David Dalle
Thursday June 30th, 2016 with David Dalle
Fanfare Ciocarlia: let them blow, let them roar!

This past week at the Ottawa Jazz Festival I saw two amazing concerts presenting two opposite extremes of musical expression. Colin Stetson's "Sorrow - a Reimagining of Gorecki's 3rd Symphony" was apocalyptic in its violent grief, it shattered the soul. The next night, the explosive Fanfare Ciocarlia--the musical incarnation of joy--restored and uplifted the soul. Like an addict, I want to sustain the fabulous high of these transcendent brass musicians. 3 weeks ago I recounted Fanfare Ciocarlia's rise from rural Romania to global domination: http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/105/27470.html Now they have set their aim even higher, beyond this world! We hear their new album "Onwards to Mars!" Fanfare Ciocarlia--Let them blow, let them roar! We will also hear a new, almost indescribable album by two master musicians from China: Wu Wei and Wang Li. Their new album "Overtones" features some ancient and unusual Chinese and Asian traditional instruments: the Sheng, hulusi, bawu, komoz, matouqin--mouth organs, reeded pipes, jew's harps, and the prized Mongolian fiddle. Despite the enormous age of some of these instruments (Sheng and Komoz are several thousand years old), the music is contemporary, experimental compositions--beautiful, striking, intense, unexpected. They often sound more like electronic music with some Indian singing added. A magnificent and wholly original album. We will also hear some new Gnawa music infused with Latin Jazz and Pan-African sensibility from Algeria; Soukous from Minneapolis; and some Icelandic music celebrating the extremely joyful and unexpected success of Iceland's national team at their first European Cup!