by Paul Kavanagh
Sometimes during political campaigns it’s nice just relax for a wee while, especially when the campaign is going well and you can afford to daydream for a short time about brighter days ahead. So this week instead of bringing you worthy tales of small nations far away, I propose much more relaxing and pleasurable way of discovering wha’s like us.
Celtic music is both popular and well-established in the Iberian peninsula. Newsnet has previously carried articles mentioning the Celtic links between Scotland, Ireland and Wales and the North West of the peninsula, especially Galicia and Asturias with their long tradition of bagpiping. These links come across most strongly, and most emotively, in the music of the region. Traditional but modern, informed with passion and style, Iberian Celtic music is world class, and deserves a much wider audience in Scotland.
So pour yourself a glass of your favourite non caffeinated alcoholic tipple (we don’t want to upset Andy Kerr), put your feet up and Bienvenidos – Benvinguts – Benvidos – Ongi Etorri – Welcome to a Celtic music tour of Iberia.
Hevia : Busindre Reel
Hevia is the foremost amongst the new generation of Asturian bagpipers. He first came to prominence in Spain in 1998 with this track, Busindre Reel from the album Tierra de Nadie (No Man’s Land), which stayed at the top of the Spanish charts for weeks throughout the summer. All over Spain the sound of bagpipes filled the streets. Hevia has since gone on to great international success, bringing his unmistakable ambient bagpiping to a world audience and contributing greatly to popularising Celtic music throughout the Spanish speaking world.
Carlos Núñez : O Pozo de Arán The Well of Aran
The godfather of the Iberian Celtic music revival, the Galiian musician Carlos Núñez is perhaps best known in Scotland for his work with the Irish band the Chieftains. This song tells the story of a mother who takes her blind son to the magical well of Aran in search of a miracle. This clip is sung in Galego, the Spanish language version was a chart success in both Spain and Latin America.
| Soñei, e todo estaba tan claro | I dreamed and everything was clear |
| Mirei, un lugar un pozo sagrado | I looked in a place with a sacred well |
| Soñei, que o meu fillo estaba curado | I dreamed that my son was cured |
| Falei, ca’ aquela villiña chorando | Crying I spoke with the old woman there |
| Meu neno na mirada ten unha noite infinita | My child has the infinite night in his gaze |
| O pozo do teu soño esta en Aran na grande illa | The well in your dream is in Aran the great isle |
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| Xa verás, a luz que alegra todo | Now you will see, the light that gladdens everything |
| Verás por fin, o sol por riba noso | At last you’ll see the sun shine on us all |
| Verás o ceo, grande azul e limpo | You’ll see the sky, great blue and clean |
| Vas ver onde se xuntan ceo e mar | You’re going to see the waves that join the sea and sky |
| Coa vida nos teus ollos | With life in your eyes |
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| Ben sei, é difícil aínda que queiras | I know it’s hard even if you want |
| Facer, que toda a vida floreza | To make all life flourish |
| Que ao fin, acabe con ver nesta espera | Today at last let our waiting end |
| Que ao fin, poida ver meu neno esta terra | Today at last let my son see this Earth |
| Eu pídolle ás estrelas que bendigan esta auga | I beg the stars to bless this water |
| Que o mundo non te cégue | That the world may never blind you |
| Que a túa noite sexa clara | And that your night may be clear. |
Celtas Cortos : Fiesta Party
The bad boys of Iberian Celtic Music. Celtas Cortos ‘Short Celts’ is the name of an old Spanish brand of cigarettes. Sort of like Woodbine, only not quite so classy. Strongly influenced by the Pogues, the Waterboys and Celtic Punk, this is a band to have a party with. This is a track from their new album Introversiones, telling of a drunken local fiesta in a village in Almería in south eastern Spain.
