This week's pick comes as a suggestion from the reader Rafi. Enjoy!
"Quelqu'un m'a dit" by Carla Bruni
Bruni is an Italian-born French singer. She is also married to the president of France, Sarkozy and is the first lady of France.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Monday, 23 August 2010
This Week's Picks (#12)
Please enjoy this week's picks in which we share with you our favorite tracks for the week.
"Naftule attitude 2 (Naftaley's freylekh)" by Yom
This track is from 2008 album, The New King of Klezmer Clarinet. It certainly takes no stretch of the imagination to see why Yom has been dubbed the king of American Klezmer. At the risk of offending all my clarinet friends, I admit that I'm not a fan of classical clarinet, but throw it into the mix in some Mediterranean music, and I am loving it. This piece may be on the short side, but it is about all you can take before you explode from clarinet awesomeness.
"Do Not Love Too Long" by The Abramson Singers
Now here is something you don't hear too often, Canadian folk. The Abramson Singers, from Toronto, formed after Leah Abramson, singer/songwriter, had to stop playing the guitar due to tendentious. Rather than give up music, she wrote a cappella and thus the Abramson Singers were formed. The Abramson Singers are able to beautifully weave vocal melodies together is a mix of folk and indie.
"Red Wine" by Bibi Tanga and The Selenites
Bibi Tanga grew up in Paris as an immigrant from the Central African Republic. Tanga takes his influences from jazz, afro-beat, and funk. Sporting a distinct retro-chic look, Tanga and The Selenites mix this influences together and are able to produce a sound that remains cool and has got just the right groove.
"Naftule attitude 2 (Naftaley's freylekh)" by Yom
This track is from 2008 album, The New King of Klezmer Clarinet. It certainly takes no stretch of the imagination to see why Yom has been dubbed the king of American Klezmer. At the risk of offending all my clarinet friends, I admit that I'm not a fan of classical clarinet, but throw it into the mix in some Mediterranean music, and I am loving it. This piece may be on the short side, but it is about all you can take before you explode from clarinet awesomeness.
"Do Not Love Too Long" by The Abramson Singers
Now here is something you don't hear too often, Canadian folk. The Abramson Singers, from Toronto, formed after Leah Abramson, singer/songwriter, had to stop playing the guitar due to tendentious. Rather than give up music, she wrote a cappella and thus the Abramson Singers were formed. The Abramson Singers are able to beautifully weave vocal melodies together is a mix of folk and indie.
"Red Wine" by Bibi Tanga and The Selenites
Bibi Tanga grew up in Paris as an immigrant from the Central African Republic. Tanga takes his influences from jazz, afro-beat, and funk. Sporting a distinct retro-chic look, Tanga and The Selenites mix this influences together and are able to produce a sound that remains cool and has got just the right groove.
Monday, 9 August 2010
This Week's Picks (#10)
I've had two weeks since the last post and have found some amazing music that I couldn't wait to share. Please enjoy some of my recent obsessions-- this week's picks!
"Storm" by Yoshida Brothers
This has become my obsession for the past few days- rock shamisen. It just doesn't get any cooler than that. The Yoshida Brothers (Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida) are from Japan and both picked up the shamisen, the tradition Japanese lute, before they were five. They released their first album in 1999 and have become a shamisen sensation since then. This track is from their 2003 album, Yoshida Brothers.
"N'Diale" by Jacky Molard Quartet and Foune Diarra Trio
This is a live performance of the the title track from the recent 2010 release of the album N'Diale. Jacky Molard hails from Brenton and has a reputation for his collaborations after working with musicians from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romanian and Kurdistan. In this, his most recent collaboration, he joined forces with Foune Diarra a singer from Mali. Mixing Celtic sounds with Bambara songs may be a surprising choice, but its true that the two traditions work well together.
