Siberia

09 Dear Siberian Land.m4a

http://www.box.net/shared/zazpi9n0qo66h1diyo7d

Siberian Russian Folk Chorus  (LP sleeve)
Art Director Vladimir Chirkov
Melodia C 01669–70, made in the USSR

International records in thrift stores roughly fall under the two categories of those acquired by tourists and those imported by immigrants. (A third category is that of academic folk music archives, by far the best category but not too often found in thrift stores.) The records for tourists typically have English titles while immigrants’ records are usually in their native language. Last week I briefly discussed tourists’ records typically from countries where vacationers like to visit. The records brought in by immigrants are often from places tourists don’t usually go to like this one here from Siberia. Often these records are nostalgic and/or patriotic. My pick for this week’s song was a toss up between Mother Russia by Antoli Novikov (in Cyrillic) and an album by the Siberian Russian Folk Chorus (both in English and Cyrillic). I opted for the latter. The two best songs on the record are Age Old Pines Above the Shusha and Dear Siberian Land. Since somebody (a kindred spirit) already posted Age Old Pines (which happens to be written by the famous Soviet composer of patriotic songs Antoli Novikov) on his/her blog I chose the patriotic Dear Siberian Land (by Vladimir Chirkov, the art director of the chorus).

Maria

07 Estrellita.m4a  
 http://www.box.net/shared/0lcixk29f5cklm3y5ouq 

Latin Sampler
Record sleeve, Allegro 1908
Record Corp. of America, 1956

Ask me what I think the most beautiful name for a woman is and without hesitation I'll answer Maria. I always adored that name and the few I've met are beautiful people. It was my destiny that I would end up marrying a Maria, and she is beautiful. During our white bread weeks I made her mix tapes, all with happy and sweet music about love and romance. On one of those tapes I collected all the singers I had  available named Maria. Back then (14 years ago) it was not easy to fill a C60. I had to use three Maria Callas arias to fill an hour's worth. Now it would be easy as cake because ever since that tape I've kept up the collection. Don't ask me how many different singers I have, I lost count, there must be at least forty. The name Maria is found in many places. I have records from Poland, Russia, Spain, Portugal, from all over Latin America, but (unless you consider Maria Callas an American) the only American Maria in my collection is one record by Maria Muldaur. Maria Callas, of course, is the most famous of them all. I love Maria Callas. I have twelve records dedicated to the American born Greek opera diva and many of these are box sets. The aria Casta Diva is her signature song and one of her recordings of it represents for me the most beautiful voice on record. 

The latest addition to my Maria collection is a song on the compilation record Latin Sampling by a singer named Maria Plaza. I have no idea where the singer is from or anything about her, but there is a picture of her on the sleeve. The treasures I find in thrift stores often have no presence on the web. There are various Maria Plazas found on the web but all refer to geographical entries. The sampler itself is not that interesting. The record contains commercialized Latin beats, romantic Latin mood orchestras, and even an instruction how to dance the rumba (I tried it, but I suck at dancing). Only the very last track of the record has artistic and aesthetic merit. Indeed, this is the Maria Plaza tune Estrellita. First you think the tune is going to turn into On the Sunny Side of the Street but then the aria Casta Diva lingers through the rest of it. Every time Plaza hits the high note at the end of a strophe I hear Casta Diva setting in. Estrellita, so I learn through Google, is a song written by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce in 1912. Like Casta Diva it has been performed by numerous singers and musicians. 
Casta Diva is from the opera Norma written by Vincenzo Bellini (libretto by Felice Romani), it premiered at La Scala in 1831. This is the English translation of Casta Diva.

Pure Goddess, whose silver covers
These sacred ancient plants,
we turn to your lovely face
unclouded and without veil...
Temper, oh Goddess,
the hardening of you ardent spirits
temper your bold zeal,
Scatter peace across the earth
Thou make reign in the sky...

...and then the English translation of Estrellita

Little star of the distant sky,
you see my pain,
you know my anguish.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.
You are my star, my beacon of love!
You know that soon I shall die.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.

