Owner: SoundRoots Global Culture URL:www.soundroots.org Join Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:16:53 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: World music and culture blog, featuring CD and show reviews, mp3 postings, monthly Top 10 charts, and more. Live Locally, Groove Globally. Site statistics:Click here
Monday's mp3: Return to Kashmir 2007-12-10 11:31:00 Funny how things come full circle. One of the first albums (yes, kids, actual vinyl) I owned was by a band that reunites tonight for the first time in 27 years in a tribute to late music promoter Ahmet Ertegun.Ertegun, you may know, was co-founder of Atlantic Records (and of the New York Cosmos of the defunct NASL). Could it have been his Turkish roots that gave him such a keen ear to up-and-coming sounds? I mean, he had the insight to pay $2,500 to buy out the contract of a then-unknown musician named Ray Charles. He embraced the rock and roll era, signing Cream, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and an edgy band called Led Zeppelin.One year ago, Ertegun fell at a Rolling Stones concert, and never recovered. His legacy will be on display tonight at the O2 Arena in London, where an astounding lineup -- Lez Zeppelin, Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Foreigner and Paolo Nutini -- will pay tribute to him as a benefit for his Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund.A poll of Zeppelin f Read more:Monday
, Return
, Kashmir
Jewish Music Old & New 2007-12-07 19:12:00 Jewish Music
Old & NewSpin The Globe playlist for 7 December 2007This week's show romped through the Jewish world in the first hour, from traditional klezmer tunes to the constructed hip hop beats of Socalled, and much in between. Got a call from Elizabeth Schwartz during the show, and she's right: there were too few women musicians represented. Sorry about that, and I pledge to do better. But what's done is done, and what was done was this:hour 1 David Krakauer - Moskovitz and Loops of It - Bubbemeises Red Hot Chachkas - Sha! - Spice It Up Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band - The Medyatsiner Waltz / The Minsker Corporal's Waltz - The Flower of Berezin Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi - Kalarasher Bulgar - Moldova - Borsht with Bread, Brothers Golem - Belz - Homesick Songs Socalled - (Rock the) Belz - Ghettoblaster Frank London's Klezmer Brass AllStars - Shish Kebab - Brotherhood of Brass Read more:Jewish
, Jewish Music
12 Arabian Nights of Christmas 2007-12-23 13:34:00 Yikes! Just a couple days left before C-day! Here's another brief but delightful selection to serve as a soundtrack to your last-minute gift wrapping (if you go for that sort of thing...).Oh, and since you haven't gotten me anything yet, I have a request. All I want from you this holiday season is a comment on SoundRoots... I know you've been busy, but a moment of your time to affirm that I'm still important to you -- that would be great. We've had a great time this year, but don't forget to encourage the blogger as 2007 comes to a close.[mp3] The Continentals: The Inexcelsis Polkafrom Blame It On Christmas
(out of print, sadly)tags: worldmusic, holiday, christmas
Read more:Arabian
Funk Me Gently 2007-12-22 20:45:00 CD REVIEWDas Vibenbass: fodakis(Hop Productions)While SoundRoots focuses on global sounds (aka "world music"), I'm not deaf to other genres. And once in a while one of the oddities that shows up in my mailbox really catches my ear. Such is the case with das Vibenbass. Yeah, they sound like they should be a German electronica outfit, but in fact they're four Seattle-based lads who make a respectable ruckus with tools including sax, drums, bass, and vibraphone, mixing the idioms of jazz with funk and more modern sounds.Some of the album gets a bit too jazzy for me, but the swing of this piece grabbed me right away.[mp3] Das Vibenbass: Ghost Runner on Thirdfrom fodakisbuyBand website: www.dasvibenbass.com(They're playing here in Olympia on Jan. 18, at The Royal.)tags: cd review, music, vibenbass, jazz, funk, seattle
