I'm in the process of re-listening and re-evaluating my record collection, in no particular order. I'll be sharing the results of my evaluation and thoughts on the music in this blog.
Johnny Copeland was part of a long line of Texas bluesmen. He grew up in Houston's Third Ward ghetto, and apprenticed as a guitarist next to the "master of the Telecaster" Albert Collins. Who was in turn introduced to the guitar at an early age by his cousin Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins. Who learnt his craft as a child by accompanying Blind Lemon Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Blind Lemon's own teacher is not recorded - after all we are now talking about the dawn of the gramophone age. But I'm sure that if could follow that line down to its beginning, we'd inevitably arrive to Africa. So, when Copeland finally became the first American bluesman to record an album in that continent, a name like Bringin' It All Back Home made complete sense. By that time, Copeland had spent more than 3 decades playing the blues, garnering a reputation as a performer in the chitlin' circuit, but remaining unnoticed by mainstream audiences until he moved to New York and signed with folk label Rounder Records in the early 80's. I don't know what prompted him to tour the Ivory Coast, but he obviously found some kindred spirits there who introduced him to the prevailing local styles, while he in turn introduced them to electric blues. As he said in a interview at the time "I could tell the roots of the blues comes from there. They mostly understood the Delta Blues. They was expecting it to be all slow blues. But we surprised them and had the kids up dancin' on the stage. We were more uplifting than the Delta Blues they'd heard". Opener "Kasavubu" is certainly an uplifting tune, full of Afro-Cuban dance rhythms and funky sax. "The Jungle" is a more typical R&B piece, featuring some fine electric guitar. "Ngoto" is a cover of a local hit by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo of Benin, embellished with funky horns and stinging blues licks. Side 1 closes with an excerpt of "Djeli, Djeli Blues", an instrumental by the Guinean kora master Djeli Mousa Diawara. For those not familiar with the instrument, the kora is a stringed instrument that is exclusive to West Africa. It typically has 21 strings, each of which plays a different note. At the right hands, it produces gorgeous arpeggios, similar to playing flamenco on a harp - if that makes sense. As this was way before "world music" came into fashion, Copeland must have heard it for the first time during his tour of the region, and was so enchanted by its sound that he asked Djeli Mousa to be a guest at his record. For some reason, the recording was cut in two: part one fades out at the end of Side 1, while part two opens Side 2. It's then followed by "Abidjan", a funky instrumental with a rhumba beat. Back to more familiar sounds, "Bozalimalamu" and "Same Thing" are tasteful electric blues, while the album closes with an interesting reggae-ish instrumental called "Conakry", combining masterful electric guitar and some kind of African percussion that sounds like a slightly stoned woodpecker pecking on wood. All in all, Bringin' It All Back Home is mostly notable as an interesting experiment. Nowadays, there are all kinds of collaborative albums by African and Western musicians, but that all begun after the prominent Paul Simon collaboration with South African musicians on Graceland (1986). Compared to that, Bringin' It All Back Home went relatively unnoticed, and largely unheralded for its innovation. Truth be told, the mixing of styles isn't always successful; most songs are either blues with a few African instruments, or African music with jazz and funk touches. Rarely, the two styles combine to produce something genuinely new. The result is nevertheless never less than enjoyable, thanks to the musicians' playing. While the African instrumentsadd the necessary color, Copeland's guitar is the star, while special mention must be made to the saxophonists - whether the plaudits should be directed to alto sax Koffi Assalé or tenor sax Bert McGowan (or both) I don't know; to my shame (well, not really shame, more like slight embarrassment) I can't always tell the difference between the sound of the two instruments; anyway, there's some very cool sax playing involved. Johnny Copeland would go on to gain increasing recognition, including a Grammy award for a collaborative album with his mentor Albert Collins and (then) rising star Robert Cray. Unfortunately, the congenital heart condition which he suffered from, finally claimed his life just as he hit 60. But that line we talked about, the line which started in Africa and has included so many blues giants, is still going strong: his daughter Shemekia is undeniably one of the best female blues singers and guitarists that this century has produced so far.
**** for Kasavubu, Abidjan, Conakry
*** for The Jungle, Ngote, Djeli, Djeli Blues, Bozalimalamu, Same Thing
I have in my house a wall-to-wall bookcase full of CD's and vinyl. Modern pop & rock music being what they are, around 90% of that stuff is in the English language. The rest is bundled together in a section that's arranged not by genre or chronology, as I've done with the rest, but geographically. Browsing through that shelf is like taking a mental trip around the world. I must admit that these days I spend more time watching the horror show of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and less time listening to music, but something made me check the North-Eastern Europe shelf for an appropriate CD to listen to on the car ride to work, and I came out with this album. The first thing one should know about it is that, despite the folkloric cover, and the use of the Ukrainian language and instruments, this was actually recorded by a British group: the first recording sessions were produced in 1989 by legendary UK DJ John Peel, and featured Leeds post-punk/indie group The Wedding Present (WP) and guests (singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin player Roman Remeynes). Later, WP's Ukrainian-bornguitaristPeter Solowka decided to leave his old band and team up with Liggins and Remeynes, dedicating themselves to pursuing that folk-rock direction with The Ukrainians full time. I am no expert in Ukrainian folk, and couldn't tell you if this is even close to the real thing. I think that very few in the West can, especially given the fact that a lot of what passes here as Russian folklore (cossack dances, for instance) actually comes from Ukraine. The timing of their debut album's creation is also significant: it was released in 1991, the year Ukraine gained its independence, and The Soviet Union and other "communist" multi-national states disintegrated. Ukrainians, including expats abroad, were experiencing a cultural awakening after decades of living under the shadow of Russia. There was an ugly side to it: in order to find distinctly Ukrainian role models/heroes, the heads of that new country turned to anearly 20th century nationalist/fascist movement for inspiration. This paved the way for the legitimization of fascism in Ukrainian society that gave free reign to neo-nazi paramilitary groups, who in turn provided Putin with a convenient excuse for his barbaric invasion. On the other side of the coin, you have this beautiful music that testifies to the inner poetry of the Ukrainian soul. Opener "Zavtra" is a good example: starting up with a wistful vocal accompanied by accordion and violin, it speeds up in celebratory matter. "Tebe Zhdu" is another song that begins as a ballad but breaks into an epic chorus, while "Pereyidu" and "Son" are a couple of lyrical ballads. "Slava Kobzarya" is more similar to Western folk rock, and probably the only track where the band's history in Indie rock is discernible. These tracks come from their debut The Ukrainians (1991), while the rest of this compilation comes from their second album Vorony (1993). "Chi Znayesh Ty?" is a short tune with choral vocals that sounds very authentic to my ears, while the frantic pace and violins of "Shehe Raz" sound Celtic, almost Pogues-like. "Nadia Pishla" is a slow atmospheric song, "Doroha" a short instrumental, and "Rospryahaite" one of the few traditional folk songs. The rest are mostly band originals, although it's hard to tell the difference when confronted with excellent authentic-sounding compositions like "Dvi Lebidky" and "De Ye Moya Mila?". I guess it doesn't matter anyway. We should enjoy the music for what it is: a work of love by talented musicians who, whether of Ukrainian descent or not, are clearly enamored of the region's rich culture. I don't know whether there are better introductions to Ukrainian folk out there, but this winsome collection certainly worked for an eager music traveler like me. I can't imagine it turning off even the most uninitiated to world music...
