ALBANIA – ALBANIE Marcel Cellier Présente – L'Albanie Folklorique – Disques Cellier N° 010

ALBANIA – ALBANIE

Marcel Cellier Présente – L'Albanie Folklorique – Disques Cellier N° 010, recorded by Marcel Cellier, published 1979 (LP)

Following our share of a brilliant instrumental Albanian folk LP here, we now present another stunning anthology of Albanian traditional music with voices (A1, A3, A4, A5, B5), flutes (A2, A4), violins (A1, A5, B1, B2), cifteli lutes (B4, B6, B7), clarinets (A1, A5), and bagpipes (B3). These creative, lofty and quirkily abstract musics from the country’s various regions showcase modernized village and pastoral folk traditions suffused with time-honored spirit and vitality.

Après avoir partagé un brillant album instrumental albanais ici, nous présentons maintenant une autre anthologie étonnante de musique traditionnelle albanaise comprenant notamment des voix (A1, A3, A4, A5, B5), des flûtes (A2, A4), des violons (A1, A5, B1 , B2), des luths cifteli (B4, B6, B7), des clarinettes (A1, A5) et des cornemuses (B3). Ces musiques imaginatives, nobles et abstraites de différentes régions du pays présentent des traditions folkloriques pastorales et villageoises modernisées qui restent imprégnées de l’esprit et de la vitalité d’antan.

A1 – Song for the Hero "Celo Mezani"

Polyphonic vocal group and orchestra, Rrogozhina

 

A2 – Pastoral Symphony

Flute players, Gramshi

 

A3 – Lullaby

Solo voice by Hamide Laska, Misra in the Korça district

 

A4 – Glory to Our Country 

Hymn to Enver Hodja (1908-1985) by Fatime Sokoli and an orchestra, District of Tropoja, Northern Albania

 

A5 – Once Again like in 1960

Heroic song by a women's choir and a clarinet orchestra, Southern Albania

 

B1 – Caba for the Violin            

Army band, violin solo by Ethem Qerimi

 

B2 – Pastoral Melody

Orchestra of the Mastora Family, Gjirokastro

 

B3 – Bagpipe Tune

Solo by Herkuran Pere, Pogradec, South-Eastern Albania

 

B4 – Intrumental Music

Chifteli solo by Ndue Shyti, Puka, Northern Albania

 

B5 – Fishermen's Work Song

Vocal group, Himara, Adriatic Coast

 

B6 – Medley

Orchestra, Mirdita

 

B7 – Popular Tune from Lezha

Chifteli Orchestra perfoming an Aksak rhythm, Lezha, North-Western Albania

Download:

Flac

MP3

Marcel Cellier (1925-2013) was a Swiss ethnomusicologist and record producer who notably generated much interest in Bulgarian female vocal ensembles with the 1975 release of The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices on his Disques Cellier label. 

Our other Albanian music share:

Albanian Folk Music – Disques Vendémiaire VDE/PAL 114 here

Photographs below from vintage Albanian postcards:

Three venerable Hodjas:

Orthodox Archbishop

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog:

PAKISTAN Nazakat & Salamat Ali Khan – HMV 7 EPE 1356

PAKISTAN
Nazakat & Salamat Ali Khan – Aajori Badhavra/ Nakki Vaat/ More Nain/Tarana – His Master's Voice  – 7 EPE 1356, released 1968 (7 in, 45 RPM)

We present the Sham Chaurasi Gharana vocalists, brothers Nazakat Ali Khan (1932-1983) and Salamat Ali Khan (1934-2001) from Punjab, whose family settled in Lahore, Pakistan, after the partition of British India in 1947. The two brothers were taught by their father Vilayat Ali Khan in both the Dhrupad and Khyal styles and were influenced by the great Khyal masters, Ashiq Ali Khan (?-1948), Rajab Ali Khan (1874-1959), and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968). The brothers began performing in a Jugalbandi duo in Pakistan and India in the mid-1940s and quickly distinguished themselves as two of the most outstanding Hindustani Khyal vocalists on the Subcontinent. 

