Dahari (see p.365)
Aatabou's first release, the eye-opening "J'en ai isa name to look out for in this respect, with her
marre" (I am sick of it), sold 450,000 copies. Her work (sung in Maghrebi and English) on the
second release, "ShoufE Rhirou" (Look for Anoth- Worldly Dance Music label with David Rosen-
er Lover), and every subsequent release have sold thal and Gil Freeman. Hassan Hakmoun is
more than half a million copies, and she is now a another — a New York-based Gnaoua musician
huge star throughout the Maghreb and can fill large who mixes it in the city with all manner of ideas
venues in Europe. A wonderful compilation CD, and musicians. Also resident in New York these
Hie Voice of the Atlas (which includes "ShoufE Rhi- days is Bachir Attar, leader of the Jajouka troupe
rou"), is available on GlobeStyle records. (see box), who has recorded with jazz saxophon-
ist Maceo Parker under the direction of avant garde

Fusion and Dance funk producer Bill Laswell.

Laswell has also been involved in production

Morocco is an ideal starting point for all kinds of work with the group Aisha Kandisha's Jarring
fusion experiments. From the 1960s on, such dis- Effects (or AKJE), who mix Moroccan trance
parate figures as Brian Jones (seejajouka box), sounds with rock, hip-hop and techno. They
Robin Williamson, John Renboum and Pharoah released an amazing debut CD, Buya, in 1991 on
Sanders have been attracted by its rhythms, and in the Swiss Barbarity label, and followed up with a
in the 1980s and 1990s collaborations came thick techno-driven, Laswell-production, Shabeesation.
and fast. They are only known on a subterranean level in

574 Morocco
Morocco and are yet to perform or release a cas- Moroccan RaT
sette athome. They have an attitude as radical as
their music - akin to, say, Cypress Hill or Ice Rai — the word means 'opinion' — originated in
Cube. Their name refers to a female spirit, whose the western Algerian region around the port of
very mention is taboo, and their lyrics question Oran. It has traditional roots in Bedouin music,
Moroccan social and religious norms. with its distinctive refrain (ha-ya-rai), but as a mod-
The Barbarity label (aka Barraka el Farnatshi) em phenomenon has more in common with West-
has now released about a dozen tides by Aisha Kan- ern music. The backing is now solidly electric,
disha and other like-minded Moroccan bands seek- with rhythm guitars, synthesisers and usually a rock

ing to fuse Moroccan music with Western drum kit as well as traditional drums. Its lyrics

electronic and dance influences. Their catalog reflect highly contemporary concerns — cars, sex,

inc ludes CDs by the AKJE side project Amira sometimes alcohol - which have created some fric-

Saqati, and the bands Ahlam and Argan, both tion with the authorities.
of which feature AKJE musicians. Moroccans have taken easily to the music. Alge-
Elsewhere, expatriate Moroccans have been rian rai stars such as Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami
active in various new treatments. In Britain, Sidi and Chaba Fadela are to be heard on cassettes in
Seddiki, Rabat-bom but Londoner since child-
a most souks, while home-grown rai stars include
hod, produced a seductive blend of Moroccan Cheb Khader, Cheb Mimoun and the myste-
music and Western pop: strong, catchy songs, rious Chaba Zahouania. The latter is said to be
drawing on chaabi, and using a classical flautist. forbidden by her family from being photographed
Belgium, meanwhile, has provided a base for the for her recordings. O
Hassan who Rai influence be heard 30
blind multi-instrumentalist
has released a trio of jazz-flavoured discs with his
Erraji,
music of the Oujda
is also to
area, the closest
in the folk
Moroccan
O
o
multicultural groups Belcikal (now disbanded) and town Oran, in Rachid Briha and o
Arabesque. He is well worth seeing live, too, with Hamid
to
M'Rabati.
artists like
o
his startling juggling with the bendir.
In Spain there have been a couple of notable Sephardic music
collaborations between flamenco musicians and
Andalous orchestras, notably that of Jose Here- Moroccan Jews, many of whom have now emi-
dia Maya and Enrique Morente with the grated to Israel, left an important legacy in the
Orchestre de Tetouan, and Juan Pena Lebri- north of the country, where their songs and bal-
jano with the Orchestre de Tanger. The lads continued to be sung in the medieval Span-
Tetouan orchestra have also collaborated in con- ish, spoken at the time of their expulsion from
cert with the British composer Michael Nyman. Spain five centuries ago (see article on Sephardic
Music, p. 370). Apart from
the narrative ballads, these
were mainly songs of court-
ly love, as well as lullabies

and biblical songs, usually

accompanied on a tar.
Moroccan Sephardic tradi-
tions and music continue to
thrive in Israel. One of the
stars of the 1998 Fes Festival

of Sacred Music was the

Moroccan Jewish singer,
Albert Bouhadanna, who
performed with Mohammed
Briouels's Orchestra. Mean-
time, .1 rising star in World
Music circles is Emil Zhiran,
now resident in Israel but bom
in K.ibat, whose music mixes
Arab and Andalucian influences
Aisha Kandisha with the Hebrew liturgy.

Morocco 575
 discography WfTH JUAN

i (GlobeStyte UK
There has been quite a boom in CDs of
Juan Peha joins forties wrtr the stately Arabic chorus of the
recent years Most record stores in Britain or the US - mr\z;i
Orchestra of Tangier to exoiot fia s Araoi: ~~j~_r\ -Bj-tr-
ne::ei" oiz Musi: serto - s'ojc yieic s"
i'i

of ethnic, folk and Andalous music, or fusic

ing themusics of Andaduoia anti the Maghreb, g
groups. In Morocco itself, cassettes are the mair mediur*.
Casablanca BMI Hemisphere UK) oelve^s more of flhe
same._

Andalous/Classical Orchestre de Tetouan

Compilations

E Anthologie d Al-Melhun
(Inedit. France) 5 Nuba ,f6CDs)
briUI r '=nce:
A three-CD set containing performances lorn many of
Morocco's finest milhun singers. A good introduction to the Fourth of the boxed sets m the uuniMVks nufba senes (bob
slow splendours of Andalous music. Orchestre Moulay Ahmed Loukili de Rabat, above).

Ustad Massano Tari

Artists

Orchestre Moulay Ahmed Loukili

de Rabat
O
Loukiliwas a pupil of the great Mohammed al-Brthi of Fes
and many years was a member of the dty s Andalous
for
orchestra. He then moved to Tangier and later Rabat,
where he led the orchestra until his death at 1 986. He is still
consiDe^sc V
|Ue ^Bssxfue mi
Tout a forme' dtscipie o*
ranee).

A beautifully recorded and presented Andalous disc. Includes

Nuba Al-Usrtshaq 6 ZDs an: i n hi "Nuba Hiiaz Ai-Kabir" and "Nuba Istihila"
i7 CDs) (Inedit France)

daunting boxed sets and. pnced accordingly,

—
These are fairty

are not tor the casual listener, only problem with this superb
set is the price (£75 '$120). But
you develop a serious inter-
if

? p
est, you'llwant these for a chance to hear elements a* the
music rarely heard on short interlude suites.
ft,;*
Abdelkrim Rais
et rOrchestre Al-Brihi (Fes)
Up death in 1 996, Rats was one
until his Morocco's i

foremost Andalous musicians. He was bom Fes m 1912 i

an: like _djkH s:jdie: -roe- Mohammed

taught him the oud. He then took up the rebab and

i oecame one of Morocco's finest.

de Fes
du Monde Arabe. France).

A classic recording of several of the nuba. rea

Orchestre de T anger
The T anger Andalous Orchestra, led by A)
Sahraoui. have taken part in the Maison d Folk
Monde series of recordings of the compl
also recorded a couple of
Juan Peha Lebrijano. which |
Compilations
B WMha 1 n— '(BCOs)
(Inedit, Franca).
i
(Axiom. UK).
One of the boxed sets m the comp ate t note senes (see also
Orchestre Moulay Ahmed Loukili de Rabat, above). j'lanjs -ijsi: a" ns ?.cca:v? :esr -eio-oe: r>. 3il _as«val.

Morocco
 3»] Moroccan Trance Music (Sub Rosa, Belgium). 83 The Trance of the Seven Colours
(Axiom/island, US).
Not for the faint hearted, this is intense gnaoua and jilala

music, combined on the disc with some of Paul Bowles' per- Gnawa-jazz crossover, recorded mainly in Marrakesh.
sonal recordings.

83 Moroccan Trance 2 (Sub Rosa, Belgium).

Hassan Hakmoun
Hakmoun arrived in New York in 1987 with a troupe of
Good atmospheric selections featuring a Gnaoua
gnaoua musicians - and stayed on. He has made several
Brotherhood from Marrakesh, alongside three tracks of the
albums, both traditional and mixing in Western
Master Musicians of Jajouka.
dance/trance sounds.
Morocco: Crossroads of Time
83 Trance (RealWorld, UK).
(Ellipsis Arts, US).
Gnaoua rhythms tinged with jazz dance psychedelia, produced
An Moroccan music that comes with
excellent introduction to
by Afro Celt Sound System mainman, Simon Emmerson.
a well-designed and informative book. The disc includes
everything from ambient sounds in the Fes Medina, to power-
ful Jilala and Gnaoua music, Andalous, Rwai, Berber, and
Hmaoui Abd El-Hamid
some good contemporary pop from Nouamane Lahlou. Hmaoui is a superb Berber player of the traditional
Moroccan flute, the ney.

Artists 83 La Flute de I'Atlas (Arion, France).

Hypnotic and haunting ney melodies, backed by percussion,

Najat Aatabou (Aatabu) oud and zither.

Aatabou is a successful Berber woman singer, born into a

Lem Chaheb
conservative family in

Casablanca.
the small town of Khemisset but
Lem Chabe were a groundbreaking chaabi (popular)
O
long resident in 30
group through the 1980s, both in their own right and in O
The Voice
Country Girls & City
of the Atlas (GlobeStyle, UK).
Women (Rounder, US).
partnership with German group Dissidenten. O
o
These are two equally good collections. Both feature Najat's
Lem Chaheb
(Club du Disques Arabe, France).
o
best-loved song, "Shouffi Rhirou" - which has also been cov-
ered brilliantly by the 3 Mustaphas 3. A compilation from the late 1 980s. The band's usual line-up of

guitar, buzuk, percussion is augmented by trumpets and synthe-

Ahlam
Stablemates of Aisha Kandisha (see below), Ahlam are a late-

1 990s band who grab your attention from the first groove.

33 Revolt Against Reason (Barbarity, Switzerland).

Moroccan-meets-hip-hop stakes, featuring some wonderfully

expressive singing.

Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects

Chaabi meets techno (and rock and hip-hop) in this radi-
cal and stunning 1990s group, who have collaborated
with, among others, Bill Laswell.

El Buya
(Barbarity, Switzerland).

This debut 1991 album has not been bettered, with its intoxi-
cating mix of Moroccan melodies and traditional string instru-
ments with scratching reverb, and rushes of industrial noise.

Hassan Erraji
This Belgium-resident oud player, singer and percussionist
fuses his classical Moroccan training with jazz.

S3 Marhaba (Riverboat, UK).

The latest in a trio of releases on this label from Erraji, this is

a more song-based, upbeat and very listenable disc.

Maleem Mahmoud Ghania

with Pharoah Sanders
Gnaoua meets with the great sax player from John
Coltrane's band. One of Lem Chaheb's numerous cassettes

Morocco 577
sisers provided by two members of Dissidenten. The infectious cerned with social injustice. Their singer, Boujmia, was
"Nari Nari" was later covered by Dissidenten as "Radio Arab" - a killed in a car crash in the early 1 980s, since when they
kind of Moroccan equivalent to the Byrds' jangling guitar sound. have continued as a quartet.

EE) Nass El-Ghiwane (Hassania, Morocco).

Master Musicians of Jajouka
The group's only remaining recordings with singer Boujmia.
The legendary group of pan-pipers and drummers, from a
Powerful and hypnotic.
village in northern Morocco, whose music has passed
down for centuries. Current leader of the main group is
Bachir Attar, son of Hadj Abdesalam Attar, leader of the Sidi Seddiki
group for many years. There is also a rival, splinter group
Bom in Rabat in 1961, Sidi Seddiki came to live in West
using the Jajouka name.
London at eleven, where he was exposed to reggae, rock
83 Apocalypse Across the Sky (Axiom. US). and funk. His songs mix all these elements with his tradi-
tional Arabic background into a unique fusion.
Without the electronic trickery of Brian Jones' seminal album,
"*
the power and clarity of these remarkable performers stands E Shouf (GlobeStyle, UK).
*
out the more on Bill Laswell's outing.
all
A fine, early 1990s debut album, recorded by Moroccan and
British musicians. It's a shame Seddiki seems to have subse-
Cheb Mimoun quently disappeared from the recording scene.
Morocco's leading rai singet throws all kinds of chaabi
influences into the rai mix. Yosefa
SI Moroccan Rai (Sounds of the World, UK). Yosefa is an Israeli-resident Moroccan Jewish singer,
mixing traditional songs and sounds with dance cul-
Sweeping strings, rapturous vocals, continuous beat - an
ture.
album that conjures you straight back to Moroccan taxi rides.
E Dahari Yosefa (Worldly Dance, UK).
Nass El-Ghiwane
Just what the label says: dance music with English and
Chaabi fusionists, Nass El-Ghiwane, like Jil Jilala, com- Maghrebi songs. A bit of an exotica product but one that lives
bined Sufi and Gnaoua influences with modem lyrics con- up to its promise.

578 Moroccan music

Mozambique
a luta continua
In the countryside the people sitting around fires hear stories accompanied by one-stringed bowed
instruments that can be struck, plucked or bowed. The kids with long sticks under the hot sun are
chasing the goats while blowing gourd flutes they have made themselves. And in the towns people
put on their best suits, especially on weekends and gather in clubs to dance to tropical sounds like
calypso, salsa, rumba and marrabenta. Music is everywhere in Mozambique, as Celso Paco
discovered.

i ozambique, lying on the east coast

I involving half a million people from around the
\ / of southern Africa, was a Por- country. One result of this festival was the for-
\ / tuguese colony for five centuries mation of a National Song and Dance Group and
V from 1498 to 1975. During the a Children's Dance School. Two years later, the
struggle for independence that commenced Ministry organised a of traditional
festival
in earnest in 1964, culture was an integral music in the capital Maputo. The mere fact that
N
part of the struggle. Mozambican leaders used the traditional musicians, with all their local
Portuguese language, ideas, culture and reli- instruments made of gourds, thongs, reeds, horns
gion to fight against Portuguese domination. and skins — such as timbila and valimba (regional o
The consequences of regarding culture as a marimbas); xitende (gourd bow); kalimba (thumb-
central feature of national liberation and not piano); xipala-pala (antelope horn); xigovia (gourd
mechanism
just as a to mould people into flute); xipendane and xizambe (mouth-bows) and
good shape, came to light in post-indepen- many more - came out of the bush and the shan-
dence developments. ty towns perform on public stages to public
to
In 1975 Mozambique won its independence, acclaim, was an act of cultural recognition and
and the ruling FRELIMO (Frente de Libertacao national renaissance.
de Mozambique) party came to power. Inde- Meanwhile, the war between the FPvELIMO
pendence brought to a new generation the dis- government and the South African-backed REN-
covery of a cultural heritage that had been ignored AMO rebels, which had started before indepen-

in the urban areas during the centuries of Por- dence, led to the loss of at least a million lives (out
tuguese colonisation. Mozambican bands, which of a population of fifteen million), while millions
prior to independence had played European-style more were orphaned, displaced or traumatised.
music, began to abandon it as they embraced the The Mozambican people were more than ready
patriotic spirit sweeping the country. Bands for peace and in 1994, the first multiparty elec-
reformed using improvised musical instruments tions were successfully held.
and began to play roots style music similar to that Through all of this, Mozambican musicians -
heard and performed in Tanzania, Zambia and like Chico Antonio, Salimo Mohammed and

other countries in the region. In the centre of the band Ghorwane — were writing and per-
Mozambique, a musical style resembling that of forming songs that echoed the frustrations of the
Zimbabwe appeared, while southern Mozam- Mozambican people while encouraging them to
bique was strongly influenced by the music act together for a better future.
brought into the country by the returning work-
ers who provided cheap labour in the South
Coastal Music: Timbila
African mines. Throughout the country revolu-
tionary lyrics were fitted to these regional The range of traditional music and traditional
melodies along with the usual social commen- musical instruments found in Mozambique is a
taries and life stories. reflection of its ethnic diversity and its geogra-
In 1978 the Ministry of Education and Culture phy. The best-known style is the timbila music
managed to organise a National Dance Festival of the Chopi people of Inhambane - a highly

Mozambique 579
 developed and sophisticated music played on the for example, would create their own versions using
mbila (plural timbila), a type of xylophone. Found 5-litre oil tins, pieces of wood and fishing line.
only in Inhambane, timbila have four to sixteen The name marrabenta derives from the method
fixed wooden keys, with resonators made from used to play the instruments - the guitars were
masaala or pumpkin gourds. Their scale is not a played with great enthusiasm until the strings
familiar one to Western ears and a unique buzzing broke. In Portuguese, rebentar means 'to break' and
sound is produced by a plastic (originally animal arrabentar is the pronunciation in the local languages
intestine) membrane placed over a hole in the Sharigana and Ronga. Marrabenta music shares
gourd. certain similarities with calypso or salsa from Latin
There is a theory, based on the pattern of trade America, and with mcrengue from Angola.
routes and similarities in the musical scales, that During the early years of this music Marraben-
the presence of the xylophone in Africa can be ta composers used native languages and played sim-
accounted tor by traders introducing it fr<3m ple, repetitive sequences. The key rarely varied
Indonesia (home of gamelan orchestras) through from song to song and in general the words deliv-
Madagascar and East Africa. Whatever the case, ered messages of social criticism, praise or, more
the quarter million Chofji people on the Mozam- often, love. Marrabenta was mistrusted by the Por-
bican coast have developed a firm tradition of com- tuguese as a medium of revolution and a cultural

posing for voice and xylophone which now form they were powerless to control. During the
occupies a hugely important place in their lives. war of liberation, the colonial government closed
The spellbinding music of Venancio Mbande down numerous marrabenta venues on the grounds
o
M
and his 32-piece timbila orchestra can be heard that they were terrorist centres.
most Sunday afternoons at Ins house in Zavala. After independence, many young singers
> Inhambane Province - and yes, you really can just emerged to write marrabenta songs which focused
turn up to the sessions uninvited. So any trip to on their hopes and feelings, and the style took a
EE
o the paradisiacal beaches ot Inhambane should be lift in the late 1970s when 1001 Music Produc-

timed to enable you to meet this traditional musi- tions recorded and promoted a great number of
cian who has played in London's Albert Hall. To local artists at large concert venues. An LP com-
find his house, take the main road to Inhambane pilation was released - Amanhecer (Sunrise) — of
out ot Maputo and about 27km north ot Quissi- Radio Mozambique recordings, including some
co (just after the village of Guilundo) you will see of the artists promoted by 1001, and following its

a yellow sign for the Chopi Music Centre - his house success other compilations were produced under
ison the right, about 100m from the road. the generic title Ngdma (Drum).
Another internationally known timbila player In the immediate post-Independence period a

from Zavala, Eduardo Durao, shares the same number of Mozambican artists living outside the
love of this traditional musical form, adding to it country returned, bringing with them other musi-
a strong desire for experimentation. He has per- cal influences to add to the existing, somewhat
formed a number of concerts where timbila and insular, mix. One such was Fany Pfumo, who
Western instruments combine to produce a new used jazz elements in his compositions to create a
and very exciting style. Eduardo is the head ot the unique sound. Born into a poor family, Fany
timbila school in Maputo and is also a composer Pfumo was forced to abandon Mozambique tor
with the National Song and Dance Company. the better working and living conditions of South
Several field recordings of timbila and other Africa. Contact with recording companies in
traditional music are now available on CD, and, Johannesburg saved him from the mines and
for those who can't make the trip, a video called launched him as a successful singer. "Loko ni kum-
Mozambique Three has footage of some of the bukajorgina" (When remember Jorgina), was
I

groups featured on the GlobeStyle CDs. the first of his recordings to open this door of suc-
cess. Most of his singles were recorded by HMV

Marrabenta Pulse in South Africa, many of them combining Mozam-

bican marrabenta with South African kwela.

Marrabenta music, Mozambique's main urban The creation of the Grupo Radio Mozam-
dance rhythm, was born during the colonial peri- bique (the national broadcasting company house
od as a result of external musical influences and band), was the beginning of a new era for Mozam-
attempts to produce foreign musical instruments bican popular music. Radio Mozambique contin-
using loc ally available materials. To entertain them- ues to facilitate the dissemination of Mozambican
selves, people who couldn't afford to buy guitars, music by releasing recorded material by local artists.

580 Mozambique
National Song & Dance Company of Mozambique, Celso Paco on drums

Sounds Today Mozambique's most popular male vocalist, O

rsi
Stewart Sukuma (Luis Pereira) is among a long
Traditional rhythms played on traditional instru- list of performers who have come through this
s
ments can still be heard in the rural areas of Mozam- orchestra. Sukuma performed as percussionist, and CD
bique, and at the same time, they are kept alive in later began recording his own songs. He released o
the cities by cultural groups such as the Compan- his debut solo album, entitled Afrikiti, in 1997.
hia Nacional de Canto e Danca (National Song Mingas, the leading female singer in Mozambique,
and Dance Ensemble). This was created as a sym- also began singing with the Star de Mocambique,
bol of national unity, bringing together people from 1995 she accompanied Miri-
in the early 1990s. In

across Mozambique. It represents the country at am Makeba on world tour, singing her own
a

international events and at home organises educa- compositions and traditional and popular songs.
tional programmes through song and dance in urban The group's two outstanding trumpeters, Chico
and rural areas. And the music is kept alive in the Antonio and Jose Mucavel, also became success-
cities by the new migrants. ful solo artists following
Mapiko traditional music the orchestra's split. Chico
and dance, for example, from Antonio is a modern
the Cabo Delgado province composer of African
in the north, is performed fusion, whose song, "Baile

every Sunday at the military Maria", won first prize in

compound near the centre of the Radio France Inter-

Maputo. national competition in
Orchestra Marrabenta 1990. He is now the band
Star de Mocambique, leader of Asaga and in

formed in 1979, have played the late 1 990s recorded a

an extremely important role compilation of songs at

in nurturing many of the the Radio Mocambique

country's current musicians. studio. Jose Mucavele
Led by Wazimbo - previ- produces his own music
ously the lead singer of the which consists of a mix-
Grupo Radio Mocambique ture of the different tradi-
- this orchestra was the first to play top-quality tional rhythms from across the country. Although
marrabenta music, and took it on tour to Europe. he was bom in the south of Mozambique, his com-
Although the orchestra is no longer together, Waz- mitment to learning and sharing the music from the
imbo continues to enjoy considerable popularity various regions is a major contribution to the ongo-
as a solo artist at home. ing process of nation-building.

Mozambique 581
 One of Mozambique's best-known and longest in northeastern Mozambique. They were actual-
surviving bands is Ghorwane (named after a small ly the first group in the country to release a CD,
lake in Gaza province that never runs dry, even in Mama Mosambiki (one of RealWorld's earliest
the hottest season). Pedro Langa played lead gui- releases), which embraces the lightly textured tufo

tar with Salimo Mohammed in the early 1 980s rhythm. The band toured Europe for a long peri-
before forming Ghorwane together with the late od, but split shortly after returning to Mozambique
sax player Jose Alage (Zeca). The band's music at the end of the 1980s. Their CD, released in
is based on Mozambican traditional songs and 1990, was thus a posthumous glory. Although some
rhythms with some South African musical influ- of the members are performing with other
still

ences mixed in. They feature three guitar players local groups, the powerful voice of female vocal-
(lead, rhythm and bass), two trumpets, sax, key- Zena Bakar is no longer heard.
ist

board, a percussion line-up and vocals — a role The band Kinamataftiikuluty is the best-
sometimes taken by Roberto Chitsondzo, a nne known exponent of afro-jazz on the Maputo music
composer, acoustic guitar player and vocalist, and scene, using timbila, traditional drums and sax.
David Macucua, who became the band leader Most of their music is sung in the Chopi language
in the mid-1980s. After eleven years as band lead- and accompanied by Chopi rhythms — something
er, David gave up his position to make way for along the lines of Venancio Mbande meets John
other members to take charge and, in 1997, bass Coltrane. The author of this Celso Paco,
article,

player Carlos Gove (Carlitos), took over band a professional jazz musician who
drums plays the
leader duties. and a range of traditional musical instruments, was
Another important artist is Paulo Miambo, a a founding member of the group but left to teach

veteran solo performer, with a voice which might percussion at the National School of Music.
be mistaken for that of the late Fany Pfumo, and Celso is also a member of the innovative group
one of the greatest composers of marrabenta music. Milho Rei, who play a fusion of Mozambican and
Paulo recorded songs through the 1980s and in Portuguese popular music - a rare example of such
1996 released an album he produced himself. He cultural cross-currents. The instruments used by
is gaining a reputation as a producer of a number the band include the mandolin, the violin, kalim-

of local artists whom he encourages to record and ba, xitende, tambourine, timbila, harmonica, cas-
music on CD in South Africa.
release their tanets, African drums and acoustic guitar. The
Most Mozambican bands who have had CDs lightness and beauty of Eliana Canteiro's voice
released come from the south of the country. One is the final touch to the band's original music.
important exception is Eyuphuro, a band devot- Perhaps the best of the country's up-and-com-
ed specifically to the promotion of the music of ing bands is K10 (pronounced Kappa Desh) who

the Macua ethnic group from Nampula province recently won the Music Crossroads Competition
for young musicians in South
Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozam-
bique. This group plays a new
form of music — a fusion of dif-
ferent aspects of East and West
African music - just the latest
example of the musical fertili-

ty of Mozambique's cultural
soil.

Of the Mozambican musi-

cians working outside the
country, Gito Baloi is one
who continues to draw on tra-
ditional rhythms for inspiration.

He became popular in Mozam-

4 ^Sii^i bique after he had performed

and released albums with the
South African trio Tananas. In
1995, Gito released his first solo
album Ekaya, featuring his own
Abdul Remane Gino and Zena Bakar of Eyuphuro compositions.

582 Mozambique
discography Gito Baloi
Baloi an excellent, South African-based composer and
is

bass-guitar master who has performed in Mozambique

Compilations and around the world with renowned South African and
Mozambican musicians.
Arcos, Cordas, Flautas
S3 Na Ku Randza (Sheer-Sound, South Africa).
(C.I Crocevi/Sud Nord Records, Italy).

Wonderful compilation of love songs based on afro-jazz,

Musicians from all over Mozambique play all kinds of hand-
Latin-beat and other contemporary musical styles. Gracefully
made friction, wind and string instruments. Rubbing sounds
floating vocal lines move in unison with the bass guitar. Listen
produced by a bow interact with a rattle stick and with over-
out for the occasional use of compound time as an escape
tones from the mouth which is used as a resonator, while tra-
from the normal square time.
ditional flutes made of hard-shelled wild fruits produce fasci-
nating interlocking sounds and rhythms.
Zaida e Carlos Chongo
Si llha de Mozambique
A husband and wife team who started working together
(C.I. Crocevia/Sud Nord Records, Italy).
with Carlos as band leader, composer and lead guitar and
A collection of distinct and charming Swahili songs and Zaida as a dancer in the band. He started his musical
chants by acclaimed groups from the north of Mozambique career at a very young age playing a homemade tin guitar
present the importance of women in this matrilineal society. in Gaza province, at a time when he and his young friends
The album also includes a song by fishermen at work. were herding cattle. In the early 1980s he recorded his
first single, "Timpondo", which became a great success.
Kerestina - Guitar songs from Southern
Wl Mozambique 1955-1957 (Original Music, US). Si Sibo (Orion Trading Lda. Mozambique).
This, the best available compilation of guitar songs from The debut album of Orion Trading, a company formed to pro-
southern Mozambique,
Hugh Tracey. The musicians
was recorded by ethnomusicologist
are from the countryside and
mote Mozambique's cultural identity. "Sibo", like many songs
on the album, is the result of a mixture of Shangaan tradition-
O
INI
the music is characterised by the powerful sounds of acous- al music with contemporary urban marrabenta dance music. >
tic guitars and male vocals and, in some cases, backing har- "There are so many beautiful women in the world, why don't
monies of high-pitched female voices. The musicians com-
plain and joke about life and changing times in a rap form.
you just stick to the one you have?"
—
S3 Mozambique One (GlobeStyle, UK). Jimmy Dludlu
Mostly acoustic field recordings, partly collected from region- South African-based Mozambican lead guitarist who
al folk bands playing self-made traditional instruments like the taught himself how to play.

kanakari (a four-string banjo with an antelope-skin head), or

83 Echoes from the Past (Polygram, South Africa).
the pankwe (a five-string board zither with two large res-
onators) and singing. Studio work based on instrumental guitar music in Afro-jazz
and fusion style.
S3 Mozambique Two (GlobeStyle, UK).

GlobeStyle's second release - partly set up from regional folk Eduardo Durao
bands, partly stumbled upon - includes songs about social
issues and daily life: for example the song "Youth of Today"
The excellent choreography of the National Song and
comments "Friends we are a swarm of bees"; and in another Dance Company of Mozambique is based mostly on
song, "My Bed and my Wife", a husband speaks lovingly of Eduardo Durao's hot repertoire.

sharing a small blanket with his wife.

83 Timbila (GlobeStyle, UK).
E jSaba Saba! (GlobeStyle, UK). Modernised recordings of the bittersweet sounds of
Acoustic dance music from Nyampula in the northeast interi-
Mozambican timbila. Some tracks are incorporated into a
or, an exuberant kind of afro-skiffle with multi-layered vocals.
modern African groove using Western instruments like the
bass guitar and the drum-kit.
V Sounds Eastern & Southern (Original Music, US).

This album is full of wonderful acoustic guitar music from the Eyuphuro
1940s and '50s, most of it recorded by the legendary ethno- Macua
A line-up of roots musicians singing in the lan-
musicologist Hugh Tracey (see p. 669).
guage from the north of Mozambique. This group toured
Europe for a long period participating in festivals and
recording sessions organised by WOMAD.
Artists
Mama Mosambiki
Amoya ® (RealWorld, UK).

Highly melodic acoustic guitar music with delicious bass-gui-

An orchestra founded 1979 under the leadership of
in
tar linesand a number of carefully pitched traditional hand-
Chico Antonio. Some of the music played by this band is drums providing excellent backing to the powerful female
based on children's games and traditional rhythms from voice of Zena Bakar and best when her vocal chords are at
the southern part of Mozambique. full stretch, as on her beautiful composition, "Kihiyeny".

33 Cineta (Forlane, UMIP/RFI France ).

Ghorwane
This album is the intriguing result of a joint venture between
Mozambican and French musicians and includes powerful The masters of Mozambican urban dance music rising

synthesiser work along with a full complement of horns. from traditional roots to contemporary beats.

Mozambique 583
 IJTl Majurugenta Jose Mucavel
Ha (RealWorld, UK).
Mucavel is an acoustic guitarist who, since leaving the
A party album par excellence, sound demands big
its big Grupo Radio Mozambique, is forging a solo career.
speakers. Coloured by the breezy sax of the late Zeca Alage,
this one always gets people moving. H3 Compassos 1 (Musicrea, Denmark).

Guitar music with good quota Mozambique's traditional

of
Kudumba (Piranha, Germany).
rhythmic identity. Yodelling vocals, hand-drums and backing
Ten tracks of magically seductive light and breezy dance harmpnies by a wild, high-pitched female vocalist. The sopra-
music - the more than ten years
result of ofwork that always ho sax responds smoothly.
makes everybody jump and jive.
Orchestra Marrabenta Star
K10 (Kapa Dech) de Mozambique
A group of young musicians who gained national and A band that brought many cffanges to Mozambique's
international recognition after winning the Music- music scene in the 1 980s, this group toured Europe sev-
Crossroads competition in Southern Africa region in
contemporary sound of
eral times, representing the
1997. Mozambique. Marrabenta Star was the musical nursery
for many of the country's top musicians.
83 Katchume (Lusafrica/BMG, France).

A range of dance music based on traditional rhythms and

Independence (Piranha, Germany).

melodies played with Western instruments incorporating influ- A variety of joyous compositions ranging across the
spectrum
ences from East and West Africa. "Sumbi" (a girl's name), - everything from loping dance grooves to brooding songs
they sing, "success is like a coal train that starts slowly but like the closing track, "Nwahulwana".

finally gets to its destination. So take it easy."

E Marrabenta Piquenique (Piranha, Germany).

Venancio Mbande Some of the most popular tunes from southern Mozambique,
splendidly rearranged by the orchestra using electric guitars,
Venancio Mbande, a much respected traditional music percussion and horns.
master, is the leader and the composer for a full
CO strength 32-person timbila ensemble. He makes his own
instruments and has toured the group in Europe and the
Fani Pfumo
US. Pfumo, the late, great marrabenta pioneer, started his
musical career by entertaining people in the suburbs of
3SMozambique: Xylophone Music from the Chopi Lourenco Marques, now Maputo. He would play his oil tin
People (Network, Germany). change for the people in the neighbour-
guitar for small

Powerful music of Mozambique's history, touching upon the

hood, making them laugh with his witty lyrics.
struggle for independence and the death of Samora Machel Nyoxanine
(Mozambique's first president) as well as a song about a (Vidisco, Mozambique).
miner returning home from the South Africa gold mines. Not
easy to get hold of but repays the effort.
This superb CD is a selection of the most popular music

recorded by this master of marrabenta

Paulo Miambo
Stewart Sukuma
Inspired by the late Fany Pfumo's singing style and lyrics,
Miambo has done many recordings at the Radio One most hardworking musicians on the urban cul-
of the
turalscene, Stewart Sukuma (Luis Pereira) started his
Mozambique Studios since the 1980s.
career around 1980, playing with his school band.
H Hayini Unikanganhisa
S3 Afrikiti (CCP Record Company, South Africa).
(Gresham Records, South Africa).

A disc of recordings made with the participation of South

Dance music based on synthesiser sounds backed by South
African musicians, that covers various aspects of African
African female singers.
musical influences from neighboring countries.

Chude Mondlane Wazimbo

The first female jazz singer in the country who introduced One of the most popular singers in the country, and
an innovative way of singing. She stimulated great founder of the Orchestra Marrabenta Star de Mozambique,
change and influenced many local young female lead Wazimbo was previously the lead singer with the Radio
vocalists on the urban music scene. Mozambique house band, Grupo Radio Mozambique.
- Especiarias do Corao (Vidisc, Mozambique). Makweru
(Produzoes Conga, Mozambique).
An album that brings together a variety of international styles
from heavy Afro-beat to hip-hop, chachacha and jazz lines. Rearranged compositions from the time of Grupo Radio
"Obrigada Madame Chude" uses a mix of Portuguese and Mozambique, sung by an experienced vocalist, these songs
English languages over a strong African beat combined with have a big nostalgic flavour and texture to draw you in, even
a loose-limbed melodic line. though you may not understand the lyrics.

584 Mozambique
Niger

sounds of the sahel

Muslim Niger is a huge, landlocked nation, with Nigeria to the south and the Sahara to the north, and in

musical terms has tended to be in the shadows of the great musical cultures of West Africa. The
it

Sahel drought of 1973 left an enduring legacy of economic hardship, halting the country's small output
of recordings. Yet, although Niger may command a very small space in the CD racks, Francois
Bensignor contends that there's a store of good sounds here if you can visit, look and listen.

has a diverse culture, taking in the Further eastward, the Beriberi people, who live
Niger largelynomadic Tuareg nomads in the near Lake Chad close to the Tubu people, also play
north; Hausa in the centre and south; alghai'ta but are best known for their beautiful poly-

Beriberi in the east, around Lake Chad; phonic singing, comparable to the polyphony of the
and groupings of Djernia and Songhai, and Dendi Wodaabe Fulani, whose famous, face-painted
in the west and south. All have their own distinc- dancing ceremony for young men, the gerewol, is

tive traditional musics. such an important annual date on Niger's calendar.

The western part of the country along the Niger
A Map of Niger riveris where the capital Niamey is located, and

the smaller groupings of Djerma and Songhai

The Tuareg comprise only around 3 percent of live. Musically, the region is notable for a wide
Niger's population, but their culture is remark- variety of instruments from other parts of the coun-
able.They live in the northern regions of the try and across the borders, including lutes, fiddles,

Tenere desert and Air mountains and still travel flutes, and various percussion instruments. They
throughout the Sahel. are usually played solo in their respective home
The Tuareg of Niger - and the wider Sahel - regions but musicians in the western Niger play
have kept a vivid and refined kind of courtly-love them together in orchestras.
poetry, praising women's qualities in the blooming In the far south-west along the Benin and Nige-
Tamachek language. Music can be played by any- ria frontiers is the land of the Dendi (meaning 'the

one, both men and women - no profes-

there is direction of the current'), who use techniques and
sional caste — and, as with most nomadic cultures, instruments from both of the neighbouring coun-
there are few instruments. Voices are counterpoint- tries. They're known for performing some of the
ed by hand clapping, with the tinde drum (a mortar finest music in Niger.

covered with a goat skin) used mostly in women's

music and a one-stringed viol in men's songs. On Cultural Policy
the periphery of the desert, around the town of
Tahoua, Hausa influences have crept in, characterised In strongly Muslim Niger, music as entertainment
by the art of folk fiddle and calabash percussion. is not readily accepted, and for many years after
The Hausa people, who make up just over half independence there was little cultural policy, unlike

the country's population, live in central southern in Mali or Guinea. However, after the death of
Niger, around the town of Maradi. Their music the military dictator, Seyni Kounche, in 1987 the
can be recognised by the beautiful melodies of their new government looked to music as a means of
chordophones, especially on the little two-stringed bringing the cultures together. Previously, play-
molo lute, and rhythms on the duma percussion, ing their own traditional music in a non-profes-
played by a seated drumer pressing the skin of the sional environment meant that each community
drum with his foot to vary the sound. Music in was largely ignorant of other music in Niger.
the southeast area of Zinder is characterised by the The opening for this was a competitve music
big double-skinned ganga drum with resonator, festival, the Prix Dan Gourmou, with a cash prize
the alghai'ta shawm (trumpet) and the long kakati and a national tour of the youth club circuit for the
trumpet. winner. It was set up by, among others, Alassane

Niger 535
 Mamar Kassey
The group Mamar Kassey was founded in 1995 by Moumouni, drawn by his passion for music, followed
singer, dancer and Fulani flute virtuoso Yacouba his stint of menialwork with seven hard years of train-
Moumouni The idea (one repeated often in Africa in ing in Dante's Ballet under the instruction of Harouna
recent decades) was to re-work his country's musical Maroufa, a master of the Fulani seyse flute. He learned
traditions in a modem way but keeping the essence of to sing and dance and became one of the most impres-
the traditional sound. He gathered three good tradi- sive members of the National Ballet.
tional musicians (on calabash, komsa and kalan-
lute In 1993, he worked as an actor flautist in the the-
gu talking drum) whom he knew were open to atre show 'Alice en Afrique', which took him on tour
developing musical traditions beyond the bounds of through West Africa and Europe in 1 994 and 1 995. Dur-
strict formality, along with two of his fellow musicians ing the tour he met Ali Farka Toure and World Circuit
in the CFPM house band Takeda - the bass player and producer Nick Gold, who invited him to play his flute
director-guitarist. Mamar Kassey's repertoire is based on Oumou Sangare's album, Worotan.
on Fulani, Songhai, Djerma and Hausa traditions, but Back in Niger, Moumouni knew exactly what he
Moumouni's personality pushes its skills far above the wanted to do: he formed Mamar Kassey, spending a
country's average. year and a half building its repertoire and rehearsing
Son of a Fulani shepherd, the young Yacouba herd- with the musicians. Their first show, at the Nuits Atyp-
ed the family cattle in the savannah near the Burkin- iques de Koudougou festival, in Burkina, in 1997,
abe border. After his father's death, he walked the two was a revelation. Patrick Lavaud, the director of the
hundred kilometres to Niamey, trying to find work. The French equivalent, Nuits Atypiques de Langon, booked
ten-year-old boy finally found work as a house boy and the group for his 1998 festival, with resounding suc-
the woman who opened her door to him was none cess, and they went on to record their first album,
other than Absatou Dante (see main article). Denke-Denke, on Langon's Daqui label.

Dante, formerly the National Ballet's director and wanted to add modern instruments to the tradi-

co-director of the Franco-Nigerien cultural cen- tional ones, so we thought it would be good for
tre, and in his words "it was meant to pay respect the musicians to have^i place where they could be
to the different musical traditions, and to gather trained in modern techniques and instruments."
modern musicians together and give them the This was the idea behind the CFPM (Centre for
opportunity to create new music on traditional Musical Training and Promotion) which materi-
foundations. The national contest helped torm alised in 1990 thanks to a six-year grant from the
music and dance ensembles in every region. Some European Fund for Development.

586 Niger
 Under the guidance of foreign teachers, most tions. Nowadays, in Niamey, there are at least
of the experienced musicians in Niamey took twenty groups living on their music, playing clubs
courses at the CFPM which was also the first place and touring the country. We hope the world will

in the country where they could record in an soon discover the vitality of Niger's culture."
eight-track studio, and use digital equipment like

synthesisers and rhythm boxes. The group Take-

da was formed with the best musicians working
at CFPM and five singers - Moussa Poussy,

Yacouba Moumouni, Adam's Junior, Fati

discography
Mariko and John Sofakole The European jazz Compilations
orientation given by CFPM's director was not par-
ticularly successful, but when, in 1995, the group
HS Anthologie de la Musique du Niger (Ocora, France).
was exposed to an international audience at the
Wonderful historical recordings made in situ back in 1963 by
music business showcase, MASA, in Abidjan, Cote composer and ethnomusicologist Tolia Nikiprowetsky with
d'lvoire, some of the musicians were able to make Songhai, Djerma, Hausa, Beriberi, Tuareg and Fulani tradition-

personal progress. al musicians. A must.

S3 Wodaabe Fulani: Worso Songs (Inedit, France).

Sylla Checks In This record captures most of the strange singing and hand-
clapping that accompanies the worso ceremonies of the
As there was no commercial musical production Wodaabe section of the Fulani. Worso is a ritual in which
young men compete with their clothes, jewels, painted faces
in the country in the mid-1990s, music from Niger and dancing, over several nights, to be elected the most
was hardly known. International producer Ibrahi- handsome by the assembled young women.
ma Sylla was astonished when his friend and part- O
m
ner Boncana Mai'ga told him he should check out Artists 30
what was going on in Niamey.
Sylla ended up signing the singers Moussa
Poussy and Saadou Bori to make an album each Saadou Bori and Moussa Pousy
in Abidjan's JBZ studio, produced by Boncana Two singer-songwriters who worked together in the nation-
al music school's house band, Takeda, and went on to big-
Mai'ga and aranged by Abdoulaye 'Abdallah' Alas-
ger things in Abidjan. Both have spiritual backgrounds,
sane, the guitar-player and leader of Takeda. (Most Djerma performer Moussa Pousy as the grandson of a tra-
of the tracks from these albums subsequently ditional healer and Hausa-speaker Saadou Bori as a practi-
tioner of Dango (Hausa spirit music) and trance-dancing.
appeared together on the CD Niamey Twice on the
Stern's label). 82 Niamey Twice (Stern's, UK).

In 1997, Abdallah went to Bamako to produce A double helping of modem Niger, recorded in Abidjan under
Adam's Junior's reggae album on Salif Keita's the direction of Ibrahima Sylla and previously released in West
Africa on two separate cassettes. Six original compositions from
label. And since 1995, Abdallah has also worked
each singer swing along happily, Pousy's mostly in Mande
on Yacouba Moumouni's project with the group style, though with a nod to Blondy-esque reggae. The music of

Mamar Kassey, which has the power and talent Saadou 'Bori' (his nickname acquired for his Nigerien hit of the
to represent the voice of Niger on the interna- same name, after the traditional Hausa spirit possession cult of
Bon) is more interesting for its rare presentation of Hausa influ-
tional World Music circuit. In 1998, just before
ences and on the more offbeat numbers - "Dango", and "Bori"
their first album, Denke-Denke was issued, Mamar itself - the spirit-loving polyrhythms bubble through frenetically.

Kassey shared first place in the public's heart with

the group Toubal. Mamar Kassey
"Niger has something that none of the neigh- Mostly inspired by Fulani, Hausa, Songhai and Djerma
— an traditional music, Mamar Kassey is the first group from
bouring countries has active network of youth
Niger to take their music to an international audience and
clubs with viable equipment in each one", says they can now compete with the best from Mali.
Alassane Dante. "International acts can be sent on
Denke-Denke
tour to every country town all over Niger. Efforts MU (Daqui, France).
made on music development have recently come
Flute, lute, percussion, electric guitars and vocals lead you
to fruition in every region, giving birth to many through old legends and tales from the sixteenth century, when
a new group updating its own local musical tradi- the Songhai empire was the leading power in West Africa.

Niger 587
 Nigeria

from hausa music to highlife

The Nigerian musical heritage extends from the drumming
stately court of the northern Hausa
emirates to the efforts of the late, great Fela Kuti to drum out the military dictators with LPs like

Vagabonds in Power and Coffin for Head oft State. Ronnie Graham tunes his ear to the beats of
Africa's most populous nation, and the home of juju, fuji and highlife.

igeria is at the heart of African music. The During the second half of the twentieth century,
country is large, with a population three main types of modern music evolved: high-
exceeding one hundred million and it has life, juju and fuji.

a cultural heritage as diverse as any on the Both juju and fuji are almost entirely sung in

continent. The music industry is well developed, local languages, principally Yoruba. They have
with numerous recording studios, a thirst for aes- praise-song vocals and assertive polyrhythmic per-
thetic and material success and a voracious appetite cussion at their heart. Highlife, born in Ghana
O
m for life, love and music, bom in part of the increas- but finding a new Congolese Nige-
inflection in
ing desperation of everyday existence. Add to this ria, flourished between the 1950s and 1980s but
a huge domestic market, big enough to sustain artists is now sadly past its peak. More recently, jazz, rock,

who sing in regional languages and experiment soul, reggae, pop and gospel have all played a part

with indigenous styles, and it is no surprise that in shaping modern music but the results are dis-
Nigerian musicians constantly reinvigorate their tinctively Nigerian, reflecting the nation's reality
culture with new systems, styles and sounds. with a force and directness few other countries
Yet international success remains a fleeting dream have been able to maintain.
for almost all Nigerian stars, however popular they Sunny Ade and Fela Kuti are the most con-
are at home. A number of major musicians have spicuous figures in the story of contemporary
their own labels, live like medieval kings and enjoy Nigerian music. Both are Yoruba and both have
all the trappings of success, but they consistently fail had roller-coaster careers. But while Sunny Ade
to hit home overseas. Corruption, for a start, dis- is very much a society favourite who achieved
courages even the most ardent capitalist from work- international success in the mid-1980s, Fela Kuti
ing in Nigeria, severely limiting international business remained, until his untimely death in 1997, an
contacts. Political unpredictability and frequent, often uncompromising critic of every government
violent, changes of government makes even corrupt Nigerians have suffered since independence in
business a hazardous profession to pursue and while 1960.
the elections of 1999 were a move back towards The three decades since 1960 have seen sever-
democracy after years of military rule, serious doubts al major successes by other Nigerian stars. Prince
were raised about the way they were run. Nico Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz enjoyed enor-
National success also challenges music stars to make mous popularity in 1976 everywhere from Zam-
the transition to international languages and perfor- bia to the Caribbean and throughout West Africa
mance nomis, whilst the sheer numbers involved in with "Sweet Mother", a musical phenomenon that
a international tour - Nigeria is a land of very big bulldozed everything in its path. Then there was
bands indeed, with a 1 4-musician line-up common another pan-African hit in 1978, when Sonny
and 20-30 none too unusual in juju music - daunt Okosun released "Fire in Soweto", a moving trib-

all but the most ambitious promoters. ute to the Black Consciousness Movement set

against the driving rock-reggae fusion he called

Modern Roots ozzidi. But once again, while

an impressive output of music (which appealed
Okosun maintained

The modern musical culture of Nigeria draws on particularly to African-Americans) he could not
both internal traditional and external influences. repeat the success of his first hit.

588 Nigeria
 Most Nigerian musicians seem condemned to Moving south through the plateau states of
this one-hit-wonder existence - a paradoxical sit- minority language groups, instrumentation and per-
uation for a country with one hundred million formance becomes more varied. Islamic strictures

people, arguably the best musical infrastructure on are slightly looser and the Tiv, Idoma and Jukun
the continent and at least a dozen popular dance all enjoy extensive drum and vocal traditions.
styles ranging from the juju of Obey and Ade, to The Igbo people of the southeast have always
Igbo highlife, ikwokirikwo and the many flower- been receptive to cultural change. This is reflect-

ings of Yoruba musical life, including agidigbo, were, ed in their music (highlife quickly took root in this

apala, sakara, waka and/w/7. fertile soil) and in the incredible variety of instru-
It is .1 pattern that has been further ingrained by ments played in Igbo-land, one of the most pleas-
foreign marketsOnce the initial excitement over ing of which is the obo, a thirteen-stringed zither,
Sunny Ade had worn off, Europe and the US, which can be heard at many a nostalgic palm-wine
throughout the World Music boom years of the drinking session. In traditional communities, royal
1980s and '90s, strangely ignored Nigerian music. music is played every day, when the ufie slit drum
One leading World Music magazine went tor over is used to wake the chief (obi) and to tell him when
three years without reviewing a single Nigerian meals are ready, and a group, known as egwu ota,

release — indeed, Nigerian music virtually disap- which consists of slit-drums, drums and bells, per-
peared from the mainstream record stores over- forms when the obi is leaving the palace and again
seas. In the last couple of years, however, with the when he returns. The traditional Igbo musical
re-emergence of Sunny Ade, the posthumous ele- inventory of drums percussion, flutes, xylophones,
vation of Fela to legendary status and the emer- lyres and lutes was enriched by the arrival of Euro-
gence of his son, Femi Kuti as a major artist, the pean instruments, producing an important brass
pendulum may be swinging back. band tradition. Gi
Yoruba instrumental traditions are mostly based m
Folk Roots on drumming. The most popular form of tradi-
tional music today is dundun, played on hour-
The 'Giant of Africa' is a country of enormous glass tension drums of the same name. The usual

cultural and musical diversity. With over four hun- ensemble consists of tension drums of various sizes
dred distinct ethnic groups and a massive internal together with a small kettledrums called gudugudu.
market, even the most esoteric musical styles find The leading drum of the group is the iyalu (moth-
some degree of commercial success. er),which 'talks' by imitating the strong tonality
In the north, Hausa music traditionally offered of Yoruba speech. It's used to play praise poetry,
a variety of percussion and goje (one-string fid- proverbs and other oral narratives. Another impor-
dle) music to accompany ritual and recreational tant part of Yoruba musical life is music theatre,
activities - weddings, births, circumcisions and which mixes traditional music with story telling
wrestling matches. A strong vocal tradition, invari- or live drama.
complemented a
ably in the praise-song category, European and Christian influence, spreading
range of percussion instruments including hun- inland from the coast in the nineteenth century,
dreds of different skin drums, water drums, xylo- introduced new melodies and rhythms to Yoruba
phones, whistles and bells. music, together with new brass instruments and
The ruling Hausa-Fulani elite, whose day may written sheet music, early record-players and then,
be coming to an end with the demise of Abacha, in the 1930s, radio. There was also an important
helped establish a courtly trumpet tradition. The Brazilian contribution which came from the influ-
Hausa language is a lingua franca across a vast swathe ential Brazilian merchant community of the early
of the Sahel belt, which ensures regional as well as nineteenth century. Meanwhile, the southward
local audiences for songs with Hausa lyrics. Hausa spread of Islam was accompanied by new percus-
music has flourished since the sixteenth century and sion styles, new vocal styles and a totally different
thefall of the Songhai empire (in present-day Mali), approach to music and culture.
which previously ruled over much of what is now During the nineteenth and early twentieth cen-
Hausa-land and with whose music there are still turies, all three traditions were introduced to the
many parallels. Today, travellers are unlikely to find Yoruba, and from this hotbed of adaptations and
much on disc but there is a flourishing cassette mar- interchange, came a plethora of competing rhythms
ket for the big names, who often appear at state and idioms. Nowhere is this more evident than in
occasions, holding audiences enthralled with lengthy the country's largest city, Lagos which was always
praise songs of traditional and modern rulers. at the forefront of musical expression in Nigeria.

