Mandingo - Watto Sitta (1984)

«Foday Musa Suso is an internationally recognised Kora playing Mandingo griot who was born in 1950 in the Gambian village of Sarre Hamadi, a village in the Wuli District, in the Upper River Region. He is a virtuoso master kora performer and composer from a hereditary lineage of other Jalis. […]

In 1977, Suso flew to Chicago in the US where he began his recording career as well as forming a group, Mandingo Griot Society, with the percussionist Adam Rudolph. […] Since then, he has taught and recorded with many well known jazz artists, including the trumpeter Don Cherry, and Herbie Hancock, with whom he recorded the album Village Life while on their tour of Japan. The group opened new ground in what is known as World Music in numerous other collaborations, such as with Ginger Baker using Suso’s skillful and heavenly playing of the West African lute in a number of pieces.

After the band broke up they Suso re-united with its members Rudolph and Hamid Drake in 1984 to create the album Watto Sitta. The album was produced by Bill Laswell, and was a milestone of modern African music, skillfully and effortlessly merging Suso’s cutting-edge kora playing with an effortless equilibrium of natural and synthesised tunes.» (accessgambia.com)

For more Foday Musa Suso’s projects on Babe(b)logue click here.

Enjoy!

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Fawzy Al-Aiedy - Oud Aljazira (1999)

«The ancient music of the Middle East has been given a modern twist by Iraq-born and Paris-based oud (lute) and oboe player and vocalist Fawzy Al-Aiedy. Affectionately known as the "Sultan of swing," Al-Aiedy continues to bridge the traditional music of the East and the improvised sensibility of the West. Hailing from the Iraqi harbor city of Bassorah, Al-Aiedy studied violin and singing at the age of 14. His dreams of studying music abroad seemed to dissolve after the Ba'ath took control of Iraq and issued an edict prohibiting Iraqi citizens from leaving the country. Pleading to Saddam Hussein for permission to leave, he instead found himself drafted into the Iraqi army. After three months of basic training, he was transferred to the military's music division. Allowed to travel to Europe in 1971, Al-Aiedy settled in Paris and began to study the oboe. He released his debut album, Silence, five years later. His subsequent releases have focused on interpreting the music of the era depicted in the book 1001 Arabian Nights. While most of his albums have been directed at a general audience, Al-Aiedy has recorded several albums for children.» (AMG)

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Moussu T e Lei Jovents - Home Sweet Home (2008)

«Co-founder of Massilia Sound System, Moussu T, returns with Home Sweet Home, the third studio album recorded with Lei Jovents [Blu on guitars, banjo and Ciotadin viola, Zerbino on drums, washboard and percussion, and Jam de Silva on percussion and berimbau]. As with previous recordings, this new album features several Moussu T tracks with more personal themes [La Cabussada, Le Divan, Il fait beau…]. It's a safe bet that had Jali, Gari and Lux B not left the group this summer, the name of the album would not be what it is. Calling it Home Sweet Home in English marks this album out from Massilia productions, but the lyrics and the music hold true to the original spirit of the group. The rhythm may be more discreet, more minimalist and it does flirt with the blues, but the feel is the same. Massilia played with their whole neighbourhood in mind, whereas here, the focus is just the road, Moussu's road 'the one we leave to head for the horizon, but since the world is round, we end up right where we started!' he sings in the intro to Ma Rue N'est Pas Longue. As always with Moussu T the local and the global dance together. A dance with clear African-American influences, a dance which pays tribute to the Marseilles of the 1920s, the Marseilles of Banjo – the novel by Jamaican author Claude McKay. This Marseilles, which before its love affair with ragga and hip hop began, had long absorbed the music of the new-world sailors, largely descendants of slaves, who came ashore and passed their time in the old part of town, by Panier. A Marseilles which embodies all the passion of Moussu T, the free-spirit who has chosen to live in La Ciotat, all the better to gaze upon Marseilles, his beloved city.» (Mondomix)

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Spiteri - Spiteri (1973)

«An amazing band that recorded in London in the 1970’s and had the British all excited about Latino Rock. But of course, it was one of those items nobody could get hold of, despite asked for it in every store you ever went to.

Even in London where, by chance I came to live, nobody had heard of them. I never got the chance to hear the record either in Venezuela where most people get rid of their vinyls as soon as the cd player appeared (a Venezuelan tendency: new always means better!!), or in the country in which it was recorded. And then, a decade and a half later, I open the usual padded envelope holding a CD to review and it that word that had escpaed my lips so often but I'd never seen in print: Spiteri. At first I thought I'd misread it, but there it was, the very same band that has been evading me all this time, that magical cd, recorded in London, by two Venezuelan brothers (Charlie and Jorge). This album, originally recorded in 1973, released in Venezuela but never in England, has now been re-released by one of the most exciting Latin Music labels today: Vampisoul.

It would be too good to be true that this album lived up to the legend, but the bare truth is that it does. It's a beautiful combination of psychedelic rock with Venezuelan folk music, a sound so fresh, so unique, so vibrant, that it is pure Spanglish bliss in a totally insane way that could only have been produced in the 1970s. It was way ahead of its time in terms of musical vision, a true fusion album when only very few musicians were daring to attempt it. It combines Afro-Venezuelan rhythmns with English melodies in a daring way, enhanced by a musical understanding and skill into something truly innovative and rare.

