NEWSLETTER #14 8
Ethnic & World Music
Group Doueh
->
Various
Artists
| AFRICA WESTERN SAHARA |
GROUP DOUEH |
Sublime Frequencies 030 |
Guitar Music From The Western Sahara |
$17.98 |
8 tracks, 40 mins, recommended
If you are a fan of African
music and guitar playing then this is the CD for you: this quartet from the
Western Sahara region of Africa--featuring the guitar playing of group
leader Doueh that combines equal parts traditional Sahrawi music with the
technique of Hendrix-has made some inspired music that is highly uplifting
and inspirational, which is not surprising given that the performers are
from a region that has been fighting for independence since 1975. There is
no clear way to describe the sound of this music except to say that if these
guys had played at the Monterey Pop Festival in '67, they would have fit
right in (they could have played after Ravi Shankar). From the distorted
freak out of Eid For Dakhla to the mournful Fagu these tracks
from Doueh's personal archives-recorded at his home during the 80's and 90's
with help from his wife (on vocals and Tbal drum) and son
(keyboards)-constitute a fascinating peek into the music of an African
region that I wasn't familiar with. Worth a listen, but be forewarned that
the recording quality might not be everyone's cup of tea. Still, a little
distortion is a small price to pay for such inspiring music! (GMC)
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| PORTUGAL |
AMALIA RODRIGUEZ |
Buda 995782 |
The First Recordings |
$15.98 |
20 tracks, essential
The Portuguese Fado, like Greek
rembetika emerged from cheap bars, small restaurants and smoke-filled
taverns and like rembetika is a mournful style featuring songs of nostalgia
and fatality (Fado means "fate"), yearning and resentment and songs of
exile. The Fado developed out of a synthesis of musical styles - not least
the modulations and inflexions of Arabic song. Amalia Rodriguez is generally
considered the greatest of all Fado singers to record and the artist who
introduced the music to a world wide audience. She started singing in her
teens in the 1930s and continued performing up to her death in 1999 at the
age of 79. She started recording in 1945 when she was living in Brazil and
this wonderful collection features 20 of those early sides. Her achingly
beautiful voice is accompanied by two guitarists - one playing A Spanish
nylon string guitar (the violao) and the other playing a 12 string steel
strung guitar with pear shaped body called the guitarra. The intertwining of
the two instruments provide an exquisite backdrop for Amalia's voice.
Although the brief notes don't tell us anything about the songs for those of
us who don't speak Portuguese it doesn't really matter since the feeling
comes through clearly. Truly lovely! (FS)
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| CUBA |
ARSENIO RODRIGUEZ |
Tumbao 315 |
El Alma De Cuba |
$189.98 |
Six C D set with 151 tracks. The definitive collection of
this important Cuban music pioneer features all his recordings made for RCA
Victor between 1940 and 1956. The appearance of Arsenio Rodriguez's ensemble
in 1940 created a style, that because of its instrumental set-up and
Arsenio's conception of harmony and rhythm, would change the path of popular
Afro-Cuban music. The addition of a second trumpet, a piano and a tumbadora
to the classic septet, converged in a new style of son, which became known
as son montuno. Later, he would adapt the traditional guaguanco to his son
montuno, creating a new style of guaguanaco, uniquely and characteristically
his and was rapidly picked up the dancers of La Habana. The CD come in three
double digipacks in a box with two booklets in English and Spanish - one by
musicologist David Garcia (88 pages) discusses the life and music of
Rodriguez and the other by this project's producer Jordi Pujol (44 pages)
includes a comprehensive discography and recounts anecdotes about the
musicians and singers that were part of the group.
