Kolida Babo: Spirits Of Mauronoros

Here is some strange and magical music. A synthesis of global electro-acoustic modal jazz and the hermetic folk music of Epirus, a remote mountain region in northwestern Greece. It is played on traditional Balkan instruments—duduk and kaval double-reed woodwinds, qanun zither and gaida bagpipes—together with soprano and baritone saxophones and Moog, Roland and Farfisa synths and keyboards. The music is simultaneously ancient and modern, roots and futuristic. Generis does not come more sui than this.

Kolida Babo are a duo. Sokratis Votskos on bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, duduk, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, Roland Jupiter 6, kaval and qanun, and HarrisP (a.k.a. Charidimos Pappas) on Moog and Roland synthesizers, duduk, beats and Farfisa organ. Their self- titled debut album was recorded in real-time sessions at village festivals in northern Greece in winter 2013 and was released on London's MIC label in 2019. A 7" single, "Spirits Of Mauronoros"/"Kolida Hymn," was released on Britain's Jazz45 in 2021. Each release was a succès d'estime but was pressed in such small numbers that niche airplay was the biggest noise it made.

Spirits Of Mauronoros is Kolida Babo's sophomore album, dedicated to the village of Mauronoros (Black Mountain) and its people. The village is one of many in Greece that has been left uninhabited as a result of the economic crises and political instability that Greece faced in the late twentieth century. Kolida Babo are augmented by Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis on drums on two tracks and Thanasis Kafetzis on gaida on another.

The album, which is on LP release only, is in two distinct but related halves. Tracks 1 to 5 are more or less equal parts traditional folk music and modern-day jazz and electronica. Tracks 6 to 8 tilt the balance towards jazz and electronica. while retaining a folkish strand. "Spirits Of Mauronoros," on the YouTube below, is the seventh track on the album. It does not convey the full synthesis of ancient and futuristic heard on the first five tracks, but in its later stages it is close enough to be indicative (none of the album's earlier tracks have made it to YouTube at the time of writing).

That said, it is tracks 1 to 5 that are the most noteworthy and worth hearing.

Spirits Of Mauronoros is being released in a pressing of just 500 LPs. Perhaps enough funds will become available to allow for longer runs on LP and CD, for the music richly deserves to secure more physical presence.