Noró (Algunhas Músicas do Norte)

Xabier Díaz is a restless and eternally curious researcher of Galicia's traditional music. Famous for his work with groups Berrogüetto and ACadaCanto, Díaz had collaborated with local musicians Kepa Junkera and Carmen París, but with the break-up of Berrogüetto in 2014, he started to look for his own projects. The Tambourine Man, released in 2015, had a serious impact in Galicia's music, showcasing a groundbreaking approach to popular songs – although this innovation did not imply a radical cut with the past. The album collected an array of prizes. It was also Diaz's first collaboration with Adufeiras de Salitre, a traditional Galician group of 11 female singers and percussionists. They were supported by brothers Gutier Álvarez and Javier Álvarez on hurdy-gurdy, violin and accordion. This is basically the same team we now find behind Noró.

The album focuses on the north-western repertoire of the Iberian peninsula, meaning that there's a Celtic flavour to these songs. It's lovely when the voices and percussion of Adufeiras lead tracks such as ‘O Baile de Noró’, ‘Unha Fala e n Cantar’ or ‘Flor de Maio’, or when Díaz beautifully follows more contemplative and floating paths in ‘Voa o Aire’ or ‘Ronda dos Amores’.