Harmonia

Hidden Legacy

FolkSounds Records

First off, this Harmonia is not the German wrock du electronique combo from 1973-76 but a gaggle of contemporary Euro-folk swingers from Ohio. This Harmonia specializes in putting a New World coat of paint on some Old World dance music of Central & South Euro- pean origins: Hungary, Transylvania, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, and other nationalities with heavy eats [My peeps!], armed with flute, accordion, guitar and guit-like gizmos, bass, and cimbalom (similar to the dulcimer and santoor). While they don’t put too modern a spin on the ancient recipes in the manner of, say, the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars or the Ukraini- ans (a spin-off of UK angst-pop-punk Wedding Present), Harmonia avoids treating these an- cient minor-keyed melodied tunes (mostly instrumental, a few vocals) with museum-piece reverence—simply put, this Balkan breakneck bluegrass is mostly party music, to be danced- to whilst fueled by kielbasa and the hot potato salad of the just-married.