Memories de Deva
Guieldu’s debut album
José Ángel Hevia, a renowned Asturian piper, and Bieito Romero, frontman of the Galician Celtic group Luar na Lubre, listened to Memories de Deva before its release. Their thoughts on Guieldu’s debut album feature in the booklet that accompanies the CD edition.
The Album
Memories de Deva brings together fourteen tracks that make up Guieldu’s first recorded repertoire.
The album draws on original compositions and traditional music, with Asturias as its starting point and an open view towards the Atlantic lands of the Celtic world: Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and other Celtic nations.
The songs move through different moods and musical languages, from traditional-rooted melodies to compositions in which Guieldu develops its own way of understanding Celtic music.
The Music
Fourteen tracks to listen to from start to finish.
As well as Spotify, you can also listen to Memories de Deva on Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and other streaming platforms.
Tracks: Óise l’Ixixú · L’Aremu · El Cantar de la Texedora · Laridenn eus Asturiez · Ayer Vite na Fonte · Angueira (ft. Pepín de Muñalén) · Perdayuri · Irish Fleadh · Flor d’Artu (ft. Pepín de Muñalén) · Asturies danza na Celtia – Pumba-Dai · Rondes (ft. 6 Riales) · La Regueira de los Danzantes · Ónde vas a por Agua · Eireann Set
The CD edition
The physical edition of Memories de Deva was conceived as an object that takes the album beyond the music. The artwork, design and booklet create a world of their own, rooted in Asturias and the Atlantic landscape that inspires Guieldu.
The Cover
The cover of Memories de Deva is a watercolour painted specially for the album by Asturian artist Solombra. It depicts the mouth of the Avilés estuary, with the San Juan lighthouse lighting up a boat being harried by the “peludín”, a sea creature from local folklore, with Deva Island in the background. Solombra also created the illustrations for the inside of the booklet and the CD artwork. The design and layout were by Pablo Santamarta, the band’s bass player.
The album takes its name from the island of Deva, which also lends its name to a Celtic goddess. The title was suggested by poet Vítor Albuerne, and is easy to pronounce in several languages.
The booklet
The booklet that accompanies Memories de Deva has a story of its own. Written in Asturian, its pages take the form of a field notebook where things happen, and places, people and scenes appear, all connected in some way to the album’s songs.
Each entry begins with one of the tracks, but then follows its own path. It does not seek to explain the song or tell the same story: it is a different story unfolding alongside it.
The result is a small journey that accompanies the album and can be discovered page by page, quite apart from the music.
Production
Memories de Deva was recorded at Estudios 15:40 in Gozón. Héctor Aneiros handled the musical production, while Senén Fernández was responsible for the recording, mixing and mastering. Once the album was finished, it was manufactured at La Fábrica del Ruíu in Avilés — the final stage of a process that never left the band’s home territory.
The recording also features Pepín de Muñalén on saxophone, Jesús del Castillo on electronic bagpipes, and the pandereteras of 6 Riales, adding textures and voices beyond Guieldu’s usual live line-up.
Where to find the album
You can listen to Memories de Deva on streaming services, or get it as a physical CD — something to keep, give as a gift, open at your leisure and enjoy.
The CD is available from Tiza y Peonza (Avilés), L’Esperteyu Chigre Folk (Uviéu/Oviedo), Café Trisquel Chigre (Xixón/Gijón), Raigaños (Cuideiru/Cudillero), O Recuncho (Ribadeo), Taberna Bar Cuervo and Reload (León/Llión), and La Taberna del Dragón Verde (Seville).