**** for Zavtra,Rospryahaite, Dvi Lebidky, De Ye Moya Mila?
*** for Slava Kobzarya, Chi Znayesh Ty?, Shehe Raz, Nadia Pishla, Doroha, Pereyidu, Tebe Zhdu, Son
As you probably have guessed, this week's album choice is influenced by the human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine: the war, death, and what we Greeks call prosfygia, the state of being uprooted from your home and becoming a refugee. The experience of prosfygia has become part of our collective DNA: at least one third of modern Greeks are descended from refugees from Asia Minor, and watching the news from Ukraine brings the stories of our grandparents (mine included) to life once more. So, obviously I have been thinking about this war a lot, and wasn't sure whether I should put my thoughts down in this music blog, or not. I decided to do it, but if you've only come here for the album review you may want to stop reading now because what I have to say may annoy you. I believe this story has not one, but two villains: the first one is obviously Putin, using extreme violence to dominate the part of the world he thinks of as his own back yard - which, of course, it isn't. It's someone else's home, and he should get the fuck out of there! The other one is (surprise!) us: the West, or -if you like- the U.S.A., E.U. and their allies, trying to dominate not one part of the world but all of it. In the 3 decades since we won the Cold War, we launched full scale invasions on Iraq and Afghanistan, a major bombing campaign against Yugoslavia as well as some minor ones, we have punished countries with severe economic sanctions, and stoked the fires of countless armed conflicts in order to depose governments we didn't like - most recently in Syria and Libya. We did it as easily as if they were nothing more than enemy pawns in a chess game. Now we show righteous anger against Putin for breaking international law, as if it wasn't us who stood in front of the U.N. presenting fake evidence to justify the invasion of a sovereign country that presented no threat to us. We can, at least, agree on one thing: The Ukrainian people and president Zelensky, despite not being blameless for the current mess, are still the heroes of this specific story. I would gladly join the majority of my fellow Westerners in cheering my support, and in demanding that our governments welcome Ukrainian refugees, and that they support the country financially, with humanitarian and developmental help, and defensive equipment. I will draw the line at waving the Ukrainian flag, which seems to be a very fashionable thing to do nowadays - I am no flagwaver; following flags instead of thinking for yourself is how wars start. But I understand it, everybody wants to get behind a good cause. It makes people feel good about themselves, and it costs nothing. Where I will most definitely draw the line is at arming one side of the conflict with lethal weapons. This is nothing less than waging war by proxy! I'm a pacifist, I believe there are only two justifiable kinds of war: fighting fascism anywhere you find it, and defending your country from a foreign attack. Which, of course, means that Ukrainian defenders are fighting a just war. They have every right, maybe even obligation, to try to kill their attackers But the Russians are not threatening us, so should we really take part in this war? To those of us with a shallow way of thinking, arming Ukraine must seem like helping a smaller kid fight off a bully. But it isn't! What we are literally doing is helping the soldiers on one side kill soldiers on the other side. Even if we do not believe in the words "thou shalt not kill", are we O.K. with killing thousands of young people who are somebody's fathers, sons, or lovers? Should we not try to stop the war instead of prolonging it? It's obvious that, even with our help, the Ukrainian army can not push the Russians all the way back, it will just provoke them into using more violence and directing it towards the civilian population to overcome its resistance. It would stand to reason that the best course for everyone is negotiations, even if that means that Ukraine may need to let go of some provinces whose population may prefer to be independent anyway. Of course aggression should not be vindicated, so the international community must make sure that the war has a steep cost for Russia as well. But peace would not work that well for our interests, would it? American senators gave their game away from day one when, pre-supposing Ukraine's defeat, they talked about sponsoring a long-winded insurrection. What they really want isn't peace but a prolonged war that will take a huge financial, human, and political toll on Russia, and eventually lead to the regime crumbling down and allow them to replace Putin with a Western puppet like Boris Yeltsin. It worked so well with the Soviet Union, so why not try it again? We won't even have to do any of the fighting ourselves. Now, you may argue that, if fighting fascism anywhere is a justifiable war, then maybe fighting someone as aggressive and undemocratic as Putin can also be justified even if his aggression is not currently targeted on us. But that would justmean that you don't understand what fascism is: more than just a violent and oppressive ideology, fascism is war on humanity itself. If it ever wins, there won't be any human beings left, only wolves and sheep. As terrible as this war is, it's no different to any other war in the history of the world: stronger nations prey forever on the weaker ones, and the prize is power, money, land, or slaves. Your country and mine have been the aggressors at different times in their history, and usually we sit back and watch idly while it happens all around us, unless it affects our interests. Am I wrong, or have we also moved to protect the Tigray from Ethiopia? Or Kurds from Turkey? No, Erdogan may be as undemocratic, corrupt, aggressive against his neighbors as Putin is, his army may be occupying Northern Cyprus (which, incidentally, is European territory) and invade Kurdish area in Syria at will, but he's our ally, isn't he? What about Saudi Arabia's war against Yemen? Of course not - the Saudis may have similar ideology to the Taliban, but they are Taliban with money and oil wells. I won't even breach the subject of Israel: Israel may occupy Arab lands, they may bulldoze Palestinian homes to build houses for Jewish settlers, they may bomb a row of buildings just to kill one so-called "terrorist" - but speaking against Israeli policies is anti-Semitism, and I'm no anti-Semite; so I'll just watch the carnage and mumble that Israel has the right to defend itself. But I've taken up too much of your time, so even though there's a lot more to be said about the war in Ukraine, I'll stop here with a plea: keep on pressuring Russia to stop the war, demand the fair treatment of minorities whether they are on "our" side or not, support the civilian population and their defenders in every non-lethal way possible, open your arms to refugees whether they are black or white, Christian or Muslim. Stop waving flags, stop getting caught up in the bullshit "us (the good/liberal/democratic West) versus them (the evil/autocratic Russia/China/Iran)" worldview, which the media keep forcing on us. We are all together in this. Our planet is a sinking ship, but instead of working together towards saving it, we are fighting each other. And stop saying "it's their fault, they started it" because they didn't. They are caught up in an endless power struggle, just as we are. Only when we recognize our own role in this mess and pressure our governments to stop vying for world domination and start working towards peace can we hope for a better tomorrow.
