Angelique Kidjo Looks Back

CD REVIEW
Angelique Kidjo: Oyo (Razor & Tie)

Oyo is not just a great album of truly global music, it's a glimpse into the musical mind of a modern music icon. One of the most successful contemporary African artists, Kidjo has assembled for her new album a fascinating array of cover songs, many of which marked key points on her musical journey.

"This is the story of my childhood," she says. "All these songs brought me to where I am today, inspired me to do the music I have been doing for many, many years. This music has always been my Bible, the thing that reminds me what is the mission of the arts."

Kidjo's musical cannon includes the first song she sang in public, “Atcha Houn,” a traditional melody she describes as “a kind of parade music people sing when they gather together.  I sang it at my Mom’s theatre company,” she recalls.  “My Mom had to push me on stage to do it, but that’s when my addiction to singing, and to the stage, too, got started.” Also in the mix are jazz, blues, R&B, even Bollywood on "Dil Main Chuppa Ke Pyar Ka." And undoubtedly one of the most spun tracks on the album will be her cover of James Brown's "Cold Sweat" with backing by members of Antibalas, despite its surprisingly low energy.

James Brown was a star and huge musical influence all over Africa. And in Kidjo's world, a couple other US pop stars also shone brightly, influencing her future direction. Her cover of "Samba Pa Ti" with trumpeter Roy Hargrove pays tribute to the influence of Carlos Santana, just as she gave a nod to Jimi Hendrix with "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" on her 1998 album Oremi. One of the most compelling songs on the album is Aretha Franklin's "Baby I Love You," with guest vocalist Dianne Reeves. With other flavors including a tribute to Miriam Makeba ("Lakutshn Llanga") and an energetic reworking of the South African workhorse "Mbube," Oyo has something for everyone, even if it's not Kidjo at her edgy and original best.

More Angelique Kidjo:
Buy CD
website
facebook
myspace

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• Angelique Kidjo (theworld.org)
• A Song for Everyone (soundroots.org)
• Benin's funk heroes: Orchestre Poly-Rythmo in Europe at last (guardian.co.uk)

Monday's mp3: Buoyant Balafon

Naby Camara & Lagni-Sussu: Kanteli (self-released)

I ran into balafon player Naby Camara in Seattle last week, and he handed me this wonderful CD, named for his home village in coastal Guinea. Despite trying to keep tabs on the great African musicians in the area, this album had passed me by since its release in 2007. Which means that I've missed three years of really stellar balafon tunes. I can't tell you much about the album or song origins, since the liner notes contain only the musicians names and a few words about each tune. What I can tell you is that this buoyant, rousing music is mostly made up of traditional West African music, but also includes some Western touches, such as the electric guitar and drumset on "The Sharks of Guinea."

Camara's balafon is soft and clear, without the heavy buzzing that is traditional in some styles. So the sound is accessible, and the variety of celebration songs and work songs keeps things interesting. The bad news? Unless Naby hands you a copy, you may not be able to find Kanteli. It's not on his website, though you can find three earlier albums there, and you can get his 2004 album L'union Fait la Force from CDbaby. I'll mention this problem to him next time I see him; this stuff is too good to keep hidden!


From the album Kanteli

More Naby Camara:
website
myspace

Te Vaka: Haoloto (Free)

CD REVIEW
Te Vaka: Haoloto (Spirit of Play)

Te Vaka does not get around enough for my taste. Musically their pan-Polynesian sound is wonderful, ranging from boisterous log-drum dances and Maori haka chants to sweet harmonized ballads. The New Zealand-based group is also fantastic live, as I saw years ago at the now-defunct WOMAD USA. Since then, though, I've had to content myself with their recorded music. This year might be different -- not only have they released the new album Haoloto (which means "free"), they also will be touring North America during 2010. Specific dates have yet to be announced, but keep an eye on http://tevaka.com/tour_dates.html

Meanwhile, the new album has their usual wonderful blend of sounds, beginning with the subdued "Ata Fou / New Dawn" and "Mau Piailug" a tribute to the Micronesian man who is known as one of the best-known living master navigators, able to sail the seas without the aid of instruments.

Te Vaka are at their best on songs such as "Tautaimi (Your Timing)," where they blend log drums, guitar, and their rich harmonized vocals delivering a heartfelt message -- in this case about singing from the heart. I also love the title track  and the hip-hop flavored "Kaluve Pepe." The one English-language song "Well...You Lied" has a great self-empowering message and strong delivery by Olivia Foa'i, but sticks out as a pop-flavored oddity among the otherwise Polynesian songs. That small quibble aside, Haoloto's 15 diverse, engaging tracks simmer with succulent island sounds, and will keep me satisfied until I can see Te Vaka live once again.

