Albaluna – Ennead (West Wave Production, 2024)
Albaluna is one of my favorite Portuguese bands. Their unconventional fusion of Iberian folk, world music and a powerful rock section draws you in immediately. Their latest album Ennead continues their captivating explorations of music from various traditions across the globe.
Although Mediterranean music continues to be present, their fusion of progressive rock and world music transcends multiple borders. Precisely, the band’s music travels all the way to the Middle East, Anatolia, historical Persia, and Central and Southern Asia, following the path of the ancient Silk Road.
In terms of musical instruments, the band skillfully uses a wide range of instruments from various traditions ranging from Europe to the Silk Road, sometimes intertwined in an out-of-the-ordinary way. In reality, Albaluna’s sound is characterized by the use of fiery hurdy-gurdy, fiddles, guitar, lutes, global percussion and a rock style rhythm section with electric bass and drums.
Musicians: Ruben Monteiro on vocals, hurdy-gurdy, bağlama, guitar; Raquel Monteiro on vocals, violin, medieval vielle; Dinis Coelho on jembe, darbuka, dahola, bendir, riq; Christian Marr’s on vocals, bass, bouzouki; Carla Costa on tin whistle, bagpipes, ney; and Tiago Santos on drums.
Buy Ennead.
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