Nigeria 589
 Palm-Wine into Juju mumbo jumbo - taken up by juju musicians
themselves to subvert it. And jojo also happens to
From the Lagos melting pot, where indigenous be the Yoruba for 'dance'.
Yoruba people mixed with the descendants of Whatever the origins, British record labels like
freed slaves from Sierra Leone and Brazil, came His Masters Voice sensed a commercial opportu-
new styles and aesthetics. In the palm-wine shacks nity in the budding city of Lagos, recording many
of the Yoruba neighbourhoods, where men met early juju musicians and pressing 78s for distribu-
to drink and socialise after work, an informal style tion by local traders. Like the pioneers of any music
called palm-wine music emerged, similar to style, juju's early performers achieved little finan-
that developed under the same name in Sierra cial success. However, artists like Tunde King,
Leone and Ghana. Played on guitars, banjos or Ojoge Daniel and JO 'Speedy' Araba devel-
any other available string instrument — backed up oped a body of work which is still drawn upon by
by shakers and tapped drinking calabashes — palm- today's stars. The first recordings of this dreamy
wine was first and foremost a vocal music rely- style started coming out in the early 1930s, but

ing on the vast liturgy of Yoruba proverbs and juju really took off, establishing itself as a premier
metaphors to deal with* issues of the new urban urban dance style, just after World War II, with
culture. the introduction of amplified sound.
By the 1920s several individuals were emerg- Tunde Nightingale, a fine palm-wine singer,
ing as popular stars of this music, including 'Baba' became juju's first big star. He developed a pop-
Tunde King, who is credited with coining the ular stylistic variant, which dominated the clubs
term 'juju'. Though its origin is much disputed, and the record industry of post-war Nigeria, called
one widely accepted explanation is that juju s'o wa mbe (literally 'is it there?' - a reference to

C5 music was named for the ju ju sound of the small the strings of waist beads worn by women beneath
m hexagonal tambourine, a popular instrument of their clothes to accentuate dance movements).
Brazilian descent. The word also works as a mild In 1957, IK Dairo with his band the Morning
expression of colonial disparagement - musical Star Orchestra (later to become the Blue Spots)

Hausa Music
There are two broad categories of Hausa music - rural which was originally used by the Songhai cavalry and
music and urban music of the court and state. The emi- was taken by the rising Hausa states as a symbol of
rates of Katsina and Kano together with the sultanate military power. Kakakai are usually accompanied by
of Sokoto, and to a lesser extent Zaria and Bauchi, tambura drums.
large

are the major creative centres. Much like elsewhere in Africa, traditional rural

Ceremonial music, rokon fada, of the Hausa states Hausa music appears to be dying out in favour of
plays a major (if not very musical) role in Hausa traditions, modern pop (which still draws inspiration from these
even today. The instruments of ceremonial music are roots). The last expressions of rural music are to be
largely seen as prestige symbols of authority, and cere- found in traditional dances like the asauwara, for young
monial musicians tend to be chosen for their family con- girls, and the boh, the dance of the spirit possession

nections rather than any musical ability - in fact quite cult, which dates back to before the arrival of Islam

often that doesn't come into it at all, with painful results. and continues to thrive in parallel with the teachings
Court musicians and praise singers, on the other hand, of the Koran. Zaria is its main stronghold.
are always chosen for their musical skills. Exclusively Popular Hausa folk music thrives both in town and
dependent on a single wealthy patron, usually an emir countryside and although it makes little impression out-
or sultan, the most talented players are rarely seen in side Hausa-land, musicians can earn a good living sat-

public. The greatest Hausa praise singer was Naram- isfying local needs and, as ever, voicing and sometimes
bad, who lived and worked in Sokoto: he died in 1960. moulding public opinion. The leading Hausa singer,
Ceremonial music can always be heard at the sara, Muhamman Shata, is always accompanied by a
the weekly statement of authority which takes place troupe of virtuoso drummers who play kalangu, small

outside the emir's palace on a Thursday evening. The talking drums. Other leading artists include Dan
principal instruments accompanying praise songs are Maraya, an exponent of the kontigi one-stringed lute;

percussive - small kettledrums and talking drums. The Ibrahim Na Habu, who popularised a type of small
most impressive of the Hausa state instruments, fiddle called the kukkuma; and Audo Yaron Goje who
however, is the elongated state trumpet called kakakai plays (not surprisingly) the goje or one-string fiddle.

590 Nigeria
launched a career that changed juju music. With in this longer format, juju musicians continued to
the development and availability of new technol- be prolific in the recording studio, averaging three
ogy, Dairo began to infuse elements such as elec- or four albums each year. And, pulled along in the
tric guitar and accordion into the music. And wake of Ade's and Obey's popularity were sever-
although it's not known who was responsible, this al hundred other juju bands scattered throughout
era also saw the introduction of the gangan (Y oru- southwestern Nigeria.
ba talking drum) into the ensemble. In1980 Ebenezer Obey went international with
IK Dairo's lyrical skills, short catchy phrases and his album Current Affairs, and its successors, Je Ka
mastery of the recording technology of the day led Jo on Virgin and the much tougher Solution on
to a string of hit records still without equal, and to Stern's. As a result he rose briefly to stardom on

an appeal that spread to Britain, Europe and even the World Music scene in Britain and elsewhere.
Japan. In 1963, he received a British MBE for his But by now, Sunny Ade (see box overleaf) was
achievements - the only African musician ever to be already out in the world and, in 1 982 he was taken
so honoured - and throughout the 1960s there was up by the UK-based Island Records as a potential
no bigger African band than the Blue Notes. But Bob Marley style superstar from Africa. His initial
by the mid-1970s Dairo's record sales plummeted Island release, Juju Music, was a huge success in
literally overnight as a younger, style-conscious gen- terms of the perceived market at that time for
eration of Nigerians flocked first to Ebenezer Obey African music in Europe and the US - and his five
and then Sunny Ade - juju's heirs apparent. shows wowed audiences around the world with
their complex sound, tight groove and the man's

Obey and Ade: delightful stage presence.

Synchro System, also sold well.
A second Island release,

Juju Goes Global C5

Ebenezer Obey formed his first group, the m
International Brothers, in 1964, and snce then
has released over fifty LPs. The success of his blend
of talking drums, percussion and multiple guitars
had already caught on by the time he renamed his

group the Inter-Reformers in 1970. With the

new band he rose to prominence with exciting
bluesy guitarwork and lyrics which managed to
be steeped in Yoruba tradition and at the same
time address issues affecting the new urban elites

and impart the conservative Christian values which

Obey espoused. Murtala Muhammed and Immortal
Songs for Travellers were among albums he was
turning out at a staggering rate in the late 1970s,
with advance sales of over a hundred thousand a

time.
The
rivalry between the chubby joker Ebenez-

er Obey, dubbed 'Chief Commander' by his fan

club, and the more populist, 'King' Sunny Ade
led to fast and furious developments in juju music.
Each struggled to be the first to introduce a new
instrument, style or sound, with each new devel-
opment labelled a 'system'. The juju ensemble,
which had started with four and expanded to over
ten musicians with IK Dairo, now pushed over
thirty people on stage, with up to four guitars, var-
ious keyboards, Hawaiian guitars, trap set, a wide
range of traditional and modern percussion and
numerous background vocalists.
As technological developments allowed, the
recording emphasis shifted from short songs to
twenty-two-minute-long, LP-busting tracks. Even Chief Ebenezer Obey

Nigeria 591
 King Sunny Ade
Born Sunday Adeniyi to a 3 his third Island release, Aura,

branch of the Royal family of E bombed. Island dropped him

Ondo town, 'King' Sunny Ade g in 1985 and his band subse-
began his musical career play- ? quently walked out in the mid-
o
ing in various highlife bands in s dle of a prestigious Japanese
the early 1960s. By 1966 he tour. It was clear that the inter-

had formed his first band, the national juju boom was over.
Green Spots, with whom he Still, King Sunny's short-
recorded several modestly suc- lived international stardom
cessful albums. In 1974 he had secured his position as

renamed the band the African juju's frontrunner at home,

Beats and released Esu Biri where he continued a full
Ebo Mi under his own reeord schedule of performances
label, Sunny Alade, which solid- and recording, with occa-
ified his support and propelled sional overseas sorties on the
him into the limelight. Other hit World Music circuit. His lyrics
albums included The Late Gen- became more pointed: he
eral Murtala Muhammed (Nige- started to sing of rumours,
ria's most popular military jealousy, destiny, new direc-
dictator, remembered almost with fondness), Sound Vibra- tions - and family planning. This foray into popula-
a
m tion and The Royal Sound. tion politics on the 1989 album Wait for Me, was not
In 1977, a group of journalists and music critics calculated to enhance the domestic reputation of a
named Ade the King of Juju Music, and Island Records, musician with twelve children.
searching for a replacement for Bob Marley as the stan- As the 1 990s developed and political repression in

dard bearer of tropical music, picked up on him. His Nigeria intensified, Ade, spurned by the global music
guitar line-up, weaving intricate melodic patterns against shakers, withdrew, sallying forth only to deny the lat-

a background of thundering percussion, the call-and- est round of rumours of his death, invariably attribut-
response 'conversations' of the talking drums, and the ed to some unmentionable or unattributable cause. It

infectiously winning, 'African-prince' style of the man was therefore even more of a pleasant surprise when,
himself - all gave off strong commercial signals. As managed by Seattle-based World Music impresario
noted, the 1982 release, Juju Music, produced by the Andy Frankel, he resurfaced in 1998 with a few shows
Frenchman Martin Meissonnier, was a big success, as in Europe before proceeding to the US for a renewed
was its follow-up, Synchro System. But Ade failed to assault on the American market. His shows revealed
gain the global audience demanded by a major, and him to be still on top form.

But there were looming doubts: Sunny Ade's Yo-pop and Afro-Juju
Yoruba lyrics and complex rhythms were less read-
ily accessible than the English lyrics and regular In the mid-1980s, as juju fractured, Yo-pop -
rhythms of the reggae greats he was supposed to Yoruba pop music — crashed onto the scene in
replace. And the discs encouraged a glut of Nige- the person of Segun Adewale. All speed, thun-
rian imports. Island's third Sunny Ade release, Aura, der and lightning, it found a huge young audience,
with Stevie Wonder playing harmonica on the title especially in Lagos.
track, bombed, and he was dropped by the label in Adewale started out as a backup singer, with
1985. Juju's star had waned, and at home it was Shina Peters, in the band of Prince Adekunle, a
beginning to lose out to a new wave of Yoruba contemporary of IK Dairo's, before splitting off to
music dubbed Yo-pop. form their own group which they called, with no
Ade (see box) continued a low-key and erratic trace of irony, Shina Adewale. Together they
career back home, while Obey concentrated his appeal recorded several albums and achieved enormous
on an older generation of fans, asserting his juju mas- success, but ultimately individual ambition led each
tery with a series ot classic, smaller label albums —Juju to strike out on his own.
Jubilee (Shanachie 1988), Get Yerjujus Out (Rykodisc, With wealthy Nigerian backers, 'Sir' Shina
1989) and Juju Jubilation, (EMI Hemisphere, 1997). Peters combined juju with elements of Fela Kuti's

592 Nigeria
Afro-Beat style and the upfront drum sounds of Sikiru Ayinde, better known by his fans as

fuji music into a style he dubbed Afro-juju. Afro- Barrister, is the leading Yoruba fuji singer. At the
Juju Series 1, his 1989 CBS release, became a mul- age of ten, he started singing Muslim were, the
timillion seller in Nigeria and abroad and launched singing-alarm-clock songs performed for early
a youth craze called Shina Mania. The record's breakfast and prayers during Ramadan. After a brief

Stunning success and Peters' powerful live perfor- career in the army, he returned to music and, in
mances secured him Nigeria's Juju Musician of the the early 1970s, formed the Supreme Fuj'i Com-
Year award for 1990. His follow-up, Shinamania, manders, a twenty-five-piece outfit that soon
created a modem juju style but despite healthy sales, became one of Nigeria's top bands, firing off a bat-

the result was widely panned by Nigerian critics tery of hit records.
who damped down the heat of the two-year craze. Ayinla Kollington, popularly known as 'Baba
manage to open up the juju
Shina's success did Alatika' (father of the masses), is ranked second in

market to newcomers and in the late 1990s mas- the fuji popularity stakes behind Barrister. He's very
sive plaudits were showered on Fabulous Olu much the source of social commentary in the Yoru-
Fajemirokun. But in the latter part of the decade, ba Muslim music scene. His lyrics can be razor-
juju was really in the shadows of fuji - of which sharp - though he rarely puts himself on the front

more below. In the late 1990s, Adewale Ayuba line of political dissent, as Fela Kuti did, for exam-
created a kind ofjuju-fuji fusion, with a twenty- ple. He released over a dozen albums in the 1980s.

strong band, major chart hits at home, and an As success spawned success, Kollington, Barrister
underground accreditation abroad for the album Sikiru and a third major juju name, 'Barrister'
Fuji Dub: Lagos-Brooklyu-Brixton. Wasiu, vied with each other to accumulate titles,
doctorates and other symbols of status. But the real

The Eruption of Fuji action was taking place on vinyl. Each fuji leader
continued to add new touches to the basic formula
Although fuji has been around in Yoruba-land for - a drop of Hawaiian guitar here, a lone trumpet
nearly three decades, three top names - Sikiru there; from a subtle synth in the background to an
Ayinde Barrister, Ayinla Kollington and Wasiu up-front school bell. Proletarian and relendess, the
Barrister - had come totally to dominate the Lagos moving percussive force of fuji swept Lagos off its
scene by the early 1 990s. Named, somewhat oddly, feet and by the early 1990s had become synonymous
after Mount Fuji, the Japanese mountain of love with dance-floor excitement. Wasiu scored with
(mostly for the sound of the word, according to "Talazo in London" and "Jo Fun Mi"; Kollington
originator Sikiru Barrister), the first fuji bands had with "Megastar", "Fuji Ropopo" and - with the
appeared in the late 1960s. renamed Fuji Eaglets — the 1997 hit "Live in Amer-
Early fuji sythesised elements of apala - a style ica"; Sikiru with "Extravaganza" and "Fuji Garbage".
with a praise-song core, named after the talking "Fuji Garbage" was titled thus to pre-empt any
drum - with the sounds of the sakara tambourine abusive comments from rivals. So, they thought
drum, into a new recreational dance style. It was itwas garbage? Sikiru would call it garbage him-
first popularised by Ayinla Omowura and self (if Michael Jackson was 'Bad', Sikiru Ayinde

Haruna Ishola (a nationally reputed musician and Barrister was 'Garbage'!). It also expressed his
studio-owning entrepreneur). contempt for the space taken up in the fuji
Sometimes glibly described as juju music with- columns of the Nigerian papers over the alleged
out guitars - interestingly, Ebenezer Obey once gossip and feuding between him and Kollington.
described juju as mambo music plus guitars — fuji Like the term 'fuji', the epithet has worked —
is in fact a far more complex style, drawing on especially as the associated dance style swept
Yoruba percussion roots (the small round clay and through Nigeria's Christian and Muslim com-
bamboo sakara tambourine-drum and apala talk- munities alike - and the 'Garbage' series now
ing drum) while adding a specifically Muslim vocal numbers many volumes.
feel. True, there are virtually no stringed instru- Sikiru Barrister's full line-up - when there's
ments involved, apart from the Hawaiian guitar, room for all of them on stage — is thirty-four. The
but it's an overwhelming wall of sound, carved fuji percussion orchestras are a sight to behold.
out of silence by percussion and vocals. From a They can occasionally be enjoyed in London and
slow start, fuji steadily gained in popularity, over- New York when they drop over for shows that
taking juju by the mid-1980s. It was associated are always underpublicised outside an ecstatic Nige-
loosely with Islam in the same way that juju tend- rian community. At his overseas gigs, Barrister's
ed to be associated with Christianity. stage and line-up resembles a Lagos street scene,

Nigeria 593
 Fela Kuti and the Afro-Beat Revolution
Of all African musicians Fela Kuti probably needs the hotbed. The Ransome family had a history both of anti-

least introduction. He passed his half century with over colonial, nationalist activity and musical talent. Fela's

fifty albums to his credit, and - sweating, naked to the grandfather was a celebrated composer, his father and
waist, with a massive spliff clenched between his teeth mother a piano-playing pastor and a nationalist lead-
- became the radiant rallying point for the Nigerian er respectively. In the late 1950s Fela moved to Lon-
underclass, and for political prisoners everywhere. Con- don to study music and stayed four years, studying
troversial, stubborn, outspoken, innovative, and always trumpet and music theory at the Trinity College of Music
on a track entirely his own, Fela maintained a creative and forming the Koola Lobitos in 1 961 with his friend
momentum unparalleled in West Africa. and mentor, JK Braimah.
His career, spanning three decades, was repeated- Returning home in 1963 he soon came under the
ly interrupted by government violence against his musi- influence of Sierra Leonean soul singer Geraldo Pino's
cians, his family and his person. Records were regularly Afro-soul style, itself close to James Brown. Fela com-
banned, his extraordinary, extended-family base, the bined this innovative style with elements of highlife,

self-styled Kalakuta Republic, was destroyed, his moth- jazz, and traditional music and dubbed his sound 'Afro-

er killed, and the man himself beaten up and impris- Beat'.

oned; yet still he fought on against the corruption, In 1969 he moved to the US where he read about
brutality and banal inhumanity of successive regimes, African-American history and was moved by his con-
ironically dying a year before the collapse of perhaps tact with the Black Panthers. Nigeria was plagued by
the worst of them all, Abacha's ill-fated African reich. political instability and military rulers of uncertain cali-

Fela Anikulapo Ransome-Kuti was bom into an elite bre. As the plight of the poor in Nigeria worsened, Fela
C5 Yoruba family in Abeokuta, north of Lagos. The town, sharpened his wit and honed his musical revolution,

established by the British in the early 1800s for freed recording a number of singles, retrospectively gathered

slaves, and the home of Nobel-prize-winning novelist together and released by Stem's as The Los Angeles
Wole Soyinke, was always a creative and radical Sessions.

Fela in offstage attire

594 Nigeria
 This was followed in short order by a stint in Lon- dance-oriented and the lengthy on-stage polemics -
don, (marked for posterity by Fela's London Scene), haranguing captive audiences through a haze of smoke
a new name for the band - the harder hitting Africa - became legendary.
70 - and then a true purple patch in 1 972 with a series Fela's lifetime of confrontation, heavy living and per-
of Afro-Beat classics. He then launched into a series sonal conviction was taking its toll and when he fell

of stinging attacks on everything from military gov- into a coma late in 1997, brought on by AIDS, the end
ernments to skin-bleaching, Lagos traffic to arbitrary followed quickly. Lagos came to a standstill as he was
arrest and, above all, the political and economic sys- laid to rest. Fela remains a truly remarkable witness to
tems which reproduced such grinding poverty. His the realities of post colonial Africa. No system ever
efforts did not go unnoticed. For him, the 1970s were broke his resistance, no power broke his bond with the
characterised by police harassment and violence, con- people and no historian will ever capture his true rep-
flicts with multinational record companies, self-exile utation across the continent.

in Ghana and, in spite of all this, a growing interna- During Fela's periods in jail, his bands carried on,
tional reputation. led by his son Femi and others. Femi Kuti has now
Afro-Beat emerged as a powerful musical force launched a career of his own, escaping from the pater-
featuring the fantastic percussionist Tony Allen on nal shadow. Where his father was ranting and polem-
the drum kit, brooding brass parts, call-and-response ical, Femi is less vitriolic, more a musician's musician.
vocals, a spectacularly choreographed, twenty-strong If he doesn't quite have the old man's voice, his pos-
female chorus, and of course Fela himself, alternating itive approach is a suitable complement to Fela's over-
between tenor-sax, alto-sax and keyboard. Building to powering political awareness, and his recent (1998)

magnificent, thundering climaxes, Afro-Beat carved album, Shoki Shoki, and tours, show a marked incli-

out a niche in the crowded Lagos musical market with nation to the dancefloor.
best-seller following best-seller.

In 1985, the military government

a
m
nailed Fela on spurious currency 30
charges and locked him away for a >
five-year prison sentence. But such
was the international outcry and mas-
sive protest inside Nigeria that he
was eventually released in 1987,
weakened but unbowed. Towards
the end of the decade he blasted
back with classics such as "Army
Arrangement" (a stinging indictment
of military corruption under the
Obasanjo regime), "Beasts of No
Nation" (a lashing for the reactionary

conservatism of Reagan, Thatcher

and Botha in South Africa), and the
standing accusation of all Nigerian
governments entitled "Which Head
Never Steal?".
Accompanied by his forty-strong
band, by now known as the Egypt
80, Fela was never an easy star to

deal with, and he stood accused of

racism, extravagant sexism and
overweening egoism - all charges
which he shrugged off rather than
refuted. (In 1986 he divorced his

twenty-eight wives, announcing, "no

man has the right to own a woman's
vagina"). His songs, sung in pidgin
English, retained a wide appeal for

their humour and clever use of lan-

guage, but his music was never Femi Kuti

Nigeria 595
 Bobby Benson

as the audience mingle with the orchestra and an Bobby Benson, one of the pioneers of dance
CD organised currency-changing operation is set up band highlife, devoted himself to this style after
m on tables and chairs to one side. hearing ET
Mensah. In the 1950s, he created
39
By all the leading fuji stars were
the mid-1990s, Bobby Benson and his Combo, and his early hits
releasing videos mixed from live shows, street the- went a long way to popularise the style at home.
atre and home life. Enormously entertaining and Another pioneer was Rex 'Jim' Lawson, who
of excellent quality, these fuji videos are now the began playing trumpet in bands at the age of
best way to experience the fuji phenomenon - twelve, and when highlife took off in the 1950s,
short of a long weekend in Lagos. he worked with many of the greats. In the 1960s,
his eleven-piece group. Mayor's Dance Band,

Highlife Rise and Fall produced successive hits including "Jolly Papa"
and "Gowon Special". Lawson died suddenly in
While juju and fuji have ruled among the Yoru- 1976, at the height of his career. Many of the clas-

ba, high-quality highlife was the norm in the Igbo sics can be heard on his Greatest Hits album on
east for well over forty flowing and
years. Light, Polydor Nigeria which has been re-released on
eminently danceable, highlife one of the few-
is CD by UK label, Flame Tree.
core dance rhythms in Africa and it easily took Prince Nico Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz are
root in Igbo-land. where it arrived from Ghana reckoned to have sold some thirteen million copies
in the early 1950s in guitar and dance bands. of "Sweet Mother", making it the biggest-selling
The Igbo have a traditional familiarity with African song of all rime. Hundreds of bands copied
stringed instruments; early 'Igbo Blues' is redolent it; radio stations played it incessandy; vinyl copies
of later guitar-band idioms and Congolese and could only be had at twenty rimes the normal price.

Cameroonian guitar bands toured the east from But why? For a song about not forgetting mum,
1959 onwards. Highlife, with its Western and with its vaguely guilt-ridden undertones, and, on
Christian musical links, slotted well into the Igbo first hearing, unadventurous composition, it's hard
cultural framework - non-Muslim, individualist, to see much beyond an innocent charm.
outward-looking. And the struggle for indepen-
Sweet mother, I no go forget you,
dence in Ghana, highlife's heardand, was closely
For the suffer wey you suffer for me, yeah,
watched in Nigeria, where it was branded the cul-
Sweet mother, no go forget you,
I

tural expression of West African nationalism, wor-

For the suffer wey you suffer for me, yeah.
thy of emulation. ET Mensah, the king of
When I de cry, my mother go carry me.
Ghanaian highlife (see p. 491), toured frequently She go say, "My pikin, wetin you de cry?, oh,
during the 1950s, and his music struck an imme- Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop
diate chord with southern Nigerians. Make you no go cry again, oh".

596 Nigeria
 Praise and 'Spraying'
Like all Yoruba music, juju and fuji music is primarily The musicians are generally given a guaranteed fee
about words. As the Yoruba language is strongly tonal come from
for performing, but the bulk of their earnings

- in other words the pitch of a syllable determines the what known as 'spraying'. The lead singer of the
is

meaning - lyrics and melody have a peculiarly close rela- band makes sure he collects the names and other per-
tionship. Juju music is steeped in Yoruba oral traditions tinent information about prominent individuals attend-
and its singers draw from the large corpus of proverbs, ing the event and there is usually a non-performing band
metaphors and traditional praise poems of the spoken member dedicated to this important task. The singer
language. While popular juju and fuji musicians play will then praise these individuals one at a time, invok-
nightclub and theatre shows, the vast majority of per- ing their heritage, heaping praises on their relatives and,

formances take place in more traditional contexts such through formulaic proverbs, establishing their great and
as weddings, naming ceremonies, funeral feasts and worthy credentials for all to hear. In response, the patron

other major commemorative events. whose head has 'swelled' with pride will come on stage
and slap bank notes onto the forehead of the

sweaty musician - quickly collected by a col-

league. The more money given, the longer the

patron's praises are sung.
At a typical ceremony, the music will begin
around 1 1 pm or midnight and the band will

play nonstop for two or three hours. It is com-

mon for these inawo (literally 'something to
spend money
the next morning or
on') to last until eight o'clock

later. As long as patrons

m
are spraying, the musicians play. Artists like

Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and Sikiru Bar-

rister, who demand guarantees of around

$1 ,000, routinely get sprayed upwards of
Barrister trawls in the tips $10,000 per show.

But it is an infectious song and its potent appeal stick to his musical roots throughout the civil war
was concocted from Mbarga's use of pidgin English and after. Two other diehards are the sonorous-
(broadening his audience enormously) and a style voiced, old-rimer Stephen Osita Osadebe, with
he called panko — for the first time incorporating almost half a century of traditional Igbo guitar songs
sophisticated rumba guitar-phrasing into the high- behind him and more than thirty albums, and
life idiom. In fact "Sweet Mother" is a highly Orlando 'Dr Ganja' Owoh, the inveterate king
charged dance number, mid-paced and sensual, of toye, a juju-highlife cross-style which contrives
with brilliant rhythmic breaks, and innovative use to be both traditional and provocative, by staying
of 'Congolese guitar'. It ensured the late Prince acoustic, topical - and stoned.
Nico's eternal reputation. Old albums from the early highlife stars are rar-

Alas, the song was an outstanding success in a ities these days although it is still possible to lay
story of general decline. The Nigerian civil war in your hands on 1970s and '80s material by the fab-
the late 1960s virtually put an end to highlife in ulous Oriental Brothers (and off-shoots Dr Sir
western Nigeria: tribal discrimination forced all Warrior and Kabaka), as well as the classic high-
Igbo musicians, including Rex Lawson, to leave life of Ikengas, Oliver de Coque and, of course.
Lagos, and guitar-band highlife was increasingly Prince Nico Mbarga. A steady trickle of re-releas-
identified with the east as 'Igbo highlife' (where, es continues to refresh the catalogue, if not the
with a few honourable exceptions, it gradully with- style, and afionados are urged to check out Celes-
ered), while juju, and later fuji, became the staple tine Ukwu's Greatest Hits.
diet of the Lagos recording industry. One sole survivor from the 1970s is the inde-
Among Yoruba
the highlife survivors was the structible - and - Sonny Okosun.
international
singer and trumpeter 'Dr' Victor Olaiya (the Hit followed hit in the wake of "Fire in Soweto"
'Evil Genius of Highlife') - one of the few top as his reputation soared on both sides of the Atlantic,

Lagos musicians to continue with the genre and fully justifying the 1996 Ultimate Collection. But rime

Nigeria 597
 Juju

Compilation
Juju Roots, 1930s-1950s
(Rounder US).

Excellent introduction to the early ju(u years with comprehen-

sive sleeve notes. Featunng Irewolede Denge. Tunde King
"and Ojoge Daniel - essential.

Artists

King Sunny Ade n

Sunny Ade was already huge in Nigeria when Island

signed him and his spectacular band in 1982. His disinc-
tive brand of juju spread a tide of international interest in
the sounds of Africa, creating rack space in the record
stores of Europe and the US long before the notion of
World Music had any meaning. Nearly two decades on,
he's still intermittently flying high.

Juju Music
(Island, UK).

The record that launched a million passions for African

sounds. wonderful after all these years. Juju Music
Still

includes many
of Ade's best songs, among them the sweet
"365 is My Number", a longer, sharper, and looser version of
which takes up a whole side on the 1 978 vinyl release Private
Une (Sunny Alade. Nigeria). If the Velvet Underground had
r (Sir) Warrior & Oriental Brothers been African, this is close to how they might have sounded.

OOn Bobby (Sunny AJade, Nigeria).

had moved on and in reality Sonny had become a
Probably the best album of all time - Ade runs through all
juju
pastor, scoring reasonable domestic success with the classic a flowing 1983 tribute to legendary band
riffs in

Songs Of Praise, a tw o- volume personal testimony leader Bobby Benson. The classic Synchro System (Island.

from the evangelist. UK) is from the same year as Bobby (1983) but a different
sound - a more measured approach to the Western market.
Another mavenck on the scene was Sir Victor With Ade back on the international circuit, someone must
Uwaifo. 1960s professional wresder, turned 1970s surely bring the master into the CD age.

hit-maker with "Joromi" and latterly a true renais- 7: Odd (Wamer/Eastwest, US).
sance man with his arts laboratory and studio. The
While it's hard to compress 30-minute songs into five-minute
1996 release Vintage Masterpieces in no way under- tracks (the recorded version can seem like a series of freeze-
estimates his popularity or talent. frames from the all-day liveexpenence and the fades are
frustrating), the frequently overheard conversations between
talking drum and steel guitar are so utterly beguiling, under
the guitars and percussion blanket of his twenty-piece band,

discography that you forgive Ade these constraints.

"Easy Motion Tounst". a very toothsome number indeed.
Choose track 2 first.

A great deal of postwar Nigerian music, including early

and highlrfe, is locked away in the warehouses of
Segun Adewale
juju
Philips,Oecca and EMI, although both Original Music and The crown prince of juju served a long and obviously fruit-
Timbuktoo have done their best to make material avail- ful apprencticeship before reforming the SuperStars
able. Traditional music from Nigeria is seldom available International (no room for modesty in the Adewale house-
on anything other than local cassettes. hold), in 1 980 and reaching global success in the immedi-
ate wake of the juju boom. He remained at his peak
throughout the 1980s but nothing much was heard from
Traditional him in the subsequent decade.

S Play For Me (Stem's, UK).

3 Yoruba Street Percussion (Original Music. US).
The album on which rest*Adewale's reputation as master of
A rich diversity of short tracks from the 1960s including
dubbed Yo-Pop. an aggressive, up-beat
the kick-start juju
agtdigbo by the New Star Orchestra, apala from Haruna
Lagos style.
Ishoia, early fujt, sakara, various female waka artists and a
sound dubbed natural juju'. More of a generous slice of
social history than a cotector's item, and all of it borrowed
IK Dairo
from Decca West Africa. Singer, composer and band leader, Dairo was responsible

598 Nigeria
for the consolidation of juju music amongst the Yoruba
Cg Ogene Super Sound (ORPS, Nigeria).
and the introduction of the accordion to the style.
This recording set the standard for the prolific outpouring of
H3 Juju Master (Original Music, US). the late 1970s. Fluid and melodic, with a hidden punch.
This is a classic round-up of Decca West Africa 45s. The talking

drums are really speaking here. Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz
If Ade carries the flag for juju and Fela's afrobeat will, in
Ebenezer Obey time, become a global source sound, then the late Prince
Nico will forever be Igbo highlife.
With over to his credit and enjoying a new
fifty albums
lease of middle age. Obey justifiably maintains a
life in
Aki Special
world reputation and an immensely loyal following for his (Rounder, US).
infectious, danceable juju. Doubling as a pastor has done
nothing to harm his spiritual dimension. A bumper CD with nearly two LPs' worth on it - including the
global "Sweet Mother" - which makes as good a starting
hit

SS Solution (Stern's, UK). point as any for a collection of Nigerian music.

Lengthy, live juju, this is a disc that is representative of Obey

at his best. Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
SS Ju Ju Jubilation (EMI/Hemisphere, UK). The master of lyrical lilting highlife - and the only Nigerian
artist ever to receive a Platinum record - is still perform-
Satisfyingly bluesy, slightly offbeat juju music from the man ing to appreciative audiences. His massive contribution
who has released dozens of albums and whose expansive should surely be more available on CD.
features and rather right-wing, Christian image, are in stark
contrast to rival juju artist Sunny Ade. i
't? |
Osondi Owendi (Polygram, Nigeria).

This classic, from 1984, represents the Chief at the height of

Fuji his powers.

SI Kedu America (Xenophile, US).

Adewale Ayuba
The no busier than usual, day's recording on a
result of one,
Adewale hit the scene running with Bubble and went on
to carve a reputation for a richer, more orchestrated fuji
late 1990s American tour - a sweet collection of swirling m
so
dance tracks, melding guitar and horns - produced by
sound, not quite managing to remain anonymous on the
Seattle-based Nigerian music maestro Andy Frankel.
more accessible Fuji Dub (Triple Earth).

i Bubble (Flame Tree, UK). Oriental Brothers

An early 1 990s recording now reissued on CD. The first inter- Formed by three virtuoso brothers - Dan, Godwin and
national CD release for the young pop pretender of fuji. Warrior Satch - the Orientals went on to spawn three of the
finest highlife bands ever, dominating the 1970s with hit
Barrister after hit.Whether they split for musical reasons or commer-
cial opportunity, three out of one makes good sense to me.
One-time rival of Kollington (below) but now peacefully
co-existing
started
in a market big enough for both, Barrister

as a were musician before poverty drove him

life

into the army. He now fronts thirty-plus musician groups.

m
After
Heavy on the Highlife
(Original Music, US).

dozens of Nigeria-only releases, this wonderful burn-up

New Fuji Garbage of a guitar-highlife album sets the standard. Relentless, sexy
grooves, whose re-issue is a real public service.
Oil (GlobeStyle, UK).

With the the GlobeStyle team

first international outing for
struck gold - a recording which
fuji,

is likely to define the style for

Celestine Ukwu
Western ears for years to come. Barrister's voice here is With a career interrupted by the Biafran Civil War,
slightly mellower than usual and the band surround it with a Celestine's short period at the top left a lasting legacy of
pounding panoply. Not forgetting the Hawaiian guitar. imaginative popular music. Backed by 'The Philosphers',
Ukwu's music has been ripe for re-issue for several years.
Ayinla Kollington Once again, Flame Tree have done the honourable thing.

Following a short army career - the current title of Greatest Hits

General therefore apt, if not strictly true - Kollington rose (Flame Tree, UK).
to stardom in the late 1960s and has maintained his cre-
Classic, gentle and lyrical 1 976 Igbo guitar-band highlife from
ative impetus for three decades.
the late master. Ukwu's albums remain a rarity but Flame

S Live in America (Unknown). Tree have had the sense to release his Greatest Hits.

Fuji's 'Man of the People'. Challenging lyrics, driving percus-

sion and an overall sound to shake the rafters. Afro- beat and other styles

Highlife Artists

Oliver de Coque
A classic highlifer, the colourful de Coque occupies a Tony Allen
unique position in the highlife pantheon, syncretising Inthe 1970s heyday of Fela Kuti's great band Africa 70,
classic Congo guitar into laidback highlife rhythms Tony Allen was always credited as drummer and leader.

Nigeria 599
More than that he constructed the basic ingredient of
Afro-beat with his own four limbs: "given to be used", as
Femi Kuti
he used to say. Femi Kuti has had an independent career since the late
1980s with his group, the Positive Force, but his career
W Black Voices (Comet, UK).
has really buregoned since his father, Fela's death.
Allen returns from the wilderness with a spacey dubstyle CD, Recognisably a Kuti, both in his voice and lyrics and
in which the groove rules, almost subliminally at times. Tenor muscular arrangements, he has a dancefloor sensibility
guitars, stabs of keyboard, juju type vocals, touches of Manu which old man Kuti's stoned diatribes never aimed to
Dibango, Sunny Ade and P-Funk. This is adventurous stuff
deliver.
on the active side of minimal from an acknowledged master.
Shoki Shoki (Polygram, UK).
Haruna Ishola The first big internationally promoted release for Femi - and,
Apala music helped pave the way for both juju and fuji. from the sweatily explicit "Beng Beng Beng" to the affronted
Before he died in 1983, Ishola had produced some twenty "Victim of Life", it's a welcome chip off the old block.
five apala albums, owning his own studio and setting the «k

standard for others to follow. Plenty still around on vinyl Gaspar Lawal
but, surprisingly, nothing yet on CD.
Arriving in London in the 1960s, Gaspar has, over the
El Gboti Oloti Le (NEMI, Nigeria). years, played with literally everyone in the rock and black
A masterpiece of the genre, and one of Ishola's last recordings. music scene.

1 Kadara (GlobeStyle, UK).

Fela Kuti
Economical with his precocious talent, Gaspar is in a class of
Fela (1938-1997) was a one-man genre, whose music - his own for neotraditional percussion and on this recording
Afro-beat - took its measure from the
inspiration in equal
he surrounds himself with equally illustrious sidemen.
fight for human dignity and the As well
lust for sensation.
as the recordings covered below, the Talkin' Loud label is
in the throes of releasing 10 CDs each combining two
Babatunde Olatunji
original vinyl albums. US based most
for of his musical life, Baba pioneered
The 69 Los Angeles Sessions African music in the States and is now, justifiably, consid-
(Stern's, UK). ered a legend in his own lifetime.

An easy place to start and highly recommended - vintage u Drums of Passion (Rykodisc, US).
numbers from (1969) Black Panther days and ten tracks all
Spritualdrumming and chanting, with the help of Mickey
under seven minutes make it unique in the Fela oeuvre. A
Hart, to invoke the Yoruba gods Ajaja, Kori, Ogun and
tighter productionthan on later outpourings also makes this
an accessible entree into a fierce world.
Shango. Two volumes (The Invocation and The Beat).
Ultimately, it gets to you.
Open and Close and
He Miss Road (Stern's, UK).
Sonny Okosun
Recorded in 1971 and 1975, these two albums come from
Pop star turned preacher, Okosun's career has spanned
what most fans rate as Fela's golden period.
two decades, turning out such afro-rock-reggae classics
Underground System as "Fire in Soweto", "Holy Wars" and "Papa's Land".
(Stern's, UK). Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Sonny has always
been able to maintain a devoted following in the US for
High on anyone's list of most essential Fela. this comprises
his accessible, emotional and memorable songs.
two effervescent tracks and many credits. Recorded in 1992,
itcombines a paean of praise for Kwame Nkrumah, the ulti- '
The Ultimate Collection (AVC Music, Lagos).
mate African hero, and a scornful assault on Babangida,
Abiola and Obasanjo. three of the biggest of Nigeria's 'big A fine career retrospective featuring all three songs men-
men', the latter recently elected president. tioned above.

600 Nigeria
Pygmy music
sounds from the african rain forest
Politically unstable central Africa has seen a dreadful toll of civil wars in the 1990s. The coups and
bloody ethnic conflicts of Rwanda and Congo, however, have had less impact on the indigenous
inhabitants of the region's extensive rainforests than the dramatic increase in logging activities over
the past two decades. For the Pygmies based in the forests of Cameroon, traditional music brought to
the ears of enthusiastic Western audiences may prove the most effective weapon in the struggle to
save their homelands, as Dave Abram discovers.

hour before dawn, shreds of mist soundscape. But the descending in yodelled steps
One hang below the canopy of the Cameroo-
nian rainforest. A myriad invisible insects
still

that swell and merge

yelli,

to form haunting chords,

the songs of the Baka, the indigenous hunter-gatherers
are

announce their presence with a layered who inhabit this remote tract of tropical forest. Rever-
wall of noise, punctuated by an occasional bird call berating between the giant tree trunks, their poly-
or the blood curdling cry of a tree hyrax. At first, the phonic pre-dawn chorus is a bid to mesmerise the
strange new notes that echo through the darkness animals so that they will succumb more easily to the

could be part of this ever changing non-human hunters' spears and nets the following day.

-<
o

CO

Baka children clapping

Pygmy music 601

 The Baka are one of dozens of indigenous groups The tunes, most of which are rooted in five-
living in the equatorial forests of central Africa; oth- or seven-note scales, tend to be divided into syn-
ers include their neighbours, the Aka. the Mbuti copated parts for different voices, embellished with
of Congo, and the Efe of the Central African overlapping harmonies and accompanied by var-
Republic. Scattered in pockets from the Cameroon ious kinds of percussion - none of which will tell
coast to Congo and the hilly borders of Rwanda and you what givesPygmy music its unique defining
Burundi, these forest dwelling peoples - featured in quality. For when these elements flow together
ancient Egyptian murals and referred to since the era the result is something magical: rhythmic, melod-
of European explorers as "Pygmies' because of their ic music alive with unexpected dissonances.
diminutive stature — share neither land nor language.
Nor do members of these far-flung groups interact Music in Forest Life
What they have in common, however,
very often.
is a dependence on the forest for food, shelter tind In his famous ethnography of the Mbuti of
medicine, and for a degree of economic indepen- Congo, American anthropologist Colin M. Turn-
dence from their Bantu farmer neighbours, who bull - whose best-selling book The Forest People
tend to regard them as primitive and inferior. brought the first detailed, accessible description
This semi-nomadic life in the forest has, in spite of Pygmy life to Western readers — explores the
of the distances that separate the various Pygmy relation between the forest and the Mbuti's music.
populations, given rise to similar beliefs and ritual According to Turnbull, his Pygmy informants
practices, and to similarly egalitarian societies across regarded the forest as a kind of benevolent, all-

the Ituri forest of the Congo basin and beyond. powerful 'parent', able to provide sustenance and
The Pygmies' other distinguishing character- affection for its 'children' as long as they were able
isitic is their extraordinary aptitude for music. to communicate with it. The principal way the
Whether butchering a duiker antelope, bathing in Mbuti did this was through singing. "Song", wrote
the river, or simply sharing a spliff around the fire, Turnbull in 1965, "is used to communicate with
music is ever-present. In camp sessions, voices usu- the forest, and it is significant that the emphasis is

ally cany the tunes. But the Baka also make instru- on the actual sound, not on the words . . . The
ments from materials found in the forest and will sound 'awakens' the forest . . . thus attracting the
spend hours each day playing them. Their songs forest's attention to the immediate needs of its

range from simple melodic phrases without words, children."

or clapping and rhyme games for children, to In common with many hunter-gatherer soci-
longer, more complex 'story-tales' — likanos - eties, Pygmies such as the Mbuki or Baka do not
relating traditional origin myths. maintain the hard and fast distinctions between
formal and informal work and
play as do Western societies.
A tune that crops up in a full-
moon fireside session could
well be the same one deployed
in a spirit possession ritual or
pre-hunt yelli, and even dur-
ing what seem to be impor-
tant ceremonies, laughing and
joking are the norm.
Nevertheless, different styles
of music tend to accompany
different activities. To amuse
themselves while bathing in
the river, for example, Baka
women and children will
plunge, slap and beat their
hands in the water to create
polyrhythmic sounds and
rhythms known as liquindi
(water drumming). And when
Baka earth bow the group is lazing around in

602 Pygmy music

camp after a good meal, someone is sure to strike Listening to the Forest
up a tune on a limbindi (a thin string bow, whose
pitch changed with the chin), the ieta (bow
is Ethnographers, musicologists and anyone who has
harp), or ngombi (harp zither) which everyone lived in the forest with Pygmy people are bound
else will add to with a harmony or percussion line, to have asked themselves where this extraordinary
tapping on pots and hollow logs and shaking seed musicality comes from. The answer, like so much
pods. This kind of spontaneous, pure entertain- else in the pygmies' life, stems from the forest, or
ment music forms a constant backdrop to life in more particularly, in its rich soundscape. Moving
camp, and has an important social function; by around the rainforest paths, where dense vegeta-
drawing the group together in time and in tune, tion prevents you from seeing very far, hearing
it eases the stresses and strains of close communal becomes the primary sense. In the absense of visu-
life. Some of the most enjoyable sessions are those al pointers, the pygmies find their way by tuning

which are instigated after an argument. into auditory landmarks: to the sound of particu-
Among the Baka and other Pygmy populations, lar trees, to the flow of a river, or to noises from

music is also used as a medium for moral and spir- different encampments, and by calling to one
itual instruction. Likanos advise people on how to another, often over long distances.
behave by giving guidance on key matters such as It's not surprising, therefore, that forest dwellers
sharing (essential in hunter-gatherer economies), become skilled listeners at a very early age. More-
marriage arrangements and hunting techniques. over, they do not have to contend with the back-
Some also explain the origins of the animals, plants drop of irrelevant noise that assails us in modern
and natural forces in the forest (one well-loved cities. In Western countries, people learn to 'switch
Baka likano concerns man who danced too slow-
a off — actively 'not to listen'. Pygmy children, on
ly and was turned by Kumba, the Creator Being, the other hand, are encouraged to develop sensi-
into a millipede). tivity to the sounds around them, not least of all

Lastly, music has a specific role in rituals: rites by listening to, and becoming involved in, the
of passage, spirit visitations, and divination cere- music that constantly surrounds them in camp.
monies conducted to establish the source of Older children help keep their younger brothers
witchcraft, to heal a sick person, or to help find and sisters amused by teaching them tunes, dances
animals in the forest. The words 'song' and and clapping games, and these help integrate skills

'dance' (be) are the same in Baka, and it is through essential for life in the forest.

'singing the dance' that the spirits of the forest The Pygmies' keen sense of hearing can lead to
are invoked. In fact, spirits are believed to have incidents of synchronicity that bewilder their less
handed down the Bakas' music in the first place; sound-aware visitors. When, for example, an ele-
the songs and dances merely flow through them phant is killed by hunters many miles away in the
into the world. forest, the women back at camp may know of the
Perhaps this explains why the Baka, in keep- kill hours before the hunters return. The death of
ing with their egalitarian way of living, make lit- such a large animal sparks off bird calls in the vicin-
tle or no distinction between performer and ity, which will in turn send sound ripples through
audience. Even in jengi or boona ceremonies, the forest. And when these reach the women, they
where a spirit actually enters the camp (in the start to sing celebrations.
form of an initiated man dressed in a special rit- This uncanny sensitivity to sound, combined
ual costume), most of those present will partici- with an early start and plenty of opportunity for
pate equally in the music and drama. That said, practice, perhaps explains the Pygmies' highly
certain individuals may lead the singing or dance developed musical ability. Playing good group
if they know the words and movements better music is, after all, ninety percent listening.
than anyone else. It is the leader's job to keep the
tune going when
bring a song to an end. This role
it flags, to prompt, initiate or Beyond the Forest
is not formally
conferred, and implies no special privileges. As Early travellers tended to describe hunter-gather peo-
with hunting and gathering, or the hundreds of ples of centra] Africa as if they existed in isolation.
other skilled tasks the Baka perform in the run of But semi-nomadic groups like the Baka, Efe, Aka,
their lives, an individual takes a key role in a group Babenzele and Mburi no longer (and proabably never
activity if he or she has marked talent for it, for did) live entirely cut off from the rest of the world.
the greater good of the group rather than their Although they may spend many months following
own prestige. food sources in the forest, economic or social ties

Pygmy music 603

 In the Spirit of the Forest:
the Music of Baka Beyond
When Martin Cradick, guitarist and composer Was it difficult to relate to the Baka?
with the group Outback, and singer and artist Su Music was the thing that broke the ice. The Baka were
Hart packed their sketch books and instruments really happy to hear what we did. and join in, with per-

to set off in search of the Baka, neither of them cussion or whatever. Initially, the family group we'd
knew what they'd find in the forest. Four albums been introduced to made us a separate space in a
and three visits to Cameroon later, Martin picks clearing where our anthroplogist friend had been. Then
up the trail with Dave Abram. word got about that we were afbund, and within a day
or two a whole new village had grown up where we
What inspired you to travel to Cameroon in the were.
first place? People would drop in to play or look at our gear. They
I was watching Phil Agland's Channel 4 [UK] doc- were really interested in our guitars. We also had a load
umemtary on the Baka, and was taken with the music, of salt and Marks & Spencers underwear which they
particularly the limbindi, and started playing along with shared out, and quite a bit of stuff they'd never seen
my guitar. The song I wrote around that little nff became before, like plastic wrapping paper from cassette cases,

"Baka", the title track of the first Outback album. Then which the kids would stick to their foreheads like jew-
came a whole series of coincidences, my meeting an ellery. After a while we became their performing mon-
anthropologist who'd been with the Baka, and Su find- keys "look at these white people, they'll sing and dance
ing out that the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford were giv- and play tunes ... ha, ha, ha!". I remember the look of
ing bursaries for people to study Pygmy music. We absolute amazement on this little old lady's face one
told them we weren't anthroplogists, but had good time when she came out of her house and saw us
non-verbal communication skills after playing music in singing with the guitar. The next day she turned up with
-<
the Andes and staying with a Berber family in the Atlas a huge branch of bananas for us that she'd carried for
mountains, and they paid for our journey. an hour and a half through the forest as a present.

Martin Cradick and friends. Mt mbi

604 p yg m y music
 And where did the music go from there? were much more into listening to Spirit of the Forest.

We tended to get them to play their music for us to join Funnily enough, there are guitar tracks on that album I

in with. There were a couple of guitarists, and they always considered were written by them, but after play-

would sit around playing chords they'd picked up from ing the musicians the tracks it was clear they had no
Congolese radio on this homemade guitar thing with recollection of them. Over two years their own songs
five bits of wire for strings. And everyone else would had changed; they'd been playing them without record-
play percussion - clapping, hitting sticks or machetes, ings to refer to, and so the music was constantly evolv-
or plastic containers. Then I'd jam along with the man- ing, whereas I'd stuck to the original versions. The
dolin, and different people would improvise singing, traditional songs, though, didn't seem to have changed
which is why the songs are as they are on Spirit of the at all. In fact they sounded identical to recordings of
Forest. Baka music I'd heard from the 1950s.
Basically, I recorded these jam sessions and copied
them when we got home, sometimes with a percus- The Baka get a percentage of the royalties from
sion sample from the forest. It was just an experiment. these albums. What do they do with the money?
I wasn't thinking at the time "I'm going to make an They wanted us to put in the middle of the camp it

album" with this material. The only track did I that with where they could all see it, and divide it up equally. We
was "Baka". tried this, but it caused lots of problems and arguments;
also, people from outside would find ways of getting
You eventually released the material on sepa- the money off them. So instead we agreed that it should
rate albums, one for the songs you and Su played be spent on things that would benefit everyone.
with them, and another for the Baka's own tra- Now the money they earn in royalties is managed by

ditional music. a charity we set up called 'One Heart', whose projects

With Heart of the Forest, I was trying to avoid the sort and priorities were devised with the Baka in the forest
of ritualistic drums and chanting stuff that people would in January 1998. These include securing land rights,

expect to hear, in favour of songs and recordings of dif- buying ID cards (which means they don't get arrested
ferent instruments, like the limbindi and ngombi, to show for hunting), and training one of their own people as a "O
-<
that the Baka are actually really good musicians. did- doctor to bring essential medicines to camp. It's diffi-
I

C3
n't want to mix this up with what was doing. Conversely,
I cult to disagree with anyone who says they should have
there'd be people who might not have considered lis- the money themselves - it's their's after all - but the
tening to an anthropological recording who'd buy Heart charity serves the needs of the whole community more
of the Forest because they'd enjoyed Spirit. fairly and effectively.

—
How did the Baka react to the music you made You can more about 'One Heart', and the
find out

during the first visit? Bakas' music on the Baka Beyond website:
When we returned a couple of years later with the http://web.ukonline.co.uk/baka/ which features pho-
albums, it was clear they weren't particularly interested tos taken in the forest and sound samples of the Bakas'
in the recordings of them on Heart of the Forest. They instruments in action.

eventually pull them back to more permanent set-

tlements, to visit relatives and trade with their Bantu

neighbours.
Inevitably, the music of the African villages and
towns on the edge of the forest has influenced the
Pygmies, and some of the instruments most com-
monly found in their camps - log-and-skin drums,
or the ieta (bow harp) for example - must have
been originally copied from the Bantu.
The recent advent of portable radios and tape cas-
settes has had an even more dramatic impact. These
days, young guitar-playing Baka lads can skillfully

immitate the zouk and soukous sounds they hear

tinkling over on the airwaves from Congo — riffs
that are rudimentary compared with their own tra-

ditional sounds. What's more, performing them in

market towns can earn new respect from the Bantu. Baka musician playing the ieta

Pygmy music 605

 Pygmy Fusion familiar to the UK's Pygmy-Celtic fusion maestro,
*
Martin Cradick. Inspired by face-to-face collabo-
In the late 1950s, when he was conducting the rations with the Baka in southwest Cameroon, much

anthropological fieldwork that would later form of his band Baka Beyond's music is based around
the basis for The Forest People, Colin Turnbull samples from his own, and anthropologist Jeremy
made many hours of recordings of Mbuti music, Avis', field recordings. But, as Martin Cradick points
selections of which were subsequently released on out in the interview on pp.604—605 there's no rea-
vinyl. These quickly became classics of their type, son why the Baka shouldn't receive a representative

revealing for the first time the essential complex- share of his albums' royalities.
ity of Pygmy polyphony and an equally extraor-

dinary instrumental tradition. Survival

Tumbull's tapes also inspired a second generation
of ethnomusicologists, among them the French-Israeli Fair-trade and other ethical issues aside, record roy-

Simha Arom, who among the Babenzele of

lived alties ought way back to the forest
to find their
the Central African Republic in the 1960s. It was a because they provide means of ensuring the sur-
a

track on one of Arom's releases, featuring hindewhu vival of traditional Pygmy society, whose existence

(a technique in which a single-pitch reed whistle has come increasingly under threat in the past two
alternates with sung notes to produce a melody line) or three decades from logging companies, road
that was later picked up by African-American jazz builders and the temptations of wage labour.
pianist Herbie Hancock's drummer, Bill Summers, Whether or not Pygmy groups and their music
and turned, with the help of an empty beer bottle, will survive thesechanges depends on how suc-
into the famous remake of "Watermelon Man" fea- cessfully they are able to negotiate rights over their
tured on Hancock's ground breaking album Head- forest homelands. For without the forest, the Pyg-
hunters (until recendy the biggest sellingjazz LP ever). mies soon lose their economic independence. No
In retrospect, Summer's bottle blowing antics longer able to provide for themselves by hunting
< were a seminal moment in World Music history, and gathering, they are forced to drift into road-
marking as they did the first fusion of an African side settlements and to lead an impoverished life

Pygmy idiom with a Western tradition. Since then, on the margins of a society that, at best, treats them
Pygmy-inspired sounds have found their way into as second class citizens.

an array of different recording projects, from Brian Traditional music has already shown signs of suc-
Eno and John Hassel film soundtracks to Zap cumbing to the strain. In recent years, the nocturnal

o Mama (see p.28) a cappella numbers. yelli songs that have for hundreds, possibly thousands,
By far the best-known deployment of Pygmy of years echoed through the Cameroonian rainfor-
music, though, came with the 1993 release of the est, have become a rarity. Some Baka groups have
multi-million selling Deep Forest CD. Blending reportedly gone several seasons without singing yelli

digital keyboard sounds and percussion with ana- before a hunt, complaining that there have been too
logue samples from a spread of indigenous (main- many disturbances in the surrounding forest for them
ly African) traditions, French euro-popsters Eric to be successful. And every year that passes without
Mouquet and Michel Sanchez came up with a a yelli being performed increases the chances of this
formula combining soft techno with a rather cloy- unique musical form being lost forever.

ing nostaligia for the 'ancestral wisdom' of indige-

nous peoples (the introductory track to the album
begins with theline: "Somewhere deep in the jun-
discography
gle are living some little men and women. They
are your past; maybe they are your future"). Compilations
Described by one critic as the "Benetton of music-
S3 Anthology of World Music - Africa:
marketing concepts", Deep Forest proved phe-
The Ba-Benzele Pygmies (Rounder, US).
nomenally successful. Two and a half million copies
One of the best of a recently released group of ethnomusico-
were sold in its first three years, and it remains the
logical recordings. Worth getting for the astonishing virtuosity
best-selling World Music fusion album ever made. of the hindewhu whistle solo alone (a simultaneous song and
There has been controversy over how much of whistle tune whose effect has to be heard to be believed).

the Deep Forest money made its way back to the 83 The Baka Forest People: Heart of the Forest
original performers - a not uncommon dilemna (Hannibal, UK; Ryko, US).

when traditional music is 'sourced' or sampled. The Martin Cradick's field recordings, made in 1992, showcase
dilemma of how to renumerate musicians is one both the Bakas' extraordinary polyphonic singing, and their

606 Pygmy music

various instruments, interspersed with evocative eavesdrop- and was Martin Cradick's collaborator on Heart of the
pings on camp life. This is an album that deserves close lis- Forest.
tening. Seamlessly stringing together trancy instrumental
grooves, sploshing water drum sessions, kids campfire S3 Junglebean: Moving With Intent
rhymes and, best of all, yelli songs that draw you deep into (Camwood Productions, UK).
the forest, the selection gives a generous overview of the
Avis' debut album features a couple of tracks based on Baka
Bakas' music without descending into the realms of dry eth-
grooves, with techno trance, drum'n'bass patterns, medieval
nomusicology. And everyone on it (except the omnipresent
cantigas and oriental maquams thrown in for good measure.
cicadas) gets a cut of the royalites.

