Alienda – Alienda (self-release, 2023)
Alienda was the noteworthy debut album of Alienda, a contemporary folk band from Asturias in northern Spain. The band’s sound is characterized by a mix of traditional instruments from Spain such as bagpipes and guitar, along with Irish bouzouki and the power of electric bass and drum set. Another distinct feature is the use of two excellent vocalists, male and female.
The Alienda album features a mix of graceful instrumentals and songs with a Celtic flavor. This includes finely crafted original material as well as captivating, inventive and soulful recreations of traditional songs from various corners of Asturias, a largely mountainous region. For example, añadas (lullabies), muñeiras, and valses (waltzes).
Interestingly, Alienda also add unexpected elements such as the collaboration of a full Asturian pipe band (Banda Gaites Villaviciosa) on “Rucáures,” as well as a Hungarian melody.
Musicians: Bárbara González-Quevedo Pedrayes on fiddle and vocals; Carlos Castro Vázquez on bass; Edu Llosa García on drums and percussion; Emilio Amboage Rodríguez on guitar; Francisco Rodríguez Buznego on bouzouki and guitar; and Illán Escalada Martínez on gaita (bagpipe) and vocals.
Guests: Daniel Valdés Figaredo on drums and percussion; and Banda Gaites Villaviciosa – El Gaitero.
Buy Alienda.
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.