Monday's mp3: Authentically Neo-Roma

CD REVIEW

KAL: Radio Romanista
(Asphalt Tango)

KAL makes Roma/Gypsy music; KAL makes modern urban music. And there's no separation between the two.

The musical equivalent of nuclear fusion, the Serbian band seems to create ever more energetic tunes, upping the ante from their self-titled 2005 debut with the 13 songs on Radio Romanista (the title track tells of a radio station in the imaginary nation of Romanistan, homeland of the Gypsies). Traditional touches pervade the album, co-mingling with urban beats and outstanding (and often very speedy - check out the fiddling on "Romozom" and "I'm Gypsy"!) instrumental prowess. (audio samples)

[mp3] KAL: Krasnokalipsa featuring Marcello
from the album Radio Romanista

KAL bandleader Dragan Ristic has a fantastic ear for modernizing his rich musical roots without losing the essential elements. With KAL's success," says Ristic, "we're proving the music of your ancestors is still valid, still lives." And it's not merely alive, it's dancing down the street and pulling you along it its wake.

Ignore the narrow-minded reviewer who said of this album: "It's a sad commentary on the state of the world when you can no longer count on ethnic groups to behave the way you want them to." Tradition isn't static, music is constantly evolving. KAL's sound is as authentically "Gypsy" as anything from Vera Bila, or anything from Gypsy.cz, for that matter.

Sure it's early in the year, but go ahead and mark Radio Romanista as one of the best albums of 2009.

More KAL:
website
label site
youtube
wikipedia

New Global Music for a New Year

It was a blast of new releases from around the planet this week on Spin The Globe, from Serbia to Somalia, China to Rwanda, and many point in between. Happy New Year!

New World Music: Spin The Globe playlist for 2 January 2009
as heard on 89.3 fm, radio KAOS

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com

More show info at http://spintheglobe.earball.net

Artist - Song - Album

Hour 1
K’naan - ABC’s - Troubador
Brave Combo - Mission Impossible - The Exotic Rocking Life
The New Year - Do not swim in for the buoy! - Zhe
Femi Kuti - Tell Me - Day By Day
Amsterdam Klezmer Band - Kolodobre - Zaraza
Avline Ava - I Can Do It feat. Noel Ekwabi - Mulato
Masala - Zamzam - Caly Ten Swiat
Caren Hope Project - My Baba - Calling Shiva
Corneille - Africain a New York - The Birth of Cornelius [advance EP]
Ballake Sissoko, Driss El Maloumi, Rajery - 3MA - 3MA
Tito Puente - El Mambo Diablo - The Complete 78s Vol. 2
La Caravane Passe - Balkanski Bal - Velkom Plechti
KAL - Laj Laj - Radio Romanista
Kasbah Rockers - Fikou - Kasbah Rockers

Hour 2
Roge - Brasil em Brasa - Far Out Strictly Samba
Gipsy.cz - Gejza Usti - Reprezent
Fula Flute - Fouta Canada - Mansa America
Beats Antique - Caterpillar - Collide
Bat Makumba - Sambalele - Boteco
Istiklal Trio - Sehnaz Longe - Sound of Turkey
Telepath - Subterfuge - Contact
Didier Francois - The Travellers - Sjansons Patinees
Niyireth - La Cholita - Music Colombiana Andina
Bombay Dub Orchestra - Spiral - 3 Cities
Monareta - Almamazonica - Picotero
Tri a Tolia - Yeni Yeni - Zumurrude
Black Bear Moon Rhythm Ensemble - Balanen - Wading into the River Djoliba

Monday's mp3: Eating Calexico's Dust

CD REVIEW

Calexico: Carried to Dust
(Quarterstick)

An eager publicist insisted that I have a listen to Calexico’s latest offering. The group has been on the periphery of my musical knowledge in recent years, though I admit to never developing a hunger for their sound. Apparently this album is a shift more toward the global music I’m inclined to write about.

Or is it?

From the git-go you’ll notice the Spanish portion of the opening track “Victor Jara’s Hands” backed by some mariachi-esque horns. Not exactly “world music,” but approaching Los Lobos territory. Then a couple brooding tunes and an odd 40-second guitar-snare interlude. A few more songs zip past in the blur of telephone poles half-seen between road and desert through the headlights’ sideways-leaking light -- intriguing, but dark and out of focus. Then... what’s this? “Inspiracion” sounds like something tasty out of the Ry Cooder-on-the-border songbook and features vocals by Amparanoia’s Amparo Sanchez.

[mp3] Calexico feat. Amparo Sanchez: Inspiracion
from the album Carried to Dust

Now we’re talking! Then, more telephone poles. Another town, called “El Gatillo (Trigger Revisited)," this one with nobody around to sing but boasting a compelling cowboy-whistle refrain worthy of a decent spaghetti Western. Then a few more telephone poles before the car runs out of gas and comes to a creaking stop in “Contention City.”