More Te Vaka:
website
buy CD
facebook
more on Mau Pialug

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• Monday's mp3: Jamaican Roots, Aoteoroa Style (soundroots.org)
• Tourism firm uses fake Maori performers (guardian.co.uk)

Monday's mp3: Kane's Kora

CD REVIEW
The Sahel Band featuring Kane Mathis: The Sahel Band (self-released)
Andrew Oliver Kora Band: Just 4 U (self-released)

Great kora players aren't rare in West Africa, but faraway in rainy Seattle the sound of the 21-stringed griot's harp is considerably less common. If you're looking for that taste of Mandinka music in Western Washington, a good first step is to find out where Kane Mathis is playing. The young musician -- who also plays oud -- has spent years studying the kora and the culture from which it comes. And he's at the heart of these two new CDs.

When I first saw Kane Mathis, he performed with a djembe player and sang little. His new album with The Sahel Band shows great leaps in musical confidence from that time, as he sings strongly from the opening notes of "Bantam Ba Kouyate" (also the name of his first album, now out of print album) and plays kora with something approaching a master's flair, even if he's a bit young for me to use that label comfortably.

The band Mathis has assembled -- Sam Weng on percussion, Nina Vukmanic on bass, Rusty Knorr on drums -- seems to share his vision for music that's rooted in West Africa while including modern sounds. Styles range from kora-rock to highlife to desert guitar rock, particularly on the scorcher "Sahel." Mathis doesn't (yet) have a high profile in global music circles and would probably recoil from direct comparisons to musicians who come directly from griot families, but for pure musical enjoyment and this dance-inducing album is a match for any recent African releases. If not for the bit of selfishness in me that wants Mathis to stay nearby, I'd suggest him as an inspiring opening act for anyone from Angelique Kidjo to Tinariwen.

The Sahel Band featuring Kane Mathis: Sahel

from the album The Sahel Band

On Just 4 U (named after a music venue in Dakar Senegal), Mathis  is a full partner in an Afro-jazz outfit led by pianist Andrew Oliver and rounded out with Chad McCullough on trumpet,  Brady Millard-Kish on acoustic bass and  Mark DiFlorio, drums. They're a tight combo, trading support roles and solos with ease as they work through the albums 11 tracks, ranging from traditional pieces to the whimsically titled "The Funnel and the Vacuum Cleaner."

The Funnel and the Vacuum Clea...

Here's a little more Oliver Andrew Kora Band available to download:


If I have any quibble with the album, it's that the trumpet often sounds like it was recorded in a different room than the rest of the band, a small but distracting issue. Given the frequent exchanges between kora and trumpet, some of the music reminds me of the sublime album Sira by Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze. A different flavor emerges on "Segu," on which guitar (by Mathis) and calabash take the listener to somewhere near Ali Farka Toure's Niafunke. Then there's the lilting soukous flavor of "Bina Na Ngai Na Respect." And they don't neglect the griot tradition of praise songs; "Hidmo" pays tribute to the Seattle restaurant that hosts weekly African music nights. Different flavors, one amazing CD that's sure to be embraced by both jazz and world music fans.

More
Kane Mathis website
Free album from Kane Mathis

 Buy The Sahel Band CD
Sahel Band on myspace

Buy Just 4 U CD
Andrew Oliver Kora Band blog

Monday's mp3: Africans in the North Country

During a live set on KCRW today, Angelique Kidjo talked about performing at the Vancouver Winter Olympics...outdoors. She said, in effect, "I'm an African, and you're asking me to perform outdoors, in the winter, in Canada?" Consummate professional that she is, I'm sure it was a great show even if she couldn't feel her fingers.

African music is very much on my mind after seeing Vusi Mahlasela perform Saturday night. Accompanied only by electric guitarist Mongezi Mtaka, he wove spellbinding music from the first note. He is so soft spoken between songs that it was difficult to catch all of his words. But he spoke passionately about the men he calls "the grandfathers of humanity": Mandela, Tutu, and Gandhi. (What, Vusi, no grandmothers?) And he spoke of forgiveness, even of those who have gravely wronged us, saying "we should wear it like a crown."

Maybe that's why I love his music so much. This rich vein of humanity that emerges in a such a pure, clear voice with a range from sorrow to celebration...sometimes in the same song. On this title track to the 2000 album of the same name, Vusi sings in Xitsonga and English about teaching a new generation of African leaders.

This is the time for you Afrika
time for you, the giant, to wake up
and wipe your sleep away

[mp3] Vusi Mahlasela: Miyela Afrika

from Miyela Africa

I believe only two of Vusi's albums are officially available in the USA -- The Voice and Guiding Star -- but of course through the miracles of the internets you can find others. And they're worth finding, just as he's definitely worth catching live in concert.

