Isabel Parra & Quilapayun – Lieder aus Chile (Amiga, 1972)

 
Isabel Parra is a famous Chilean singer-songwriter and interpreter of Latin American musical folklore. She was part of the “Nueva canción” (Spanish for ‘new song’) movement –  a movement and genre within Latin American and Iberian music of folk music, folk-inspired music and socially committed music. Nueva canción is widely recognized to have played a powerful role in the social upheavals in Portugal, Spain and Latin America during the 1970s and 1980s. Salvador Allende´s Unidad Popular government had enormous support among Nueva canción musicians who composed the campaign song “Poder Popular” for the presidential election of 1970 and recorded “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” in June 1973.

Isabel Parra was born in Chile in 1939 and began her career in music at the age of 13 when she made her first recording with her world-renowned mother, the folklorist Violeta Parra. She has since interpreted and recorded the songs of some of the most famous Latin American folk singers. After the September 11, 1973 Chilean coup d’etat she lived in exile in Argentina and France for many years. She returned to Chile when democracy returned to her country.

Isabel Parra has toured extensively during her career and was a distinctive figure in the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Chilean Song) movement. Isabel Parra is also the sister of the famous folk singer Ángel Parra and the niece of the famous poet Nicanor Parra.

Isabel Parra visited the GDR several times in the 1960s and 1970s –  for example to take part in the “X. Weltfestspiele der Jugend” in 1973. 
In 1971 Gerhard Siebholt and Karl Heinz Ocasek produced this album with Isabel Parra and the musicians from Quilapayun in the AMIGA studio, East Berlin. It was released in 1972 and is a part GDR’s support for the struggle of the Chilean people and the Unidad Popular government of Salvador Allende for a better tomorrow, one of equality and free from tyranny – music as “a weapon in the anti-imperialist struggle”.Tracklist:

 

01 – La muralla

02 – A desolambrar

03 – Que dira el Sto, Padre

04 – Ayudame, Valentina

05 – Canto de la cuculi

06 – Deme su voz, deme su vano

07 – Por Vietnam

08 – Lo que mas quiera

09 – Quiaquenita

10 – En septiembre canta el gallo

11 – Elegia al Che

12 – El desconfiado

13 – Solita duermo en mi cama

14 – Amores Bailando

15 – Comienza la vida nueva

 

Isabel Parra & Quilapayun – Lieder aus Chile (Amiga, 1972)

(320 kbps, cover art included)

 

VA – Premier Festival Del Nuevo Canto Latinoamericano (1982)

The “Premier Festival Del Nuevo Canto Latinoamericano” took place at the National Auditorium in Mexico City between March 30 and April 4, 1982, in collaboration with UNESCO and “Casa de las Americas”. The album features songs by Roy Brown, Quilapayun, Amparo Ochoa, Daniel Viglietti and others.

Tracklist:

01. América Latina – Nicomedes Santa Cruz
02. En la vida todo es ir – Roy Brown
03. Flor de metal – Los Flokloristas
04. Espigas de libertad – Lilia Vera
05. Siringuero – Luis Rico
06. El sombrero azul – Alí Primera
07. Luz negra – Quilapayún
08. Cuando salgas luna llena – Noel Nicola
09. Epitafio a Juan ‘N’ – Amparo Ochoa
10. Las hormiguitas – Daniel Viglietti
11. Somos los hijos del maíz – Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy y Mancotal
12. Canción con todos – César Isella

VA – Premier Festival Del Nuevo Canto Latinoamercano (1982)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Dagmar Manzel – Ich bin ein Wesen leichter Art