Baka Pygmies Baka Beyond

(Crammed Discs, Belgium).
UK-based Baka Beyond started after ex-Outback guitarist
While most ethnomusicologists have contented themselves Martin Cradick and his wife, Su Hart, spent six weeks with
with aSony Pro-Walkman, Belgian Vincent Kenis went to the the Baka in Cameroon. From this early hands-on stab at
forestequipped with a couple of dozen microphones, DAT Afro-Celtic fusion has evolved an increasingly sophisticat-
machine and mixing desk. The result was an extraordinarily ed sound, blending Baka riffs with Scottish island ballads
rich 'surround-sound' that captures the live feeling of Pygmy and the Hendrix-Ftomanian-Gypsy fiddling of Paddy
polyphony better than any other offering to date. The most
Lemercier.
impressive of the tracks are those that feature the whole
camp

j
singing and dancing.

Bayaka: The Extraordinary Music of the

Babenzele Pygmies (Ellipsis Arts, US).
m Spirit of the Forest
(Hannibal, UK; Ryko, US).

The title track of this first album is Baka Beyond's musical

mission statement. Field samples of forest yelli yield seam-
American anthroplogogist Louis Sarno has lived with the
lessly to studio recordings of Martin Cradick's rich mandolin
Babenzele people for over a decade, recording their music
and the forest. This CD features the
and guitar, while meticulously produced African percussion
writing about their life in

pick of his tape collection, remastered by wildlife and natural lays down an infectious groove.

sound supremo Bernie Krause, with a lavishly illustrated book

ST Meeting Pool (Hannibal, UK; Ryko, US).
toaccompany the recorded material. Best choice for the
anthropologically inclined. The highpoints of this more ambitious, elaborately produced
second offering are as much Gaelic (the spine-tingling ballad
S3 Centreafrique: Anthologie de la Musique des
"Ohureo") and Turkish (Lemercier's soaring eastern-influ-
Pygmes Aka (Harmonia Mundi, France).

This double CD set features digitally remastered versions of

enced violin playing) as Cameroonian, but the forest roots are
retained through sensitive sampling of Baka music and, once
<
ffj
Simha Arom's prize-winning 1978 recordings, which first put again, some powerful percussion. A truly inspired cultural
Pygmy music on the world map. The quality doesn't compare mish mash that defies categorisation.
with the albums listed above, but the 32 tracks cover the
gamut of the Akas' musical output, from large-scale divina-
Deep Forest
tion rituals involving dozens of participants to intimate contra-
puntal duets. French duo Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet set out in C/5

K Echoes of the Forest: Music of the Central

the early 1 990s to create lyrical electronic

ed with the ancestral wisdom of African chants". The

music "imprint- O
African Pygmies (Ellipsis Arts, US).
result was one of the most successful (and controversial)
A selection of Colin Turnbull, Jean-Pierre Hallet and Louis discs of the whole World Music phenomenon.
Sarno's best recordings, packaged with sixty pages of pho-
tographs and text describing Pygmy life and the work of the 83 Deep Forest (Epic, France).

three anthros. Credit is due to the Ellipsis label for putting this Synths and sequenced bass and percussion spice up sam-
product together for the price of a regular CD. ples of music from various "primitive societies" (sic), including

Music of the Rainforest Pygmies (Lyricord, US).

central African Pygmies, on this first and best Deep Forest
ST
album. Critics would maintain that is essentially a rehash
it of
More 1990s remastered versions of Turnbull 's classic 1961 the Noble Savage cliche in amorphous eurotechno.
recordings. This compilation is most notable for the final
track,which came about after Turnbull asked to hear the old-
est song the Pygmies he was taping knew. Accompanied by
Zap Mama
clapping, polyphony and stick beating, they sang a version of Zap Mama (see p. 28) is a Belgium-based, all-women a
"Clementine". cappella group whose members
are of mixed African and
European descent. Their leader, Marie Daulne, was born
Pygmees (Editions Dapper, France).
to a Belgian father and Congolese mother in Africa,
A 1991 collection of samples from the Musee Dapper's where, as a young child, she lived with the Pygmies in the
archives that sets out to challenge the concept that Pygmies forest.
are an isolatable ethnic or racial group. The accompanying
book is packed with engaging background info, and the origi- Adventures in Afropea (Luaka Bop, US).
nal tapes have been digitally remastered. Zap Mama (Cramworld, Belgium).

Zap Mama's acclaimed debut album, which occupied the

number one spot in Billboard's World Music chart for four
Artists (Fusion)
months, includes a wonderful cover of a piece from Arom
and Taurelle's 1966 ethnographic LP. entitled "Babanzele".
Jeremy Avis Using eight voices and hindewhu whistle, it is the most com-
Musicologist, singer and xylophone player Jeremy Avis plete, authentic reproduction of Pygmy polyphony by a
spent two years studying the Baka's music in Cameroon, Western group to date.

Pygmy music 607

 Rwanda and Burundi
echoes from the hills

The tragedy which struck Rwanda - the 1994 genocide which took almost a million lives - has
inevitably left scars on the country's cultural life. Modern music has been particularly badly hit, though
traditional musical life seems to have a dogged vigour that no horrors can diminish. As Jean-Pierre
Jacquemin, Jadot Sezirahigha and Rich'ard Trillo discover, it's perhaps at these times that
people look to family and roots even more than usual.

Rwanda tales and legends, indeed the whole oral tradition,

into a contemporary context. Other songs evoke

Before the genocide, Rwanda had an active music the beauty of cattle - a symbolic wealth which is
scene - both and modem — with a cou-
traditional of paramount importance to Rwandans.
ple of bands in most prefectures, and quite a num- This music is chiefly performed on specific
ber in the capital, Kigali. But musicians, who tend instruments: the inanga (like a lyre), the iningiri
to scorn the significance of ethnic distinctions, (a rudimentary violin-like instrument), the

were specifically targeted by the death squads; many umuduri a musical bow), the ikembe (a small
(

were murdered, others fled into exile. The con- thumb piano) and the crucial ingoma (drum).
sequences continue to be felt in the country's musi- The same styles and instruments are found all over
cal life, as in all other spheres. the country, though there are a few district vari-
ations to ikinimba. On the island of Inkombo, for

Traditional styles example, Rwandan music has mixed with the

music of the Shi people from South Kivu, in pre-
The Rwandan musical tradition is linked to a dance sent-day Congo.
called ikinimba, which makes reference to the The music — all
has had a few noted musicians
history of the country and recalls the feats of players of the inanga; they include Maitre de
> Rwanda's heroes, kings and warriors. It often puts Rujindiri, Victor Kabarira, Kirusu, Sebatun-
o zi and Sentore, and Sophie
09 (Rwanda's only woman player).

The best-known name, out-

side the country, is the singer
Cecile Kayirebwa, who has
been resident for many years in
Belgium, and perfonns traditional

music with modern instruments,

drawing on the cattle-loving tra-

ditions of her ancestors. Born in

1 946, Kayirebwa's musical career

began while she was still at

school, as a member of the

Rwanda Song and Dance Cir-
cle. She got a tape recorder and
became an enthusiast for the tra-
ditions of the older people of
Rwanda, on the basis of which
work she released a series of cas-
settes of tradition-laced songs
Cecile Kayirebwa through the 1980s.

608 Rwanda
 Hutu and Tutsi
By the time the regions of Rwanda and Burundi were claim to ownership of the land, the Twa, lived a more
brought under German control in the late nineteenth marginal existence, hunting and gathering, beyond the
century (later moved to Belgian colonial rule from realm of the state.
1920-62), they had already been kingdoms for cen- The European invaders and colonists set about
turies. The royal and wealthier families, whose cattle exploiting what was effectively a class structure along
grazed the land, were Tutsi (more formally Watutsi, or ethnic and quasi-racial lines, installing the Tutsi nobil-
Watusi) while the families who looked after the cattle, ity in positions of power which sanctioned abuse of

and whose farm plots were fertilised by the cow dung, the Hutu farmers, and setting up all the trappings of
were Hutu. apartheid, complete with passbooks and fixed tribal
Both peoples had cultural origin stories that sug- identities. Cattle ownership, or non-ownership, ceased
gested migration from other regions, sometimes claimed to be the criterion for being Tutsi or Hutu: goverment
to be Ethiopia or further north. But these movements, if ID cards had only one interpretation. In the 1920s, the

they happened (and Egyptian origin myths are first big Hutu revolt happened in northern Rwanda and
widespread throughout Africa), were probably not sin- was savagely suppressed by Belgian forces.
gle-strike invasions of people on the move, but slow Although the Belgians switched sides before inde-
penetrations, like the gradual spread of native Ameri- pendence and saw to it that the majority Hutus achieved
cans from Asia. In Rwanda and Burundi, Tutsi and Hutu power in Rwanda, in Burundi the Tutsis were able to
spoke the same Bantu-family language and co-existed, cling on. Violent conflict between the two ethnic groups
usually in peace, inter-marrying, and shifting identity with has been part of both countries' histories ever since,
the passage of generations and the ebb and flow of fam- culminating in the near-genocide of the Rwandan Tut-
ily fortunes. In the forests, the people with the longest sis in 1994 after the Hutu president was assassinated.

Modern Music is worthy of the best guitarists of this century, any-

where in the world. Clearly influenced byjimi Hen-
In the pre-genocide years of the early 1 990s bands drix and Carlos Santana, Aime has developed a style
such Impala, Les Fellows, Abamarungu,
as of his own that's reminiscent of a particularly ardent
Inono Stars, Les 8 Anges, Imena, Nyampin- BB King.
ga, Les Compagnons de la Chanson, Bisa (a In a quite different vein, Kamaliza, a singer
university band), Isibo y'Ishakwe, Ingenzi and with a highly personal style, was a major female
Ingeli would liven up the towns of Rwanda. vocalist of the late 1990s, until her recent death.
These bands sung in Kinyarwanda (the national
language) but played music that was mainly the
The Diaspora
result of borrowings from Congolese rumba, and 09
from reggae and zouk. Many talented Rwandan musicians now live in
30
Today, at the end of the dark 1990s, there are exile, particularly in Brussels. After Cecile
no real orchestras left. Only Ingeli tried to reform Kayirebwa, the most notable is Jean Mutsari,
after the genocide, but it was a short-lived revival, who has set up the band Kirochi Sound, while
as the musicians could not get viable earnings. Even pursuing a career as an accompanist with Vaya con
getting instruments is a struggle, having to be hired Dios. He plays bass, guitar and mouth organ.
at the whim of unscrupulous financiers, and few Other musicians on the Brussels scene include
can dream of hiring the country's two recording guitarist Francois Mihigo 'Chouchou' (ex-Ingeli,

studios (one with four tracks, the other eight). ex-Ingenzi); Ben Ngabo Kipetit, who pursues
Yet there are many Boni
talents: the singers simultaneous careers as a modern (Afro-jazz) artist
Ntage (Nyampinga), Karemera Rodrigue and traditional performer, sometimes merging the
(Pamaro) and Mboneye Elade (Salus Populi); the two with various bands; neo-traditional singer-
virtuoso guitarists Soso Mado (Impala) and guitarist Jean-Baptiste Byumvuhore; and the
Mahuku Gilbert aka Bekos; the drummers Kana singer Muyango, who performs with women's
Jean Claude, Karim, and Ileri Mukasa; bassists ballet Imitari.

Thierry Gal lard. Youssouf, and Marco Polo. Some artists exiled in Belgium have recently
Perhaps the most talented of them all is guitarist returned to Rwanda to help in the country's recon-
Aime Murefu, a young musician and brother of struction. One of these re-builders is Albert Byron,
Jean Mutsari (see below), whose 6ngering technique who now lives in Kigali.

Rwanda 609
 Master Drummers of Burundi
Mark Hudson met the Drummers of Burundi dur- World Music boom. But long before that, Burundi
ing their tour to Britain in 1999. rhythms were reverberating through Western music,
from the thundering backbeat of Joni Mitchell's "The
Ten drums hewn from huge African logs stood in a Hissing of Summer Lawns" through to Adam and the
semi-circle around a larger drum painted the red, green Ants and The Clash.
and white of the Burundian flag. Nearby, the Drum- Burundi shares Rwanda's legacy of inter-ethnic hatred
mers of Burundi, looking tired after their long journey and violence. In the chaos following independence in

sat munching into their plastic sandwich wrappers. 1 960, with the break-up of the traditional order and strug-
Half an hour later, clad in red and green togas, the gles between rival Tutsi clans atid Hutu political aspira-

drummers stand fresh-faced and expectant behind tions making themselves felt, hundreds of thousands of
their drums. Their leader lets out a cry which they all people - mainly Hutus - were killed. In a more recent
take up before slamming their sticks onto the drum- wave of retaliatory massacres in 1993 (immediately before
heads in a rhythmic onslaught of such power and vol- the Rwandan genocide) between 100,000 and 200,000
ume that we journalists and photographers are people were killed - up to a third of the Tutsi population.

practically blasted back through the door. One by one A Tutsi military regime remains in power despite incur-

the drummers play the painted drum, leaping around sions by Hutu guerillas. There are frequent, often unre-
it with a lithe elegance, drawing their sticks around their ported, atrocities against civilians by both sides.

necks in gestures at once ferocious and humorous. Before coming to meet them, I had been told by their

The Drummers of Burundi are the ultimate African record company that six of the drummers had been
drum experience, a catharsis of energy, grace and ath- killed. I was requested not to ask questions about pol-
leticism so intense it can only be sustained in bursts of itics or ethnic matters, and informed the group would
forty minutes at a time - two of which make up each communicate through their official spokesman, a rep-
performance.was seeing the drummers that inspired
It resentative of the Ministry of Culture. I could see him
Thomas Brooman to organise the first WOMAD festival watching from the sidelines, a severe-looking individ-
in 1982, an event that effectively sparked off the whole ual in horn-rimmed glasses.

30

o
>
o
00

Drummers of Burundi

610 Burundi
 The Drummers of Burundi are Hutus, though tradi- example? "They are swearing to the king," said Gabriel,

tionally they played only for the Tutsi king, the Mwami, "that if they are not loyal, he may kill them. But all the
accompanying him everywhere (in the Kirundi language, movements have meanings. They are imitating ani-
the words for drum and king are the same). Their mals and birds, commenting on events in everyday
rhythms marked the times of day, the beginnings of har- life. Mime is a very important art form in Burundi. But

vests and every cycle in a highly ritualised world. But it is all positive."

the Mwami was assassinated in 1972, and the drum-

last Having removed his homrims, Gabriel looked younger
mers, whose skills are passed down through particular and much less severe, and I found myself warming to
families, now play for the President and other dignitaries. him. I asked him if drummers in general were drawn
"The drum is a respected instrument in Burundi", from specific ethnic groups. He made no expression,
said Gabriel, the spokesman. "Even these drummers but I could sense him wincing inside. "You know," he
cannot play the drums whenever they feel like it. The said at length, "I always say that in Burundi there are
drums are only beaten for special ceremonies. And not no ethnic groups, only clans. Because we all share the
everyone can dance to the drums. You cannot just go same language and the same culture ... My work is

into a shop in Burundi and buy a drum. The people with culture. I don't take an interest in politics. If I say
who make the drums, the people who play the drums something about politics, it may not be correct."
and who dance to them, are the same people." The tour-manager came in and said that the Drum-
The drummers all come from Makebuku, a small vil- mers were ready to play again, but would not start

lage in central Burundi. Jean, the lead drummer, a shyly without Gabriel. He had, he told me, been working and
charming man, much smaller close up than when leap- travelling with the drummers for twenty-five years.

ing two metres in the air, explained that he is a farmer, Having regarded him initially as a apparatchik, I now
that all the drummers have other occupations - shop- saw him not only as a genuine enthusiast, but as an
keepers, mechanics, but principally farmers - and that integral part of the group, a kind of father figure. "I'm

they are not paid. "When we come here, we are paid. sorry I did not answer you well," he said, "but I prefer
But in Burundi, no. It is an honour to be a drummer." to keep politics out of culture." Empty as such remarks
Did the movements in the dances have meanings? normally sound, it seemed not just the only sensible
The fearsome drawing of the stick round the neck, for strategy, but the only possible hope for the future.

SO

Burundi >
of the most popular songs are in Swahili, the lin-
gua franca of the whole region. (In addition, D
The cultural situations of Rwanda and Burundi Burundi has a long-standing ethnic Swahili com-
are often treated as if they were one and the same. munity, descendants of the coastal people who set

The two countries are neighbours, have a similar up trading stations deep in the interior of Africa O
historical and cultural heritage, and speak very sim- in the nineteenth century). 09
ilar languages (in practice there is little to distin-
guish Kirwanda and Kirundi). They also share a Burundians in Brussels
recent past of violent political tensions. While not
reaching the apocalyptic levels of Rwanda, Burun- In Brussels, a number of musicians of Burundian
di in the 1990s has experienced massacres, terror- origin, such as Ciza Muhirwa, have joined
ist attacks, curfews and trade embargoes, and the Rwandan or Congolese groups, or have taken up
deaths of up to 200,000 people. funk, like Eric Baranyanka, with his band, The
Musically, Burundi is close to Rwanda, with its Nile
traditions developing from the royal lineages and The most striking figure on the scene, though,
court culture which long prevailed in this part of is unquestionably Khadja Nin. She grew up in a

Africa. It is from this culture that Burundi's inter- family of eight children in Burundi and moved to
national musical reputation emerged, in the art of Brussles viaCongo (then Zaire), where she has
the royal drummers (see box), who achieved worked with the Belgian musician Nicolas Fisz-
more fame than those of Rwanda. man on a series of CDs in the 1990s, moving
Modern music in Burundi is concentrated in towards an international fusion style. Her multi-
the capital, Bujumbura, and, as in Rwanda, the lingual talents and remarkable looks are now slick-
bands - when they can play at all - tend towards ly produced and packaged, somewhat after the style

hybrid formulas influenced by reggae, zouk and, of Angelique Kidjo, and with her recent album,
of course, the rumba of neigbouring Congo. Many Ya..., she looks like a potentially huge star.

Burundi 611
discography Rwanda
(GlobeStyle, UK).

Delicate, haunting songs and a voice that lingers long after

Rwanda the music has stopped. If you find all a little too pretty, you
it

might head straight for track nine, "Cyusa", and the surprising
intervention of Donald Duck.
Compilations
Maitre de Rujindiri
IJJI Anthology of World Music: Africa:
LSU Music from Rwanda (Rounder, US). Rujindiri is an accomplished inanga (Rwanda's traditional
lute) artist.
If you've heard the Drummers of Burundi, the cascading

opening track of this rare CD of archived traditional Rwandan I Rujindiri, Maitre de I'inanga - musique de

music will sound familiar. But there's great variety on this I'ancienne cour du Rwanda (Fonti Musicaii, Belgium).
disc, from wailing lone voices, to solo instrumental, chorus-
Music from the former court of Rwanda.
es, even a dangerous ritual song ("It was difficult to persdbde
them to sing it" writes Denyse Hiernaux-l'Hoest, the 1955
sound recordist), all complete with birds, babies, village nois- Burundi
es and the odd vehicle in the background. Tracks are unam-
biguously divided into Tutsi, Hbtu and Twa (Rwanda's pygmy
people) as in the original release. Compilations
33 Rwanda: Polyphonie des Twa
(Fonti Musicaii, Belgium).
I Burundi: Musiques Traditionelles (Ocora, France).
Polyphonic music of the Twa pygmies Rwanda, with lots of
of
An ethnomusicological collection.
interesting musical links with the Baka and other pygmy peo-
ples of west central Africa.

Artists
Artists
The Drummers of Burundi
Cecile Kayirebwa Hutu court drummers for the Tutsi king of
Originally the
Burundi, now
a semi-professional, official troupe, the
The most striking voice in Rwandan song, Cecile, born in
Drummers of Burundi have come to international promi-
1 946, has been performing for many years at Belgian cul-
nence through the sheer impact of their dramatic live per-
tural events linked to Rwanda. She was a long-time mem-
formance.
ber of the multi-cultural band Bula Sangoma, before she
setup her own group, Ceka. She also sings solo, accom- The Drummers of Burundi - Live at
panied by Belgian jazzman Chris Joris. gfl RealWorld (RealWorld, UK).

There's something intensely physical about this surging

rhythmic power - a thundering cascade of not-quite-simulta-
neous drumbeats. The disc includes a 30-minute improvisa-
"Les Tambourinaires du Burundi".
tion,

Khadja Nin
Belgian-based Khadja Nin made a name for herself with
songs sung to Western-styled rhythms. These
in Swahili,

early crossover attempts have gradually given way to

songs in various languages, and a style more grounded,
on her latest album, "Ya...".

3D Sambolera (BMG, France).

The warm and soulfulalbum of glowing melodies that first

brought Khadja to Western attention in 1 996 .

I -RWANDA-
® Ya
(BMG, France).

A beautiful, liquid blend of Nin's sensuous vocal style and

Swahili lyrics with the band's spot-on phrasing.

612 Rwanda and Burundi

Sao Tome and Principe
island music of central africa
The tiny (150,000 population) republic of Sao Tome and Principe (STP) consists of two small equatorial
islands lying in the Gulf of Guinea, about 270km from the coast of Gabon. Conceicao Lima and
Caroline Shaw take a look at the musical currents that flow past a tiny African island republic.

years ago, an influential figure on Rhythms and Dance

SomeTome Sao questioned the fate of Forro,
the most important Creole language of the The defining rhythms of the music of STP are
islands. Would Forro be able to survive ussua and socope on the island of Sao Tome - the
the ever-increasing influence of Portuguese — the where the majority of the population
biggest island
official language, taught in schools and used by the lives — and dexa on Principe, some 140km away.

media? "Don't worry", replied an old hand, "as Both ussua and socope are binary rhythms with
long as the popular theatre exists and, above all, cadences marked by drums and cattle bells and
the music, our language shall not die". they were probably brought with the influx of slaves
And so it has proved from the sixteenth century
throughout the history of onwards. However, Euro-
Sao Tome and Principe, pean influences are also
since 1471, when Por- present. For example, the
tuguese navigators first traditional dance which
landed on the then unin- accompanies ussua has its

habited archipelago. From origins in Portuguese ball-

the start the immigrants, room dancing. This (and C/)
adventurers and deportees other local dances) are >>
from Portugal mixed and ° m extremely formal, reflected
o
intermarried with the both in the dancers' cos-
slavesfrom the African cumes ar>d in the steps and
mainland who had been IrlaO i^iPplf 11 ''
1 which are full of
gestures,
brought to work on the The Brazilian-style < o-congo bows and other forms of
sugar plantations. Thus courtly finesse. The dexa
evolved the special Creoles of the islands - Forro has a three-beat rhythm also based on drums and
and Lunguie - each sustained by and infused with and believed to have the same origins.
cattle bells 30
a rich musical tradition which has always been open Music and popular theatre long formed part
to new influences. of the same sphere of artistic expression and some
Since the beginning, STP's history has been one of the subjects can be traced far back to the influ- T3
of a mixing of peoples. Whether as a slave-trad- ences which shaped the islands' culture. Tchiloli,
ing depot (until the abolition of slavery), as a sugar for example, is a drama brought to the islands by
producer and exporter, or later, of coffee and cocoa the Portuguese in the sixteenth century that fea-
(long the principal crop), the islands have been a tures a mesmerising foot dance, accompanied by
crucible for a unique fusion of cultures. West a flute and drum. Another important combination
Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Brazil, of music, dance and theatre in the repertoire of
the Caribbean, Portugal - all have left their marks STP is the danco-congo, which assembles more
on the archipelago's cultural traditions. So, too, than 20 performers, dressed in extravagantly
has island politics. The plantations were nation- colourful outfits, 'crowned' with exuberant orna-
alised when STP achieved independence from Por- ments of silk paper. Masters, servants, devils, angels

tugal in 1975, although the Marxist ruling party and the jester, or 'Bobo', confront each other in
lost power after one of sub-Saharan Africa's first amasquerade symbolising the primordial struggle
multiparty elections in 1991. between the forces of good and evil.

Sao Tome and Principe 613

 Whilst the danco-congo is essentially perceived Sao Tome has been crucial. Founded in 1959 by
as a spectacle to be watched, the pufta is a cere- Quintero Aguiar, their achievement derived from
mony for public participation. This national rhythm three factors: the effort to modernise traditional folk-
is deliriously powerful and it is probably the most lore; their belief in the value of Creole as a medi-

African Sao Tomean sound, characterised by the um; and a strong nationalist conscience, which was
sounds of a drum-like instrument open at the end, expressed through cultural affirmation. The group
with a stick attached to the centre of the drum-skin. marked a significant evolution in the instrumental
When rubbed, it produces a grunting noise. Cou- development of tunas, the everyday bands of STP
ples dance in the middle of a large circle formed by - usually a couple of guitarists, a violin-player or
the assistants and gradually come closer to one anoth- two and sometimes a flautist. The Leoninos' intro-
er until the moment of climax when bodies clash, duction of drum and mandolin to the ensemble
generating hysteria among the watching crowds. brought a new status to such sounds.
This rhythm - which was probably brought by One of the group's most celebrated songs, writ-
Angolan slaves and maintained by contract labour- ten by Olivio Tiny, was "Ngandu" (Shark), the lyrics

ers — is so contagious th#t it has been endowed in of which tell of a shark that seized control of the
popular belief with supernatural powers to summon ocean and brutally expelled all the other fish. This
the spirits of the dead, to exorcise bad spirits and to anti-colonial metaphor was too much for the author-

heal. These beliefs are deeply rooted in the popu- ities who promptly banned the group's songs from
lar imagination, but sceptics put them down to the the Portuguese-controlled radio station. They sub-
consumption of large quanitites of alcohol which sequendy disbanded in 1966 but the following year
circulate through the crowds until sunrise. another group, Os Untues, emerged to continue
their fusion of tradition and modern influences. Led

Modern Music by Leonel Aguiar, these middle-class musicians

weaved an eclectic mix of references that ranged
Music has played an important role in the recent from Bob Dylan through Astor Piazolla, Aretha
political history of Sao Tome and Principe. Dur- Franklin, BB King, The Beatles and James Brown,
ing the era of the one-party state, which lasted to the Latin dance rythms of chachacha, mambo and
from 1975 until 1991, song was used to criticise bolero. However, the Untues's greatest influences

politics (criticism that could not be overtly came from Congolese rumba, and in particular Kas-

expressed), and since the multiparty elections, any sanda Nico, Franco and Rochereau. Rooted in this

rally that doesn't include a musical band or a folk- diverse and varied puzzle of influences, the Untues
loric group, is condemned to failure. were able to move from the local to the interna-

o The content of song lyrics tends to focus on the tional and back
Tomean folklore
again, modernising and re-styling
along the way. Gradually, the
age-old themes of love, jealousy and betrayal, but Sao
they always contain a measure of social and politi- electric guitar became dominant, and the overall
cal comment delivered by metaphor. One of the sound became 'africanised' with cattle bell, reco-reco

main early protagonists of this tradition were (an instrument made of a piece of bamboo or
the legendary group Leoninos, whose wood with notches cut into it, over which
influence a rod is rubbed), and drums.
throughout The mid-1960s to mid-
1970s was a golden age of
Sao Tomean musical popu-
o lar music. During this period,
-a another famous group, Minde-
lo, was formed as a major rival to

Os Untues. Assembling a number

of different local rhythms plus the
Angolan rebita, they created a high-
energy fusion they called puxa. The two
groups attracted audiences from opposite
ends of the social spectrum — the Untues
were middle-class experimentalists, while
Mindelo had working class fans. Also popu-
lar were Sangazuza, Africa Negra, Quiban-
SAN LENA
zas and the Leonenses, whose main vocalist,

614 Sao Tome and Principe

Pepe Lima, is nowadays a success-
ful solo singer. On the island of
Principe, groups like Repteis, Os
Diabos do Ritmo and, lately.
Africa Verde all left their marks on
the musical landscape.
Against the background of mount-
ing economic crisis in the two
decides following independence, the
development of the country's music
remained stagnant. Ageing sound sys-
tems and obstacles to the importation
of new equipment brought about a
decline in the quality of music pro-
duction. Simultaneously, there w as a

scarcity of good songwriters in a

country that had in the past produced
such respected names as Zarco,
Gette Rita, Ze Nbruete and Man-
jelegua. The decline has not been
turned around yet, but a new gener-
ation of solo artists is at last beginning
to emerge, many ot them influenced
by Andllean zouk, a powerful rhthmic force that, the Caribbean than with his own island home. A
at different times in the past twenty years, has over- less well-known performer, Acoreano, also living

taken the youth of pretty well every country in in Lisbon, is notable for the very opposite reasons:
Africa. his attachment to the old traditions of ussua and
Some ot the more interesting artists ot the post- socope, despite having absorbed some internation-
Independence decades have been based abroad, larg- al influences.
ley in Portugal. The Lisbon-based Juka, whose Other exiles include the Paris resident Felicio
V)
songs are often to be heard at African parties in Por- Mendes, bom in Principe, who isremembered at
tugal, is a representative of this westward-looking home for having organised a youth band, Os o
trend, though his music has more in common with Canucos das Ilhas Verdes, from which emerged
several key artists: Tonecas, Vizin-
ho and Felicio's nephews Zezito and
Kalu Mendes. Kalii Mendes has
gradually come to be recognised as
one of the archipelago's best arrangers
o
-o
and has produced a number of works
with Felicio, including a CD of old
island hits. o
As the republic of Sao Tome and
Principe enters the new millennium,
purists complain that musicians are
sidelining the three traditional rhythms.

But the archipelago has always been

flexible in its assimilation of foreign
influences without losing its identity.

In fact, in common with mam of the

lusophone countries, absorption pf out-
side influences is one of the defining
elements of the islands' music. (liven
some economic progress, new express-
sion for the islands' roots should
emerge.

Sao Tome and Principe Q 5 -J

discography
Compilations

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Sao Tom* and Principe

Senegal and The Gambia
senegambian stars are here to stay

In commerce head on. The skyscrapers and

Senegal, international capitalism meets traditional African
colonial buildings of Dakar may be crumbling, but down by the Medina, the city's original 'native
quarter', they're building vast ultra-modern banks, while, outside, stalls errupt from pavements
heaving with hawkers and touts. And everyone, it seems, from the ragged beggars to the sleek-suited
executives or the turbanned women in billowing robes and stiletto heels, is radiating poise and self
possession - the same nonchalant swagger that underpins mbalax, the rhythm that has come to
define Senegalese music. Mark Hudson, who can't stay away, describes the development of one of
Africa's most dynamic music scenes, both in Senegal and neighbouring Gambia, with help from
Jenny Cathcart in downtown Dakar and Lucy Duran on Mande music.

arid slab of the Sahel, Senegal sig- known as gewel in Wolof and gawlo in Pulaar. This

An nified little in the Anglo-American

consciousness until the emergence of
- Youssou N'Dour
is a legacy of the Malian Mande
empire of the fourteenth- to sixteenth centuries,
(or Manding)

its musical superstars which stretched into Senegambia, and it was rein-
and Baaba Maal - in the 1990s. They have had forced in the early nineteenth century by an influx
an impact on the World Music scene out of all of griots from Mali following the break up of the
proportion to the country's population, and Bamana empires. Many of the Senegambian gri-
the daring with which they've mixed indige- ots trace their ancestry to Mande; the xalam, the
nous and modern forms is a reflection both of characteristic Wolof lute, is an adaptation of the
the richness of Senegalese traditions, and of the Mande ngoni; and its repertoire and much Wolof,
focus Dakar and its studios have provided for Fula and Tukulor music is derived from Mande
experiment and cultural exchange. music.
The Gambia, a former British colonial enclave But Senegambian griot music is far more than
enclosed by Senegal, was little developed in the a watered-down blend of Mande influences. The
colonial era, and remains a backwater nation today. very different character of the so-called West
Comprising three hundred miles of desolate river Atlantic languages - Wolof, Pulaar and Serer
bank and a small strip of coast, it shares Senegal's (Wolof, with its elastic vowels and guttural con-
ethnic mix and range of traditional music. Its artists sonants, being the most - together with
influential)

have played a role in modern Senegambian music, the influence of Serer polyphony and the litur-
particularly in the 1970s, when the Super Eagles gical singing of Senegal's Islamic brotherhoods
(later renamed Ifang Bondi) were in the ascen- have all combined to give the griot music of these
dant with their 'Afro-Manding blues', and the groups a highly distinctive flavour.
country was a meeting place for exiled African Senegambia also has its own Mande popula-
TO
musicians. But the 1981 state of emergency cur- tion, the Mandinka, who form the largest eth-
fewed the club scene, which has failed to revive. nic group in theGambia. Their heartland is
Today, Gambia's main musical interest lies in its Brikama, a town at the junction of
dusty market
Mande jalis or griots. roads east into the interior and south to
Casamance and Guinea-Bissau. Interacting with
Mande Senegambia surrounding groups, the Mandinka griots or jalis
- the Jobartehs, Kontes and Susos - have creat-
Even in Dakar's most Westernised milieux, the ed their own sophisticated musical culture and
air - the
resonates with the traditional courtesies given rise to several masters of the kora (see
praise names of the feudal world. Senegal and p. 544). Great master musicians of the region have

Gambia share the same jali or griot tradition as included thelate Alhaji Bai Konteh and Jali

Mali and Guinea (see p. 541), in which music is Nyama Suso, and Amadou Bansang
in the hands of a class of hereditary praise singers Jobarteh. The best-known, however, is Foday

Senegambian music 617

 Mouridism: Islam in Senegal
Everywhere in Dakar - on keyrings, carrier bags, the wastes of central Senegal, the French twice exiled
sides of taxis or daubed on buildings - you see the Bamba, first to Mauritania, then to Gabon. Realising
cryptic, veiled visage of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba. that physical resistance in this world was hopeless,
fondateur de mouridisme. Islam in Senegal, particu- Bamba encouraged his followers to concentrate on
larly among the Wolof and Tukulor populations, is salvation in the next, through work and through self-
organised through tariqa - religious brotherhoods based less submission to their spiritual guides, the marabouts.

around the dynasties of great holy men known as At the time the French were encouraging the culti-

marabouts. Although the Mourides are not the largest vation of groundnuts as a cash crop, and the marabouts
of these groups, they are the most influential - espe- and their followers set about establishing vast farms
cially in their impact on music. The vast majority of in the centre of Senegal. In return for their cooperation

Wolof griots and pop musicians are Mourides and many with the colonial authorities, they were allowed to cre-

aspects of the music business completely controlled ate what even today amounts to a state within a state.

by Mouride businessmen* Even the most forward look- It is widely acknowledgea that no government can be
ing musicians pepper their lyrics with references to formed in Senegal without the support of the
Bamba, and many will include an entire song to him marabouts, the descendants of Cheikh Ahmadou
on each cassette. Bamba, to whom millions look for a route to paradise.

The Senegalese brotherhoods have their origins in To this day, the vast majority of Wolof griots and many

the North African veneration of Sufi saints, but the pop musicians are Mourides and many aspects of the
Mourides are a relatively recent phenomenon. Their music business are completely controlled by Mouride
development is bound up with the colonial history of businessmen.
Senegal. Islam had existed in Senegal since the twelfth Mouride musicians sing for the leaders of other

century but in the nineteenth century the traditional brotherhoods (like Oumar Tall and Malick Sy of the

hierarchies of kings and nobles with their retinues of larger Tijiani brotherhood, to which Baaba Maal
warriors, griots and slaves remained faithful to animist belongs), and vice-versa. But it is Mouridism that has
practices, or adhered to a loose pluralistic form of Islam. the edge in terms of Senegalese cultural pride. A polit-

As French incursions into Wolof territory increased ically astute singer Omar Pene equates Bamba
like

towards the end of the century, culminating in the ('our guide') with Black heroes like Kwame Nkrumah

C/)
destruction of the Wolof elite. Islam became a focus and Marcus Garvey. Younger women singers like Kine
for psychological as much as physical resistance. Lam and Fatou Guewel devote a significant proportion

m With the catastrophic break-up of the old order,

those most dependent on members of the noble,
of their output to
band the Groupe Sope Noreyni,
Mouride subjects (Fatou calls her

after a venerable
C5 it, the
griot and warrior castes began gravitating towards marabout). Older, more traditionally oriented women
Ahamadou Bamba, a Koranic teacher to whom mirac- like Saly Mbaye deal almost entirely in paeans to Bam-
ulous powers had been attributed. Worried by this ba's mother and exhortations to go on pilgrimages to
potentially troublesome force amassing in the dusty Mouride sites.

m -
Musa Suso who went to New York in the Wolof Traditions
1970s and founded the
ety, an early attempt
Mandingo Griot Soci-
at kora fusion. He has since
and Negritude
become a fixture on New York's avant-garde You don't have to go far in the Senegambian region
scene, collaborating with Philip Glass, Bill to encounter an even more elemental musical
Laswell and the Kronos Quartet. world: where life is ordered by the seasons, where
Back home in the 1990s, other younger mem- music is inextricably bound up with the cycles and
bers of Gambia's jali families have spearheaded rites of work, initiation, marriage and birth, and
something of a revival of Mandinka music, setting where every activity, even the cooking of a meal,
up semi-acoustic ensembles with amplified koras, is the occasion for song, improvisation and rhythm.
a variety of percussion and whatever electric instru- Senegambia's deen-seated traditions are essen-
ments are available. Led by the likes of Tata tially rhythmic, and the region contains several
Dindin. Pa Bobo Jobarteh and the wonderful particularly vigorous, complex and distinctive per-
Jaliba Kuyateh. they travel the suburbs and vil- cussive styles. Even the Mande instruments — kora
lages plying the weddings and baptisms with their and balafon (xylophone) - are played in a style
relentless, tumbling dance music. considered 'hot' (uptempo) and funky compared

618 Senegambian music

 The highlight of the Mouride year is the
magal, the great pilgrimage to Touba, where
the biggest mosque in sub-Saharan Africa was
built over Bamba's tomb. Up to a million peo-
ple camp out round the holy city, singing
qasaids (Bamba's spiritual songs) for days and
nights on end. Through the crowds move the
patchwork-clad, often dreadlocked figures of
the Baye Fall - followers of Cheikh Ibra Fall
- one of Bamba's original disciples. Fall, a for-

mer warrior or cheddo, begged Bamba to

excuse him from following the Muslim code of

fasting and prayer, so that he could labour
physically on his master's behalf. The Baye
Fall, his followers, dress like cheddo and live

in separate communities, singing and begging

for their marabouts, and providing guardians
for the city of Touba. The most famous Baye
Fall today is singer Cheikh L6 who, with his

gaunt-featured, massively dreadlocked per-

sona, has carried the message to concert halls

and festival stages around the world.

"We're still the soldiers," says L6. "Spritu-
al soldiers, soldiers of God. We fight with

peace, not arms. We're at the beck and call

of the marabout. We're ready and willing to

do anything for him. The marabout brings so

many people together, but he does nothing
except provide spiritual guidance. So the Baye
Fall are there at his side to do all the errands,
bring food, goods. Then the marabout dis- Cheikh L6 CO
tributes these things to poor people." m
Youssou N'Dour, also a Mouride, takes up the theme. facing many problems. So when we present this in our
m
"Even when I'm singing at my club, and I mention Cheikh club, we're saying, OK, we're in a modem society, but o
Ahmadou Bamba, the audience goes wild. Because it's don't forget the past. In today's world, we always need >
J—
very strong, because we don't know where the force, the to remember what is strong for us."
3>
power of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba stops or should stop.
People are worried about the future. Even today they're Mark Hudson and Lucy Duran O

to the more classical Malian style. And despite to the National Assembly in Paris. Whole genera-
competition from more modern entertainment, tions of schoolchildren grew up believing them-
these traditions continue to thrive, borrowing and selves to be French and desiring no other identity.
CO
adapting from each other in the urban world. This policy of assimilation created both pride in
Yet Senegal was oddly late, not only in exploit- the sense of a special Senegalese identity but ulti-
ing these traditional riches in a modern musical mately disillusionment and alienation, which gave
context, but in developing its own distinctive pop- rise to 'negritude', a philosophy of cultural redis-
ular style. The reason was mainly the country's covery that was hugely influential in the post-war
colonial history. Senegal's links with Europe run period, and of which Senegal's first president, the
long and deep. The Portuguese were here in the poet Leopold Sedar Senghor, was a prime expo-
fifteenth century, and the first French settlements nent. Senghor's commitment to his country's cul-
were established in 1659.With European expan- ture ensured that Senegal became a leader in
sion in the late nineteenth century, Senegal became African literature, cinema and the visual arts. The
the administrative base of France's vast West African music of the griots was promoted as an African
empire, and the inhabitants of the four main towns classical tradition, too, through the creation of tra-
were given French citizenship and voting rights ditional troupes and ensembles.

Senegamblan music 619

 But popular music was ignored by the state, and At particular points in the evening, audiences
it own accord, amid Dakar's explosive
grew, of its would break off from jazz-dancing and form cir-

urbanisation, and the establishment in the city of cles for displays of loin-thrusting traditional dances
Wolof, the language of the kingdoms of Dakar's like the ventilateur (referring to the explicit gyrat-

hinterland, as a new lingua franca and a focus of a ing of the dancer's buttocks), spurred on by the
genuinely national culture. The city now teems freneticpummelling of the tama.
with second, third and even fourth generation As players continually left and rejoined, Star
Dakarois of every ethnic background who speak Band gave birth to a whole dynasty of bands, a sort
no African language other than Wolof, and who of family tree of the subsequent developments in
consider themselves to be Wolof; Youssou Senegalese music. When the group decamped to
N'Dour, the most famous proponent of Wolof the Sahel Nightclub, it was replaced by one of its
culture, is in fact a Serer on his father's side and a offspring, Number One^du Senegal, featuring
Tukulor on his mother's. gravel voiced Pape Seek.
A further influence, among these migrants from In 1970, another bunch of alumni formed
the hardship of life in the Sahel, is popular Islam, Orchestre Baobab to play at the swanky new
and in particular the hierarchically organised Sufi club of the same name. Medioune Diallo,
brotherhoods (for more on which see the box on Radolphe Gomis and leading light, Balla Sidibe,
Mouridism, previous page). would each take the microphone for dance num-
bers and languid love songs in Spanish, French and

Dance Music: the Creole dialects, all graced by Barthelemy Attiso's

and highly original guitar work. Lave
1960s and Star Band scintillating

Mboup, a Wolof griot resident at the Sorano, the

In 1960, few Senegalese had access to recorded country's national theatre, was enlisted to capi-
music of any kind. The country's handful of dance talise on the growing taste for more immediately
bands or orchestres were loose ensembles based on local sounds, but when he proved unreliable, his
particular nightclubs serving a small bourgeois elite pupil Thione Seek - a lad with an equally dis-
who wanted 'sophisticated' (W estem) sounds. Tra- tinctive voice - was enlisted.
ditional music was considered embarassingly prim- However, Baobab were soon to be eclipsed by
itive, and with the caste associations of the griot a group whose brief career completely changed
tradition, actually shameful. the face of Senegalese music.
m The most prominent orchestre was Star Band,
formed by Ibra Kasse of the Miami nightclub to Stars of Dakar: the Rise
play at Senegal's independence celebrations. They
played Cuban and Latin covers by the likes of
of Youssou N'Dour
Pacheco and Orquesta Aragon, without under- In 1977, the younger members of Star Band,
standinga single word of the lyrics. During the including the entire rhythm section, left to form
1960s and '70s however. Star Band became the Etoile de Dakar, which immediately became
focus for a gradual process of Africanisation. Cuban the top group in Senegal. Their music was a
songs were adapted into Wolof, and traditional — wonderful mix of full-blooded griot singing, blar-
principally Wolof and Mandinka - songs and ing horns and throbbing, undulating rhythms.
rhythms were introduced along with the tama - Not, in retrospect, such a departure from the
a high-pitched talking drum. efforts of Baobab and Number One. But it was-

n't just Etoile's music that was impor-

tant, it was their attitude. They were
young and defiantly proud of their Sene-
galese identity. They sang almost entire-
ly in Wolof, flaunting the traditional griot

origins of their music and their own

image as lads on the corner. The two
~ main singers El Hadji Faye and eigh-
"**
teen-year-old Youssou N'Dour became
Senegal's first real pop stars, addressing
not the elite but the youth of the whole
Orchestre Baabab - rapidly urbanising, demographically
luminous performers Seek and Sidibe (right) exploding country.

620 Senegamblan music

 The Gambia's Super Eagles
These days there is little in the way of a music industry in more exciting than copying Western music. When we
The Gambia - a situation aggravated by state discour- returned to The Gambia, we spent two years travelling
agement - nonetheless, for a brief era, Gambian musi- round the country researching traditional music, talking

cians led the field in the Africanisation of Senegambian to old musicians and learning the kora and xalam."
music. The Super Eagles' new music reflected The Gambia's
In the 1960s, hip Gambians turned on to a heady cultural mix, with rhythms and lyrics from work, initia-
mix of ballroom dancing, swinging London pop and tion and marriage songs of the Mandinka, Jola and Fula

James Brown, as well as the more established Cuban- peoples, as well as Wolof sounds that brought the music
jazzrumba and merengue. The top local band, The towards an approximation of what was to become mbal-
Super Eagles, dressed in second-hand Salvation Army ax. Appearing at the annual Nuit de Port gala in Dakar,
uniforms turned into Sergeant Pepper suits by Ban- the group were practically turfed off stage by well-heeled
jul's top tailor Modou Peul. Keyboard player, Francis punters who wanted rumba and ballroom, and were
Taylor, was one of the first African players to master appalled by this 'bush bush' music. But younger musi-
the synthesiser, while vocalist Paps Touray was idolised cians like Thione Seek arid Youssou N'Dour were deeply
by Senegalese singers like Thione Seek and the young impressed. The band rented a large house in the Med-
Youssou N'Dour. The group were rivalled only by ina where young hopefuls like Omar Pene came to sit
Guelewar, featuring brothers Moussa and Laye Ngom, at their feet. They called their music 'Afro-Manding

who closed their set with a barn storming, psychedel- blues', and changed their name to Ifang Bondi, a
ic version of "Hey Jude". Mandinka phrase meaning 'be yourself.
In 1970, the Super Eagles went to London's Bush After the music scene in The Gambia collapsed in the
House, home of the BBC World Service, to appear on 1 980s, following the attempted coup and State of Emer-

Band Call with Mike Raven. It was a crucial experience. gency, many musicians went abroad. Ifang Bondi moved
"We played some merengues with Wolof lyrics and other to Holland in 1984, where they were practically alone in
semi-African stuff," recalls bass guitarist and leading flying the flag for Gambian music through the 1980s.

Badou Jobe. "Afterwards we were having fun, jam-

spirit These days, their sole surviving member is Badou Jobe,
ming with traditional tunes on percussion, when this guy who got together a group of younger traditional and
rushed out of his office and said, 'That's what you should modern musicians for a strong recent album, Gis Gis.
be playing!' Then he disappeared. I've no idea who he Laye Ngom, of Guelewar, has also revived his career
was, but completely changed our approach. We were
it in recent years, as Abdul Kabir and the Goumbe

shocked that someone would find our traditional music Goumbe Band.
C/5
m
Rivalry broke the group apart after only two
Badou Ndi-
his own mother, and, by implication,
and all women.
all moth- m
yean, with El Hadji Faye and guitarist ers

aye forming Etoile 2000. Their first offering, N'Dour embarked on a series of numbered cas-
I—
"Boubou N'Gary", was
between Faye's brooding
a compelling collision
griot voice, screaming
settes, producing one for each of the most impor-
tant religious festivals, and pushing the concept of
>
fuzzbox guitar, a talking drum and an echo cham- the Senegalised Cuban orchestra to its limits. O
ber, but after two repetitive efforts they disappeared Together with his musicians he drew on the com-
from view. plex cross-rhythms of the sabar drum ensemble, in
N'Dour meanwhile, formed Super Etoile de which pitched drums pursue a succession of dia-
Dakar, taking full control not only of the music, logues with sudden changes in tempo and rhythm,
but the group's business affairs. From having been to create exhilarating new structures. The interplay
relatively anonymous nightclub entertainers, of voices and indigenous vocal techniques such as
m
musicians would now present themselves not only tassou (a visceral traditional rap) and bakou (the
as cultural heroes, but as entrepreneurs too. trilling that accompanies Wolof wrestling), added
N'Dour was still only twenty-one but with his to the drama. "In my group," N'Dour has said, "I

dashing personality and extraordinary wail, he gave some of the traditional sabar parts to the gui-
soon rose to become the country's number one tar, some to the keyboards, while the rhythm gui-
star, a position he has held ever since. He sang tar took on the role of the mbung mbung drum."
about the people's joys: their traditional festivals, The rhythm of the mbung mbung - known as
the excitement of the city, the importance of mbalax - gave its name to this idea of transpos-
respecting one's parents and remembering one's ing traditional rhythms to electric instruments, and
roots.Above all, he sang for women; he used regardless of precisely who came up with the idea,
words and phrases traditionally associated with it has provided the dominant strain in Senegalese
women, praised rich and famous women, praised music to date.

Senegambian music 521

 Youssou - Still one of the Good Guys

522 *
Afro-feeling with Super Diamono

Jazz, Funk and the - rock-loving guitarist with Super Diamono and
Faye brothers his own Lemzo Diamono; and Habib - funke-
teering bass guitarist, since age sixteen, of Youssou
Since the 1960s, a whole school of Senegalese N'Dour's Super Etoile.
musicians have looked to jazz, funk and fusion for Super Diamono's new sound came in large part
inspiration, and align themselves as much with an through Adama's spooky organ, which combined
international jazz ethos as they do with Senegalese with melancholy horn riffs and crunching mbalax CO
cultural pride. rhythms to revolutionary effect on their 1982 cas- m
Xalam. named after the traditional Wolof lute, sette Jigeenu Ndakarn (Women of Dakar). Fronted m
were founded in 1970 by drummer Prosper by husky-voiced street guru Omar Pene and a
Niang. Their 'new thing' jazz tastes and provoca- youthful singer-songwriter Ismael L6, Diamono r-
tive lyrics proved too radical for home audiences, were a Dakar 'people's band', eschewing griotry in
and in 1 973 they moved to Paris, recruiting key- favour of a conscious attitude, combining reggae-
board player Jean Philippe Rykiel, later famous as inspired militancy, jazz cool and Senegalese Sufi o
the arranger of Salif Keita's album Sow. Highly mysticism in a way that made Youssou N'Dour H
regarded by other musicians, the band have toured seem almost tame and homely. Singing about unem- m
the world extensively and collaborated with Dizzie ployment, corruption and the pitfalls of polygamv. o
Gillespie, Crosby. Stills and Nash and the Rolling they spoke to students and a growing generation of
Stones. Their 1 988 album Xarit, featuring Souley- male youth. Percussionist Aziz
disaffected, largely

mane Faye's griot vocals, gave them a big hit at Seek played the sabar drums in a way that has —
home, tor what w as basically an amalgam of super become de rigeur for every Senegalese band since.
competent jazz funk with Senegalese percussion By the mid-1980s, with L6 replaced by the neo-
and vocals. Prosper Niang died in 1989, but griot voice of Mamadou Maiga and the
Xalam's legacy is continued by Missal who appeal dreadlocked zaniness of Moussa Ngom, Super
strongly to that small section of Senegalese soci- Diamono were probably the most influential band
ety for whom mbalax will always be "mere noise". in Senegal. Fans engaged in running street battles

A more interesting fusion approach, and highly with 'supporters' of Youssou N'Dour's Super
influential on the development of mbalax, has been Etoile. But with continual comings and goings of
that created by the band Super Diamono and the musicians, Diamono's star waned. In 1991 they
Faye brothers: Adama - Weather Report enthu- were completely reformed by Omar Pene with
siast, keyboard player and arranger with Super Dia- a bunch of Senegal's top session musicians whose
mono, Youssou N'Dour and Thione Seek: Lamine sink funkiness well complemented his earth}

Senegambian music 623

 with guitar lines interweaving in a way that at
rimes sounds almost Californian. A trio of cas-
settes - Ballago, Diongoma (with its irresistably
propulsive ride track) and Ida Soukeu — all met
with great success, and as the music grew ever
more busy and frenetic, Seck's serene, orien-
tal-inflected delivery remained remarkably con-
stant, tackling themes sacred - the manifold
greatness of God - and profane — music piracy,
skin lightening and dangerous driving. Le Pou-
voir d'un Coeur Pur, his greatest hits re-record-
ed for the international market, w as a soulless

i/ affair, but the semi-acoustic Deinb marked

stunning return to his ancestral essence in 1
a

998.
Ismael L6 was born in Niger — of Sene-
galese parents - and trained as an artist. His
cool-voiced balladeer persona and taste for
Antillean rhythms and French chanson suggest
cosmopolitan sophistication that

k5$
a sets itself

apart from the Senegalese mainstream. But

mbalax anthems like "Jele bi" and "Ceddo"
and such quintessenrially Senegalese subjects as
the social importance of tea drinking ("Attaya")
and the enterprise of street traders ("Baol Baol")

speak directly to the Dakar masses.

