Episode 49

Episode 49 originally posted on May 13, 2019.

Tracklisting:

01) “Kori” by Babatunde Olatunji.

From the 1988 album Drums of Passion: The Invocation.

Ajido, Nigeria.

According to the Wikipedias: “Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist.

• Visit Babatunde Olatunji’s official website.

• Visit the Babatunde Olatunji page at the African Music Encyclopedia.

• Visit the Facebook page.

• Purchase the music at Amazon.

02) “Onikoyi (Warrior King)” by Skata Vibration.

From the 2019 album Wuta.

Lagos, Nigeria.

The group’s Facebook page says that “Skata Vibration is an afro psychedelic rock band from Lagos, Nigeria.”

• Visit the Skata Vibration Facebook page.

• Visit the group’s official website.

• Purchase Skata Vibration’s music at Amazon.

03) “Lugovoy” by Kedr Livanskiy.

From the 2019 album Your Need.

Moscow, Russia.

Pitchfork says: “The Moscow producer Yana Kedrina put out two EPs and a full-length in the span of three years.”

• Visit Kedr Livanskiy’s Official Facebook page.

• Visit the Soundcloud.

• Purchase Kedr Livanskiy’s music at Facebook.

04) “El Pirata” by Tarkus.

From the 1971 album Tarkus.

Lima, Peru.

Wikipedia says: “Tarkus was a band Peruvian Argentina of hard rock formed in 1972 in Lima , Peru . It was integrated by the Peruvians Alex Nathanson in guitar and voice, Walo Carillo in drums, both coming from the band Telegraph Avenue and the Argentines Guillermo Van Lacke in bass and Dario Gianella in guitar.”

Prog Archives says:

“Not to be confused with the Peruvian TARKUS of the 1970s, this Brazilian group with the name TARKUS started in November 2000 as a Progressive Rock band in São Paulo, Brazil. The music is based on the traditions of the progressive bands of the '70s. The songs on their first album were performed in English but their latest songs are in Portuguese. TARKUS is not an ELP tribute group, but the name was chosen in homage to the second ELP album.

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

05) “Depth Charge” by Keith Hudson.

From the 1974 album Pick A Dub.

Kingston, Jamaica.

The Wikipedias tell us: “Keith Hudson aka the "Dark Prince of Reggae" was a Jamaican reggae artist and record producer. He is known for his influence on the dub movement.”

• Purchase Keith Hudson’s music at Amazon.

06) “Los Angeles” by The Shaolin Afronauts.

From the 2012 album Quest Under Capricorn.

Adelaide, South Australia.

The group’s Facebook page describes them as “Interstellar futurist afro-soul,” and the Wikipedias tell us “The Shaolin Afronauts are an Adelaide-based instrumental afrobeat band[1] that is styled after Fela Kuti's Africa 70 band and Sun Ra. Their music incorporates elements of avant-garde jazz, soul and traditional African and Cuban percussive rhythms.”

• Visit the group’s Facebook page.

07) “Dors” by Charles Aznavour.

From the 1963 album Qui?

Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, France.

Wikipedia tells us that Charles Aznavour

“(born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրյան; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his distinctive tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. In a composer/singer/songwriter career spanning over 70 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs interpreted in nine languages. Moreover, he wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and others.”

• Visit the official website.

• Visit Charles Aznavour’s Facebook page.

• Purchase the music at Amazon.

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We invite you to continue your musical exploration by visiting the map of where each artist is from. This week’s artists are represented by blue colored map-points. To see previous weeks, episodes and artists, visit here.

Episodes 41-50

Episode 48

Episode 48 originally posted on May 6, 2019.

Tracklisting:

01) “Tawil” by Mario Kirlis.

From the 1987 album Ritmos Arabes Volumen 2.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to Last.fm: “Mario Kirlis is an Argentinian musician and composer that is known for his extensive work in Arabic Music. He has been the master and inspiration for a number of South American musician and belly dancers to approach the Middle Eastern music.”

• Visit Mario Kirlis’ official website.

• Visit Mario Kirlis’ Facebook page.

• Purchase Mario Kirlis’ music at Amazon.

02) “Tito Meets Woody” by Tito Puente and Woody Herman.

From the 1958 album Latin Flight 1.

Harlem, NY, USA, and Milwaukee, WI, USA.

