EFRÉN LÓPEZ

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L'HAM DE FOC

 

L’Ham de Foc took its very first steps in 1998 and surprised both critics and public alike with its strong character. Over the following years, until the group broke up in 2007, they recorded three albums of beautifully refined music based on local traditions with influences from all over the modal world ranging through Western Medieval, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean traditions. The group made use of original instruments from each of these cultures and created an acoustic, though far from undefined sound.

Thus the omnipresent drones (hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, tanpura, didgeridoo, trompa marina…) and percussion instruments (from the very basic tambourines and spoons through to the sophistication of the tomak and tabla) laid a foundation for the texts and crudely modal melodies woven by the voice, who was then accompanied by a wide range of stringed instruments (ud, various lutes, lyres, saz, harps…) and wind instruments, from the subtle Nay or reed flutes through to the energetic dolçainas, bagpipes or shawns.

It was a preference for original pieces, as opposed to new arrangements of already existing music or settings of other people’s poems, or in a word CREATION that came to be true the hallmark of L’Ham de Foc.Another typical trait of the group was their constant search for new and inspiring musical resources. They made every effort to avoid superficiality, redundancy or facile exoticism, as they adopted foreign musical languages with infinite care and attention, seeking out the most respected maestros along their way.

Far from offering a mutilated version of their carefully arranged albums, the group’s live performances faithfully reproduced the complex sounds and wealth of timbres with eight musicians and over forty instruments, all acoustic, on stage.

They came to be one of the most internationally renowned groups in the country, playing concerts in Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta, France and China.

 

Early tapes recorded at home (back in ’98) showed Efrén’s desire to explore musical paths that were far less trodden that the ones he had previously been on. One of these early L'Ham de Foc tapes led to their selection by INJUVE (Spanish Youth Institute) for a Spanish tour in spring, 1998.

It was shortly after this that they went into the studio to record their first album “U” (“One”), with Madrid based company Sonifolk. It was released in 1999 and praised as one of the best CDs of the year by radio programs such as “Trébede” on Spanish National Radio 3, “La Taberna del Gran Burlón” on Onda Regional Murcia and “Hidrogen” on Catalunya Radio. “U” was distributed throughout Spain, in France, Holland, Belgium and Greece and received excellent reviews in all these countries.

L’Ham de Foc presented the album at festivals like “Folk Segovia, Castillo de Ainsa, Castell de Dénia, Mestical de Elche, Folk Cartagena, Folk Rural (Vallfogona de Ripollés), Strictly Worldwide Music (Zaragoza), Tradicionárius, Terra de Trobadors (Castelló d’Empuries), Girona Folk, Festival de Cedeira, Encontros Musicais da Tradiçao Europeia (Guimaraes, Portugal) Mare Nostrum (Valencia) and on the tour “Artistas en Ruta” through Madrid and Galicia.

After a time dedicated to learning and study on Crete, the group returned to the studio in August 2001 to record their second album “Cançó de dona i home” (Song of woman and man), which was again published and distributed by Sonifolk and produced by Efrén. The album was presented, among other places, at the Barcelona cycle “Noves Músiques Acústiques, Sete Sois, Sete Lúas (Tavernes de Valldigna), Iberia@Huesca.Folk (Huesca), Folkuéllar (Cuellar, Segovia) Etnosur (Alcalá la Real, Jaen), Paupaterres (Tàrrega, Lleida), Giramón (Espai MOMA, Valencia), Auditorio de Ceutí (Murcia), Festival Altres Músiques (Benicàssim, Castellón), Tribus Iberians (Santiago de Compositely, Lugo), Los Concertos de Radio 3 (Spanish National Radio), the Mediterranean music festival Alaman (Algeria), Cartagena Folk Injure, Mediterranean music festival Oregano (Durbin, Austria), Folk fest! (Rudolstadt, Germany), Festival Voix du monde (Normandy, France) WOMEX 2003 (Seville) and the Elche Mestival at which the group collaborated with the prestigious musician and researcher Petros Tamburis and his group.

After this extended tour and a long stay in the north of Greece, Efrén return to Valencia to record his most complex and delirious album yet: “Cor de Porc”. Apart from their habitual collaborators (Eduard Navarro, Constantino López, Mara Aranda and Diego López), this album includes participations from a number of musicians who had been working wither with the group or parallel to it for some time: Rafa Gisbert “Cato” (doedelzack), Josep Maria Ribelles (Celtic harp), David Antich (arrangements), Osvaldo Jorge (percussion), Juan Manuel Rubio (Medieval harp) and from Greece: Hristos Barbas (nay and kaval), Ralf Eickmeier (kemençe and rebec), Pantelis Pavlidis (Black Sea lyre) and Nikos Tzannis (kemençe). The album also included collaborations from much admired musicians such as Maria Lafitte (voice), Masud Naderi (tombak) and Vanesa Muela (percussion and voice).

