Milladoiro

by Craig Harris The Celtic music of Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany has been fused with the traditional music of Galicia by the seven-piece band Milladoiro. The product of two distinct bands, one of which played medieval music and the other traditional Celtic folk music, Milladoiro has created a unique sound that they call, "chamber folk." The original vision that led to the formation of Milladoiro was conceived by jazz multi-instrumentalist and music historian Xose A. Ferreiros in November 1978. Comprised of former students at the University at Santiago de Compostela, the group collected its vast repertoire from ancient manuscripts and scores. Milladoiro has continued to base their musical approach on other Celtic bands. In an interview with Dirty Linen, harp, tromba, ocarina, guitar, and bouzouki player/vocalist Rodrigo Romani explained, "We wanted to do the same that the Chieftains did for Irish music, or the Bothy Band, or Alan Stivell with Breton music." The musical traditions of their homeland in Galicia are indeed evident in Milladoiro's sound.