I’ll give this another listen without my “world music” hat on, but for those seeking a global landscape, be advised that Carried to Dust’s charms are widely dispersed amid broad swaths of melancholic desert.

Best World Music of 2008: A Spin The Globe Playlist

Here it is, the final Spin The Globe playlist for 2008. We heard a selection of tunes from our favorite global releases of the year while the snow outside slowly turned to slush. A perfect day for radio...

Spin The Globe Playlist: Best World Music of 2008
26 December 2008 -- as heard on KAOS radio

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Watcha Clan - Call of Hagar - Diaspora Hi-Fi
Pistolera - Extranjero - En Este Camino
Umalali - Merua - The Garifuna Women’s Project
Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat - Caravan - I Am Eve
Funkadesi - Muy Cansado - Yo Baba
MC Yogi - Ganesh Is Fresh - Elephant Power
Tomer Yosef - Underground - Laughing Underground
Mounira Mitchala - Koulnodji - Talou Lena
Gamelan X - Cuniform - Satu
Firewater - Borneo - The Golden Hour
Delhi 2 Dublin - African Odyssey - Delhi 2 Dublin
Uxia - Eu En Ti - Eterno Navegar
Chiwoniso - Goma - Rebel Woman

hour 2
N'gou Bagayoko - Kulu - Desert Blues 3
Emmanuel Jal - Baaki Wara - Warchild
Dengue Fever - Mr. Orange - Venus on Earth
Figli Di Madre Ignota - Fanfara Mocvara - Fez Club
DeLeon - La Vida Da Por El Rahi - DeLeon
Nation Beat - Sobe A Poeira - Legends of the Preacher
Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Gorgorlou - Sira
Olufemi Ajasa & His New Nigerian Brothers - Aiye Le - Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump
Bajofondo - El Anden feat. Mala Rodriguez - Mardulce
Tony Allen - Ariya - Afro Disco Beat
Neco Novellas - Afikile Afrika - New Dawn / Ku Khata
Oana Catalina Chitu - Ca La Nunta - Bucharest Tango
Tinariwen - Sawt el-wahuch - Ishumar

Sorry for the infrequent posts of late; it's not the holidays, it's the computer! My MacBook went belly up on me, and the thick blanket of snow -- while stunningly gorgeous -- impeded the arrival of my replacement computer. Back online now, so you'll be hearing more soon. Happy Christmas/Hannukah/Solstice/Kwanzaa/New Years to you and yours!

playlist, spintheglobe, radio, kaos, best of 2008, world music

Mondays mp3: More Gypsy Pride

CD REVIEW
Gipsy.cz: Reprezent
(Indies Scope)

Unabashedly Gypsy, unabashedly modern, Radoslav “Gipsy” Banga raises his hands and eyes on the cover of his new album. Shocked at his musical success? Praying for his culture’s survival? Or perhaps (note the bed-head) awakened suddenly to the duty to continue spreading a socially conscious message along with his infectious, feel-good Roma fusion?

Whatever it “reprezents,” the cover opens to reveal an album that I’m told is full of social content but appeals to this non-Roma as a damn fine party album and a fantastic fusion of traditional and modern sounds. From ballads like “Vecernice” to scratch-laced rap tunes like “Dobry Den” to full-tilt dance numbers like the opening “Benga Beating (video here),” Gipsy.cz’s varied compositions are unceasingly engaging, and flat-out fun, with a rare, energizing in-your-face cultural pride (the kind also seen in the Maori-fusion of Moana and the Moahunters). Highly recommended!

[mp3] Gipsy.cz: Gejza Usti
from the album Reprezent

More Gipsy.cz:
website
myspace
youtube
buy this CD

Songs of the Season(s)

Music from many wintry traditions on this week's show, plus some new releases and old faves in the second hour. Happy Holidays!

Spin The Globe Playlist: Music for Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa 19 December 2008 -- as heard on KAOS radio

Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com
Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Forro in the Dark - Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Christmas EP
Three Weissmen - Schlepp the Halls with Loaves of Hallah - Blame It On Christmas
Baraban - Puer Natus - Think Global: World Christmas
Kitka - Zamuchi Se Bozha Majka - Think Global: World Christmas
Los Reyes - Christo el Rico - Gypsy Christmas
Shrim Klezmer Orch. - Kozatsky 'Til You Dropsky - Klezmer Nutcracker
Shrim Klezmer Orch. - Dance of the Latkes Queens - Klezmer Nutcracker
Shrim Klezmer Orch. - Waltz of the Rugalah - Klezmer Nutcracker
The Bobs - Mambo, Santa, Mambo - Too Many Santas!
Brian Rodford - Ukhismuz E-Afrika - African Christmas
Dark City Sisters - Sekusile - Kwanzaa Party!
Juan Carlos Quintero - Joy to the World - Joy to the World
Joseph Spence - Santa Claus is Coming to Town - The Rounder Christmas Album
Banshee in the Kitchen - Hashivenu - Invite the Light
The Blue Hawaiians - Jungle Bells - Christmas on the Big Island
Ini Kimoze - All I Want for Christmas - A Putumayo World Christmas