Live from Makedonia! 2007-12-21 23:54:00 Spin the Globe Playlist for 21 December 2007The Makedonians dropped by for some live in-studio music this week on Spin The Globe, and we also took a tour of the Tropic of Capricorn, where the sun is high and warm on the Winter Solstice, even as we in the northern hemisphere are clawing for every last photon we can get.Artist - Song - Album hour 1 - Tropic of Capricorn + The Makedonians LiveForro in the Dark - Riacho do Navio - Bonfires of Sao Joao Tumbatu Cumba - La Pira - Tumbatu Cumba Gondwana - Traficanted de Fe / Traffickers in Faith - Second Coming Akasa - World Citizen - World Citizen Rajery - Olo-Mitovy - Sofera Makedonians - Night and Day I Pine for You - Live at KAOS Makedonians - Double Dance - Live at KAOS Makedonians - Dancing on the Grass - Live at KAOS Makedonians - Oleander Bloom - Live at KAOS Makedonians - Street Girl - Live at KAOS Makedoni
World Music Winners at IMA 2007-12-20 22:55:00 The Independent Music
Award winners have been announced, and in the categories most of interest to SoundRoots, here are the results.Best Latin Album - Jose Conde y Ola Fresca: Revolucion [mp3] Descarga InezBest World
Fusion Album - Jaime Cuadra: Peruvian Waltz Chillout[mp3] Mal PasoBest World Traditional Album - Alasdair White: An Clà r Geal (The White Album)[mp3] The Kirkpatricks Of IonaBest Latin Song - Zoraida Santiago: [mp3] Canciones Por Todas PartesBest World Fusion Song - Luca Mundaca: [mp3] Ha DiasBest World Traditional Song - Lionel Loueke: [mp3] Kponnon KpeteTo be honest, Lionel Loueke is the only one of these previously known to me. I'm pleased for his win, but disappointed that the World Fusion Song award didn't go to one of my favorites, the Indian-jazz fusion outfit known as Autorickshaw. Oh, well. Enjoy the tunes, and you can still vote for the Vox Populi Award (registration requrired).tags: ima, awards, worldmusic, latin, world fusion, world traditional
Read more:Winners
Best World Music of 2007 2007-12-18 17:43:00 SoundRoots/Spin The Globe'sFavorite WorldMusic
Albums of 2007 The Top 10 Kobo Town: IndependenceIt may have come out in 2006, but I discovered this in 2007 and can't pry my ears away from it. Great, catchy songs with conscious lyrics. Solid throughout, it's easily one of my favorite albums of the year. I've returned again and again to it's joyful celebrations and social critiques, particularly the song "Higher Than Mercy." I can't wait to hear more from this talented Toronto-based crew. (more info)[mp3] Kobo Town: Higher Than Mercy Forro in the Dark: Bonfires of Sao JoaoGlobalized Brazilian folk music may be the best way to describe what NYC-based Forro in the Dark do, taking forro beats and flutes, grinding them through a modern mesh, and sprinkling with a dash of David Byrne.(more info) Andy Palacio: WatinaIt is isn't necessary to be entranced by the story of the Garifuna people to enjoy the music of Andy Pal
Monday's mp3: Just a Man? 2007-12-18 00:52:00 Even with the USA recovering somewhat from its irrational xenophobia following 9/11, the verbal scuffle over the extent of Barak Obama's Muslim connections proves that there's still a long road to mutual respect and understanding between the dominant culture and minority faiths. Kaaba with a large crowdOriginally uploaded by transposition. As always, SoundRoots wants to be on the forefront of such understanding and tolerance. So even as many have on their minds the birth of a different prophet (or, depending on your viewpoint, the son of God... or perhaps you're just thinking about a whole lot of shopping), on this first day of the Hajj we'll take a moment to encourage a little label called Global One Records.Global One "brings together different musical styles under the nasheed genre," they say, "a combination of Middle Eastern vibes and new-age music. ... We are bridging the gap between modern music and cultural spiritual music."This track comes from Lebanese-born Ali Elsayed, Read more:Monday
Monday's mp3: Christmas Eve Play 2007-12-24 18:16:00 I read a heartbreakingly inspiring story in the Christian Science Monitor today that perfectly captures the spirit of sharing that should permeate the Christmas
season (rather than, you know, the ever-popular greed and shopping).Many of the poor kids in South Africa have no toys. None. No books, no dolls, no puzzles. It's just not a priority for families faced with barely enough resources to buy food. Riding to the rescue of these kids' imagination is the Toy Library. flying or dancing?Originally uploaded by earball visions. adsfOfficially called the Active Learning & Leisure Libraries, they provide "access to a collection of play materials including toys, games, puzzles, activities, educational aids and general play equipment."Read the full Monitor story -- maybe share it with your family if you're gathering tomorrow for Christmas. You can find out more about them and make a donation at www.activelearninglibraries.org.zaFor a little music appropriate to this story, we turn Read more:Monday