"Jolie Coquine" by Caravan Palace
This six person group can best be described as electro gypsy jazz. The group started as many do, a few musicians getting together to jam, but what really launched Caravan Palace's career was a request to create a soundtrack to silent porn films from the early 1900s. After that, they found their own sound, a combination of drum and bass, swing, and the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, and I'm glad they did. I love this sound and again, this has become a bit of an obsession for me. Anyone want to listen to it again?
(Reviews by Alexandra)
"Storm" by Yoshida Brothers
This has become my obsession for the past few days- rock shamisen. It just doesn't get any cooler than that. The Yoshida Brothers (Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida) are from Japan and both picked up the shamisen, the tradition Japanese lute, before they were five. They released their first album in 1999 and have become a shamisen sensation since then. This track is from their 2003 album, Yoshida Brothers.
"N'Diale" by Jacky Molard Quartet and Foune Diarra Trio
This is a live performance of the the title track from the recent 2010 release of the album N'Diale. Jacky Molard hails from Brenton and has a reputation for his collaborations after working with musicians from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romanian and Kurdistan. In this, his most recent collaboration, he joined forces with Foune Diarra a singer from Mali. Mixing Celtic sounds with Bambara songs may be a surprising choice, but its true that the two traditions work well together.
"Jolie Coquine" by Caravan Palace
This six person group can best be described as electro gypsy jazz. The group started as many do, a few musicians getting together to jam, but what really launched Caravan Palace's career was a request to create a soundtrack to silent porn films from the early 1900s. After that, they found their own sound, a combination of drum and bass, swing, and the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, and I'm glad they did. I love this sound and again, this has become a bit of an obsession for me. Anyone want to listen to it again?
(Reviews by Alexandra)
Monday, 31 May 2010
This Week's Picks (#3)
Please enjoy this week's picks and don't forget to check out the constantly updating Map feature!
"Au Grand Jamais" by Bensé
This track is from Bensé's self-titled album, released in 2009. He is a celebrated French artist who has the tendency to walk away from the beaten path of his contemporaries who believe music should be all too serious and profound. With "Au Grand Jamais," Bensé delivers a melodic, delightful and unashamedly light hearted tune that brings a smile to your face. The lyrics are sweet and befit the mood Bensé successfully creates—a happy-go-lucky environment without a care in the world.
(Reviewed by Rafi)
"Kabhi Kabhie" by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh
This duet is the title track from the 1976 movie "Kabhi Kabhie" (Love is Life). The movie is a love story that spans two generations. It tells a story of a poet and his love that cannot be. The song echos the themes of the storyline in that it speaks to lost loves, repentance, and forgiveness. In its purest form, the lyrics could be best described as poetry. The words were written for the single purpose of captivating the audience's hearts and minds to the main protagonists of the film. The basuri and drums typify the beauty and gentleness of Bollywood music in that era. The song is rounded up by Lata's distinct voice that adds a touch of majesty and gravitas to the slow rhythmic beat of the song.
(Reviewed by Rafi)
"Sabu Yerkoy" by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabate
This track is from the recently released and long awaited album, Ali and Toumani. It was the last album this Malian duo recorded before Ali Farka Touré passed away. Ali Farka Touré is a world renown blues guitarist/singer and Toumani Diabate is an equally well-known musician and kora player. This duo successfully blends their sounds into a soothing and beautifully interlocking tune. The soft vocals and engaging, yet subtle, rhythms draw the listener deeper into the song. Closing your eyes, it is easy to imagine yourself transported to steaming, sunny day in Mali.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"Au Grand Jamais" by Bensé
This track is from Bensé's self-titled album, released in 2009. He is a celebrated French artist who has the tendency to walk away from the beaten path of his contemporaries who believe music should be all too serious and profound. With "Au Grand Jamais," Bensé delivers a melodic, delightful and unashamedly light hearted tune that brings a smile to your face. The lyrics are sweet and befit the mood Bensé successfully creates—a happy-go-lucky environment without a care in the world.