hour 2
Brave Combo - Hey, Little Dreidel - Holidays!
Anton Ellis - Praise Jah, It's Christmas - Christmas Greetings from Studio One
Moussu T e lei jovents - Camarada (jongo guerrilheiro) - Home Sweet Home
Uxia - As Nosas Cores (a pereira) - Eterno Navegar
Masada String Trio - Bikkurim - Festival of Light
Ulla Pirttijarvi - Roussa Dovddot / Russian Feeling - Roussa Eanan / Russian Land
Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Bouba - Sira
Transkapela - Forshpil & Khusidlekh - Klezmer Carpathian Music
Kokoura - Alma nao tem cor - Anitie
Luis Villegas - Feliz Navidad - Guitarras de Navidad
The Blue Hawaiians - We Four Kings - Christmas on the Big Island
MC Yogi - Chakra Beatbox - Elephant Power
African Guitar Summit - Afe Hyia Pa - Think Global: World Christmas
Tomer Yosef - What's Wrong - Laughing Underground

Global Holiday Tunes tomorrow!

Spin the Globe: Live Locally, Groove Globally
Fridays 10-noon (Pacific) on KAOS 89.3 FM Olympia, and streaming live
==================================================

NEWS: Snow! I know, it's not news for many of you who are used to such
wintery conditio ns, but it's rare enough here in the Pacific
Northwest that it bears special attention, even if it melts in the
rain expected on Christmas Eve. It's so much lighter out at night now,
and provides a great excuse to play hooky and go for a long crunchy
wal k instead. But since that kind of talk isn't good for the economy,
you should probably just stay in your cubicle and not listen to me.

COMING UP ON SPIN THE GLOBE:
Dec. 19: Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice -- we're loading up the sleigh
with global holiday m usic, and you're invited along for the ride!
Dec. 26: The Best Global Music of 2008
Jan. 2: New Music for a New Year -- including some albums and songs so
fresh I guarantee you haven't heard them anywhere else!

You know you can listen live online Fridays 10-noon*, right?)
* Pacific USA time

Missed an artist or song name? Check out Spin The Globe's past playlists

Listen Again: Want to hear something again? You can now catch archived
shows for a limited time on the blog
http://www.SoundRoots.org.

Check out the events calendar for upcoming global happenings,
particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

Find out what's hot on Spin The Globe's World Music charts, and read
new CD reviews.

All that and more at http://spintheglobe.earball.net

-----
Scott Stev e ns
KAOS World Music Director and host/producer of Spin the Globe
http://spintheglobe.earball.net
SoundRoots Global Culture blog http://soundroots.org

Send review CDs/DVDs/books to: (please, world music only! others will
likely not be reviewed)
Scott St ev ens, Spin The Globe/SoundRoots.org
2103 Harrison Avenue NW
#2604
Olympia, WA 98502 USA

Send airplay info/CDs to:
Scott Stevens, World Music Director
KAOS-FM, CAB 301
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 USA
Music department phone: 360-867-689 66

God Rest Ye, Merry Beachgoers

I'm easing into the Christmas spirit this year. I haven't yet broken out any of my collection of odd holiday albums. Until today!

Here's a gentle easing into the holiday vibe, courtesy of the Banks Soundtech Steel Orchestra. Just the thing to distract my mind from the subfreezing temperatures and ice that have appeared outside, blanketing the Pacific Northwest in an uncharacteristic blanket of white (where usually we have a blanket of wet this time of year). Nothing like the ice storm in the Northeast, but pretty severe weather for us.

So sit back, grab something fruity to drink, crank up the heat if need be, and imaging yourself reclining (resting, as the song advises, ye merry gentlemen) in the sunshine to the soothing sounds of steel pan.

[mp3] Banks Soundtech Steel Orchestra: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
from the album Putumayo Presents Christmas Around the World

By the way, I'm having hard drive issues, so posts may be sparse until that's resolved. It doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you!

Top 10 World Music Albums - December 2008

The December chart has some new entries -- notably the sublime offering by Uxia, the multicultural fun of Kokoura, and the Middle Eastern dancehall stylings of Tomer Yosef (of Balkan Beat Box fame).

