This week's picks comes from Muhummad as a tribute to Teena Marie who recently passed away. Enjoy!
"Behind the Groove" - Teena Marie
Have you recently heard a great track that you would like to share? Send in your review of a track for our weekly "Reader's Picks" series. Here, we want to know what you listen to.
Please visit our Reader Submission Details Page for more information on how to submit any material to Nomad's Playlist.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
This Week's Picks (#25)
The next several series of This Week's Picks are inspired by an often overlooked important aspect of music: the visual. Music is almost always accompanied by costumes, dress, dance, makeup, and/or theatre. The visual can be as simple as a pair of shades on a blues singer or as elaborate as the grand performances of Japanese kabuki theatre.
Last week, we featured dance music. This week, our picks will focus on costume and dress. Please enjoy!
American Style Tribal Bellydance
While this could have been posted in last week's feature on dance, it fits perfectly in the costume/dress category. This is a recent form of dance, developed in California in the 1980s. It takes its inspiration from numerous dance and music styles including Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Spanish, Indian, and Balkan. The costumes aim to reflect the dance's diverse backgrounds. The dancers improvise in groups to music inspired by the same variety of cultures. They wear an elaborate collection of head-wear, jewelery and costuming representing these different cultures. The result is an entertaining and beautiful display of cultural harmony.
African Desert Blues
It is easy for a certain dress or style to become associated with a genre of music. Desert blues, for example, conjures images of light, flowing robes and howli head scarfs. While this may be the traditional Touareg style of dress, it becomes associated with the music the moment artists begin traveling and bringing their music to other cultures. Thus, groups like Tinariwen, rock out in full desert dress and a concert would not be the same without that accompanying visual.
AfroCubism
In other situations, the choice of dress may be a conscious decision. AfroCubism is a collaboration of musicians from Cuba and Mali. When seen in a live performance, like the above video, you can easily spot the Cuban musicians from the Malian musicians based on their choice of dress. In this case, the choice of dress is an reaffirmation of culture and background that highlights the collaboration between two different musical genres that are elegantly compatible.
Last week, we featured dance music. This week, our picks will focus on costume and dress. Please enjoy!
American Style Tribal Bellydance
While this could have been posted in last week's feature on dance, it fits perfectly in the costume/dress category. This is a recent form of dance, developed in California in the 1980s. It takes its inspiration from numerous dance and music styles including Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Spanish, Indian, and Balkan. The costumes aim to reflect the dance's diverse backgrounds. The dancers improvise in groups to music inspired by the same variety of cultures. They wear an elaborate collection of head-wear, jewelery and costuming representing these different cultures. The result is an entertaining and beautiful display of cultural harmony.
African Desert Blues
It is easy for a certain dress or style to become associated with a genre of music. Desert blues, for example, conjures images of light, flowing robes and howli head scarfs. While this may be the traditional Touareg style of dress, it becomes associated with the music the moment artists begin traveling and bringing their music to other cultures. Thus, groups like Tinariwen, rock out in full desert dress and a concert would not be the same without that accompanying visual.
AfroCubism
In other situations, the choice of dress may be a conscious decision. AfroCubism is a collaboration of musicians from Cuba and Mali. When seen in a live performance, like the above video, you can easily spot the Cuban musicians from the Malian musicians based on their choice of dress. In this case, the choice of dress is an reaffirmation of culture and background that highlights the collaboration between two different musical genres that are elegantly compatible.
Friday 24 December 2010
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Wednesday's Reader Picks
This week's suggestion comes from an anonymous reader. Please enjoy!
"Khalouni" - Souad Massi
Souad Massi is an Algerian singer/songwriter. This track is from her 2005 album, Mesk Elil.
Have you recently heard a great track that you would like to share? Send in your review of a track for our weekly "Reader's Picks" series. Here, we want to know what you listen to.
Please visit our Reader Submission Details Page for more information on how to submit any material to Nomad's Playlist.
"Khalouni" - Souad Massi
Souad Massi is an Algerian singer/songwriter. This track is from her 2005 album, Mesk Elil.
