Various Artists – Rudolstadt Festival 6 – 9 Juli 2017 (Galileo, 2017)
Rudolstadt Festival 6 – 9 Juli 2017 is a beautifully-packaged triple disc set featuring two audio CDs, a DVD and a hard cover book with photos and liner notes in German and English. This album features the artists that appeared in the 2017 edition of Rudolstadt Festival, one of the largest world music festivals in Europe.
Even though the focus in 2017 was the music of Scotland, the festival also brought in a wide range of artists from many other parts of the globe.
The highlights on disc 1 include Argentine composer Gerardo Jerez Le Cam, who combines Argentine folk with Eastern European infleunces; American folk diva Ani DiFranco; the dazzling virtuosity of Kurdish ensemble Nishtiman; mesmerizing choir Riho from the nation of Georgia; young Polish female ensemble Sutari; the spellbinding work of Tuultenpesä featuring two wind ensembles from Finland and Sweden; reggae stars Toots & The Maytals; a trio of virtuoso musicians: Efrén López (Spain), Stelios Petrakis (Greece) and Bijan Petrakis Chemirani (France/Iran); and the electric krar-fueled modern Ethiopian sound of Krar Collective.
The center of attention on disc 2 is Scotland. The highpoints includes Scottish roots band Fred Freeman Group; the cutting edge sounds of Niteworks, who mix Gaelic vocals, Celtic roots and electronica; acclaimed contemporary folk ensemble Breabach; the wonderful western-Indian fusion of Yorkston Thorne Khan featuring hypnotic sarangi; the lovely vocals of Margaret Stewart accompanied by Patsy Seddon on harp; the talented multi-instrumentalists Mairearad & Anna; fiddle master Paul Anderson; and the irresistible electric Ceilidh sound of Sketch.
Overall, Rudolstadt Festival 2017 is a fine sampling of some of the great world music out there and a good way to discover new artists.
Buy the album from shop.rudolstadt-festival.de
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.
