Monday's mp3: The Electric Motherland

CD REVIEW

Ba Cissoko - Seno (Sterns Africa)

Guinea's Cissoko family has provided generation upon generation of musicians across west Africa. But that legacy alone doesn't explain the sound of Ba Cissoko (which is, by the way, both a person and a band). In their decade together, the core quartet of Kimintan "Ba" Cissoko (kora), Sekou Kouyate (electric kora), Ibrahima Kourou Kouyate (bass), and Ibrahim "Kounkoure" Bah (percussion) have incorporated influences both old and new and in doing so they've created something of a new genre. Call it kora-rock, or Afro-rock, or electric griot.

The band's third release after Sabolan (2003) and Electric Griot Land (2006), Seno will bridge any gap there may be in listeners' minds between traditional and modern music. Truth be told, my first listen was actually off-putting, as I struggled to accept Kouyate's effects-laden kora sound as authentically African. But abandon that preconception -- as one also must do to love the clangy electric guitars of Tinariwen -- and you'll discover extraordinary music on Seno -- music that shows how Ba Cissoko has been listening to the world while preserving their own rich heritage.

"Nina" is perfect example of Ba Cissoko's Afro-rock -- with Cissoko's vocals backed by djembe, acoustic kora, and a kora so processed it sounds like seriously funky guitar. The story of the band's formation that's told in the liner notes is great background, but you can hear it all in this single song: one future sound of Africa.

[mp3] Ba Cissoko - Nina
from the album Seno

More Ba Cissoko:
website
youtube

Globo-Celtic

A survey of global Celtic tunes, from Afro-Celtic to Indo-Celtic and beyond, plus a conversation with Tarun Nayar of Delhi 2 Dublin about their music and current west coast tour. In the second hour of the show, mostly new releases and concert previews.

Global Celtic Music: Spin The Globe playlist for 26 June 2009
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

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

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Baka Beyond - Land’s End - Journey Between
Afro Celt Sound System - Sene / Working the Land - Anatomic
Brigid Boden - One Glimpse of You - Dublin to Dakar
Bag o’ Cats - Glen Kabul - Out of the Bag
Mynta - OA’s Celtic Dance - Teabreak
Delhi 2 Dublin - Apples - Delhi 2 Dublin
Delhi 2 Dublin interview - -
Delhi 2 Dublin - African Odyssey - Delhi 2 Dublin
Mac Umba - Mildew Mayhem - Bru Hu Ha Ho
Shooglenifty - Nordal Rumba - Radical Mestizo

hour 2
Madera Limpia - La Lenta - La Corona
Staff Benda Bilili - Avramandole - Tres Tres Fort
Rim Banna - Raindrops on my Window - April Blossoms
Tigerstyle - Nachna Onda Nei / Billy Jean - The Rising
Senor Coconut - Beat It - Fiesta Songs
Bela Fleck - Thula Mama w/ Vusi Mahlasela - Throw Down Your Heart
Goran Bregovic - Yeremia - Sljivovica & Champagne
Oumou Sangare - Soun Soumba - Seya
Sindhen Trio - Sawung Galing (excerpt) - Gamelan of Central Java X
Issa Sow - Garbare - Doumale
Federico Aubele - Este Amor feat. Natalia Clavier - Amatoria
Rachid Halihal - Kaftan’k Mahloul - Arabian Music from Morocco
Najma Akhtar & Gary Lucas - Naya Dhin - Rishte

AfricaniTea

CD REVIEW

Tea: Dreams
(Teajuana Music)

Four years ago, I had mixed reactions to the debut album by the group Tea, made up of French guitarist Franck Balloffet, California drummer-keyboardist Phil Bunch, and some musical friends. The group's second release has a similar vibe, with lush, rich Afropop tunes more suited for chilling out than for gettin' down.

The songs following are widely varied, from the pop-ballad languor of "Haunty" to the club-beat "Ibiza," to the hint of reggae on the upbeat "Envie." And while music never really cuts loose, the musicians and vocalists are top-notch. Steve Kgondo, (formerly with Tabu Le Rochereau) sings the opening track "Vibration," which sounds something like Youssou N'Dour meeting a jazz-fusion band. And Brian Auger's B3 work on "Bilobela" is downright tasty.

No song notes or lyrics are included, so one may conclude that the group's emphasis is on the gently upbeat mellow vibe of the music. And that's fine, but as with a pleasant but somewhat bland meal, I'm left wanting to reach for a splash of something hot, something spicy. In the end I find myself wanting to like this album a lot more than I actually like it.