According to the CD booklet Spiteri was Britain's answer to Santana. Unfortunately, while Santana's appearance at Woodstock launched his career into the maintream music market, Spiteri never played at Glastonbury. They also only ever recorded one album. After listening to it, it leaves you wondering what would have happened if they had been given the exposure or stayed together as a band. One of those things we'll never know. And so this one gem makes its mark in history as a collectors' 'must have' and an album that could have been.... but never was. Still, never too late to enjoy it!» (Candelalive)

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Nathalie Natiembé - Sankèr (2005)

«The raw songs of Nathalie Natiembé are typical of the Reunion island. Adopted by Possession after a youth spent in the streets of the center of St-Denis, Nathalie Natiembé cannot remember not singing. In 1998 she throws herself body and soul into writing. Nathalie Natiembé works in depth with the creole language. She draws strong emotions from words, digging deep into their essence. This exercise has in fact brought her around to her Mozambican origins in March 2001, during a tour that became significant on a personal level.

When Nathalie Natiembé crosses many people bearing her name in Catembé, in the south of the country, she finds out that her family extends outside of Reunion to the lands of Africa. With the Sankèr album, Nathalie Natiembé delivers her vision of what Maloya could become. Surrounded by musicians from the Indian Ocean (Reunion, Mauritius and Madagascar), she confronts this genre typical of Reunion and opens it to new horizons... thus finding the heart of it.» (Mondomix)

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Kassav' - Nou La (2000)

«The story of Kassav’ (the name comes from cassava, which is a mixture of manioc paste and coconut) began in 1979 when Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a member of a dance orchestra since the sixties, decided to revamp and modernize the music he had always played along with Freddy Marshall, another musician from the Antilles. They adored popular carnival music, and so Decimus tried to adapt it to modern musical techniques. They also recruited Jacob Desvarieux, an established studio guitarist, and Georges Décimus, Pierre-Edouard’s brother, a bass guitarist, together with other studio musicians. The group built up as it went along. The first formation went in to the recording studios in the November and brought out the first Kassav’ album, entitled Love and Ka Dance, a couple of months later. A new musical genre had been conceived: Zouk. New sounds, particularly bass, keyboards and brass wind instruments, gave this music a modern, festive air, both lively and foot-tapping. This was when Kassav’ began writing the history of Zouk. […]

Released in June 2000, Nou La (short for "Nou la, nou byen la" – We're here, really here!) featured 15 tracks recorded in Toulouse and mixed in Paris. But it was clear that the songs had been written and lovingly prepared in Martinique, the group’s eternal source of inspiration.» (RFIMusique, click here for full bio)

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Baba Zula - Roots (Kökler) (2007)

«Turkey is a nation in the midst of a dramatic transition. It’s pushing forward with social and economic reforms as it pursues membership in the European Union. During the process, it’s casting an eye to the rear view mirror, pondering and situating the impact of centuries of history stretching back to its pre-Islamic, Shamanic roots on its current hybrid Islamic-secular nation state. It’s a multi-layered country that blends Eastern and Western influences into its cultural mix – a fact that’s particularly apt given its geographic location straddling Europe and Central Asia.

Baba Zula, Turkey’s most beloved alternative music purveyors, provide an ideal soundtrack for this region in flux. The Istanbul-based band combines dub and reggae influences, traditional Turkish instruments, and electronica into a truly one-of-a-kind psychedelic sound. Comprised of electric saz player and vocalist Murat Ertel, electronics and percussion maestro Levent Akman, and darbuka player Coşar Kamçi, the three-piece band creates an enormous sound bathed in myriad melodies and polyrhythms. In concert, Baba Zula is a quartet that also features the talents of Ceren Oykut, a renowned graphic artist that creates and renders projected digital images in real time.

While it is relatively unknown in the West, the saz is the foremost stringed instrument used in Turkey. With three-to-12 strings on a bouzouki-like body, it possesses a distinct, bright, and ringing high-pitched sound that’s pleasing to the ear. It’s at the core of the group’s sound and that of many other contemporary and traditional Turkish acts.

Baba Zula just released Roots, its sixth album. It’s a stripped down affair that represents the essence of the group’s trio interaction. Previous discs featured many special guests, as well as outside producers, but the band was intent on keeping things in the family for its latest outing. The album features 25 mostly short pieces that largely came out of studio improvisations, as well as three dub mixes by noted Japanese producer Naoyuki Uchida.

Listeners abroad may have been previously exposed to Baba Zula in Crossing the Bridge, a remarkable documentary by Fatih Akin now available on DVD worldwide. The film takes viewers through Istanbul's contemporary and avant-garde music scenes with a level of depth and intrigue rarely found in musical travelogues. The documentary has helped elevate Baba Zula’s international profile considerably. Don’t be surprised if they hit your local scene in the near term...» (Anil Prasad, Innerviews, click here to read the interview)

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Pela Simba - Pela Simba (2006)

Hello everybody, Babe(b)logue goes on holiday, so this will be the last post for a while. See you soon, and stick around!

Radu.

P.S. As far as I know, this somewhat mysterious CD collects two beautiful Pela Simba’s albums originally published during the first half of the 80’s, Pela Simba and Sambara. If you discover more info, please leave a comment here. Cheers!

