Dèria (Galileo-MC, 2009)
Spanish singer Mara Aranda has been involved in some essential world music projects based in Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast. She was a member of famed band L’Ham de Foc (Mediterranean world music) and Aman Aman (Sephardic). She is back with a new recording that focuses on the music of the ancient kingdom of Aragon. Before Spain became a unified nation, several Christian and Muslim kingdoms existed in the Iberian Peninsula. The kingdom of Aragon in eastern Spian included the current autonomous communities of Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. The languages spoken in ancient Aragon were derived from Latin and included Castilian (what we currently know as Spanish), Aranese, Catalan and Valencian.
Gifted with a prodigious and powerful voice, Aranda has compiled traditional folk songs from the various regions and gave them new life, with contemporary folk music arragements. The repertory includes Romances (ballads), cantos de trabajo (work songs), melodías de baile de bastones (melodies of cane dances), boleros, bailes de cabezudos (dances of large headed carnival figures), fandangos, and Aranese aubadas.
Aranda’s new band is called Solatge. It includes experienced virtuoso musicians from various parts of Spain and folk traditions, including Manolo López (bass), Jota Martínez (bouzouki, cítola and zanfona) , Eduard Navarro (dulzainas, gaitas, moraharpa, lute and mandolin) and Josep Maria Ribelles (harp).
With Deria, Mara Aranda and Solatge introduce the listener to a brilliant amalgamation of the musics of the ancient kingdom of Aragon.
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.
