BRAN - "AWEN" - Argentina - 1998

Hi to all bloggers! This is Eliseo Mauas Pinto sending you warm greetings from Argentina on behalf of BRAN! Just in the 10th Anniversary of it's 1st edition, it is a pleasure for me to share with all of you the "Awen" album which I recorded under the BRAN line up in 79 festive hours between Sept. 22nd of 1997 and April 2nd 1998. This new edition includes a Bonus Track: The Chosen One (Edit 2008) This is the First Digital Recording ever done in Argentina featuring Celtic Harp. Other traditional instruments were also included such as whistles, pipes, violin, mandola, mountain dulcimer and bodhran, amongst others. The title of the Album is related to it's opening tune, revealed to me on whistle during a session with BRAN's co-founder and guitar player Xandru Reguera, tune which in fact was pre-existent since we discovered some time after a lost take of it recorded sometime in the past by him! Awen is a welsh word related to the trance of a bard during the creation act. Let me comment to you in brief that in the early '90's, the popular Buenos Aires based 'Poitín' band, dissolved to give birth to new bands. One of these was 'Lenda Gwyn' which after a short period gave birth to 'Duir' during the autumn Celtic New Year celebration of Samhain in 1993, proceeding to introduce new repertoire over four years of concert appearances. As one of it's leading members I left ´Duir´on Samhain '97 and began work on a solo harp project, soon after 'Duir' dissolved. That project grew in scope to become a new band: 'Bran'. As members of 'Bran' we were drawn together by a mutual love for a style we came to describe as ´musical perspective from Celtic roots'. The band began to weave together old Celtic tunes and new tune of their own, inspired by the feelings and views of the modern Celts, always trying to explore new directions in folk music and the shared Celtic cultural heritage that spans from the British Isles to South America. The band was joined by several other musicians to enrich the whole project and make Bran´s first album a reality. Part of the concept was to record the first Argentine CD featuring the Gaelic harp as one of it´s lead instruments. Through their arrangements, the band tried to unveil and reflect both the marvel and tragedy of a still-vivid Celtic history. This is music born of Argentinian soil that tries to capture some of the symbollism of clan marches, airs, dances, and songs of the scattered Celtic peoples. The band´s sound combines the harmonic dimension of the Gaelic harp, the rythmic pulse of assorted percussions, the weaving counterpoint of fretted instruments, the lilting melodies of fiddle and flutes, plus the undeniable Celtic feeling of the songs. Tracks of the album appeared also in the CELTICA Magazine Sampler.Throughout the years we were able to spread BRAN's music in foreign countries such as Chile, Uruguay, United States, Spain, Ireland,and United Kingdom. Flowing with the living currents of our migratory ancient forbears, we take part in a musical and symbolic voyage. The music of 'Bran' is like a 'round trip' carryingto 'another dimension' of our lives and back again.We hope dew to this blog it will trip farther reaching the four corners of the world!...
The Original 1998 Line Up:
Mauricio Ceballos: flutes (irish & others),jaw harp,vocals.
Sergio Gonzalez: mandolin,mandola,bouzouki, flute, whistles, bodhran
Eliseo Mauas Pinto: Gaelic harps, whistles, percussion, harmonica, lead vocals.
Xandru Reguera: electric and acoustic guitars, fretted dulcimer , citternIñaki Antolin: acoustic and digital percussions, flutes, harmonica.

Best wishes and blessings!