La Musgana - The Water Rats of Spain
La MusganaTemas Profanos
Lubican (Mad River Records 2007)
Castilla y Leon is the part of Spain that is left when you take away the rest; areas that identify as strongly with their region-province-nation as with Spain, and have a distinct culture. Like England's home counties within the UK, or Ontario within Canada, Castilla often searches for its own identity.
Hailing from this area, La Musgana (The Water Rat) comes into a bit of a void. Years of dictatorship left Castilla y Leon's people almost without their own songs and stories. Music from nearby Galicia, Asturias and the Basque Country is better known in world roots circles.
So, fittingly, La Musgana have spent 20 years trying to reconstruct this musical culture, adding elements from Celtic, Basque, and other influences, and whatever else fits. But not for any political purpose, just for the music itself. Even the group's name says 'don't take us too seriously,' but together, it makes a fine and fun mix.
This is the group's sixth effort in 20 years together, and its first in six. At the time the recording was made they were a trio: Galician musical whiz Carlos Beceiro on hurdy gurdy or cittern (also bass, bouzouki); Enrique (Kike or Quique) Almendros, on the tabor and three-holed flute that keeps things going and gives the band its signature; and Jaime Munoz (clarinets, flutes, accordeon, sax).
With the flutes, accordeons and tabor, La Musgana might be pigeonholed as Celtic, since Castilla y Leon's own traditional music isn't really known anywhere, least of all in Castilla y Leon itself. In fact, the idea for the band formed when Almendros heard a Celtic-sounding song, sung in Spanish, on the radio; it turned out it wasn't Celtic, but came from nearby Salamanca. This set him off on a 20-year journey.
On this 16-track CD of mostly instrumental tunes, different dances and songs from across Castilla y Leon are featured. Tunes come from villages in the provinces of Zamora, Salamanca, Segovia, Leon, Caceres, Valadolid, Avila, Madrid, and Burgos. These are the dances and songs of everyday village life in Northern Spain. Many of these smaller villages are now depopulated, or the people now tuned into the modern rhythms of pop music. Only a few remember the old songs. If the storship had lated a few more years, it would have been too late.
La Musgana breathes life into these songs. Besides the flute and tabor, and other signature sounds of the band, there is some variety. On "Espejo Sol y Luna" women's voices --those of Aragon's Carmen Paris, backed by Maite Dono and Celia Bergara are featured on a dance from Salamanca, which shows Moorish influences.
"Aires de Burgos" with Diego Galaz on violin, and Munoz on flute, has a contemplative and almost Scottish sound; the lively "Danzantes" and the happy Segovian melody "Chane" could easily be mistaken for the work of their frequent collborator, Basque accordion whiz Kepa Junkera.
"Pindongos de Montehermoso," a song from Caceres, shows a Gascon influence in La Musgana's arrangement with the hurdy-gurdy, flute and tabor. Other songs seem to show an Italian feel, rather like La Lionetta, especially when Munoz gets out the clarinet. "La Rueda del Tiempo" is one such track, and it is Munoz's chance to really shine.
And one more treat: On the bonus track, "Rogatilla de Valdestillas" Joaquin Diaz sings and Beceiro plays a lovely accompaniment on cittern. It's actually a prayer for rain, short and sweet. In all, that makes 66 minutes to enjoy.
Unfortunately, there is tragedy in this tale as well: Quique Almendros suffered severe health problems soon after this disc was recorded and he has not been touring with the band. The absence of such a heart-and-soul contributor to the Spanish folk scene has been profound.
All the expanatory notes in the CD package are in English. While no lyrics are included in the booklet, a concise explanation is given for each track on this professional, enjoyable and worthwhile disc. -David Cox
Listen to "La Rueda del Tiempo"
The artists' web site: www.lamusgana.net
World music CDs available from cdRoots
posted by cf @ 7:30 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home