The Joys and Sorrows of Southern Albanian Song by Saz’iso (Glitterbeat Records, 053 CD, LP and digital)
Some of you may remember how Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares hit an internationally resounding chord in the 1980s with their poetic pentatonics. Well, Saz’iso could achieve something similar, given the right exposure. From the mountainous towns of Përmet and Korçë, the octet takes its name from two words: saze, a folk ensemble based around certain instruments, and the prefix iso, which refers to the area’s particular tradition of iso-polyphonic singing. You hear a dominant, throaty vocal line that is matched by marvellous and (sometimes weirdly) thrilling harmonies.
