Jump to content

World Music: Currently Spinning


Recommended Posts



One could easily get cynical about the marketing of 'World' music. Its far too broad a term to try and cover many different types of music. And, yes, there are some cynical marketing exercises. The sort of thing I can't stand is where somebody goes out and samples some indigenous tribal music from somewhere in the world, then goes into the studio and mixes it with electronic keyboards into some sort of dance oriented collage (Deep Forest, anybody?)

 

That aside, there is a lot of great music around, loosely lumped under the 'World' Music tag, and some good, genuine, collaborations too. I say, ignore the marketing and the labelling. Just listen to the various styles of music, and see what you like.

I think that Deep Forest is a great example of how *not* to go about things.  Whilst the music is okay (some of it has dated quickly, but dance influenced stuff is going to do that), the fact that essentially none of the proceeds from sales went back to the musicians they'd recorded (as I understand it) is deplorable.  Contrast that with any of Ry Cooder's collaborations.  Talented musicians have had the chance to be heard in lucrative Western markets and benefit from that exposure, and not only that, the collaborations are producing great music in and of itself.  "Talking Timbuktu" with Cooder and Ali Farka Toure is simply a great blues album, that I often listen to.  The Buena Vista Social club recordings are all sensational - I've got quite a few of them now and listen to them all the time (I'll add them to this thread very soon), and Ry's guitar work on the BVSC stuff is a great and musically sensitive addition.  He's a fine musician.  So in a nutshell, I absolutely agree with you! :)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that Deep Forest is a great example of how *not* to go about things. Whilst the music is okay (some of it has dated quickly, but dance influenced stuff is going to do that), the fact that essentially none of the proceeds from sales went back to the musicians they'd recorded (as I understand it) is deplorable. Contrast that with any of Ry Cooder's collaborations. Talented musicians have had the chance to be heard in lucrative Western markets and benefit from that exposure, and not only that, the collaborations are producing great music in and of itself. "Talking Timbuktu" with Cooder and Ali Farka Toure is simply a great blues album, that I often listen to. The Buena Vista Social club recordings are all sensational - I've got quite a few of them now and listen to them all the time (I'll add them to this thread very soon), and Ry's guitar work on the BVSC stuff is a great and musically sensitive addition. He's a fine musician. So in a nutshell, I absolutely agree with you! :)

Cooder's collaborations are superb. Talking Timbuktu and Mmeeting by a River with VM Bhatt are both great pieces of work.

The world music tag may be embarrassingly daft - a kind of Orientalism for the music lover - but at least we know which racks to go to search, and it does make for a very nice thread.

Edited by buddyev
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites



Joseph Tawadros is a young local oud virtuoso - only 29 - with a string of great albums already to his credit.

Just bought his latest: CHAMELEONS OF THE WHITE SHADOW which features Bela Fleck.

Loved his work with Jack dejohnette on The Hour of Separation.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Joseph Tawadros is a young local oud virtuoso - only 29 - with a string of great albums already to his credit.

Just bought his latest: CHAMELEONS OF THE WHITE SHADOW which features Bela Fleck.

Loved his work with Jack dejohnette on The Hour of Separation.

Thanks. Will check this guy out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're into Arabic inspired jazz two of my favourite musos are Rabih Abou Khalil and Anouar Brahem - just about everything they do is worth listening to.

Khalil is a really playful muso, but if you want hard core Journey to the Centre of an Egg is brilliant

Brahem's The Astounding Eyes Of Rita is his latest album but all his stuff is interesting.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The great thing about "world" music is the amazing combinations that get thrown up. It can be truly exciting when you come across some sound or combo that is being used in a completely new way. I really like surprises.

 

The trick, as with everything, is how to zero-in on the good stuff. So far this thread is off to a flyer, and we are in excellent company.

 

Onya st3ph3nm for the OP.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

as far as world music goes, I find sbs chill on digital radio as a good way to introduce myself to some new world music.

 

http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/chill/

 

if have a digital radio, check it out, otherwise could also use the stream from the website...just watch your download limits !  :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Joseph Tawadros is a young local oud virtuoso - only 29 - with a string of great albums already to his credit.

Just bought his latest: CHAMELEONS OF THE WHITE SHADOW which features Bela Fleck.

Loved his work with Jack dejohnette on The Hour of Separation.

 

He and his brother are amazing.  Saw them at Womadelaide with the Grigoryan brothers in their "Band of Brothers" incarnation.  Joseph is great, but his brother simply stunned me with his virtuosic tamourine work.  Yes, you read that right! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He and his brother are amazing.  Saw them at Womadelaide with the Grigoryan brothers in their "Band of Brothers" incarnation.  Joseph is great, but his brother simply stunned me with his virtuosic tamourine work.  Yes, you read that right! :)

I saw them in castlemaine a couple of years ago - the percussion work was amazing - but not with the grigoryans unfortunately.

