WorldBeatUK (25th Show) - Broadcast Notes (7/9/11)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips makossa Goy Karamelo Rey Trueno Emel Mathlouthi Aldona Po' Girl Espirito Brum Babilak Bah Tabacarana Dominguinhos Flavia Bittencourt Thornato SpokFrevo Dimapetrov Maguare Sin Fronteras chicha gaita frevo Zephyrus Bootlegumachine
WBUK 25 - SHOWNOTES
1 Intro-Mat (1:47) by Matchatcha from the album “Nyekesse” (Melodie)
You’re listening to Rhubarb Radio, I’m Glyn Phillips and this is WorldBeatUK!
Yes, welcome back to the show after a couple of week’s break whilst I’ve been on holiday. I’m back in the driving seat now and revving up the engine ready to take you around the world in weighty grooves!
Climb aboard and make yourself comfortable, because tonight we’re going from Cameroun to Argentina, Mexico to Tunisia and from Poland to Canada.
We’ll be staying in the sun for quite a while in Brazil with a preview of next week’s Espirito Brum Festival and I’ll be getting you bouncing up and down in your seats to Electro-Swing, Peruvian Chicha, Gaita Colombiana, Gaita Venezolana, Cumbia Belga, Salsa, and some heavy Balkan beats! Trust me you don’t want to miss it!
As promised first up we’re off to the West African country of Cameroon and a piece of oldschool Makossa by Epee and Koum.
This is called “Soukoumokossa/Guy Lobé”
2 Soukoumakossa/Guy Lobé (4:17) by Epee & Koum from the album “Makossa Best of Vol. 3”
And from Cameroonian makossa to some upbeat Argentine Ska courtesy of Goy Karamelo this is called “Sale El Sol” (the sun’s come out, I feel alright)
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3 Sale El Sol (I Feel Alright) (2:50) by Goy Karamelo (Demo 2011)
Yeah, both Argentina and Mexico are full of experimentation and vibrant energy recently and this next one comes from Mexico’s Rey Trueno (King Thunder) an art collective that put on multi-media experiences.
This sonic collage of a tune seems to take in all kinds of African influences and styles and is called “Aotole/Eutela” and is a lot of fun.
¡Que suenan los tambores!
4 Aotole/Eutela (4:32) by Rey Trueno
OK, I’m going to mellow out the sounds now and feature three songstresses from three different continents.
First up is a young Tunisian singer called Emel Mathlouthi and a beautiful song from her album “Helma Dream” called “Helma”.
5 Helma (4:28) by Emel Mathlouthi from the album “Helma Dream”
Hmmm. Lovely! And now from North Africa to Poland. Well, France actually since our next songbird although born and brought up in Poland is now based in Paris and has allowed some of that Gallic wistfulness to seep into her music.
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The lady in question is Aldona and this is a track from her new album (“Sonnet”) on the German Jaro Medien label.
Aldona sings in Polish still, but the title of the track is given in English; this is a waltz entitled “Blue Birds of Blanka”
6 Blue Birds Of Blanka (4:05) by Aldona from the album “Sonnet” (Jaro Medien)
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OK, last of the lyrical ladies for a moment - although stay tuned for a couple of tunes by the beautiful Brazilian singer Flavia Bittencourt later on in the show.
This is a Canadian band called Po’ Girl. They take their name from the folklore of New Orleans when the women there gathered scraps of food from restaurants to make the 'Poor Girl' sandwiches for the railway strikers.
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They’re about to arrive in the UK for a tour to promote their new album “Follow Your Bliss” and will be appearing at the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath, Birmingham, THIS Sunday the 11th of September. On the basis of the album I’ve got in front of me they’re well worth going to see. This track is from the album and is called “Kathy”.
7 Kathy (4:18) by Po' Girl from the album “Follow Your Bliss”
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Yeah, the urban folk band Po’ Girl who will be appearing at the Kitchen Garden Cafe this Sunday night.
In fact if you’re going to be at Birmingham’s Artsfest this weekend and you like beautiful female voices and good music, then check out the Yardbird jazz club on Sunday 11th at 2.30pm where you can catch the Diva Collective - three great Brummie singers, Sonia Indigo Clarke, Leonie Moore and Ola Brown backed by some great Brummie musicians: Reed Bass on bass, Leon Small on drums, Reuben James on keys, Melika QB on violin, Howard Chambers on guitar and some bloke called Glyn Phillips on Percussion - music ranging from original tracks to Billie Holiday, Gwen McRae and Soul II Soul as well as a version of Florence and the Machine’s “You Got The Love” done rockabilly style . . . 2.30-3pm on Sunday at the Yardbird if you’re interested.
Now, then time to hit the Brazilian trail for the next seven numbers or so. Starting next week in Birmingham there’ll be a Brummie-Brazilian exchange going on as Digbeth plays host to a load of Brazilian musicians and artists (alongside some great homegrown acts of all styles - over 30 acts in all) as part of the Espirito Brum Festival which is being organised by Rhubarb Radio’s own Magpie Brown and Soesmix Eden.
Check out the website www.espiritobrum.org - all events are only a flat £5 each which is very reasonable and there’ll also be workshops, films, foods and talks. As I say, check out the website for more details, but I’m going to give you a little taste of the Brazilian side of things over the next few tunes.
First up is the eclectic percussionist Babilak Bah - some very inspiring stuff indeed.
He'll be doing an experimental workshop on Saturday 17th at The Edge in Digbeth and will also be appearing at The Viva Brazil night at the PST Club on Sunday 18th alongside many other acts as well as me DJing.