Thione Seck may be, next to Youssou N'Dour, one of Senegal's most popular singers but he remains relatively unknown in (what we think of as) the West - which is, to be exact, the North, seeing as Senegal lies to the west of Europe's westernmost point. He served as the lead singer of Orchestra Baobab (1973-1979) but left to front his own band, missing out on the international recognition that came with the release of theirPirates' Choicealbum in '89. He belongs to the griot caste, West Africa's hereditary troubadours and keepers of oral tradition - his great-grandfather was a court musician for the legendary Wolof king Lat Dior. He usually plays in the popular mbalax style rather than the Cubano-Congolese rumba of Baobab, but this album finds him transcending his roots and fusing West African music with Arabic and Indian melodies. The Arabic influence comes naturally, due to the proximity with the Maghreb as well as Seck's position in the Muslim Murid brotherhood. Apparently, Indian music reached him through the Bollywood film industry whose products were quite popular in Dakar's movie theaters when he was young.
Seck before a Bollywood poster in Dakar
All the songs are credited to Seck, many of them being complete reworkings of previous hits he had with his regular band Raam Daan. The mix is natural and arrangements expertly realized: The backing vocalists are a typical African detail, Seck's smooth and languorous vocals (sung in Wolof) isn't a far cry from Arabic singing, with oriental melodies often played by soaring violins, and Indian music scales prevail. Likewise the instrumentation is mixed: we get the local xalam lute and sabar drums, Indian tablas and sitars and Arabian oud. "Assalo" is the most Indian-sounding piece thanks to the sitar and guest vocalist Bombay Jay. Egyptian singer Rehab graces two songs here: "Yaye" and "Woyatina". Apparently Seck was impressed with the success of Natasha Atlas' amalgam of Oriental and pop sounds, and wanted to incorporate some of that in his album. While she doubtless has a wonderful voice, I'm more attracted to the Arabian strings, both in these tracks as well as the opener "Siiw", atmospheric closer "Mapenda" and percussion-driven "Blain Djigueul". "Manmignoul" also sports beautiful violin and (flute?) solos. "Mouhamadou Bamba", previously also recorded by Orchestra Baobab, retains the chorus of that version but it's slower with a more passionate and spiritual lead vocal as befits its religious text. "Ballago" is another highlight, featuring wistful sitar and sweet female backing vocals while "Djirim" and "Doom" are among the more upbeat tunes, despite lyrics dealing with suffering children and poverty. The latter is the only song with horns, and the closest to Orchestra Baobab's Afro-Cuban style. Orientissime was a relative commercial success with the "World Music" audience, coming on the heels of other successful syncretic attempts (the Irish/techno/African grooves of Afro Celt Sound System, Afro-flamenco amalgam of Songhai, Afro-Blues collaboration between Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder, etc.). To be honest, I'm somewhat skeptical about these transcontinental mixtures. I like the fact that musicians from different cultures create music together, but I'm apprehensive of disparate traditions merging into a musical mush that borrows from everywhere without being rooted anywhere. Not that this is the case here, mind you. But neither is this a good entry point to African music - more like an interesting, pleasant-sounding, experiment.
Nowadays that Danny Elfman has found his niche as a reknowned film soundtrack composer, it's difficult to think of him as the former singer/leader of new wave group Oingo Bongo. Did he have ambitions of pop stardom? It's difficult to tell. From one point of view, Oingo Boingo seem to be playing the game: danceable rhythm, catchy melodies, latest production tricks and the obligatory videos make them look like a typical new wave group of the era. I was in my teens during the mid-80's and, while I don't remember them from that time, they sound like a lot of other bands one could hear on the radio or see on MTV. On the other hand, there's a certain quirkiness that sets them apart from the mainstream: the dance numbers are more frantic and less melodic than usual, the world music elements more pronounced - only the Talking Heads and probably Peter Gabriel were utilizing them in such an extent in pop. The lyrics are likewise darker and more bookish than the average pop band, with references to Orwell's 1984 and H.G.Wells' Island Of Dr. Moreau. Opener "Who Do You Want to Be" is a super-charged ska-punk number while "Good for Your Soul" is more melodic ska-pop with softer vocals (usually Elfman's vocal are more frantic and abrasive), and "Fill the Void" is laid-back reggae. "No Spill Blood"'s lead vocal is almost a rap while the chorus sounds like an excerpt from a musical - a possible throwback to the beginning of the group which started out as a theatrical troupe. Some great lead guitar here from Steve Bartek whose solos are always interesting and imaginative, even though the guitar is often buried under the wall of sound produced by the 8-person band (4 horns, keyboard, percussion, guitar, bass and synths). "Cry of the Vatos" is a frenzied instrumental with Afro-Latin rhythms and wild shrieks and shouts. "Sweat" and "Dead or Alive" are a couple of fast rockers and "Nothing Bad Ever Happens" a new wave/synth piece that, lyrically and musically, reminds me of Talking Heads' "Once In A Lifetime". It's about people who are only interested in themselves and are indifferent to the problems of the rest and has a suitably sarcastic video to go with it (see below). It strikes the perfect balance between art and commercialism, something that follower "Wake Up (It's 1984)" misses by leaning too much on the disco side. Now, Oingo Boingo may be occasionally dark lyrically, but they're usually musically light, if not outright jubilant. "Pictures of You" is an exception that reveals their Goth side, which is about equal to The Cure's happy side. The album ends with the bouncy "Little Guns". With its wacky lyric, spaghetti western and ska beat it could be an outtake from one of Elfman's soundtracks for Tim Burton, while the cool sax reminds me of Madness (I take it you can all hum the melody of "One Step Beyond?") On the whole this is a wildly idiosyncratic album that will delight those of us who love Elfman's music from his Tim Burton soundtracks. If it wasn't for the cheesy 80's synths, Oingo Boingo could sneak in among my favorite bands of the period. In any case, "Good for Your Soul" has certainly earned its place in my collection.
