Spanish folk ensemble Vigüela has a new album titled “A la manera artesana” (In the artisan way) scheduled for release in February 2022. The new recording presents a fascinating collection of songs and dances from the rural towns and farms in Castilla-La Mancha in Central Spain.
Vigüela performs songs and music rooted in rural tradition. The album combines raw vocals with a wide range of musical instruments such as regional guitars, the zambomba (friction drum), one-stringed rebeq, handclapping, castanets, and wild percussive instruments such as cooking utensils.
Band member Juan Antonio Torres says: “We work with old songs that have been part of our days, our duties, our life. They talk about what we are, because we are inside them and everything around us. We perform them in our style, our way that we have inherited for being from our village, El Carpio de Tajo, where people sing very gracefully”.
A la manera artesana reveals a carefully-planned trip from the Toledo mountains to the western edges of the Cuenca hills, opening with a powerful fandango to celebrate nature and love on ‘Estrellitas matutinas’ (Morning Stars). This song was inspired by a piece from the Magna Antología del Folklore Español Volume IV, by the folklorist Don Manuel García Matos.
The large collection of songs tell stories of hill-dwellers, dressmakers, conscripts and married couples as well as an ‘encierro’ (taditional practice of running of the bulls).
“A la manera artesana” features liner notes researched and written by Simon Broughton (Songlines magazine) who says: “The album is structured to show the various styles of the region. The first four songs highlight repertoire from La Mancha Alta and La Mancha de Vejezate, areas not much explored by musicologists and rarely recorded. There are four dances, a fandango, rondeña, seguidilla and jota. Then there are several a cappella tonadas, and finally some lively sones.”
Vigüela members include Juan Antonio Torres on lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, castanets, strummed bottle, clapping, galdarros, cowbells, bugle, zambomba, metallic mortar, frying pan, cauldrons, rebeq; María Nieto on lead vocals, backing vocals, clapping, galdarros, cowbells, metallic mortar; Carmen Torres on lead vocals, backing vocals, castanets, clapping, galdarros, cowbells, metallic mortar; Luis García on lead vocals, backing vocals, lute, handclapping, frying pan, arrabel, tambourine; and David Mollón on backing vocals, guitarro manchego, guitar, handclapping.
Prorder A la manera artesana.Also available: Temperamento – Traditional Music From Spain.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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Que hermosas canciones de tradicion..que hermosa Lagartera!!