And this is how it all began... Around the 9th Century, for reasons unknown, thousands of inhabitants of the northwestern part of India began to emigrate west. They set out from the territories now known as the Punjab and Pakistan. In Persia they split, and some travelled via Palestine, Egypt and Morocco and through the Strait of Gibraltar, finally arriving, known already as Gypsies, in the south of Moorish Spain. In this region, previously known as Al-Andalus, various cultures co-existed for hundreds of years. That was perhaps the only place where Gypsies, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully together for a many years. Each group had its own customs, music's and instruments. After many years, in the beginning of the 19th Century, due to mutual influences and the mingling of their musical expressions, a mysterious and expressive type of music emerged. Today, it is know as Flamenco. The Middle East, specifically India, was a cradle of the culture and language of most of Europe. Inhabitants of its northern regions together with Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China constituted the oldest civilizations in the world. It was there, in the Indus river valley, where the first religions, first laws and first instruments and musical notations appeared. The oldest record, written in India around 2000 BC, sets out mantras chanted to honour their gods. Based upon one, two or three notes, these chants were over time transformed into a heptatonic scale. The seven-note scale, already popular in 350 BC, was written as Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, and remains in this form today. Somewhere between the Second and Fifth Centuries the first book devoted to the art was written. It was called Bharata Natya Shastra. It contained a detailed description of vocal, dance and instrumental music. According to this book, Indian music is based on raga, that is a sequence of at least five notes of one scale. A melody governed by raga is performed according to specific principles and with a certain mood. In the Sixth Century canons for music and art were established. This gave rise to the development of classical Indian music, which was based upon the system of ragas and rhythms accompanying them. To this day, they remain unchanged. This musical culture also influenced other countries. Indian Brahmins introduced it to Persia and Arabia, and from there it was disseminated through the West. Simultaneously, Arab music entered Andalusia, than ruled by the Moors. The first monarch of Al-Andalus, Abd ar-Rahman I, invited to his court Arab musicians, who brought poetry, songs, musicians and musical instruments. In 822 a poet and singer came from Baghdad to Cordoba. His name was Abu al-Hasan Alî ibn Nafi and he was known as Zyryab (black bird). This extremely talented man played a key role in the musical education of the whole of Al-Andalus establishing an academy in which numerous musicians were trained. He introduced an Arab-Persian system of musical notation and improved the Arabian oud, which became a prototype of the contemporary guitar. Many years later musical development in India reached its peak. The great poet, musician and expert in Indian, Persian and Arab music, Amir Khushro (1254 - 1324) became a minister of a Mughal sultan. What he did for Indian music was unequalled by anything done before or after his time. He introduced many ragas and rhythms and, above all, he created two new instruments, which today is the basis of Indian music: the sitar and tabla. Banished from their native country these Indians wandered slowly further west, absorbing facets of the cultures of the countries through which they passed. When they reached Spain they were no longer the same people. Although they looked similar, in terms of culture, language, customs as well as music they had considerably changed. Unfortunately, they did not record their music; we do not know how it sounded, or how much of it has survived. And do not know what mark it has left, if any, on the flamenco and which of its elements are rooted in India and which in Andalusia. But even if both these fascinating genres cannot be proved to be closely related, listening their emotionality, expression, rhythm, depth and sensitivity must convince the listener that related they must be. Text by Miguel Czachowski
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DobaCaracol est un groupe québécois composé à l'origine des deux percussionistes-chanteuses Doriane Fabreg (Doba) et Carole Facal (Caracol). Leur style musical particulier s'inspire de musiques traditionnelles d'Afrique, Amérique du Sud et d'Europe. En septembre 2008, les deux fondatrices du groupe annoncent une pause, pour qu'elles puissent réaliser leurs propres projets - soit pour Carole son début solo sur le nom Caracol . Mais en fait, cette pause signife la fin de la formation DobaCaracol .
