Folkidelia (Creative Commons, 2011)
As the name of the band indicates, this is no ordinary folk music band. Folkidelia is a Spanish band based in the Guadalajara area (not far from Madrid) in the region of Castile-la Mancha (Castilla-La Mancha in Spanish). Their sound is a combination of traditional music and electronic music.
Folkidelia was formed by four friends who had performed in several bands, including Berroseco, La hermana cruel, and Niam. The instigator was fiddler Luis Ángel López, who started to modify his violin’s sound with effects, pedals and electronic beats.
The name of the band comes from their two main influences: traditional folk music and psychedelia. “The result is a bastard fusion of Castilian traditional music and from other parts of the world with electronic music concepts,” says López.
Folkidelia was produced totally in complete Do It Yourself fashion. The musicians recorded, produced, released and are distributing the album. It features several hybrid pieces that mix traditional Spanish and global sounds with electronic beats. Picture Afro Celt Sound system with a Spanish twist. However, not all the material contains electronic sounds. Several of the pieces are primarily acoustic, including a Celtic music tribute to Irish band Kila with low whistle and bodhran; an homage to Nordic bands such as Hedningarna, a North African scented song and even a beautiful Cantiga from the Middle Age.
Folkidelia’s line-up includes Francisco Fernández Dacal on percussion, fujara, konkovka (Slovakian overtone flute) and vocals; Daniel Fernández Aparicio on bass and vocals; Marcos Molina Fernández on guitar, flute, electronic bagpipe and vocals; and Luis Ángel López de Diego on fiddle, low whistle and electronic programming.
Guests include zanfona (hurgy gurdy) master, Germán Díaz, one of the best hurdy gurdy players in the world; vocalist Marina Hodgson; Pedro el Gaitero on vocals and charra pipe (a whistle from Salamanca); Amando Molina on accordion; and Mohammed El-Bouzhidi on sentir and vocals.
You can download the album from the band’s website or purchase a CD:
http://www.folkidelia.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