**** for Who Do You Want to Be, Good for Your Soul, No Spill Blood, Nothing Bad Ever Happens, Pictures of You
*** for Cry of the Vatos, Fill the Void, Sweat, Wake Up (It's 1984), Dead or Alive, Little Guns
I listened to this album when it first came out even though -like most people in the late 80's- I wasn't hip to "world music". It didn't exist as a genre yet - hell it doesn't exist as a genre now, it's just as a label for everything that's not anglo pop. Anyway, it helps to at least have hip friends even if you're not, and my best friend (later a music journalist) taped it for me. I was blown away right from the start by the relaxed dance groove, mellow sax and -above all- by Barthelemy Attisso's fluid guitar arpeggios. Not having another frame of reference at the time, I thought of him as the African J.J. Cale. I think that was just because of the laid-back groove though, since I don't discern any country or blues influences, the music is purely a mix of African and Cuban elements. Orchestra Baobab came together in 1970 as the house band of Dakar's exclusive Baobab club, and have different ethnic backgrounds: Attisso comes from Togo, drummer Mountaga Koité and sax player Issa Cissokho are (East Senegalese and Malian, respectively) Mandinka hereditary griots. Of the singers, Ndiounga Dieng belongs to the main Senegalese ethnic group Wolof, while Rudy Gomis and Balla Sidibe (the latter also plays timbales) come from Casamance, a region near the Guinea Bissau border with a strong Portuguese influence. They were very popular in the mid-70's and in high demand as entertainers, although by the time of this recording their Cuban rhythms were starting to fall out of favor with Dakar's club crowd who preferred the funkier style of younger bands like (Youssou N'Dour's) Étoile de Dakar. These recordings come from a 1982 studio session, recorded live without overdubs, and were originally circulated in cassette and limited LP form. By the time they were discovered by World Circuit and re-released under the title "Pirates Choice" the band had disbanded. It took the second re-release (in 2001, when the "world music" fad had caught on for good) for the band to return to active duty, make more records and tour the world. I saw them soon after in Athens (on a double bill with Salif Keita) and they were still amazing. The CD starts with a couple of laid-back rumbas ("Utru Horas" and "Coumba") sung by Rudy Gomis in creole Portuguese and French, respectively. The next two tracks ("Ledi Ndieme M'bodj", "Werente Serigne") are sung by Dieng in Wolof, and are more upbeat. "Ray Mbele" features yet another lead singer in Medoune Diallo and sounds unmistakably Cuban - except for the language, of course. The original album closer was the slow, almost wistful, "Soldadi", apparently based on a traditional Casamance tune. This CD edition adds alternate versions of "Utru Horas" and "Coumba", while the 2001 re-release (with a different cover) added a whole CD with 6 more songs recorded during the same sessions. That latest edition is still in print and easy to find, not exactly a "buried treasure" even though it was awarded that status by Mojo Magazine. Well, "buried" or not, a musical treasure it certainly is. Highly recommended, whether you like African, Jazz, or Latin music - or even if you're an out-and-out rock fan as I was when I first heard it.
***** for Utru Horas, Coumba, Werente Serigne, Ray Mbele
I got this blind, as I didn't have any records from Haiti and wanted to fill this particular hole in my collection. Well, not completely blind, as a quick google search convinced me this was an important band from the area, and highly respected in "world music" circles. Apparently this style is called Kompa or Mini Jazz (Not referring to size but to the latest craze of their time, which was the mini skirt). Sung in Creole French, it's recognizably Latin/Caribbean music, based on percussion and rhythmically similar to rumba or merengue. But it's also different, characterized by swinging sax solos and simultaneously rhythmic and soloing guitars in the style of Congolese soukous. Virtuosos though these guys were, this was basically dance band, and a very popular one at the clubs of Port-Au-Prince. So successful were they at home that they set their sights on an international career, which they did achieve, basing themselves in New York under the name of Skah-Shah. Versions of the band, mostly headed by their original percussionist Smith Jean-Baptiste, seem to still be active. Their discography is extensive, rather jumbled, and mostly out of print. Very little has been re-released on CD. This Dutch compilation from 1975 was seemingly compiled with an eye to the country's sizable Antillean and Surinamese community and features the original band at their early best. Some of the tunes are more upbeat and danceable ("Plaisir Vacance", "Trois Forces", "Ceremonie Loa", "Evangeline"), others more nostalgic ("Reve", "Devin 'Pa' Ou"), while some are quite reminiscent of the world music phenomenon of the 90's Buena Vista Social Club ("Haiti & Shleu Shleu", "Sept Jours De La Semaine"). Elsewhere it's a New Orleans flavor that stands out thanks to the jazzy saxophone ("Ce La Ou Yé", included here in a live version). Mostly it's all these at once. A good place to start if you wish to immerse yourself in Haitian music.
**** for Ce La Ou Yé, Haiti & Shleu Shleu, Sept Jours De La Semaine, Ceremonie Loa, L'Evangile, Reve
*** forDevin 'Pa' Ou, Plaisir Vacance, Trois Forces
I have a somewhat erratic relationship to Cretan music: initially it was, next to rembetiko, the only form of Greek folk I liked - especially when sung in the spine-tingling voice of Crete's most famous singer Nikos Xylouris. But later it was all tainted by my experience of living at close quarters with a dozen young Cretan soldier-shepherds for a few weeks during my military service in Rethymnon. The boys were quite respectful to me (I was a good 7 years older, and a doctor, so I was spared the hazing new recruits are usually the victims of) but they spent the whole day blasting loud Cretan folk on the squad's portable stereo while playing with their service rifles (any childin the Cretan mountains knows how to dismantle and re-assemble a G3in seconds, the region probably has a higher guns-to-inhabitant ratio than any in the US). Had they been playing someone like Psarantonis (Nikos Xylouris' younger brother and current Cretan folk paragon) it might have been OK - well it wouldn't have been, not at 18 hours per day, but it would have been preferable to what they were listening: bootleg cassettes, usually featuring a cousin or a synteknos, recorded at local festivals. I was always eager for the one slightly weird(er) boy's turn to come to choose music, because he constantly played the same cassette by Greek Black Metallers Rotting Christ. I mean, imagine that, black metal actually being a soothing aural experience.
