- Cloud Valley Music website -
- Andrew Cronshaw website -
- Andrew Cronshaw MySpace -

- Back to Reviews Introduction page -

Written in fRoots issue 331/332, 2011
 

VARIOUS + KOLPAKOV DUO
The Rough Guide To The Music Of Russian Gypsies
World Music Network RGNET 1214CD (2010)

The main course here is the bonus CD, The Art Of Russian Gypsy Guitar by the Kolpakov Duo. Recorded back in 2003, before their appearances on Madonna’s 2008 and 2009 tours, it’s a very appealing previously unreleased album by uncle and nephew Sacha and Vadim Kolpakov, in lyrical, liquid interplay on their pair of nylon-strung 7-string guitars. While indubitably Russian, the flow of the music and the ringing, quivering high notes evoke Portuguese fado, and Sasha Kolpakov’s passionate vocals are very reminiscent of the late Saban Bajramovic and Bosnian sevdah.
     The Russian Gypsies CD itself is a compilation from twelve CDs by various groups, plus three previously unreleased tracks. Loyko opens and closes – violinist Sergey Erdenko of that band is a co-compiler, and other Loyko alumni and members of his Roma musician family feature on other tracks – and for a while it seems it’s to be a display of flashy, sobbing café-style violin, accordion or zippy guitar in show-piece tunes, some of them familiar international chestnuts, the playing hot but the passion seeming more professional than felt. But after the first few tracks more character and grit emerges, with some spirited vocals such as L.P. Mikhay and T. Mikhailova’s unaccompanied Opai, Dad and the guitar-accompanied ‘dubadubadubadubadubada’ refrain of Britiyano.
     Even if one sees the Kolpakovs as the meal and the latter as the bonus sampler, the pair of them (and on-CD files including a potted Russian history and something about Russian music) can be had for only the cost of a mid-price single CD.

www.worldmusic.net


© 2010 Andrew Cronshaw
 

You're welcome to quote from reviews on this site, but please credit the writer and fRoots.

Links:
fRoots - The feature and review-packed UK-based monthly world roots music magazine in which these reviews were published, and by whose permission they're reproduced here.

It's not practical to give, and keep up to date, current contact details and sales sources for all the artists and labels in these reviews, but try Googling for them, and where possible buy direct from the artists.
CDRoots.com in the USA, run by Cliff Furnald, is a reliable and independent online retail source, with reviews, of many of the CDs in these reviews; it's connected to his excellent online magazine Rootsworld.com 

For more reviews click on the regions below

NORDIC        BALTIC        IBERIA (& islands)   

CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE, & CAUCASUS   

OTHER EUROPEAN        AMERICAS        OTHER, AND WORLD IN GENERAL

- Back to Reviews Introduction page -