«Pela Simba, chanteur-guitariste d'origine congolaise, fondateur du groupe Thu Zahina, neveu de Tabu Ley (l'un des pères de la musique africaine moderne), vous propose une musique ethno-urbaine où s'enroulent tout en couleur poésie, rythmes, chants et joie de vivre.
Thu Zahina” est le nom d’un groupe musical qui fait parler de lui au Zaïre dans les années soixante dix. C’est le premier groupe composé uniquement de lycéens. Parmi les cofondateurs de “Thu Zahina” il y a Pela Simba.
Très vite populaire chez les jeunes, ce groupe, avec son style nouveau, fait naître dans son sillage d’autres groupes de lycéens tels que “Zatko”, “Bella Bella”, “Stukas” et bien d’autres.
Dès le départ, “Thu Zahina” se trouve un parrain de choix en la personne de l’artiste Tabu Ley (Rochereau). En effet ce dernier: chanteur et auteur-compositeur, est l’une des plus grandes stars du Zaïre et d’Afrique. Quelques temps plus tard ce groupe de lycéens est produit par Luambo-Makiadi dit “Franco”, une autre grande star du pays et du continent africain. L’arrivée de “Thu Zahina” et de tous ces autres groupes est sans conteste le départ d’une nouvelle musique zaïroise. C’est le début des artistes comme Papa Wemba, Pépé Manuku, Evoloko. Nyoka Longo,...
Après son départ du groupe “Thu Zahina”, Pela crée les “Saphirs” et ensuite rejoint Pépé Kallé, Vata Mombassa dans le groupe “Myosotis”.
En 1977, Pela arrive à Paris pour des études d’audiovisuel et de journalisme qu’il terminera quelques années plus tard avec succès. Mais ses études ne l’empêchent pas de continuer de vivre sa passion: la musique. C’est ainsi qu’il consacre ses heures de liberté à la création de l’une des premières formations musicales, d’étudiants d’Afrique Centrale.
Avec Jean-Faustin Missamou et Aimé Kobo ils fondent les “Mongali”.
Quelques années plus tard, avec Maika et Bony Bikaye, Pela joue aux côtés de Ray Lema dans le groupe “Carma” sponsorisé par Jean-François Bizot et son journal “Actuel”.
Puis toujours avec Maika, c’est la naissance du groupe “Malaika” avec des musiciens comme Denis Hekimian, Manou Lima ou le saxophone Jimi Mvondo.
En tant qu’auteur, compositeur, arrangeur ou interprète, Pela participe à un grand nombre de disques avec des artistes de renom tels que Tabu Ley, Mbilia Bel, Franco, Tchounou Bowen...
En 1986, on lui confie la direction artistique du “Kiss Club”. Il en fait très vite un haut lieu de la musique black et métisse à Paris. On s’y presse tous les soirs pour y rencontrer des artistes connus ou inconnus; et danser et chanter sur des rythmes de toutes les couleurs.
Pendant deux ans Pela et son groupe le “Mouvement AYE” s’y produisent tous les soirs. Et les invités pour “taper le boeuf” seront pas les moindres: Higelin, Eric Serrat, Alpha Blondy, Rido Bayonne, etc.
Pela s’est produit dans de nombreux lieux réputés de la nuit parisienne tels que “Le Bataclan”, “La Chapelle des Lombards”, “Le Rex Club”, “L’espace Cardin”, etc. et dans un grand nombre de villes hors de Paris.» (EspaceConcert)

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Yengi Yol - De Seville à Boukhara (2003)

«Yengi Yol means “new way”, in Turkish as well as in Uzbek. The “Yengi Yol” Ensemble was born a few years ago when European musician E.H. During went to meet young musicians his age in Uzbekistan. Back then, when his flamenca guitar met their traditional Uzbek music, the result was convincing straight away. The band was born and several concerts and recordings were rapidly done, so that a new sound could be heard in European and Oriental countries.

Today, “Yengi Yol” has set off again, towards a new, totally original adventure where Turkish Ottoman music meets Uzbek music. The four European musicians (A.Espinouze, S.Halaris, A.Morineau et E.H.During) who took up the challenge already had sound experience of Ottoman high culture music, but they had never tackled high culture tradition from Central Asia.
The meeting occurred in May 2007 in Uzbekistan when three concerts were given (in Samarqand, Bukhara and Tashkent) to an audience dumbfounded by the new tones brought by “Yengi Yol” to their music. A few videos and some recordings give an account of what had probably never happened in centuries.
In the 15th century, exchanges were still flourishing between the door to Europe and the heart of Asia. Thus, musicians from Samarqand or Bukhara were able to play at the Ottoman court of Istanbul and vice versa. The works of the repertoire would travel over thousands of kilometres, from one end of a chain of transmission to the other, and were organized into a both refined and complex codified knowledge: the Maqam or the art of high culture music, shared by the elite of musicians from the Maghreb to China. With the passing of centuries and due to the setting up of political borders, the Maqam was progressively divided and interpreted in accordance with local claims, each region developing its own style and repertoire.
Yengi Yol proposes to go in the reverse direction. While keeping the specificities proper to each culture, they want to play Ottoman and Uzbek pieces having obvious similarities by drawing from the ancient – up to 15th century – repertoires of the court as well as Sufi brotherhoods.
As obvious and natural as the result may appear, such a meeting has never happened before.» (Yengi Yol’s MySpace page)

