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



- Back to Reviews Introduction page -


Written in Folk Roots issue 117, 1993
 

URBĀLIA RURANA
A La Banda de Migjorn
Tram TRM 0021-CD (1992)

Urbālia Rurana is a four-piece band from Valencia whose sound is characterised by dolįaina (the short, fat, strident shawm related to that found in other regions of Spain, particularly Segovia, where it's spelt "dulzaina", and Euskadi, where they call it a "gaita"), and, principally, solo and harmony vocals, darabukka, violin, bouzouki, 'ud, guitar, diatonic accordeon and flutes. The music is very clearly Mediterranean, with an Arabic feel and rhythms, particularly a compelling 7/8. Most items are traditional, from the Valencia region; lyrics and sleeve notes are in Valenciano. There are new tunes too, a couple each by Amadeu Vidal and Josep Amirola. Once into interesting time signatures, it's a short step musically via Greece to the Balkans; one of Amirola's tunes is a Dansa Macedōnica, and a song, Pur de Cor is borrowed from the Hungarian band Kolinda.


Š 1993 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 -