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Written 1990

AMAIA ZUBIRIA, PASCAL GAIGNE
Zineman
AA002CD (1990)

For anyone who saw Amaia Zubiria & Pascal Gaigne on their few British dates in summer 1990 - well, this isn't the same as that, being music they have made for films since 1979, but it is stimulatingly varied and extremely beautiful.
      Amaia Zubiria is a world-class singer, and here she explores her full range, using Euskera (Basque) and wordless vocalising. Instrumentation, largely arranged by Gaigne, ranges from his own guitar, bandoneon, piano and subtle synths to saxes, clarinets, percussion, a string section, traditional singers and a male vocal group. As an album it hangs together and seems to have a flow despite the music's origins as pieces of soundtrack to six films - Loraldia, Ander eta Yul, Zergatik Panpox, La Muerta de Mikel, La Fuga de Segovia and KM 0. Musical forms include tango and jota with other less categorisable influences; there's little of the sound of "folk" music, yet the whole thing has a Euskal feel; in its mature intelligence and bold assurance together with its striking sleeve artwork it would be hard to pin down as being from anywhere else.

© 1990 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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