Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

The latest album from Gareth Davies-Jones came about as the result of a recent trip to the Southern Ethiopian city of Arba Minch where the Northern Irish acoustic singer/songwriter took part in an ethnomusicology workshop run by Wycliffe Bible Translators. Obviously deeply impacted by the faith, culture and music of the Gamo people he was staying with, the now Northumberland-based folkster has cleverly melded indigenous field recordings with a smattering of new material - recorded at Motherwell's Foundry Music Lab under the watchful eye of producer Sandy Jones - to offer up something artistically fresh and culturally edifying. The sub theme running through this release is the fact that, when Gamo folks convert to Christianity, they are unfairly encouraged to turn away from their mother tongue and Davies-Jones covers this is in the hugely poignant "Lost In Translation" and the more upbeat "No Words" (featuring a cameo from Scottish singer/songwriter Yvonne Lyon) whilst the opener "God Given" begins with the Gamo people singing their praises in their own language. Interspersed between the new GDJ songs are a selection of recordings of local musicians and singers which gives a real flavour of the cultural richness of the region whilst the quietly beautiful instrumental "Galatice" - translated as "thank you" and benefiting from the violin skills of Seonaid Aitken - helps to end this ethnically relevant release in style.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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