|
| AFRICA-WEST AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Honest Jon's 33 |
Living Is Hard - West African Music In
Britain 1927-29 |
$18.98 |
23 tracks, 72 mins, essential
In our continuing efforts to
bring to our customers new, exotic, educational, and exciting music, we
present this collection of West African music that was released in Britain
in the late 1920's by the Zonophone label. It was Zonophone's intention to
dominate the West African music market, and they succeeded by exporting
hundreds of discs and record players back to Africa. The musicians
themselves recorded these songs in Britain, but not much is known about them
personally. Sung in various West African languages-Fanti, Twi, Ga, and
Yoruba among them-the songs are folky, basic and quite hypnotic showing the
influence of spirituals, ragtime, jazz and the classical compositions of
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The liner notes contain the history of blacks in
Britain during this time-as one could imagine, not an easy existence-and the
story of the music's genesis, and in addition, for those who care, English
translations of the songs' lyrics. But the lyrics don't really matter, in
this kind of music it's the feel and emotions that count. And I would like
to commend Honest Jons for stepping up to the plate and re-issuing this
stuff. If you dig early American Negro spirituals or field songs (which I
can hear echoes of in Domingo Justus' Buje, for example), then you
owe it to yourself to give these fascinating tracks an earful. (GMC)
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| AFRICA-MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Network 495115 |
Golden Afrique, Vol. 3 |
$32.98 |
Two CDs, 34 tracks, highly recommended
Superb set of African
music recorded between 1939 and 1988 with most of it being from the 50s, 60s
and 70s. The first disc is devoted to South African popular music and
includes Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds and their seminal recording
of Mbube (aka Wimoweh plus artists as varied as Abagqomi,
Brenda Fassie, The Dark City Sisters, Sipho Mabuse, The Mahotella Queens,
Mahlathini, Miriam Makeba, The Soul Brothers, Hugh Masekela and others
covering a broad spectrum of South African popular music. The second disc
features 8 tracks from Zimbabwe - a number featuring the skittering electric
guitar sound based on the sound of the traditional Mbira and includes
artists like The Four BRothers, The Hallelujah Chucken Run band, Oliver
Mtukudzi and others and also includes 8 tracks from the neighboring country
of Zambia with performances from Dolly Rathebe, Big Gold Six, Smokey
Haangala and others. Includes booklet with numerous photos and notes in
English, French and German. (FS)
|
| HUNGARY |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ocora 600013 |
Hongrie: Musique Populaires |
$21.98 |
Fine collection of traditional music from various regions of
Hungary recorded between 1960 and 1995 - some on location and some in the
studio of Hungarian Radio. About half the tracks are unaccompanied vocals -
mostly solo but also several group performances. Two vocal features features
accompaniment by pipes. The rest are instrumental including straight pipe
solos, bagpipes, cymbalum, a localised flute called furulya, a zither
ensemble and hurdy gurdys. One track features a "hairy bagpipe" - I wonder
what that is? Includes 24 page booklet with notes in French, English &
Ungarian.
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Proper BOX 142 |
Steelin' It - The Steel Guitar Story |
$26.98 |
Entertaining 100 - track history of the steel guitar in its
various guises, from its Hawaiin origins to its prominent role in American
Western Swing and mainstream Country music. It covers the years 1925 to
1957. The first C D features 25 examples of Hawaii's foremost exponents of
the instrument, famous and obscure. The other three discs chronicle the use
and development of lap steel guitar , resonator guitar , console/table steel
guitar and pedal steel guitar in American Wester n Swing and mainstream
Country and Rockabilly , along the way showcasing all the main acts who made
the instruments such an integral part of their sound . Includes Andy
Sanella, Sam Ku West, Jim & Bob - The Genial Hawaiians, Bob Dunn
(accompanying Milton Brown, Modern Mountaineers and others), Leon McAuliffe,
Ted Daffan, The High Flyers, Spade Cooley, Ernest Tubb, Cecil Campbell & The
Tennessee Ramblers, Tiny Murphy & His Bar 69 Cowboys, Shot Jackson, Billy
Walker, Charlie Feathers, Onie Wheeler, Bill Haley & His Comets and lots
more.
