With a tribute to the trumpet in the (brass) band. The development of the modern trumpet goes back thousands of years. Practically all civilizations have produced trumpets, made of ivory, bronze, silver and brass, its shape straight or bent. Most trumpets from ancient times were straight or bent and had a long, almost cylindrical tube with a slightly diverging beaker.
These natural trumpets could only produces the tones of a single overtone series (only high notes). It wasn’t until the beginning of the 19th century, the valve trumpet was invented. This substantially expanded the number of tones the trumpet could produce. The trumpet then really becomes a full melodic instrument.
Di Shikere Kapelye by Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-stars.
Literally translated, the title of this debut album means "Band of Drunks". The album was recorded ath the famous ’Knitting Factory’ in Brooklyn New York and is a tribute to an ensemble with the same name that existed at the beginning of the 19th century. Frank Londen is one of the trumpeters, furthermore they have a tenor horn, clarinets, saxophones and percussion. The titles are hilarious and revealing them would only spoil the fun.
Cd. Di Shikere Kapelye by Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-stars. Label: Piranha Muzik (2000), code: PIR1467. Video
A Mover la Colita by La Sonora Dinamita.
Lucho Argain, the Colombian arranger/composer, is the founder of the band La Sonora Dinamita. The band plays tropical music that encompasses cumbia, salsa and other rythmic forms. The wind instruments – particularly the trumpet – are fantastisc, as is the percussion; they are the driving force behind it. Dit is great dance music played by one of the most popular bands of Latin America.
Cd. A Mover la Colita by La Sonora Dinamita. Label: World Music Network / Riverboat Records (19980, code: TUGCD1016. Video
The Promise by Boban Markovic Orkestar.
It’s a family affair! Boban & Marko are father and son. The most celebrated superstar of the Balkan Brass trumpet and ‘Les Enfants Terribles’ of the trumpet. The annual brassband festival in Guca, Central Serbia, is the ultimate competition for brassbands worldwide. Boban Markovic is the undisputed king. He was the first artist in history to receive full marks from all members of the jury at the festival ‘The First Trumpet’ in 2001.
Cd. The Promise by Boban Markovic Orkestar. Label: Pihanha (2005), code: CD-PIR1901. Video
Canciones de Mexico by Serenata Mexicana.
Serenata Mexicana is a Dutch Mariachi band from the south of the Netherlands, who released Canciones de Mexico in 1993. Mariachi (Mexican streetmusic), a term commonly used to describe a genre, doesn’t refer to the music but to the orchestra. Originally, the orchestra only had two or three violins, a harp and guitars. Nowadays, the harp is rarely used and they added at least two trumpets.
Cd. Canciones de Mexico by Serenata Mexicana. Label: Munich Records (1993), code: MRMCD 004.
Stip Macedonia by Duvački Orkestar Mladi Braka Kadrievi.
A colourful palette of often virtuoso music styles played by gypsies all over the world. The concept gypsy music is as hard to define as trying to confine the Romani people. Circa 1000AD, they started in southeast India with a more often than not endless journey. The Romani frequently mixed their music with what was popular in the region they were staying in. This led to the development of many branches on the same musical tree. Probably the most well-known are the inflaming rhythms from the Balkans and eastern Europe, in which the trumpet plays an important part.
Cd. Stip Macedonia by Duvački Orkestar Mladi Braka Kadrievi. Label: PAN Records (1999), code: PAN 173CD. Video
Brassileiro, Brass Music from Northeastern Brazil by Quinteto Brassil.
Quinteto Brassil is a brass quintet with percussion, formed by professors from the Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil. They participate in the most important instrumental music festivals in cities like Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, São Paulo, etc. Moreover, the band contributed to the musical education of music groups from various inland towns, thereby creating professional opportunities for the indigenous population.
Cd. Brassileiro, Brass Music from Northeastern Brazil by Quinteto Brassil. Label: Numbus Records (1997), code: NI 5503.