SoundRoots / Spin The Globe Top 10 World Music Albums
December 2008

(click on title for sound samples and more info)
1. Uxia: Eterno Navegar
2. Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze: Sira
3. Lila Downs: Shake Away
4. Kokoura: Anitie
5. Tomer Yosef: Laughing Underground
6. Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: I Am Eve
7. MC Yogi: Elephant Power
8. Franco & Le T.P.O.K. Jazz: Francophonic
9. Tara Linda & Luna Nueva: New Moon
10. Tchavolo Schmitt: Miri Familia

World Music Playlist: New Releases, Old Faves

We wandered freely between cultures and between old and new music on this week's show. And apparently the mix worked, judging by the way the phone was ringing off the hook. The Balkan/klezmer set at the top of hour 2 particularly seemed to get listeners' attention, as did the
wonderful song by Faraualla.

Spin The Globe playlist for 12 December 2008
New Releases + Old Favorites

Artist - Song - Album
Hour 1
Tomer Yosef - Little Man - Laughing Underground
Gipsy.cz - Gejza Usti - Reprezent
Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Sakhadougou - Sira
Ballake Sissoko - Yaro - Tomora
Azam Ali, Keyavash Nourai, Shahroky Yadegari - Homa - Green Memories
Shooglenifty - Schuman’s Leap - Solar Shears
Franco & le TPOK Jazz - Kinsiona - Francophonic
Lila Downs - Perro Negro - Shake Away
Beats Antique - Dope Crunk - Collide
Kokoura - Siyawuluma - Anitie
Chiwoniso, Desmond Tutu, et al - A New Hope Has Been Kindled - Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Khanci Dos Budapest - Kéket Fogott - Bi Granica / No Limits

Hour 2
Shukar Collective - Truppa Truppa - Rromatek
Kal - Romozom - Radio Romanista
Amsterdam Klezmer Band - Op een goppe - Zaraza
Boca Do Rio - Pra Bahia - Brazil-Sambossica
Te Vaka - Lua Afa - Ki Mua
MJ - Salaam Shalom - MJ
Senor Coconut - Homecomputer - El Baile Aleman
Marianne Antosen - Mor Afrika - Blomster I Soweto
Faraualla - Maha Te Song - Faraualla
Thievery Corporation - Mandala - Radio Retaliation
Madame XD - She’s in China - Black Silk EP
Aterciopelados - Bandera - Rio
Mondorchestra - Ma Cu Siti Viautri - La Mafia non esiste
Music is Love - Ticu Ticu - Mediterraneo

Click image below for limited-time show archive

No one thinks of the flowers...except Azam Ali

CD REVIEW
Azam Ali, Keyavash Nourai, & Shahrokh Yadegari - Green Memories
(LilaSound)

Azam Ali is undoubtedly the big-name musician on this album. But if you approach it expecting something like her work with Vas or Niyaz, you'll be wrong. Sort of. Green Memories is billed as a "structured improvisation work by Shahrokh Yadegari," who plays the Lila, "a computer music instrument which allows the performer to process and manipulate live acoustic material in real-time. And in content, Yadegari describes the work as "a sad yet hopeful meditation on our natural and mental ecology."

“I wanted the piece to be the voice of the earth,” Yadegari explains. “And this is why the piece sometimes sounds ambient. Recent ecological changes are messages to us from the earth. We may be a little too late but… I think right now we really better listen.”

The whole project was inspired by the poetry of Forough Farrokhzad. You may not have heard of her, and even a knowledge of Persian won't help you understand the vocals, since Ali sings in sounds, not words (with one exception) -- as she does in her work with Vas. If you, like I, find it a but puzzling that musicians would pay tribute to a poet without actually giving voice to her poems, one listen will convince you that this is poetic music -- emotional, transcendental, and open to interpretation. It demands even more patience and focus than another recently released Persian album, I Am Eve by Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat. The rewards for your attention are rich. Layers of sound drift like seeds on the wind, patterns form and dissipate, and only on the final track is this sublime album's message finally given words, taken from a translation of the Farrokhzad poem "I Pity the Garden":

No one thinks of the flowers
No one thinks of the fish
No one wants to believe
that the garden is dying...

audio samples

Top 10/20/25 Global Albums of 2008

I've been asked by various publications/entities to create lists of my favorite global releases of 2008. Unfortunately, none of them agree on how many entries constitute a proper Top X list. So here, in three acts, is my list. (Disagree with my choices? Think I missed the best album of the year? Say so in the poll below the list, or leave your own list in the comments.)

2008 has been a rich year for world music. Curiously absent are any albums by the really big names, such as Angelique Kidjo, Buena Vista Social Club, Youssou N'Dour, Manu Chao, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lo'Jo, and Oliver Mtukudzi. BVSC's new live album didn't quite make the cut, and perhaps we'll see new albums from the rest of that gang soon. The good news is, many other artists stepped up with amazing music to fill the void. Jostling for position in the list below are everything from a West African-jazz trumpet fusion to an Israeli hip-hop artist.