According to Wikipedia, Tito Puente:

“was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. The son of Ernest and Ercilia Puente, native Puerto Ricans living in New York City's Spanish Harlem, Puente is often credited as "The Musical Pope", "El Rey de los Timbales" (The King of the Timbales) and "The King of Latin Music". He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions that endured over a 50-year career.”

and, also according to Wikipedia, Woody Herman:

“was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his death in 1987. His bands often played music that was cutting edge and experimental for its time; they received numerous Grammy nominations and awards.”

• Purchase Tito Puente and Woody Herman’s music at Amazon.

03) “Asteroid” by Karl Hector & The Malcouns.

From the 2019 album Non Ex Orbis.

Monaco di Baviera, Germany.

The group’s Facebook page says:

“It’s been some years since the first Karl Hector release, and it’s known now that Mr. Hector is indeed the German producer and guitarist JJ Whitefield, ne Jan Weissenfeldt. Whitefield is the visionary behind the Poets of Rhythm and the Whitefield Brothers, the ensembles whose rough analog sound and return to the funk archetypes of the late 60s to early 70s paved the way for labels like Daptone, Truth & Soul, Timmion.”

• Visit Karl Hector & The Malcouns’ Facebook page.

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

04) “Bati Mon Nid” by Françoise Hardy.

From the 1971 album La Question.

Paris, France.

The Wikipedias tell us that Françoise Hardy:

“is a French singer-songwriter. She made her musical debut in the early 1960s on Disques Vogue and found immediate success with her song "Tous les garçons et les filles". As a leading figure of the yé-yé movement, Hardy "found herself at the very forefront of the French music scene", and became "France's most exportable female singing star", recording in various languages, appearing in several movies, touring throughout Europe, and gaining admiration from musicians such as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Mick Jagger.”

• Visit Françoise Hardy’s official website.

• Visit Françoise Hardy’s Facebook page.

• Read/listen to NPR’s story “Françoise Hardy Remains France's National Treasure.”

• Purchase Françoise Hardy’s music at Amazon.

05) “Sango Ngando” by Blick Bassy.

From the 2019 album 1958.

Mintaba, Cameroon.

Wikipedia tells us that “Blick Bassy is a Cameroonian singer-songwriter. His song Kiki from the album Ako featured as the theme song for the worldwide launch of the iPhone 6 in 2015.”

• Visit Blick Bassy’s official website.

• Visit Blick Bassy’s Facebook page.

• Follow Blick Bassy on Twitter.

• Purchase Blick Bassy’s music at Amazon.

06) “Ndumila Kuwili” by Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila.

From the 1988 album Nalilia Mwana.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Wikipedia tells us that “Ramazani "Remmy" Mtoro Ongala (1947 10 Feb – 13 December 2010) was a Tanzanian guitarist and singer. Ongala was born in Kindu near the Tanzanian border, in what was the Belgian Congo at the time, and now is the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

• Visit Remmy Ongala’s Facebook page.

• Visit the Ongala Music Festival website.

• Purchase Remmy Ongala’s music at Amazon.

07) “Beesmeellah Beedeet” by Ifriqiyya Electrique.

From the 2019 album Laylet El Booree.

Tunisia.

The group’s official website says:

“IFRIQIYYA ELECTRIQUE is a unique project. More than a concert, it is a RESEARCH around several rites and trances as practised by the healing communities, from Gnawa to Banga. A performance with musicians interacting with Electronics and Amps. A recomposed music, a Transcendental and Post-industrial Ceremony.”

• Visit Ifriqiyya Electrique’s official website.

• Visit Ifriqiyya Electrique’s Facebook page.

• Purchase Ifriqiyya Electrique’s music at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Ifriqiyya Electrique’s music at Amazon.

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As always, we invite you to continue your journey of musical exploration by seeing where each featured artist is from in the world. This week’s artists are represented by Navy blue map-points. To see previous artists and episodes, visit here.

Episodes 41-50

Episode 47

Episode 47 originally posted on April 29, 2019.

Tracklisting:

01) “Ngaba” by Orchestre Bambala.

From the 1985 album Zaire: Musiques Urbaines à Kinshasa.

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

From Allmusic:

“Way past rousing, this collection of works from bands in Kinshasa is a stunning roundup of amplified sansas and likembes, makeshift percussion items (sardine cans with springs strung across them, etc.), and backing accordions. The musicians all use makeshift amplification in their instruments for multiple reasons -- some to make sure the ritual messages in the music make it through to the ancestors properly, and some simply to compete with the sound of neighboring bands. Despite the reasons, the overdriven likembes are surprisingly likeable, even with the amazing level of feedback from the "quality" of their amps.”