More Tea:
buy/hear CD
website
myspace

Monday's mp3: In and Around the Rainforest

CD REVIEW
Baka in the Forest: Traditional songs of the Baka women recorded live in the Cameroon rainforest
(March Hare Music)

Martin Cradick & the Baka at Gbine: Baka Beyond the Forest
(March Hare Music)

My first exposure to the songs of the rainforest pygmies was in a cassette of field recordings done by Louis Sarno in the 1980s (the tape a companion to his book Song from the Forest).

The sounds of otherworldly yodels and melodies drifted among animal noises, and were labeled with evocative titles about hunting, gathering honey and mushrooms, and weddings.

Soon afterward, I was enjoying elements of those songs in the music of Zap Mama, Pierre Akendengue, and Baka Beyond. The latter group has done an admirable job of giving back to the Baka, the people of the rainforest, creating a an organization to funnel profits back to the musicians communities and even building a solar-powered multitrack studio for the Baka in 2004.

The two new CDs are natural companions, and could easily have been issued as a two-CD set. Baka Beyond the Forest is more familiar Baka Beyond fare, as the guitars of Martin Cradick and vocals of Su Hart combining with a variety of Baka instruments in their usual Afro-Celtic style.

Baka in the Forest returns to the raw sound that so fascinated Sarno: the yodeling notes of the Baka yelli hunting songs echoing throughout the forest, simple string melodies on indigenous instruments, water drumming in the river. The yelli is not only musically compelling, it also has a fascinating purpose. The women sing the yelli together, and it is said to enchant the animals of the forest and ensure the men a successful hunt.

[mp3] Baka Women: Firefly Yelli part 3
from Baka in the Forest: Traditional songs of the Baka women recorded live in the Cameroon rainforest



Unfortunately lacking is any information on the specific Baka artists on Baka in the Forest, but in a personal note Cradick mentions that among the songs on the CD are recordings of an artist named Bounaka playing the ngombi (a stringed harp constructed entirely of materials from the rafia palm tree). These recordings, Cradick writes, "are very special to me as [Bounaka] was very ill and made a big effort to come out of his hut to play them one evening in January." Bounaka, whose family first looked after Hart & Cradick when they visited the Baka in 1992, died just a few weeks ago.

Together these albums paint a marvelous picture of a people finding a way to balance their traditions with a changing world. For those of us who may never get to Cameroon's rainforest to experience Baka culture first hand, the magical songs on these two albums are the next best thing to being there.

More Baka Beyond:
website
myspace
youtube

The Music(s) of Jamaica

June 19 was the birthday of Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin, and we celebrated with songs from him and other Jamaicans. And yes, there's a lot more to Jamaica than just reggae. We also dove into a pile of new releases and concert previews in hour 2, including a CD giveaway of the new album by Zap Mama.

(Note: If you like this show, be sure to listen to the July 10 episode of Spin The Globe, featuring global ska.)

Happy summer!

Music of Jamaica: Spin The Globe playlist for 19 June 2009
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

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

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Larry McDonald - Brother Man - Drumquestra
Ernest Ranglin - Surfin’ - Below the Bassline
Queen Ifrica - Daddy (Spanish version) - Montego Bay
Alpha Boys Band - Mento Melody - Come Dance With Me
Skatalites - Freedom Sounds - The Caribbean
Ken Boothe - Is It Because I’m Black - Darker Than Blue
Mutabaruka - One People - Life Squared
Monty Reynolds and His Silver Seas Orchestra - Car Park - All Jamaican Calypsos 5
Macka B - Looks Are Deceiving - Looks Are Deceiving
Andy Hamilton - Jamaica by Night - Jamaica by Night
Unidentified - Jamaica Mermaid - Calypsos from Jamaica
Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come - Reggae Roots Vol. 5 1972-1995
Ernest Ranglin - Up on the Downstroke - In Search of the Lost Riddim

hour 2
Madera Limpia - La Corona - La Corona
Baka Women - Firefly Yelli part 4 - Baka in the Forest
Sertab Erener & Demir Demirkan - Habudiyar - Painted on Water
Goran Bregovic - Kalasjnikov - Welcome to Goran Bregovic
Ceu - Mais um Lamento - Ceu
Delhi 2 Dublin - Apples - Delhi2Dublin
Zap Mama - Singing Sisters - ReCreation
Vieux Farka Toure - Ai Haira - Fondo
Oumou Sangare - Mogokele - Seya
Fareed Haque + the Flat Earth Ensemble - Big Bhangra (excerpt) - Flat Planet
Santero - Ochosi - El Hijo de Obatala
King Sunny Ade - Gbobgo Lope - Gems from the Classic Years 1967-1974
Warsaw Village Band - Lazy Johnny Dance - Infinity
Maria de Barros - Fragilamor - Morabeza

Happy birthday, Ernest!