These are the albums that inspired me throughout the year, the albums to which I found myself returning again and again, both to play for Spin The Globe listeners, and just for my own satisfaction. They're albums of beauty and beat, tradition and modernity, and sometimes all of those things together. Most of them would make great starting points for folks new to global music, and all of them should appeal to broad-minded lovers of quality music.

The albums are listed alphabetically by artist within their top 10/20/25 groupings, and the links will lead you either to my review or to a site where you can sample/buy the album.

Top 10
Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze: Sira
Bajofondo: Mardulce
Chiwoniso: Rebel Woman
Desert Blues 3 (various artists)
Firewater: The Golden Hour
Funkadesi: Yo Baba
MC Yogi: Elephant Power
Mounira Mitchala: Talou Lena
Tomer Yosef: Laughing Underground
Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project

+10
Dengue Fever: Venus on Earth
DeLeon: DeLeon
Delhi 2 Dublin: Delhi 2 Dublin
Gamelan X: Satu
Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat: I Am Eve
Nation Beat: Legends of the Preacher
Nigeria 70-Lagos Jump (various artists)
Oana Catalina Chitu: Bucharest Tango
Tony Allen: Afro Disco Beat
Uxia: Eterno Navegar

+5
Emmanuel Jal: Warchild
Figli Di Madre Ignota: Fez Club
Neco Novellas: New Dawn/ Ku Khata
Pistolera: En Este Camino
Watcha Clan: Diaspora Hi-Fi

Monday's mp3: Klez-Hop

This one is a bit off the beaten SoundRoots track, but Jewish rapper eprhyme ("e-prime") has a message, and he's not shy about sharing it. I caught him yesterday at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, where he and neo-klezmer group The Erev Ravs performed separately, and in collaboration.

Some of my favorite pieces were when they shared the stage, but eprhyme's cutting vocals are captivating even when he's performing with pre-recorded beats. His cleverly worded message on "Beggin for Change" brings a fresh perspective to the urban class clash, and "It's All G_D" finds universal values that transcend religious labels.

But special for you, we've got "Punklezmerap," which relates the autobiographical musical adventures of eprhyme (aka Eden Pearlstein) and includes a classic pinched klezmer clarinet riff.

[mp3] eprhyme: Punklezmerap
from the album waywordwonderwill

An EP with some songs from this album apparently was released on K Records, though the full album isn't listed on their site. So go get it directly from eprhyme, and watch for him to make some inroads into the fanbase of folks like Matisyahu and even the Klezmatics.

More eprhyme:
myspace
at K Records

If you like this, you might also want to check out The Beat Guide to Yiddish, a 25-minute neo-Jewish mixtape (more info):

Diwon has produced countless electro and hip hop mixes. His use of traditional Yemenite and Sephardic music, however, sets him apart from other artists in the genre. Influenced heavily by his family's roots in Yemen, Ethiopia and Israel, the multicultural maestro is always full of suprises and his latest release, The Beat Guide to Yiddish, is no exception. Diwon's Beat Guide mixes some of his own music into forgotten sounds from Eastern Europe. Download the mix for free and hear Yiddish in a way you would have never thought possible. Inlcuded on the mix are sounds from; Gershon Kingsley, Jewdyssee, Sam Medoff, Lipa, Seymour Rechtzeit and a few other gems.

Free World Music Compilation

Just a quick heads up about a nice offering from Modiba Publishing. They have online a 16-track sampler of music, ranging from West African and Iran to Brazil and New Orleans. You can download -- free! -- individual tracks or the complete album.

One-click full album download at: www.modiba.net/pub

1. The Swarm - Noble Society (Guyana, USA)
2. Barap Barap - Abjeez (Iran, Sweden)
3. Sobe A Poeira - Nation Beat (Brazil, USA)
4. Off Duty Fortune Teller - Haale (Iran)
5. Pulse Conditioner - Cougar (USA)
6. So Nyame Mu - Shasha Marley (Ghana)
7. Teknochek Collision - Slavic Soul Party (Balkans, USA)
8. Senhora da Azenha - Dazkarieh (Portugal)
9. Cacador De Almas - Célia Mara (Brazil)
10. Sangare (Nickodemus Remix) - Vieux Farka Toure (Mali)
11. Hoviate Man - Yas (Iran)
12. Been So Long - União Black (Brazil)
13. Interstellar - Mission on Mars (India)
14. Yelema - Mamani Keita (Mali, France)
15. Yes I Am - pg.lost (Sweden)
16. Nuclear Summer - Youngblood Brass Band (USA)

Modiba is in the business of licensing songs, so if you have a project that could use some international music, consider this a taster. The rest of you, just enjoy!