Born in 1958 in Berlin, Dagmar Manzel is one of Germany’s most noticed and successful actresses. Alongside of her career in theater, film and TV, her love pertains for music as well. Following her successful solo song recital “Ich bin ein Wesen leichter Art” at Deutsche Theater, Berlin, she performed the title role of Offenbach’s operetta “Die Großherzogin von Gerolstein”. Further engagements in musical theater led her to the title role at Berliner Ensemble in “La Périchole” and to Hans-Otto-Theater Potsdam as “Rosalinde / Die Fledermaus”. At Komische Oper Berlin, she has been celebrated not only for her debut as “Mrs. Lovett / Sweeny Todd”, but also for her achievements as Lilli Vanessi in “Kiss me Kate”. This successful show has also been transferred to the opera Cologne, where it has been running ever since. Dagmar Manzel can also be seen and heard in a new production of Ralph Benatzky’s “Im Weißen Rößl” at Komische Oper Berlin since the start of the season 2010/2011.

Dagmar Manzel is also familiar to the concert stage. She performed at La Cité de la Musique in Paris with the Ensemble Intercontemporain songs by Hanns Eisler under the direction of Peter Rundel; with whom she collaborated again in Zurich this year to perform Kassandra by Michael Jarell with the chamber orchestra of Collegium Novum Zurich. Twice already, she has been working with co-actor Robert Gallinowski in a song recital called Philharmonischer Salon. It is a recital evening, initiated by Götz Teusch, former cello player with the Berliner Philharmoniker, with songs from Berlin cultural life during the 1920s. On the occasion of opening the Jewish Culture Days in Berlin, Manzel gave a concert devoted to Richard Heymann accompanied by the pianist Tal Balshai and his ensemble in early spring of 2011. With the equal lineup she could be heard at Konzerthaus Berlin Gendarmenmarkt during Hanns Eisler Days 2012. A triumphant success has been the new production of Kurt Weill’s “Sieben Todsünden” with director Barrie Kosky at Komische Oper Berlin in spring of 2012 in which Dagmar Manzel sang the role of Anna. Furthermore, she performed at the opening of the Augsburg Brecht Festival in spring of 2013. In summer of 2013, Dagmar Manzel returned to Komische Oper Berlin to sing the role of Madeleine de Faublas in Paul Abraham’s “Ball im Savoy”.

Here´s the album “Ich bin ein Wesen leichter Art” featuring here programm of stage songs performed at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.

Dagmar Manzel – Ich bin ein Wesen leichter Art
(256 kbps, cover art included)

VA – Chile Pueblo. En el 2º año del Gobierno Popular (1972)

This album was released in Santiago de Chile to celebrate the second anniversary of the Unidad Popular government.

It includes performances by some of the most important songwriters and folk musicians of the era, such as Victor Jara, Quilapayun, Inti-Illimani, Angel Parra and Patricio Manns. Between the songs there are narrations by Cesar Aguilera accompanied by Pancho Navarro on guitar.

 

The album was released in 1972 by the IRT label.

Tracklist:

01. Chile Pueblo – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
02. Cuando amanece el día – Ángel Parra
03. Chile Cobre – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
04. Nuestro cobre – Quilapayún
05. Chile Carbón – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
06. En Lota la noche es brava – Patricio Manns
07. Chile Mar – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
08. Boga, boga – Manguaré
09. Chile Textil – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
10. Obreras del telar – Víctor Jara
11. Chile Tierra – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
12. Chacarero – Quilmay
13. Chile Banco – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
14. Ni pocos, ni muchos – Amerindios
15. Chile América – César Aguilera & Pancho Navarro
16. Venceremos  – Inti-Illimani and the voice of Salvador Allende

VA – Chile Pueblo (1972)
(256 kbps, cover art included, vinyl rip)

Ton Steine Scherben – Warum geht es mir so dreckig? (1971)

Ton Steine Scherben (TSS) are regarded as one of the first genuine German-language rock groups. The band´s frontman Rio Reiser is credited with cementing the positive connection between rock music and German lyrics.

The group´s name translates as “Clay Stones Shard”, thus both indicating the city´s architecture and suggesting the post-punk “return to concrete”. TSS took a strong anti-capitalist stance and became the musical spokespeople of West Berlin´s left wing. They produced and distributed their work on their own “David (re. Goliath) Volskmund (people´s voice)” label, had links with the squatter scene, the Rote Armee Fraktion in its early days and the Green Pary.

