Monday, April 30, 2007

Saturday, April 28, 2007

gospel : blues




Sweet Honey in the Rock - Precious Memories (for Sister Rosetta Tharpe)







* Photo by Rudy Grahn, Jr.

bandung


SambaSunda reinvents the gamelan - and more. This track (also called SambaSunda) really grabbed me. (And yes, they do like Brazilian music...)







* Photo by egypety

Thursday, April 26, 2007

salsa pysanky


Chris Washburne & The SYOTOS Band put a Nuyorican spin on a Ukrainian folk song. The title: Oi Ne Khody Hrytsin Tai na Vechornytsi








* Pysanky by Sofia Zielyk

ladino


Yasmin Levy - Noches, Noches







(More music here)

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

clay








The Karnataka College of Percussion - Ghatam Quartet







* More on South Indian percussion here

Sunday, April 22, 2007

dabke



Syrian vocalist Omar Souleyman's hyperkinetic dance tracks are underground hits in the US. Arabic Dabke shows why.





Saturday, April 21, 2007

oaxaca




Lila Downs - La Cumbia del Mole





Friday, April 20, 2007

Thursday, April 19, 2007

brukdown



From Belize, Mr. Peters Boom and Chime - Run Mr. Peters, Run







* More on Mr Peters here

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

blue nile






Sudanese crooner Abdel Aziz el Mubarak, performing an Ethiopian song, Na-Nu Na-Nu, "in solidarity with the African people."







* Photo by Themba Lewis

Monday, April 16, 2007

rabeca


Brazilian music holds constant surprises for me - Mestre Salustiano's robust rabeca playing is one of them. Here's his hell-for-leather interpretation of a Toada da Cavalo Marinho







* More info. here

Sunday, April 15, 2007

bambas



Samba greats Paulinho da Viola and Elton Medeiros in an impromptu performance. (The percussion instrument - a wooden matchbox.)





Saturday, April 14, 2007

lament


Solo piano by Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, whose compositions are deeply rooted in Ethiopian folk and church music. The title: The Homeless Wanderer





Friday, April 13, 2007

Thursday, April 12, 2007

sur








Alfredo Abalos - Zamba del Angel







(More info. here)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

breath


I love to discover new music - and this past weekend, I hit the jackpot. My find? The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. (You can watch them here.)

Today's track: Balicky Bon







* Photo by Hiroko Masuike

Sunday, April 08, 2007

hope








For Easter, one of the best (and most overlooked) gospel singers ever - Dorothy Love Coates.

Song: Get Away, Jordan





Saturday, April 07, 2007

geste [jest]




Gianluigi Trovesi Otteto - Clumsy dancing of the fat bird







* Photo by Wild Images

Friday, April 06, 2007

mi vida



Maria Rita - Dos Gardenias





Thursday, April 05, 2007

street music


Two cuts from a wonderful anthology of popular music from Java. The first is in the lyrical kroncong style, while the second is a rough-and-ready medley of dangdut hits. (Artists unknown.)

Aku Rela Kau Behagia







Dangdut Medley





Tuesday, April 03, 2007

vignette


Duke Ellington - Dancers in Love







* Photo by Gjon Mili

muscle shoals soul




The Staple Singers' blend of gospel, funk and soul has long been a favorite of mine. Today's songs were Top 40 hits in their day - understandably so.



I'll Take You There







Respect Yourself





Sunday, April 01, 2007

mulher do norte



Music from northern Brazil, performed by Nazaré Pereira. The song: Caixa de Sol