, Christmas Eve
Monday's mp3: Rosapaeda's Mediterranean Masala 2008-03-10 09:00:00 CD REVIEWRosapaeda: MaterTalk about uncategorizable music! Rosapaeda used to front a reggae band called Different Stylee. Now on her third CD under her own name (on Dunya Records), she delves into a variety of Mediterranean
styles, and some distinctly non-Mediterranean ones, including some reggae holdover and two fairly convincing dance remixes.Her arrangements make prominent use of Indian and Middle Eastern instruments (tabla, darbuka, bendir, tar) that give the music a global feel, even as the songs are rooted in Italian folk, including some traditional tunes and a couple of children's rhymes.Think of a slightly more pop version of Savina Yannatou, or perhaps Fiamma Fumana with some of the electronics stripped away. And along with the engaging musical arrangements, one very powerful voic Read more:Monday
, Masala
Sacred Music of the Planet 2008-03-09 22:46:00 Spin The Globe playlist7 March 2008To help prepare listeners' ears for the March 8 World Sacred Music
Festival, Spin The Globe featured sacred musical traditions from across the planet and right here in our neighborhood. Plus a few concert previews to round out the second hour.And as mentioned earlier, KAOS radio is having its Spring Membership Drive, so take a moment to become a KAOS member or renew your membership to support the kind of music, interviews, and info you hear on Spin The Globe (and, by extention, here on SoundRoots). You can easily pledge online. Artist - Song - Albumhour 1 Brother Resistance - Jah Never Fail Me Yet - World Music Café Vol. 2 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Iphel’ Emasini - Ilemnbe-Honor
Spirit...Pledge...Surf 2008-03-07 09:47:00 Muslims have 99 names for God. And this just hints at the manifold ways the divine is made manifest in the world. Ways that include music, of course.Sacred music is on my mind because that's the focus both of this morning's episode of Spin The Globe and tomorrow's World Sacred Music Festival here in Olympia. But many people have a narrow view of what "sacred music" actually is.Growing up, my sacred music was in the form of stolid hymns rooted in New England Protestantism. Now I'm wiser, and my spiritual view encompasses music from traditions around the world. Who could deny the power of Nusrat's Sufi chants, or the beauty of a Native American flute?That kind of diversity is valued at KAOS radio, where Spin the Globe originates. KAOS is a community radio station, free of advertising and bi Read more:Pledge
Monday's mp3: What's Georgian for "Wow"? 2008-03-03 23:17:00 I'm a little tempted to post this song without comment, letting you listen and guess its origin. But I won't, if only because it's worth getting this group's name in your head. Not to be confused with The Shins, the group The Shin is a trio of Georgians living in Germany. "Shin" is Georgian for "The Way Home," though it's not a strictly traditional path they take to get there.Zaza Miminoshvili (guitars, panduri), Zurab J. Gagnidze (electric and acoustic bass, vocals), and Mamuka Gaganidze (vocals, percussion) are stellar musicians who play the way stellar musicians do: with confidence and daring. They take bits of Georgian vocal polyphonies and traditional instruments and mix them up with jazz and long guitar jams and other unexpected flavors.The music is desperately difficult to categoriz Read more:Monday
Cambodia Meets Cameroon 2008-02-29 19:12:00 Spin The Globe Playlist29 February 2008Fun and unexpected ping-ponging between two unlikely musical allies on today's show; plus new releases and more in the second hour. And did I mention what an amazing show Angelique Kidjo put on last week? A couple days later I caught a good show by the Refugee Allstars, but they were a mere candle to Kidjo's incandescent spotlight of energy. And then when she got people up on stage dancing with her...!Artist - Song - Album hour 1 Etienne Mbappe - Ambass - Misiya Royal Palace Ensemble - Apsaras’ Dance - A Window on the World Gino Sitson - Ngoyak’ - Son Zin’… Vocadelic Read more:Cambodia
