Clarita Derwent vocals
Elizabeth Sison vocals
Gisele Scales vocals
Linda Marr vocals, darabukka, shekere, zils and dholak

Zingari Voci (Italian for ‘gypsy voices’) performs traditional vocal music from many parts of the world. The group consists of members from the all-female a cappella group Blindman’s Holiday. This group crosses the barriers between folk, classical, rock and jazz with a repertoire that can be called ‘world a cappella’. They are well-known both in Australia and Europe where they regularly tour. The group has released several CDs.

Instruments: darabukka, dholak, shaker, shekere, zils

Maori Fishing Song  (1:41)

This traditional song was taught to a member of the group by two aunts of a Maori friend. It is widely known both in New Zealand and on other Polynesian islands. The music of Christian missionaries and Western music in general has had, and is still having, a huge impact on the indigenous music of the South Pacific, including Australia. It has led to changes in scales, harmonies, structures and lyrics to songs. This song dates from the period after Europeans arrived in New Zealand. It shows the influence of Christian hymns. This arrangement uses a combination of the original Polynesian drone harmonies with western-influenced third harmonies, showing old and new combined.

Bols/Lange Aaja  (4:20)

This is an arrangement combining several different aspects of Indian music, aspects not traditionally combined. The first part uses the vocal sounds which Indian drummers use to notate composition – ‘saying the bols’. Rhythms are not written down but are spoken from teacher to pupil, with each syllable representing a specific way of striking the tabla. This arrangement, by Peter Slattery, involves three voices overlapping to create cross-rhythms. It is in the Jhaptaal rhythm, which is a 10-beat pattern. The second part of the arrangement is a folk song, more structured than its original form, and using the kerawa rhythm, an 8-beat pattern. It uses clapsticks, rather than drum.

The Female Transport  (4:22)

There are many ballads from England, Ireland and Scotland dealing with the subject of the transportation of convicts, but this convict ballad from England specifically concerns women convicts. It tells vividly the life story of a woman ‘falling into bad company’ (most likely she was a prostitute) and being sentenced to 14 years in Australia. The practice of taking the words of one song and adding them to another tune is very common in folk music. In this arrangement, the words from a male convict song have been rewritten to be from the woman’s perspective.

Kecak ('The Ramayana Monkey Chant')  (2:07)

This piece (pronounced ‘Kechak’) is a traditional song from Bali, an island in Indonesia. The Balinese are Hindu, and the Kecak is, in terms of time, a comparatively new music drama drawing on very ancient religious, musical and dance traditions. The story is an adaptation of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, in which the king of Alengka kidnaps Sita, wife of King Rama. Her husband, assisted by The King of the Monkeys and Anoman, the white monkey general, later rescues her. The army is made up of monkeys, played by the Cak chorus, which helps save Sita from the evil king.

Me Stone  (1:14)

All over the world, people have made up songs to play by, work by, celebrate and lament by. This piece is a traditional ‘Stone Passing Game Song’ from Trinidad and Tobago. Game songs are great for making people forget about singing as a chore or to trick those who think they can’t sing into singing without realising it.