From the mid east right through Asia they take percussion very seriously and use a staggering range of instruments.

Makes yer average rock drum solo look a little brutish!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post-110730-0-89999100-1388540970_thumb.

Sheila Chandra - Moonsung: A Real World Retrospective - 1999 - CD

Mostly a capella with the occasional drone for background ambience. "One of the most beautiful voices on Earth" - Billboard

 

Here's Sheila singing something traditional, this should be familiar to all the Shakti (and also David Helbock) fans...

http://youtu.be/5_N1SWAT6L4

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One could easily get cynical about the marketing of 'World' music. Its far too broad a term to try and cover many different types of music. And, yes, there are some cynical marketing exercises. The sort of thing I can't stand is where somebody goes out and samples some indigenous tribal music from somewhere in the world, then goes into the studio and mixes it with electronic keyboards into some sort of dance oriented collage (Deep Forest, anybody?)

 

That aside, there is a lot of great music around, loosely lumped under the 'World' Music tag, and some good, genuine, collaborations too. I say, ignore the marketing and the labelling. Just listen to the various styles of music, and see what you like.

I think we have similar ideas on what world music is. Electronica that sample's ethnic music doesn't fit the bill IMHO. So, yes Deep Forest, Banco de Gaia, et al, as much as I like you, you're gonna have to sit this one out! That said, I did come across Sheila Chandra after hearing her track "Ever So Lonely" sampled by a few electronica acts. 

When I think of world music, I think of traditional, ethnic and indigenous music. It can be Celtic, Qawwali, Koori or even cross-cultural! 

Great thread, keep the suggestions coming!

Edited by ferchersan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

thats where I would disagree. I'm fine with electronica, samples, deep forest etc. bring it on what ever the form. call it cross cultural, fusion to me good music is good what ever the form, though am sure many will dissagree on what forms good music. as with anything one mans trash anothers treasure :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



post-110730-0-30532600-1388544168_thumb.

Lakshmi Shankar - Season & Time - 2001 - CD

Female vocalist accompanied by Tabla and Tampura. All selections in North Indian traditional form; Khyal, Tarana, Thumri and Bhajan.  

From the liner notes:

Khyal - Literally means imagination or fantasy, a succession of the dhrupad tradition, gaining popularity around the 17th Century.

Tarana - A fast and exciting composition, usually sung at the end of a Khyal.

Thumri - A 'light' classical form, gained popularity after the 18th Century. Mostly based on 'light' raga, it can be romantic, sensual or devotional.

Bhajans -  Are devotional songs, mostly written in the 15th Century, by the saint-poets of the time.

 

This album was an an excellent find.

Especially when you consider that I bought it for $5, thinking it was L Shankar from Shakti!  :hiccup   :sorry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After last nights play it loud moments this morning much more chilled. So chilled I just realised is no longer morning. A few that I have played today that I think fit into this thread.

Posted Image

Anouar Brahem, The Astounding Eyes of Rita. This is a beautifully recorded album. Perfect start to the day.

Posted Image

Madredeus, Antologia, beautiful voice

Posted Image

Sultan Khan and Zukir Hussain, Sonorous Sound of Serangi. I actually owned this before living in India. It was living in Adelaide and Womad that planted the world seed.

Posted Image

Sona, Sona. Bought this one when living in Mumbai on the recommendation of my local cd shop.

Since this thread started my "world" section of the cd rack has been tapped into much more than usual. Thanks guys for sparking the interest. I must have 20-30 Songline cover disks from about 6-7 years ago. That could start something if I delve into them.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

thats where I would disagree. I'm fine with electronica, samples, deep forest etc. bring it on what ever the form. call it cross cultural, fusion to me good music is good what ever the form, though am sure many will dissagree on what forms good music. as with anything one mans trash anothers treasure :)

There hasn't been any trash mentioned in this thread at all  :)

I like electronica, it's just on a different shelf to my world music. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

sometimes music comes to you from all kinds of sources,

 

I remember hearing a few riffs of some nice music from a couple of movies,

 

Bend it like beckham

 

MI0000381394.jpg

 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/bend-it-like-beckham-milan-mw0000022133

 

