Showing 1 - 10 of 11
A joyous sound
Life, John Clewley, Published on 07/11/2023
» In 2001, the legendary US Gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama released an album on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records label. It was a hugely popular album which garnered the band a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. It included their version of Tom Wait's song Way Down In The Hole, which was the theme song for the TV miniseries The Wire. Their version is better than Waits' in my view.
Music for the soul
Life, John Clewley, Published on 29/08/2023
» Highlife was one of the first popular styles to emerge in post World War II sub-Saharan Africa. It came out of Ghana's clubs and bars in the 1950s, where big swing bands, pioneered by the "King of Highlife" ET Mensah, whipped up one of West Africa's best loved urban dance genres.
Top tunes this June
Life, John Clewley, Published on 20/06/2023
» Veteran kora master Toumani Diabaté and Kayhan Kalhor soar to the top spot on the June edition of the Transglobal World Music Chart with a new release on Real World, The Sky Is The Same Colour Everywhere. Diabaté is well-known for his cross-cultural collaborations, from his early days with Ketama, a flamenco, jazz, West Africa fusion, to later work with the London Symphony Orchestra (Korolen), while Kalhor is an award-winning Kurdish-Iranian master of the kamancheh (fiddle) and setar (lute).
Queen of Molam honoured
Life, John Clewley, Published on 28/09/2021
» The late National Artist Bunpheng Faiphiuchai featured on Google Doodle last week, as the search engine celebrated what would have been her 89th birthday on Sept 22. She was one of the most influential molam performers of her generation, and a pioneer in the recording of molam on vinyl. According to Google Doodle's blurb, by 1955 she had recorded "more full-length albums than any other woman in the genre" and that is why she was the first molam to be given the title "Queen Of Molam".
Can I interest you in South American psychedelics?
Life, John Clewley, Published on 25/05/2021
» The Caribbean is in the spotlight in this week's column, with two new and contrasting albums from different parts of the region featuring.
Honouring a pioneer
Life, John Clewley, Published on 04/08/2020
» Sonia Pottinger was a trailblazing pioneer in Jamaica's male-dominated music industry as she played an important role in the development of popular music in the Caribbean island. She was the first female record producer in Jamaica and her pinnacle came during the 1960s, beginning with the ska era after which she made a transition to rocksteady and finally reggae.
2016 Games highlight diversity in Brazilian music
Life, John Clewley, Published on 09/08/2016
» The Olympics opened last Friday with fanfare and lots of fireworks in Rio de Janeiro. The opening ceremony featured a vague environmental message, a nod to Brazil's biodiversity, lots of dancing and a rendition of perhaps the most famous Brazilian popular song of all time, The Girl From Ipanema, performed by the grandson of its composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Haiti – Caribbean roots music
Life, John Clewley, Published on 23/02/2016
» The island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean archipelago has a colourful and rich musical history. There are two countries on the island -- Haiti and the Dominican Republic -- the former has its compass, mini jazz and twoubadou popular musical genres, while the latter boasts merengue.
Farewell to Ken Dalao
Life, John Clewley, Published on 21/10/2014
» One of Thailand’s greatest exponents of traditional Thai music genre lam glawn, molam singer Ken Dalao passed away earlier this month at the age of 84. Ken was one of the most influential and well-loved molam singers of his generation. He was made a National Artist in Performing Arts in 1989. He performed with his late wife Boonpheng Faiphewchai, and also Chaweewan Damnoen, both of whom were also National Artists. For many years he was the chairman of the All-Thailand Molam Association and during his career taught scores of young molam singers.
Journey to the heart of Kawachi-Ondo
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/12/2013
» A recent business trip to Japan left me with a few days in Osaka to find out more about the lively summer-festival music kawachi-ondo, one of my favourite Japanese roots styles. My mission was simple: pay a visit to the recently opened Kawachi-ondo Museum in Yao City and find some vinyl.