Milladoiro is indeed one of a kind: a wonderful group where traditional pipes, fiddles and accordions are backed by an especially strong assemblage of woodwinds and harp, the effect is like a cross between folk and chamber music. Their live CD
As Fadas De Estrano Nome contains equal parts jaunty dances and graceful set pieces, while more recent releases like
Auga De Maio are more laid back.
Carlos Nunez is undoubtedly the poster boy of Galician music: with his ambitious musical vision, he always attract incredibly high-calibre collaborators -- and this has an unfortunate effect on his early albums:
Brotherhood of Stars and
Os Amores Libres are what I'd call "bad albums of good music": individual songs are stunning (who wouldn't want to hear Dulce Ponte wringing her heart out on a Colimbra fado, or Teresa Salgueiro sing about an old widow condemned as a witch?), but I wouldn't want to listen to either album in its entirety: they are like a pan-cultural jumble sale, completely incoherent. Nunez wished to prove his point about unity between musical traditions, turned out he extenuated the differences.
His later albums,
Mayo Longo and
Finisterres , are narrower in scope, but are more focused and thus make a more satisfying listen.
Also, the
Live in Spain album by the Scottish group Skyedance is very much stepped in the Galician tradition, and the playing of fiddler Alasdair Fraser is enthalling as always.