Hear music rooted in ancient Mediterranean traditions, including musc by Occitan trio Cocanha, Sardinian trumpet player Paolo Fresu, Spanish guitarist Efran Lopez, and Croatian band Kries.
From the South of France, at one time known as Occitania, hear music by the Toulouse-based trio, Cocanha. Listen to their great harmonies and vocal blend, often accompanied by body percussion (hands and feet), and sometimes playing the Pyrenean string tambourines, which give a percussive drone. (The video for this song, “Suu camin de Sent Jacques” also features power tools. A sure winner!:
Then, hear music by Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino from Southern Italy – in the boot, who sing in both the Greco, or Griko dialect which has Greek words in it, and the Salentino dialect. CGS uses tamburelli [frame drums], violins, bouzouki, organetto [button accordion], and bagpipes, and lots of rhythm. Also, listen to music by Croatian band Kries, who mix local tunes and traditional Balkan instruments together with rockenroll of guitar, bass, and drums.
Continue the audio cruise with music from the island of Corsica in a collaboration involving three different artists: Sardinian trumpet player Paolo Fresu, Italian bandoneonist Daniele Di Bonaventura and the Corsican all-male choral group A Filetta. Then, from Sardinia, hear music by composer and saxophonist Enzo Favata. There’s also music from Neapolitan sax player, composer, and arranger Enzo Avitabile with the ensemble Bottari, performed on farming implements.
Also, listen to some music from Valencia-based Spanish guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Efrén Lopez, who draws his inspiration from the various Mediterranean traditions using Catalan, Occitan, Turkish, and Cretan instruments: oud, saz, hurdy-gurdy, guitar, banjo, santur, bouzouki, baglama, davul, harp. Recorded in several studios in Spain, Greece and Israel, Lopez’ record El Fill del Llop (Son of the Wolf), features a total of fifteen musicians from all over the Mediterranean. Then, listen to trio music featuring Efren Lopez, together with Cretan bowed lyra player Stelios Petrakis, and Iranian/French master percussionist Bijan Chemirani. Listen to “Efren's Kondylies,” a kondylies being a specific kind of music built around 15 syllables found on island of Crete. Plus, listen to music from the Greek singer Savina Yannatou and her band, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4354, Mediterranea (First aired 4/16/2020)
ARTIST: Enzo Avitabile & Bottari
WORK: The Plague [3:44]
RECORDING: Save The World
SOURCE: Wrasse #124
INFO: Out of print, but try Amazon.com
ARTIST: Cocanha
WORK: Suu camin de Sent Jacques [5:41]
RECORDING: Puput
SOURCE: Pagans Musica
INFO: pagansmusica.net
ARTIST: Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
WORK: Questa mattina [3:44]
RECORDING: Pizzica indiavolata
SOURCE: Ponderosa Music & Art 65
INFO: ponderosa.it
ARTIST: Kries
WORK: Ivo Se Sece [4:20]
RECORDING: Selo Na Okuke / Village Tracks
SOURCE: Riverboat Records 1107
INFO: worldmusic.net
ARTIST: Enzo Avitabile and Bottari
WORK: Carry the Sun Inside [5:11]
RECORDING: Save The World
SOURCE: Real World #49542
INFO: realworldrecords.com
ARTIST: Efren Lopez
WORK: Kurtoğlu Zeybeği [6:49]
RECORDING: El Fill del Llop
SOURCE: Buda Musique
INFO: budamusique.com
ARTIST: Enzo Favata
WORK: Lunissannti / Miserere [6:03]
RECORDING: Voyage en Sardaigne
SOURCE: Felmay #7013
INFO: felmay.it
ARTIST: Paolo Fresu/A Filetta/Daniele di Bonaventura
WORK: Rex Tremendae [4:55]
RECORDING: Mistico Mediterraneo
SOURCE: ECM 2203
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Savina Yannatou & Primavera En Salonico
WORK: Orrio Tto Fengo [5:30]
RECORDING: Sumiglia
SOURCE: ECM Records #1903
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Efren Lopez, Stelios Petrakis, Bijan Chemirani
WORK: Efren's Kondylies [5:30]
RECORDING: Taos
SOURCE: Buda Musique
INFO: budamusique.com