Nordic Roots Festival Report

The Nordic Roots Festival in Minneapolis is one of the great world music events of the year.
One of our long time readers, David Smith, recently attended 8th Annual Festival and sent us his report and photos.
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I have just returned from the Nordic Roots Festival in Minneapolis. This is a small, urban festival held at the Cedar Cultural Center, a small non-profit center based in an old movie theater which features music of all types during the year.

The festival features contemporary folk music from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Samiland, and other places where Nordic roots can be found. They present a nice mix of music from those countries, with attention paid to diversity in presentation...

Read David's complete report on RootsWorld

Two unique 'world music' concerts reviewed

There has long been a healthy spirit of non-conformism in Krakow, so it is no surprise to receive a visit here from musicians who refuse to compromise. Vocalist Saadet Turkoz and reedman Hans Koch certainly fall into this category, and their appearance at Club Re in Krakow, Poland on September 10th, 2006 was surely uncompromising. Turkoz' music is freely improvised, but is based on a personal interpretation of and reflection on the folk melodies her parents and their friends exposed her to when she was a child. The lullaby, the confession, the curse and the dirge all have their place. Building on this core of universal human experience, she is able to convey dramatically contrasting emotions. Philip Palmer reports from Krakow.


Carmen Consoli demurred when she was introduced as "the most successful singer and songwriter Italy has ever produced."
"I am just a little artist trying to express herself," she said. But for the past decade she has reigned as Italy's leading female rock star. A gifted lyricist and tunesmith, she has attracted a passionate and devoted following in her homeland with her woman-centric point of view and emotionally charged concerts. She is particularly popular with women, left-leaning youth and gays, but even older, straighter and more mainstream audiences love the self-described "bambina impertinente." At a recent concert at Joe's Pub in NYC and on her new recording, Eva Contro Eva, she is changing course towards a more roots-oriented music, still powerful and still uniquely her own. George De Stefano checked in on the "piccola cantatessa" while she was in New York.

Read the full reports in RootsWorld

The dark future of "world music?"

This press release was sent to us today.
It is offered with no additional comments: feel free to make your own!
cliff

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Dear Editor:

Imagine hearing Jay-Z, on his upcoming world tour rapping in each country's native dialect! Voxonic, Inc. a New York based technology firm has developed proprietary software, which allows our voices to be seamlessly converted into foreign languages.

Through the use of a 10-minute sample of our voice, Voxonic's technology can replicate a specific voice in any language. Voxonic breaks our voices into "phonemes" that compose our voice, and hires an actor who is fluent in the desired language to record a lyric or speech (the actor does not have to mimic the original speaker in order for a successful conversion). The Voxonic technology aligns the two voice patterns, resulting in a 99 percent level of accuracy in the original speaker's voice.

Voxonic offers tremendous benefits to the entertainment industry. Imagine how much easier it will be for American entertainers to have the opportunity to reach out to their foreign demographic. With the record industries sales at an all-time low, the diminishment of language barriers makes marketing and entertainment opportunities endless. Some of those various opportunities include the following:

* Radio promotional opportunities for entertainers to make voice-drops in any language.
* Music artists being able to create concert introductions in any dialect.
* Record labels having the opportunity to make limited-edition albums and singles in a wide-range of languages.

Voxonic, Inc., which has additional involvement from world respected music industry pioneers such as entertainment executive Andre Harrell, and accomplished music producer Eddie F., is redefining music culture. "This technology will allow record companies to expand their artist's marketability globally," said Arie Deutsch, President of Entertainment for Voxonic Inc. "Think of how powerful it would be for Russian teens to hear Eminem rap in their native language".


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Like I said: no comment from me is needed, I think.
Please offer your own, though!
cliff

Kepa Junkera paints his vision of the world

Globalista Basque accordionist Kepa Junkera explores a series of audio-impressions of cities around the world that he has visited in his latest world music tour de force, "Hiri".

Guests include Patrick Vaillant and Melonious Quartet, Mercedes Peon, Ibon Koteron, Enzo Avitibile, Andy Narell, Bulgarka, Glen Velez, Eliseo Parra, Gilles Chabenat, Xose Manuel Budino, Tactequete and dozens of other musicians from around the world.

Release date is October 1.

Belize celebrates 25 years of (musical) independence

The nation of Belize is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year with art exhibits, international guests, parties and celebrations around the country.

I thought you might like to look back on some of RootsWorld's reviews and articles about the music of Belize, to virtully join in the celebration.

An overview of Garifuna Music

Pen Cayetano and the Original Turtle Shell Band

Aurelio Martinez

Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up

Lebeha Boys Garifuna Youth Band

Leroy Young "The Grandmaster"

From Bakabush: The First Ten Years of Stonetree

There's lots more, too... just use the search box on the web site to find a lot more music.

Happy Birthday, Belize

Conquering the Silence - Live in Ramallah

“In a situation of oppression, where silence is utter complicity, art cannot be but a form of resistance, rehabilitation, and progressive transformation.”

