Taj Mahal/Toumani Diabate: Queen Bee [ purchase album ] Taj Mahal first came to my attention on account of George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh . No, he didn't play in the concert - that was Ravi Shankar - but the (however misguided) Indian subcontinent reference quickly led me to Taj, who was coming in to his own at about that time. When I delved deeper, I came cross Taj as a blues musician in his own right (and purchased [...]
The year the dreaded € was institutionalised on mainland Europe, or that in which Glitter's glimmer faded further as he returned to the clink, or the twelve months during which partying would hit its peak if Prince's '82 single was to be believed: whatever anyone else was up to in 1999, Joanna Newsom was seemingly yet to develop that unearthly purr of hers whilst penning sumptuous instrumentals and 'making waves in the greater Tahoe-area wedding-music circuit'. Dug out from Drag City vaults, Instrumental 1999 was written in the run-up to the turning of the Millennium and, [...]
Balkansky & Loop Stepwalker feat. Sofi - Kora The Devil (Re-Hard Mash Up) DL Link: bit.ly Pass.: Re-Hard Copyright: © 2011 Mau5trap Recordings © 2011 Ad Noiseam Records Copyright: IDOL (Independent Distribution On Line) It's serious??????
I've been in love with the kora ever since Toumani Diabaté introduced it to me, years ago. The instrument, which is constructed in the manner of a bridge harp, has a harp-like tone but is played more in the style of delta blues and flamenco guitar fingerpicking techniques. Toumani himself comes from a long line of kora players: his father, Sidiki Diabaté, recorded the first kora album ever, in 1970, and Toumani has risen to become perhaps the most well-known practitioner of the instrument worldwide. He has become known for his virtuosic performances that include music drawn from traditional Malian [...]
The Jimi Hendrix of the desert, Vieux Farka Touré, headlined the first edition of desert-meets-desert (the Sahara meets the Thar) confluence, the Amarrass Desert Music Festival. The Malian musician is the son of legendary Grammy-winning artist Ali Farka Touré. The festival was a two-day repeat special, held on Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27 at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. It featured performances by musicians from Rajasthan, including Lakha Khan and members of the Manganiyar community, alongside performances by Touré and kora player Sidiki Diabaté (father of Toumani Diabaté , who also performed in India [...]
[Happy 30th birthday to Ben Kweller today ... Even though he will always seem 16 to me.] Top shows for a Thursday: ► Booker T. Jones ,the Stax legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer whose new whose new album "The Road From Memphis" is just out, headlines the Satellite. Word is that there will be some guest apperaances. And Nick Waterhouse opens. ► Meat Puppets hit the Echo behind the recent release of of 13th album, "Lollipop." [...]
Globetrotters since their debut album, rock-funk collective Kora are setting out on a West Coast tour, centered on an appearance at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival . The band of brothers — Laughton, Francis, Stuart and Brad Kora (plus Dan McGruer on keys & bass) — have a reputation for awesome live shows. Multi-instrumentalists all, they throw elements of rap and reggae into a sonic stew, ready for radio play, ripe for "party central." But 2009 brought a startling new take on their music: Six of their barn-burners were remixed by Richard H. Kirk of [...]
Our good buddy and top-dog challenger for most jamandahalf knowledge out there (although he's in a fierce competition with his sister), Johnny Kathmandu strolls by and drops off a short-but-sweet post for a Kiwi jam. Thanks KTM! Straight from down under, the Kiwi group, Kora, brings out the best of New Zealand with this sweet jam that surpasses its title. Not only does it stick to the mind but its upbeat rhythm also get your body flowing. A perfect crescendo leads us into the track and makes sure we never look back as it then [...]
Despite being a direct descendant of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Malian Empire, Salif Keita was cast out of his community and ostracized by his family because of his albinism, which is considered bad luck in rural Mali. Luckily for us he persevered, and started the groups Super Rail Band de Bamako (after the capital city, Bamako) and the more popular Les Ambassadeurs. He later fled during military unrest and established a more prominent career in Paris. He has been hailed by many in West Africa as "The Golden Voice of Africa," and if you live in San Francisco, Los [...]
