DECHEN
SHAK-DAGSAY: DEWA CHE - UNIVERSAL HEALING POWER OF
TIBETAN MANTRAS (New Earth Records)
buy CD/hear samples
"Dewa
Che" means "the great peace," and that's
what Tibetan singer Dechen Sahk-Dagsay hopes to spread
through this
album of mantras. She says: "I have sung these mantras
with the sincere wish that they may accompany all the people
who
listen
to it on their path for inner peace. May they also be especially
helpful to all the sick people and motivate them to activate
their own powers of self-healing."
SERGE
GAINSBOURG: LOVE AND THE BEAT VOLS. 1 AND 2 (Sunnyside)
buy CD/hear samples
It
may be more French pop than world music, but who can
complain about such trivialities when icon Serge Gainsbourg
is at the mic? Vol. 1 is something of a "Best Of Serge
Gainsbourg," while Vol. 2 includes everything from early
jazz pieces to collaborations with dub artists Sly and
Robbie.
TIEMPO
LIBRE: ARROZ CON MANGO (Shanachie)
buy CD/hear samples
Caliente!
Hot, hot timba from new group Tiempro Libre. Who knew that
musicians under Castro would have the free time to create
such buoyant, vibrant dance music?
AHMED
MUKHTAR: THE ROAD TO BAGHDAD-NEW MAQAMS FROM IRAQ (ARC)
buy CD/hear samples
This
album by Ahmed
Mukhtar is full of wonderful, sparse songs often, not
surprisingly, about war. "After the
War," "Dance of War," and "Motherly" concern
the effects of war, while other songs talk of Iraq's rich
history
and geography.
ANTIBALAS: GOVENMENT
MAGIC (Afrosound)
band site
Though
more instrumental and less blistering than their previous
album, Who Is This America?, this new EP is rich with
smouldering polyrhythmic Afrobeat grooves. In truth, the
other four songs are great, but they feel like padding
for the 10-minute title track, which cuts loos with a horn
barrage and subtle yet clear lyrical diatribe against government
waste and lies: "Him make a monster from the sand / Make
you see what is not there... / Keep you in his magic trance
/ Make you jump and shake with fear." Better that you jump
and shake to this irresistible music, a great soundtrack
for questioning authority.
JOANNE
GRIFFITH: YOYE (YES)
artist site : buy CD/hear samples
Born
in Montreal to West Indian parents, Joanne Griffith brings
a multicultural perspective to her music. Incorporating
African-American, Caribbean, and African styles - and French
and English lyrics - she moves seamlessly through melodic
tunes that highlight her soft, clear voice. On the gentler
side of the world music continuum, Joanne Griffith's music
will have particular appeal for fans of Izaline Calister,
Maria de Barros, Lhasa, and the like.
CAPRICER
MED OD: DEL 5. 1987-1990 (BIS Records)
artist site : buy CD/hear samples
Capricer
Med Orphei Drängar is a Swedish men's chorus, and
they're not afraid of non-traditional material. Recorded
at various shows between 1987 and 1990, this live CD ranges
from show tunes to Mozart, doo-wop to rap (to be honest,
"Yuppie-Rap" isn't the strongest track). Some of the storytelling
and humor are lost on non-Swedish speakers, but who could
be unmoved by their versions of Edith Piaf's "La Vie En
Rose" or "Teach Me Tiger"?
SWING
AROUND THE WORLD (Putumayo)
label
site : buy
CD/hear samples
Got
a broad view of what constitutes "swing"? Then you'll love
this new Putumayo compilation, which bundles up a variety
of upbeat string-led tracks from around the world. The
album starts with the jump-blues sound of The Cool Crooners
of Bulaway (Zimbabwe), then runs through tracks from Mauritius,
Italy, France, and tunes of several flavors from the USA,
including Seattle-based Children of the Revolution. Don't
know if Oscar Peterson and Hawaii's Ka'au Crater Boys are
really swing as in the noun, but they sure do the verb!
MARTIRES
DEL COMPAS: NO PAPELES / NO PAPERS (World
Village)
buy CD/hear samples
Martires
del Compas has pushed the boundaries of traditional flamenco
for a decade, with their gritty version of flamenco rock.
"For me, 'flamenco billy' is a description of the Martires
sound," says singer and lyricist Chico Ocaña.
"It describes flamenco that's on the border.... We come
from Andalucia, where all that matters is that you respect
the music and play it well.... So when we mix our music
with blues or rock or something African, it's still coming
from a base of flamenco. It's always flamenco first."
CADY
FINLAYSON: HARP AND SHAMROCK (self-released)
artist site : buy CD/hear samples
The
new CD from New York-based Irish fiddler Finlayson, who
plays live on Spin the Globe 5 August 2005. Traditional
music, though Finlayson comments on how "tradition" means
different things to different people, and her version incorporates
the music of Ireland, American folk tunes, and world music
percussion.
TOTO
BONA LOKUA: TOTO BONA LOKUA (Universal
France / Sunnyside)
buy CD/hear samples
The
artists of the title are Gerard Toto (France/Caribbean),
Richard Bona (Cameroon), and Lokua Kanza (Congo). The notes
suggest that the project was initially a capella, but with
an outstanding guitar/bass player like Bona in the mix,
it's not surprising that instruments crept into the final
mix. The result is rich vocal-led songs, full
of harmony and sweetness, even if (due to the lack of printed
lyrics)
you have no idea what they're singing about.
all
reviews ©2005
Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media |