Top 10 World Music Albums, June 2009

With spring have come a slew of great new global albums, so much so that it's challenging to whittle the list down to ten this month. Hanging on from last month are the amazing sounds of Kinshasha's Staff Benda Bilili, Bela Fleck's African collaborations, And Moana & the Tribe's conscious Maori music leading the charge. Otherwise, it's all brand new. SoundRoots recently reviewed Madera Limpia's new album and hardly needs to introduce the great Malian singer Oumou Sangare.

Rounding out the list are NYC's DJ Nickodemus (check here for a free mp3), the brash blast of Rotfront, one of a pair of new albums by Baka Beyond and friends, new Malian guitar work by Vieux Farka Toure, and the Chicago-Ghana collaboration known as Oriental Brothers Dance Band International (on tour; schedule here).

SoundRoots / Spin The Globe Top 10 Global Albums, June 2009
(click on album title for sound samples / more info)
1. Moana & the Tribe: Wha
2. Madera Limpia: La Corona
3. Staff Benda Bilili: Tres Tres Fort
4. Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart
5. Oumou Sangare: Seya
6. Nickodemus: Sun People
7. Rotfront: Emigrantski Raggamuffin
8. Martin Cradick & the Baka at Gbine: Baka Beyond the Forest
9. Vieux Farka Toure: Fondo
10. Oriental Brothers Dance Band International: Odo Sambra

I'm thinking of putting together an episode of Spin The Globe with a global ska theme. What do you think? Wait...don't answer yet. Watch this first:

Monday's mp3: Dancing with the Orishas

I've got a pile of new African music that I want to share with you, but I'm going to continue the Latin theme for one more day first. If you liked last week's taste of modern Cuban sounds from Madera Limpia, this one may be up your alley as well.

I don't know of a lot of music out of Guatemala, and when I hear songs about the Orishas, I tend to think of Cuba or Brazil, or perhaps Colombia. But a musician called Santero is rearranging my musical world. Incorporating traditional Orisha chants and rhythms with hip-hop and soul elements (just check out the horns and organ on "Oba"), Santero pumps out a pump-it-up blend of post-national music. Santero's family bounced around Central America, then various cities in the USA, laying the foundations for his music with various bands and DJ gigs. But he has always kept a connection with his spiritual roots.

"The way we speak with our ancestors, the way we call them down, is dance and song, but mostly through rhythm and bata drums," Santero says. "All the tracks are transposed traditional bata drumming. ... My ideal goal is to expose people to the Lukumi tradition in a non-judgmental way. The traditional isn't as strong and I just want to make sure there is a whole new generation exposed to it."

The album is sung and rapped in Spanish and English, with lyrics ranging from condemnation of ocean pollution to prayers (danceable prayers!) to Orisha dieties Obatala (on "Baba Ade") Ogun (on "Machete") and "Ochosi." Have a listen:

[mp3] Santero: Cabio Sile
from the album El Hijo de Obatala

More Santero:
website
myspace

Global Sounds, Old & New

Alternating between new releases and older global music during the first hour of the show; then nothing but a heap of newness. Some great releases emerging this spring/summer -- watch this space for more reviews soon.

==================
Note:
With our PodOmatic bandwidth still maxed out, the audio archive is
temporarily hosted with imeem. If you prefer to download rather than
stream the show, make a donation for a PodOmatic upgrade, so we can
bring you more, better music. Please head over to the SoundRoots "Tip Jar"
on the right, and make a secure donation via PayPal. We're about 65% of
the way to the funds for a dedicated PodOmatic account -- help put
SoundRoots over the top!
==================

Global Sounds New & Old: Spin The Globe playlist for 12 June 2009
as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Madera Limpia - Salsa - La Corona
Brooklyn Funk Essentials - Istanbul Twilight - In the Buzzbag
Delhi 2 Dublin - Nightstep - Delhi2Dublin
Ifang Bondi - Salimata - Gis Gis
Jaune Toujours - La Bruxelloise - Ko Lektiv
Children of the Revolution - Broken Pieces - Liberation
Goran Bregovic - Hop hop hop - Welcome to Goran Bregovic
Hassan Hakmoun & Zahar - Soudan Minitara - Trance
Nickodemus - 2 Sips & Magic feat. the New York Gypsy Allstars - Sun People
Oumou Sangare - Saa Magni - Ko Sira
Maria de Barros - Reggadera - Morabeza
Ali Farka Toure w/ Ry Cooder - Bonde - Talking Timbuktu

