ACHALAY (Лондон)

Более известен ансамбль с таким же названием из Франции, но был еще один «Achalay», — в Лондоне.


Paul Farren - Andean/Latin American musician with Achalay (London)
"Unfortunately, the group doesn't now function thanks to the lack of musical Latin Americans in London. When we played, apart from the basic three Englishmen, we always had a variety of young Latins in the group, from Bolivia or Chile or Colombia, etc. Now that (happily) there are no military regimes in South America there are no latin refugees here and, consequently, no longer the same opportunity to form musical groups. Achalay was based on three English, two of whom met when they shared digs in Punta Arenas, Chile. The third (me) had at that time never visited Latin America, but I was imbued with a great love and respect for andean music. We always had Latin Americans in the group from various countries and thus widened our musical base. Our main interest was Andean music, but we also played music from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc always using the appropriate instruments. Apart from playing in theatres, concert halls, universities, fiestas, etc all over England; we made an LP; we provided the soundtrack music for a travelogue film about South America and the soundtrack music for the BBC TV film "Great Train Journeys: The Altiplano" and we broadcast on the radio (BBC Radio London and Radio Southwest) as well as several TV programmes. We also took part in a work organised by Chilean refugees "Violeta Nuestramerica": a musical about the life of the Chilean folklorist Violeta Parra. Among our instruments were: guitar, charango, venezuelan cuatro, colombian tiple, quena, pinkullo, tarka, mocseсa, zampoсas (sikus), rondador, accordion, harmonica, bombo, caja, matraca, guacharaca, claves, maracas and tambourine. I believe sincerely that Achalay always behaved in the best interests of Andean music, always treating the music with great respect, realising that it represented the heritage of the Andean peoples. It was our "policy" never to copy the recordings of others, but always to make a fresh arrangement, but one which would be totally traditional. We brought the music of the Andes and other regions to English audiences. Our recording of the Argentine chacarera doble "Añoranzas" can be heard on the BOLEADORA website."

Añoranzas (chacarera) Bolivia-Argentina
"A chacarera doble played by my own group, Achalay. I open the piece on guitar and play the bits between the verses. It's a very chauvinistic song where the singer grumbles about all things modern and yearns to be buried in his native Santiago del Estero - the province from which the chacarera comes. It's a long song, but the words are interesting."

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