Do's acoustic guitar and harmonica contributed
Omar Pene to the unusual sound of early Super Diamono.
"I was with them for four years,"' he recalls. "My
melancholy. Not much appreciated abroad, Pene pay was a packet of cigarettes a day, and if you want-
still speaks to the Senegalese people with an author- ed something like shoes, you asked the boss." Not
in.
-
by Youssou N'Dour. In a gesture
rivalled only surprisingly, he took the chance to move on to Paris,
of friendship, the two singers covered each oth- and a solo career, recording four albums there with
er's songs on the 1995 album Euleuk Sibir. Ibrahima Sylla in the mid-and late- 1980s whose
glossy modernity disconcerted Western listeners

Seek and L6 even more than they did African ones.

His Western breakthrough was 1994's ho, an
As the 1990s progressed, two major names were album strong on show-stopping ballads like
added to those of Youssou N'Dour and Baaba "Samayaye" and Erienne Roda Gil's "La Femme
Maal in the panoply of Senegalese superstars: sans haine" (later re-recorded by L6 with Mari-
Thione Seek (ex-Orchestre Baobab) and Ismail L6 anne Faithful), and with an almost cocktail bar
(ex-Super Diamono). slickness on the uptempo numbers.
Thione Seek was descended from the griots of
Lat Dior, king of Kayor and leader of the last From the North:
Wolof resistance against the French. His boyish,
yearning voice, skills as a philosophical improvis-
Baaba Maal
er and his aptitude for fine tailoring have made Baaba Maal's flamboyant showmanship and dark,
him a favourite of the diriyatike — the magnificendy- intense voice combined with astute promotion by
robed matrons of Dakar. While serving his appren- Island subsidiary Mango and now Palm Pictures,
ticeship with Baobab, he also ran a traditional have given him a profile in the West to rival that
ensemble with members of his family: the plain- of Youssou N'Dour or Mali's Salif Keita. Charis-

rive rifling of the xalam and cracking sabar rhythms matic and highly articulate in many languages, the
backing his luminous voice. only thing impeding his total dominance at home
forming his own band le Raam
On Daan is the fact that he sings not in Wolof, but in Pulaar.
(meaning 'crawl slowly towards your goal ), Seek the language of the nomadic Fula people w ho are
transposed this type of music to electric instruments. found across the Sahel from Guinea to Sudan.

624 Senegambian music

 Settled along the Senegal river in northern Sene- A World Apart:
gal, the Tukulor sub-group of the Fula to
Maal belongs have practised a puritanical Islam since
which
Casamance Hothouse
the twelfth century and are seen as the people most Separated from arid northern Senegal by The Gam-
keen to preserve their ethnic and linguistic identi- bia, the verdant southern region of Casamance
ty in the melting pot of modem Senegal. Maal called is a world apart, culturally and musically. The Jola
his band Daande Lenol, the Voice of the Race. bougarabou, four large drums played by one man
Baaba Maal was born into a noble family in to the accompaniment of palm leaf clappers, and
Podor on the Mauritanian border, and studied at the Balanta balo, a gourd xylophone played by
the Dakar conservatoire before winning a schol- two men, are instruments of a semi-forest world
arship to study music in Paris. On his return, he of villages hidden away among palm groves and
went on a journey throughout West Africa with majestic silk cotton trees, where animist traditions
his family griot, the blind guitarist Mansour Seek, strongly persist.
researching traditional music and paying his dues There is Mandinka presence, and
also a strong

as a musician in the time honoured way. After dab- the region has produced many great kora players,
bling in acoustic music and Afro-reggae, he formed notably Lalo Keba Drame and Soundioulou
Daande Lenol, immediately creating a stir with a Cissoko. The tint group to use the kora in a mod-
rabble-rousing Tukulor variant on mbalax. ern band context were the local UCAS (Union
Djam Leelii, an acoustic album recorded in 1 984, Culturelle et Artistique de Sedhiou) Jazz Band,
was released in Britain in 1989, where Maal and formed in 1959 and still going strong.
Seck's raw nasal voices and serenely rhythmic gui- The Casamance's most famous musical product,
tar picking were considered a revelation. "Like Toure Kunda were in some ways a band before
hearing Muddy Waters for the first time," declared their time, playing to audiences of 20,000 French
DJ John Peel. Since then Maal has alternated acous- fans before World Music had even been thought
tic and increasingly hi-tech electric albums and per- of. The brothers Ismael, Sixu and Amadou Toure
formances, just as he has mixed designer knitwear went to Paris as students in the late 1970s. By 1979,
from Joseph with sumptuous traditional robes. they were combining their own Mandinka
Maal's major album of the 1990s - Finn' in Fouta- melodies with mbalax, highlife, soul, salsa and a
included everything from break beats to Breton reggae beat they called djambaadong (leaf dance) -
harps, ragga, salsa and New Age drones. Released a strong favourite with European audiences. CO
in 1 994, it is probably the most daring slab of Afro- m
modernism to date. It launched Senegalese rappers
IV* Tow*
j -

m
o
Positive Black Soul on the world stage, and gave
birth to the Afro-Celt Sound System (see p. 178), a
>
r—
meeting of Irish musicians and members of Maal's
>
band. Nomad Soul released in 1998 continued this
eclectic approach, involving the services of no fewer
than seven sets of producers, including Brian Eno.
Some tracks left the traditional instruments more
or less to their own devices, others absorbed them
into shimmering programmed grooves. >
Although he is considered an intellectual and a
political radical, Maal's view on the concept of dis-
sent, like that of all Senegalese musicians, is an
ambiguous one. In a society where politics is a mat-
ter of reconciling (and buying off) vested interest
groups, where unity and hannony are prized as social
and philosophical ideals, views tend to be expressed After the tragic death of Amadou - he collapsed
indirectly, through proverbs and the examples of on stage at the Chapelle des Lombards, and died later

spiritual heroes like Wolof sage Cheikh Ahmadou in hospital - another brother, C )usmane, joined the
Bamba and the Tukulor jihad leader Oumar Tall. group. He turned out to be a very fine singer who
"I believe that individualism is the greatest obstacle added Tour-
greatly to the group's stage presence.

to world hannony," says Maal. "God is one and he ing extensively in Europe, the US and Japan, Toure
wants the world to be one. When humanity begins Kunda notched up a gold disc with sales of over
to work together for new ideals, they will succeed." 1()(),()()() for a live double album. Paris Ziguinchor

Senegamblan music 625

 Baaba Maal Playing at Home
Nigel Williamson visited Baaba Maal, the King everywhere. I was fascinated by every kind of sound."
of Fouta Toro, in Podor, his home town in north- The murmur of a goat's bleating drifted across the
ern Senegal. veranda where we were sitting, competing with the
voice of the muezzin from the mosque. Maal learned
Shoeless children were playing in the dirt road in the many traditional songs from his mother and the extend-
baking heat outside Baaba Maal's house. Two uni- ed notes and tonal purity which characterise his voice

formed security guards opened the double gates on show the influence of his father, a muezzin singer in

which hisname has been carefuly chalked in flowery Podor. Maal himself remains a practising Muslim. "I go
script, and we were shown into a low, simple bunga- to the mosque in Podor when there is a big ceremo-
low, modestly comfortable, with a couple of cou<?hes, ny. I participate. I give them money and I do all my
a hi-fi, TV and some traditional art, but no air-condi- prayers like every Muslim in my house."
tioning. Maal emerged, slim and elegant in green pants Maal is not a griot, the ancient caste which tradi-
and a blue shirt, looking*far younger than his 44 years. tionally provided the singers and story-tellers in west
Courtesy itself, he set about organising cold drinks. African society. When he began singing this caused
We were in Maal's home in Podor - far from Dakar, problems. "The role of the griots is to tell the truth to
where he has another house and a studio. An ancient, the people and people who sing are supposed to be
dusty village of 5,000 inhabitants, it stands on the from the griot caste. I am from the fishermen's caste
fringes of the Sahara where Maal's people, the Fulani and my father - and society at large - didn't understand
(also known locally as Tukulor or Toucouleur) contin- my choice to be a musician." Maal's parents wanted
ue to lead a largely traditional, nomadic lifestyle. Across him to be "a doctor or a lawyer or something", send-
the shallow Senegal River lies Mauritania and thou- ing him to school first in the main town of northern Sene-
sands of miles of relentless desert. gal, St Louis, and then to university in Dakar and Paris.

Maal had just got up, having performed the previous In 1 980, however, he went on a tour of west Africa
night in a small village further up-country, inaccessible with his friend from Podor, Mansour Seek, research-
by road and reachable only by crosssing two tributaries ing traditional music. was then met a lot of young
"It I

of the Senegal river on hand-pulled barges. Podor people who didn't want to do just the jobs their caste
remains the heart of his existence when it would have gave to them. They were my first audience because
been so easy to relocate to Paris, Dakar, London or New they understood and agreed with what I was doing,"
York. "It is very special to nomadic people to have some- Maal recalled."! see myself as a modern griot. The old

where to come back to. They travel with their cows and griots were compromised by colonisation. They were
animals from season to season but there is one moment meant to be the connection between the people and
when everyone comes back and all the marriage cele- society but they didn't always tell the truth."
brations and festivals happen. And I need to come back
to understand my roots and where come from."
I Playing at home
Several hours later we drove in a convoy across the
Nomad soul desert - no roads, signposts or electricity - to the next
We talked about Maal's 1998 album, Nomad Soul, a town of Matam where Maal was singing that night.
thrilling global mix of traditional and modern rhythms. Miraculously we found a tiny house in the middle of
The album employed guest producers from Howie B nowhere where he and the band ate, slept and rested
to chief Afro-Celt, Simon Emmerson. until 3am when the the show started. After a meal of
"There were no barriers between us and the tech- goat stew eaten with fingers, by lamp-light, cross-legged
nological aspects and the traditional aspects worked on the floor, Maal held court from a makeshift couch in

perfectly together," Maal asserted. "It opens the music the courtyard while we counted the shooting stars.

up to lots of different people. Simon came to Podor to When it eventually began, the concert was remarkable.
learn and that made him very easy to work with. He is The 2,000-strong audience drawn from scattered com-
very spiritual like me. He made me discover Irish music munities across the desert had arrived either by foot or
and a lot of Celtic songs are similar to Fulani music. horse-driven cart. There was no stage and no formality.

The melodies fit perfectly with our language." While the band played and Maal sung, men, women and
Maal's own early musical inspiration came from the children ruffled his hair, posed for pictures wth him and
everyday sounds around him in the village and the thrust money into his hand. There's no need for special
desert. He described sitting near the women pound- security: these are his people. Standing alongside Baaba
ing grain when he was a boy. "I heard the melodies in Maal was Mansour Seek, the blind guitarist who is his griot.
that and heard them
I in the wind, the trees, in the river, He has been Maal's mentor and partner for twenty years.

626 Senegambian music

 Baaba Maal: the voice explodes
I asked Maal about the show - so different from Rhythm influences
those seen in London and Paris. The songs were longer, To casual listeners, Maal's music seems to have a
the grooves more hypnotic and the message profoundly strong reggae influence, but he claims this comes more
spiritual. "We can use dancers and do things we can- from the traditional yela music of his region. "It is an
not do on tour," he explained. "It is more traditional imitation of the sound of the pounding of the grain. The
and the kora and hoddu are the most important instru- structure is the same as reggae. The rhythm between CO
ments. The message is also important. At one point I the calabash and the clapping of the hands is the same m
am singing to the students
and who are going to
who are
be the future leaders of
learning the Koran
society.
as between the kick drum and the guitar
music."
in Jamaican
m
Gi
There is total silence when do I that." Maal was, however, influenced early on by Ameri-
Another difference that the band does not play can soul music and by Jamaican ska. "The
until the public shows
is

up. "We wait for the audience. I was soul. We got tapes of
ever heard on the radio
first thing
>
Everyone finishes work, they have dinner, they dress people like Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Aretha o
up in their best clothes. We don't play until after mid- Franklin. And long before Bob Marley, we were listen-

night and then we carry on until daylight. There is no ing to Toots and the Maytals and Jimmy Cliff. Every-

contract. They know we are playing just for them which body danced to it but I just listened. I could hear the
is why they give us money. They give goats, horses, connections. In Podor we have a lot of Moorish influ-

gold, jewellery, everything."

Maal aware of his position as a role
ences and when
always sounded Moorish to me."
I heard Aretha the tone of her voice
3
In return, is CO
model and leader, setting aside entire days to receive "I was convinced the music came from West Africa.

people when he is at home in Podor, and listen to their And then discovered jazz and blues. This music went
I

problems, to offer help and advice. "Because of my to America and then it came back to us. If you go to

experiences a lot of people come to ask me what to Dakar there is now some fantastic African rap music.
do. They need me like a key. If they need something The bass line is American but it is still Senegalese.
from people in the Government can I help. They need African music has travelled all over the world and now

that more than the money I give." it has come back home."

Live, recorded on their triumphant return to the remained a francophone phenomenon, and their
Casamance. But their most interesting project was failure to prosper during the British-led World Music
the hi-tech Natalia, produced by Bill Laswell, a spir- boom, perhaps demonstrates the different expecta-
ited and innovative work. Toure Kunda have tions of French and British audiences.

Senegambian music 627

 Women Performers has its posse, and there are said to be as many as

five hundred groups functioning They in the city.

---.r.:.-^- v. V.i.. : :.imusc\u ind the Congolese are. obviously, inspired by US rappers, though
vedettes. Senegalese women make an
were slow to Senegal also has its own 'rap' traditions. The Wolof
The first :nternaaonal release by a Ser.£iri-cr:c
impact. language lends itself to forceful rhetoric and a
wotmo, die snappy, SySa-produced "Cheikh Anta rhythmic alliteration, and drummers improvise
\tbacfce'* T was recorded m 1989 by gnotre Kine Lam vocally to create an extra layer of rhy-thmic excite-
ac a nme when mui gear was making die recording ment (check Youssou VDour's percussionist
process much more lightweight and accessible. Drum Mbaye Dieye Faye) A more formal traditional.

kits could be dfapensed with and horn parts played rap' k the staccato tassou. which was originally
x. -hough often with hideous results. performed the mornmg after marriages by women
Wooacn MWBk, the proverbial "neglected resour . of the Laobe woodw orking caste, and accompa-
were suddenly flavour of the moment. Tr.id:t*)nal nied by graphic explanatory dancing. The doyenne
divas Mbaye Madkxfio Gnrng ir.d the
ike Daro of this tradition. Aby Gana Diop. died in 199".
great Khar Mbaye Madraga were whisked into but related forms are continued by Abdou Ndi-
-.c-iios i '.e' <' iteration 'jt entrepreneurs. nocabry aye ir.i Cambian Jamil Cham.
ex-Xakm guitarist Cheikh Tichane Tafl. ex-Supcr Modem Senegalese rap e largely m Wolof inter-
Ecoile drummer Pape Dieng. and Lebanese pro- spersed with some English and French. Traditional
ducer/ musician Robert Lahoud. Daro Mbaye's instruments are used as sound effects and punctu-
~Doykf~. produced by Lanune Faye. was 2 Tcnig- ation but the main musical influence is from the
mous pyramid of scabbing horns, flailing sabar and L'S. As in mbalax. the Iyncs tend to persuade
howling rock guxar. topped bv the diva's magEte- through appeals to good sense, African values and
pronouncements. Kme Lam's "Galas*"* pilled brotherly feeling rather than anger and calls for

her throaty gargle against Cheikh Ticfiane Tail's fluid direct action. The raw adrenalin of gangs ta rap is

Bensonesque guitar over punching sabar rhythms. missing, but so is the hatred, homophobia and dis-
On Kme Lam s 1993 afcum, Stmu Dmossmt (Oar respect for women. The leading group. Positive
new trend was created: the traditional
Tradkaon), a Black Soul, who have been brought to interna-
sabar ak xalam ensemble discreedy modernised tional attention by Baaba \laal. come from solid
-•".*". :~-~.".c-:ser nvoj fpet :t Mj W ~>r~r.. middle-class backgrounds, and their bravado and
male or SemaJe. has smce recorded a cassette, not bluster are endearing rather than threatening.
m several, m ibis style, nsnaly paeans to great hoK men. Currently the trend is towards the introduction

m arranged m a "by the yard* fashion by Tafl. This is of more traditional sound*. Tradfconal singers Ndfr-
the kind ot music that's hkery to be blaring from aga Mbaye and Ndeye Marie Ndiaye have
2»
r-
your Dakar taxi Recent stars in dm vein "nrinoY recorded wkh rappers. Musicians like NDour, L6,

5»
the earthy Fatou Gewei and the even more earthy Pene and Coumba Gawlo. too. have all collabo-
Dial Mbaye rated on stage and disc with rappers.
O Earthy m a different way is the booming Wolof At the end of the 1990s, mbalax. too, remains cur-
soul singer Aminata Fai. Her coQaboranon with rent and popular, a whole generation having grown

m rappers Positive Black Soul caught influential up with its sounds. AEoune Kasse. son of Ibra Kasse
Western and she recendy guested wkh Har-
ears, (the Star Band's founder), grew up in Ins father'
s» an experimental jazz group with Habib Mm nightclub, wkh the likes of Erode de Dakar
3 Faye and Cheikh L6 guitarist Omar Sowe. reverberating through the floorboards. His excellent
Another woman bom into the grioc tradition, "Aline Sitoe Diana", a paean to a female freedom
5»
but educated, highly articulate and glamourous in fighter from Casamance. saw him dubbed "the new
a very modem way is Cw i Jm Gawio Her rather Youssou', though he has done nothing since to
shrill voice has received several Paris productions •
v.-.:.- rr.r
- •
Alioune Mbaye
-..

from Ibrahnna Syfla, majcing sharp comment on Nder, whose macho persona and romandc lyncs
social issues and turning traditional songs like now draw bigger crowds to the Thicisjne nightclub
~Minryamba" and "Yomaie" mto stunning ballads. than as owner Youssou NDour. Young grrk flaunt
their uikhifR, while dashing young men perform
Rap and New the bakhou wrestlers' strut around the dancefloor.
Recent increases in Senegal's recording and cas-
Directions sette production capacity has, in fact, allowed a
It » hard to overstate the popularity ot rap at the wealth of new talent to surface. Kasse and Mbaye
end of the 199*Js m SenegaL Every quaner in Dakar Nder are just the most visible figures of what has

Senegambian music
been dubbed the Generation Boul Fale (Don't Care
Generation), tor their blase attitude towards author-
discography
ity and conventional Recorded on thread-
politics.
Senegal
bare budgets, the offerings of Assane Ndiaye.
Assane Mboup and Ousmane Seek, and up-
and coming female singers Marie Ngone Ndione
Compilations
and Maty Thiam Dogo, constitute a kind of
; African Salsa Stem's. UK).
'garage mbalax' - though they're often backed
The sound of Dakar's clubs on the eve of the 21st century
by well-established outfits like Thione Seck's Raam expansively embraces the black diaspora, and in large part
Daan or Lamine Faye's hyper-active 'hard mbal- that means salsa. This is a grand selection of seductively
ax' combo, Lemzo Diamono. Often classed with arranged tracks from man of the moment. Pape Fall (with his

band African Salsa). Super Cayor de Dakar and others.

the Boul Fale crowds, the exquisite-voiced Fallou
Dieng, a graduate of the Lemzo stable and long- Double Concentre 100% Pure
f77\
serving resident vocalist at the Thiossane club, has
WU (Dakar Sound, Netherlands).

Vol 5 in an ongoing and fascinating 'Anthology of Modern

established a distinctive, more mellow style.
Senegalese Music', this is an eclectic, excellent compilation
None of these younger artists are adding much of vintage and more recent material, from prime Star Band to
to the vocabulary of mbalax. but the music is fresh gnot N'Diaga M'Baye on magnificent acoustic numbers. It
and gutsy, and they have a dialogue to pursue with includes the whole of Thione Seck's "Chauffeur Bi".

a young audience for whom Youssou N'Dour and S A Land of Drummers (Village Pulse. US).

Baaba Maal are becoming rather parental figures.

Seattle's Village Pulse label has produced a senes of excel-
Meantime, two older and more idiosyncratic lently recorded, beautifully packaged volumes of Senegalse

talents have been making considerable impact inter-

drumming, each devoted to a master in a particular style.
Thisis a sampler giving an overview of the first six volumes.
nationally. Paris-based Wasis Diop is the kind of
cooled-out, category-defying global villager who Streets of Dakar Generation Boul Fale
(Stem's, UK).
can make a hard-core Wolof version of the Talk-
"Once sound like the most Gutsy, invigorating overview of the late 1 990s scene, show-
ing Heads' in Lifetime"
casing a wealth of emerging artists, from the earthy neo-tra-
natural thing in the world. His laid-back, semi- ditionalsounds of Fatou Guewel and Gambian kora duo Tata
Dream" - a gorgeous duet with
acoustic "African and Salaam to rap and super-charged nouveau mbalax from
Lina Fiagby - gave him a surprise European hit Assane Ndiaye and Lemzo Diamono. With Alioune Kasse and
Fallou Diena providing more reflective moments, this is a rich
single from his No Sant album.
and entertaining collection. CO
Cheikh L6, sometime drummer with Xalam, m
poolside entertainer and one of the Baye Fall, the
Artists m
dreadlocked guardians of Touba, had to wait many C5
years before findinq the right production context
>
Africando
with Youssou N'Dour. His album, Ne La Thiass,
Three veteran Senegalese vocalists of the Afro-Cuban
>
combined semi-acoustic mbalax rhythms with a

nostalgic Latin jazz feel with a jazz approach and period team up with top salsa session men in New York. o
After Vol 2, stalwart Pape Seek was replaced by Ronnie
freewheeling balladry, dipping into flamenco. Cape Baro and Gnonas Pedro, with guest appearances from
Verdean moma, Congolese rumba and heavy doses stars like Rochereau and Seikouba Bambino.

of sufi philosophy. One of the most accessible discs Africando (Stem's, UK).
of the decade from Senegal, it was a major hit in
If the baste recipe appeals, you'll no doubt love all four vol-
Europe and America. umes to date. But the first is probably the best.
Lasdy. in a nostalgic return to the old dance roots
of Cuban music, the 1990s also saw a brief craze Pascal Diatta & Sona Mane
for Senegalese salsa. Producer Ibrahima Sylla cre- Pascal Diatta a legendary acoustic guitarist, accompa-
is

ated the Africando project, teaming up Pape Seek nied by Sona Mane, his singer wife, in the Balanta style of
Casamance.
(from Number One du Senegal), Medioune Dial-
lo (of Baobab) and sometime Super Etoile vocal- Simnade (Rogue, UK).

ist Nicolas Menheim with top salsa session men in Diatta matches amazing thumb-and-two-fingers guitar tech-
New nique with Mane's gruff vocals. Recorded in an unventilated
York. After Seck's untimely death, he was
hotel room, the unusual flavour of the music is immediately
replaced by Puerto Rican Ronnie Baro and arresting, though doesn't vary greatly.
it

Gnonas Padro from Benin, though by the time

the fourth volume was recorded the novelty was Wasis Diop
wearing thin. Another veteran, Pape Fall, created Diop isa Lebou (descended from Dakar's original inhabi-
his own band L' African Salsa. tants) and has a dramatic Wolof and French growl. Based

Senegambian music 629

 in Paris, he a category-defying singer songwriter - and,
is

simply, one most melodic, accessible artists you're

of the
Kine Lam
ever likely to happen upon. Acquire and enjoy. Senegal's first female pop star, Kine Lam combines seri-
ous griot credibility with a modern approach.
S3 No Sant (Mercury, UK).

83 Cheikh Anta Mbacke (Jololi, Senegal).

This album's mellow semi-acoustic feel created a surprise
international hit in Europe, and especially France. Chill out Traditional songs given snappily modern Syllart treatment.
music for the global village. Very attractive in its coolly efficient way.

Toxu
(Mercury, UK). Lemzo Diamono
A tour de force, by turns soulful and jazzy, enhanced by the Former Super Diamono guitarist 'Lemzo' Faye takes

production of Level 42's Wally Badarou, who brings the per-

mbalax in a hardcore rhythmic direction with his current
cussion up strikingly on nearly every track, in particular on the band, Lemzo Diamono.
spellbinding rendition of Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime"
33 Marimbalax (Stern's UK). n
and the moving "Samba".
Ifyou can get your head and feet round the relentless activity,
you'll be partaking of an integral Seneglese experience.
Etoile de Dakar
The Star were Senegal's first pop stars and
of Dakar
Cheikh L6
probably the country's most influential band ever, launch-
ing Youssou N'Dour onto the world stage. A maverick talent, Cheikh L6 marries sufi mysticism with
a host of semi-acoustic influences and an irresistible
33 Etoile de Dakar: Vols 1-4 voice.
(Stern's, UK).
Ne la Thiass
Not only historically important, but wonderful music in its own (World Circuit, UK).
right. All the essential material is here (except the first hit

"Xalis"), rendered oddly more tinny and raucous than the orig- Strong songs and a warm organic feel make for grown-up
inal cassettes. Vols 1 and 3 are essential masterpieces. Most pop with real international appeal.

would say the same for Vol 2, while Vol 4 is less significant,
but still worthwhile. Ismael L6
One of Senegal's top singers, Ismael L6 made his name
Etoile 2000 with Super Diamono in the early 1 980s. He has become a
After Etoile de Dakar's split, Hendrix-loving guitarist cool-voiced balladeer who combines international sophis-

Badou Ndiaye and muezzin-like singer El Hadji Faye tication with crowd-pleasing local grooves.
formed their own band.
S3 Diawar (Stern's, UK).

33 Boubou N'Gary (Dakar Sound, Netherlands). Containing the irresistably breezy "Jele bi", this is probably
A selection from their first three cassettes. Wild, amazingly the best of Lo's Syllart albums. The CD re-issue contains an

raw music taking an almost punk direction never heard extra album's worth of material from previous outings.

before or since.
33 Iso (Barclay, France).

Smooth, at times almost MOR,

Coumba Gawlo on charm and big ballads.
this ambitious album is strong

Coumba Gawlo is a new star in Senegal - the griotte as

glamorous independent modem woman. Baaba Maal
3t Aldiana (Syllart, France). Superstar Baaba Maal is from northern Senegal and sings
in the minority Pulaar language rather than Wolof, which
Selections from two local cassettes, featuring sassy modern
highlights his achievement in becoming, with Youssou
mbalax and the wonderful traditional song "Miniyamba".
N'Dour, the country's leading musician. His blues-like
music is distinguished by a dark, intense voice, rhythmic
Fatou Gewel guitar-picking, and, live, a wondrous flamboyance. In the

E Fatou Gewel is a gutsy diva of neo-traditional song. 1990s he has alternated between Western-produced
fusion releases and 'classic' acoustic outings.
S3 Fatou (Stern's, UK).
Djam Leelii
Earthy anthems to great religious leaders and moral homilies
(Palm Pictures, UK).
backed by xalam, percussion and occasionally kitsch key-
board interventions. Maal and his mentor and childhood friend Mansour Seek recre-
ate the tunes and themes of their native river region, with buoy-
ant acoustic guitar rhythms and nasal singing at once gentle
Henri Guillabert
and intense. Music to be transported by, and commercially,
The former Xalam keyboard player and arranger, extremely successful. The new CD version contains extra
Guillabert is one of Senegal's top jazz-funksters. tracks.

33 Benn (Jololi, Senegal). 33 Firin' in Fouta (Mango, UK).

The well-connected Guillabert gets together friends Youssou An and surprisingly coherent slab of Afro-modernism.
exciting
N'Dour, Ismael L6, Cheikh L6, Pape Niang and Rwandan British producer Simon Emmerson finds Celtic resonances
chanteuse Afsana Rahamatali for a smooth, very listenable and enlists salsa hornmen and Wolof ragga merchants. A
outing on Youssou's label. highpoint of its kind.

630 Senegamblan music

Yande Codou Sene & Youssou N'Dour

83 Nomad Soul (Palm Pictures, UK). 93 Best of the Eighties (Melodie, France).

This album took the eclectic approach even further, with Recordings of 1980s material from two cassettes - Dikaat and
whole teams of producers marrying traditional instruments Sf Louis. Richly rhythmic fare with moments of exquisite beauty.

with ultra modern grooves.

The Guide: Wommat
(Sony/Columbia, US).
Youssou N'Dour
The Guide was Youssou 's most successful attempt at giv-
Senegal's (and arguably Africa's) best-known musician, ing mbalax the big budget, international treatment.
Youssou N'Dour defined his style and outlook with the Containing many moods, it seems uncertain in places, but
album title Never Stand Still. From his time with Etoile de the single "7 Seconds" (with Neneh Cherry) certainly found
Dakar, through to collaborations with Peter Gabriel and an audience.
Neneh Cherry, he has produced a body of work that is
erratic, incredibly varied and completely fascinating. YOUSSOU N'DOUR AND YANDE CODOU SENE
Continually reworking old material, he - even more than
Baaba Maal - caters to the demands of both home and
international markets. ® Gainde: Voices from the Heart of Africa
(World Network, Germany).

Yande Codou Sene is the grande dame of Serer song and

m
m
SUPER ETOILE DE DAKAR with her daughters creates an elemental polyphony. N'Dour
— Youssou N'Dour et Super Etoile de Dakar: directs and joins them on several tracks. A unique and >
Vols 1-16 (Local Cassettes). extraordinary work.

N'Dour and his trusted cohorts take Dakar street grooves

Orchestre Baobab 2
with strong Latin retentions to the portals of international O
superstar collaboration, via some
wild, wacky and continual- Baobab were the seminal Senegalese dance band of the
ly and 10 are particularly strong.
surprising routes. Vols 6, 7 1970s and introduced many great singers in a variety of
Vol 8, heavily remixed, became the Immigres CD. But the languages as their Afro-Cuban rhythms became rawer
music works best as one extraordinary stream of conscious- and earthier.
ness. Most of is impossible to find, but a multi CD compila-
it

tion, planned for 2000, could become one of the great

93 N'Wolof (Dakar Sound, Netherlands).
albums. Captured in 1970-71, with legendary Wolof singer Laye CD
Mboup, this is a real glimpse into a vanished world.
YOUSSOU N'DOUR
93 Immigres
A homage
(Earthworks, UK).

to Senegalese migrant workers, this mid-period

m Pirate's Choice
(World Circuit, UK).

A beautiful set from 1982. Lilting rhythms, superb guitar playing

cassette, lovingly remastered, has great warmth and an and the atmosphere of a simpler place and time make this one
unusually open-ended feel. It's too short to be an outright CD of those albums everybody loves.
masterpiece, but at mid-price is well worth the money.

93 Inedits 84-85 (Celluloid, France). Omar Pene & Super Diamono

Selections from one of N'Dour'smost fertile periods. Complex The 'people's band' of Dakar's proletarian suburbs in

arrangements, sudden tempo changes and a strong jazz influ- the 1980s/early 1990s, Diamono mixed reggae militancy,
ence make for ambitious and challenging music. jazz cool and hardcore traditional grooves. Their influen-
tial early incarnations await some enterprising archivist.
S3 Hey, You! (Nascente, UK).
93 Pari (Stern's, UK).
A budget-priced compilation from his would-be crossover
period at Virgin. Two casettes of material on one CD from the early 1990s

Senegamblan music 531

 when main man Pene had reformed the band with top Dakar
session men. A bit smooth for some tastes, but the overall feel
The Gambia
is deeply Senegalese.

S3 Direct from Dakar (Womad Select, UK).

Compilations
Actually recorded in Wiltshire at RealWorld's Box Studios.
This 'live take' album goes for an earthier feel, but it could S3Ancient Heart: Mandinka and Fulani Music of the
sparkle more.
Gambia (Axiom/Mango, UK).
Rare and atmospheric recordings of large ensembles. An
Positive Black Soul orchestra of koras, balafons and drums from the Mandinkas.
Scraping fiddle, voice, flute and percussion from the Fulas.
Positive Black Soul are Senegal's boy-racer rappers with
international attitude.
MANDINKA AND FULANI MUSIC OF THE GAMBIA
33 Salaam (Mango, UK).

Compton and
peaceful Senegalese bias.
the Bronx inventively reinterpreted, with a ANCIOTIART
Mansour Seek
Mansour Seek was (and
Lifelong griot is) a mentor of
Baaba Maal. He plays masterful acoustic guitar and sings
with a gently rasping deftness.

S3 Yelayo (Stern's, UK).

Never less than one hundred percent grounded in its Fula soil

this is Seck's third solo album and probably his most attrac-
tive, employing for the first time a female chorus.

Thione Seek
Former Orchestre Baobab singer Thione Seek, like many
Senegalese artists, isn't revealed at his best on any one
album. But Dakar's gentleman crooner is an essential
voice in the nation's music.
S3 Griots of West Africa and Beyond
SB Chauffeur Bi (Dakar Sound, Netherlands). (Ellipsis Arts, US).

This beautiful acoustic album is included as an extra CD on New York based Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso
C/J
m the Double Concentre album (see 'Compilations'). takes
in far
left field

flung
producer
Casamance
Bill Laswell to meet musician relatives
villages. Superbly vivid recordings,
Demb (Local Cassette).
interspersed with pieces by Suso, Philip Glass and Laswell. A
en A fine semi-accousic outing, with a hypnotic tribute to his fascinating project, accompanied by lavishly illustrated book.
mentor Laye Mboup.

Daaly (Stern's, UK). Artists

Material from 1996 beefed up with Syllart-produced tracks
from 1989. A poor opener and some insipid arrangements Tata Dindin
create a bad impression, but there are some tracks here that
Tata Dindin, son of the esteemed Malamini Jobarteh,
m sing up one hell of a storm.
young Turk of the kora.
is a

Toure Kunda S3 Salam: New Kora Music (World Network, Germany).

A trio of brothers adapting the traditions of Casamance Tata leaves behind his dance band for this gently emotive

2 with more mainstream Senegalese and Western sounds,

Toure Kunda have achieved great popularity in France,
and highly accomplished set.

though they are little known elsewhere. Ifang Bondi (Super Eagles)
S3 Natalia (Celluloid, France). Ifang Bondi (formed as Super Eagles) have been standard
bearers for Gambian music since the 1960s. They have
A delightful, moody meander through the forest region's many
been based in Holland since 1 984.
styles with assistance from producer Bill Laswell.
Gis gis (MW Records, Netherlands).

Xalam Their latest, and probably best album, employs Fula and
Mandinka sounds from young traditional musicians in a very
Xalam, the late Prosper Niang's pioneering band, were
modern context.
pursuing a Wolof jazz direction way back in 1970.

S3 Apartheid (Metodie/Encore, France). Amadou Bansang Jobarteh

Jazz funk a la Senegalaise. well-recorded, and their only Amadou Jobarteh is The Gambia's senior exponent of the
album currently available. crisp up-river (tilibo) style.

632 Senegambian music

 83 Tabara (Music of the World, US). Jaliology
(Rogue, UK).
An intimate atmosphere creates a strong sense of music from
bygone days. The duo meet up with Mawdo Suso on balafon on as inspiring
a kora album as you could hope to find.

Pa Bobo Jobarteh & Kaira Trio

3S Jali Roll (Rogue, UK).
A young member of the esteemed griot family specialising
The duo go electric with members of 3 Mustaphas 3.
in wild live performances.
Energetic and enjoyable, though not the best collaboration of
5E Kaira Naata (Womad Select, UK). its kind.

This is a pleasing and relatively meditative set, resonantly

recorded on beaches and in private houses with rousing Jaliba Kuyateh

rhythmic support. Jaliba Kuyateh is an innovator of semi-electric kora dance
music with his madcap posse.
Alhaji Bai Konteh
The Konteh was a great exponent of the
late Alhaji Bai
O Tissoli (Jololi, Senegal).

Casamance kora style, with bluesy tuning and lightning A tumbling barrage of kora. balafon, bass, drums, percussion

fast variations. and a lonesome trumpet, all hitting deep traditional grooves.
Crazy and wonderful.
: Alhaji Bai Konteh (Rounder, US).

Atmospheric 1972 recordings made at the Konteh home in Jali Nyama Suso
Brikama.
Suso was a revered elder statesman of the kora, sadly
departed.
Dembo Konteh & Kausu Kouyate
SS Gambie: I'Art de la Kora (Ocora, France).
Alhaji Bai's son and his Casamancais brother-in-law,
Dembo Konteh has become well known from extensive Tuneful, accessible playing and singing in both up-river and
touring duetting on kora with Kausu Kouyate. coastal styles. Recorded in 1972.

C/J

Senegamblan music 633

 Sierra Leone.

palm-wine sounds
For a country where the recording industry died in the 1970s - and where the delightful common

greeting is "How de body?", "Body fine" - it's hard to feel anything but sympathy
to which you reply
and regret as Sierra Leone wrtthes under the double yoke of economic collapse and civil war. Once
one of West Africa's most progressive and wealthy nations, Sierra Leone, four decades after
independence, has been going through some bad. bad times. Although a few revivalist bands and
singers are attempting to recreate the sound of the golden years of the 1 970s, it's a sad day when the
birthplace of palm-wine music (as played by the late, great SE Rogie) can't field a single exponent for
the world stage. Ed Ashcroft and Richard Trillo chart the country's musical times.

Sierra Leone's independence in 1961 and very accomplished guitarists — who, from an
Since
(from mismanagement, corrup-
Britain), early date, were hiring themselves out to foreign
tion and various forms of neo-colonialism vessels as well as undertaking their own trading
contrived to plunder what should be, per expeditions all along the West African coast,
capita, one ot the world's richest countries: a nation spreading their guitar style as they went.
of four million, blessed with gold, diamonds, baux- Calender was the son of a soldier from Barba-
ite, and well-watered, fertile soil. And since 1991 dos. He trained as a carpenter and was a well-
the nation has been riven by a civil war that ini- known coffin-maker, but his music soon took over
tially spilt over the border from Liberia's conflict, and by the early years of independence he was a
motivated by the struggle for control of Sierra mainstay of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service.
Leone's open-cast diamond mines. He recorded dozens of shellac 78rpms in the 1950s
j/5 It's not a promising backdrop to cultural life. and early 1960s, mosdy in the creole-English of
^ Yet Leone is a truly music-mad nation. Its
Sierra Freetown. The popular song "Double-Decker
people have an enormous capacity, even by African Buses"' (celebrating their arrival from England, and
standards, for playing music, dancing and partying the party on wheeb which ensued), epitomises this
— something you can experience in any commu- good-time, slighdy tipsy, afternoon sound.
fTI nity gig in London or Washington DC where
exiles sample a taste of what is sadly missing from Welcome to Sierra Leone double-decker bus.
m present-day Freetown. The manager is Mr Stobbart,
His assistant is Mr Gannon.
They are trying to do their level best
Palm Wine and Milo By sending the double decker.
Palm wine is the naturally fermented sap-juice ot Welcome to Sierra Leone double-decker bus,
the oil palm — poor people's booze in a country
Welcome to Sierra Leone double-decker bus.
Mr Stobart, Mr Garmon and the citizens
where a botde of imported beer costs a day's wages.
Had a party in east to west.
The music to accompany the refreshment, palm-
My grandfather and my grandmother
wine music or maringa as it's locally known,
Refused to go to the top stairs.
was first made famous by Ebenezer Calender
Welcome to Sierra Leone double-decker bus,
and his Maringar Band. Calender (1912-85) Welcome to Sierra Leone double-decker bus.
played a soft, breezy calypsonian, verse-and-cho-
of music which came in part from the
rus style Calendar had previously played a kind of music
Caribbean freed slave immigrants who had given known as goom-bay. or gumbe (see Guinea-Bis-
Freetown its name, and implanted an enduring sau - p. 499), a style which led to an interesting
Creole or krio culture on the capital. oftshoot in the form of milo-jazz. popularised by
At root. Trinidadian calypso and Freetown Olofemi ('Doctor Oloh') Israel Cole and his
maringa may have the same seaborne origins in Milo-jazz band. Milo-jazz was a percussive street

the Kru-speaking people of Liberia - great sailors music requiring no amplification, whose signature

634 Sierra Leone

 C/>

m
30
Andy iw and SE Rogie, back in 1988 30

instrument was the shaker made with a milo Since Rogie's untimely death, other artists, based
(chocolate powder) can filled with pebbles. As mosdy Europe and the US, have begun to assert
in

recently as the early 1990s, milo-jazz was a pop- their own styles, making for interesting hybrids of
ular entertainment in Freetown, but economic traditional African and modern western styles.

slump, war and curfews have all but obliterated it.

The modern era of Sierra Leonean music was

The 1970s and the
for long dominated by the one artist who man-
aged to break through onto the international stage,
London Connection
SE Rogie, who built on the palm-wine tradition The golden era of Sierra Leonean music was dur-
by applying electric guitar to the style. He left for ing the 1970s when it had its biggest overseas expo-
the US in 1973, moving on to England in the late sure. A new generation of bands who had grown
1980s, where he spent as much time as a cultural up in the years following independence began to
ambassador in schools as on stage with his guitar. develop their own style of music and subject mat-
His greatest successes, from a couple of decades ter - swinging Freetown, sweet Salon (krio for
before his time in England, were "My Lovely Eliz- 'Sierra Leone') and, of course, love and sex. Their
abeth" and "Go Easy With Me", a song with lyrics explicit lyrics brought some of them into conflict
as irresistibly suggestive as its melody. In the early with the new authorities.
1990s, he made a return trip to Freetown, playing Their style drew largely from calypso and
benefit concerts for refugees. Sadly, he died in maringa but they did away with some of the tra-

1994, just after the release of his last CD, Dead ditional instrumentation, adding electric guitars and
Men Don 't Smoke Marijuana, on RealWorld. horns, borrowing from other African countries,

Sierra Leone 635

 nine tracks incude Calender's "Double Decker Buses", and
notably the emerging soukous of Congo, but also
range from Calypso to Gospel. Later cuts are more tradition-
from the R&B and pop tunes picked up in the al, and feature music from most of Sierra Leone's ethnic

West. Leading groups included the wonderful communities, with the likes of the Lokko Tribal Union and
Afro-Nationals (Sierra Leone's answer to TPOK Sankoh and his Kono Boys. Excellent accompanying booklet.

Jazz), Orchestra Muyah and Super Combo.

These groups developed what became known as Artists
'Soca-Beat', or 'Soak Beat' - music that still remains
firmly part of Sierra Leonean community life and Afro-Nationals
spawned a late- 1 990s revival of the Afro-Nation-
Afro-Nationals were the 1970s creation of musician and
als and another leading 1970s band, Sabannoh 75 composer Sulay Abubakar and vocalist Patricia Koroma.
(as Sabannoh International). By far the most popular band of their time, they were
soon dubbed the TPOK Jazz ^pf Sierra Leone, and not
In the 1980s and 1990s, the success stories have
without reason, featuring the sweet lead guitar, trademark
been those of exiles. London-based veteran a*nd brass and live percussion that epitomised that era. They
multi-instrumentalist Abdul Tee-Jay has spent his had the added bonus of Patricia's raw, husky voice, one
of Sierra Leone's very few female vocalists of the time.
time slowly and methodically building a reputation,
tirelessly touring not just'the UK but further afield 3D Classics 1 & 2 (H&R Enterprises, US).

in Europe. The years of hard work are beginning Classics 1 is a re-issue, at last, of re-mastered original hits

to pay off and his latest CD, E'go Lef Pan You has including their big hit, "Money Palava" and "Mother-ln-Law".
Classics 2 brings us full-circle as the bulk of the band
crossed over to audiences on both sides of the
reformed in 1 998 to re-record another collection of hits in the
Adantic. style of the originals. There are also two brand-new tracks
Elsewhere, Ansumana Bangura, a one-time here, pointing to the possibility of more to come.
member of Miriam Makeba's band, forged a career
in Germany; multi-instrumentalist Seydu has Jimmy B
recorded interesting fusion material in Spain; King Rapper Jimmy Bangura is now based in South Africa
where his first three albums, mixing his brand of kwaito
Masco knocks out palm-wine ribaldry in the US;
(South African hip-hop), rap and soul have had consider-
and in South Africa, Jimmy B (Jimmy Bangura) able success. He has become enormously popular at
has become a major star of the local kwaito vari- home, too, playing to massive audiences on a trip back to
Freetown's Siaka Steven's stadium.
ant of hip-hop.
Meantime in Sierra Leone, a few talents have SD Make 'em Bounce (EMI, South Africa).

gained hard-won recognition. Ngoh Gbetuwai, Jimmy's latest release adds mbaqanga and mbube to the

m a Mende from town of Moyamba, recorded

the
several promising cassettes on threadbare budgets
mix, singalling the beginning of a formula that might really
take off. Certainly the thumping title track, a re-mix of
39 Mahlathini's "Gazette", could become a dance-floor smash
before coming to the attention of US-based pro- anywhere in the world
ducer Henry Gegbe, who released a CD in 1997.
And Great Steady Bongo is another popular Ansumana Bangura
current artist, who had a massive recent hit with Percussionist Ansumana is based in Germany, having
"Kormot Be En Me", followed up with the opti- been accidentally left there while playing with Miriam
Makeba's band in 1 980. They had met while Makeba was
mistically titled album, Welcome to Democracy.
living in Conakry, Guinea. He came to the attention of the
excellent small independent label Shave Musik with his
own personal fankadama style, meaning mix everything.
'
Sierra Leone People (Shave Musik, Germany).
discography Everything is certainly mixed in here: highlife, palm-wine, tra-
ditional society music, milo-jazz (or gumbe). It is a particularly
percussive album, not surprising as Bangura spent his child-
Compilations hood making and playing any and all kinds of drums.

S3 African Elegant: Sierra Leone's Kru/Krio Calypso Ngoh Gbetuwai

Connection (Original Music, US).
Ngoh Gbetuwai are possibly the most promising of the
A fascinating ethno-muse, although elegant isn't the word new generation of home-based Sierra Leonean artists,
that immediately springs to mind in describing these ragged working under near-impossible conditions.
old Decca takes. Still, there's redemption in most of
Ebenezer Calender's numbers. Biza Body (H&R Enterprises, US).

It's a shame this album is so heavily reliant on the synthesiser

Sierra Leone Music
but given the circumstances in Freetown under which it was
(Zensor, Germany).
recorded, its very existence is little short of miraculous. On
A real collector's item - Wolfgang Bender's lovingly pack- the plus side are lively authentic compositions and sweet har-
aged compilation of Krio and up-country tracks, recorded for monies, not to mention the promise of a follow-up album with
the radio in Freetown in the 1950s and early 1960s. The first some money and proper production behind it.

336 Sierra Leone

 King Masco Seydu
King Masco is a consummate showman and a master of Based in Spain, Seydu grew up in Freetown and was
saucy innuendo, making him a favourite in the Sierra influenced strongly by the chants of his Fulani-Mandinka
Leonean diaspora. mother and the sounds of his grandfather's drums. A
multi-instrumentalist, he lived for a while in Fela Kuti's
S3 African Love Record (H&R Enterprises, US). commune in Lagos, and in London.
Masco's best and most popular album to date includes the 83 Freetown (NubeNegra, Spain).
very rude but hysterically funny "Run Away". Pity about the
predominant keyboards and drum-machines. Bearing in mind Seydu's background, it's perhaps not sur-
prising to find so many different styles fused together, from
afrobeat and highlife to funk and soul. Polyrhythmic, beauti-
SE Rogie fully played and outstandingly well produced, this album also
Sooliman Ernest Rogie (1926-1994) was Sierra Leone's displays strong Flamenco influences, accentuated by occa-
best-known musician. He developed an effortlessly ladi- sional Spanish Seydu seems as much at home with the
lyrics.

back, sensual style of palm-wine guitar playing and emi- reflective, almost a cappella "Palm Wine Talk" as with the

grated to the US in the early 1970s, later moving to more upbeat electric material, such as "Chica Boom Boom".
England, where he taught and performed.
Abdul Tee-Jay
The Palm Wine Sounds of SE Rogie
(Stem's, UK). Abdul Tee-Jay has long been the most prominent Sierra
Leonean musician in the UK, working the circuit with his
The beauty of palm-wine music lies in its simplicity, and this
own particular take on Soca-Beat.
collection retains that essential reflective aura. It's a pity that

his most popular song "My Lovely Elizabeth" is not included E'Go Lef Pan You
here (or anywhere on CD come to that), but other classics (Tee-Jay Disque/Stern's, UK).
such as "Joe Joe Yalal Joe" and "Tourist Girl" make up for it.
An exuberant celebration of pan-African music. Although there are
This is the kind of music that can take you to a far-off place
Congolese flavoured dance tracks here, what sets this album
when times are stressful. Guitar, percussion, vocals ... a mug apart from previous CDs, Fire Dombolo and Kanka Kura (both on
of palm wine in the shade. Rogue, UK), is the more traditional Sierra Leonean matenal. When
Abdul puts the electric guitar down and goes acoustic, the whole
Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana
sound shifts to another world. The palm-wine style 12-string on
(RealWorld, UK).
"Jorlay Baby" is simply delightful. The traditional "Alio Alio", known
The last outing by the ever-cool Sooliman is a delicious piece more commonly as "Bubu", is a rasping village song complete
of music-cake - so long as you like his one tune, the basis of with kondi (local thumb piano), cowhoms, whistles, bubu and all,
nearly all the songs. traditionally played to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

C/5

m
30
30
>
r—
m

Sierra Leone 637

 SOUth Africa ! Popular music

the nation of voice

South Africa is most complex musical history, greatest profusion of styles and
distinguished by Africa's
most hence three articles in this book (those that follow this cover
intensely developed recording industry:
Gospel and Jazz). The country's popular music has huge regional and stylistic^/ariations but shares a
strong vocal focus - if there is a defining South African sound it is the Zulu a cappella harmonies of
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. South African pop has been long and deeply influenced by Europe and the
US, yet it has a character utterly distinct, both from those models and from the music you will hear
anywhere else on the continent, even from nearby parts of central Africa. Rob Allingham reports.