Favela Sounds, on Screen 2008-02-28 16:41:00 Note: Read on for a contest to win the City of Men Soundtrack CDI'm not a huge soundtrack fan. You might guess that from the space they don't occupy here at SoundRoots. Sure, I rave about the odd Bollywood soundtrack and about films specifically about the music, such as One Giant Leap or Genghis Blues.But there are exceptions to every rule. And this rule is bent by the fantastic soundtrack to City of Men, which opens tomorrow.I haven't seen the film yet, but I can tell you a little based its pedigree. An earlier film begat the Brazilian TV series City of Men, which begat this new movie of that same name. All are about the lives of young men (sorry, women) growing up and trying to survive in Rio's infamous favelas. Poverty, drugs, and violence are the backdrop for their stories. The new mov Read more:Sounds
Winning the Ears of the USA 2008-02-26 11:44:00 Note to Hillary: if you want to be featured on SoundRoots, get some new musical advisers.You know that SoundRoots is not longwinded on things political. But it has not escaped our notice that Obama has the lead not only in delegates, but also in music.Hillary did make a weak appeal to Spanish-speaking voters with this accordion-driven song:[mp3] unknown artist: Hillary, Hillary ClintonObama -- or his musical supporters -- are clearly going for a different demographic. A demographic that likes to dance rather more vigorously along to their politics. First there was the Obama Reggaton (see earlier post). Now, the group Fosforo gives us this:[mp3] Fosforo: Cumbia de ObamaRead the lyrics on Fosforo website: www.fosforo.netBe honest now: which do you like better?If you know of more campaign-rel Read more:Winning
Mondays mp3: Globalized Shaabi 2008-02-25 22:28:00 Antwerp-based Think of One are consummate musical explorers. On their last outing, Trafico, they coaxed the sounds of Brazil through their globalizing filters. This time around it's the strains of Moroccan Shaabi that feed their sound.This Berber wedding music may be less well known than Algerian Rai, but it's just as full of compelling rhythms and melodies. And Think of One's version of Shaabi is a right sturdy kick in the backside. Bits of dub, electronica, rock, and hip hop compel unconscious head-nodding or outright booty shaking in even the most collected listeners.This song, sung by Amina and Lalabrouk, tells of "certain dangers with which lonely female moviegoers can be confronted." Throughout the album, you'll hear lyrics varying from French, Arabic, and the Flemish dialect spoken Read more:Mondays
Refugee All Stars Interview + Music of Africa 2008-02-23 22:15:00 Spin the Globe playlist22 February 2008It was all about Africa
n in the first hour, with music from Africans and an interview with Refugee
All Stars of Sierra Leone leader Reuben Koroma. Then more global goodness, including new releases and music by featured artist Angelique Kidjo, in the second hour. Congrats to all the listeners who won tickets to see upcoming shows by the Refugee All Stars and Gamelan X.Angelique Kidjo put on a sizzling show Friday night at the Washington Center for the Perfor Read more:Music
Monday's mp3: Sounds from La Ciodat 2008-02-18 23:40:00 A swirl of birthdays clusters around today. Here in the USA, it's the day we celebrate the births of two presidents, the always-behatted Abraham Lincoln, and President #1: George Washington. Less celebrated (at least in my neighborhood) are the birthdays of John Travolta, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Bengali developer of bhakti yoga), Lord Nityananda (Vaishnava saint), Wallace Stegner (writer), Toni Morrison (another writer), Yoko Ono (wife of a British mophead), Vanna White (famous TV arm-waver), Dr. Dre (rapper), Katia (Brazilian soccer star), and your own dj earball (blogger and cultural agitator). Oh, apparently it's also the birthday of Kosovo (newest European nation).Excuse me for a moment while I imagine a dinner party attended by all of them, and the possible topics of discussion...[pause Read more:Monday
, Sounds
World Music Top 10 - February 2008 2008-02-16 20:53:00 SoundRoots / Spin The GlobeTop 10 WorldMusic
Albums - February