(Reviewed by Rafi)
"Kabhi Kabhie" by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh
This duet is the title track from the 1976 movie "Kabhi Kabhie" (Love is Life). The movie is a love story that spans two generations. It tells a story of a poet and his love that cannot be. The song echos the themes of the storyline in that it speaks to lost loves, repentance, and forgiveness. In its purest form, the lyrics could be best described as poetry. The words were written for the single purpose of captivating the audience's hearts and minds to the main protagonists of the film. The basuri and drums typify the beauty and gentleness of Bollywood music in that era. The song is rounded up by Lata's distinct voice that adds a touch of majesty and gravitas to the slow rhythmic beat of the song.
(Reviewed by Rafi)
"Sabu Yerkoy" by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabate
This track is from the recently released and long awaited album, Ali and Toumani. It was the last album this Malian duo recorded before Ali Farka Touré passed away. Ali Farka Touré is a world renown blues guitarist/singer and Toumani Diabate is an equally well-known musician and kora player. This duo successfully blends their sounds into a soothing and beautifully interlocking tune. The soft vocals and engaging, yet subtle, rhythms draw the listener deeper into the song. Closing your eyes, it is easy to imagine yourself transported to steaming, sunny day in Mali.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
Monday, 24 May 2010
This Week's Picks (#2)
London's heat wave has inspired some hot tunes for this week's picks. There is nothing better to get you in the summer mood than some spicy Latin grooves. Get your margaritas and mojitos ready and let's dance.
"Pura Salsa" by King Bongo
Salsa is the name given to a genre of music created by Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in New York in the 1960s and 70s. It's stylistically Cuban in origin, but has since been mixed with genres including R&B, rock, pop, and jazz to create what is recognized as "the essential pulse of Latin music." A more recent recording, this track by King Bongo is a prime example of the salsa style so closely identified with the salsa style of dancing.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"London Samba" by Joyce
Cooling down a bit, this tune is a beautiful jazzy samba by the Brazilian artist Joyce. Written after a trip to England, this track features her smooth voice in harmony with the trombone. The samba pulse keeps this tune from getting too chill. Joyce started recording in the late sixties, and though some of her tracks can be a bit on the cheesy side, sometimes a cheesy samba groove is just what you need to relax to on a summer day.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"La Burrita" by Cumbia Ya!
(embedding is disabled upon request: Please visit YouTube to enjoy)
Based in France, Cumbia Ya! are a group that mix French, Argentinean, and Colombia cultures to revive the 1950s Colombian cumbia style. While they do compose some original tracks, this tune "La Burrita" is a cumbian classic. A strong, solid horn section and an undeniable energy, this group is able to breathe new life into a classic style.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"Pura Salsa" by King Bongo
Salsa is the name given to a genre of music created by Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants in New York in the 1960s and 70s. It's stylistically Cuban in origin, but has since been mixed with genres including R&B, rock, pop, and jazz to create what is recognized as "the essential pulse of Latin music." A more recent recording, this track by King Bongo is a prime example of the salsa style so closely identified with the salsa style of dancing.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"London Samba" by Joyce
Cooling down a bit, this tune is a beautiful jazzy samba by the Brazilian artist Joyce. Written after a trip to England, this track features her smooth voice in harmony with the trombone. The samba pulse keeps this tune from getting too chill. Joyce started recording in the late sixties, and though some of her tracks can be a bit on the cheesy side, sometimes a cheesy samba groove is just what you need to relax to on a summer day.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
"La Burrita" by Cumbia Ya!
(embedding is disabled upon request: Please visit YouTube to enjoy)
Based in France, Cumbia Ya! are a group that mix French, Argentinean, and Colombia cultures to revive the 1950s Colombian cumbia style. While they do compose some original tracks, this tune "La Burrita" is a cumbian classic. A strong, solid horn section and an undeniable energy, this group is able to breathe new life into a classic style.
(Reviewed by Alexandra)
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