“Cor de Porc” was presented on two main tours, one around Catalonia on the Ressons circuit, and another at 12 performances throughout Germany. It was also taken on tour through Spain, into France, Italy, Portugal and Greece, and enjoyed collaborations with Italians Luigi Cinque and Elena Ledda, Portuguese Os Ganhoes, Irish Cretan resident Ross Daly and the German Medieval music group Estampie.

 

The group was dissolved towards the end of 2007.

Musicians

The final formation of L’Ham de Foc before its dissolution (2005-2007)

 

EFRÉN LÓPEZ

oud, hurdy-gurdy, medieval lute, hammered dulcimer, tar, rabab, baglama

DIEGO LÓPEZ

zarb, darbuka, bendir, riq, davul, doira, kanjira, tamburello

EDUARD NAVARRO

shawn, moraharpa, lute, dolçaina, bagpipe

CONSTANTINO LÓPEZ

guittern, mandola, oud, divan saz

HRISTOS BARBAS

ney, kaval, recorders

JUAN MANUEL RUBIO

santoor, hurdy-gurdy, baglama, harp

MARA ARANDA

voice, tampura, trompa marina, didjeridoo

OSVALDO JORGE

tabla, ghatam, kanjira, udu, bendir, redoblant

Others collaborators

These are just some of the people who shared part of their immense talent with L’Ham de Foc both live and in the recording made by the group over the years

 

JOANSA MARAVILLA

percusions

 

NÉSTOR MONT

strings

 

CARLOS SANCHIS

accordion

 

PEP AHUIR

strings

 

XAVI NAVARRO

violin

 

JOSETE CASTRO

clarinet

 

RICARDO ESTEVE

flamenco guitar

 

AINHOA IZAGUIRRE

alboka

 

DAVID ANTICH

 recorders

 

PEYO GARCÍA

didjeridoo

 

JOSEP AMÍROLA

medieval fiddle, violin

 

ANDRÉS SANDOVAL

violin

 

PACO BERNAL

percussions

 

CARLES MAGRANER

vielle, rebec, cello

 

AZIZ SAMSAOUI

violin, kanun, oud

 

LAIA PUIG

recorders, shawn

 

EDUARD INIESTA

strings

 

MIRIAM ENCINAS

recorders

 

ÁLVARO GARRIDO

percussions

 

RAFA GISBERT "CATO"

shawn, bagpipes

 

JOSEP MARIA RIBELLES

harp

 

NIKOS TZANIS

kemençe

 

RALF EICKMEIER

lyra, rebec

 

VANESA MUELA

percussions, voice

 

PANTELIS PAVLIDIS

Black Sea lyra

 

MARIA LAFFITTE

voice

 

MASSUD NADERI

tombak

 

ROSS DALY

lyra, tar-hu, saz

 

KELLY THOMA

lyra

CHRISTOPH PELGEN

bagpipes

CESC SANS

bagpipes

STELIOS PETRAKIS

lyra

Audio

"Cor de Porc", 2005

 

Voldrien

Pandero

Tristos ulls

Jorn e nit

Àngels de menta

L'Únic peix no foll del món

"Cançó de Dona i Home", 2002

 

El que vull

Un nom

La dansa dels fadrins

Cançó de dona i home

"U", 1999

 

Lluna d'algeps

Veritat

Si

La fe

 

Apperances in collective CD's

 

"Tradicionàrius 99" (Tram, 1999)

With

"Cançó de Traginers"

"Tradicionàrius 2000" (Tram, 2000)

With "El Nord" y "Lluna d'Algeps"

 

"La Diversidad Musical de La Península Ibérica" (FNAC, 2000)

With "Cançó de Bressol"

"Nuevo Sonido Folk" (Sonifolk, 2001)

With "El Nord"

"Espais Naturals de Catalunya"

(TV3, 2000)

With "Illes"

 

"Artistas en Ruta 2000" (Evohé, 2002)

With "Dels Amors del Dimoni"

"Discópolis" (Boa, 2002)

With "La Dansa dels Fadrins"

"Fira de Manresa" (Enderrock, 2002)

With "El Que Vull"

 

"Parapanda Folk 2002"

(Illora-Granada-2002)

"Oriental Garden, the world of oriental grooves" (Soulstar, 2003)

