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.

This Week's Picks (#9)

This week's picks are inspired by the WOMAD festival that took place this weekend in Wiltshire. WOMAD saw a fabulous line up of musicians and artists and by playing some of the music here I'm trying to convince myself that it is not the end of the world that I was not able to attend. I don't believe it's working.

"Je T'Aime" by Staff Benda Bilili


Staff Benda Bilili is a group of Congolese street musicians whose core members were disabled by polio. The core musicians are backed by a younger line-up of ex-street kids taken under the wings of the older musicians. The main soloist is an 18 year old boy who plays on a one string lute made of a tin can. This track "Je T'Aime" is from their debut album Tres Tres Fort (2009). The group is known for their rumba rhythms that back their eclectic sound.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)


"Lamp Fall" by Cheikh Lô


Cheikh Lô is often mistaken for a Rastafarian thanks to his dreadlocks and reggae influences. He is actually a member of the Senegalese sect of Islam, Baye Fall, which plays an important role in his music. The patchwork clothes and long dreadlocks are trademarks of Baye Fall. Cheikh Lô started playing drums at an early age and dedicates his music to Baye Fall.  This is the title track from his 2005 album.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)


"Stória Stória" by Mayra Andrade


This artist may not have been one of the headliners of this festival, but she is one of the artists I really wished I had seen. Mayra Andrade is Cape Verdean, but hails from a varied background- born in Cuba, growing up in Senegal and Germany, and recording in France. This background is reflected in her music. While influenced by her exposure to the great musicians of Cape Verde, her style is a refreshing mix of all her influences. This is the title track from her 2009 album.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)


Were you lucky enough to see the WOMAD festival in Wiltshire? We would love to hear your stories and see your pictures. Please send us your experiences for a special post about WOMAD. 

This Week's Picks (#8)

Please enjoy this week's picks and don't forgot to submit your favorite tracks for our "Wednesday's Reader Picks" series! 

"Messe Messe" by Gregor Salto and Mokoomba
 
Mokoomba, the winners of the Music Crossroads InterRegional Festival (IRF) in 2008, are from Zimbabwe and proudly present the Tonga people. The name Mokoomba even stems from the respect that the Tonga have for the Zambezi river and the group sings in Tonga which is a lesser known Zimbabwean language. In this track, Mokoomba work together with the DJ Gregor Salto from Holland. Mokoomba is known for fusing indigenous Tonga instruments with more popular instruments like guitar and keyboards to make a danceable fusion as is easy to hear in this track.
(Reviewed by Alexandra) 


"Lufuala Ndonga" by Konono No1 

Staying with Africa, we move to the Congo and the track "Lufuala Ndonga" from the album Congotronics. Konono No1 has recently seen some fame due to their newest album, Assume Crash Position, but this track is a great one from their 2004 album, Congotronics. Konono No1 began in the 1980s as a group of likembe (thumb piano) players. They soon discovered that they would need amplification in order for their instruments to be heard and made their own DIY amplification. This became the essence of their sound. As you can hear in this track, their distorted amplified sound is an aesthetic that makes this group something special. 
(Reviewed by Alexandra) 


"Kokeiro" by Marksheider Kunst 

When you listen to the track you may not realize, but Marksheider Kunst hails from St. Petersburg Russia. This track is from the 2003 album Na Svyazi. Known for their their upbeat, danceable music, they were asked how a band from Russia could play such sunny music, and Marksheider responded "Exactly because we don't get enough sun, warmth and light, we have to compensate this. Drugs are not a solution in the long run - music is."1  
(Reviewed by Alexandra)