Ole! Amparo Garrido

08 Ole tus Lunares.m4a
http://www.box.net/files#/files/0/f/121516455/Thrift_Store_Mixed_Tapes

Amparo Garrido: Ole!
record sleeve, Antilla records #582
Armada & Rodriguez of  Florida, Inc.

People go on vacation and on vacation they buy souvenirs. Postcards they buy for a visual memory and records they buy for a memory in sound. Records used to be great souvenirs, People got them everywhere. These days the souvenir records are all at thrift stores: Memories of Italy, Souvenir de Paris, Grüße aus Tirol, and the like, containing romantic night music based on popular melodies in the particular vacation destination. Some of the richer vacationers go on a cruise, or go to nightclubs. Their souvenirs are the records from the singers, the bands or the orchestras performing and the most adventurous traveler returns home with a signed copy. Signed or not, eventually the records end up at the thrift stores. I've collected numerous signed records, the most famous one is a signed (and dedicated) Rusty Warren record. The Lord Saints signed theirs while at work performing their calypsos at a cruise ship and Sandor Lakatos Deki signed a copy of his orchestra's Romantic Music of Hungary—Instrumental Gypsy Tunes. Sometimes a record has even more: Inside a signed record (by a airplane pilot?) produced by the Italian airline Alitalia I found snapshots, religious prayer cards, and business cards. I like it when records are personalized like that. Whenever my record collection ends up at a thrift store some collector will have a lucky day. In my Elvis 45s I stuck collectible Elvis cards, my Jolie Holland and Alela Diane's records are signed and dedicated, and when a 45 doesn't have a sleeve I make one (and you must know that my own hand-made 45 sleeves contain so much more info and interesting visuals than any store bought sleeve would!) 

The person who bought the Amparo Garrido record I have in front of me, must have seen her at the Columbia Hotel in Tampa, Florida. The hotel is advertised in the liner notes and various other recordings made in that hotel are offered for sale on the back of this record called Ole! Amparao Garrido is accompanied on this record by Panchito Calimano Y Su Combo. Ole Tus Lunares, is the opening track—click on the link above for a free download. Enjoy :)

A Polka from Cleveland

Third Edition by Joe Hezoucky
record sleeve
Souvenir Records

03 Kdo Valchik Mival Rat.m4a
http://www.box.net/shared/dn7qlnonzpk1d6ym588s

I haven't quite figured out how to embed sound to the blog so for now there's just a link to the sound recording that can be downloaded into your iTunes or whatever program. I'll work on it and change it to a ready to play format as soon as I can.

Moving from Columbus, Ohio to Fort Myers, Florida didn't really change a whole lot in regards to what records can be found in thrift stores. They say that Southwest Florida is the place where Ohioans retire. Case in point: one of the first people I met is a retired plumber from Columbus who lives practically next door—we have become good friends.
Just as in Ohio you will find polka records here at any single thrift store, dozens in an afternoon of shopping. I had given up buying any more polka records after I purchased a 4LP box-set with the best recordings ever made. I thought that would do, never was a big fan anyhow. So why I bought yet another one is easy to explain. This one features a female vocalist, a feature not found on any track on the 4LP greatest ever recordings. This record is by far the greatest polka record I own. The vocalist is Marie Danek singing with Joe Hezoucky and his Bohemian Orchestra from Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland, with its large Eastern European community, is the polka capitol of the United States. The king of polka, Frankie Yankovic is from there too, and he too retired in Southwest Florida.

The selected tune is not really a polka but rather a waltz titled Kdo Valcik Mival Rat (Who Loves to Waltz). It was recorded in Edcom Recording Studios on Tungsten Rd. in Cleveland and released by Souvenir Records on Drake Ave. in that same city. 

"It is my sincere hope, that by listening to this album, your days will become just a bit more enjoyable. May the sun shine forever in your hearts"
                     —Joe Hezoucky, liner notes to Third Edition

Joe Hezoucky together with Marie Danek made my day.