More Vusi Mahlasela:
Buy Miyela Africa
website
bio
facebook

A Song for Everyone

I'm not going to let you off the hook regarding Haiti -- you'll be seeing more posts here about that nation as they rebuild from the earthquake and the poverty that long preceded it. But neither will it consume all of our attention, not when there's great music -- and great need -- elsewhere on the planet as well.

Where? Well, Africa. UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo uses her Batonga Foundation to advocate for better education for girls throughout Africa. Now she's taking a direct musical approach, teaming up with Peter Buffett on the catchy "Song For Everyone." And all proceeds from sales of the single go to Batonga. Can this really make a difference? Consider:

2 downloads buys a girl a math set
3 downloads buys a girl lunch during the school day
5 downloads buys a girl a textbook
10 downloads buys a girl a school bag or uniform
1,000 downloads pays school fees for an entire classroom of 45 girls to go to school for a year

"Our ancestors fought for our freedom and the pride of human kind," Kidjo says. "Each one of us has a responsibility to hold the torch and pass it on intact to the next generation."

"Collaborating with Angelique was a wonderful surprise," says Buffett. "Her passion, energy and commitment - both to her music and in support of girl's education was incredibly inspiring."

I'm not posting the mp3, 'cause that would kind of defeat the purpose of fundraising, right? But you can hear it free here. And you can buy it on Amazon for 99 cents.

Angelique & Peter discuss Batonga's mission:

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• Angelique Kidjo (theworld.org)

SoundRoots Tendrils

All: Just a note to let you know that along with our recent site remodel, you'll see a few other changes around here as well. Because the Spin The Globe playlists and podcasts are available elsewhere, I won't continue to post them here. You can always find the playlist details at Spin The Globe; and podcasts of the 4-5 most recent shows are available at Podomatic. Oh, and if you have suggestions for future Spin The Globe theme shows, don't be shy about speaking up. Leave a comment or email info [at] soundroots [dot] org.

You'll also be seeing a number of shorter CD reviews here, if the weight of them bearing down on our overladen desk is any indication. Lots of good releases and shows coming up soon, and we'll try to stay on top of it all for you, giving a roundup if not full-blown reviews.

Finally, remember that you can follow SoundRoots via Facebook here: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/soundroots_world_music_global_culture/

Mulatu Speaks Up

CD REVIEW
Mulatu Astatke: Mulatu Steps Ahead (Strut)

Seemingly right on the heels of his retrospective album New York, London, Addis, Ethiopian jazz great Mulatu Astatke  (a.k.a. The Father of Ethio Jazz) shows that he's not standing still with nine tracks ranging from the mellow introspective jazz of "Radcliffe" to the Ethio-Latin sizzler "Boogaloo" (which yes, has hints of the Batman TV theme). The emphasis for much of the album is more on the jazz than the Ethio, with hints of the African coming via a solo here, a chord change there -- and the casual listener might not even mark those tracks as particularly exotic. Only on "I Faram Gami I Faram " and "Mulatu's Mood" are the ethnic roots forefront, and perhaps not surprisingly those are my favorite tracks along with the simmering kora-horn-piano-vibes instrumental "Motherland."

“I desired to ingest West individual styles within this edition and essay newborn structure of using the bonny good of the kora,” explains Mulatu in his own curious vocabulary.

The digital album includes the bonus song "Derashe" which sounds like a free-jazz rehearsal but in fact highlights the diminishing scales of the Derashe grouping of Southern Ethiopia which were integrated into compositions by the likes of Debussy and Charlie Parker.

Though Mulatu is taking a step more toward jazz with this release, there's plenty of appeal for the fan of Ethiopian roots. And his clever integration of styles makes the music work even as your brain is going "huh??"

Lean a bit more about the history of Ethio jazz in this interview with Mulatu -- including how Ethiopia's emperor traveled to Europe in the 1960s and invited some Armenian musicians to teach European instruments to Ethiopian musicians, thus starting this whole crazy and wonderful musical ride. On sale March 30.

More Mulatu Astatke:
Buy CD
Full (2+ hour) interview video
website
Facebook

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• Mulatu Astatke: New YorkAddisLondon CD review (telegraph.co.uk)
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Monday's mp3: Coconut Chill

CD REVIEW
Ocote Soul Sounds: Coconut Rock (Eighteenth Street Lounge)

Just west of Olympia, capitol city of Washington State, there's a small saltwater inlet that's scenic at high tide, and fragrant at low tide. In this near mythical setting lies the Mud Bay Tiki Lounge, at which a strange crowd gathers, including government workers, hippie students, semi-employed loggers, the idle rich, and some unique bands. And if this album is any indication of their live sound, Ocote Soul Sounds should get a regular gig at the Tiki Lounge. Led by Martin Perna of Antibalas and Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma, the group's sound is downtempo dubby Latin grooves with a side order of funk.

