August 6 2014, World Cafe

1 Mamani Keita – Kanou (World Village)

Album: Kanou

Mamani Keita together with guitarist Djeli Moussa Kouyate (from the Rail Band) and ngoni player Moriba Koita (who’s played with the greats like Salif Keita and Kandia Kouyate).  That’s from Mamani Keita’s latest, which is very good. 

2 Anansy Cisse – Aigouna (Riverboat)

Album: Mali Overdrive

Continuing with new releases from Mali, here’s something from Anansy Cisse off his debut international release.  Cisse is based on Bamako now, but up until recently ran his own recording studio in Dire in the north of the country which churned out pop music – autotuned ‘n all.  He was forced out in late 2012 by the militant Islamist incursion.  Luckily for us, he managed to put together some his own stuff, which is based on traditional Fulani and Songhai music, and came to the attention of the label via an online “Battle of the bands” competition.  This is his celebration of all things Fulani. 

3 Tamikrest – Tisnant an Chatma (Glitterbeat)

Album: Chatma

A magnificent Tuareg rock band with “Tisnant an Chatma” (The suffering of my sisters) off their 2013 album.

4 Kankou Kouyate – Yamore (Transgressive)

Album: Africa Express Presents Maison des Jenues

Kankou Kouyate is a young singer from Mali, the niece of ngoni whiz Bassekou Kouyate, which I guess is why she gets to be backed by power ngoni trio called Groupe Gambari.  Here she is doing a Salif Keita tune, “Yomore”.  Love those subtle jazzy chords in there – such this side of good taste. 

5 Toumani Diabate and Sidiki Diabate – Lampedusa (World Circuit)

Album: Toumani & Sidiki

 “Lampedusa” is an Italian island and a target destination for African emigrants usually coming on overloaded, rickety boats.  Toumani & Sidiki wrote the tune to commemorate the death of 300 people in one accident round about the same time as the insurgency crisis was breaking in Mali.

Sheer Music is distributing the “Toumani & Sidiki” album in South Africa, and they tell me it’s in all good record stores now.  So you know where to get it – and get it, you must.

6 Aziza Brahim – Espejismos (Glitterbeat)

Album: Soutak

Aziza Brahim is a Sahawari from the Western Sahara who is now based in Spain, and on her album, Soutak (Your Voice) she combines Sahawari traditional music with music from Mali, Spain and Cuba, where she lived as a teenager. “Espejismos” is Spanish for mirages.

7 Noura Mint Seymali – Hebebeb (Zrag) (Glitterbeat/Shellshock)

Album: Tzenni

The absolutely stunning Noura Mint Seymali from Mauritania from her exuberant, estatic album.  She started out backing probably the greatest Mauritanian singer of modern times, Dimi Mint Abba, who was her stepmother.  She backs herself on the ardine, a 9-stringed harp, and the blistering guitar is courtesy of husband, Jeiche Ould Chighaly, who also plays the tidinet, a traditional guitar-like instrument. 

8 Nashaz – Khartoum (Ziryab Records)

Album: Nashaz

Nashaz is the brain child of New Orleans born and Brooklyn based oud player, Brian Prunka, who studied with Palestinian oud master Simon Shaeen. It’s said that his style is too subdued and respective even though he clearly knows his Arabic scales.  Personally, I think Nashaz conjure up a great fusion of Arabic classical music and trad jazz. 

9 Haggai Cohen-Milo – The Garden (Tzadik) 

Album: Penguin

Sticking in Brooklyn, a composition by Israeli born bassist Haggai Cohen-Milo.

10 Seu Jorge – Carolina (Mr Bongo)

Album: Carolina

Carrying on from last month’s Brazillian mini-focus, the gruff eminence of Seu Jorge, as usual surrounded by the sweetest of Brazillian sounds, the samba.  Luckily there’s a funky undercarriage to prevent us going totally nuts – in fact, in turns out to sound not unlike Jorge Ben on his samba funk classic, Africa Basil, which we sampled last month.  Hardly an accident, as Jorge Ben co-wrote the tune.  Carolina, released in 2001, was Seu Jorge’s international debut. 

11 Arnaldo Antunes – Ela E Tarja Preta (Mais Um Discos)

Album: Role: New Sounds of Brazil

Another great of Brazillian pop and rock music, maybe not that well-known.  His career goes back to the 70s and he’s actually also a well known poet, and here’s a happy connection, he’s released an album with Toumani Diabate about two years ago.  The tune is on a collection out on “Mais um discos” or “Another label” – a fantastic label rooted in classic Brazillian 60s and 70s, but driving it forward in all kinds of interesting ways.

