We will sing and dance again under Goulamas’K ‘s Red Moon
With “Luna Roja” Goulamas’K launch a propitiatory rite full of struggle and hope
The red moon is a normal astronomical phenomenon. But popular suggestion, in different times and latitudes, has attributed to our satellite that suddenly took the color of blood symbolic meanings from time to time negative or positive. On the one hand, omens of misfortune. On the other, a phase of spiritual renewal through the power of imagination.
Normally, each year has twelve lunar months. But, since the lunar year is shorter than the solar year, the difference in days accumulates to form, every few years, an extra lunar month: the thirteenth moon, another absolutely normal event but traditionally associated with moments of deep emotional crisis. 2020 was a year with thirteen moons, and in 2020 Goulamas’K ‘s seventh album was conceived.
The group, intimately linked to popular traditions, for several years now has been staging admirable examples of contamination between modern and ancient, punk and popular music, French national idiom and so-called minority languages such as Occitan and Catalan. Reconnecting to these traditions, they wanted to title the album “Luna Roja”, to symbolically add a fourteenth moon to 2020, a moon that brings an overcoming of the deep crisis that afflicts humanity and a hope of rebirth.
“Luna Roja” was presented on March 26 during a very long livestream. In the first part, the band explained the new line-up and answered questions from the journalists present and online users. In the second part, they performed live the songs of the new album alternating with some classics. Let’s be clear, as also stated by the band itself, a livestream is only a temporary stopgap and can never replace a real live concert. But in this little taste the charismatic frontman and all the musicians have given great proof of technical skill and emotional power and have certainly enticed to listen to the album waiting to meet them again as soon as possible in a real live dimension.
But let’s come to the album, composed of 9 tracks sung in French, Occitan and Catalan. It is difficult to choose a favorite track because they are all intrinsically linked to each other and constitute a homogeneous continuum.
With “Luna Roja” Goulamas’K launch a real propitiatory rite, full of struggle and hope. A magical rite that has its roots in the dawn of time. An alchemic rite that blends present and past, synth and traditional instruments such as gralla, bouzouki and sac de gemecs. A hypnotic ritual made of barefoot dances around the fire, carnal embraces and sensual rhythms. The frenetic and obsessive rhythms of a powerful ska-punk intimately intertwined with the popular music from the crossroads of cultures that is Occitania.
In the lyrics, steeped as usual in “rage and poetry”, to quote the title of a previous album by Goulamas’K, we can see the objectives of this ritual.
On the one hand, to hurl a curse against those mainly responsible for human unhappiness: money, capitalism and corruption, religions and their proponents who sow division and hatred, the military, economic and cultural imperialism of the United States. To this end, the spirit of the great Apache chief Geronimo is evoked and his prophecy, which sees the destruction of America because of its own thirst for power.
On the other hand, to create a spell that instills in men and women the joy of living and the will to fight, and gives them back the strength to dream of a better world. A world in which we can return to travel, sing, dance, love each other. “If we want we can dance, if we want we can sing, we will sing and dance under the Red Moon”. Hopefully soon…
Elvira Cuomo
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