Year: 2007

Septeto Machín – El Guateque

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machin.jpgAntonio Machín (1903-1977) was born in Sagua la Grande on the north side of Cuba, and was an important figure in early Cuban recording, particularly in the 1930s, when he released loads of wonderful 78s. He had numerous bands (Cuarteto Machín, Sexteto Machín, and the septet featured here), and eventually moved to Europe.

This was recorded in New York on October 31, 1935, just before Machín had relocated. One of the interesting things about this release is that it’s on HMV’s “GV” series of Latin American, Caribbean, and South American music, which was started in 1933. The “GV” series was exported to, and marketed specifically for, the diverse population of West Africa. The music on the series was a major influence on the development of Afro-Cuban music througout the continent, as the records reached far beyond the West. The rhumba movement in the Congo has been directly linked to the dissemination of the “GV” series, for instance.

But even without its history, it’s fine music nontheless. The title of the track translates to “The Party,” although the lyrics seem quite sorrowful (perhaps someone could save me from some embarrassing translations here). It is a guajira son, which is a guajira sung in the rhythm of a son, a style that was first made famous in the late 1920s.

Septeto Machín – El Guateque

There are several fine collections of early Cuban music on the market, including several that feature Machin.

Technical Notes
Label: HMV
Issue Number: G.V. 70
Matrix Number: OA98003

Master Laloo – Jevi Karay Je Karni, Tevi Tarat Faday Chhe

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laloo.jpgI’m returning to India for a track by Master Laloo, a singer from Gujarat, presumably. Collecting Indian music has always been daunting to me – I love it, but there are so many excellent artists out there, I’m overwhelmed. That said, I enjoy what I have, and what I continue to pick up. Hell, it’s all a giant experiment, for the most part, and that’s what continues to make it fun.

While Laloo doesn’t perform some of the same vocal gymnastics as other masters of Indian classical music, there’s something very appealing to me about the combination of voice, harmonium, and tabla. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I enjoy listening to this record, which is what it’s all about. It was recorded in Mumbai by Gramophone Company engineer Arthur James Twine, ca. 1928.

I could find nothing on the Master in question. According to a listener from India who wrote in, the translated Gujurati title means “The way you do Karmas, you get fruits for it immediately.”

Master Laloo

On a side note, R. and I went to a concert of Central Asian music in Los Angeles the other night. I always feel nervous beforehand that a concert like that will be too faux world-y for me, but it was very good, and one artist stood out: the Kazakh singer and dombra player Ulzhan Baibussynova. Although she performed only three songs, they were riveting. She appears on the recent Smithsonian Folkways release Bardic Divas.

Technical Notes
Label: HMV
Issue Number: N. 2569
Matrix Number: BX. 4884

DIY Excavated Shellac Sampler CD

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cd-front-small.jpgA lot of music has been posted on this site, and all of it is still available. If you cull everything from the very start of the blog, April 14, 2007, up through September 12th’s entry, you have about 75 minutes of lost music.

I decided to put together simple, downloadable artwork for the Excavated Shellac Sampler CD, Volume 1, for those interested in doing something with this music other than a) keeping it on your hard drive, or b) putting it on an iPod. Which may cd-back-small.jpgbe, in fact, nobody, but what the hell.

So, here are the high-res covers: front and back. These will work for any regular sized CD case. Then, number your tracks – I went ahead and created a track list to follow, which appears on the back cover template, so you can copy that – or make your own if you like to agonize over such stuff, as I obviously do. Print!

Transfer your mp3s to .wav files and burn the CD – I use a program called Switch to transfer, but there’s lots of software that does this. You know all this already, I know. Sigh…

31 de Octubre – Milongueros

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mendez.jpgBetter late than never. I had to leave town for a short trip, then my file hosting site was acting up last night. But here we are, once again…

Bolivia had its own record label in the mid-20th century called Mendez, pressed in La Paz. Although the examples I’ve come across were pressed poorly – with heavy, bumpy shellac and often in irregular sizes (9 3/4″ as opposed to the standard 10″, for instance) – they were purely a Bolivian product and that counts for a lot. There seems to have been some wonderful regional music captured on Mendez, although I know next to nothing about the extent of their output or how long they existed before being bought up by a larger entity (I do know that they pressed labels in turquoise, gold, and dark blue, as seen here).

