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CÄTLIN MÄGI Mu Pill Parmupill Own Label
You might expect that a CD celebrating the jew’s harp might be a little… well… samey. Not this one.
Cätlin Mägi has been a figure in the Esto- nian folk music revival pretty much since it began. Not that she’s old; the present revival only really got going in the late 1990s. She was one of the first to take up the Estonian bagpipes, playing them often alongside San- dra Vabarna, now of
Trad.Attack!, in Ro:toro, Torupilli Jussi Trio, Vägilased and on her pre- vious solo album, 2010’s Soolo. But the jew’s harp (parmupill) has become her primary interest, as a player and researcher. She com- piled the Eesti Parmupill book/CD box, and contributed to Eesti Rahvapille, the equally beautifully presented book/CD covering the whole range of Estonian folk instruments.
On Mu Pill Parmupill she uses electronic manipulation of her voice and jew’s harps to bring out the essence of Estonian folk song and its distinctive narrow-compass melodies.
Her voice is natural, unforced, akin to that of fellow Estonian pioneer Maarja Nuut. The manipulations are often rhythmic, derived naturally from the material and its dance rhythms rather than imposed. Not going for massiveness or the addition of sam- ples, they’re airy and quirky, just involving multitracked, cut up, echoed, spatially and EQ-twisted voice, jew’s harps (made by Esto- nian Priit Moppel), and touches of another folk instrument found in Estonia, the no-hole harmonic pastoral whistle (‘pikkvile’ in Esto- nian), whose natural scale matches and com- plements that of the jew’s harp.
catlin.ee Andrew Cronshaw HILJA GRÖNFORS &
LATŠO DŽINTA Katta Ame Aavaa? Global Music Centre GMCD1831
Overall, the Roma in Finland seem to be hav- ing a better time than their compatriots in various parts of eastern Europe. They have been recognised as Finnish citizens, having lived there for over five hundred years. Obtaining grants to study and develop their music is possible and in Hilja Grönfors they have a superb role model. As well as being an outstanding singer, Hilja has travelled the country collecting the community's songs and music, encouraged youngsters to per- form and be proud of their heritage, and is a fierce advocate of any Roma whose lives are in any way lived under the shadow of preju- dice and oppression.
The songs show a great diversity; the
longest song Muistojeni Ruusat is a plaintive lament that would not sound out of place musically amongst the Roma of Hungary and Romania. At other times it is much more lively; at an early stage the rumba and the humppa were absorbed into Finnish social dancing, with the music often performed by Roma musicians. These rhythms soon found a place in Roma cul- ture and their songs were adapted to be per- formed in them. Then there is Viipurista Hevo- nen, which sounds like a short ballad sung with a minimum of accompaniment.
Her two regular musicians are with her throughout. The excellent accordeon playing of Kiureli Sammallahti and fine guitar work of Valterri Brunn add considerably to her lovely voice and other musicians are present on selected tracks.
The Finnish Roma community is a small one, with only around 10,000 people in a
population of 5.5 million, but on this evi- dence it is one with a great deal to offer. As always, a first encounter with a previously unsuspected tradition is exhilarating, espe- cially when it is as exciting as this one.
globalmusic.fi Vic Smith VARIOUS ARTISTS
Epilogue – A Tribute To John Duffey Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40228
The late John Duffey was a character in every sense of the word. He first found fame as mandolin player and lead and tenor singer with Washington’s Country Gentle- men. His mandolin playing pushed every boundary there was, and his singing was loud and strong. He offended the purists and some of his onstage humour was as close to the edge as could be. To meet him was a surprise, as the onstage abrasion hid a totally different personality.
This tribute comes over 20 years after Duf-
fey’s death and has been lovingly prepared by Japanese mandolin player Akira Otsuka, fea- turing sixteen songs associated with Duffey in this days with the Gents and the Seldom Scene. The music is performed by an all-star cast, with Dudley Connell, Sam Bush, Davis Grisman, John Starling, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Dou- glas and Bela Fleck being just a sample of those who were pleased to contribute to this excellent tribute. The final track First Tear is a solo mandolin tune composed by Asuka and played, like many other cuts on the record, on Duffey’s Gibson F12 mandolin. A deserved and most entertaining tribute.
folkways.si.edu John Atkins
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