hour 2
Mansi Bhardwaj & Arman Malik - Mafi Kya Mangu
Main - Maruti Mera Dosst soundtrack
Novalima - Ruperta (DJ Spam remix) - Coba Coba Remixes
Haydamaky - Efir - Kobzar
Martin Cradick & the Baka at Gbine - Firefly Yelli part 1 - Baka Beyond the Forest
Babatunde Olatunji - Ji-Go-Lo-Ba / Drums of Passion - Drums of Passion Legacy Edition
Oumou Sanagare - Kounadya - Seya
Oriental Brothers Dance Band International - Odo Bra WaWaWa - Odo Sambra
Marta Gomez - Carnavaliando - Musiquita
Rachid Halihal - Jeet N’saydou - Arabian Music from Morocco
Avan Samba - Ibere - Black Rio 2
Santero - Cabio Sile - El Hijo de Obtala
Moana & the Tribe - Matakuikui - Wha

2009-06-12-Global Music New & Old - Spin The Globe on radio KAOS

=======

Update: Thanks to the generosity of readers/listeners, we're upgrading to a PodOmatic pro account to bring you more and better music (with fewer or no bandwidth blackouts). You're still welcome to visit the SoundRoots tip jar to support our global music evangelism efforts.

Here's this episode's PodOmatic link:

2009-06-12: Global Sounds, Old & New

Spin The Globe: World Music

Cuban Fresh

CD REVIEW

Madera Limpia: La Corona
(Out Here Records)

Since we were just talking about new sounds from Cuba, here's a perfect addition to the discussion.

On one side of the fence in Guantanamo, Cuba, lies the controversial USA military base. On the other side: poverty, desperation, and fantastic music. The Cuban side of the fence is home to Yasel Gonzalez Rivera and Gerald Thomas Collymore, the guys behind Madera Limpia. Their music is a seamless blend of traditional rhythms and instruments with the modern global sounds of hip-hop and reggaeton.

The result is an energetic, organic mashup that will appeal to world-music lovers far more than the heavier hip-hop of Orishas, and will appeal to everyone a little weary of Buena Vista Social Club and ready more more modern Cuban sounds. Best of all, the content is socially conscious, with songs about spying neighbors, poverty, prostitution, greed, love, conspicuous consumption, and emigration, among other things. Fast-track this as one of the best albums of 2009.

Lo Mismo Me Da - Madera Limpia

More Madera Limpia:
buy CD
label website with song samples
youtube
myspace

More Maori Pride

CD REVIEW

Moana & the Tribe: Wha
(Black Pearl)

Since her debut recording in 2002, Moana Maniapoto has been merging Maori traditions with popular music elements. Rap, soul, dance, and spoken-word blend with haka and traditional instruments and percussion. And there's usually a powerful cultural message within the song, about the importance of ancestors, the history of treaties, or the tradition of moko. Those messages continue on Wha, though the music is markedly different than previous offerings, owing less to pop music as Moana shows a more mature side to her songwriting. There's the rich orchestration on "Pae O Riri" ("Heat of the Battle"), the brief instrumental title track featuring the glass harmonium, and the subdued power of the peace piece "Rangikane Ana."

These tracks are generally quieter than Moana's previous work to be sure, but no less stirring. And the resilience of Maori culture is still clearly present. The words of the reggae/dub track "Whaura" concern Pacific nations' continuing struggles with sovereignty and independence. And the famous Maori haka makes several virile appearances, most notably on "Te Apo," which addresses the greed at the heart of many global trade agreements and includes sounds from the street protests at the 2006 WTO conference in Hong Kong. Wha is a mature, engaging album from of today's best conscious global outfits.

More Moana:
Wha lyrics
Audio samples from Wha
Moana's blog
website
myspace
youtube
youtube

Monday's mp3: Youssou Remixed

==================
Note: With our PodOmatic bandwidth still maxed out, the audio archive is temporarily hosted with imeem. If you prefer to download rather than stream the show, make a donation for a PodOmatic upgrade, so we can bring you more, better music. Please head over to the SoundRoots "Tip Jar" on the right, and make a secure donation via PayPal. We're about 65% of the way to the funds for a dedicated PodOmatic account -- help put SoundRoots over the top!
==================

North Carolina meets West African today. Which isn't so odd these days, what with all the African fusion going on. Maybe you haven't noticed, but it's getting to be a movement. Just check out: Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara (whose CD Tell No Lies arrives June 16 - preview two tracks here), Markus James & various Africans, Afrissippi, Toubab Krewe.

