The meaning behind the name Collage is exactly what you might expect, a diverse collection of musical elements. In the case of Collage the group hailing from Estonia , they have assembled an infusion of pop, folk and classical music aptly called Estonian Folk, a nod to the group’s homeland roots. The amazing thing here is that this is a reissue, a recording from the late 60’s that would easily fit in with any current recording of today. Estonia is located on the outskirts of the Soviet Union and is also the location of the Talinn Conservatory School of music, where a group of students was recruited by Ravio Dikson. The results are a peaceful blend of world music. Some of the standout tracks are “Petis Peiu”, a Brazilian flavored tune. “Vastalaul” begins with collective harmonies that would make the Manhattan Transfer proud and then glides into a folk flavored samba. “Ehted Kadunud” is a mid-tempo soul groover with funky rhythm guitar licks. ”Tutar Nubab Ema” is a warm modal jazz ballad that features superb flute playing over a seductive piano melody. Never mind that the tracks here are sung in Finnish. The melodies of the music and the vocal harmonies provide a pleasant listening experience no matter language barriers may exist, not to mention an insight into the musical Estonian musical history. This is certainly worth checking out.