This is a track from the album “Emxadario” called “Vou Me Raoni”.
8 Vou Me Raoni (2:55) by Babilak Bah from the album “Emxadário” (Sonhos & Sons)
OK, that was Babilak Bah, and here’s another act to be appearing as part of the Espirito Brum Festival, the samba-roqueiros, Tabacarana.
You can catch them at Monalitos in Bearwood on Thursday 15th alongside other acts. This is called “Onde Anda João Carlos?” (Where is João Carlos going?)
9 Onde Anda João Carlos? (4:54) by Tabacarana
[CONTINUOUS]
10 Toque de Pife Sem o Brasil (2:49) by Dominguinhos (Criolina re-edit)
Well, that last track was not by someone who is appearing at the Espirito Brum Festival although there is a link.
You heard there a re-edit by the Brazilian DJ collective Criolina of a forro entitled “Toque de Pife Sem o Brasil” by the nordestino accordion player and composer, Dominguinhos.
And the link with the festival is as follows:
the beautiful Brazilian singer, Flavia Bittencourt will be performing here in Brum at two gigs next week - I’ll give details later - and she has brought out a couple of albums to great acclaim, the most recent being entirely devoted to reinterpreting the work of the afore-mentioned Dominguinhos, entitled “Todo Domingos”. 
So to give you a flavour of that album and of the delicious Miss Bittencourt here’s a track from there called “Lamento Sertanejo” and that’s to be followed by a sublime track from her first album (“Sentido”) called “Ex-Amor”. But first “Lamento Sertanejo”
11 Lamento Sertanejo (3:48) by Flávia Bittencourt from the album “Todo Domingos” (Tratore)
[CONTINUOUS]
12 Ex-Amor (5:00) by Flávia Bittencourt from the album “Sentido” (Tratore)
[CHANGE CD!!!]
That was Flavia Bittencourt and you can hear her twice during the Espirito Brum Festival next week. The first event is taking place at Monalito’s (which is on Three Shire Oaks in Bearwood, Birmingham) on Thursday 15th and besides Flavia and her musicians the night will also feature Brazilian DJ Zappie Pimiental and myself on the decks and Tabacarana 7pm till late - and all for £5. I’ll see you all there . . .
Flavia will also be in the studio here on my show next week chatting and playing some unplugged songs live too, so don’t forget to tune in!
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And if you had already forgotten who you were listening to then I’ll give you a reminder!
[You’re listening to . . .]
This is a track called “Seu Maya” - not sure who the original is but the remix is by Thornato of the Cumba Mela Collective)
(1) 13 Seu Maya (3:22) by Thornato (Cumba Mela Collective)
OK, last of the Brazilian numbers now and time to up the energy levels to kick off the half of the show.
This is the amazing SpokFrevo Orquestra from Recife in Northeastern Brazil and a mad, million-miles-an-hour, jazzy frevo entitled “Nino o Pernambuquinho”!
(2) 14 Nino O Pernambuquinho (3:16) by Spok Frevo Orquestra from the album “Passo De Anjo” (Biscoito Fino)
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OK, we’re cooking on gas now...
So time for a little bit of Electro-Swing from Dimapetrov of St Petersburg in Russia to tickle your fancy.
Or is it Baltic Swing and Bass?
Hmmm. You know, I’m “Undecided Now” . . .
(3) 15 Undecided (3:05) by Dimapetrov
[CONTINUOUS]
(4) 16 Balkanski Bal (Bucovina rmx) (3:10) by DJ Supersonico
Opa, Opa!! That was the DJ Supersonico’s Bucovina mix of “Balkanski Bal”.
Stay tuned for some more Balkanic madness at the end of the show.
In the meantime I’m heading for the jungles of South America and some Peruvian Chicha from Pedro Miguel y sus Maracaibos.
This from the album “Bonghead Peru Selections” and is called “Arroz Con Coco” (Rice and Coconut). Güeepa!
(5) 17 Arroz con Coco (2:12) by Pedro Miguel Y Sus Maracaibos from the album “Bongohead Peru Selections”
And if that wasn’t enough here’s a little more psychedelic chicha music.
The band are Los Mirlos, the album is called “The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru” and this track is “El Milagro Verde” (The Green Miracle)
(6) 18 El Milagro Verde (2:44) by Los Mirlos from the album “The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru”
[CONTINUOUS]
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(7) 19 El Chicharrón (3:13) by Hermanos Castillo from the album “Con Gaita”
That was a track called “El Chicharrón” by Hermanos Castillo from the album “Con Gaita” - think that was actually a Colombian rhythm called puya underlining the gaita flutes (but I’m open to correction there if anyone knows better!).
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The word gaita refers to a number of things in Spanish including, flutes, pipes, bagpipes and a form of Colombian music.
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It also refers to another form of music from Venezuela, very different in rhythm than to it’s Western neighbour.
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The gaita venezolana is in ¾ time and sounds like this offering from the band Sin Fronteras(without frontiers) called “Aqui Te Traigo”(Here I bring you . . .). Enjoy!
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(8) 20 Aqui Te Traigo (2009) (4:24) by Sin Fronteras
[CONTINUOUS]
(9) 21 Tiroteo (2:55) by New Swing Sextete from the album “Volumen 01”
Hey, that was a track called “Tiroteo” by the New Swing Sextete - sorry I don’t really have much more info about them other than that. Classic salsa dura feel even with the vibes. Guaranteed to get your feet moving!