[mp3] Ocote Soul Sounds: Tu FIN, Mi Gomienzo

from Coconut Rock

While Ocote has a more relaxed approach to activism (with the exception of the biting anti-gentrification song "Vampires"), their chilled out sound will put you in the mind to make peace with your neighbors. And maybe you'll even dance with your social opposite to Ocote Soul Sounds  at the Tiki Lounge next weekend. Stranger things have happened there.

More Ocote Soul Sounds:
Buy CD
website
facebook
myspace

Monday's mp3: Music that Wriggles into Your Heart

CD REVIEW
The Worm: Writhing & Wriggling (Wormfood)

Guilty pleasure admission: I've recently been listening to British pop music. Don't worry, SoundRoots isn't about to go all mainstream culture on you. In fact, this pop music does have discernible global roots, so it's not entirely off our usual track.

Ironically for a band called The Worm, this group has a firm pop backbone that's often mixed with west African rhythms and instruments. But it's not African music, more like a three-way car crash involving a London pop-reggae band, M.I.A., at least one John from They Might Be Giants, and a kora player who was innocently trying to cross the street. The kora player in question is one Surahata Susso, who contributes some lovely riffs to "The Race," perhaps the most charming song about conception I've ever heard. The three core members of this London-based quartet (I know, but somehow this odd math makes sense with these guys...) are Max Baillie, Andre Marmot, and Nicci Simpson. The whole 7-song EP exudes a buoyant innocence that belies The Worm's growing reputation as a festival/party band. Billed as "Afro-reggae-garage," The Worm might be better described as grown-up-kids music you can dance to. And you will.

[mp3] The Worm: The Race

from Writhing & Wriggling

More The Worm:
Buy CD / Hear more
website
The Worm on Facebook
Surahata Susso on Facebook

African Rootmaster On Resonance by Continentaldrifts on Mixcloud

Carnaval! Carnival! Mardi Gras!

 Music from Rio, New Orleans, Trinidad, and wherever else people are celebrating Carnival / Carnaval / Mardi Gras this week. Plus a heap of concert previews and other music in hour 2.

Carnaval! Carnival! Mardi Gras!: Spin The Globe playlist for 12 February 2010
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net

Hour 1
Dhol Foundation  -  Colours of Punjab (theme)  -  Big Drum Small World
The Wild Magnolias  -  On a Mardi Gras Day  -  Life is a Carnival
Samba Squad  -  Maracatu Funk  -  Batuque
3Canal  -  Blue  -  Best of Rituals 2001
Trio Mocoto  -  Os Orixas  -  The Now Sound of Brazil
Zachary Richard  -  Iko Iko  -  Rough Guide to Louisiana
Coolbone  -  The Saints  -  Brass-hop
Steve Riley & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers  -  La Danse de Mardi Gras  -  Rough Guide to the Music of Louisiana
Salome de Bahia  -  Cada Vez  -  Brasil
King Posse  -  Retounen  -  Carnival
Wild Tchoupitoulas  -  Hey Mama (Wild Tchoupitoulas)  -  The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Bat Makumba  -  Vai Explodir  -  Boteco
Bat Makumba  -  Sambalele  -  Boteco
B’Negao  -  A Verdadeiro Danca Do Patinho  -  Rough Guide to the Music of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro

Hour 2
Ladysmith Black Mambazo  -  Hello My Baby w/Zap Mama  -  Long Walk to Freedom
Siora  -  Papirossen  -  Vision of the Dry Bones
Angelique Kidjo  -  Mama Golo Papa  -  Djin Djin
Tinariwen  -  Matadjem Yinmixan / Why All This Hate Between You?  -  Amam Iman: Water Is Life
Bismalahi Gargar  -  Aids Wadila  -  Imagine Africa
Zakir Hussain & the Rhythm Experience  -  Rapanagatun  -  Zakir Hussain & the Rhythm Experience
Fishtank Ensemble  -  Arabu Andaluz  -  Super Raoul
Luminescent Orchestrii  -  Mur Stojmeno  -  Neptune’s Daughter
Pablo Escovedo   -  Pete Kelly’s Blues  -  Pablo Escovedo Live
Vusi Mahlasela  -  Ntate Mahlasela  -  The Voice
The Sahel Band  -  Sahel  -  The Sahel Band Feat. Kane Mathis
Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate  -  Kala Djula  -  advance single from Ali & Toumani

Some Wild Magnolias for your Mardi Gras weekend:

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Monday's mp3: Leakey World Percussion

CD REVIEW
Jerry Leake: Cubist (Rhombus)

As a sometimes-percussionist myself, I have a soft spot for pure rhythm CDs when well executed. Jerry Leake's Cubist took a couple of listens to grab me, you know...wading through the distracting melodic stuff and chanting and all. But grab me it does. While it's as much a jazz-fusion album as one focused on global rhythms, the creative orchestration of a broad array of instruments and beats makes for fascinating listening.