"Review by Heather Phares

Much like the soundtrack for The Guru, the music featured in Bend It Like Beckham features a mix of pop and Indian music. Unlike The Guru, however, this soundtrack is much more focused in both its scope and purpose: Bend It Like Beckham's director picked the music from her own personal music collection, focusing on artists of Indian descent likeGunjan and Bally Sagoo as well as strong, funky female artists including BlondieMelanie C, and, appropriately enough, Victoria Beckham. The album moves smoothly from songs like Texas' "Inner Smile" to Malkit Singh's "Jind Mahl" and Sagoo and Gunjan's "Noorie," both of which feature enough Westernized pop touches to blend well but still have distinctively Indian singing, melodies, and instruments. Melanie C's "Independence Day," B21's "Darshan,"Blondie's "Atomic," and Partners in Rhyme and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Tere Bin Nahin Lagda" are some of the other highlights from this diverse but surprisingly cohesive soundtrack."

and 

 

monsoon wedding

 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/monsoon-wedding-mw0000211380

 

MI0001054597.jpg

 

"Review by Evan Cater  [-]

Monsoon Wedding director Mira Nair has described her beautiful family drama as "a Bollywood film, made on my terms." It's a pretty apt description, though on the surface the subtly acted art house picture may seem to have very little in common with the elaborately choreographed musical productions for which the Indian film industry is famous. Whereas Bollywood products are generally characterized by broadly painted heroes and villains, Nair's characters are among the most three-dimensional and honestly realized in international cinema. They are not the sort of people who populate Bollywood entertainments, but they are the sort of people who pay to see them. They don't burst simultaneously into song, but they do dance to Indian pop music in their living rooms. They do belt out traditional celebratory songs at wedding parties. What Monsoon Wedding shares with Bollywood is its appreciation of India's deeply rooted cultural enthusiasm for song and dance. The soundtrack reflects the delightfully broad spectrum of the music that plays on middle-class stereos all over modern India. There is a thumping electronic Hindi disco tune, a soaring orchestral romantic ballad from the vinyl era, an infectiously melodious contemporary pop duet, and a festive traditional spiritual performed by the internationally revered Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn. But most impressive of all is the film's original music. Sukhvinder Singh's rousing theme song, "Aaj Mera Jee Kardaa," expertly weaves traditional folk elements with sleek pop rhythms and strings. In a perfect alternate reality, it would probably be an Oscar winner. So would Mychael Danna's score. A recent Hindu groom himself and one of the most innovative composers in North American cinema, Danna elevates Nair's naturalistic hand-held camera narrative to a transcendent spiritual plane. The mystical "Fuse Box" almost single-handedly accomplishes the task of transforming the clownish wedding planner P.K. Dubey from a hilarious marigold-eating Indian version of Martin Short's Father of the Bride character to a thoroughly credible and even charming romantic lead. Unfortunately, that exquisite melody is hyped up to the point of tedium in two pounding techno remixes at the conclusion of the soundtrack album. They are a regrettable misstep in an otherwise brilliant compilation."

Some beautifull music on both these soundtrack albums I must say :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

This is a song based on a traditional folk song from Iran with poetry by 11th century Persian poet Baba Taher. The chorus melody is traditional and the verse melodies and instrumental sections were composed by Azam Ali and Loga Ramin Torkian.

Poetry translation:

I came into this world with no possessions
Awarded only a yearning heart
All those who came before me have returned to the dust
And it is from this dust which I have been created
O beloved, when will you arrive
I cannot bear one moment of this separation
Lucky are those who are on your path
Lucky are those who place their head at your feet
I am even willing to surrender my heart
To those whose hearts hold your love
Even if you have a crown and sit at a throne
In the end you will have nothing
Even if you are destined for great riches
In the end you will return to the dust

-Baba Taher (11th century Persian poet)

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Here are some terrific collaborations/improvisations from musicians from Turkey through to India.

 

Persian

Night Silence Desert - Mohammed Reza Shajrian & Kayhan Kalhor

 

Persian/Turkish.        

The Wind — Kayhal Kalhor (Persian) & Erdal Erzincan (Turkish)

post-111035-0-88176600-1388616709_thumb.

 

Persian /Indian.

Ghazal — Kayhal Kalhor (Persian) & Shujaat Husain Khan (India)

post-111035-0-88144200-1388616751_thumb.

As Night Falls on the Silk Road — Ghazal (band includes Kayhan Kalhor (Persian) & Shujaat Husain Khan (India)

 

Arabic/Indian

The Arab Path to India — Adel Salameh (oud)  & K Sridar (sarod)

post-111035-0-50223900-1388616770_thumb.

Saltanah — Simon Shaheen (oud) & VM Bhatt (mohan vina) 

post-111035-0-07478300-1388616740_thumb.

 

Edited by buddyev
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a bit obsessed with indian music at the moment.

Ravi Shankar - homage to mahatma Gandhi & baba Allaudin - on deutsche gramophone - absolutely spectacular.

Also just picked up the 3 albums Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin did together in the early 60s.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...
To Top