World Music

Alim and Fargana Qasimov: Spiritual Music of Azerbaijan (Smithsonian/Elite)

3 Feb 2008 | <1 min read

This will be brief as some of the previous albums in this beautifully packaged CD/DVD series Music of Central Asia have already drawn attention to these compilations which come with remarkable doco-footage from the regions (See tags). This sixth volume takes the listener to Azerbaijan and the keening, soaring folk styles of music there, starting with the seven-part Mugham Chargah, one of the... > Read more

Alim and Fargana Qasimov: Hisar

Badakhshan Ensemble: Song and Dance from the Pamir Mountains (Smithsonian/Elite)

12 Jan 2008 | 1 min read

Okay, this is not for everybody ("Who is that?" said my wife, and not in a favourably curious way) but the previous collection in this Music of Central Asia series (see tag) was an impressive package of a CD, an excellent doco-DVD, and a very useful essay in the booklet. This equally handsome pack, volume five in the series, introduces music from the mountainous region around... > Read more

Badakhshan Ensemble: Rapo

Habib Koite and Bamada: Afriki (Cumbancha/Elite)

11 Jan 2008 | <1 min read

Music from Mali doesn't come much more mesmerising or mellow than this consistently laidback series of songs by one of that country's most inventive and musically curious griots. For this album, recorded on three continents, Koite typically drew on Mali's regional styles -- although most listeners (self included) won't be attuned to these nuances: what we hear is a collection of gentle songs... > Read more

Habib Koite and Bamada: N'ba

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba: Segu Blue (Out Here/Elite)

3 Jan 2008 | <1 min read

The death in March 2006 of the great Mali musician Ali Farka Toure -- who reached a global audience in the mid 90s with the Talking Timbuktu album recorded with Ry Cooder -- lead to many tributes but also the question, who could possibly take his place? Well, his son Vieux Farka Toure's album -- which appeared in the Best of Elsewhere 2007 list, see tag -- certainly suggested all was not... > Read more

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba: The River Tune

Various: Music of Central Asia Vol 4, Bardic Divas (Smithsonian/Elite)

1 Dec 2007 | 1 min read

This beautifully packaged collection -- informative booklet, DVD with doco footage and interactive instrument section -- is not only a handsome set, but contains the remarkable voices of women singers from Central Asia, the region between Iran and the Steppes. Politics and ethnic separations over the past half century have lead to a diaspora of cultural voices (for example Jews from... > Read more

Aigul Ulkenbaeva: Aqsholpan (Lovely Sholpan)

Taoist Music Orchestra of Shanghai: Chinese Taoist Music (Arc/Elite)

30 Nov 2007 | <1 min read

With bamboo flute, erhu (two stringed fiddle) simple drum, dulcimer, lute and bells, this ensemble bring back to life ancient Taoist music in a modern style and evoke a more ancient world, a spiritual one of contemplation and internal focus. These pieces are either marvellous miniatures or extended pieces with evocative titles: Incense Hymn, Wind Through the Pines, Jade Hibiscus. Not to... > Read more

Taoist Music Orchestra: Qupai Lianzou (Qupai legato)

Yasmin Levy: Mano Suave (Adama)

30 Nov 2007 | <1 min read

Jerusalem-born Levy created a lot of interest when she appeared at the 2007 Taranaki Womad for her swooning style of Ladino music which comes out of the Spanish/Jewish tradition. What she also brings is a contemporary Middle Eastern feel by the introduction of oud alongside her hypnotic singing style, flamenco influences and western instrumentation. This new album is a leap ahead from her... > Read more

Yasmin Levy: Una Ora

Various: Brazil 70: After Tropicalia (Soul Jazz)

5 Nov 2007 | <1 min read

The earlier Tropicalia collection of revolutionary Brazilian music from 1968 posted some months ago (see tag) will set you up for this excellent 19 track compilation subtitled "New Directions in Brazilian Music in the 1970s". Crushed by the military, the Tropicalia movement -- which explored a fusion of folkloric music, funk, psychedelia and soundtrack styles -- was scattered when... > Read more

Nelson Angelo E Joyce: Vivo Ou Moro

Marcio Faraco: Invento (Harmonia Mundi/Ode)

3 Nov 2007 | <1 min read

Okay, back in Brazil there are probably hundreds of guys just like Faraco, good looking singer-guitarists who can hush a busy cafe with their sensitive, feather-light songs and hypnotic, acoustic playing. But that should take nothing away from this gentle album which seemed to be everything I disliked -- slightly smug self-assurance, songs which drift rather than drag you in . . . Yet... > Read more

Marcio Faraco: Rumo dos Ventos

Orchestra Baobab: Made in Dakar (World Circuit/Elite)