Owing to that traumatic experience I stayed clear of Cretan music for the next 20 years, but this CD (a present from a very dear friend) reminded me why I used to like it. It's not purely traditional, yet in some ways it is ancient. And formless, as if the rulebook hadn't been invented yet. The band consists of Psarantonis' son Giorgos Xylouris and Australian percussionist Jim White, formerly of Dirty Three as well as collaborator to, among others, Nick Cave, P.J. Harvey and Marianne Faithfull. Opener "In Medias Res" is an avant-garde droning instrumental which didn't prepare me for the following "Only Love", a fast-paced rousing piece that rocks harder than The Rolling Stones have in the last 40 years. Xylouris' singing (in Greek) is soulful and unrestrained while White urges him on with his nimble playing. "Motorcycle Kondilies" is closer to the medieval origins of this music, with two exceptions: the production (by Guy Picciotto of Fugazi) which enhances the "alternative" character of the duo, and the absence of lyra - nominally the main solo instrument in Cretan music. Xylouris plays laouto, which is usually a rhythm instrument, but both players have the virtuosity and instinctive empathy that allows them to sound like a full band, albeit with a single mind. In "Spud's Garden", "Woman From Anogeia" and "Daphne" (especially the latter, with its emotive vocal and forceful drumming) the charming melodies prevail over the experimentalism creating a result that would easily win over anyone with an ear for Mediterranean or Near-Eastern music. "Achilles Heel" and "Call and Response" are low, improvised, songs that evoke the soundtrack to some mysterious atmospheric movie, while the closing "Lullaby" is a hushed ballad. This music is at once modern and ancient, traditional and experimental, rooted in a particular mountain village (Anogeia) and universal. You should check it out - and, while you're at it, there's also an affecting documentary on the Xylouris music family that's definitely worth seeing.
.
*****for Only Love
**** for Spud’s Garden, Daphne, Woman From Anogeia
*** for In Medias Res, Motorcycle Kondilies, Achilles Heel, Call and Response, Lullaby
I bought this LP at a record bazaar. It was a case of buy-3-get-1-free and I couldn't find anything else I really wanted in that record stack. I think I mostly chose it because I thought the album cover was inadvertently funny. But, to be honest, I had once more gambled with an unknown Surinamese album and it paid off. You can read about it here, along with some background info on that lesser-known South African country. This LP turned out to be even better than the Johnny Miranda one. It is, likewise, an irresistably danceable mix of Caribbean and South American styles, and mostly sung in that queer Surinamese dialect comprised of English, Dutch and Portuguese elements. The singing style is typical of Kawina, Surinam's 19th century slave music where the call-and-response gospel-like vocals are accompanied by the rhythmical beating of the skratjie drum. This evolved into Kaseko, a popular dance music genre mixing the local kawina style with influences from Caribbean Calypso and New Orleans Jazz. Twinkle Stars' leader Oscar Harris emmigrated to The Netherlands in '63 and formed the band together with American soul singer Billy Jones and members of the large Surinamese community in '65.
They had some hits prior to this, which was apparently his last recording with the band before following a successful solo pop career. He sings lead vocal on "Singerman" (together with Jones, who also sings on the gospel-style "Jerusalem"), "Mina Mina" and "Me Call'am Said No". The latter has a starker African style, just drums and vocals. With the exception of the gently chugging reggae of lead single "Singerman", the rest of the album is dominated by fast afro-cuban rhythms and jovial horn blasts. "Loekoe Fa Den Boi E Danzie" is another highlight, in a less frantic cha cha cha beat. "If you Wanna See Me" is Tito Puente-meets-Harry-Belafonte pastiche, while the rest is salsa-like dance music with the occasional jazz piano flourish. An excellent collection of Latin dance music, this Dutch-made LP has apparently been reissued only once in vinyl (Spain, in '77) and never on CD. Original copies aren't hard to find, so if you like world music and would like to discover a new and interesting variety of it, hurry up! Also, if you like what you hear you may be interested to learn that there is an Oscar Harris tribute concert planned for October 6 at Rotterdam's Theater Zuidplein. The 75-year old singer will, of course, be there, together with younger artists who want to celebrate his legacy.
**** for Singerman, Mi Matie Wefie, Loekoe Fa Den Boi E Danzie, Jerusalem, Mina Mina, Koele Koele
*** for Kaaiman, If You Wanna See Me, Poeroe Voetoe, Me Call'am Said No, Gongo Té
With a ridiculous cover like that, you can bet I bought this album for a joke! A Japanese salsa band?Ha! what next? Brazilian death metal? Hasidic Jewish reggae perhaps? How about British blues? Sure it doesn't sound so funny now, but what could possibly those white boys from London or Newcastle have in common with old black cotton pickers from Mississippi? Thankfully Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page never asked themselves this question, they just went ahead and played from the heart. Orquesta De La Luz likewise ignored the fact their Asian heritage is about as far from Latin American culture as it gets, and played the music dictated by their heart - and feet, of course. The band's first (self-funded) New York tour in '89 was warmly received and by the time it was over they were given the chance to record their debut "Salsa Caliente Del Japon". It subsequently spent 11 weeks on the top of the Latin charts - which means that lots of American Cubans and Puerto Ricans bought it. Did they ask whether it was authentically "Latin"? No, they just knew that it was great to dance to.
The band went on with remarkable success, featuring an everchanging lineup of which the only constant was singer Nora Suzuki. This particular incarnation consisted of 12 musicians, including many percussionists (conga, timbales etc) and horn players. There are some variations in rhythm but it's all upbeat and dancey Latin music - I'm afraid I can't describe it any better. You see I like this music but I'm no connoisseur, I can scarcely tell mambo from cumbia and salsa from samba. The only song that sticks out is a cover of Luther Vandross' R&B ballad "There's Nothing Better Than Love". It's also interesting to notice that, although the album is a mix of covers and originals, it is Nora's own compositions that steal the show: "Salsa Caliente Del Japon", "Solo Un Juego", "Cuero Sono" - and that despite the fact that most band members didn't have an idea what they were singing about as they didn't speak a word of Spanish.