SHELLY LEE ALLEY: I've Got the Blues #2/ Train Whistle Blues/ LES ANDERSON:
And I Shook/ This Is Southland/ H.M. BARNES AND HIS BLUE RIDGE RAMBLERS:
Honolulu Stomp/ JOHNNY BOND: I Won't Stand In Your Way/ John's Other Wife/
The Daughter Of Jole Blon/ BILL BOYD & HIS COWBOY RAMBLERS: Jitterbug Jive/
BILLY BRIGGS: Down In New Orleans/ Pretty Baby Boogie/ MILTON BROWN & HIS
BROWNIES: Takin' Off/ CLIFF BRUNER & HIS BOYS: Kelly Swing/ CECIL CAMPBELL &
THE TENNESSEE RAMBLERS: Campbell's Steel Guitar Special/ Steel Guitar Hop/
SPADE COOLEY: Boggs Boogie/ Spadella/ Steel Guitar Rag/ Texas Steel Guitar/
TED DAFFAN: Car Hop's Blues/ Weary Steel Blues/ Blue Steel Blues/ AL DEXTER:
Down At The Roadside Inn/ LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS: I've Just Got To See You
Once More/ BOB DUNN'S VAGABONDS: Stompin' At The Honky Tonk/ MELVIN ENDSLEY:
I Ain't Getting' Nowhere With You/ CHARLIE FEATHERS: I've Been Deceived/
Peepin' Eyes/ TERRY FELL: That's The Way The Big Ball Bounces/ Wham Bam Hot
Ziggity Zam/ FOUR HAWAIIAN GUITARS: Black Boy Blues/ BILL HALEY & THE
COMETS: Is It True What They Say About Dixie/ THE HAWAIIAN BEACHCOMBERS:
Breezy Hawaiian Melody/ JIMMY HEAP & THE MELODY MASTERS: Dessau Waltz/ THE
HI-FLYERS: Juke Box Jump/ SOL HOOPII & HIS NOVELTY QUARTET: An Orange Grove
In California/ SOL HOOPII & HIS NOVELTY FOUR: Iniki Malie/ SOL HOOPII & HIS
NOVELTY QUARTET: Oh Lady Be Good/ LEODIE JACKSON: Double Crossin' Mama/
Steeling The Blues/ SHOT JACKSON: Steeling The Mood/ JIM & BOB - THE GENIAL
HAWAIIANS: By The Waters Of Minnietonka/ Saint Louis Blues/ KALAMA'S
QUARTET: Wai O Minnehaha/ KANUI & LULA: Ua Like No A like/ SAM KU WEST:
Farewell Blues/ St Louis Blues/ The Memphis Blues/ MERL LINDSAY & HIS
OKLAHOMA NITE RIDERS: Safety Pin Rag/ Slidin' Steel/ THE LONE STAR COWBOYS:
Steel Guitar Bounce/ SEGIS LUVAUN: Wela-Ka-Hao/ ROSE MADDOX: Looky There
Over There/ JOE MAPHIS: Fire On The Strings/ BUSTER MARTIN: Herbie's Steel
Guitar Polka/ LEON MCAULIFFE: Steel Guitar Rag/ Take It Away Leon/ Twin
Guitar Boogie/ CHARLES MITCHELL: Mean Mama Blues/ MODERN MOUNTAINEERS:
Taking Off/ TAU MOE & THE ORIGINAL HAWAIIANS: Hula Blues/ Rhythm Of The
Islands/ GEORGE MORGAN: Be Sure You Know/ BILL MOUNCE: I Found A New Baby/
TINY MURPHY & HIS BAR 69 BOYS: Hot Steel/ KING NAWAHI'S HAWAIIANS: Hawaiian
Capers/ ROY NEWMAN: Dust Off That Old Piano/ PALAKIKO & PAALUHI: Honolulu
March/ HANK PENNY: Remington Ride/ Steel Guitar Stomp/ WEBB PIERCE: I Need
You Like A Hole In The Head/ MARVIN RAINWATER: Where Do We Go From Here/
SLIM RHODES: Gonna Romp And Stomp Tonight/ Uncertain Love/ ANDY SANELLA:
Blues Of The Guitar/ Slidin' On The Frets/ TOMMY SARGENT: Steel Guitar
Boogie/ ROY SMECK HAWAIIAN ORCH: Kalima Waltz/ ROY SMECK'S SERENADERS:
Guitarese/ Limehouse Blues/ Slippery Fingers/ SONS OF DIXIE: Don't Ever Go
Wrong/ SONS OF THE WEST: Panhandle Rag/ Sally's Got A Wooden Leg/ FLOYD
TILLMAN: I Don't Care Anymore/ ERNEST TUBB: Don't Look Now (But Your Broken
Heart Is Showing)/ So Round So Firm So Fully Packed/ WAIKIKI HAWAIIAN TRIO:
My Best Girl/ BILLY WALKER: Mexican Joe/ SPEEDY WEST: Stratosphere Boogie/
Speedin' West/ ONIE WHEELER: A Beggar For Your Love/ A Booger Gonna Getcha/
HANK WILLIAMS & THE DRIFTING COWBOYS: Settin' The Woods On Fire/ BOB WILLS:
Steel Guitar Stomp/ Steel Guitar Rag/ Texas Playboy Rag/ Stay A Little
Longer/ FARON YOUNG: I'm Gonna Live Some Before I Die/ Shame On You
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| AFRICA-NIGERIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soundway 011 |
Nigeria Rock Special |
$18.98 |
15 tracks, 68 mins highly recommended
Like the title says,
this CD compiles some of the best LP and 45 cuts from the Nigerian rock
scene of the early 70's. It was drummer Ginger Baker, who first visited
Nigeria in 1970, that recognized the potential and talent of the musicians,
and he featured some of the players in his bands Ginger Baker's Air Force
and Salt. One listen to these tracks will reveal influences ranging from
Hendrix to Santana to War to James Brown, but always with a foot in
traditional African rhythms. Marvel at the funky workout of the Hygrades'
instrumental In the Jungle or the stone-cold grooves of Ofo the Black
Company's Eniaro, and consider that these tracks could have been
(except for the foreign language vocals) recorded by any U.S. rock or funk
band of the day. The perfect compliment to your old Tower of Power, Santana,
and Chambers Brothers albums, this CD is a must have. (GMC)
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| INDIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sublime Frequencies 014 |
Radio India - The Eternal Dream Of Sound |
$17.98 |
A remarkable two CD set of recordings taking from radio
broadcasts made in India in 1989 and 1996 from Bengal to Rajasthan and many
points in between. Disc one features a collage of music-only excerpts while
the second disc is an adventurous blend of music, radio commercials, news,
DJs, and raw sound collages. The music includes folk songs, pop hits, film
music, classical music and more incorporating elements of Indian music and
drawing on styles from beyond the subcontinent. It includes ragas, Bollywood
breaks, electric guitars, chenai, violin music and more. The individual
performances are not indentified so it's best to just put it on and submerge
yourself in an experience that is both exotic and exhilarating.