18 Oct 2007 | <1 min read

The reissue six years ago of this Senegalese band's 1982 sessions Pirate's Choice thrust this exceptional outfit into the world music spotlight where it remains to shine and gleam. They released the equally good Specialists in All Styles five years ago and have played to wide accclaim for their rocking rhumba and laidback late-night styles which come off like the best of Cuban music dipped... > Read more

Orchestra Baobab: Aline

Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale: Breathing Under Water (Manhattan/EMI)

18 Oct 2007 | <1 min read

This soundtrack suffers only major drawback in my book: the presence of Sting on the song Sea Dreamer. Is there a more irritating singer on the planet? (Yep, the yelper in Yes. The screacher in Supertramp . . . ) The rest of the album is a gentle infusion of sitar and global cultures, has Shankar's sister Norah Jones and her dad Ravi helping out, and effects an interesting marriage... > Read more

Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale: Ghost Story

Various: The Laya Project (Elite)

2 Sep 2007 | 1 min read | 1

This ambitious concept and elaborate package (two CDs/a DVD/booklet in the gatefold sleeve) should certainly attract attention -- although some questions hang over it. Essentially the project of music producer and sound recorder Patrick Sebag and Yotam Agam with director Harold Montfils, it involved a crew going to the tsunami affected regions of Asia to film and record local musicians... > Read more

The Laya Project: Glorious Sun Remix

Thione Seck; Orientissime (Elite) BEST OF ELSEWHERE 2007

2 Sep 2007 | <1 min read

There are some who think that "world music" is corrupted by outside influences, and that the folk musicians of various parts of the globe should be time-locked so as to retain some degree of authenticity. Such paternalistic purists bang on about how tragic it is that musicians from the Sahara use synthesizers, or that sitar players in India tailor their ragas for radio play rather... > Read more

Thione Seck: Ballago

Various: Next Brel (Barclay)

1 Sep 2007 | <1 min read

The music and lyrics of Jacques Brel (1929-78) have seduced dozens of musicians down the decades, notably Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield . . . Actually just about anyone who appreciates his melodramatic darkness. Brel wrote and sang of street people, love and loss, was reflective or angry, romantic or satirical. He left a huge body of work for others to pick... > Read more

Emiliana Torrini: If You Go Away

Hossam Ramzy and Samy El Bably; Cairo Nights (Arc/Elite) BEST OF ELSEWHERE 2007

26 Aug 2007 | <1 min read

Elsewhere listeners know it is unwise to judge an album -- especially a world music album, and most particularly a bellydance album -- by its cover. Beneath the bejewelled, bikini-top breasts on this unpromising looking album are the two key features: the names of Ramzy and El Bably. Ramzy is a prolific writer (over 20 albums for the Arc label alone, most in equally unpromising covers!),... > Read more

Hossam Ramzy/Samy El Bably: Waheshny

The Silk String Quartet: Contemporary and Traditional Chinese Music (Arc/Elite)

25 Aug 2007 | <1 min read

This London-based group includes Cheng Yu, who previously featured on Elsewhere with her lovely solo album of pipa (lute) and qin (zither) music. She has a command of both instruments and here (playing pipa) with Sun Zhao on zither, Hu Bin (erhu/fiddle) and Zhou Jinyan (Chinese dulcimer) she delivers lively traditional tunes alongside evocative contemporary works. As always titles tell... > Read more

The Silk String Quartet: Three and Six

Cesaria Evora: Rogamar (RCA)

18 Aug 2007 | <1 min read

One of my London-based sons is just back from three weeks on the various Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa. I shall quote him: "loads of swimming, hiking and taking in the traditional island music . . . had a great time meeting villagers as you make your way down the track with many inviting you into their huts to offer some pretty powerful grog made from sugercane. most... > Read more

Cearia Evora: Um Pincelada

The Yamato Ensemble: Japanese Music by Michio Miyagi, Vol 1 (ARC/Elite)

10 Aug 2007 | <1 min read

Although he lived in the first half of the 20th century, the famous Japanese composer Michio Miyagi -- whose works are featured here -- actually belonged to a much older world. He wrote in the tradition of the Edo Period of the 17th to 19th centuries (although he assimilated some post-Edo influences). His popularity and prodigious output made him one of the country's most highly regarded... > Read more

The Yamato Ensemble: Kumo No Anata-ni (The Clouds Over Yonder)

Byungki Hwang: The Best of Korean Gayageum Music (Arc/Elite)

3 Aug 2007 | <1 min read

At the Auckland Arts Festival AK '07 one of the most fascinating (if least attended) events was an afternoon concert of tea music by a Korean ensemble -- essentially traditional music about the qualities of tea, and performed while tea was being prepared. While you might have come away thinking it takes a helluva long time to get a cup of tea in Korea, the music was sublime. This... > Read more

Byungki Hwang: Hamadan (second movement, for gayageum and janggu, 2000)

Various: Marabi Africa (Marabi/Ode)