Banda Do Casaco "Hoje há Conquilhas, Amanhã não Sabemos" 1977*****

Banda Do Casaco is a highly-rated but little known Portuguese prog-folk band. Some of their other albums are closer to pure folk, while this is considered their most experimental and is the highest rated at progarchives.com. It's not quite what expected from a supposedly prog album: it is an eclectic mix of jazz, folk and chamber music - everything but rock: it most definitively does not rock and that's fine with me. There are upbeat folk songs ("Despique", "Dez-Onze-Doze", parts of "Acalanto") but these were also surprising to me as they are closer to Celtic music or Italian tarantellas than to fados, the only traditional Portuguese music I was familiar with. Goes to show how little I know. "Acalanto" opens the album with delicate acoustic guitar and flute, then some chanting followed by the upbeat folk part I mentioned earlier featuring some kind of traditional percussion, festive male/female chorus and swinging violin. "Despique" is robust folk dominated by masculine lead vocal and violin, while "País:Portugal" starts as a pastoral piece with a sweet female voice reminiscent of nostalgic bossa nova before breaking into Steeleye Span-like folk rock, with wild saxophone and playful violin. The lyrical focus seems to be a juxtaposition of a mythical Portugal of "goblins, witches on brooms, rivers and forests" with the modern "country of uniformed force/country forced into uniform/country doomed to the gallows" - or it could be something completely different, what do I know? I'm using google translate here. "Alvorada Tio Lérias!" is a beautiful instrumental mixing classical and ethnic elements in a way that reminds me of Dead Can Dance. "Geringonça" is melodic psychedelia with strings, flutes, mellotron and gorgeous female vocals by Gabriela Schaaf. "Ont' À Noite" is another atmospheric ballad. This time the female vocal parts are handled by the angelic Mena Amaro who sounds like a precursor to Madredeus' Teresa Salgueiro.  The record closes with instrumental "Água De Rosas", an airy piece dominated by gentle strings, oboe and flute. A beautiful and eclectic album, lovingly composed and expertly realised. Makes you wonder how many musical treasures remain hidden just because they come from outside the English-speaking world.

***** for País:Portugal, Gerinçonça, Dez-Onze-Doze, Ont' À Noite

**** for Acalanto, Despique, Alvorada Tio Lérias

*** for Água De Rosas