various
artists : Global Lingo (Project
Ahimsa)
Project
Ahimsa website
Project
Ahimsa on Facebook
Being
a radio show, Spin The Globe doesn't often warm
to DJ mix CDs -- we prefer to create our own musical
blends. We'll make an exception for the album Global
Lingo, a mix by DK Bollygirl vs. dimmSummer.
There's a nice flow from track to track, and a great
blend of musical styles from artists we know (Michael
Franti & Spearhead, Rocky Dawuni, Sila &
the Afrofunk Experience, Funkadesi) and promising
newcomers.
Billed
as "a mix of youth and hope featuring children
and artists from around the world," the album
is the work of Project
Ahimsa, which creates and supports music education
programs for kids worldwide. So the youthful, hip-hop
heavy vibe of the album should come as no surprise,
though you'll also hear significant sprinklings
of reggae, dub, and electronica.
"Out
of all the things kids need, why music?" asks
Robin Sukhadia, Project Ahimsa's international grants
program director. "It instills discipline,
builds confidence, and increases communication between
kids, family, and the greater world, all tools for
success no matter where you're from. ... [Music]
is one of the few ways they have to express themselves
in a nonviolent way."
Sukhadia
(aka Tablapusher) even used samples of children's
voices on the album's opening track, "Speak
It." It's a satisfying way of having the project
come full circle, from grants to teaching to having
the kids contribute to this album. The album's executive
producer, Vijay Chattha, explains that the album
is "a progress report on what [Project Ahimsa
has] been doing these past seven years. So we got
artists who had performed at our events together
with the children in the programs we fund. The kids
want to learn and get involved, and they wanted
to record." It should be noted, however, that
many of the tracks are pulled straight from previously
released albums and do not include such collaborations.
Global
Lingo is a satisfying mix, suitable for dancing,
partying, or beatful lounging. You'll definitely
want to tell the kids in your life about this one,
as it's mostly conscious music and it's all for
a good cause. The album will be released on August
11 as both a 17-track album and the DJ mix I've
been digging.
Lura:
Eclipse (Four Quarters)
buy
CD/hear samples
If
Lura sang in English instead of Portuguese, the
diminutive Cape Verde singer might simply be considered
a fine soul-jazz singer. The flawless arrangements,
vocal precision, and emotional commitment all bear
witness to a singer in her prime. From the bittersweet
title track to the upbeat morality tale of "Mascadjon
/ Freeloader" Lura simply nails every note.
The songs on Eclipse may be specifically
about Cape Verde -- neighbors, poverty, parties,
love, dancing -- but these are also universal themes,
and this gorgeous album should have appeal far beyond
a typical "world music" audience.
various
artists : Putumayo Presents Italia (Putumayo)
buy
CD/hear samples
The
folks at Putumayo have been making some curious
choices of late. A couple months ago there was the
new India compilation (reviewed here).
Now this collection that begins with the distinctive
sound of ... the berimbau? Huh?
Okay,
a look at the back of the CD reveals that this is
the music of "today's Italian singer-songwriters
[who] combine the spirit of la dolce vita with a
contemporary flair." A global contemporary
flair that may explain the Brazilian influence on
Simone Lo Porto's "Il Girasole" and the
tango taste of "Alessandro Pitoni's "Colpo
di Coda." Also
the gypsy swing feel of "Gina" by Lu Colombo
& Maurizio Geri Swingtet and the retro jazz
of Canada-based Marco Calliari's "L'Americano."
The
album definitely has the usual accessible, friendly
Putumayo vibe and I'm intrigued by some of the artists
it has introduced me to. It's just that calling
this collection Italia is like putting
together an album with Jonathan Coulton, Tom Waites,
Laura Love, and Jonathan Richman, and calling it
Americana. Weak glue to hold together some
even this strong music.
[dunkelbunt]:
Raindrops and Elephants (Piranha)
label
website (with audio samples)
Some
compare Vienna-based [dunkelbunt], aka Ulf Lindemann,
to groups like Jazzanova. In truth, though, his
music is more akin to Balkan beatmaster Shantel
and Jewish DJ Socalled. But how do you find an appropriate
comparison for someone whose album includes a piano
solo that segues from classical to Balkan dance
and back again; a remix of Watcha Clan's already
boisterous "Balkan Qoulou"; and a blending
of rap by Raf MC with horns by Fanfare Ciocarlia
on "The Chocolate Butterfly (Tüwi Edit)"?
The
latter is a tasty tabla-laden extended version of
a track that appeared on [dunkelbunt]'s previous
album, Morgenlandfahrt.
Raindrops and Elephants continues the unusual
collaborations seen on that earlier album, which
included artists as diverse as Deobrat Mishra and
the Amsterdam Klezmer Band. You can certainly appreciate
the raucous sounds without all this background info,
and it makes a great summer soundtrack.
©2009
Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media |