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Blo - Chapters and Phases: The Complete Albums 1973-1975 (2009)

«Blo fused the Afrobeat rhythms of their native Nigeria with the mind-expanding psychedelia and funk of late-'60s Western rock to forge a wholly original sound embracing the full spectrum of black music. The roots of the group lay in the Clusters, already one of the most popular Nigerian highlife acts of the mid-'60s even prior to a stint as the support band for the Sierra Leonean pop superstar Geraldo Pino, once dubbed "the West African James Brown." In 1970, guitarist Berkely "Ike" Jones, bassist Mike "Gbenga" Odumosu, and drummer Laolu "Akins" Akintobi left the Clusters to join Afrocollection with twin sisters Kehinde and Taiwo Lijadu (featured a decade later on the British television show The Tube), moving away from their highlife roots to explore a more pronounced Afro-Rock approach. While performing at the Lagos club Batakuto, Afrocollection jammed with Ginger Baker, the renowned drummer from the British blues-rock supergroup Cream; in late 1971, the members of Afrocollection joined Baker in forming the jazz-rock ensemble Salt, making their live debut the following year alongside the legendary Fela Kuti.

Despite a series of well-received live appearances throughout Western Europe and North America, the Salt project proved short-lived, and in late 1972, Jones, Odumosu, and Akintobi formed Blo, touring relentlessly in the months to come, prior to recording their EMI Nigeria label debut Blo: Chapter One. Drawing equally on the pioneering Afrobeat of Fela and Tony Allen as well as the American psych-rock of bands like the Grateful Dead and the Byrds, the record failed to live up to EMI's commercial expectations, and after signing to Afrodisia, Blo resurfaced in 1975 with Phase 2, pushing further into funk and R&B territory. Grand Funk Railroad and the Isley Brothers were the primary influences on the trio's third LP, Phase 3, but as lackluster sales continued to dog the group, Blo faced greater corporate pressure to reflect contemporary musical trends – specifically, disco, a shift culminating with 1980's Bulky Backside, recorded in London. Blo dissolved following the 1982 release of Back in Time.» (AMG)

«One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! There's definitely a rock influence in the set, but the music isn't rock at all – it's a very dark, almost dubby groove at points – and a bit more straightforwardly funk at others – almost a post-colonial style that clearly comes from a London influence, given to the group by a previous association with Ginger Baker. Rhythms are quite tight, and the bass is as strong as the drums – mixed up nicely with riffing guitar, and moody vocals that color the whole thing nicely. […]. Phase II is a critical next step for the group – music that's even deeper than before, but a bit funkier too! There's clearly some touches here of other African funk of the time – especially in the way the guitar parts groove with the rhythms – although those heavy Blo basslines from before are still nicely in place, as are some of the fuzzier production elements too.» (Dusty Groove America)

Check also RPM Records’ Blo page.

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Ancient Future - Asian Fusion (1993)

«Ancient Future was formed in 1978 by guitarist Matthew Montfort, who was interested in combining ancient musical traditions with modern technology. The band's inviting melodies, exotic instruments, and ethnic textures helped popularize of world-music fusion.

In Asian Fusion, Jim Hurley and Matthew Montfort's shared violin-and-guitar-line leads catch hold of a strong melody and bite down hard. But despite Zhao Hui's Chinese gu sheng board zither, Bui Hui Nhut's dan bao Vietnamese one-stringed lute, and assorted ethnic percussion, vernacular instruments don't share equal weight with the band's folk-classical thrust, and the cuts that are carved from indigenous music – "The Dusk Song of the Fisherman" or the lovely Indonesian degung of "Sunda Strait" – tilt somewhat toward the generic. Still, the disc's got plenty of fire, and its loveliness often surprises.» (AMG)

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Pete Rodriguez - El Rey del Boogaloo (1966-69)

«Massive Boogaloo album, with loads of catchy grooves all the way through! Pete & his band were one of the best of the Latin soul era, & this album's certainly one of their strongest. Includes 'Guagaloo', 'Pete's Boogaloo', & 'Do the Boogaloo'. Hard funky & very upbeat all the way through. If someone asked you what the definition of Latin Soul was, this would be the album to play for them! A fantastic little album of Latin Soul -- a perfect example of why Pete was known as the 'King Of The Boogaloo' during the 60s! The group's having a non-stop party on the album -- breaking it hard with heavy piano lines, rumbling bass underneath the grooves, tight timbales, & some shouted lyrics in English that are always very catchy. The cut, 'I Like It Like That', is the sort of groover that you'll be singing for years -- even after hearing it only once -- & the album's filled with all great cuts. 14 tracks in all, packaged in digipak format. Vampi Soul. 2003.» (Amazon)

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Opa - Goldenwings / Magic Time (1976-77)