 

According to the music critic Amit Chaudhuri, “Nazakat’s role has to do with laying the groundwork and then cultivating increasing self-effacement to make possible Salamat’s miraculous phrases. (…) Salamat is, in a fundamental sense, an improviser. (…) He couldn’t do this without the older brother.”*  

 

This rare 45 RPM exemplifies the brothers’ exquisite telepathic lyricism and Salamat’s rapturous flights and adventurous creativity.  

 

Nous présentons maintenant les frêres chanteurs Pendjabi du Sham Chaurasi Gharana Nazakat Ali Khan (1932-1983) et Salamat Ali Khan (1934-2001) dont la famille s'installe à Lahore, au Pakistan, après la partition de l'Inde britannique en 1947. Les deux frères étudient le chant Dhrupad et Khyal auprès de leur illustre père Vilayat Ali Khan et furent influencés par des grands maîtres du Khyal comme Ashiq Ali Khan (? -1948), Rajab Ali Khan (1874-1959) et Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968). Ils se produisent sur scène en duo Jugalbandi au Pakistan et en Inde dès le milieu des années 1940 et s'imposent vite comme des chanteurs incontournables du Khyal dans la seconde moitié du 20e siècle. 

 

Selon le critique musical Amit Chaudhuri, « le rôle de Nazakat consiste à jeter les bases, puis cultiver un effacement progressif de sa personne afin de permettre à Salamat d’exprimer son phrasé miraculeux. (…) Salamat est, au plus profonds de lui-même, un improvisateur. (…) Il ne peut le réaliser pleinement sans son frère aîné. »*

 

Ce rare 45 tours illustre le magnifique lyrisme télépathique des deux frères, ainsi que les envolées créatives et exaltées de Salamat.

 

*https://scroll.in/article/962117/recordings-by-vocalist-salamat-ali-khan-remind-us-how-precise-and-beautiful-the-unimaginable-can-be

 

 

A1 – Ajori Badhawara (Adana)

Aaj ori badhawra*

Mere ghar aaya ye mora balma

Saath sakhi gayori mubarak 

Aaj mere ghar.

Today is the day of celebration*,

My beloved is home now,

Dear friends come and congratulate me,
Today my beloved is home.

 

*Not sure of the precise meaning of Ajori Badhawra (different dialect of Hindi).

A2 – Nakki Vaat – Raga (Sindh Kafi)

Tati ro ro main waat niharaan, 

Saanwal mod muharaan,

Man man maltaan peer manawaan, 

Mulla khol taweej likhawaan, 

Sad sad jotisi se bhaalan paawan, 

Main kar deeyan jatan hazaran,

Chhod Fareed na yaar da daaman, 

Jeen jee keeta jad kar kaaman,

Dohan jahan saada maaman, 

Un kee ve main dil da bisaraan,

Shedding tears continously, I'm waiting and 

looking (at the road) for your arrival,

Turn your camel in my direction,

I pray and try to appease the mystics,

I ask the saints to write and give an amulet 
(for my wish to be fulfilled), 
I call every astrologer and ask to tell my fate,
I am making a thousand efforts,
Fareed, do not leave the side of your beloved) 
... the one who has enchanted you,
We are for each other in both worlds,
How can I remove him from my heart?

This beautiful track in Saraiki language (similar to Punjabi), was written by saint Khwaja Ghulam Farid. This may be in reference to the Sindhi folk love story of Sassi & Punnu (something like the story of Laila & Majnun)

B1 – More Naina (Thumri)

More naina lage ji barsaat,

Balam mowe chhod na jaana,

Tumhre kaarna sab jag chhoda,

Mori koyi na poochega baat.

My eyes are raining,

Beloved, do not leave me,

I left the whole world for you,

No one is there to care for me now.

 

B2 – Tarana (Marwa)

The words don't have any particular meaning, they are syllables used in classical music. Still some syllables represent words as constructed by Amir Khusro in Qaul Tarana (man kunto maula). Read more here.

Download

Flac

MP3

Many thanks to Eden for the English translations of the poetic/metaphorical lyrics sung here! Don't miss Eden's excellent Qawwali website, which features music from many hard-to-find vintage Sabri Brothers albums (click on the record covers):

https://maqboolsabri.com/

The cover of this record was designed by South-Indian classical dancer and teacher Amala Devi.

