#4857, Women's Voices
There's music by singer/composers who draw on folk traditions: Akkajee (Finland); Hysterrae (Italy and Iran); and/or medieval music: Hatis Noit (Japan); and Meredith Monk (USA); plus music by bassist/song sculptor Ruth Goller.
Hear music from Finnish experimental folk music duo Akkajee [Meriheini Luoto (nyckelharpa, vocals etc.) & Iida Savolainen (viola, vocals etc.)] in a song with excerpts from several childbirth spells from the 19th century. The prescription instructs the person in labor to drink horse sweat (mmmm!) while threading oneself through a horse collar three times, and reciting the “Our Father” prayer three times backwards. The tune is from their album from their album, 'Lastenkerääjä' ('Child Collector.')
There’s also music by Hysterrae, four musicians, all women, from three different traditions who draw on music from Afghanistan to southern Italy. They’ve worked with electronic music producer Emanuele Flandoli, on their self-titled debut in songs that deal with life as seen from a female perspective. Listen to the song, “Jesce Sole” or “Come Out, Sun”, which brings in the Albanian cellist Redi Hasa.
Hear music by Japanese-born London-based Hatis Noit which draws on Bulgarian folk singing, Gregorian chant, gagaku (Japanese court music), and experimental pop. Hatis Noit’s name means the stem of the lotus flower and is intended to serve as connection between the living world (represented by the lotus flower) and the spirit world (the lotus root.) Listen also to a sizable portion of Meredith Monk’s 1981 album Dolmen Music, which combines Balkan music, medieval music, and extended vocal techniques.
Listen to sculptures of detuned electric and acoustic bass lines, chiming harmonics, and layered choral vocals by London-based, Italian-born composer, bassist, and vocalist Ruth Goller from her album, SKYLLUMINA. Each of the songs on the album features a different drummer – and the one we’ll hear, “She Was My Own She Was Myself”, involves percussionist and composer Bex Burch (of the band Vula Viel), who has released an album of “messy minimalism” herself called, There is only love and fear also on the International Anthem label.
Then, hear music from Finnish quartet Tuuletar, who vocalize over a web of drones, all featuring calls of The Eurasian curlew from a compilation album, Simmerdim: Curlew Sounds. That, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4857, Women's Voices (First aired 3/14/2024)
ARTIST: Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble + Robert Een, cello
WORK: Dolmen Music [1:00]
RECORDING: Dolmen Music
SOURCE: ECM Records 1197
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Hatis Noit
WORK: Jomon [4:48]
RECORDING: Aura
SOURCE: Erased Tapes
INFO: https://hatisnoit.bandcamp.com/album/aura
ARTIST: Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble + Robert Een, cello
WORK: Dolmen Music [11:18]
RECORDING: Dolmen Music
SOURCE: ECM Records 1197
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Ruth Goller
WORK: She Was My Own She Was Myself [4:45]
RECORDING: Skyllumina
SOURCE: International Anthem
INFO: https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/skyllumina
ARTIST: Laurel MacDonald
WORK: Cadal Chan Fhaigh Mi [6:40]
RECORDING: Luscinia's Lullaby
SOURCE: Improbable Music #04
INFO: improbablemusic.com
ARTIST: Hysterrae
WORK: Jesce sole [5:03]
RECORDING: Hysterrae
SOURCE: Linfa
INFO: https://hysterrae.bandcamp.com/album/hysterrae
ARTIST: Akkajee
WORK: Syntymä (Childbirth) [7:41]
RECORDING: Lastenkerääjä
SOURCE: akkajee.bandcamp.com
INFO: https://eclipsemusic.lnk.to/LastenkerjAkkajee
ARTIST: Tuuletar
WORK: Kevään Kajo [3:25]
RECORDING: Simmerdim- Curlew Sounds
SOURCE/INFO: curlewsoundsproject.org
ARTIST: Zulal
WORK: Oror -- Lullaby [1:49]
RECORDING: Notes to a Crane
SOURCE/INFO: https://www.zulal.org