Youssou N'Dour hasn't jumped directly on this bandwagon, but Toubab Krewe and others have gotten ahold of his song "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)" and had their way with it. the result is a 6-track EP called Open Remix -- and it's available for free download from Amazon. Learn more about the project and nab some additional remixes here. Like this one from Mopreme Shakur. The whole project is a benefit for a new organization called IntraHealth, created to address the most critical health issues in Africa by putting the latest open source technologies directly in the hands of health workers

[mp3] Toubab Krewe and DJ Equal feat. Umar Bin Hassan, Youssou N'Dour and Nenah Cherry: Wake Up and Let It Go...
from Open Remix

Youssou is on my mind today in part because of a new film called I
Bring What I Love. I haven't yet seen it, but it's screening at the Seattle International Film Festival in a few days. Here's the trailer. If you've seen the film, feel free to add your review or reactions in the comments. Here's the trailer:

More:
I Bring What I Love website
Youssou N'Dour on Youtube

Bulgaria Meets Mongolia

You may think Bulgaria and Mongolia have little in common. But as you listen to this show and further explore their musics, you may find that themes emerge. Particularly that each has an amazing and unique vocal style. Bulgaria has tremendous vocal polyphonies and individual artists such as Yîldîz Ibrahimova (heard on the Thracian Rhapsody song "Wedding Eve"). And Mongolia has magnificent singers in the Central Asian overtone tradition. At the end of the first hour, those two traditions meet in the unusual "Dancing Voices" collaboration. Enjoy!

Note:
with our PodOmatic bandwidth still maxed out, the audio archive is temporarily hosted with imeem. If you prefer to download rather than stream the show, make a donation for a PodOmatic upgrade, so we can bring you more, better music. Please head over to the SoundRoots "Tip Jar" on the right, and make a secure donation via PayPal. We're about 65% of the way to the funds for a dedicated PodOmatic account -- help put SoundRoots over the top!

Bulgaria Meets Mongolia: Spin The Globe playlist for 5 June 2009
as heard on radio KAOS-fm

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Jony Iliev & Band - Gaida Cocek - Ma Maren Ma
Egschiglen - Uglee Shaazgai / Colorful Magpie - Sounds of Mongolia
The Bisserov Sisters - Aj Stani Snaho Angelino / Stand Up Daughter-in-law Angelino - Unblocked
Okna Tsahan Zam - Samarine / Under the Stars - Shaman Voices
Yuri Yunkov Ensemble - Radomirska Kopanitsa - Unblocked
Khongorzul & Baterdene - The River Herlen - Silk Road: A Musical Caravan
Les Grandes Voix Bulgares - Kavai Sviri - Les Grandes Voix Bulgares
Chi Bulag - Dungshang Googoo - Mongolia: Living Music of the Steppes
Thracian Rhapsody - Wedding Eve - The New Wedding Music of Bulgaria Vol. 1
Suvshinjargal - Sunder Mountain - Mongolia: Living Music of the Steppes
Ivo Papasov & Yuri Yunakov - Lenorije Chaje - Together Again
The Bulgarian Voices Angelite & Moscow Art Trio w/ Huun Huur Tu - Dancing Voices - Mountain Tale

hour 2
Oumou Sangare - Iyo Djeli - Seya
Giovanni Caviezel - La Canzone del Battello a Vapore / Song of the Steamboat - European Playground
Locomondo - Den Kanei Krio / It’s Not Cold - European Playground
Norman Cook - Siente Mi Ritmo - The Revolution Present Revolution
Adikwa Depala - CCT Ebongisi Mokiri - The World Is Shaking
Ahilea - Kolo Moser - Café Svetlana
Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Omar’s Chocco (Kodomo Remix) - RaRe Elements
Ba Cissoko - Bambo - Seno
Mohammed Al Semary - Tears of Longing - Music from the Blue Nile
Fareed Haque + the Flat Earth Ensemble - The Chant - Flat Planet
Meritum - Mixzcz - Polska Rootz
Bonde Do Role - Awa Nare Remix - Lagos Shake-A Tony Allen Chop Up
Hip Hop Hoodios - Havana Nagila (Ahi Nama! Mix) - Carne Masada

2009-05-05 Bulgaria Meets Mongolia - Spin the Globe on radio KAOS

Monday's mp3: Raw Rhythm

If you love African music -- particularly rhythm -- you've undoubtedly heard the group Amampondo. They've been around since 1979, and a brand new album titled African Classics has just been released. I haven't got that yet, but today's track is included on the new disc, so consider it a preview. This track is actually taken, from a hard-to-find raw acoustic release called Raw and Undiluted, which as far as I can tell is widely available only as a download.