«Hugo Fattoruso, born in Montevideo, Uruguay, began his musical career as a prodigious and somewhat reluctant piano student at the age of four. By the time he was nine his father Antonio formed El Trio Fattoruso by drafting Hugo’s younger brother Jorge on drums, with Hugo on accordion and Antonio on "inverted bucket bass" (using a broom as the neck, and a cord as the instrument’s single string). This trio performed in street festivals, covering the variety of styles used in Uruguay’s carnivals (boleros, murgas, tangos, etc.), giving Hugo an education in the rich harmonic stuff of disparate musical styles.
At the age of 16 Hugo moved to the upright bass and began his tenure as the under-aged member of The Hot Blowers, a swing band that toured throughout Latin America in the late 1950s. This period could be seen as a second important milestone in Hugo’s harmonic education, hammering home the concepts of improvisation and musical interplay.
By the early 1960s, rock’n’roll began to shake the world’s foundation, and Hugo set out to express himself in that medium by forming Los Shakers, where he and his brother shared song writing, singing and guitar responsibilities. Los Shakers were a huge success throughout Latin America, as they were able to mold the complexities of bossa’s harmonies, Uruguay’s urban song style, candombe rhythms and the backbeat of rock into a new and contagious form.
By the late 1960s the influence of jazz, and of the Afro-Uruguayan rhythm of candombe, took Hugo to New York City, where he formed the group Opa. In Opa Hugo played keyboards and sang, while his brother played drums, and childhood friend Ringo Thielmann played bass. Opa’s mixture of jazz, rock, Brazilian harmonies and rhythms, and Uruguay’s African-flavored music (candombe) gave this band a distinctive voice, and garnered them recognition among musicians in the then growing "Latin jazz" scene. Opa released two albums on their own, Goldenwings and Magic Time. Opa’s music served to influence the next generation of Uruguayan musicians, continuing the Fattoruso’s impact on Uruguayan musical culture. From that point on Hugo travelled the U.S. and worked with a variety of artists.» (bigworldmusic)

Osvaldo Fattoruso and Blbs drinking mate.

«In 1997, it came as a quite a surprise when Fantasy reissued Opa’s albums Goldenwings (1976) and Magic Time (1977) on a single 74-minute CD – surprising because this fusion trio had only a very small following; its albums were far from big sellers, and the original LP versions were in print for only a few years. If one notices some similarity between the melodic blend of jazz, rock, funk, pop and Brazilian music heard on this disc and Airto Moreira’s CTI dates of the 1970s, it’s no coincidence – Moreira produced and played percussion on both albums. Opa members Hugh Fattoruso (keyboards, vocals), George Fattoruso (drums, vocals, percussion) and Ringo Thielmann (bass, vocals) often worked with the percussionist and his wife Flora Purim in the 1970s, and his influence clearly rubbed off. It’s regrettable that Opa was never as commercially successful as either Moreira or Purim, although this CD points to the fact that it wasn’t due to a lack of rewarding material». (AMG)

Many thanx to Blbs (see pic) for this post.

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Mick Wills - Fern Hill (1988)

«Guitarist and songwriter Mick Wills is a close pal of Bevis Frond frontman Nick Saloman. Wills and Saloman played and recorded together in a band called the Parthenogenetick Brotherhood of Woronzow. Woronzow is a pet label project of Saloman’s, hence this record’s issue in 1988, and its eventual very limited CD release on Acme in 1995. Much of the disc falls into the trad folk and blues category with one or two notable exceptions. The title track is a six-string workout that is almost reel, in feel and structure; it departs in the turnaround that is more Anglo than Celtic in style. On "The Storm," one is reminded of Michael Chapman’s tune "The Rainmaker," where the English Channel provides accompaniment in the form of waves and swells as Wills moves into the folk-blues, bending and pulling the hell out of his strings, varying tempos, and allowing the waves to provide a kind of percussive atmosphere. One listen and it’s obvious: the guy’s a monster guitar picker. One of the previously mentioned exceptions is "Jam #3-Extracted Decebelia," which features Wills burning up a blues jam on an electric guitar, Cyke Bancroft on alto saxophone, and Graham Cummings on organ. Saloman participates as a duet partner on the gorgeous tunes "Saxifrage" and "Waltz." The guitar interplay is as telepathic as Ronnie Woods and Keith Richards, but tougher, more fluid, and certainly not as burnt out sluggish as all that. The finest track on the disc is its closer, "She Looked Down," with vocals by Jenny Brown. It’s a lengthy tune, with Saloman playing lead electric guitar, bass, and drums. However, it’s Wills and Brown who shine here. Wills’ folk styles are so fluid, so silvery and knotty he’s like Richard Thompson or Martin Carthy with his traditional material, but so much faster and so much darker, using diatonic fourth and eights to punch up the standard minor key lines of his melody. Brown doesn’t enter the tune until almost three minutes in, after some lengthy interplay by Saloman and Wills. The lyrics are simply adapted from old world folk songs, like something out of Steeleye Span or Fairport in their true neo-traditionalist period. But half way through the track’s nine minutes, there is a break with tradition. Although the melody remains throughout, the song drifts, hither and yon, transforming itself into a psychedelic folk/acid jam, ending up in some other place and time, far from the territory it began in. It’s too bad this set isn’t readily available, as fans of Bevis Frond would get a kick out of it, and Wills varies it so much there is something for almost everyone here.» (Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

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Ismael Ledesma - Music Around the World: Paraguay (1998)

«Ismael Ledesma was born in the town of Lambarré ( Paraguay) en 1962. He played his first notes on the harp with his father when aged five years old. His career as a musician started in his mother’s group, Los Madrigales, which appeared in different evening concerts in the town of Asunción, in various private and social events. At the end of his secondary school studies Ismael was invited to France by his uncle Kike Lucena who had lived in Paris since the 70’s. In 1982 he travelled to Paris in order to join the circle of Latin American musicians in the capital. There he joined some of the diverse groups of those times. In 1985 he decided to pursue a solo career. In parallel to his artistic activities Ismael perfected his French, enrolling at the University of Sorbonne in Language and French Civilisation. He also became a student at the International Music Conservatoire of Paris, Alfred de Vigny.