Their single “Macht kaputt, was euch kaputt macht” became a youth portest motto in the early 1970s and the song “Keine Macht für niemand” (“No power for no-one”) was a familiar graffiti slogan. Rio Reiser preferred to identify with worker´s interests than with those of the intellectual left wing and the band were frequently invited to play for political rallies and demonstrations.

TSS´s lyrics demonstrated a commitment to a utopian anarchy of “Solidarit” (“Mein Name ist Mensch”, “Der Traum ist aus”), a lifestyle which the group attempted to live out with friends and supporters, first in a Berlin commune then in a group-repaired farmhouse in Nordfriesland. What is prominet is the urgently declaimed idealist lyrics delivered by Reiser´s emotional but arresting voice and the band´s obvious sincerity.

Tracklist

A1	Ich will nicht werden, was mein Alter ist
A2	Warum geht es mir so dreckig
A3	Der Kampf geht weiter
A4	Macht kaputt, was euch kaputt macht
B1	Mein Name ist Mensch
B2	Sklavenhändler
B3	Alles verändert sich

Ton Steine Scherben – Warum geht es mir so dreckig? (1971)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

VA – 11. Festival des politischen Liedes (Amiga, 1981)

Political songs had a major forum in Eastern Germany: The “Festival des politischen Liedes”, a festival for political songs that took place every year between 1970 and 1990 in East Berlin.

The festival was founded and until 1980 also organised by the FDJ, the Eastern German official youth association.  Each year between 50 and 80 bands and musicians from about 30 different countries came to present political songs as well as folk and world music with a political touch.

It was one of the few “windows” to the big wide world, a chance to see many international bands and musicians, to get a bit of the flair of cultures from foreign countries where normal Eatern German folk was not allowed to go to, of internationalism.

For young people this festival was a highlight of the year: “The festival broke with the every day life of the GDR. Nights without closing times. Political Carnival. Exceptional situations. Conjugal crisises. Moments of falling in love. New unexpected lyrics and melodies. Different views of the world. Different people that you would otherwise never had met.” This is how Hans-Eckart Wenzel remembers the festivals. He reminds that tickets for the festival were always short, and a lot of people had to stay outside.

Here´s the album with recordings form the 11th “Festival des politischen Liedes” in the year 1981, with artists like Schmetterline, Battlefield Band, Türkischer Arbeiterchor Westberlin, Singegruppe des ANC, Los Jaivas and others.

VA – 11. Festival des politischen Liedes (1981)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

Werkstattwoche der FDJ-Singeclubs (1968, Amiga)

“Singe-Bewegung” and “Oktoberklub” in East Germany, part 7.

Until the 1960s, Anglo-American dance music is regarded in the GDR as valueless “Western Arts”. As a Socialist alternative to the rock ‘ n’ roll, 1959 even a private dance, the “Lipsi”, is being developed. As a result of the cultural and political opening in 1963, many beat groups were formed and a GDR’s own “Liedermacher” and singer-songwriter scene emerges.

 

The “Free German Youth” (FDJ) tried to instrumentalize this music movement. The FDJ organized “Deutschlandtreffen 1964” presented for the first time music in English language. In the context of poetry events of the FDJ, Manfred Krug and Wolf Biermann present critical lyrics. In 1965 the SED gave order to dismiss a guitar competition organized by the FDJ. After the end of the political thaw period, the FDJ tried to integrate the singer-songwriter and the beat groups in the FDJ and SED influenced “Singebewegung”

 

With several thousand Singeklubs, in which mainly folk music is made, the FDJ tried to bring their ideological and political work into everyday life of young people. The “Vorzeigesingeklub” was the Berlin based “Oktoberklub”, which established in 1969 also the first discotheque in the GDR. Although not without success, the Singebewegung couldn´t replace the beat music. In the following years the unbroken beat enthusiasm of young people forced the GDR leadership to an offensive strategy: The development of an own DDR-specific rock music scene since the 1970’s, as well to use this media for ideological and political messages.

