WHAT
IS IT SAID
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WHAT
IS IT SAID
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- S'Albaida
recuperates the musical Minorcan tradition in their first disk (Última
Hora Menorca, 05/05/2000)
- The Mediterranean
through Minorcan tradition (Última Hora Mallorca, 07/05/2000)
- Critique
(Avui, 14/02/2001)
S'Albaida recuperates the musical Minorcan tradition in their first disk
[...] The group S'Albaida presents today their first disk "Llucaquelba", where they recuperate the folklore and tradition of the popular Minorcan music. Nine youth, all of them pupils of the professional Conservatory of Minorca in music and dance, form this group, that will be on the stage tomorrow in from of the audience in the Teatro Principal of Palma inserted into the "Mostra de Musica Popular", organized by the Conselleria de Cultura of the Consell de Mallorca.
Reviving the characteristics of the Minorcan music of the past together with the Mediterranean influences received through the centuries constitute the best of "llucaquelba". To accomplish this, they have decided to use antique instruments such as the pipe, the lute or the mandola. However, these musicians coming from Es Mercadal, Mao and Ferreries, have gone farther in incorporating the freshness of new styles like the Mediterranean jazz and its letters are directed to the youth of their age. They try to compare on these letters the situation of the island some decades ago with the urbanisation of the coast, or the traditions of the rural and farming Minorca with the industrial and tourist one of nowadays [...].
Investigation
The initiative was born from the worry of these interpreters towards the disappearance
of a rich patrimony of popular music, which is falling down progressively into
oblivion. From this worry, they initiated a work of investigation consulting
old people, and visiting libraries and files like the Diocesan Museum of Ciutadella,
The Minorcan museum, the Rubio Fund, the Municipal Library of Mao, or the Hernandez
Mora Museum.
Getting ahead
At the time of beginning this
task, they have found an invaluable collaboration in book songs, books of poems,
novels and plays written by Francesc d'Albranca, Llorenç Galmes, Deseado Mercadal,
Angel Ruiz I Pablo, Joan Ramis, Ponç Pons, Damia Borras I Francesc Lopez Casasnovas
among others. With this stock of knowledge they have been able to face up their
project with a solid base. However, they have not stopped in trying to find
a way to connect with the young people, by modernizing the message implied in
their themes to refer to the situation of Minorca at the present time.
Mediterranean roots
for a present message
Customs, Minorcan words, traditions
and antique fiestas, constitute points of reference in the songs of S'Albaida.
The group is formed by Nicolau Espinosa (guitar, lute and mandola) and Miquel
Mariano (voices and percussion) from Es Mercadal, Bep Mari (guitars) and Lino
Vidal (sweet and transversal flute and pipe), from Ferreries. The remaining
members all of them from Mao, are Joan Carles Villalonga (voices, guitarro and
guitars), Nico Saiz (guitars and bass), Moises Pelegri (percussion), Ona Cardona
(clarinet), and Annabel Villalonga (guitars). This first disk that will be presented
tomorrow "Llucaquelba", has been edited by the discography Majorcan firm Productions
Blau.
Última Hora Menorca
05th-05-2000
The Mediterranean through Minorcan tradition
Not only with the intention of recuperating the antique and popular Minorcan music from oblivion, but also with the determination of doing it in a dynamic way, and mainly with a wide vision in all that concerns to the conception of Mediterranean music, nine young Minorcan musicians - five from Mao, two from Mercadal and some more from Ferreries- got illusioned themselves as much as from making a great effort in getting ahead a project called S'Albaida.
Now, and after a first contribution that already indicated this compromise called "Romanços I cançonetes de la Mediterranea", occupy once again the present time folklore with "Llucaquelba", their new disk which after having been at the stage of the annual date of Gracia del Tadicionarius", they have just come up with it in the Mostra de Musica Popular, that has taken place in the Teatre Principal.
In the new work of that Minorcan group, what can be foreseen, in spite of their youth, is certain maturity in developing with easiness the inheritance of the Arab music between boleros, fandangos and romances. In essence, songs with a popular origin impregnated with an odour coming from the land, that brings stories and legends alive, like the tradition of San Antoni, patron of the island, or es Gorg d´Albranca. A music whose roots are drastically involved with tradition, but with branches that embrace widely the Mediterranean music, and "Fandango per al Sud" is an instrumental that synthesizes it to perfection.
To the occasion, the group has counted with the collaboration of the pipes and flutes of Pep Rubio, the guitars, lute and bass of Toni Pastor, the accordion of Pep Robles, the cello of Enric Segura, and as a glossator Biel Majoral.
Última Hora Mallorca
07th-05-2000
[...] Concerned about the danger of disappearance of the musical heritage of their island, the components of S'Albaida, students of the Minorcan Conservatory, went into work to rescue from book songs, books of poems and files, and from popular memoir the songs that constitute their tradition.
The result of this intense task of investigation is their discography work named "Llucaquelba", an attentive and in many occasions brilliant exercise of recuperation to which the excessive time dedicated to each theme is the only thing that can be said against them. Especially splendid appears the percussions and the strings, and the easiness to transmit even from the study the spirit and the energy of a live transmission. Avui
Avui
14th-02-2001