His first concert as a pure soloist took place in Paris at the Theatre du Marais. It was at this time that Ismael decided to bring his own compositions to the scene. This was a risky decision as Latin music is often considered as “exotic” in Europe and is presented purely as folk-lore music. Ismael looked at breaking this stereotype and to creating a new platform for Latin American music by openly showing his own new musical ideas and by singly interpreting his own compositions. Ismael has made 13 CDs with different producers: French, German, Swiss and Paraguayan. Ismael Ledesma is thought of not so much as a world-harpist, as a Universal Harpist!» (ismaelledesma.com)

Biography also available in Spanish, French and Guarani.

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Bhundu Boys - The Shed Sessions 1982-1986 (2001)

«The most commercially and creatively successful act ever to emerge from Zimbabwe, the Bhundu Boys embodied the world music zeitgeist of the mid-'80s. Creators of a frenetic, guitar-dominated style they dubbed "jit," they fused airy melodies, shimmering harmonies, and pulsating rhythms drawn from across the African continent to make music that was both alien and accessible. Taking their name from the guerrillas who backed Robert Mugabe in his successful war to win Zimbabwe's independence from Britain, the Bhundu Boys formed in April 1980 in the city of Harare, which translates literally (and, sadly, prophetically) as "death everywhere." Lead guitarist Rise Kagona assembled the original lineup, which also included singer/guitarist Biggie Tembo, bassist David Mankaba, keyboardist Shakie Kangwena, and drummer Kenny Chitsvatsva. Making do with homemade instruments, the Bhundu Boys cut their teeth playing Western pop covers in township beer halls, and were a local phenomenon by the time they were discovered by erstwhile property developer Steve Roskilly, who cut their earliest sessions in his home studio, Shed. Their 1981 debut single, "Hatisitose," topped the Zimbabwean charts for three months straight, and in the years to follow the band scored three more national number ones with "Baba Munini Francis," "Wenhamo Haaneti," and "Ndimboze."

The Bhundu Boys' ascent to international fame began when Owen Elias and Doug Veitch, owners of the fledgling Discafrique label, traveled from London to Harare in search of artists to sign. There they befriended Roskilly, and on his encouragement cut a deal to reissue the band's records in the U.K. Elias and Veitch also plotted to bring the Bhundu Boys to Britain to tour, but when funding dried up Discafrique turned to Scottish promoter Gordon Muir, who in time took over the band's management. Most critical to the Bhundu Boys' growing momentum was the endorsement of BBC Radio One DJs John Peel and Andy Kershaw, both of whom played their Discafrique LPs Shabini and Tsvimbodzemoto incessantly – a few years later, Kershaw even served as best man at Tembo's wedding. In 1987 Muir brokered a landmark deal with WEA, reportedly the most lucrative ever signed by a world music act, and while at work on their major-label debut, the Bhundu Boys opened three nights for Madonna at Wembley Stadium, playing to a crowd of 240,000 at the personal request of the Material Girl herself. But their 1988 WEA debut, True Jit, was a disaster, sacrificing the elegant simplicity of their earlier work for an over-produced, Westernized sound that alienated their core fan base. The 1989 follow-up, Pamberi, was no better, and WEA terminated their contract soon after.

The Shed Sessions: 1982-1986 comprise the two albums that Zimbabwe's Bhundu Boys recorded at Harare's Shed Studios between 1982 and 1986. It's where Biggie Tembo and the rest of the band developed their jit-jive style and created a classic sound with intricately interlocking guitar parts. Comprised of two LPs, Shabini and Tsvimbodzemoto, this is really the legendary sound of the band, spawning four number one singles at home and establishing their reputation overseas. This CD not only collects the songs from those albums, but adds more, for a total of 28 cuts, all powered by some storming guitar work. But while they show their fire on tracks like "Pachedu," they also take on the feel of more traditional mbira music on the moody "Manhenga."

It's ironic that they should hit their creative high point so early in their career, never recapturing the spirit that made this music so remarkable and glittering. From here they'd move to England, but in the '90s everything would fall apart, as members died of AIDS and Biggie Tembo hanged himself after being asked to leave the band. A tragic end that wasn't foreseen in some of the best guitar music to emerge from Africa.» (AMG, click here for the full bio)

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Le World... Cuba: Los Exitos de los Años "50"

Benny Moré, Rolando La ‘Serie and Tony Camargos have had considerable success in Cuba and the world over in the 50s. Omly Benny Moré is still famous today and considered a Cuban music god. The three musicians were regrouped in this compilation for their highly similar voices and repertoires.

