Auga De Maio

Amazon.com
The present album marks Milladoiro's 20th anniversary as Galicia's ambassadors to the world. They have recorded with the Chieftains, Paul Winter, Kathy Mattea, Bill Whelan (Riverdance), and the young Galician gaita (bagpipe) sensation Susana Seivane. The band was formed at a medieval pilgrimage site (their name refers to small piles of stones erected by the devout along roadsides), and they incorporate early music, Moorish sources, rhythmically lopsided Iberian folkways, dance-oriented Irish styles, and a frisson of jazz into acoustic chamber-folk opuses. The harp, the Uilleann (Irish) pipes and gaita, accordions, woodwinds, and percussion are prominent in the arrangements. As always, Milladoiro's sound is slightly cool and introverted, and the most sprightly melodies have an underlying hint of wistfulness or nostalgia. The Spanish pop star Ana Belén and Olga Cerpa from the Canary Islands are very different singers, but each adds a welcome feminine energy and allure to the proceedings. --Christina Roden

Tracks:

Alalas Da Ulla
O Santo De Polvora
Romance De Triacastela
Carballesas
Estrelina Do Luceiro
Alborada De Verin
Polca Da Mahia
Ribeirana E Golpe
Marcha Procesional De Caldas De Reis
Cantos De Pandeiro De Cabana E Corcoesto
Moraima
No Confin Dos Verdes Castros
Muneiras De Poio E De Manuel Dopazo
Cantos De Arrieiro Da Fonsagrada
Maneo De Fontenla/Jotas

Amazon.com

The present album marks Milladoiro's 20th anniversary as Galicia's ambassadors to the world. They have recorded with the Chieftains, Paul Winter, Kathy Mattea, Bill Whelan (Riverdance), and the young Galician gaita (bagpipe) sensation Susana Seivane. The band was formed at a medieval pilgrimage site (their name refers to small piles of stones erected by the devout along roadsides), and they incorporate early music, Moorish sources, rhythmically lopsided Iberian folkways, dance-oriented Irish styles, and a frisson of jazz into acoustic chamber-folk opuses. The harp, the Uilleann (Irish) pipes and gaita, accordions, woodwinds, and percussion are prominent in the arrangements. As always, Milladoiro's sound is slightly cool and introverted, and the most sprightly melodies have an underlying hint of wistfulness or nostalgia. The Spanish pop star Ana Belén and Olga Cerpa from the Canary Islands are very different singers, but each adds a welcome feminine energy and allure to the proceedings. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

A Galician living in a New Jersey town........2000-12-11

I have been following Milladoiro since their beginnings. I saw them in concert (it was very small and cozy) over 22 years ago in A Coruna, Spain with my then girlfriend (now my wife). Every time I listen to them it gives me a chill. This CD is classic Milladoiro and 100 per cent Galician music. It deserves to be heard over and over again. I would recommend it to anyone.

Milladoiro, as always.......2000-10-26

A typical Milladoiro recording with a breath of new fresh air. Beautifully done, this work seems very solemn and serious at times, while at others it can be whimsical and light. A recording that takes a lot of traditional sounds and makes them very modernized while still maintaining the traditional roots. For those unfamiliar with Milladoiro and thinking that this is typical spanish music- the music on this cd has NOTHING to do with the music of the rest of spain. its sound is entirely GALICIAN, and Milladoiro plays the traditional instruments of this province and adds modern sounds and outside influences (ie the harp).

Delightful, beautifully performed music........2000-09-18

I serendipitiously came across this CD while looking for something else, and after listening to a few excerpts, I found myself entranced by the sounds. I have to admit I had never heard of Milladoiro before, but I'm totally sold. The beautiful Celtic sounds, stamped with an unmistakeably Spanish flavor in many of the traditional Galician numbers, is simply entrancing.