The mysterious ensemble known as “31 de Octubre” consisted of a couple of guitar players, at least one probably playing the charango, and a soloist on the quena, or the traditional Andean flute. This track is labeled as a carnaval (the flip side is listed as a danza indigena), also known as a carnavalito, a particular musical style of Bolivia. It is a song from the Eastern part of the country, interestingly, not the Andean side. The title, Milongueros, refers to Milongas (or Milonga), the Argentine style of music, and playing. It’s a nice tune – short and sweet!

(Special thanks to Carol Blenda for help and information!)

31 de Octubre – Milongueros

Technical Notes
Label: Mendez
Issue Number: 203
Matrix Number: 53-L15

Ma E Mi – “Thai Rhyme with Sound”

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burma.jpgHere’s a track from Burma, also known as Myanmar. [According to a variety of sources, the name Myanmar was given to the country by the military junta in 1989, and many still prefer the name Burma (including the Library of Congress Subject Authority headings).]

Burmese records are difficult to find. I only have a few, and the majority are in pretty dicey shape. This piece was recorded by the Indian branch of  Columbia records ca. 1932 or so. It starts off a little rough then improves – but the music is really evocative. It sounds like an interesting conglomeration of Southeast Asian and South Asian musical styles. The instrument being played is the Burmese harp, known as the saung, the national instrument of Burma, and an ancient one, possibly dating to around the 8th century. You can also detect a subtle accompaniment of accordion and percussion.

Thanks to reader Thuya, we know that the singer is singing about how in the summer, after a long monsoon season, flowers are in bloom, and the wavy horizon of mountains is in view. Apparently, the color and smell of each flower is described by the singer.

Ma E Mi – Thai Rhyme with Sound

I don’t believe there’s much of early Burmese music on CD – though there are great tracks both on R. Crumb’s Hot Women CD, and on Volume 3 of the Secret Museum series.

Technical Notes
Label: Columbia
Issue Number: V.E. 2107
Matrix Number: CEI. 7910

James Morrison – The Lark in the Morning/The Wandering Minstrel

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morrison.jpgMore classic green Columbia fare from the late 1920s!

First, thanks to any and all who happened to catch the set I spun at KXLU last week. Nearly all the tracks I played were newly transferred and cleaned up – with only two exceptions. Over the next several months, I will post many of those tracks. The set contained 78s from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Congo, Sierra Leone, País Vasco, Ireland, France, Andalusia, and Argentina. This was the Irish track I played…

Irish fiddler James Morrison (1893-1947) was truly a master player. Born near the town of Collooney in County Sligo, Ireland, Morrison immigrated to the U.S. in 1915, first settling in Boston, and then in New York City. His first recordings were as early as 1921, and in the ensuing years he recorded for Vocalion, Okeh, and Gennett.

In March of 1926, he paired with pianist Claire Reardon, and recorded his first electrical recordings for Columbia, which is where this track stems from. Both “The Lark in the Morning” and “The Wandering Minstrel” are classic Irish jigs, and Morrison seems to play them effortlessly.

Columbia’s Irish output during the late 20s and early 30s is formidable. Incredible, in fact. So many wonderful musicians recorded for Columbia during that period – John McKenna, Frank Quinn, The Flanagan Brothers…on and on. Interestingly, I don’t believe this track has ever been compiled. However, there are excellent CD reissues with early Irish recordings that I can heartily recommend, namely Yazoo’s two CDs titled Wheels of the World, and Arhoolie’s Frank Quinn CD. For more on James Morrison, here’s a nice website with information on a Morrison festival in Ireland.

James Morrison – The Lark in the Morning/The Wandering Minstrel

Finally, rest in peace, Mike Stewart. I puchased many fine records from him, and his was the first print auction I ever subscribed to, when I was 23 years old.

Technical Notes
Label: Columbia
Issue Number: 33108-F
Matrix Number: 106431 (2-C-3)

Wednesday, 10/10 – KXLU

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I will be a guest on the KXLU (88.9) global music program, Wandering Medicine Show, this Wednesday from 8-9 pm, PST, in Los Angeles. You can stream the station live from their website, or hopefully tune in if you’re in the L.A. area. I will definitely be playing some nice material from across the globe – all from 78s, of course. I might use a couple of tracks from the blog, but the majority if not all of the material will be new.

Pasquale Sciascia e Co. – Rusina alla Campagna

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sciascia.jpgColumbia, in the late 1920s, released approximately 1300 records by Italian-American immigrants, for purchase usually at record stores within, or nearby, their communities across the United States. A wide variety of Italian regions were musically represented, and this one claims to be a song from the Abruzzo region, on the eastern coast of Italy.

