Čalgija | Vintage Recordings (1964–1966)
These are the only recordings of Čalgija’s first line-up, originally issued on EP (7″ 33⅓ RPM vinyl). As far as we know, they might be the first Dutch world music recordings altogether, at least in this particular genre.
> Straight to the liner notes >
(info, music and downloads below)
Album information
Tracks / total playing time 12:26
- Kostursko Oro
- Maniátikos
- And’ áman pallikári – Tap’ nos
- Éhe yá kayméne kózme – Kalamatianós
- Fysoúni
- Partálos
Genre
Folk music from Greece (Epirus, Aegean Macedonia, Western Thrace, Peloponnese) and North Macedonia.
Liner notes
Credits
Musicians
Wouter Swets (musical director) – accordion
Albert van der Meulen – accordion
Rob van Altena – clarinet
Pedro van Meurs – darabuka
Terpsichoré Choir – vocals on track [1]
Original production
Wouter Swets (arrangements, recording, mastering)
Original release
Terpsichoré, Amsterdam
Reissue
Michiel van der Meulen (digitisation, remastering, artwork, liner notes)
TouMilou #4 / EAN 8714835122241
℗ 1966 W. Swets / Terpsichoré
© 2017 M.J. van der Meulen/TouMilou
Review
- Jan Willem Broek, De Subjectivisten (September 22, 2017; in Dutch): “… six tracks adding up to just over 12 minutes, but so overwhelmingly beautiful that it is a good thing that they can be heard again.”
About the album artwork
This image was retrieved from an undeveloped film roll, which was inside a camera found among Wouter Swets’ possessions after his death by his friend Roland van Abel. Developed some 55 years after it was used, the degraded roll yielded two photos. The first one – beautiful, serene, of excellent quality – showed Wouter with his black accordion, playing with a young man whom Roland could’t identify. He posted the picture on Facebook, asking who knew that man. I recognised my father Albert van der Meulen, without a beard, which puts him in his student years. I got in contact with Roland and heard the extraordinary tale of the picture’s provenance.
Get the album
- Vintage Recordings (1962–1964) is streamed on Soundcloud
- The digital album can be downloaded via the link below; consider making a donation if you do.
- A CD can be purchased online from the distributor Xango Music
- Use the contact form to order a CD directly from TouMilou (€ 5.00, shipping excluded)
Čalgija CD sales revenues are transferred to the estate of Wouter Swets and used to cover the expenses of a continued effort to safeguard his musical legacy. TouMilou Music contributes to this effort on a pro bono basis.
Downloads
Digital album (44.1 kHz wavs, scores and icon in zip file)
Album art (1000 x 1000 px jpg)
Scores (pdf)
Other albums by Čalgija
- Üçayak (TouMilou #5, 2021)
- Unforgotten (Pan Records – PAN 2056 / TouMilou #4, 2020)
- Mosaique Vivant (Mosaique Vivant – MV695, 1995): compilation album with three tracks by Čalgija
- Music from the Balkans and Anatolia #2 (Pan Records – PAN 2007CD, 1991)
- Music from the Balkans and Anatolia #1 (Sloof – MU 7425, 1978 / Pan Records – PAN 7425, 2013)