Have you recently heard a great track that you would like to share? Send in your review of a track for our weekly "Reader's Picks" series. Here, we want to know what you listen to.
Please visit our Reader Submission Details Page for more information on how to submit any material to Nomad's Playlist.
Monday 20 December 2010
This Week's Picks (#24)
The next several series of This Week's Picks are inspired by an often overlooked important aspect of music: the visual. Music is almost always accompanied by costumes, dress, dance, makeup, and/or theatre. The visual can be as simple as a pair of shades on a blues singer or as elaborate as the grand performances of Japanese kabuki theatre.
Last week, we featured theatrical music. This week, our picks will focus on dance from around the world. Please enjoy!
Spanish Flamenco
I cannot help but start with one of my favorite dances. This is not only my some of my favorite music to listen to, but my favorite to watch in action. Flamenco is thought of as three separate parts- the song, the dance and the guitar. When they come together, you experience raw emotion in both the visual and aural senses. Originating in Southern Spain, it has become a cultural symbol of the entire country. The dance is known for it's emotional intensity, power of expression and proud stature.
Lezginka from the Caucasus
Having seen the Azerbaijani version of this dance last year, I have been enthralled ever since. This video is of the men's dance which is far more energetic and, frankly, more entertaining than the female counterpoint. The men spin, twirl and jump in athletic displays that are fun to watch. The women dance gracefully in elaborate costumes, appearing to float across the floor.
South African Gum Boot Dance
This dance is different in that the musical accompaniment comes from the dance itself. It is a dance performed by dancers wearing gum boots who rhythmically stomp, clap, and slap. The dance was created by gold mine workers in South Africa who were banned from speaking to each other. The dance was not only a means of communication, but a way to keep their spirits alive during the terrible years of the apartheid. It has since evolved into an art form.
Please keep in mind that there are many, many dances and I can only feature a choice few in my series. If I've missed something that you enjoy, please leave a comment below with links to any videos you can find for everyone to enjoy!
Last week, we featured theatrical music. This week, our picks will focus on dance from around the world. Please enjoy!
Spanish Flamenco
I cannot help but start with one of my favorite dances. This is not only my some of my favorite music to listen to, but my favorite to watch in action. Flamenco is thought of as three separate parts- the song, the dance and the guitar. When they come together, you experience raw emotion in both the visual and aural senses. Originating in Southern Spain, it has become a cultural symbol of the entire country. The dance is known for it's emotional intensity, power of expression and proud stature.
Lezginka from the Caucasus
Having seen the Azerbaijani version of this dance last year, I have been enthralled ever since. This video is of the men's dance which is far more energetic and, frankly, more entertaining than the female counterpoint. The men spin, twirl and jump in athletic displays that are fun to watch. The women dance gracefully in elaborate costumes, appearing to float across the floor.
South African Gum Boot Dance
This dance is different in that the musical accompaniment comes from the dance itself. It is a dance performed by dancers wearing gum boots who rhythmically stomp, clap, and slap. The dance was created by gold mine workers in South Africa who were banned from speaking to each other. The dance was not only a means of communication, but a way to keep their spirits alive during the terrible years of the apartheid. It has since evolved into an art form.
Please keep in mind that there are many, many dances and I can only feature a choice few in my series. If I've missed something that you enjoy, please leave a comment below with links to any videos you can find for everyone to enjoy!
Sunday 19 December 2010
Remmy Ongala (1947-2010)*
Sadly, on December 13th, the African music scene lost one of it's greats, Remmy Ongala. Ongala was a respected soukous (Congolese rumba) musician, who helped transform the Tanzanian music scene with the help of his band Orchestra Super Matimila.
Ongala had a passion for speaking out about racism and social injustice. He was often referred to as "The Doctor" for his reputation as a defender of the people. Born in Congo, he began playing in Tanzania in his thirties, writing songs that criticized elite society. However, as his music gained in popularity he was eventually granted Tanzanian citizenship.
