www.mandragora.com.pt | www.myspace.com/mandragorafolk

Escarpa - New Album out now

Mandrágora "Escarpa"
Portuguese urban folk music - Heptatrad
Hepta004CD

01 Candelária - available
02 Picões do Diabo
03 Baile do Escangalhado
04 Cubo
05 MijaVelhas
06 Abaixo Esta Serra
07 Erva Moura
08 Oh Que Calma Vai Caindo
09 Escancaras
10 Odelouca
11 Malagrado
12 Tardo
13 Turbilhão - available in myspace

Debut Album "Mandrágora" - Awarded with "Carlos Paredes" 2006
This award is given to the bands who plays Portuguese Instrumental Folk music, regarding the importance that the music has for the reinforcement of our cultural identity

Mandrágora is a name of a plant that possesses fertilizing and aphrodisiac virtues, a medicinal root whose fruit, identical to a small apple, exhales a strong and fetid odour. The root of the plant has the form of a human being and in the popular belief, the mandrágora cries out as people when it is pulled out of the land.

Mandrágora is also the name of young band of OPorto, that distinguish themselves for the creativity of their original compositions, evoking the Portuguese musical tradition, and exploring the meeting with other cultures and still revealing a great diversity of influences of modern music.

Two demos, Presença recorded in 2000, wins the 2nd Place in Prémios Maqueta and O Aranganho recorded in 2002, a debut album Mandrágora (Zounds/Sabotage) awarded by the City council of Vila Franca de Xira with the Prémio Carlos Paredes 2006, acclaimed by the specialized critics as the best album of Portuguese groups of 2005 and several years of national and international concerts, are the clamorous root of this folk band.
After several concerts made this year, Mandrágora is now preparing their 2nd album of originals due to March of 2008. More info on this shortly.

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MEMBERS ARE:

Filipa Santos: Sax; Bagpipe and flutes.
Ricardo de Noronha: Percussion and flutes.
Pedro Viana: Classic guitar.
Sergio Calisto: Moraharpa; Nyckelharpa; Cello and bouzouki.
João Serrador: Bass.