Next up it’s time to “Get Busy” with DJ Supersonico and the Sistema de Sonido Urbano and his Balkan-Kumbia mashup - I’ve warned you before, just watch out for Tarzan swing through the trees! - and that’s followed very appropriately by a spot of “Jungle Fever” by Maguaré. Are you ready? Then Get BUSY!
(10) 22 Get Busy (3:22) by DJ Supersonico & Sistema de Sonido Urbano
[CONTINUOUS]
(11) 23 Jungle Fever (4:11) by Maguaré from the album “RetroCumbia” (Zephyrus)
Yeah, now that is one sexy, sexy tune!! The band, Maguaré, is from Belgium but fronted by the lovely Colombian Paola Marquez and that’s called “Jungle Fever” from their album “Retro Cumbia” on the Zephyrus label from Ghent.
That track can now be downloaded for free (as of yesterday) by going to SoundCloud and looking for “Jungle Fever”.
Maguaré is spelled M-A-G-U-A-R-É. That’s dedicated to La Maranguita, as is the next track. ¡¡Ay Papi!!
(12) 24 “¡Ay Papi!" (2:36) by Unknown Artist - from the album “Mofongo Para El Alma” (Discos Mulato)
Ha ha ha!! How was that for you? Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did…
OK last number now.
[Goodbyes, shout-outs, reminders etc]
Let’s go out with a bang (missus!) this is the Bootlegumachine mashup remix of Tony Camargo’s “Año Viejo”.
Good night to all and tune in next week for Flavia Bittencourt live on the show and a whole lot more!
(13) 25 Año Viejo (Bootlegumachine_Mashup) (5:44) by Tony Camargo (bootlegumachine re-fix)
WorldBeatUK (19th Show) - Broadcast Notes (6/7/11)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips Colombiafrica Professor Elemental Zeca Pagodinho Zulu 9.30 Lisandro Meza Etubom Rex Williams Strut JuJu Ikebe Shakedown Shazalakazoo Slamboree Goy Karamelo Tommy McCook Letta Mbulu Supa Bassie Joe Claussell Nuyorican Soul Tea Sea
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WBUK19 (6/7/11) - SHOWNOTES
1 “Intro-Mat” (1:47) by Matchatcha from the album “Nyekesse” (Melodie)
Hi there, you’re listening to WorldBeatUK on Rhubarb Radio, transmitting around the world from the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham - all done through the magic of digital technology. Such times we live in! My name’s Glyn Phillips and for the next two hours I’ll be playing you my own idiosyncratic collation of the best in world music from around the globe; from the past and present - and looking toward the future.
This week it’s all about the soul and the funk, the grist and the groove - and there’s a definite African and Colombian flavour to much of tonight’s sonic banquet. So, just grab hold of yer eating irons and get stuck into the musical feast that awaits you . . .
In fact this week’s show is slightly different from normal - there’s very few new releases this time, so I thought I’d rustle through some interesting oldies, almost-newies and the ‘ones that got away’ - and in doing so I’ve managed to dig up some seriously funky-ass grooves to get you shaking yer tushes to!
But let’s not rush it, we’ll just put the pot on to boil, gently warm up the pan and put the pulses in to soak. You can’t rush good food. We’ll just get you nicely simmered up for the first part of the show and, indeed, first up is the point where the South American country of Colombia (bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Amazon Jungle) meets Africa (culturally speaking anyway).
Colombiafrica - The Mystic Orchestra is a project that takes some of the best afro-colombiano musicians Viviano Torres, Luis Towers and Justo Valdez and teams them up with African musicians such as Dally Kimoko, Nyboma, Sekou Diabaté, Rigo Star and the brilliant Diblo Dibala (who, incidentally is the man behind my theme music for this show!). The album is called “Voodoo Love Inna Champeta-Land” and this track is called “No Habla Na’” (Don’t Say Nuthin’!)
2 “No Habla Na’” (4:43) by Colombiafrica - The Mystic Orchestra from the album “Voodoo Love Inna Champeta-Land” (Riverboat Records/World Music Network)
Well, that was all rather splendid, don’t you think? Professor Elemental certainly thinks so!
3 “Splendid (Tom Caruana remix)” (3:02) by Professor Elemental from the album “More Tea (Remixes)” (Tea Sea Records)
Yes that was the wonderfully eccentric Englishman Professor Elemental and a track from his recent album “More Tea (Remixes)” called “Splendid!” - check the video out on YouTube if you can, and remember you can get his tracks direct from his website:
And if you’re listening Prof, hope the baby’s coming on a treat! And stay tuned for more Elemental eccentricity later on in the show!
Last week I had a little bit too much to say (as usual!) so unfortunately I ran out of time and had to drop a track from my playlist. Well don’t say that I don’t try and put things right straightaway. Here’s that track a great feelgood samba tune called “Vai Vadiar” by the great Zeca Pagodinho from his album “Sem Limite”. Goza os meus amiguinhos!
4 “Vai Vadiar” (4:07) by Zeca Pagodinho from the album “Sem Limite” (Universal Import)
OK, let’s nip across to Barcelona for the first of two visits tonight. This is the home of the really talented Spanish band Zulu 9.30 who are amongst the current wave of European mestizo music - a style that often mashes up latin, Jamaican, flamenco, folk, jazz, rock, punk and, well, all kinds of stuff into a danceable world groove. It’s all grist to the mill! This is from their album “Huellas” (which means ‘footprints’) on the Kasba label and is a salsa-based piece called “Te Llevo Conmigo” (I’m taking you with me!).