Is "Plan 9" the sound of an alien invasion of Morocco? Maybe. "Caldera" runs through several Latin folk and jazz motifs, "Chrysalis" and other tracks feature tabla and other Indian flavors, and Africa comes through on "Smoke" and several other tracks. For reasons I can't clearly articulate, however, I find one of the most compelling tracks to be the counting song "Geo" -- which sounds like a mashup of the Futurama theme, Balinese kecak, and an instructive Sesame Street tune. Boston-based Leake and his collaborators push the concept of world percussion and they push the listener into challenging and rewarding new musical realms. 

Jerry Leake: Geo

from the album Cubist

More Jerry Leake:
Buy CD
Bio

Under Construction

SoundRoots is undergoing some remodeling this weekend... please ignore any stray tools or building materials. We expect to be back to our normal xenophiliac selves by Monday.

Tribute to Bob Marley: Spin the Globe playlist for 5 February 2010

An hour of global cover songs started off the show, celebrating the musicianship and life of reggae icon Bob Marley, who would have turned 65 tomorrow. Not your regular reggae show...one listener even described it as "trippy." Plus new releases and more in the second hour. Congrats to the listeners who won the CD and ticket giveaways this week.  

Global Reggae-Tribute to Bob Marley: Spin The Globe playlist for 5 February 2010
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM


Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net

Hour 1
Dhol Foundation  -  Colours of Punjab (theme)  -  Big Drum Small World
Ojos de Brujo  -  Get Up Stand Up  -  Backspin
Yeshe  -  No Woman No Cry  -  World CitiZen
Yat-Kha  -  Exodus  -  Re-Covers
African Showboyz  -  Three Little Birds  -  Spiritual Song
Ruia & Ranea  -  Maakona Tamaroto (Satisfy My Soul)  -  Waiata of Bob Marley
Nenes  -  No Woman, No Cry  -  Cover the World
Liam Teague  -  Jammin’  -  Impressions
Joshua Lebofsky  -  Redemption Song  -  Play a Little Prayer
Karamelo Santo  -  So Much Trouble in the World  -  El Baile Oficial
Wyclef Jean  -  No Woman No Cry  -  The Score OST
Ruia  -  Koingo Atu Nei Kia Koe (Waiting in Vain)  -  Nehenehe Nui

Hour 2
Them Mushrooms  -  Tribute to Bob Marley  -  Kazi Ni Kazi
Bob Marley  -  One Love/People Get Ready  -  Legend
Tommy T  -  East-West Express  -  The Prester John Sessions
SambaDa  -  Sangue African  -  Gente
Soweto Gospel Choir  -  O’Nkosi Yam  -  Grace
Jerry Leake  -  Geo  -  Cubist
The Erev Ravs  -  Naphtaly’s Freylach  -  advance single
Farafina  -  Nening  -  Kanou
Rag Dharma  -  Rag Jog (excerpt)  -  Live at the Mark
Mahotella Queens & Ulali  -  Ma’ Africa  -  1 Giant Leap
Bakithi Kumalo  -  African Mountain  -  In Front of My Eyes
Buena Vista Social Club  -  Chan Chan  -  World Circuit Presents…

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bob Marley Trivia (psychedelichippiemusic.blogspot.com)

Free trip to see FELA!

No, SoundRoots isn't setting you up with a journey to the Great Beyond to converse with the late great father of Afrobeat. But Afropop Worldwide has the next best thing: a contest that will result in two people receiving airfare to New York, a hotel stay, and tickets to the Broadway musical FELA!

Is it a good show? I haven't seen it, but Ben Brantley's review in the NYT begins thusly:

There should be dancing in the streets. When you leave the Eugene O’Neill Theater after a performance of “Fela!,” it comes as a shock that the people on the sidewalks are merely walking. Why aren’t they gyrating, swaying, vibrating, in thrall to the force field that you have been living in so ecstatically for the past couple of hours?

And since the contest is free to enter, you should head over to Afropop.org where you can get more details and enter right up through Valentine's Day.

Seun Kuti talks about FELA!

And a little glimpse of the show itself:

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• Theater Review | 'Fela!': Making Music Mightier Than the Sword (theater.nytimes.com)

Ali & Toumani, part 2

While his son Vieux pioneers on with great West African guitar music, Ali Farka Touré is gone, and we won't be hearing much new music from him. That's what makes the anticipation of the forthcoming album Ali & Toumani such a delicious agony. The second album of guitar-kora collaboration with Toumani Diabaté after 2005's Grammy-winning In the Heart of the Moon, Ali &Toumani promises more of the intricate fingerpicking we've come to expect from these two African masters.

