Unlikely combos ...

March 1, 2009 1:34 PM

(Song ID) Accordion, bagpipe, and foreign language?

I heard an unusual song on a college radio station a while ago. There was a women singing in a foreign language I didn't recognize - maybe eastern European, maybe Gaelic(?); there was a rolled R.

It was contemporary (or a contemporary version of a traditional song - ?), almost techno, but not really. It sounded like there was an accordion for a while, and later, bagpipes ... maybe.

Can anyone identify this?

posted by coffeefilter to media & arts (11 comments total)

Ashley MacIssac maybe? Try something off the Hi How Are You Today? album.
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:15 PM on March 1

I was thinking Ashley MacIsaac with Mary Jane Lamond as well. Try Sleepy Maggie for starters. Also, possibly some of The Corrs songs.
posted by Yorrick at 2:21 PM on March 1

Peat Bog Faeries?
posted by corey flood at 4:40 PM on March 1

Garmarna maybe? They fit the bill for foreign-sounding language (usually Swedish) and rolled Rs. I am not sure about accordion, but some songs have bagpipe-like sounds. Take a listen to songs from this album...I think it's their most techno-ish.
posted by gueneverey at 5:33 PM on March 1

This most certainly isn't it, but I can't resist.

The only song I know that has accordion followed by bagpipes is this one, which features an opera singer rapping about cowboys. Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid polled people to find out what elements of music they disliked the most, and then combined all of them in one song.
posted by umbú at 6:36 PM on March 1

There actually is a large amount of Celtic music in Galicia and Asturias in Spain. Chances are you may have heard some of that. I know that Thistle and Shamrock on NPR plays Spanish music every once in awhile.
posted by JJ86 at 7:54 PM on March 1

Maybe Azwaw?
posted by bink at 8:05 PM on March 1

Oh, wait, female singer...I think guenevery may be right with Garmarna. Or also try Hedningarna.
posted by bink at 8:45 PM on March 1

Garmarna sounds close ... might be them (what I heard was a little plainer, however, I think; maybe I shouldn't have said techno).

Well, I may never hear it again, but at least I have all these other musicians to listen to now. So, thanks, and in the spirit of sharing the vibe, here's Mouth Music's Mo Di.
posted by coffeefilter at 7:20 PM on March 2

I was about to suggest Talitha Mackenzie, but if you know about Mouth Music, you probably already know about Mackenzie.

I can only think of Värttinä, but this band has a quartet of women lead singers.
posted by NemesisVex at 8:54 AM on March 3

Update: it was probably Garmarna. (Though apparently they have neither accordions nor bagpipes .... Good call, Gueneverey. )
posted by coffeefilter at 12:01 PM on March 3