Despite growing ill in recent years, he continued to write songs as concerned with social injustice as ever. One song, banned by Radio Tanzania, that urged men to wear condoms was featured on an AIDS awareness album, Spirit of Africa (2001).
Producing music that got a listener to both dance and think, Ongala had a talent that African music lovers will sorely miss.
An essential playlist in tribute to Ongala should include:
"No Money, No Life" (Mambo)
"Kifo" (Songs for the Poor Man)
"Karola" (Songs for the Poor Man)
*Sources:
Remmy Ongala: Tanzania music fans mourn 'the Doctor', BBC News
Remmy Ongala Dies, AllVoices
Remmy Ongala, Afropop Worldwide
Ongala had a passion for speaking out about racism and social injustice. He was often referred to as "The Doctor" for his reputation as a defender of the people. Born in Congo, he began playing in Tanzania in his thirties, writing songs that criticized elite society. However, as his music gained in popularity he was eventually granted Tanzanian citizenship.
Despite growing ill in recent years, he continued to write songs as concerned with social injustice as ever. One song, banned by Radio Tanzania, that urged men to wear condoms was featured on an AIDS awareness album, Spirit of Africa (2001).
Producing music that got a listener to both dance and think, Ongala had a talent that African music lovers will sorely miss.
An essential playlist in tribute to Ongala should include:
"No Money, No Life" (Mambo)
"Kifo" (Songs for the Poor Man)
"Karola" (Songs for the Poor Man)
*Sources:
Remmy Ongala: Tanzania music fans mourn 'the Doctor', BBC News
Remmy Ongala Dies, AllVoices
Remmy Ongala, Afropop Worldwide
Wednesday 15 December 2010
Wednesday's Reader Picks
This week's pick comes from Rafi. Please enjoy!
"Rut Sawant" - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a renowned Pakistani artist. He was an exceptionally gifted musician who was best known for singing Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music that celebrates the various spiritual traditions within Islam. It may sound cliché but it is hard to describe Nusrat without getting emotional. Nusrat’s voice was truly one of a kind, his vocals bellowed an array of mystical and ethereal sounds that captured his audience.
The following excerpt is from an article written by the late Jeff Buckley. Jeff was a phenomenal musician and was a loyal fan of Nusrat. Jeff Buckley captures perfectly how it feels when listening to Nusrat for the very first time.
(Reviewed by Rafi)
The first time I heard the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was in Harlem, 1990. My roommate and I stood there, blasting it in his room. We were all awash in the thick undulating tide of dark punjabi tabla rhythyms, spiked with synchronized handclaps booming from above and below in hard, perfect time.
I heard the clarion call of harmoniums dancing the antique melody around like giant, singing wooden spiders. Then all of a sudden, the rising of one, then ten voices hovering over the tonic like a flock of geese ascending into formation across the sky.
Then came the voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Part Buddha, part demon, part mad angel...his voice is velvet fire, simply incomparable. Nusrat's blending of classical improvisations to the art of Qawwali, combined with his out and out daredevil style and his sensitivity, outs him in a category all his own, above all others in his field.
His every enunciation went straight into me. I knew not one word of Urdu, and somehow it still hooked me into the story that he weaved with his wordless voice. I remember my senses fully froze in order to feel melody after melody crash upon each other in waves of improvisation; with each line being repeated by the men in the chorus, restated again by the main soloists, and then Nusrat setting the whole bloody thing alflame with his rapid-fire scatting, turning classical Indian Solfeggio (Sa, Re, Gha, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) into a chaotic/manic birdsong. The phrase burst into a climax somewhere, with Nusrat's upper register painting a melody that made my heart long to fly. The piece went on for fifteen minutes. I ate my heart out. My roommate just looked at me knowingly, muttering, "Nusrat...Fa-teh...A-li...Khaaan," like he had just scored the wine of the century. I felt a rush of adrenaline in my chest, like I was on the edge of a cliff, wondering when I would jump and how well the ocean would catch me: two questions that would never be answered until I experienced the first leap.
