I have a deep love of Baltic culture which kind of makes sense since my maternal line has roots in what is today Kaliningrad, Russia, but was, for centuries, German and Baltic (Old Prussian) soil. The music in the region possesses a magical quality to it, quite unlike any other Continue Reading
Folk Music
James Lindsay – Torus
April 23, 2021 is a bit of a long way from today, but waiting three and a half weeks for what is a very impressive album is a small price to pay. James Lindsay is a Scottish folk musician who absolutely transcends the genre. Having had the pleasure of hearing Continue Reading
Ceoltóirí Chualann – Ríl Mhór Bhaile an Chalaidh
Today is Saint Patrick’s Day for Western Christians, and is also celebrated by my fellow Orthodox, though his feast day on the Julian Calender is March 30. I thought I would share a bit of Irish music, but something not so common. I’m sure a great many of you know Continue Reading
Vàli – Forlatt
Vàli are a neofolk band out of Norway whose music shows references to bands like Ulver and Empyrium. It’s a rather gentle album with acoustic guitar and fiddle, reminding me of the American folk-rock band Changes and the Chinese neofolk band Raflum. A mellow experience.
Seirios Savvaidis – Moly (μώλυ)
Seirios Savvaidis is a Greek singer and songwriter who brings a raw, ancient sound to his brand of folk music. One can hear not only his acoustic guitar, but also bagpipes, bouzouki, percussions, electric guitar, accordion, synths, and polyphonic ensembles. The music is dense, rich, and harkens back to a Continue Reading
Erkin Sadykov & Abdugheni Abdurusul – Secret of the world. Archival recordings of Uyghur music from Kyrgyzstan
There is little information available on Uyghur musicians Erkin Sadykov (vocal, dutar) and Abdugheni Abdurusul (tambur), but the quality of these recordings show a warm, sensitive interpretation of music we’re watching disintegrate before our eyes. Thankfully, Kyrgyzstan allows their Uyghur minority to live and protect their traditions in peace.