Barabàn La Santa Notte Dell'oriente (ACB, Italy) $17.99
Vincenzo Cagliotti - two rows melodeon, keyboards, ocarina, voice Aurelio Citelli - voice, keyboards, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki, ocarina Giuliano Grasso - violin, bells, ocarina, voice Diego Ronzio - clarinet, piffero, darbuka, congas, talking drum, ghatham, frame drums, percussion, ocarina, voice, tamburi a cornice, percussioni, ocarina, voce Paolo Ronzio - bagpipes, autoharp, bass, bouzuki, ocarina, voice Guests: Claudia Cominati - voice (6) Alessandro Magistrelli - accordeon (7) A new album by Milanese quintet Barabàn dedicated to Christmas songs and melodies. From Christmas Eve to Epiphany, eleven tracks show vocal or intrumental tunes, rhymes and sounds from traditional rites of Northern Italy. Including voices, sounds and different atmospheres, Barabà re-propose that "soundtrack" used by peasants along Po Valley during Christmas rites : songs usually performed in the cowsheds during the watches of the night, pastorelle played by bandin in the foggy nights around Milan area, Pive from the repertoire of travelling musicians, Christmas carols from Venetia and Friuli, begging songs of Romagna, Gregorian airs, songs performed during a traditional theatrical piece called Gelindo, the Stella repertoire from Lombard mountains, sounds and noises of Befania rite. La Santa Notte dell'Oriente is not, however, a pure nostalgic disc, but it's a present musical project, even if well rooted in the tradition. This does not mean that Barabà gives up completely his distinctive use of electronics, but here the band emphasizes the acoustic sound of the traditional instruments and the typical styles of Northern Italian musical tradition. And more. Far from any ethnic "enclosure", the band try a new musical course mixing bagpipes, fiddles and melodeons with a range of Mediterranean and Eastern percussions. Christmas and Epiphany carols are constantly referred to Oriental lands, seen as a magic world made by oceans of sand, stars and Three Kings. Following this suggestion, the band is able to present these songs and airs in a very imaginative and evocative performances.
Barabàn