Have you recently heard a great track that you would like to share? Send in your review of a track for our weekly "Reader's Picks" series. Here, we want to know what you listen to.
Please visit our Reader Submission Details Page for more information on how to submit any material to Nomad's Playlist.
Monday 13 December 2010
This Week's Picks (#23)
The next several series of This Week's Picks are inspired by an often overlooked important aspect of music: the visual. Music is almost always accompanied by costumes, dress, dance, makeup, and/or theatre. The visual can be as simple as a pair of shades on a blues singer or as elaborate as the grand performances of Japanese kabuki theatre.
This week, our picks will focus on the theatrical side of music from around the world. Please enjoy!
Japanese Kabuki
Kabuki is an elaborate Japanese performance form. The kanji characters that make up the word "kabuki" mean "sing", "dance", and "skill". It originated in the 1600s and characters were played by both women and men. Now, known as yaro kabuki it is only performed by men. There are three categories of kabuki theatre: historical, domestic, and dance. Today, kabuki is the most popular traditional Japanese dance style.
Indonesian Wayang Kulit
Wayang kulit refers to the most famous of Indonesian wayang (Indonesian theatre), the shadow puppets. The puppets are made of leather and their articulated limbs are maneuvered by sticks. The performances are accompanied by gamelan orchestras in Java and gender wayang ensembles in Bali. The stories are usually taken from Ramayana, Mahabharata or the Serat Menak.
Indian Bharata Natyam Dance
Bharata Natyam is a traditional dance accompanied by classical music (light instrumentation and a voice). The dance is highly technical and includes detailed neck, head, eye, feet and hand movements that help tell a story. The more famous of these gestures are the mudras, or spiritually symbolic gestures, generally involving the hands. Generally, a woman dances solo and demonstrates both feminine and masculine aspects of movement.
This week, our picks will focus on the theatrical side of music from around the world. Please enjoy!
Japanese Kabuki
Kabuki is an elaborate Japanese performance form. The kanji characters that make up the word "kabuki" mean "sing", "dance", and "skill". It originated in the 1600s and characters were played by both women and men. Now, known as yaro kabuki it is only performed by men. There are three categories of kabuki theatre: historical, domestic, and dance. Today, kabuki is the most popular traditional Japanese dance style.
Indonesian Wayang Kulit
Wayang kulit refers to the most famous of Indonesian wayang (Indonesian theatre), the shadow puppets. The puppets are made of leather and their articulated limbs are maneuvered by sticks. The performances are accompanied by gamelan orchestras in Java and gender wayang ensembles in Bali. The stories are usually taken from Ramayana, Mahabharata or the Serat Menak.
Indian Bharata Natyam Dance
Bharata Natyam is a traditional dance accompanied by classical music (light instrumentation and a voice). The dance is highly technical and includes detailed neck, head, eye, feet and hand movements that help tell a story. The more famous of these gestures are the mudras, or spiritually symbolic gestures, generally involving the hands. Generally, a woman dances solo and demonstrates both feminine and masculine aspects of movement.
Monday 6 December 2010
This Week's Picks (#22)
While making my way across the the American SouthWest on an epic car journey, it feels appropriate for NP to play a tribute to the slowly approaching Mexican border. Please enjoy this week's pick!
"Cumbia Campanera" - Celso Pina
Pina is a well known Mexican singer and accordionist. This track is from his 2003 album El Canto De Un Rebelde Para Un Rebelde. Pina is known for his cumbia music, though this release features many other styles in a left-leaning, politically-charged album. Cumbia is a Latin American style originating in Colombia that has found wide-spread popularity, including in Mexico.
"Cumbia Campanera" - Celso Pina
Pina is a well known Mexican singer and accordionist. This track is from his 2003 album El Canto De Un Rebelde Para Un Rebelde. Pina is known for his cumbia music, though this release features many other styles in a left-leaning, politically-charged album. Cumbia is a Latin American style originating in Colombia that has found wide-spread popularity, including in Mexico.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)