With "El Que Vull"

"Abmorgenland" (Editat per la revista alemanya Karfunkel, 2003)

With "El Que Vull"

 

"Siriopolis 1" (Sirius, 2004)

With "La Dansa dels Fadrins"

"Una nova actitud en el món folk" (Galileo MC / Enderrock Discos, 2005) With "Voldrien"

"Tradicionàrius 2005" (Tram, 2005)

With "El Que Vull"

 

"FRoots 26" (Revista FRoots, 2005)

With "L'Estimat del Corb"

"El Disc dels Músics i Cantants en Valencià" (L'Avanç/Enderrock, 2005)

With "Voldrien"

"Miroque" (Disc recopilatori de la revista alemanya "Karfuknkel", 2006)

With "Tristos Ulls"

"Barkeloni, i Musiki Anixi tis Evropis"

(Difono 2006)

With "La Dansa dels Fadrins"
 

"Oriental Garden-The Box" (Yeni Dünia Müsik, 2005)

With "El Que Vull"

  

Live recordings

L'Ham de Foc, Sala l'Espai, Barcelona, february 15th, 2003

With Catalan harpist Josep Maria Ribelles

 

La Mare (from the "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

L'Ham de Foc, Valencia's Port, june 19th, 2003

With the dolçaina players Rafa Gisbert "Cato" and Laia Puig

 

A-Lè (from the "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

L'Ham de Foc, Bø/Telemark/Norway, july 31st, 2004

 

U (Valencian trad./López/Aranda)

Els Camins (from the "U" album)

Kopenitsa (from the "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

Tocs Occitans (from the "U" album)

L'Ham de Foc, Sala L'Espai, Barcelona, february 17th, 2005

 

Encara (from the  "Cor de Porc" album)

La Raó (from the  "Cor de Porc" album)

Somniava (from the "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

L'Ham de Foc, Bahnhof Langendreer, Bochum, Germany, february 24th, 2005

 

Pandero (from the  "Cor de Porc" album)

L'Ham de Foc, Sagunto Roman Theater, august 26th, 2005

With Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma

 

Husseini Azeri (Ross Daly)

Évgike O Ílios (Ross Daly)

Tekez (Trad. Izmir/Turkey)

Thalassa Mavri (Ross Daly)

Makrinitsa (Ross Daly)

L'Ham de Foc, Mora de Rubielos Castle(Teuel), august 15th 2006

With Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma

 

U/Thalassa Mavri (Valencian trad./Ross Daly)

Hudetsanes Kontilies/Pentozalis (Ross Daly)

Voldrien (Efrén López/Mara Aranda)

Husseini Azeri (Ross Daly)

L'Ham de Foc, Rasa Concert Hall Utrecht (Holland), february 17th, -2007

 

El Que Vull (from the  "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

A L'Aire (from the  "Cançó de Dona i Home" album)

Tristos Ulls (from the  "Cor de Porc" album)

Husseini Azeri / Azeri Tar Solo (Ross Daly / Persian trad.)

L'Ham de Foc, Saint Chartier Festival (France), july 14th 2007

 With Cristoph Pelgen (bagpipe)

 

Tristos Ulls (from the  "Cor de Porc" album)

 

Video

Somniava

Encara

Un nom

El que vull

Cançó de dona i home

Pictures

The group’s first concert

(Algemesí, 17/6/1998)

 

Jam at the “Folk Rural” Festival

(Vallfogona del Ripollès, 1/5/1999)

 

Balboa (León) The "Magosto" party with Iñaki Peña (31/10/1999)

 

Llíria

(19/12/1999)

 

Llíria

(19/12/1999)

 

Centro Cultural La Beneficencia

(Valencia, 2000)

 

Formación "U"

(2000)

Formación "U"

(2000)

Primera gira del grupo por Alemania

(Juliol de 2003)

C.A.T. (BARCELONA), 5/4/2002

 

C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002 C.A.T. (Barcelona) 5/4/2002

 

(Photos: Núria Corcelles)

SALA SURISTÁN (MADRID), 12/4/2002

 

Sala Suristán (Madrid) 12/4/2002

 

(Photo: Luis Covaleda)

ESPAI MOMA (VALENCIA), 30-31/5/2002

 

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(Photos: Santi Carreguí)

MESTIVAL (ELCHE), 1/6/2002

(With the Greek group Petros Tamburis Ensemble)

 

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L'ELIANA (VALENCIA),  27/6/2002

 

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(Photos: Santi Carreguí)

ETNOSUR  (ALCALÁ LA REAL-JAÉN), 21/7/2002

 