The Music of Slavery

Sandwiched between two related observations -- The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Dec. 2 and International Human Rights Day Dec. 10 -- this week's show focused on the music of slavery in hour 1. Hour 2 wandered more globally, and hit some new world music releases. Note: this podcast archive contains only the first 80-ish minutes of the show. More show info at http://spintheglobe.earball.net

More on modern-day slavery:
antislavery.org

Spin The Globe playlist - the Music of Slavery
5 December 2008
as heard on radio KAOS

(artist - song - album)
hour 1
Madrigaia - Zashto / 3 Chains of Slaves - Pleiades
Macka B - Effects of Slavery - Global Messenger
Kobo Town - Across the Dark Waters - Independence
Gnawa Bambara / Mallem Abdenbi El Gadari - Guingouba / Journey to Freedom - Bambara
Klezmatics w/ Kathryn Farmer - Go Down Moses - Brother Moses Smote the Water
Susana Baca - El Mayoral / Slave Driver - Eco de Sombras
Vilddas - Vilges Suolo / White Thief - Haliidan
Lucky Dube - Slave - Retrospective
Terakaft - Tenere Wer Tata Zinchegh - Ishumar: Musique Touaregue de Resistance
Menwar - Labolision Lesklavaz - Ay Ay Lo
Refugee All Stars - Mental Slavery - Living Like a Refugee
Lo’Jo - Rambling Talk - Au Cabaret Sauvage

hour 2
Abyssinia Infinite feat. Gigi - Lebaye - Zion Roots
Oumou Sangare - Seya - [single]
Uxia - As Nosas Cores (a pereira) - Eterno Navegar
Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Domain Domain - Sira
Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat - Land of Love - I Am Eve
La Cherga - Ciganka - Fake No More
Enam & Friends - Om Namah Shivay - Jai Ganesha
Mamadou & Vanessa - Nemalon - Nacama / Destiny
Sabrina Malheiros - Eira Nem Beira (IG Culture House Mix) - Far Out Remixed Vol. 1
Cheb Mami & Ziggy Marley - Madanite - One World, Many Cultures
Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan - At Carnegie Hawll
Tara Linda & Luna Nueva - El Diablito y Su Accordeon - New Moon
Trio Romen - Gypsies from Mars - The Russian Gypsy Queen

Karma in a Strange Land

BOOK REVIEW

Karma and Other Stories
by Rishi Reddi

Just finished this book, which came out in 2007, and I can heartily recommend it to the culturally curious. Included are marvelous tales of cultural integration and its pitfalls as experienced by Indians in the USA. The stories are very accessible and enjoyable even if you're not Indian or an immigrant, as Reddi's writing also reflects universal themes such as teen angst ("Lord Krishna"), generational gaps ("Bangles"), and finding the courage to pursue your dreams ("Karma.").

Lakshmi Chundi, first-generation Indian immigrant, forty-seven-year-old homemaker, wife of a gainfully employed computer-software engineer working at a reputable computer-manufacturing corporation, mother of two grown sons, is melancholy. She knows why she is so. It is not only because her youngest son left for college two months ago, not only because her husband has doubled the number of his card nights since then, not only because she feels uncomfortable with her eldest son’s new wife; it is also because when she went to the Lexington public library last night, Elias Filian, the town librarian, was sad.

She knew immediately when she stood at the circulation desk and his eyes barely met hers, his hands shaking as he passed her book through the sensor light. There was no exchange of the usual pleasantries. No chatting about the last book she read. A full day later, this disturbs Lakshmi very much.
(From “Lakshmi and the Librarian”)

Monday's mp3: Tomer Yosef

CD REVIEW

Tomer Yosef: Laughing Underground
JDub Records

I'm usually the first one to jump on an artist who ignores the obvious: I rail against West African musicians who eschew their fantastic drumming tradition in favor of machine-made beats, or for that matter, most anyone who embraces electronics at the expense of the wonderful acoustic traditions of their culture. I thought about mounting such complaints against Tomer Yosef's latest offering until I was swept up in the flood of infectious rhythms and I no longer cared about such petty complaints.

Yosef (also of Balkan Beat Box) has made perhaps the ultimate Middle Eastern party album, fusing ethnic motifs with deep booming bass, high-velocity rap with dancehall rhythms. The album defies categorization, drawing from rock, dub, rai, dancehall, pop, hip hop, Gypsy, folk, and who knows what else. Bubbling with borderless energy, the resulting global cocktail may be sung in Hebrew, but it's intended for the healing (and dancing) of nations.

[mp3] Tomer Yosef: I Want to Move
from the album Laughing Underground

More Tomer Yosef:
myspace
youtube

The Music of Turkey

In a poor pun on yesterday's USA holiday, we surveyed the music of Turkey on this show, from electronica to traditional tunes and even a little Latin-flavored music. Plus a song for Buy Nothing Day and some new releases and old favorites.