20081. Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: Songs from a Persian Garden 2. Dengue Fever: Venus on Earth 3. Saba: Jidka (The Link) 4. various artists: The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio De Janeiro 5. Aphrodesia: Lagos By Bus6. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu7. David Buchbinder: Odessa / Havana8. Orchestra Baobab: Made in Dakar9. Cheb i Sabbah: Devotion10. Le Trio Joubran: MajazQuite an interesting and diverse lot in this month's top 10 -- some recently reviewed here at SoundRoots, others coming soon. For music that simply makes you feel good, you can't beat the classic sounds of Senegal's Orchestra Baobab. On Made in Dakar, they pla
Global Music of Love and Romance 2008-02-15 20:46:00 Spin The Globe playlist15 February 2008Songs of love and romance from all over the planet in the first hour, followed by mostly new releases in the second hour.Artist - Song - Album hour 1 Kronos Quartet & Asha Bhosle - You’ve Stolen My Heart - You’ve Stolen My Heart Souad Massi - Ya Kelbi (Oh, My Heart) - The Best of Souad Massi Te Vaka - Iuliana - Tutuki Abdelkader Saadoun - Just You and Me - Freedom Children of the Revolution - Isla Margarita - Life, Love, and Guantanamo Bay Balval - Jekha Chaja - Blizard Boheme Angelique Kidjo w/ Ziggy Mar Read more:Music
, Global
, Romance
Pre-Spring Cleaning 2008-02-12 21:13:00 My mess is your gain. At least when I get around to sorting through it. Readers, musicians, and promoters send me things. These things sometimes get onto SoundRoots quickly, sometimes fall behind the desk and collect dust. Well, today is cleaning day, and I think you might find some gems in this big box of stuff. If you do, leave an encouraging comment -- those inspire me to deal with things before they get so very dusty. And tangled up like the wires in this photo. Item: One of Peru's most compelling stars, Eva Ayllón (aka the "Queen of Lando"), blends African and Spanish cultures - dramatic flamenco phrases, complex, pulsating rhythms, and sweet folkloric melodies - into her signature musica criolla style. She's performing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday March 7, and you can e Read more:Spring
, Cleaning
, Spring Cleaning
Mondays mp3: Grammy Grammy Grammy 2008-02-11 10:31:00 Blizzard conditions in the Cascade Mountains. A landslide of support for Barak Obama in the Washington State Democratic caucuses. So why is it no powerful natural force comes to mind when I think about the Grammy Awards? They happened. Yawn.The Grammies that SoundRoots readers might be most interested in include:Best Traditional World Music Album: African Spirit by Soweto Gospel ChoirBest Contemporary World Music Album: Djin Djin by Angelique KidjoBest Latin Urban Album: Residente O Visitante by Calle 13Best Hawaiian Album: Treasures Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar by various artistsBest Reggae Album: Mind Control by Stephen MarleyIf you want to know about the pop and polka and other categories, see the complete list of winners.Not among the Grammy winners, but among my own group of musical Read more:Mondays
Moon Music 2008-02-09 22:16:00 On this week's Spin The Globe, we heard music about the moon for the Lunar New Year (The Chinese Year of the Rat) plus one song about rats. But the highlight of the show was a conversation with Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat and KKV Records head Erik Hillestad.Vahdat and her sister Marjan have a beautiful new album out on KKV called Songs from a Persian Garden -- a live recording of a taboo-breaking public performance by women at the Italian embassy in Tehran -- right under the noses of a regime that frowns upon such expressions from women. The sisters also sang on the delightful KKV compilation Lullabies from the Axis of Evil.KKV Records: www.kkv.no Mahsa Vahdat: www.mahsavahdat.comPlaylist for Spin The Globe -- 08 February 2008Artist - S Read more:Music
Monday's mp3: Argentine Agitators 2008-02-04 21:27:00 Regular SoundRoots readers will know that we relish a good mystery. Often CDs arrive with little or nothing by way of band information or notes. Such is the case with today's track...sort of. The good folks at Suramusic in Argentina sent this along -- a wonderfully well-constructed album of catchy Spanish-language tunes.It's got complete packaging, including song notes (in Spanish). The mystery is why Tumbatú Cumbá, a Buenos Aires-based group that's been around since 1999, has received so little global recognition. There's practically nothing to be found in English on the band, although they've released three albums and participated in compilations including A Bush No Le Va A Gustar (which, being translated, is something like "Bush Ain't Gonna Like This!"). The band donated their song "L Read more:Monday
