Showing 1 - 4 of 4
Holy trinity
Life, John Clewley, Published on 14/02/2023
» The banjo is a key instrument in Western folk music -- from US bluegrass to Irish trad -- and over the past 20 years, research into the roots of this three-stringed instrument have revealed its west African lute origins, with two instruments, the ngoni and the ekonting, now understood to be the closest ancestors to the banjo.
When East meets West
Life, John Clewley, Published on 17/01/2023
» In 2017, the Japanese band Minyo Crusaders released their debut album, Echoes Of Japan (P-Vine, Japan), to great acclaim. The band's reworking and updating of Japanese folk music, or minyo, on a rhythmic bed of Caribbean, Latin and Afrobeat was truly inspired, and perhaps pointed the way for other fusion bands in East and Southeast Asia. The aim was to revive minyo as "music for the people", as quoted by World Music Central.
New grooves for your perusal
Life, John Clewley, Published on 09/11/2021
» The legendary Peruvian singer-songwriter Susana Baca tops the November Transglobal World Music Chart with her new album, Palabras Urgentes (Real World), which was released last month. The album celebrates the 50th anniversary of an amazing career, which has encompassed ethnomusicology, researching folklore and teaching, a long career as a singer, and a stint as Minister of Culture.
Remember the Raja
Life, John Clewley, Published on 26/10/2021
» Pornsak Songsaeng, the 'Raja of Molam' from Isan, died of a heart attack in Nong Bua Lam Phu province on Oct 17. He was 60 years old. Pornsak was one of the most famous Isan music stars, and his funeral was attended by many of his fans as well as many of the big names in the entertainment industry.