Nakaira is a world music group from Italy. It performs traditional music from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and the Celtic Areas (Ireland, Northern Spain, etc.), as well as its original music (always inspired by the traditions of the above mentioned areas).
The band’s musical project aims to connect styles of different cultures. In doing this, Nakaira uses various traditional instruments. In addition, the group is also working on the popular music of Sicily, where it comes from.
Nakaira’s members don’t have the intention of acting as ethnomusicologists, but instead, it tries to give listeners a taste of the sounds and rhythms of various traditions. Sometimes the different styles are combined closely together in order to reveal their similarities, but other times they are mixed to get a pleasing musical result.
Melthemi is the title of Nakaira’s 2003 CD and it is also name of a Mediterranean wind. It enabled the first people who discovered it to trace new routes in the Mediterranean Sea and to enhance the spreading of cultures and populations. This is the spirit that drove the band in the recording of its second CD: original and traditional music. A trip from Greece to Sephardic Spain, and to the outskirts of the Middle East, passing through Sicily, Nakaira’s native land. Melthemi rides on the wings of a song in Sicilian dialect, whose text was been expressively written for the album by Sicilian singer-songwriter Carlo Muratori based on an original Nakaira theme.
Musicians: Antonio Curiale – violin, ud; Fulvio Farkas – percussion; Angelo Liotta – strings; Vincenzo Virgillito – bass;
Discography:
Musiche A Danzare Tra Oriente E Occidente (Musicisti Associati Produzioni, 2000)
Melthemi (2003)
Di Terra E Di Mare (Alfa Music, 2009)
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.
