CD REVIEW Ziggy Marley: Family Time (Tuff Gong) It's not a lack of young children in my day that keeps me away from most kids' albums. It's that, you know, smarmy sheen that most of the albums give off. So these days I approach any children's CD with trepidation. Not only does Ziggy Marley's Family Time surpass my admittedly low expectations, it's truly a joy on the ears. While clearly intended for younger listeners with [...]
The marvelous Georgian group The Shin has rocketed to the top of the charts this month with their new Gypsy-flavored album Black Sea Fire . (A review of the album is forthcoming.) Also new we have more Gypsy music from Mahala Rai Banda, a mixed bag of funk and South African music from Christin Vainderlis, and Finland meets Nigeria in the music of Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen. Shantel rounds out the top five, and the other five albums are no slouches, so check them all out. SoundRoots / Spin [...]
CD REVIEW Yeh Dede: Freedom (self-released) Their CDbaby "recommended if you like" list includes Ozomatli, Paul Simon, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. I'm not sure I get the first two, aside from the similarity of singing (sometimes) in Spanish and leaning (always) toward acoustic global roots music. If you're a fan of global women's harmony, however, Yeh Dede is bang on. Singing songs from a variety of cultures (Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Ladino Spain, and Israel) and in a variety of language, the six [...]
It's HonkFest week ( http://www.honkfest.org ), and we celebrated with brass music from all over the world...and right here at home in the USA. Plus an interview with Christine Vainderlis ( http://www.myspace.com/christi nevaindirlis ) about her life and the musical journey that is chronicled in her new CD Dance Mama! KAOS's fall membership drive begins next week, but you can beat the rush by becoming a KAOS member or renewing your membership online today. Same spanky-fresh prizes, no waiting on the phone. You can even help us shorten the [...]
As a person of faith, I respect and admire the traditions of most other faith traditions. And you know I love sacred music from pretty much all over. And I forgot to wish you a happy new year (happy 5770!) recently and while I don't know my Simhat Tora from my Shavout, I'm totally down with the music of David Gould. Actually, his new album revolves around one of the better-known Jewish holidays, Passover. You know, back when Yahweh sent ten plagues to smite the Egyptians, and the Jews were given a special mark to put above their doors, so [...]
I've been itching to share some new Tony Allen with you, since my affection for the pioneering Afrobeat drummer is perhaps the worst-kept secret on SoundRoots. One of the best-kept secrets has been his new album Secret Agent , which a promotions person (whose name shall remain secret to protect the generous) sent me some months ago, only to extract a promise from me not to make it public. Which led, of course, to much inner anguish and a reluctant silence. Now, my friends, the silence can officially be broken, and I offer you [...]
It's Gandhi's birthday today, and in lieu of cake, we served up a satisfying helping of world music focusing on nonviolence and peace. One way to support peace and justice is to contribute to local institutions such as social service charities, educational organizations, and community radio. Yes, community radio -- which helps keep you in touch with your neighbors, with under-reported news from around the world, and with non-corporate viewpoints and diverse music. KAOS's fall membership drive is in October, but you can beat the membership rush by becoming a KAOS member or [...]
I was blessed to be asked to introduce Debashish Bhattacharya 's show at Seattle's Jazz Alley last night. Today I'm still floating from the amazing joy and chemistry expressed by the Indian slide guitar master and his tabla-playing brother Subhashis Bhattacharya. Their US tour continues tonight in San Francisco (see more dates below), but for now, a few images from the show. Note the unique guitar design, and the unusual slide ukulele. [...]
CD REVIEW Christine Vaindirlis: Dance Mama! (self-released) Christine Vaindirlis seems an unlikely ambassador of South African music. Born in London, the singer was trained in Milan and at Boston's Berklee College. As a youth, however, she lived and soaked up the culture of South Africa. And it's her time in Johannesburg and her more recent travels to Africa that underlies her energetic debut alum, Dance Mama! , which kicks off with the township beat [...]