The GDR radio programm “Jugendsender DT 64” organised between September, 24 and October, 1, 1967 in Hally the “1. Werkstattwoche der FDJ-Singeclubs”. This albums features recordings from this workshop with 300 artist and 16 “Singeclubs”.

Tracks:
(01) Bernd Walther & Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – Carpe Diem
(02) Wolfgang Grahl & FDJ-Singestudio Müritz – Spottlied auf einen Moskaubesucher
(03) Antje Kankel – Das ist unser Tag
(04) Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – Zygan Chodit
(05) Panajota Ruli & Klaus-Georg Eulitz – Kathe Mera
(06) Kurt Demmler – Zart soll es bleiben
(07) Kurt Demmler – Kastanie, Kastanie
(08) Antje Thümmler & Ulrich Stephan & Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – O lenke durch die Welle
(09) Singklub Leipzig – Abendgedanken
(10) Herbert Lappe & Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – Und darum trägt unsere Welt heut ein neues Gesicht
—-
(11) Nora Löhr & Wolfgang Gregor – Venezolanisches Marktlied
(12) Jörn Fechner & Oktober-Klub Berlin – Mamita Mia
(13) Henry Jäger – Musja Pikinson
(14) Barbara Kellerbauer & Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – Lied von der unruhvollen Jugend
(15) Frank Obermann & Sing-Klub 67, Karl-Marx-Stadt – Unsere Welt hat ein Millionengesicht
(16) Hartmut König & Oktober-Klub Berlin – Die Front der Patrioten ruft
(17) Panajota Ruli & Folkloregruppe der TU Dresden – Drapetis
(18) Nora Löhr & Wolfgang Gregor – Auseinandergehen
(19) Dorit Gäbler – Icke
(20) FDJ-Singestudio Müritz – Wir singen, weil wir jung sind

Werkstattwoche der FDJ-Singeclubs (1968)
(256 kbps, front cover included)

VA – Wir singen ein neues Lied (Eterna, 1970)

“Singe-Bewegung” and “Oktoberklub” in East Germany, part 10.

The “Werkstattwochen der FDJ-Singeklubs” were an important communication platform for the East German “Singe-Bewegung”. They took place every year between 1967 and 1988 in another town in the GDR and were an annual meeting point for the scene with hundreds of participants from all over the GDR. Establishd ensembles and solist presented their new programms, new “Singeklubs” introduced themselves. The artists practised songwriting, composing and interpetation in workshops.

The album “Wir singen ein neues Lied” is a live recording from the final event of the “III. Werkstattwoche der FDJ-Singeklubs” at the wonderful Babylon film theatre in East Berlin, July 11, 1969.

Tracks:

A1 Singeklub “Livia Gouverneur” der BBS “Neues Leben” Dresden – Hört doch mal zu
A2 Singegruppe der NVA Neubrandenburg –  Links, zwei, drei, vier
A3 Singeklub der EOS Hoyerswerda – Lied der neuen Zeit
A4 Singeklub “Geschwister Scholl” Wismar – Hiring, Aal un Kabeljau
A5 Singeklub der EOS “Humboldt” Leipzig – Lied der Neulandfahrer
A6 Singeklub vom “Haus der Jugend” Cottbus – Bergen op Zoom
A7 FDS-Singe-Club der EOS Bützow – Lied von der blauen Fahne

B1 Stephan / Gruppe “pasaremos” Dresden – Der Weg
B2 Heiner und Stephan / Gruppe “pasaremos” Dresden – Lorelei 1969
B3 Mikis Theodorakis-Klub Berlin – Wenn der Krieg vorbei ist
B4 Katja / Oktober-Klub Berlin – Die Taube
B5 Magdeburger Singeklub beim Klubhaus “Junge Talente” – Elektrischka
B6 Singegruppe “Kurt Barthel” Rostock – Vagel Kran
B7 Michael / Singeklub “Geschwister Scholl” Wismar – Der Wal
B8 Joan & José (Spanien) – Wenn du eines Tages willst…
B9 FDJ-Singe-Club der EOS Bützow – Brüder, seht, die rote Fahne