5 “Te Llevo Conmigo” (3:36) by Zulu 9.30 from the album “Huellas” (Kasba)
And that sets us up nicely to go back over to South America for a lovely slice of 1980s cumbia from the great accordionist Lisandro Meza - probably the first cumbiambero I ever came across when I first pitched up on the shores of South America over a quarter of a century ago. What a great sound he has. So slap on the sombrero, sharpen your machete and mount up your burros because Lisandro is taking us to meet “Las Africanas” . . .
6 “Las Africanas” (2:18) by Lisandro Meza from the album “Lisandro’s Cumbia” (World Circuit)
[CONTINUOUS]
7 “Illusion de Amor” (4:13) by Los Chapillacs (Listen Recovery RENZ mix)
First you heard the sound of Colombian cumbia from accordionist Lisandro Meza and that was followed by psychedelic 1970s Peruvian chicha music (which is based on cumbia) by Los Chapillacs subtly remixed by Listen Recovery RENZ.
Let’s follow that with some more old school sounds - this is from a wonderful recent compilation of old Nigerian tunes from the 1970s.
The album is on the Strut Records label and is called “Sweet Times…”; from that is this sublime slowburner “Ama Mbre Ewa” by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes. Just kick back and let this one flow over you . . .
8 “Ama Mbre Ewa” (5:38) by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes from the album “Sweet Times” (Strut Records)
Wasn’t that good? Very trance-like feel - and talking of which this next track is from a recent album on Real World Records called “In Trance” by the Anglo-Gambian duo of Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara.
And please note Justin and Juldeh will be performing right here in Birmingham the day after tomorrow at the mac, in Edgbaston, in the open air arena. That’s going to be a real treat indeed! I saw them a couple of weeks ago down in Devon at the HOME Festival doing an acoustic set - a real mindblower!
Juldeh is from Gambia in West Africa and is a real virtuoso on the ritti or nyanyeru (the traditional one-string fiddle of West Africa). Doesn’t sound very inspiring? Trust me, this guy really knows what he’s doing! Amazing licks and he can make it sound like lots of different instruments too - all on just ONE string and no fretboard!! He also sings really well and has real presence.
Justin’s no slouch either - he’s served time with Jah Wobble and has also produced and co-written with Robert Plant. Justin plays some mean blues guitar and banjo and sings too.
If you want to hear where the blues comes from, where the Gambia meets the Mississippi, where West Africa meets the Celtic World, then check these guys out. Highly recommended!
So that’s this Friday at the mac (7.30pm and the support band is the African Roots Fusion Band)
OK, so here’s a taster for that - a laidback bluesy piece called “Halanam”
9 “Halanam” (7:09) by JuJu (Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara) from the album “In Trance” (Real World Records)
So, from the ethereal sound of the one-string fiddle to the simultaneously ‘in-yer-face’ but ‘so-laid-back-it’s-almost-horizontal’ sounds of afrobeat-funk band Ikebe Shakedown from Brooklyn, New Yoik! Love their sound!
And that cowbell! That’s exactly how I’d play it too . . . Hmmmm! Not so much ‘music in the key of life’ as ‘groove to the universal pulse’.
This is the “Kumasi Walk” from their album also called ”Ikebe Shakedown” on the Ubiquity label.
10 “Kumasi Walk” (4:42) by Ikebe Shakedown from the album “Ikebe Shakedown” (Ubiquity)
OK, WAKEY-WAKEY!! Balkanbeat madness to the max! This is “Marock” by Shazalakazoo.
11 “Marock” (3:54) by Shazalakazoo
[CONTINUOUS]
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12 “Moon Monkeys” (1:15) by Professor Elemental from the album “More Tea (Remixes)” (Tea Sea Records)
[CONTINUOUS]
13 “Prokofiev” (3:20) by Slamboree
I bet that cleared yer sinuses out! OK first of all in that little medley you heard a modern piece of Balkanbeat madness from Shalakazoo followed by a little interlude of Professor Elemental lunar monkey business and then, no it’s not those tossers from The Apprentice - it is of course the Russian genius Prokofiev’s “Dance of the Knights” from Romeo and Juliet - given a peculiarly British Dubstep treatment by Slamboree, a collective that includes Rhubarb Radio and Birmingham’s very own DJ Marc Reck (AKA DJ Narrative).
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So in true WorldBeatUK fashion, from the ridiculous to the sublime...
From the 1980s a glorious fusion of Andalusian flamenco with a Moroccan orchestra - Juan Pena El Lebrijano and the Orquesta Andalusi de Tanger.
I first bought this album “Encuentros” on vinyl and fell in love with the album sleeve, the rather dapper looking silk-cravatted Paco Cepero on guitar, the open-shirted, medallion-chested singer Juan Pena El Lebrijano both seated in front, and behind them two Moroccan women and five blokes in neck-to-ankle pure white shifts and - joy of joys - each one wearing a red fez! It was better than a Tommy Cooper convention!
Aah, but you think I jest too much methinks! Let me tell you however the music is fabulous! Here’s the opening tune from the album. It’s called “Vivir Un Cuento De Hadas” (living a fairytale) and I think you’ll see what I mean
14 “Vivir Un Cuento De Hadas” (5:08) by Juan Pena Lebrijano and the Orquesta Andalusi de Tanger from the album “Encuentros” (Ariola)
[CHANGE THE CDS OVER!]