**** for Salsa Caliente Del Japon, Solo Un Juego, Tu Eres El Hombre, Salsa Es Mi Energia, Cuero Sono
*** for Tu Me Llenas, Acaba Ya, Tanto Te Ame, No Me Lleves Contigo, There's Nothing Better Than Love
I was cataloguing my collection on discogs today and came across this CD which I think I'm listening today for the first time. I remember buying it very well though, it was June 2009 in Istanbul. My girlfriend really wanted to see a Formula 1 race, so we got tickets for the Turkish Grand Prix, which was the closest to our then home in Athens, and which gave us the chance to do something we always wanted: visit the sights of this historic city which also happened to be the place of my paternal grandfather's childhood. The event itself was badly organised and -at least for the people in the cheap seats (not that we had seats mind you, we were just sitting on the ground)- an ordeal. Imagine sitting under the burning sun (it was 40 degrees Celsius) for hours listening to the deafening roar of the engines, just to watch them pass by like a flash in front of you every two minutes. Small water bottles cost €5 or €6, I don't remember the price for a sandwich but it was shocking. There were no screens and no narration, so you had to use your imagination as to what was happening in the race. Small wonder the Turkish Grand Prix was discontinued after a couple of years, the whole thing was a disgrace to the sport. But the rest of the trip was very nice, the food delicious and the locals quite hospitable. The concierge at our hotel was really friendly, gave us a lot of tips and, when he heard I was collecting music from all the places I visit, he suggested some CD's and sent me to his uncle's shop which was specialized in Turkish traditional music. This was just an apartment that didn't look like a shop at all, but did have some CD's lying around - all Sufi/Dervish music. I ended up buying a few CD's suggested by the owner for, I think, 5 or 6 Lira (€3) each.
This was one of them. I think when we returned I must have heard a few minutes of it and removed it, as I had brought back other CD's more to my taste. This time, though, I listened to all of it and read the liner notes. Apparently Tümata is a collective revolving around Dr. Oruç Güvenç, a musician/ethnomusicologist who studied ancient Turkish music healing techniques dating back to that nation's pre-Islamic period at the steppes of Central Asia. Back then, the Baksi (healer) used music and dance to cure patients by, presumably, driving evil spirits away, although Dr. Güvenç has a pseudo-scientific explanation. The instruments used here are Dombra, Tar and Kilkopuz - none of which I had heard before. The first two are plucked instruments similar to the lute and sitar, the latter is played with a bow and looks like a Cretan Lyra or a fiddle. The first song "Baksi Dansi" begins with a sort of incantation and continues with half hour of monotonous plucking. Really boring to listen to, but I suppose the monotony serves a purpose, which is to help the baksi fall into a trance. The second piece "Improvize" is somewhat more pleasant thanks to the more melodic sound of the kilkopuz. Now I'm not a fan of either New Age music or culture, so you can bet I won't be listening to it again soon. If, on the other hand, all these sound interesting to you, there's some relative info here.
Today just happens to be Greek Independence Day, so I felt I should present a Greek CD, albeit one with an international mix of sounds ranging from Greek folk to ska, reggae and hip hop. Tradition of course dictates celebrating this day with dimotika, the music of the kleftes and armatoloi rebels who won the country's freedom from the Ottoman Empire. But that's one steptoo far, so I'll just content myself with eating the traditional bakaliaro skordalia and presenting a band which embraces its Greek identity while being open to other cultures and absorving what they have to offer. I remember first seeing Locomondo live on New Years Day, 2005. It was at a small, packed, bar in Exarchia called "After Dark". I used to think that "good vibes" was a figure of speech, but on that gig one could really feel the club vibrating to their good-time reggae and ska rhythm, warmth and good humour emanating from the band to the festive crowd and back at them. The, virtually unknown at the time, band also treated us to their (then still unpublished) reggae version of classic rembetiko Fragkosyriani. This mix of folk elements with reggae and ska was at the time quite radical, though we'd later get used to it as it became a Locomondo specialty. Nowadays they are a household name in Greece thanks to their incessant touring and great performances, while another reason for their success was a novelty song that became a huge youtube hit: "Pino Mpafous Kai Pezo Pro" was about slacker youths smoking hash and playing Playstation all day. The band were worried they might be seen as endorsing this lifestyle and didn't officially release it until long after it became a party staple - and then only with a remark that the song is "a description, not an endorsement". Yeah, right... because whoever could have guessed that a reggae band (or their fans) may smoke marijuana? But Locomondo also have this conservative streak in them: next to the party anthems and the rebel songs crying for social justice, there are many yearning for a return to tradition, an idealised Greece of the past with honest hard working folk of the kind that feels uncomfortable with Internet and reality TV and would naturally be shocked by any reference to drugs.
Meanwhile, Locomondo also broke out of Greece as their version of "Fragkosyriani" was prominently featured in the German comedy "Soul Kitchen" and its popular soundtrack. Which is how this CD came to be: It is published by a German company, discovered and bought by me while on a trip to Barcelona. About half of the album is the same with their concurrent Greek CD "Odysseia" but there are also a couple of older songs as well as some exclusive to this compilation. It kicks off with "Odysseia" a fast ska/rap/cumbia tune recounting all the stops of their tour around Greece - including, of course, the original Odysseus/Ulysses' homeland Ithaca. It is my favourite track here, along with the Manu Chao-like "Mala Onda" and the typical roots reggae songs: "Dromos Tis Kardias", "Athens City Nights", "New Day Rising" and "Crossroads". "Chthes" (χθες=yesterday, looks very weird in latin characters, doesn't it?) is a nostalgia themed tune mixing ska with the Balkan sounds popular in Greek mountain villages. Bouzouki instrumental "Diploreggies", "Marigoula Mantalena" and "San Apokliros Gyrizo" (a classic immigrant's lament) put a reggae beat behind quasi-oriental rembetiko melodies first heard a century ago in the taverns and opium dens of the cities' seediest neighboorhoods. To round up the virtual tour of Greece, there are two songs in the jaunty style popular in the islands: instrumental dance tune "Ikariotikos" and "To Tragoudi Den Xehno" featuring Greek folk singer Pantelis Thalassinos as a guest vocalist. "Ekei Pou 'Cho Taksidepsi" is a ballad with Andean pan pipes, "Edo" is 80's-sounding ska/new wave, and "Hände" a live German-language version of an older Locomondo ballad. The album ends with a ska instrumental based on children's song "Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da - Hänschen Klein". Though I don't recognise the German title, the melody was familiar from my kindergarten days (albeit with Greek lyrics), probably yours too. In any case, despite being sewn together from a variety of sources and missing most of the hits (you'd probably have to buy their "Best Of" for those), this CD makes for a good introduction to the feel-good world of Locomondo, displaying all their various sides and throwing in some rarities for those -like me- who already own their official Greek discography.
