Fios de Ouro No Ár

Harp player and Milladoiro founder Rodrigo Romaní is one of the foremost exponents of Galician folk, playing a leading role in its revival since the late 70s. The trio that bears his name, formed with fellow harpist Beatriz Martínez and percussionist Xulia Feixoo, explores a more subdued soundscape, with the strings inevitably to the fore. Romaní also plays guitar, double bass, ocarina and sings on some tracks; the opening song, ‘Indo de Cara á Grixoa’, is perhaps the most captivating, featuring an uncredited female vocalist and sounding like a strange hybrid of medieval plainsong and Víctor Jara or Violeta Parra.

There's an incantatory quality throughout, as if a spell is being cast, with occasional dashes towards a more expressive ecstasy. But harp music has a limited timbre, and lacks resonance; consequently, the music seems to drift and ripple, rarely finding textural depth. Galician music has a sweetness and light not found in its Irish and Scottish cousins, perhaps borne of a need for hope in the midst of Atlantic storms, with families sundered by the call of the sea. Who knows? Bereft of notes in English, or any other language, the CD makes no effort to translate its secrets to a wider audience.