Mara! – Sorella

Mara! – Sorella

CD revue by Tony Smith

TN181 Nov 26

It is difficult to discuss any album by Mara Kiek without mentioning her many musical achievements and accolades.

Mara has undertaken classical training in instruments and voice, been a member of several important ensembles and is an acknowledged expert in Bulgarian folk music.

With partner Llew Kiek, Mara has toured internationally to over 20 countries and very importantly, has contributed to music education in schools.

This 2006 album was nominated for various awards.

The title in Italian means ‘sister’.

The sleeve notes have a quotation from poet, lawyer and human rights activist, Edoard Di Giovanni: ‘Dove andiamo sorella?’ – ‘Where are you going, sister?’

‘Sorella’ was translated by his son Daniele Di Giovanni, the band’s sound engineer.

Mara composed the tune which provides ample opportunity for Llew’s plucked strings.

Mara’s singing on this track is full of passion.

Featuring on this album are several experienced musicians.

Paul Cutlan plays tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, a shaker and sings.

Steve Elphick plays double bass and sings.

Llew Kiek plays bouzouki, baglama, guitar and tambourine and sings.

Mara Kiek plays tapan and castanets and sings.

Andrew Robson plays alto saxophone, soprano saxophone and darrabukka and sings.

‘Curl Curl Curl’ was composed by saxophonist Andrew Robson and based on a fast Bulgarian men’s dance in 11/16 time.

He also wrote ‘Alessandria’ following a sumptuous musical and gastronomic experience there on tour in Italy in 1997.

It features Paul Cutlan’s bass clarinet.

‘Sandansko Horo’ is a Bulgarian Macedonian tune.

‘Aidhinikos Horos’ is a Greek folk dance, with song lyrics complaining: ‘From your sweet eyes runs immortal water; I asked you for a drop to drink but you gave me none’.

Mara expresses the boldness of this bluesy song.

‘Por Ali Paso Un Cavallero’ is a Sephardic song about a woman trying to seduce a knight.

Mara and Lew learnt the tune from Winsome Evans and the Renaissance Players.

It has a calmness that settles nicely on the ear after some livelier tracks.

‘Green Singer’ is a John Shaw Neilson poem from 1911 set to music by Lew Liek.

In ‘Bulbul Avazlim’ (nightingale voiced lover) Llew improvises the customary solo or taksim to introduce the song’s modes.

Mara arranged the traditional Turkish song from East Anatolia ‘Ey Sahin Bakislim’.

The song ends: ‘I’m leaving, but my heart is still here’.

For me this is perhaps the most lively and evocative track of all.

In ‘Excess Baggage’ Robson and Cutlan demonstrate their rapport in improvisation.

Then follows Cutlan’s ‘Big Pak’, inspired by the hassle the band experiences when loading vehicles with equipment to go on a long tour.

You feel the frenzy here.

Perhaps it is the use of the woodwinds and the unusual rhythms in some of these tracks, but they have the feel of jazz about them.

They might be interpretations of the folk music of south eastern Europe, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, but jazz nevertheless.

The final track, ‘Lute Lute’, is a traditional Albanian wedding song.

The young girls of the village drum, dance and sing about the bride’s parents asking her to wait another year before leaving them.

These dozen tracks over some 55 minutes are always intriguing.

Because the musicians are so accomplished and confident, it is always a surprise to hear their unique arrangements.

Surely, for example, not even John Shaw Neilson would have been able to imagine the beautiful treatment of his poem.

What a marvellous thing Mara does in bringing together such powerful musicians and songs and tunes of such potential.

There is an excellent balance between songs and instrumentals and within the songs, the instruments always complement Mara’s voice beautifully.

Sorella is musical richness indeed.

 

Ed. Mara! Have three albums for sale from the Trad&Now website, all of which can be heard on Trad&NowLive! from time to time.

 

Over more than two decades, Mara! have developed a unique musical style which fuses folk roots with modern jazz expressionism, adding influences from rock to early music, while journeying through Anglo-Celtic, middle Eastern, Balkan and Mediterranean traditions. Nowadays Mara! perform many original works which are a musical mirror where these flavours find their dazzling reflection. Fronted by the remarkable and magnetic voice of Mara Kiek, Mara! have brought their virtuosic concert performances to audiences in more than 20 countries. Mara! have also undertaken a wide range of performance projects including:- on their 1997 album of original music ‘Sezoni’ (Real World Records) they turned up with the 25 voice Bulgarian/Australian Choir “Martenitsa” for a lush feast of polyglot music, which had critics drooling at the mouth. In 2000 they performed a 10-night season of the aerial spectacular “Homeland” with death-defying acrobats “Legs on the Wall” for the Sydney Olympics – and again at the Berlin LiteraturWERKstat Festival in 2003. In 2001 Mara! collaborated with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in Brisbane to perform Mara Kiek’s magnificent “Neizvestnoto” . In 2004 Mara! and Martenitsa premiered and broadcast their new suite of original music in Italian “Tra Parole E Silenzio” at Fox Studios in Sydney… Mara!’s musicians are among the most highly regarded world and jazz players in Australia. Together in Mara! they create one of Australia’s most exciting, innovative and uplifting ensembles.

About the artist: This exceptional world music ensemble infuses traditional repertoire and influences from many countries with modern jazz expressionism. “The Dom Perignon of Australian world music bands” (Sydney Morning Herald 2005). Mara! has toured in 21 countries since 1984 to great critical acclaim. “I don’t know of any other example where both genres (folk and jazz) go together so well. Coupled with the virtuoso musical spectacle that they offer, their fusion is a wonderful experience”. (De Standaard Belgium, 1999).