Maximilian Bartolomeo Moré (1919-1963), “el barbaro del ritmo”, was born to a modest African family settled in Santa Isabel de Lajas. He was very young when he started learning music with his brothers. One of his uncles from Congo taught him how to play the guitar and the congas. […] In 1940 he set off to Havana. There he won several singing competitions and […] was noticed by the already famous Conjunto Matamoros. He played in one of their records and in 1945 he took part to a tour in Mexico with them. He obtained a visa that allowed him to go to Mexico as often as he wished to. His recitals at Mexico Citu’s prestigious Rio Rosa cabaret were steps towards fame throughout Latin America. He met Lalo Montané with whom he founded the Fantasma Duet. In 1948, as mambo appeared in Mexico, Benny Moré was immediately seduced by this new rhythm and enriched his Afro-Cuban genre with it.

When he came back to Cuba in 1950, Benny Moré had become a star throughout Latin America and was given a triumphant welcome. […] He later joined the famous Bebo Valdés’ orchestra as well as Ernesto Duarte’s. Then he joined forces with trumpet player Armentero Chocolate to found his own line-up. From 1953 to 1963, the Banda Gigante became increasingly successful and helped Benny Moré rank among the greatest artists.

Rolando La ‘Serie was among the singers of the Cuban popular genre. Born in Las Villas in central Cuba, he made his first steps to music playing the kettledrums in Santa Clara’s local band. […] In 1945, he had become quite famous in Havana. […] He liked and was extremely gifted for imitating great singers.

In 1952, Benny Moré appointed him as his orchestra’s drummer. He was then noticed by the record company gema with which he recorded his successes. Gema had the great idea to have pianist Bebo Valdés’ Orchestra accompany him. Following this, Rolando La ‘serie became a star. […] He released over 30 records and won a Gold Disc in 1959.

Tony Camargo was renowned in the 1950’s big Cuban perios as one of the most gifted Mexican singers in the Cuban genre. He was lucky enough to play with the time’s best orchestras and had the privilege of singing in duet with Benny Moré. In the rare as well as precious songs featured in this compilation, Tony Camargo is accompanied by two of the Jazz Band genre’s “big shots”, chucho Rodriguez and Luis Gonzalez. (From the liner notes).

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Freshlyground - Nomvula (2004)

«Freshlyground is a South African Afro-fusion band that was formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members are from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Stylistically, Freshlyground incorporates elements of traditional South African music (such as kwela and African folk), blues and jazz, as well as features of indie rock. The lead singer is Zolani Mahola whose distinctive voice contributes much to the band's unique sound.

Freshlyground launched their debut album, Jika Jika, in early 2003. The great success of this album ultimately kick-started their career and re-affirmed their reputation as a fresh and vibrant young face in South African music. The much-needed exposure from the album resulted in an invitation for the band to perform at both the Harare International Festival of the Arts and the Robben Island African Festival. At the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), Freshlyground performed with Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi, who is also renowned for his diverse blending of different African music genres.

The band went on to perform alongside local legends Miriam Makeba, Stanley Clarke and Femi Kuti at the North Sea Jazz Festival, held during April in Cape Town. July also marked a break from the recording studio for the band, who had been working hard on their then unreleased album Nomvula. The band took this time to perform at the Villa Celimontana Festival in Rome, Italy.[…]

Finally, in late 2004, Freshlyground released their very successful album, Nomvula. Although the uptake of the album was initially slow, it eventually went on to achieve double platinum status locally. Initial success was largely due to the catchy, feel-good, lyrics of Doo Be Doo, which enjoyed significant play on local radio, it also covered in Indonesian by singer Gita Gutawa.

Freshlyground's latest album Ma' Cheri was released on September 3, 2007. […]

A song by Colombian pop star Shakira and Freshlyground has been chosen as the official anthem of this summer's World Cup. The song, "Waka Waka (Time for Africa)", […] is based upon a traditional African soldiers' song named "Zangalewa". Shakira and Freshlyground will perform the song at the pre-tournament Kick-Off concert in Soweto on 10 June. It will also be sung at the opening ceremony and at the final on 11 July.» (Wikipedia)

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Saddar Bazaar - The Conference of the Birds (1995)

«Bristol based and formed in 1990 by Shaun Hyder (Sitar etc.) and Rehan Matthew Hyder (Slide Guitar), Saddar Bazaar (Central Market) were soon joined by John Sage on Drums and supported various bands in the local area such as The Seers, Praise Space Electric and the Bevis Frond. They also played at the well known Ashton Court Community Festival in Bristol. By 1992 John had left the band and had been replaced by David Spencer, whilst Tainenska Royal came in on flute and keyboards. It was this line-up that recorded “Night Descent” for the indie charting Fun With Mushrooms album on Delerium. The bands appearance on this album resulted in a pile of mail from punters, at Delerium HQ, requesting a whole album of material by the band. It also resulted in a session for American doom metal band Solitude Aeturnus! (Saddar Bazaar play on the track “The 9th Day” on the band’s 1994 album Through the Darkest Hour on Music For Nations). Delerium decided to fund an album and the finished article featured new keyboard player Terry Banx and was produced by Bob Pierce (an ex-member of 60s UK psych band The Mirror). The Conference of The Birds is one of Delerium’s strangest releases to date. A perfect acoustic Eastern chill-out experience that harkens back to groups such as The Third Ear Band and The Ceyleib People, with its atonal, psychedelic simplicity, whilst appealing to the ambient trance textures of todays head music scene…» (Last.fm)

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Erkin Koray - Benden Sana (1982)

«Erkin Koray (born June 24, 1941, in Beykoz, Istanbul) has been in the Turkish rock music scene since the late 1950s or early 1960s. He is widely acclaimed as being the first person to ever play rock and roll in Turkey; in 1957, he and his band gained fame by playing covers of Elvis Presley and Fats Domino. He was also one of the first Turkish musicians to embrace the electric guitar and modern amplification.

