Global sounds through Wisconsin’s capital

Navan

The Celtic group Navan uses just one instrument: the human voice.

Though it seems like a simple approach, maybe even boring to those unfamiliar with acapella, the group has found success capturing the traditional Irish spirit of music nestled in the Celtic culture of Wisconsin.

Navan, named after an old hill fort in Ireland that housed crowning ceremonies and celebrations, sings in the old-style Irish tradition of being unaccompanied by musical instruments. This approach starts with the melody and builds a song from there, sometimes producing harmonies that mimick the instrumentation of drums and bagpipes.

Wisconsin drew Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Cornish miners during the turn of the 20^th century, resulting in prevalent Celtic cultural avenues that Navan participates in. They perform at a variety of outlets including Celtic festivals, folk festivals, the Celtic or Scottish Highland Games and performing arts series honoring the genre. They also perform at Milwaukee’s Irish Fest, one of the largest in the nation.

Navan has found itself accepted by many Wisconsin audiences, some Celtic and some not. They attribute this to the music’s laidback style and mellow harmonies. Although the group does sing some dance tunes, the majority of their repertoire is intimate and lets listeners sink in. The group’s cool voices and demeanor are calming and enchanting, making it easy to get sucked into.

“I think if we can make good music, then that’s what pulls people in,” Simcock says. “It doesn’t have to be somebody that thinks that they speak Irish or that they want to learn how to speak Irish or any of these other languages.”

Charanga Agozá

The way Roberto Rengel tells it, the group Charanga Agozá formed because “where there are lemons, you make lemonade.”  In this case, those lemons were Amber Dolphin, a student in Rengel’s Latin percussion class, and her violin. The result — in other words, the ‘lemonade’ — was a charanga band.

“If you’re a Latin musician and you know someone who plays the violin who … is interested in playing Latin music, you think of a charanga group,” Rengel, a man who plays a paternal role within the band, says.

Classically, charanga is a genre that began in early 20^th century ballrooms in Cuba. Similar to salsa, the addition of mambo and cha-cha sounds made charanga popular worldwide. Instrumentally, these groups are lead by violins and flutes, making a soft but spicy sound.

However, Charanga Agozá’s nine members have personalized the charanga genre and made it their own. First they amped up the already-passionate and vibrant music by introducing a trombone into the group.

“I kind of liked the contrast between the sweet sounds on the one side and then the harsher trombone roaring on the other side. So I thought it would be a neat thing to try,” Rengel says.

Second, the group has also mixed music readers with non-music readers, a feature that has helped them perfect their sound.

“We balance each other out because us non-readers from the dark side, we want to be free and all that, but the readers help keep us in line. We help them to loosen up from what’s in front of them and let go a little bit, which is beautiful when it happens,” the group’s vocalist, Sandra Faitel, says.

The resulting mix between classic charanga and the group’s own zest is festive, peppy and danceable. The violin and flute melodies are sweet and light and are backed up by the jazzy trombone, the catchy percussion and a deep, plucking bass.

Despite variations from a definitively pure charanga group, the group’s love for the music makes up the soul needed of any true charanga group. Their music, the band members explain, is easy to love.

“It brings out the passion in everybody, regardless of your background,” Faitel says.

***

Like Charanga Agozá, each band noted their music’s ability to transcend cultural backgrounds.  It does not matter, the musicians say, if the audience doesn’t understand the words or know each instrument.  Simply feeling the music is enough.

 

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