Africa has a bewildering variety of Khoi hosts greeted his arrival with a five-man
South
pop music They are underpinned,
styles. ensemble of reed flutes.
however, by two dominant sounds: Later, in around 200 AD, the first Bantu-
mbaqanga, a township style with vocal speaking peoples arrived in the region, and by
harmonies and deep 'groaning' male vocals, and the beginning of the seventeenth century Bantu
Zulu a cappella. These are unique to South linguistic groups — Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu and oth-
Africa yet immediately accessible to global audi- ers - had completely occupied what is now South
ences: witness the success of Paul Simon's Grace- Africa. Their musical glory was their vocal tra-
land album, charged by Ladysmith Black dition, with songs to accompany every routine,
Mambazo. Upon such solid vocal foundations have ritual and riteof passage. Each tribe had its dis-
emerged styles such as township jive, bub- tinct and characteristic songs, tonalities and har-
blegum, soul (which has a distinct local flavour), monies, but the underlying musical structure was
CO and most recently kwaito - South Africa's take the same — two or more linked melodic phrases,
on hip-hop. not sung in unison, but staggered to produce a
simultaneous polyphony. This arrangement may
Deep Roots well have been a Bantu invention
tainly an African one — and it
- it

underlies the basic

was cer-

n South Africa is one of the world's oldest inhabit- 'calland response' structure of many African-
American styles including gospel and its later
o ed areas, and it has perhaps the earliest-charted
musical history, dating back to the stone age, derivatives, doo-wop and soul.
around 4000 years ago. At this time, it seems,
groups of hunter-gatherers known as San, or The West, Urbanisation,
Bushmen, sang in a uniquely African click
language (the "!" and other clicks in modern
Marabi and Jive
Bantu languages are an inheritance), fash- In the hinterland, the first contact with Western
ioned rattles, drums and simple flutes, and music usually coincided with the arrival of Chris-
exploited the musical properties of their tian missionaries, who made their first visits in the

hunting bows. Present-day San music still early nineteenth century. Once the mission school
sounds quite otherworldly. system was established, it provided most of the few
Then, some 2000 years ago, another group educational opportunities available to Africans, and
called the Khoi filtered down from the north always included a musical training. Out of this sys-

with their herds and pushed out the San. tem came Enoch Sontonga - who composed
Known perjoratively as Hottentots, the Khoi the national anthem, "Nkosi Sikelel, Africa", at i

arenow extinct as group, though their

a the turn of the century - and later, nearly every
mixed race, or 'coloured', descendants are an prominent black composer and performer right up
important part of South African society. Khoi until the 1960s.

music seems to have been more complex than But the most important catalyst for musical evo-
San: Vasco da Gama noted in 1497 that his lution was urbanisation. Cape Town was big

638 South Africa popular music

enough to attract American musicians in the 1 840s, A Music Industry
while Johannesburg grew rapidly in the 1880s after
the discovery of gold. Among the many profes- By the late 1940s, southern Africa boasted a
sional musicians who South Africa
travelled to remarkable collection of black music styles. These
before World War I were African—American min- included the distinctive African-Western crossovers
strels, vaudevillians and ragtime piano players. A of the cities and a variety of tribally-difTerentiated
remarkable series of tours was undertaken in the styles. The latter varied in their make-up from the
1890s by Orpheus McAdoo's Jubilee Singers almost purely indigenous to the Westernised. Most
who introduced black spiritual singing to great of these styles existed outside any commercial
acclaim from the South African public - black and infrastructure, and thus constituted a genuine folk
white alike. music in the broadest sense of the term.
By the 1 920s, Africans had established a secure The occasional local recordings tended to doc-
foothold in the cities despite increasing govern- ument the music passively, without affecting its
ment restrictions. Out of the necessity of coping style or substance. The UK-based Gramophone

with the nightly curfew that applied to all Africans, Company Ltd, producer of the HMV and Zono-
an entertainment institution, the 'Concert and phone labels, initiated the first commercial record-
Dance', developed in Johannesburg -by now the ing sessions in Africa by dispatching a portable field

largest African city south of the Sahara. Vocal unit to Cape Town
and Johannesburg in 1912.
groups and comedians held the stage from the Later sessions in the company's London studio pro-
beginning of curfew at 8pm until 11pm. Then, duced the first recorded version of "Nkosi Sikelel'
after midnight, dance bands with names like the i Afrika" by ANC co-founder Sol Plaatjie in
Merry Blackbirds and the Jazz Maniacs played until 1923, and 150 landmark recordings by composer
4am, when it was once again legal to go on the Reuben Double Quartet in 1930.
Caluza's
streets. The Jazz Maniacs were a rough-and-tum- Eric Gallo's BrunswickGramophone House sent
ble outfit, and while they played dance music for a few Afrikaner and African musicians to London
black middle-class audiences, they also incorpo- in 1930 and 1931 to record for their new Singer
rated elements of a style from Johannesburg's black label. And Gallo went on to build a local studio
slumyards called marabi. — the first in sub-Saharan Africa — which produced
Originally,marabi was banged out on battered its first masters in 1933, effectively marking the
pianos to the percussive accompaniment of peb- inauguration of the South African music industry.
C/5
ble-filled cans in countless township shebeens — By the mid-1950s, a number of other operations O
illicit drinking centres (the sale of alcohol was ille- had been established — Trutone, a local branch of
gal to Africans until 1962 except in government EMI; Teal, another EMI subsidiary which later

beer halls). Structurally, marabi consisted of a sin- separated and grew into a formidable presence; and
gle phrase built around a three-chord progression Troubadour Records.
repeated endlessly in the indigenous fashion, while Meanwhile, Gallo Africa and its subsidiary,
melodically it was a highly syncretic form, pro- Gramophone Record Company, were producing >
viding enough space for improvisation to incor- over a million discs a year in the early 1950s. This
porate snatches of anything from traditional was becoming big business, and as the decade pro-
melodies to hymns or current popular fare from gressed the record companies put in place a sys-
Tin Pan Alley. tem of African talent scouts and producers (see
Some time later, perhaps by the mid- 1930s, featurebox overleaf), who were to shape the new
marabi was being played on guitars, banjos, and music for the next three decades.
concertinas but the underlying structure remained Radio began to play a crucial role quite late,
the same. By the post-war years and into the 1950s, from 1962, after a 'development programme' for
a number of related popular urban styles based on Bantu Radio was implemented — in reality a cyn-
three chord marabi patterns were being played and ical exercise in apartheid wish-fulfilment Broad- .

sung in different languages and on a variety of casting was to be a propaganda tool to foster
instruments in townships throughout southern 'separate development'. In the cities, monolingual
Africa. By this time, the music was often referred programming would encourage ethnic identity
'Ndebele jive'.)
to as jive (as in 'violin jive' or while in the rural 'bantustans', radio would pro-
Meanwhile, Johannesburg and other South
in vide the voice of incipient nationhood. It was
African cities, marabi and American swing were intended that the niral stations would feature exclu-
combining to create African Jazz - for more on sively the traditional music of their regions, in order
which see the article on pp. 660-668. to encourage ethnic separatism. In practice, the

South Africa popular music 639

 The Producers
In the 1950s, urban Africans were an enormous vocal style featuring the leader and principal compos-
untapped audience for commercial music. But how er, Zeph Nkabinde, Aron Voice Jack' Lerole and
'Big
were white-run companies to determine what they occasionally Nkabinde's younger brother Simon, aka
wanted to buy? The dilemma was resolved by hiring Mahlathini The Black Mambazo's all-female coun-
African 'talent scouts', later referred to as 'producers', were the Dark City Sisters, probably the sin-
terpart
though many of them in fact wielded far more power gle-most popular vocal group in South Africa in the
than any conventional record producer. The most pow- first half of the 1960s.
erful producers ran virtual African fiefdoms within the In 1964, Bopape left EMI and joined Gallo to run a
companies and five in particular loom as major figures. new African operation (later called Mavuthela), bring-
The age of the producer is over these days in South ing a number of
his EMI musicians with him. Within two
Africa - musicians now flog their demos around bottom years, the label dominated the market with a mbaqanga
line-driven companies like everywhere else - but many vocal style called mqashiyo, the most famous exponent
suspect that the artistic result has been a less adven- of which was Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens,
turous,pop-obsessed musical culture that discriminates backed by the Makgona Tsohle Band. In the early 1 970s,
against non-urbanites and the poor but talented. Bopape began to farm out some production duties to a
number of his talented understudies, including Marks
Strike Vilakazi (T rutone) Mankwane Lucky Monama, and West Nkosi
Strike Vilakazi ran Trutone's black division from 1 952 to
1 970. A vocalist, trumpeter, drummer and composer, David Thekwane (T eal)
he directly influenced the course of popular black music David Thekwane was the last of the old-style produc-
by recording pennywhistJer Spokes Mashiyane in 1 954, in the music indus-
ers to carve out a significant niche
touching off the kweta craze. Four years later, in an even try. He began producing Teal in 1972 after a fairly
for
shrewder move, he persuaded Mashiyane that his pen- successful career as a saxophone jive artist under Strike
nywhistle music would be even more popular when Vilakazi. Thekwane had a violent personality and often
played on a saxophone. The earliest mbaqanga style, intimidated his musicians physically. Nonetheless,
or sax - a sound that would dominate
jive, resulted throughout the 1970s, his Teal artists - especially the
South African black popular music for many years. Movers, a group of consistent hit-makers who evolved
a winning mixture of marabi and local 'soul' - regular-
Cuthbert Matumba (Troubadour Records) ly accounted for a substantial percentage of all African

Cuthbert Matumba singlehandedly developed record sales. His mbaqanga stars included sax jivers
Troubadour Records into a giant that at times controlled Thomas Phale and Lulu Masilela, accordionist
much of the African market. In addition to a multitude Johnson Mkhalali, and vocal group The Boyoyo
CO of hits, his catalogue included practically every urban Boys
and urban-rural crossover style from the Cape up through
central Africa. He had a gift for composing simple, catchy Hamilton Nzimande (Gramophone Record Co.)
melodies and possessed a uniquely topical lyrical sense. Hamilton Nzimande, who semi-retired in 1 996, was the
Matumba permanently employed a large contingent last of five' to remain active in the music busi-
the 'big
of studio singersand musicians who spent eight hours ness. a thirty-year producing career he oversaw a
In

a day recording (under an endless variety of names) or remarkably broad cross-section of African music, from
providing backing. Despite this assembty-line approach, the last sessions of African Jazz great, Zacks Nkosi.
spirit remained high thanks to a policy
the innovative to the earliest bubblegum pop of some of the biggest
which encouraged moonlighting by musicians from names 980s and early '90s.
of the 1

other companies and Matumba kept his ear to the Nzimande began his career as a singer, going on to
ground. Early most mornings he would be out playing handle promotion for Rupert Bopape at EMI (often driv-
test pressings on the Troubadour-mobile - a van fit- ing the mobile). He finally got his break as a producer
ted with turntables and speakers - gauging public reac- in 1966 when he went to help run the Gallo subsidiary
tion to the previous day's studio output. Any promising Gramophone Record Company and by the mid-
record was available in the shops twenty-four hours 1970s, Nzimande's mbaqanga catalogue almost rivalled
after it had been recorded. Mavuthela's under Rupert Bopape. He was the first
Troubadour's decline was as abrupt as its rise. With- producer to take local soul music seriously and made
in four years of Matumba's death in 1965, the label's itmassively successful, with bands like the Inn-Lawes
few remaining assets had been swallowed up by Gallo. The Beaters, another group from his soul roster,
spawned solo star Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse. And it
Rupert Bopape (EMI/Mavuthela) was at Nzimande's suggestion that the hugely suc-
Rupert Bopape joined EMI as a producer in 1 952 and cessful Soul Brothers copied their vocal harmony
quickly built up the industry's most successful African style from Zimbabwean Shona township music.
Jazz catalogue by carefully employing key figures like Nzimande also set trends in gospel recordings by
Zacks Nkosi Elijah Nkwanyane and Ellison Temba popularising the Zulu a cappella style, cothoza mfana
(see the Jazz article pp. 660-668) on a permanent basis. sound that was to make Ladysmith
that anticipated the
But his developing vocal groups.
real talents lay in Black Mambazo
so famous, and he was the first to
In the early 1 960s, his most successful pennywhis- successfully promote large apostolic choirs such as
tle band, the Black Mambazo. evolved an all-male Izikhova Ezimnqini

640 South Africa popular music

bantustan stations had to play a mixture of styles den. Groups of three and four pennywhistlers
just to gain a listenership. The failure of the tradi- were soon working out elaborate arrangements
tionalism policy reflected the government's igno- where a lead flute would extemporise a melodic
rance of rural people. Music and culture in the line over chords provided by backing flutes.

rural areas hadn't remained suspended in a tradi- After years, indeed decades, as an exclusive
tional time warp, and economic development had township phenomenon, pennywhistlers moved
diluted the indigenous character of the hinterland. into the suburbs and city centres in the early 1950s
Whatever, Bantu radio handed the record com- where they were part of the urban environment
panies a powerful marketing tool and revolu- for another decade. In the white areas, the poten-
tionised the way black music was promoted. tial financial rewards were greater but so were the
Whereas previously the companies had relied on dangers. Flute musicians, some of them not even
mobiles to advertise their records directly to poten- into their teens, would travel out of the townships
tial customers, they could now reach a mass mar- to perform on street corners and in parks, playing
ket immediately. Radio also opened up new rural a cat-and-mouse game with the police who would
markets for record companies, encouraging them arrest them for creating a 'public disturbance'.
to focusmore attention on areas outside the cities Eventually this musical presence attracted a white
where individual rural traditions were being com- following, particularly from rebellious suburban
bined with modern, urban-based influences. teenagers referred to as 'ducktails' (the equivalent
After the advent of radio, however, the lyrical of teddy boys in the UK or 'juvenile delinquents'
content of African recordings became more con- in the US). It was the ducktails that renamed pen-
servative. In the 1950s and before, black musicians nywhistle jive kwela (meaning 'climb up', the
often recorded material that commented openly command barked out to Africans being arrested
on the social and political issues of the day - and ordered into the police van). The term even-
"Sobadubula Ngembayimbayi" by the Alexandra tually became generic and it was as kwela that the
Swing Liners, released in 1955, contained the cho- music spread elsewhere in Southern Africa, notably
rus'We will shoot the whites with bazookas'. The to Malawi, through migrant workers.
new African radio services instituted a draconian It took several years for the record companies
censorship code and mobiles were banned as a to wake up to the commercial potential of the pen-
'public hazard'. Purely commercial considerations nywhistle. Little flute material was released until
inevitably led to a great deal of self-censorship on 1954, when Spokes Mashiyane's "Ace Blues" CO
the part of labels and their artists. backed with the "Kwela Spokes" became the o
biggest African hit of the year. Record producers

Pennywhistle Jive: began to take flute jive seriously and in the fol-
lowing decade around a thousand 78rpm penny-
the Kwela Boom whistle discs were issued. -n
Pennywhistle jive, which was focused as usual After his initial success, Spokes Mashiyane
on Johannesburg, was one of the first musical styles remained the single most famous pennywhistler,
O
to become a commercial phenomenon and the although another flute star, Abia Temba, was also
first to win a measure of international renown. very popular throughout the 1950s. Troubadour's
The indigenous predecessor to the pennywhistle two biggest pennywhistle artists were Sparks
was the reed flute of cattle-herders, with three fin- Nyembe and Jerry Mlotshwa, whose material
ger-holes. When the herd boys came to the cities, was released using an endless number of
they bought similar tin whistles with six finger- pseudonyms. The Black Mambazo from Alexan-
holes, made in Germany. dra Township recorded for EMI; they too appeared
Willard Cele, a disabled teenage musician liv- under different names. In 1957 they recorded a
ing in Alexandra Township, is credited with the popular local hit called "Tom Hark", which fea-
discovery that by placing the flute's mouthpiece tured on British TV and promptly caught the pub-
at an angle between the teeth to one side of the lic's fancy, perhaps because of its slight similarity

mouth with the soundhole slanting outwards, its to the skiffle music that was popular at the time.
tone was not only thickened but it was possible to Itwas issued as a UK single and promptly rose to
vary the pitch of each note and vastly extend the number two in the charts.
instrument's melodic capabilities. Although Cele Gallo's pennywhistle catalogue eventually cor-
himself was to die young, his new style quickly nered the largest share of the market and featured
inspired a legion of imitators, especially following the greatest number of top-notch players, espe-
his appearance in a 1951 movie. The Magic Gar- cially after the company lured Spokes Mashiyane

South Africa popular music 641

 away from Trutone in 1958 (he became the first appeal and interest depended on their instrumen-
African musician to receive royalties rather than tal accompaniment. Initially, the sax was backed
the standard flat studio fee). The label's penny- with the same marabi-derived acoustic 2/4 rhythm
whistle productions often featured quite elaborate of most flute jives. Then, beginning in the early
arrangements by Gallo musical director Dan Hill, 1960s, the rhythms became discernibly heavier,
a fine clarinetist and band leader. more elastic and more African. The electric bass,
Among the company's principal pennywhistle in particular, with its higher volume, sustaining
artistswere the Solven Whistlers from Jabavu- and attack capabilities, provided the foundation
Soweto, instantly recognisable by their jazz-influ- for the new style. The pioneer African bass play-
enced harmonies and sophisticated compositions, erwhose innovations played such a major role in
largely the work of Peter Mokonotela. The Sol- shaping this evolution was Joseph Makwela. His
ven's lead flute, Ben Nkosi, was probably the sin- bass guitar, the first one imported into South Africa,
gle greatest pennywhistle soloist, his best w'ork was purchased from a local white session musician
exhibiting a level of technique and improvisational who had seen an example of the newly developed
dexterity that belied its execution on such a sim- instrument when Cliff Richard and The Shadows
ple instrument. played Johannesburg in 1960.
The beginning of the end of the pennywhistle Makwela and Marks Mankwane, another
craze can be precisely pinpointed with the song influential figure who was the first African musi-
"Big Joe Special", Spokes Mashiyane's first record- cian to exploit the electric guitar fully, formed the
ing on saxophone. Much as his "Ace Blues" had nucleus of the famous Makhona Tsohle Band,
created a sales sensation and inspired a legion of which backed the Gallo studio's mbaqanga saxo-
imitators four years before, "Big Joe Special" phonists like West Nkosi but also accompanied
proved to be the trendsetting hit of 1958. In its their vocal groups. The band's electric sound
wake, every black producer now wanted materi- became an integral part of a new vocal genre devel-
al by similar-style sax players and most penny- oping in the mid-1960s which also went under
whistlers, providing they could obtain a saxophone, the name of mbaqanga and then later mqashiyo.
were happy to deliver it. The vocal component of mbaqanga developed
directly from the 1 950s township vocal styles made

From Sax Jive famous by groups such

and the These
as the Manhattan Brothers
had been copied
to Vocal Mbaqanga
Skylarks. styles at first
CO
directly from African-American models but local

The sax was obviously a more versatile instrument musicians increasingly Africanised their sound. One
than the pennywhistle and from the standpoint of of the crucial developments leading towards
both the players and their audience connoted an mbaqanga's characteristic harmonies was the use of
urbane, pan-tribal sophistication satisfyingly con- five vocal parts rather than the four-part harmonies
2 trary to apartheid image of the heathen tribalist. common in African-American styles. Female stu-
Only the white kwela fans were disaffected: it dio vocalists Troubadour discovered that if the
at

proved impossible for African street musicians to single tenor line was divided into a high and low
perform with a saxophone at their former city and tenor part, the resulting harmonies took on a breadth
suburban haunts. Now they were limited to play- that was reminiscent of traditional vocal styles.
ing in the townships, a world beyond the ken of A group of session vocalists at EMI, the Dark
even the most rebellious white teenager. City Sisters, usually featuring the sweet-voiced
After the success of "Big Joe Special", sax jives lead ofJoyce Mogatusi, became the best-known
became the dominant black musical genre, a devel- African vocal group of the early 1960s using this
opment which didn't meet with universal approval. technique which rapidly became a distinctively

One jazz saxophonist, Michael Xaba, disdainfully South African sound. Their style was still described
referred to the new style as 'mbaqanga' — a as vocal jive but the formative harmonies of
'dumpling' in Zulu but in this instance connoting mbaqanga were already evident.
'homemade' - since most of its practitioners were Another element which defined much of the clas-

musically illiterate. Ironically, the name soon gained sic vocal mbaqanga output was groaning: bellow-
a common currency as a term ot endearment and ing, ultra-bass male vocals that contrasted dramatically

indeed, the craze for instrumental mbaqanga went with softer, all-female harmonising. At first this was
on to last for almost another two decades. a commercial gimmick invented by Aaron Jack
Sax jives were usually built around very simple Lerole of EMI's Black Mambazo in the early

repeated melodic fragments, so much of their 1960s. Lerole subsequently gained a measure of

642 South Africa popular music

Mahlathini rehearses with the Mahotella Queens

groaning fame as Big Voice Jack, and in the process who performed
names. For example, the vocalists
managed to shred his vocal chords permanently. His Mahotella Queens were also the Dima
live as the

efforts were soon overtaken by Simon 'Mahlathi- Sisters, the Soweto Stars and Izintombi Zo

ni' Nkabinde. As a teenager, Mahlathini secured a Mqashiyo on two different Gallo record labels.
considerable reputation as a singer of traditional wed- Rival producers attempted to emulate Mavuthe-
ding songs in Alexandra Township where he led a la'ssuccess with mqashiyo. Only one, however,
large female group in a typically African, polyphonic Hamilton Nzimande at GRC, managed to build
fashion. His magnificant bass voice was naturally suit- a strong roster. His two best-known groups were

ed to the groaning style and Rupert Bopape began Amatshitshi and Izintombi Zezi Manje Manje
to utilise it in conjunction with varying combina- (The Modern Girls), but Nzimande's crew also {/)
tions of EMI session vocalists. Meantime, Nkabinde included two wonderful groaners, the brothers
developed an aggressive and dramatic stage persona Saul and Bhekitshe Tshabalala, as well as a great
as Mahlathini The Bull, greatly enhancing his grow- instrumental backing band, Abafana Bentutuko.
ing reputation. These provided stiff competition for Bopape's
When Rupert Bopape left EMI for Gallo in Mahlathini/Mahotella Queens/Makhona Tsohle
1964 he took Mahlathini along with him. All the steamroller. ~
essential mbaqanga elements now coalesced at the In the 1970s, the female chorus-plus-groaner ^
new Gallo- Mavuthela production facility: the male formula retained its popularity when practised by
groaner roaring in counterpoint to intricately old favourites like the Mahotella Queens, but almost
arranged five-part female harmonies, underpinned every successful new mbaqanga group had an exclu-
- thanks to the Makhona Tsohle Band - with the sively male line-up. At the forefront were Gallo's
new -style, totally electric instrumental backup. Abafana Baseqhudeni ('Cockerel Boys', so
After several years of growing popularity, vocal named after the company's rooster trademark), an
mbaqanga began to be referred to as mqashiyo, extremely popular five-man line-up featuring the
from the Zulu word meaning bounce - though bass leads of Potatoes Zuma and Elphas 'Ray' Mkize
mqashiyo was actually the name of a popular dance as well as groaner Robert 'Mbazo' Mkhize. Their

style; no musical characteristic distinguished it from main rivals during the decade were the David
vocal mbaqanga in general. Thekwane-produced Boyoyo Boys, a male vocal
As was the case at EMI, Bopape's regular roster group led by principal composer Petrus Maneli.
of female session singers was nominally divided into Their half-chanted harmonies and loping rhythms
several distinct groups. These line-ups maintained gave them a unique sound and one of their biggest
a degree of regularity for live performances, but in successes, "Puleng", later caught the ear of British
the studio vocalists were fairly interchangeable, and producer Malcolm McClaren who subsequent-
in any event the output of each group was simul- ly transformed it into the 1981 British number one
taneously released using a number of different hit "Double Dutch".

South Africa popular music 643

 Zulu Cappella: A Mbube well as in large areas of the Transvaal and Orange

and Iscathamiya Free State. One Radio Zulu programme was par-
ticularly influential: 'Cothoza Mfana', hosted by
In the 1920s, as an industrial economy began to Alexius Buthelezi, featured a cappella vocal mate-
develop in Natal, a cappella vocal styles became rial exclusively. Indeed for a time, the newer,
closely identified with the area's emerging Zulu smoother style which superseded bombing was
working newly forged as rural migrants
class, known generically as cothoza mfana.
found employment in mines and factories. Forced The architects of the Bantu Radio system, and
in most cases to leave their families behind and live especially its administrative director Evonne Huskin-
in all-male hostels, they developed a weekend social son, were keen to promote cothoza mfana because
life based on vocal and dance group competitions, the style incorporated the secular lyrics that had
staged within and between hostels, and judged by characterised most Zulu ^ cappella since at least
elaborate rules and standards. By the late 1930s a World War I. With a judicious application of influ-
cappella competitions were a characteristic of Zulu ence and suggestion, cothoza mfana lyrics could eas-
hostels throughout industrialised Natal and had ily be tailored to promote the twin pillars of
also spread to Zulus working in Johannesburg. apartheid: tribal identity and ruralism.A typical
In 1939, Solomon Linda's Original Evening example was a radio recording by the New Hanover
Birds - a group from Pomeroy in northwestern Brothers subtided "Hurrying of People In Durban
Natal — began recording for Gallo's Singer label. So Disturbed Him, He Caught Train Back Home".
Their evocative rendering of Linda's song When the record industry at first showed only
"Mbube" (The Lion) proved to be a commercial a minimal interest in cothoza mfana, Bantu Radio
milestone. "Mbube" was probably the first African bridged the gap by recording their own transcrip-
recording to sell 100,000 copies and it later pro- tion discs, and for many groups these provided a

vided the basis for two American number one hit first step before graduating to commercially issued
records, "Wimoweh" by the Weavers in 1951 and recordings. This was the case with Enock Masi-
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens in 1961. na's King Star Brothers, most influential a
the
The Original Evening Birds exerted a vast stylis- cappella group of the late 1960s and early '70s,
tic influence as dozens of imitators sprang up in who had featured on Radio Zulu for at least four
the wake of their success, thus setting the scene years before they finally landed a contract with

C/i
for the next stage in the long history of Western- Hamilton Nzimande at GRC in 1967. By this time
influenced Zulu music. Mbube became the gener- the King Stars' style was called iscathamiya, a
ic term for a new vocal style that incorporated term derived from the Zulu word meaning 'to
Linda's main innovations: uniforms for the group, stalk or step softly', which described the dance rou-

highly polished but softly executed dance routines tines that the group invented to match their
and — most importandy — the use of a high-voiced swelling, polished harmonies.
lead set against four-part harmony where the ratio But it was Gallo-Mavuthela producer West
of the bass voices to the other was increased
parts Nkosi's signing of another group of Radio Zulu
to two or three. These characteristics were at the veterans, Joseph Shabalala's Ladysmith Black
heart of the music through the late 1940s as mbube Mambazo, ('Black Mambazo' signifying the
evolved into the isikhwela jo or 'bomb-
ing' style - so named because of its strident,
almost shouted harmonies - and into the
1960s, when a far smoother approach
became popular.
By the mid-1950s, the pan-tribal audi-
ence that had once purchased substantial
quantities of mbube and isikhwela jo
recordings by groups such as the Morning
Starsand the Natal Champions had fallen
away, and interest in Zulu a cappella revert-
ed to the hostels. Then, in the 1960s, the

audience broadened once again following

the establishment of Radio Zulu which
gave extensive exposure to Zulu a cappel-
la and could be heard throughout Natal as West Nkosi at Downtown Studios

644 South Africa popular music

 Graceland and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Paul Simon's 'South African album', Graceland, has to consult the Anti-Apartheid movement) and an impe-
sold in excess of seven million copies worldwide - by rialist, accusing him of appropriating local culture.
far the greatest exposure to date for South African In fact, Paul Simon's role and methods, although
music, if you discount the appearance of "Wimoweh' obviously self-serving to a degree, seem to have been
on Disney's Lion King. It has also propelled
the fortunes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
his chief collaborators on the recording.
The recording took place in 1986, when
South Africa was still under apartheid rule

and its music outside the mainstream. The

music that inspired Simon was Zulu a cap-
pella - iscathamiya - which had largely fall-

en out of fashion after an early 1980s boom.

Travelling to South Africa, Simon recorded
with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on two
tracks co-composed with the group's lead-
er, Joseph Shabalala, and revived both his

and Ladysmith's careers in the process,

meeting with huge critical and commercial
success. Graceland provided unprecedent-
ed exposure for a South African and two
; up Scotty -
years later Black Mambazo's Shaka Zulu
album, recorded in the US and produced by
Ladysm ith Black Mambazo in Zulu Trekkies gear
Simon, won a Grammy for the best World Music largely exemplary. The artist went out of his way to
Recording of 1988, and went on to sell more than credit his collaborators and then used all the com-
100,000 around the world. mercial clout and prestige he could muster to estab-
Not everyone welcomed the disc. Vociferous com- lish the Black Mambazo in the international arena. The
plaints came from anti-apartheid organisations who contrast between his behaviour and that of British pop CO
claimed that Simon's album and subsequent tour vio- producer Malcolm McClaren a few years earlier could o
lated the cultural boycott, a crucial component of the not have been clearer. McClaren hired South African
sanctions programme then in effect against South musicians and composers to create the substance of
Africa. Even after the UN Anti-Apartheid Committee a series of recordings which produced the UK hit "Dou-
called the objections 'misconceived', many ideologues ble Dutch", and ended up paying royalties only after

continued to label Simon arrogant (he had done little the case reached the British High Court.

'Black Axe' that would defeat all opponents in Zulu a cappella was again reduced to its original
group competitions), that transformed the status migrant-proletarian core. But at this juncture, in
of Zulu a cappella. Initially at least the Mambazo's 1986 Paul Simon discovered iscathamiya (see box),

popularity owed more to the quality of Shabalala's and the style went international with the huge-
lyrics than to any remarkable musical innovations, selling Graceland album.
but his seven-man group was ambitious, disciplined These days, Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a
and willing to soldier on through an endless num- top festival band worldwide, with thirty or so
ber of appearances arranged by Alexius Buthelezi records behind them, all of which have gone gold.
of Radio Zulu. Their line-up has varied from seven to thirteen
In 1973, Ladysmith Black Mambazo released voices, and the increasingly rich harmonies have
their first album, Amabutho, the first African LP to been combined with ever more softly modulated
achieve official Gold Record status (sales of dynamics, and, recently, gospel material, but the
25,000). In its wake there was a rash of copycat underlying framework remains much the same as
imitators — at least eight of whom managed to that originated by Solomon Linda back in the
incorporate 'Ladysmith' into their names. But by 1930s. Only Zulu speakers, however, are able to
the mid-1980s the boom was over, and except for appreciate the subtle, metaphorical, and deeply
the still numerous fans of LBM, the audience for evocative words of Shabalala's songs.

South Africa popular music 645

 Neo-Traditional Styles harp). In the nineteenth century, Lutheran mis-
sionaries began to proselytise among the Pedi,
While most South African styles evolved against a bringing with them the German autoharp. Local
backdrop of migration to the towns and — with musicians soon adapted the instrument to indige-
the exception of mbube-iscathamiya - have nous musical forms, plucking its strings in a sin-
assumed a pan-tribal character, the traditionally gle-note fashion to accompany their vocal music.
based music of the Sotho, Zulu, Pedi and The African call-and-response structure has
Shangaan rural areas, adapted to imported instru- remained, as have the Sotho-style harmonies - but
ments, is an important element in South Africa's the characteristic descending melodic lines of
musical range. Interestingly, too, these neo-tradi- harepa strike most uninitiated listeners as alien and
tional music styles - which are usually labelled astringent. The most prolific and successful artist
'Sotho-Traditional', 'Zulu-Traditional' and so on from the 1970s, when there was a little Pedi-Tra-
— don't always use the Western seven-note* scale. ditional harp boom, is probably the Gallo label's
Sotho melodies and harmonisations, for instance, Johannes Mohlala.
are based on a six-note scale where the lead vocal
- characteristically a" combination of half-sung,
Zulu-Traditional
half-shouted praise lyrics - is delivered in a rapid,
staccato fashion. The actual melody is often most Zulu-Traditional followed a unique course by
strongly suggested by the response from the cho- embracing the guitar, which had first been intro-

rus voices or instruments. duced by the Portuguese in the sixteenth centu-

ry. It was compatible with Zulu harmonic practice

Sotho and Pedi-Traditional and became popular after cheap locally made
instruments became available in the 1930s. For
Neo-traditional music has quite a long history. several decades the sight of a Zulu man with a gui-

Zulu, Sotho and Xhosa vocal/concertina tar, picking out a melody while walking along a

records were produced by several companies as rural road, was familiar. Among all the different
early as the 1930s. They consisted of a basic call- southern African cultures, only Zulus, the related
and-response structure with a concertina coun- Ndebeles of Zimbabwe, and the Shangaan, took
terpoint to the lead vocal instead of the former up the instrument.
CS)
group voices. The concertina became popular after The father figure of Zulu-Traditional perfor-
o World War I following the large-scale import of mance and recording is John Bhengu, born in
cheap foreign models known as 'bastari' after a central Zululand in 1930. As a street musician in
popular Italian brand. Durban in the early 1 950s, he earned a formidable
Tshwatla Makala was the first neo-traditional reputation through his skill in adapting indigenous
Tl musician of any commercial significance. A Sotho, melodies to the guitar and particularly for his
30
he used deftly fingered runs on a concertina to unique fingerpicking style called ukupika (before
C5
counterpoint his vocals and became a mentor to Bhengu, the guitar was always strummed). His
numerous other concertina artists. The next Sotho- records on the Troubadour label helped establish
Traditional development was a pure a cappella style a standard Zulu-Traditional structure that became

called mohabelo; frenetically intoned lead vocals the model for several generations of performers,
and chanted response choruses, first popularised each song beginning with the izihlabo - an instru-
by the group Basotho Dihoba, led by Latsema mental flourish - followed by the main melody,
Matsela, who was bom in Lesotho, the source for then interrupted once by the ukubonga, a spoken
his music. declamation of praise for clan, family, chief, or
A later evolutionary stage of Sotho-Tradition- even the singer himself.
alsaw the concertina replaced by an accordion In the late 1960s Bhengu switched from acous-
leading an electric backing band. Propelled by tic to electric guitar and adopted a new persona as

pounding bass lines and often including multivoice the sensationally successful Phuzushukela (Sugar
response choruses, these combinations produce a Drinker). Backed with a full mbaqanga produc-

powerful sound. The first LPs appeared in the late tion package that included an electrified rhythm
1970s and Tau Oa Matsheha were the first section and backing vocals, this led to a golden era
famous group of this type. for Zulu-Trad music in the 1970s. Hundreds of
The European influence in the principal neo- recordings were produced by dozens of bands,
tradional style of the Pedi (related to the Sotho) constituting some of the most easily assimilable

is suggested by its name, harepa (derived from performances in any neo-traditional style.

Q46 South Africa popular music

 descending melodic lines and harmonies
which sound more African than Euro-
pean together with a distinctly Latin
rhythm section made up of a guitar and
several percussion instruments.
In the 1950s and '60s Alexander
Jafete and Fani Pfumo, two versatile
Mozambiquans who played guitar and
mandolin with equal facility, made hun-
dreds of recordings for every studio in
Johannesburg. Their work included con-
tributions to many jive/mbaqanga ses-
sions but they also recorded a large
number of 'Portuguese Shangaan'
items that mixed those
two elements.
After 1975, with Mozambique's inde-
Zulu-traditional musicians pendence and revolution, and the open-
ing of a Shangaan station by Radio
In the last couple of decades, Zulu traditional Bantu, Shangaan-Traditional style was largely
music, which is maskanda,
usually referred to as stripped of its Portuguese components.
a Zulu derivation from the Afrikaans word musikant The typical line-up of a modern Tsonga band
(musician), has undergone a further change. The ('Tsonga' has replaced 'Shangaan' as the favoured
concertina has mounted a surprising comeback and designation since the 1994 elections) features a

as a foil to the guitar is now a mandatory part of male vocalist leading a female response chorus, an
any group, while urban pop/bubblegum has had upfront lead guitar and an electric keyboard or
an influence through increasing electronic instru- synth, with a bass-and-drums rhythm section
mentation in the studio, and the usual bass and pounding out a disco beat. The first prominent
drum rhythms modified to disco patterns. The group with this new sound was General MD
result is a loss of the roughness that generated much Shirinda & the Gaza Sisters in the mid-1970s
of the style's appeal, though some of the newer (one of their songs later became "I Know What
stars are pretty impressive live. Chief among them You Know" on Paul Simon's Graceland). Today, ©
are Phuzekhemisi and Mfaz' Omnyama, the hottest group playing Tsonga Disco (as it is

whose shows are dynamic affirmations of maskan- now labelled) is Tusk Records' Thomas Chauke
da power with line-ups that include up to a dozen & the Shinyori Sisters - probably the best-selling
vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers. At the same group in any neo-traditional genre.
time, veteran producer West Nkosi managed to The most successful Tsonga artist of all, though,
successfully fatten up their studio sound. was the late Peta Teanet (who died in 1996,
The biggest-selling maskanda album in recent allegedly in a car crash). His style wascom- in fact a

years — and one of the most unusual — was Vusi bination of urban bubblegum-pop and Tsonga
Ximba's Siyakudumisa, a 1992 'comedy' record lyrics. As in the case of Shirinda and Chauke, he
which used the music as background to lyrics largely owed his popularity to the relentless pro-
describing situations that had long been a staple of motion of Radio Tsonga which, unlike most other
African humour - for instance, the older woman former homelands stations, has continued to cham-
who chases after a much younger man. A subse- pion own-language artists.

quent, racier Ximba album was less successful —

the conservative Zulu audience rejected it as
Soul and Reggae
exceeding the bounds of decency.
In the late 1960s, American soul music gained
Shangaan/Tsonga-Traditional an enthusiastic following among black and coloured
township teenagers - Wilson Pickett, Hooker T
The first Shangaan Neo-Traditional record- and the MGs, and Percy Sledge were especially
group of the region bordering
ings (a language popular. The local record industry eventually issued

Mozambique) were made by Francisco Baloyi hundreds of 45rpm 'seven singles' by local soul

in the early 1 95()s for Gallo. These contained call- outifrs sporting names like the Question Marks
and-response vocals and a circular structure, and the Hurricanes.

South Africa popular music 647

 Most of this music - typically featuring a Farfisa The second Important Soul band was the Soul
organ, a spare melodic outline on an electric gui- Brothers, also discovered by Nzimande, in 1975.
tar and a dance rhythm from bass and drums - doe's The Brothers' most distinguishing characteristic
not make for inspiring listening. Instrumental per- was their two-part, almost quavering vocal har-
formances predominated and where there were monies, inspired by certain Shona vocal groups
vocals, English lyricswere generally preferred to popular in Zimbabwe in the early 1970s. Other-
African languages, though they sounded awkward. wise, the band's saxophones and their rhythm sec-
In the mid-1970s when imported US disco tion were more reminiscent of the later type of
music became popular, local soul was easily trans- electric bass mbaqanga than of archetypal soul.
formed into local disco. Recording techniques,
and in some instances the level of musicianship,
had improved and more sophisticated keyboards
came in. The and
characteristic disco bass lines
drum beat were grafted onto the
bottom end but
otherwise the other elements of the soul formu-
la remained much the same. All these develop-

ments heralded a revolution in taste which

profoundly affected every subsequent township
music style.

There was also a generation cleavage (the older

township residents disliked soul) which the polit-
ical events of 1976 widened into an abyss. The

spontaneous uprising of school children against

government authority that marked the beginning
of the end of apartheid was soon also directed at
township parents and grandparents who were
accused of selling out to the system. This political
judgement was extended to matters of style and
taste, including music. Virtually every pre-soul The Movers' complicated style defied easy imi-

CO genre was now regarded by the young with sus- tation and in any event David Thekwane's rep-
picion, not merely for being old-fashioned but utation wasenough to make any would-be close
indicted as a government-sponsored, tribal opiate. imitatorssomewhat wary. In contrast, the Soul
The local audience for marabi, sax jives and Brothers spawned literally dozens of ephemeral
mqashiyo-style mbaqanga vanished overnight, clones, most of whom contented themselves with
never to return. It's perhaps surprising to learn that attempting their vocal style and organ accompa-
even an internationally renowned band like niment. Today the Soul Brothers are regarded as

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens are now one of the country's oldest groups (although only
virtually forgotten in their own country. two remain from the original line-up) and they
The few soul and disco bands that achieved remain active both in the studio and on tour.
more than ephemeral popularity did so by tam- Despite a high level of synthesiser saturation, their
pering with the standard musical formulae in some style is now referred to as mbaqanga, proof pos-
trademark fashion. The most commercially suc- itive of the all-encompassing elasticity of that
cessful were the Movers. Discovered and first label.

recorded by Hamilton Nzimande, and then under The Cannibals, starring the young guitarist
the tutelage of David Thekwane, their secret was Ray Phiri (now famous through recording and
to temper soul with a healthy dose of marabi. The performing with Paul Simon), achieved recogni-
organ remained a prominent part of the founda- tion playing instrumental under their own name
tion, but in addition to the usual chord patterns and backing various Gallo mqashiyo artists such as

keyboardist Sankie Chounyane played intelligent, IreneMawela and the Mahotella Queens. In 1975,
jazzy solos. More importantly, the Movers' sound the band was paired with Jacob 'Mparanyana'
featured prominent saxes, either grouped as a sec- Radebe, probably the single finest male vocalist of
tion or playing extended solo lines. And the band the soul-disco era. Four years of recordings fol-
had writing ability: their hundreds of recordings lowed (until Radebe's death in 1979) under the
included many strong, original compositions, as name Mparanyana and the Cannibals, and the
well as covers. best of these, featuring Radebe's impassioned vocals

648 South Africa popular music

and monologues together with a sharply produced Bubblegum
backing of hot guitar, saxes and female choruses,
invite favourable comparisons with Otis Redding's The development of township music from the mid-
similar-sounding Stax material. The Cannibals 1980s to the mid-1990s saw the ascendency of a
eventually evolved into Stimela in the 1980s, slickly produced brand of African pop referred to
updating their style with more contemporary Afro- by its fans and detractors alike as bubblegum. In
jazz soul and funk influences. certain respects, bubblegum was basically an indige-
An oddball soul band of the early 1970s was the nous style - more vocal than instrumental, with
Flames who exclusively covered American soul the vocals arranged as overlapping call-and-response
and mainstream pop. They were something of an patterns where one short melodic phrase is repeat-
anomaly: they had a multi-racial following; the ed in traditional fashion. In others, it reflected the
band members were coloured, not black; they were culmination of more contemporary tendencies. The
based in Durban not Johannesburg; and generally modern love affair with electronic keyboards now
recorded albums rather than singles. Two mem- triumphed completely; bubblegum was awash with
bers, Steve Fataar and Blondie Chaplin, emigrat- synthesisers and even the modified disco beat which
ed to the US and joined the Beach Boys in 1972. propelled the music was usually produced by an
Their demise created an opening for another electronic drum box. Saxophones were rarely heard

local band that could convincingly interpret Amer- while the guitar fell completely out of favour.
ican-style funk, soul and pop music for a young The longest-running success story in the genre
African-to-white audience. Selby Ntuli, Sipho has been vocalist Dan Tshanda. Beginning with
Mabuse and Alec Khaoli got together as the Beat- his first group, Splash, Tshanda assumed total cre-

ers, then renamed the band Harari after a suc- ative control as a composer-producer and then went
cessful tour of Zimbabwe. After returning to South on to develop a number of equally popular spin-offs
Africa, they began to draw almost exclusively on including the Dalom Kids, Patricia Majalisa and Mat-
overseas rock influences. In fact, the only distinc- shikos, whose recordings still sell in quantities. Anoth-
tively South African element was linguistic, as they er long-running star is Sello 'Chicco' Twala, who
featured lyrics in Zulu and Sotho as well as English. like Tshanda is an all-round vocalist, instrumental-

It proved very successful, nonetheless, and, with ist, arranger, composer and producer. One of his
the band's ethnic designer-chic, attracted a big biggest hits, "We Miss You Manelo", was a coded
multi-racial following. tribute to the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela. A
After Ntuli's death in 1979, the Mabuse-Khaoli later piece of commentary which also
political
partnership dissolved and both musicians pursued became a hit, "Papa Stop The War", resulted from
separate careen. Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse reached a collaboration with Mzwakhe Mbuli, where the
local superstar status in the later 1980s with huge almost hypnotic spoken cadences of the 'people's
hits like "Burnout" and "Jive Soweto" (the latter poet' (currently and controversially in jail for armed
featuring West Nkosi on sax) which finally robbery) were set against Chicco's collage of synth
achieved a seamless, totally South African, syn- textures and backing vocals. Today, however, Chic-
thesis of mbaqanga, pop and soul. co has virtually retired from perfonning and record-
Reggae also took root in South Africa, as else- ing to concentrate on producing other talents for his

where in Africa, following Bob Marley's famous own studio and record label.
concert celebrating the independence of Zimbab- Chicco contributed in the late 1980s to the suc-

we in 1980. Its chief exponent was local dread cess of 'The Princess Of Africa', Yvonne Chaka
Lucky Dube, who started out playing mbaqan- Chaka. "I'm In Love With A DJ", her first sin-
ga music in the 1970s but switched to reggae in gle in 1984, was one of the first big bubblegum
1984, adopting a style modelled closely on the hits and launched a career that produced a string

Wailers' Peter Tosh. His 1990 album, Slave, sold of gold and platinum discs. Chaka Chaka's belt-
over 500,000 copies in South Africa alone - one ing alto voice with its distinctive timbre accounts

of the country's biggest-selling records of all time for much of her popularity, but her success is also
- and he followed it with further successes in the due to her unusually well-craftedand arranged
early part of the decade. As Jamaican music moved material. Her songs are usually built on two catchy
into digital and ragga mode, however, Dube (and interlocking melodies, and the lyrics - which are
African reggae generally) was somewhat left almost always in English -
are nicely phrased and
behind. The influence of ragga, instead, fed into convey meaning. She has become South
real

the township's take on hip-hop in the late 1990s Africa's most successful export to the rest of Africa
- kwaito - of which more on p. 652. since Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

South Africa popular music 649

 detoxification personally, and then put
her back in the studio. The
result was
Memeza, the year's best-selling local
album by a considerable margin. Fur-
ther notice of her rehabilitation was
provided by her presence as a featured
performer at Thabo Mbeki's 1999
Inauguration bash in Pretoria. She
looks set to remain a fixture in South
Africa's musical life for some time to
come.
Another leading 1990s artist - carv-
ing out a post-bubblegum pop - is

Jabu Khanyile with his group

Bayete. Their 1994 album, Mmalo-we,
was a beautiful showcase for Jabu's
gentle, lilting voice and Bayete's funky
Afro-jazz feel. In 1995 he developed
his style further with Umkhaya-lo, his

best album to date. Recently in his live

work, Khanyile has shown signs of

influence from the various Congolese
resident bands in Johannesburg and
one can only hope that his future
Yvonne Chaka Chaka recorded output will reflect this too.

Happy to be developing his Xhosa

While cassette piracy makes sales figures an unre- musical roots is Ringo, current heart-throb and

liable gauge, the wildly enthusiastic reception star. His lyrics are often intensely and poetically
Chaka Chaka has received in countries as far afield romantic, perfectly complementing the clear-head-
as Congo and Uganda testifies to a dedicated fol- ed conviction of his vocal delivery. His band is
lowing. However, in 1997, she recorded her finest good too, especially guitarist Lawrence Matshiza,
album to date, Bombani, and, significantly, sales in whose performance on the hit single "Isiphithi-
the UK and Europe outstripped those in South pithi" from the 1996 album Vukatn is particular-
Africa, pointing to the increasing gulf between the ly outstanding. Ringo's follow-up album Sondelani
tastes of younger township music fans and African was far more richly produced but still deeply
music consumers overseas. Xhosa, drawing on traditions of love poetry and
Chaka Chaka's big rival in bubblegum has been praise singing and recasting them as staples of the
Brenda Fassi. whose appeal is difficult to pin dancefloor and the home hi-fi.

down - though she has a talent

for self-promotion that would do
credit to Madonna (a figure with
whom she's com-
frequently
pared). Her songs can seem a
barely comprehensible mish-mash
ot the latest township lingo but
they have that quality ot sticking
in the minds of her listeners. She
w ent huge in 1993. when Ama-
gents was that year's best selling
local album, and then had some
uncertain years associated more
with scandals than musical accom-
plishments. However in 1998 her
friend, producer-composer Chic-
co Twala, decided to oversee her Brenda Fassi

650 South Africa popular music

White South African Music
The major influences on modern Afrikaans music - Afrikaner right-wing politics, and all-acoustic, tradi-
as with Black South African music - have been Amer- tional Afrikaans orkes such as Oudag Boereorkes
ican. While Afrikaans musical roots lie with Dutch and who have recorded several albums and occasionally
French sources, hillbilly string bands added the final appear at overseas festivals. For the most part, though,
ingredients to a concertina-led brand of dance music Afrikaans music is stylistically conservative and con-
which began to be recorded in the early 1930s. With- tinues to be based on MOR, pop, or modern country
in the Afrikaner community there was also a decided models from overseas.
predilection for imitating the most mawkish and maudlin One very different Africaans strand is represented by
elements of American country music. In the 1930s a Johnny Clegg, who began performing Zulu-Tradition-

legion of melancholic duos and trios specialised in trane al material with Sipho Mchunu in the early 1970s, then

trekkers (tear jerkers) and the same sentimental ten- later expanded into a full electric band format as Julu-
dency was still very much in evidence among a later ka. The increasingly Westernised sound eventually led

generation of artists influenced by the American Jim to Mchunu's departure and the band dissolved to be
Reeves (massively popular amongst Afrikaners). There replaced by a new line-up called Savuka. Clegg has
are, of course, clear parallels between the experiences enjoyed major success in France as 'Le Zoulou Blanc',
of Afrikaners and whites in the American south. and a more limited popularity in the UK and America.
The growing nationalist fervor of Afrikanerdom after While much of his music sounds predominantly West-
World War revealed a class-based musical
I fault line. ern, and his group's image remains highly dependent
The audience that preferred concertina dances and on their energetic Zulu dance routines, there's no deny-
trane trekkers was agrarian or urban working class. In ing Clegg's commitment to freedom during the darkest
contrast, most Afrikaner nationalists came from a more days of apartheid, when his open embrace of African

educated, middle-class background, with musical prej- culture was an audacious statement.
udices fashioned by European culture. Traditional
melodies were championed as the true voice of the
'volk' but were acceptable only if rendered in 'serious'

performance.
The musician who dominated the post-war years
was accordionist Nico Carstens with his lightly swing- C/5
ing dance music. The trend thereafter was to incorpo-

rate MOR sounds, then later in the 1970s, Eurobeat.

Afrikaans music lost much of its distinctiveness in the
process, as well as most of its young audience, who -
like the English-speaking whites - increasingly pre-
ferred European pop and rock.
O
was a
For most of the 1980s and early '90s, although there
small, somewhat subversive 'alternative' move-
>
ment fostered by musicians such as Johannes Kerko-
rral (and his Gereformeerde Blues Band), Koos
Kombuis and Anton Goosen. the general state of the
music was exemplified by the most - indeed almost
the only - commercially successful Afrikaans enter-
tainer of the day, Bles Bridges, a Wayne Newton imi-
tator whose trademark was throwing plastic roses at
his predominantly middle-aged female audiences.
Since the 1 994 elections, Afrikaans music has under-
gone something of a revival. The shock of losing polit-

ical power has led to a grave concern that the language

and culture of the Afrikaner is going to wither away and
die unless concerted efforts are made to preserve them.
A new crop of young Afrikaans artists is currently enjoy-

ing commercial support from their community for the

first many years. They include traditional

time in

boeremusiek revivalists, closely associated with Sipho Mchunu and Johnny Clegg

South Africa popular music 651

 New Deals and Kwaito: made up of a single short phrase of township slang

South Africa's Hip-Hop which is chanted over and over in unison by four
or five vocalists - but in some cases, an R&B touch
The 1994 free elections marked a turning point in gives the mix a more tuneful quality.
South African history that not only saw the end Kwaito instrumental accompaniments are always
of apartheid but ushered in far-reaching social and electronically generated and the groups use back-
cultural changes. The state broadcasting monopoly ing tapeswhen performing live. As with bub-
fell away with the licensing of 14 new commer- •
blegum, synthesisers are used, but usually not so
cial radio stations and 86 new community stations, prominendy; in kwaito, it is the drum'n'bass lines
as well as the inauguration of etv, the country's that get the emphasis. The style's rhythmic under-
first commercial, free-to-air, television channel. pinning — a never-failing dance floor magnet that
This new media policy has been accompanied by goes straight for the pelvis*- is called slow jam. It

a quota system that guarantees a certain amount originated when local DJs at township street bash-

of airtime is devoted to South African music. esbegan slowing down the tempo of US Chicago
At the same time, the end of the near-monopoly House recordings by artists such as Robert Owen,
situation in the music industry has brought increased The Fingers and Tony Humphries and found that
recording opportunities for local artists. Several major young Africans - unlike the mostly white rave
international labels who formerly distributed their crowd - responded positively to the new beat.
material through licensing proxies for fear of being As a social and cultural phenomenon, kwaito
accused of 'doing business with apartheid' have now probably exceeds the sum of its musical parts. It's
returned to set up local offices, and a number of South Africa's first post-apartheid musical genre
independent labels have entered the market. and for that reason alone it has injected, for the
While international product outsells local mate- first time in many years, a feeling of real excite-
rial by more than four to one, there is now a ment into the township music scene. A pantheon
prouder mindset regarding home-originated music of new kwaito stars has emerged -
Shaka Boom
that would have been unimaginable few short a M'du, Bongo Maffin, and Trompies are among
years ago during the era of boycotts and cultural the hottest current acts — on which the press, radio
isolation. However, this is not all good news for (most notably FM in Johannesburg, the most suc-
the old guard. After the 1994 elections, music in cessful new commercial station in the country) and
the townships underwent another of its periodic television have lavished great attention.
c/5
© stylistic shifts. Bubblegum lost much of its popu- Kwaito has made live music once again hugely
larity, particularly with township youth, who fashionableamong township audiences after the years
turned to new black musical styles from the Amer- of unrest when many venues for African music were
icas, including rap, hip-hop and Jamaican ragga. systematically destroyed or disrupted. Kwaito gigs

A Cape Town-based group, Prophets Of Da are normally peaceful, friendly affairs. The crowd -
33
City, successfully adapted Public Enemy-inspired which is invariably 99 percent black and mostly
rap to comment on the social and political teenage — simply wants to be entertained by their
upheavals in the period leading up to the 1994 elec- favourite artists and to enjoy themselves. There's a

tions, while using locally recorded samples to give notable and refreshing lack of the aggression which
their material a South African flavour. The was a constant feature at the bubblegum megabash-
Prophets have gone on to develop their style, es of the late- 1980s - another small symptom of what
increasingly rapping in the Afrikaans dialects of the happens in a country where people feel liberated,
Cape which guarantees them a rapturous
Flats, no matter how incomplete the process.
reception among the coloured community at home Without live musicians to hold audience atten-
around the Cape, but has alienated potential tion, kwaito artists compensate with seamless
African fans who still balk at anything in Afrikaans, sequences of classically South African dance steps
no matter how good it is. - oddly fussy, with large doses of nifty syncopat-
Apart from the Prophets, relatively few town- ed footwork, plus the kwaito spice of pelvic grind
ship artists have taken up undiluted US-style rap and a quirky range of gestures inventively adapt-
and hip-hop even though the American imports ed from the arm- waving lexicon of American rap.

continue to get considerable radio airplay. Instead, The crowds love it and their response is often far
a new kwaito or d'gong has evolved
style called more eye-catching than the stage performance, as
to become embraced by young urban
the music posses form circles and each member takes turns
Africans as their own. Melodically and harmoni- leaping into the middle to impress the rest with
cally, kwaito is often rather spare - many songs are some outrageous new dance move.