| Yo soy Jesús Hernández Cifuentes | I’m Jesús Hernández Cifuentes |
| soy bienvenido a Almería | I’m welcome to Almería |
| agua sin gas, café con leche | still water, coffee with milk |
| tenemos fiestas y romería | we’ve got a party and a knees up |
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| Y la canción de la Chochona | And the song of La Chochona |
| tenemos brandy y ron con cola | we’ve got brandy and rum with cola |
| y Leonardo y su acordéon | and Leonardo and his accordion |
| de calamares come otra racion. | eating another helping of squid. |
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| Y vámanos todos de fiesta, | And let’s all go have a party |
| las tías quieren guerra | the girls want to pick a fight |
| diré a Dios si volveré | I’ll say to God if I come back |
| a ver Almeria otra vez … | to see Almería again … |
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| Hay un feriante, ahí lo ves, | There’s a party goer, you see over there |
| que parla uno de de los tres | who chats to one of the three |
| le susurró al oído | He whispered in the ear |
| “¡Mátame esa muñeca, cariño!” | “Kill that doll for me love!” |
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| Ha ganao la Chochona en el bingo | He’s won La Chochona at the bingo |
| y toda la ciudad de a loco Gringo. | And the whole town’s mad like Gringos |
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| Partirse de risa al tirar | Splitting their sides with laughter |
| la muñeca del capitán al mar. | when they throw the captain’s doll in the sea |
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| chorus | |
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| El veiticinco de agosto, | The 25th of August |
| abrío sus ojos Jaime Fearnley |
Jaime Fearney opened his eyes |
| para beberse cincuenta ron con cola |
in order to drink 50 rum and colas |
| y se echó a dormir la mona | and went and slept it off |
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| Y Costello el rey de América | And Costello the king of America |
| y suntuosa Cait O’Riordan | and the magnficent Cait O’Riordan |
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| No me toques más los cojones |
Don’t mess with my balls |
| los gritos fuera de las casas |
the shouts outside the houses |
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| chorus |
Luar na Lubre : Hai un paraiso There is a paradise
Luar na Lubre ‘Moonlight in the Forest’ are a Galician band from A Coruna. Best known for their collaboration with Mike Oldfield, they are one of the best known Galician Celtic music groups. Most of their songs are sung in Galego, the Galician language. This is a track from their album Luar na Lubre Ao Vivo Luar na Lubre Live. The track is based on a traditional song about the pilgrimage route to the cathedral of St James the Apostle in the Galician city of Compostela.
| Hai un paraiso nos confíns da terra, | There’s a paradise at the ends of the Earth |
| Hai un paraiso ao que guian as estrelas. | There’s a paradise which the stars point to |
| Hai un paraiso nos confíns da terra, | There’s a paradise at the ends of the Earth |
| Hai un paraiso ao que guian as estrelas. | There’s a paradise which the stars point to. |
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| Por sete camiños chegan ata aquí | By seven roads they come here |
| por sete camiños, son os pelegríns … | By seven roads, they are the pilgrims … |
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| Hai un paraiso nos confíns da terra, | There’s a paradise at the ends of the Earth |
| E a cidade santa chamase Compostela. | And a holy city called Compostela. |
| Hai un paraiso nos confíns da terra | There’s a paradise at the ends of the Earth |
| E a cidade santa chamase Compostela. | And a holy city called Compostela. |
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| Por sete camiños chegan ata aquí | By seven roads they come here |
| Por sete camiños, son os pelegríns. | By seven roads, they are the pilgrims. |
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| Meu Señor Santiago que estás en Galicia | My Lord St. James you are in Galicia |
| Dende todo o mundo veñen con ledicia. | from all over the world they come in joy … |
Sueño de Morfeo : Nunca Volverá He will never return
An Asturian rock band with a strong Celtic influence in their music, El sueño de morfeo ‘the Sleep of Morpheus’ broke into the mainstream in 2005 with this single from their second album the self titled Sueño de Morfeo. Now one of the biggest selling music groups in Spain and Latin America, in recent years they have moved away from their earlier Celtic based sound.
| La encontraron días despues | The found her days later |
| con las manos blancas de pintar | with white paint on her hands |
| su nombre en la pared | her name on the wall |
| y el tuyo junto a el borrado de pensar | and yours beside it erased from thinking |
| que nunca volverá | that he will never return |
| que nunca ha estado allí | that he has never been here |
| que todas las promesas que hizo no eran de verdad | that all the promises he made were not true |
| que nunca volverá | that he will never return |
| que nunca ha estado allí | that he has never been here |
| que todas las promesas que hizo no eran de verdad | that all the promises he made were not true |
| y al verte quiso gritar | and on seeing you she wanted to scream |
| y no pudo más que susurrar | and could do no more than whisper |
| palabras sin razón | words without reason |
| rompió su corazón lamentando pensar | it broke her heart crying to think |
| que nunca volverá | that he would never return |
| que nunca ha estado allí | that he has never been here |
| que todas las promesas que hizo no eran de verdad … | that all the promises he made were not true … |