Spin the Globe playlist for 28 November 2008
The Music of Turkey

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Tarkan - Dudu (Ozgur Buldum Remix) - Turkish Groove
Mercan Dede - Funes Dogudan Dogar - 800
Demain & Emre - The Bird & The Sword - Istanbul Calling Vol.2
Ayhan Sicimoglu - Gule Gule - Friends and Family
Latif Bolat - Durmaz Lisanim - Eyvallah: Songs of Surrender
Mavi Isiklar - Kanamam - 26 Turkish Beat Psyche & Garage Delights
Metin & Kemal Kahraman - Yetis / Power - Ferfecir
Agricantus, Trancendental, & Secret - Disiu - Steam / Hamam: The Turkish Bath Soundtrack
Shantel vs. Kazim Koyuncu - Ben Seni in Dub - Istanbul Twilight
Baba Zula - Cecom - Istanbul Twilight
Omar Faruk Tekbelik w/ Steve Shehan - Ya Bouy - Alif
Husnu Senlendirici & Laco Tayfa - Ramize (Deryalar) - Rough Guide to Turkish Cafe
Yeldirim Levent - Dialog - Levent
Oojami - Ararim - Urban Dervish

hour 2
Kobo Town - Beautiful Soul - Independence
Yopussoupha Sidibe - Yalla Dji - Xelcom
Tchavolo Schmitt - Reves d’automne - Miri Familia
Diego Amador - Calle las flores - Rio de los canasteros
Mawaca - Tula Sabo - Mawaca
Uxia - Berenguela - Eterno Navegar
Coimbra Fado - Asas Brancas - Verdes Anos
Hasso Akotey - Djedahi idji Saman - Ishumar: Musique touaregue de resistance
Dub Skin - Mission Control - Love In Spite Of…
Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Bouba - Sira
Tomer Yosef - Mohla - Laughing Underground
Bat Makumba - Natureza - Boteco

Steamed Turkey

It's cold here in the Northern Hemisphere. Sure, today is the day we all (well, those of us in the US, anyway) gather with family and friends, sharing warm companionship and an autumn harvest of foods.

For many, the economic crisis and the ongoing wars may undermine the joy of the holiday, and seem to limit the number of things we can be grateful for. Yet, there are good things afoot. I'm looking forward to a new government that tells us to hope instead of fear. I'm encouraged that with both Iraq and Afghanistan asking for a departure date for foreign troops, the end of those wars may be in sight (even if not quite on US terms).

I'm happy to visit locally owned shops and see them full of people, talking and connecting as much as buying. I'm heartened that the sacred music festival I book will be returning for a fifth year, despite having too little money to pay artists what they really deserve. I'm grateful for my family and friends, for home and community, and for a spiritual perspective that confirms that material circumstances are temporary, while Love is eternal.

Also, I'm grateful for music, particularly music that helps warm up these cold days. The theme of tomorrow's Spin The Globe is derived from a weak pun: it's focusing on the music of Turkey. But it gives me a chance to hear more great music from that diverse nation, including the warming music of the soundtrack to the 1997 movie Steam / Hamam: The Turkish Bath.

[mp3] Agricantus: Disiu
from the album Steam / Hamam: The Turkish Bath

Happy Thanksgiving!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Accordion

CD REVIEW
Tara Linda & Luna Nueva - New Moon
self-released

You have to be intrigued by a musician who cites as influences PJ Harvey, Danny Elfman, Lydia Mendoza, The Pixies, and Edith Piaf. Who evolved from punk drumming to singing torch songs and rancheras. And who performs with a group called The Blue Fur Monkeys in addition to the Tex-Mex group Luna Nueva heard on this album.

The adventurous tracklist of New Moon begins with an spoken word story evocative of the film El Mariachi (if you substitute an accordion case for the guitar case), and proceeds through the sounds of the border, from boleros and cumbias to an accordion-led version of Johnny Cash's classic "Fulsom Prison Blues." The latter is among several songs that feel a little too loose, the productions feeling a little too rushed or perhaps too casual for the album's otherwise promising straddling-the-Rio-Grande feel. A little unevenness doesn't shake the appeal of other songs, such as the sparse mystery of "El Diablito y Su Accordeon," or the traditional cancion "Las Gaviotas."

[mp3] Tara Linda & Luna Nueva: El Diablito y Su Accordeon
from the album New Moon

More Tara Linda & Luna Nueva:
website
myspace

Monday's mp3: Making the Monkey Dance

CD REVIEW

Figli Di Madre Ignota: Fez Club
Eastblok Records

Italy: Home of spaghetti, monotonous defensive soccer, and Balkan dance music. Okay...none of these may be exclusively Italian, but the new album from Milano-based Figli Di Madre Ignota makes a strong argument for the last item on that list.