By the late 1960s, he was already a major figure in Turkish psychedelic music and Anatolian Rock, beginning with his first psychedelic single Anma Arkadaş in 1967. Koray followed this with a number of singles, both by himself and in collaboration with others, that established him as a force to be reckoned with on the Turkish rock scene. Koray became a controversial figure in Turkey during the 1960s and 1970s; he was actually assaulted in Istanbul, and on one occasion stabbed, for having long hair.

In the early 1970s, he formed the group Ter with the former members of Grup Bunalim, a power trio styled group. […] The music of Ter was influenced by glam rock and psychedelia, and featured extended guitar solos and progressive arrangements – something that his record company, Istanbul Records, was not prepared to accept.

The Turkish public remained interested in Koray's solo work nonetheless, and in 1973 his first album, Erkin Koray, was released. […] The album consists of a collection of singles from 1967 to 1973. Koray left Istanbul Records after its release, signing to Doglan Records. […] 1974 saw the release of his groundbreaking album, Elektronik Türküler (“Electronic Ballads”). Finally given the freedom to record an album instead of being limited to 45 rpm singles, Koray and his band created an album that reflected both his Turkish roots and his love of psychedelic and progressive rock. The album's popularity continues to the present day, with several legitimate and non-legitimate releases on both album and CD. Elektronik Türküler is widely considered to be Koray's masterpiece by many critics, and many of his subsequent releases followed in this vein, with progressive and psychedelic influences balanced by Turkish folk forms. […]

Benden Sana (From Me to You), released in 1982, saw Erkin Koray experimenting with Indian music. It was recorded in Germany and Istanbul, with the help of Turkish and Indian musicians (with Erkin playing all melody instruments, along with bass), and included remakes of two of his earlier hits (he would continue this remake tradition in the years to come).

Koray continues to record and perform in Turkey to this day, and in Turkish music circles is often referred to as Erkin Baba ("Erkin the Father") for his pioneering influence on Turkish popular music. Koray is also the inventor of the electric bağlama, a traditional Turkish musical instrument related to the lute, and its unique sound can be heard on many of his albums.» (Wikipedia & Progarchives)

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Music of the Andes (1994)

«Well, this music does come from the Andes, but it's not representative of the wide range of Andean music, given that there are only five artists on the disc, and one of those, the late, great singer and songwriter Victor Jara, only appears once, with "El Tinku." Like Jara, the other groups here have their roots in the time before the Chilean military coup of 1973. Among them is the venerable Inti-Illimani, a group that's existed for over three decades, playing not only the music of their native Andes, but who've also explored traditions across Latin America, although they moved to Europe following the coup, as did Quilapayun, who settled in Paris, continuing their vocal music, as on "El Canto Del Cuculi." All three of the above were quite political, Jara particularly, and socially concerned, traits reflected heavily in their music and songs, comprised not only of traditional pieces, but also the Nueva Cancion movement which had swept the country in the '60s. The same is true of Illapu, another band who were forced into temporary exile from their homeland by their political stance. While they all kept one foot in the past and looked forward, the other group on here, Kollahuara, remained exclusively folkloric — their "El Condor Pasa," a tune well-known to Americans, thanks to Paul Simon — has the weight of many years behind it. So while this might not be a full view of Chilean Andean music, what's here is beautiful, with, of course, plenty of pan pipes and charangos, and well worth hearing, played by some true masters.» (AMG)

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Trilok Gurtu & Arkè String Quartet - Arkeology (2006)

«Another Trilok triumph. Once again, the Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu proves himself to be among the world’s most adventurous, skilled and intelligent fusionists, on this spectacular marriage between East and West, in collaboration with Italy’s Arkè String Quartet. Many of the best fusions are sound collisions, their very success based on a thrilling clashing of cultures. Arkeology is different, for it seeks to emphasise not the differences but the seamless empathy between two apparently contrasting musical worlds.

The opener, ‘Balahto’, is one of Gurtu’s three featured compositions and is typical of the approach, kicking in with an urgent insistent bass pattern over skittering Asian percussion before the Western classical strings take up a dancing melody with a vaguely Celtic feel.

Nobody’s showboating or trying to outplay each other: every instrument, Eastern and Western is carefully calibrated in perfect balance.

Oddly, it’s often the compositions by the Italian quartet that have the strongest Asian feel. ‘Kermanşah’ is written by violinist Valentino Corvino but has Gurtu’s dreamy tabla playing to the fore, and bursts of Indian tala singing over some lovely, Gypsy-like strings, while ‘Fes’, composed by fellow violinist Carlo Catnini, is another sublimely moody piece that unites Asian, Mediterranean and North African influences. There’s both an attention to detail and a broader, cinematic quality. To say that in places it sounds like high-class film music is no criticism at all. (Nigel Williamson, Songlines. More reviews here)»

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