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

02) “Push Wood” by Jackie Opel.

From the 1970 album The Best Of Jackie Opel [Studio One].

Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Wikipedias tell us: “Born Dalton Sinclair Bishop in Chapman Lane, Bridgetown, Barbados on 27th August 1937, Jackie Opel was a popular singer who possessed a rich, powerful voice with a high octave range.. He was known as the "Jackie Wilson of Jamaica" and was also a gifted dancer.” Allmusic adds that Opel “moved to Kingston, Jamaica, in 1962, quickly joining the legendary Skatalites as an occasional vocalist and bass player.”

• Purchase Opel’s music at Amazon.

03) “Nuru” by Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar.

From the 2006 album Shime!.

Zanzibar.

According Music in Africa:

“Founded in 1958, the Culture Musical Club is Zanzibar's most prolific and successful taarab orchestra. The club performs widely at concerts in Zanzibar town, but also frequently travels overland with a fold-up stage and an electricity generator to bring its music to the rural areas.

They have released hundreds of songs on the local market and since 1988 have had six international CD releases. The group has been performing in Europe regularly since 1996, and in the past few years they have done shows in the US, Dominican Republic, Reunion and Japan.”

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

04) “Night Rider” by Debashish Bhattacharya.

From the 2019 album Joy!Guru.

Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

The official website says:

“Indian Raga Music thrives on improvisation. No two performances by the same musician produce the same result. For a musician with substance, therefore, the sky is the limit. His improvisations within the framework of a Raga or within the limitations of the instrument he plays become a novel experience for himself as well as his listeners. Some go beyond Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya and open new horizons in the field of their work. Debashish Bhattacharya is one such most amazing music personalities of the world whose dynamism of artistry and creativity place him as a Genius.

Pandit Debashish BhattacharyaBlessed by the genes of his vocalist parents belonging to the My childhood - My Musicfamily of musicians for generations, Debashish carries music in his veins. His brother Subhasis is an exponent of Tabla and other rhythm instruments. Sutapa, his sister, is a very popular singer who during her first tour abroad has been popular in Japanese and Canadian festivals.”

• Visit the official website.

• Follow Debashish Bhattacharya on Facebook.

• Purchase Debashish Bhattacharya music at Amazon.

05) “Monster a Go Go” by High Rise.

From the 1986 album High Rise II.

Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Japan.

The Wikipedias tell us that: “High Rise was a noise rock band from Tokyo, Japan formed in 1982. The core of the band has consisted of bassist Asahito Nanjo and guitarist Munehiro Narita.[1] The group named themselves after the 1975 novel High Rise by J. G. Ballard. Their music draws from psychedelic music, free jazz, and improvisational music.”

• Purchase High Rise music at Amazon.

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Continue your music exploration of the world by visiting our interactive map. See where each featured hails from. We currently use Google Maps, which only lets us feature 10 episodes as a time, so view previous episode maps here. In the meantime, this week’s artists are highlighted by grey map-points. Enoy!

Episodes 41-50

Episode 46

Episode 46 originally posted on April 22, 2019.

Tracklisting:

01) “Khon Kae Lok” by Khon Kae Lok.

From the album Khon Ba Kancha.

Bangkok, Thailand.

The excellent Monrakplengthai blog provides some background and provides the release for download:

“today, we'll hear from mr. khamron sambunnanon, singing songs of crooked politicians and ganja madmen! hailing from bangkok's chinatown, khamron sang what were called at the time phleng talat ("market songs"), as his lyrics were among the earliest examples of thai pop music to feature tales of common people; farmers, day laborers, and even more marginal figures like gamblers, vagrants, outlaws and drug addicts. because of this, khamron is considered by many to be the very first singer of luk thung, and many of the great luk thung stars of the 60s and 70s fondly recall singing along to khamron's songs during their formative years. this album, from the bangkok cassette co., ltd. (currently existing as maemaiplengthai), contains several songs that i've shared before on various collections over the years, but once again shouldn't hurt.. enjoy!”

• Purchase the album.

02) “Coma Cluster” by Outer Space.

From the 2016 album Chase Across Orion.

Barcelona, Spain.

A review on the Bandcamp page says: “Imagine The Polyrhythmics melting with The Budos Band, just add a dose a spanish flavor and you get the picture.” The Tucxone Records page says (through Google Translate):

“Without fears or prejudices. With soul and skill. That is how one must travel anywhere. And so Outer Space astronauts have explored the furrows of our galaxy. His first long-term manned mission to the blackest skies on the outskirts of our solar system is called "Chase across Orion". An operation that has been coordinated from the laboratories of the Tucxone Records sound, located in Madrid, leaders in the investigation of ebony atmospheres.”

