Warsaw Village Band & Mercedes Peón

EtnoUgór, Palladium, Warsaw, November 10 2012

EtnoUgór in Warsaw was about juxtaposition and fusion, showcasing two Polish and two foreign artists. Urban folk poet Pablopavo & global roots producer Praczas courageously introduced traditional instruments into their digital sound, but hit the spot only in some songs. Sadly, their rehearsed cooperation with Airtist (a didgeridoo, beatbox, Jew's harp trio) wasn’t treated carefully enough by sound-guys, hopefully the recordings will compensate for that. Airtist came back to close the evening with a breathtaking show. According to John Cage, “hearing” of silence is deafened by person’s own nervous system and heartbeat – add breath and it’s clear where does Airtist music come from. Their fascinating sound and natural danceability were emphatic, it’s a shame that only about 1/3 of the audience stayed till midnight to see them.
A decent crowd attended performances by Warsaw Village Band and Mercedes Peón, highlights of the evening. WVB’s dulcimer collapsed early in the concert – without a melodic tissue, a space between high registers of violins & fidels and the rhythm section opened, which was filled with a stellar vocal performance and stingy trumpet. The way the band adapted to the circumstances proved its masterclass. Mercedes Peón was on stage alone and absolutely on her own – speaking only Spanish and Galician, playing a range of electronic and acoustic instruments, singing with passion, her reinterpretation of Galician folk was deeply personal and mesmerizing. I was most impressed by songs of lament and protest, and sometimes wondered what would happen if she had 2-3 musicians to help her with the sound collages. The answer came quickly – three songs performed by Peón and WVK together were as raw and energetic as you can get.

Piotr Lewandowski, www.popupmusic.pl - Piotr Lewandowski, Songlines Magazine