Discographie

The third release from traditional fusionists Ghazal, combining Persian and Indian musics, which are closely related but highly differ in their own ways. Kayhan Kalhour is a virtuoso on the kemantche, as is Shujaat Khan on the sitar. Together they are able to make stunning runs through the combined sounds of the two traditions. The opening number, "Fire in My Heart," allows for a nice run of call and response between the two instruments, with Kalhour switching over to plucking the kemantche for a bit as well. Eventually, the two players combine to create a texture of sound that swirls around the backing tabla and tamburas at top speed. The interplay between the two stringed instruments is outstanding here, as is the accompaniment by Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla. In the second number, the duo opts for a light dhun, powered largely by the lighter tones on both the kemantche and the sitar's more carefree twang. In the third number, Khan breaks out of his usual Urdu singing and into Persian for a relatively long composition about the nay. Rather surprisingly, the nay isn't utilized at all in the song to its tribute. Instead, the kemantche mimics its sound to the best of its ability. Also, the tombak is added to the ensemble to add an additional bit of Persian flavor to the sound. The Indian and Persian traditions are closely tied, both historically and in their mutual strife to re-create the perfection of the human voice. Here the traditions are joined to wonderful effect. Pick it up for a nice fusion of two virtuoso instrumentalists performing in largely traditional manners, a rarity for fusionists it would seem. Moreover, pick it up as a generally enjoyable album for newcomers and the initiated alike. ~ Adam GreenbergThe Wire (6/00, p.64) - "...Continues the duo's graceful blending of Persian and North Indian musical styles....a finely crafted and evocative fusion of adjacent traditions."
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    CONNECT REVIEW
Une carrière en pointillé : un album suivi d’une longue absence. Voilà le cycle auquel nous a habitué Lhasa depuis son premier album, et qui ressemble à tout sauf à un plan de carrière établi. Six ans après "The living road" et douze depuis "La Llorona", "Lhasa", album éponyme déboussole et ancre son imaginaire dans une Amérique du Nord rêvée et unique.
Il y a chez Lhasa une combinaison géographique cryptée et complexe. Le premier album faisait immédiatement penser au Mexique, à une Amérique centrale imaginée, imagée aussi, s’accrochant aux figures mythiques ancestrales (la Llorona). Le second glissait déjà, en voyageur habité vers des latitudes septentrionales, se jouant des langues, chantant indifféremment l’Anglais, l’Espagnol et le Français. Lhasa aujourd’hui rêve l’Amérique du Nord, chante en Anglais exclusivement, s’entoure des sonorités de la harpe, du dobro et du pedal steel, en Americana globale. Les pistes avaient dès le début été faussées avec ses origines aux sangs mêlées, son mode de vie nomade et bohème. La situer faussement au Mexique avait quelque chose de rassurant, le mythe pouvait bien se construire. C’est aussi la raison pour laquelle le deuxième album avait sonné comme une forme de trahison aux yeux de certains. "The living road" (voir notre article) était pourtant nécessaire pour permettre la réalisation de "Lhasa", l’album autant que la chanteuse, dont la voix grave prend ici toute sa dimension, humaine, profonde et délicate à la fois. Dans cette Amérique parcourue du Sud au Nord, Lhasa reste insaisissable et totalement perméable à son environnement, tirant sa force de sa fragilité et irradiant ce disque d’une présence presque palpable.
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Having experienced the Polish group Dikanda live in concert, you are completely blown away . The quintet was founded way back in 1997 with members from Szczecin and Zakopane, in the north and south of Poland respectively, and is going from strength to strength in the meantime. Anna Witczak (vocals, accordion), Katarzyna Dziubak (vocals, violin), Piotr Rejdak (guitar), Grzegorz Kolbrecki (double bass) and Daniel Kaczmarczyk (percussion) partly take traditional tunes, partly write their own songs. They created a somewhat original and unique folk sound. It is not Polish folk and traditional music, and not what to expect from a typical Polish folk band. On the other hand, Dikanda is not one of those crossover roots bands springing up all over the place. They take their source material from the greater east European area. "Ajotoro" features six traditinal songs (coming from Macedonia, Russia, Gypsy traditons, etc.) and four original compositions in the very same vein, including the catchy title track. One might suspect the worst, but Dikanda circumnavigates all crags and cliffs. They make such songs their own and create a highly original roots sound, including all emotions traditional music has to offer: the highs and lows of a life, joy and pain, love and death.
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