Wasn’t that sumptuous! Ok, let’s take it up again a notch. This is a cumbia-based track with a reggaeton feel and andean folkloric overtones mixed with hip-hop; originally written by the Argentine band Karamelo Santo and featured in the Latin American film “Caño Dorado”; here it’s remixed by Goy Karamelo (now a solo musician). I’m really loving some of the stuff that’s been coming out of Argentina recently and this is no exception. “Que No Digan Nunca”
(1) 15 “Que No Digan Nunca” [Ends at 3.48] (4:03) by Karamelo Santo (Caño Dorado film music - remix by Goy Karamelo) from the album “Mi CD”
[BEWARE: Ends at 3.48!!]
OK, two in a row now; same song but for some reason with different names. I’ll tell you after, what the details are, but if any of you say Lily Allen I’ll never talk to you again!
(2) 16 “Reggae Merengue” (2:16) by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
And now another version . . .
(3) 17 “Cójeme La Caña” (3:00) by Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros (Mixticius)
So, first one was an old version by Jamaican saxophonist Tommy McCook and the Supersonics called - for some bizarre reason on the version I’ve got - ‘Reggae Merengue’ (although it’s obviously a cumbia to me!) and that was followed by the Colombian bandleader Pedro Laza y sus Pelayeros and the same tune but called “Cójeme La Caña” - and that was a remix by Mixticius; you can find more of his work on Soundcloud.
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Well, a real treat now - I absolutely love this! From the “Gilles Peterson in Africa - The Soul” album this is South African singer Letta Mbulu and some tasty, tasty funk called “Mahlalela”. Brilliant!
(4) 18 “Mahlalela” (4:45) by Letta Mbulu from the album “Gilles Peterson in Africa - The Soul” (Ether)
[CONTINUOUS]
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(5) 19 “Original Cumbiamuffin” (4:57) by Supa Bassie
Ha ha ha! Love that one!! That was reggaeman Supa Bassie from Valencia and a tune called “Original Cumbiamuffin” - a cumbia reworking of his hit “Original Raggamuffin” from the “Crónicas de un Viaje” album.
And since I’m in that remixing mood how about this little mashup from young Mexican mixer Outsider8301 - this is Sidestepper’s groovalicious “Papaya” vs Wreckx-n-Effect’s 1992 butt-wobbling “Rumpshaker”, with a little MIA thrown in for good measure. You can start bouncing now ladies!
(6) 20 “Papaya vs Rumpshaker” (5:29) by Wreckx + M.I.A. vs Sidestepper (Oscar Outsider 8301)
[Talk over intro to next track]:
OK, we’re definitely in the groove now, brothers and sisters! And time to lay this one on you. This is where latin meets soul, meets jazz meets funk. Eddie Palmieri is both a giant and a living legend in the annals of New York latin jazz and here his amazing “Mi Congo Te Llama” gets a very liberal deconstruction by Joaquin “Joe” Claussell from the brand new album “Hammock House - Africa Caribe” on the Fania label. 7 minutes of stone-solid groove, babies!
[BEWARE - LONG QUIET START!!]
(7) 21 “Mi Congo Te Llama” (Joe Claussell Remix) (6:59) by Eddie Palmieri from the album “Hammock House - Africa Caribe” (Código/Fania)
OK and that’s the end of the show . . .
[SHOUT-OUTS TO ALL AND ANNOUNCEMENTS - reminder about Justin and Juldeh at mac]
I said at the top of the show that tonight was all about the funk and the soul, the grist and the groove. Well, I’ve tried to give you that tonight and I hope you agree. If you don’t feel so, then at least you should be able to with this final track.
This is the fantastic Jocelyn Brown and Nuyorican Soul and a track from the Masters At Work album “Nuyorican Soul”. Turn up your speakers as loud as they’ll go and say after me: “It’s Alright, I Feel it!”
(8) 22 “It’s Alright, I Feel It!” (3:22) by Jocelyn Brown & Nuyorican Soul from the album “NuYorican Soul” (Talkin Loud)
WorldBeatUK (15th Show) - Broadcast Notes (8th June 2011)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips JuJu Frigg Kadialy Kouyate Gnawa Super Khoumeissa Doa Bonovo Balfa Brothers Timbalada Juçara Marçal Kiki Dinucci Luna Itzel Imam Baildi Goy Karamelo Poly Rythmo Rob Roy Ikebe Shakedown Mixticius Songhai Pedro Laza Strut Analog
WBUK15 (8/6/11) SHOWNOTES
1 “Intro-Mat” (1:47) by Matchatcha from album “Nyekesse” (Melodie)
Hi, this is WorldBeatUK, I’m Glyn Phillips and you’re listening to Rhubarb Radio - coming at you loud and clear from The Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham. Welcome to the show that brings the sound of a planet to your living room.
Lots of goodies on the show tonight, including: some classic world fusion from the 1980s - courtesy of Ketama, Toumani Diabate and Danny Thompson’s Songhai project.
Notwithstanding: kora - a 21-string Senegalese harp, gimbri - a 3-string guitar and ritti - a one-string fiddle.
And how can you resist when Michael Jackson goes Cumbia, Pedro Laza goes Swing, and The Big Apple goes Afrobeat.
As well as all that we’ve got music from Beninese vodoun afrobeat maestros Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo’s last album in 2010 and from their first ever album in 1973, Ghanaian afro-funk from 1977, remixed Greek rembetiko and Serbian hasaposerviko, Mexican waltz, Brazilian rumba & carimbó, samba-reggae from Timbalada, and some classic cajun from the Balfa Brothers.
Sprinkle all that with Medieval tales of Arthurian romance from Spain’s celtic corner as well as contemporary Galician fusion, traditional Takamba music from northern Mali, Gnawa Sufi trance music from Morocco, and some Nordic fiddling and you’ve got the basis of tonight’s show.
