1983 saw The Boîte release its first album – Highly Strung: A pot pourri of Melbourne’s finest folk musicians play the traditional stringed instruments of South America, Europe and Asia. The album featured music from Ireland, Paraguay, Greece, Thailand, the Ukraine and the Middle East – ‘played by Melbourne’s finest musicians.’
The cassette was launched at a concert at the Universal Theatre, Victoria Street Fitzroy on October 30th, 1983 with a diverse and distinguished line-up of musicians featured on the album, including Paraguayan harp player Alfirio Cristaldo, Chris Fakos and Chris Karkanaki originally from Greece on santouri and bouzouki and Ukrainian bandura player Igor Jakubowicz.
A press release announcing the concert explained the ethos behind the project: The Boîte strives to set whatever music it presents in its social context, rather than stage a spectacular parade of migrant performers, which leaves the audience uninformed about what it is they are seeing and hearing. To this end we have recorded all the artists performing at the Highly Strung concert, and the cassette will be available at the concert, along with a comprehensive booklet which looks at the development of stringed instruments around the world.
Listen to Alfirio Cristaldo, who featured on The Boîte release Highly Strung, performing Galopera (from Kalluka, later produced by The Boite).