This Week's Picks (#18)

For this week's picks, we're going retro! These tracks are classics that have no contemporary equal. Please enjoy!


"Independance Cha Cha" - African Jazz


This immortal track was released by African Jazz in 1960 after Congo won its independence. The track reflects the overall good feeling and happiness of a people still basking in the glow of recently won independence. African Jazz was Congo's first full-time performing rumba band setting the tone for the Congolese rumba phenomenon that would take over a continent for the next three decades.


"Enta Omri" - Umm Kulthum

Recognized as one of the Arab world's most famous singers to this day, Umm Kulthum is undoubtedly a classic.Kulthum is an Egyptian singer and actress who was known for her powerful, emotional voice. She could send an entire audience into a musical ecstasy and keep them hanging on every note. This track is one of her most famous songs.



"Rag Charukeshi" - Ravi Shankar 


You cannot speak of "World Music Greats" without mentioning Ravi Shankar. Shankar is famous for bringing the sounds of India to America and for his involvement with The Beatles and George Harrison. He is considered to be the best sitar performer of the 20th century.

Nomad's Calendar: This Weekend

Be sure not to miss some of these great shows this weekend!

• *October 22nd, Friday 7:00pm: Llego La Cumbia!: Pollito Boogaloo @ SOAS Brunei Gallery ( Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square WC1H 0XG) FREE Translating as ‘little dancing chicken’ the Pollito Boogaloo boys deliver raw Afro-Colombian roots music drawing from classic 60s Cumbia, Vallenato and Puya and mixing in a little dub and some Haitian voodoo! Fronted by charismatic Colombian vocalist Rafael Berrio they are one of Brighton’s hottest Latino outfits regularly firing up all-nighters in some of the south coast’s smokiest basements and recently played a storming London debut at Arriba La Cumbia.
  
• October 22nd, Friday 7:00pm: Diabel Cissokho and Ramon Goose @ The Green Note (106 Parkway NW1 7AN) £10 Senegalese musician Diabel Cissokho is part of a griot family of musicians with a rich musical heritage. He grew up in Dakar, and started playing the kora at the age of 9. Kora player for Baba Maal for close to three years, he has supported and played with numerous artists, including Nuru Kane, Abdou Diop, Kandia Kouyate and Mama Draba - as well as performing alongside Femi Kuti, Cheikh Lo and Manu Dibango.
• October 22nd, Friday 7:30pm: Celebration of Life @ Royal Festival Hall (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £10-20 The mighty Celebration of Life Concert returns with reggae veterans Aswad. After two decades on the music scene and fifteen albums under their belts, 'The Lions of Ladbroke Grove' remain one of the country's best-loved reggae bands, mixing musical genres, from pop and reggae to lovers rock and urban roots.
  
• *October 24th, Sunday 7:00pm: Krar Collective @ Hootananny Brixton (95 Effra Rd Brixton SW1 1DF) FREE Rootmaster in association with Movimientos presents KRAR COLLECTIVE: other-worldy Ethiopian modes and hypnotic rhythms driven by 6-stringed krar harp 

 Diabel Cissokho and Ramon Goose @ The Green Note, Friday



Aswad @ Royal Festival Hall, Friday

This Week's Picks (#17)

The human voice is one of the most amazing instruments we have available. Cultures from around the world have capitalized on its power and range of capabilities, which is the inspiration for this week's picks. Please enjoy!

"Illunikavi" by Tanya Tagaq


This is a new find for me this week. Tanya Tagaq is a Canadian Inuit throat singer. Innuit throat singing is usually sung by two women, but she has created a new form of solo singing. While her movements are quite distracting, she produces some amazing sounds that are fun to listen to.


Live Performance by Huun Huur Tu


Huun Huur Tu is from the republic of Tuva in Russia, famous for it's distinct throat singing (or overtone singing). The style requires singing several (2-4) notes at the same time, and this particular style is the sygyt, or whistling" throat singing.

Elmeddin Ibrahimov


Azeri mugam is famous for it's complicated and impressive glottal sounds performed by the singer. This musician, Elmeddin Ibrahimov may be young, but he has obvious talent. It is unfortunate that this audio and visual do not match up, but Ibrahimov's voice redeems the video.

Nomad's Calendar: This Weekend

Keep your weekend free for the great gigs coming up!

• October 15th, Friday 7:00pm: Jaljala @  The Green Note (106 Parkway NW1 7AN) £10 Arabic Rhythms, Eastern European Harmonies, Haunting Melodies, Beautiful Voices. Jaljala is an innovative collaboration between musicians of different nationalities and faiths, from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
• October 16th, Saturday 8:00pm: Amit Chaudhuri @ Rich Mix (35-47 Bethnal Green Road E1 6LA) £8-£11 Amit Chaudhuri presents his unique mix of raga, jazz, rock, blues, techno and disco – "one of the most original and exciting sounds in contemporary music today", say critics. The Amit Chaudhuri Band will be playing material both from the acclaimed first CD This Is Not Fusion and the new album, Found Music, whose repertoire, as with the first album, emerges from a rich variety of sources and includes improvisational pieces, reworkings of classics, and songs about the globalised world we live in.
• *October 17th, Sunday 7:00pm: Explosive Nzakomba @ Hootananny Brixton (95 Effra Rd Brixton SW1 1DF) FREE Rootmaster in association with Movimientos presents EXPLOSIVE NZAKOMBA: Congolese and Angolan Soukous and Zouk rumbas, Calypso and Reggae
• October 17th, Sunday 7:45pm: Music for the Mind and Soul: Carnatic Chills @ Purcell Room (Southbank Centre Belvedere Road SE1 8XX) £12 In an attempt to push the boundaries of Indian classical music a little bit further, Krishnan, Srinivasan and Purushotham come together to create a unique sound fusing three instruments rarely heard together - piano, violin and kanjira.

  Amit Chaudhuri (Saturday @ Rich Mix)



Lalgudi GJR Krishnan (Sunday @ Southbank Centre)

Wednesday's Reader Picks

This week's reader pick comes from Rafi. Please enjoy and send in your pick(s) for next week!

"Mehangai Dayan" from the movie Peepli Live


This lively track is a cheeky song about the rising of prices. The movie, Peepli Live, is a 2010 Indian comedy about "farmer suicides."


Have a great track you'd like to submit for next week? Click here for info on submitting material to Nomad's Playlist.

This Week's Picks (#16)

I hope the following week's tracks will make up for the lack of posts this week. :) Please enjoy!

"Autorail" by Orchestra Baobab


Orchestra  Baobab are a Senegalese Afro-Cuban band that formed in the seventies and epitimizes the sound of the genre. This track is from their 1993 album, Bamba, which features recordings from the 1980s. The band famously mixes Cuban rhythms with Wolof and Mandinka traditions from West Africa creating the smooth sounds you hear in the video.


"Walodhani No Mazaha (Those Who Thought it was a Joke)" by Mohamd Ilyas

Moving closer to my own research insterests, here's a piece from the spice island of Zanzibar. Mohamad Ilyas is taarab musician. Taarab is Zanzibar's biggest musical export, and is a genre of mixed styles and shows Arabic influences. While I spent time in Zanzibar studying other genres of music, it was impossible to avoid this beautiful music. It is easy to understand why so many people love taarab.


"Mast Qalandar" by Faiz Ali Faiz and Titi Robin


Pakistani qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz and French guitarist Titi Robin join forces in this album to create an inspiring fusion. This track is from the recently released album Jaadu (Magic). This track is fun and moving. The qawwali singers add an undeniable force to Titi's music and the creative sounds that come out of this partnership are simply wonderful.