Customer Reviews

Italian Treasury: Calabria

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This isn't the typical "world music" collection. It is a selction of recordings by ethnomusicologist (did you know there WAS such a job?) Alan Lomax from 1954-55, documenting the music of small Italian villages, musical forms that have vanished forever.

The performances lack polish and finesse, naturally. Much of the cd is more like an auditory documentary than anything else. For example, the opening track "Swordfishermen's Calls," are exactly that - two male voices, shouting melodically over a long distance. This isn't the happy accordian music you hear at the Olive Garden, to say the least. The variety of the music is striking, containg a capella, tarantela, lullabies, accordians, bagpipes and melodies of surprising complexity. The vocals are a bit rough, sometimes - the Italians like to sing loud, apparently, and some of the singers go flat when they do.

The liner notes are extensive and contain English translations. Highly recommended, if you're looking for something truly authentic, a historical document rather than professional renditions of old folk songs.

As another reviewer stated, this is not a polished professional recording. Rather, it is a documentary of a tradition that is rapidly being lost in its homeland. These are real people, and at times they are hard to listen to. However, for lack of a better phrase, it grows on you, especially if you have Calabrese ancestry. Many of the melodies & singing styles reminded me very much of the "Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices", as there is definitely the same exotic quality.

An ethnomusicologist is one who preserves music in its purest form - that is to go out into the "field" and preserve on tape forever folk songs that were sung by generations of Italians that were hundreds of years old (songs that present-day Italians *almost* lost forever due to their wanting to become Americanized - a "culture" and a country that's been around for a little over two hundred years).

Thank God Alan Lomax took the time and had the interest in the 1950's - when the Americanization bug was at its worst throughout Italy and timeless traditions were laughed upon and surpressed - to record these folk songs and to one day remind Italy of their beyond rich musical heritage (that they are slowly getting back into).

The only gripe I have about this collection is that all the songs are from the provinces of Catanzaro and Reggio di Calabria, nothing from Cosenza. The only CD where songs from Cosenza appear on is the "sampler" CD ("Folk Music and Songs of Italy"). It's a shame more material wasn't recorded in Cosenza, or was chosen not to be included in this collection.

Besides that, this is a great CD that will familiarize the folk music novice and expert alike with the sounds of Calabria.

Definitely worth the money and the time to listen to.