However, I’m going to kick off with a band I played last week called JuJu which includes English guitarist/composer Justin Adams (who amongst other things was a member of Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart, produced Tinariwen’s first and third albums and co-wrote Robert Plant’s 2005 album) along with the Gambian singer and one-string fiddle player Juldeh Camara (who has previously been part of Ifang Bondi, has played with the Blind Boys of Alabama and also been part of Tunge Jegede’s African Classical Ensemble).
JuJu also includes Billy Fuller on bass and Dave Smith on drums. This is from their new album (“In Trance” about to be released on Monday 13th June by Real World Records) and it’s a suitably trance-like blues called “Jombajo”:
2 “Jombajo” (6:58) by JuJu (Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara) from album “In Trance” (Real World Records)
And continuing in a suitably laid-back vein I offer you this piece by the nordic string band Frigg (named after the Scandinavian mother goddess and wife of Odin and incidentally where we get the name of Friday from in English) made up of musicians from Norway and Finland, playing between them four fiddles, mandolin, guitar and bass. From their album “Grannen”, this is called “Amurin Tiikeri”:
3 “Amurin Tiikeri” (4:53) by Frigg from album “Grannen” (Frigg00007)
As I said last week, the Celebrating Sanctuary Festival 2011 will be taking place in London on the 19th June on the South Bank, as part of Refugee Week (which is the 20th-26th June) and to flag that up I’m featuring some of the artists involved this week and next. Last week I featured Rory McLeod and this week it’s the turn of Bravo Bravo. Normally this is a duo formed out of the Trinidadian steel pan maestro Fimber Bravo and the Senegalese kora player, Kadialy Kouyate.
This next track is from their album “Small Talk”; however it features just Kadialy on his own on one of his own compositions called “Kilonding” (which means ‘orphan’). The song tells how shortly after giving birth to a son a mother is killed by the King Manfati when she is caught stealing his water. Years later the son goes from village to village searching for the king to take his revenge . . .
4 “Kilonding” (4:22) by Kadialy Kouyate from BravoBravo’s album “Small Talk”
We’re going to go North from Southern Senegal, past Gambia and North Senegal, Mauretania, and Western Sahara to Morocco, where we find the Gnawa musicians of Essaouira. The Gnawa follow a branch of mystical sufi Islam that also incorporates elements of much older West African divinity.
The Gnawa musicians are famous for practising healing rituals and holding ceremonies on the night of the Leela which involve deeply hypnotic trance music led by a master musician or ‘maallem’ and his troupe, assisted by a ‘moqadeema’ female healer, to the melodies of the 3-stringed gimbri, the clapping of hands driving the rhythm forward, the rising and falling chants and the relentless clash of the ‘krakeb’ (the large metal castanets).
In this recording - made during one such healing session in 2003, you can hear the maallem Mokhtar Gania and his ensemble performing “Arrahb Alahmar Essaouria”, part of a much longer piece called “Sidi Hamou”, which represents the butcher who leads the sacrifice, his colour being, of course, blood-red . . .
5 “Arrahb Alahmar Essaouria” (3:14) by Maallem Mokhtar Gania from album Gnawa “Sufi Trance - Music Of Morocco” (Standard Records)
[BEWARE!! ENDS ABRUPTLY! FADE after 3 mins ie about 15 secs before end]
And from one trance-like piece to another - this is Super Khoumeissa a group of six musicians and four dancers from Gao on the banks of the River Niger in Northern Mali. They’ve been around in various formats for around 20 years but this is their first official release. The music they play is known as Takamba (the commonest musical form in Northern Mali) and refers also to the graceful dance which accompanies it. Super Khoumeissa play the heavily amplified three-stringed tahardent, also known as the ngoni (and also very similar to the gimbri of the previous track) alongside huge calabash gourds which they strike a bit like the Indian ghatam pot and are fronted by a female singer, Zerena Maiga.
This track is from a 12” Limited Edition album on the FatCat Records label called “Split Series No 21” due to be released on the 21st of August this year. It’s called the Split Series because they share the album with the LA based vocal and percussion quartet Foot Village who will be touring the UK this July (including Brum’s Hare and Hounds). We’ll have to wait a bit to see Super Khoumeissa who should be accompanying the singer Khaira Arby, but in the meantime this is a track by them called “Khoumeissa”.
6 “Khoumeissa” (6:32) by Super Khoumeissa from album “Split Series #21” (FatCat Records)
[FADE AROUND 2-3 mins max!!]
OK, so far tonight I’ve played a rather laid-back show - which is fine, it’s good to take time to listen to stuff that I could never play in a club situation. So here’s one more reflective piece, before I start to change the gears musically speaking. This is from a new release on the Spanish Fol Musica label (part of the bigger Boa Music España group) which specialises in the music of the Galicia region of North-Western Spain.
Followers of this show will have heard me play plenty of music from this vibrant Celtic region, both traditional and contemporary fusion. So I’ve got two tracks lined up to represent both ends of the musical arc there.
First up is the group Doa who have been around for over 30 years now and tend towards exploring the traditional and ancient musical history of Galicia. They’ve just released a new album called “A Fronda dos Cervos” (The Horns of the Deer) which is entirely devoted to medieval Galician poetry set to music. No don’t run away! It’s good, honestly! This track is based upon the breton lays which deal with the Arthurian legends - in this case the story of Sir Tristan the Irish king Malhout. This track is called “O Maroot”.
