Tantra : Transensuality (US?,2001 ?)**° Out of myself -The new remixes- (I,2003)***
There has been some period of work on these mixes of world music (,with the cooperation of the Arab singer Bachir Charaf, and the Hindi singer Narah) with modern sounds (like drum and bass, good balanced DJ mixing from the project leader Bebo Baldan, some hiphop slang now and then, by M'Bass'Ado) and some fusion elements (by Mad Professor Donà, trumpet). The result are enjoyable modern chill-out flavoured song tracks. Relaxed neo-Pop Art, light-bubbles and lava lamps drenched pop. It's no new style, but the result is enjoyable.
The original song "Out of myself" was already a perfect mix of world music elements (Indian -sitar-,Arabian -at first notes in singing-) with acoustic guitars, electronic rhythms, jazzy mood (and trumpet, by max "professor" Donna), with modern pop elements (singing, and in mixing, with a perfect production). The "Alchemist" version is more relaxed, contains a bit more tabla with some modern rhythms mixed in a acid soul/ jazz way. The third version is very different again, with basically acoustic guitars and Latin like fusion rhythm guitar with some sitar and piano. Special guest here was Nossa Alma Canta. Last track is a dub version with additional hiphop vocals (with Momy & MC 'Bass'Adò), not completely my cup of tea (for I hate hiphop almost ever). All in all, this is a release that is not only club related but is also enjoyable for an afternoon's or late night listen.
Italian Acid Folk / Progressive Folk / Contemporary Folk page 2 :
the CNI label (including a few World Fusion items)
The first tracks are in a Italian contemporary folk style with a folkrock touch with references to the traditional tunes from the Friuli region in Italy. These tracks are worked out with a nice musical balance, often 'powerful', (and up tempo) and mostly in a way like I used to hear worked out in the music from various modern Finnish folk groups (like the arranged voices / attention to detail for the acoustic instruments / a modern contemporary folk mood), but there are also many more quiet and song orientated tracks where understanding Italian would have been helpful (; the songs are sung in local dialect). These tracks are ok, but without understanding the language we might miss some of its content. Here and there I can also hear some ethnic influences.
Contemporary folk with various medieval songs with (ethnic) folkinstruments and with modern electronic instruments, creating a kind of slightly progressive folkrock with modern effects to attract attention. I believe the group is at its most effective in the songs where the acoustic parts are more present / to the fore than the electronic elements. A group with great potential, but possibly an overused importance of the less musically revealing electronic part. It are these CD's from Novalia that made me curious about for further releases on the CNI label.
Novalia : 10..anni in una notte (I,2000)**°
The CD starts very strongly. Compared with the earlier one, here, the percussion in combination with other arrangements, the voice(s) and instruments seem to have been improved a lot. The guitars in those tracks sound also much more progressive (rock). And luckily, the not so talented electronica is left out. So here the full potential of the group can be heard much better. But after these tracks most tracks are acoustic Italian folkrock with more simplistic rhythmic arrangements. Several more song dominated tracks are even a bit mainstream in their musical composition. A group that I'm sure could make a very fine cd when they show more critical awareness to pure musicality.
Very nice male / female contemporary folk vocal arrangements on the promising optimistic title song (****). Also "Chizzi Chizzi in miniera" (****) sounds like a beautiful song with good arrangements. The slightly ethnic folk coloured female voice, instrumental and vocal arrangements work perfectly here. Also "Frore" is a nicely arranged contemporary ethno folk song. But unfortunately we also have various tracks of clubtent folk with some lack of depth. These tracks might have been inspired by roots from various countries, -who knows even African ?-, without having the same "live" energy to transmit to home listening. I prefer the more inspired tracks.
Taberna Mylaensis : L'anima du munnu (SIC,1999)***'
Richly structured and well crafted contemporary Mediterranean folk group from Sicily with a powerful playing and a very warm and enjoyable energetic rich male voice. Rooted in tradition, but full of joy de vivre of contemporary life. Also the one solo guitar song, "Scurri Adagin" is beautiful, as well as the flamenco like "Binidittu Sia", and the romantic "Cuje". Most songs sound like original creative new compositions paying respect to local creative traditions.
On various of the first tracks I hear very powerful playing / strong composition / with instruments well balanced. It is almost folk with a rock energy. "Plovi" sound somewhat like the Slovenian Sedmina, with a medieval touch. Both first songs ("Galeas par Montes", and "Plovi" are just as perfect as I wish folk(rock) to be. There are also various traditional folk tunes added. These are smoothly and nicely performed, but here and there they are still a bit too easily roots orientated, so not as powerful as the other earlier mentioned more original compositions. Overall this is a varied and still interesting album. The group is mostly rooted in Venetian, Adriatic traditions. There has been a lot of research, organisation done to get the lot of historical / local ideas being performed together. Some results can be read in the interesting booklet.
Two of the most original members from Calicanto made this solo CD. Beautiful female voice, chamber music like playing in a catchy form. The first tracks might recall to some a Madredeus like territory, possibly because of the female voice with the bandaneon lead and mood. In between the songs, there are also some filmic chamber orchestrated instrumentals. A nice, soft and easy, enjoyable romantic album that surely would please many.
