Return of the World Music Thread: 2012

Globalquerque here on Friday, but I have too much stuff to do--not that I've ever gone in the past. I'm not that excited about the lineup but I wouldn't mind seeing Ozomatli, and Plena Libre would be a good bonus.

I like Plena Libre. Do you anything about festival participant Ali Akbar Moradi Ensemble (Kurdistan, Iran) ? I do not

I've heard a fair amount of his music. I love the tanbur playing but I find the vocals offputting. It's possible that seeing him live would change my mind about that, however.

I have probably sufficiently talked this up elsewhere, but what the hell:

http://music.cbc.ca/#/play/CBC-Music/playlist/Yamantaka-Sonic-Titan-YTST

I think this stuff is incredible. Might be too prog/avant for your tastes, curmudgeon, but I don't know. There are definitely solid hooks throughout.

Good writeup here:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=188613

“People are part of a global community, and it’s become harder to have an identity politic discussion without bringing in globalization and understanding what that and hybridity actually mean,” Alaska B explains.

“A lot of identity politic is based on identifying your community and isolating yourself, but there’s a whole generation who can’t put themselves into a community any more – or that community never really existed and was just imagined. If you want to approach these issues of talking about where you belong, but you can’t find any place where you belong, it kind of makes the entire politic bunk.”

The band is playing with assumptions and perceptions of their Asian-ness in a way that would be satiric were there not also a healthy dose of reverence mixed in with the irreverence. For Attwood, the difficult subject of appropriation was part of how she constructed her own identity, and is intrinsically linked to what Yamantaka//Sonic Titan are doing.

“Cultural appropriation was just a way for me to understand what my cultural background actually was. I grew up on a farm in Ontario, and it was all white people and natives around me. As an Asian-looking person, which is how I identified for a long time, it was very difficult to be identified as different but to not really have any contact with Japanese culture.

“It became this process of taking these images and ideas and involving them or ingesting them into my own identity. As an adult, I look back on that as extremely formative in terms of my relationship with aesthetics, because I simultaneously feel entitled to pick and choose cultural representations and modes of communication that I need but also very, very hesitant to step on other people’s toes.”

She describes a global community, in which people are surrounded by incredibly rich material for which we have no context. At the same time, many have direct personal relationships with immigrant families, and so we’re forced to be a little more respectful than we’d be in a monoculture environment.

Will check it out when I can, but yep prog and avante sounds are not usually my thing.

I want to check out the new Angolan episodes of the Afropop worldwide program

still do, but have been listening to other stuff(Latin; Bobby Blue Bland; Replacements)

I am behind on this other thread too (the African electronic dance music one):

Rolling African Dance / Urban Music Thread

Lots of international choices for W. DC area residents Friday night Sept. 28 if they want to go out:

Red Baraat (Asian Indian funk) at Hamilton

Vicente Fernandez at the Patriot Center

SWENKA dj night with resident DJ Mothershiester and resident DJ Brian Senyo with guest DJ, DJ Stylus, playing kuduro, afro-house, tropical-electro, bashment, azonto, reggae, and more African riddims + beats from the past and present at the 930 Club Back Bar

Asia party at the Sackler Museum from 7 to 11 with DJ Spooky and instrumentalists Danielle Cho and Jennifer Kim, set against 1940s black and white films featuring Asian American pioneer actress Anna May Wong

Los Rakas(Oakland rap en Espanol) at Love

Palenke Soul Tribe (Colombia) at National Geographic (plus food trucks)

Red Baraat are from NYC as you know. They were fun live when I last saw 'em

I don't think I found and posted this track from Sa Dingding's album before:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZGGtKVuMvw

Mostly very quiet, but it ends with some pretty fierce vocals.

Full disclosure: i'm doing PR for this show tomorrow but I'm also really excited about it

http://www.pace.edu/schimmel/fatoumata-diawara
Friday, September 28
Pace Presents: FATOUMATA DIAWARA (from Mali)
Part of Pace Presents’ World Music Series at The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts: http://goo.gl/maps/w37R
Doors / Lobby Bar at 6:30pm, Show at 7:30pm
Tickets: $35
File Under: Global, Africa, Singer/Songwriter, Francophone
The extraordinary story of Fatoumata Diawara’s meteoric rise as one of the music world’s most exciting artists begins with her joining a theatre company, performing the classical Greek role of Antigone, starring in a string of successful films, running away from her home in Mali to France and finally finding her calling as a musician. The woman Pitchfork calls “beguiling” has worked with some of Africa’s most successful artists, including Oumou Sangaré, Cheikh Lô, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Herbie Hancock, Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Flea and Bobby Womack. Diawara was raised on West African Wassoulou music; a style performed mostly by and about women and thought to be an ancestor of American Blues; she uses this style as the base for her own songs. At the center of her music is a warm, affecting voice; spare, rhythmical guitar playing and gorgeously melodic songs incorporating elements of funk, soul and jazz. Her September 28th Pace Presents show features a full band, marks Diawara’s NY debut as a soloist and will highlight music from her latest CD on the World Circuit label.
Artist Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fatoumata-Diawara/151710422621

oh man, this is gorgeous. thx for the heads up forks.

