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Written in fRoots issue 191, 1999

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Anthology Of Madeiran Traditional Music
Almasud CD ASUD 004 (1998)

If you live in a place where the local culture or music is more ignored in favour of global imports than celebrated at home or lauded abroad, a powerful way to secure and expand its role is to celebrate it anyway, by giving it outlets such as well-made recordings. Not all that’s in existence initially may be stunning, but looking begets finding, and if it’s handled right musicians seeing possibilities of performance and quality recording where previously there seemed none will tend to gather round and find new ways of making local music.
      It was clear from Almasud’s first Internet announcements in 1996 that it was set on helping along some such process for Madeira. It’s clear from this, its fourth release, a mixture of specially recorded field and studio material and tracks from existing recordings on Almasud and other labels, that something’s happening. Here are vocal and instrumental items in both traditional and “developed traditional” styles, strongly featuring local and Portuguese instruments such as rajão, rabeca, viola de arame, braguinha and cavaquinho, from a whole slew of ensembles, all extremely listenable and promising.


© 1999 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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