***** for Odysseia, Mala Onda
**** for Dromos Tis Kardias, Chthes, Athens City Nights, San Apokliros Gyrizo, New Day Rising, Crossroads, Ekei Pou 'Cho Taksidepsi, Edo
*** for Diploreggies, Marigoula Mantalena, To Tragoudi Den Ksehno, Ikariotikos
** for Hände, Alle Vögel Sind Schon Da-Hänschen Klein
Another LP bought solely on the strength(?) of its cover art, because how often does a record cover make you laugh out loud? Particularly one that wasn't designed with comedy in mind... But you gotta love it: the haystacks, the three guys wearing what looks like their school uniform, and of course the shepherd and his sheep which steal the show. The bucolic scene reminds me of my first years in The Netherlands working in a rural area at the east of Groningen, and all those Dutch cowboys visiting my practice in their work clothes. Rarely visited by tourists and/or other foreigners, the northern provinces stick closer to tradition than the densely populated West where I now live. I'll hazard a guess that these guys also come from the North, particularly Drenthe. One of the reasons is the song "Mien Mooie Drenthe"/my beautiful Drenthe. Then you have "I Kom Út Norg"/I'm from Norg (a village in Drenthe). "Ik Kom Út Veen" is a bit confusing (and so is the spelling throughout, which is I guess a local idiom or an older form of Dutch). Maybe they mean Hoogeveen? the word veen literally means turfland, or swamp, as for the Jenever of the title it's the traditional strong Dutch drink, of which English Gin is a descendant. It's served in a small tulip-shaped glass filled to the brim, so you have to drink the first sip on the counter before you can raise it in your hand. Next time you visit Holland, just ignore the coffeeshops (as if you can't get drugs at home), step in the nearest kroeg and order yourself a few shots of jenever. That'll grow hairs on your chest boy, marijuana is for sissies. That's the stuff that the Dutch sailors drank when they built their global commercial empire of the 17th century. Beer too, of course, but that was mostly used as a healthier substitute for water - even children drank litres of it. Regarding the actual music, if I had to use one phrase to describe it, I believe "Hank Williams at the Oktoberfest" would come close enough. Opener "Veen, Jenever en Achterdocht" (Turf, jenever and suspicion) is typical, a country-ish throwback to the "good ole times". I say country-ish, because probably these old European tunes influenced American country rather the other way round. The following "Een Muzikant" (in similar style) tells a universal tale irrespective of genre, nationality and time period: "My grandpa was a musician, like my father and myself...a musician's life is booze and women", etc. It's one of many jaunty folk tunes ("Mien Mooie Drenthe", "Ik Kom Út Norg", "Als Een Meisje Je Laat Staan", "Ik Kom Út Veen"), while there are also a lot of old-timey ballads ("Isabelle", "Mijn Moeder Wil Me Niet"), polkas and waltzes ("De Rooie Koe", "Angelina", "Marian", "Als Ik Rijk Was"). Overall, I really liked the music in this record. It's quaint enough to keep you smiling (just like with the album cover) and played with enough gusto to carry you along, the work of authentic traditional musicians rather than revivalists. Not that I hate it when music scholars revive traditional folk, it has yielded on occasion great results. The worst crimes against tradition are committed by real folk musicians trying to modernize their sound - go to a Greek panigyri (village festival) to see it in action. The LP has never been re-released and the band has never made another album, though a couple of songs were included in CD compilations of traditional Dutch music. I say if you ever come across a copy, get it. If for some strangereason you don't like the music, you can always frame the cover and get transported to the bucolic Holland of old every time you look at it. And use the vinyl as a serving tray for jenever.
**** for Veen, Jenever en Achterdocht, Een Muzikant, Ik Kom Út Norg, Ik Kom Út Veen
*** for Mien Mooie Drenthe, Isabelle, Mijn Moeder Wil Me Niet, Als Een Meisje Je Laat Staan, Angelina, Als Ik Rijk Was
Musicians play an important role in West African culture, so it's no wonder that that region of the world has produced some of the so-calledworld music superstars. Since the Middle Ages, hereditary troubadours called griots are much more than entertainers, also playing the role of historian/storyteller, educator and political commentator. Rarely does someone born outside the musician's caste assume this role. Blind singer/guitarist Mansour Seck was a griot born and raised, but his friend and (subsequently) more famous counterpart Baaba Maal was born into the fisherman's caste. Maal's family wanted on him to transcend his humble beginnings and helped him enrol in Law School, but he'd never graduate. His love for music won out and he eventually struck a partnership with his friend Mansour that in 1984 took them as far as Paris where they entered a recording studio to make a record -actually a cassette- album that would become a hit with the African diaspora.
5 years later it was released internationally on CD and vinyl under the title "Djam Leelii", gaining wide critical recognition. Maal would go on to become a world/pop crossover star, experiment with reggae, pop, soul and electronic sounds and collaborate with Western musicians. But "Djam Leelii" is strictly traditional music, two voices and acoustic guitars with discrete backing by percussion, electric guitar, kora and balafon. It's an album of gentle, hypnotic music, fluid guitars and mourning vocals. Among my favourite songs are the slow and melancholic "Djam Leelii" and "Lam Tooro". Very emotional and wistful playing and singing - I'm told the latter deals with the sorrow of forced migration, being forced by the harsh weather and political conditions to leave everything and everyone you know behind and travel to strange and unwelcoming destinations. The lyrics are all written in the Pulaar language, and there are no English translations on the web, but it seems that exile and immigration is the central theme to the album, ergo the English title appended to later reissues "Djam Leelii: The Adventurers". Somehow we Europeans think that these people very naturally and gladly exchange their homeland, friends and family for the "luxurious" living in the ghettos of the grey and cloudy cities of the North. Even more absurdly, we think that closing our borders to them will render us safer and more affluent. But anyway, don't let me give you the impression it's a depressing record. Next to the spiritual and sorrowful tunes there are enough uplifting, rumba-like, pieces which provide some of the album highlights ("Maacina Tooro", "Salminanam", "Kettodee"). If you like African sounds, acoustic guitars or just atmospheric music, this is an album you're sure to enjoy...
