# World Music



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Is anyone interested in the so-called "World Music" genre?

Disillusioned with the "sameness" of most of today's offerings I have been buying world music for the last few years.

Here's some of my favourites:

Jimmy Dludlu - Afrocentric: I saw this guy perform live when I lived in Johannesburg, he left a lasting impression. A guitarist as good as any IMO. It is hard to define his style as he is always changing, but at the root of it is South African "jazz".

Yasmine Levy - Romance & Yasmine: Levy sings in "Ladino" a language that all but died out until its recent revival by her father. It is a mix of Hebrew, 15th century Spanish and some Arabic. The music reflects this mixture while her voice is just stunning.

Nigel Kennedy & The Kroke Band - East Meets East: Nigel Kennedy teams up with the Polish "Kroke Band" to record an album of traditional East Europe tunes and songs. There are several songs from the Balkans that in my opinion have the best music in East Europe. A friend of mine from the Balkans says that Kennedy's arrangement of the Serbian song "Ajde Jano" and the Macedonian song "Jovano Jovanke" are one of the best he has heard. As an added bonus the vocalist on Ajde Jano is Natacha Atlas









Cheikh Lo - Ne Le Thiass: a mixture of jazz, Latin (Cuban), West African and Congolese. Cheikh Lo born of Senegalese parents in Burkina Faso is a follower of the Mourides Islamic sect.

Ali Farke Toure with Ry Cooder - Talking Timbuktu: anyone with any doubts that Blues originated in West Africa listen to this!

Kanda Bongo Man - Soukouss Shake Africa: The uniqe music of the Congo a mixture of 50's style Cuban rumba with Congolese Kwassa Kwassa. Fantastic guitars, this album is quite hard to find but there are plenty of others by the Kanda Bongo Man.

Spiers & Boden - Through and Through: Ok they are English and they are folk artists! Spiers and Boden are along with Eliza Carthy responsible for a revival of English folk and also prove that you don't have to have a beard and sing down your nose while sticking a finger in your ear. Best way to buy is direct from their web-site.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I've got a small selection of Vietnamese and Cambodian music I picked up on my South East Asian travels a few years ago. It takes a bit of getting used to but it brings back very fond memories of the beautiful dancing girls









Also, last weekend I was flicking through the "International" channels on SKY and happened upon some vocal music on either "mta-muslim tv" or "Islam Channel", can't remember which. I've no idea what they were singing about as it was all in Arabic but, musically, it was enchanting


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Listening to this a lot recently, I would recommend it to anyone:-

Amadou & Mariam "Diamnche a bamoko"

http://www.rfimusique.com/siteen/cd_semain...emaine_7393.asp


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## mad_librarian (Jan 30, 2005)

Never far from my cd player:

Tabu Ley Rochereau (Zaire)

Rachid Taha (Algeria: esp the stuff produced by ex-Gong guitarissimo Steve Hillage)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Pakistan: sensational voice - cool crossover stuff with Michael Brook)

Khaled (algerian rai)

fab stuff....

ML


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Picked up some traditional Kyrgy music somewhere recently (







). Not much for it, but it makes good background music for the slide shows I'm putting together.

I've got a large collection of reggae and Hawai'ian music that keeps me going - never get tired of Bob, Beres Hammond, Ho'onua, Iz, Ka'au Crater Boys, etc. Big collection of 60's ska and blue beat, too, with some second and third wave stuff (Bosstones, Scofflaws, Toasters, Untouchables).


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## PeterN (Sep 1, 2005)

I love Chinese folk and classical music - as we have a lot of Chinese students at the uni I've scored a few cds as pressies! Chinese opera, however...


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Some interesting leads guys







I am glad I am not alone









When I mention world music to most of my friends they think I am a little weird.

Some more of my "World" collection:

African Jazz Pioneers - Self titled album (1989) (suggest E-Bay as its no longer available) just the collest African Jazz played by guys from the big band era ... young they are not .... but the life in the music defies their age.

African Jazz Pioneers - Sip 'n Fly (1993)

Lucky Dube - Serious Reggae Business (1996) or Rough Guide to Lucky Dube (2001), both good introductions to his work, Rough Guide is easier to find. Lucky Dube is Africa's "reggae king", reggae with an African undertone, brilliant lyrics and a great voice.

Blind Boys of Alabama - Spirit of the Century (2001) lead vocalist Clarence Fountain has been singing with the "Boys" since 1939!

