Series Editor: Judith R. Cohen
Alan Lomax made these recordings in 1952 and 1953, traveling through Spain during the Franco regime. Covering the breadth of Spanish regional culture, these songs and dance melodies constitute a portrait of the country’s varied musical life.

Aragón and València

Recorded 1952 by Alan Lomax with the assistance of Jeannette Bell and the collaboration of Eduardo Torner, Juan Uria Riu, Julio Caro Baroja, Radio Nacional, Antonio Mari, and Walter Starkie
Notes by Luis Bajén Garcia and Mario Gros Herrero (Aragón); and Josemi Sánchez Velasco (València), additional notes by Judith R. Cohen and Alberto Turón Lanuza; translations by Judith R .Cohen
“The jota is at its best with the scent of rosemary and fresh-plowed earth,” says the opening song on this CD. An infectious collection of danced and sung jotas, archaic threshing songs, May courting songs, struck zither tunes, raucous shawms and lyrical strings, traveling down from the mountains of Aragón to the fertile coast of València. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

The Basque Country:
Biscay and Guipuzcoa

Recorded 1952–1953 by Alan Lomax, assisted by Jeanette Bell, with the collaboration of Eduardo Torner
Notes, Basque translations, and transcriptions by Juan-Mari Beltran and Aintzane Camara; Spanish translations by Judith R. Cohen
These two volumes of rare recordings offer improvised sung poetry in the ancient Basque language; deep-voiced fishermen’s harmonies; clear women’s voices from green valleys and mountains; double alboka horn, pipe and drum ensembles; Navarrese jotas; and the irrintzi, the reverberating cry which ended Alan Lomax’s sojourn in Spain. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

“Important and irreplaceable field recordings.” —Worldmusiccentral.com

Extremadura

Recorded 1952 by Alan Lomax, assisted by Jeannette Bell, with the collaboration of Eduardo Torner
Notes by María Gutíerrez and Judith R. Cohen; translations by Judith R. Cohen
In 1952, Alan Lomax described his impression of Extremadura’s “dun plain, with straw-gold glints from the sun, and grey boulders like the faint strips of old, worn mountains.” From this home of balladry come sung tales of brave muleteers, kingly incest, and monks sneaking over convent walls; the sounds of the pipe and tabor; women’s strong voices over tambourines; and a shepherd’s lone chant in his straw hut under the October moonlight. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

“A rare and fascinating collection of folksongs and tunes from Extremadura.” —Rambles

Galicia

Recorded 1952 by Alan Lomax with the assistance of Jeannette Bell and the collaboration of Eduardo Torner, the Museum of Pontevedra, Juan Uria Riu, Julio Caro Baroja, Radio Nacional, Antonio Mari, and Walter Starkie
Notes by Luis Costa and Judith R. Cohen; translations by Judith R. Cohen
Songs for beating flax and cutting stones, wickedly barbed song duels, village pilgrimage songs, and popular dance tunes recorded by Alan Lomax in remote villages of Galicia during the raw, cold winter of 1952. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

“An invaluable resource.” —Roots World

Ibiza and Formentera: The Pityusic Islands

Recorded 1952 by Alan Lomax.
Notes by Judith R. Cohen, with Esperança Bonet Roig
Translations by Judith R. Cohen, with Esperança Bonet Roig, Isidor Mari,
Jaume Escandell, and Francesc Torres i Peters
These recordings, made in Ibiza's densely wooded hills, and on the lonely, clifftop point of Formentera, lead us into the mysterious world hidden behind today's glossy veneer of tourism. They encompass meditative and satirical songs, ancient flute and drum melodies, and the spine-tingling glottal trills that once rang out from homestead to homestead in the island's interior. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

Mallorca: The Balearic Islands

Recorded 1952 by Alan Lomax.
Editor: Manel Frau
Lyrics transcriptions, introduction, and notes: Manel Frau
Translations: Manel Frau, Judith Cohen
The 1952 Palma Folklore Festival was the springboard for Alan Lomax's six-month recording trip through Spain. From the exuberant music of the Festival, he went on to record the island's ancient threshing and olive picking songs, raucous friction drumming, and tunes played by shepherds on moonlit, lonely hills. Contains previously unreleased recordings.

Forthcoming:

La Mancha; Mallorca; Castilla-Leon: The Maragatos; Andalucia: Granada & Sevilla; Andalucia: Jerez & Tarifa; Murcia, Cantabria; Asturias