7 “O Maroot” (3:28) by DOA from album “A Fronda Dos Cervos” (Fol Musica)
And now the other side of Galician folk music - some fusion from the trio Bonovo - which incidentally was formed by the zanfoñeiro Oscar Fernandez, one of the current members of the last band we just heard, Doa. Oscar plays the zanfoña - a galician hurdy-gurdy - and this is teamed up with accordion and drums and samplers to create a sort of electro-acoustic dancefloor folk reminiscent of early Afro-Celt Sound System, but with a more defined Galician sound.
The track is called “Sexta”, from the self-titled album “Bonovo” (also on the Spanish Fol Musica label). It’s like a cross between folk-rock, prog-rock and jazz-fusion - and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book!
8 “Sexta” (4:03) by Bonovo from album “Bonovo” (Fol Musica)
Well, we’ve had lots of fiddlers already on tonight’s show and this next one is no exception. It’s not a new band or even a new album - I’m just playing this for the sheer love of it - this is for Dylan coz I know he loves cajun music: The Balfa Brothers from Mamou, Louisiana and the “Acadien Two Step”.
9 “Acadien Two Step” (3:09) by Balfa Brothers from album “World of Music Sampler” (Nascente)
Don’t forget you’re listening to WorldBeatUK right here on Rhubarb Radio, transmitting from Birmingham right across the world! If you’ve got an internet connection then we can reach you! My name’s Glyn Phillips and you can join me every Wednesday (7pm-9pm UK time) on a musical journey around the world.
Now, it’s very strange that even though I’ve spent various months in Brazil going back and I was a founder member of various Brazilian music ensembles in Birmingham from the late 80s onwards that I haven’t played a lot of music from there on this show. Well let’s try and redress the balance a bit - though as ever with a bit of a twist.
This next track is from samba-reggae giants Timbalada and one of my favourite numbers of theirs “Beija-Flor” (Hummingbird). Of course with me I always like to put a different slant on things - so this is Timbalada remixed with some ragga lyrics in English (possibly by someone called ‘British Bulldog’ - I just can’t tell, I’ve tried to track it down but to no avail - if you know the answer, contact me); I have no other details apart from it’s taken from the 2000 album “Brazil: The Essential Album” (on the Manteca label):
10 “Beija-Flor” (5:02) by Timbalada from album “Brazil: The Essential Album (Disc 2)” (Manteca)
[CONTINUOUS]
11 “Engasga Gato/Casa Barata” (3:26) by Juçara Marçal e Kiko Dinucci from album “Padê”
OK, that jaunty samba track was by the Brazilian paulistino duo of Juçara Marçal and Kiko Dinucci from their debut album “Padê” (which is a Yoruba word which means ‘finding’ and also refers to the opening ceremony of a candomble session where the first orixa to be called is always Exu the messenger). The track was a mixture of rumba and carimbó made from the medley of two songs “Engasga Gato” and “Casa Barata”.
And from one giant nation of Latin America to another - ¡OYEN! Sres y Sras - vamo’ a Mexico! Sí, Sr. ¿Cómo no? Dele por ‘echo… Llamando a todo’ lo mexicano’ y las mexicanas - desde Tijuana a Cancún - que bellas y riquísimas que son!
Now then, Luna Itzel comes from Mexico and is an interpreter of classic Mexican songs and traditional styles especially the notoriously difficult huapango style (you can look her up at www.lunaitzel.com). However, in the track I’m going to play for you she sings a lilting waltz.
This is taken from her fourth album “Frida Volumen 2 - El Venadito” which is dedicated to Mexico’s most celebrated visual artist the great, nay the legendary, Frida Kahlo. If you’ve never come across the artwork of Frida Kahlo - or indeed her even more unbelievable life story - then I urge you to investigate further.
In the meantime, the beautiful Luna Itzel is going to ensare us with her voice. This is called “La Bruja” (The Witch).
12 “La Bruja” (3:55) by Luna Itzel from album “Frida (Vol 2) - El Venadito” (2008 - Tratore)
[CONTINUOUS]
13 “De Thelo Pia Na Xanarthis” (3:34) by Imam Baildi from album “Imam Baildi” (2007 Emi Greece and 2009 Kukin Music)
[CHANGE CD!!]
You’re listening to WorldBeatUK on Rhubarb Radio with me, Glyn Phillips, taking you on a musical journey around the world from 7pm to 9pm every Wednesday evening.
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The last tune you heard was by the Greek remixers, refixers, producers and bandleaders Imam Baildi. Formed by two brothers Orestis and Lysandros Falireas in the mid-noughties, they specialised in taking old recordings - especially Greek rembetiko ones - and refixing them with a contemporary aesthetic - new rhythms, style clashes, rap overlays, hip-hop, trip-hop, drum & bass etc. Not surprising when you realise that their father owned a record label and shop specialising in old rebetiko.
That track was from their first album called simply “Imam Baildi” which incidentally means the ‘The Fainting Imam’ (or Fainting Priest) and is also the name of a Middle Eastern stuffed aubergine dish! The track was called “De Thelo Pia Na Zanarthis” and features the vocal talents of Meri Lida (aka Mary Linda) and her husband, Greece’s most famous bazouki-player, singer and composer Manolis Hiotis (aka Manolis Chiotis) - all remixed by the Falireas brothers, Imam Baildi.
Since that first album, the brothers have been inundated with requests to form a live band to tour their remixes and so they’ve put that together and also in the meantime worked on a new album called appropriately enough “Cookbook” (EMI Greece). They added more strings to their remixing bows by mashing in Balkan and Latin elements to their Greek rebetiko base. This uptempo Serbian inspired track is called “Ki Allo Hasaposerviko” (which just means ‘yet another hasaposerviko’).
1 (14) “Ki Allo Hasaposerviko” (2:57) by Imam Baildi from album “The Imam Baildi Cookbook” (EMI Greece)
[CONTINUOUS]
2 - Reggae City Ad Jingle (1:05) -
[CONTINUOUS]
3 (15) “Cumbiapunkreggae Party” (4:12) by Goy Karamelo & Los Kangrejos from album “Remedio De Mi Corazon” (Cangrejo Records)
That track was the uplifting and very danceable “Cumbiapunkreggae” from the album “Remedio De Mi Corazon” (Remedy from my Heart) by the Argentinian musician, producer and remixer Goy Karamelo originally from Mendoza, now in Buenos Aires - you can check him out on Soundcloud. And I loved the little nod to La Colegiala in there too!
And talking of Cumbiapunkreggae Party - that seems like a good time to thank everyone that turned up to the Wagon and Horses in Digbeth last Saturday for Subvert where a slew of great reggae and dub DJs played some fabulous tunes and a packed crowd got into the wonderful dub tunes of Relative - very impressive outfit indeed - with special guests including Bongo Damo also turning up on bongo.
In particular I’d like to thank all the people who gave my new band Kilombo a rapturous reception on our debut gig. Relative were not an easy act follow, but we threw ourselves into it - all 9 of us cramped up on the stage and props to Greg for managing to eek some kind of sound from a very difficult situation.
However, you, the crowd just blew us away as we moved from cumbia to rumba to rhythm and blues and jazz and funk and township, bolero and reggae and each time you just hopped, bopped and skanked along to every tune - even the slow ones. And then to not let us leave the stage - even though we’d got no more tunes to play! Too much, guys, too much!
OK, last week I played you a new tune by the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara and she’s back this week on the show but as a special guest of the great Beninese vodoun afrobeat band Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo who’ve recently released their first new album in about 20 years called “Cotonou Club” (on the Strut Records label). Fatoumata joins them on vocals for this tune called “Mariage/Ou C’est Lui” - this one’s for ma petite soeur Virginie lá en Le Havre avec gros bisous:
4 (16) “Mariage/Ou C'est Lui” (5:05) by Orchestre Poly Rythmo from album “Cotonou Club” (Strut Records)
And from their most recent album to their very first album! This is Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo from 1973. In an exciting development the record label Analog Africa are launching a new series of albums called “Analog Africa - Limited Dance Edition” dedicated to releasing African and tropical records in strictly limited editions which concentrate on single artists that have had an impact on the label in one way or another.
The first two releases feature the first LP of Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo simply entitled “Le 1re album” and also a cosmic compilation by the legendary Ghanaian funkster Rob “Roy” Rainsdorf - usually just referred to as Rob.
Both albums are released on Monday 13th June and I strongly urge you to seek them out. They come as either CDs (as a sixpage digipack) or as a vinyl LP - both distributed by Proper Records and the vinyl also distributed by F-Minor. Don’t forget, these are limited editions - when they gone, they gone!
The first track I’m going to play is by Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo and it’s called “Egni Miton? Nin Mi Na Wa Gbin” (Analog Africa)
5 (17) “Egni Miton? Nin Mi Na Wa Gbin” (6:13) by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou from album “The First Album”
[CONTINUOUS]
6 (18) “Boogie On” (4:15) by Rob "Roy" Raindorf from album “Funky Rob Way” (Analog Africa)
Yep, you just heard the Ghanian funky afrobeat maestro Rob “Roy” Raindorf and a track called “Boogie On”.
And that’s exactly what we’re going to do - this is a band I also played last week called Ikebe Shakedown from Brooklyn, New York, who play some really shit-kicking funk, boogaloo and afrobeat! This track’s from their eponymous album and it’s called “Sakonsa”:
7 (19) “Sakonsa” (2:32) by Ikebe Shakedown from album “Ikebe Shakedown” (Ubiquity)
Right, anybody wanna dance? Let’s get this party started! One of my favourite cumbiamberos Pedro Laza with his Pelayeros and a Mixticius cumbia-swing remix of the track “Cójeme La Caña” . . .
8 (20) “Cójeme La Caña” (3:00) by Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros (Mixticius remix)
Now, didn’t that do you the world of good!? Certainly did it for me. This is almost the last track so let’s keep grooving and dancing - in fact as Mixticius has it in this fabulous cumbia crash-up: don’t stop till you get enough!
9 (21) “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” (2:55) by Mixticius
That’s the end of the show, boys and girls, hope you enjoyed it.
[Shout-outs, reminders, etc]
I’m going to leave you with a slice of classic world music history - well in my mind at least. At the beginning of the 90s three different cultures got together to search out common ground together - the young Spanish flamenco group at the head of the nu-flamenco movement, Ketama, the jazz and folk double-bassist with the amazing warm sound, Danny Thompson of Pentangle fame and the as then little-known, in Europe at least, Malian musician Toumani Diabate and his then very unusual african harp, the kora.
What they created still stands the test of time - two beautiful, life-affirming records Both called Songhai. Although I love the first album, this is from the second album (“Songhai 2”) and also reunites Ketama with their former vocalist José Soto and includes Keletigui Diabate on the marimba-like balafon.
This track’s called “Sute Monebo” (which translates as ‘Shouting Won’t Raise the Dead’) and it’s going out to Big Neil and to Dylan and to all those who love great world music. Good night all and sweet dreams!
10 (22) “Sute Monebo” (4:56) by Ketama, Toumani Diabate & José Soto from album “Songhai 2” (Hannibal Records)
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