Q52 South Africa popular music

 Kwaito music often provides an interesting
insight into the attitudes and aspirations of the first
discography
post-struggle African generation. One 1997 hit Many of these releases are Gallo recordings issued in
South Africa either by Gallo Record Company itself or by
was "Anialawyer" by S'Bu, reflecting the new-
Polygram South Africa's Teal subsidiary. However, some
found passion amongst township youth to make are also available on the labels of overseas licensees -
their money in the legal profession - an appro- usually BMG (UK), Celluloid (France) or Shanachie (US).

priate choice in a country where the president is

an ex-lawyer and where there is a brand-new con- Compilations

stitution full of provisions just begging to be test-

ed in court. Another big kwaito hitwas "Don't From Marabi to Disco

(Gallo, South Africa).
Call Me Kaffir" by Arthur (full name, Arthur
Mofakate), who perhaps more than any other sin- A one-stop compendium of the history of urban township music
as it developed in South Africa from the late 1 930s to the early
gle artist deserves credit for creating and popu- '80s. Every major genre is illustrated with original, long-unavail-

larising the genre. Despite what one might have able recordings of the most famous artists (as well as a few who
have dropped off into an undeserved obscurity). Treat as a
expected, the word kaffir is very much alive in
it

mini-encyclopedia and read the notes, or just sit back, listen

South Africa, and is still routinely hurled at black and enjoy. Twenty-eight tracks and every one a classic!

people by racist whites, particularly in the small

S3 The Heartbeat of Soweto (Shanachie, US).
towns where change has been slow to arrive. The
Misleading title for a collection of fairly recent examples of
song encourages those insulted to talk back,
Zulu-, Shangaan- and Tsonga-Traditional styles.
reflecting the willingness of young Africans to cast
A Taste of The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
aside the fear of older generations.
(Earthworks, UK).
There is no doubt that kwaito has profoundly
This is a sampler compiled from the first five volumes of the
alienated several generations of older Africans -
Indestructible Beat of Soweto series, which highlights over
who are often heard to ask despairingly: 'What fifty mbaqan-
great tracks from the 1980s, mixing later-phase

has happened to our music?' - but

as with any
ga, some and even the more urbanised of the neo-tradi-
soul
tional genres. As label chief and compiler Trevor Herman
youth culture, parental disapproval probably writes, 'best heard loud and standing up'.

enhances the music's appeal. Kwaito is regularly

assailed by township elders for its often lascivious
lyrical content and is also cited as further evidence
GO
that the young are jettisoning African culture
customs, a condemnation that is not entirely unjus-
and
O
tified. Yet, though many listeners will dismiss
kwaito as just another example of the ubiquitous
techno/hip-hop music heard everywhere in the
world today, perhaps - as has happened many
times before - a more South African-sounding
hybrid will eventually emerge.
In the meantime, let's hope that commercial
pressures and industry neglect do not kill off
entirely all the unique local styles. Fortunately,
the overseas market tends to come to the rescue
here, because it is precisely those endangered
genres that appeal to foreign audiences who want
The Indestructible Beat of Soweto Vol. 6:
to hear music that is South African.
identifiably
South African Rhythm Riot (Earthworks, UK).
Stalwarts like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and
This new collection features mbaqanga-jive, maskanda and
Mahlathini (until his death in 1999) or more kwaito, with Brenda Fassi's huge 1999 hit "Vuli Ndlela", hard-
Vusi Mahlasela (a town-
recently, artists such as core trad Zulu maskanda from lhashi Elimhlophe; kwaito king
Arthur Mafokate's biggest hit "Oyi Oyi"; plus gospel songs,
ship balladeer heavily influenced by the com-
mbaqanga-jivestars Chicco, Mahlathini and the Mahotella
Soweto
mercial folk style of Paul Simon) and the
Queens, the Soul Brothers and more.
String Quartet (who play urban African
Jackpot 15,000 and Jackpot 16,000
melodies in a classical manner) will continue to (Gallo, South Africa).

maintain a variety of South African styles as liv-

Two cassette compilations of classic 1960s and '70s hit sin-

ing traditions on foreign stages even while being gles from producer Hamilton Nzimande's roster of sax and
ignored by the younger generation at home. accordion jive.

South Africa popular music 653

 S3 The Kings and Queens of Township Jive Yizo Yizo TV series, the first in South Africa to realistically por-
(Earthworks, UK). tray contemporary township life from a youth perspective.
The massive popularity of the show boosted the sales of this
A showcase of some of the big names in township music cutting edge compilation well into multi-platinum status.
from the 1 970s.
S3 Zulu Jive: Umbaqanga
SS Kwaito Hits (EMI, South Africa). (Earthworks, UK; Carthage, US).

Here's as good an introduction as any to the latest musical Pacey selection 1 983 of urban soul-
of cuts re-released from
style of the townships. Its heavily loaded with material written, mbaqanga from Joshua
style more traditional pound-
Sithole,
performed or produced by kwaito main man Arthur Mafokate ing 'from Aaron Mbambo and Shoba, and accordion/guitar
including his "Oyi! Oyi!", voted the Best Song Of The Year jive from Sithole's backing band The Rainbows.
1997' at the prestigious FNB South African Music Awards.

S5 Mbube Roots (Rounder, US).

Artists
A wonderful survey covering the history of mbube and early
iSulu a cappella or iscathamiya. .

— Amampondo
Music of the !Kung Bushmen
(Smithsonian Folkways, US). This impressive 'back to the roots' group draws its inspi-
rationfrom a multitude of indigenous styles, both instru-
The most accessible example of the music made by southern mental and vocal, from all over southern Africa.
Africa's pre-Bantu inhabitants.
Si) Drums For Tomorrow (M.E.L.T. 2000, UK).
The Rough Guide to The Music of South Africa
(World Music Network, UK). At last, a magnificently produced showcase of Amampondo's
diverse musicality that manages to overcome the inadequate
An essential collection ranging from Ladysmith Black
recording technique that plagued the group's earlier albums.
Mambazo West Nkosi; from the Boyoyo Boys to Bheki
to
Mseleku; from Noise Khanyile to Yvonne Chaka Chaka and
back to the Elite Swingsters. Miriam Makeba is here, as is
The Boyoyo Boys
Lucky Dube and half a dozen other bands and artists. The Boyoyo Boys were a classic all-male, vocal mbaqan-
There's even a track by Solomon Linda's Original Evening ga group. It was their song "Puleng" that inspired
Birds singing the magical thing called "Mbube", a song with Malcolm McLaren's hit "Double Dutch".
its own career that led to global fame as "Wimoweh" and
The Lion Sleeps Tonight". S3 Back in Town (Rounder, US).

This later recording was made long after the Boyoyo Boys'
prime but it is still fun to listen to.

Reuben Caluza's Double Quartet

C/5 Reuben Caluza was one of the first South Africans to meld
O localand American vocal styles into a new secular com-
posite called 'ragtime' (absolutely no relation to the
American piano-based style) that anticipated the later
development of mbube and zulu a cappella or iscathamiya.

Si! 1930s - African Ragtime (Heritage, UK).

This album provides a good cross-section of Caluza's land-

mark 1930 London recordings and comes with translations
and excellent notes by Veit Erlmann.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka

Chaka Chaka, the self-styled 'Princess Of Africa', is one
of the finest and most popular vocalists to come out of
the bubblegum genre. Her songs are built around
melodies and arrangements which are usually far more
interesting and compelling, at least to a Western ear, than
those found in most bubblegum material.
E Singing in an Open Space (Rounder, US).

The only neo-traditional historical survey, charting two 85 The Best of Yvonne Chaka Chaka
decades of development of Zulu-Trad from simple acoustic (Teal-Polygram, South Africa).
guitar accompaniment to a full band format.
This album features all of Yvonne's biggest hits including "I'm

85 SiyaHamba! 1 950s South African Country & In Love With A DJ", "Umqombothi" and "Motherland".
Small Town Sounds (Original Music, US). Bombani (Teal-Polygram, South Africa).
S5

A mix of neo-traditional (even a Pedi autoharp!) and early

Chaka Chaka's latest offering laces local township pop with
township jive, recorded by musicologist Hugh Tracey.
Afro-Pop influences to wonderful effect (a sensible decision
given her popularity in central and east Africa).
S3 Yizo Yizo (Ghetto Ruff, South Africa).

A one stop survey of the 'indie' side of the current kwaito

Chicco
music scene. The tracks, which feature groups like Skeem,
O'Da Meesta and Ghetto Luv, come out of the controversial Sello 'Chicco' Twala, has been one of the biggest names

654 South Africa popular music

in bubblegum through the 1990s, and a talent equally this disc best captures the group's lush harmonies. Perhaps
adept at singing, composing, or producing. not surprisingly, it is their biggest-selling album.

53 The Best of Chicco (Teal-Polygram, South Africa). 83 Heavenly (Gallo, South Africa).

A compendium of Chicco's most popular recordings includ- The most recent developments in Ladysmith's increasingly
ing, "We Miss You Manelo", his paean to the then-imprisoned internationalised career are reflected in this album which sees

Nelson Mandela. the group melding African-American soul and gospel and
even a Bob Dylan standard with their own unique vocal style.
Various US guest stars include Dolly Parton and Lou Rawls.
Lucky Dube
Lucky Dube won African and global attention as a reggae Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
star with his early 1990s albums, Slave and Prisoner,
which were South Africa's topselling discs of the decade. The combination of Simon 'Mahlathini' Nkabinde's groan-
He started out in a mbaqanga group. ing bass and the exquisite female harmonies of the
Mahotella Queens, backed by the all-electric Makhona
S3 Prisoner (Shanachie, US). Tsohle Band, forged the template for vocal mbaqanga,
one of the characteristic styles of the townships for
This 1991 album - still Dube's best - is a kind of homage to
almost two decades. Nkabinde died in 1999.
Peter Tosh in its vocal style and Wailers-era arrangements.
But the rasta message of liberation and suffering gained new Young Mahlathini: Classic Recordings With The
currency in a South African context. 83 Mahotella Queens 1964-71 (Gallo, South Africa).

All the greatest hits of the band which was the contemporary
Brenda Fassi equivalent to the Beatles in a South African township context.
Vocalist Brenda Fassi has been a fixture of the township
83 The Best Of Mahlathini And The Mahotella Queens
music scene ever since her arrival in 1984 as one of the
(Gallo, South Africa; BMG, UK).
stars of then new bubblegum style. Her popularity contin-
ues, unaffected if not actually enhanced, by various high A fine selection of highlights culled from later albums recorded
life scandals. after the band reformed in the late 1980s and began touring
the world.
83 Memeza (CCP, South Africa).

Brenda's comeback album was written and produced with

her old associate, Chicco Twala, and is well sung, nicely
arranged and, for Brenda, unusually melodic. Furthermore, it

was the best-selling South African album of 1 998!

Bayete and Jabu Khanyile

Jabu Khanyile and his group Bayete found fame in 1994
with his attractive lisping growl on the glorious hit CO
"Mmalo-we". The drummer and singer presents himself
as the face of World Music from South Africa - whacking
o
out a powerful, confident mix of township jive and other
African sounds, especially Congolese.
Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde -

53 Mmalo-we (Mango, UK). groaning superstar

A strong selection of dance hits and ballads from the gentle
Jabu, with Bayete on cracking form, effortlessly exploring a Izintombi Zezi Manje Manje o
fine selection of Afro-Jazz riffs. It kicks off with the hit song.
This Mqashiyo vocal group started up in the late 1960s as

53 Africa Unite (Mango, UK). Hamilton Nzimande's answer to the Mahotella Queens and
eventually managed to overtake them in the popularity
Mellow backing singers and an innovative instrumental line- stakes in the 1 970s.
up - including kora, harp, violin and Cuban tres (a small guitar
with three pairs of strings). S Isitha Sami Nguwe (Gallo, South Africa).

This compilation made up from material originally issued on

Ladysmith Black Mambazo vinyl singles is one of seven available; all of them have their

moments, but this is the one to go for first.

The soaring a cappella harmonies of this dozen-strong
Zulu male choir were propelled by Paul Simon's
Gracelands album into the international limelight, putting Mzwakhe Mbuli
their iscathamiya style on the World Music map. They Mbuili, 'The People's Poet', emerged on the ANC scene in
have recorded dozens of albums of their own: the three 1981, with poetry recitals at activists' funerals, and he
below serve nicely as ports of entry to a recording career went on to embody the spirit of resistance in countless
as it has evolved over almost three decades. appearances at mass rallies as well as on record.
Performing at President Mandela's inauguration was the
53 Iscathamiya (Gallo, South Africa).
highlight of his career, but Mzwakhe is currently serving a
Don't let the cover put you off - this is a fine survey, with properly 1 2-year jail term, accused of armed robbery.
re-mastered sound, of the group's early successes of the 1970s.
83 Resistance is Defence (Earthworks, UK).
Shaka Zulu y. UMzwakhe Ubonga UJehovah (EMI, South Africa).
(Warners, US).
A pair of albums tracing Mzwakhe's musical development,
Produced by Paul Simon with a first-class recording budget, from the fiery political commentary of Resistance is Defence

South Africa popular music 655

 to the gospel music of his latest album. The poetry is all set
to stirring, if sometimes over-formulaic, mbaqanga beats.

Sipho Mabuse
Mabuse - a vocalist, compos-
Soul artists Sipho 'Hotstix'
erand multi-instrumentalist - first tasted fame as a mem-
ber of the Beaters and Harari before becoming a local
solo superstar in the 1 980s.

31! The Best of Sipho Mabuse (Gallo, South Africa).

Mabuse's two essential hits "Jive Soweto" and "Burn Out"

are nicely packaged on this ten-track compilation.

Madosini
Madosini Manquina, known as 'The Veteran' in the area of
Mpondoland-Transkei from which she hails and more
recently as the 'Queen Of Xhosa Music', is an entrancing
(literally) vocalist who accompanies herself on several

indigenous instruments.

5? Power To The Women (M.E.L.T. 2000, UK).

After making a few great but obscure recordings in the mid- Busi Mhlongo
1 970s, Madosini disappeared into the Transkei only to be re-
Victoria 'Busi' Mhlongo began her professional career in
discovered by Robert Trunz of Melt 2000 who proceeded to
Durban in 960s as the teenage lead singer for a
the early 1
showcase her artistry with sympathetic and imaginative pro- vocal jive group. She later relocated to Johannesburg and
duction techniques, a leap of musical (and financial) faith that
established herself as a jazz vocalist - her repertoire
could only have occurred with a non-South African record
included both American standards and African Jazz -
label. The result is a wonderful exposition of tradition
before finally setting out for Europe where she has lived
enhanced by technology. and performed for the last 25 or so years.

Vusi Mahlasela Urbanzulu

83 (M.E.L.T. 2000, UK).
Sweet-voiced Vusi Mahlasela, who cites Paul Simon as a
major influence, mixes township influences with the com- The musical centre of this album is the (near) exclusively all-
male maskanda genre. Here Mhlongo returns to her Zulu roots
mercial end of American folk music. The resulting mixture
and stakes out the territory for her gender with an awesome
is an Afro-pop style which has proved to be especially
V) display of intense vocal pyrotechnics, aided and abetted by
© popular with European audiences.
Melt 2000's usual superlative production values.
S3 Silang Mabele (BMG, South Africa).

A mellow and soulful collection that is just muscular enough to

The Movers
escape an MOR classification. Mahlasela's version of The Movers played a combination of local soul and
Tl 'Weeping", a song written in the depths of the 1980s by local African Jazz and sold more records in the process than
30 white band Bright Blue, is an especially affecting performance. any other South African band of the 1 970s.
O 3S The Best of the Best Vol 1 and Vol 2
Makhendlas
(Teal-Polygram, South Africa).
Kwaito star Oupa Makhendlas' Mafokate was born in
All the Movers' biggest hits and huge sellers on a couple of
Diepkloof, Soweto, and released his first solo album in
strong compilations. Vol 2 is worth getting just for the wonderful
1996. Jammer, his third album, was his first big hit but he
track "Soweto Inn" with vocalist Sophie Thapedi.
died in tragic circumstances in November 1998, first
shooting an aggressive fan backstage at a concert, and
then turning the gun on himself. Mpharanyana
Jacob 'Mpharanyana' Radebe was the finest township
E Jammer (EMI, South Africa).
soul singer of the 1970s, and became a legend, dying
A disc that features the massive hit "Ayeye Aho", which cata- young at the height of his career.
pulted the natty-dressing Makhendlas to a spell in the kwaito
limelight in 1998. fg| Burning Soul (Teal-Polygram, South Africa).

A nice introduction to some of the many great Mpharanyana

Spokes Mashiyane recordings. The vocalist was usually backed by one of two
fine bands, the Peddlars and the Cannibals (the latter with a
Spokes Mashiyane was the first and probably the most and many tracks feature cracking
young Ray Phiri on guitar),
famous pennywhistle jive star.
production work by West Nkosi.

King Kwela (Gallo, South Africa).

This is a re-issue of a classic 1 958 Trutone LP originally pro-

West Nkosi
duced for the White teenage market featuring Spokes' most West Nkosi, who died in 1 998, is remembered today as an
popular early recordings (including his first hit, "Ace Blues") as ace producer but he began his career in the 1960s and
first issued on 78s for the African trade. '70s as one of the most successful sax jive artists.

656 South Africa popular music

 Rhythm of Healing: Supreme Sax and country's African musicians during the darkest days of
BS
apartheid and opened the door on the rest of the world.
Pennywhistle Jive (Earthworks, UK).

This collection of West Nkosi's biggest hits will not only serve Graceland
as a great introduction to sax jives, the single most popular (Warner Brothers, UK/US).
African genre of the 1960s and 70s, but is also guaranteed
Simply too good after all these years, and musically too interest-
to get any dance floor hopping.
ing, to omit. Features alongside large measures of Simon, the
Boyoyo Boys, Baghiti Khumalo, General Shirinda and the Gaza
Phuzekhemisi Ray Phiri and, of course, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Sisters,

Phuzekhemisi is one of the most successful of the current

crop of artists in the maskanda field. Skeleton
S3 Ngo '49 (Gallo, South Africa). Skeleton are a real roots maskanda group from Durban.
Ther lead singer, Themba Ngubane, lives in one room in a
This stomping album produced by West Nkosi manages to hostel with his wife and nine children, has a job in a fast-
overcome the over-progammed studio sound that bedevils food restaurant and puts up with a violent environment
so many of the newer recordings of this genre. which brings him few opportunities to play.

Ringo 33 Skeleton (M.E.L.T. 2000, UK).

Ringo Madlingozi is a contemporary of the 1980s bub-

One most accessible new releases.
of this energetic label's
Pumping tracks of maskanda -
the hard, dance beat sound
blegummers, who possesses a great tenor voice with a
of modern-traditional Zulu - surge with power and added ani-
timbre and phrasing that recalls the late great jazz singer,
Victor Ndlazilwane. He's a fine composer, too, and his
mation from MELT labelmates Busi Mhlongo and Mabi
Thobejane.
records are surprisingly popular with the younger kwaito
crowd, not to mention an older audience more attuned to
singing as opposed to rapping or unison chanting. Soul Brothers
Sondelani (CCP, South Africa). The Soul Brothers are both the longest surviving and most
influential band to come out of the South African soul
This very successful album actually begins to run out of
genre although as time went on their style was increasing-
steam at about the halfway mark but its still worth getting just
ly lashed with generous dollops of straight mbaqanga.
for the first six songs which are both melodic and memo-
rable, especially the third track, "Sondela". IS) Mantombanzane (Gallo, South Africa).

Their classic, early sound, culled from the glory days of pro-
S'Bu ducer Hamilton Nzimande in the 1970s.

Bom and bred in Soweto, S'bu is one of legendary pro- )> Jive Explosion (Earthworks, UK).
ducer Sello 'Chicco' Twala's kwaito proteges. He first
found recording success with Mdu in the group A great survey of the band's recordings from the early 1990s,
Mashamplani, but they soon split. After this, S'bu record- full of characteristic swirling organs, sax riffs and sweet vocal CO
ed his monster hit "Amalawyer". A follow-up album is harmonies.
expected shortly.

33 Amalawyer (Polygram, South Africa).

Ma Willies

Featuring the catchy hit single of the same name, which Ma Willies, aka William Bongani Makhubela, shot to fame
with his 1997 kwaito release, Intwenjani, which has sold
>
reveals a more textured, heavy production than the tinny
kwaito cuts of the mid-1990s.
over 110,000 copies, but he has struggled to match his 30
success since then.
O
Paul Simon 33 Intwenjani (Sony, South Africa).

Paul Simon wrote himself into South African music history Produced by Arthur's main rival Mdu and a perfect example
when he extended a collaborative hand to some of the of kwaito's infectious, though essentially throw-away sounds.

South Africa popular music 657

 SOUth Africa. I Gospel music

spirit of africa

Gospel is among the best-selling music in contemporary South Africa, sustained by the millions of
church goers who prefer religion to have rhythm and soul. The country's choirs have become a
mainstay on the European festival circuit, and have exerted a major influence throughout African
gospel music. Gregory Mthembu-Salter stands up.

With gospel music the voice

iniportant;*it soars to the
is

heavens and
all- There
hankering
are signs however,
after a slightly less
that gospel fans are
commercial sound,
descends to the deepest miseries of the and Rebecca's 1998 release Somlandela was out-
human condition. South Africa's many places by the brilliant Lusanda Spir-
sold in
gospel music draws on diverse traditions. Listen- itual Group's last album, Ungababek'ityala.
ers from abroad will instantly pick up on the Amer- Powered by Eastern Cape lead singer Lusanda
ican influences of much of the output. Pentecostal Mcinga this group has a deceptively sophisticated

churches from the US have made a big impact in and intensely moving sound — check out especially
South Africa and have large followings. In addi- their elegandy sombre version of "Nkosi Sikelele".
tion, American gospel music is a staple in the Also hugely popular over the last few years have
media, just like its secular musical counterparts. been the amply numbered IPCC, a Pentecostal
However, the African influences still render choir who had their biggest success with the 1996
South Africa's gospel music unique. This is par- release Uthembekile, and Amadodana Ase Wesile,

ticularly the case with the Zionist churches, a portly choir of Methodist stalwarts, always dressed
which have been fiercely independent since the in dark suits and red waistcoats, who keep time by
j^j beginning of the twentieth century and have con- thumping a Bible as they intone their hymns of
sciously incorporated African traditions into their righteousness. Recordings sadly lack the mis-
rituals and music. To check the recorded sound, chievous humour with which they leaven their
whose chord seem strange and mourn-
structures message in the flesh.

ful to the unaccustomed ear, look out for pictures While Malope is Sizwe Zako's biggest star, oth-
on album covers of large numbers of people dressed ers in his stable have also made lasting names for
in white robes with brightly coloured sashes with themselves. Vuyo Mokoena got his big break
their leader in the middle in some suitably reli- with Rebecca Malope and has featured on most
gious pose. Best of all, aim to see the Zionists in of her recent albums, but really came to promi-
action, standing under trees in city parks, espe- nence in 1997 with a vintage Zako-style stirring
cially in Johannesburg for hours on end on a Sun- anthem entitled "Njalo!".
day, letting the world know in no uncertain terms Much of the best output of Ladysmith Black
how they feel about Jesus. Mambazo (see p. 645) is gospel, invariably beau-
tifully crafted odes of praise with characteristic

Star Voices additions of aptly chosen Zulu proverbs. There is

usually at least one of these in the increasing num-

Among the frankly astonishing number of artists ber of South African gospel music compilations
with a talent for gospel music in South Africa, the aimed at the overseas market, like the excellent
reigning queen is Rebecca Malope. Her releas- 1998 release Gospel Spirit of A frica.
es routinely go platinum, each one filled with The version of "Nkosi Sikelele" on Gospel Spir-

instant anthems craftily conceived by master-mind it of A frica, performed by the Imilonji Kantu
producer Sizwe Zako and belted out by the Choral Society is a good example of the more
diminutive star. For many, Malope's finest effort classical choral style popular among an older gen-
was Shwele Baba in 1995 which featured the usual eration of gospel fans, many of whom are them-
strong songs but real musicians too, who have been selves in such choirs. The choirs performing this
a bit too absent from her most recent recordings. style are usually massive, and the 'Nation-building

658 South African gospel music

 by oil-multinational Caltex, heavyweights,who have been Methodism's South African
concerts', sponsored
number-one gospel singers for decades.
which take place around the country, are fantasti-

cally well-attended, colourful, splurging musical IPCC

celebrations. Choirs perform a mixture of self-com-
The International Pentecostal Church Choir found instant
posed and European classical works accompanied success with their 1 989 debut album, and have grown in
by philharmonic orchestras. popularity ever since, partly as a result of the immense
membership of their church which is the fastest growing
One classically trained singer who
made a has
in Southern Africa.
big impact recently is Sibongile Khumalo. Her
Uthembekile
repertoire encompasses opera and choral works
(Tusk, South Africa).
and now embraces South African folk and jazz,
Thiswas the album that made the IPCC so popular among
most of which is on ample display on the excel-
South African gospel lovers. Stirring, rootsy gospel sounds
lent and self-produced Lire at the Market Theatre. from a stunningly strong-voiced choir.

Live Witness Sibongile Khumalo

Classically trained and with music degrees from two
Despite the enormous number of gospel record- South African universities, Sibongile Khumalo's output
effortlessly ranges from opera to jazz to mbaqanga. She
ings of every style, most gospel still goes unrecord-
has achieved fame in concert with the South African
ed for lack of opportunity. Yet every township National Symphony Orchestra, though her recorded work
and rural area has countless choirs, groups and to date consists of jazz and contemporary material only.

soloists, many of whom are powerful and moving S3 Ancient Evenings (Sony, South Africa).
beyond belief. Live performances, whether in S3 Live at the Market Theatre (Sony, South Africa).

a church, a night vigil, or simply in someone's back Two quite different expositions of Khumalo's immense talent,

yard, are a richand unforgettable part of South with the first classical, gentle and at times a little stilted, and
the second a jazzy and musically rich live set that truly justi-
African cultural life, providing important clues
fies her title as South Africa's diva of song.
about the sources of its people's justly legendary
resilience and forbearance. Lusanda Spiritual Group
The Lusanda's leader, Lusand Mcinga, is a wonderful
singer from the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape. Her

discography group
favourites.
first recorded in 1995, and have become big

C/5
For artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, see also Ungababek'ityala
the South African pop music discography on pp. 653-657. (Gallo, South Africa).

An album that shows Lusand as a real challenger to Rebecca

Compilations Malope's throne as Queen of South African Gospel.

Rebecca Malope
m Gospel
(Gallo,
Spirit of Africa
South Africa). Malope, South Africa's biggest gospel star, is from the
township of Lekazi near Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, and
This excellent gospel compilation ranges from Ladysmith Black
launched her career by winning a nationwide talent con-
Mambazo to a variety of lesser-known artists, many with a
test in 1 987. These days, most of her releases go platinum
strong Zionist influence, including the Leeukop Prison Choir and
within weeks and she is branching out in new directions,
their wonderful rendition of Rebecca Malope's "Moya Wami".
promoting new talent and trying her hand as a producer.
3S Joyous Celebration (Sony, South Africa).
Free at Last: South African Gospel
Another fine compilation, mainly of artists from Pentecostal (EMI/Hemisphere, UK).
backgrounds. Although a number of contributions are heavily
An excellent anthology of Malope's fabulous music, inflected
American influenced, there are still plenty of uniquely South
with township pop sensitivity, and powered by impassioned
African offerings to get you praising.
petitions to God that build inexorably to anthemic odes to His
goodness and mercy.
Artists
Vuyo Mokoena and Pure Magic
Vuyo made his name singing with Rebecca Malope but
Amadodana Ase Wesile has gone on to pursue a highly successful solo career.
This grand old Methodist group have been performing Rececca's talented producer Zako produces him and is a
since 1 985 and are one of South Africa's most celebrated key component of Vuyo's anthemic, sing-along style.
choirs. They perform in at least four local languages,
S.S Njalo (EMI, South Africa).
though rarely in English.

A perfect example of producer Sizwe Zako's craft, with

M Morena U Ba Etele (Gallo, South Africa).
Vuyo's fusty vocals bursting through the stirring keyboards-
The latest release from these somewhat solemn sounding driven accompaniment to great effect.

South African gospel music 659

 South Africa. I Jazz

hip kings, hip queens

The decade between World War and the late 1950s produced a classic era of jazz in South Africa,
II

establishing a base unique in Africa that has continued to produce great singers and players. Rob
Allingham charts the connections, talks to the major figures and listens to the current state of play.

postwar era was a time of tremendous source of inspiration. South Africa's awareness of
The growth and innovation for Africans in all swing, however, had come through Allied soldiers
the arts, and it corresponded to a substan- during the war, who brought with them records of
tial increase of population in the townships the latest swing band hits from Britain and the US.
as migrants poured in from the rural areas to take By 1950, most South African towns supported
jobs in a rapidly expanding industrial economy. at least a couple of local jazz bands. The cities of
Living conditions remained sub-standard or des- Cape Province - East London, Port Elizabeth
perate for many, but before the draconian struc- and Cape Town — were particularly jazz-oriented,
tures of the new apartheid system were fully perhaps because of their predominently Xhosa
implemented, township residents indulged them- populations: the complex harmonies and structures
selves with a certain reckless optimism and even of traditional Xhosa music may have helped to fos-

an illusion of permanency and belonging. ter an intuitive understanding ofjazz harmony and
The acknowledged connection between jazz improvisation.
and the cultural and political ferment of the times But, as usual, it was in Johannesburg that the
is largely due to a talented group ofjournalists and cutting edge of innovation was keenest, and where
writers associated with Drum, the black illustrated musicians found the greatest number of bands and
magazine that documented the era. Much of the the biggest audience. The
city's 'Concert and
o jazz audience and most jazz musicians came from Dance' circuit spawned Solomon 'Zulu
had earlier

similar urban backgrounds and were the products Boy' Cele's Jazz Maniacs, the archetypal 'African
of mission school educations. At least some of their Jazz' band of the late 1930s. After World War II,
enthusiasm for jazz had more to do with attitude, the equally influential Harlem Swingsters were
style and aspirations than any attributes of the music Alumni from both bands
active for several years.
itself. Tribalism, traditionalism and ruralism - the went on some of which
to create other groups,
values extolled by apartheid policy - were reject- remained popular for another two decades.
ed in favour of the apparent success and sophisti- Alto saxophonist-composer Isaac 'Zacks'
cation of the African-American lifestyle, of which Nkosi from the Jazz Maniacs together with tenor
jazz was perceived to be an integral component. man Ellison Temba and trumpeter Elijah
Nkwanyane helped make up the front line of the
Swing African Swingsters; the same group of musicians
also recorded under many other names such as the
Ironically, at the very time that jazz was being Country Jazz Band and the City Jazz Nine. Anoth-
embraced by African urbanites, it had already been er ex-Maniac, tenor saxophonist Wilson 'King
abandoned by most of their American role models Force' Silgee, led the Jazz Forces. Ntemi Pil-
for more accessible genres like rhythm and blues, iso left the Harlem Swingsters to form the Alexan-
and swing, the predominant South African style, dra All Stars, thus initiating an important career
was already regarded as passe in the US by the late as a tenor composer and band leader.
soloist,

1940s. Unlike earlier African-American music, Unless they happened to be reading from an
which had been transmitted direcdy by visiting per- imported score (most jazz musicians could read
formers, no early American jazz or swing player, music), township jazz bands played in a dynamic,
black or white, toured South Africa (the first, Tony mixed elements of American
original style that
Scott, arrived much later in 1956). Printed orches- swing with the basic structure of marabi - the
trations, films and recordings provided the sole name by which African Jazz continued to be

660 South African jazz

Miriam Makeba

known. The songs consisted of one or two repeat- 'The Queen Of The Blues' retained her fame and
ed melodic phrases constructed over two or three popularity for another decade. Next in the spot-
chords. Although they were less complicated in light was Zimbabwean Dorothy Masuka who
structure than a typical American jazz composi- began her sensational career as a vocalist and record-
tion, these essentially African melodies were then ing Johannesburg in 1951. Like Dolly
artist in

performed with the instrumentation of an over- Rathebe, Masuka was also a famous cover girl in CO
seas swing band. This permitted the complex voic- the black picture press.
ings and arranged alternation between sections - Male jazz singers were a far less common breed
usually brass against saxophones - that had typi- but there were a number of male vocal quartets.
fied American big-band jazz since the 1920s. The best-known of these was the Manhattan
Frequently, there was considerable space allot- Brothers led by Nathan 'Dambuza' Mdledle, Tl
Sometimes these consisted of a whose celebrity matched Rathebe and Masuka.
ed to solos.

restatement of the melody, at other times a major

straight

Although regarded as part of the local jazz firma-

O
degree of improvisation was involved. In the case ment, the Manhattans' roots lay in a slightly dif-

of the most imaginative and technically advanced ferent African-American tradition: the secular-pop
Kippie Moeketsi,
players, like clarinetist-altoist branch of close-harmony singing that antedated
there were touches of bop and cool jazz, styles jazz and later developed alongside it in a parallel
which otherwise largely by-passed South Africa. fashion, eventually producing groups like the Mills

Brothers and the Inkspots and then later still, doo-

The Jazz Singers wop. Philemon Mokgotsi's African Inkspots
offered the Manhattans some stiff competition until
The 1940s and '50s was also the great era of female the mid-1950s when the Woody Woodpeckers
African Jazz vocalists, many of whom modelled led by Victor Ndlazilwane eclipsed both groups
their style on the likes of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah with their striking mixture of Xhosa-traditional and
Vaughan, but like their instrumentalist counter- American jazz-influenced melodies and harmonies.
parts, sang what were essentially marabi-structured Miriam Makeba was the last singing star to
melodies. come out of this classic jazz era, and the most sig-
Dolly Rathebe was the first to come to promi- nificant. She first came to public attention as a fea-
nence as the leading actress-singer in the first African tured vocalist with the Manhattan Brothers in 1954,
feature film, Jim Comes To Jo'burg (1948). She also then left to record with her own all-female Sky-
starred in the superb Magic Garden in 1951, and as larks vocal group while touring the country with

South African Jazz 661

 1

Abdullah Ibrahim aka Dollar Brand

impressario Alt Herberts' African Jazz & Vari- Progressive Jazz:

ety, a talent vehicle which bunched the careers of
the 1960s
many black artists. In 1959. Makeba took on the
female lead in King Kong, the South African-Broad- In the 1960s South African jazz divided into two
way musical crossover billed as a jazz opera' with distinct strains, similar to the dichotomy affecting
a fine score by pianist-composer Todd Matshildza. American jazz in the immediate postwar years. On
Sharing the top billing was Nathan Mdlecfle of the the one hand, the marabi-style dance bands still

Manhattans playing the part of the boxer. King commanded a large following and a new African

CO Kong, who murders his girlfriend and dies in prison. Jazz band, the Elite Swingsters. began a long and
o This slice of township life electrified its audiences, distinguished career by recording "Phalafala". prob-
black and white alike. To circumvent apartheid reg- ably South Africa's biggest selling jazz disc ever.
ulations, which rigidly segregated public entertain- On the other, a new' type ofjazz was evolving that
ment, it was often staged at universities. emulated the American avant-garde led by Thelo-
At the very- apogee of this success. Makeba left nious Monk. Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane,
the country for the United States. There she quick- and which strove for a more self-conscious artistry.
ly re-established her career with "The Click Song" It also incorporated an overtly political dimension
and "Phatha Phatha" and transferred her celebrity as protest music, a wordless assault on apartheid
status to the international stage, the first South African and all that it symbolised.
to do so. She also fired an opening salvo in the exter- Despite the fact that it was essentially elitist and
nal barde against apartheid with her impassioned tes- indeed less 'African' than its marabi-based coun-
timonial before the United Nations in 1963. The terpart, this jazz on the American model became,
South African government, irritated by the glare of indeed remains, inexorably identified with the peo-
adverse publicity, responded by revoking her citi- ple's struggle. Hugh Masekela. trom-
Trumpeter
zenship and right of return. After her marriage to bonist Jonas Gwangwa. pianist Dollar Brand
Stokeley Carmichael. one of the leaders of the Black (aka Abdullah Ibrahim) and that most forward-
Panthers, she was also harassedby the American thinking of the older generation jazzmen. Kippie
authorities and. despite support from Marlon Bran- Moeketsi. consotuted the core of the progressive
do. Nina Simone and others, fled to exile in Guinea. first wave. Masekela and Gwangwa had played
Makeba was only the first exile of many. In 1961. together as teenage,rs in the Father Huddleston
King Kong was staged in London where it enjoyed Band (named after their mentor, the famed English
a successful run. And after the show dosed, many anti-apartheid Anglican priest) before graduating
of the cast — including the four Manhattan Broth- to the Jazz Dazzlers. a small band that included
ers — chose not to return. The outward rush ot Moeketsi and provided the instrumental accom-
South Africa's artistic talent had becun. paniment to King Kong.

552 South African jazz

 In 1959 John Mehegan, a visiting American The progressive jazzers were badly affected as
pianist, organised a famous 'Jazz In Africa' record- apartheid regulations designed to separate mixed-
ing session, featuring Masekela, Gwangwa and race bands and audiences became increasingly
Moeketsi. This produced the two LPs by African
first onerous. In the face of this dispiriting onslaught,
jazzmen and the first opportunity to overcome the McGregor, Pukwana and their entire band, the
tunc imposed by the three minute-a-side
restraints Blue Notes, including Louis Moholo, left the
78rpm format. After Mehegan's departure, Capeto- country for good in 1964. The Blue Notes, and
nun Dollar Brand arrived to take over the piano. their later manifestation the Brotherhood of
The resulting formation, now called the Jazz Epis- Breath, added a distinctive touch to the rather
tles, recorded another album and garnered a great moribund UK jazz scene but, as was the case with
deal of critical acclaim for its performance at the first other exiles, their influence on musical develop-
Cold Castle National Jazz Festival in 1 960. But ment in South Africa ceased at that point.

not long afterwards, both

Masekela and Gwangwa left for

the United States - where they

would remain in exile for anoth-
er three decades — while Brand
eventually made his way to
Switzerland and international jazz
renown, in 1962.

The departure of three of the

principal Epistles left a large gap
in the local jazz scene, but the
1962 Cold Castle Jazz Festival
demonstrated that a new gen-
eration had been inspired by
their example. Pianist-com-
poser Chris McGregor and
tenor saxophonist Dudu Puk-
wana were probably the most
famous and influential musi-
cians m this new wave. Kippie
Moeketsi remained an inspira-
tion and Gideon Nxumalo,
an older pianist-composer who
Moeketsi had grown up in
like

theHarlem Swingsters, blos-

somed into a particularly orig-
inal talent.

The best players from several

different bands which had per-
formed at the 1 963 Cold Castle

Festival were gathered together

under the direction of Chris
McGregor, and produced a clas-

sic LP, Jazz The African Sound,

perhaps the finest single product
of a brilliant era. Sadly, it also
proved to be a swansong. A gen-
eral wave of oppression had fol-

lowed the Sharpville massacre of

I960 and, is the government dug
in with its new order, many of
South Africa's best talents fled
into exile. Dudu Pukwana blowing for freedom

South African Jazz 663

 Back Home: Hugh Masekela
A re-vitalised Hugh Masekela talked to Nigel other contemporary beats emerging from the town-
Williamson about the difficulties experienced by ships. "The cult of emulating American and European
returning exiles in the new South Africa. styles is going away. We're taking the best from over-
seas but then doing our own thing. think there I is going
After three decades in exile it took Hugh Masekela to be a pot-pouri of styles emerging in South Africa
another five years to finally feel at home in a demo- over the next year or two. It's a revival thing. A lot of
cratic South Africa. Following his return in 1 992 and our sense of identity was taken away from us and now
the initial euphoria of free elections, the trumpeter we're claming it back. There is a real renaissance going
admits that he found life a struggle in the new rainbow on. Mandela has taught us not to be bitter and how to
nation. "I went back with such a hope and I was* dis- invite our jailers to dinner and we are looking at the
appointed." he says. was angry about the past and
"I future of a very great country."
impatient for change. was full of brttemess." His anger
I Having emerged from his period of disillusionment
often erupted publicly and when interviewed him in I Masekela has thrown himself wholeheartedly into pro-

The Times in January 1 996 he painted a Weak view of moting new South African talent. He is a partner in a
the new South Africa, complaining bitterly that the consortium that owns a number of radio stations and
record companies were still owned exclusively by has recently started a South African-based entertain-
ment company with the ambitious aim
of becoming "a world player in music
and television to rival Virgin or EMI." One
of his first signings is a nineteen-year-
old Afrikaner singer called Sampi. "She's

fee a South African Luanda WBams but

if you had told me six months ago I

would be working with an Afrikaner I

would never have believed it".

It seems that the new positive

Masekela is finally ready to take on the

CO mantle of elder statesman to which his

o long experience suits him so well. "We
can define our own destiny through what
we do. We have to get out of that old
mind-set of what our country can do for
Hugh Masekela
us and think about what we can we do
whites, that there was a dearth of new talent and the for our country." he said, quoting President Kennedy.
live scene was virtually non-existent because escalat- His own most recent album. Black To The Future, fea-
ing violence meant that people were afraid to go out tured a new school of South African musicians such as
and clubs. He was irritable and frustrated - and
visit the rappers Apple Seed and Stoan from Bongo Muffin.

there was some resentment in return on the part of Junior Sokhela from Boom Shaka and the Family Fac-
those who had stayed and struggled throughout the tory. He also has his own three-hour radio show on a
apartheid years and who did not see why the return- Sunday playing exclusively African music and show-
ing exiles should be treated as conquering heroes. casing emerging talent. Other musical projects include
Two years later. I found Masekela in dramatically Heyta Da, a semi-autobiographical musical.
more positive frame of mind. "Things have at last start- Masekela is disarmingly frank when talking about
ed changing." he asserted. "There are small indepen- how South Africa's problems have been reflected in his
dent record companies starting up that are personal difficulties. "I went for rehabilitation because
black-owned and run. We are beginning to enter the I felt that maybe was seeing things through a smoke-
I

economic field. We have control of our destiny, we screen. I was a good drinker and drugger and didn't I

need to be assertive and that is starting to happen. think it affected my view. But since voluntarily cleaned- I

There's a great re-emergence of who we are and a lot up I've realised that some of my brttemess was com-

of different music, especially from the youth, is begin- ing from the fact that wasn't sober enough." he says.
I

ning to emerge." "Miracles are now happening for me. see much more I

The new nation, he feels, is finally developing a sense clearly and I'm feeling very excited. I feel I've just arrived

of its own identity and he is a big fan of kwaito and the in South Africa. I'm finally home."

664 South African jazz

After the Diaspora older generation of acoustically oriented players.
Only a small group of true believers that includ-
The exile of so many talents left South African jazz Mike Makgalemele and Bar-
ed saxophonists
fans and historians forever pondering 'what if?', ney Rachabane and pianist Tete Mbambisa
but there were still some fine and interesting kept the spirit going during the bad years, often at
moments to come. The Malombo Jazz Men fea- considerable personal cost.
turing Abbey Cinde on flute, Philip Tabane on During the same period, a younger generation
guitar and Julian Bahula on African drums, won ofjazz talent was drawn towards a more com-
first prize at the final Cold Castle Festival in 1964 mercial and vocally centred style that combined
with an intriguing mix ofjazz harmony and impro- elements ofjazz fusion, funk and township pop.
visation crossed with indigenous Venda music. The Drive as well as the nominally soul-styled
In the 1970s a further stylistic refinement pro- Movers were successful examples of this type,
longed the popularity of the old marabi-based while Sakhile achieved cult status with a follow-
bands. The Elite Swingsters, Zacks Nkosi, and ing that crossed every racial boundary. These bands
two Ntemi Piliso studio bands, the Alexandra All often spawned soloists who later became names.
Stars and The Members, wedded the electric A good example was sax player Henry Sitole from
instrumentation of mbaqanga - guitar, bass and the Drive who was tragically killed in an auto-
keyboards - to a jazz-style front line with brass and mobile accident at the apex of his career. Sakhile
saxophones. Long, leisurely performances which featured saxophonist Khaya Mhlangu and bassist-

often took up an entire LP side (as in the case of vocalist Sipho Gumede (who later formed Spir-
the Elite's hit "Now Or Never" or the Members' its Rejoice) as well as keyboard player Jabu Nkosi
equally popular "Way Back Riverside") were con- (who also was in the Drive). All three still feature
structed from simple chord progressions with no prominently in the local jazz scene.

shortage of space provided for the solos. This was The 1990s saw an apparent revival in the for-
township good-time music for dancing, drinking tunes of South African jazz. During the period of
and partying, and it remained popular with all age transition that anticipated a post-apartheid society,
groups until the late 1970s when local soul and and then continuing up to and beyond the 1994
disco finally displaced it. free elections that marked its arrival, the 'struggle'
The progressive jazz strain produced a few cachet long accorded indigenous jazz now engen-
more classics before it also dried up for lack of an dered a conviction that jazz was a nation-building
audience. Saxophonist Winston 'Mankunku' resource for the 'new South Africa' that deserved o
Ngozi scored a substantial hit in 1968 with his support and recognition.
Coltrane-influenced "Yakal Nkomo". In 1974, With ANC-supported cultural
the end of the
Dollar Brand returned to South Africa for the first boycott,many of the most famous musical exiles
time in overa decade and recorded his classic - among them Miriam Makeba, Hugh
"Mannenburg" with Cape alto saxophonist Basil Masekela, Dorothy Masuka, Jonas Gwang-
Coetzee. "Mannenburg" - a dramatically slowed wa, Letta Mbulu, Caiphus Semenya and Den-
version of an old Zacks Nkosi tune called "Jack- nis Mpale - returned home to live and began
pot" — reaffirmed Brand's marabi roots and con- performing before local audiences for the first time
trasted dramatically with the Americanised style in years if not decades. A few others, most notably
which had given him international fame. Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand) and
The Jazz Ministers, led by composer, vocal- vocalist Busi Mhlongo, have maintained foreign
ist and tenor sax man Victor Ndlazilwane, mixed residences but still return periodically for live
touches of marabi and mainstream jazz and under- appearances while Bheki Mseleku (who earned
laid both with a distinctive Xhosan essence. The a reputation as a superlative pianist in the UK)
Ministers performed at the 1 976 Newport Jazz Fes- resides in Durban but declines to perform.
tival- the first all-South African line-up to appear Representing an even older tradition, two bands
there - but Ndlazilande's early death deprived local derived directly from the late-marabi style with an
jazz of one of its finest voices. electric rhythm section continue to perform and
record on a fairly regular basis. The Elite Swing-
Through to the 1990s sters' sax-dominated ensembles feature the added
attraction still in fine form as a
of Dolly Rathebe,
The later 1970s and 1980s witnessed a decided vocalist. Ntemi African Jazz Pioneers
Piliso's

decline in the South African jazz scene as record- enjoy a measure of renown in France and Japan
ing and performance opportunities dried up for an that probably exceeds their reputation at home.

South African Jazz 665

 highlighting the continuing contradiction that the kwaito or current African-American imports while
jazz style which is most purely South African is the equivalent age group in the white suburbs only
precisely the one least favoured by those who wants to hear local or international pop. Many of
embrace jazz as Afro-chic. the returned exiles have found it tough to make a

A great deal or" support for local jazz has come living in South Africa; it is only the availability of
from the media. Television coverage and column- work overseas that has kept them alive, and only
inches in mainstream newspapers devoted to the three record companies have shown any interest
local scene increased markedly in the early 1990s in 'developing a jazz catalogue, the South African
while the country's first jazz magazine. Two Tone, branch of Sony, local independent Sheer Sound
(unfortunately now derunct) also began publish- and the UK-based M.E.L.T. 2000. Ultimately, as
ing. A number ot clubs exclusively devoted to with so many of the country's other homebrewed
jazz started up; Kippie's in Johannesburg (named genres, it jazz is to survive in South Africa in the
for that seminal genius Kippie Moeketsi) is prob- long term, it may end up being a case of "export
ably the best known as well as the longest estab- or die!"

lished. The clubs have been complemented by

many concerts billed specifically as jazz events, as
well as a tew full-on jazz festivals such as the one
sponsored for several years by Guinness. discography
Several music schools devoted to developing a
jazz craft have also been founded. The two which As in the South Africa pop music discography, many of
have produced the most impressive results are the the following items released on South African labels are
Gauteng Music Academy run by ex-Jazz Min- available overseas through licensees.

isters trumpeter Johnny Mekoa and the Centre

For Jazz And Popular Music at the Universi- Compilations

ty of Natal under Darius (son of Dave) Brubeck.
Perhaps the most vital indication of a renewal y. King Kong: Original Cast iGallo. South Africa).

in South African jazz has come with the arrival ot The soundtrack 1959 'jazz opera' starring
of the seminal
a new wave of young jazz players. Four of the Miriam Makeba and the Manhattan Brothers with Kippie
Moeketsi and Hugh Masekeia among others.
most pivotal talents, all of whom fill multiple roles

CO as instrumentalists, composers and group leaders, E Sheer Jazz (Sheer Sound. South Africa).

o are saxophonists McCoy Mrubata and Zim If you're curious about the current state of jazz in South
Ngqawana and pianists Paul Hanmer and Africa, this is a good place to start. A fine sampler of recent
recordings - including some that perhaps stretch even the
Moses Molelekwa. Murubata, for example, fronts
broadest definition of the genre - from the country's most
an eight-piece band (which usually includes Han- adventurous independent label.
mer) that could easily grace the stage of the most
E Township Swing Jazz Vols 1 & 2
prestigious foreign venue. Indeed, if a criticism (Gallo. South Africa).

can be made, it is that the jazz produced by this

A great introduction to the swinging marabi/ African Jazz
new generation no longer sounds uniquely South bands and vocalists of the 1950s and earty '60s.

African but has become too internationalised.

And although the emphasis in local jazz has now Artists
swung back once again from vocals to instrumen-
few new and exciting vocalists have also
tals. a
African Jazz Pioneers
emerged, most notably Gloria Bosnian and
Sibongile Khumalo. Khumalo possesses an oper- Bandleader and saxophonist Ntemi Piliso, who can boast
a career in jazz going back to the 1940s, formed the
atically trained power and beauty
voice of great African Jazz Pioneers in the 1 980s. The band helps keep
while her style drawn from a compelling mix-
is Marabi alive as a performance art by updating familiar
ture of classical and traditional influences as well melodies and harmonies with new arrangements and
electric instrumentation.
as African Jazz. She has become a well-known fig-

ure at home and there are expectations that she Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival
(Gallo. South Africa: BMG. UK).
will replicate this success overseas.
The 1991 version of therand captured kve and in fine form.
But despite its impeccable struggle, credentials
and intellectual respectability, jazz in South Africa
The Blue Notes
still means very little from a commercial standpoint.
One of South Africa's legendary progressive jazz bands,
The largest single music-supporting audience, the
the Blue Notes were led by pianist Chris McGregor with
township youth, continue to ignore it in favour of Dudu Pukwana (alto sax). Nick Moyake (tenor sax).

666 South African jazz

Mongezi Fezi (trumpet), Johnny Dyani (bass) and Louis
Moholo (drums). The nucleus of the band would eventual- Miriam Makeba
ly reform as the Brotherhood Of Breath. South Africa's most famous musical export immersed
herself in the vocal traditions of her people and then
35 Live In South Africa 1964 (Ogun, UK).
became a homegrown star by mixing them with African-
The Blue Notes captured live on the eve of their departure American influences. Ironically, she was subsequently
into exile in the UK. forced to spend the majority years of her career in exile
bestowing her talents on the rest of the world.
Elite Swingsters with Dolly Rathebe S3 Miriam Makeba & the Skylarks
With a continuous history dating back to 1958, the Elites (Teal-Polygram, South Africa).
are South Africa's oldest African Jazz band but Dolly
A two-CD set of wonderful recordings from the 1950s aptly
Rathebe's spectacular career as a singer, actress and demonstrating the early blossoming of Makeba's talents in
pin-up girl started up almost a decade earlier. the company of her close harmony group, the Skylarks.

SI Siya Gida (Teal-Polygram, South Africa).

Sangoma (Warner Brothers. US/UK).
S3
This album of hot studio renditions of old classics is typical of
A heartrendingly beautiful collection of traditional song, all
the Elite Swingsters' current shows. Veteran singer
live
sung a cappella.
Rathebe possesses the richest, most resonant mid-to-low-
end vocal range in the business and she can still cook too!

Jonas Gwangwa
®
Makeba's
Welela
(Phillips, US/UK).

last great album - every track a gem, superbly

Gwangwa is a superb African Jazz trombonist and com- backed, arranged and produced, and with Miriam singing at

poser whose style falls somewhere between straight her magnificent best.

marabi and more modernist impulses.

Hugh Masekela
S3 Flowers of the Nation (Gallo, South Africa).
Next to Miriam Makeba and viewed from a commercial
Recorded in the UK just before Gwangwa's return to South
standpoint, trumpeter/vocalist Hugh Masekela enjoyed
Africa after years in exile, this is a contemporary mixture of the greatest international acclaim (and also recorded the
jazz and South African influences.
most albums) of any of South Africa's exiles.

Abdullah Ibrahim S3 Hope (Triloka, US).

Pianist Brand, who changed his name to Abdullah Ibrahim

This live recording with a hot, young band made not long before

in the 1980s, is probably South Africa's most famous jazz his return to South Africa nicely fills the function of a greatest
hits retrospective of Masekela's long and interesting career.
name in international circles.

African Sun Dorothy Masuka CO

(BMG. UK).
Zimbabwean-born Masuka was one of the three most
o
Just one of a series of BMG South African jazz releases fea- popular African female vocalists (along with Dolly
turing Dollar Brand aka Abdullah Ibrahim. Here he plays Rathebe and Miriam Makeba) of the fabled 1950s
together with a raft of other luminaries.
before the South African authorities threw her out of the
country.
33 Blues for a Hip King (BMG, UK). -n
Dedicated to the cool monarch of Swaziland. Superb. S3 Hamba Notsokolo And Other Hits From The '50s
(Gallo, South Africa).

Jazz Epistles A collection of Masuka's prime - and long unavailable -

Troubadour label recordings, extensively annotated.
The Epistles were the late 1950s South African version of
the US school of progressive jazz featuring the best local 33 Magumede (CA-Polygram, South Africa).
technicians of the period, pianist Dollar Brand (aka
Abdullah Ibrahim), reedman Kippie Moeketsi, trumpeter Masuka's latest album is a little shy on running time but it

nevertheless demonstrates that her legendary vocal abilities

Hugh Masekela, and trombonist Jonas Gwangwa.
are undiminished while also reminding the listener that she
S3 Verse One (Gallo, South Africa). has written some classic songs.

The band's one and only recording, made before most of its
members went into exile overseas, is now considered to be a Chris McGregor and
South African classic.
The Castle Lager Big Band
The winners of the 1 963 Castle Lager Jazz Festival were
Sibongile Khumalo brought together under this name for this one-off, all-star
Khumalo one of South Africa's most arresting new
is studio recording directed by pianist McGregor.
She seamlessly matches her classical training
vocalists.
Jazz The African Sound
and thoroughgoing knowledge of traditional Zulu song
(Teal-Polygram, South Africa).
with a jazz sensibility.

This album constitutes some of the most glorious moments

33 Live At The Market Theatre (Sony, South Africa).
in the history of South African jazz and is especially notewor-
This superb concert recording highlights Khumalo's talents thy for the solo contributions of Kippie Moeketsi who, in the
with the sympathetic backing of some fine instrumentalists opinion of many, was the country's single greatest jazz
including saxophonist Khaya Mahlangu. talent.

South African Jazz 667

 of the first order, was one of the most important figures
McCoy Mrubata during the Golden Age of African Jazz in the 1950s and
Mrubata is arguably the most commercially successful - '60s.

and certainly one of the most multi-talented - of South

Africa's new generation of jazz stars.
= Our Kind Of Jazz (EMI, South Africa).

This is a re- issue of a mid-1960s LP whch m turn had been

S Tears Of Joy (Sheer Sound, South Africa).
compiled from recordings that onginally appeared as 78s. ft

This all-mstrumental-save-one- track album nicely showcases remains the only contemporary testimony to the existence of
Mrubata 's abilities as a leader-arranger, composer and sax what was once the largest and greatest body of African Jazz
soloist. The first tracks are nice but a little disappointing for •recordings of the 1950s and '60s featuring not only Zacks
sounding so international but the last half gets into a wonder- himself but also the talents of Ellison Themba, Elijah
fulgroove that could have only come out of South Afnca. Nkwanyane, and Michael Xaba.

5 A Tribute To Zacks Nkosi (Gallo. South Africa)

Jabu Nkosi
6 Our Kind of Jazz (Gallo. South Africa).
Keyboard player Jabu Nkosi, the son of Zacks Nkosi, has
Valedictory albums recorded at the end of Zack Nkosi s long
enjoyed a long career as an instrumentalist and composer
career in the 1 970s.
in a number of the country's most famous jazz fusion bands
and has also backed some of the biggest names, both for-

eign and homegrown, to grace South African stages. Gideon Nxumalo

S Remembering Bra Zacks (Gallo, South Africa). Pianist and composer Nxumalo was another outstanding
South African jazz talent whose career stretched from the
On this fine album, saxophones and an occasional dash of
early 1 950s through to the mid- '70s.
the keyboards keep strong melodies at the forefront as Nkosi
updates a number of his father's prime evergreens, mixing Z Jazz Fantasia (Teal-Polygram. South Africa).
them with a few of his own recently composed numbers.
The recording taken from a 1962 concert featuring material
that Nxumalo wrote especially for the occasion is also the
Zacks Nkosi only surviving example of sax maestros Kippte Moeketsi and
Zacks Nkosi, a bandleader, composer and saxophonist Dudu Pukwana playing together. Fine stuff.

668 South African jazz

Southern Africa I Archives

Hugh tracey: pioneer archivist

For anyone who was interested in African music in the dark days before World Music, Hugh Tracey
(1903-77) was a pioneering, even a paternal figure. During the 1950s and '60s, his 'Music of Africa'
series of 10-inch LPs on Decca - superb recordings of traditional music from central, eastern and
southern Africa, graced with his inimitable commentaries, were one of the very few ways the Western
listener might encounter African music. Mark Hudson takes up the story.

Tracey (1903-1977) was the father of the Karanga and sang their songs with them.
Hugh of African ethnomusicolgy. He set up the Although he had had little formal education,
first organisation devoted to the study and Tracey recognised the value of this material, wrote
preservation of traditional African music, it down, and in 1929 took a party of Karanga men
the first library and the first magazine of African to Johannesberg to make the first ever recordings
music - at a time when the very concept of of Rhodesian traditional music.
'African Music' barely existed. His archive, the He then applied for and received a Carnegie
International Library of African Music, Foundation grant to survey the music of
remains probably the greatest repository of African Mashonaland, and over the following decades,
music in the world. worked in broadcasting and created a mini-indus-
One of eleven children of a doctor in Devon, try around his African Music Society at Rood-

England, Tracey Southern Rhodesia at

left for eport, South Africa (work continued by his
seventeen to work with his brother who had musicologist son Andrew at Rhodes University).
received land as compensation for injuries sustained He became established not only as the expert on
in the First World War. Labouring alongside the African music but virtually embodied white inter- CS)
locals in the tobacco fields, he learned the language est in African music. o
m

Tl
30
O

Hugh Tracey recording a Tswa chizambi mouth bow, Mozambique. 1962

(using his favourite Neumann microphone)

Southern Africa archives 669

 Tracey's great testament was
the 'Sound of Africa' series of
210 LPs: the fruits of annual field

trips throughout southern, cen-

tral and eastern Africa between
1948 and 1963, of which The
Music of Africa series were mere
highlights. The composers Ralph

Vaughan-Williams and Gustav

Hoist, whom he met in London
in 93 advised him to eschew
1 1 .

analysis in favour of recording as

much as possible. He set out to

record every aspect of a musical
world that was disappearing
before his eyes.

Looking Back
Despite the huge growth of
Western interest in African
music, and the development of
the whole World Music phe-
nomenon, little was heard of
Tracey's recordings over the last

two decades, apart from a few

items on compilations.
This was partly because, with
advances in Africa's recording

C/5
industries, and the perceived
O desire of Western audiences to Hugh Tracey at the Diamang Diamond Company's museum,
engage with Africa's own view Dundo, Angola, 1956, trying out a chisanzhi mbira
of itself, the old ethnomusico-
logical approach, in which musicians were pre- for what he called the 'proletarian grey' of urban
sented as anonymous representatives of an ethnic music, although he was indirecdy responsible for the
group, dropped from view. But more than that, hit "Wimoweh" (which later became "The Lion
Tracey himself became tarnished, as a tool of the Sleeps Tonight"), and helped many semi-urban
apartheid system and even a creator of its educa- musicians on — notably the great
the road to success
tional policies. Congolese guitarist Jean-Bosco Mwenda.
Certainly the idea of Tracey singing African Tracey espoused theories of cultural develop-
songs to classes of white schoolchildren in an Africa ment were archaic even in the 1950s. While
that
where black people were practically invisible makes organisations like the ANC were trying to foster a
us feel uncomfortable. But the relationship between supra-tribal African identity, he still saw ethnicity
Tracey's work and South Africa's cultural and polit- as the root of cultural vitality. Some of the language
ical development is complex and paradoxical one.
a of his books and commentaries seems cnngemak-
He blotted his historical copybook by working for ingly patronising today. Yet through his journal

the South African Broadcasting Corporation at a African Music he furthered the views of radical musi-
time when 'Bantu' radio stations were being set cologists, black and white. Although he was
up to bolster 'separate development'. Yet this had obsessed with gaining acceptance for African music
the side-effect of nurturing a whole rich stratum as a subject for academic study, Tracey was an
of neo-traditional music. instinctive populist. He encouraged musicians to
While many older South Africans would associ- cut their pieces into two- or three-minute nuggets
ate Tracey with the upsurge of black culture in the suitable for 78rpm records and would count musi-
early 1 960s — the era of Drum magazine, King Kong cians in one after the other to make the rhythmic
and Miriam Makeba — Tracey himself had little time structures apparent to even the laziest of listeners.

670 Southern Africa archives

 Wh.it redeems Tracey - assuming he needs or the music itself is incredibly fresh." I'm sure he's
deserves redeeming — is the extraordinary enthu- right, but I for one will go back to the records
siasm and energy he brought to his subject, and, from time to time. Because Tracey's pronounce-
of course, the quality of his recorded output. As a ments (and his voice seemed to belong to a dis-
teenager growing up in apartheid South Africa, tant era even in the series' heyday) tell us so many
and keen collector of township jive records,
as a things — some admirable, some perplexing — about
Trevor Herman, creator of the Indestructible Beat how we, the West, have approached other cul-
of Soweto series and the Earthworks label, could tures. And of course, they tell us a great deal about
not help but be aware of Tracey. "You just knew an extraordinary individual.
ofhim as a guy who had made this incredible col-
lection of music and instruments. To equate him
with the creators of apartheid
people African music was just rubbish!"
is bullshit. For those
discography
"He was incredibly paternalistic," says Angela The following discs have been beautifully re-mastered
Impey of the University of Natal, "but you can't from original masters and come with archive photos and
judge him by today's standards. He was the prod- full notes. They are distributed in the UK by Discovery.

uct of a completely different historical era. In that CONGO

context, he was very much ahead of his time. He
SS On the Edge of the Ituri Forest -
preserved whole styles of music which simply don't
Northeastern Belgian Congo 1952
exist today." Janet Topp-Fargeon, Curator of Inter- (Sharp Wood, Netherlands).
national Music at the British Library, also South
Vast dance gatherings with orchestras of wooden 'slit'
African, says Tracey should be judged only through drums, hunting cries, lullabies, curative songs and likembe
his recordings, which are "of vital importance to duets. These sounds of the Budu. Mangbele. Nande and Bira
peoples, and the Mbuti pygmies who live beside them, take
anyone with any interest in African culture."
you right there.
This body of work is at lastbeing made more
widely available through a twenty-CD retrospec- RHODESIA
on the Utrecht-based Sharp Wood label.
tive
Kalimba and Kalumbu Songs -
Si!

Drawn from the Sound of A frica series, most of Northern Rhodesia 1952 & 1957
which has never been heard outside academic cir- (Sharp Wood, Netherlands).

cles, each volume presents not just a lost musical Lyrical and reflective sounds with the mbira-related kalimba CO
world, but a whole aspect of a civilisation. On and the kalumbu. a musical bow; instruments whose role has
largely been usurped by the guitar.
o
Royal Court Music of Uganda we hear the sounds
that accompanied every aspect of a highly ritu- RWANDA
alisedworld - buzzing harp-powered historical
3E At the Court of the Mwami Rwanda 1952
commentaries, drum and xylophone orchestras, (Sharp Wood, Netherlands).
and the wheezing modern jazz-like variations of
Powerful drum rhythms (more complex and varied than the
gourd horn ensembles. Kalimba and Kalumbu •n
famous Drummers of Burundi), heart-rending love and praise 30
evokes a time when every young man was a lyric songs, bow and horn music. In the light of recent events, the

poet, wandering the Northern Rhodesian bush names of the drums - 'The Dominators', 'The Terrifiers' - and O
the clear distinction between Tutsi and Hutu music gives
with his thumb piano. And so it goes on.
these sounds a poignant and ominous ring.
The only thing missing is Tracey's voice, Sharp
Wood's Michael Baird having decided to let the UGANDA
music speak for itself. "To have included the com- S3 Royal Court Music from Uganda - 1950 & 1952
mentaries would have made the whole thing seem (Sharp Wood, Netherlands).

even more the product of a long-gone era than it Regal sounds from the Ganda and Nyoro courts and from the
actually is. It would have made it seem dated when nomadic Ankole people.

Southern Africa archives 671

Sudan
yearning to dance
Sudan, home of the whirling' dervish and the pogo-ing Dinka, has been an exerting meeting ground of
Arab and African musical cultures, but in the past decade religious dogma and civil war have combined
to create a singularly inauspicious environment. Peter Vemey, a long-time former resident of a country
which leaves an indelible impression on all who touch it surveys what remains of the scene, at home
and abroad. Extra information is gratefully acknowledged from Helen Jerome and Moawia Yassin.

the 1980s was teaching in Sudan settled and intermarried with the indigenous peo-
During
and running mobile disco a
I

weekends at ple. Southern Sudan, largely cut off until the mid-
in shanty areas of Khartoum, playing rai. nineteenth century by the vast swamps of the
reggae and rhumba — some kids so keen White Nile, was treated as a source of slaves, ivory,
they'd be up and jiving to the soundcheck. But in ostrich feathers and gold.
1989, the security police of the National Islamic
Front (NIF) showed up and took it away: a small
example throughout
ot suppression taking place
Africa's largest country. Around the same time
The North
police burst into a women's traditional Zar cere- Northern Sudan is itself divided - to the point
mony, armed with Kalashnikovs. and carted every- of personality splitting, sometimes. Few people
one away to the lock-up, confiscating the drums wholeheartedly support the government's obses-
that powered the ritual as 'pagan'. Meanwhile, cel- sive division of the sexes, and marry older folk look

ebrated musicians such as Mohammed el Amin back nostalgically to the era before sharia law,
and Mohammed Ward! were branded 'commu- effected from 1989 when the NIF seized total
nist' and fled to Cairo, and the massively popular power in a military coup. Under their rule, music
poet and lyricist Mahjoub Sharif was imprisoned. has been largely outlawed from the airwaves and
Even innocuous love songs were banned from the from public performance. It brought a halt to a
radio,and mixed dancing was out of the question. unique tradition of popular music.
A new dictatorship was under way, and one for
whom the age-old argument over the legitimacy Early Days and Jazz
of music and dance under Islam had an added
dimension. One third of die people affected by its Modem urban music in northern Sudan began tak-
rule — living largely in the south of the country — ing shape between the 1920s and '40s. Regarded
were not even Muslim. But then, as a genocidal by some as the father of contemporary Sudanese
civil war was unleashed upon them by the music, singer Khalil Farah was also prominent in
Islamists in power in the north, music was not the the independence movement. Ibrahim al-Abadi
greatest problem. At time of writing, the NIF is (1894—1980) found new ways of wedding poetry
in power in the north, while most of the south is to music, regarded as unorthodox at the rime.
held by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army. Other early singer-songwriters included Abdallah
Divisions have never been simple, however, in Abdel Karim, better known as Karoma. who
Sudan. This is the continent's largest country and wrote over four hundred songs.
its people - three hundred ethnic groups — embody These lyric songs of northern Sudan were orig-
such a collision of Arab and African cultures that inally played on the tambour, or lyre, using pen-

it's often impossible to tell where one culture ends tatonic scales, and are quite distinct from the
and the other begins. Arab tribes arrived in the Arabian maqam structures. When the far more
fourteenth century from across the Red Sea and sophisticated oud or lute was introduced from
the northern fringe of Africa; in the sixteenth cen- across the Red Sea, Sudanese players developed a
tury West Africans began journeying through of plucking and striking the strings of the oud
style

northern Sudan on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Both from the technique they had used on the h/re.

672 Sudan
 Song lyrics are hugely important in Sudanese around Lake Victoria. Congolese soukous, along
music - indeed the lyricists and poets are as cele- the Franco model, was influential, too, and known
brated as the singers. The Sudanese Graduates' in its Sudanese variant as Je-luo.
Congress used a song entitled "Sahi ya Kanaru" Odd and tantalising styles of horn-playing were
(Wake Up, Canary) to spread resistance to British adopted and adapted from traditonal music, as well
rule. And since then, many others have used the as from these foreign imports, which, from the
image of a beautiful creature, woman, or lover to 1960s on, included further-flung stars such as Ray
refer obliquely to their country, and have some- Charles and Harry Belafonte, who made a big
times stirred feelings sufficiently powerful to get impression on urban Sudanese musicians such as

the author jailed. Translations, of course, rarely Osman Alamu and Ibrahim Awad, the first

capture these allusions. Sudanese singer to dance on stage. In the 1970s

Urban musicians introduced violins, accordions itwas the turn of James Brown and Jimmy Cliff.
and horns - and the odd flute and mandolin - The ebullient Kamal Kayla modelled his funk-
after World War II, electric guitars in the 1960s shout style on the hugely popular JB, although he
and electronic keyboards in the 1 98()s. These were is now in retirement, raising exotic pigeons. The
used by Sudanese to beef up their traditional 1980s made Bob Marley and Michael Jackson
styles. Those from the traditions of northern, household names in the most unexpected places.

western and central Sudan took styles such as Marley was recognised by some as the spiritual
haqiiba - a chant with chorus and minimal per- kinsman of Sudan's own Sufi dervishes, and was
cussion- infused them with Egyptian-Arab or an inspiration to thousands of ghetto kids.

European elements, and developed al-aghani'

al-hadith (modern songs). As early as the 1920s Players and Poets
Egyptian producers brought Sudanese singers to
record in Cairo, and instruments of the orches- Music is not actually extinct in northern Sudan -
tra began to replace the call-and-response of the not yet, at least — and
there are a few groups who
chorus. keep their heads down at home, and occasionally
Southerners, Nuba and other non-Arab com- tour abroad. Many of the best musicians reappear
munities were well represented in the forces across in different guises in these groups. For example,
the country. For impoverished young conscripts Abdel Gadir Salim's Merdoum Kings and the
in post-independence Sudan, the police and Abdel Aziz el Mubarak Orchestra — the two
army 'jazz-bands' offered the best access to best-known groups abroad — share violinist
equipment, and what started out as British mili- Mohammed Abdallah Mohammediya, bass-play-
band styles often metamorphosed in the
tary brass er Nasir Gad Karim, accordionist Abdel Bagi
1960s and '70s to become jazz' in the East African Hamoda and sax player Hamid Osman.
sense, imitating the intersecting guitars of Kenya's The lush, big-band arrangments (as well as the
Shirati Jazz and the myriad Luo language bands musicians) of Abdel Gadir Salim and Abdel Aziz

Dance and Trance: Sufi Dervishes

Given the current regime's strictures on music and of the sheikha az-zar, gatherings last either four or seven
dance, it is ironic was Sufi Muslim dervishes,
that it days, drumming from dawn to dusk for different spir-

or darawiish, who brought the first wave of Islamic influ- its that plague people and have to be brought out and
ence to Sudan. Within the religious tradition of zikr pacified.

(remembrance) the dervishes use music and dance to These are occasions outside the bounds of life's

work themselves into a mystical trance. Undulating lines ordinary rules, when women can smoke and drink and
of male Sufi dancers dance their way to ecstasy with a act out rebellious fantasies without having their reli-

physical grace that confounds age. Their tolerant spir- gious piety or social respectability called into question.
it profoundly influenced the easy-going approach that The zar cult is older than Islam and works around and

characterised Sudan until relatively recently. through it rather than competing against it.

The most spirited rhythms are mainly for women, in But like everything else that challenges the ruling
the psychotherapeutic zar cult. Zar sessions combine National Islamic Front's social programme, zar is suf-

mesmeric drumming with incense, massage and a fering a government clampdown as it is viewed as anti-

licence to release deep frustration. Under the guidance Islamic.

Sudan 673
 pleted his studies, he shifted in 1971 from com-
posing 'Khartoum city songs' to folk songs, and
ABDEL GADIR SALIM ALL-STARS had a hit with "Umri Ma Bansa" (I'll never for-
THE MERDOUM KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE which is still part of his repertoire. His
get you),
home area of Kordofan and Darfur has its own
unique rhythms and songs, with which he has
flavoured his music.
Abdel Aziz el Mubarak, from Wad Medani,
was the first Sudanese artist to play WOMAD, at
Glastonbury in 1988, accompanied by a dozen
musicians romantically resplendent in long white
jellabiyas. Next day they appeared at London's
Jubilee Gardens wearing tuxedos. His love songs
are songs of the city:

Every pleasure in the absence of your eyes

Is incomplete and does not touch me.
Abdel Gadir Salim's finest hour
Every road that does not take me to you
Is a dark road that doesn't deserve the walk.
el Mubarak's bands have similarities but their lyrics Darling, all through my life
have immediate differences. While Abdel Gadir I have been longing for your smile.

sings of a farm girl tired of waiting for her man to

come so she can wipe the sweat off his face, Abdel Less well known outside Sudan, but ranking at
Aziz ismore likely to proclaim his admiration for home in fame with Mubarak or Salim, are Abdel
a woman's high heels. Karim el Kabli, Mohammed el Amin and
Abdel Gadir Salim was born in Dilling. in Mohammed Wardi. Now Abdel
in his sixties,
the Nuba Mountains, in the same village as his Karim el Kabli is one of those walking cultural
sax player Hamid Osman. He studied European memory banks, a folklorist who can talk in depth
and Arabic music at the Institute of Music and about the background of any number of Sudanese
Drama, and became a primary school headmaster songs, and who plays oud in a variety of styles with
in Chad somewhere along the way. After he com- deceptive ease.

Abdel Aziz el Mubarak on the oud

674 Sudan
 Poem by Mahjoub Sharif

Hey, buffoon!
Cling tightly!
Beware falling apart!
Beware and be alert!
Bend your ears to every sign of movement
Keep watch on your own shadow
and, when the leaves rustle,
Shut yourself off and keep still!

Life is so dangerous, buffoon.

Open fire!

Bulletsaimed at everything
every word uttered
every breeze passing
without your permission
Mohamed Wardi, Mustafa Sidahmed
and Yusuf al-Mousli
My lord buffoon.

Instruct the sparrows,

From the same generation, Mohammed el
the village lanterns,
Amin is revered for his majestic voice and superb the towns' windows,
oud playing, as well as his brilliant compositions and every whispering blade of grass
arrangements. Bom in Wad Medani, central Sudan, to report to you.

in 1943, Amin began learning the oud at the age of

eleven. He wrote his 6rst songs aged twenty, and As police, let the ants infiltrate
has been frequently in trouble with the military rulers.
and build the security state
Ask the raindrops
He was jailed by Nimeiri's regime in the 1970s and
to write their reports,
moved to Cairo in 1989 to avoid similar run-ins
Buffoon...
with the NIF. However, he returned to Khartoum
619
m 1994. where he has kept a low profile.

Mohammed Wardi's soaring 'golden throat' The songs of Abu Araki al-Bakheit, like
has won him acclaim right across the African Sahel Wardi's, were banned from the airwaves by the Z
and the Arab world. Although this singer from NIF. In the early 1990s he was arrested and told
Nubia is now in exile, his music always stirs emo- by the authorities not to sing his political songs at
tion for many Sudanese, sometimes with directly public gatherings. He responded by saying he
political allusion, and sometimes more obliquely. would prefer silence, and would no longer play.
He was born in 1932 near old Wadi Haifa and The public outcry at this news eventually prompt-
schooled across the border in Egypt, beginning his ed him to sing again, in defiance of the authori-
muse career in Khartoum in 1959. Four decades ties, but at the cost of repeated harassment and
and three hundred songs later, he can stand on a threats. His friends say he is walking a tightrope,

stage, hand in pocket, the epitome of relaxation, and his popularity is his only protection.
leaving the audience to complete the lines of a The multi-vocalist band Igd el Djilad, formed
song - and make the hairs stand up on the back of in the 1980s by a dozen young music students, arc
your neck. The effect of his voice at a human rights in a similar position. Their music strives to be both
demonstration outside a Sudanese Embassy abroad forward-looking and reflective of the country's
is even more intense. roots, using rhythms and chants from right across
Wardi has often set to music poems by the country. To an outsider this seems innocuous
Mahjoub Sharif, who writes in colloquial Ara- enough, but it's an approach that takes guts. Mem-
bic, mixing observations on everyday life and pol- bers of the group have been arrested on several
itics with love songs and poems for children. He occasions, questioned by security police and threat-
has also been detained for long periods under ened. Rather than being stopped from playing alto-
Sudan's military dictators, but even in the remote gether they were forced to give written assurances
western desert prison at Shalla he continued writ- that they would not provoke the authorities with
ing lyrics that became songs of resistance. songs about poverty and famine.

Sudan 675
Women Singers The fortunes of women singers mirror the social
trends of recent years. Consider the extreme case
Half a century ago, urban women singers such as* of Hanan Bulu-bulu, the poutingly provocative
Mihera bint Abboud and Um el Hassan el Madonna of 1980s Sudanese pop. After the pop-
Shaygiya began carving individual styles from the ular uprising that overthrew President Nimeiri and
rich oral heritage of traditional women's songs. The ended his repressive version of Islamic sharia law,
most famous woman from this era was the accom- Hanan reflected a new mood as she warbled and
plished Aisha el Fellatiya, who made her name wiggled her way to fame at the 1986 Khartoum
as a singer during the Second World War when International Fair. Her notoriety arose from her
she toured the camps of the Sudan Defence Force stage act which borrowed the sensuous bridal
across North Africa to boost the troops' morale. 'dove-dance' of Sudanese weddings and orches-
Demurely echoing the rise of the 1960s girl trated the often saucy songs*of the urban women's
groups in the West, a few female duos rose to local daloka or tom-tom tradition.

popularity including Sunai Kordofani Sunai el But the backlash came soon after, as Islamist
Nagam and Sunai el Samar. In the early 1980s banned her concerts and beat her up for
hardliners
three gifted, teenage Nubian sisters with a sup- immoral behaviour. They insulted her 'half-
portive fatherformed the group Balabil. Trained Ethiopian' background, which for them was a
by oud player and songwriter Bashir Abbas, who euphemism for sexual licence. She was by no
also found lyricists and musicians for them, they means the best singer - her mewing little girl's
attracted an avid following around the Horn of voice and coarse repertoire never rivalled the poet-
Africa, though even then their yearning under- ic and emotional impact of other, more soulful
tones were sometimes considered sufEciendy 'over female artists — but her naughtiness was a welcome

sensuous' to get them banned from television. The antidote to the hollow pieties of the fundamen-
group got back together for the first time in ten talists. Apparently, she's still performing, some-

years to play in Eritrea in 1997, making a record- how, somewhere.

ing for Rags Music. Hadia Talsam, the most tal- Further credit should go to women such as
ented sister, has also recorded solo in Cairo. Gisma and Nasra, from whom Hanan Bulu-bulu
stole much of her act. In the 1970s and '80s
they pioneered a performance version of the
erotic kashif wedding display, coupled with tor-

rential drumming and worldly-wise lyrics. They

were popular at private gatherings and were fre-

quently arrested for the irreverence of their
songs. Despised by the political elites of left and
right, they were regarded as a much-needed
source of dirty realism by the lower classes.
Home truths such as "Hey Commissioner, we
know your Toyota's the pick-up for the gro-
ceries, and your Mercedes is the pick-up for the
girls" and "This sharia is driving us to drink"
were never likely to endear them to the author-
ities. Most Sudanese women can drum and sing,
and the less genteel urbanites delighted in repro-
ducing Gisma and Nasra's salty treatment of the
traditional daloka style.
The closest you can get to this on disc is "Tariq
Sudan", a recording by Setona, a renowned
henna artist from Kordofan, western Sudan. Cur-
rendy resident in Cairo, and playing well-received
gigs in Europe and America, Setona gives lusty

voice to a generous handful of well-known

women's songs, fleshed out by a largely male
band. The artist formerly known as Prince is
reported to have sought out Setona for a henna
Women play the daloka drum at a wedding tattoo job. Pity he didn't publicise her music.

676 Sudan
 same: I met a priest, a ringer for Spike Lee, train-
ing a chapel choir consisting of both SPLA fight-
ers and seminarians, in eastern Equatoria.
The Dinka tribe used to hymn their fabulous
long-horned cattle, leaping around like the born
basketball players they are. Zande folk music is as

playful as their folk tales, which feature a trickster

like the Jamaicans' Anansie or Brer Rabbit of the
US Deep South. These days the peoples of south
Sudan have an ever-growing repertoire of new
songs about war and liberation,some of which
were captured on a 1997 recording, New Sudan
Sings, that sounds worlds away from the sleek
orchestras of Khartoum.

The Nuba
Setona
The Nuba are caught on the dividing line between
At the more polite end of the market is the blind the warring cultures of north and south Sudan, but
singer Hanan an-Nil, who in 1992 released al- are fighting back against a government programme
Farah al-Muhajir in Cairo. She accompanies her of ethnocide with a reawakening identity. Under
delicate, wistful songs on an electronic keyboard. the squeeze of the crude Islamisation campaigns,
Finally, keeping the flame of authenticity burn- the diverse, multi-religious Nuba communities are
ing and perhaps the most promising new artist in defending their own culture as much as their land.
international terms, is Rasha, a young woman of The Kambala, or harvest festival, is still celebrat-
seemingly impeccable taste and assured talent, loyal ed across the region, and there is a proliferation of
to her roots and possessing a breadth of repertoire new songs and artists.

to rival any of the men. When journalists were flown in to the Nuba
Mountains for an anniversary celebration in 1998
by the charismatic Nuba SPLA leader Yousif CO
Kuwa, they were treated to an amplified concert
Southern Sudan in the remote mountain retreat courtesy of solar
o
In 1992 the controllers of Radio Juba wiped its power. The band playing were the vibrant Black
unique tapes of the celebrated southern Sudanese Stars - part of a special 'cultural advocacy and per-
singer Yousif Fataki. It's an apt demonstration formance' unit of the SPLA in the Nuba Moun-
of the government's attitude to the largely Chris- tains. Their most famous vocalist is Ismael Koinyi,
tian south, to erase a cultural artefact to make way an accomplished guitar player who sings in Ara-
for own propaganda. And although south Sudan,
its bic and several Nuba languages. Other vocalists
like the Nuba Mountains, creates plenty of music, include Tahir Jezar, Jelle andjamus.
there are fewer opportunities to hear it now than Electricity is a rare luxury, however, so with
in recent decades. stringed rababas (a clay-pot bass drum), tin bongos
and shakers, Nuba bands usually play their form
Southern Survivals of Je-luo - a catch-all term here for Kenyan or
Congolese guitar styles - unplugged. The lyrics of
In the 1970s and '80s, while there was peace, the Nuba bands like the Black Stars dwell on the bat-
southern capital Juba had nightlife: groups like the tles - military and psychological - through which
Skylarks and Rejaf Jazz, and venues like the Nuba continue to struggle, and the dancing
DeeDee's Disco, taking their inspiration from often goes on till daybreak.
Kampala and Nairobi. All are long gone, dispersed Don't confuse the Nuba of southwest Sudan
by war, although a couple of Skylarks were sight- with the Nubians — including artists such as Wardi
ed gigging in Uganda in 1 998. and Hamza al-l)in - who are from Nubia in the
Nowadays the best chance to hear southern far north of the country, between Dongola and

Sudanese music may be in church, possibly in the the Egyptian border at Wadi Haifa (and beyond).
refugee camps in northern Uganda, or among the Both groups are indigenous Sudanese, rather than
rebel soldiers. Sometimes the participants are the of 'Arab' origin, but any link is ancient history.

Sudan 677
discography 33 Sudan: Music of the Blue Nile Province
(Auvidis/UNESCO, France).

A growing number of Sudanese CDs have been released The Ingessana and Berta people of Blue Nile, bordering
on the international market, but few people in Sudan have Ethiopia, are under pressure from war and commercial agricul-
CD players and many classic performances are still on ture and mining, and their way of life is changing fast. This is a
tape only - if you can find them at all. A good selection of rare chance to hear their traditional music, including horns, lyres
cassettes is available from Natari in the UK and and balafons, recorded by Robert Gottlieb in the mid-1980s.

Africassette in the US. For information on field recordings,

contact Sudan Update, PO Box 1 0, Hebden Bridge, West
Yorkshire HX7 6UX, UK; o (44) 1422 845827; e-mail Artists
sudanupdate@gn.apc. org
Tariq Abubakar and Afro-Nubians
in AM Hassan Kuban's band in Egypt for two
Compilations After playing
years, Sudanese saxophonist-Singer Tariq Abubakar set-
tled in Toronto, Canada, in the 1990s, becoming one of
33 Balabil, Hussein Shendi, Abdel Aziz el Mubarak - that country's best-known African musicians with his
Live in Eritrea (Rags. UK). band, the Afro-Nubians. Tariq would set Arabic lyrics to
soukous melodies, dissolving Sudan's north-south cultur-
A frst chance to hear three-woman group Balabil, specially
al divide, and ventured to sing earnestly of peace and
re-united for this tour of Eritrea with two of Sudan's top male
unity in his rumbling English. During a brief return to
artists and a fine backing band.
Sudan in January 1998, Tariq was killed in a car accident

33 Musiques et chants du Soudan: I'lle de Touti on his way to Khartoum airport. He was thirty-two.

(Institute du Monde Arabe/Blue Silver, France).

S3 Tour to Africa (Stern's, UK).
From Tuti Island, where the Blue Nile meets the White Nile at S3 Great Africans (Festival Distribution, Canada).
Khartoum, comes this tremendously evocative recording by S3 Hobey Laik (Festival Distribution, Canada).
some Sudan's best musicians. Lie back in Tuti Island's
of Released between 1994 and 1997, Tariq Abubakar's three
lemon groves, shaded from the scorching sun, and breathe in albums venture much further into African musical territory
citrus flute essence on drifting breezes of violins, as the Nile than other Sudanese artists. Often bold, sunny and bouncing
water gently beats against the shore. Blissful. Further CDs by with energy, he also appeals wistfully for tolerance and diver-
du Monde Arabe include music from the Beja of
Institute Once you get used to his growly-bear voice, his fusions
sity.

Eastern Sudan, the Berta of Blue Nile province, the Nuba have a special charm. Once a pointer to a peaceful future,
Mountains and Nubia, as well as artists Abdel Karim el Kabli now he'll be painfully missed.
and Mohammed AN Gubara.

i New Sudan Sings

* I (Counterpoint, UK, 1997).

An essential dose of reality - songs from the war zone.

Sudan's imbalance of power is highlighted by the fact that
these stirring and poignant field recordings by Maggie
Hamilton are about the only musical material from southern
Sudan available at present. Up to now it's on cassette only,
but don't let that put you off. Among the group chants and
hymns - Dinka, Zande, Nuer, Didinga and other languages -
are some extraordinarily beautiful unaccompanied women's
songs. There's a shiver of emotion on hearing words like a
'[peace] agreements' and a 'Killington [Clinton]' that stand
out from an otherwise obscure tongue.

£ Rain in the Hills: Beja Ballads of Port Sudan

(Original Music, US).

Staking out the distinctive identity of the people of the Red

Sea Hills with vigour and wit, these 1 995 field recordings by
John Low feature gritty oud players and a lusty fishermen's
band.

33 The Rough Guide to the Music of North Africa

(World Music Network, UK).

As well as two characteristic tracks from Abdel Aziz el The sonorous Mohammed el Amin, now in his mid-fifties,
Mubarak and Abdel Karim el Kabli's albums, this useful sam- has long been one of Sudan's best-loved singers and
pler also includes the Nubian Hamza el Din's delicate composers, and an artistic hero of the political left. He
'Ashranda'. played legendary concerts in London, Manchester and
Moscow in the 1 980s, which spawned thousands of pirate
53 Sounds of Sudan (World Circuit, UK). tapes - but when will someone put his best group record-
ings onto the world market?
Solo acoustic recordings of Abdel Gadir Salim and Abdel Aziz
el Mubarak playing oud,and the Shaygi tambour player S3 The Voice of Sudan
Mohamed Gubara, who wrote Mohammed el Amin's hit (Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Germany).
'Habibi'. Highly informative background notes by Moawia
Yassin. This is an intimate solo acoustic set recorded by Mohammed

678 Sudan
el Amin in Berlin in 1991. It captures his smokily majestic palpable in this production, like songs to make children
voice and nimble oud playing - the latter sometimes got lost behave well. Why then do the Nuba and southern Sudanese
in his earlier big band outings - in glorious epics such as songs covered so delicately by Igd el Djilad still provoke a
"Habibi". where the roller-coaster riffing of the 1980s electric tear? Probably for the same reason they get the band into
version gets altogether subtler treatment. trouble. The Juba Arabic of "Mama" - a song about poverty -
is beautiful, sad and sweet despite the upbeat tempo..
Hamza el Din
Hamza Nubian ethnomusicologist, composer and
el Din,
Abdel Karim el Kabli
virtuoso oud player, has spent most of his life outside his The avuncular poet, composer and
folklorist Abdel Karim el
birthplace. His family left Sudan when he was young, and Kabli, now has become a walking ency-
in his mid-sixties,

he studied in Egypt. In the 1970s he was appointed clopaedia of the musical heritage of north, east and central
Advisor to the Sudanese Ministry of Culture but found the Sudan. He embraces both colloquial and classical styles, and
bureaucracy and politics left no room for creativity. He left is equally beloved by academics and ordinary Sudanese.

Africa for Japan, where he spent a decade teaching in uni-

versities, then went on to the US. Now in his eighties but S3 Limaza (Rags, UK).

still active, he performs at least two concerts in the US

An album full of musical sparkle, and his best recording to
every year. With his Zen-like complexity-in-simplicity, he date, with some stunning interplay between Kabli's oud and
may be bigger overseas than on the streets of Sudan, but the violins, flute and bongos. He wrote "Sukkar, Sukkar"
the echoes of home remain strong. (Sugar, Sugar) in lilting take on the Twist, the
1962, a gently
dance craze he had just encountered in England, and which
83 Lily of the Nile (Water Lily Acoustics, US).
he claimed could be traced back to the Zar ritual in Sudan.
This CD has an austere elegance like a night journey under a His restrained style is a million miles from spirit possession,
starry desert sky. After the hypnotic melancholy of four epic but he comes across as an amiable old toad.
oud songs comes a compelling tour de force on the decep-
tively simple bodhran-like hand-drum called the tar.
Abdel Aziz el Mubarak
S3 Songs of the Nile (JVC, Japan). With his apparent fondness for spangled jackets and pol-
A rhythmically interesting set of songs for voices, oud and ished love songs for the ladies, Abdel Aziz el Mubarak
percussion, if a little stark, recorded in 1982. could sometimes be taken for the Bryan Ferry of Sudanese
music, albeit with a better voice. One of Sudan's great
international stars - and unlike others, a shrewd business-
man - Abdel Aziz comes from a family of musicians and
was trained at Khartoum's now moribund Institute of Music
and Drama. Since the mid-1 970s, he has been one of the
country's great bandleaders.

Straight from the Heart

(World Circuit, UK).
CO
Mr Tuxedo does his Arab nightclub stuff to great effect on
this live album, showcasing the lush and ornamented sound
Khartoum big band. The set features the Ethiopian
of his hit
o
"Na-Nu Na-Nu", always a crowd-pleaser.

Ahmed M Osman (Satoor)

Satoor is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who has
toured internationally with singers including Wardi, Abdel
Aziz el Mubarak and Abdel Karim el Kabli. He has joined
forces with Arizona-based DJ and promoter Mohamed el
Omrabi to showcase his abilities without a vocalist.

S3 Rhythms of Sudan, Vol 1 (Blue Nile. US).

Multi-tracked, air-conditioned instrumental of familiar-sound-

ing songs, more catchy riffs than rhythms, skillful but a little

antiseptic. Hints of Philly Soul strings and jolly oud make it

ideal fare for an aspiring Sudanese restaurant.

Rasha
Virtuoso oud player Hamza el Din
A gentle-voiced newcomer in her mid-twenties, northern
Sudanese singer Rasha has an accomplished and
Igd el Djilad
thoughtful grasp of traditional and contemporary styles,
This young vocal group - half a dozen harmonising voices varying the type and texture of her songs to hold the
and a dozen players - are revolutionary (for Sudan) in
half attention. She lives in Spain, in exile.
their readiness to use material from the whole country -
north and south, African and Arab. Their best moments, S3 Sudaniyat (NubeNegra, Spain).

oddly enough, recall early Steeleye Span. Rasha's first disc convincingly shows off her range, from Sufi
meditations to big band wedding songs, and is eminently lis-
33 Madaris (Pam Jaf, Germany).
tenable, warm, sophisticated and sensual. Backed by a vari-
So bright-eyed and bushy-tailed you might mistake some of ety of musicians from Sudan and Spain who innovate but
the songs for TV jingles. Sometimes the earnestness is too don't intrude, she sings with a soulful sensitivity.

Sudan 679
 Setona
When the Princess of Henna, Kordofan-bom Setona, let
rip on her 1998 tour of Europe and North America,
Western audiences got their first proper taste of the
earthier side of Sudanese women's culture.

S3 Tariq Sudan - African Crossroads

(Blue Flame, Germany).

This is urban women's daloka music, tarted up a bit but still

authentic. Setona's voice is swampy, hoarse and gritty, and

only a little inhibited by the studio. Inevitably, the recording
doesn't match the headlong intensity of the live drum-only
versions of these songs.

Kamal Tarbas
Kamal Tarbas, now fifty, is referred to by admirers as the
King of Sudanese Folk Music, though (perhaps because
of his earthy populism) he is dismissed as a vulgarian by
those who like their lyrics more elevated in tone. Beyond
dispute is his immediately recognisable laid-back voice
against revolving tom-tom rhythms and swaying accor-
dion, derived from the hibaaq style and fleshed out in
later recordings with strings.
Rasha
83 Ya Rait (EthioSound, US).

Abdel Gadir Salim S3 Ayam Safana (EthioSound, US).

Abdel Gadir Salim's rich powerful voice and dynamic Two Kamal Tarbas albums issued earlier on cassette were
remastered onto CD in 1997. Every home should have one -
arrangements make music which is less fussy and more
although one's probably enough.
hard-driving than many of his urban counterparts. His
concerts and record releases abroad have made him one
of the most familiar Sudanese singers for Western listen- Mohammed Wardi
ers. The content of his songs strives to be closer to coun-
Wardi began singing at the age of five; his first hit was in
tryside directness, while the arrangements reflect his
1 960, and he still has the most extraordinary effect on a
studies of both Sudanese and Western music.
Sudanese audience, having come to embody the collective
The Merdoum Kings Play Songs of Love memories and aspirations of an entire nation. Mohammed
(World Circuit, UK).
Wardi sings not only in Arabic but also in his native Nubian
- a quite different sound from Ali Hassan Kuban (see
An enduring favourite album: Merdoum is one of the vocal Egypt, p.345) - drawing on 7000 years of culture.
and drum styles of Kordofan, Abdel Gadir's homeland in
western Sudan. The professionalism of the all-star band Live in Addis Ababa 1994
notwithstanding, this recording has fire and precision, polish (Rags Music, UK).
and funk.
The wrinkled old Nubian effortlessly enraptures an entire sta-
dium, with his band sailing along like a felucca on the Nile;
H Nujum al-Lail/Stars of the Night (GlobeStyle, UK).
swaying strings, tumbling tom-toms, musing saxophones and
Recorded during a London show in 1989. refreshingly faithful choppy guitars create a majestic waltz over which he unfurls
live sound of his prestigious big band.
to the his impassioned, weary choirboy voice.

680 Sudan
Tanzania I Popular music

mtindo - dance with style

Tanazania has strong traditions of popular music, from the Cuban-styled jazz bands of the 1940s,
through the Swahili Islamic style of taarab (an East African coastal style which is covered in a separate
article, following), to a current generation of local hip-hop and rappers. Werner Graebner looks at a

scene that is currently in major transition.

in the early-1980s the Zaire-bom but a TV to play music videos. Audiences for live
Back
long-time Tanzania-resident Remmy music - and a decade ago Dar had a scene
Ongala wrote a song called "The Doc- unequalled in Africa - fell off dramatically, and
tor": "A no say in front of a
bicycle has most bands were down to scraping a living.
motorbike / A motorbike has no say in front of a Still, even with these inroads, many facets of

car / A motorcar has no say in front of a train." Tanzanian musical culture - the importance of
He couldn't have better described the shock of lyrics, dance, and competition - remain intact, and

economic and political liberalisation in the 1990s, often have meaningful roles where you would least
which saw the majority of Tanzanians locked in expect to find them. Thus the disco phenomenon
a tight fight for survival. For musicians, there was rallies around dance championships, which include
a multiple effect as a rash of private TV and radio local specialty genres. And words retain their
stations began playing international pop round the impact in new scenes of hip-hop and mchiriku (a

clock, state organisations cut off support for their kind of rap style). Taarab, too, or mipasho as peo-
roster of dance bands and social halls, and every- ple call it, these days - entered a new era of pop-
one from hotels to corner grocery stores installed ularity as a kind of competitive sport (see p. 695).

The Morogoro Jazz Band

INI
Formed in Morogoro was one of the first jazz
1944, bands in the 1950s and early '60s. At the time this
bands in what was then Tanganyika. A break-away photo was taken, the young Mbaraka Mwinshehe
group from the Cuban Marimba Band, led by Salum had recently joined. He became one of the region's
Abdallah, became one of East Africa's most popular
it outstanding guitarists, singers and composers and his
songs ruled the airwaves
until his death in a car
crash in 1979. His last
song, "Shida" (Trouble),
was the biggest-ever-sell-
ing record in East Africa.

The picture shows the

band in 1968 (right to left),

Kulwa Salum (sax, vocals,

bandleader), Choka Mzee

(drums), Mbaraka Mwin-
shehe (solo guitar, vocals),

Peter (bass), Issa Khalfani

(rhythm guitar, 2nd solo),
Shaban Nyamwela (vocals,

bass), Rajab Bilali (bongos)

and Abdallah Hassani
(maracas).

Tanzanian popular music 681

 Muziki Wa Dansi Yet the privately run music and dance clubs that
dominated the post-war scene became obsolete
The craze for dance music - muziki wa dansi - within a few years of independence in 1961 when
began in Tanzania back in the early 1930s. Cuban most Tanzanian bands began to operate under the
rumba records were all the rage and the urban youth patronage of state organisations, a system that last-

organised itself into 'dance clubs', like the Dar Es ed until the end of the 1980s. The organisations
Salaam Jazz Band, founded in 1932. Early instru- owned the instruments and employed the musi-
mentation added brass instruments to a layer of local cians, who drew more or less regular wages, plus
drums. Strings followed — violins, banjos, man- a percentage of the gate collection. In 1964, the
dolins and guitars. Bands sprung up all over the first group founded under this new regime was the
country; Morogoro Jazz (see box on previous Nuta Jazz Band (associated to the National
page) and Cuban Marimba in Morogoro town, Union of Tanzania, hence the acronym), and other
Tabora Jazz and Kiko Kids in Tabora, and so bands formed under the umbrellas of the police,
on. There were connections between groups all army, national service, party youth wing, the Dar
over the country, and competitions - a legacy of Es Salaam city council or bus service.
the colonial beni (brass band) and tigoma (song, drum Given thisframework, it is perhaps little sur-
and dance event) societies. By the 1950s, popular prise that Tanzanian bands have displayed a
Salum Abdallah's
bands and musicians included remarkable collective strength. Musicians come
Cuban Marimba; Atomic and Jamhuri Jazz and go (and a band can employ different 'squad
(both from the coastal town of Tanga), and in the members' from night to night) yet a band's musi-
capital, the Kilwa, Western and Dar Es Salaam cal character remained (and often remains) recog-
Jazz Bands nisably the same. The Ottu Jazz Band, the
current incarnation of Nuta Jazz Band,
are a classic example. A number of
prominent members - among
original
them Muhiddin Maalim and Hassani
Bitchuka - left to form Dar Interna-
tional and later Mlimani Park Orches-
tra- but in the early 1990s Bitchuka
and Maalim were back, effortlessly
picking up the group's mainstream
style, with its brassy Cuban-style
horns. In the midst of its fourth
N decade the band is stronger than ever.
A similar pattern applies to Vijana
Jazz, the band of the youth organisa-
tion of CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi),
the ruling party, and for years one of
the country's best and most consistent
bands. They were responsible for
changing styles in dansi, having, in

1987, added synthesiser and electron-

ic drums to the usual guitar, trumpet
and sax line-up. The new instrumen-
tation helped to attract a new, youth-
ful following: however, they have
fallen off since 'privatisation' in the

mid-1990s, when the CCM handed

the instruments over to the musicians,
and stopped paying regular wages.
The group who, more than any oth-
ers, had taken hold in the 1980s was
DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra.
Formed in 1978, Mlimani cooed their
Ottu Jazz Band way into the hearts of Tanzanians with

682 Tanzanian popular music

DDC Mlimani Park Orch«

an endless string of hits sung and composed by Has- where the average outfit has twenty or more mem-
sani Bitchuka, Cosmas Chidumule, Shaaban Dede bers. Musicians are forever moving between bands
and others. Mlimani are famous for the themes and in search of greener pastures.

intricate poetry of their lyrics: as in taarab, good, These moves occasionally generate quite chaot-
topical lyrics are an essential feature of Tanzanian ic conditions. A classic example occurred in 1 985
music. However Mlimam's instrumental sounds - when businessman Hugo Kisima disbanded
honed horn
the interplay of the guitars and finely Orchestra Safari Sound (OSS) and lured away
arrangements - making them
are their trademark, six of Orchestra Mlimani Park's leading musicians
one of Africa's outstanding bands. Composition to form the new International Orchestra Safari
and arrangement are usually group processes in Sound (IOSS). The reshuffle left the former OSS
Tanzanian dance music, but the force behind Mli- leader, twelve-string stylist Ndala Kasheba, with-
mani is clearly 'King' Michael Enoch, a hugely out a band to lead and Mlimani in serious trouble.
experienced player and arranger who first joined For a time IOSS, led by former Mlimani singer
the Dar Es Salaam Jazz Band in 960 as a solo gui- Muhiddin Maalim and guitarist Abel Balthazar, N
tarist, soon adding bandleader
1

duties. were contenders for their old band's position of

>
Mlimani's live (and recorded) sound is typical supremacy.
of classic Tanzanian dansi. The opening of a song Safari Sound themselves reformed and entered
is usually slow, giving the audience the chance to a golden period when Nguza Viking, solo gui-
savour the lyrics. The heat then builds with a faster tarist extraordinaire and former leader of Maquis,
second section known as the chemko that features took over their leadership at the end of 1991. The
tight interplay of three or four guitars and ques- band came back to high acclaim with a new mtin-
tion and answer games by the horns. Most of the do called "Rashikanda Wasaa", and Nguza land-
dancing is based on popular street ngoma rhythms ed an instant hit with "Mageuzi" (Changes), a song
such as the mdundiko, or the gwaride, a line dance. on the political changes underway in Tanzania -
Mlimani, like many bands, have a team of between the transition to a multiparty system. Inexplicably,
twenty and thirty musicians for live events, of whom however, in spring 1992, the owner disbanded the
maybe fifteen might be on stage at any one time. orchestra yet again.
The basic line-up is three guitars, bass guitar, drum After leaving OSS, Ndala Kasheba joined
set, tumba (congas), two or three trumpets, two or Orchestre Maquis for some time before going out
three saxophones and three to five singers. as a solo performer. Since the late 1 980s he has led
While it is often the collective image and enter- Zaita Musica, which plays a style much indebted
tainment that count most, all the Tanzanian bands to zouk, and had a smash hit with "Monica" in the
feature fine individual musicians who have their own early 1990s. However, the group has not managed
following;. The conflicts arising from individualism to maintain a high public profile, and the same is
and personal expression are rife in a musical culture true of Achigo Stars, Nguza Viking's new band.

Tanzanian popular music 683

 1

Mtindo and Ngoma

Let's move ahead - Sendema drums) of the Zaramo people who come from the Dar
Now go backwards - Sendema Es Salaam area. Juwata Jazz Band's msondo is the
Left and right - Sendema name of a particular drum as well as of a dance.
Some mitindo are descriptive of a certain way of

In Dar Es Salaam every dance band has its mtindo or dancing - like Maquis's mtindo of the early 1 980s, oge-
trademark style that describes its music and perfor- lea piga mbizi, which describes the swimming and
mance characteristics, as well as the dance associat- diving motions which were a feature of the dance -
ed with it. The mtindo is really a kind of nickname for while others refer to the lyrics or contain nonmusical
the band used by fans to express their affection for references.
that type of music. In everyday speech, the names of Some of the bands, Mlimani for example, stick to

the various mitindo (the plural) are used as synonyms their mtindo over extended periods of time; in fact the

for dancing. catch-phrase ngoma ya ukae, as featured in the band's

Many mitindo refer to the musical traditions of Tan- emblem, means 'the ngoma you'll stay with'. Other
zania. Mlimani Park's sikinde or lOSS's ndekule, for bands change every so often to mark a new beginning
example, take their name and inspiration from the after a change in personnel, or just to create new excite-

ngoma (song-and-dance events accompanied by ment with their followers.

No Sweat from Congo: Orchestra Maquis caused a stir with each new
Maquis and Matimila dance style (mtindo) they invented. Zembwela for
example, introduced through their 1985 hit

In the late-1970s a more laid-back Congolese "Karubandika", was so pervasive that the name is

sound became popular in Tanzania through bands still commonly used as a synonym for dancing per
like Orchestre Maquis Original and Orchestre se. But in the 1990s, they went through hard times.
Safari Sound (OSS). A rather genteel affair when Many of the original founder members left or died
compared to Mlimani or Ottu, they adopted the (rumours of sorcery went around Dar), and debtors
motto Kamanyolci bila took what remained of
jasho (Dance Kamany- their assets including
| ^^^^mmmmmmmmm
ola without sweating). S their instruments. Indi-
Originally from the % vidual musicians tried to
INI Lubumbashi area of 5 get support from local
southeastern Congo £ investors and for a time
5
(then Zaire), Orchestra three splinter groups
Maquis settled in Dar in played around Dar, all

the early 1970s. It is carrying the Orchestra

quite common for Maquis imprint in their
musicians from that area name. The strongest
to tour East Africa and SENDEMA
KlISHCTC
MBEU
KILIA
^ and only one surviving
Nairobi's recording stu- at this point is Bana
|
dios have always attract- Maquis, led by Tshi-
i0
ed numerous musicians manga Assosa.
from the Congo. Yet in Leotupohapa $T Another Congolese
Tanzania foreign musi- fixture in Tanzania's
cians are a lot more is Rerrany
music scene
integrated into the local Ongala. Born in the
scene and they usually sing their songs in Swahili. Kivu region of Eastern Congo, he came to Dar Es
For an outsider, the Maquis style (especially their Salaam in 1978 to join Orchestra Makassy - his
vocal hannonies) may sound close to Kinshasa souk- uncle Makassy's band. When Makassy wound up
ous, but it's really the other way round: the east- the orchestra and moved to Nairobi in the early
ern parts of the Congo have always had closer 1980s (see Kenya article p.515), Remmy joined
cultural and economic ties to East Africa than to Orchestra Matimila (later Super Matimila),
the Congo basin. where he became the bandleader.

