New Reviews: January 14, 2004
Reviews by Matthew J. Forss
A Collection From Boris Grebenshikov
Naxos World
Russian folk guitarist, Boris Grebenshikov, showcases a
sample of songs spanning nearly three decades. A
Collection . . . features mostly original, and a few traditional
compositions of Russian folk music. Boris Grebenshikov
performs vocals and guitar work. Additional instruments
include various horns, string arrangements and percussion.
However, the foundational Russian folk music elements are
clearly evident on each track. Boris Grebenshikov is wholly
committed to maintaining Russia’s musical identity
through folk music. Boris Grebenshikov became well
known after his formation of the popular folk/rock group,
Aquarium. A Collection . . . is an excellent solo excursion
that successfully and thoroughly explores the world
of Russian folk music. Liner notes include Russian,
English, French and German translations.
Lisa Joy
Persian Carnival
Porrima Records
Persian Carnival captures the essence of the instrumental and vocal
stylings of the Middle East. Lisa Joy is an evocative and sincere
vocalist that lends her vocals on a few ten-plus minute tracks. The
majority of Persian Carnival is a mostly instrumental musical effort,
which conjures up images and sounds of a carnival scene set in a Middle
Eastern country. Moreover, a single track, appropriately explores the
sounds of a carnival. Also, the last track features a sandstorm that
transports the listener to a desert environment somewhere in the
Middle East. The few sound effects on Persian Carnival
do not sound excessively electronic or artificial in any way. Overall, the entire album presents a musical view of love and passion.
Additionally, the longer songs feature string arrangements, Middle
Eastern percussion, horns, tambourines, flutes, harps and a Middle
Eastern lute called an oud. Persian Carnival is certainly a unique
album for fans with a slight fascination with carnivals, Middle Eastern
percussion and Sufi vocal music.
Besh o Drom
Nekemtenemmutogatol! (Can’t Make Me!)
Asphalt-Tango Records
Hailing from Hungary, Besh o Drom performs traditional
brass folk music. Various musical regions including Greece,
Egypt, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Armenia, Romania and
Moldova, influence the many tracks. Amid the brass
techniques, Latin jams, lounge jazz stylings, one can hear
Hungarian vocals and a bit of Balkan rap. Instruments used
include, darbuka, water can, percussion, alto saxophone,
ney flute, guitar, cimbalom, trumpet, clarinet and bass
guitar. However, Nekemtenemmutogatol! is an excellent
album for fans of contemporary Hungarian and Balkan group
folk music. Musical purists may cringe, but Besh o Drom
successfully combines and adopts East European, North
African and Middle Eastern folk music styles into a truly
one-of-a-kind musical innovation that still possesses a
basic foundation that is distinctly Hungarian.
Matthew J. Forss is currently a full-time student at
Lakeland College-Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He is majoring
in Biology and German Language/Culture. Since 1998, he
has collected numerous musical instruments and CDs from
around the world. Also in 1998, he wrote a paper on
Mongolian Ethnomusicology, entitled: How Does Music
Play An Important Role In The Life And Culture Of
Mongolia? Currently, he has collected over 100 CDs that
represent dozens of different countries. His general
interests include ethnomusicology journalism and
researching the traditional/contemporary ethnic music
of various cultures from around the world. His specific,
geographic areas of study include the traditional and
popular music from Central Eurasia (especially Mongolia,
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.) In November of
2000, he accepted the position of writing world music CD
reviews for this site.