***** for Lam Tooro, Salminanam, Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii
Having lived in The Netherlands for 7 years I've obviousle met a lot of Surinamese people. I must admit that before I came here I wouldn't be able to find the country on the map, or even tell you in which continent it is. I can now place it on north South America (does that make sense?) near Brazil and not very far from the Caribbean. It used to be a Dutch colony until 1975 and its history is, like most of "Latin" America, a history of pillage and exploitation. And slavery, the Dutch having made a fortune in the slave trade. The Dutch West India company alone is estimated to have trafficked 550,000 Africans into slavery, at a time when the population of the whole world was 500 million. When slavery was abolished in the Netherlands and its colonies (in 1863) there was no keeping those free men and women in the plantations - not when they could disappear in the jungle and grow, hunt or gather their own food. The Dutch then transported destitute farmers from Asia (mostly India and Indonesia) to fill the gap. Add the freed Africans, indigenous South American tribes and European colonists, and you have an unprecedented mix of peoples and cultures. Not to mention languages: According to wikipedia, next to the country's official language which is Dutch, recognised regional languages include Sranan Tongo and other Creole dialects, Caribbean Hindustani and Javanese.
Being curious about the country's music, I once asked a Surinamese colleague if it was similar to Latin music, to which she replied something like "Yes...but not exactly. Similar, but different" - which didn't make me any wiser. Given the large Dutch-Surinamese community, there's surprisingly little music from that region to be found at record shops. But then the same is true for the other big minorities here: Moroccans, Turks and Indonesians. So when I found this cheap LP at a record fair, I thought it could help answer my question. It looked authentic enough and was sung in some local language. The name of Johnny de Miranda wasn't familiar, of course, but this is what I could later find out about him: He was born in 1924 and started playing at an early age. He played violin, clarinet, alt and tenor sax, as well ascongas, drums and piano. He joined popular dance orchestras in Curacao and Surinam before moving to The Netherlands in 1955 and making a few records, alone or with his co-patriot Max Woiski. "The Sunny Sound Of Surinam" was the first (of two) LP's mentioned in discogs. Last news piece I found about him mentioned that he was back in Surinam, still an active musician and celebrating his 90th birthday. From what I've gathered, this is more or less typical Surinamese music. Does it sound like Latin music? Yes...but not exactly. There is a strong Caribbean and Afro-Cuban flavor, with some Swing, Calypso, Ska and Samba influences. The liner notes describe this music as Skratjie Pokkoe, a name that evidently derives from the specific kind of drums used in this style. All I know is that it's fun, good-timey music that invites you to dance. The band is tight and sound like seasoned entertainers. Based on their names, it seems to be a mixed Dutch/Surinamese affair. Highlights include the sax on the opener "Sèkanti", nostalgic accordion intro on "Moesje Oe Koemba", the Belafonte-meets-Tito Puente vibe of "Waka Libi" and "Bigi Elena", and the African sounds of "Wai Anisa" and "Bamba Maskita". The latter reminded me of the lost-and-rediscovered Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab. The lyrics are of course unintelligible but I like how the language sounds: exotically strange yet strangely familiar. An English word here, a Dutch there, another that sounds like Portuguese - all in the same song. The album has never been reissued either in LP or CD, but apparently it isn't that rare or expensive. There's a good chance you'll come across a reasonably-priced copy. If you do, buy it. No record collection is complete without at least one album of Skratjie Pokkoe. UPDATE: Johnny De Miranda died on 11/11/2018, aged 94. R.I.P.
**** forSèkanti, Waka Libi, Bamba Maskita, Bigi Elena, Wai Anisa, Takroe Fesi, Moesje Oe Koemba, Wang Foroe
*** forBa Wiriang, Lena Pikieng, Alla Modo,Didong Dè
Banda Do Casaco is a highly-rated but little known Portuguese prog-folk band. Some of their other albums are closer to pure folk, while this is considered their most experimental and is the highest rated at progarchives.com. It's not quite what expected from a supposedly prog album: it is an eclectic mix of jazz, folk and chamber music - everything but rock: it most definitively does not rock and that's fine with me. There are upbeat folk songs ("Despique", "Dez-Onze-Doze", parts of "Acalanto") but these were also surprising to me as they are closer to Celtic music or Italian tarantellas than to fados, the only traditional Portuguese music I was familiar with. Goes to show how little I know. "Acalanto" opens the album with delicate acoustic guitar and flute, then some chanting followed by the upbeat folk part I mentioned earlier featuring some kind of traditional percussion, festive male/female chorus and swinging violin. "Despique" is robust folk dominated by masculine lead vocal and violin, while "País:Portugal" starts as a pastoral piece with a sweet female voice reminiscent of nostalgic bossa nova before breaking into Steeleye Span-like folk rock, with wild saxophone and playful violin. The lyrical focus seems to be a juxtaposition of a mythical Portugal of "goblins, witches on brooms, rivers and forests" with the modern "country of uniformed force/country forced into uniform/country doomed to the gallows" - or it could be something completely different, what do I know? I'm using google translate here. "Alvorada Tio Lérias!" is a beautiful instrumental mixing classical and ethnic elements in a way that reminds me of Dead Can Dance. "Geringonça" is melodic psychedelia with strings, flutes, mellotron and gorgeous female vocals by Gabriela Schaaf. "Ont' À Noite" is another atmospheric ballad. This time the female vocal parts are handled by the angelic Mena Amaro who sounds like a precursor to Madredeus'Teresa Salgueiro. The record closes with instrumental "Água De Rosas", an airy piece dominated by gentle strings, oboe and flute. A beautiful and eclectic album, lovingly composed and expertly realised. Makes you wonder how many musical treasures remain hidden just because they come from outside the English-speaking world.
***** for País:Portugal, Gerinçonça, Dez-Onze-Doze, Ont' À Noite
