Calan – Solomon (Sain Records, 2017)
Calan is one of the finest contemporary folk music bands from Wales. The group sings in Welsh and English and mixes traditional music with modern elements.
The opening features great vocal harmonies, superb instrumentation and attention-grabbing mesmerizing spoken word. The rest of the album is a mix of virtuosic instrumentals and lively songs with real singing and really cool beats that resemble an acoustic form of electronic dance music.
Calan’s sound is driven by the remarkable fiddle, accordion, harp and bagpipe interplay, outstanding vocals and unconventional rhythms.
The lineup includes Angharad Jenkins on fiddle and vocals; Alice French on harp and vocals; Bethan Sian Rhiannon on vocals and accordion; Sam Humphreys on guitar, percussion, vocals and effects; Patrick Rimes on fiddle and Welsh bagpipes, pigborn, whistle, hulusi and vocals.
Guests: Greg Sterland on saxophone; Josh Barber on trumpet; Lloyd Pierce on trombone; and Nigel Jenkins on spoken word.
Solomon is a remarkable, beautifully-crafted Celtic music album by the exceptional Welsh band Calan.
Buy Solomon
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.
