Re: New Muzsika's album

[delatizk <delatizk...>]

Kevin> I understand that the Hungarian group "Muzsika's" has put out an album
Kevin> of Hungarian Jewish music. Apparently they got together with a couple
Kevin> of guys who had played with Jewish musicians a lot before the war....

The album is called "Maramaros: The Lost Jewish Music of Transylvania" and is
on one of RYKO's labels.

Supposedly the Muzsikas folks got together with a couple of old gypsy
musicians who somehow managed to survive the war and the Nazis.  They were
not Jewish, but had played with Jewish musicians and at least partially
remembered the styles.  The result is on the album.  The old gypsies play on
some of the tracks.

It's been out for several months.  I'm by no means an expert at
differentiating between Hungarian and Rumanian Jewish and non-Jewish folk
musics.  I find the album interesting, though not overwhelmingly successful.
There are some clearly familiar tunes, such as the very traditional "Ani
Maamin", as well as others which don't sound particularly Jewish.  I'm glad
to have it, though less so than I had expected.

The musicianship is fine, ranging from rough and ready to quite elegant, as
needed by the material.

There are extensive notes, well worth reading.

<j>

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Topic No. 18