Galata

This is an intriguing imaginary musical journey. From the Middle Ages onwards, merchants from the Republic of Genoa established trading colonies all over the Mediterranean and one of the most powerful of these was based in the Galata quarter of Istanbul. Music specifically from there has not survived but the compositions of Franco Minelli – the man behind Orchestra Bailam – re-create the sounds that may have been heard through its streets and cafés with a remarkable sleight of hand. The whole album is a very credible conceit: from the sepia photo of the band on the cover and the appropriate hotchpotch of instruments from East and West to the lyrics that tell of travellers’ longing for home. The way that accordion, double bass and hearty northern Italian harmony singing are blended with Turkish zurna (double-reed pipe), baglama (longnecked lute) and Oriental percussion is splendidly evocative and would fool all but the most eager ethnomusicologist. Given the care and attention to detail that has gone into cultivating the sound of a bygone era, it's slightly puzzling that the recording kicks off with its only modern, folk-rock track. However, this is a minor niggle as, overall, Galata succeeds in being extremely clever and highly enjoyable.