Our other male Hindustani vocal shares:

Faiyaz Khan – Raag Darbari / Raag Lalit / Raag Bhairavi – Hindusthan Record – LH 5 here

Amir Khan – Inreco 24110001  here

Bhimsen Joshi – ECLP 2264 here
Nasir Aminudin Dagar – EASD 1420 here

Faiyaz Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, etc. – EALP 1453/1452 here

Our other Pakistani Hindustani music shares:

Mohammad Sharif Khan Poonch Wala – Bärenreiter Musicaphon BM 30 L 2029 here

Instrumental Music of Pakistan – HMV LKDE 20018, 1975 which includes a remarkable fiery sitar track by Sharif Khan Poonch Wala here

Photograph below is from Visions of Mughal India by Andrew Topsfield, Ashmolean Museum, 2012:

Two Golden Orioles, Mughal, c.1610.

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog:

CAMEROON – CAMEROUN Musique Fali – Nord Cameroun – Ocora SOR 9

CAMEROON – CAMEROUN
Musique Fali – Nord Cameroun – Ocora SOR 9, recorded by Jean-Gabriel Gauthier, published 1962 (10 in, 33 RPM)

Following Musique Sacrée des Fali de Ngoutchoumi, recorded by Jean-Gabriel Gauthier* in 1966, we now present earlier recordings of Fali music (published in 1961) recorded by Gauthier in the village of Ngoutchoumi, in the arid Northern Cameroon mountains. This precious album, recorded when the Fali people were still practicing their traditional religion, rites and ancestral ways, includes call-reponse vocals, eerie polyphonic bark whistles and horns (A1, A6, B3, B6), drums (A1, A2, A4, A6, B3, B5, B6), harp (A3, A5, B2) and flutes (B1, B4).

Après Musique Sacrée des Fali de Ngoutchoumi enregistré par Jean-Gabriel Gauthier en 1966, nous présentons maintenant des enregistrements de musique Fali plus anciens réalisés par Jean-Gabriel Gauthier dans le village de Ngoutchoumi dans les montagnes arides du Nord Cameroun sorti sur disque en 1962. Ces précieuses musiques enregistrées à une époque où les Fali vivaient encore pleinement leurs traditions religieuses, leurs rites et leurs coutumes ancestrales, comprennent des chants en appel-réponse, des sifflets en écorce et des trompes polyphoniques aux sonorités éthérées (A1, A6, B3, B6), des tambours (A1, A2, A4, A6, B3, B5, B6), des harpe (A3, A5, B2) et des flûtes (B1, B4).

A1 – Friend, I’d like to accompany you to your grave (Funeral song); singers, wooden Kewal whistles and two Nonji M'Dom (female principle) and Tondji N'Dom (male principle) drums.

 

A2 – Mimed narration of a war song against the Lakka in Kangu language; singers and drums.

 

A3 – Love song; singers and Kidingding harp. 

 

A4 – Your bean leaves have a suspicious smell (Satirical song); singers and drums.

 

A5 – Love song about Daouniré, a chief’s daughter; singers and harp.

 

A6 – Work song; singers, drums and wooden whistles.

 

B1 – Straight four-hole notched Feigam flute solo.

 

B2 – A girl from my family fell into a pit (Song of the Koumbandji warrior clan); singers and harp.

 

B3. Why did you go up on the mountain? (Satirical song); singers and harp.

 

B4 – Duet of Feïgam four-hole flutes. 

 

B5 – Narration of the battle between FuriI and N'Goutchoumi; singers and drums.

 

B6 – Song for the birth of two twins; singers, drums and wooden whistles.

Download:

Flac

MP3

*Ethnologist and archeologist Jean-Gabriel Gauthier (1929-2008) immersed himself in Fali culture over many extended trips he made to Northern Cameroon between 1956 and 2003. Gauthier studied the Fali’s elaborate funeral rites (like his brilliant recording of a funeral ceremony for a deceased chief on Side A of the 1966 album shared below).

Our other Fali music share from Northern Cameroon recorded by Jean-Gabriel Gauthier:

Musique Sacrée des Fali de Ngoutchoumi – ETHNO-DOCUMENTS ED 01 – 1966 here

Please help me purchase important traditional records to pursue my global 

curation project and share the best finds with you on this blog: