Groef
Des avonds in klein maneschijn (Appel Rekords APR 1322, 2010)
Groef is a phenomenal new band formed by musicians from the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium). Behind Groef is Dutch musician, teacher and producer Guy Roelofs. In 2007 he put together a band for the Folkwoods festival in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). The concept behind this band was to arrange traditional music from the Low Countries for a folk big band, with a focus on dance tunes. The band performed traditional material with contemporary folk arrangements. After the Folkwoods festival, Guy Roelofs was asked if he would record a CD with these arrangements.
The pieces were recorded “late in the evening under a flimsy moon”, and the title of the album is Des avonds in klein maneschijn.’ The musicians that participated in the album include 5 Flemish Belgians and 5 Dutch(wo)men, with ages between 19 and 60: Guy Roelofs (buzuki, nyckelharpa, keyboards), Jenny van Diggelen (flute, tin whistle), Rudy Velghe (fiddle, nyckelharpa), Raquel Gigot (accordion), Nele Martens (vocals), Evelien Smits (vocals), Kristien Segers (vocals), Arjan van Tricht (keyboards), Martin Vermeer (bass), and Jiroh Matulessy (drums, percussion).
Even though Des avonds in klein maneschijn presents recreations of folk music from Flanders and The Netherlands, there are echoes of contemporary Irish Celtic music the arrangements and the instrumentation includes the Swedish nyckelharpa, an instrument that has become increasingly popular in European folk music circles.
Groef’s ‘Des avonds in klein maneschijn’ is a an exciting surprise that serves as an introduction to the superb contemporary folk music being made in the Low Countries.
The CD is available from http://www.groef.eu/cd-itunes/index.php
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.
Hello A. Romero
Thank you for the kind words about GROEF!
Guy Roelofs
Oh, and just a minor detail….the title is ‘Des avonds in klein maneschijn’
Regards
Guy Roelofs