Mardi Gras starter kit 2008-02-02 18:37:00 This week's show is something of a Fat Tuesday / Mardi
Gras / Carnival starter kit -- particularly useful if you happen to live far away from Rio or New Orleans or other places where the holiday is celebrated with great gusto. Many USA residents will be more focused on the odd cultural phenomenon of the Super Bowl this weekend; if your family insists on that, just turn the TV sound down, and crank up these tunes. Guaranteed more interesting than the discussion of instant replays and quarterback rating statistics.Spin The Globe playlist for 1 February 2008artist - song - albumhour 1 March Fourth Marching Band - Matador - March Fourth Marching Band Wild Magnolias - All on a Mardi Gras
Day - Life Is a Carnival Andre Tanker - Wild Indian Band (vintage remix) - Mondo Soc
Monday's mp3: This Raivolution will be broadcast 2008-01-28 22:28:00 CD ReviewMC Rai: Raivolution (Embarka) www.mcrai.com If you see the "rai" label and automatically retreat from what you expect to be yet more cheesy, emotion-dripping Algerian pop, you owe this album a second look. And a thorough listen. MC Rai was born in southern Tunesia, and while he was raised on the traditional folk music called Chaabi, somewhere along the way he picked up a lot of other musical influences, combining Rai, rock, rap, and electronica. He also picked up his things and moved to San Francisco in 2000, laying the foundation for this album as he brushed up elbows with artists including Cheb i Sabbah (who has a new album out called Devotion, which we'll be reviewing soon) and Michael Franti. The songs are largely hard-drivin Read more:Monday
Palestine Meets Israel: Everyone Dances! 2008-01-26 11:54:00 Yesterday's Spin The Globe ping-ponged between Israel
and Palestine
in the first hour, and in the second hour swung wildly around the planet, culminating in a tribute to the late Garifuna musician Andy Palacio. (And if you listened, you might have won tickets for concerts by Simon Shaheen or Omar Torrez, both of whom play in Seattle tonight.)Spin The Globe playlist for 25 January 2008artist - song - albumhour 1 Rim Banna - Masha’al - The Mirrors of My Soul Makondo - The Baker - Makondo DAM - Meen Ir-Hebi? (Who’s the Terrorist?) - Single Channe Nussbaum & Spielniks - Nudnik - Jidishe Mame Simon Shaheen & Qantara - Blue Flame - Blue Flame Yuval Ron Ensemble - D’ror Y
Tributes to Andy Palacio 2008-01-22 10:38:00 The mainstream media is weighing in today on the passing of Andy Palacio
. The New York Times has a bit more detail and depth than the Los Angeles Times. Andy was so far off the MSM radar, however, that both of them have to pull quotes from NPR to flesh out their stories. And neither gets to the heart of Palacio's soft-spoken but compelling persona, which so engaged live audiences around the world.You'll find a number of Palacio videos on YouTube, some from live performances, several including Garifuna musical elder Paul Nabor, the personification of some yet-undiscovered Belizean version of the Buena Vista Social Club . And then there's this "look behind the music," which is well worth watching.And yes, you're drawing the right conclusion after seeing three Palacio postings in a row: Andy
Monday's mp3: Paranda Past 2008-01-22 00:36:00 Despite a lot of distractions this weekend, including all those inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities and speeches, I've still got Andy Palacio on the brain.Palacio, the Garifuna musician/ambassador who passed so suddenly last week, had a fantastic album in Watina, which was one of my favorite albums of 2007. It was his first album with Cumbancha Records, and a real push toward reaffirming and spreading his Garifuna heritage.But Palacio had been on the music scene for some time. A decade ago Stonetree Records released an album called Paranda: African in Central America that explored a variety of Afro-Latin sounds from Belize and environs, including offerings from Garifuna artists with whom Palacio worked on Watina. Paranda was a foreshadowing of Palacio's later work, much more s Read more:Monday
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