The Balkans arguably lie across the Adriatic Sea, but some musical seed must have floated west across the waters, or become lodged in the tire of a truck hauling cabbages from Zagreb. And what grew from that seed, once nestled in the warm soil of Northern Italy, is a tireless party music replete with blasting horns, lilting accordion, past-midnight vocals, and a spirit that's every bit as Balkan as Shantel or Slavic Soul Party.

[mp3] Figli Di Madre Ignota: Fanfare Mocvara
from the album Fez Club

Seattle assemblage Circus Contraption makes an appearance on "Sadoman," a manic track that, we're pretty sure, features a kitchen sink. Fantastic music for people more interested in dancing than in having their papers ready at the border.

More Figli Di Madre Ignota:
website
youtube
cdbaby

World Music Top 10 Countdown

This week's show featured selections from our favorite new-ish global albums, from the sacred hip-hop of MC Yogi to the instrumental magic of a Senegalese-German, Griot-jazz duo. Plus some old favorites and other new releases in the second hour. Check out the new podOmatic listening link below.

Spin The Globe: Top 10 World Music Albums, November 2008
radio show archive from 21 November 2008
as heard on station KAOS, 89.3fm, Olympia USA


Artist - Song - Album
hour 1
10- MC Yogi - Son of Shiva feat. Rita Sahai - Elephant Power
9- Margot Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys - Come Along Jody & Tumbalalaika - Second Avenue Square Dance
8- Brass Menazeri - Cocekahedron - Vranjski San
7- Nation Beat - The Preacher feat. Klezmatics - Legends of the Preacher
6- Chiwoniso - Wakashinga - Rebel Woman
5- Savina Yannatou - Addio Amore - Songs of an Other
4- Lucky Dube - Crime and Corruption - Retrospective
3- Funkadesi - Stir It Up - Yo Baba
Nickodemus - Crazy Stranger w/ Harel Shachal - Endangered Species
2- Lila Downs - Shake Away - Shake Away
1-Ablaye Cissoko + Volker Goetze - Gorgorlou - Sira

hour 2
Mondorchestra - Vaccuzza di Rosa - La Mafia non esiste
Baka Beyond - Aziz Aziz - Live & Pedal Powered
Hossein Omoumi et al - Delkash & Chaharmezrab - Acoustic World Persia
Charmaine Clamor - Mekeni King Siping Ku - My Harana
Varttina - Yks On Huoli - Oi Dai
Zuzana Novak - Chemutengure - Home Brewed Mbira
Charles Marcellesi - De Sul, De Norte - Corsicaboverde
Adrianne Grenbaum - Zhoks - Fleyt Muzik in Kontserti
Akim El Sikameya - Leila - Introducing Akim El Sikameya
Kala Ramnath & Ganesh Iyer - Raga Ahir Bhairav / Chakra Vahamn-Alap (excerpt) - Samaya
Curumin - Sambito (Totaru Shock) - JapanPopShow
Lani Singers - Mutok - Ninalik Ndawi
Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat - Caravan - I Am Eve
Hamid Ekawel - Mahi Igdalan Amerdeless - Ishumar

Limited-time audio archive:

Monday's mp3: Lisbon Bagpipers

Well honestly, they do more than just piping. There's also some great male vocal harmonies, and percussion. I don't know a lot more about the group Gaiteiros de Lisboa, but I was happy to discover them some time ago on a compilation from the Portuguese label FarolMusica. If Zap Mama were male and Iberian, I suspect they'd sound something like this.

The group's name does indeed translate as "Lisbon Bagpipers," and apparently their blend of music is quite popular in Portugal, having won them praise and some album-of-the-year honors. This track comes from their debut album, Bocas do Inferno (1997).

[mp3] Gaiteiros de Lisboa: Chula Gaiteira
from the album Bocas do Inferno

From the band's website:

WHY "GAITEIROS DE LISBOA"? ("Lisbon bagpipers") ?
Maybe because there are no bagpipers in Lisbon, or perhaps yes. Maybe because in Portuguese the word gaita has many different meanings. Our bag-pipes are everything we grab in the search for a sound, reinventing hurdy-gurdies, finding harmonies which were until now unknown to our throats, stretching animals' skin, trying to make percussion out of whatever others step on, untuning bag-pipes and tuning tubes for electrical installation. We worship the bagpiper of Trás-os-Montes (Portugal), who spent his life playing and drinking, while others would take care of his land estate (good old times!). We worship all the virtuous bagpipers from Galicia, Scotland and Ireland and others who, despite the agitation of now-a-days life, bring the bagpipe back to its habitat: social intercourse. We regard them as the saints on a musical altar, knowing, nevertheless, that our own course will never take us to that kind of saintly.

more Gaiteiros de Lisboa: