WorldBeatUK (30th Show) - Broadcast Notes (12/10/11)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips Piers Faccini Lil Nathan DJ LK Trio Juriti Pedro Ramaya Beltran Beatriz Aguiar Marcelino Azaguate Martin Alvarado Fernandez Fierro Earth Wheel Sky Taraf de Haidouks Dorantes Ana Sofia Varela Zulu 9.30 Karamelo Strut Congotronics
WBUK30 (12/10/11) - SHOWNOTES
1 “Intro-Mat” (1:47) - Matchatcha - “Nyekesse” (Melodie) - Soukous
“Welcome to another two hours of great world music on WorldBeatUK!
[Pause]
I’m Glyn Phillips and you’re tuned into Rhubarb Radio and the two hours of transcultural audio joy that is WorldBeatUK. Stay with me from now until 9pm tonight whilst I bring you songs of love, lust and longing!
Find out why Ieye wants Johnny, Ali Chukwumah is singing about Henrietta and why Zulu 9.30 are raving about Carmelita.
Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers are begging their girl to come back, but Miss Mama just want to call a taxi.
And what on earth does Memphis Minnie mean when she says her Butcher Man can slice her pork chops and grind her sausage too . . . ?! Ooh er Missus!
[PAUSE]
Yep, tonight we’re going to dance with firemen, give thanks to life, plant naughty herbs with Marlon Asher, get covered in gypsy dust, buzz and rumble in the urban jungle, school the duke and take Bucovina to Barranquilla.
We’re also going to mix bossa with 90s hip-hop, funk-up the cumbia, cumbia-up the balkan and balkan-up the dancehall...
... as well as roam the southern cone to tonadas, chacareras and tangos, float away with fateful fado and beautiful bulerias, and come down to earth with earthy cumbias, feisty forros, zesty zydeco and pioneering blues.
Finally we end up discovering that unconditional love makes for a wonderful world. Stick around for the ride of your life…”
I’m going to ease us into tonight’s very eclectic offerings with some gentle, wistful country music, or is it blues, or is it world, or is it . . . ?
Dunno, it’s nice though!
This is Piers Faccini (at times sounding like a young John Martyn) from his brand new album on the 6 Degrees Record label. This is the title track: “My Wilderness”
2 “My Wilderness” (3:23) - Piers Faccini - “My Wilderness” (6 Degrees Records) - Country/Blues
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Here’s another laid-back mix of styles that works really well - sort of 21st century RnB meets Zydeco! Unusual? Maybe, but very good too. Love the groove on this one.
This is Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers and a track from the newly-released “Rough Guide To Cajun and Zydeco” that I was talking about last week on the World Music Network label.
This one’s a love song called “Come Back To Me”
3 “Come Back to Me” (5:57) - Lil Nathan And The Zydeco Big Timers - “The Rough Guide To Cajun & Zydeco” (World Music Network) - Zydeco
Now, the Brazilians have long been famous for their laid back music in particular bossa novas and one of the great names of the 1960s MPB period there was none other than Vinicius de Moraes.
Here he teams up with Toquinho for De Moraes’s classic “Canto de Ossanha” a song about love and the need or otherwise of involving the orixas (the gods and goddesses of afro-brazilian religions such as candomblé and umbanda) in getting it.
But here’s the twist: in this version the Brazilian remixer DJ LK has mashed-up the original with a version by the 1990s Californian hip-hop crew Jurassic 5!
As ever with DJ LK it’s all deliciously done!
4 “Canto De Ossanha (DJ LK MASHUP)” (3:23 - Vinicius de Moraes & Toquinho vs Jurassic 5 - “DJ LK Mashup” - mashup
[CONTINUOUS]
5 “My Butcher Man” (3:01) - Memphis Minnie - “Hoodoo Lady: 1933-1937” (Sony) - Blues
Yeah, and that was a little slice of blues history there from the mid 1930s. That was the woefully ignored female blues singer Memphis Minnie and a rather naughty song called “My Butcher Man”.
As I said at the top of the show what on earth does she mean when she says her Butcher Man can slice her pork chops and grind her sausage too . . . ! Ooh er Missus!
You can find that on the Sony release “Hoodoo Lady: 1933-1937”.
I just want to take a moment to talk about Memphis Minnie, because she ought to be known at least as well as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey in the annals of pioneering female Blues singers - and since October is Black History month all over the UK, now’s the right time to put the records straight.
Minnie was born Lizzie Douglas in 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana, and learned to play both guitar and banjo whilst a little girl. She ran away from home aged 13 and went to live in Memphis, Tennessee where she earned a living playing in nightclubs and on the street under the moniker “Kid” Douglas and a year later she joined the Ringling Brothers circus.
Over the years Lizzie built up a fiery reputation both as a performer - where she was considered to be the equal of any of the male bluesmen both in terms of her guitar playing, singing and songwriting, once wiping the floor with Big Bill Broonzy at a blues competition - and as a flamboyant character who took no nonsense from anyone. She was an incredibly prolific artist having recorded hundreds of tracks over her 30 year career.
Now with her stage name changed to Memphis Minnie, she was billed as ‘the woman who plays guitar like a man’ and although she performed a large repertoire and not just blues, it was her risqué lyrics and double-entendres that gained her both a large following and much notoriety.
As her fame spread she would turn up at concerts in posh cars, wearing bracelets made of silver dollars and would incongruously spit tobacco juice with great accuracy whilst performing in beautiful dresses. She was married about three times to other blues guitarists, but it was always Minnie that was the main attraction, pioneering the use of the electric guitar and leading country blues into urban blues long before it became fashionable.
To give some idea of her influence, she has been cited by both Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt as a musical hero (Bonnie actually paying for Minnie’s headstone when she died) and wrote the blues song “When The Levee Breaks” - made famous afterwards by Led Zeppelin (although with a different melody and slightly altered lyrics).
So there you go, Memphis Minnie - go and find out more about her for Black History month.
Ok, if that all sounded like a bit of a lecture then that’s quite appropriate for the next track.
Jamaica’s Don Drummond and “Schooling the Duke”!
6 “Schooling The Duke” (2:38) - Don Drummond - “The Best Of Don Drummond” - Ska
Ok, for the next six tracks or so we’re heading over to South America.
Firstly, we’re going to land in Brazil’s smallest state Sergipe in the North-East of this vast country and the home of forró music and here the three young musicians of the Trio Juriti play accordion, triangle and a drum in a jaunty little number entitled “Forró de Plic Plac”
7 “Forró de Plic Plac” (2:54) - Trio Juriti - “Music from Sergipe” - Forró
If you like Brazilian music, then don’t forget that from next Friday (that is the 21st October) there’ll be a brand new Brazilian music night in Brum hosted by myself and my old DJ partner Zuppa Inglese. The night’s called “Amazonas Groove” and takes place at the beautiful Brazilian churrascaria restaurant Amazon Brazil at 197 Broad Street, Birmingham from 10pm till 4am. Loads of highly danceable authentic Brazilian music, including forró!
And from the North-East of Brazil we are going North-West again all the way round to the Caribbean coast of Colombia to hear some traditional cumbia courtesy of Pedro Ramaya Beltran and a track played on clarinet, tambores and maracas alone. Wonderful!
This is from the album “El Rey de Millo” and is called “La Peluca”
¡Güeeeeepaaaa! ¡Pura Cumbia!
8 “La Peluca (El Rey del Millo)” (4:46) - Pedro Ramaya Beltran - “El Rey del Millo” - Cumbia
Well-known as cumbia now is across the world, you don’t often get to hear traditional cumbia like that! Excellent.
And as a contrast here’s a South American music form that is very little known (yet one of my favourites) but here played in a very modern style and setting. The rhythm is known as chacarera and is to be found from Northern Argentina through Bolivia and Paraguay and into Southern Brazil.
Here it’s given a jazzy treatment by the Uruguyan singer Beatriz Aguiar who is now based in Holland.
This is called “Agua” (water).
9 “Agua” (3:18) - Beatriz Aguiar - Sampler (2010) (MeloMusic.NL) - Chacarera
Next to Uruguay of course is the very much larger country of Argentina - a country in fact that is as large as the whole of Western Europe. And you’d be wrong if you thought it was all about tangos and milongas. Argentina’s folklore is deep and rich.
So, here’s an offering from the little known Western border where the Andes Mountain range runs all the way down the length of the country. Roughly in the middle of that you’ll find the city of Mendoza and from there the musician Marcelino Azaguate.
This track has been produced by the rather more famous Mendocino Goy Karamelo (who usually sports a huge set of dreadlocks and whose music and remixes I’ve often featured on the programme); however here Goy just allows Marcelino to do what he does best.
The music form is called tonada and this beautiful track is entitled “Soy La Tonada”.
10 “Soy La Tonada” (2:26) - Marcelino Azaguate Huarpe (prod. by Goy Karamelo) - “Tejedora” - Tonada (Huarpe Folclore)
Lovely. In fact it might be argued that Western Argentina shares more in common with its neighbour on the other side of the Andes range, Chile, than with its own capital Buenos Aires. Certainly tonadas are prevalent all over Chile, a country that loves its folklore.
And so this leads me on to another Argentine-Chilean link for the next tune. During the 1960s Chile underwent something of a folk revolution (or certainly a counter-culture) where young Chileans started to really appreciate the music forms and instruments of the Andes and of the different regions of this long thin country. They started by collecting and learning the old songs and tunes and later by incorporating what they’d learnt into new songs.
One of the greatest folk-artists of that time - and in fact one of the greatest of all Latin America in the 20th century - was the singersongwriter Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval - commonly known as Violeta Parra, who is credited with being one of the driving forces behind the concept of ‘Nueva Canción’ which spread across South America and up to Cuba and even echoed via the likes of Joan Baez in the USA.
And from the great Violeta what else but what is probably the most famous of all the Latin American nueva cancion genre: “Gracias a la Vida”.
This song is one of the most covered latin american songs ever written. Personally, I knew it from the great Argentine folksinger the late Mercedes Sosa who I was lucky enough to see twice in the 1980s and even now has the ability to bring tears to my eyes.
Here it’s sung by the Argentine singer Martin Alvarado - who I’ve been featuring over the last few weeks since he’s coming to the UK on tour in November and will be performing at the mac on Sunday 19th November.
This is a starkly beautiful version of the anthemic “Gracias a la Vida” (Thanks to Life)
11 “Gracias A La Vida” (3:34) - Martin Alvarado & Horacio Avilano Trio - “Mas Alla” (Fonocal) - Canción
Gorgeous. Martin Alvarado there - as I say he’ll be at the mac in Birmingham on Nov 19th so put that in your diaries.
Now that was what is known as a canción but Martin is more famous for singing tangos and milongas. And so I’m going to follow that with a couple of tangos.
First of all is the Tango Orchestra Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro and a track that is originally not a tango at all but a zamba. Yes, life’s never straightforward on my show is it!
Zamba with a ‘z’ (not to be confused with it’s Brazilian neighbour samba with an ’s’) is a musical form mostly found in Northern Argentina - and I’m much enamoured of it. It’s more connected to the Andean gauchos than the porteño gangsters and this is one of the most famous, written by the great Argentine classical guitarist Eduardo Falú, but here given the Fernandez Fierro tango treatment.
Confused? Don’t worry, just enjoy!
From the album “Mucha Mierda” this is “Zamba de la Candelaria”
12 “Zamba de la Candelaria” (3:54) - Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro - “Mucha Mierda” - Tango
And now from Argentine Tango to European Gipsy Tango!
This is the Earth Wheel Sky Band and a track called “Tikno Luludi”
13 “Tikno Luludi” (1:58) - Earth Wheel Sky Band - “Gipsy Tango” - Gipsy Tango
[CONTINUOUS]
14 “Dance Of The Firemen” (1:30) - Taraf De Haïdouks - “Band Of Gypsies” (Crammed Discs) - Balkan
Ha ha! That was the Romanian gypsy band Taraf de Haidouks and a short track called Sirba Pompierilor (or Dance of the Firemen) featuring the 77 year old Neculae Neacsu on creaking, croaking violin string accompanied by the double bass, accordion and cymbalom.
I enjoyed that, so here’s another from the same album “Band of Gypsies” on the Belgian Crammed Discs label. This is Taraf again and “Cacurica Dances”
15 “Cacurica Dances” (1:31) - Taraf De Haïdouks - “Band Of Gypsies” (Crammed Discs) - Balkan
[CHANGE CDs!!!]
[You’re listening to ….]
Now a real treat - well, I reckon so anyway.
This is from an album I picked up about four years ago but have only just got round to listening to! Yes I know, hard to believe isn’t it! But I’m a busy man and sometimes they just slip out of your consciousness.
I’m so glad I found it and took the wrapper off - if only for this one track alone.
It’s from Spain, from the promotional album “Flamenco Por Andalucía, España Y La Humanidad” on the Szena Records label and is simply entitled “Bulerías” (which if you not familiar with it, refers to one of the many different forms of flamenco as opposed to an actual song-title itself).
What I like about it is that you usually only hear flamenco played on guitar, but here it’s played on piano.
This is Dorantes, here accompanied by singer Esperanza Fernández.
Lush, romantic, understated. I love this!
1 (16) “Bulerías” (4:21) - Dorantes Y Esperanza Fernández - “Flamenco Por Andalucía, España Y La Humanidad” (Szena Records) - Bulerías
Aah! Wasn’t that beautiful?
And what to follow that with?
Well, more beauty of course. And one of my favourite songforms of all time: Fado!
So, from Portugal, this is the wonderful Ana Sofia Varela and from her album “Fados de Amor e Pecado” (fados of love and sin) the title track.
2 (17) “Fado de Amor e Pecado” (4:40) - Ana Sofia Varela - “Fados de Amor e Pecado” (iPlay Music) - Fado
What to follow that?
Time for something different.
Still in the Iberian peninsular but North-East to Barcelona and Zulu 9.30’s “Carmelita” remixed here by Rude Hi-Fi from Zulu 9.30’s “Remixes” album on the Kasba label.
3 (18) “Carmelita” (3:42) - Zulu 9.30 (Rude HI-FI remix) - “Remixes” (Kasba)
Now, earlier on I played you a piece of Argentine tonada by Marcelino Azaguate from his album produced by veteran Mendocino musician and punk-reggae artist and mixer, Goy Karamelo.
Well, here’s a really interesting track from Goy’s old band Karamelo Santo from their album “La Gente Arriba” - it’s a reggae cumbia version of a track made famous by Old Satchmo himself, Louis Armstrong!
Not guessed yet? Well, this has got be one of the most uplifting of songs, and a really whimsical version of it too.
Imagine if we were all as happy and as chilled as this: it’d be a wonderful world, wouldn’t it!
4 (19) “Wonderful World” (4:10) - Karamelo Santo - “La Gente Arriba!” - (Sony BMG 2006; K Industria 2011) - Reggae-Cumbia
[CONTINUOUS]
5 (20) “Unconditional Love” aka ‘Ganja Farmer’ (3:57) - Marlon Asher - “Cultural Lovers' Rock” (ERNI 2009) - Reggae
Yeah, first you heard Karamelo Santo’s version of “Wonderful World” and that was followed by a track that was heard all over Birmingham in the last couple of years - at least in my part of it.
That was Marlon Asher’s “Unconditional Love” (aka Ganja Farmer).
That one went out to Silvalili as a special request. Not that we condone any activities of that kind, I hasten to add! But it’s a great tune anyway.
As is this next one. From 1970s Nigeria a sublime piece of Ibo Highlife from Ali Chukwumah and his Peace Makers International.
Re-released this year on the fabulous Strut Records album “Sweet Times: Afro Funk, Highlife and Juju from 1970s Lagos” as part of their Nigeria 70 series, this is “Henrietta”.
6 (21) “Henrietta” (4:40) - Ali Chukwuma & His Peace Makers International - “Sweet Times” (Strut Records) - Nigerian Ibo Highlife
[CONTINUOUS]
7 (22) “Wa Muluendu (world)” (4:00) - Masanka Sankayi & Kasai Allstars - “Congotronics 2” (Crammed Discs) - African (Congo)
Yeah, what a great groove!! That was a piece from the Congo recorded in Kinshasa and was from album “Congotronics 2: Buzz’n’Rumble from the Urb’n’Jungle” on the Crammed Discs label from Belgium (who put out some great stuff).
The track was called “Wa Muluendu” and the band was Masanka Sankayi and the Kasai Allstars featuring Mutumilayi.
And since we’re firmly in some very funky, urban territory now how about this?
This is the Spiritual South Remix of the Ska Cubano cover of the classic Lito Barrientos cumbia from the 1960s “Cumbia en Do Menor” (still with me?).
Like one of Dr Bach’s homeopathic herbal remedies there’s precious little of the original left to be heard, but it’s a great groove anyway . . .
Stick with it ‘cause afterward we’re going to hit up some mad balkanic cumbia and balkan dancehall - don’t go away!
8 (23) “Cumbia En Do Menor” (5:20) - Ska Cubano (Spiritual South Remix) - “Ajiaco! The Remix Album” (Absolute UK, 2008) - Ska Cubano
[CONTINUOUS]
9 (24) “Bucovina en Barranquilla” (3:07) - Danochilango - Balkan Cumbia
Yeah, that was Danochilango’s Balkan Cumbia “Bucovina en Barranquilla”.
Sticking with that balkan vibe as promised this is another mad mashup - balkan dancehall styleee from France’s Watcha Clan vs Mims, Cham & Junior Reid all mashed together by the Balkan Hotsteppers.
This is called “Gypsy Dust is Hot!”
10 (25) “Gypsy Dust is Hot (This Is Why We Hot)” (4:24) - Watcha Clan vs. Mims, Cham & Junior Reid (Balkan Hotsteppers) - Balkan Dancehall mashup
Ok, got time for about another one or two that’s all, so this is the gorgeous Jamaican singer Ieye (no relation to Brummie Rocksteady crew 1EYE btw!) and a track from her album “Fever Grass” entitled “Johnny”
11 (26) “Johnny” (4:10) - Ieye - “Fever Grass” - Reggae
OK that’s it.
[Shoutouts, Reminders, etc - Amazonas Groove and Arriba]
I’m going to leave you with a French Reggae band singing a song in English written by a Brummie.
The band is called Miss Mama and from their live album “T’as Raison” this is a track written by Steel Pulse’s David Hinds called “Taxi Driver”.
.
.
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See ya’ll next week.
Taxi!!!!!
12 (27) “Taxi Driver” (3:58) - Miss Mama - “T’as Raison !” (Douzetafs) - Reggae
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 (11th Show) - Broadcast Notes (11/5/11)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips Sierra Leone Monosonicos Sergent Garcia Zulu 9.30 Canteca de Macao Blind Boys of Alabama Johnny Cash Maria Kalaniemi Mariza Neblina Sound JuJu Maguaré Juicebox Vetex Slivo Electric Club Zephyrus Hippo Cumbancha Strut Aito Fexomat
ShowNotes for WBUK11 - 11/5/11
1 “Intro-Mat” by Matchatcha from album “Nyekesse” (Melodie)
WELCOME BACK to another edition of WorldBeatUK - the 2 hour world music show that brings you the best music from around the globe, from today, yesterday and often even a glimpse into tomorrow! I’m Glyn Phillips, you’re tuned into Rhubarb Radio coming live from the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham, England and this is WorldBeatUK!
First up this evening is a track from a new CD which was only released yesterday. It’s an album of remixes by DJ Logic - and the original album they were taken from was called “Rise and Shine” which came out last year on the Cumbancha label, by Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars.
I’ve played some of their stuff before on the show, which is a mixture of traditional West African music with roots reggae. The band has a fascinating history, having first formed in one of the refugee camps during and following the wars in Sierra Leone. They’re now based in the United States and enjoying some well-deserved respect and attention and are currently on tour around the States.
The “Rise and Shine” album was quite a big hit for them worldwide last year and so they’ve teamed up with DJ Logic to do so remixes for this sort of extended EP called “Rise and Shine Remixes” (also on Cumbancha) which was released yesterday on iTunes and Amazon. This track is one of the more traditional offerings; it’s called “Muloma”.
2 “Muloma” by Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars & DJ Logic from album “Rise and Shine Remixes” (Cumbancha)
And staying with Africa this is Moneyman and the Super 5 International from an excellent album called “Nigeria 70 - Sweet Times: AfroFunk, Highlife and JuJu from 1970s Lagos” which is due to be released on the 23rd May by Strut Records. This track is called ”Life”
3 “Life” by Moneyman and the Super 5 International from the album “Nigeria 70 - Sweet Times: AfroFunk, Highlife and JuJu from 1970s Lagos” (Strut Records)
And from Lagos, Nigeria to Nottingham, England! There are so many bands out there now being influenced from the incredible explosion of music now available from all over the world, and often mixing up all kinds of different influences, rhythms and instruments into their sound.
I came across these guys called Monosonicos on SoundCloud a few weeks back and was taken by one of their latin-meets-afrobeat tracks; but here I’m going to play you a sort of soca-cumbia with some romantic vocals and their trademark steelpan (which I love).
It’s a pity the sound’s a bit low and slightly muddy, but it’s enough to know that they’ve put a lot of thought into the music and are probably well worth seeing live. So, this is the Monosonicos from Nottingham in the UK and a track called “Loca”.
4 “Loca” by Monosonicos
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
5 “Yo Soy Salsamuffin” by Sgt Garcia from album “Una y Otra Vez (Cumbancha)
Ok that was the great Sargento Garcia, one of the leading lights of the whole European Mestizo sound. I’ve been following his work for some years now and he always manages to produce some really interesting pieces.
For this new album, he’s signed to a new record label - the North American world music specialists, Cumbancha. The album is entitled “Una y Otra Vez” (Time and Again) and was released in Europe in March and will be in the Americas next week.
As ever El Sargento sings in a mixture of Spanish, English and French and mixes up salsa and dancehall reggae in his trademark salsamuffin style (as you just heard) as well as experimenting with rumba, rock, punk, bolero, and much more. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a better album than any of his previous ones, but it’s just as good - which is praise enough!
OK, let’s stay with more of this European mestizo sound - where Latin America meets Reggae and Dub meets Rock and beyond, for the next two tracks.
The next band have carved themselves out a name in Europe and especially in their native Spain. This is Zulú 9.30 from Barcelona - who I played last week - and the track that I promised from their new album “Tiempo al Tiempo”. This is “La Tierra Tiene Hambre” - The Land is Hungry!
6 “La Tierra Tiene Hambre” by Zulu 9.30 from album “Tiempo al Tiempo”
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
7 “Green Yin” by Canteca de Macao from album “Agua Pa’ La Tierra”
First you heard Zulu 9.30 and “La Tierra Tiene Hambre” and that was followed by another band from Barcelona, Canteca de Macao (which, when I first came across them, I assumed to refer to a choral group from the Portuguese enclave of Macao near China - but which I found out later was actually a spoonerism of ‘manteca de cacao’ or cocoa butter in English!).
Anyway, that was their track “Green Yin” (presumably a seasick Billy Connolly . . . !) from their 2009 album “Agua Pa’ La Tierra” on Warner Music Spain.
We’re going to leave Europe behind now and get some religion in our lives! Come on boys and girls, let’s go to Church! All the way to the rich red soil of Alabama in the Southern United States and the most excellent Blind Boys of Alabama!
For seven decades this band has been wowing audiences with their amazing gospel choral sound. They only have one original member of the band left now, but it doesn’t change their pedigree and quality one iota.
The Blind Boys have teamed up with young Country singer and Producer, Jamey Johnson to make an album of Country-Gospel (released two days) called “Take The High Road” (on Saguaro Records and Proper Records) - No! Don’t run away - it’s really good!! Seriously!
Here the Blind Boys team up with the Oak Ridge Boys on the title track “Take The High Road”.
I’ve written a full in-depth review about it on the world music website: www.worldmusic.co.uk - check it out.
8 “Take The High Road” by The Blind Boys of Alabama from album “Take The High Road” (Saguaro/Proper Records)
Wasn’t that wonderful! The Blind Boys of Alabama in conjunction with the Oak Ridge Boys and “Take the High Road” from the album of the same name - just released two days ago.
Hey, the service ain’t over yet! Sit back down in that pew, you sinners! You all look like you could do with your own “Personal Jesus"; Johnny Cash certainly does, and Goofee’s the man to supply him . . .
9 “Personal Jesus” by Johnny Cash (Goofee Remix)
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
10 “Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand” by Irma Thomas from album ‘Rough Guide To Louisiana”
Yeah, that was Irma Thomas from Louisiana and a track called “Hold on To God’s Unchanging Hand” from the album “Rough Guide to Louisiana”.
Very much a change of place now - we’re flying over to the Finland by the light of a silvery moon to hear the wonderful Maria Kalaniemi, a singer and accordionist of Swedish and Finnish descent who will play us a tango from her new album “Vilda Rosor” (that’s Wild Rose in English) which was also released a couple of days ago on the 9th May in the UK, (from Aito Records).
This track is called “Under Fullmanen” (under the full moon) . . .
11 “Under Fullmanen” by Maria Kalaniemi from album “Vilda Rosor” (Aito Records)
And if it that wasn’t beautiful enough. Just listen to this. In every show I try and include at least one song of almost indescribable beauty, one that hits you at every emotional and spiritual level and this next track is one of those; by one of my all-time favourite singers, the queen of heart-string pulling fado and saudade - who else but, Mariza.
If you were really lucky you would have had the chance to see her live last night right here in Birmingham. I was unable to go, sadly! And I’m trying not to think about it too much; but if you’ve never heard her before, just open your heart and let this song in.
It’s one of my favourite songs of hers “O Gente da Minha Terra” (the people of my land) but delivered in a very unusual way - not to the usual and bewitching background of Portuguese guitars, double bass etc that I’ve heard her sing it to before - but to nothing but the subtle piano accompaniment of Tiago Machado. This is true sonic beauty . . .
12 “O Gente da Minha Terra” by Mariza from album “Fado em Mim” (World Connection)
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS -
13 “You Don’t Know My Name” by Alicia Keys (Jejah mashup)
[CHANGE THE CD HERE!!!!]
You’re tuned into Rhubarb Radio and are listening to “WorldBeatUK” with me Glyn Phillips at the helm for two hours of the best world music from around the planet.
First up you heard Mariza’s “O Gente da Minha Terra” and then after that Jejah’s reggae mashup of Alicia Keys’ You Don’t Know My Name” - I love Alicia Keys and I also love that remix using Neblina Sound’s Operator Riddim!
While we’re in that reggae vibe let’s stick with the Spanish mashers and mixers for the next couple of numbers coz this is Barcelona’s Neblina Sound System again and a laid back Spanish language song by “Oli” called “La Mente” which utilises the Zurie Riddim.
14 “La Mente” by Oli (Neblina Sound)
OK final reggae mashup of the night. It’s by Spain’s Neblina Sounds again; this time from their album “Intergalactic Mashups” and, you’d better believe it, it’s none other than Bob Marley that gets the Beastie Boys treatment! “Could YOU be Intergalactic?”
15 “Could You Be Intergalactic” by Bob Marley vs Beastie Boys (Neblina Sound)
This next one’s a promo taster from an as yet unreleased album called “In Trance” by the band JuJu - a collaboration between the UK guitarist Justin Adams and Gambia’s ritti master Juldeh Camara - it’s sort of Gambian Rhythm and Blues with a metal edge - but trust me, it’s very good! The album’s going to be released in the UK next Tuesday on May 17th by Real World Records; this is a track called “Nightwalk”.
16 “Nightwalk” by JuJu (Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara) from album “In Trance” (Real World Records)
West Africa again and going right back in time 30 years now! From the 1981 album “Show Me Your Love” this is some lovely old Ghanaian Highlife from the Opambuo International Band of Ghana and a track entitled: “Hu Anim Ase Nkyene”.
17 “Hu Anim Ase Nkyene” by Opambuo International Band of Ghana from album “Show Me Your Love”
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
18 “Navidad Negra” by Maguaré from album “Retro-Cumbia” (Zephyrus Records)
One of my favourite afro-colombian tunes there, “Navidad Negra” (Black Christmas), in a 2010 remake by the Belgian based band Maguaré and their wonderful Colombian singer Paola Marquez - I do love her voice - from their album “Retro Cumbia” on the Belgian Zephyrus label - besotes a mis zefiranas: Paolita y La Marangita!
And to follow that, from the Dutch label Hippo Records, this is a funky piece of retro-boogaloo from Juicebox off their album “Canned Boogaloo”; this is called “New York Soul”. Yeah, Baby! Aúuuuuuuuu! Take your latin swing and just add that afro-thang!!
19 “New York Soul” by Juicebox from album “Canned Boogaloo” (Hippo Records)
Back to Belgium and some Balkan style brass from the huge brass band Orchestre International du Vetex - this is “Vetex on Fire III” -
20 “Vetex on Fire III” by Orchestre International du Vetex
We’re firmly in Tipsy Gipsy territory all you tsiganophiles! Fancy a drink?
21 “Hey Hey” by Fexomat
Ha ha ha!!! Loads of you couldn’t handle last week’s offering of gypsycore from Fexomat, so maybe you found that a little easier on the palatte - slightly more quaffable perchance?
OK, that’s about it . . .
[Goodbyes etc]
Just time to leave you with this from France’s Slivo Electric Club. A lovely bit of contemporary gypsy style music called “Gypsy Kopath”. Enjoy!
See ya’ll next week. Spread the words, peeps, tell all yer friends. And remember: it’s all about the music!
22 “Gypsy Kopath” by Slivo Electric Club
WorldBeatUK (10th Show) - Broadcast Notes (4/5/11)
Tagged with: WorldBeatUK Glyn Phillips Julius Essoka Yami Jimmy Omonga Joan Soriano Carmina Cannavino Atlantidha Heider Moutinho Morozova Zohreh Jooya Renato Martins SpokFrevo Los Chinches Olefunk Zulu 9.30 dunkelbunt Chico Trujillo Fexomat Gypsyphonic Cordobestia
WBUK10 (4/5/11) Playlist
1 “Intro-Mat” (1.47) by Matchatcha from album ‘Nyekesse’ (Melodie)
Welcome, etc
Coming up on the show tonight: some lush Angolan-Portuguese lusophonic loveliness, achingly romantic bachatas from la Republica Dominicana, feisty retro-cumbia 21st C style, nostalgic Mexo-Peruvian landó, Ghanaian reggae to dance to, Portuguese fado to die for, as well as Portuguese Tango (yes, Portuguese!), Mexican Tango (yes, you heard that right too!), traditional Afghani music, Russian folk-rock, Anglo-Kenyan fusion, Catalan salsa-samba fusion, Spanish soul-flamenco fusion, not to mention samba, frevo, mambo, chicha, and a dash of funky electro-swing! And if that wasn’t enough, some seriously hardcore Balkan breakdowns. It’s enough to make a grown man weep!
Trust me, when I say two hours of the best world music from around the globe, I’m not messing!
First up, a track I’ve been meaning to play for weeks now, but I kept allowing to fall off the list, because it never seemed to comfortably fit in with what I’d got planned. So I’m going to play it first instead! This is Julius Essoka, from Cameroon, from his album “Epassi n’Epassi” and a jazzy piece called “Foolish Men”.
2 “Foolish Men” (4.12) by Julius Essoka from album ‘Epassi n’Epassi’
SHOUT OUTS ETC
This next track is by a musician called Yami based in Lisbon, Portugal, of mixed Portuguese-Angolan ancestry. It’s from his album “Aloelela” on the HM Musica label and is a beautiful, dreamy, romantic tune with echoes of Brazil and Cabo Verde as well as Portugal and Angola. Sit back, make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and let Yami sail you out over the horizon towards a setting sun. I can’t help it, I’m a romantic at heart! This is “Kananga do Amor”.
3 “Kananga do Amor” (4.04) by Yami from album ‘Aloelela’ (HM Musica)
Keeping it in a mellow mood, now this is Jimmy Omonga from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a relaxing African reggae track from his 2007 “Destin” album on Hippo Records, called “Nakonda”
4 “Nakonda” (4.33) by Jimmy Omonga from 2007 album ‘Destin’ (Hippo Records)
This next track is dedicated to my dear friends el chileno mayor, Eddie Olguin (AKA DJ Sabroso) and the lovely Andrea - and in particular to their brand new baby girl, Ellie, con cariño y mucho amor. Felicitaciones a las tres!
This is a beautiful bachata from the Dominican Republic. It’s from the album “El Duque de la Bachata” on Iaso Records (a brilliant company specialising in the music of the often looked-over Caribbean country of La Republica Dominicana) and is by the wonderful singer and guitarist Joan Soriano (the Duke of Bachata himself) and - I think - features the voice of his own little baby; this is “Amor de Niño”:
5 “Amor de Niño” (3.38) by Joan Soriano from album ‘El Duque de la Bachata’ (Iaso Records)
Wasn’t that beautiful? Sticking in the mid-Americas region we’re going to go over to Mexico for a couple of numbers now. The singer is the Perú-born, Mexico-raised, Argentine-derived Carmina Cannavino. The track is - as far as I can make out - an afro-peruvian landó, so if you like the music of people like Susana Baca or my personal favourite, Eva Ayllón, la Reina del Landó, then you’ll love this track.
It’s from Carmina’s album “Patria Granda” which is dedicated to the work and life of one of the greatest of Peru’s legendary pantheon of female singers - and the one that probably initiated my love affair with the musica criolla of that wonderful country - Chabuca Granda. This track is called “Dónde Estás Adelita” (Where are you, Adelita?).
