A sampler, such as this one released by the CPL-Music label in Germany, is a nice sonic respite for world music exploration. In October 2021, the Russian World Music Chart was launched to popularize and promote folk music of multi-ethnic Russia. A true community effort, forty albums in the genres of world, ethnic and folk music participated in the 2021 chart. A jury of 16 international experts (mostly music journalists and reviewers) from around the world then selected the 20 best albums by the end of the year. Folk Galore presents some of the best from Russian World Music Chart 2021 is an interesting, unique way to sonically experience a dozen artists from the twenty selected …. “a real chance to sound to the whole world!” as the liner notes state. My only suggestion would’ve been to include a few sentences about each sampled group, as well as website and contact info for each.

Featured artists include a few that I was somewhat familiar with such as Staritsa, Vedan Kolod, and Yat-Kha. From the CPL-Music label, Staritsa opens the set with “Kak Uvadilsya Кotok” (How Kotok Got Into the Habit) that has a compelling, repetitive chant and groove.  Vedan Kolod (Prophetic Tree), a trio from Siberia but now based in Moscow, has put out about ten albums during their nearly two decades in existence. Their interest in the ancient layers of authentic, organic, rugged Russian music has been known to be influenced by ancient shamanic traditions or themes from the natural world. 

The unique Tuvan throat singing of Yat-Kha on “Kongurgai” features the growling, moaning voice of Albert Kuvezin accompanied by instruments that sound like guitar, jaw harp (khomuz) and perhaps igil (Tuvan fiddle). While not sampled on this CD, another band making the Russian World Music Chart’s Top 20 was Khöömei Beat, a young Tuvan quintet that formed in 2017 that also promotes khöömei (throat singing). Shoodja-Choodja and Uutai incorporate colorings of ambient, electronica and synthesized sounds into their instrumental programming to accompany peculiar vocalizing.

Released on the Sketis music label, I found “Time of Joy,” as played and sung by Opycham to be very relaxing and meditative. With her strong voice, Tatiana Molchanova sings a cappella, as do several singers on Kazachia Sprava’s “The Sun will Give the Morrow Birth” and Balkhar Ensemble’s “Balkhar Wedding Song.” With a rather bluesy vibe, Khara’s “Drunk Russia” has a flowing pulse with a simple melody that appears to use an oriental scale and chromatic inflections. As the album closes with fairly repetitive music from Mila Kikina and the Project “Close the Gate” and Alexey Khovalyg, I realize that one really needs more information and translation of lyrics to fully appreciate these Russian soundscapes. The Russian World Music Chart is a novel idea. You’ll no doubt hear some tracks that move you to further explore an artist’s music. I also wish that this music might help bring peace to that continent.  (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)