A stunning concert
This program offers a short glance into the world of mainly European oral tradition, where subjects and melodies move around centuries and large territories.
Love and hate, past and present, life and death, longing and disgust, prison and freedom, sea and countryside, travel and remain, rely and treason are some of the universal subjects these ballads deal with. And its protagonists are many kinds of persons and personalities (of natural and supernatural nature) relevant to be sung about from the Middle Ages until present times. There seem to exist certain similarities to the program of German songs and ballads of Lilofee (as soloist), but this program opens broader physical and cognitive spaces.
Here we listen to songs and ballads sung and played by each of them and as a duet as well about knights, kings, queens, trolls, werewolves, decided and undecided lovers, prisoners, princesses, betraying wives, widows, dreamers, fiddlers, mourners, sailors and their love, medieval noblemen, ecological disasters, fishmongers, railway workers, gypsies, soothsayers, betrayed lovers, drunkards, pirates, neighbors, brides, mermaids, lamias and some heroes.
Needless to say that the repertoire is interpreted in several languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German (and various dialects), Basque language (Euskera), Catalan, Provençal and Occitan, Italian, Swedish and some celtic languages as scottish Gaelic, irish Gaelic…
What are Ballads?
To simplify, ballads differ from simple songs as they are narrative songs, anonymous or with known author, and tell stories of all types, some based on real events (in this case they are important links of collective and historical memory) or on fantasy events. In this last case, they transmit a popular, poetic and sometimes mythical own folk ideology.
The ballad arises in the high Middle Ages from, among other sources, the quest song (such as The Song of Roland or Chanson de Roland in France) or old sung epics still older (for example the terrifying story of Beowulf founding myth of the Anglo-Saxons). At the beginning, the epic sung poem, the genre «ballad» was transmitted from centuries to centuries, transforming little by little, and nowadays singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan and other North-americans and from the Anglo-Saxon world, but also French, Spanish, German singer-songwriters and those from many European countries wrote and sung ballads.
About the concert
With that particular focus of researchers and knowing well the long and remote history of ballads, the Sweet Winds duo performs songs and ballads from various ethnic and cultural contexts, mainly from Europe, but also from other geographical areas of the world, ranging from medieval ballads until today’s ballads of singer-songwriters. Therefore it is a unique recital in Europe and very original that the two artists present to each concert. They do it in an unpretentious way that is never boring, and often with humor. Raphaël’s original arrangements make even the most unusual themes become accessible and pleasing to our ears today. In addition to the guitars (acoustic guitars, classical guitar and other string instruments), they play frame drum (especially Lilofee). cajón, harmonicas (folk and blues harps), flutes.
Feed-back from the audiences
«Thanks for this beautiful gift, it was a great pleasure to listen to both. With all my affection, I wish you all the best in your future concerts. Martha López Guzmán (Chile).
“Extraordinary repertoire, no one never ever did listen something like this, better than anything listened to in two years of program at the local theatre. (Juanjo, Berango, Biscay)
“Very curious and amazing selection of songs” Iñaki (Berango).
“A phenomenon listening to Lilofee singing a duet in french with Raphaël, [and] she is a box of surprises: I didn’t expect her to play harmonica!”. Julia (singer, Berango, Biscay).
“Marvelous, I never listened to something like this before”.(Dietmar, Germany).
“Extraordinary, a phemomenon the two female voices [Lilofee and Zilan), Alzateko Jaun [Basque song] was 100% success”.
“Very good when Lilofee and Raphaël sang at two voices, excellent guitar play by Raphaël.»
“What a voice!” [about Lilofee]… » A very good voice” [about Raphaël].
«No nos quieren cultos. No nos quieren pensadores, ni críticos. Nos quieren dóciles y callados. Pero el arte es todo menos silencio. Porque hasta el cuadro más pequeño grita un mensaje. De desespero. De advertencia. De amor. De paz. De igualdad. Porque de nada sirven esas canciones sin que alguien las escuche. Las tarareé. Las grité a pleno pulmón. Pepa (Extremadura, Spain)
Collaborations with other artists and musicians
Zilan
Zilan (nombre de escena) es una cantante española que actúa puntualmente en varios ámbitos y/o grupos musicales. Siempre ha cantado. Sus gustos musicales son eclécticos (canción, rock, folk, blues). Es una apasionada de las músicas del Medio Oriente y del Magreb, así como de los países del Mediterráneo. También canta canciones de América Latina (en especial andinas y argentinas) y españolas. Además del Castellano, canta en Euskera, Árabe, Griego, Turco, y Kurdo, y toca varias percusiones (bombo legüero argentino, tambor de marco, etc.…), guitarra y ukelele. Es una de las integrantes del grupo experimental de folk/fusión «Möbius Sounds» con Lilofee y Raphaël.
In this site: https://sweetwinds.rparejo.eu/zilan/
Website [en construcción]: https://zilan.musixpand.org/
ReverbNation: [por venir]
Para contactarla, utilizar su dirección de correo electrónico.
Some words about the thematic concerts
The duo, in addition to its general program of songs and ballads from different parts of the World and various cultural contexts, from those of the Middle Ages to those composed by contemporary singer-songwriters, also presents thematic concerts such as: songs about the seasons, the sea and seafarers ( sailors, pirates, not forgetting mythical marine beings such as mermaids), Halloween (spare in their initial context of the celtic Samhain festivities), love songs chosen for their quality, songs for thinking, and so on.
For more details, see this page: https://sweetwinds.rparejo.eu/concerts-programs/thematiconcerts/ and the individual pages dedicated to every thematic concerts.