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OREKA TX/SWÅP
Live at The Arches, Glasgow
Celtic Connections
30th January 2003
The twin fiddles of Swedish maestros Carina Normansson and Ola Bäckström and the piano accordion and guitar of Karen Tweed and Ian Carr respectively have been breaking new ground in European traditional music with their highly contemporary mixture of Irish, English and Swedish traditional tunes for a few years now. Tonight they include new material that is as strong and striking as their old favourites and get a rapturous response from the crowd. Swåp are a much loved band at this festival and for once there is no noisy chat at the bar whilst people wait for the main act - everyone is entranced by the musical dexterity of this truly unique group.
The txalapartas of Oreka TX look like a cross between a glockenspiel and a table and the impressive lighting skills of their engineer create a thrilling atmospheric mood that bathes these young Basque performers in an air of mystery and magic. When they start to play the effect is electric! The txalaparta is played by two people hitting the different lengths of wood or stone in synchronicity and the band's name reflects the co-operative nature of the instrument - Oreka means 'balance' in Basque. One side of the stage has the instruments played by the two men (who have been here before with Kepa Junkera) and the other by two women, one of whom also sings, her exquisitely tuneful voice full of depth and beauty. They also have a percussionist, an accordionist and an alboka (basically a bagpipe without the bag) player. The overall effect is a delightful mixture of rhythm, music and movement. The place is on its feet at the end to give them a standing ovation and a couple of encores. You can't get enough of this group once you've seen them - a true broadening of your musical horizons!
Kit Bailey - February 2003
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Folk & Acoustic
