Stopy

In the last decades, the living folk traditions of Eastern Europe have changed from traditional to revival. The Michal Noga Band are perhaps the best revival band – I’ve seen them in action at a dance house in Bratislava and at Východná Festival. Whereas the traditional musicians just play the music of their particular region, someone like fiddle player Noga has learned many regional styles from old veterans or archive recordings. This album pays homage to those great traditional musicians in his reel-to-reel archive and from whom he’s learned his skills.

Some fragments of the archive recordings are used, briefly, to introduce or conclude the Noga Band’s wonderful recreations. These 11 tracks, including instrumentals and vocals, are really worth getting to know as a superb introduction to the regional traditions of Slovakia. Highlights include ‘Dušíkova Fujara’, the fujara shepherds’ pipe imitated on violin by Ján ‘Dušan’ Berky; the violin and portable cimbalom duo from Klenovec playing ‘Klenovca do Kopca’; and the infectious music of the Humeník family, all recreated by the Noga Band. I was delighted to see the presence of Jozef Češlak Kroka, my favourite of the vanished players, who Noga learned from personally. The penultimate track, ‘Češlakova Ostatna’ (Češlak’s Last) is a fine tribute. The CD booklet (in Slovak and English) has great archive photos and mini profiles of the musicians. The best CD in years of traditional Slovak music.