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(Photos: Sitoh)

PARAPANDA FOLK (ILLORA-GRANADA), 23/7/2002

 

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FIRA DE MANRESA, 1/11/2002

 

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L'ESPAI (BCN), 15/2/2003

(With Catalan harpsit Josep Maria Ribelles)

 

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(Photos: Mara Aranda)

MUSICAT DE ALGEMESÍ (VALENCIA), 9/5/2003

(With the percussionist Álvaro Garrido)

 

 

(Photos: Visaes)

PUERTO DE VALENCIA, 19/6/2003

("Odyssée 2003" project)

 

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(Photos: Jesús Morcillo / Santi Carreguí)

STADTGARTEN KÖLN (GERMANY), 2/7/2003

 

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(Photos: Daniel Dinkel)

ALHAMA DE MURCIA, 26/9/2003

 

WOMEX (SEVILLA), 25/10/2003

 

 

(Photos: Sitoh)

CENTRE CULTURAL DE LA CAM-ALACANT), 30/4/2004

 

BØ / TELEMARK (NORWAY), 31/7/2004

 

 

(Photos: Kjell Bitustøyl)

L'ESPAI (BARCELONA), 17/2/2005

 

BOCHUM (GERMANY), 24/2/2005

 

 

 

(Fotos: www.jarwinbenadar.de)

FESTIVAL "MÚSICA PER LA BIODIVERSITAT" (CAMBRA DE COMERÇ DE CASTELLÓ DE LA PLANA), 15/4/2005

 

 

 

 (Photos: Jesús Morcillo)

AUDITORI D'ALMUSSAFES, 27/5/2005

 

 

 (Photos: Guillem Menxeta)

JARDINS DEL PALAU DE LA MÚSICA DE VALÈNCIA, 3/6/2005

 

 

 (Photos: Xavi Romero)

 

 

 (Photos: Manuel Asensi)

FESTIVAL POBORINA FOLK (POBO DE LA SIERRA, TERUEL), 25/6/2005

 

 

(Alfredo)

CARTAYA (HUELVA), 8/7/2005

(With Luigi Cinque, Elena Ledda and "El Choro")

 

ROMA (ITALY), 14/7/2005

(With Luigi Cinque, Elena Ledda, Carlo Rizzo and "El Choro")

 

TEATRE ROMÀ DE SAGUNT (VALÈNCIA) FESTIVAL "SAGUNT A ESCENA", 26/8/2005

(With Ross Daly and Keli Thoma)

 

 

 "POPKOMM" FESTIVAL, BERLIN (GERMANY), 14/9/2005

 

FESTIVAL GALDAMES FOLK (BIZKAIA-BASQUE COUNTRY), 15/10/2005

 

 
 
 (Photos: Ander García Izquierdo "Piru")

PAIPORTA, 22/10/2005

 

 
 (Photos: Josep Vicent Frechina)

MARSELLA (FRANCE), 18/3/2006

 

 
 (Photos: Jean-Baptiste Fontana)

X CANT AL RAS, MASSALFASSAR, 20/5/2006

 

 
 (Photos: Jesús Morcillo)

PALAU COMTAL, COCENTAINA, 5/7/2006

 

 
 (Photos: Manuel Asensi)

HUELVA, 7/7/2006

 

LANDSHUT (GERMANY), 25/7/2006

(With Estampie, Aziz Samsaoui and Iman Kandousi)

 

GERMANY, 29/7/2006

(With Estampie)

 

CLUNIA (BURGOS), 12/8/2006

(With Ross Daly and Keli Thomà)

 

 
(Photos: Luís Barbolla)

MORA DE RUBIELOS CASTLE (TERUEL), 15/8/2006

(With Ross Daly and Keli Thomà)

 

FRANKFURT (GERMANY), 19/1/2007

(With Estampie, Aziz Samsaoui and Iman Kandousi)

 

 

ROTTERDAM (HOLLAND), 15/2/2007

 

SALA RASA, UTRECHT (HOLLAND), 17/2/2007

 

(Fotos: Joke Schot)

BELGIUM/HOLLAND TOUR (February 2007)

 

VALENCIA, 5/5/2007

(With Josep Maria Ribelles)

 

 

 

(Photos: Manuel Asensi/Lluna Trapisonda)

MED FESTIVAL, LOULE (PORTUGAL), 17/7/2007

 

 

Posters

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2002 Tour

German tour 2005

"Cor de Porc" Tour, 2005

 

At the studio

RECORDING "CANÇÓ DE DONA I HOME"

 

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RECORDING "COR DE PORC"

 

 

 

 

 

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