Just realized FATOUMATA DIAWARA is going to be in Washington DC October 5th. Alas, the Burundi drummers are also in the area that night. Grrrr

It's the "all in the fall syndrome" on the US East coast when it seems tons of acts tour here as the weather is better than in the winter and less people are on vacation than in the summer and spring. Plus it may be easier to get college kids to go at this time

Eastern European Chart Music

I have never been interested in much coming from Eastern Europe.

http://us5.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=83b004ff1352b89e88ace8c70&id=2413822bcf

Al Sarah and the Nubatones // Arooj Aftab // DJ Ushka
A night of ultimate contemporary world and roots fusion sounds!
It is an absoulte pleasure to introduce you to the music of Al Sarah, if you dont know it already. Alsarah is a Sudanese born singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist, Residing in Brooklyn, NY, she performs music from different parts of the Middle East, and East Africa. Most recently, she has been working with The Sounds of Taraab performing classical Taraab music from Zanzibar and Kenya ranging from the 1940s-today.
Also backing us up is the super sassy DJ Ushhhhka!!! DJ Ushka is heavily influenced by music from the global south - mixing genres from the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, South Asia and diasporas in the West - with hip hop, electro, and U.S bass genres to create a booty bass storm. She is a resident DJ at the brooklyn global bass party called iBomba and is a recent member of tropical bass/culture collective, Dutty Artz.
Arooj Aftab will perform a duo set of acoustic, pre-partition, sufi inspired south asian semi classical music with Guitarist and Co-Composer Bhrigu Sahni.
The show is at a secret location on Saturday Sept 29th in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. You must RSVP, attendance is by invitation only. Send a message to alsarah5✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧ and you will recieve a confirmation email with time and exact location.
Not a good look to miss this, so see you there!!

Sierra Leone-born blind thumb piano musician/singer, Sorie Kondi is on a 5 city US tour that brings him to DC Thursday at 9 for free at Tropicalia, 2001 14th St NW (below Subway sandwiches). I checked his out his Youtubes including one where a local tv reporter interviews him outside the door of the shanty-town shack he lives in. He takes a 12 inch by 6 inch piece of wood, adds metal piano tongs/keys, and electrifies it and plays it and sings over top. Nice rhythms. Sometimes he has women vocalists join him for a more pop feel. There are also remixes out.

x-post--Fatoumata Diawara's voice sure is pretty on that video upthread

yup yup

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc6/195767_353648748054968_1741571282_n.jpg

fatoumata did a lot of dancing at that show; she's hot as hell

Saw Fendika tonight with Melaku Belay and Zinash Tsegaye dancing; holy shit what a good show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLCabn41EEw

i know the video doesn't quite reflect it but good lord, so much contemporary badassery and swag style in what dude does

Oh, Fendika is coming my way too. I missed NY based Ghanaian rapper Blitz the Ambassador last night, and might miss Sierra Leonian thumb pianist Sorie Kondie tonight but I wanna go. There are visiting African acts in the DC area for 5 days in a row. Wooh.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/10/03/ghanaian-hip-hop-royal-drummers-your-week-in-african-music/

Blitz is always good.
Fendika is spectacular though; you really shouldn't miss them if you get a chance.
This is the next show I'm working at Pace in NYC:

http://www.pace.edu/schimmel/zakir-hussain-and-rakesh-chaurasia
Saturday, October 13
Pace Presents: ZAKIR HUSSAIN and RAKESH CHAURASIA (from India)
Part of Pace Presents’ World Music Series at The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts
Doors / Lobby Bar at 6:30pm, Show at 7:30pm
Tickets: Gold Circle Center Orchestra: $55 / Orchestra: $40 / Balcony Center: $40 / Balcony: $30
File Under: Global, India, Jazz
Tabla superstar Zakir Hussain, India’s most celebrated living artist and an extraordinary percussionist of international renown will be joined for this evening of Indian classical music by bansuri flute prodigy Rakesh Chaurasia, a nephew of maestro Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. The New York Times calls Hussain “(a) fearsome technician but also a whimsical inventor, so devoted to exuberant play that he rarely seems overbearing, even when the blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a hummingbird’s wings”. Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest percussionists, Zakir is known equally for his mastery of the classical Hindustani repertoire of ragas and his historic collaborations with Shakti (with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar), Planet Drum (with the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart) and performances with George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Tabla Beat Science, Mark Morris and many others.
Artist Website: http://www.zakirhussain.com/

and Kondi and Diawara in DC sound awesome

Flipped a coin and gonna do Burundi Drummers and Dancers tonight. Hopefully Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara will be back. Why did both gigs have to be on the same night!

