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 Acetre
Desehario (Galileo Music, 2007)
This CD arrived recently and immediately became a candidate for best world music CD of the year. Acetre is frequently called a contemporary folk music band, based in Extremadura (Spain). However, the boundaries between contemporary folk and world music are non-existent in this case.
Extremadura was known until recently for its handful of Flamenco singers and traditional folk bands. In recent years, a new generation of creative musicians have joined the thriving Spanish world music scene. Acetre is one of them.
The latest Acetre album, Dehesario, is dedicated to the dehesa, the large Mediterranean forests that cover a large part of Extremadura. This is the beautiful land of cork oaks and evergreen oaks, where free-range pigs are raised and what some people consider the best ham in the world is produced.
Acetre extracts ancient songs from the borderlands, the territory that separates (or joins) Spain and Portugal. The songs include lyrics in Spanish and Portuguese. The music is a delightful mix of polyphonic female vocals, Extremaduran folk melodies and global beats.
Acetre's musicians are multi-instrumentalists. They play a wide range of instruments that range from the Extremaduran bagpipe to African percussion and sartenes (Spanish frying pans). The band is joined by an impressive line-up of guests from other parts of Spain, as well as France, Morocco, Portugal and the United States.
To top it all, the digipack presentation is impeccable, with beautiful artwork and complete lyrics. Truly impressive. Hats off to Acetre and their label, Galileo Music.
Buy Dehesario (only available from Europe).
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