Initial exposure of electronic acts Burial and Neon Indian went beyond their infectious music and distinctive methods. While William Bevan (Burial) and Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) revealed personal facts about their projects as time went on, initial speculation regarding their work ranged from the fascinating to humorous. Burial's emergence coincided with speculation that it was [...]
A wonderful combination of sound and style that will both surprise and delight listeners.
West Africa, and its tonalities, instruments, and rhythmic traditions, is responsible for a much larger share of American music than most know or would care to admit. African-Americans, who themselves were descended centuries ago from residents of countries such as Benin, Togo, and Mali, brought along with them the minor pentatonic scale (which, with the addition of the tritone, was transformed into what we now consider the blues scale), stringed instruments including the banjo, more syncopated rhythms than Europeans were used to, and a rich tradition of improvisation. These musical qualities stretched across the Americas, with Cuba showcasing the most [...]
![DJ Evil Vince :: Aotearoa Kauri [New Zealand Mix]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2833068_lg.jpg)
We are pleased to welcome the return of DJ Evil Vince to Muzzle of Bees. He will once again be providing compilations that unearth the music of the far off corners of the world. Which brings us to the current compilation: Aotearoa Kauri . This is defined as: Land of The Long White Cloud [New Zealand] Kauri [Tree]. Agathis australis or Kauri's are trees that are found on the North Island of Aotearoa. They are some of the largest and most ancient trees in the world. I snapped [...]
Last month, as the majority of the east coast was busy digging themselves out of the snow drifts, Swedish folk-pop duo Fredrik landed upon our shores and embarked on a tour in support of their album, Trilogi . This latest effort, as the name implies, is comprised of 3 EPs that were released previously in limited quantities. When we last saw the band , they were touring as a 6-piece with chamber-pop tendencies woven into their dreamy folk. This time around they've economized the band into a slender two-piece, yet losing none of the [...]
Sourakata Koite - Ha-Madi So I was introduced by this awesome blog called Awesome Tapes from Africa by the always lovely/rad Andrea of http://andreainspired.tumblr.c om . Brian Shimkovitz who runs it and rips these taps and then he take the tracks from tapes and puts them up for all to listen. This track is killer Kora music. Not indie just awesome.
Found this track after I checked the hole Tracklist of Kick-Oh's New mix and Dan Aux kicked my ass... Myspace quote: " Dan Aux fell in love, quit his day job and moved from Newcastle, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. Inspired by longtime hero Henry Rollings, Dan "got in the van" and now lives the dream writing music during the week and headlining partys all over Auckland and NZ on weekends. A DJ of over 10 years. Dan recently signed to Tommie Sunshine's New York imprint, Brooklyn Fire expect a forthcoming EP in April, plus a slew of originals, remixes [...]
Kora - Burning (Dan Aux's 2010 Way Crazies! Remix)
2010 is going to be the year of the Aux! Feel free to quote me on that. Dan Aux gives us his latest remix for New Zealand experimental/rock group Kora . Bubbly synths are spread chaotically throughout the tune and then broken down by the original instrumentals to cool you off. I highly recommend you pick this one up! Kora- Burning (Dan Aux's 2010 Way Crazies! Remix) [...]
Fredrik?? Fredrik! Yessss. Our favorite Swedish band (lies - we actually love all Swedish bands, duh) and yours is back with some new material in the form of an mp3 off their forthcoming album, Trilogi - which drops November 10 on The Kora Records . "Locked In The Basement" starts off with a simple acoustic rhythm and the captivating (per usual) Fredrik vocals. Electronic soundscapes then build up as the song starts to head into a more experimental section. Still light and airy, however. But I won't question you if you [...]
CD REVIEW Ba Cissoko - Seno (Sterns Africa) Guinea's Cissoko family has provided generation upon generation of musicians across west Africa. But that legacy alone doesn't explain the sound of Ba Cissoko (which is, by the way, both a person and a band). In their decade together, the core quartet of Kimintan "Ba" Cissoko (kora), Sekou Kouyate (electric kora), Ibrahima Kourou Kouyate (bass), and Ibrahim "Kounkoure" Bah (percussion) have incorporated influences both old and new and [...]
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Antony and the Johnsons - "Rise"
Beach House covers Queen
Vadoinmessico - Archaeology of the Future review