Orchestra Baobab - Pirates Choice (1989 but re-released in 2001) great Senegalise outfit from the 70's and 80's. They got back together in 2002 and recorded "Specialist in All Styles" (2002) in 10 days! Both albums are a fantastic blend of West African, Caribbean and Funk!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I've just remembered I also used to have a fair selection of Cajun / Zydeco music. I appear to have moved a lot of this on but I still have a white label test pressing LP from _Mitch Landry and his Cajun Ramblers_ entitled _"Le Rays de Cajun"_. Other good stuff I recall came from the likes of Zachary Richard and especially Buckwheat Zydeco.

I've always wanted the soundtrack album to Walter Hill's movie _Southern Comfort_, which features music from the same genre as well as the haunting guitar title track from Ry Cooder. Unfortunately, I don't think the album was ever released, at least not in this country


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Alms for Shanti

I stumbled across this duo last week after a mis-tag by Shazam (that's the "music discovery service" where you hold your mobile phone up to a speaker and the system attempts to identify the music and then texts you the name of the artist/track).

Anyway, although Shazam got it wrong on this occasion, I'm not disappointed. Alms for Shanti are a couple of guys who used to play in a rock band from India called Indus Creed. They subsequently moved to New York and are blending a traditional Indian sound with various Western rock/electronic genres.

Perhaps not "World Music" in the purest sense, but it works surprisingly well and is worth checking out









If I had to describe it I'd say Ravi Shankar meets Camel at a party thrown by Soul Hooligan that gets gate-crashed by Fluke


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Probably a bit commercial in terms of world music but I heard a CD by Afro Celt Sound System a few years ago. As the name suggests, it's a fusion of traditional Celtic and African instruments and beats with a touch of electronica.

I thought it was quite refreshing.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> if I had to describe it I'd say Ravi Shankar meets Camel at a party thrown by Soul Hooligan that gets gate-crashed by *Fluke*


Do you mean Fluke as in 'Funky Guitar' from the early 90s ?

If so.....


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

Rich,

Take a look at this link it may not help too much but it's a start.

I am quite open to World Music, I have a fair collection of Reggae, similar to Colin's actually, with the exception of the Hawaiian stuff, natch!

Haven't bought music in quite a while, though.

No-one mentioned Ladysmith so far. Granted it's better known and more mainstream but I think it's still great to listen to. Would love to see them live, remember seeing them on TV back in the UK, maybe on TOGWT. Wow!

I like the refreshing peaceful sounds of some of the New Age music too. I don't rock out too much any more, I prefer to chill out.

EDIT:

WTF are Camel, Soul Hooligan and Fluke??


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Interesting find Rich, I like two of the four sound clips (1 & 4) not sure about the others.

Good thread resurection 1 year and 5 months


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Yeah, your original World Music thread dates back to 2004 so this was the freshest of the two available for resurrection









Good Southern Comfort link limey. I remember HMV in Oxford Street, London, having point of sale advertising type banners and so on for the release of this soundtrack album but it just never materialised.







I've been waiting years for its release.

This is the Fluke I'm referring to Jase. "Risotto" is an especially fine album.

"Afro Celt Sound System"







They're worth checking out for the name alone!

For info, the music I was trying to identify through Shazam is one of the tracks that features during the closing credits of "Charmed" (OK, so I like to ogle Rose McGowan! Leave me alone!







) I think it's by Jay Gruska but I have no idea who's playing it, what it's called, or even if it's available as a full length commercial track on a soundtrack album, or separately. It's just a really cool guitar laid over a melodic bass and subtle drums. Anyone know what it is?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Thats them Rich, superb......Groovey feeling is a great uplifting dance track...I must dust off my 12'







....And find a deck..

Thanks for the memory...


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks for the info potz, I'll check those out.

Other crossover stuff (some quite old) to consider might be the likes of:

Crusaders

Spyro Gyra

Weather Report

Brand New Heavies

Groove Armada

Jase, I'm thrilled to find someone else that's actually heard of Fluke! You obviously have exemplary taste


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

jasonm said:


> ...I must dust off my 12'


There goes Jase again, exaggerating. Everyone else is satisfied with 12" and _he_ has to have 12'.

If I've told you once, I've told you a million times not to exaggerate


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> If I had to describe it I'd say Ravi Shankar meets Camel at a party thrown by Soul Hooligan that gets gate-crashed by Fluke


that sounds as if it would be absolutely......awful


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

That's OK, you weren't invited!


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