Another great lp from Deben Bhattacharya, this time on the english label Argo. This label issued many recordings of Mr. Bhattacharya under the generic title “The Living Tradition” in the 1960’s. Now, thanks to Bolingo and his fabulous blog “Anthems of the nation of Luobanya”, you can hear many of this lps, that includes great field recordings from many different countries.
-Here’s a review for the present lp found on Gramophone.net:
An excellent note with the Turkish record reminds us that Konya, the traditional centre of Anatolian cultures, has passed over the centuries through the domination of the Hittites, the Phrygians, the Lydians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. This and the geographical situation of Turkey, where Europe joins Asia, have contributed to a folklore of vast variety and many influences. In addition to music which is strange in itself but fascinating, we hear here a wide variety of instruments which are equally unfamiliar, some primitive but some more sophisticated. Among the latter are the Divan Saz, a long-necked lute of eight strings, the Kemenche, a short-necked threestringed fiddle, the Cura Saz, a six-stringed lute, and the Nay, a double-reed woodwind instrument with six finger holes. The former are for the most part percussion instruments ranging from drums of various shapes and sizes to sets of Kasik, wooden spoons used in the style of Chinese chopsticks. As in most folk music the songs and dances deal or are associated with natural events of many kinds, from the harvest to sheep tending and from love songs to dances appropriate to drinking occasions.
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