Showing 1 - 5 of 5
The sound of Syria
Life, John Clewley, Published on 06/12/2022
» Taraf Syriana is an ensemble of virtuoso master musicians from diverse ethnic backgrounds who play traditional music from Syria and surrounding cultures and countries. The group plays folk music from the Balkans to Syria, and this week they will launch an eponymously titled debut album on the Lulaworld record label in Canada.
Rediscovering forgotten grooves
Life, John Clewley, Published on 05/01/2021
» Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia and the country's most populous city has a long history as an important Indian Ocean port connecting traders. As we saw with my recent review of the first international release of popular Djibouti music, The Dancing Devils Of Djibouti by Groupe RTD on the Ostinato label, ports at the western edge of the Indian Ocean region played a crucial role in developing popular genres of music.
Farewell to a punk pioneer
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/12/2018
» Manchester in the mid- to late-1970s was dark and moody. The International Monetary Fund bailed out the UK economy with a £3.5 billion loan in 1976 as the pound sunk to record lows. There was bitter infighting in the Labour-led government and strikes were in the news headlines.
Horns of Africa
Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/11/2018
» Summer and autumn releases are out and there are some fascinating new albums that are well worth checking out. The European Broadcast Union's Top Ten World Music Chart for November features hits from the Horn of Africa, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Colombia.
Sega sound waves
Life, John Clewley, Published on 23/05/2017
» The Indian Ocean connects Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and for centuries sailors plied the marine trade roots connecting the three. A clear example of cultural transmission via trade routes is the fact that Madagascar has a population that speaks a language that originated in the Indonesian archipelago.