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kind of heartwarming orchestration. You can
sit back, enjoy the strings and let the sound
ooze over you. Which is strange, really, as the
CD is a collection of new settings for a selec-
tion of medieval poems dating from as far
back as the 11th century. And they are far
from cosy: “Lovers suffer in love/ things which
are impossible/ Nobody felt but me/ the tor-
ture of separation”. The words are all from
Al-Andalus and while some are coloured by
that pervasive nostalgia that characterises
the Arab recollection of the Spanish empire,
others are touching and direct.
Singing his original compositions in the
Muwashah style, the supremely poetic form,
Kamal’s dark brown voice sounds as though it
is echoing from another age – it has some-
thing of the dinner-jacketed elegance of
Mohamed Abdel Wahab. The delivery makes
up in sweetness what it lacks in intensity.
Photo: Jak Kilby
www.nesma.es, via Proper in the UK.
Tom Jackson
ORLA HARRINGTON
Melting Snow own label no catalogue no.
Arto Tunçboyaciyan – Gillett selected
REELAN thought processes in effortless unison, while cussionist Sjahin During alongside the never-
The Crooked Picture own label SPCD 001
guitarist Andy Meaney quietly underpins the less-than-incredible Arto Tunçboyaciyan, and
Grecian bends inherent in Purcell’s tunes like the return of what might be loosely termed
Here are two very interesting debut record-
The Hurtleberry Reel and the title track, a jig Americana (in the form of Calexico and Aus-
ings from up-and-coming Irish musicians, a
Altan would kill for. Vocalist Rossagh Purcell tralia’s C W Stoneking) as well as what seems
solo act and an exciting new group with a
crosses both trad and acid folk stylings, creat- to have become a perennial rule-breaker, a
twist in the tail.
ing a personable sound recalling Mellow Can-
not-so-recent track from a recently deceased
Orla Harrington from Cratloe in County
dle’s Alison O’Donnell on Johnny Of The
great; and who could begrudge the leg-
Clare was lucky enough to be born into a
Grove and Jacqui McShee on Maids Marry
endary Miriam Makeba one last swansong
‘Fleadh family’ whose frequent visits to the
Young. The music ebbs and flows with a solid-
from her Sangoma album from 1998?
annual social and musical weekend gather-
ity and understanding of the traditional forms
Asia is the only (broadly) geographical
ings instilled a love for traditional music.
and the playing is equally impressive with
area that seems particularly under-represent-
Learning fiddle from Paula O’Regan in Broad-
Laura’s Reel and The Ladies Of Blackhill offer-
ford she inherited the riches of the East Clare
ing masterclasses in subtlety and melodic
ed, but as a seasoned broadcaster and self-
nuance. Meanwhile she and her brothers
restraint. Producer Trevor Hutchinson of
styled DJing jackdaw, Gillett’s focus is on pick-
mastered the thrill of ensemble playing
Lunasa fame adds his customary taste and
ing what appeals to his and his listeners’
before school, work and career intervened.
Frames drummer Dave Hingerty adds unob-
tastes rather than being an exercise in geo-
That career saw spells touring with Lord Of
trusive yet suitably funky percussion. The
graphical or genre box-ticking. And when you
The Dance but now Orla Harrington is back in
Crooked Picture is a quietly stated triumph.
pick up a copy of this double CD from a stall in
a festival field somewhere this summer,
Clare and has released her debut album.
www.myspace.com/reelan
remember to follow the sleeve-note hints –
Melting Snow is a collection rich in the John O’Regan both textural and pictorial – as to which
fertile terrains of Clare traditional styles and albums are worthwhile following up; the rest
idioms. Her playing flows effortlessly, possess- of the time you can be assured that what you
ing a sinewy delivery suggesting similarities
VARIOUS ARTISTS
are getting are the absolute gems hand-
with Mary Custy at times – the combination of picked and ordered for maximum effect.
