Pokošovci – Ľudová hudba (Tradana, 2019)
This splendid double album by Slovak band Pokošovci showcases the rich musical practices of Slovakia: traditional Slovak music, the esteemed musicianship of the Romani (Gypsy) community and the spectacular traditional multipart singing of the Horehronie region in Central Slovakia.
Pokošovci is a Romani family band featuring three brothers, a cousin and a family friend. They are strongly connected to two villages in the Horehronie Region: Telgárt and Šumiac. Pokošovci is keeping traditions alive with their fiery fiddles and vocals, performing at local celebrations, weddings and family gatherings.
On Ľudová hudba, Pokošovci are joined by numerous guests representing various traditions within Slovakia, most notably the traditional female vocal ensemble Trnki from Banská Bystrica in Central Slovakia and a male folk singing group from Horehronie.
The lineup includes Miroslav Pokoš on violin; Jana Ambrózová on violin; Pavol Trnka on violin; Radoslav Pokoš on viola and vocals; Vladimír Pokoš on viola; Július Markus on accordion; Stanislav Pokoš on double bass and vocals; and Milan Hronček on cimbal (hammered dulcimer).
Guest artists include Sára Blahová, Irena Harvanová, Marta Harvanová, Viera Pokošová, Natália Pokošová and Nina Varšová on vocals; and René Bošela on electric guitar.
Vocal ensemble Trnki: Michaela Almášiová, Ivana Baczová, Martina Fodorová, Zdenka Gažová, Eva Gernicová, Anna Koreňová (predspev: 10), Mária Lunterová, Martina Polóny Kovačovičová, Jana Očenášová, Zuzana Pokošová, Tatiana Salajová, Gabriela Strelcová, Michaela Šifrová, and Darina Václavová.
Horehronie male vocal ensemble: Ján Handula, Martin Kamzík, Michal Kamzík, Miroslav Malecký, Miroslav Pokoš, Peter Polák, Jozef Terek and Radoslav Pokoš.
Buy the album at Bandcamp
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.