The Chieftains
Santiago
RCA 09026-68602
available on amazon
Elegant! Stunning masterpiece! A seamless cross-cultural magnum opus. These phrases are attempts to convey the aural experience upon hearing this latest tour de force by this extraordinary group of musicians, and their musical companeros. This musical journey may well be the group’s finest effort to date (the way they seem to extend their sphere with each recording will I be saying that again?).
Here they have embarked upon an exploration of the "lost Celtic Province" of Galicia (the northwest corner of Spain), and areas extending to Portugal, the Basque provinces, and over to Cuba. They have used the finest musician from these areas to propel their music with a conviction that staggers the imagination. It catapults the listener into a musical excursion that seamlessly flows through the styles and music of these different lands, so that they can no more distinguish a beginning and an end then you can separated the waters of the Mississippi River from those rivers that flow into it on its journey from its heart to its mouth. Attempting to find highlights of the album is virtually impossible due to the incredible musicianship displayed by the too numerous to mention guests that populate this work. I will mention only two works so as not to write a book about this one disc. The opening five-part suite, "Pilgrimage to Santiago;" with its use of ancient traditional instruments, such as the tralaparta (large wooden planks that are laid on baskets and maize leaves, and played with sticks), and the use, in a different section of the suite, of the Ulteria Choir (a group that might bring to mind the music of "Chant". The other track is "Dueling Chanters", with "7th Chieftain", Carlos Nunez, a Galician gaita player, who has toured with the group for about 2 years. With Paddy Moloney on uilleann pipes, and Carlos on gaita, trading dazzling licks. An absolute delight to hear these two, on their cousins to the bagpipes, playing off each other so beautifully.
The Songs
PILGRIMAGE TO SANTIAGO
1. Txalaparta
2. Arku - Dantza/Arin - Arin
3. El Besu (the Kiss)
4. Nao vas ao mar, Toino (Don't go to the sea, Toino)
5. Dum Paterfamilias/Ad Honorem
6. DUELING CHANTERS
7. GALICIAN OVERTURE
8. GUADALUPE
9. MINHO WALTZ
10. SETTING SAIL/MUINEIRA DE FREXIDO
11. MANEO
12. SANTIAGO DE CUBA
13. GALLEGUITA/TUTANKHAMEN
14. TEARS OF STONE
15. DUBLIN IN VIGO
Musicians
DEREK BELL; Harp, Tiompan, Harpsichord
MARTIN FAY; Fiddle
SEAN KEANE; Fiddle
KEVIN CONNEFF; Bodhran, Vocals
MATT MOLLOY; Flute
PADDY MOLONEY; Uilleann Pipes, Tin Whistle
Very Special Guest CARLOS NUNEZ: Gaita, Recorder, Whistle, Bombard
Guest Musicians
TRACK 1: Kepa Junkera, Julio Pereira: Txalaparta: Kepa Junkera:(trikitixa) accordian: Julip Pereira: cavaquinho (Portuguese ukelele)
TRACK 2: Kepa Junkera: accordion: Julio Pereira: cavaquinho
3: Xuacu Amieva: rabel,voice
TRACK 4:Julio Pereira: cavaquinho, percussion:Lance Doss: bass
TRACK 5: Ultreia Choir conducted by Fernando Olbes:voices
TRACK 7: Xoven Orquestra di Galicia conducted by Joam Trillo Diego Bouzon: Spanish guitar: Pancho Alvarez: mandolin; Anton Requeixo: drum; Hipolito Cabezas: Tambourine; Steve Cooney: guitar
TRACK 8: Linda Ronstadt: vocals; Los Lobos: vocals; Mexican string instruments and percussion
TRACK 10: Xoven Orquestra di Galicia
TRACK 11: Eliot Fisk: classical guitar; Ciro Baptista, Jeffery Lesser, Paddy Moloney: hand clapping
TRACK 12: Ry Cooder: mandola; Pancho Amat: tres; "Cachaito": double bass; Richard Egues: flute; Roberto Garcia: percussion
TRACK 13: Ry Cooder: mandola; Coro Folklorico: vocals; Raquel Zozaya and Pio Leiva: vocal soloists; Pancho Amat: tres; "Cachaito": double bass; Richard Egues: flute; Roberto Garcia: percussion
TRACK 15: Matto Congrio: vocals, dance: Wenceslao Cabezas"Polo": solo vocals, tombourine
Producer - Paddy Malony