Had this month's chart done some days ago, and just realized that I was running out of time in the month to post it. So just in the nick of time, here's what's new in global music for September. New on the charts are the latest offering by neo-forro masters Forro in the Dark, Indian-fusion singer Kailash Kher, instrumental maestros Les Triaboliques, and the village artists behind the wonderful audio-video Laya Project. More reviews coming, but in the meantime check out these albums for some wonderful, diverse sounds. SoundRoots / Spin The Globe Top [...]
CD REVIEW Manooghi Hi: Manooghi Hi (Sunny Park Productions) Maybe it's some sort of "six degrees of Indian fusion." But it was definitely more than coincidence that while I was hanging out after the Delhi 2 Dublin show at Bumbershoot, I got to talking with Ava Chakravarti. Ava, it turns out, is part of an unusual 7-member Seattle-based group whose music could be described as Indian fusion...sort of. In Manooghi Hi's modern global sound, rock, [...]
Music from the nations through which the mighty Amazon River flows: Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, and of course Brazil. Plus new releases and stray tunes in hour 2. The Music of the Amazon: Spin The Globe playlist for 25 September 2009 as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net Artist - Song - Album Hour [...]
Omar Torrez: Corazon de Perro (Arteria) Guitar god-in-training Omar Torrez returns with another outstanding album, diverse in styles but held together by his stunning talent. There's a definite nod to Hendrix in the opener " Rich Man ," but his playing is far deeper and more varied than you'd get from a Jimi cover band. Torrez isn't afraid to tackle pop sounds (in "A Beautiful Ride") back to back with his dark, sparse, Waitsian " Corazón De Perro ," released in a quicker, thicker [...]
Spin The Globe celebrated 10 years of global music broadcasting (and podcasting) this week with a variety of music new and old, and some greetings from listeners and other DJs. It was a fabulous celebration, and my thanks go out to everyone who has made the show possible over the last decade, from listeners and musicians to our engineers and radio station staff. You're all part of this thing, so stop trying to hide in the back of the classroom. If you didn't get a chance to celebrate with us, you can still phone in your [...]
Think back: It's 1999 and Apple releases the Power Macintosh G4. John F. Kennedy, Jr. dies in a plane crash, President Clinton is acquitted of perjury and obstruction of justice, Pokemon is huge, George W. Bush announces a run for the White House, and everyone knows the name Elian Gonzales. We're all a little edgy about Y2K but excited about The Matrix . On the global music front, Cumba Gallo wins a Kora Award ( video ), Tarkan wins a World Music Award ( video ), Ali Farka Toure has just released [...]
DVD REVIEW Laya Project (EarthSync India) In December 2004, a tsunami swept through communities bordering the Indian Ocean in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar and India. This DVD and two companion audio CDs document the music and the culture of these people and their post-disaster resilience. The video cuts together images of the musicians recording with scenes of everyday life for these cultures on the edge of the sea to a [...]
Music from the north and the south, as we ping-pong between Finland and Kenya. Congrats to Steve, the winner of our Salaam CD giveaway. Finland Meets Kenya: Spin The Globe playlist for 11 September 2009 as heard on radio KAOS, 89.3 FM Listen/download for a limited time at: soundroots.podomatic.com More show info at spintheglobe.earball.net Artist - Song - Album Hour 1 [...]
Some of my images from Monday's shows at Bumbershoot. Vieux Farka Toure Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR . Delhi 2 Dublin Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR . For more of my images of Bumbershoot (and other things), click here . SoundRoots
Hey there Rootsians: I'm off to Bumbershoot today, will return with sonic stories and aural adventures. I mentioned that one of my target shows is Vieux Farka Toure. One other group I'm eager to see is Ontario-based Delhi 2 Dublin, a fabulous Indo-Celtic band that has made a few swings around North America that I've missed. I expect their spicy blend of Celtic, Indian, and dub music will be a sweet tonic for those of us in the Northwest now enduring the first serious rain of what will soon become our extended wet season. Bring on the chutney, [...]
SoundRoots World Music & mp3 Blog
Avicii – Two Million
Yellow Magic Orchestra edit from Chrome Canyon
Beck – I Just Started Hating Some People Today
H&M Lookbook Mujer y Hombre Otoño 2012.