I am not sure what the internet availibility of this September 17th program will be, but it looks like it could be a unique international event, and it certainly includes a cast of important artists. I hope to have more information soon. For the moment, I pass on this information I just received from members of the ensemble El-Funoun - CF

Conquering the Silence
For freedom, justice and peace in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq
An international manifestation of cultural resistance, featuring live music, poetry, theater, film and dance, transmitted via satellite links between Ramallah, Beirut, Cairo, London, Paris, Dubai and New York.

Presented by:
Marcel Khalife (Lebanon), Mai Masri (Palestine), Khalid M. Ali (Iraq), Breyten Breytenbach (South Africa), John Williams (UK), Amin Haddad (Egypt), Khalid Jubran (Palestine), Roger Assaf (Lebanon), El-Funoun Dance (Palestine), Kamilia Jubran (Palestine), Yussof Abu Wardah (Palestine), Ali Amr and Nai Barghouti (Palestine).

Sunday, September 17
8:00 pm at Ramallah Cultural Palace

The entire event will be broadcast live on Al-Jazeera Direct

Posted by Popular Art Centre, Al-Urmawi Center for Mashriq Music and El-Funoun Dance Troupe

Flexibility, artistic freedom and innovation - L Subramaniam

• Flexibility, artistic freedom and innovation are crucial for the survival of traditional music. Only then can it reach the masses— Dr L. Subramaniam



For violin virtuoso, Dr L Subramaniam, music has always been a bundle of contradictions. So, inspite of being a stickler for tradition, he constantly innovates to improve techniques.

The master of Indian violin talks with the Mumbai Mirror about his latest work, Sangeet Sangam.

Baghdad to New Mexico: the journey of world musician Rahim Al Haj

Music is like a clock, it moves around in a circle, declares Rahim Al Haj, an innovative musician whose own life has been formed by cycles of music. He has travelled in his person and in his music from his homeland of Iraq into exile and then back home again as a true messenger of hope. A Baghdad native and a serious student of the classical and folk music of his native Iraq, he was imprisoned twice by the regime of Saddam Hussein, in part for refusing to compose musical tributes to that regime's military adventures during the 1980s. His life came under threat by the Saddam regime at the time of the First Gulf War. Rahim eventually made his way to New Mexico in 2000, adjusting to a very different culture, and re-establishing himself musicically. His work is marked by a thematic dedication to principles of peace and reconciliation in the form of wordless musical "poems" and by formal innovation on the ancient styles of the Iraqi maqam. Bill Nevins talks with this composer and musician of true world music in RootsWorld.

Read More

Exploring Turkish-Sephardic roots with Janet and Jak Esim

The existence of a Jewish community is maybe not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Turkey, but in fact Jewish populations were present in Anatolia way before the arrival of the Turkish populations from the East... The Jewish community in Istanbul still has deep roots and is well represented in all fields, from cultural activities to finance and industry... Since the late 80s, Janet and Jak Esim have intensively researched and represented Turkish Jewish traditions - especially Sefardi but also Askenazi - with their own complex story of differences and similarities. Their long-term commitment has produced half a dozen recordings. Francesco Martinelli explores the history of the music and the evolution of The Janet and Jak Esim Ensemble.

Read more

Marcel Khalife's plea for peace

Marcel Khalife held a press conference at the UNESCO International Headquarters in Paris on August 3 and delivered a plea to his fellow artists around the world to take a stand on the Israeli war into Lebanon.

You can read the complete text of his message in this PDF file

Moacir Santos dies at 80

Moacir Santos, the Pernambuco-born Brazilian musical legend who influenced 2 generations of artists in his native country and beyond died last week at the age of 80.

He was recently enjoying a renewed interst in his work via a compliation of new recordings of his compositions by younger and better-known Brazilian musicians, including Milton Nascimento and Gilberto Gil titled "Ouro Negro'' and a reqworking of his classics by Mário Adnet (guitar) and Zé Nogueira called "Choros & Alegria."

Enzo Avitabile returns from the 'sacred south'

Enzo Avitabile
Sacro Sud (Folkclub Ethnosuoni)

The Neopolitan reed player returns in 2006 with a powerful new recording of sacred songs from sourthern Italy, performed in sparse, all acoustic settings that evoke wonder and passion. The ensemble is stellar and includes Luigi Lai: Launeddas; Maurizio Martinotti: Ghironda; Mario De Rosa: Mandoloncello; Giancarlo Abbatiello: Chitarra Napoletana; Carlo Avitabile: Tamburi and two vocal ensembles: Cantori Del Miserere Di Sessa and Polifonica Alphonsiana.

Listen:

Maronna nera

Figliule ca 'nce jate a la Maronne

Rosario della Madonna delle Grazie

Devozioni dialettali

More info

Etnika: Maltese music, new world music

The international radio program The World ran an interesting interview with Maltese musician Andrew Alamango, of the ensemble Etnika. He talks about the music, the making of the intstruments, etc, and it includes some muisic form their 1999 CD Zifna

Listen to the program from The World

Read the RootsWorld review of Zifna, and an earlier interview with members of the ensemble
The CD is available from cdRoots

Belgium's Think of One: running in Trafico

Loose in attitude but capable of creating some very tight boundary-crossing music, Belgium's Think of One combine slippery Roma style horns with Brazilian percussion and vocals, a sonic sense as open-minded as that of Manu Chao or Lo Jo and a willingness to borrow a groove from anywhere that strikes their fancy. While they first made a name beyond their home base of Antwerp with music that blended their brash, bouncy brass with Moroccan sounds, Trafico takes a predominantly Brazilian feel and runs gleefully with it...

