While Celtic Connections had only just begun, Carlos Núñez, the adored Galician musician, surely set the bar with a spectacular,
fascinating and entertaining show. The Spanish instrumentalist and composer, who has spent three years studying the musical
relationship between Brazil and his native country, was evidently thrilled to be sharing his surprising discoveries with a loving audience, as well as revisiting the sensuous sounds that have made his name a favourite at this festival.
The music from his new album, Alborada Do Brasil, shone a light on the silky phrasing of Núñez’s performance on the gaita, the
Iberian bagpipes, but he also gave plenty of room to contributions from his four-piece band and his authentic Brazilian collaborators, Fernanda Cabral and Alan Souza. Also key to the evening’s success was the procession of bagpipers and percussionists on to the stage at various points in Núñez’s set,
providing a deserved platform for the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and funky drummers Rhythm Wave, as well as building on Nunez’s grand and atmospheric sound world.
Sponsored by Scottish Power
Star rating: ****