|
| INDIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sublime Frequencies 043 |
Bollywood Steel Guitar |
$17.98 |
21 tracks, highly recommended
Fascinating and delightful
collection of Indian film music featuring the distinctive sound of the steel
guitar. In the Indian film industry (often referred to as Bollywood) film
music is an extremely important part of the film and a whole industry is
based around this. Most Indian films - even horror and crime movies will
usually have one or more songs and these songs and tunes are often covered
by other artists in instrumental versions which is where this album steps
in. As best as I can tell from the notes the performances here are not ones
used in the movies but are cover performances. The 21 tracks cover the
period 1962 through 1986 and like all Indian film music the music is a blend
of Asian and Western influences creating a heady musical brew and the
presence of hot steel guitar really gilds the lily. Joining the steel
guitars are accordions, violins, swaxes, electric guitars, percussion and
more. A truly inspired released from this small and imaginative Seattle
based record label. (FS)
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| JEWISH/YIDDISH/KLEZM ER |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Trikont 354 |
Shtetl Superstars |
$22.98 |
19 tracks, 70 min., recommended
The accuracy of the
subtitle, " Funky Jewish Sounds From Around The World, " depends upon one's
definition of "funky." But this offering from the global children of the
post 1970s klezmer revival is a challenging and often exciting combination
of the cutting edge and ancient history. Imagine Russian rap and Hasidic
reggae singers. Imagine a landscape where elements of hip hop and punk stand
along side elements of Yiddish swing and traditional klezmer. Some of the
better (and better known artists to Americans) include Balkan Beat Box (USA/Isreal)
and Terry Hall & Mushtaq (Great Britian), but Germany, Holland, Canada,
Russia, and France are also represented. The glorious experiment falls flat
from time to time, as on Geoff Berner's Lucky Goddamn Jew and Alec
Kopyt's Tramvay, but the ride is always at least worthwhile, the
scenery at least interesting. Seven cuts are previously unreleased works or
versions of released works. (JC)
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| MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Wergo 1623-2 |
Global Accordion - Early Recordings,
1927-1948 |
$24.98 |
26 tracks, 72 mins, very highly recommended
Fabulous
collection of traditional music from around the world featuring the
accordion - an instrument that spread throughout the world in the 19th
century. The recordings here were made between 1927 and 1948 and features
performances from Puerto Rico, Ireland, France, Turkey, West Africa,
Finland, Switzerland, Brazil, Louisiana USA and more. An exciting and very
varied selection with superb sound and 34 page booklet with numerous
illustrations, extensive notes in English and German by Christoph Wagner and
discographical information. A true delight. (FS)
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| AFRICA-MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Wergo 1624 |
Echoes Of Africa - Early Recordings |
$24.98 |
Wonderful and varied collection of African music drawn from
commercial recordings made between 1929 and the early 50s. It includes music
from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zanzibar, Tanzania and Kenya and includes
accordion duets, twin guitar highlife, brass bands, female group vocals with
percussion, vocal & drum ensembles, South African doo-wop, vocals with
single stringed fiddle, vocals with violin and banjo, Arabic songs and more.
Sound quality is superb and the set includes a 32 page booklet with some
great photos and informative notes by Keth Chandler in English and German.
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