Dow posted this likely mediocre thang over on the AfroLatino thread. Hopefully it will at least raise some money for good causes:

Coldplay, Beyoncé, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mumford & Sons, Plan B, Bruno Mars, REM, Fleet Foxes And More Collaborate With African Musicians For Charity Album Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa

To Be Released November 20th on The End Records

'Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa' Tracklisting

01. Viva La Vida (Africa Mix) [feat. Coldplay]
02. I Miss You (Africa Mix) [feat. Beyonce]
03. She Said (Africa Mix) [feat. Plan B.]
04. I Need a Dollar (Africa Mix) [feat. Aloe Blacc]
05. Not Afraid (Africa Mix) [feat. Eminem ft TS1]
06. Timshel (Africa Mix) [feat. Mumford & Sons]
07. Is This Love? (Africa Mix) [feat. Rokia Traore]
08. Under the Bridge (Africa Mix) [feat. Red Hot Chili Peppers]
09. Mykonos (Africa Mix) [feat. Fleet Foxes]
10. Losing My Religion (Africa Mix) [feat. R.E.M. ft Ali Farka Toure Band]
11. I Am Because (Africa Mix) [feat. Shanade]
12. Grenade (Africa Mix) [feat. Bruno Mars]
13. John and Yoko (Africa Mix) [feat. Rokia Traore]

The 18 member Burundi Drummers and Dancers were cool for awhile live before their pounding percussion and trad but vibrant dance moves got predictable. I liked when when two of 'em both whacked on a single drum; and also when they balanced the drums on their heads and banged away

Just dawned on me that I saw Fendika (Ethiopian women singer/dancers) with Boston's Debo Band last year.

yep, they do tour with them

So are they based in Ethiopia or here?

i believe they're out of addis

Fendika are appearing for free in W. DC at the Kennedy Ctr Mill. Stage from 6 to 7 US eastern time tonight. I'm gonna be writing and will miss 'em this time. However, Millennium stage shows are video-streamed and archived on the Kennedy center website so if anyone wants to check out these Ethiopian women singers and dancers live online they can.

got a link? I'd like to share this with some people.

They will post the specific streaming and archive link beginning at 6 pm US eastern time here:

http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/

cool thanx

Now I gotta watch the archived video sometime

don't miss the wang li show on there either!! that guy is a boss.

The new Staff Benda Bilili album doesn't break any new ground, and some might find it too samey, but I love their Congolese rumba guitars and call & response vocals and harmonies

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, August 28, 2012 11:28 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark

this is pretty great! i must've missed it when you first mentioned but lots of fun

Yes, I love it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/arts/music/algerian-chaabi-musicians-reunite-in-the-band-el-gusto.html?src=recg

I read about these Jewish and Muslim chaabi musicians from Algeria reuniting for a show in France a long while ago somewhere, but now I see they're doing it again, and its in the NY Times. Interesting

That Acoustic Africa tour is coming. I like vocalist Dobet Gnahore

http://www.sharebeirut.net/en/program/zeid-and-maryam

Appearing at a Beirut conference as is DJ Rupture and others

Godfather of Lebanese underground music Zeid Hamdan, founder of the iconic band Soap Kills teams up with young Egyptian singer Maryam Saleh, known for her covers of Sheikh Imam, the famous satirical singer of 70’s Egypt.

Zeid came to Alexandria in 2010 and met Maryam. They quickly recorded together a few tracks in a room of Cairo. Then, they released the demo “Watan el Ak” (Nation of Chaos) in 2011, that epicts the current state of affairs in post-Mubarak Egypt.

This is a new Arabic electro-pop sound: Maryam’s powerful singing in Egyptian dialect merging with Zeid’s funny electro-pop loops. Songs burst with energy, making you both dance and think. You’re warned, Sheikh Imam goes electro.

http://www.theworld.org/2012/10/rita-persian-music/

Israeli singer born in Iran now singing Persian tunes

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/live-music-blogpost.aspx?post=c71527ae-401e-46f2-aa85-6ca0db31fb06#scpshrtu

Christgau liked Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili live as much as I did. Just saw their DC gig earlier tonight. Poor promotion meant that there were only 75 people there, but the band's sound and presentation was great. Guitars, home-made instruments, nice percussion, harmonies-- a fantastic hour and a half show.

are they doing an NYC play soon do you know?

Sorry, it looks like you missed their NYC show-- Thursday October 18th they were at Symphony Space in NYC, google is telling me. They are hitting the west coast next and then doing Europe. I still need to see that documentary about them. It's probably on netflix or something. Some cynics might say that like Congolese soukous and rumba from prior decades, their sound can get a tad repititious, but this is designed for dancing plus the harmonies and melodies do vary somewhat. Here's the rest of their North American tour:

23/10/2012US San Diego Universtity of California

24/10/2012US Los Angeles El Rey Theatre

25/10/2012US San FranciscoSlims

27/10/2012US SeattleTown Hall

28/10/2012CA Vancouver560 Club

They have not yet gotten the indie press acclaim that Amadou & Mariam got; so not too many 20-something indie fans were willing to pay the bucks in W. DC; and they're not "urban" enough in their musical sound to reach 20-something immigrants who like African danceclub music and rap. Although they have a young guy in the group.

i will scope