During the politically turbulent 1980's, the group went from being Cape Town buskers and cultural activists to being an internationally acclaimed percussion ensemble. To this achievement, may be added the fact that not only are they accomplished musicians, but educators in their own right.

Amampondo means, literally, people from Mpondo – Pondo land, in the Eastern Cape between Umtata and Port St Johns. They took this name to reflect their desire to preserve the Xhosa musical traditions and instruments. And they're still going strong 30 years on.

This song is, yes - you guessed it, a tribute to the founder of Afrobeat.

[mp3] Amampondo: Song for Fela
from the album Raw and Undiluted
also found on the new release African Classics

Here's a video from the group; I'm told the song is about the importance of milk!


Miriam Makeba does a song called "Amampondo," by the way. You can catch the video here.

More Amampondo:
band bio
more sound samples
youtube

World Music of Peace

Today is the UN Day for International Peacekeepers, and we marked the date with a celebration of world music about peace. Plus new releases, and whatever else was unpacked from this week's station relocation.

Note: with our PodOmatic bandwidth still maxed out, the audio archive is temporarily hosted with imeem. If you prefer to download rather than stream the show, make a donation for a PodOmatic upgrade, so we can bring you more, better music. Please head over to the SoundRoots "Tip Jar" on the right, and make a secure donation via PayPal.

No donation too small; we're already about 65% of the way to our upgrade goal, and your donation could be the one to put it over the top. All donations will go for site maintenance/bandwidth -- and if there's some left over, more giveaways for you here on SoundRoots. Thanks for your support!

World Music of Peace: Spin The Globe playlist for 22 March 2009

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Schal Sick Brass Band - Selam Selam - Kesh Mesh
Matisyahu - Shalom/Saalam - Youth
Yair Dalal - Prayer for Peace - Asmar
Salma El Assal - Salam - El Wadaa
Moana & the Tribe - Rangikane Ana - Wha
Rocky Dawuni et al - War / No More Trouble - Playing for Change
Susana Baca - The Circle - 3, Nobel De La Paz - Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
Ozomatli - Dejame en Paz - Street Signs
Ishtar Alabina - Salam La Paz al Final - L’Essentiel
Nickodemus - Peace Pipe w/ Jean Shepherd - Endangered Species
Dylan Delling & Mustafa Waiz - Bas-Konayed/No Bloodshed - Delkha
Gotan Project - Queremos Paz - La Revancha del Tango Live
The Mighty Zulu Nation - No War - Abantu

hour 2
Hip Hop Hoodios - Shalom Obama - Carne Marsada
The Third Planet - Salam Salam - The Third Planet
Rotfront - Gypsy Eyes feat. Miss Flint - Emigrantski Raggamuffin
Super Som Lord - BR Samba - Black Rio 2: Original
Samba Soul 1971-1979 compiled by DJ Cliffy
Vieux Farka Toure - Cherie Le - Fondo
The Ukranians - Medsestra / The Nurse - Diaspora
La Minor - Never Mind, No Regrets - Oboroty
Lobi Traore - Lala - Duga
Eva Ayllon - Me Sabe a Canela - Kimbafa
Rabih Abou-Khalil - O Papaia Balerina - Morton’s Foot
Ramin Tahimi & Tapesh - Excitement - Iranian Percussion
Diata Sya - Djekafo - Djekafo Paris Bamako
Staff Benda Bilili - Moto Moindo - Tres Tres Fort

Podcast update

Great news on the podcast front! A couple of SoundRoots / Spin The Globe fans have stepped forward with donations to podcast fund, and as a result we're nearly two-thirds of the way to the funds needed for a year's podcasting juice with PodOmatic. (If you missed the backstory, you can read more here.)

If you've learned something, enjoyed the music, discovered a new artist, or even if you've felt guilty for lurking and not leaving a comment on something, here's your chance to make a difference.

Head over to the SoundRoots "Tip Jar" on the right, and make a secure donation via PayPal. All donations will go for site maintenance/bandwidth. If there's a little left over, maybe I'll eat. Naw...seriously, if we go over the goal, I'll use the extra to do some contests here, and perhaps you'll get a great CD in the mail as a result.

Thanks to the readers who have contributed already, and to those of you who are even now thinking about it. C'mon...