6 “Dónde Estás Adelita” (3.02) by Carmina Cannavino from album “Patria Granda’
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
7 “Lo Que Vendrá” (3.48) by Orquesta Mexicano del Tango
First you heard “Donde Estas Adelita” by the Mexican based Carmina Cannavino and then straight after that a lovely piece of traditional orchestral tango called “Lo Que Vendrá” (That which will come) - and boy do I love tango! However, that was not performed by an Argentine orchestra as you might expect but was the work of the Orquesta Mexicano del Tango from Mexico!
And since I’m feeling in such a magical mood at the moment, let me share this with you. Portugal, like most of the countries that border onto the North Atlantic, has it’s own tales of the mystical land of Atlantis. And so I offer you a piece by a band called Atlantihda, set up specifically to explore the story of the lost land, from the album of the same name on the HM Musica label this is their lush Portuguese take on tango, entitled: “Na Calma dos Teus Olhos” (In the Calm of Your Eyes).
8 “Na Calma Dos Teus Olhos” (3.00) by Atlantihda from album ‘Atlantihda’ (HM Musica)
And since I can’t get enough beauty this evening, I’m sticking with Portugal, and the most exquisite and delicate fado. This is by the singer Helder Moutinho from his album “Que Fado e Este Que Trago?” (What Fado is this that I bring?) again on the HM Musica label from Lisbon and a track called “Nem Ventos Nem Madrugadas” (Neither Wind nor Dawns):
9 “Nem Ventos Nem Madrugadas” (4.28) by Helder Moutinho from album ‘Que Fado E Este Que Trago?’ (HM Musica)
Wasn’t that beautiful? Aah, fado, meu fado! Well from the sublime to the noisy I suppose! I’d better wake you all up a bit. The next track comes from Moscow in Russa and is a piece of Russian Folk Rock with a slight psychedelic metal edge! Don’t worry, it’s quite good really!
The band is called Morozova - named after their female singer and hurdygurdy player; I’m not sure what the album’s called - I really make an effort to try and check out the details of all the music and bands I play, often spending hours chasing elusive leads in different languages, but this one defeated me. However, I can tell you this, the track’s called “Pavlin” which I think means ‘peacock’!
10 “Pavlin” (3.54) by Morozova from album ‘Morozova’ (Greenwave Music)
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
11 “Mikham Beram Koh” (4.02) by Zohreh Jooya & Ustad Hossein Arman from album ‘Afghan Music’ (ARC Records)
Well, I thought you needed a bit of otherworldly beauty again so that last track was from an album on the ARC Recordings label called “Afghan Music” by the talented and really rather gorgeous Afghani-Irani songstress Zohreh Jooya in duet with the Afghani singer Ustad Hossein Arman.
The whole album is an attempt by Zoohreh and the Afghan Ensemble to try and preserve the traditional music of Afghanistan before it gets swamped. Due to the lack of opportunities for musicians to learn their own music in their own country due to all the troubles of the last couple of decades, a whole generation were in danger of missing out. The track was called “Mikham Beram Koh”, which is an invitation to someone called Leyly to go up into the mountains and look for gazelles. I’m assuming dating opportunities are thin on the ground in Afghanistan…
Change of place now - from the mountains of Central Asia to the mountains of East Africa; Kenya to be exact and here’s an album I’ve been featuring for the last couple of weeks. It was released two days ago on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label; it’s by an anglo-kenyan collective called Owiny Sigoma, it’s from the album of the same name and this is a very brazilianesque number called “Hera”:
12 “Hera” (4.23) by Owiny Sigoma Band from album ‘Owiny Sigoma’ (Brownswood Recordings)
[CHANGE THE CD HERE!!]
[Remember, you’re listening to WorldBeatUK with me Glyn Phillips, right here on Rhubarb Radio, etc
You can check all the details for any of the tracks tonight on my website www.worldmusic.co.uk/radio
Do some shout-outs, etc, time check]
That last track had a Brazilian feel to it and that leads nicely into the next track! You might remember a few weeks back I had as special guest the brilliant percussionist Renato Martins in the studio, being interviewed, playing some stuff from his CDs and doing a live number just on udu pot alone! Stunning.
Well I’m going to play a track from his latest project with the Belgian classical guitarist, Boris Gaqueres, from their album “Tempo Feliz” which features Boris’s accomplished guitar work and Renato switches from udu pot to cajón, the wooden box drum of afro-peruvian origin. This lovely track is called “Carioca”
13 “Carioca” (2.59) by Goris Gaquere & Renato Martins from album ‘Tempo Feliz’ (www.renato-martins.com/projectsduo.htm)
Wonderful - passion combined with inventiveness and metronomic exactitude! OK, sticking with Brazil, now but going right up North to Recife, to the homeland of the manic, acrobatic, umbrella-waving, hundred-miles-an-hour dance music of Pernambuco state, the Frevo! This is the excellent SpokFrevo Orquesta and the title-track from their album “Passo de Anjo” on the Biscoito Fino label. I defy anyone to sit still through this!
14 “Passo de Anjo” (2.54) by SpokFrevo Orquesta from album ‘Passo de Anjo’ (Biscoito Fino)
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
15 “Babarabatiri” (2.33) by Beny Moré from 2008 album ‘The Best of Mr Bongo’ (Mr Bongo Records)
Wonderful mambo madness from El Bárbaro del Ritmo (the Wild Man of Rhythm) himself, Cuba’s Beny Moré - played just for the sheer hell of it; you can find that track all over the place - my copy is from the album “The Best of Mr Bongo”, the legendary UK latin specialists, once resident in a little basement in London’s Soho, but now you’ll have to find them online instead.