Recorded over three afternoons at London's Livingston Studios in 2005, the album includes contributions from Orlando 'Cachaíto' López on bass, and was also his last album recorded before his death one year ago. I've heard two cuts from the album so far: On the instrumental "Kala Djula" Touré sets the pace with his swaying guitar and then he and Diabaté alternate and intertwine melodic runs, while on "Sabu Yerkoy" Touré sings in his low-key manner between amazing kora riffs.

[mp3]: Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté: Sabu Yerkoy

from the album Ali & Toumani

The lyrics of this song concern Mali's independence and its effect on the people and the title means "thanks to God." The liner notes by producer Nick Gold explain how "Ali had been playing this song since the '60s. It's his take on Cuban salsa with lyrics in Songhai. ... This is the only time Ali recorded the piece. Maybe it was a gesture to Cachaito."

In an interview about the project, Diabaté praised his late musical partner.

Ali had a gift. He was a musical phenomenon, a pioneer of music, a trainer. I think he was created by God for that purpose. His mission was to promote African culture, particularly Malian culture, and he worked at it all his life. He didn't make music only for Mali. He made music for Mali, Africa and the entire world. He was unique in his field. He was a historian. He was a marabout. He was a healer.

More Ali & Toumani:
Buy the CD (street date 23 February)
Get the song "Kenouna" free by signing up on the World Circuit website
Win tickets to the 12 February album launch party in London -- details on Toumani Diabate's facebook blog
Ali Farka Toure myspace

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• The Kora: A Primer (pastemagazine.com)

Monday's mp3: The AFRO Souljazz Orchestra

CD REVIEW
Souljazz Orchestra: Rising Sun (Strut)

I have to admit a dismissive attitude toward this album when it arrived in my mailbox. I expected perhaps some faux-retro 1970s soul tracks, perhaps with a James Brown cover tossed in for good measure. I mean, these guys are from Ottawa, for heaven's sake, not a particular hub of funkiness in my experience. But I popped it in, and the lethargic horns of the 3-minute opening track "Awakening" did little to shift my position. But then, oh then my friends, then the fun starts. "Agbara" kicks in with a percussive shout and a blast of Afrobeat-style horns. And suddenly the album has my interest, particularly with the unusual contribution of marimbas in the heavy mix. Sweet!

The third track takes another turn, starting as a heavy dirge before whipping into a killer version of Ethiopian jazz (inspired by Strut label-mate Mulatu Astatke, who I'm told has a new album coming soon). Again the marimbas play a key role, giving the song an otherworldly Ethio-gamelan feel. A few of the tracks --  "Lotus Flower," "Serenity," "Consecration" --are more what I was expecting from the orchestra's name -- particularly the "jazz" part. But the African influence re-emerges on "Mamaya," which the band says is based on traditional rhythms from Guinea. For my money, the three Afro tracks are worth the price of admission, and the quieter songs give a nice breather from their frenetic energy.

[mp3]: The Souljazz Orchestra: Negus Negast

from Rising Sun

I was curious enough about the band to track down their previous album Manifesto and found that it's even more heavily Afro-centric. The band tours during 2010, and I'm guessing they put on one killer show, so keep an eye out on your local venues. 

More Souljazz Orchestra:
Buy CD
website
tour schedule
myspace
facebook

Tunisia Meets Sweden: Spin The Globe playlist for 29 January 2010

Is the accordion the common denominator between Sweden and Tunisia? That's one of the themes you may hear in this week's show ping-ponging between the music of the two nations. We also had a set of music from Haiti, some concert previews, and an exclusive preview of music from the Erev Ravs.

Tunisia Meets Sweden: Spin The Globe playlist for 29 January 2010
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net

Artist - Song - Album

Hour 1
Dhol Foundation  -  Colours of Punjab (theme)  -  Big Drum Small World
DuOud  -  Zanzibar  -  Wild Serenade
Vasen  -  Squirrel  -  Gront
Ghalia Benali & Bert Cornelis  -  Hayamatni  -  Al Palna
Urban Turban  -  Persian Night  -  Overtime
Julie Marsellaise  -  Yama N’Chauf Haja Tegennen  -  Hot Women
Ellika & Solo  -  Mambore Tradgardsvalsen  -  World 2003
Chiha  -  I Was in Love  -  Mystic Bridges
Hoven Droven  -  Skogspolska  -  Groove
Zarzis  -  Na’ama  -  Tunisie:Chants & Rhythmes
Smadj  -  Fatwords w/Rokia Traore  -  Take It And Drive
Beata Soderberg & Justango  -  Tangogo  -  Bailata
Anouar Brahem  -  Zarabanda  -  Le Voyage de Sahar
Mynta  -  Ten Years Ago  -  Teabreak
Amina  -  Ederlezi  -  Nomad:Best of Amina