Monday's mp3: Love the Different

"Kelenia" is a Bambara word for "the love of people who are different from each other." It's also the perfect title for this album, a stunning collaboration between an Israeli-born New York reed player and his Malian-American band. Oran Etkin bridges the span between Africa and America by building on his jazz and Jewish roots, integrating his clarinet and saxes seamlessly with the balafon of Balla Kouyate, the calabash percussion of Makane Kouyate, and the bass of Joe Sanders. He also brings to the album's mix the talents of Benin-born guitarist Lionel Loueke and other guests.

The album's opening track, "Yekeke," sets a high standard with Etkin's clarinet and Kouyate's balafon soaring like birds playing in a spring breeze. The rest of the album varies, sounding here like improvisational jazz with unusual instrumentation, and there like traditional West African tunes subtly updated. And then there's Etkin's unique Africanized version of Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing." I'm still marveling at the naturalness of this album, and how beautifully in sync the musicians are in integrating their diverse backgrounds into a seamless whole. Might as well just stick this in the CD player and leave it on "repeat" for the next month or two. It's that enjoyable.

[mp3] Oran Etkin: Nama
from the album Kelenia (street date June 9)

More Oran Etkin:
website
youtube
myspace

Rolling in Kinshasha

Yes, it sounds like a movie script. A group of paraplegic street musicians who play near the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo, catch the ear of well-place westerners (including Damon Albarn, members of Massive Attack, and filmmakers Renaud Barret and Florent de la Tullaye. The latter have been documenting the group (whose name roughly translates to "look beyond appearances") since 2005.

Now Staff Benda Bilili's sparkling debut album Tres Tres Fort has been released, produced by none other than Crammed's Vincent Kenis (who also brought us Konono No. 1 and Kasai Allstars). If you're familiar with those outings, you won't be surprised to learn about the group's homemade instruments (many solos are played on a one-stringed tin-can lute/guitar). The group's story is more unusual than its music, which isn't too far from the Afro-Cuban blend of many other Congolese groups. But their unique story, instruments, and obstacles to success make this an album well worth checking out. Marvel at their resilience, read how their lyrics influenced the last Congolese election, and move to the languorous rumba-funk grooves.

More Staff Benda Bilili:
film trailer
buy CD
website
myspace (with song samples)
youtube

Around the World in 120 (er, 80!) Minutes

With the boxes packed at KAOS for our impending move, this week's show featured music from all over the planet (which is to say, whatever I could find amid the moving crates!), including a lot of new releases. Enjoy!

Around the World in 120 Minutes: Spin The Globe playlist for 22 March 2009

Artist - Song - Album

hour 1
Cheb Nacim - 100% Nabrike - Algeiran Rai
Becaye Aw - Sibi - Sibi
Zakopower - Kiebys Ty - Polska Rootz
Emilio Santiago - Bananeira - Black Rio 2
Magou - Youmile / Hey You! - Africa Yewul / Africa Wake Up!
The Shin - Ritsche - Ibero-Caucasian Style
Al Assal - Aashiqto Shadn / I am in love with a charming lady - Music from the Blue Nile
Rabih Abou-Khalil - O Papaia Balerina - Morton’s Foot
Pandit Suresh Talwalkar - Vilambit Ada Chautaal (excerpt) - Taal Yogi
Poet Name Life ft. Orishas - 14ME - The Revolution present Revolution
Vieux Farka Toure - Wale - Fondo
Moana & the Tribe - Te Apo - Wha

hour 2
Oumou Sangare - Wele Wele Wintou - Seya
Koalas Desperados - Fado Chupao feat. A Naifa & Laura Lopez Castro - Koalas Desperados
Ahilea - Café Svetlana - Café Svetlana
Etienne M’Bappe - San San Boy - Su La Take
Red Elvises - Play Me Your Banjo - Drinking With Jesus
Bela Fleck w/ Maruna Samake Trio & Bassekou Kouyate - Throw Down Your Heart - Throw Down Your Heart
Andre Hajj & Ensemble - Shwayyet Hobb - Instrumental Music from Lebanon Amaken
Sally Nyolo - Semengue - Multiculti
Oran Etkin - Nina - Kelenia
Sergent Garcia - Hoy Me Voy - Mo Vida!
Rotfront - Zhiguli - Emigrantski Raggamuffin
Cheilh Lo, Les Nubians & Manu Dibango w/Chateau Flight - Shakara/Lady (Part 2) - Red Hot + Riot
Maria De Barros - Oumai - Danca Ma Mi

With PodOmatic limited out on bandwidth, I'm trying out imeem for archive hosting. Let me know what you think, or if you know of a better alternative.

Most popular cast on the pod?