Moving swiftly on and staying with the London latin connection, this is the UK’s Los Chinches and their take on the Peruvian chicha music phenomenon (an amalgamation of Colombian cumbia rhythms with the feel of 1960s and 70s Peruvian Amazonian psychedelia). Yep! That’s what I said! This is called “Chicha Love”:
16 “Chicha Love” (2.53) by Los Chinches from album ‘Chicha Love’
CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS - CONTINUOUS
17 “Bandidos” (3.45) by Zulú 9.30 from 2008 album ‘Huellas’ (Kasba Music)
Lovely piece of latin fusion entitled “Bandidos” from Barcelona’s Zulú 9.30 from their 2008 album “Huellas” (which means ‘footprints’) on the Kasba Music label. I hope to play something from their 2011 album “Tiempo al Tiempo” soon; watch this space!
And staying in Spain, the next track is by a band I came across a few years ago and really deserve to be better known. I made quite a point last week of talking about the sheer amount of creativity coming out of Spain during the last decade or more and this is another example of what I’m talking about. The band is called “Oléfunk” as is the album and as you’ve probably guessed they fuse flamenco with funk and soul. I love this. This track is called “No Me Des Candela”
18 “No Me Des Candela” (4.25) by Oléfunk from album ‘Oléfunk’
You're listening to WorldBeatUK on Rhubarb Radio, with me, Glyn Phillips - two hours of the best world music from around the globe, every Wednesday 7-9pm.
Time for some Balkan bounce now with one of the heaviest Balkan orchestras out there at the minute. This is the Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar - soon to be seen travelling Europe in a double-bill, all-star, heavyweight extravaganza with rivals Fanfare Ciocarlia to see who is the biggest, baddest Balkan Brass Band of all!! See if this helps you make up your mind. From the 2009 album “Devla - Blown Away To Dancefloor Heaven” on the German Piranha label, this is called “Maruska”!
19 “Maruska” (3.16) by Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar from 2009 album ‘Devla - Blown Away to Dancefloor Heaven’ (Piranha)
That was the unadulterated sound of Balkan brass music, but there’s a lot of interest out there amongst mixers and mashers of remixing all kinds of musics. Balkan remixes are very popular - and I’m going to play an unbelievable track later on - as are cumbia and RnB mashups (again, just watch this space).
However, one of my favourite genres is that of electroswing, which roughly speaking takes classic jazz (20s, 30s, 40s, etc) and gives it a 21st C repaint. This track is by the ubiquitous remixer [dunkelbunt] and is from his 2009 album ‘Raindrops and Elephants’ on the Piranha label - esto es para todas aquellas chicas con piel color de canela. Saben bien quien son. This is called “Cinnamon Girl” -
20 “Cinnamon Girl” (4.07, but finishes at 3.52!) by [dunkelbunt] from 2009 album ‘Raindrops and Elephants’ (Piranha)
[ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS / SHOUT OUTS ETC]
[Announce the Honeycomb Club featuring B’ham’s own Alternative Dubstep Orchestra tomorrow night at H&H; also Freddie Pirotta’s Hip Operation on Saturday; The Urban Voodoo Machine at the H&H on May 12th (Bourbon soaked Gypsy Blues Bop’n’Stroll) ]
Going to go with some Cumbia Chilombiana now - that’s Chilean cumbia if you didn’t know; Cumbia originally comes from the Caribbean coast of Colombia in the North of South America but since the 1960s has spread in popularity all over the latin World and even outside of the americas. It’s main bedrock of support has been amongst working class people - and even in such Eurocentric countries as Chile and Argentina it was taken to heart by the clase obrera and due to the attentions of a whole newer, younger generation it's once again spreading it's wings.
The Chilean band Chico Trujillo here give us a retro-big band experience with a big bouncy track called “Varga Varga” from their album “Chico de Oro” on the Barbes Records label.
21 “Varga-Varga” (3.12) by Chico Trujillo from album “Chico de Oro” (Barbes Records)
From retro-cumbia to an up-to-date fix-up of an old tune from the heyday of cumbias about half a century ago. This is the well-known track “La Subienda” and a reworking by El Sonidero Cordobestia from the Cabeza album “Cumbias Momificadas”
22 “La Subienda” (4.51) by Sonidero Cordobestia from album ‘Cumbias Momificadas’ (Cabeza!)
Back to the Balkans now - well, almost because this comes from New Orleans in the USA of all places. it’s the Gypsyphonic Disco and a rather cheeky mashup entitled “Gypsy Milk”
23 “Gypsy Milk” (3.24) by Gypsyphonic Disco
Well, you’ve waited long enough - or at least I have! It’s time for “The Wonderdrug”. I’ve been dying to drop this one on you all night. Hot off the press yesterday, this is the digital equivalent of a door-to-door delivery; I’m not sure it’s even released officially yet, but I’ve got permission from the music’s producer to play this on the show.
This is the Ultimate, the Zenith, the Epitome of Balkan Breakcore Madness. As Spinal Tap would say: turn your speakers up to 11 and prepare to be rocked. This track comes with a Government Health Warning: Guys, girls, empty your stomachs and your bowels before mounting the ride, put your safety helmets on, strap yourselves in and make sure you keep all limbs inside the carriage, brace yourselves, seriously.
Of all the hardcore Gypsy/Balkan remixers out there, there is but one who I would call the King of Gypsy Breakcore, and that’s: Fexomat from Berlin. I offer you “The Wonderdrug”. Be scared, oh yes, be very scared!
24 “The Wonderdrug” (3.13) by Fexomat
[Thanks to one and all etc; Coming up next is: ]
Time to go and I’m going to leave you with this fantastic old bachata from Juan Batista on the excellent album “Bachata Roja” (no, not Bachata Rosa!- this is the real McCoy!) on the Iaso Records label. See you all next week I hope. This is “Estoy Aqui Pero No Soy Yo” (“I’m here, but I’m not me” - work it out yourselves!). Chau, babies!
25 “Estoy Aqui Pero No Soy Yo” (3.40) by Juan Batista from album ‘Bachata Roja’ (Iaso Records)
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