World Music Thread version 3.0

[nicodemus]

Well, we lost the original, so I will get this started again.

When were last here, we were discussing the joys of Gypsy music. My two suggestions were for:

modern Bulgarian Gypsy music by the splendid Yuri Yunakov Ensemble. These guys play fast and loud, it is some severely nutty stuff.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OAEG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Turkish Gypsy music. This is a more laid back than Yunakov. Very sensual.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000C2LP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[nicodemus]

Great music from Senegal.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000031GL.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

This guy plays regularly at a restaurant in Chicago.

[laeor]

come on Gipsy!im crazy for it.thx for the details and more pls.others welcome too!

[nicodemus]

Over to Nigeria now for some of the best Afro-funk/jazz.

I've listened to Fela Kuti's "Everything Scatter/Noise for Vendor Mouth" about 5 times this morning. Just amazing.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004XT2N.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[nicodemus]

I highly recommend this disc by Ryuichi Sakamoto and the husband wife duo of Paula & Jaques Morelenbaum. Piano, cello & voice reworkings of Antonio Carlos Jobim tunes. J. Morelenbaum used to play with Jobim and Sakamoto plays Jobim's piano on the disc and it was recorded in Jobim's house.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006FIBO.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Alex_1]

I will post the musica do brasil stuff in this thread. Double duty action. It does make more sense - since what I would be reviewing is from Brazil, Italy, France, Spain and Germany... and well, all over the place.

Coming up soon:

Same list as in Brazil along with...

Helena
Andrea Marquee
Gotan Project
Wagon Cookin'

;)

[Alex_1]

As Promised...

Review of "Azul" by Helena Noguerra. This is a Portuguese singer, who practices her trade not just in Portuguese but in French as well - mainly in French. Her album "Azul" is a special edition release, so if you are into collecting, definitely pick this up as it will be near impossible to find soon.

http://w1rts.mcm.fr/cm/image/artistes/helena_portrait.jpg

Besides collecting - it's damn good music. Her style is very soultry, smooth and mellancholic. Her voice dances around the subtle, simple beats in the background and you get a sense that she was inspired by sounds from the 70's and 60's... specifically Roberta Flack. None showcase this more than Ceu Azulou. It's dark and sultry, and she never goes beyond her range or beyond the tone of the music. It's one of those releases with an awesome balance of musicianship and singing.

I recommend this one. French import. Good artist, great album... released in the USA by Verve in conjunction with Tricatel I believe. And if you're not so much into the jazziness, then perhaps listen to Morrer nos Seus Bracos on a Brazilectro/Nueva Bossa Nova cd or Paris Lounge cd.

[nicodemus]

Before I begin this post I would like to say to Alex_1 that Helena Noguerra is hot. ;)

That being said, a friend of mine introduced me to this dub classic recently:

Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires

I was surprised to find this is the music used on the Reggae channel in the video game Grand Theft Auto III. Regardless of your point of discovery, this is some amazing stuff!


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001XSC.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Alex_1]

wow - now that is an interesting looking cd.

Helena Noguerra... hmm... she is a model/actress as well. Sort of like a Portuguese (where she was born) version of J-Lo or Mariah Carey, but with a bit of talent and a little more exoticness. But she's kind of a darker kind of girl. Too much eye shadow to my taste and in general, kind of a strange Bjork like style (see her Bikini project) but then again, I wouldn't say no. Tough to find a "PG" and good pic of her... but here we go.

http://www.leminotaure.net/rivieredesanges.jpg

She really isn't that skinny... she's not big either. This is just a very strange angle shot below... hard to find pics.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/reseau/arts/0206/images/8774ef0_1.jpg



And here are a few links, but in Portuguese.

http://classicosemodernos.euronoticias.pt/artigo.asp?id%5Fartigo=468&artigo=Helena+Noguerra

[nicodemus]

I see what you mean, i surfed around looking for some pics and she was kind of funky in some of them, although she's infinitely better looking than Bjork ever was or ever will be.

This picture was just awesome, as i'm a sucker for the sun dress:

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/reseau/arts/0206/images/8774ef0_1.jpg

[nicodemus]

I recently got this album sent to me:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005MK4N.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I didn't like it at first, but I've really grown to love it. After first listen, I was ready to put it up on eBay. When I discovered he was part of Tabla Beat Science, I decided to go in for another listen and was glad I've stuck with it. It's not the greatest thing I've ever heard but it is really solid. It has way more life than most electronica/dance/ambient records I've heard in a while. It also has elements of classical Indian music (Hindustani) as well as some tasteful Bollywood-esque moments. If you like Talvin Singh or Cornershop, I could see one liking this.