VA – Wir singen ein neues Lied (Eterna, 1970)

(320 kbps, vinyl rip, front & back cover included)

6. Festival des politischen Liedes – Rote Lieder (1976, Eterna, vinyl rip)

From 1970 to 1990 there was the “Festival des politischen Liedes” (“festival of the political song”) in Berlin, capital of the German Democratic Republic. The festival was a meeting place for politically engaged musicians from the whole world and and interested audience. You find information about the participants and history in the archive on http://www.songklub.de

The 6th “Festival des politischen Liedes” happened in Eat Berlin in February, 7th to 14th, 1976 and featured artists like Perry Friedman, Pete Wyoming, Ted McKenna, Santocas, Oktoberclub and many more.

Tracklist:

01 – Mannesmannballade [Peter, Paul und Barmberk]
02 – Scottish folk dances [The Whistlebinkies]
03 – Auf,auf zum kampf [Perry Friedman]
04 – Bjelorusski woksal [Studentisches Liedtheater]
05 – Kampf dem schicksal [Gruppe Rafidain]
06 – The blackleg miner [Ted McKenna]
07 – Poder popular [Santocas]
08 – Ein Friendenslied [Oktoberklub]
09 – Kapitalens almene krise [Sören Sidevinds Spillemänd]
10 – Se abrirán las grandes alamedas [Angel e Isabel Parra]
11 – Freedom [Pete Wyoming]
12 – Les communistas [Pia Colombo]
13 – Optimistisches Lied [Gruppe Schicht]
14 – Experiencia [Luis Cilia und Pedro Cabal]
15 – Nos vemos en la Habana [Grupo Moncada]

6. Festival des politischen Liedes – Rote Lieder (1976, vinyl rip)
(192 kbps, cover art included)

David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht´s "Baal" (1982)

Baal is an EP by David Bowie, comprising recordings of songs written for Bertolt Brecht’s play Baal. It is also referred to as David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht’s Baal, as credited on the sleeve.

In August 1981, Bowie had begun rehearsals to appear in the BBC version of Baal. The lyrics to the songs were all translated by Ralph Manheim and John Willett. Dominic Muldowney provided all new musical settings, except for “The Drowned Girl”, which was a setting by Kurt Weill done originally for Das Berliner Requiem.
In September 1981, Bowie and Tony Viscontireturned to the Hansa studios in Berlin to re-record the five songs Baal performed in the play.

“Baal’s Hymn” is a combination of the vignettes spread throughout the play, and establishes Baal’s amoral character. “Remembering Marie A” concerns Baal’s reminiscences of a past conquest, where he can remember a cloud drifting overhead, but not the face of the girl he was with. “Ballad of the Adventurers” is Baal’s aggressive lament to the death of his mother. “The Drowned Girl” relates the suicide of one of Baal’s conquests – a video clip for this song was shot by David Mallet at the same time as the one for “Wild is the Wind”. “The Dirty Song” is a short number, with Baal humiliating his lover Sophie.

His performance as Baal was transmitted on February 2, 1982, and RCA issued the EP to coincide with this. Both the play and EP were well received, with the latter reaching #29 in the UK chart, commendable considering the unconventional tracks. As well as the 7″ edition (which came packaged in a double gatefold sleeve containing extensive notes pertaining to the musical content and a short biography of Bertolt Brecht) the EP was released as a 12″ which gained it some play in clubs as well as radio airplay.

Tracks:

A1) Baal’s Hymn
A2) Remembering Marie A
B1) Ballad Of The Adventurers
B2) The Drowned Girl
B3) Dirty Song

David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht´s “Baal” (1982)
(320 kbps, cover art included)