Hour 2
The Souljazz Orchestra  -  Negus Negast  -  Rising Sun
West Philadelphia Orchestra  -  What Innocence  -  West Philadelphia Orchestra
Orkestar Zirkonium  -  A New Light  -  Orkestar Zirkonium
Lataye  -  M Viv Ave Yo  -  Tu Manbre
Lole Lolay  -  Shada  -  Klasik Twoubadou
Sosyete Djouba  -  Viv o m rele gouvene  -  Alan Lomax in Haiti Vol.9
Les Loups Noirs D’Haiti  -  Jet Biguine  -  Tumbele! Biguine, afro & latin sounds from the French Caribbean 1963-74
Mahlathini & the Queens  -  Umkhovu  -  Next Stop…Soweto
Vusi Mahlasela  -  Silang Mabela  -  The Voice
Polokwane Choral Society  -  Sebakanyana  -  We Keep Singing
Jerry Leake  -  Nu Atsia  -  Cubist
Erev Ravs  -  Varshaver Please, Skotshne mix 2  -  advance single
Angelique Kidjo  -  Senamou feat. Amadou & Mariam  -  Djin Djin

Monday's mp3: Haiti Now, Haiti Then

CD REVIEW
various artists: Alan Lomax in Haiti (Harte Recordings)

I recently hung out with a friend who isn't insensitive to others' suffering, but he changed the channel every time something about Haiti came on the TV. I understand, and even sympathize: TV news has a way of turning tragedy into sappy, heart-wrenching drama while ignoring the big picture. We hear about a woman pulled from the rubble, or a child orphaned in the earthquake. We don't hear about the geopolitical, social, economic, and environmental problems that contributed to the tragedy or resulted from it. It's an odd kind of zen "nowness," this isolated view one gets from TV news.

Getting into that isn't really the place of this global-culture blog. But instead of getting compassion fatigue, I suggest digging a little deeper. Check out the Christian Science Monitor's Haiti diary, or articles on commondreams.org. Or post your own resources in the comments.

There really is music at the heart of this post, and it starts back in March 2004 when the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center obtained the Alan Lomax Collection. You probably know that Lomax was a tremendous collector/recorder of sounds and other cultural information from all over the planet. The collection includes more than 5,000 hours of sound recordings, 400,000 feet of motion picture film, 2,450 videotapes, 2,000 scholarly books and journals, hundreds of photographic prints and negatives, and more.

Alan Lomax in Haiti makes a wealth of music and information available for the first time to the general public. The box set includes 10 CDs and rich liner notes on various types of music, including Mardi Gras songs, Meringues and Urban music, Troubador music, the sounds of Vodou, romantic songs, children's songs, labor songs, and worship songs. Lomax recorded all of these songs during a four-month tour of Haiti in 1936-1937, and we have to note that the sound quality sounds like what you'd expect from 75-year old field recordings: scratchy, noisy, thin -- yet still fascinating.

This song was recorded on March 19, 1937, and relates a chilling tale of murder, made more poignant in light of post-earthquake looting and violence:

I heard a shout behind the hill
Let's go see what's going on
Brother Lombri killed a woman
for kongo pea soup

[mp3] students of L'Ecole Normal, Port-au-Prince: "Deyè mòn-la, ann prale wè" (Behind the hill, let's go see)

from Alan Lomax in Haiti

The collection includes plenty of more-lighthearted material, including the mutual-aid society songs on Volume 9: Konbit and Banbock: Songs of Labor and Leisure. The music doesn't have the upbeat swing of calypso, versions of which were popular elsewhere in the Caribbean at the same time, and probably will be less engaging to the casual listener. For the culturally thirsty listener who can afford the three-digit price tag of this set, however, a world of learning far removed from the TV news awaits.

More:
Buy Box Set of 10 CDs
The Haiti Box blog (selling the box set for $115, with $15 going directly to local disaster relief organizations in Haiti)
Alan Lomax at wikipedia
Alan Lomax on Facebook
The Alan Lomax Collection

Music from the Hottest Lands on Earth: Spin The Globe playlist for 22 January 2010

As a mid-winter break for those of us in the northern climes, we took a musical visit to the hottest places on the planet this week. You can find a list complete with temperatures here. What did we learn? That no matter how cold it gets here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm not planning a summer vacation to Al 'Aziziyah, Libya (136 degrees F!).

