But Do They Wear Kilts?: Auli and "Zemzeme"

Our random tune for today is by Auli, a Latvian band formed in 2003 as a drum and bagpiping group, which is a bit of an oddity for that country. Some of its members came from the first drum and bagpiping group in Latvia, Dudinieki, which preceded them by 10 years. Latvia is not known for a tradition of drum and bagpiping, but Auli draws on folklore indicating that those instruments were frequently present in historical Latvia. Auli develops the sound of what they think Latvian bagpiping might have been, and combines it with drums, including one of the biggest tree trunk drums in the Baltics. Auli started out playing dance and bagpipe melodies and incorporating tunes and drum pieces of other European peoples, but they have since branched out, developing their own melodies and style to set them apart from other mediaeval piping groups in Europe. You have to admire their creativity! This song, Zemzeme, is from their 2010 release Etnotranss.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: http://auli.lv/

Spanish Celtic: Carlos Núñez and "Tro Breizh (Danzas Macabras)"

Today's random tune is by Spanish/Galician musician Carlos Núñez Muñoz, who usually goes by Carlos Núñez. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays the gaita, the Galician bagpipe, Galician flute, ocarina, Irish flute, whistle and low whistle. He was born in Vigo, Spain and began to play bagpipes at eight. He met Paddy Maloney of The Chieftains in his late teens and performed with the band, becoming known as the band's 7th member, as well as appearing with them on their album Santiago which focused on Galician music. He continues to tour, play in large and small venues and release recordings. This video is of a live performance of his Tro Breizh (Danzas Macabras), which can be found on his 2014 album Inter-Celtic.

Galician Celtic: The Chieftains and "Txalaparta"

This short but sweet random song of the day is by The Chieftains. Called Txalaparta, it is from their 1996 celebration of Galician Celtic music, Santiago (Pilgrimage to Santiago). The Chieftains are an Irish ensemble who introduced the wider world to Irish music. The Chieftains were formed in Dublin in 1962 and played their music primarily around the distinctive sound of uileann pipes. They took their name from the title of a novel by Irish author John Montague. Besides releasing several critically acclaimed albums, they are just as well known for their collaborations with such artists as Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Roger Daltry. They have released 44 albums.

Bag It Up: Cristina Pato and "Jota de Pontevedra"

Our random song today is by Cristina Pato. Pato is a Galician pianist, composer and also the first Galician female bagpiper in Spain to record a solo album. She holds a doctorate of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano, and degrees in piano performance and music theory from the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona. She has collaborated with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble, Arturo O'Farrill, The Chieftains, Paquito D'Rivera, The World Orchestra, Damian Woetzel, Lil Buck, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Osvaldo Golijov and has been guest artist in more than 20 recordings. This song, Jota de Pontevedra, is from her 2013 album Migrations.

Down Under: The Battlefield Band and "Out in Australia at Last"

Today's song is by a longtime Scottish folk group. The Battlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group founded in 1969. They are noted for the mix of bagpipes with other instruments, and their renditions of traditional songs and new material. While the band has gone through several lineups, their formula remains the same - bagpipes, electric keyboards (unusual for a traditional band) and no percussion (again, unusual). They have released 31 albums and have been nominated for many awards. Out in Australia at Last can be found on their 2006 CD The Road of Tears, which has a theme of displacement and voluntary and forced emigration.

Blowing Out the Eardrums: The Battlefield Band and "The Moleskin Kilt/The Empty Glen"

It was bout three or so years ago, maybe four, that we had an opportunity to have The Battlefield Band on our KUNM Global Music radio show. Megan and I didn't know what to expect. It was a last minute request by a concert promoter that we knew to bring them on the show - they were going to be playing a concert the following evening in Albuquerque. When they came in, probably about 10:15 pm, they looked like ordinary guys carrying instrument cases. We got them set up around the studio, and they sat at the mics with their instruments out. Megan interviewed them a little after throwing together some information about them. They were promoting their new album called Zama Zama: Try Your Luck. At some point they began playing, and that's when things got interesting. The bagpiper took out his pipes and began to warm them up, silently breathing into the mouthpiece. When they were ready to go, a drone started as he began to squeeze his bag and then they started, and he started really blowing. He had placed himself in the corner of the room, away from any mics, but the sound was deafening. If you've never been close to a set of bagpipes indoors, it's enough to blow the top of your head off when they really get going. Needless to say, Megan was trying to adjust the mic levels to come to a point where you could hear the guitar and the fiddle and the other instruments over the bagpipes, and to keep the levels at a decent place without going too hot and causing the mics to cut out. It was a pretty amazing evening. At another point, they played The Auchengeich Disaster, a song that I find extremely haunting. No bagpipes in that, but fiddle and a haunting voice. I won't easily forget that evening.

The Battlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group founded in 1969. They are noted for the mix of bagpipes with other instruments, and their renditions of traditional songs and new material. While the band has gone through several lineups, their formula remains the same - bagpipes, electric keyboards (unusual for a traditional band) and no percussion (again, unusual). They have released 31 albums and have been nominated for many awards. The Moleskin Kilt/The Empty Glen can be found on their 2006 CD The Road of Tears, which has a theme of displacement and voluntary and forced emigration.

Bagpipes in Latvia?: Auli and "Zenzeme"

This will be another short and sweet post, since I was out of town most of the day. Bagpipes! They seem to be all over the world. Some would consider that a great thing, and others not so much. I am in the camp that likes bagpipes, and have been very amazed at the breadth of countries that have them as part of their musical traditions.

One country that doesn't have much of a bagpipe tradition is Latvia, so leave it to a Latvian group to create one. Auli was formed in 2003 as a drum and bagpiping group. Some of its members came from the first drum and bagpiping group in Latvia, Dudinieki, which preceded them by 10 years. Latvia is not known for a tradition of drum and bagpiping, but Auli draws on folklore indicating that those instruments were frequently present in historical Latvia. Auli develops the sound of what they think Latvian bagpiping might have been, and combines it with drums including one of the biggest tree trunk drums in the Baltics. Auli started out playing dance and bagpipe melodies and incorporating tunes and drum pieces of other European peoples, but they have since branched out, developing their own melodies and style to set them apart from other mediaeval piping groups in Europe. You have to admire their creativity! Zemzeme is from their 2010 release Etnotranss.

Piping Hot: The Rogues and "Pipes in Space"

Call me crazy, but I really enjoy bagpipes. I know that there are some people that literally feel like bagpipes are the musical equivalent of running fingernails over a chalkboard, and I can understand why. They are loud, they have this underlying hum that you can't escape, their upper registers can sound like cats screeching a tune. And yet...

One story I was always told about bagpipes is that they were used by Scots to frighten the enemy before battle. I don't know if this is true or not, but I can easily imagine that if you were camping and you heard a Scottish regiment marching with bagpipes blowing and a large drum pounding, you might think the gates of hell had opened upon you.

But, the bagpipes are not just a Scotch instrument. There are numerous types of instruments made that use the same basic design - air blown into a bladder of some kind is then squeezed and forced out through pipes that can be played. And, they've been used all over the world. They are found throughout Europe (I have a tune by an Italian group named Fiamma Fumana that uses a particular bagpipe native to Italy), Northern Africa (I have another tune by Algeria's Cheb Mami that uses a bagpipe that interestingly does not compete with his Arabic lyrics, they must have muted it a bit), and the Middle East.

Once about three years ago, the Battlefield Band appeared on our Global Music Show. We got them into the studio, and they started to get ready to play a tune. One thing I never realized was just how loud even one Scottish bagpipe can be. The guy playing the bagpipe moved over to the corner of the studio farthest from the microphones, and when he let loose on that thing, it left my ears ringing.

Scots and Texans probably don't seem to have much in common, but I think they do. They are both proud people, tend to value their independence and sovereignty, and their cultures are known for fierce battles and martyrdom. When I discovered a Scottish group in Texas that played the bagpipes, I wasn't surprised. The Rogues were founded in Houston by Lars Sloane in 1987. They released their first recording in 1995 at the Texas Renaissance Festival on cassette. They figured they needed to sell one cassette a day to break even, and they sold 140 on the first day. They have received critical acclaim since, and have shared the stage with the likes of Steeleye Span, The Battlefield Band and Natalie McMaster. They have also performed with the full Air Force Symphony Orchestra. They still travel the renaissance fair circuit and released their latest album, 3 Lbs of Rage, in 2010. This song, Pipes in Space, is from their 2003 live album Made in Texas.