Talamana
Talamana plays original songs, incorporating jazz and folk music with elements of world music. The founding members are Laila Salins on vocals, guitar and shruti and Jim Matus on laoutar (a lute/guitar hybrid) and back-up vocals. They perform in the United States, Canada and Eastern Europe.
Their debut recording, Cloud Call, was released in August of 2023. The songs on that recording are based on lyrics of various visionary poets, ranging from William Blake and Emily Dickinson to contemporary poets such as the Iranian feminist Forugh Farrokhzad and the Christian mystic Laris Salins. The word “talamana” is a Sanskrit word denoting cosmic order and rhythm. On the recording they were joined by Robert Markey on sitar and Richie Barshay on percussion. (Bandcamp link below)
The Talamana Trio recently performed at the acclaimed Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares concert series in Massachusetts in May of 2024. Here’s a link to that concert (edited to one hour’s length):
Reviews:
“The guitars and laoutar form a beautiful and intricate tapestry over which the songs and stories are spun, making for a near-magical explorative experience, with Matus’ world music experience having a powerful influence. When Salins and Matus are harmonizing, the result is lovely and powerful. (Expose)
“Vocalist Laila Salins and string player Jim Matus explore matters both personal and political with a degree of technical skill and depth of emotion unusual in this era of cookie-cutter music production.” (Glenn Siegel, jazz and world music producer)
Jim and Laila performing as the Talamana Duo in 2023
Jim Matus, Laila Salins, Robert Markey — Richie Barshay, percussion
CONTACT INFO: lailasalins@gmail.com; 646-591-6520
An earlier incarnation of Talamana created the song cycle, Songs along the Amber Road, as part of the European “Capitals of Culture” program that took place in Riga, Latvia, and elsewhere. This is a journey, in song, myth, and images – along the amber road, the ancient trading route that led from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean. Original music has been combined with arrangements of ancient melodies from: Finland, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Greece and Egypt. A narrative describes the history and myths of the amber road. Video images were created by Arturs Virtmanis.
A full performance of Songs along the Amber Road at the Riga Congress Hall in Latvia on August 6, 2014 can be seen below on Vimeo (Parts I and II): Laila Salins, vocals, shruti, melodica; Jim Matus, laoutar, vocals; Shane Shanahan, percussion; Timo Väänänen, kantele, vocals, video by Arturs Virtmanis. The project was inspired, in part, by the work of the Silk Road Ensemble, of which Shane Shanahan is a founding member.
Jim Matus, Laila Salins and Shane Shanahan performing at the Old Schoolhouse, Hadley, MA
from left: Timo Väänänen, Laila Salins, Shane Shanahan, Jim Matus