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

• Purchase the album at the Tucxone Records website.

03) “Jori” by Les Filles de Illighadad.

From the 2017 album Eghass Malan.

Abalak, Niger.

The Sahel Sounds page says:

“Les Filles de Illighadad come from a secluded commune in central Niger, far off in the scrubland deserts at the edge of the Sahara. The village is only accessible via a grueling drive through the open desert and there is little infrastructure, no electricity or running water. But what the nomadic zone lacks in material wealth it makes up for deep and strong identity and tradition. The surrounding countryside supports hundreds of pastoral families, living with and among their herds, as their families have done for centuries.

It takes its name from a drum, built from a goat skin stretched across a mortar and pestle. Like the environs, tende music is a testament to wealth in simplicity, with sparse compositions built from a few elements: vocals, handclaps, and percussion. Songs speak of the village, of love, and of praise for ancestors. It’s a music form dominated by women. Collective and communal, tende is tradition for all the young girls of the nomad camps – played during celebrations and to pass the time during the late nights of the rainy season.”

The group’s Bandcamp page says:

“Sublime recordings from rural Niger. Two very different sides of Tuareg music - dreamy ishumar acoustic guitar sessions, and the hypnotic polyphonic tende that inspires it. Guitarist Fatou Seidi Ghali and vocalist Alamnou Akrouni lead the troupe, named after the village.”

• Visit the group’s profile at the Sahel Sounds website.

• Follow the group at Facebook.

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

04) “Raga Hem Behag” by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

From the 1983 cassette Live in Eugene.

Comilla, Bangladesh.

The Wikipedias tell us that Ali Akbar Khan:

“was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, he also composed several classical ragas and film scores. He established a music school in Calcutta in 1956, and the Ali Akbar College of Music in 1967, which moved with him to the United States and is now based in San Rafael, California, with a branch in Basel, Switzerland.”

• Visit the official website for the Ali Akbar College of Music.

• Purchase Khan’s music at Amazon.

05) “Creation” by Burning Spear.

From the 1973 album Studio One Presents Burning Spear.

Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

The official website tells us:

“A music-maker, community icon, educator, spiritual uplifter; Burning Spear's importance to culture existed before the media spotlight, and has only grown since.

For nearly four decades and more than 25 albums, he has carried the torch of the gospel of political activist Marcus Garvey, promoting self-determination and self-reliance for African descendants through lyrics and rhythms that truly deliver the messages of peace and love to all.”

The Wikipedias add: “Winston Rodney (born 1 March 1945), better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae vocalist and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots artists to emerge from the 1970s.”

• Visit the official Burning Spear website.

• Visit Burning Spear at Facebook.

• Visit Burning Spear at Twitter.

• Purchase Burning Spear music at Amazon.

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We invite you to continue your journey of musical exploration by seeing where each featured artist is from. This week’s artists are represented by Orange map-points. To see previous artists, visit the maps page here.

Episodes 41-50

Episode 45

Episode 45 originally posted on April 15, 2019.

Tracklisting:

01) “Panaderos Flamencos” by Paco de Lucía.

From the 1975 album Entre Dos Aguas.

Algeciras, Spain.

The all-knowing Wikipedia tells enquiring minds:

“Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gomes (21 December 1947 – 25 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flamenco guitarists to branch into classical and jazz. Richard Chapman and Eric Clapton, authors of Guitar: Music, History, Players, describe de Lucía as a "titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar", and Dennis Koster, author of Guitar Atlas, Flamenco, has referred to de Lucía as "one of history's greatest guitarists".

Brittanica.com says: “De Lucía began playing guitar as a small child under the guidance of his father,” and Allmusic says: “Paco de Lucia extended the former accompaniment-only tradition of flamenco guitar to include deeply personal melodic statements and modern instrumentation.”

• Visit Paco de Lucía’s official website.

• Visit Paco de Lucía’s official Facebook page.

• Purchase Paco de Lucía’s music at Amazon.

02) “Yushu Lin Feng” by Jin Wei.

From the album Guqin Master.

Guangzhou China.