[Alex_1]

Karsh Kale - I've listened to some of his stuff before. Not bad at all - if you like that sort of style man there is a comp you might want to take a look at. Granted, it is a bit more commercial but it's a decent introduction to some of the different artists out there. It features Alex Reece, Talvin Singh, Jakatta, Clannad, and many others along with remixes by one of my favorite artists, Blue States. It's a Ministry of Sound double disc set, so it is really commercialized and admittedly, I'm not a big time fan of the Buddha Bar sort of series.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005UPQV.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I don't have it on me right now - and be wary of the price. I actually found it for far less than what an Amazon.com is asking of it. But I think you'd want to give it a listen.

Also, you may want to give a hollar to another compilation. Not as well known - it's Rasa Mello.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005QY2J.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I actually did a little low key review of this one a while back. Some of the tracks though are really really difficult to find, and it's a bit of an underrated cd and series. IT features tracks by Chant, Mo Horizons, Deepak Chopra and manhy others.

For the UK Garage fans, the Karma Collection features So Solid Crew as well, and the Rasa Mello has a track by Handsome Boy Modeling School.

[nicodemus]

Kodo's "MONDO HEAD"

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000641BD.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I got the Japanese version when it came out in Japan in late 2001 (US release was in mid 2002...this is the US cover.)

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed by it. It is good, but has too much fusion stuff on it. Guest appearances are made by Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalogo, Airto Moreira, Mickey Hart and many others. It is good, but there's not enough Japanese drumming. I prefer their straight up Japanese stuff. I will post some more about those later.

[Alex_1]

I'm a huge Schema label fan. Soulstance, Nicola Conte, Break & Bossa, Les Hommes, S-Tone Inc. - I love Italian Bossa in addition to traditional Bossa Nova from Brazil. That said, I had heard a few samples of a couple of musicians in a electric jazz outfit titled Fragmentorchestra.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00006LA5T.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

What a cd. It was a risk to pick it up in that I wasn't well versed in their music, other than the samples I heard. In fact, I went just on that and by the label it was on. But I am NOT disappointed at all. It's a tremendous cd - very innovative and original. Some of the tracks wave in and out of dreamy ambient sequences to dance mixes. I can't even really describe the style or compare it. I guess if I had to, I would say it's like a mixture of Blue States meets Gerardo Frisina meets Antonio Carlos Jobim.

It's not a vocals cd. You don't have people singing songs. It's more of a landscape cd - like a journey. You put it in when you're driving or when you're chilling out - with a very good sound system. The sound quality is chrystal clear - tremendous.

I recommend it. Unfortunately this hasn't been released in the US yet but... with enough noise...

[nicodemus]

I got the deluxe edition of Marley's "Catch a Fire" last night. It is very cool. Disc one (11 songs) is the original mixes made in Jamaica and produced by BMW. The second disc (9 songs) is the spiced up version produced by BM & Chris Blackwell. Interesting to hear the differences in the two.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000059ZT4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[nicodemus]

Just how good is this album? Pretty awesome. I know the most recent "Afro-Cuban jazz craze" is kind of blown over, which to me makes all the more reason to promote it. These guys are coming to town in April and I can't wait. High intensity offshoot of the Buena Vista Social Club. That being said, I prefer this album ("A Toda Cuba le Gusta") to their second "Distinto Diferente".

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005J54.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[zpjohnstone]

"A Todo Cuba Le Gusta" is an excellent album- Actually, I happen to prefer it to almost any other afro-cuban album. And they are excellent live- they played at Headliner's last year and you shall not be dissapointed. I hope I have half the energy as some of these guys when I'm their age.


Originally posted by nicodemus

Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires


Excellent album, but did the production quality strike you in one way or the other? A little clean for my tastes.

[nicodemus]

Originally posted by zpjohnstone
Excellent album, but did the production quality strike you in one way or the other? A little clean for my tastes.

I will give it another spin and let you know what I think. It is probably too new to me for me to hear it that way yet. I'm still soaking in the tunes. If I have it here at work, I will play it now.

also, picked up Afel Bocoum's "Alkibar" over the weekend. He is Ali Farka Toure's protege. While you can tell the influence of AFT, Afel definately has his own thing going. I look forward to future releases to see where he goes as an artist. If this record is any indication of where things are going we will have some amazing albums on our hands. A lot of people I know like Bocoum's stuff better than Toure's.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000026T6A.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[nicodemus]

Originally posted by zpjohnstone
"Excellent album, but did the production quality strike you in one way or the other? A little clean for my tastes.

I listened to the Scientist album yesterday and thought it was just fine. I didn't find it too clean at all, but that's just me.

[nicodemus]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000AGES.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Hossein Alizadeh, Afsaneh Rassai & Madjid Khaladj's album Saz-Eno is very awesome and worth checking out. Most of the really prominent Persian singers are male, so this a treat getting to hear an with a really good female singer. I'm sure there are others out there, I'm just not aware of them.