World Music inspired folkpop, with some chillout / remix pop (and drum and bass) effects. A commercial concept. Might be good dancefloor music, but that does not give this a creative and deep musical value.
I am tired of being constantly confronted with each appearance of a Jewish group or community, relating everything to their own undoubted suffering as the starting point to begin and end any discussion. Because I am again reminded that I have never understood any of the stubborn narcissist tendencies coming forth from some Jewish minority stimulating explanations, always sickly and obsessively recalling world war 2 sufferings, and at the same time never taking a distance from themselves and the part they played by their own actions and the shadow of their own tendencies, while at the same time never seeing other people as being equally experienced in anything. While Jewish traditional forms in music brought forth nice melancholic songs, deeply rooted in a long history, I thought klezmer might want to compensate for this with a fleur of joy, although I never heard any pure joy yet in any klezmer group so far (-I have not heard many-). There is always presence of melancholy. The music is well experienced, a bit experimental in ways, filmic even. The songs presented were collected works by Gilla Flam in the book "Singing for survival, songs of the Lodz Ghetto, 1940-1945", so these are compensating with music showing the strong part of a soul in times of wrath. Several of the tracks, like "Inkh fur in Kelster Kant" are powerfully jazzy. The CD flows like a musical story and is therefore very successful both in compilation and performance. Understanding the language is not necessary to enjoy this. The CD is very enjoyable indeed, and one of the most successful (musically, conceptual, in mood, as an in depth experience, for the arrangments, production, etc..) I heard from the label so far. Also positive credits for the sensitive soft female voice of Eva Coen. A well achieved document !
Lots of African music is transferred to CD too hastily, and anyway may not have been always be the most appropriate medium for experiencing this genre. People can experience recordings in various ways : as background music, as a living room listening experience (that's me), or for playing as dance music to enjoy more physically, or maybe some other reason. Lots of ethnic traditional music I can not enjoy while listening to a CD, because I personally don't think it comes across. We have to imagine for ourselves the colours, the live act, the people, the elements which are all necessary parts of that music. Creative music on its own, that does not need all these elements is actually something more rare to trace, because it has that extra creative invention that overrules any live created mood that can make it suitable to put into a recorded form, so that it can be re-experienced any time, purely from the musical ideas creating its own imaginable field of new experiences. I don't know much African music yet that have these creative conditions. I am a big fan of early works from Pharoah Sanders, I like various works of Sun Ra, both being a creative field on its own with African world roots in combination with jazz. And I have experienced many beautiful singing from Africa, with some individual expression. But I have not done enough investigation and research yet with my point of view.
North African music has also clear middle eastern influences, which blends uniquely and in a typical way comming from various geographical areas. Although there's lots of attention to rhythm in various examples, I have heard much overuse of such rhythms, overwilling to fuse Western standards, without refined use of equipment or knowledge of to acieve an equally rich sound as that derived from the natural acoustic instruments. This CD keeps its balance with rhythms still somewhat alright, but this is still not well thought out / deeply experienced enough to create its own musical field of expression yet. It's just a combination of possibly over-memorized traditional tunes with modern sounds, without a real thought over spontaneous creative process to combine both worlds. It might be a nice idea to combine both styles, from an idealistic point of view, but like this it remains a more commercial but not a creative idea. Except for some of the last tracks for the traditional part there has been no in depth reconsideration of the adapted "styles" at all. This kind of fusing needs much longer reconsideration how to fuse / experiences / with more musicality and more study of possibilities of sounds, combining western instruments, and maybe even a reconsideration of traditional instruments and tunes on different standards in order to succeed fully. Only some tracks work. Surely "Meets in Trance", where the trance effect from basically traditional rhythms leaves enough openness to put in a few extra western instruments (only an electric bass here I think). "Notte in Calabria" works because there is not too much unnecessary intervention. The synthesizer in the background is still unnecessary. The somewhat jazzy touches on the remixed title track I think still works well.
Nice popfolkrock and song oriented folk item with voice, acoustic guitars, soprano & tenor sax, cello, piano, percussion and possibly a few other instruments. The voice by Fabrizio Piepoli displays the ability to sing fado like, but I hear this only on "Lettere che t'ammane". Most of the singing is world music / ethnical coloured pop like. Enzo Granella has a very nicely coloured voice. Unfortunately I do not understand Italian enough to understand what the two singers are singing, but the title of the album (called "letters of immigrants"), with pictures (from the thirties and more recent ones) of gentle people brings the associations of a warmth amongst people they know, with the traditions brought along from elsewhere being assimilated into the new area. The sound of the group is therefore popular, but at the same time with inspirational local folk elements. Especially the high toned sax brings much melody within it. The last tracks (one instrumental) seem to be made for a soundtrack of a movie called "La casa delle donne" (or "the women's house"), by Domenico Mongelli. Not a difficult album to appreciate.