Sometimes, due to the nature of trying to find artists from everywhere, we aren’t always successful in finding out a lot of information about some of the artists we feature. According to a 2013 blog post:

“Jin Wei is a Guqin master from China. Jin is a calligrapher & painter as well as guqin master. He gave his first guqin solo recital at Peking University in 2003. Master Jin not only plays the guqin but also composes his own songs for this fascinating instrument. He published his treatise on guqin, "The Way of Qin", in 2004. It is a publication in traditional Chinese characters. It is also the first treatise on guqin in traditional Chinese bookbinding format in China since 1949.”

• Search for the album at Amazon.

03) “Mercedes Elena” by Andrés Landero y su Conjunto.

From the 1976 album Que? Vallenatos.

San Jacinto, Colombia.

Wikipedia tells us:

“Andrés Landero was born in San Jacinto , his father was the bagpiper Andrés Guerra and his mother Rosalba Landero. In his home, the boy grew up in the middle of a musical environment. From the age of eight he became accustomed to visiting the mountain and learned the sounds of nature, which later helped his artistic vein as a composer.”

• Purchase the music at Amazon.

04) “Alech Taadi” by Cheb Khaled.

From the 1993 album N'ssi N'ssi.

Oran, Algeria.

Not to be confused with DJ Khaled. You may know this track from the Fifth Element movie soundtracks. You know, the car-chase scene, right? Anyway, Wikipedia tells us:

“Khaled Hadj Ibrahim (Arabic: خالد حاج إبراهيم‎, born 29 February 1960), better known by his mononym Khaled (Arabic pronunciation: [ˈxaːled]), is an Algerian musician, singer and songwriter born in Oran, Algeria. He began recording in his early teens under the name Cheb Khaled (الشاب خالد, Arabic for "Young" Khaled, as opposed to the traditionalist Sheikh elders), and has become the most internationally famous Algerian singer in the Arab world and across many continents.”

Culture Trip says:

“Khaled Hadj Brahim, better known as Khaled, is an international star in World music, who has used the love of his native Algerian raï and his unique voice and charisma to bring cultures together and express concern for current social issues in Algeria, France and beyond.”

• Visit Khaled’s official website.

• Visit the official Facebook page.

• Purchase the music at Amazon.

05) “Ye Ye De Smell” by Fela Kuti with Ginger Baker.

From the 1971 album Fela With Ginger Baker Live!

Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Wikipedia says:

“Fela Anikulapo Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also professionally known as Fela Kuti, or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat music genre and human rights activist. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa's most "challenging and charismatic music performers."

Fela’s official website says:

“Throughout his life, Fela contended that AfroBeat was a modern form of danceable, African classical music with an urgent message for the planet’s denizens. Created out of a cross-breeding of Funk, Jazz, Salsa and Calypso with Juju, Highlife and African percussive patterns, it was to him a political weapon.”

The website continues:

“Fela refused to bow to the music industry’s preference for 3-minute tracks, nor did he buckle under entreaties to moderate his overwhelmingly political lyrics. He went down in 1997 still railing against the consumerist gimmicks that taint pop music, with the aim, he felt, of promoting and imposing homogeneous aesthetic standards worldwide, thereby inducing passivity.”

Ginger Baker was an English drummer and a founder of the influential rock band Cream. According to Jambase:

“Following Cream’s disbandment, his participation in the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith and leading Ginger Baker’s Air Force, the drummer moved to Nigeria in 1970. For the next five years he studied local rhythms with legendary African musician, the late Fela Kuti, whom he first met and jammed with in the early-1960s at the World College of Music. During his time in Nigeria in the 70s, Baker recorded and toured with Kuti and his band The Africa ’70, filling-in for an ailing Tony Allen.”

• Visit Fela’s official website.

• Visit Ginger Baker’s official website.

• Follow Fela Kuti on Facebook.

• Follow Ginger Baker on Facebook.

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

06) “A La Truko” by Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra.

From the 2011 album I Lumia Mo Kher.

Antwerp, Belgium.

The group’s Bandcamp page says:

“A steamy brew of Eastern European gipsy music and Jamaican ska, seasoned with a rebellious spirit? That has been Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra’s trademark for the last decade.”

The group’s Facebook page calls the music: “Roma Gipsy melodies with the ultra-danceable ska groove.”

• Visit the group’s official website.

• Follow the group at Facebook.

• Follow the group at Twitter.

• Follow the group at Twitter.

• Purchase the group’s music at Bandcamp.

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You are welcome to continue your musical exploration journey by seeing where each featured artists is from on a map of the world. This week’s artists are represented by red of the crimson variety map points. We currently use Google Maps which only lets us post 10 episodes at a time, so to see previous artists from previous episodes, visit here.

Episodes 41-50