As far as I can tell, little is known about Pasquale Sciascia and his musical troupe of violin, guitar, bass, flutes, and singers. Pity, because I really enjoy the singing on this track. Sciascia did record in New York City for the Brunswick label around the same time, and also with two other musicians as the “Trio Sciascia,” both for Columbia and Brunswick. This track was recorded in March of 1929. 

Pasquale Sciascia e Co. – Rusina alla Campagna

Technical Notes
Label: Columbia
Issue Number: 14455-F
Matrix Number: 110450 (2-A-3)

Pilar Calvo y Luis Maravilla – Soleá para Bailar

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pilar.jpgRecently, I’ve been transferring some of my best 78s of flamenco and cante jondo music of Spain for a project I’m working on. It’s been really rewarding to delve into it so deeply. I figured I’d share one of my favorites.

Where to begin with flamenco? Despite it being the most well-known folk music of Spain, its origins seem to be constantly debated by experts. Unquestionably it is the music of the Gitanos (gypsies), Europe’s outcasts for centuries, who despite years of persecution, found a home in Andalusia. Over time, as persecuted Jews and Moors joined their communities, their ballads changed. Some maintain that flamenco singing most likely developed as a response to anguish, injustice, and oppression. Despite years of flamenco recording – with the earliest records being considered the closest to “true” flamenco – the music remains essentially a live experience; music and expression meant for an intimate juerga. However, some records by masterful players and singers certainly captured some of the power of a live flamenco experience, in my opinion.

The cantaor and tocaor, the flamenco singer and guitarist, are only part of a larger equation. Equally as important in flamenco performance and the focus of today’s post is the bailaora (or bailaor, as the case may be), her dance, the clapping (palmas), and the castanets.  The presence of castanets in flamenco is a hotly contested topic – for me, the best part of this 78 is the footwork.

The vast majority of early flamenco 78s are simply guitar and voice. This was probably due to primitive recording technology – both the singer and guitarist had to stand right in front of a massive recording horn (or microphone). Flamenco 78s that just feature baile flamenco are particularly special, like this one, recorded in Barcelona in mid-1948 by Ms. Calvo and Mr. Maravilla. Despite the late date, the performances here are stellar – the interplay between Maravilla’s compás and Calvo’s feet is wonderful, and it builds to a thunderous, powerful crescendo. Just as powerful as any singer might achieve, I think (though I freely admit that I’m no expert, and some might consider this far from authentic). Perhaps this is because Calvo and Maravilla (born 1914) were husband and wife.

Pilar Calvo y Luis Maravilla – Soleá para Bailar

There are loads of books, magazines, and online resources on flamenco. There are numerous collections of vintage flamenco on CD as well, though I cannot vouch for their transfers. However, one name you can trust is Arhoolie, and they have a nice CD available here.

Technical Notes
Label: HMV (La Voz de su Amo)
Issue Number: GY 762
Matrix Number: OKA 1279

(Thanks to Bill Dean-Myatt for discographical information.)

Foune Mousso Kouyate – Tenindie

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I’ve got several more 78s from Europe already in the queue for future posts, so I thought I’d take a break and return to Africa. I hope this might interest listeners who discovered this blog via the fine Benn loxo and Matsuli Music sites.

The French, because of their large colonial presence in Africa, were also at the forefront of recording African folk music. Their reach may not have had the span of the Gramophone company in England (or the variety), nor did it – as far as I know – have the brilliance of a local ethnomusicologist behind it such as Gallotone with Hugh Tracey. But it was formidable. While it’s true that the Phillips label produced hundreds if not thousands of recordings up and down West Africa, there were numerous smaller French (and Belgian) labels recording classic examples of local music throughout the continent. Africa Vox, for one, specialized in raw, field recordings. Le Chant du Monde recorded African popular songs. Ngoma, Loningisa, and Opika recorded in the Congo. And then there was Fiesta, the label of today’s track. Fiesta appears to have been independently owned (and bears a suspicious label resemblance to the Congolese Opika label), and pressed in France. But it may not have been independent. I have no idea!

Regardless, Fiesta was a presence in both French West Africa and the Congo, where they also recorded. Ms. Kouyate, “Le Grande Chanteuse” as she is credited on the label, is unknown to us. She is accompanied by two bala (or balafon) players, and chimes. They were Malinké, which would most likely place the recording in Guinea, Mali, or Gambia.

Foune Mousso Kouyate – Tenindie

Technical Notes
Label: Fiesta
Issue Number: 903
Matrix Number: D-1307-1