Skip to main content

The Caucasus

 


Week #131 in the history of Al compas del mundo takes us to a corner of the globe never explored on the show previously to any real degree: the Caucasus, consisting of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. Is this region the birthplace of the “Caucasian” race? Likely not, but based on an outdated, biblical (need I say more?) and discredited morphology, the entire human race originated there, while the fair-skinned Whites were the cream of the crop. 

Of course, this is a quick and easy look-see at the region and their folklore. Nothing comprehensive here. If you want the full-bore of musical knowledge, you’ll need to head off to YouTube. Search any of these groups and you’ll be led down a rabbit hole of related songs, dances and customs long-held and proudly celebrated. Georgia is one place many in the West have heard of, if only for the (un)fortunate coincidence of its namesake in the US South. It should better be known as the distinctive home of polyphony, or multi-voice singing of contrasting melodies in harmony.  Hard to conjure up an image of what that might sound like? Follow this search on YouTube for a sublime example: განდაგანა • Gandagana | Basiani. 

What other notable tendencies might one hear in this music? Azerbijani tunes bear a similarity to Persian counterparts, not surprising as they share a lengthy border and their populations are mostly Muslim. And while I looked to include examples from Christian Armenia that were uplifting and danceable, a very large portion of traditional music from there is slow and dirge-like. Perhaps due to a historic record frequently filled with war, suffering and woe? This concept brings up another observation that merits mention. Most of the vintage photos showing images of men from throughout the region, find them posing while armed. A dagger, sword or musket appear to be ubiquitous back in the day. And even in current times, musical groups performing the traditional styles will often dress with a dagger hanging at the waist. I have to admit it’s a relief to attend a concert in the US without the symbolic threat of getting stuck with a knife. The AK-47s we prefer are much better equipped for the job.

So open up your mind to what are, likely, unfamiliar sounds and take an armchair journey to the Caucasus. And remember what your mama always told you: ხევსურეთი , საქართველო არის ესე!

Al compas del mundo - programa #131Runlist - The Caucasus
First broadcast 6-6-24



01 Aslan Dudar - Sosruko Kafe  (Circassia)

02 Elmira Rəhimova - Axtarma Məni (Azerbaijan)

03 Marem Gökhan Şen - Лъагъуныгъэ Уэрэд (Circassia)

04 Betal Ivanov- Batse tsyku (Kabardia)

05 Arpi Alto y grupo - Akh, Nare Nare  (Armenia)

06 Trio Mandili with the Legiana Collective - 't Smidje (Georgia)

07 Anonymous - Georgian Folk Song (Georgia)

08 Anonymous - Ay, Lazzat (Daghestan)

09 Tızeğus - Qafe (Circassia)

10 İlhamə Quliyeva - Dağlar qızı Reyhan (Azerbaijan)

11 Armenian folk group - Kinovi Bar (Armenia)

12 Abkhaz Song and Dance Ensemble - Bgazhba Izi Ashva (Abkhazia)

13 Aminat Napsheva - Zenybzheguish (Circassia)

14 Ensemble Basiani - Gandagana (Georgia)

15 Lok-Batan Folklore Group - Heydarbaba (Azerbaijan)

16 ხევსურეთი , საქართველო არის ესე (Georgia)

17 Abkhaz Song and Dance Ensemble - Azamat (Abkhazia)



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Al compás del mundo - programa #99 - Los Folkloristas

This week’s Al compás del mundo earns a pair of dedications. Primarily, to Las Folkloristas, a group of Mexican musicians who first came together in 1966 and who continue to the present day, delighting their public and educating them as to the breadth of folk music genres and instrumentation found in every corner of Latin America. The second dedication is to me and my sweetheart wife Claudia – we met at a concert of Los Folkloristas at the Sala Agora in Mexico City, in 1976. And yes, we too are still together. Get out your handkerchiefs and dry your eyes because there’s a story to be told as evidence that there’s a soulmate out there for everyone. You just have to make the effort to look, even if it takes you to a foreign land. And so it goes like this: I spent all of 1976 living in Mexico City, ostensibly to learn Spanish, but en realidad to loaf around, drink beer, practice my saxophone, and maybe, just maybe, look to meet a señorita. I lived in a pension (boardinghouse) owned by Jul...
1 comment
Read more

Al compas del mundo, programa #92 - Japan

The Japanese historically have been a most creative people, excelling in aesthetic conventions like architecture, painting, culinary arts, theatre, music, and more. A craftsman’s care and an artist’s flair have come to define everyday household objects such as articles of clothing and kitchen ware, designed with a sensibility that imbues them with import and elevated status. After WWII in the United States however, an item inscribed “made in Japan” usually indicated a tchotchke of mediocre quality. A perfect example is the large number of Northwest Coast Native American-style bone totem poles made for the tourist shops in the Northwest. There is a distinctive difference in these “artifacts” from the real, home-made variety that illustrates someone from another culture tackling aesthetics they don’t fully comprehend. And that leads us to some of this week’s musical choices. Imitating Western pop, rock and jazz, Japanese artists have recorded many forgettable efforts – not unlike those o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Al compas del mundo - programa #114 - potpourri of fun, fun, fun

  Fun, Fun, Fun. And I do mean fun. Sometimes this summary of a weekly radio show veers off to a serious side, but not today. Not with this batch of winners. Not when we’re leading off with Los Xochimilcas. Like a mix of The Three Stooges and Spike Jones, they clamor for a round of “pulque for two!” with an eloquent danzón accompaniment. Then there’s Pigbag showing off some serious jazz chops…but is it jazz? Then again, who cares? Why fret over labels when we’re here to have fun?! So The Magnetic Fields’ tune isn’t exactly light-hearted glee and all, but fun comes in many packages. I had fun when I first heard I Die You Die. They sounded like the Velvet Underground had they hailed from West Virginia instead of New York. That’s not fun? Relatively speaking, there’s always room for Ennio Morricone. That lonesome whistle thrills me, along with the chorus of grunting injuns. A Spaghetti Western at its stereotypical best. Allen Toussaint, by the way, is one hell of a song writer, in cas...
Post a Comment
Read more