684 Tanzanian popular music

 "

The Word Game: Remmy Ongala

Tanzanian songs tend to be long - many would run to There's also the turn, in relation to gender, money
several pages fully transcribed - and much of the high- and AIDS, which Ongala took up in the mammoth rap
ly valued word play and allusions to which Swahili lends "Mambo kwa soksi", a short course on the use of con-
itself so well, gets lost in translation. But lyrics are a doms. The song, which alarmed some people with the
music and the following excerpts
crucial part of the frankness of the debate, warns against the delusion
from the songs of Remmy Ongala convey a general that AIDS can only affect others, the 'beautiful ones':
impression.
In "Asili ya Muziki" (The Roots of Music) Ongala sings We "bad ones" strut proudly these days,
about the ambiguous position of musicians - the ten- thinking we don't have AIDS
sion between the musician as champion and outcast, Sisterwatch out, don't die of AIDS
concluding: Your whole family can die
You can infect us
Musicians are not bandits If a man seduces you, first ask him whether he has
Or, if we are - why do you buy cassettes? "socks", if not buy them for him
If we're vagabonds - "Where do you get them?"
why do you request songs on the radio? "In any hospital"

If we're crooks - why do you buy records? "It would be better if they were sold in bars

If we're outcasts - why do you dance to the music? and guesthouses"

"No, they should not be sold at all: when you buy
many of his songs Ongala becomes a spokesman
In a bottle of beer, you get one free as a present
for the urban poor, describing himself as mnyonge When you sleep in a guesthouse, you get towel,
(humble) or sura mbaya (ugly-face), as in the song "Mny- soap and spare socks.
onge hana haki" (The poor person has no rights):

There were calls for this song to be banned, but

A bicycle has no say in front of a motorbike Remmy defends his right to expression: "Music is like

A motorbike has no say in front of a car any other work, it demands all your energy and a lot

A motorcar has no say in front of a train of curiosity. education and, as the proverb
It is like

The poor person has no rights says, education has no end. We musicians may face
Iam poor, have no right to speak
I many challenges. Our work demands courage; music
Poor and weak before the powerful is research into the essence of things."
Weak as long as the powerful likes.

This sounds like a hymn to fatalism, but possibilities

for action and change are already apparent in the
imagery and rhetoric in the original Swahili.
Not all Remmy Ongala's songs are as pessimistic.
There are anecdotes about particular people - 'sugar
daddies', mothers and girlfriends - and he gets most
5>
poetic in his love songs, in the Tanzanian mode of wal-
lowing in unrequited love:

The one who loves will eat raw food

Will neither hear nor see

Love doesn't distinguish between insects and animals

Even fish reproduce Remmy Ongala's fans
Love does not discriminate. hanging on his every word

Remmy's personality and outspoken lyrics cre- generate enough income to support more than
ated a magnetic appeal and the band got adopted one star in a band.
on the WOMAD festival circuit. Unfortunately, Nevertheless, Remmy is always good for a hit,

their local reputation suffered and while the tours and his comments on the ills of Dar city life or
and recordings helped to buy much-needed equip- politics always come with his own typical slant,
ment, and to. make Remmy independent of a and language. Especially popular are his long raps,

band-owner, the demands of touring, with only half an hour or longer, commenting on day-to-
a few and less prominent musicians, destroyed the day matters, revealing corruption among govern-
original line-up of the band, and the economics ment officials, or delivering a lecture on AIDS and
of playing dances around Dar Es Salaam did not the use of condoms (see box).

Tanzanian popular music 685

Hotel Pop /

I
want to know where will go
know where come from, I
I

Where I'll go, don't know

I
Although separate from the dansi scene, 'hotel
bands' are linked to it by their personnel. Many a
Let me tell you:
I'm looking for a passport now
young musician trained in dance music has taken up
I am
going to stow away on a boat
new work opportunities created by hotels hiring a
Where ever I'll arrive,
resident band, and some of the newer dance bands,
I will forget this African condition
like Ngorongoro Heroes or Achigo Stars, are
I'm tired of home
actually quite close to this crop. They are both house- I continue to be harassed
bands and their repertoires include covers of the lat-

est international hits. Hotel bands, however, are Swahili rap had been in the offing for quite

smaller groups and their sound is normally domi- some time, with Dar's Kwanza Unit taking the
nated by the keyboard. There is one guitar playei* laurel of being Tanzania's first rap group back in
instead of two to three, and it may feature just one the 1980s. But a lack of production facilities held
saxophone or one trumpet, instead of a horn sec- back local creativity and forced the rappers to rely

tion. The rhythm is usually more rock-based and on readily available backing tracks. As a result the
the lyrics less elaborate. Tanzanian style was initially highly derivative.
Probably the most intersring hotel group is the Kil- However, the situation is changing fast, and there
imanjaro Connection, led by trumpeter and key- is a new studio now producing rap.

board player Kanku Kelly. Kelly had made a Kwanza Unit is a kind of super group with about
significant contribution to the Orchestre Maquis & ten rappers under the leadership of Rhymson, but
Safari Sound before moving to Nairobi in the 1980s the current star in terms of popularity and sales is

where he played with Orchestre Virunga and Vun- solo rapper 2-Proud. His first "Ni Mimi"
cassette

dumuna (see Kenya - p.515). Returning to Tanza- (It's me) was a big hit in 1995 and helped set up
nia in 1991 he established Kilimanjaro Connection the market for Swahili language rap. In 1998, he
with fellow Tanzanian musicians for a hotel engage- hit the market with the first state-of-the-art local

ment in Japan. The band still plays mainly outside the production made in the studio of Master Jay. Other
country, in Singapore and Malaysia, but Kelly also groups in Dar Es Salaam include Da De-Plow-
operates some smaller bands in Dar Es Salaam and MaTZ, and G.W.M. (Gangsters with Matatizo)
hires out band equipment to musicians (for example, who scored a big rap hit with "Cheza Mbali na
helping his fonner buddies from Orchestre Maquis). Kasheshe" (Stay away from problems).
Other bands on Dar's hotel circuit - though with less- While rap in Dar Es Salaam favours an American

er international credentials - include the M.K. style, some groups from other areas are opening up
Group, Tanzanites, Tango Stars, and Tanza local grooves and colours. In Arusha the group X
Musica. Hamza Kalala's (formerly with Vijana Jazz) Plastaz experiments with elements of a traditional
Bantu Group is one of the more notable bands in breathy, rhythmic Maasai singing style and typical
this field with an original, more rock-cross-over style. jumpy dancing. The Zanzibari group Da Strug-
Another group playing in the hotel mode are gling Islanderz has recorded with members of the
Tatunane, who have gained a reputation as a band taarabgroup East African Melody, and included
for overseas cultural centre events. However, they rhythms and elements of the taarab style in their act.
have made no inroads into the Tanzanian scene Pioneering Zanzibar rap are Ally and the group
and stand outside of recent developments. Contish. Because of the lack of production facili-

ties in Zanzibar their 1994 debut cassette Mabishoo

Dar Rappers featured Swahili raps over

and Ally generated his own
American backing
"Zanzibar Love" over
tracks,

Around Dar streets there are many sign-writer an instrumental version of "California Love". Ally
kiosks sporting larger-than-life portraits of Amer- went on to lead another group Boombastic.
ican rappers and hip-hop artists like Tupac Shakur
and Ice Cube. Young sign-painters use these Reggae and Ragga
images to advertise their trade and talents, identi-

fying the role-models of Tanzanian youth. The Like most other African countries Tanzania has a
new beyond Tanzania or Africa,
proposition points small but dedicated Rasta and reggae sub-culture.
as does one of the anthems of the new generation Bands first popped up in the 1970s, inspired by
"Ni Wapi Tunakwenda" (Where are we heading) Bob Marley, but many soon faltered due to lack

by Swahili rap star 2-Proud. of instruments and infrastructure.

686 Tanzanian popular music

 Jah Kimbuteh and his band Roots and Kul- whole neighbourhood. Later into the night,
ture,who started up in 1985, put reggae on the mchiriku usually takes in the city's low-life, attract-

Tanzanian music map. Together with Justin ing drunkards and dope fiends, pickpockets and
Kalikawe's Urithi Band, and Innocent Gali- the queens of the night. Because of illegally
noma (now based in the US), Kimbuteh repre- brewed liquor, drugs, unruly lyrics and licentious
sents the mainstream of Tanzanian reggae, with dancing, the public performance of mchiriku was
lyrics in both Swahili and English, in the old officially banned for some time in the mid-1990s.

Trenchtown Marley, Tosh, Wailer-style. Mchiriku groups have one of the most prolific
Among the younger reggae musicians Ras recording outputs with dozens of new cassettes on
Innocent Nyanyagwa performs an interesting the market all the time. The songs are not unlike
mix of traditional roots-rock reggae with folk beats Remmy Ongala's or the young rappers', talking
from Tanzania's southern highlands, occasionally about the plight of the youth trying to make a

adding songs in his Hehe mother tongue, to the decent living, or commenting on larger political or
common Swahili lyrics. Other new artists, like the social issues. More recently there has been some
Jam Brothers or Stybar's Reggamuffin, blend extension of the traditional line-up to include bass
elements of dub and rap into their act. guitar or guitars, aiming for a cross between dance
music and ngoma.

Mchiriku Madness
While one part of the Tanzanian youth goes inter-
Where is the Future?
national, another section seems to go local. They of this book, Dar Es Salaam
In the previous edition
call themselves Night Star Musical Club, was one of the grooviest live music
glorified as
Atomic Advantage, Tokyo Ngoma, Msasa scenes in Africa. At the start of the new
wa Chuma (Sanding-paper), Gari Kubwa (Big millennium, the situation looks none too good.
Car) and Buti Kubwa (Big Boot), and they play New ways of earning a living with music need to
a street entertainment called mchiriku. With an be developed. Some are already in full swing with
instrumentation stripped down to bare essentials genres like rap and mchiriku taking advantage of
-just a small Casio keyboard, four drums and newly available forms of production, while media
vocals - the sound relates to what Swede Swede publicity has brought fame to nupasho and groups
have been doing in Kinshasa. like TOT and Muungano (see the following piece
Walking any of Dar's poorer suburbs on a week- on taarab). But for the majority of musicians,
end night one is bound to run into a mchiriku. income barely covers basic living expenses.
From afar it is usually the high din of the Casio The situation is made worse by the absence of
that cuts through the night. Closer up you make- a tangible copyright law, or proper studios and
out the deep throb of drums and the amplified solo producers. Tanzania has never had a record
voice. Amplification is a distinguishing feature - industry worthy of the name and until the 1990s
setting mchiriku apart from other urban ngoma all recording was done by state-controlled Radio
forms popular in Dar Es Salaam. The guys often Tanzania (RTD). The bands did not receive much
work with battery-powered systems seemingly income from these recordings, but they at least got
used decades back to make public announcements publicity for their live gigs when die latest hit songs
but feedback and distortion are part of the desired were on the air. Recording for RTD declined
effect, as the lead vocalist(s) bellows out strings of sharply in the 1990s as radio producers did not
songs for hours on end, joined by a chorus of fel- have sufficient funds. Meanwhile, the newly
low club members and the audience. The inter- opened private recording studios - mostly small
mittent keyboard melodies offer respite for the cassette-based affairs — are just good enough to
singer(s) to catch some breath, and four different- record a rapper's voice to some pre-recorded back-
ly tuned drums are part of the proceedings, the ing track but have neither the room nor the equip-
lowest being placed over a hole dug intqjhe street ment to produce a group.
or ground to give a booming sound. This situation will continue as long as the Tan-
Mchiriku derives from a wedding ngoma of the zanian government fails to safeguard artists' and
Zaramo people, who make their home in the area producers' rights through a properly enforced
surrounding Dar Es Salaam. The official occasion copyright act. So-called 'recording houses' all over
for the city-type mchiriku can range from any- the country do brisk business in pirate cassettes:
thing like a wedding celebration, naming or cir- bring in your blank cassette and for 200 Tanzania
cumcision ceremonies, and habitually involves the shillings (about 20p or 3(ty) you can walk out with

Tanzanian popular music 687

 the latest hits. Some of the larger stores import pre- Compilations
recorded pirated cassettes of international materi-
al, or of local hits made to their order, from '»'
Music from Tanzania and Zanzibar 1 &2
(Caprice, Sweden).
southeast Asia or the Gulf States. These imports
are incredibly cheap, sometimes less than the price Recorded by the Swedish Concert Institute in Dar Es Salaam,
of a blank cassette in a local shop. Dodoma, and Zanzibar in 1996, these recordings present
performances by (mostly) government sponsored cultural and
Musicians look for new ways to make a living.
dance troupes, plus some pieces by graduates from the
Thus, a marriage celebration at Sinza's fashionable Bagamoyo College of Arts.
Lion Hotel, in addition to the trendy disco, may
Muziki wa Dansi: Afropop Hits from Tanzania
feature atarumbeta (brass band) playing Chris- (Africassette, US).
tian hymns and brass band versions of some tradi-
Recorded by Radio Tanzania in the 1980s at the height of
tional wedding tunes. The horn players are Tanzanian dance band sophistication, this release features
members or former members of army, national some of the best songs from that era. It includes highlights
service or dance bands, and tarumbeta is a new from the Orchestra Maquis repertoire, Juwata Jazz's brassy
sound, and selections from international Orchestra Safari
heir to the brass band legacy which started with
Sound featuring the voices of old master Muhiddin Maalim
beni around the turn of the century. and Hassani Bitchuka. A later take "Usia kwa watoto" has
Some famous dance band musicians, like Cos- Bitchuka and Maalim reunited with their former colleagues

mas Chidumule and Makassy, have become active from Juwata.

around the churches, writing religious songs, train- 83 The Tanzania Sound (Original Music, US).
ing musicians, and turning out cassettes in the Dada Kidawa (Original Music, US).
lucrative kwaya (choir) business. In fact, due to The 1960s sound of Tanzania (two full CD compilations), orig-

its popularity in the wake of the current econom- inally released as singles in East Africa, here re-issued for an
international public. There are good moments from Salum
ic crisis and social problems like AIDS, kwaya with
Abdallah and Cuban Marimba and various favourites from the
its religious and moralistic messages, may well be Western, Dar Es Salaam, Kilwa and Nuta 'Jazz Bands'.
the biggest seller in the local music market.
The big-name dance bands and the mipasho
Artists
groups now usually produce new cassettes them-
selves and sell them at gigs. This gives them an
edge of a few days over the pirates, enough most- Kwanza Unit
ly to sell their initial order. Music videos are in Kwanza are considered to have been Tanzania's first rap

high demand as even the smallest local bus sports group.

the name 'video coach' and the corner grocery fgl Kwanzanians
store uses music videos to attract its night cus- (FM Music, Tanzania; distr. Rahh, Netherlands).
1X1 tomers. Ottu Jazz, like TOT and Muungano before The Unit's well-produced 1998 release. Presents a hip-hop
them, now produce their own videos so they can reworking of King Kiki's and Orchestre Safari Sound's 1979
dance band hit "Msafiri".
remain in the people's eyes and ears in face of com-
petition from cheap international video clips.
Mbaraka Mwinshehe Mwaruka
Meanwhile, the stories that muziki wa dansi and
Singer/guitarist Mbaraka Mwinshehe, with Morogoro Jazz
taarab used to tell have now become part of a larg-
and Super Volcanoes, ruled the East African music scene
and reggae, kwaya
er musical universe including rap in the 1 970s with a string of hits released by the Nairobi-

and mchiriku. Despite the current lack of infras- based Polygram.

tructure, there seems to be an enduring strength Ukumbusho
E5) Vol 1, Vol 3, and Pesa No.1
to Tanzania's music. (T amasha, Kenya).

Most of Mbaraka's recordings are constantly re-released in

ever-new packaging. About ten cassettes in a series of
discography Ukumbusho (Remembrances) are available at the moment.
Pesa No. 1 and Vol 3 feature some of the nice early 1 970s
Tanzania has no music industry deserving the name. recordings with the typical Morogoro Jazz horn sound. Vol 1
Those recordings available in the so-called 'recording has Mwinshehe's voice at its best on the 1979 hit "Shida"
houses' in Oar's Kariakoo area, or pirated on the Kenyan (Trouble), posthumously released, and the biggest-ever seller
market, are mostly tapes from Radio Tanzania or cassette on the East African market.
recordings self-produced by the musicians. Many are of
terrible quality. If you are in Kenya look for the Ahadi
label. They have about 50 cassettes of Tanzanian dance
Mlimani Park Orchestra
band material, from the latest Radio Tanzania recordings Mlimani Park are the essence of the Tanzanian dance
to oldies. Polygram (Kenya) and its successor Tamasha music experience: great songs, voices and vocal har-
have re-released cassette compilations of Tanzanian monies, racy interplay of three guitars, sumptuous horn
songs from the late 1960s and '70s. arrangements inspired by traditional melodies.

688 Tanzanian popular music

 singer-composers, especially well-known for the pungent
Sikinde
(Africassette, US). social criticism of his songs.

Everything's well in place on these Radio Tanzania recordings of Songs for the Poor Man
some of Mlimani's greatest hits ca. 1980-87. It is difficult to pick (RealWorld, UK).
a favourite here, "Neema" (twice voted song of the year by listen-
This is Remmy's best international release. Features the hard
ers of Radio Tanzania) is especially noteworthy because it fea-
Roho" and Remmy's own all-time favourite
drive of "Kipenda
tures the expressive voice of Cosmas Chidumule to best advan-
"Mariamu Wangu", which is based on the popular mdundiko
tage, and has particularly well-balanced guitars and homs.
ngoma from Dar Es Salaam.
Orchestre Makassy 89 The Kershaw Sessions (Strange Roots, UK).

Makassy's band, featuring Mose Fan Fan and Remmy Some of Remmy's later songs recorded at different BBC ses-
Ongala, was one of the major forces on the Dar Es sions over the years. This one comes closest to Matimila's
Salaam scene in the late 1970s. Part of the band moved live sound and gves a good taste of the band's fantastic
to Nairobi in the early '80s.
three-guitar work.

O Agwaya (Virgin, UK).

This was one European releases of African music

of the best
Shikamoo Jazz Band
in the early 1980s - a sweet record by the Nairobi-based Shikamoo is a respectful greeting addressed to older
Tanzanian outfit, long overdue for CD re-issue. people. This reunion of musicians originally active from
the 1950s-'70s was enabled by a grant of instruments
Orchestra Maquis Original/ from the UK-based Helpage organisation.

Bana Maquis S3 Chela Chela Vol 1 (RetroAfric, UK).

Maquis were the principal representatives of the Shaba Recorded at the Radio Tanzania studio shortly after the
(eastern Congolese) sound among Dar Es Salaam based band's formation. A more state-of-art impression of the
bands in the 1 970s and '80s. group will be available soon on the same label, with the band

ft] Karubandika (Ahadi, Kenya).

caught live on a UK tour in 1995.

Typically lavish horn arrangements, the voices of Kasaloo

Kyanga and Kyanga Songa, Nguza Viking's outstanding solo
2-Proud
guitar work make these classics of the Tanzanian dance 2-Proud is Tanzania's most popular rapper who has pur-
band repertoire. The LP is out of print but cassette copies of sued a solo career since 1 995.
this and other releases are still available.

S3 Leila (DakarSound, Netherlands).

m Niite Mr. II
(FM Music, Tanzania; distr. Rahh, Netherlands)
This one goes under the name of Bana Maquis, but most of
new raps addressed
Bold to Tanzania's powerful. Much
the tracks are from a local cassette recorded under the name improved production quality over earlier Tanzanian rap releases.
of Maquis Original in 1993. All songs advertise the voice and
compositional skills of Tshimanga Assosa.
Vijana Jazz Band
Nuta Jazz Band Vijana was one of the major players on the Tanzanian
INI
dance band scene from the mid-1970s through to the
Established in was the first new jazz band of
1964, Nuta
mid-1990s. Their sound, which added synthesiser and
the national phase. The band is active until today, but
electronic drums to the regular dance band line-up, was a
now under the name of Ottu Jazz Band.
forerunner to some of the latest developments in
O Old is Gold (T amasha, Kenya). Tanzanian music.

Features songs from the beginning of the 1970s, with early

E3 Usichezee Bahari (Remanco, Kenya).
samples of Muhiddin Maalim's voice and the typical brassy
horn sound. A selection of Vijana hits recorded in Nairobi in the 1 990s.

Remmy Ongala & Super Matimila Hukwe Zawose & the

Remmy Ongala is one of Tanzania's most respected Master Musicians of Tanzania

DR. REMMY ONGALA Hukwe Zawose was

al
for a long time the leader and
force behind Tanzania's National Music Ensemble
based at the Bagamoyo College of the Arts.
spiritu-

S3 Tanzania Yetu and Mateso (Triple Earth, UK).

S3 The Art of Hukwe Zawose (JVC, Japan).

S3 Chibite (RealWorld, UK).

Though these recordings combine music and instruments of

the various ethnic groups, this is hardly Tanzanian traditional
music. The heritage of Ujamaa-type Swahili political lyrics
makes a kind of a 'national folklore'. Recommended
it

KILIO CHA SAMAKI nonetheless for the giant thumb-piano sound of Hukwe
Zawose and the inimitable Gogo voice style.
 Tanzania/Kenya |
Taarab

the swahili coastal sound

Taarab is the popular music of the Islamic Swahili people of the East African coast - encompassing
Tanzania and Kenya, and in particular the islands of Zanzibar and Lamu. Originally a wedding music, it
spread widely via cassettes and radio to beome a general feature of the aural landscape along the
coast. Werner Graebner looks into a unique East African style.
"»

first hearing taarab sounds distinctly of local ngoma, the kumbwaya being the most

At Arabic, especially the Zanzibar variety

with its Egyptian film-orchestra-style
prominent on the coast. Latin American rhythms
are part of the mix, too, through the influence of
line-up, or if you're down in Mombasa, Cuban records in the 1940s.
you may be struck equally by its links with Indi- While some instruments used in taarab are ori-

an film music. Yet taarab lyrics are invariably ental in origin, like the Arabian oud (lute) and
Swahili and in its voice and local tigoma (drum- qanun (zither) or Japanese taishokoto (a banjo
based dance music) rhythms it's equally and essen- hybrid),most used in today's emsembles are of
tially African. In fact, the combination of Africa, Western provenance. Organs and electric key-
Arabia and India in this Indian Ocean musical boards often substitute for the accordions and har-
culture well express the complex identity of the moniums used earlier in the twentieth century,

Swahili people. while guitar and bass guitar are found

in almost

Taarab is sung poetry, so the lyrics and vocals every band. European stringed instruments -
are especially important. The voice is identifiably violin, cello and double bass — are a feature of the
Islamic, yet it's as far from the sounds of Cairo as large Zanzibar-type orchestras.
is Youssou N'Dour. Vocals that cut through the
instrumentation are popular among the Swahili Taarab Roots
and there's a distinct preference for high, clear
female voices. After a time of stressing African elements, current
Rhythm crucial, too, and no band features cultural values on the coast now favour a stronger
> is

fewer than three percussion players, most often on link to Islamic roots. For example, recent writ-
dumbak and tahla (small drums) and rika (tam- ing from Zanzibar attributes the origin of the taarab
bourine). Taarab is generally based on the rhythms to Arabic or, more specifically, Egyptian roots.

Siti Bint Saad and her group in the 1930s

690 Taarab
 Swahili Weddings
The Swahili wedding season reaches its peak in the As the evening unfolds, the band and wedding
month before Ramadan when the atmosphere is com- guests get more and more involved with the songs and
pletely different. In Mombasa, there is a bustle of activ- music: the women join the refrain of current hits or rise

ity and the Old Town seems to be exclusively populated to display their dancing skills and new clothes. Song
by women and girls clad in black buibui cloaks and requests scribbled on scraps of paper are handed to
veils, rushing to a wedding ngoma or the taarab which the musicians. Appreciative tuzo, or tips, are given to
crowns a wedding on its last day. the musicians and especially to the lead singer for
Swahili weddings are community affairs. They involve unusually clever lyrics. Giving tuzo for a certain song,
the extended family and friends and the whole neigh- or at a certain passage in the lyrics, is also used as a
bourhood. Celebrations take place in the streets, lanes not-so-subtle public agreement with whatever is being
and small squares. The square or street is simply sung - for example as a warning to a jealous neigh-

fenced, mats spread out and tented roofs erected as bour to back off, or to a friend for meddling in one's
a sunshade and for privacy. A wedding lasts between affairs.

four and seven days and involves the preparation and The men also have their own celebrations at the
decoration of the place by the women, all the cooking house of the husband-to-be, but they are on a much
and a good deal of fun, especially during the vugo and smaller scale.
chakacha - dances accompanied by ribald songs -
which are performed through some of the nights. All
these festivities are strictly women's affairs; the musi-
cians are the only men allowed to participate.
Festivities culminate in the taarab given on the last
day, the kutoleza nje, the ceremonial first presenta-
tion of the bride in public after the consummation of
the marriage. On this night the bride is placed promi-
nently under one of the tented rooves, clad in the best

clothes the family can afford, adorned with jewellery,

and with her hands, arms, and feet decorated with
henna patterns. Unmoving, she has to sit like this for

hours for all to admire.

Women guests, clad in buibui. arrive in groups. They

soon remove their cloaks to show off new dresses and
henna-tattooed limbs. Perfumes the air and blend with
>
fill

the cooking aromas. The band is positioned under one

of the tented rooves opposite the bride's parents' house.
Z
Heavily amplified, the instruments - organ, accordion,
>
and various drums and percussion - start their romp
through the thumping rhythms, melodies from the latest
Indian films mixing with Swahili poetry. After a short warm-
up, the lead singer takes her or his place at the micro-

phone. The taarab may now last until the following

morning. Kidumbak wedding

The word taarab in fact derives from the Arabic Siti and her musicians were the first East Africans
tariba — 'to be moved or agitated' — and, although to make commercial records, recording hundreds
it gained currency only in the 1950s, has broad- of songs between l
(
->28 and 1931. Members of the
ened to cover the whole music and its context. Culture Musical Club, the largest club in Zanz-
The Egyptian attribution comes from the chron- ibar, highlight her career as an example of the
icles of the Ikhwani Safaa Musical Club found- African roots of taarab - and the influence of
ed in 1905, which is viewed in some circles as the African music on the music of the Arabian Penin-
history of taarab. view does not account
Yet this sula. Instruments, music styles and musical groups
for the phenomenon of Siti bint Saad, the most from east and northeast Africa are common in

famous of all Swahili singers. The Zanzibar-based Yemen, and as far afield as Kuwait and Iraq.

Taarab 691
 Musicians and local historians from Lamu and from a family in which the Swahili arts were high-
Mombasa add to the African opinion, referring to ly valued. Together with the Swahili poet Sheikh
the older Lamu traditions of Swahili poetry. This Nabhany, he has unearthed a number of old
poetry was always meant to be sung, and there are poems, dating back to the last century, which he
descriptions dating back to the nineteenth centu- has included in his repertoire. Zein is not just a

ry of performances called gungu and kinanda show- fabulous singer and composer but ranks as the finest
casing this poetry, accompanied by gongs, small oud player in East Africa and is well-known
drums and the kibangala, a stringed instrument. throughout the Islamic world.
Other interesting pointers in this web of opin- Other long-established Mombasa favourites
ions are provided by the social occasions on which include Maulidi Musical Party, named after

taarab is played. Like the gungu and kinanda, singer Maulidi Juma, who play both traditional
which it has supplanted, taarab is well integrated Swahili wedding songs and the Hindi-style songs
with the festive life of the Swahili, and weddings characteristicof Mombasa taarab in which Swahili
are the main ceremonies where it is performed. words are set to tunes from the latest Bombay
The recording industry is an interest-
taarab movie. The group is a typical Mombasa ensem-
ing story in itself. From r928— 1931 all the major ble, with a sound based on keyboards (with a strong

record companies active in Africa, including HMV harmonium flavour), with accordion, guitar, bass
and Columbia, recorded taarab. Brisk business was guitar and percussion fills.

carried out in those days, though in the post-war Maulidi and their bandmaster Mohamed Shigoo
years activity was left to local, mostly Asian-owned used to back the singer Mafika (Asha Abdo Suleiman)
music stores. The most prominent of these was the when she was visiting from Somalia, where she lived
Mombasa-based Mzuri label which made and for a while in the 1 970s and '80s. After the civil war
released hundreds of taarab records from the 1950s erupted there, she returned to Mombasa and now
to the mid-1970s. Nowadays com-
the industry has leads her own group. Though her voice is not what
which are produced
pletely shifted to cassettes, it was, few can rival her stage charisma. Mombasa's
in Mombasa, Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam. other enduring female star is the enchanting Zuhu-
ra Swaleh. whose energetic songs have a firm base

Lamu and Mombasa in the local chakacha rhythms and lyrics. The
taishokoto is a prominent sound in her group.
On Lamu island, the old centre of Swahili cul- These singers are in their fifties now and are
ture and on the north Kenya coast, most
literature gradually being matched by a new generation of
weddings are served by a few amateur groups. stars. Among them is Sitara. for some years the

There are no active professional taarab groups these second voice in Maulidi's party, who left to form
days, and groups are bussed up from Mombasa for her own group. Diamond Star, taking half of the
well-to-do marriage ceremonies. band with her. She is popular with the young wed-
The Zein Musical Party, now based in Mom- ding audience who iike her Swahili covers of some
basa, is the heir of Lamu's taarab tradition. Its lead- of the latest Western and Indian pop songs. Yusuf
er, Zein l'Abdin. was bom in Lamu and hails Mohamed 'Tenge' is an up-and-coming male
singer, following in the steps of Juma Bhalo.
Zein l'Abdin The Swahili Son* Book who used to be the hero of Indian-style taarab.

Zanzibar Culture Club

Club life was one of the main features of taarab in

the first half of the twentieth century. In Kenya

most clubs have faded away, but in Zanzibar club
life is still intact.

At the Culture Musical Club (Mila na Uta-

maduni in Swahili), the largest club on Zanzibar,

members meet every night to socialise but chiefly

to rehearse new songs ffJr upcoming premiere shows
held on important Islamic holidays. Under the lead-
ership of violinist Khamis Shehe, the club sports
the hottest string section in taarab - up to eight vio-
lins in unison with accordion and keyboard; qanun

692 Taarab
Culture Musical Club

virtuoso Maulidi Haj, whose clear ripples grace all members of the group, in a cycle of generally
the top of the orchestra's arrangements; and a four- rather nasty lyrics. To contemporary kidum- ears
strong rhythm team. They draw on a large pool of bak sounds like a mix between ngoma and taarab,
singers and composers, among whom the current but it may well represent the roots of taarab, from
singing stars are Makame Faki, Fatma Issa, and a rime before the Arab-styled orchestras came into
Saada Mohamed. vogue in Zanzibar town in the first decades of the
Like other members of Culture, Makame Faki twentieth century.
leads his own kidumbak ensemble. Kidumbak Kidumbak is played in the streets for any kind
takes its name from the two small drums (ki-dum- of festivity or just as an evening entertainment.
bak means small dumbak) that form the basis of The better-off in the classier Stone Town area
these groups. A kidumbak also features sheets of of Zanzibar despise it as a kind of poor-folks' taarab.
sound from a violin, and a tea-chest bass rumbling To them it is ng'ambo - 'on the other side' -
beneath, giving cues to the dancers, mkwasa (claves) belonging to the poor quarters of town, with their
and cherewa (maracas). Vocals are sung in turn by palm-thatched huts. rsi

Kidumbak Ensemble

Taarab 693
 The Stone Town side of the musical spectrum fashion-conscious Zanziban audience they are
is represented by Ikhwani Safaa - the oldest musi- contemporary and give them music to dance to.

cal club on the island (and most probably in all of They are also champions of the tnipasho phe-
Africa). It celebrated its ninetieth birthday in 1995, nomenon, the backbiting songs so popular among
though few years it has had difficulties
in the past the female audience.
keeping its membership involved. Singer and vio-
linist Seif Salim, a former leader of the club, has Tanga: Black Star
recently joined forces with some former colleagues
to form a group called Twinkling Stars. They In the early 1960s the Black Star Musical Club
play a local tourist hotel and sometimes at official of Tanga, a smalltown on the northern Tanzani-
government functions when they may also feature an coast, turned around the whole taarab scene.
Bi Kidude, the doyenne of Zanzibar taarab, a Up until then, taarab was^the near-exclusive
robust lady in her eighties with a gorgeous voice. province of Islamic Swahili — people who claimed
Kidude started out her musical career with Siti bint long Swahili ancestry and often overseas origins.
Saad back in the late 1930s. Then Black Star introduced a new modern style,

So-called modern
taarab has made big with guitar and bass and a more danceable base.
inroads into the rather conservative Zanzibar Taarab was revolutionised and began crossing
taarab scene. A group called East African national boundaries to audiences as far away as
Melody is the big current act, with a sound dom- Burundi and Congo/Zaire. Today most taarab
inated by a pair of keyboards and a tiny drum groups active in Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya are
machine. Compared to the differentiated string modeled on the style and instrumentation of the
arrangements of Culture and Ikhwani Safaa, they Black Star Musical Club, its offspring Lucky Star,
can sound bland to Western ears, but to the local and their star female singer Shakila
Tanga itself went a bit quiet from the mid-
1970s, but recently new voices have emerged.
Chief among them Mwanahela, whose clear,
is

powerful tones are close to Shakila's. With her

group Golden Star, Mwanahela has become
one of the favourites on the cassette market up
and down the coast. Their hit "Vidonge" was
copied by dozens of taarab groups and was even
covered by Congolese/Kenyan Samba Mapan-
gala and his Orchestra Virunga. Babloom
Modern Taarab was another recent arrival on
the Tanga scene, now based in Dar.

Dar Es Salaam
As with Tanzania's dance band scene, so the
taarab scene focuses increasingly on Dar Es
Salaam. Dar had small taarab clubs since the
early twentieth century and in the 1930s two
important clubs were founded, the Egyptian
and Al-Watan Musical Clubs.
These days, both clubs are outshone by var-
ious state-run or private taarab orchestras,
organised along commercial lines. The first to
become prominent was JKT Taarab —Jeshi Id
Kujenga Taifa, the 'Army for the Construction
of the Nation', the national youth service. JKT's
line-up — for a time East Africa's largest taarab
orchestra - is similar to the Zanzibar orches-
tras, featuring a violin section, qanun and oud.
In contrast to the more restrained Zanzibar
Bi Kidude at a WOMAD festival style, however, JKT creates a lot of rhythmic

694 Taarab
 Taarab Lyrics
Taarab songs form part of the long tradition of Swahili On the surface, the song asks why, throughout the
poetry: a song's quality is judged by the choice of world, love is something to be hidden, relegated to the
words and on the adherence to the rules of metre and corner of society. But it was repeatedly quoted in the
rhyme in the lyric. Contrary to the songs sung at ngoma context of the transition to a multiparty democracy: in

or in dance music, the story in a taarab song is of minor modern society, the value of cherished customs is

importance. The main themes are love and sexual rela- always open to question and the one-party system -
tionships but some songs deal with social or political the basis of modern Tanzania - should not be taken
issues. for granted.

Taarab has a language of metaphor and allegory The life of the Swahili is closely related to the sea,
that only those familiar with Swahili poetry can under- so maritime images often appear, as in the story-line
stand. The lyrics are pregnant with hidden meanings of "Manahodha" (The Captains) by Malika:
and double entendres and may relate to people or
events known only to the writer. A lyric which an out- / encountered something amazing, a war on the sea,
sider takes to be a simple love song may in reality com- A shoving and pushing has occurred,
ment on events in the local community or national and me I'm in the boat,
politics. The allegorical nature of taarab poetry makes The captains have a war, they fight for the rudder.

it a perfect vehicle for social criticism. There have been They show strength to each other,

some good examples of this in recent hits. the fighting captains,

The first is "Kitanda" (The Bed) by Shakila and JKT And their rudder is rotten,

Taarab: and they have already cut the sail,

But with all their might, they are fighting the wheel.

You elders explain to me, so that my head may get rest, Me I leave the sea, I cannot stand their fighting,

(Even you men of God, may you open your books); Whenever I think I can see their end,

The bed always to be In a corner, It will be that the nails will come
is it a custom or a law? to be far from the boards.
I have travelled all over the country,
and from Europe to Asia; The story is of two captains fighting over the course
I have gone into the houses, of a boat, but the theme is really about the 'captains of
looking carefully for the beds; the house' - two women fighting over rights in a polyg-

The bed was in the corner wherever I went in. amous household and over the best of their husband.

excitement, and performances usually wind up in What creates all the excitement, however, are
dancing. Led by violinist and singer Issa Matona. the groups' deliberately offensive mipasho (back-
the band features many fine female vocalists, among biting) song lyrics. Celebrating the tradition of
55
them Shakila (of Black Star fame). institutionalised rivalry between taarab groups, the
The political and economic liberalisation of the mipasho shows are boisterous affairs. Hundreds of
early 1990s led to new developments on Dar Es women in the audience take part, dancing up to
Salaam's taarab scene. Two large (and rival) orches- the lead singers at appropriate sections of the song,
tras were at the forefront of this evolution: to give tuzo money, and to show their affiliation
Muungano Taarab, owned by a businessman, and to one group or another, or to direct attention to
TOT (Tanzania One Theatre), which is closely relat- a member of the audience against whom they may
ed to the ruling CCM party. Both groups offer a have a grudge. Once or twice a year the groups

variety of styles - a kind of integrated family enter- have a face-off at the National Stadium to find out
tainment including stage versions of ethnic ngoma, who can muster the more boisterous following.
kwaya, theatrical plays and taarab. Shows are per- In the wake of the Muungano/TOT focus,
formed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at social olderDar taarab groups, like Bima and Magereza
halls all over the city. Yet, the culminating climax Taarab, have tended to go into decline. Howev-
of their performances is the taarab: TOT and er, the revived nationwide interest has led to the
Muungano present the flashiest taarab ever heard in formation of many new groups. Among the lead-
East Africa, adding synthesiser and a dance band- ers, beginning to attract followings, are All Stars
style rhythm section to regular taarab instruments Modern Taarab, and Babloom, the latter hav-
like violin, accordion and local percussion. ing recently moved to Dar from Tanga.

Taarab 695
 discography Spices of Zanzibar
(World Network, Germany).

The latest recording from the Spice Islands. Features

Compilations Culture's current crop of singers -Fatma Issa, Makame Faki
and Saada Mohamed - and the orchestra's prowess on two
instrumentals in a set modeled on a typical concert.
Songs the Swahili Sing (Original Music, US).
Kidumbak Kalcha: Ng'ambo - The Other Side
The sound of Mombasa taarab, culled from singles produced of Zanzibar (Dizim, Germany).
by Mzuri Records in the late 1950s and 1960s. Contains
some of the earliest recordings by Zein and group, including Members of CMC, led by singer/composer Makame Faki,

singers Zuhura Swaleh and Maulidi, plus hits by Juma Bhalo, playing kidumbak, Zanzibari roots taarab. A different perspec-
Matano Juma and 1950s favourite Yaseen. The CD re-issue tive on Zanzibari music, in that kidumbak is basically a dance
also includes groups from Dar Es Salaam in recordings made music. Includes kidumbak versions of some of Makame's
by Hugh Tracey (see p. 669) in 1951 for the International best-loved songs, Fatma Issa's "Mpewa Hapokonyeki", and
Library of African Music. the definitive Indian Ocean-style version of "La Paloma".

Artists Kidumbak
Ni miAd TV* Othmr H%d.m of EmAsibar

Kalcha
Black Star & Lucky Star Musical Clubs
Black Star Musical Club, followed by its offspring Lucky
Star,was the group that put Tanga - a small town on the
coast of northern Tanzania - on the musical map in the
1 960s. Their innovations, such as the introduction of elec-
tricand bass guitars, as well as a more dance-orientated
approach, led to a revolution in taarab that was imitated
throughout Tanzania and beyond.

Nyota: Classic Taarab from Tanga

(GlobeStyle, UK).

Some of the most essential taarab recordings - originally on

Mzuri singles in the early 1970s. You can't fail to fall in love
with this sound: voices of Sharmila, Shakila and Asmahan,
nice guitar work and that wonderful Tanga bass.

East African Melody

Zanzibar's talk-of-the-town modern taarab ensemble,
East African Melody have a funky sound based on two
rsi
keyboards and drum machine.
> fg| Melody Safarini (EAM, Zanzibar).

Many locally made cassettes of this ensemble are available.

This is one of the better ones produced during a stay in Abu
Dhabi.

Ikhwani Safaa Musical Club

Ikhwani Safaa are Zanzibar's oldest and most revered
musical club, founded in 1 905, and must boast getting on
for a thousand years' worth of collective experience.

H3 Taarab 2: the Music of Zanzibar (GlobeStyle, UK).

Recorded in 1988, this shows Ikhwani Safaa in its prime, with

the typically lush string arrangements and sweet melodies
over laid-back Latin rhythms. Enjoy the voices of Rukia
Culture Musical Club Ramadhani, Mohamed llyas and Seif Salim. The latter's
"Nipepee" is a highlight.
Culture Musical Club (CMC), Zanzibar's largest orchestra,
today combines the best of sounds in the world of taarab.
Typical large string section along with a mixture of Arab
JKT Taarab
and African instruments, soaring vocals over infectious JKT - Tanzania's army youth conscripts band - have
local rhythms. one of the punchiest taarab sounds around, and have fea-
tured many of the top female vocalists, including Shakila.
S3 Taarab 4: The Music of Zanzibar (GlobeStyle, UK).

Recorded during GlobeStyle's 1988 to the island, this

trip
O JKT Taarab Cassette
(Mbwana
2
Mombasa,
Radio Service,
No.
Kenya).
features some classical tracks from Zanzibar's taarab reper-
toire, including Bakari Abeid's "Sabalkheri Mpenzi". This is top-notch orchestral taarab and includes Shakila's big hit

696 Taarab
"Kitanda", the popular "Nahodha", and some of Issa Matona's favourites like "Mume ni Moshi wa koko" and the mwanzele
favourites. dance "Mkufu" featuring the organ-cum-nzumari (oboe) play-
ing of organist Adio Shigoo.
Kidude Binti Baraka
Kidude is an institution on Zanzibar Island,. being famous
Muungano Taarab
for her contemporary re-makes of songs from the Siti bint A new-style band from Dar Es Salaam, Muungano Taarab
Saad repertoire of the 1 930s. currently rule the roost with their big rivals, TOT (see
below). They feature the city's most talked-about singer,
Bi Kidude
Khadija Kopa.
(RetroAfric, UK).

This recording presents Bi Kidude in a variety of settings fSI Cassette No. 8: Homa ya Jiji

accompanied by Zanzibar's Twinkling Stars and

alternatively (Mamu Stores, Tanzania).
Dar's Shikamoo Jazz Band. There is a story-type approach
This is a pretty representative sample of modern Dar Es
behind this release - forget about hi-fidelity and savour
Salaam taarab at the end of the 1 990s.
Kidude's inimitable yaleli.

Kilimani Muslim School Mwanahela & Golden Star

Tanga's young Mwanahela, leading the group Golden Star
Kilimani Muslim School perform qasida, religious songs
with her clear and powerful voice, has been hailed as the
centered on the life of the Prophet Mohamed. They are
the Zanzibari masters of this type of taarab-related music
successor to Black Star's Shakila and Sharmila.
which includes an intricate rhythmic accompaniment on a — Golden Star Cassette No. 5
set of tuned frame drums.
(Mbwana Radio Service, Mombasa, Kenya).

I Music from Tanzania and Zanzibar, Vol. 3 Great tunes, great voice, and that fat Tanga bass. Available in
(Caprice, Sweden).
most cassette stores along the coast.
This recording is hampered by the less than satisfactory
acoustics which tend to muddle the rhythmfc finesse. TOT Taarab
Nonethless recommended for the beauty of the voices and
the idea behind tuned percussion. TOT Taarab are, with Muungano Taarab, Dar Es Salaam's
leading band - a rhythmically infectious hi-tech outfit big
on electric guitars, bass and synthesiser.
Malika
Malika is one of the longest-established and best-loved of fg| Cassette No. 10 (Mamu Stores, Tanzania).

Mombasa taarab singers. Another example of the fashionable Dar style with lots of

— Malika Cassette No. 8 tough lyrics. Includes Ali Star's smash hit "Natanga na Njia".

(Mbwana Radio Service, Mombasa, Kenya).

Perhaps her voice was better on some of the earlier record-

Zein Musical Party
ings, but this one has her version of the smash hits "Vidonge" Zein I'Abdin, a master of the oud, hails from Lamu island
and "Sitaki sitaki" to recommend it. on the north Kenyan coast, but now lives in Mombasa. A
native of the old centre of Swahili culture and literature,

Issa Matona he is known for his researches into old Swahili poetry.

Singer/violinist Issa Matona, formerly with Zanzibar's The Swahili Song Book
Culture Musical Club, now leads JKT Taarab (see oppo- (Dizim, Germany).
site). He also plays weddings around Dar es Salaam with
his own little group. All-acoustic versions of timeless Swahili classics, like "Loho ya

(SI Kimasomaso (Tanzania Film Company, Tanzania).

Kihindi",

of Zein's
"Maneno
own
Tisiya" and "Mnazi Wangu", along with some
recent compositions.
m
Recorded a Dar Es Salaam wedding by Matona and
some members
live at

of JKT, this is very strong on atmosphere Zuhura & Party 1

with lots of audience interaction. "Kimasomaso" is a half-hour
Zuhura Swaleh, one of Mombasa's outstanding female
rap on marriage, wifely duties and the pleasures of love.
singers has an energetic style firmly based in chachaka
ngoma rhythms.
Maulidi Musical Party
Singer Maulidi Juma and Party were Mombasa's premier
M Jino la Pembe (GlobeStyle, UK).

musical party of the 1 970s and '80s. A fine introduction to taarab music, this is a compendium of
Zuhura's most popular chakacha songs, notably "Parare"
SE Mombasa Wedding Special (GlobeStyle, UK).
and the title tune "Jino la Pembe" recorded on a European
This selection from their Swahili-wedding repertoire includes tour with the Maulidi Musical Party.

Taarab 697
 Uganda
exiles and traditions
Few countries have had a less promising backdrop for music and culture than Uganda over the past
three decades, riven, as has been, by ethnic conflict, civil war, and military rule. The capital,
it

Kampala, has produced a few sporadic waves of dance music - influenced mainly by Congolese
rumba and Kenyan benga - but most modern Ugandan music of the 1980s and 1990s has come from
exiles, based mainly in France - like Geoffrey Oryema - and Sweden. However, as Swedish producer
Sten Sandahl discovered, relative stability under Yoweri Museveni's government of 'moral and
economic reconstruction;, has led to a reviving scene, and, despite everything, traditional music has
somehow survived in the villages.

weapon
Music became a in
conflict as early as the 1960s, during the
Uganda's from Zaire, and sung in Lingala, which nobody
understood but everyone loved nonetheless. The
first post-independent government of influence of Congolese sounds has been enduring
Milton Obote. As part of his attempt - indeed, it remains clear today in the music of
to subdue the southern, semi-autonomous 'King- Afrigo, which has been the best band in Kampala
dom of Buganda', the homeland of the Bantu since the beginning of the 1980s.
Ganda people, Obote ordered the destruction of There are, however, songs with a distinct Ugan-
drums - generations of legendary drums,
the royal dan sound, sung in Luganda (the Baganda lan-
each with their own name and history. But, of guage), which have become more or less standards
course, it was little more than a detail amid the for the repertoire of any band. These come from
decades of tyranny and chaos under Idi Amin the album Born in Africa, produced in Sweden in

(1972-79), and a second period of Obote and civil 1987 by exiled musicians under the leadership of
war, before some semblance of normality began the late Philly Lutaaya -
a singer who had been
to emerge Museveni took power in 1986.
after working everyone on the music-
for years with
_ In Kampala, throughout this period, to go out scene in Kampala. Copied onto cassette, the songs
to a dance or for a drink meant putting your life were played literally everywhere in Uganda, and
at stake: not a conducive situation for live music. even a decade later, you'll hear them daily on the
People did go out, of course, despite the frequent radio or at dance venues.
curfews, and bands would play Saturday gigs - Philly's group featured top Ugandan musicians,
beginning with a teenagers' matinee dance from including percussionist, Gerald Nnaddibanga.
2pm-8pm, followed by a curfew-hours gig from whose participation in different bands reads like a
9pm until dawn. These days, thankfully, things are Wlw's Wlio of Ugandan popular music from the
a little easier, although the government could do 1970s onwards. Another prime contributor was
a lot more to help. Instruments remain in short bass-player Sammy Kasule. a bandleader, arranger

supply (and highly taxed), and there is no real and composer, with several top-listed Kenyan
recording industry to support local bands, with the songs under his belt. After his death, these two
only studio worth the name in Kampala used most- fomied the Swedish-based band, Makonde, which
ly for radio jingles. during 1 996 and 1 997 toured Uganda and enjoyed
spectacular success at home. Part of the same group

Guitar Groups of exiled musicians was another veteran from the

1970s, Frank Mbalire, who has had several hits
and Musician-exiles back home with overseas-produced cassettes.

Kampala's guitar-based dance bands, from the The most prominent and successful exile musi-
1960s on, have played covers of popular US and cian, however, is Geoffrey Oryema, who has
European music, as well as material from neigh- been based in France since fleeing Uganda during
bouring Kenya and Congo (Zaire). Many of the the Amin yean. Influenced by Western singers and
early dance band musicians were actually refugees music, as well as by his own Acholi roots, he was

698 Uganda
The Big Five - well, six of them; Eko is third left, Juliet Ssessanga second from right

taken up by WOMAD and its RealWorld label, downfall of Idi Amin - and you can commission
and has produced some stunning material with a song for less than a dollar. The singer will accom-
Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno. He is not, though, pany himself on a guitar - oftenhome-made with
particularly well known
at home. bicycle-brake-wire strings — and may appear with
end of the 1990s, the action
In Kampala, at the a drummer, playing a tin can with a skin made from
revolves around the Musicians club, and in par- the inner tubes of car tyres. The late Bernard
ticular its Monday evening sessions in a small venue Kabanda was a delightful master of this style.

above the National Theatre. At these events, you're

likely to hear performances from the likes of gui- Folk Traditions
tarist EdeP 'Eko' Akongu Ekodelele, one of
the city's main bandleaders. Together with vocal- The trauma and madness of Uganda in the 1970s
ist Juliet Ssessanga and legendary guitar-player was mirrored on a small scale by its traditional
Dede Majoro (who died in 1998), Eko put music. Early on in Amin's reign, a show was put
together a 'supergroup', Big Five, to record the together by Kampala's National Theatre director
1996 album, Echoes of Kampala (again originally Robert Sserumaga which gave rise to a group
released in Sweden), which gives a good impres- called Theatre Limited - an ethnic folklore
sion of contemporary Ugandan guitar music. On group. Its members studied the traditional music
the album, Eko used rhythms, language and inspi- of different parts of Uganda and gave performances
ration from his native Teso culture in north-east- both within the country and abroad. Amin became
ern Uganda, and on other tracks collaborated with suspicious of the group's activities, however, and
traditional baganda musicians to produce interest- after one of their international tours, members
ing new fusions. were placed under house arrest. The whole group
Another feature of Kampala's music scene is to secretly left the country on false papers as a result.

be heard in the area Wandegeya - a maze

known as Most of them are now living in Sweden.
of tiny beer joints and bars - where troubadours A new group of this kind, the Ndere Troupe,
entertain the guests. The music is known as kadon- was formed of Museveni's policy
in 1986, as part

go kamu (just a small guitar') and the songs are of national reconstruction. Genuinely pan-Ugan-
They
narrative in classic East African folk tradition. dan, with members from most of the cultures and
focus on any subject - from mocking the paying language groups, it remains active, working hard
guests, to giving advice about love, or relating the to develop and perform traditional music.

Uganda 699
 Baganda Acholi

The old kingdom of Buganda, comprising much North again from the Lango region is cattle-herd-
of southern Uganda, has ancient and rich musical ing Acholi country, another language and culture,
traditions. Its people, the Baganda (or Ganda), with a tradition of sweet, melodious music, often
are the largest ethnic group in the country, but accompanied by a number of small percussion
found themselves in conflict with the (northern) instruments. This is the musical background of
rulers in power from Independence until the emer- Geoffrey Oryema (see p. 698).

gence of Museveni (himself a Baganda). Like most traditional music in Uganda, acholi
Baganda musical traditions range from the music is based on the pentatonic (five tone) scale.

ancient forms of court music (including the Of particular note, however, is the vocal style:
drums destroyed by Obote) to swinging bakisimba singing in parts is common»Good church choirs
dances. The repertoire has been kept aliv'e exist throughout Uganda but most people agree
through its repression and the years of chaos by the best ones are foundamong Acholi.
master musicians - individuals such as the late Some of the choirs use ensembles of folk music
master Evalisto Muyinda (1914-94) or Albert instruments — always very tight - to accompany
Ssempeke and group Aboluganda Kwa-
his their music, which is often based on traditional
galana. Ethnomusicologists, too, have played a forms. A favourite instrument is the adungu harp,
part - notably Andy Cooke (and his father which comes in a variety of sizes from treble down
Peter), who often performs with Ssempeke. And to bass; with its oblong skin-covered body and
the US-based musician Samite has made a series angled neck, it resembles a small canoe. The harps
of albums using material from traditional bagan- are also used by local dance bands, whose reper-
da folk songs. toire includes anything from traditional songs to
The music is alive in everyday form, too. At cover versions of current popular songs. Through
parties and weddings, the baksimba dance is a it all, you can always detect the big, dominating
regular feature, accompanied by rolling rhythms influence of Congo.
beaten out on a traditional set of four drums. Three
of the drums are pot shaped with two skins laced With thanks to Peter Cooke
together, and the fourth, the engalabi, which is long
and narrow, explodes in improvised outbursts every
now and again. discography
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