Full review coming soon in RootsWorld
If you subscribed to RootsWorld,a you would already have this and dozens of other reviews and articles (and a free CD)!

Alan Stivell: electronic backbeats and rolling, directionless melodies...

Veteran Breton harpist Alan Stivell can't seem to decide if he wants to dabble in hip-hop or waft away in the New Age aether on Explore. Melody lines are sketchily defined, then abandoned altogether. The innovative harping for which he's known is almost an afterthought here, as all is abandoned in service to the groove. He does do a bit of aimless solo harp wandering on the title track, but it's nothing for the memory books. While there's a lot of colorful experimenting with timbres and textures, the songs are not strong enough to stand up to the tonal onslaught...

Read the complete review in RootsWorld

Classic Congolese back on CD

A lot of classic Congolese music is back on CD this month. These inportant Sonodisc recordings come and go on the market, so it's great to see so many being reissued at the same time.

Tabu Ley Rochereau And Afrisa International - Kaful Mayay 1973
Not only neo-traditional 'Kaful Mayay' but also gorgeous 'Nzale,' hypnotic 'Aon-Aon' and 5 other tracks from the early 70s, including two making their first appearance on CD.

Grand Kalle et l'African Jazz - Merveilles du Passe
So good it took three CDs to capture it all! Grand Kallé, Dr. Nico, Dechaud, Mujos, Vicky Longomba, Rochereau, (briefly) Manu Dibango: the first great modern Congolese band at its peak. Marvelous indeed and truly essential.

More titles now available: (see more info on the whole series here)

Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Merveilles Du Passé, Vol. 2 (1961-1962)
Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Succes Des Années 50/60, Vol. 1
Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Succes Des Années 50/60, Vol. 2
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 1
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 3
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 2
African Fiesta - Nico, Kwamy, Rochereau & L'african Fiesta
African Fiesta - Makila Eyina Nzoto
Tabu Ley Rochereau - Le Seigneur Rochereau
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - À L'olympia
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - L'afrisa International
Rochereau & Franco - Lisanga Ya Banganga (2 CDs)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - Rochereau, Sam Mangwana & L'African Fiesta National
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Tete Nakozonga
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Sacramento
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Rochereau & L'african Fiesta National, Vol. 1 (1964-1966)
Tabu Ley Rochereau And Afrisa International - Kaful Mayay 1973-75
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Rochereau & L'african Fiesta National, Vol. 2 (1966-1969)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - 1968/1969
Tabu Ley Rochereau - 1971/1972/1973
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Sorozo

These CDs are all available via cdRoots

RIP: Micheal O Domhnaill, guitarist and founding member of the Bothy Band

Micheal Ó Domhnaill, guitarist and founding member of the Bothy Band died July 8 at the age of 54.

As a member of the legendary 1970s group The Bothy Band, O Domhnaill, along with his sister, Triona, introduced audiences to a contemporary instrumental form of Irish music and modern interpretations of Gaelic song. The family grew up in Kells, County Meath, but spent their summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht, where they first heard the music that would make the band reality

Micheal, Triona and sister Maighread formed their first group, Skara Brae, with guitarist Daithi Sproule, in 1970. Micheal and Maighread joined Triona in what would become the The Bothy Band in the mid-1970s.

You can read a fuller obit in The Herald and on the unofficial Nightnoise web site

World Music, World Cup (1973)

I just stumbled on this marvelous video featuring Loko Massengo (now of the rumba supergroup Kekele), in a 1973 TV broadcast by the ensemble Madjesi.

Note the soccer outfits on stage (and the soccer playing that goes on during the instrumental breaks in this 8 minute song.)

See it here

World music hypoxia

Various Artists: Chill Out World: The Highlands Edition

This compilation bears so little resemblance to actual world music, you would honestly get a more international musical experience by phoning a series of embassies and being put on hold. Each track is like flying to a different far off land, and never making it past the duty free shop. Everything has been sanitized and pre-packaged for your consumption. Except I'm using "consumption" in the tuberculosis sense. One can only assume that the producers spent so much time in the highlands, that hypoxia has damaged their brains. - Louis 'please hold for an operator' Gibson

Elena Ledda: singer at the ancient crossroads of Sardina

Elena Ledda, trained at the Cagliari conservatory, has scoured Sardinia to assimilate its various folk styles and genres, gaining national stature as the music's foremost interpreter and proponent. Amargura, her eighth release, reveals Ledda at the apex of her melismatic powers, singing in Sardo and bringing the music of this ancient cultural crossroads brilliantly, poignantly alive. Her matchless voice is framed by a host of unusual and compelling work by some of Italy's foremost folk artists...
Read the complete review