Music from the Hottest Places on Earth: Spin The Globe playlist for 22 January 2010
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net

Artist - Song - Album

Hour 1
Dhol Foundation - Colours of Punjab (theme) - Big Drum Small World
Caceres - Triste Febrero - Rough Guide to Argentina
Los de Abajo - Pepepez - Los de Abajo
Musafir - Moria Badnawa - Dhola Maru
Ganga Giri - Bertie Beatle - Beats Around the Bush
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Kainda-e-Qalandar - Nazrana-e-Aqeedat
Mohammad Abdu - Ya Keif - Inti El Hawa
Brenda Fassie - Sum’ Bulala - Memeza
Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu - Mulatu of Ethiopia
Boom Pam - Gross - Boom Pam
Delta Nove - Tororo - The Future Is When
Dalinda - Maahboubi Khanni / My Beloved Deceived Me - Turquoise

Hour 2
[dunkelbunt] & Cloud Tissa - Kebab Connection - Balkan Grooves
The Spy from Cairo - Ala Shan - Secretly Famous
Sauti Sol - Asante Sana Baba - Mwanzo
SambaDa - Sangue Africano Remix - Gente!
Umalali - The Sun Has Set - The Garifuna Women’s Project
Soweto Gospel Choir - Ingoma - Grace
Lhasa - Con Toda Palabra - The Living Road
Siora - Vaynikehu - Vision of the Dry Bones
Zingaros - Sher - Cirkari
The Sahel Band - Yarabi - The Sahel Band
Ojos de Brujo - Bailaores - Techari
Masters of Haiti - Ti Chans (Pou Ayiti) - Rough Guide to Haiti

Related articles by Zemanta

• Northwest agencies organize aid to Haiti (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Shocking new satellite images of Haiti show scale of earthquake devastation (telegraph.co.uk)

David Does Haiti (and other lands): Spin The Globe playlist for 15 January 2010

David "The Xenophiliac" Moseley spun the globe last Friday while I was out of town, and did a fine job of it, particularly highlighting music from Haiti. I'm glad to be home, and will be spinning music from the hottest lands on earth this Friday. Here's what I missed, and what you (hopefully) heard.


David Does Haiti (and other lands): Spin The Globe playlist for 15 January 2010
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net

Artist - Song - Album
Caetano Veloso  -  Haiti  -  The Best of Caetano Veloso
Beethova Obas  -  Lina  -  Caribe! Caribe!
Mizik Mizik  -  Blakawout  -  rough guide to the music of Haiti
Zin  -  Kanpe Sou Yon Bit  -  French Carribean
Boukman Eksperyans  -  Peye Loa Yo  -  revolution
Fishner Augustin and la troupe Makandal  -  Rara Processional  -  New York City, Global Beat of the Boroughs
Boukman Eksperyans  -  Baron  -  revolution
Wyclef Jean  -  Sang Fez  -  New World Party
King Posse  -  Retounen  -  Carnival
Ram  -  Marassa Elu  -  rough guide to the music of Haiti
Orchestre Tropicana D'Haiti  -  Gason Total  -  Putumayo World Party
Oro Solido  -  Verano Solido  -  The Rough Guide to Merengue
Kiala  -  Batumwindu  -  Afrobeat no go die
Michael Franti & Spearhead   -  Hello Bonjour  -  Global Lingo
Peter King  -  Shango  -  Nigeria 70
Nomo  -  Discontinued  -  Nomo
The Sahel Band with Kane Mathis  -  North Mali  -  The Sahel Band with Kane Mathis

Related articles by Zemanta

• Canadian networks plan joint Haiti fundraiser (cbc.ca)
• Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga and More Stars Rock to Aid Haiti (rollingstone.com)
• Haiti (soundroots.org)
• Wyclef Jean defends his Haitian foundation (cbc.ca)

Monday's mp3: Groovy Old Soweto

CD REVIEW
various artists: Next Stop ... Soweto: Township sounds from the Golden Age of Mbaqanga (Strut)

Even under the thumb of apartheid, Soweto was blossoming as a hub for black culture and music in South Africa. Today one doesn't hear as much about the townships (particularly as the coming World Cup dominates news from the nation), but this musical legacy has spawned another compilation of energetic township jive.

Following in the footsteps of The Indestructible Beat of Soweto series (were they really released nearly a quarter century ago?), Next Stop ... Soweto includes the well-known Mahlathini and Mohatella Queens (on separate tracks) alongside 18 tracks from less well-known artists. Many of these songs appeared only on limited-distribution 45s made for the local market, so it's a boon that compilers Duncan Brooker and Francis Gooding have tracked them down for this compilation. You'll hear many influences in the varied tracks, including gospel, funk, traditional mining songs, and jazz. And always, that Soweto swing.

Following on the heels of releases of classic Nigerian and Ethiopian music, Strut has another winner that will entice African music fans everywhere.

More:
Buy CD
Get another free song and hear more tracks at www.nextstopsoweto.com