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fRoots 38
The latest in our series of sought-after compilations, which you can download to enjoy on your computer or mp3 player or burn to CD –the download includes artwork for a slimline case and label.
S
ince our twice-yearly fRoots CDs have changed to four times a year free download albums, you’re getting twice as much music, twice as many
artists are getting the benefit of expo- sure, the planet benefits from us not transporting lots of unsolicited tree and oil products around the globe, and we’ve been able to hold our subscrip- tion prices by cutting out escalating costs. Everybody’s winning! And if you’re one of the two percent of fRoots readers who doesn’t have the techno - logy, it’s almost certain you’ll have somebody who can do that CD burning thing for you. You’ll want to for fRoots 38 – it’s a particularly good one!
On the opening track, Welsh triple
harper Llio Rhydderch, torch bearer for a long tradition of harp playing, teams up with young trumpeter Tomos Williams, bringing a sharply modern sensibility to this old music.
Based in France, the four female poly- phonic singers of Chet Nuneta – Valérie Gardou, Juliette Roussille, Lilia Ruocco, Beatriz Salmerón Martin – plus percussion- ist Jean-Noël Gvozden, explore borderless voices with contagious energy.
Manchester folk rock collective The
Woodbine & Ivy Band’s debut album features different guest singers on each track – Nancy Wallace, Jim Causley, Jackie Oates, Rapunzel & Sedayne among the ten – and on this one it’s Olivia Chaney.
The debut album by Greek rembetika
quartet Apsilies only reached our ears recently, and blew us away. We’re on the case! From it, this 1937 song features the extraordinary voice of Theodora Athana- siou – go hunt for more on YouTube!
Colombians meet Belgians, French and
Vietnamese in Brussels: La Chiva Ganti- va’s reputedly explosive live mix of Colom- bian music, Afrobeat, funk and rock is cap- tured on their debut album by English pro- ducer Richard Blair of Sidestepper fame.
Sam Lee might currently be best- known as the mover and shaker behind the Magpie’s Nest and other schemes, but his debut album will cement his position as one of England’s best young traditional singers too. Expect it early in 2012.
When you hear Badume’s Band, you might not guess that the musicians being acclaimed even in Addis for this fantastic version of ‘golden era’ Ethiopian music are – Breton! Plus the great voice of Ethiopian singer Selamnesh Zemene.
I hardly need to tell you about the late, great Appalachian traditional singer and banjo player Hedy West – because you can read Martin Simpson’s tribute to her from page 28. And her recent compila- tion is our Reissue Of The Year!
Still rolling after more than 30 years,
the Mekons are ramshackle, graunchy English roots rock national treasures and we can never get enough of their wonder- fulness. Here, for your pleasure, the voice of Sally Timms in all its splendour.
The exquisite, minimalist sound of Sílvia Perez Cruz’s voice and Ravid Gold- schmidt playing the hang (a flying saucer- like evolution of the tuned steel drum) make up Llama, whose debut CD trans- ports you to another space.
The grandmothers of Israel’s Istiklal
Trio all came from Turkey, and in spite of current politics the three members – play- ing ud and guitar, kanun and percussion – specialise in playing the music of their Turkish roots to fiery standard.
40 years ago Wizz Jones made an ironically titled album The Legendary Me and if it wasn’t true then it certainly is now. The last ‘without whom’ of the founding fathers of contemporary English folk blues guitar is still on top form.
When you put together three top Galician musicians from Berrogüetto, Mar- ful and Susana Seivane’s band, you get the fresh violin/ accordeon/ double bass sound of Talabarte, maybe the Iberian equiva- lent to Lau – no bad thing!
Kardes Türküler are Turkey’s flagship roots music group, performing music from all cultures found there, a no-holds-barred musically vibrant assault, the sort of thing that can make hairs stand up and adrenalin surge – sez this issue’s review!
Finishing as we started with a Welsh track, the startlingly dressed young quin- tet Calan (well, the women anyway) are at the forefont of the seemingly sudden tsunami of fine bands finally getting the country a fairer share of UK attention.
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