fiddle and bouzoukis on Johnny Cronin’s
Sound Of The World Presents Otro
recalling that first Mary Custy and Eoin O’Neill
Mundo (Another World) Warner Classics &
Con Murphy
set from so long ago. Eoin O’Neill’s presence,
Jazz 5186543652
as that of Quinten Cooper’s, outlines a Custy
Happy tenth anniversary to Charlie Gillett’s
influence but Orla’s songbook goes further,
ALLA FAGRA
annual round-up of all that rocks his particu-
delving into the Paddy Canny repertoire and
lar corner of the ‘world’ world. These days
Våta Pussar Nordic Tradition NTCD 14
that of many older musicians. Grainne’s, her
each release takes a unique title (rather than
fiddle duet with brother Colm, highlights the
the generic ‘World 20YY’ of the past) and pos-
There’s a lot about this album that recalls the
familial umbilical chord. Quinten Cooper’s
sesses a cover picture of a bus with new desti-
bold intelligence and fun of Filarfolket and
banjo adds a rootsiness to The Flowers Of Lim-
nation, livery, personnel and shape. But what
early Groupa back in the 1980s. And like Filar-
erick and Paddy Canny’s Toast offers a quick-
never seems to change is the existence of
folket, Alla Fagra (All Fair) is from Malmö in
fire fiddle/ concertina duet with Martin
trends, threads and patterns in the sequenc-
southern Sweden.
O’Brien in tow. Standout however is a delight-
ing that defy the iPod shuffle tendency of
In catchy original songs and tunes with a
ful sashay through Queen Of The Rushes/
today’s listener with their logic and flow. One polska/ halling swing, choppy hand-percussion
Maid At The Spinning Wheel, Orla’s fiddle and
of the notable trends over the last few compi- and bouzouki rhythms underpin fiddle-chord-
Eoin’s bouzouki beautifully in tandem. While
lations is for gentle, insinuating and identifi- ing and exuberant vocals from percussionist
Melting Snow may lack the bells and whistles
ably rooted melodies set in very modern Dan Svensson and harpist Julia Westberg. The
approach as taken by many traditional
arrangements. Otro Mundo’s exemplars others are Olof Göthlin on fiddle, viola
albums, it wins on integrity and musical reso-
include the moody laid-back funk of Peru’s d’amore and jew’s harp, Gabriel Hermansson
lution alone. Gloriously in control of her muse
Novalima, Brazilian experimentalists Sonantes on bouzouki and agile acoustic-bass-guitarist
– Orla Harrington is a genuine discovery.
and the thoroughly modern Middle-Eastern Per Svensson. Not just their ethos but their
www.orlaharrington.com tones of the ex-pat Iranians that make up
look is pleasingly evocative of the 1960s-’70s:
Reelan is a Dublin/ Donegal/ Clare based
Niyaz. Each has a tune whose perfume lingers Abba-beards and long hair for three of the
outfit that specialises in tunes and songs in
long after it’s finished, and each is enhanced four hims, hippy hat and long multicoloured
the traditional idiom all composed by fiddler
by the carefully-sequenced tunes placed
hippy skirt for the her, they have “one foot in
Sandie Purcell. While bestowing the reper-
either side of them. And every selection is
the city, the other in the forest” as the title
toire to one source might err on precocious-
worthy of its place amongst such big-hitters as
track, Våta Pussar (Sloppy Smooches) puts it.
ness, The Crooked Picture is as far from ego as
Rokia Traore, Manu Chao and Oumou San-
Reminiscent of a past era indeed, but
one possibly gets. Blessed with a beautiful
gare, as well as Belizean ensemble Umalali,
certainly original in its own right, and it’s
understatement, it caresses the melodic
whose horn-punctuated Caribbean twister
refreshing to see the fun and creative discov-
nuances of the traditional instrumental and
Merua already feels like a classic.
ery of that time starting all over again in a
vocal repertoire while engaging in a wider Other highlights and revelations include
band that looks set to rise.
sonic canvas. Fiddlers Sandie Purcell and Aoife a mesmeric, rolling Algerian groove by Gaada
Mullen and concertina player Sharon O’Leary Diwane De Bechar, an extraordinary Anato-
www.nordictradition.com
bend and flow with each other’s moves and lian/ Armenian mood-piece from Turkish per- Andrew Cronshaw
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