An interesting email just came in from our friends at PodOmatic, where the Spin The Globe show archives are kept. Seems there's been a rather dramatic surge in interest in the show, so much so that we've exceeded our monthly bandwidth. The show audio has now been replaced with a friendly man explaining the situation and suggestion a donation via the Spin The Globe podcast site.

This has all happened automatically, which brings us to the present. I'm curious about the surge of interest in the show. The site stats show an uptick in some torrent server, and hits from an article in Utne magazine. Has SoundRoots or Spin The Globe received other media attention recently that we don't know of?

As for the future...PodOmatic promises to restore the audio archives on June 12. Or we could buy more bandwidth and restore it sooner. The next jump up in bandwidth would cost $99.90 per year. This being just about as nonprofit an endeavor as they come, are you willing to contribute for that to happen?

The options:
A) Status quo; we continue to leave four archived shows on PodOmatic, and when the bandwidth runs out for the month, it runs out.

B) We cut the archive from the last four shows to the last one or two shows, in hopes this will cut bandwidth use.

C) SoundRoots / Spin The Globe fans contribute the funds to buy extra bandwidth and keep the archives online.

So... please leave your vote in the comments (or email us). You can even go ahead and make contributions via the PayPal donate button on our PodOmatic page or the SoundRoots Tip Jar on the right. Or if you have another option we should consider, speak up! And although this is a pain, it's certainly a great thing that more people are downloading and digging the music. It's a great problem to have.

Monday's mp3: Sufi Magnetism

I don't know if you thought you were too busy or what, but if you didn't make time to get to the Giant Magnet Festival over the last week, just stop reading now or your culture-loving heart may just break over what you missed.

Formerly known as the Seattle International Children's Festival, Giant Magnet seems to have an irresistible attraction for great global acts. This year, they included Zimbabwean chimurenga musician Thomas Mapfumo, German chemist-comedians Hacki and Company, and the Gentlemen of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (on their own with Rhiannon Giddens due to give birth any day now). The Mermaid Theater of Nova Scotia brought their amazing blacklight puppetry retelling of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar;" Belgium's Les Argonautes demonstrated new ways of playing with blocks (and violins); and Kuniko Yamamoto engaged kids in origami-illustrated folktales from Japan.

But perhaps the most visually and emotionally engaging show was by Sidi Goma. The Sidis are black Indians with roots in East Africa, though the details of their past seem hazy. They are Sunni Muslims of the Sufi persuasion, which means they embrace ecstatic music and dance as part of their religion and culture. And whiel the details of their history may be hazy, the African influence is clear in their performance. The drumming, dancing, and body painting seem lightly removed from their African roots (think of Fela Kuti's more ecstatic moments).

Their performance began with a Muslim call to prayer, followed by several songs performed by the musicians seated in a semicircle. As the emotion and tempo rose, several Sidis rose to dance, inciting cheers from the young audience -- particularly when one Sidi broke out in some spinning break dance moves. Following a terrific solo on the malunga (the Sidi version of a berimbau), the troupe returned, changed from their white robes into more African looking garb consisting of peacock-feathered headdresses, cowry-shell anklets, and peacock-feathered skirts with straps across their bare chests.

The increasingly fervent drumming, the outfits, the dancing, the singing -- it all built to a climax in which the joy of life and the devotion of thought simply shoved out the nagging questions of just how to think about this unusual cultural hybrid. And the ecstatic focus allowed several Sidis to toss coconuts* high into the air, breaking them with their bare heads into fireworks of spraying juice as they fell back to earth.

[mp3] Sidi Goma: Salmini Salmini
from the album Black Sufis of Gujarat

According to Smithsonian Global Sound, "Salmini
Salmini" is from the East African repertoire of the Sidis and has many
references to East Africa both in local references and in music and
language. It has some Swahili words today only used among small coastal
communities around Mombasa, Kenya. The song says "We greet
you, receive our greetings, we greet the Great Spirit." But much of the meaning has been lost and
the performers have little or no idea of their meaning.

* Yes, they were real coconuts. After the performance, I ran into one of the Carolina Chocolate Drops digging into some fresh coconut meat.

More Sidi Goma:
website
youtube | news video

Giant Magnet Festival website
Giant Magnet slideshow

How to fit an orchestra into a cave

It's not often that a reggae-rooted album makes it to the top of my playlists, but here's a welcome exception to that rule. The first solo album from legendary reggae player and Jamaican percussion virtuoso Larry McDonald freshes up the genre, raining down great rhythms and a remarkable cast of guest musicians. Toots Hibbert, Mutabaruka, Dollarman, Shaza and Terri Lion are among the vocalists on the generous 15 tracks.