12 Mestre Cupijo – Caboclinha do Igapo (Atracao Fongrafica)

Album: Sons da Amazon: Siria

Siria is a relatively obscure style of Brazillian music that comes from northern state of Para.  It’s a kind of street parade music that combines music from the quilombos, which were settlements of escaped African slaves, with Amazonian music.  Alto sax player Mestre Cupijo is one of the most well known exponents. 

13 Karol Conka – Boa Noite (Mr Bongo)

Album: Batuk Freak

Karol Conka with producer Nave and their combination of rap and baile funk.  Apparently the song is mixed into some FIFA video game soundtrack developed by EA Sports.  Despite that, it’s pretty fantastic.

14 Meta Meta – Alakoro (Mais Um Discos)

Album: Role: New Sounds of Brazil

Meta Meta is a Sao Paulo based group heavily influenced by Candomble music from Bahia.  Here they combine forces with the Afrobeat master drummer, Tony Allen, for some typically exploratory stuff.  It’s on the Mais Um Discos label – won’t you know.

15 Woima Collective – Marz (Kindred Spirits)

Album: Tezeta

Ten piece German based Woima Collective play some potent Ethio Jazz.  “Tezeta” is from their 2010 album, but they have a new one out. 

16 Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou – Tenkou! Why feel sorry (Buda Music)

Album: Ethiopia Song Piano Solo     

90 year old Jerusalem-based Ethiopian nun Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou has become quite a cult figure since Ethiopiques released a collection of her compositions for solo piano in 2006.  The tune “Tenkou! Why feel sorry!” was recorded in 1996.

17 Dub Collossus – Addis to Omega (IRL)

Album: Addis to Omega

On its latest outing Dub Collossus has been forced by economic circumstances to press ahead without their Ethiopian contingent given the cost of airfares and visas, but still a tincture of Ethiopian pentatonic-ness in there – the wonderful Horns of Negus are still them too. PJ Higgins is on vocals – “From Ethiopia to Londonium, from Adam and Eve to Armaggidion”.  As the Financial Times has observed “probably the first dub concept album about the banking crisis”.  More from PJ Higgins in later shows … she’s on a roll at the moment.

18 Trinity meets Dillinger – Jesus Dread (Blood and Fire) 

Album: Yabby You ‎– Jesus Dread 1972-1977

DJ and producer Trinity and toaster Dillinger – Jesus Dread in the mid 70s, produced by one of the greats of dub, Yubby You.

19 Rico Rodriguez – This Day Dub (Ghetto Rockers PRE 1)

Album: Man from Wareika Dub

The composer and trombonist Rico Rodriguez from a dub version of his landmark 1976 album “Man from Wareika” in which he took jazz into the heart of reggae – before jazz had only really been brought into 60s ska.  Someday we’ll listen to the straight version of “This Day”. 

20 Little Axe – Come Here Dog and Get Your Bone (On U Sound) 

Album: If you want loyalty buy a dog

Little Axe is the incarnation of singer and guitarist Skip McDonald that fuses blues, reggae and dub - strongly aided and abetted by producer Adrian Sherwood.  Here’s a short contemplation of what it’s like to be a young musician. 

21 Willie Watson – Mexican Cowboy (Acony)

Album: Folk Singer Vol 1

One of the founders of the Old Crow Medicine Show, Willie Watson, went solo some time ago and has just released this first album – a truly wonderful collection of old time classics, some more well than others.  You have to love that claw-hammer banjer there.

22 The McIntosh County Shouters – Sign of the Judgement (Smithsonian Folkways)

Album: Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions Vol I-IV

According some very serious notes on the Smithsonian Folkways website: “The southeastern ring shout is probably the oldest surviving African American performance tradition on the North American continent”.  Anyway, it was thought to have totally died out until it was rediscovered in 1980s in McIntosh County on the coast of Georgia.  “Shout” actually describes the movement while singing and not the singing – deriving from the Afro-Arabic saut which refers to the movement around the Kabaa in Mecca.  Here, thanks largely to the HBO series “True Detective”.

23 tUnE-yArDs – Rocking Chair (4AD)

Album: Nikki Nack

“Rocking Chair” is Merrill Garbus’ uncanny channeling of sounds the Georgia Islands and the Carribean.  Got more than a couple of critics somewhat queasy. 

24 Hurray for the Riff Raff – Good Times (An Outlaw’s Lament) (ATO)

Album: Small Town Heroes

New Orleans based Hurray for the Riff Raff off their 2014 release.   

25 1982 – 02:01 (Hubro Music)

Album: A/B

1982 is an improvisional trio from Norway with hardanger fiddler Nils Okland, harmonium player, organist and pianist, Sigbjorn Apeland and drummer Oyvind Skarbo.

26 Benedicte Maurseth and Asne Valland Nordli – Ales (ECM)

Album: Over Tones

Benedicte Maurseth who plays the Hardanger fiddle and sings and vocalist Asne Valland Nordli are both from the Hardanger fjord in Norway.  Their improvisations are heavily inspired by traditional music from the area. 

23 July 2014, World Cafe

By the way, Afropop Worldwide are now putting out podcasts.  Check them out here:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/afropop/podcast

1 Quantic and Pongo Love – Duvido (Tru Thoughts)

Album: Magnetica

Quantic always seems to take the music of his adopted home country, Colombia, into all sorts of interesting directions.  Here he’s combined forces with Angolan singer Pongolove and made an assault on chande, a drum based coastal Afro-Caribbean style.  “Magnetica” which is turning into one of my albums of the year so far.

2 David Ze – Rumba Zatukine

Album: Angola 70’s 1972-73

David Ze aka David Gabriel Jose Ferreira was an avid member of the MPLA and the musical director of a group called Alliance Fapla-PEOPLE who ending writing a bunch of independence celebration music for Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea Bissau.  He died pretty young at the age of 32 in 1977 in the “fraccionista” when a MPLA turned on itself and a lot of people got killed.  “Rumba Zatukine” is from around 1973.

3 Jorge Ben – Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma) (Phillips)

Album: Africa Brazil

David Ze for some reason reminds me of Brazillian music from 70s – maybe it’s that mass-based sing-along chorus.  Ponta de lanca, africano (Umbabarauma) is the opening track from one of my favorite Brazilian albums from the same period.

4 Ile Aiye – Civilizacao Docongo (Interra)

Album: Black Chant

And while on the subject of Afro-Brazillian, Ile Aiye are a bunch from Salvador, Bahia who started a kind of black consciousness carnival association or bloco in the mid 70s.  There are quite a few of these blocos in Salvador now.  Their music is a blend of traditional samba duro and candomble music.  Candomble is a kind of syncretic Afro-Brazilian religion.

5 Orquestra Imperial – Cair na Folia (iZem Remix) (Mais Um Discos)

Single

Album:  Fazendo as pazes com o swing

French producer iZem’s tremendous remix of 16 piece Orquestra Imperial who specialize in exploring gafieira samba sometimes called “old-school samba”.  In their ranks is Morena Veloso, Cataeno Veloso’s son. 

6 Mayra Andrade – Dispidida (RCA Victor/Sony Music)

Album: Studio 105

Mayra Andrade is not Brazillian, but her music is definitely has some roots there.  She’s considered Capo Verdean, if there’s such a word, but she was born in Cuba traveled around the world in her youth with her diplomat father (like a number of musicians we’ve heard here) and now lives in Paris.  “Studio 105” is from 2010.

7 Bixiga 70 – Deixa a Gira Gira (Mais Um Discos

Album: Ocupai

Bixiga 70 have named themselves after their home neighbourhood in Sao Paulo (Bixiga) and Fela Kuti’s band from the 70s (Africa 70) and so you’ll expect some brassy Afrobeat and you wouldn’t be wrong.  “Ocupai” is their brand new release on Mais Um Discos – a great label by the way, and a story for another show.

8 Ibibio Sound Machine – Prodigal Son (Ayen Ake Feheke) (Soundway)

Album: Ibibio Sound Machine

Ibibio Sound Machine are British-based and led by Eno Williams, whose mother is an Ibibio from the Southeastern Nigeria. Love the stripped down afro-beat electro-funk feel to this record, and those Grace Jones vocals. 

9 Femi Kuti – Politics na big business

Album: No place for my dream

Last month there was something off Seun Kuti’s latest.  Here’s something from Fula Kuti’s other band leading son, Femi Kuti, off his latest. 

10 William Onyeabor – Atomic Bomb (Luaka Bop)

Album: World Psychedelic Classic 5: Who is William Onyeabor

11 Hot Chip vs William Onyeabor  – Atomic Bomb (Luaka Bop)

Album: What?!

The very cultish Nigerian musician, William Onyeabor, with his biggest hit “Atomic Bomb” released in 1978 – well half of it, anyway, and then picked up by British electronic band, Hot Chip. 

William Onyeabor self-released 8 albums between 1977 and  1985 on his own label, recorded in own studio in Enugu, the capital of former Biafra, and then basically vanished to be rediscovered by collectors and various hipsters who were mad for his sound – produced largely by banks of analog synths.  Re-issueing a collection of his stuff with the requisite permissions took the label Luaka Bop five years, and they didn’t manage to get much info despite visiting the guy.  Legends abound though – a Russian trained film maker, preacher and gospel star, and semolina factory owner

12 Habib Koite – Drapeau (Contre-Jour)

Album: Soo

The often pleasantly folky and magnanimous Malian musician, Habib Koite.  “Soo” is his latest.

13 David Doucet – J’ai Marie Un Ouvrier (Traditional) (Rounder)

Album: 1957 Solo Cajun Guitar

Louisiana guitarist David Doucet, the brother of more famous Michael Doucet whom he plays with in the pretty well established Cajun band, Beausoleil.  A traditional tune from a really great record which came out on Rounder in 1999.

14 Bois Sec Ardoin & Canray Fontenot – Jug Au Plombeau (Rounder)

Album: Louisiana Cajun French Music Vol 2: Southwest Prairies, 1964-1967

One of the all time great duos of cajun and zydeco music.  This is something in the mid 60’s.

15 Wayne Toups, Steve Riley, Wilson Savoy – La Vie Malheureuse (Lawrence Walker) (Valcour Records)

Album: The Band Courtbouillon

A fabulous group of three great band leading cajun accordionists, Wayne Toups, Steve Riley and Wilson Savoy, with a Lawrence Walker song.  Walker was considered King of the Accordion Players at one point.  He died in 1968.

16 John Stickle – King Orfeo (Rounder)

Album: Classic Ballads of Britain and Ireland, volume 1

King Orfeo is a Middle English poem based on mix of Greek and Celtic myth that entered England via Breton and became a song, with pretty stripped down version being collected by Francis Child as Child Ballad 19.  The great Shetland fiddler, John Stickle, recorded his version recorded in the late 40’s. 

17 Emily Smith – King Orfeo (White Fall)

Album: Echoes

Scottish singer-songwriter Emily Smith’s current version with dobro uber whiz kid Jerry Douglas.

18 9bach – Lliwiau (Real World)

Album: Tincian

9bach are originally from Gerlan in north Wales and they draw inspiration from the traditions of that area.  At the centre of 9Bach is Lisa Jen, who sings and writes the lyrics.  “Tincian” which means to resonate and ring. 

19 The Rails – Borstal (Island)

Album: Fair Warning

Kami Thompson, the daughter of Richard and Linda Thompson, and her husband, guitarist James Walbourne, have just put out an album of traditional and self-penned stuff as The Rails.  They’re a lot like Richard and Linda Thompson, which is a good thing, and Island Records, who originally brought the Richard & Linda, on their pink label have revived it especially for this release.  “Borstal” is self-penned.  Eliza Carthy is on fiddle

20 Linda Thompson – As fast as my feet (Topic)

Album: Won’t be long now

A 2013 version of an Anne McGarrigle song.

21 Janet Kay – Silly Games (Arawak)

Album: Massive Reggae

Thought it’s about time we have specific focus on British Reggae.  An obvious place to start is “Lovers Rock” – a softened, soul-based, smoothed out reggae often with strong female vocals and dealing with romance that started in mid 70s.  Janet Kay’s 1979 smash hit “Silly Games” is probably from the height of Lovers Rocker.  Dennis Bovell produced and wrote the song.

22 Elizabeth Archer & The Equators – Feel like makin’ love (Lightning Records)

Album: Trojan Presents Lovers Rock – 40 Romantic Reggae Classics

Something gutsier and rootsier from the 1977.  A kind of blueprint for the Slits punky reggae. 

23 The Slits – I heard it through the grapevine (Island)

Album: Cut (Deluxe Edition)

A unique version of a soul classic “I heard it through the grapevine” from 1980 produced by none other than Dennis Bovell.  Singer Ari Up taking a feather from the Elizabeth Archer’s cap

24 Hollie Cook – Ari Up (Mr Bongo)

Album: Twice

Hollie Cook’s tribute to Ari Up, whose full name was Ariane Forster.  Hollie Cook, Sex Pistols Paul Cook’s daughter, actually played with The Slits just before Ari died, and that tune is from her great new album “Twice”, which is produced by Prince Fatty, a fabulous British producer in the tradition of King Tubby.

25 Adrian Sherwood – J’Ai Dubee (Real World Records)

Album: Becoming a Cliché/Dub Cliché        

Another great British producer is Adrian Sherwood, who worked with Ari Up as part of the New Age Steppers.  Here something from the dub version of a solo record he put out in 2006.   

26 Ros Sereysothea – Shave your beard (Minky Records)

Album: Dengue Fever Presents: Electric Cambodia 14 Rare gems from Cambodia’s Past

The legendary Cambodian singer, Ros Sereysothea, did not endear herself to the Khemer Rouge with her potent mix of Cambodian folk and rock’n’roll.  She died at their hands, like a bunch of other Cambodian musicians. 

27 Angkanang Kunchai – Teoy Salap Pamaa (Soundway)

Album: The Sound of Siam 2: Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand

Heading north to Thailand for another legendary singer from the same period working a similar seam.  Her music is based on molam music from the area and built on khaen (bamboo mouth organ) and phin (lute) riffs.

28 Ding Chengyun – A Conversation between God and Man (Guang Ling San)

Album: A Conversation between God and Man

Ding Chengyun is one of the greatest current players of the qin or gugin, the ancient Chinese zither.  This version of the tune dates from 1549, while the original tune apparently goes back to 2800 BC.

4 June 2014, World Cafe

1 Amparo Sanchez – La Flor De La Palabra (Wrasse Records)
Album: Alma De Cantaora

The Spanish singer, Amparo Sanchez, with Dominican born Spanish rapper Arianna Puello.  “La Flor de la Palabra” translates as something like “Flower of the word”, and seems to be based on sort kind of leftist manifesto – one of the co-authors is “Subcomandante Marcos”.  Given Sanchez’s general cynicism, I think some irony is deployed here.

2 Simon Diaz – Caballo Viejo (Celebration Sounds)

Album: Caballo Viejo: The Best of Simon Diaz

Simon Diaz, a massively important figure in modern Venezuelan folk music, died a few months ago at the age of 85. In the 40s he started to revive by the style called “musica llanera”, music of the plains playing the four-stringed cuarto, which he taught himself to play, in ensembles with the small Venezuelan harp and maracas.  “Caballo Viejo” (The old horse) is his most famous song – a story of an old man who falls for a younger woman.  I’m afraid to say the Gipsy Kings turned this into their hit “Bamboleo” – the original is a gem, though.

3 Aniceto Molina – La rolita (Musart)

Album: A lo Corralero

A 1975 tune from the Colombian singer and accordionist, famous all across Latin America.

4 Anibal Velasquez y su Conjunto – Mi fosforito (Industria Nacional del Sonido Ltda)
Album: Golpe Currambero

Another fantastic Colombian accordionist from more or less the same time as Molina.  His conjunto includes his brother, Jose, singing.  He’s from Barranquilla, also called “Puetro de Oro”, the entry point and melting pot for all kinds of Caribbean sounds in Colombia.

5 Meridian Brothers – Te Odio (Te Amo) (Staubgold)

Album: Devocion (Works 2005- 2011)

A wonderful concoction by the Meridian Brothers, at the centre of which is Eblis Alvarez, who’s based in Bogota and actually started out in 1998.  In the mid 2000s he studied at the Danish Royal Academy and Institute of Electric Music, and this recording dates from directly after his studies. 

6 Seun Kuti and Eqypt 80 – Higher Consciousness (Because)

Album: A Long Walk to the Beginning

Eqypt 80 is the original band of Fela Kuti, Seun’s father.  The band of veterans are as razor sharp and rock hard as ever on Seun’s brand new album.  . 

7 Mar Seck – Li Loumouye Nourou (Taranga Beat)
Album: Vagabonde: From Super Cap-Vert to Number One: Unreleased recordings 1969 – 1980

Mar Seck is a veteran singer from Senegal who played a number of bands in the 70s including “Etoile de Dakar”.  This tune dates from around the late 70s and features Barthelemy Attisso on guitar, who joined Orchestra Baobab. It’s a on collection of previously unreleased recordings by Mar Seck out on the fairly newly established re-issue label “Taranga Beat”.

8 Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita – Ceffylau (Artes/Mwldan)

Album: Clychau Dibon

Welsh classical harpist, Catrin Finch, and Senegalese kora player, Seckou Keita, came up with a terrific set of tunes and arrangements in 2013.  “Ceffylau” means “Horses”.

9 Julie Fowlis – Danns’ a Luideagan Odhar (Dance Dun-Coloured Slattern) (Machair records)
Album: Gach Sgeul: Every Story

Julie Fowlis rendition of traditional song from her home area, the Hebrides, in northern Scotland.  Backing her are the fiddle power-quartet, Rant, who we listened to here a few months ago. “Gach Sgeul” is Fowlis’ new album.    

10 Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola – Bodaich Bheag Abriachan (Dell Daisy Records)

Album: Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola

Scottish fiddler, Sarah-Jane Summers, and Norwegian guitarist, Juhani Silvola, put out a fantastic set of tunes recently.  “Bodaich Bheag Abriachan” is a traditional tune.

11 Monkey and a Harp – Molecatcher (MoonrakerUK)

Album: All life is here

Monkey and a Harp are a trio from the NW of England and “The Molecatcher” is a traditional tune. 

12 Liz Green – Rybka (Play It Again Sam)
Album: Haul Away!

Sticking in the NW of England, here’s something from Liz Green in a Kurt Wiell style – “Rybka”, from her new album.

13 Jaakko Laitinen & Vaara Raha – Unta Vai Totta (Playgound Music Finland)

Album: Lapland-Balkan

Jaakko Laitinen & Vaara Raha (Counterfeit Currency) with the style of music that combines Finnish ballroom-folk with music from the Balkans, Turkey and Middle East.  “Unta Vai Totta” translates as “Dream or reality”. 

14 Rafter – Kusterica vs Markovic (Asthmatic Kitty)

Album: It’s reggae

Rafter Roberts or just plain “Rafter” is based in San Diego and usually puts out oddball pop songs, but for his 2014 outing he’s got seriously into dub, and results are fantastic.  The title of the tune “Kusterica vs Markovic” references Balkan brass, I would think.

15 Clinton Fearon – Blame Game (Chapter Two Records)

Album: Goodness

Over the last year, we’ve listened to a bunch of songs from the singer and bass player of 70s mainstay reggae band The Gladiators, Clinton Fearon.  He left them in 1987 and set up shop in Seattle.  His new album is a good one.  

16 Addis Pablo – My Father Version (Jah Solid Rock)
Album: In My Father’s House

Addis Pablo very consciously and perhaps conscientiously carries on the legacy of his father, Augustus Pablo – or has his mother would known him, Horace Swaby.  Addis is backed by the Austrian band “House of Riddim”. 

17 Quantic – Arada (feat. Dereb the Ambassador) (Tru Thoughts)

Album: Magnetica

Dereb Desalegn (aka Dereb the Ambassador) was born into a family of musicians in Ethiopia and now lives in Sydney; Will Holland (aka Quantic) who produced and co-wrote this fine track, was born is Bewdley, Worcestershire and for the last 7 years has been living in Cali, Colombia.  As Quantic, the DJ and compiler, he’s been plumbing vintage Columbian sounds, and as a musician and producer using Colombian music as springboard for all kinds of sonic explorations. 

18 Hirut Beqele – Ewnetegna Feqer (L’Arome Productions)

Album: More Ethiopian Soul and Groove: Ethiopian Modern Urban Music Vol. 3

Something from the classic age of Ethiopian music. 

19 Debo Band – Habesha (Sup Pop/Next Ambiance) (Jonah Rapino/Bruck Tesfaye)

Album: Debo Band

Debo Band are from Boston, and their 2012 album seems to have largely overlooked.  It’s pretty much an instant classic, infusing Ethiojazz and soul with even more density and heaviness from the psychedelic end of the spectrum.  “Habesha” was written by the band’s singer, Bruck Tesfaye, and Jonah Rapino, their electric violinist.

20  Mara Aranda – Morenica (Bureo Musiques)
Album: Sephardic Legacy

Over the years I’ve played a bunch of stuff by the Spanish group “L’Ham de Foc” from Valencia, who combine music from around the Mediterrean, the Balkans and the middle east, often with the strongly medieval feel.  They sort of imploded in 2006, and their singer Mara Aranda has since specialized in Al Andaluz and Sephardic music. 

21 Sainkho and Garlo – Nostalgy Tyva (BP12)
Album: Go to Tuva

Sainkho Namtchylak is basically a veteran of Tuvan scene, having produced a mass of albums and performed in all kinds of settings, a number of them quite experimental.  In 2011 she teamed up with French bass player and composer, Garlo Jo and their new album, “Go to Tuva” has just come out.    

22 Violins Barbares – Saturday yurt fever (World Village)

Album: Saulem ai

Violins Barbares are a French-Bulgarian-Mongolian trio.   

23 Hanggai – High Trees (Harlem Records)

Album: Baifang

A few years ago I was touting an album by the Beijing-based band, with Mongolian connections, Hanggai.  Well, they’re just released a new album which is much heavier and epic than the last one.  This is a quieter, folkier tune. 

24 John Zorn/Abraxis – Sacred Emblems (Tzadik Records)

Album: Psychomagia

A palette-cleanser composed by John Zorn.  Apparently the music was inspired by the writings of medieval Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet and astronomer, Giordano Bruno, and Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski.

25 Anoushka Shankar – Lasya (Deutsche Grammophon) (Anoushka Shankar)
Album: Traces of you

That’s something from Anouska Shankar’s new album dedicated to her father, Ravi Shankar.

26 Susheela Raman – Karunai (World Village)

Album: Queen Between

Susheela Raman cut her teeth playing punk music, but she’s serious about combining all kinds of Indian folk, devotional and classical music from across the subcontinent, and usually does it a totally fresh and unstuffy way. “Karunei” is a Tamil song from her new album. 

7 May 2014, World Cafe

1 The Souljazz Orchestra – Kingdom Come (Pierre Chretien) (Strut)
Album: Inner Fire

The Soul Jazz Orchestra are a six piece from Ottawa – but they play more than 30 different instruments and dabble in just as many offshoots of jazz from all around the world.  Some people have pointed out that “Kingdom Come” sounds like Salah Ragab’s brand of Egyptian jazz.  They’ve been talking about coming to SA in recent interviews, and let’s hope they do.

2 Salah Ragab – Egypt Strut (Art Yard)

Album: Egyptian Jazz

Salah Ragab is the drummer, composer and military band leader who more or less introduced big band music to Egypt in the late 60s with his Cairo Jazz Band.  I played “Egypt Strut” on the show 5 or 6 years ago, but it’s a pretty magnificent tune, so here it is again.

3 Angelique Kidjo – Ebile (ft. Kronos Quartet) (429 Records)
Album: Eve

Angelique Kidjo with the Kronos Quartet and one of the 10 Beninese choirs she sings on her new album.  The album is Eve and is named after her mother and dedicated to the women of Africa.

4 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – Houzou Houzou Wa (Analog Africa)
Album: The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk 1969-1980 Vol 3

Last time I mentioned I’d be playing more from the great Beninese band Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.  In 2013 the reissue label Analog Africa brought out their third of collection of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo stuff – called “The Skeletal Essences of Afro Funk 1969 to 1980 – vol 3”.  All of the tracks were originally released only in the 70s and early 80s on very small labels and recorded in peoples’ houses or gardens using one or two mics. 

5 Mamani Keita – Mogobaou (World Village)

Album: Kanou

Mamani Keita, a veteran Malian singer who started out backing Salif Keita, has spent a good deal of her career in fusionist rock, electronic and jazz settings with producers like Nicholas Rapac (who I’ve actually played here before) and Marc Minelli.  Her new album is a totally different kettle of fish – she’s writing her own songs and has teamed up with another veteran – Rail Band guitarist Djeli Moussa Kouyate and with ngoni player Moriba Keita and tuned into her Bambara heritage. 

6 Aziza Brahim – Aradana (Glitterbeat)

Album: Soutak

Aziza Brahim grew up in refugee camps outside Western Sahara, a disputed territory that’s ruled by Morroco now.  She’s one of a number of Western Saharan musicians who reside in Spain and who sing about the plight of Western Saharans. 

7 Group Doueh – Madam Jat Faabuni (Sublime Frequencies)

Album: Hassaniya Music from the Western Sahara and Mauritania

Group Doueh are a group from Western Sahara we’ve heard from on the show a number of times.  They still live in the country, in the port city of Dakla, record in a homemade studio, and play at weddings and local festivals, but also in musical festivals around North Africa, Spain and Portugal.  Since the late 2000s they’ve found a broader audience thanks to Hisham Mayet of Sublime Frequencies who went to hunt them down after hearing a mysterious song on radio in Essaouira in Morrocco.  

8 Blowzabella – L’Ange (Blowzabella)

Album: Octomento

Blowzabella, have just had their 35^th anniversary – we’re more an institution than a group.  Octomento is a fairly recent release – from 2007.  On hurdy gurdy is Gregory Joliyet from Bourges, France.

9 Gaiteiros de Lisboa – Terra de ninguem (Aduf Edicoes)

Album: Macareu (Tidal Wave)

Gaiteiros de Lisboa or Pipers of Lisbon with incredible collection of instruments, old, invented, modified, improvised, detuned – and the reinvention of peasant music.  “Macareu” or “Tidal Wave” is from 2002.

10 Maria Pia De Vito & Huw Warren – Bello tiempo antico (De Vito)

Album: O pata pata

Maria Pia De Vito is a Naples-born singer and guitarist steeped in opera and jazz, and bringing those sensibilities to the music of the Mediterranean and the Balkan.  Her she is with Welsh pianist, Huw Warren, who regularly crosses the boundaries between folk and jazz.  This is “Bello tiempo antico”. 

11 Layale Bourg El Hamam – Azef el Leyl EMI Greece Voix de L’Orient Series

Album:  “Belly Dance Nights vol 2”

Layale Bourg El Hamam appears to be from Lebonon.  The tune is from 1977 with Toni Frangieh on bazuk and Setrak Sarkissian on tabla.

12 The Bombay Royale – Karle Pyaar Karle (from Jhutha) (Kalyanji-Anandji)

Album: The Bombay Royale (EP)

The Bombay Royale are an 11 piece from Melbourne obviously inspired by Bollywood soundtracks, and that tune, “Karle Pyaar Karle” is the movie 1970 “Saacha Jhurta”.  The legendary Asha Bholse is the playback singer on the original and composer is Kalyanji Anandji.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDa42EkgO1A

The singer for Bombay Royale is Parvyn Kaur Singh, and daughter of a shabad singer as one of the vocal centres – a shabad is a devotional song from Sikh scriptures.   

13 Sergio Mendoza Y la Orkestra – Traicionera (Cosmica Records)

Album: Mambo Mexicano

Sergio Mendoza Y la Orkestra from Arizona combines mambo with a bunch of other latino sounds like ranchera. 

14 Los Rancheros – Cana Brava (Decca)

Album: Mexican Cowboy Songs

Los Rancheros, a trio from Mexico, with Cana Brava from some time in the early 50s – there’s no date on the sleeve of the record. They originally called themselves “Los Tres Murcielagos” (“The 3 Bats”) – for their love of night life.  The song is a Son Huasteco – a traditional form from the northeastern part of Mexico and is from their Decca album “Mexican Cowboy Songs”.

15 Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour – Panno Caye Nan Bois Chene (Strut)

Album: Haiti Direct – Big Band, Mini Jazz and Twoubadou Sounds, 1960 - 1978

In the 60s and 70s Haiti was home to some fabulous musical hybrids.  In urban areas there was big band Cadence Rampa and Mini-Jazz played in a rock setup.  In the country side, twoubadou rooted in the Cuban Son and Guaracha.  Sofrito, that amazing DJ collective who specializes in dredging up mainly Caribbean stuff, has collated a great collection for Strut called “Haiti Direct”. 

16 DJ Comrade - Xao Trap – (Mr Bongo)
Album: Funk Globo: The Sound of Neo Baille

DJ Comrade and is purveyor of some called Neo Baile which derives from 1980s Baile Funk or Favela Funk from Brazil.  Baile Funk in turn comes direct from another 1980s dance music can Miami Bass – Miami being a destination for record buying trips from Rio. 

17 Tackhead – Exodus (Dubvisionist Dub Mix) (Dude Records)

Album: For the Love of Money

Tackhead are one of the great funk bands of the last 30 years.  Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and Keith Le Blanc were originally the core of the Sugarhill label’s house band which basically invented rap and hip hop and then went on to play for Adrian Sherwood’s On U-Sound label in all kinds of guises, including Tackhead.  Tackhead haven’t operated as a unit for more than 20 years until this year when the put out a covers album on Dude Records.  Here’s their version of Bob Marley’s “Exodus”.

18 Prince Far I – Johnny Get Worse (Blood & Fire)

Album: Silver & Gold 1973-1979

Prince Far I was a legendary DJ and toaster who sadly is no longer with us.   He was murdered in his own home in Kingston in 1983.  This is his version of the classic reggae song – Johnny Too Bad.  He calls it “Johnny get worse”, and it’s on a Prince Far I collection called Silver and Gold on that inestimable reggae re-issue label, Blood & Fire.

19 Singer and Players – Prodigal Son (On-U Sound)

Album: Golden Greats Volume 1

Sticking with Prince Far I, in the early 80s Adrian Sherwood brought together a collective of some reggae’s most cutting-edge singers and players - called “Singers and Players” - and stuck them in some quite radical dubbing settings.  Far I is the vocalist here.   

20 Black Dirt Oak – Florian’s Wind-Up (Mie)

Album: Wawayanda Patent

Black Dirt Oak is a kind of Psychedelic American Primitive super group with members from Desert Heat, Violators, Pelt and Black Twig Pickers and more.  Nathan Bowles wields that stripped down banjo.

21 Salt House – Katie Cruel (Make Believe)

Album: Lay Your Dark Low

Salt House is from Scotland and that was lovely countryesque version of the old traditional song, “Katie Cruel”.  It’s from their debut album, “Lay your dark down”. 

22 Carolina Chocolate Drops – Day of Liberty (Ato Records)

Album: Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War

We’ve heard before from the wonderful collection “Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War”, and we’re talking about the American Civil War here.  The Carolina Chocolate Drops contributed “Day of Liberty” written in 1864 by Henry Clay Work, probably the most famous composer of the Civil War era.

23 Blowzabella – Jacky Tar (Blowzabella)

Album: Octomento

A stripped down version of a traditional tune.

24 Roseanne Cash – When the Master Calls the Roll (Decca)

Album: The River and the Tread

A song set in the Civil War period written by Roseanne Cash, her current husband John Leventhal and former husband Rodney Crowell off her new album. 

25 Shanren – Thirty Years (Riverboat)
Album: Left Foot Dance of the Yi

The mountains of Yunnan are in south-west China and home to the Chinese folk-rock group, Shanren, which means “mountain men”.  They draw on the traditional music of the local Yi and Wa groups. 

26 Various? – Amukadela (Sublime Frequencies)

Album: Ethnic Minority Music of Southern China

Also from Yunnan are an incredible ensemble with something called “Amukadela” which is a song of daughterly love.  It was collected by Laurent Jeanneau who spent 6 years in Southern China collecting music. 

27 Stein Urheim – Beijing Blues (Hubro)
Album: Stein Urheim

Stein Urheim is fantastic guitarist and player of string instruments including the Norwegian zither or langeleik and on his new album called Stein Urheim he takes in all kinds of influences, like a more worldly John Fahey.  It was recorded in 19^th century violinist Ole Bull’s old wooden house in Lysoen, near Bergen – we’ve actually heard a bunch of stuff recorded there on this show.

28 Marilyn Mazur – Joy Chant (ECM)
Album: Elixir

Norwegian percussionist Marilyn Mazur and the great Jan Garbarek.