Princes Amongst Men
Compiled by Garth Cartwright
Asphalt Tango

If a book can be said to have a soundtrack album, this is that very thing, compiled and annotated (but not sequenced) by the author Garth Cartwright to illustrate his admirable account of the Gypsy music of the Balkans, Princes Amongst Men, which is published by Serpent’s Tail. The note regarding sequencing is pertinent because the only flaw in the collection is how it starts, with an unnecessarily strident piece by a minor group from Macedonia, Sudahan.  Garth assures me that it was not his decision.

Otherwise, the 18-track is a varied and fascinating demonstration of what is good and great about the music from an area that has steadily gained ground over the past twenty or thirty years. I recall how difficult I found this sound when I first encountered it on albums released by Ben Mandelson on his Globestyle imprint during the late 1980s. Compared to the sublimely easy-to-listen to rhythms and melodies from Africa had been that surfacing in Europe at that time, the music of the Balkans felt jerky, intense and intrusive.  By now I’ve not only become accustomed to it, but actively look for more; this is the perfect introduction and/or confirmation for newcomer or connoisseur.

I recommend beginning at track 4 with the gently soaring voice of Romica Puceanu, whose own album is such a revelation in the series Sounds from a Bygone Age. The immediate follow-up track helps to prove what a varied feast awaits the ears, as the thrilling horn arrangement of ‘Kan Marau La’ by Fanfare Ciocǎrlia fills the room.

One-by-one, the many different sounds of Balkan Gypsy music swirl across the aural horizon, from the violins and pipes featured on ‘Boro Boro’ by Kal to the trademark string-band exuberance of Taraf de Haidouks.

A welcome surprise for me is ‘I Bar Val Pudela’ by Šaban Bajramović, which I had overlooked on his first album for World Connection (2002).  It’s the sign of a good compilation when it draws attention to previously-heard songs, providing a context in which their true worth belatedly becomes apparent, and this compilation plays such tricks several times. 

All-in-all, this is a valuable and truly essential collection. If only it were possible to reshuffle the tracks into a more sequence. Next time, Garth, make sure the contract gives you final say on the running order.

CG